=TheMan268

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About Me Photography / Hobbyist Official Beta Tester MichaelMale/United States

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Michael's Photography

The Old Hix School

MY FIRST DAILY DEVIATION!

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The Old Hix School by =TheMan268 ( Featured by ^fvdsloot )

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It's Rocket Fuel

IT'S ROCKET FUEL!

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Nice Black and White Impala

NICE BLACK & WHITE IMPALA

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Sublime Green Challenger

SUBLIME GREEN CHALLENGER

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A Saturday In June Of 1929

A SATURDAY IN JUNE OF 1929

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Milk and Cookies at Grandma's

Ice cold milk and homemade cookies at Grandma's house. Although my Grandma has been passed many years everything in this picture belonged to her, even the uneven table the milk and cookies are sitting on. This picture really brings back memories for me.

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Cool Red Camaro

COOL RED CAMARO

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Look At Those Blue Eyes

LOOK AT THOSE BLUE EYES!

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A Very Cool Fastback Mustang

A VERY COOL FASTBACK MUSTANG

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SpaceX Readies Space Station Rendezvous!

Journal Entry: Thu May 24, 2012, 2:42 PM

The US company SpaceX on Thursday prepared for the climax of its Dragon capsule's landmark mission to the International Space Station with a high-stakes bid to latch on to the orbiting research lab.

The unmanned, cargo-carrying supply ship on Friday aims to become the first privately owned craft to berth with the $100 billion space station, thereby restoring US access to the space outpost after the shuttle program's end.

Only Russia, Japan and Europe currently have supply ships that can reach the ISS. The United States lost that capacity when it retired its space shuttle fleet in 2011.

Astronauts aboard the ISS are planning to help the berthing operation by reaching out with the station's robotic arm to grab the spacecraft so it can latch on to the Harmony module of the station.

If NASA gives the final go-ahead, the grab attempt would begin around 8:00 am (1200 GMT) on Friday with the docking itself scheduled for around 11:30 am (1530 GMT).

"It is a test flight. We are being cautiously optimistic," said lead mission director John Couluris of SpaceX.

So far, the demonstration flight has been near flawless, according to progress reports from NASA and SpaceX since the capsule blasted off atop the Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida on Tuesday.

The launch marked the first time a commercial enterprise has sent its own craft to the orbiting lab and opened what NASA, the White House and SpaceX officials described as a "new era" in spaceflight.

California-based SpaceX hopes that its gumdrop-shaped Dragon capsule will be able to carry astronauts to the ISS in about three years' time. Russia is now the only nation capable of ferrying astronauts there aboard its Soyuz capsules.

In addition, a successful berthing mission opens the way for SpaceX's $1.6 billion contract with NASA to supply the space station and return cargo to Earth over the coming years.

"After this mission we are on contract for at least 12 more missions to the International Space Station," said Couluris, noting that while Japan and Europe can carry supplies to the ISS, only Russia can return cargo to Earth.

"So we are looking to provide regular services... at a faster rate than some of the other vehicles."

On Thursday, the Dragon capsule successfully completed a fly-under of the ISS at a distance of 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) as well as several other maneuvers to lay the groundwork for the berthing attempt.

They included an abort demonstration, communications tests, navigation by global positioning system (GPS) technology alone, and a "free-drift demonstration," whereby the capsule's thrusters were all shut down, as it will need to do prior to being grappled by the space station's robotic arm.

"Fly-by today allowed us to check out a lot of systems and retire a lot of risk for tomorrow's flight," Couluris told reporters, but added that engineers expect "a more intense day tomorrow."

SpaceX and a handful of other companies are using their own funds but are also being helped in their endeavors with seed money from NASA to build cargo and crew capability.

Both SpaceX and NASA have praised their newfound partnership, while insisting that any missteps that may occur are a necessary part of such demonstration missions.

"Everything held up under the scrutiny of really flying in space with Dragon for the first time," said NASA flight director Holly Ridings after Thursday's fly-under.

"To get through this piece of it obviously makes you feel positive, but in terms of the activities tomorrow there are still a lot of really new things that the teams need to perform and the vehicles frankly need to perform."

While SpaceX is the first in its field, its competitor Orbital Sciences also has a $1.9 billion contract with NASA to supply the space station and is scheduled for its first launch attempt later this year.

Meanwhile, SpaceX's billionaire chief executive Elon Musk continued to celebrate the success of the mission, confessing on Twitter that he'd almost missed a key phone call from US President Barack Obama.

"The President just called to say congrats. Caller ID was blocked, so at first I thought it was a telemarketer ," Musk wrote.

"Scotty" To Make The Trip To The Final Frontier On The SpaceX Rocket!

The rocket's prime cargo is a 14.5-foot-tall (4.4-meter-tall) capsule called Dragon that is filled with food, clothes and supplies for the six astronauts and cosmonauts living aboard the space station, a $100 billion project of 15 countries that flies about 240 miles above Earth.

Falcon 9 carries a secondary payload as well - a container holding lipstick-tube-sized canisters filled with cremated remains. The deceased include Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper, who died in 2004, and actor James Doohan, who portrayed chief engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott on the original Star Trek television series. Doohan died in 2005.

Houston-based Celestis Inc has arranged for cremated remains to be flown in space 10 times previously, though not all the launches have been successful.

The Earth-orbiting space memorials cost about $3,000. Celestis also arranges for suborbital flights and launches to the moon. Relatives are invited to attend the launch and then participate in a group memorial service.

The upcoming Falcon 9 flight is the firm's biggest yet, Charles Chafer, chief executive officer of parent company Space Services, wrote on his Facebook page. Ashes from 308 people are aboard, though most are reflights from a failed 2008 launch.

"With my Celestis team," Chafer posted on his Facebook page Saturday, as the group gathered to watch the launch attempt. "Ignition, no liftoff ... wow that was close. Try again Tuesday."

Chafer declined an interview request. "We made a commitment not to comment publicly until after the mission," he wrote in an email to Reuters.

"Everyone at Celestis wishes Godspeed to SpaceX," he added.

NASA, which is sponsoring SpaceX's test run to the space station, likewise declined to comment.

CSS by =TheMan268 aka Michael

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Mood: Pride
Reading: Pushing Ice by Alastair Reynolds
Drinking: Diet Pepsi

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=TheMan268

Michael
Artist | Hobbyist | Photography

United States

I enjoy watching Anime, Science Fiction, and Horror at the movies and on TV. I also read a lot of Science Fiction and Fantasy. I enjoy going to Science Fiction Conventions and Car Shows. I also enjoy watching Drag Racing in person and on TV. When I have a Muscle Car I sometimes take it to the track and race it myself. I sold my last Muscle Car, a 1988 Monte Carlo SS, and I am currently in the market for another car.

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My First Daily Deviation!

The Old Hix School

Current Residence: Tennessee, deviantWEAR sizing preference: XXX - Large, Print preference: Motoko Kusanagi by *Nanahra, Favourite genre of music: Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, Classic Rock, Electric Blues, Favourite photographers: David LeBeck, Wayne Benedet, Favourite style of art: Anime, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Operating System: Windows 7, unbuntu - Linux, Wallpaper of choice: Changes most everyday, Favourite cartoon character: Bugs Bunny, Cartman, Bender, Personal Quote: I will photograph anything if it will sit still long enough!

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What was the best decade of your life?

38%

62 deviants said 90's

31%

50 deviants said 00's

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21 deviants said 80's

9 deviants said 50's

9 deviants said 70's

7 deviants said 60's

4 deviants said 40's

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Llama

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~Scarabhunter 12 minutes ago

Thank you for another fave!

~siramios 5 hours ago Hobbyist General Artist

thank you for the llama

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Difficile est longum subito deponere amorem.

Odi et amo. Quare id faciam fortasse requiris.
Nescio. Sed fieri sentio et excrucior.

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=TheMan268 2 hours ago Hobbyist Photographer

You're welcome!

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*oldcow 6 hours ago

Thanks for fave Michael.

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=TheMan268 2 hours ago Hobbyist Photographer

You're welcome!

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*subsonicmattia 6 hours ago Hobbyist Photographer

thanks you for llama and fav

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=TheMan268 2 hours ago Hobbyist Photographer

You're welcome!

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~Beky-the-cat 6 hours ago Hobbyist Digital Artist

Thank you for letting us take your pic to be a part of
our group

If you'd like, you may join us

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My Croatian Sky!

=TheMan268 6 hours ago Hobbyist Photographer

You're welcome. Thanks for the invite. I will join.

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~Beky-the-cat 6 hours ago Hobbyist Digital Artist

We are honored

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❑ Single
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✔ Mentally dating ~Animals09890's OC Star :3

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Don't ever cry
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My Croatian Sky!

~jc35663 6 hours ago Student General Artist

thanx for all the favs and the llama

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Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity (1Timothy 4-12) check this out ----->[link]

=TheMan268 6 hours ago Hobbyist Photographer

You're welcome!

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~TFLikeabaws 6 hours ago New member Student Artisan Crafter

thanks for the badge! Nice photos you got there!

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=TheMan268 6 hours ago Hobbyist Photographer

You're welcome and thanks!

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=WayneBenedet 10 hours ago

ing Michael

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"Seeing" the UNusual...EVERY DAY

=TheMan268 9 hours ago Hobbyist Photographer

You're welcome!

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*wolfcreek50 18 hours ago

Thank you very much for the fav my friend...

=TheMan268 9 hours ago Hobbyist Photographer

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~Genkkis 1 day ago

Thank you again theman

The next Honor Harrington's cover will be on Deviant Art the 1st June.

See you soon.

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Genkis - illustrator, graphist and webdesigner

My website : www.genkis.fr - Collective artists : www.ligne-de-legende.net
advocate-art.com - mail@advocate-art.com
56 The Street, Ashtead Surrey, KT21 1AZ, UK
+44 (0) 20 8879 1166

~Saphroneth 1 day ago

Glad you liked the comment on Genkkis' latest book cover. (Deduction!)

~Akacea-Insanity 1 day ago

Thank you for the Llama!

=TheMan268 1 day ago Hobbyist Photographer

You're welcome!

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=joerayphoto 1 day ago Hobbyist

You've been tagged - [link]

Remember that only cool people are tagged.

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~Stumm47 1 day ago

Thanks for faving

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=TheMan268 1 day ago Hobbyist Photographer

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=TheMan268

Michael's Photography

The Old Hix School

Newest Deviations

It's Rocket Fuel

Nice Black and White Impala

Sublime Green Challenger

A Saturday In June Of 1929

Milk and Cookies at Grandma's

Cool Red Camaro

Look At Those Blue Eyes

A Very Cool Fastback Mustang

Random Favourites

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SpaceX Readies Space Station Rendezvous!

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What was the best decade of your life?

Llama

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