Get Thee to the Geek, To Infinity and Beyond by Chris Theus

Prepare for the end of the world as we know it, growing legions of doomsayers warn. The CDC advises us about disasters and zombies. Stephen Hawking urges Earthlings to explore space, a winning ...

Prepare for the end of the world as we know it, growing legions of doomsayers warn. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) advises the public about disasters and zombies. Stephen Hawking urges Earthlings to explore space, the most probable winning solution. In fact, perhaps reflected by NASA's annual budget, which averages $15.82 billion, between .5% to 1% of the federal budget.

To prepare for the future, Mercury crew members launched the Astronaut Foundation. The foundation awards science scholarships, and capitalizes on astronaut autographs, appearances and space mementos to fund raise. All is not lost on younger aspiring astronauts. The shortest distance between now and the future may be the NASA Astronaut Corps, which does not limit its Corps by concepts such as time existing on Earth. Consequently, there is no age limit.

There is a limit, however, on the Astronaut Candidate window. The Group 21 NASA Astronaut Candidate window closes January 27, 2012. Corps alumni sport gold flight or silver pins, with group pet names ranging from "The Mercury Seven" to "The Chumps," and count non-Primate astronauts among its ranks. In fact, PETA could launch an Animal Astronaut Corps and Animal Astronaut Hall of Fame.

After 30 years and expenditures of $192 billion on 135 missions, averaging $450M per mission, the Space Shuttle or Space Transportation System (STS) retired in 2011. The end of STS ramps up private sector spaceflight development, a gold rush to space for flights and crews akin to the launch of the satellite industry. Currently, the hitchhiker rideshare costs $63M per flight seat as contracted for an American astronaut on a Russian Space Agency spacecraft.

Over ten years ago, STS launched the habitable low earth orbit satellite, International Space Station (ISS), since developed into living space equal to a 5-bedroom house. ISS contracted in 2006 via NASA Space Act Agreements for Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) to privatize crew and cargo delivery, awarding contracts to three companies, with each award between $170M to $278M.

STS was replaced by the Space Launch System (SLS), a heavy launch crew and cargo vehicle program, and the Commercial Crew Development (CCDev), a privatization program similar to COTS. CCDev1 and CCDev2 each awarded four to five companies from $3.7M to $92.3M each.

The NASA - Johnson Space Center Technology Transfer and Commercialization Office offers partnerships for NASA spinoffs, including small business programs. Armchair astronauts can explore life as a MRV, medical research volunteer, via the NASA Human Test Subject Facility, or as citizen scientists, partner with Zooniverse.org or its Galaxy Zoo Hubble project.

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"Space Oddity" - David Bowie

"Ground control to Major Tom

Ground control to Major Tom

Take your protein pills and put your helmet on

Ground control to Major Tom

Connecting countdown, engines on

Check ignition and may God's love be with you..."

(@Metrolyrics.com)

"Aural Psynapse" - Dead Mau5

"Eternity" - Armin Van Buren (feat. Tiesto)

Author's Note

courtesy images: morgueFile