Apollo 50th gala - I am going there!

Sunday 11/11/18, time 9:54 PM

Apollo flights were made in 1969-1972. Totally six flights were successful and 12 American astronauts walked in the moon. Since 1972 no one has been in the moon. Apollo 11 flight will be 50 years old next summer. I got ticket to gala through Virgin Galactic. At the gala there will several Apollo astronauts. The most famous of them is Buzz Aldrin. If I'm lucky, I can shake his hand:)

More info: Apollo 50th  gala

Black rocket-boxers available at shop

Sunday 10/21/18, time 10:07 PM

I got black rocket-boxers for my shop. They are a good gift for Father's Day! Price is 20 EUR.

You can order them from my shop.

The first flight to space is very close

Thursday 10/11/18, time 2:58 PM

Sir Richard Branson told on Tuesday, October 9, 2018 that Virgin Galactic is a couple of weeks away from the first space flight and he himself flies to space within a few months. Virgin Galactic's previous test flight did fly already to 54 km. The next flight may fly already to space which is 100 km in height. Several test flights must be made before the regular flights to space can be started.

Richard has been very optimistic in his statements. I believe that the first flight to space will take place before Christmas 2018 and Richard will fly into space before Christmas 2019.

Further information: BBC

Arto Nyberg show

Monday 10/1/18, time 8:59 PM

Arto's show was a nice experience. All arrangements went smoothly. We were three different people at the show. Erkki Liikanen, experienced entertainer, Lauri Tilkanen, young actor and me. Erkki told us many fanny stories before and after the program. Awesome man! After the program Erkki did see my Rocket-Uno and he also bought some Rocket Boxers.

At Arto Nyberg show Sunday 30.09.2018 18:45 TV1

Friday 9/28/18, time 9:59 AM

I got an invitation to be interviewed by Arto Nyberg on Sunday, September 30, 2018. I'm happy to be interviewed by Arto because I like his program. There are always three different people in the program to talk about very different things. Arto's interview style is calm and he does not try to surprise the interviewer which is done in some other programs.

Details

Yusaku Maezawa has booked a moon flight for 2023

Tuesday 9/18/18, time 3:39 PM

The Japanese billionaire and the art collector has booked a moon flight for him and for his 6-8 good artists friends. The flight is organized by SpaceX and the rocket is the Big Falcon Rocket. The rocket has not flown yet, so it will be quite busy schedule to fly around the moon in 2023. It would be rather marvellous if the flight would take place in five years because these projects normally are delayed by years.

Yusaku has not yet published his artist friends’ names, so I should probably send him my Rocket-Uno pictures that are almost art!

I wish Yusaki good luck for the project!

Related links:

SpaceX video

Dearmoon video

Wikipedia: Big Falcon Rocket

Wikipedia: Yusaku Maezawa

Asteroids and Comets - Inside Out Workshop (ACIO18), Tampere, September 4th-6th 2018

Tuesday 9/4/18, time 8:34 PM

On Monday morning I gave lectures for 6 grade students about some basics of space. I told who did fly first to the space and who was the first man in the moon. Together we did learn where space begins, in what height the satellites are, how long distance is to the moon or Mars. I had a total of 40 enthusiastic students. I encouraged them to read math, chemistry and physics if they want to be astronauts.

In the afternoon I gave an hour lecture for older students about my space own trip. I told about Zero-G flight, the centrifuge as well as other things which I have done to prepare for the future space flight. The asteroid and comet seminar was a nice experience. There is now a small space boom in Finland. More and more companies are now doing their own satellites or participating in space exploring.

The picture shows a group of 6 grade pupils by my Rocket-Uno.

Asteroids and Comets - Inside Out Workshop (ACIO18), Tampere, September 4th-6th 2018

Friday 8/31/18, time 10:28 PM

There is a four-day seminar at Tampere and I am there Monday. Monday is for schools and there are teachers, researchers and students. The program is then a little lighter than the other days and it is suitable for everyone. My Rocket-Uno is one of the Monday morning workshop targets for schoolchildren. My Uno gets a place in the front of the Vapriikki building! Then surely everyone knows that they are coming to the right place.

In the afternoon there are lectures and I will give presentation of how I will prepare for my space flight. Other lecturers come from Ursa, Heureka, Aalto University, RUAG Space Finland and Space Systems Finland.

For more information, please see the attachments:

Mondays program

Map of the area

Program for the seminar

Mark Stucky - my pilot

Friday 8/24/18, time 10:41 PM

On August 20, 2018, The New Yorker published a brilliant article on my pilot, Mark Stucky. The article is 58 pages long and tells on his point of view how the Virgin Galactic -project has gone. Mark passion has always been flying and space. The article looks the difficult phases of the project and how they are cleared. No other article has gone through this project so much in details. The most difficult moment was in 2014 when a test flight accident killed Mark's good friend. However, everything has been solved and now Virgin Galactic is really close to the first space flight. This is the best, most comprehensive and most interesting article I've read over Virgin Galactic. I recommend!

The New Yorker, Virgin Galactic's Rocket Man

Picture: The New Yorker

VSS Unity made the third rocket-powered testflight

Thursday 7/26/18, time 11:44 PM

My rocket, VSS Unity, made today the third rocket-powered test flight. The flight was VSS Unity's 14th flight and at the same time the 252 flight for VMS Eve. Now VSS Unity went higher and faster than ever. The rocket motor was burned for 42 seconds. VSS Unity went to 54 km and the highest speed was 2.47 times the speed of the sound. The pilots were Dave Mackey and Mike "Sooch" Masucci. They both did enjoy the view :). VSS Unity has now made 3 rocket-powered test flighs in just under 4 months. Now it looks good, Virgin Galactica is a good stage to go.

Picture of a flight. Image of Virgin Galactic.

Virgin Galactic news.

Shooting for Huomenta Suomi (television)

Tuesday 7/24/18, time 10:44 PM

On Friday, 13.07.2018, we did shoot a 10-minutes clip for Huomenta Suomi (morning television in Finland) in the center of Helsinki. Mika Tommola interviewed me and my good friend Aki Blomberg was the camera man. The main part of the shootings was the version 3 of the Rocket-Uno:). After the live broadcast we did shoot some more material which came out in Kymmenen Uutiset (news in Finland television). We all had good time when doing shooting.

MTV Huomenta Suomi 13.07.2018 10 minutes

MTV Kymmenen Uutiset 15.07.2018 2 minutes

Interview at Huomenta Suomi (Good Morning Finland)

Friday 7/13/18

Mika Tommola will have interview with me and my car at 08:00. Program is Huomenta Suomi at television channel 3. My rocket-car version 3 is now ready and now I can tell to the whole Finland about the hypermotors and other things in my rocket-car:)

Rocket-Car version 3 is finally ready

Sunday 7/8/18, time 10:07 PM

Finally I got my rocket-car version 3 ready. It has a new engine, a new rocket hood and a new rocket door and some other things. This work took 500 hours time, which I did 400 hours and my friends did the rest. Now I am quite happy for my rocket-car. I have plans for version 4, 5, 6 and 7. One new version/year until I go to space. My fried Eerik Lehto did took pictures when it was finally ready July 3rd 2018 at Helsinki. We did drive the car to the hill called Jätemäki in Helsinki to take pictures.

Stadin Cruising July 6th, 2018 and Rocket-Uno

Thursday 7/5/18

Stadin Cruising is held once a month in Helsinki. There can be up to 1000 cars in the event if the weather is good. I will go Malmi Airport with Rocket-Uno, version 3, to watch other tuned cars. If I am lucky there might be an another rocket car :).

Rocket-Uno has now engine in place

Saturday 6/9/18, time 9:54 PM

Tuning for Rocket-Uno is now in good speed. Now it has engine in place. The car's theme is a blue-white color that is now also in the engine room. The engine is painted with heat-resistant blue and white paints.

VSS Unity made the second rocket-powered test flight

Wednesday 5/30/18, time 4:12 PM

The rocket of Virgin Galactic, VSS Unity, made the second rocket-powered test flight on May 29, 2018. The VSS Unity apogee was 35 km (114 500 ft.) and the top speed was 1.9 Mach which is about 2000 km/h. The last flight was in April and that time rocket apogee was 26 k m and speed was the same 2000 km/h. Now I am waiting for more rocket-powered test flights!

More info-> Virgin Galactic

Rocket-Uno has no motor

Saturday 5/26/18, time 10:30 PM

Rocket-Uno version 3 is soon ready. In this phase motor is taken out so I can paint the whole engine room.

Rocket Motor testing

Tuesday 5/22/18, time 10:25 PM

Virgin Galactic did publish a video, where they told about rocket moter testing and people who are building those rocket motors.

Video -> Rocket Motor

Rocket-Uno 5 years and 50 000 km

Tuesday 5/15/18, time 10:31 PM

I bid buy my Rocket-Uno in May 2012. I have been driving it for 50 000 km and the journey continues. Yesterday I had the annual car inspection for my Uno and now she can run for at least a year. Before Uno, I was driving 5 years with Audi A8 which had a 4.2 litre engine and lots of computers. Audi was a dull car compared to Uno. Perhaps I will drive my Uno for the rest of my life.  I have a lot of spare parts at my garage :)

Apollo Celebration Gala 2018

Sunday 4/22/18, time 7:21 PM

The first men walked on the moon in July 1969. The Apollo 11 flight is the second important flight in the history of space conquest. The most important flight is of course Yuri Gagarin's flight in 1961. Apollo flights have been celebrated for many years in the Apollo Gala at the Kennedy Space Center and former astronauts will ne there. In 1969-1972, a total of 12 people walked in the moon, five of them still are alive. They are all over 80 years old. The most famous of them is the 86-year-old Buzz Aldrin, who is coming to the gala.

I received the Virgin Galactic invitation to this event. At the event funds are raised for training and ticket prices are therefore expensive, 750 to 2500 dollars. Many Virgin Galactic customers have acquired tickets for the event. This year I'm not taking part in the event, but I made a preliminary inquiry to Virgin Galactic for 2019 ticket, which will be the 50 years anniversary of the Apollo 11 flight.

More info from the gala-> Apollo Celebration Gala

More info from Apollo -astronauts -> Wikipedia