Bullshit Blast-off

[Luther Martini]

Cruising through my morning news list this morning, I came upon this piece, which, for me at least, really gets the new year started off right. 

"World's first cow dung rocket gets ready to blast off in Hokkaido"

After-all, we all know that there will be A LOT of bullshit generated and disseminated in 2024, and it is just really good to know that someone already has a plan to put some of it to good use.

Located in the town of Taiki (a town where the bovine population is five times that of the human head count) on the island of Hokkaido Japan, a company known as "Interstellar Technologies" has developed and successfully tested a rocket engine powered by a liquefied biomass created from cow dung and urine.

I have always admired the Japanese for their creative ways of recycling waste products, but this really is some leading edge shit (OK -- corny pun that).  All kidding aside, I am glad that someone figured out how to make it work.  I mean, when I was in college, I saw my room mate almost blast himself out of a chair by lighting a fart, to many a joke about "to the moon, motherfucker", while the more sober of those watching commented on the more practical considerations and cautions, like how to prevent burns, and serious damage to sensitive body parts.  but I digress ...

Here is the article   
https://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/139925.php

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I think the Qin Empire would challenge that "first".

[Dark Lightning]

They're making wooden satellites, too.
boards in space

[Luther Martini]

I think the Qin Empire would challenge that "first".

Good catch

[Luther Martini]

They're making wooden satellites, too.
boards in space

Very cool.  I read a headline about that a few days ago, and meant to go back and read the full article ..  so thanks for the link.

There are a lot of very innovative tech companies operating in Japan right now.  This past October, my wife and I attended the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo.  This is what used to be called the Tokyo Auto Show, but has now expanded to include a broad spectrum of mobility devices from electric scooters to personal aircraft, hence the name change.  Aside from the parts of the show dedicated to hydrogen fuel cell technology, my favorite area was where suppliers to the end use manufacturers showed their wares and projects in development.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

At the Budokan?

[Luther Martini]

No, it was at Tokyo Big Sight

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Must be new. I was last in the Kanto area in 1985.

[Luther Martini]

Tokyo Big Sight opened sometime in the mid-late 1990's and is located on the waterfront in the Ariake district near the mouth of the Sumida River.  It is the largest convention/exhibition center in Japan. 


https://www.bigsight.jp/english/