That Other Major Tom

When I was a kid, I was introduced to that tragic space traveller, Major Tom. Oh, not the David Bowie one. No, I was completely unfamiliar with Bowie's "Space Oddity" (it's one of my all-time faves now) and it would be years before I would ever hear "Ashes to ashes" wherein Bowie uses the wayward astronaut as a metaphor for his struggle with heroin addiction.

No, I'm talking about "Major Tom:Coming Home" by Peter Schilling. This beautiful little piece of early 80's synth-pop has an eerie feel that haunted me for years.

There's been a very good cover of it recently by Shiny Toy Guns, but I still prefer the original. Funny thing is, I tried to download it on iTunes and could only get it in Swedish.

Here, from youtube, is the English version, the way I heard it all those years ago, playing Space Command on the Atari 400 at my friend Dave's house. Enjoy.

Still Thinking About Space.

So.

I'm still thinking about space. Mostly about the Space Race, from 1957- 1972. And about Space Monkeys. And Space Chimps.



And About Cosmonauts.




A lot about Cosmonauts. It seems that, while we downplayed it for years, the Soviets were WAY ahead of us throughout the Space Race.

First Man-made satellite.
First animal in space.
First man in Space.
First Man to orbit the Earth.
First man to orbit the Earth multiple times.
First woman in space.
First terrestrial object to land on the moon.

It's like Apollo 11 was a big flip of the bird to the U.S.S.R. and then we were satisfied that we'd won and we sorta quit.



"F**K You, Ivan!!"

And now, Russia plans to go to the Moon in 2025.

And China plans to go the same year and build a moonbase.



Martin Landau sold separately.

And meanwhile, back in the good ol' U.S. of A., we plan to let Private Industry lead the way into space. And maybe go to an Asteroid in 2025.

NASA Simulation

And maybe try for Mars in the 2030's.

I have to say, I'm not wild about the idea of a moon occupied by China. LBJ would have a conniption.

Today in Space...

On April 12, 1961 Comrade Lieutenant Yuri Gagarin of the former Soviet Union became the first human being to break the surly bonds of Earth and enter orbit.

Here’s to you, Yuri, Happy Anniversary!

"When I orbited the Earth in a spaceship, I saw for the first time how beautiful our planet is. Mankind, let us preserve and increase this beauty, and not destroy it!"

- Yuri Gagarin

Also today, in 1981 the United States launched it's first fully functional Space Shuttle Columbia into orbit.

Whic brings me to another Space event today: NASA has finally chosen what museums will get what retired shuttlecraft.

Kennedy Space Center gets Atlantis.

The Smithsonian Institute gets Discovery (they already have Enterprise)

The California Science Center in Los Angeles will get Endeavor.

and finally, New York City's Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum will get Enterprise.

I have to say I feel especially bad for Houston's Johnson Space Center, who get nothing.

I am also (as an Ohio resident) pretty bummed that the Museum of the United States Airforce in Dayton, OH will not be getting a shuttle. I thought we might at least get Enterprise.

Enterprise never went into space, it was a prototype.

I guess that means that Wright Pat can duke it out with Houston over who gets to display Moonraker.