Gone to Twitter!

Well after about 10 years here, the platform is pretty archaic (too many steps to make a new post, add pictures etc) and it's a lot easier to be connected with others on Twitter; so from here out most of what I report will be there.

A great way to wrap up here -- link to Mom's new book, 15 years in the making! A beautiful cover and the text and photos tell you all that's known on this subject!

Paper for Tennessee Valley Interstellar Workshop 2017 Underway!

Back to the Tennessee Valley Interstellar Workshop in October, for this year's meetings with NASA technologists, managers of the Breakthrough Starshot Initiative, and many others. The project of interstellar exploration for eventual voyaging is fascinating and allows me to apply my interests and knowledge of human biocultural evolution in the distant past to the just-as-fascinating distant human future!

Click here for a link to a preview of my paper.

Below, JPEG snapshots of the synopsis.

2017 Pressure Suit Ready to Fly

Eight years of design, building and testing seven models of a functional pressure suit, for my forthcoming expeditions to high altitudes, have resulted in the garment below. Weight 12.5lb, cost <$1,000, operating pressure 3.5psi (pure oxygen environment), overpressure valve opening 4.2psi, includes thermal garment for heat and cooling, integral communicatuions and biomedical monitoring devices, push-to-talk stud activators on gauntlets (not seen here), a unique stress-distributing 'x band' system (yet to be completed) and many more features. The entire ensemble is flameproof and has features allowing a long hike out of remote terrain. All home made in countless hours of stitching and other assembly and listening to an endless parade of audiobooks!

My flight training resumes 28 May for a 17 Aug final flying test to earn pilot's wings! I am looking forward to it.

Mostly-daily updates on Twitter.

Progress Towards Flight!

Probably the most useful skill I have ever learned, for my little domain of activity in life, is sailmaking. It taught me to make strong bonds in textiles and rope, both of which are central to my space suit project. Today, a little detail work, seen in photo below; also another photo with two team members, Paulina Spaceflight and JP! New suit is light, cheap, and works! Will reveal entirely before long!

The London Times

Recently my project is part of a story in the Times of London; the article mistakenly indicates that I will test my suit by jumping from my balloon at high altitude, but actually I will only be jumping in emergency circumstances and plan to launch and land my craft in a controlled manner!

Very busy; new suit in production for flying this summer, and a lot of writing projects.

Roughly-daily updates at Twitter.

Another Visitor!

The other day I was thrilled to have a visiting high school student, Joseph T., and his Mom, come by the shop / my home. Joseph has exotic ideas for spacecraft and is designing a capsule to take him around the moon on a no-landing mission. He has professional training in sailmaking and is equally interested in physics. History shows that it's exactly from such 'crazy dreamers' that many advances are made.

Was on jury duty this week but starting tomorrow very EXCITING fabrication AND pressure testing of the new suit!

Ten Hours

Ten hours' fabrication today / tonight assembled a new suit bladder from five textile patterns laying on the floor, cut last night. The suit design is subtly and substantially improved over the prior design, first flown last summer. I think this new design is very close to the final flying design for this summer's high flights! The fit is finely-tailored and exactly what is needed, it slips on and off and has extra room where needed and constrictions where they are needed.