Offworld Report: Weird Science: October 2004

NASA finds a Ring World, the space elevator is abandoned, robot spiders, the mystery radio signal isn't aliens calling in, hydrogen fuel gets realistic, and lunar advertising - coming to a moon near you soon?

This month's worthy content roundup of all the stuff found 'offworld the 'Nest from the world of online space science, cutting edge research and ... well, just plain weird stuff. Jessica Martin is your web scout for October.

Crew Exploration Vehicle Revisited
A new take on NASA's Crew Exploration Vehicle program.

Munching to Mars
It's coming up to a 3 year round trip Mars, what on Earth - or off it - are those hungry astronauts going to eat?

Remote Launch Vehicles
RLVs have been all but abandoned - why, and should they have been?

Advocating Space
There's no one making space relevant to Joe public, argues this article.

Buying the Moon
The thorny issue of lunar property rights comes up again.

Rings around Ringworld
Has NASA found a Larry Nivenesque Ringworld?

Planet Photos
First direct image of a planet circling a star taken?

Why the Pentagon loves Near Space
Why the US military is learning to love the world of the suborbital.

Saturn is the Lord of the Rings
Cassini finds a new ring and some odd objects in Saturn orbit.

Forgotten Elevator
Why NASA is leaving the space elevator concept on the drawing board

Hacks on Mars
Will there be reporters embedded in the first Mars mission?

Nordic Mars
Why the new Mars life-detection system is being tested in Scandinavia.

Genesis Dies
More sun capsule malfunction hijinks.

Genesis Disaster
Why a busted battery could have caused the fatal crash of the Genesis space capsule.

Solar Crash
First report of the crashed sun capsule.

Sauron's Eye
Lovely imagery of the Cat's Eye Nebula.

An ark for DNA?
European Space Agency's chief wants a DNA library on the Moon in case on an ELE on earth.

Robot Spider
A robo-spider that walks on water? Nice.

Vision has a Cost
How many dollars it is going to cost NASA doing Bush's vision thing.

On track for the X-Prize?
SpaceShipOne is the hot favourite for the X-Prize, but other contenders are still in play.

The Moon before Mars, Please
For crikes sake let's do the moon properly before we try for Mars, says this article.

An elevator for the Moon
Here's a novel idea, let's build the first space elevator on the moon.

We Come for a Piece
Article on overhauling property rights and the global Outer Space Treaty.

Strange Radio Signal from space not Aliens
It's all a hoax, say commentators.

X-Prize Risk
How dangerous should we let entrants for the X-Prize be?

Hydrogen Fuel Steps Up
Wired looks at some good news for hydrogen fuel research.

China goes Nuclear
Looks at why the fast-industrialising People's Republic of China is going for nuclear energy in a big way.

Earths II
Why the discovery of Earth-type planets is nearer than you think.

After the X
So what ne-X-t for private spaceflight after the X Prize.

Finding the Alien
Forget looking for alien radio signals, start looking for alien space-probes.

Lunar Sponsorship
Lunar advertising comes back into the fore.

Solar power from space?
Where have all the solar power satellites plans gone?

Sino-US space cooperation
How the world's two greatest super-powers can work together in space.

Forget the Pilot
Do the planned sub-orbitals even need human pilots?

A Stronger Vision
Why our goal should be looking for life on Mars if we want to get the tax dollars to go there.

Small Planets Found
Astronomers detect ever-smaller worlds using the latest technologies.

Fred Whipple RIP
The king of dirty snowballs and things comet-related passes away.

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OTHER CONTENT - October 2004

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Andrew Fox Interview A conversation with Andrew Fox author of Bride of the Fat White Vampire. (AUTHOR INTERVIEWS) Juliet E. McKenna Interview October sees the launch of the first volume in a new series - The Aldabreshin Compass - from fantasy author Juliet E. McKenna. So we scooted down to Oxford to pose her a few questions amidst the spires and students. (AUTHOR INTERVIEWS) Translating Fantasy and Science Fiction : The Peak of Creativity We all know that many of the most loved science fiction and fantasy authors' work is admired worldwide, but little do we know about the people who made it possible for them to become so well-known. Apart from the people involved in publishing there are quite a lot of other professionals without whom it wouldn't have been possible. These are the translators. (ARTICLES) Horror Writer Barbara J. Ferrenz Interviewed What's worse than death? On the one hand, it's the title of a novel by school psychologist and writer Barbara J. Ferrenz of Dunkirk, MD. On the other hand, maybe it's better never to know. (AUTHOR INTERVIEWS) Alien vs. Predator Director Paul W.S. Anderson serves up a meager monster mash spectacle that borders on the silly-minded and slimy by sizing up the terrorizing tag-team of creature feature cads Alien and the Predator in the obviously titled scarefest Alien vs. Predator. (FILM REVIEWS) Catwoman In watching the curvy Oscar-winning Halle Berry don the skin tight suit in the sassy anti-superhero saga Catwoman, one must admit that this special eye candy is something that cannot be denied. And director Pitof does in fact lend this picture its glossy and mysterious allure in a unique manner that’s inescapable to ignore. Beyond these couple of minor observations, this cosmetic kitty with the conflicting personality doesn’t quite cut it as the escapist comic caper it could have been. (FILM REVIEWS) Exorcist: The Beginning The scattershot incompleteness to Renny Harlin’s ill-advised follow-up to William Friedkin’s classic creep show is evident in the flimsy frightfulness of the overwrought and putrid prequel Exorcist: The Beginning. For those that had to endure inferior sequels to Friedkin’s twisted and treasured pea soup-regurgitating nightmarish narrative (read: Exorcist: The Heretic), they may yearn more for this sluggish supernatural tale to end as opposed to embracing its so-called Beginning. (FILM REVIEWS) The Village One expected a terrific output from immensely talented writer-director M. Night Shyamalan concerning his latest supernatural saga The Village. Unfortunately for the normally resilient filmmaker, The Village is a meandering and morbid chiller that is a labored muddy vision of Shyamalan’s usual insightful and involving hedonism. (FILM REVIEWS) Offworld Report: Science Fiction and Fantasy: October 2004 Interviews with Jack Dann, Ian R MacLeod, Larry Niven, China Mieville and the stars of Stargate and Sky Captain, why fantasy novelists are the new thing, Noreascon reports and The Andromeda Strain heads for a remake. (NEWS) Offworld Report: Weird Science: October 2004 NASA finds a Ring World, the space elevator is abandoned, robot spiders, the mystery radio signal isn't aliens calling in, hydrogen fuel gets realistic, and lunar advertising - coming to a moon near you soon? (NEWS)

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