I’ve been an avid user of X-Plane for a few years now (since version 5). X-Plane is the world’s most comprehensive, powerful flight simulator, and has the most realistic flight model available for personal computers.

Now I’d always known there were pre-programed scenarios in X-Plane where you could fly the space shuttle into Edwards AFB — final approach, full approach, final re-entry and dum dee dum dum dum the FULL re-entry from orbit to landing.

In the history of Shuttle missions, …the real space shuttle has been hand-flown for the entire re-entry only ONCE, by an ex-marine pilot, as I understand it, who was ready for the ultimate risk and challenge.

Flying a full re-entry takes about 20-30 minutes and covers 5000 miles from the mid Pacific Ocean to Edwards. I’ve probably flown it a dozen times now over the past week… and died everytime! But what fun it is I must say. The closest I’ve come to success was about 100 miles past Edwards. Once you go sub-sonic in the “flying brick,” 100 miles may as well be a million miles… you’re not going to glide 100 miles.

But I’m proud to say that got to actually see Edwards from 80,000 ft. go racing under me at about mach 10.

I’m not affiliated with X-Plane in any way but if you have the system requirements and you enjoy this type of thing, it will be the best $39 USD you’ve spent in a long time.

Now if I could only get Eagle Lander 3D ported to the Mac!

I realize this is kind of late but I just figured it out myself. I noticed last night that the Moon was overtaking Mars. Tonight, starting at about 11PM local time (transit is at 11:35 so it will be high in the sky for me) the Moon and Mars will only be separated by about 2 degrees!!

If the sky clears I might try to get some shots using the “hat trick.”

As I was perusing the Mars Exploration Rover Mission homepage today and viewing some of the recent raw images from the Spirit Rover’s panoramic camera, it occured to me that I might make stereograms from these images. You can actually view these as stereograms right on the rover “Pan Cam” page (if you don’t mind looking out at Mars through a window the size of a postage stamp).

Here is my result:

Click for proper viewing size

If you’re not familiar with how to view a stereogram, basically each eye must focus on a different half of the stereogram, leaving the brain to fuse the two images together into one three dimensional image. Here are some more tips if you can’t seem to find it.

* Make sure it is oriented parallel to your eyes. If you tilt your head sideways at all, the 3 dimensional image (stereogram) will disappear.
* Pretend you are focusing on an object 6-12 inches behind the stereogram.
* Relax your eyes and try to visually “drift” into the stereogram image.
* Try viewing the stereogram from different distances.
* Place the stereogram at the end of your nose, look straight ahead, and slowly move the stereogram away from you.

When you get it you will know, but I’ve created an approximation of what you should see.

You will see 3 equal size images. The outer two images will be in your peripheral vision and blurred… DON’T LOOK AT THEM. Focus on the center image which should be sharp, clear and in 3D!!

There are tons of stereo pairs on the Mars Exploration Rover Mission homepage, try making your own. Personally I’d like to try a few with colorized images.

Enjoy.