Ted Kinsman is a scientific photographer that specializes in creating images for books, magazines, and television. His particular areas of interest are in x-ray radiography, high-speed photography, Scanning electron microscopy, and time-lapse cinematography. His work has appeared in numerous books and magazines ranging from Discover Magazine to Forbes. Recently his work has appeared on Gray's Anatomy and CSI New York. In addition to running 
B.N. (Bobbie) Sullivan has a strong affinity for the sea and everything in it. She first learned to dive in 1970 and has since logged thousands of dives. A wish to document the marine life she encountered prompted her to learn underwater photography more than 20 years ago. More recently, she began to write about the marine life she has photographed. A research psychologist by profession, she approaches her subject matter with the mindset of a scientist, but targets her writing to a general readership in whom she hopes to foster an appreciation for the ocean and its inhabitants.
B Jefferson Bolender is Training Coordinator of the State of Arizona's
program for disability awareness and assistive technology. Through
her travels she always has a camera at hand to photograph everything
from people to technology and nature. As a teacher of elementary
education, special education and art, her interests include a wide
array of subject matter with an emphasis on documentation with an
artist's eye.
Steve Jurvetson enjoys rocketry and photography and especially the pursuit of both in the Black Rock Desert. Some action photos and video links can be found 
Alex Wild is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he works on the molecular phylogenetics of various groups of insects. He is also a part-time photographer whose images appear in such venues as Ranger Rick, Smithsonian, BBC Wildlife, and even ScienceBlogs.
And now for something completely different... Pirate flags are the first sign...
Team Numb comfortably launched a fat rocket on a P7000 motor to loft a full beer keg over a mile high straight up.
• Keg: 175 lbs of beer. Roots. From Oregon.
• Motor: 60 lbs of Alumaflame solid rocket propellant (looks like gray styrofoam, but burns in a violet flame). This home brew P motor is twice as big as what you can buy, and you can buy a cruise missile booster from Cesaroni Aerospace in Canada.
• Altitude: 6,100 ft. Perfect flight.
• Results: Beer shaken, not stirred, and tapped at the landing site.
The launch donut stayed on the nosecone for a surprisingly long time. The rear-deployed chute shredded under the strain, reducing but not eliminating its effectiveness. So, the keg returneth.... much like the Mars landing bounce:
Here is the team video, with a hearty roar:
I just love the voices... From the team videographer:
"OMG... it's out dude. OMG. It worked!"
(such faith in the project. ;-) and the event LCO (Launch Control Officer):
"The beer is down safely. Don't tap it for a while though."
And there was much rejoicing at the landing site.
Physical Science
Technology
Comments
You should have sent up some chips as well. LOL!
I shot off the small model kit rockets as a kid and am in awe of your rocket launches.
Posted by: iRobot | June 9, 2009 7:05 AM
The potential for disaster was high on this one...
Posted by: Spiv | June 9, 2009 9:25 AM
Alcohol abuse.
Think of all the sober alcoholics in India and tell me that this isn't a bad idea. That's right ... hang your head in shame.
Posted by: Art | June 9, 2009 11:38 AM
Art,
So your saying the next mission should be a beer keg suborbital flight to India?
No one should hang thier head in shame if they have a can do attitude and rise to the challenge!
The biggest problems I see are; reentry heating, and that being below the equator, and previously subject to british tradition, all the taps are south-paw there.
If a CO2 tank is added, it can provide for guidance control actuation at launch and reentry, active payload cooling, and inflation of Kevlar aerobrake bag, which serves double duty as a landing cushion, and finally, payload pressurization for even distrubution to the thirsty masses.
Ken
Posted by: Ken Kzak | June 9, 2009 1:17 PM
Ken all you need to do now is get permission from the US, USSR, China, Pakistan, India, GB, France and Israel to launch your ICBBM ;>
Posted by: Who Cares | June 9, 2009 3:21 PM
Abuse? The only abuse would be if they didn't put the results to good use. I assume Team Numb became appropriately numb ;)
Posted by: Dick Stafford | June 9, 2009 3:49 PM
Nice! Roots makes great beer. Any idea of which one it was?
Posted by: Brian | June 9, 2009 7:51 PM
"ICBBM" has got to be the acronym of the day. Thanks HC
Posted by: Spiv | June 10, 2009 8:25 AM
If we had backing from the brewery it would be a commercial flight [In every way]. Recent streamlining in commercial spaceflight regs make it much easier than before. An Indian Customs agent will have to be 1st at the tap though.
I figure on launching southeast from Texas to come across middle to southern Africa, avoiding the middle east and Pakistan. The rest of those countries can pass the request for us not to, via N.Korea.
Ken
Posted by: Ken Kryszak | June 12, 2009 4:37 PM
I figure on launching southeast from Texas to come across middle to southern Africa, avoiding the middle east and Pakistan. The rest of those countries can pass the request for us not to, via N.Korea.
Posted by: metin2 hilem | May 12, 2010 2:11 AM