Posts
So today begins my first official "I don't know what to write about" post for the new year. I'm working diligently on creating a cache of posts, ranging from aerospace to scholastics to home renovation. There's the series on cooking that I want to start, and the one on the history of the Space Race and how it parallels current events. I'd like to start doing some research for my graduate program (wherever that's going to be). I have two books' worth of short story ideas floating around in my head, along with the new further adventures of Glenn Everett (this name will probably change). I need a separate day every week just to write. I like to call it "Writeday", and it goes between Monday and whenever.
I'm sitting here on the bus typing this, and it occurs to me that I really need to keep a lint brush in my bag. My good jacket is black worsted Old Navy something-or-other, and it is a cat hair magnet. I'm only slightly embarrassed.
One of the things that always astonishes me is the way that my body falls in line with just the slightest bit of exercise. I ran Sunday, yesterday, and today. I've started in on the 5BX program which is slaughtering me. Not that I mind, though. I have truly come to believe that my performance, whether at school or at home, is directly related to how much and how effectively I exercise. Anyway, I realize that with just three days of running and calisthenics I can feel my body begin to tighten up. I'm hungry, I sleep better (already), my mood is more mellow, and I just generally feel better. I can't believe how quickly my body springs back into shape.
We still haven't gone grocery shopping. This is bad fo three reasons. First, we keep eating out for dinner. I don't think I have to tell you what a major pain in the neck that is, not to mention the added calories and reduced funds. Second, I keep not taking my lunch to school. Now, I love me some Chick-fil-Eh and Subway too, but man is it hard on my schedule. Finally, we're out of chips. This is not to be borne. The situation is dire and must be rectified immediately.
The DART Bush Turnpike train station needs a restroom. Really. Really. Badly.
Do you ever notice how it is that so many things are set up like a Mafia racket? Take shaving, for example. You buy the most expensive razor blades you can in order to get the closest shave. Getting the closest shave means that you strip the oils off of your face. This effect will put a damper on your social life. In order to combat the ravages of razored-face, you have to buy the aftershave. This stuff, of course, clogs your pores and causes your face to break out. Then you have to buy some special cleanser to fix your face.
Wouldn't it be easier to just grow a beard?
Well, it's class time. More interesting writing is in store for tomorrow.
Cheers,
-- Zach
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
Physical Education
I'd guess that, for a majority of folks, Physical Education classes are something distasteful. Maybe you needed an easy class to make a certain number of credit hours, or maybe you needed a fluffy class to round out a difficult semester. Most of you probably found sweating at inconvenient times to be distasteful. Unless you're a jock, it's likely that phys ed served you little purpose.
Sometimes, though, this class is not an end, but a beginning. Occasionally, it begins a habit that becomes a life-long pursuit instead of a semester-long chore. This is the case with my experience with college Phys Ed. I took it as a spare class over a summer semester. The workload was trivial, the assignments were all online. I managed to convince the coach that being the primary caregiver for multiple children counted as strength training (he had three boys, so he understood my logic).
The only thing about that class that presented any sort of challenge at all was the aerobics component. Naturally, I would have chosen to ride my bike to fulfill that requirement, but it was in dire need of service that I had neither the time nor the inclination for. I did have time to make a quick trip to Academy and grab a pair of running shoes. They were also quite a bit cheaper than the bike parts I needed.
The class requirement was something like thirty minutes of aerobics a day. Running fit the bill perfectly. Of course, my form was horrible, I didn't really stretch, and I had no idea what I was doing. But none of that really mattered, because I was moving. That's the great thing I received from that class - the knowledge that I could make thirty minutes or an hour every morning to go run. This tool has made all the difference for me. Phys Ed became a semicolon instead of a period.
The first half) year that I ran, I really didn't take it too seriously. I would run when it was convenient, usually not go very far, and take however long I wanted to. No big. Last year, I started to get serious. I got a subscription to Runner's World, bought new shoes, and started "training". Mostly, I still ran when I wanted to, whatever distance I felt like (normally four miles), and in whatever time didn't make me puke. Near the end of the year, I decided that I wanted to do a half-marathon, and nearly signed up for the DRC Half in November. Boy, am I glad I didn't.
I almost immediately over-trained. My shinsplints, never really controlled during my short runs, came out with a vengeance after several eight-milers. Two weeks of recklessly upping my mileage quickly ended any running season I may have aspired to. I was ashamed with myself - my pride had done me in.
This year (as they say) will be different. I'm planning on doing three half marathons; the Dallas Rock 'n' Roll half on March 27 (I will probably walk a lot), the White Rock Half on May 7, and the DRC Half in November. I plan on running a 5-k or two and a 10-k or two between halves (halfs?) to check my fitness. I pledge to not over-train, under-eat, or worry too much about my negative splits. Having fun and setting up a benchmark of fitness will be the order of the day.
All of this motivation, and all because I didn't have time to fix my bike one day. Funny ol' world, isin't it?
Cheers,
-- Zach
Sometimes, though, this class is not an end, but a beginning. Occasionally, it begins a habit that becomes a life-long pursuit instead of a semester-long chore. This is the case with my experience with college Phys Ed. I took it as a spare class over a summer semester. The workload was trivial, the assignments were all online. I managed to convince the coach that being the primary caregiver for multiple children counted as strength training (he had three boys, so he understood my logic).
The only thing about that class that presented any sort of challenge at all was the aerobics component. Naturally, I would have chosen to ride my bike to fulfill that requirement, but it was in dire need of service that I had neither the time nor the inclination for. I did have time to make a quick trip to Academy and grab a pair of running shoes. They were also quite a bit cheaper than the bike parts I needed.
The class requirement was something like thirty minutes of aerobics a day. Running fit the bill perfectly. Of course, my form was horrible, I didn't really stretch, and I had no idea what I was doing. But none of that really mattered, because I was moving. That's the great thing I received from that class - the knowledge that I could make thirty minutes or an hour every morning to go run. This tool has made all the difference for me. Phys Ed became a semicolon instead of a period.
The first half) year that I ran, I really didn't take it too seriously. I would run when it was convenient, usually not go very far, and take however long I wanted to. No big. Last year, I started to get serious. I got a subscription to Runner's World, bought new shoes, and started "training". Mostly, I still ran when I wanted to, whatever distance I felt like (normally four miles), and in whatever time didn't make me puke. Near the end of the year, I decided that I wanted to do a half-marathon, and nearly signed up for the DRC Half in November. Boy, am I glad I didn't.
I almost immediately over-trained. My shinsplints, never really controlled during my short runs, came out with a vengeance after several eight-milers. Two weeks of recklessly upping my mileage quickly ended any running season I may have aspired to. I was ashamed with myself - my pride had done me in.
This year (as they say) will be different. I'm planning on doing three half marathons; the Dallas Rock 'n' Roll half on March 27 (I will probably walk a lot), the White Rock Half on May 7, and the DRC Half in November. I plan on running a 5-k or two and a 10-k or two between halves (halfs?) to check my fitness. I pledge to not over-train, under-eat, or worry too much about my negative splits. Having fun and setting up a benchmark of fitness will be the order of the day.
All of this motivation, and all because I didn't have time to fix my bike one day. Funny ol' world, isin't it?
Cheers,
-- Zach
Friday, January 14, 2011
New Drones for the Military
I am completely unprepared to write about air or space today. I'll do the best I can.
The LA Times has an article about the next generation of unmanned aerial vehicles slated for use in the military. Three vehicles are discussed, briefly; the Global Observer, the the X-47B, and the Phantom Ray.
The Global Observer is a massive aircraft with four almost comical-looking propeller engines, each having two blades. It looks like a single-winged Dornier creation out of the early Twenties. Powered by liquid hydrogen (just like the Shuttle) and boasting a wingspan comparable to that of an early model Boeing 747, the Global Observer is designed to loiter at 65,000 feet for periods of up to a week. On-board cameras can take a single image that's larger than Afghanistan (though there's no information of the resolution of this image). This functionality will allow military commanders and political leaders to essentially see what's going on in the world's hot spots at a given time, in real time (or near-real time), on one big image.
The X-47B looks like something Batman would fly. Stealthy, angular at the leading edge, with an air intake where you would expect the cockpit, and able to carry two JDAM weapons for use against transient targets of opportunity. The X-47B's claim to fame is that it can conduct operations from an aircraft carrier, giving it a very quick strike capability and essentially unlimited in-theater endurance. This is what the failed A-12 Flying Dorito would have done for the Navy.
Finally, we come to the Boeing Phantom Ray, which is an outgrowth of the X-45 Program (itself the child of the Bird of Prey stealth demonstrator). Though not designed for any one role, the Phantom Ray could conceivably be adapted to nearly any function short of air superiority. The Ray is about the same size as the X-47B, but carries more payload (up to 8 JDAM weapons) and cruises faster (0.8 Mach vs 0.45 Mach, about the same speed as an airliner). This would seem to make the Phantom Ray the better aircraft from an all-around perspective.
One marked advantage of the latter to aircraft mentioned is the fact that they are turbofan powered instead of propeller-driven. This means that the X-47B and the Phantom Ray can go faster and climb higher than the Predator and Reaper drones in use today. I think it will be interesting to see how quickly these aircraft are brought into the fold and deployed. They *could* save many US lives.
Cheers,
-- Zach
The LA Times has an article about the next generation of unmanned aerial vehicles slated for use in the military. Three vehicles are discussed, briefly; the Global Observer, the the X-47B, and the Phantom Ray.
The Global Observer is a massive aircraft with four almost comical-looking propeller engines, each having two blades. It looks like a single-winged Dornier creation out of the early Twenties. Powered by liquid hydrogen (just like the Shuttle) and boasting a wingspan comparable to that of an early model Boeing 747, the Global Observer is designed to loiter at 65,000 feet for periods of up to a week. On-board cameras can take a single image that's larger than Afghanistan (though there's no information of the resolution of this image). This functionality will allow military commanders and political leaders to essentially see what's going on in the world's hot spots at a given time, in real time (or near-real time), on one big image.
The X-47B looks like something Batman would fly. Stealthy, angular at the leading edge, with an air intake where you would expect the cockpit, and able to carry two JDAM weapons for use against transient targets of opportunity. The X-47B's claim to fame is that it can conduct operations from an aircraft carrier, giving it a very quick strike capability and essentially unlimited in-theater endurance. This is what the failed A-12 Flying Dorito would have done for the Navy.
Finally, we come to the Boeing Phantom Ray, which is an outgrowth of the X-45 Program (itself the child of the Bird of Prey stealth demonstrator). Though not designed for any one role, the Phantom Ray could conceivably be adapted to nearly any function short of air superiority. The Ray is about the same size as the X-47B, but carries more payload (up to 8 JDAM weapons) and cruises faster (0.8 Mach vs 0.45 Mach, about the same speed as an airliner). This would seem to make the Phantom Ray the better aircraft from an all-around perspective.
One marked advantage of the latter to aircraft mentioned is the fact that they are turbofan powered instead of propeller-driven. This means that the X-47B and the Phantom Ray can go faster and climb higher than the Predator and Reaper drones in use today. I think it will be interesting to see how quickly these aircraft are brought into the fold and deployed. They *could* save many US lives.
Cheers,
-- Zach
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Spring Class Breakdown
(Sorry for the missed post yesterday. I either got sidetracked when trying to post, or somehow thought that I had already posted.)
I figured I'd give a quick rundown of my classes this semester. My schedure is relatively sane, though I expect that not to last.
First up is MATH 2419, Calculus II. Held MWF in the Founders Building. I recognize many of the same faces from last semester. It's nice, because I don't feel quite so lonely in this one :-) There's a problem session that's two hours long, just like last time. It's also Wednesday afternoon, just like last semester. Let's hope that it is a more effective use of my time, unlike last semester.
New for this year is the test section. It's on Fridays, it only happens three times over the course of the semester, but it's a required time block, meaning that I couldn't schedule anything else at that time. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I like not taking extra class time to take an exam, but having a two hour block prevent me from taking anything else at that time (even a fifteen minute overlap - or a zero-minute overlap) is a bit constricting.
My Physics class is like that too, sort of. PHYS 2421, Honors Mechanics, is TTh, with a three hour lab on Wednesday and this strange extra lab/problem session on Friday. The professor is trying to move the Friday component, which concerns me - because the rest of my schedule is so tight. There are I think three people from my other two physics classes last semester. The whole class is perhaps fifteen people. I think it's going to be a lot of fun. Lots of work, too, but I expected that.
My last class is ECS 3390, Technical and Professional Writing, Tuesday and Thursday right before physics. It's grant, proposal, report, and manual writing for scientists and engineers. I have the sneaking suspicion that I know the professor from somewhere. I can't put my finger in it... This is a relatively small class as well. The book list is refreshingly light (and inexpensive), and the workload seems to be very reasonable. I hope it isn't too cream puff-y.
That's it. Light load this semester, and I need it. After these two core classes, I'll be able to take everything else concurrently. It's about time! I can't wait to get out of undergrad-land and into serious research-ville. Wish me luck!
Cheers,
-- Zach
I figured I'd give a quick rundown of my classes this semester. My schedure is relatively sane, though I expect that not to last.
First up is MATH 2419, Calculus II. Held MWF in the Founders Building. I recognize many of the same faces from last semester. It's nice, because I don't feel quite so lonely in this one :-) There's a problem session that's two hours long, just like last time. It's also Wednesday afternoon, just like last semester. Let's hope that it is a more effective use of my time, unlike last semester.
New for this year is the test section. It's on Fridays, it only happens three times over the course of the semester, but it's a required time block, meaning that I couldn't schedule anything else at that time. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I like not taking extra class time to take an exam, but having a two hour block prevent me from taking anything else at that time (even a fifteen minute overlap - or a zero-minute overlap) is a bit constricting.
My Physics class is like that too, sort of. PHYS 2421, Honors Mechanics, is TTh, with a three hour lab on Wednesday and this strange extra lab/problem session on Friday. The professor is trying to move the Friday component, which concerns me - because the rest of my schedule is so tight. There are I think three people from my other two physics classes last semester. The whole class is perhaps fifteen people. I think it's going to be a lot of fun. Lots of work, too, but I expected that.
My last class is ECS 3390, Technical and Professional Writing, Tuesday and Thursday right before physics. It's grant, proposal, report, and manual writing for scientists and engineers. I have the sneaking suspicion that I know the professor from somewhere. I can't put my finger in it... This is a relatively small class as well. The book list is refreshingly light (and inexpensive), and the workload seems to be very reasonable. I hope it isn't too cream puff-y.
That's it. Light load this semester, and I need it. After these two core classes, I'll be able to take everything else concurrently. It's about time! I can't wait to get out of undergrad-land and into serious research-ville. Wish me luck!
Cheers,
-- Zach
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Baby It's Cold Outside...
So I've been wanting to work on some projects separate from the standard undergraduate school projects. Not that there's anything wrong with a standard-type project, mind. I just never do what it is that I'm supposed to do.
Those of you who were following my other blog (But Will It Fly) know that my team was not selected for the NASA Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program. Now I know why - the reviewer comments are in. Once I have a minute to collect my thoughts, I'll post something on that blog and probably cross post to here.
There are two projects that I'm looking at right now, in addition to a second attempt at the RGSFOP. The first is, as I've mentioned before, what to do about the massive amount of wake turbulence thrown off by massive jetliners like the new Boeing 747-800 and the Airbus A-380. My question is whether or not all of the energy in the air, combined with whatever water vapor may be available, could be made to essentially form water. In other words, could the turbulence be forced to turn into rain.
Imagine the times that you see a speedboat in the water, or an aircraft carrier or something. Now, imagine the wake of these vessels, instead of stretching out for miles behind them, were to turn into ice cubes (or something else equally improbable). This would leave the surface of the water very smooth. That's the gist of what I want to do.
The second project will form the basis of my graduate research (I hope). There have been attempts to shape, move, distort, fold, mutilate, and spindle shockwaves that are generated when aircraft travel faster than the speed of sound. These attempts have born fruit, notably with the NASA Quiet Spike F-15. It is my intent to apply this research to high speed propellers. I want to figure out how to allow a prop to spin at a rotational speed faster than sound without making everyone within a ten mile radius nauseous. I also want to see if a propeller driven aircraft can go faster than sound without coming apart, by way of moving or hiding the shockwaves that would come off the propeller.
That's it (isn't that enough?). I'll be posting updates on these three items throughout the year. I have no idea if I can even get the materiel that I need to do the research. That's half the fun though, trying to do the impossible/very difficult/incredibly obscure.
Никогда не сдавайся.
Cheers,
-- Zach
Those of you who were following my other blog (But Will It Fly) know that my team was not selected for the NASA Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program. Now I know why - the reviewer comments are in. Once I have a minute to collect my thoughts, I'll post something on that blog and probably cross post to here.
There are two projects that I'm looking at right now, in addition to a second attempt at the RGSFOP. The first is, as I've mentioned before, what to do about the massive amount of wake turbulence thrown off by massive jetliners like the new Boeing 747-800 and the Airbus A-380. My question is whether or not all of the energy in the air, combined with whatever water vapor may be available, could be made to essentially form water. In other words, could the turbulence be forced to turn into rain.
Imagine the times that you see a speedboat in the water, or an aircraft carrier or something. Now, imagine the wake of these vessels, instead of stretching out for miles behind them, were to turn into ice cubes (or something else equally improbable). This would leave the surface of the water very smooth. That's the gist of what I want to do.
The second project will form the basis of my graduate research (I hope). There have been attempts to shape, move, distort, fold, mutilate, and spindle shockwaves that are generated when aircraft travel faster than the speed of sound. These attempts have born fruit, notably with the NASA Quiet Spike F-15. It is my intent to apply this research to high speed propellers. I want to figure out how to allow a prop to spin at a rotational speed faster than sound without making everyone within a ten mile radius nauseous. I also want to see if a propeller driven aircraft can go faster than sound without coming apart, by way of moving or hiding the shockwaves that would come off the propeller.
That's it (isn't that enough?). I'll be posting updates on these three items throughout the year. I have no idea if I can even get the materiel that I need to do the research. That's half the fun though, trying to do the impossible/very difficult/incredibly obscure.
Никогда не сдавайся.
Cheers,
-- Zach
Monday, January 10, 2011
I really need a room...
with nothing in it except for a wall to wall bed. Then, we could get rid of all the other beds in the house, since they aren't ever used anyway. We'll call it the "Bedroom".
Our children co-sleep. Well, except for the ten year old (thankfully). This means that at some point over the course of the evening, the little people will leave whatever beds they happen to be in and migrate, asleep, like some zombie wildebeest, into our bed. I'm sure you can imagine how inconvenient this is.
We stayed the night at my parents house this past Saturday. My grandparents and aunt & uncle drove in too. This meant that we finally had the chance to complete Christmas, over a fortnight later that we had planned. Since my whole family was sick with SARS or Ebola or something, we figured it best to stay away from my grandparents. I'm glad we did, because they looked fabulous.
Yes, before you ask, the little children ended up in bed with us at my folks house too. In a double bed. An antique, incredibly noisy, double bed.
Digression: as I type this, it snows here in big D. I think I just heard someone go by in a dog sled. True story.
My Spring semester at the wonderful UTD begins today. Just Calculus II on Mondays. I figure that this will be my study heavy day. Today's tasks include making it to campus without the train going off the track and finding where all my classes will be. Tomorrow I have my technical writing c;ass and Physics II. I'm really looking forward to it.
That's about it. I'm a bit short on time, so I'll wrap it up here. Tomorrow, I think I'll have something on the projects that I'm working on or wish to do. Until then, enjoy the snow.
Cheers,
-- Zach
Our children co-sleep. Well, except for the ten year old (thankfully). This means that at some point over the course of the evening, the little people will leave whatever beds they happen to be in and migrate, asleep, like some zombie wildebeest, into our bed. I'm sure you can imagine how inconvenient this is.
We stayed the night at my parents house this past Saturday. My grandparents and aunt & uncle drove in too. This meant that we finally had the chance to complete Christmas, over a fortnight later that we had planned. Since my whole family was sick with SARS or Ebola or something, we figured it best to stay away from my grandparents. I'm glad we did, because they looked fabulous.
Yes, before you ask, the little children ended up in bed with us at my folks house too. In a double bed. An antique, incredibly noisy, double bed.
Digression: as I type this, it snows here in big D. I think I just heard someone go by in a dog sled. True story.
My Spring semester at the wonderful UTD begins today. Just Calculus II on Mondays. I figure that this will be my study heavy day. Today's tasks include making it to campus without the train going off the track and finding where all my classes will be. Tomorrow I have my technical writing c;ass and Physics II. I'm really looking forward to it.
That's about it. I'm a bit short on time, so I'll wrap it up here. Tomorrow, I think I'll have something on the projects that I'm working on or wish to do. Until then, enjoy the snow.
Cheers,
-- Zach
Friday, January 7, 2011
Gusev
The explorer stepped gingerly over the rock across his path. The crest of this hill was only a few meters away, but the intense heat and the driving wind conspired to turn ten meters into ten thousand. Cautiously now, he drug his right leg over the rock, placing it on the ground the same way one would lay a sleeping child in her crib. He sat down on the rock.
How far had he come? It was difficult to say. Looking back down the ridge, over the plain that stretched to the far off horizon, he could see the tracks he had left. The ship that had delivered him to this place was too far away to see anymore, and besides, there was no going back now. Not that he planned to. What had he planned?
Sometimes, the best laid schemes of mice and men go not awry, but succeed beyond anyone's wildest reckoning. That had been the case when, seven years ago, the explorer had been deposited here. There had been another explorer too; she had gone north while he went south. Tasked with a three month expidition, he had remained much longer. The supplies held out, the winters were manageable, and he could just almost live off the land. Six years of hardscrabble existance had been rewarded with sights and sounds that noone could have dreamed possible. The amount of knowledge that he had collected would fill the Library of Congress many times over; it would take years to simply catalogue it all.
And then one day, he twisted his ankle. It was bad. Not painful, per se, but impossible to use. The thought of having to stop now, after having come so far and seen so much, made him sick. There was no way that a little frailty would get in the way of his pride. So, after wrapping the ankle as best as he could, he went on about his mission. Over little nameless hills, across long dry gullies, day and night, summer and winter, he trudged on.
Now he sat looking at the last ridge he would ever crest. Winter was coming, and the explorer felt in his heart that he wouldn't make it through this time. Through many perils he had come now to the end of his journey. One more push, one last sunset, one final time to be awed by what he saw.
With a Herculean effort, he pushed himself to his feet. Night was coming quickly, he had to reach the top soon or risk never seeing the other side. Step draaaag, step draaaag, around that rock, step draaaag, step draaaag. His lungs were on fire, his vision was blurred from the incessant wind. He knew his leg was behind him though he could no longer feel it. One more step, and he could see over the ridge. One more step to clear it, but no. His leg was too heavy, his strength finally failed, his life energy all but spent; he finally fell.
The sun was setting to his right. Before him lay a grand crater, larger than any yet seen on Earth. The colors were sublime, the wind cold and lifeless. No other soul stirred the dust of his final resting place. As darkness sped to him he thought he could just sense something shiny, like ice, in the shadowy gloom of the crater. Ice, the one thing that made it all worthwhile, more valuable than gold. He could only hope that those who came after him would be able to use the information that he had collected. As life fled his frame, there was the fleeting sensation of warmth, of green and sweet pastures, of quiet and slumber. That didn't seem so bad.
Fiction allows us to romanticize anything, even little robots millions of kilometers away from home on another planet. The Mars Exploration Rover Spirit has been quiet since March of 2010. There are those who still have hope that the plucky little rover will wake up as spring approaches, eight years after landing. It seems unlikely, but these intrepid explorers, lasting far beyond their expected lifetimes, have taught us that anything's possible on the red planet.
Perhaps Spirit will wake up and resume its exploratory work. That would be a nice coda to the story.
Cheers,
-- Zach
How far had he come? It was difficult to say. Looking back down the ridge, over the plain that stretched to the far off horizon, he could see the tracks he had left. The ship that had delivered him to this place was too far away to see anymore, and besides, there was no going back now. Not that he planned to. What had he planned?
Sometimes, the best laid schemes of mice and men go not awry, but succeed beyond anyone's wildest reckoning. That had been the case when, seven years ago, the explorer had been deposited here. There had been another explorer too; she had gone north while he went south. Tasked with a three month expidition, he had remained much longer. The supplies held out, the winters were manageable, and he could just almost live off the land. Six years of hardscrabble existance had been rewarded with sights and sounds that noone could have dreamed possible. The amount of knowledge that he had collected would fill the Library of Congress many times over; it would take years to simply catalogue it all.
And then one day, he twisted his ankle. It was bad. Not painful, per se, but impossible to use. The thought of having to stop now, after having come so far and seen so much, made him sick. There was no way that a little frailty would get in the way of his pride. So, after wrapping the ankle as best as he could, he went on about his mission. Over little nameless hills, across long dry gullies, day and night, summer and winter, he trudged on.
Now he sat looking at the last ridge he would ever crest. Winter was coming, and the explorer felt in his heart that he wouldn't make it through this time. Through many perils he had come now to the end of his journey. One more push, one last sunset, one final time to be awed by what he saw.
With a Herculean effort, he pushed himself to his feet. Night was coming quickly, he had to reach the top soon or risk never seeing the other side. Step draaaag, step draaaag, around that rock, step draaaag, step draaaag. His lungs were on fire, his vision was blurred from the incessant wind. He knew his leg was behind him though he could no longer feel it. One more step, and he could see over the ridge. One more step to clear it, but no. His leg was too heavy, his strength finally failed, his life energy all but spent; he finally fell.
The sun was setting to his right. Before him lay a grand crater, larger than any yet seen on Earth. The colors were sublime, the wind cold and lifeless. No other soul stirred the dust of his final resting place. As darkness sped to him he thought he could just sense something shiny, like ice, in the shadowy gloom of the crater. Ice, the one thing that made it all worthwhile, more valuable than gold. He could only hope that those who came after him would be able to use the information that he had collected. As life fled his frame, there was the fleeting sensation of warmth, of green and sweet pastures, of quiet and slumber. That didn't seem so bad.
Fiction allows us to romanticize anything, even little robots millions of kilometers away from home on another planet. The Mars Exploration Rover Spirit has been quiet since March of 2010. There are those who still have hope that the plucky little rover will wake up as spring approaches, eight years after landing. It seems unlikely, but these intrepid explorers, lasting far beyond their expected lifetimes, have taught us that anything's possible on the red planet.
Perhaps Spirit will wake up and resume its exploratory work. That would be a nice coda to the story.
Cheers,
-- Zach
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