astronaut

Recounting a Rough Landing

Astronaut Peggy Whitson talks about dropping down to Earth in an out-of-control Soyuz

Yes, it ended well, but the rough-and-tumble landing that astronauts experienced recently as a Soyuz capsule on its way back from the International Space Station missed its landing target by 300 miles sure doesn't sound like something you'd want to do twice.

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An MP3 Mini-Fridge

Cooltonefridge The new Cooltone pony fridge looks like it's been designed for astronaut picnics on the Moon, but it wouldn't be bad for a day out on the deck, either. The pint-sized fridge holds up to 20 cans of the beverage of your choice, and six bottles of wine. Plug it in and it starts cooling instantly, using an efficient air re-circulation system that won't burn up the atmosphere. It has a built-in CD player on top for those of you still holding on to the endangered discs and, more importantly, an iPod or MP3 jack so you can play DJ.—Gregory Mone

Via Crave

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Asimo's Pimp Shuffle

Honda's Asimo demos on their North Hall stage have been drawing large crowds, likely full of people hoping to see the bipedal 'bot take another tumble. Monday's demos didn't come through in that respect, but the gathered onlookeres were instead treated to a different spectacle: Asimo's "running" capabilities. While it may look like a child astronaut urgently needing a restroom (or a child astronaut who has mastered a sort of fast-motion pimp walk), Asimo's four-mph jog—in which both feet leave the ground for a brief .08 seconds at the height of the stride—is nonetheless a pretty amazing sight. —John Mahoney

Check out the little guy warming up and then making the dash below:


   

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