zero gravity videos!

mike reluctantly came back to normal gravity

(and wants to go back up the first chance he gets).

here are some highlights via a bombardment of videos

(p.s. I recommend viewing them all at full screen).

~~~

first, the nerdy stuff:

a test run:

this wasn't a successful capture,

but gives you the idea of their in-flight routine

(ok, so maybe I really just posted this one

because I like Mike's "thumbs up" at the beginning

and his wistful gaze into the distance at the end).

~~~

and now (drumroll)...

the official altius highlight video:

3 successful captures and 1 partial capture.

good work!

for those who are interested, you can get

the engineer-language report at the altius blog

~~~

next, the machine:

I added some Weezer for ambience which makes the video more hard core

(mostly, when i slowed the video down, it cut the sound out and it needed some filler,

so I decided that Mike's long time favorite band would be appropriate

even though the lyrics don't quite match the event).

I also tried to up the nerd factor with some pixelation for good measure.

but, to get back to the sci/tech,

Mike was "lead engineer" on the boom deployer

(for those of you that don't speak engineer,

that's the whole gray box thingy that has the black

"snap bracelet"-type tube coming out of it).

SRI and Altius employees built the "sticky pads" at the end

which use electricity to act like a magnet (aka "electro-adhesion").

this prototype is controlled by a wii controller attached to a crutch.

~~~

and finally, a shout out to the women

who help keep the dream alive:

~~~

also, thanks to everybody who sent michael

nice text messages just before the flight!

his stomach was topsy-turvy,

but your messages helped him to calm down

and to have a great time on the flight!

video by Bryan Rapoza (zeroG)

and is intellectual property of altius space machines,

as are the technologies demonstrated therein.