TSAT fallout

•February 1, 2010 • Leave a Comment

http://militarydailynews.com/2010/01/plug-and-play-satellites-short-order-space-capability

On news of the TSAT cancellation, I expected some form of mitigation from the government to cover MILSTAT.  This is a misread of the situation as WGS will serve as the backbone with replacement to be determined.  If budget scales, that’s serving up a 10% solution.

Senate Report 111-035 – NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2010

Next-generation military satellite communications

The budget request included no funds in Air Force Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDTEF), for next-generation military satellite communications to identify technologies that could be used on future military communications satellites. When the transformational communications satellite (T-Sat) was cancelled, several risk reduction efforts that could have application on future satellites were also cancelled. In addition, work on military unique radiation hardening requirements was also cancelled.

The committee recommends an increase of $50.0 million in a new program element, PE 604xxxF. This new PE would be created to explore communications technologies that could be utilized on future blocks of current communications satellite or eventually on next-generation communications satellite. This program would be similar in concept to the Third Generation Infrared Satellite System (3GIRS), which is conducting risk reduction efforts for next-generation overhead persistent infrared technologies. These risk reduction efforts should include continued efforts to reduce the cost, weight, and complexity of current radiation hardening techniques.

One of the many problems with the T-Sat program was that it was started with very immature technologies. In the future if there are to be new or evolved communications satellites, the committee wants to ensure that the technologies are sufficiently mature to be fielded with low cost and schedule risk.

Pandora

•January 9, 2010 • Leave a Comment

Caring for Your Introvert – The Atlantic (March 2003)

•November 10, 2009 • Leave a Comment

Caring for Your Introvert – The Atlantic (March 2003).

Yup.  Tell me something I don’t know.

Mount Langley Summit

•August 17, 2009 • Leave a Comment

Plan itinerary.

  • Day 1.  Drive to Lone Pine for walk-in permit (Eastern Sierra Interagency Center, Highway 395 & Highway 136, Lone Pine, CA 93545).  Drive into trail head (44 mi along Horseshoe Meadow Rd)  from Lone Pine Creek (3 mi).  Begin hike from Cottonwood Lakes trailhead (10040ft, +0mi) to High Lake (11500ft, +6mi).
  • Day 2. High Lake (11500ft, 0mi) to New Army Pass (12300ft, +1mi), to Mount Langley (14026, +4mi), and back to camp  (~2500+ft, 10.0mi).  Break camp and return to trail head High Lake (11500ft, 0mi) to Cottonwood Lakes trailhead (10040ft, +6mi).  Drive back to LA.

Topo trail for summit day.

090816 USGS marker for Mount Langely

090816 USGS marker for Mount Langely

Continue reading ‘Mount Langley Summit’

Hiking Reference Links

•June 20, 2009 • Leave a Comment

Signs apocalypse is upon us

•May 14, 2009 • Leave a Comment

Disgruntled climatologist enraged over budget cuts use exhaust methane gas to melt glaciers!

Time to rethink what personal measures to counter climate change.

Unintentionally Comedic Family Photos

•May 9, 2009 • Leave a Comment

If you can’t have good laughs with you family, have it at the expense of other people’s family.

http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/

Katie Melua at Amoeba

•May 4, 2009 • Leave a Comment

Some fan mentioned that Katie was huge in the UK–I have a hard time believe that to be true.  Her genre is just not a MEGASTAR factory.  On the merits of her talent and performance, I think she’s a musician that I would follow if she ever toured in the US.  I’ll see you at the Stinking Rose or Lawrys Katie!

LA is not cool enough for Muji

•May 4, 2009 • Leave a Comment

Why can’t I go green and support local economies at the same time? It’s an intrinsic failure of Los Angeles to not be hip enough to have a Muji.  Revelations from a bag lost.

Score: baggu = 1, muji = 0.

Inaugural Post

•April 14, 2009 • Leave a Comment

Should there be fanfare and confetti in the streets?  Desktop publishing on the original Macintosh was something else all together.  WordPress makes the web childs play–much like that HP commercial with the little girl with the goldfish.  And so I will play the part of small fish in big pond in cyberspace.