Remembering Challenger 30 Years Ago ...

It was thirty years ago, January 28, 1986, in which the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff. The event was the greatest loss of life in the pursuit of space travel at the time, matched only by the Shuttle Columbia disaster on February 1, 2003. For teenagers at the time whom were fans of the US space program (including myself) it was a blow that would weigh on their minds for quite some time. The disaster, caused by the solid rocket boosters' O rings having gotten frozen in the cold winter weather, would put America's manned space program on hold for almost three years. Before the disaster, spaceflight seemed like it was almost becoming routine, safe enough to allow "America's first teacher in space." Afterwards, the program would never be the same again (Wikipedia article).

Here in Second Life, one can see a virtual replica of two Space Shuttles. They're at the International Space Museum at Spaceport Bravo (85, 120, 22).

The Space Shuttles were grounded after July 21 2011 following the landing of Atlantis (SL Newser article), the ships having brought up enough of the Space Station for smaller rockets to finish America's contributions. Since then, US astronauts have been hitchhikers on Russian space launches. With an anemic economy and persistent budget deficits, it may be many years before America once again launches men, and women, into space on it's own.

Bixyl Shuftan

Avatrian Central Sim, Home to Last Shuttle Launch, Osama's Compound, Gone

Second Life Newser got a tip from the Cub Scouts at Camp Kawabata this weekend when some tried to go to the recreation of the last Space Shuttle launch at the Avatrian Central sim. The build had remained there since the event on July 8, 2011, but when they tried to head to the scene to show freinds, they found it was gone.

Avatrian Central is also the home to a recreation of the Abbotabad Compound used by arch-terrorist Osama Bin-Laden to hide out until his killing last year. It's a small irony news of the sim's vanishing comes at the time the real-life compound is being demolished.

The Avatrian blog has been inactive since the shuttle launch. It's unknown what happened to the group.

Bixyl Shuftan

Spaceport Alpha/International Space Museum Is Back

Good news for space fans in Second Life. The Spaceport Alpha sim, home to the International Space Museum or ISM is back online after having been closed for a few weeks. There had been some concerns that the return of the place would be further delayed due to Linden Lab asking for both the back payments and a purchase fee for a new sim. But they were laid to rest when on Wednesday February 22nd the sim was back online for all to see.


Checking back for myself, the place was fully restored, rockets and all. I thought I noticed a few exhibitions I hadn't seen before, but perhaps they were recent additions I missed on my last trip over.

While at the sim, I ran into the Director, Kat Lemieux. She was happy to have the place back up and running. Just why did the place go offline? "Yes, the person who was in charge got sick, and didn't tell anyone, and ... Well, it was a big mixup. But we're going to make sure that doesn't happen again. ... It was pretty scary for awhile, there. We thought it was all gone for good."

Of the demand that the ISM group pay a sim purchase fee, "The Linden support person who took it down wasn't totally clued into LL policy, but once it was brought to the attention of the right people, it got straightened out. ... that was a low-level staffer. Once somebody higher up with some authority found out, it got taken care of. I understand many of the new support staff aren't very knowlegable about SL, which is too bad, but what can you do?" She thanked the Second Life newspapers and blogs that publicized the sim closing for their help, "those who were vocal about (the ISM), commenting on the blogs, helped make sure it came back. Linden Lab does pay attention to public opinion."

Asking Kat what were the plans of the ISM, "Well, the planning group will resume regular meetings, then we're going to start revising exhibits, and putting on events again. First up is a party!"

They will be having a new exhibit up soon, and plan on having Cypress Rosewood perform over sometime in March. Later on at one of their meetings, they may have a author of "military science fiction."

Kat and I talked on for a while. She pointed out exhibits such as the Apollo Program Saturn V rocket, and the HUGE Vehicle Assembly building, which in real life holds the record for being the largest building in volume on the planet. She told me she had spent much of her childhood living near Cape Canaveral as her father worked there, saying her school would have extended "fire drills" whenever there was a launch, "the country administrator wouldn't call off classes just for 'some clown' in a rocket." She moved before the Apollo Program, but made trips over to see a few shuttle launches. When asked about the people who saw shuttle launches and landings televised at the ISM up to the last one, she grinned, "They got a better view."

The International Space Museum has numerous exhibitions, plus a gift shop where one can buy souveniers, which help fund the sim. There are also various donation jars one can chip in. Spaceport Alpha is one of the Sci-Land sims which are devoted to news and adult education about sciences, especially astronomy and related sciences. The ISM gets no funding from NASA, nor are any of the members of it's group from the government.

To check the ISM blog, Click Here.

To get to the ISM, Click Here to go to Spaceport Alpha.

Bixyl Shuftan

End of an Era: Last Shuttle Landing Broadcasted in Second Life

This morning at 3AM SL time, the Space Shuttle Atlantis landed back on Earth in real life. In Second Life, the landing was broadcasted in a few places on the Grid. Among them, the International Space Museum, where RacerX Gullwing was able to take this picture.

The landing of Atlantis means the end of the Space Shuttle program, the ships heading to museums, and for now the end of the US manned space program, aside for the occasional astronaut hitching a ride on one of Russia's Soyuz rockets. Although NASA's workers cheered the shuttle landing as their last hurrah, within the week thousands will be laid off and looking for new jobs.

NASA has been working on a sucessor to the shuttle, saying they could have it ready possibly in a few years. But the US Federal government faces a huge deficit and a massive debt, political commentators and private citizens alike wondering if it is heading to a financial day of reckoning. It may be many years before US astronauts go back into space in their own rockets.

Fortunetly for Second Life residents, they can get spaceship rides for themselves in places like the Sci-Lands. Or, take a look at spaceship models in places like the International Space Museum (ISM) in the Spaceport Alpha sim.

Bixyl Shuftan

3, 2, 1, Liftoff!

Yesterday on Friday July 8th, at the Avatrian Central sim, people began to recreate in Second Life the launch of the final flight of the Space Shuttle Atlantis.

Hi folks! Just a quick update. People are slowly arriving here now :) The chosen Flight Commander and Pilot are already here, and we already briefed them and gave a short orientation. They are very excited and eager for launch! :) We're going to draw two names off the raffle at around 10AM EST, for the Mission Specialist 1 and 2 positions. Furthermore, 4 other names will be drawn and serve as backup or alternate shuttle astronauts :) See you down here in a few hours! :)

The final two team members were chosen, Fritzfranz Fride and Douglas Dragonash, who joined Phelpsa Resident and Walt Faulds whom were selected Wednesday.


The crew was soon taken to the shuttle, where it's launch was timed to go at the same time as the Shuttle Atlantis in real life.

How did it go? Just check the Youtube below.



And so, Avatrian's salute to the Space Shuttle program is done. No doubt we'll hear from them again soon.

The real Shuttle is scheduled to spend almost 2 weeks in space. It is scheduled to return July 20th. If you're around inworld at the time, be sure to watch the landing at the International Space Museum, the Star Trek Museum, or other places showing footage of the landing.

Pictures from Chris Welles of the Boy Scouts of Second Life.

*Addition* Check out this Youtube of the whole event, link sent by Fritzfranz Fride: Click Here

The Last Shuttle

This Friday July 8th will be the last of the NASA Space Shuttle missions. The launch will be broadcasted in various places on the Grid. But one location plans to do more than that. The Avatrian team, the people behind the recent Bin-Laden compound build, plan to recreate the flight of the Last Shuttle.

Read more in Events.