Search Intensifies for Lost Hot Air Balloonist

A hot air balloon piloted by Edward Ristaino went down Friday evening somewhere over Ben Hill County in Georgia. On Sunday, more aircrafts were in the skies and more crews on the ground looking for the 63-year old North Carolina man and any sign of his downed balloon.

The balloonist incountered severe weather while taking skydivers aloft told the divers to quickly exit the basket, he'd handle the balloon alone.



Authorities say Ristaino acted as a hero when he told the skydivers in the balloon's basket to jump out and let him handle the storm. With the loss of the extra weight the balloon became even more difficult to control.  

"We have limited amount of information, what we have gleaned through radio communications and radio traffic, we have the discussion with some of the skydivers that left the basket. All that indicated that he was taking care of the skydivers." 

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Balloon pilot Edward Ristaino

Near Earth Objects: The Search for Dangerous Asteroids Gets Funding From NASA

This is not action movie fodder, the threat is real!

Governments and Space Agencies around the world are turning their gaze skyward; NEOs can and will collide with Earth. It is widely accepted that a collision caused the extinction of the dinosaur 63 million years ago clearing the way for mammals(our evolutionary ancestors) to evolve to the top of the food chain instead of remaining prey for giant lizards.We as a species can do something to avert any future extinction events by exerting a measure of preventative maintenance.
First things first; we must find and track them. We are doing this.
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5 reasons to care about NEOs

Part of the new funds from NASA will be used to upgrade the camera on the 1.5-meter telescope on the summit of Mount Lemmon, enabling the observatory to cover more of the sky. The new camera system is expected to quadruple the amount of sky the telescope can cover each month.

strangest asteroids in the solar system

This is not a game or a movie plot, This is one of the strongest reasons to keep an active role in space and the technologies involved. This is something about which we all should be concerned.

OK, Now to lighten up a bit and have some fun! Click to play the
classic arcade game 'Asteroids'

SpaceX: Spacecraft to Accommodate Seven Astronauts on First Flight

Privatizing space flight is coming of age! 

SpaceX, is a company run by PayPal cofounder and Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk.

  The company hopes to soon pick up where NASA’s 30-year shuttle program left off last July. The new company is designing the spacecraft’s seating, lighting, storage spaces and environmental controls for the comfort and safety of its crew.

 This is not a tiny tin can where astronauts are crammed in like sardines — the company says Dragon is big enough for seven adults that are up to 6’5″ tall and weigh 250 pounds. There’s enough room in the capsule for three others to stand and help the astronauts get comfortable in preparation for their mission.

 The company announced Friday it is aiming for a April 30 launch with plans for docking with the space station on May 3, according Aero News. Although this upcoming mission will test maneuverability and docking, a first for a privately developed spacecraft. SpaceX has contracted two cargo missions for this year, the first of which is tentatively scheduled for July. In all, SpaceX has 16 flights on its manifest through 2015.
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SpaceX's 'Dragon' spacecraft

Skydiver to Make Record Breaking 23 Mile Jump

Felix Baumgartner will break the record this summer for the highest skydive jump. He will free fall, gaining speed by falling swiftly through the upper atmosphere going faster than the speed of sound.

This is not his first remarkable jump.

"Fearless Felix" Baumgartner has jumped 2,500 times from planes and helicopters, as well as some of the highest landmarks and skyscrapers on the planet — the Christ the Redeemer statue overlooking Rio de Janeiro, the Millau Viaduct in southern France, the 101-story Taipei 101 in Taiwan. This summer, Baumgartner hopes to hurtle toward Earth at supersonic speed from a record 23 miles up, breaking the sound barrier with only his body.

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Baumgartner will easily break Kittinger's record by several miles.

Joseph Kittinger was the first skydiver to set the free fall and long fall records in 1960. Here he has just cleared the gondola of the high altitude balloon he rode the edge of space.

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