Pretty URLs are URLs that have meaning for human readers, rather than just being seemingly random jibberish only a web server could appreciate. The following is an example of a “pretty” URL: http://my.blog.com/archive/2007/10/pretty-urls Note that every part of the URL is relevant for a human reader. For comparison, here’s an example of an “ugly” URL: [...]

If you want to build dynamic websites, one of the first things you’ll need to do is set up a development environment your local computer, so you can experiment and test new code without uploading everything to a remote web server. In a nutshell, this means LAMP — Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP. With this [...]

In his book, Entering Space, Dr. Robert Zubrin argues that just as the survival of early humans depended upon their ability to adapt to the harsh environments into which they migrated, so too does the survival of our modern society depend on our mastery of the solar system, and our continued push to explore and [...]

Should the government finance the exploration and settlement of the final frontier? Or should it be left to private individuals and corporations? This question has plagued the aerospace community since before the Apollo program. Here’s my two cents. I think NASA’s COTS program is a step in the right direction. Governments should, in my opinion, [...]

RCAT Systems makes data acquisition systems for experimental aircraft and other aerospace vehicles, including UAVs. Their telemetry box is a compact and simple solution for experimental flight test data acquisition in a homebuilt or customized aircraft. This device monitors and transmits GPS position, altitude, airspeed, engine RPM, G force, oil temperature and pressure, OAT, manifold [...]

Building a liquid-propellant rocket engine is pretty much the pinnacle of amateur engineering projects. The 1967 book How to Design, Build and Test Small Liquid-Fuel Rocket Engines can be read online, or you can download the entire file in zip format. From the introduction: The purpose of this publication is to provide the serious amateur [...]

MAKE Blog pointed me to this extremely cool project called a Wave Bubble. Essentially, this device is a portable, battery-powered radio frequency jammer, that will effectively disable cellphone and other RF communication (RFID, GPS, WiFi) within about a 2-meter radius of the user. The design of the Wave Bubble comes from an MIT EE/CS masters [...]

This year is the 50th anniversary of Spaceflight. On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched and orbited Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, and started what became known as the Space Race. This race effectively ended on July 20, 1969 when Aldrin and Armstrong walked on the Moon. Since then, NASA has accomplished very [...]

New: Check out the circuit schematics and parts list forbuilding your own LC-3 model rocket launch controller The simplest model rocket launch controller is the Estes Electron Beam, which is powered by four AA batteries and comes with 17 feet of launch wire and micro clips for attaching an Estes igniter. This system is adequate [...]

The Rocket-Mounted Video Camera Project came to an abrupt end as the V-2 model rocket Prima Donna suffered a catastrophic failure (CATO) on its first launch attempt. Although tragic, the CATO was captured on video from multiple angles, and represents a classic case of a rare Estes engine failure. [Scroll down for videos.] An examination [...]