Chen Geliang Spirit

If you want a Curiosity rover of your own but don't quite have NASA's budget, you can save yourself $2,499,999,850 by going with designer Arnold Patrick Martin's beautiful wooden model. It doesn't move, the cameras don't work, and it probably won't survive a trip to Mars, but it's also only $150.

And believe it or not, in a time when manufacturing is made so much easier with 3D printers and laser cutters, Martin actually hand cuts all 120 pieces of this model with a scroll saw. So if you were wondering why it's $150, there's your answer. [Etsy via Technabob]

Since it's totally pre-occupied with its latest rover roaming the surface of Mars, we figured we'd give NASA a hand, specifically when it comes to restocking its gift shop. Unfortunately, South Korean designer Jeongmi Lee's lovely space-themed Spacionery office accessories don't exist yet. But NASA put a man on the moon and a robot on Mars—it can certainly make this happen.

The Saturn tape dispenser is the more clever of the two designs, with its famous rings recreated in translucent blue plastic orbiting the roll of tape in the middle. But that doesn't mean the Abandoned Planet pen holder isn't fantastic in its own right. With gashes across the rubber planet's surface designed to hold your zero gravity pen, or pencil if you're in Russia. Now where's our Uranus pencil sharpener?—no, wait, that would be awful.

[Jeongmi Lee via designboom]

For the time being NASA is happy to send rovers and orbiters to study and explore Mars, but eventually the time will come when mankind is going to want to visit the red planet for ourselves. And there's a good chance the first human to set foot on Mars could be just an infant right now.

So here's everything you'll need to prepare your own son or daughter to possibly be the first person on Mars one day. Because if there's one thing the Olympics are teaching us right now, it's that it's never too early to force your kids down the road to greatness.

Celestial Buddies Plush Toys

There's not much you can do to train your kids before they're actually able to walk and get around on their own. But you can start getting them comfortable with other worlds and far-away planets with these adorable Celestial Bodies plush toys.

They come in four versions representing the Earth, the moon, the Sun, and most importantly, Mars. And they're a great way to prepare your child for what they might one day be seeing on their voyage through our solar system. $15

3D Star Theater

We don't know what the spacecraft that will take humans to Mars might look like, but it's safe to assume it will be chock full of state-of-the-art guidance and navigation systems that will probably be just as prone to failure as the equipment we use today.

So in the event of such a catastrophe, you can prepare your kid on how exactly to get to Mars using this handy 3D home planetarium. It projects a map of the heavens on the ceiling highlighting the constellations, planets, and other important celestial landmarks your child might one day need to rely on to get to their destination. $40

Mars Globe - 2nd Edition

And what about when they actually get to Mars? The last time we checked neither AT&T nor Sprint had any plans of installing cell towers on the Red Planet. Which means that Google Maps will be useless there.

So this analog alternative is the perfect solution. The surface of this 12-inch Mars Globe was assembled from over 6,000 images taken by the Viking orbiters, and features 140 labels highlighting the most notable landmarks and features on the planet so visitors can easily find their way around. $120

Estes Tandem-X Rocket Launch Set

Given they're powered by controlled explosions, rockets can be a bit intimidating. But unless slingshot technology vastly improves in the next 30 years, it will be the only way an astronaut will be able to reach Mars.

So gently ease your kid into the idea of riding atop an explosion-propelled vehicle with an Estes model rocket kit. They not only provide a thrilling five seconds as the model rockets toward the sky— they also help educate kids about the principles of rocketry, and why the whole thing doesn't just blow to bits on the pad at launch. $33

Classic Storefront Rocket Ride

But knowing how a rocket works doesn't necessarily prepare someone for the actual rigours of space travel. You need a simulator for that, and since Nasa isn't too keen on 10-year-olds playing with their toys, you need to find a suitable substitute at home.

And what could more accurately recreate what it's like to blast into space than this coin operated rocket ride? It might have been designed well before man landed on the moon, but the rising, diving, and banking motions are sure to prepare anyone for what it feels like at lift-off. It even has built-in sound effects and a yoke for practising their piloting. A childhood spend commandeering this craft would guarantee an easy 'A' on the Nasa entrance exam. $10,000

Astronaut's Powered Recliner

If you've ever seen footage of the astronauts while they're strapped in for launch, you'll notice that they're seated in a very reclined position. But it's not just for comfort—it's also to elevate their feet above their hearts to facilitate oxygen and blood flow through their bodies during a launch.

It's a seating position that anyone but the incredibly lazy aren't used to. But spending a few years kicking back in this powered leather recliner should more than prepare anyone for what it's like to sit in a space-bound cockpit. Well, maybe not the incredible G-forces, the deafening boom of the engine, the feeling like your skeleton's being shaken out of your body, and the fear of being blasted into an inhospitable vacuum. But pretty close! $2,500

Space Camp

Alternately, you can disregard all of our home-brew solutions for training your kid to become an astronaut and just send them to Camp Kennedy Space Center where they can learn from professionals who actually know what they're talking about.

The week-long camp has kids controlling motion-based simulators, designing space vehicles and habitats, meeting real-life astronauts, and learning about everything there is to know about space travel from the experts. And for parents it means one less week of a cabin-fevered kid running amuck in their house before school starts. So it's a win for young and old alike. $295/week

Image by Sergey Kamshylin/Shutterstock

Felix Baumgartner's upcoming and record setting 22.7-mile skydive has been hyped and promoted to the point that most of us just want him to jump already. But here's one bit of hoopla we're actually nerding out over—a look at all the wonderful camera gear that will be documenting the free fall.

Onboard the capsule that will take Baumgartner to the edge of space will be 15 cameras documenting his initial leap and descent until cameras on the ground are able to spot him. And in addition to compact hi-def equipment, the stunt will also be captured with RED's 4K digital cinema cameras which require custom-made pressurized and temperature-controlled housings to keep them in perfect operating condition in the stratosphere. So apparently just strapping a GoPro to his helmet and hoping for the best just isn't going to cut it.

[YouTube via PetaPixel]

Thanks to JAXA—the Japanese Space Agency—the astronauts aboard the International Space Station have some new pets to keep them company. A small school of Medaka fish that will be used to study the impacts of radiation, muscle atrophy, and bone degradation in space.

The AQH Aquatic Habitat (because fish tank sounds too low-tech) features a specially designed filtration system that will keep the fish alive for up to 90 days (sorry guys!), allowing them to re-produce multiple times during their stay, which will be a first in zero gravity. The habitat also automatically feeds the fish, simulates night and day lighting, and has a special chamber for holding air that keeps the water sufficiently oxygenated.

And the reason the research is being conducted on Medaka fish, instead of run-of-the-mill goldfish? As you can see in that shot from the live video feed, the fish are actually see-through, which makes studying and monitoring their inner workings considerably easier. We're just curious if they can still be flushed down those space toilets after they die. [NASA via Neatorama]

The designers at Raumfieber claim their beautiful Mercury orbiter spacecraft lamp was created to commemorate the 50th anniversary of John Glenn being the first American astronaut to orbit the Earth. But it was probably actually created to drive space exploration fans crazy with desire.

Made from precision-cut PVC sheets, the lamp measures almost 16 inches across at its base, so chandelier might be a better description. And if you've faithfully kept up with NASA's ongoing missions over the years (and even shed a tear at the shuttles being retired) you'd probably be happy to have this hanging over your dining room table or living room foyer. It appears to be available in a black or white finish as a custom order from Raumfieber, which usually means it will probably also come with an astronomical price tag.

[Raumfieber via The Fancy]

With extremely controlled and strict diets, it's not like astronauts have to worry about gaining too much weight on the space station. But have you ever stopped and wondered how you would actually measure mass in a weightless environment? After all, the entire concept of weight and scales is entirely dependent on gravity.

It turns out you can, you just need a stand-in for the constant force that keeps us all glued to the ground when we're on Earth. And as astronaut Don Pettit demonstrates, a low-tension spring fills that void when gravity isn't strong enough to be felt. But measuring the mass of an object this way isn't as easy as just looking at a number on a scale. In this instance, you need to measure the object's oscillations over time as it swings back and forth and fights against the spring. The faster it moves, the lighter an object is—and with proper calibration and calculations, you should be able to accurately determine if it's time to lay off that freeze-dried astronaut ice cream. [YouTube]

Eleven years of construction in Dubai has totally transformed its coastline and waters. The amount of transformation is amazing. And it only took 11 years for all these constructions. Imagine what Dubai will be like in 20 years. Probably more radical than what it is now.

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Source: NASA Earth Observatory

Digital Globe has directed one of their Worldview satellites to the island of Giglio, Italy, to see how the Costa Concordia shipwreck looks from space.

It looks like a giant ship compared to the land mass next to it. Without another object to scale it, the ship looks like it is the size of a country.

Source: Digital Globe

George Takei has made a funny video appealing for peace between the Star Trek and Star Wars fans, for there is a greater common enemy among them. The common enemy is none other than Twilight!

George describes them as dreadful sparkly vampire teenage movies. They have no great stories, characters or profound life lessons to be  learned in Twilight, just one message, “Does my boyfriend like me?”

Will this common enemy finally unite the 2 universe together? How about Harry Potter???