The Skydiving and Aviation Related Photo Thread! (OT)

Wow, 400 posts in this thread. Really happy that I chose a topic that has gotten so much attention and great posts - keep up the good work!

President Obama signs Pilot’s Bill of Rights

AOPA commends President Barack Obama for signing into law the Pilot’s Bill of Rights on Aug. 3. The legislation guarantees pilots under investigation by the FAA expanded protection against enforcement actions via access to investigative reports and air traffic control and flight service recordings, and it also requires the FAA to provide the evidence being used as the basis of enforcement at least 30 days in advance of action.

Jaxa - Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
HTV-3 External Cargo Operations completed aboard ISS
The docked Mission of H-II Transfer Vehicle 3 is progressing on schedule with internal cargo operations being in full swing aboard the complex of ISS and HTV-3. External Cargo activities were completed this week aboard the International Space Station and all procedures were performed successfully.
Operations to remove HTV-3's Exposed Pallet from the Unpressurized Logistics Carrier got underway on August 6, 2012. The HTV Exposed Pallet was removed by Canadarm2 which was grappled to the EP before. JAXA made significant modifications to the Unpressurized Cargo Carrier's Exposed Pallet. HTV-3 uses the Multi-Purpose version of the EP for the first time. In addition, the Exposed Pallet Holding Mechanism was improved and features a simpler design. Being controlled from the ground, the Station's Robotic Arm was commanded to remove the EP, start the procedure to maneuver it to the handoff position and wait for the Japanese Robotic Arm to grapple the Pallet. Working from inside the Japanese Experiment Module, Joe Acaba and Aki Hoshide controlled Kibo's Remote Manipulator System to grapple the Exposed Pallet. The Payload was handed off and the astronauts moved it to its install position at Exposed Facility Unit 10 of the external Exposed facility of the JEM. There, it was installed by using capture latches. With the hardware installed and electrical connections in place, the Japanese Robotic Arm was deactivated overnight.
The following day, Candarm2 picked up the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, Dextre for short, which was used to unberth the ScAN testbed and install it on its permanent location on ExPRESS Logistics Carrier-3 via the Flight Releasable Attachment Mechanism of the Carrier. On August 9, the Crew was involved in external Cargo Operations once again. Acaba and Hoshide worked several hours with the Japanese Arm to unberth the Multi Mission Consolidated Equipment and install it on Exposed Facility Unit 8 on the JEM Exposed Facility, closing capture latches and activating payload heaters to complete the procedure.

Ground Controllers then took over once again, grappling the Exposed Pallet with the Japanese Arm and unberthing it from the Exposed Facility followed by a maneuver to its handoff position at which it was grappled by the Station's Robotic Arm. JEMRMS let go of the EP and SSRMS was left in this position until the crew was ready for EP re-installation on Friday. Working from the Station's Cupola Robotics Work Station, Joe Acaba and Suni Williams completed the EP Re-Installation to place it back inside HTV's Unpressurized Logistics Carrier completing HTV-3 External Cargo Operations.
With the EP back in place, all external activities related to HTV Cargo Operations are complete and the Space Station has received two new external payloads.

Source JAXA/SpaceFlight101/NASA/ Photo Nasa

Update 2:41 p.m. ET, Aug. 15: The Waverider X-51A test was a failure. The vehicle was launched successfully from a B-52 bomber Tuesday over Point Mugu Naval Air Warfare Center Sea Range at about 11:35 a.m. PT. But 16 seconds after launch, “a fault was identified with one of the cruiser control fins.” Then, about 15 seconds after the craft separated from the rocket booster, the cruiser lost control.

“It is unfortunate that a problem with this subsystem caused a termination before we could light the Scramjet engine,” said X-51A Program Manager Charlie Brink via a news release Wednesday. “All our data showed we had created the right conditions for engine ignition and we were very hopeful to meet our test objectives.”

The test is a blow to the Waverider program, but also a setback for the development of hypersonic flight, since the control subsystem responsible for the failure had proven “reliable” in past flights.

According to the release, “Program officials will now begin the process of working through a rigorous evaluation to determine the exact cause of all factors at play.”

One of the four X-51A vehicles is left, but there is no official word as to whether it will actually fly.

A roundtable will be scheduled in two weeks, after officials have analyzed data from the failed test.

Original post: Imagine going from New York to London in less than an hour.