Topic: =/\= NASA solar sail already lost. google chrome easter egg in video solved!!

[stoneyface]

nasa has already lost track of the solar sail they "successfully" launched last week. apparently there is some doubt now whether the solar sail deployed at all or is stuck in the "mother" satellite, which would cause it to disappear. there is always something...

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1012/11nanosaild/


next up is a neat story about the recent popular video promo from google about the google chrome netbook "how to remain calm, despite what's about to happen to your Chrome notebook". included in the recent video where they destroy numerous chrome netbooks in creative ways, was an easter egg in the form of an equation written on a chalkboard in the back ground. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LJuAPqyUVas/TQLMXzuhwkI/AAAAAAAAADo/T6QtHrtlhfI/s1600/Easteregg_2.jpg click the above link for the screenshot of easter egg.
well the equation has been solved and the person who solved it won a free cr-48 netbook! how awesome is that? so read the story here:
http://blog.jamendo.com/2010/12/10/jamendo-geeks-solve-the-hidden-chrome-os-equation/
here is the original video if you have not seen it. (it was awesome btw) http://bit.ly/fRRHgy

[The Postman]

Not so fast....

SOLAR SAIL STUNNER: When NASA's prototype solar sail, NanoSail-D, got stuck onboard its FASTSAT mothership in Dec. 2010, most observers figured the mission was lost. Not so fast. On Jan. 17th, NanoSail-D spontaneously ejected itself into Earth orbit, and the sail could be deployed as early as Jan. 20th. NASA is asking amateur radio operators to listen for NanoSail-D's beacon signal at 437.270 MHz to verify that NanoSail-D is operating. Follow the links for orbital elements, beacon details and submissions.

[stoneyface]

good catch. i was just going to update this thread about the new info. nasa is looking for ham radio operators to help listen for the nano-sail's beacon.
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/news/news/releases/2011/11-009.html

[The Postman]

SOLAR SAIL UPDATE: Chances are good that NASA's NanoSail-D spacecraft has unfurled its solar sail in Earth orbit. Radio beacon data picked up on Jan. 20th by an amateur radio operator in the Northwest Territories of Canada are consistent with an open sail. NASA mission controllers plan to confirm the deployment with additional data in the hours ahead. Radio operators can help by listening for NanoSail-D's beacon signal at 437.270 MHz, which contains information about the status of the spacecraft. Follow the links for orbital elements, beacon details and submissions.

[stoneyface]

w00t! good news!