Chilly Times

A snow and ice basting of downtown Portland has closed everything down. Walking the streets, when I inhale the icy air and smell the ice, and hear the crunches underfoot, I'm transported back to many snowy places. Today I thought about my first expedition to Arctic Alaska in 2007. What a place! I had a -70F windchill one day, the wind found a gap in my neoprene facemask and slashed at my skin like a knife!

New Research Brief!

A new Research Brief is out, I've posted this sixth Pacific Spaceflight report since 2014 at academia.edu. This brief statistically describes (but does not analyze for causes of variance, correlations or other interesting properties of the data) some of our biomedical data; particularly C02 levels inside the pressure garments we've been building, testing and--since 2014--flying.

Speaking of flying, lots slated for the next 44 days as I complete training (in Oregon and California) and earn my wings at long last!

Good Memories!

Had occasion to recall my visit to Copenhagen Suborbitals in Fall, 2013; one of the most exciting days of my life, a pressurized capsule egress test! In the photo, my buddy Kristian von Bengtson is watching over me as I just hauled myself out of the Tycho capsule's 88cm-diameter hatch! I haven't taken much time to explain the excitement of that 15 or so seconds that it took me to squeeze out of the hatch while the suit was pressurized!

A memorable, 15-second adventure! Video clip; I start out about just before five minutes in.  Today's suits are 1/3 the weight and bulk of that early model, and would be significantly easier in an emergency hatch egress!

Alvord Desert Dawn

A good photo showing Ben being put into the suit by Paulina J. around dawn, in the Alvord desert.

More frequent updates at twitter.

Yet Better Progress

The other night an incredible feeling, we had suit pressure up to that of an Apollo Lunar Suit (A7L model). Very exciting and what we've learned takes us forward, this week I'll implement fine adjustments that will put us ready to fly! Frequent updates at twitter.

Robert Louis Stevenson

"Every heart that has beat strongly and cheerfully has left a hopeful impulse behind it in the world, and bettered the tradition of mankind." -- Robert Louis Stevenson

Tolkien

“It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till. What weather they shall have is not ours to rule.” -- J.R.R. Tolkien