Mike Hodel's Hour 25

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March 2002


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Index to our previous shows

  • Shows from April, 2002
  • March 24, 2002 - Dr. Stephen Hawking and Dr. Brian Marsden
  • March 17, 2002 - Dan Simmons
  • March 10, 2002 - Howard V. Hendrix
  • March 3, 2002 - David Brin
  • Shows from February, 2002
  • Shows from January, 2002
  • Shows from December 2001
  • Shows from November, 2001
  • Shows from October, 2001
  • Shows from September, 2001
  • Shows from August, 2001
  • Shows from July, 2001
  • Shows from June, 2001
  • Shows from May, 2001
  • Shows from April, 2001
  • Shows from March, 2001
  • Shows from February, 2001
  • Shows from January, 2001
  • Shows from November - December, 2000
  • Shows from September - October, 2000
  • Shows from July - August, 2000

  • Dr. Stephen Hawking and Dr. Brian Marsden

    On Sunday - March 24th, 2002 - our guests were Dr. Stephen Hawking, the world renowned physicist, and Dr. Brian Marsden, the Director of the Minor Planet Center at the Harvard Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.

    Dr. Brian Marsden has long been a central figure in the study of asteroids and comets. For many years he has been the director of the Minor Planet Center and as such has been responsible for verifying newly discovered asteroids and comets as well as keeping track of the asteroids and comets that have already been discovered. If anyone has a question about an asteroid or comet, the Minor Planet Center was the place they went to for accurate information. Whenever a question arose about the possibility of an asteroid hitting the Earth, the Minor Planet Center was where people called. And when you realize just what a small staff works at the Minor Planet Center, then you know that for many years the name Brian Marsden has been synonymous with the Minor Planet Center.

    Dr. Marsden's work has focused on calculating the orbits of asteroids and comets - i.e. where are they now, where were they in the past and where will they be in the future. Not only is this a task that is 'computationally intense' but when you realize that there are now something like 30,000 known asteroids and comets, you can imagine the size of the job.

       Brian Marsden - Picture Copyright © by Harvard Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.
    Brian Marsden
    Picture Copyright
    © by Harvard Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory


    Because of the nature of his work, Dr. Marsden was one of the 'early adapters' of electronic computers. In fact, his work with asteroid orbits reaches back to a time when a computer was the person doing the computations, not the machine used for the computations.

    Although I have long known about Dr. Marsden and his work, it was only fairly recently that I had the chance to sit down and chat with him. He was an absolute delight. He is wonderfully entertaining, has a wealth of wonderful stories and is an absolutely charming individual. He is truly a gentleman and a scholar. It was a great pleasure getting to spend time with him and hear his stories about the early days of computing along with getting to learn more about asteroids and comets from a man who has spent his whole life studying these objects.

    It was a special pleasure getting to interview Brian and an even more special pleasure being able to bring that interview to you.

    The Universe in a Nutshell - cover Copyright © 2001 by Bantam Books
    Cover Copyright © 2001 by Bantam Books
    Dr. Stephen Hawking is certainly well known to anyone with an interest in the research that is happening at the frontier of human knowledge. Dr. Hawking is the Lusasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University. {This is the same position once held by Sir Issac Newton.} His research into the nature of space and time have changed our fundamental ideas about how the universe operates and he is widely acclaimed to be one of the most most brilliant scientists of the 20th and 21st centuries. He is well known to the general public as the author of several notable science books including A Brief History of Time and his current book, The Universe in a Nutshell.

    Dr. Hawking routinely works with mathematics that most of us can only stare at in awe and confusion. And yet he does this by holding the equations in his head, because he contracted ALS almost thirty years ago.

    Today Dr. Hawking's body is restricted to a wheel chair and he can only speak by using an artificial voice connected to a computer which he laboriously accesses using the two fingers of one hand which are the only parts of his body that he can still move. And yet his mind roams the most distant realms imaginable. His researches show us subtle truths about how the world works and demonstrate that there are few things people cannot achieve.

    It was a special pleasure on March 15th to be able to attend a lecture at CalTech and listen to Dr. Hawking tell us about new research that shows that the universe we live in may be just a sliver of a vaster universe, that there may be other 'realities' than our own and that these theories about other universes may be testable in the laboratory. It was awe inspiring to listen to him as his computer-generated voice took our imaginations to the limits of our universe and beyond.

    So it is my special pleasure to bring you a brief excerpt from that lecture through the kind permission of Dr. Hawking and CalTech. {Please note that this audio excerpt from that lecture is copyright by Dr. Stephen Hawking and should not be reproduced or redistributed without getting his written permission.} You can learn more about his recent research by reading his newest book, The Universe in a Nutshell, which is available in hard cover from Bantam Books and also as an unabridged audio book from Random House Audio. This book, along with Dr. Hawking's earlier books, are all highly recommended. Read them and prepare to have the limits of you mind stretched farther than you thought possible.

    The Watch - click on this image to learn more about this project.

    The Space Frontier Foundation sponsors The Watch, a privately funded project that supports various observational, research, and public outreach activities aimed at dealing with the problem of asteroid impacts. There are many ways that you can get involved with this activity.
    Click on the image above to learn more about The Watch.


    Note : If you are a subscriber to the Hour 25 Newsletter and have been using "excite@home" you will need to send me an email at wwjames@earthlink.net with your new address. Be sure to include your old email address so I can properly update the newsletter mailing list. And if you're not on the mailing list, now would be a good time to sign up.

    Important Note : Be sure to update your anti-virus software. There are some new viruses going around that are particularly nasty and sneaky about how they propagate. {One of these nasty bits propagates by sending itself to people as a reply to existing emails in your in-box.} I got attacked by this virus while working on the current edition of Hour 25, and though my anti-virus software stopped it cold, it did cause me to lose some time. I use Norton's Anti-virus software and I'm quite satisfied with it. {Like I said, it stopped this new virus in its tracks.} But do make sure you're using anti-virus software and that you keep your virus definitions up to date.

    Listen to this show

    webcasting
    • Click here to listen to the entire show. {1:25:06}
      Or
    • Click here for the show's intro music.{0:41}
    • Click here for the show's opening. {5:05}
    • Click here for an excerpt from a lecture Dr. Stephen Hawking gave at CalTech on March 15, 2002. {5:05}
    • Click here for the transition to Dr. Brian Marsden. {0:46}
    • Click here for the Brian Marsden Interview. {1:11:40}
    • Click here for the show's closing.{1:49}
      Or for more Hour 25 Interviews
    • Click here to listen to our interview with Dr. John S. Lewis concerning the threat and promise of asteroids.
    • Click here to listen to our interview with Dave Tholen and Bill Bottke for another conversation about asteroids.
    • Click here for an index of all Shows on our site.

    Links for more information relating to this show

    Stephen Hawking
  • To learn more about Dr. Stephen Hawking and his work you should go to his web site.
  • An interesting discussion about general relativity and the importance of quantum mechanics can be found at this Scientific American web site that features the work of Stephen Hawking and Roger Penrose.
  • More of Stephen Hawking's ideas about the nature of the cosmos can be found at the Stephen Hawking's Universe web site
  • For a completely different approach to Stephen Hawking and his work, be sure to check out MC Hawking's Crib for a hip-hop take on his work. {Caution, some people might take offense at some of the song lyrics. Oh well, there's no counting for taste or a non-existent sense of humor.}

    Brian Marsden, Asteroids and Celestial Mechanics
  • You can hear another interview with Brian Marsden at this web site and read his biography here.
  • The place to start any of your explorations into asteroid science is The Minor Planet Center. This is where astronomers report new asteroid discoveries and it serves as a focal point for disseminating information about asteroids.
  • Click here to view a web site with a great introduction to asteroids including many images and animations. Another good introduction to what is known about asteroids can be found at this Sky & Telescope web site or at this NASA site.
  • Click here to visit a web page with information about the double asteroid 90 Antiope. This page includes pictures and movies of this fascinating object.
  • Click here to go to the home page for the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) mission. It is filled with background information about the project and contains reports of the mission's most recent discoveries along with many pictures and movies of 433 Eros.
  • For more images of asteroids, you should check out this web site from The National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC). Additional data about asteroids can be found at the Planetary Data System Small Bodies Node.
  • The NEODyS web site contains information about all Near Earth Objects in a searchable database along with web pages for each individual object.
  • You can obtain orbital elements for any asteroid at this searchable on-line database.
  • You can find many links leading to many resources concerning asteroids and comets at this NASA GSFC web site and at this site.
  • You can learn about the asteroid research being done by previous Hour 25 guests Dr. Dave Tholen, Dr. Bill Bottke and Dr. John S. Lewis at their web sites.   Dave's Site    Bill's Site    John's Site.
  • You can find information to help you in observing asteroids at this web site sponsored by the British Astronomical Association.
  • Spacecraft missions bring us pictures of asteroids that show details that have never before been seen. And somebody's got to name all of those new details. Go to this web site sponsored by the USGS to find out about the nomenclature being developed for the features seen on asteroids.

  • Click here to go to the web site for the Near Earth Asteroid Tracking project at JPL.
  • Information about asteroids that may be dangerous is collected at the JPL Potentially Hazardous Asteroids web site.
  • Click here to go to a NASA web page discussing asteroid impact hazards. Information about the Torino scale for asteroid impact dangers can be found here.
  • The Space Frontier Foundation sponsors The Watch, which is a program dedicated to doing something about the hazards presented by asteroid impacts. Click here to find out more about this project.

  • Additional information about the use of asteroid resources can be found at the web site for the Space Studies Institute, at the web site for Projects to Employ Resources of the Moon and Asteroids Near Earth in the Near Term (PERMANENT) or at this site.

  • This interview was done while we were at a Conference last fall organized by the Space Frontier Foundation. Click here to learn more about the Space Frontier Foundation.
  • And if you enjoyed this show and would like to know when other interviews are uploaded to the Hour 25 web site, then send an email to me at wwjames@earthlink.net and I will add your name to the free Hour 25 Newsletter mailing list. That way you'll get a brief notice in your email every time a new show gets uploaded to the web.

    Space News
  • You can find out more about Comet Ikeya-Zhang and find out when and where it can be seen by going to this web page at Space.com or by going to this Sky and Telescope web page.
  • In the last week or so Space Adventures and the Myasishchev Design Bureau (MDB) in collaboration with the Cosmopolis XXI Suborbital Corporation announced that they will be building a sub-orbital rocket that will be used to provide tourist access to space. For more information about this project check out this web page from Space Adventures or this other Space Adventures web page or read this article produced by Aviation Week.
  • While I was finishing up this week's show the Chinese Space Agency launched the third unmanned test of their ShenZhou spacecraft.It is expected that they will perform one more unmanned test this year and that they will launch their first astronauts sometime next year. For on-going news about this test flight, be sure to check the Space Today web site and the Spaceflight Now web site. Both of these sites are very good about carrying late breaking news about space missions that are currently underway.

    ISS News
  • The Florida Today web site has a very interesting report about the causes of the ISS budget problems and their impact on the space program. It makes very interesting reading.
  • Click here to view the press kits for various ISS missions.
  • Check out the NASA International Space Station web page or the Boeing web page to learn more about this project.
  • A great source of news about Russian space activities, including their work on the ISS, can be found at the Russian Space Web.
  • Do you wonder where the Space Station is right now? You can use your browser to view real time maps showing the location of the ISS by going to this link at the NASA Space Link web site or here at the Johnson Spacecraft Center. Please note that your browser must support Java to make use of this satellite tracking software.
  • You can find out when the ISS - or many other spacecraft - can be seen from your location by going to this NASA web page. Please note; your browser must support Java for this application to work.

    For On-Going Updates on Space News
  • The Space Today web site is a great place to find space news from all over the 'net.
  • The Spaceflight Now web site carries real time information about current space missions and presents a lot of space and astronomy news. This is the place I go to when I want up to the minute information about current space missions. Do I need to say more?
  • The NASA Watch web site is another great place for getting information about current space missions. Check there also for news about other 'goings on' within NASA. Highly recommended.

  • Click here for information about the audio files used for Hour 25 and for information about configuring your browser and downloading audio players.

    Please note web pages from external sites will open in a separate browser window and that Hour 25 Productions are not responsible for the content of any external Web Sites.

  • Return to the Index for this month's shows


    Dan Simmons

    On Sunday - March 17th, 2002 - our guest was Dan Simmons. We talked with him about his newest book A Winter Haunting and also found out where he got all those great stories that he worked into Darwin's Blade. Along the way we chated with him about the art and craft of writing and learned a bit about how this master craftsman plies his trade.

    It was a special pleasure to interview Dan a couple of weeks ago when he was in town on tour for his newest book, "A Winter Haunting". On the one hand I was glad to have another chance to interview Dan because I knew from past interviews that he's always interesting and has great insight into the creative process of writing. On the other hand, I was glad to have this chance to interview him because the last time he was in town we had some scheduling problems and were unable to get together for an interview. And on the gripping hand, Dan's newest book is really great and I was looking forward to hearing him tell us more about it.

    Dan is one of those rare authors who can easily move between genres without his books losing that essence that marks them as his very own. His style is easily recognizable for its focused word choices, powerful images and complex yet believable characters who come alive as you read the story.

       Dan Simmons - Click on this image to go to his web site.
    Dan Simmons Picture Copyright
    © by Karen Simmons


    A Winter Haunting was a special pleasure to read. It takes the characters and situations from Dan's earlier book Summer of Night and moves the story forward forty years. Where before we saw the characters as young boys, in this newest book the focal character, Dale Stewart, is now a man well into the challenges of middle age. These books are tied together, as Dan says, like the sides of a Moebius strip, with each one affecting how you view the other. Taken individually, each book is a delight, but when viewed together they weave a complex web that sparkles in your mind's eye long after you finish the books.

    A Winter Haunting is hard to describe - it weaves together elements of supernatural horror, psychological suspense, character study and mystery - but let it just be said that this book is highly recommended.

    Darwin's Blade - cover Copyright © 2000 by William Morrow
    Cover Copyright © 2000 by William Morrow
    A Winter Haunting - cover Copyright © 2002 by William Morro
    Cover Copyright © 2002 by William Morrow

    Listen to this show

    webcasting
    • Click here to listen to the entire show. {49:07}
      or
    • Click here for the show's intro music.{0:41}
    • Click here for the show's opening. {4:12}
    • Click here for the Dan Simmons Interview. {41:54}
    • Click here for the show's closing.{2:20}
      or
    • Click here for an index of all Shows on our site.

    Links for more information relating to this show

    Dan Simmons
  • You can find out more about Dan Simmons and his books at his official web page.
  • You can also find out what other people have to say about Dan's books by going to this web site or by viewing the articles here or here
  • Click here for a good listing of Internet resources relating to Dan Simmons and his books.
  • There are many interviews with Dan available on-line, along with many transcripts of on-line chat sessions. These interviews and transcripts include; Flashpoint, Bookpage, Writers Write, Salon.com and Science Fiction Weekly.
  • Dan will be teaching at this year's Clarion West. There is still time to apply if you hurry. Check out their web site for more information.
  • Some of Dan's older books are available through eReads.com.Currently you can get Phases of Gravity or Song of Kali through them.
  • And if you enjoyed this show and would like to know when other interviews are uploaded to the Hour 25 web site, then send an email to me at wwjames@earthlink.net and I will add your name to the free Hour 25 Newsletter mailing list. That way you'll get a brief notice in your email every time a new show gets uploaded to the web.

    Space News
  • To learn more about Dr. Stephen Hawking and his work you should go to his web site.
  • You can find out more about Comet Ikeya-Zhang and find out when and where it can be seen by going to this web page at Space.com or by going to this Sky and Telescope web page.

    ISS News
  • The Florida Today web site has a very interesting report about the causes of the ISS budget problems and their impact on the space program. It makes very interesting reading.
  • Click here to view the press kits for various ISS missions.
  • Check out the NASA International Space Station web page or the Boeing web page to learn more about this project.
  • A great source of news about Russian space activities, including their work on the ISS, can be found at the Russian Space Web.
  • Do you wonder where the Space Station is right now? You can use your browser to view real time maps showing the location of the ISS by going to this link at the NASA Space Link web site or here at the Johnson Spacecraft Center. Please note that your browser must support Java to make use of this satellite tracking software.
  • You can find out when the ISS - or many other spacecraft - can be seen from your location by going to this NASA web page. Please note; your browser must support Java for this application to work.

    For On-Going Updates on Space News
  • The Space Today web site is a great place to find space news from all over the 'net.
  • The Spaceflight Now web site carries real time information about current space missions and presents a lot of space and astronomy news. This is the place I go to when I want up to the minute information about current space missions. Do I need to say more?
  • The NASA Watch web site is another great place for getting information about current space missions. Check there also for news about other 'goings on' within NASA. Highly recommended.

  • Click here for information about the audio files used for Hour 25 and for information about configuring your browser and downloading audio players.

    Please note web pages from external sites will open in a separate browser window and that Hour 25 Productions are not responsible for the content of any external Web Sites.

  • Return to the Index for this month's shows


    Howard V. Hendrix

    On Sunday - March 10th, 2002 - our guest was Howard V. Hendrix. Last week David Brin referred to Howard as one of the up and coming writers to keep an eye on. With this interview you'll get acquainted with Howard and discover why I enthusiastically agree with David's comment.

    Until recently Howard has been a full-time Professor of Literature and a part-time writer. Now he's a full-time writer and a part-time Professor. His students' loss is the gain of readers everywhere.

    Although Howard does not have a background in the hard sciences, that does not stop him from doing his homework and writing books that show what happens when a highly inventive imagination is grounded in the realities of science and technology. Howard does not claim to write hard sf or fantasy or whatever label you want to apply to his books. He says that he writes "Howard Hendrix Fiction"®. Well whatever you call it, I enjoy his writing and look forward with great anticipation to his next book.

       Howard Hendrix - Click on this image to go to his web site.
    Howard Hendrix Picture Copyright
    © by Mike Chin


    Please note; in tonight's interview Howard and I talk at length about many subjects, including politics. But some things just never seem to come up, such as the September 11 terrorist attacks on America or the war in Afganistan. The reason for this surprising omission is that we did this interview before the events of 9/11. So consider this interview to be a time capsule from before the day the world changed. I know Howard will be back in town sometime in the future and at that time we'll have another of our free ranging talks on those subjects and more. I can't wait. Till then, go read his books. I think you'll like them. I know I did.

    Lightpaths - cover Copyright © 1997 by Ace Books
    Cover Copyright © 1997 by Ace Books
    Empty Cities of the Full Moon - cover Copyright © 2001 by Ace Books
    Cover Copyright © 2001 by Ace Books
    Standing Wave - cover Copyright © 1998 by Ace Books.
    Cover Copyright © 1998 by Ace Books

    Listen to this show

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    Links for more information relating to this week's show

    Howard V. Hendrix
  • You can find out more about Howard and his books at his official web page.
  • Click here for a bibliography of Howard's work.
  • You can read a transcript of an on-line conversation with Howard from Chicon here.
  • And if you enjoyed this show and would like to know when other interviews are uploaded to the Hour 25 web site, then send an email to me at wwjames@earthlink.net and I will add your name to the free Hour 25 Newsletter mailing list. That way you'll get a brief notice in your email every time a new show gets uploaded to the web.

    Space News
  • Click here to go to the web site for the Hubble Space Telescope or here to view the web site for the Hubble Space Telescope Science Institute.
  • Dr. Stephen Hawking is going to be giving a public lecture at CalTech this coming week. If you would like to learn more about him and his work, then checkout his web site.
  • To learn more about the upcoming attempt to directly view planets orbiting other stars, then check out this New Scientist web page.
  • You can find out more about Comet Ikeya-Zhang and find out when and where it can be seen by going to this web page at Space.com or by going to this Sky and Telescope web page.

    ISS News
  • The Florida Today web site has a very interesting report about the causes of the ISS budget problems and their impact on the space program. It makes very interesting reading.
  • Click here to view the press kits for various ISS missions.
  • Check out the NASA International Space Station web page or the Boeing web page to learn more about this project.
  • A great source of news about Russian space activities, including their work on the ISS, can be found at the Russian Space Web.
  • Do you wonder where the Space Station is right now? You can use your browser to view real time maps showing the location of the ISS by going to this link at the NASA Space Link web site or here at the Johnson Spacecraft Center. Please note that your browser must support Java to make use of this satellite tracking software.
  • You can find out when the ISS - or many other spacecraft - can be seen from your location by going to this NASA web page. Please note; your browser must support Java for this application to work.

    For On-Going Updates on Space News
  • The Space Today web site is a great place to find space news from all over the 'net.
  • The Spaceflight Now web site carries real time information about current space missions and presents a lot of space and astronomy news. This is the place I go to when I want up to the minute information about current space missions. Do I need to say more?
  • The NASA Watch web site is another great place for getting information about current space missions. Check there also for news about other 'goings on' within NASA. Highly recommended.

  • Click here for information about the audio files used for Hour 25 and for information about configuring your browser and downloading audio players.

    Please note web pages from external sites will open in a separate browser window and that Hour 25 Productions are not responsible for the content of any external Web Sites.

  • Return to the Index for this month's shows


    David Brin

    On Sunday - March 3rd, 2002 - our guest was David Brin. He was in LA about a week ago to do a signing for his newest book Kiln People. We met at the office of his brother's publishing company to do the interview and whilst surrounded by decades worth of publishing history, we chatted about his books and the future. It was lots of fun.
    Science Fiction has been described as the literature for those people who enjoy recreational thinking. I couldn't agree more. Within the framework of science fiction we have the ability to consider questions about why our world is the way it is. We can imagine how differences in physics would lead to different forms of life or we can postulate changes in historical events and speculate about how today's world would be different. By taking this 'anything goes as long as everything is internally consistent' view we get new eyes for looking at our world and gain fresh insights into our civilization and history. And we also get some ripping good yarns to entertain us.

    David Brin is one of the best practitioners of this 'anything goes...' type of Science Fiction. And to judge by his ever growing collection of awards, I conclude that I am not the only person who feels this way.

    Dave's newest book Kiln People continues his tradition of outrageous ideas and well-told stories. I mean, what can I say about a world where people can create fully-functional copies of themselves made out of clay, send them out to do any sort of work and then at the end of the day download the memories from that duplicate so that they know everything that it learned and remember everything it experienced?

    In the hands of a lesser writer this book would have been called Golem World and it would have been pure fantasy. Entertaining perhaps, but not Science Fiction. But in the hands of a master like Dave Brin, this book becomes a great example of Hard-SF speculation that tickles your thinking bone and challenges you to imagine all the implications of its one - admittedly big - 'what if' premise. This book was lots of fun and is highly recommended. {And it didn't hurt that Dave never missed an opportunity to slip in a wicked pun or three.}

       David Brin
    David Brin picture copyright © by Jerry Bauer

    cover for Kiln People
    Earth cover
    Star Tide Rising cover
    Heaven's Reach cover
    Foundation's Triumph cover

    Listen to this week's show

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    Links for more information relating to this week's show

    David Brin
  • To learn more about David Brin and his books you should visit his Official Web Site (davidbrin.com).
  • A great deal of information about Dave's writing, including detailed lists of characters and locations, can be found at the aptly named The Works of David Brin web site.
  • More information about David Brin can be found joining the Brin-L mailing list. Information about that organization and a compendium of other useful information can be found here.
  • Biographical information about David Brin and a listing of his publications can be found here or here. More information about David, including links to a number of his on-line essays, can be found at this web site.
  • There are quite a few interviews with David Brin available on-line. You might start you reading with this interview from Locus On-Line and then view this interview which has a good bit of information about his Uplift series of books. This Networker interview has a lot of good information about Dave and his writing, as does this interview from the Planetary Society. This Interview starts with a discussions of The Transparent Society and moves on from there to cover other fascinating topics.
  • And if you enjoyed this show and would like to know when other interviews are uploaded to the Hour 25 web site, then send an email to me at wwjames@earthlink.net and I will add your name to the free Hour 25 Newsletter mailing list. That way you'll get a brief notice in your email every time a new show gets uploaded to the web.

    Space News
  • Click here to go to the web site for the Hubble Space Telescope or here to view the web site for the Hubble Space Telescope Science Institute.
  • You can learn more about the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission by going to the Project's Official Web Site. Information about the results from the THEMIS experiment, including its first images, can be found here and information about the results from the GRS experiment that found large amounts of water on Mars can be found here.
  • Click here to view the on-line atlas of Mars. [Don't miss this, it is a treasure. With just a click of your mouse you can view Mars in a way that previous generations of astronomers could only dream of.}
  • The Pioneer 10 spacecraft is the "Energizer Bunny" of spacecraft. It keeps going and going and going and go.... Click here to learn more about this project or here to gain access to the science results from this mission.
  • You can learn more about the Ariane 5 launch vehicle and future ESA launcher vehicles, including many pictures, by going to this ESA web site.

    ISS News
  • The Florida Today web site has a very interesting report about the causes of the ISS budget problems and their impact on the space program. It makes very interesting reading.
  • Click here to view the press kits for various ISS missions.
  • Check out the NASA International Space Station web page or the Boeing web page to learn more about this project.
  • A great source of news about Russian space activities, including their work on the ISS, can be found at the Russian Space Web.
  • Do you wonder where the Space Station is right now? You can use your browser to view real time maps showing the location of the ISS by going to this link at the NASA Space Link web site or here at the Johnson Spacecraft Center. Please note that your browser must support Java to make use of this satellite tracking software.
  • You can find out when the ISS - or many other spacecraft - can be seen from your location by going to this NASA web page. Please note; your browser must support Java for this application to work.

    For On-Going Updates on Space News
  • The Space Today web site is a great place to find space news from all over the 'net.
  • The Spaceflight Now web site carries real time information about current space missions and presents a lot of space and astronomy news. This is the place I go to when I want up to the minute information about current space missions. Do I need to say more?
  • The NASA Watch web site is another great place for getting information about current space missions. Check there also for news about other 'goings on' within NASA. Highly recommended.

  • Click here for information about the audio files used for Hour 25 and for information about configuring your browser and downloading audio players.

    Please note web pages from external sites will open in a separate browser window and that Hour 25 Productions are not responsible for the content of any external Web Sites.

  • Return to the Index for this month's shows



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