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The Mars Colonization
date: February 1st, 2016
The opportunity of colonization of other planet in the Solar system is the current real challenge for the humanity. This issue is considered especially by the experts in the field of engineering sciences. However, we can find an important challenge also for philosophy and the social sciences. Let us assume that the human technology will allow prepare the highly developed transport modes and spacecrafts. Assume that also other troublesome and strategical for survival issues will be solved as living in such specific and unnatural Martian environment, water, food and air supply, etc. It appears that these issues will not be the great trouble because now we can find at least two projects of the Mars colonization. One of them, commercial project known as MarsOne is a plan to send in the next ten years four people on Mars. These volunteers will live there forever. The other great mission of Mars colonization is preparing by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). For example, the current recruitment for the new astronauts by NASA is made for the purpose of the future human missions on Mars.
Beside technological challenges, we can find some ethical, social, political and cultural issues associated with the future Mars colony. It seems that its development is the great puzzle which is rather impossible to predict. We can refer only to the human evolutionary past and we can try to predict the possible future development of the Martian society only by comparison with the human evolution on the Earth.
The most important questions are as follows:
- What kind of social organization will be developed by the future Mars colony?
- Which type of society could be the best option?
- Which norms and values will be developed by the Martians?
- What about the natural human tendency to aggression, conflict and, at least, to strong competition?
- What will be the attitude of the Martians towards the Earth?
You can find more questions and some preliminary answers in the following papers:
Konrad Szocik, “Unseen challenges in a Mars colony”, Spaceflight, January 2016, Vol 58, pp. 20-23;
Konrad Szocik, “Etyka kolonizatorów Marsa” (“Ethics of Mars colonizers”).


In this week’s video, this aircraft needs no introduction. You’ve seen it before. You’ve probably flown it. You’re probably thinking about buying it. It is the ultra safe, record setting Cessna 172 Skyhawk!
So let’s take a quick look at the Cessna 172, how much it costs to buy, how much it cost to own, some different variations on the market and an incredible record-setting attempt. I’ll also throw in some interesting projects where guys from the Internet have basically turned their spare bedroom into a home Cessna 172 cockpit.
Taking its longevity and popularity into account, the Cessna 172 is probably the most successful aircraft in history. The first production model was made in 1956 and as of today, they are still producing them. More than 44000 have actually been produced in that time. That is an incredible number. The 172 is basically a tricycle landing gear configuration of the old Cessna 170. We all know that a tricycle landing gear configuration is easier to land. This was tested out on the World War Two bombers the B24, B25 and B26. In this configuration of having one nose wheel and the two main wheels behind it. It means that the centre of gravity is actually in front of the main wheels. That’s important because if you’re crooked on landing, the aircraft’s weight will help to straighten you out.
So, by contrast, on the tail dragger aircraft, with the weight of the aircraft behind the main wheels on a crooked landing, the mistake is actually made worse by the influence of the aircraft’s weight. This is why today most of the aircraft you see are in the tricycle configuration, simply just easier and safer.
So let’s take a look at costs now. Costs are going to vary widely on the purchase price because there are over 20 different variations of this aircraft going back to 1955, right up to the present day with the current brand new Cessna 172 as Skyhawk currently costing around about $300k – $350k U.S. dollars. But if you want to look on the used aircraft market, judging by the Find Aircraft For Sale website and database, we’ve seen Cessna 172 going from anywhere between 30,000 US dollars right up to the hundreds of thousands of US dollars. If you are looking at the cheaper end and you’re thinking, you can pick one up for about forty thousand dollars. But what is that going to cost me per year to run and maintain? That is actually a difficult question to answer because there are a lot of factors that are going to vary. But I want to give you some very rough estimates.
Things to consider are any loan that you have in order to purchase the aircraft hangar reach or tie down space. The annual service fees and also just general maintenance of the aircraft, including oil and anything else. From doing a little bit of research on a couple of owners of a similar kind of aircraft, it looks like both of them are getting an annual fixed cost fee of about 3000-3,500 dollars per year. And the variable cost burning 8.5 gallons an hour. You are looking at about $40 an hour costs when you consider fuel and oil. So it can cost anywhere between $7000 per annum, right up to about $20,000 per annum, depending on how much flying you do, where you store the aircraft and all of those different variables. But that’s the ballpark figure that you’re looking at. If you want some more information on this, just check out the links in the video description. For my fellow European viewers. okay, that was in dollars. Things might be a bit more expensive because as it is an EASA rated aircraft, not Annex 2. So obviously, all the parts and anything that you need fitted to the aircraft are going to be subjected to EASA costs and rated inspectors.
Right, there are 20 different variations. OK. Let’s not go through them all, but let’s have a look at some of the notable ones that changed things up a bit. Fun fact for you. This Skyhawk name, which we all associate the Cessna 172 with wasn’t originally its name. The Skyhawk name used to be reserved for the premium package until the Cessna 172 B Skyhawk came along in 1960. The 172D brought Omni Vision in 1963. What is Omni Vision I hear you saying, well, Omni is just a fancy word for, saying in all directions. Omni Vision means you can see in many directions basically the back window in. And the up-to-date Cessna 172 Skyhawk incorporates the Garmin G1000, so you’ve got your glass cockpit in that version.
Let’s take a look at some performance stats for the Cessna 172 Skyhawk. So you’re looking at a cruise speed of around 124 knots. You are looking at a maximum range of about 638 nautical miles and a climb rate of 730 feet per minute. It has an operating altitude ceiling of 14000 feet with capacity for 4 people.
Let’s take a look at what was probably one of the most interesting things that’s ever been done with a Cessna 172. Back in 1958/1959, a record was set for endurance, the longest time flying in the air ever with an incredible 64 days, 22 hours and 19 minutes of flying without landing!
Robert Timm and John Coke must have been absolutely insane, they were literally sleeping on a four by four foot foam mattress at the back of the aircraft and were getting up to only two to three hours sleep per rotation. The aircraft was, of course, modified with an extra ninety five gallon belly fuel tank added to the bottom of the aircraft. And check out the refueling system they had. They came down low-level to catch up with a fuel in truck which was traveling seventy five miles an hour on the road. They threw a line down to pull up a hose to fuel the aircraft with. They would do this up to twice a day on limited small amount of sleep! The pilot would be flying and the co-pilot would be sorting all this out, fixing any problems, having his lunch etc. I’m losses for words. It just sounds so incredibly dangerous. And they did this up to 28 times over the 64 days of flying, incredible, It was a publicity stunt for the Hacienda Hotel.
OK, speaking of blokes doing crazy things, let’s talk about some amazing home cockpits. That’s right. One of the brilliant things about this aircraft and its popularity means that there’s loads of equipment on the market for the home simulator enthusiast that mimics the Cessna 172 Skyhawk.
Simulators are a great way to keep your eye in and keep your practice level up. I just think that it’s pretty incredible that people can build such great and detailed home simulators in the house to practice their flying on.
If you have flown or own a Cessna 172, want to discuss ownership or maintenance Facebook Group, feel free.
If you are looking to buy an aircraft or sell an aircraft on the European or U.S. market, go to Find Aircraft For Sale. The site is totally free to use for everybody. If you’re an aircraft broker, get in touch with me. I’ll do all the work. I’ll post them up and I’ll refer anybody who’s interested to you. If you are going for your pilot’s license and you’re trying to pass those. Final exams, check out PPL, Easy Pass on Android, and IOS, the only app of its kind that allows you to study and then take simulated tests and then find out which questions zero constantly struggling on. So you can focus your learning to improve as quick as possible.
PPL Easy Pass Apple here
PPL Easy Pass Android here
Thanks for reading and watching. Subscribe for more videos like this. Happy flying, everybody.


You've probably heard of curb appeal, but what about a home's air appeal? It may not seem necessary to consider what your property looks like from above, but if current trends involving the use of drones in real estate are any indication, it may be much more important soon.
Drones are making it easier to get a unique look at a home.
If you're not familiar, a "drone" is a term that generally describes a small, remote-control aircraft, usually in the shape of a miniature helicopter. Thanks to recent advances in technology, drones that are small enough to be carried with one hand but big and powerful enough to support a high-quality camera are now affordable. This has led to an explosion in drone use in a very short amount of time, with amateur hobbyists flying them anywhere possible. The NPD Group's Retail Tracking Service estimated that sales of consumer drones increased 224 percent between April 2015 and 2016, allowing the market to grow into a multi-billion dollar industry1.
Drones may be fun to fly, but they are increasingly being sought for professional applications like aerial photography. Since they are easy to operate and much cheaper than contracting a helicopter or plane, many in the real estate business have begun using drones to take photos or videos of listing properties from above.
The technology and ways in which drones are used change rapidly, in many cases faster than standards and regulation can keep up. Real Estate Agents need to be prepared before making the decision to add a drone to their repertoire.
Law of the Land
The first thing any professional, including a Real Estate Agent, needs to know about using drones for their work is the regulations surrounding it. As of 2015, the Federal Aviation Administration mandates anyone flying a drone for commercial purposes to register the aircraft. However, some new rules taking effect August 2016 will change stipulations slightly2. Commercial drone users will no longer need to file for an exemption to FAA Section 333, as long as their drone weighs less than 55 pounds. This should cut down on time and paperwork considerably. Still, agents must pass certification for any small remote-control aircraft, called a Part 61 pilot certificate. These can be obtained at several approved testing centers.
Once going through the proper channels, agents can purchase a drone that works best for them and get started with flying. Before taking off, though, it's vital that new pilots understand laws and etiquette regarding drone use.
Drones may only fly during daylight hours
A drone may not exceed an altitude of 400 feet
The aircraft are prohibited from certain areas, including a five-mile radius around airports, the entirety of the District of Columbia, over sports arenas and many other sites. Consult the FAA for a full list of restrictions.
In addition to these laws, drone pilots should follow some basic rules to keep everyone safe and prevent misunderstandings with homeowners, neighbors or law enforcement3.
Always ask homeowners or property owners for permission before flying
Gain enough practice flying in a wide-open area before graduating to more congested airspace
Never let anyone get too close to a drone in flight, especially children or dogs.
In less than 2 weeks, commercial drone rules take effect. NAR reports from White House. https://t.co/zUeivAsShL
— REALTORS® (@nardotrealtor) August 18, 2016
Using Drones for Real Estate
After practicing enough to feel confident in flying abilities, Real Estate Agents are ready to use those skills to take amazing aerial footage of listings. There are many possibilities for unique ways these photos and videos can be leveraged, beyond just giving potential buyers another viewing angle4.
Getting a view of the area from high up can also help buyers tell a lot about the home's surroundings. Nearby tree cover and vegetation can be easily seen. A little maneuvering may enable viewers to see local amenities like schools, grocery stores or hospitals. Especially with more rural properties, drone photography could provide an excellent way to get a lay of the land. That's not to mention giving buyers and inspectors a great view of one of the home's biggest and most important assets: the roof.
Drones are a new addition to the Real Estate Agent's arsenal, and with the right knowledge and creativity, they can potentially revolutionize the profession.
1NPD via Marketwatch
3National Association of Realtors


Engineers started preparing the Artemis 1 Space Launch System moon rocket for launch on Monday for a long-overdue test flight to send an unmanned Orion capsule on a 42-day journey around the moon.
This preparation came after months of tests, troubleshooting, and repairs.
After midnight, lightning and rain showers moved within five nautical miles of launch pad 39B, causing Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson to postpone the beginning of propellant loading by 55 minutes.
Then, as the fueling was proceeding, a hydrogen leak was found.
Finding the root of a brief communications hiccup in one of the channels carrying commands and information to and from the Orion spacecraft.
One such probable concern was a potential sign of a leak of some kind, a thermal insulation crack, or some other malfunction seen on the exterior of the rocket's core stage.
What effect, if any, the problems may have on the scheduled 8:33 a.m. launch time was not immediately apparent.
During a two-hour launch window, engineers had intended to send the most potent rocket NASA has ever constructed out on its eagerly anticipated first flight.


Drone Journalism Workshop
The Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication partners with the NPPA and the Drone Journalism Lab at the University of Nebraska to continue their innovative program to train journalist in using drones, or unmanned aerial systems, for their news coverage.
The program will offer training on safe drone operations and information journalists need to study for the Federal Aviation Administrations part 107 Drone Pilot’s Certificate. The program will also help those needing to go through the recertification process. In addition, the three-day workshops will focus on the ethical issues of drone journalism, community best practices and coordinated operations in a breaking news environment and explore ways drone photography can be used in innovative storytelling.
Friday, October 12, 2018
120 Hooper Street, Athens, GA 30602


Mumbai, notorious for its traffic snarls, has achieved a first in the country after a city-based pizza outlet used an unmanned drone to execute a delivery by taking the aerial route recently.
“All of us had read about (global e-commerce giant) Amazon’s plans of using drones. We successfully carried out a test-delivery by sending a pizza to a customer located 1.5 km away from our outlet on May 11,” Francesco’s Pizzeria chief executive Mikhel Rajani said.
He stressed that this was only a test-flight but its results confirm that it can be used routinely in a few years.
A four-rotor drone took off with the order from its outlet in central Mumbai’s Lower Parel area and delivered it to a high-rise building in adjacent Worli area, Rajani said, claiming that it is for the first time that the ubiquitous drone has been used for such a purpose in the…
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If we could put a man on the Moon, why can’t we put a man on the Moon?
Starting with near zero space capability in 1961, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) put men on our companion world in eight years. Yet despite vastly superior technology and hundreds of billions of dollars in subsequent spending, the agency has been unable to send anyone else farther than low Earth orbit ever since.
Why? Because we insist that our astronauts be as safe as possible.
To NASA: it’s “To boldly go,” and, you’re doing it wrong. To add another Kirk quote, “There are certain things men must do to remain men.” And NASA, you’re not doing them.
I’m not sure what odds I would accept if I were going on a Mars mission. I’m pretty sure I’d take a .1% chance of failure/death. But I’m certain there are people out there who would accept much greater risk than that, and as the article says, we’re committing statistical murder, as well as shortchanging the human race, by not letting those people take their shot at glory.
There was a time when NASA understood that in order to achieve the mission you mitigate risk rather than running away from it. Many years will pass before going to space is as safe as going to New York, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t go.


Investigation Continues into Owatonna Plane Crash
Posted at: 04/27/2013 5:13 PM
Updated at: 04/29/2013 10:26 AM
(ABC 6 NEWS/AP)-- A small plane crashed Saturday morning at the Owatonna Degner Regional Airport. It happened just after 11am.
Authorities tell us, three people were in the plane.
Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Lynn Lunsford says investigators could arrive at Owatonna Degner Regional Airport as early as Monday.
Lunsford tells the People's Press the crash landing Saturday seriously injured one person and caused minor injuries to the two others on board.
The FAA says the Piper four-seat plane went off the runway after landing and crashed.
Stay with ABC 6 News for the latest on the investigation.