Slowed the pace down a bit - had to do some carpentry for the Emerald Coast Science Center. Built them a straw rocket launcher for their activities/museum (see downloads, Toys & Automata).
Then the mower don't go ... Too lazy to do the whole yard with the push mower so we'll have to fix it. Dropped the transaxle, cracked it open, and found the bearings frozen on the input shaft. Almost fixed, pending some supplies from NAPA (RTV gasket, locktite, heavy grease - been a while so my stash is either gone or aged out).
So, to relax and get some help around here ...
Then a bit 'o support to put togther a Mariner 10 (first probe to Mercury) kit for a 4th grade class - that why it's a simple design (that's my story and I'm stickin' to it). It did get me a good bus and solar arrays I can use when I get around to crafting a better one to go with the rest of the spacecraft.
Oh, and the MESSENGER Mission to Mercury web site has a new model posted - more detail than the basic box. As always, lots of interesting info there. Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab at
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