Category Archives: Futurism

Concept art for Firefly's first launch system. (Credit: Firefly Space Systems)

Texas-based Space startup Firefly Space Systems announced today that the company has signed a Space Act agreement with NASA.

Founded in January 2013, Firefly is focused on building a reusable launch system that is geared towards the small satellite market. Its first rocket, Firefly Alpha, is planned to be able to lift 453 kg into low Earth orbit and is slated to launch in 2017. It will be followed by its second system, Firefly Beta, which will be able to deliver 1114 kg to low Earth orbit.

The reason why Firefly exists is that if you look at emergence of space companies, you can see that a large number of them are smallsat companies, Fireflys VP of Business Development Maureen Gannon told me. That growth in the smallsat market is really what were seeing as opportunity for our company.

One big area where Firefly aims to be competitive is cost. According to Gannon, the company is targeting a launch cost of $8-9 million. By contrast, a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch costs $61.2 million.

Four years from start to launch is an aggressive schedule for any space company. Thats one area where the agreement with NASA comes in. Under this agreement, NASA and Firefly have agreed to collaborate on the engineering and design of the Firefly Alpha system. This includes areas of technical consultation, engineering services, and concept/design reviews, according to a press release. (However, theres no financial aspect to the agreement.)

The other way that Firefly is trying to reach its goal is by shifting the normal process through which rockets are developed. To that end, the company has partnered with ANSYS, which makes physics-based simulation software for engineering firms.

Our simulation software allows companies to develop in a different way, Rob Smith, ANSYSs Aerospace and Defense Industry director told me. The old way was to come up with an idea, sketch it, prototype it and test until it breaks. Its expensive and time consuming.

Firefly has been able to use the simulation software, which runs on the Texas Advanced Computing Centers Stampede supercomputer, to speed up their development process.

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Firefly Space Systems Inks Space Act Deal With NASA

By Kuhl, Nick on January 13, 2015.

Lethbridge Herald

One of the countrys most respected writers will be the featured speaker at the University of Lethbridges 2015 Calgary alumni and friends dinner on March 27.

Margaret Atwood, a well-known poet, novelist, story writer, essayist and environmental activist, will reflect on her career, the landscape in which it took shape and how writing can be a vote of confidence in the future.

Im not that different from other writers. In fact, Im not that different from other people because human beings are by nature storytellers; its just what we do, Atwood said in a release from the U of L. The narrative interest is a human interest; writers are just people that express it publicly.

Atwood is known as an authority in several subject matters, including feminism, environmental activism and futurism. The overlapping of these spheres in her novels, stories, poems, essays, and even tweets, has led to critical acclaim in Canada, the United States and Europe.

She has received numerous literary awards, including the Booker Prize, the Arthur C. Clarke Award, and the Governor Generals Award, twice.

To be able to bring a writer as accomplished and respected as Margaret Atwood to the Alumni & Friends Dinner is very exciting, said U of L president Mike Mahon.

Her voice is one that resonates throughout our country and the body of work she has created over the course of her career has established her place as a true Canadian icon.

The Calgary alumni and friends dinner was established in 2010 with the goal of bringing alumni together in fellowship, along with offering attendees a compelling and engaging speaker who reflects the values and goals of the University of Lethbridge.

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Margaret Atwood speaker for U of Ls Calgary alumni dinner

local | Arts

OPB | Jan. 9, 2015 1 p.m. | Updated: Jan. 9, 2015 3:44 p.m.

Jaik Faulk's latest show at Nationale, "Back at the Crawdaddy," explores what it means to leave one home and return toanother.

Oregons transplant populationcontinues to grow as our state attracts makers, doers and creative types from all over the country. Leave it to artist Jaik Faulk, then, to buck thetrend.

After studying art at Portland State University and spending 10 years in Portland, Faulk earned his MFA at the San Francisco Art Institute. He returned to his hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana after graduation to be closer to his family, leaving the Portland art communitybehind.

But now Faulk is back in the Rose City at least for a littlewhile.

In December, the painter accepted a month-long residency atFalseFront Studio in NE Portland to explore what it means to move from one home to another. The works he produced during those 30 days are now on display at southeast Portlands Nationale, in an exhibition entitled Back at the Crawdaddy.

The name of Faulks exhibition works on two levels.

For one, it comes from a Keith Richards quote: And the Crawdaddy [a club where the Rolling Stones performed] is where I realised that Mick could actually work a stage about the size of a rug better than anybody in theworld.

The concept of working in a confined space inspiresFaulk.

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Artist Jaik Faulk Returns To Portland With 'Back At The Crawdaddy'

RC CIRCUIT BENT #39;FUTURISM #39; MICRO ANALOGUE SPACE DRONE NOISE SYNTHESISER
BESPOKE MICRO SYNTH FROM RESONANCE CIRCUITS. FOR SALE EBAY. FOLLOW ON TWITTER @ RCircuits.

By: djwidow420

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RC CIRCUIT BENT 'FUTURISM' MICRO ANALOGUE SPACE DRONE NOISE SYNTHESISER - Video

Credit: David A. Aguilar (CfA)

Astronomers have announced that they have discovered eight more planets that likely exist in temperature ranges where life could exist.

The astronomers began their research path by examining candidates for planets that had been identified by NASAs Kepler mission. The candidates were analyzed using a supercomputer running algorithms at NASAs Ames facility.

After exploring the statistical likelihood of the planets existence, the team followed up with months of observations using a variety of different methods. The planets are distant enough, however, that their habitabiliy is still only a likelihood, not a certainty.

We dont know for sure whether any of the planets in our sample are truly habitable, researcher David Kipping said in a statement. All we can say is that theyre promising candidates.

The two most potentially Earth-like planets of the group of eight are Kepler-438b and Kepler-442b, both of which circle red dwarf stars are are respectively 70% and 97% likely to be in the habitable temperature zones of their respective stars. However, it should be noted that there are serious issues regarding the potential habitability of planets circling red dwarf stars, so confirmation will require significantly more study.

In addition to nearly doubling the potential number of habitable planets, this latest discovery also helps astronomers in a different milestone. NASA announced this week that the Kepler mission has helped astronomers verify the discovery of over 1,000 planets outside of our solar system. The mission has also uncovered over 4,000 planetary candidates.

Each result from the planet-hunting Kepler missions treasure trove of data takes us another step closer to answering the question of whether we are alone in the Universe, NASA associate administrator John Grunsfeld said in a press release. The Kepler team and its science community continue to produce impressive results with the data from this venerable explorer.

The researchers findings will be published in The Astrophysical Journal.

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Astronomers Have Discovered Eight Potentially Habitable Planets

Skydive (Futurism Remix)
Skydive (Futurism Remix) No Nation 2012 Phantom Recordings Released on: 2012-11-26 Auto-generated by YouTube.

By: Various Artists - Topic

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Skydive (Futurism Remix) - Video

Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser (Credit: Sierra Nevada Corporation)

The Government Accountability Office has denied a legal challenge that was filed by the Sierra Nevada Corporation over a NASA contract award to SpaceX and Boeing for crewed commercial flights.

Sierra Nevada was one of three finalists for the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contract, which was ultimately awarded to Boeing and SpaceX. Sierra Nevadas bid was for its Dream Chaser an airplane-like spacecraft thats capable of landing on a runway to deliver astronauts to the ISS.

The company challenged NASAs decision to award a contract to its competitors based on factors including the cost of Boeings proposal and concerns over SpaceXs ability to meet the terms of its proposal to NASA.

In its decision which has not been fully released to the public due because, according to the GAO, it contains proprietary and source selection sensitive information the GAO rejected Sierra Nevadas arguments. In its statement, the GAO stated that it had reviewed the conclusions reached by NASA to determine if they were reasonable, and consistent with the evaluation approach NASA set out in its solicitation but made no conclusions as to the relative merits of each proposal.

In a statement issued earlier today, the Sierra Nevada thanked the GAO for reviewing its proposal, and stated its commitment to continue to develop the Dream Chaser spacecraft.

SNC remains fully committed to being a part of returning world-class human spaceflight and enhanced cargo capabilities to low-Earth orbit, the company said in its statement. In doing so, SNC firmly believes that the Dream Chaser will play a central role in shaping the future of space transportation with its unique capabilities which address a wide spectrum of needs.

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GAO Denies Sierra Nevada's NASA Spacecraft Contract Protest

The classic picture of the manufacturing industry is that of conveyor belt upon conveyor belt of identical, mass produced products on the inside and large chimneys belching smoke into the atmosphere on the outside.

But this years list of 30 Under 30 in Manufacturing shows that the present and future of manufacturing is something altogether different. Its a world of custom products, 3D printing, nanoscale chemistry and a green outlook.

Consider Eben Bayer and Gavin McIntyre, the 29 year-old founders of Ecovative. These two friends use an environmentally-friendly process to grow mushrooms that they then turn into packaging materials to replace the styrofoam protecting, say, a Dell laptop. Best of all, their packaging costs the same or even less than traditional materials.

Other examples of green thinking in the manufacturing list include Max Winograd, 27, the cofounder of NuLabel, which designs adhesive labels for products without those annoying paper backs that you just end up throwing away. Then theres Jeremiah Chapman, 24, whose company Crisp creates products that extend the life of oil in deep fryers for restaurants; and Gabe Blanchet and Jamie Byron, whose company Grove Labs will be selling mass produced indoor gardens for people to easily grow their own fruits and vegetables.

Another theme that emerged in this years list was the big impact of 3D printing to make customized products. For example, theres Nikki Kaufman, 28, whose company Normal produces 3D printed earbuds that are custom fitted to your ear. Or Kegan Schouwenburg, 29, whose company Sols creates insoles for shoes that are customized for its customers feet.

Also innovating with 3D printing are Aaron Kemmer, Jason Dunn, Mike Chen, and Michael Snyder of the company Made In Space. They developed a 3D printer thats capable of working in zero-gravity. Their first printer is already making custom tools for astronauts on the International Space Station, and a bigger one is going up later this year.

Another theme in manufacturing this year was robotics. The list includes Antoine Balaresque and Henry Bradlow, whose Lily Robotics has developed a drone that can follow you around and take pictures like a flying GoPro; Jordi Muoz, 28, who cofounded 3D Robotics, the worlds second largest commercial drone manfacturer; Blake Sessions and Arron Acosta, whose company Rise Robotics builds parts for bigger robots and Natalie Panek, 29, who helps design robotic systems that will be used in outer space.

As for future iterations of the list? We might start looking for them among the kids currently playing with Roominate toys. This company, cofounded by Alice Brooks, 26, makes building toys that employ basic engineering principles from pulleys to electric circuits, allowing kids to learn STEM concepts while they play.

The FORBES 30 Under 30 in Manufacturing list was created using nominations from a variety of sources, and was reported by Joann Muller, Dan Alexander, and Alex Knapp. The judges for this category were Ted Duclos, President of Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies; Jenny Lawton, the CEO of Makerbot; and John Nottingham, cofounder of Nottingham Spirk. Thanks to all of them and to everyone who nominated candidates.

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30 Under 30 Reinventing Manufacturing In A Greener, Tech-Savvier World

Dispensationalism - Jesuit Futurism - Left Behind Theology
"Throughout Christendom, Protestantism was menaced by formidable foes. The first triumphs of the Reformation past, Rome summoned new forces, hoping to accomp...

By: Adam 1984

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Dispensationalism - Jesuit Futurism - Left Behind Theology - Video

On the front lawn of the Marvelwood Drive home of Ted Baldwin and Barbara Geller, a young giraffe stretches for food. Nearby, its towering parent surveys the landscape.

A stork cackles while a giant black spider meanders through the low-growing, bamboo-like grass.

All are neighbors in the Baldwins free-range residential paradise.

Some homeowners adorn their lawns with inflatable Santas, wicker deer, and other holiday displays. In the spring, others put outwhirligigs or garden gnomes. A few, however, defy the status quo. Their yards are year-round outdoor galleries, showplaces for the art they create, or just love to collect. For some outdoor gallerists, showing their art is a means of communicating and creating interest for neighbors and passersby. For others, showing their art makes sense for practical as well as aesthetic reasons.

Baldwin, a retired state judge, said that a shady canopy of trees around his house made growing a conventional lawn difficult. So he and Geller, a state Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services regional director, planted the special grass. It seemed to call out for some of the exotic inhabitants that now slow traffic and bring smiles on the sharp curve outside their home.

Exposed to the elements, some of the welded and assembled creatures develop a rusty patina. Others retain their original finish. Baldwin said that curating his display was simply a matter of showing the things they like. If we like them, we buy them, he said.

Less than a mile away on another well-traveled, residential road, Dog draws the eye with its machine-like appendages and commanding presence.

The Ramsdell Street sculpture is the work of Marcus Schaeffer, aka Markus Surrealius, who fabricates and restores metal sculpture at Versteeg Art Fabricators in Bethany. He has worked on public sculptures including Tony Rosenthals well known Alamothe cube sculpture at Astor Place in New York City. The company also restored Alexander Calders Gallows and Lollipops, the monumental kinetic sculpture at Yales Beinecke Plaza.

Dog wasinspired by the Yale bulldog mascot and Yales relationship with the city. The general aesthetic he said, was also influenced by early industrial design and heavy machinery like steam shovels and locomotives. Like most of my art, its based on a philosophy/conceptual framework aesthetic I refer to as pre-dystopianism. The abandoned remnants of futures that never were, as it were. Art that riffs on the perennial tendency to romanticize the past and insist that everything is worse today and that it will all fall apart real soon now.Also theres a bit of steampunk retro-futurism in the design.

Schaeffer said the homeowner, Camille Keeler, requested the sculpture be placed on the Ramsdell Street property; also, there was no space to exhibit the piece where he had previously lived. Finally, as Schaeffer said, the whole point of sculpture for me is to allow other people to experience it. Its a way of communicating concepts that are hard to put into words. That everyone tends to interpret art differently and see different meanings in it a bonus.

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Lawns Transformed Into Sculpture Galleries