Got myself some more patches. Several space agencies now added to my collection and actually curious to find any other agency patches I do not yet have.
Liu Hai playing with the golden toad is an ancient Chinese folk legend, which comes from a Taoist allusion. There is a golden toad in the loofah well in Changde City. It often spits out a white light from the well mouth at night, which goes straight into the sky. People with Taoism can ascend to immortality by riding this white light. Liu Hai, a young man who lives next to the well, is poor, kind, and filial to his mother. He often goes to the nearby mountains to chop wood, sells wood to buy rice, and depends on his mother for life. One day, a fox in the forest cultivated into a spirit and transformed into a beautiful girl Hu Xiuying, blocking Liu Hai’s way home and asking to marry her. After marriage, Hu Xiuying wanted to help Liu Hai ascend to heaven, so she spit out a white bead from her mouth and used it as bait for Liu Hai to fish in the loofah well. The golden toad bit the hook and flew up. Liu Hai took advantage of the situation to ride on the toad’s back, jumped up, and ascended to immortality. In order to commemorate Liu Hai’s filial piety and Taoism, later generations built the Toad Spring Temple next to the loofah well, where a statue of Liu Hai was enshrined.
Are fox spirits good daughters in law? Is the toad okay with the guy pulling it around because at least it got a shiny pearl out of the deal? Is ascension the next level of the computer game for everyone after beating the end boss? Was tricking the toad a pro move? What happened to the mother? Did the toad fly up to the moon? I now have more questions than before, thanks!
The unexpected result is the Auxiliary Propulsion Unit (APU) not firing up during second coasting phase. A news conference is about to start which I expect to have more info.
Update:
Hmmm … all satellites were deployed, but the tumbling appears correct, albeit in a stable low earth orbit.
De-orbit on hold
Update:
The mission was a great success, with all main objectives having been reached. It only failed to de-orbit due to issues with the APU. It was decided to not deploy the remaining 2 reentry capsules, to keep orbiting objects to a minimum. They are awaiting further data and analysis on this issue. No further news from the press conference for that matter.
Further :flying_disc: images from Ariane 6 found on X
My daughter went to work for a huge hotel chain. She gets a really big discount on rooms. So, dependent upon when she can get a few days off, I have begun putting together a trip to the Space and Rocket Center in Alabama. In addition to general admission, I am hoping to get into the James Webb: The Story Unfolds and Our Place in Space at their planetarium. I am also hoping to visit the Werhner von Braun Astronomical Society Planetarium. The real deal.
Keeping fingers crossed.
Update: all booked and so excited! Also going to the Van Gogh Experience which I have wanted to do for some time. You sit in Van Gogh paintings and use VR as you get a virtual tour through his works and life. We also get to paint before we leave and can have our work displayed along side his. I wonder what he would say…
(wikipedia) static fire test.
(translate page to read)
I wonder what he would say…
Leave in about 2 weeks.
