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SPACE EXPLORATION ENTHUSIASTS have lamented the loss of Chris Hadfield from the International Space Station in recent weeks.
His educational videos, spectacular images and surprising singing ability awakened an interest in ordinary people about what NASA and other agencies were up to above our planet.
But the moustachioed Canadian’s replacement might prove just as popular.
Somewhat of an old hand at spacewalking, Russian Federal Space Agency cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin has already taken part in three expeditions, clocking up 371 days in space.
During his last mission on the ISS in 2010, he produced two catalogues of wondrous images of earth, as it appears in space. Here’s a selection for your enjoyment.
Note: Only some of the photos are captioned by the astronaut. Others, we just have to guess what we are looking at because we can’t ask him (he’s in space).
Hurricane Daniel
Image: Fyodor Yurchikhin/Russian Space Agency
The moon
Image: Fyodor Yurchikhin/Russian Space Agency
Image: Fyodor Yurchikhin/Russian Space Agency
Mountains
Image: Fyodor Yurchikhin/Russian Space Agency
The Andes. Image: Fyodor Yurchikhin/Russian Space Agency
The foothills of the Himalayas. Image: Fyodor Yurchikhin/Russian Space Agency
Sunset
Image: Fyodor Yurchikhin/Russian Space Agency
Africa Erosion
Image: Fyodor Yurchikhin/Russian Space Agency
Image: Fyodor Yurchikhin/Russian Space Agency
Islands
Image: Fyodor Yurchikhin/Russian Space Agency
The Bahamas. Image: Fyodor Yurchikhin/Russian Space Agency
The Falkland Islands. Image: Fyodor Yurchikhin/Russian Space Agency
Australia
Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, in the heart of Australia. Image: Fyodor Yurchikhin/Russian Space Agency
On the shore of Australia. Image: Fyodor Yurchikhin/Russian Space Agency
Banks Peninsula, New Zealand
Image: Fyodor Yurchikhin/Russian Space Agency
Alaska
Image: Fyodor Yurchikhin/Russian Space Agency
London and Paris
Image: Fyodor Yurchikhin/Russian Space Agency
Image: Fyodor Yurchikhin/Russian Space Agency
Image: Fyodor Yurchikhin/Russian Space Agency
Image: Fyodor Yurchikhin/Russian Space Agency
Dunes
Image: Fyodor Yurchikhin/Russian Space Agency
Image: Fyodor Yurchikhin/Russian Space Agency
The Kamchatka Peninsula
The 1,250-kilometre peninsula the Russian Far East lies between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Sea of Okhotsk to the west. Image: Fyodor Yurchikhin/Russian Space Agency
The glaciers of Patagonia
Image: Fyodor Yurchikhin/Russian Space Agency
Yurchikhin's hometown of Batumi
Image: Fyodor Yurchikhin/Russian Space Agency
Untitled
Image: Fyodor Yurchikhin/Russian Space Agency
Image: Fyodor Yurchikhin/Russian Space Agency
Image: Fyodor Yurchikhin/Russian Space Agency
Image: Fyodor Yurchikhin/Russian Space Agency
For more images, check out the Russian Federation's website. Hat-tip to reader Seán O' Dulaing for bring these images to our attention.
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It does indeed have a role to play. Sure, we should be reducing our outputs but incineration is part of the solution. With this technique, one can actively generate energy from waste. Yes, it produces some fumes but these can be contained and treated. The technology has been in place for years and is in active use across most of Europe. Landfills are primitive – as all waste seeps back into the soil, it will get back into the water table. An incinerator avoids this AND generates a modicum of power. I still cannot fathom why people object to them so venomously..
Incinerator > Landfill
Agreed. But the question was, do they have a role to play in Ireland.
And Ireland is a well educated society one might be bold enough to suggest…
Please complete this problem:
X > Recycling waste
Define X.
Well said, David R Grimes. Totally agree with you. Time for Govt to implement the plan & stop listening too much to these nay-sayers.
It’s a burning issue.
*I’ll get my coat.
Your on fire today!
*I’ll get my coat too….
You found it I see ;-) lol
I am all for incinerators provided all the staff will be German. Safer that way. No hung over paddies to worry about.
this hung over paddy actually works in an incinerator and I haven’t killed anyone yet!
Better for the environment to incinerate here rather than send the waste to China to be incinerated there.
Me fail English? That’s unpossible!
Yes, of course there should be incineration. Our European neighbours appear to have no problem with the technology and in fact one incinerator, in Vienna, not far from the city centre, is a tourist attraction because of its unorthodox design by the architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser.
See: http://thesteampunkhome.blogspot.com/2007/08/hundertwassers-incinerator-works-vienna.html
Now, if the Austrians are happy with an incinerator a short distance from the heart of Vienna surely we can build one on the outskirts of Dublin?
And they use them as fuel too for generation, John. Which is infinitely better than burying the problem :)
The other issue is our addiction, as a society, to packaging.
Good point John – worth mentioning that the Austrians have been recycling over 70% of their waste for at least 20 years now. If we are to look abroad for inspiration, as we so often do, maybe Austria can lead the way.
I voted yes, mainly because I think we need them not because I think they are the best system for waste disposal.
85% of people are for it. As long as it’s not anywhere near them I bet.
I’d sooner live near an incinerator than a landfill.
I voted yes, but only tentatively. Incineration does have a role to play, as our waste management systems at the moment are almost entirely laughable. But, as there is always a but in this country, it has to be implemented correctly, as these things so frequently are not. For example, imposing a waste quota that must be met, as seems to be the case with the proposed Poolbeg incinerator, will only work to the detriment of recycling schemes, which would have to all but shut down in order to meet the minimum tonnage requirements set by the company running the incinerator. If I had my way, everything would be recycled, but this in an unrealistic idea and I fully acknowledge the need for incinerators in waste management. I just worry that recycling will suffer.
Do we think there’s no incineration already? The lack of proper recycling facilities, coupled with high refuse disposal charges in some areas, combine to make “burning in the fields” a viable alternative for many people, whether we care to admit it or not. Let’s have a joined up waste policy, whatever the methods.
I believe the pharma companies in cork have mini incinerators already.and no one is complaining..
I can haz incineration
Think you meant to write “have” not “has” in the title…
Sure as he’ll beats burning rubbish in the fireplace or in the garden. I think it is far safer than all of the alternatives. However, waste collections to feed the incinerators should be free. No point in paying to fuel the burners and then paying to use the output.
Also it might make Dubliners less likely to send their waste out into the surrounding counties. Waste should not be allowed to leave local authorities.
incineration is an integral part of waste management and would help reduce our addiction to sending waste to landfill.
However, it’s far inferior to recycling or even better, not generating waste at all.
so yes to incinerator but no to ludicrous current plan for Dublin bay with massive waste quotas and fines if we don’t send them sufficient waste!
Waste with any carbohydrate present should be used for production of bio fuel. Carboleum not petroleum!!
Yes but only if it’s part of a power generating processing plant.
I can see a real future for this.
have your say