K. Megan McArthur

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Update: Megan McArthur is in space right now.

As part of Ada Lovelace Day I’m posting about a woman in technology who I admire.

k-megan-mcarthur

Dr K. Megan McArthur is a NASA mission specialist with a BS in Aerospace Engineering from UCLA and a PhD in Oceanography from UCSD. She is currently assigned to STS-125, the final Space Shuttle mission to the Hubble Space Telescope.

Why do I admire Dr McArthur?

“Why I think flying in space, why exploration is important to me … I think it’s important to the human spirit. It’s something that we have always done, pushed beyond the boundaries of what we know, what we can do, what we can build. We’re always pushing ourselves; we’re always looking to find out what’s out there and what we can learn.”

— K. Megan McArthur, 31st July 2008

SPACEBAT!

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Update: Spacebat has a website!

I have a temporary new favourite animal: SPACEBAT!

spacebat

Wondering what that orange surface is?

spacebat-liftoff

Spacebat was spotted clinging to the foam coating of the Space Shuttle Discovery’s external fuel tank during launch on Sunday, clearly trying to hitch a lift into space.

Unfortunately Spacebat is thought to have perished during launch.

Rest in Peace, Spacebat.

Update: Someone has made a Spacebat tribute video. This is the best thing on the internet right now.

Nuclear Powered X

Where X equals…

Icebreaker

nuclear-icebreaker

The 50 Years Anniversary of Victory is a Russian nuclear powered icebreaking ship, the largest icebreaker in the world.

Lighthouse

nuclear-lighthouse

In the Arctic Ocean and along the remote Kola Peninsula there are at least 130 Russian lighthouses powered by radioisotope thermoelectric generators, fueled by radioactive strontium-90.

Aeroplane

nuclear-aeroplane

The Tupolev-119 was a modified Tupolev-95 bomber with two regular engines and two experimental engines powered by a nuclear reactor in the bomb bay. The bulge created by the enlarged fuselage is clearly visible in the photograph above.

Pacemaker

nuclear-pacemaker

Because pacemakers require surgery to implant it’s a good idea to make the batteries last a long time. The Medtronic 9000 was powered by a radioisotope thermoelectric generator that used a tiny plutonium-238 source and at least one nuclear powered pacemaker is still running 34 years later.