Computerized photos on Flickr

Regarding the Great Filter by Michael Young

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{ Most recent edits : 12 January 2017 }

For background, please see Wikipedia's pages on :

Great Filter

Wow! signal

Technological singularity

Search for extraterrestrial intelligence

If you care to, please also see the pages linked beneath my ugliest self-portrait to date, though i like it, as i feel these are also relevant .

In the multi-hypothetical case that wide-spread, (and decisive), computerized election fraud, (being generally), in favor of right wing candidates, (also hypothetically, including Donald Trump), is onging in the United States of America --- it would be my further hypothesis that this country may be approaching the "event horizon" of permanent, right-wing, one-party rule .

Under such a scenario, (if the above would, overall, be true), i expect the right wing to make a high priority of consolidating effective control over the Judicial Branch of the United States Government, and over the Military High Command ; that these would complement their hold, (as i see it), over the Legislative Branch and coming hold, (as i see it, and should circumstances proceed according to script), over the Executive Branch . To use a military analogy, if they were to achieve these things, (and if the above scenarios would be, essentially, correct), they would have emplaced "cannon" on all the major hilltops of federal power .

Continuing the above scenarios, (in the assumption they would be, overall, correct) : With increasingly sophisticated surveillance and artificial-intelligence technologies at their disposal, the alliance of people and organizations holding such federal high ground, (as well as, reportedly, considerable accumulated wealth), could gain effective control over the socio-economic middle and, (by degrees), low grounds as well --- particularly if cautious and/or right-wing-sympathetic press outlets were not to treat these issue(s) seriously ----- particularly also if cautious and/or right-wing-sympathetic religious leaders stressed a doubling-down on God, without an activist, (Dr. King-ian), parallel commitment to, (as i believe so critical), transparent election practices .

Rightly or wrongly, i see computerized election systems running trade-secret software on trade-secret hardware, which record the vote in a manner invisible to the voter, (but purport to show the voter how our ballot will be recorded on a confirmation screen), for counting in a manner invisible to the public, (but which purport to tell the truth to the public), as, at least potentially, playgrounds for insider fraud . If such would indeed be the case, (and as what is being determined is the character of, and control over, the United States of America), i imagine these playgrounds would attract some very powerful players . I see no reason to expect that these would be limited to Americans seeking advantage over other Americans, and considerable reason to expect that these would, ultimately, include foreign-sponsored attempts to seek control over America .

I see it as essential to the health of representative democracy in the United States, (if not the world), that computerized election systems such i describe above are replaced, (nation-wide), with all-human election processes, (such as i described in recent posts) . A large part of what concerns me about the administration of a President-apparent Donald Trump is the potential right-wing capture of Federal "high ground" as described 3 paragraphs previous . If my suspicions about elections in this country are (basically) correct, i see such a capture as bringing with it closure of all effective routes to achieve such a replacement .

Rightly or wrongly, (and if the above scenarios are essentially correct), i see the world, human civilization, simultaneously approaching the "event horizon" of one expression of the Great Filter, (in no small part due to the loss of representative democracy in the United States), while also receding from the event horizon of another expression of the Great Filter . If only people in positions of power and/or influence were to discuss this openly . Because i feel there is much to be considered :

Effective consolidation of control over the world's governments, (and nuclear arsenals), into the hands of a single, politically competent and sound-minded individual, (not an easy task, but one which the vulnerabilities innate in "careless", {my word}, attention to election processes within advanced representative-democracies could be exploited to facilitiate, {or so i believe}), could, (at least), reduce the probability that World War III will become the Human expression of the Great Filter --- but perhaps only for as long as the "benevolent (?) dictator" remained alive and well, (and, perhaps also, unobvious) . With stakes that high, a succession could prove extraordinarly attractive to those of ruthless ambition, (not that this would be alien to the character of the dictator himself or herself) . I think that the problem with many autocratic successions has been that the character attributes a dictator values in his or her Numero Dos, often, do not serve that person well when and if they become, (or try to compete to become), El Numero Uno . And, conversely, that the character attributes that make an effective dictator can be destabilizing in the hands of a ranking subordinate . Thus, in order to more fully reduce the risk of civilization-destroying nuclear war, (perhaps during a succession struggle), a leader in the chain, while the consolidation of power was still firmly in hand, would have to effect global nuclear disarmament to below the threshold of annihilation, (while keeping a reserve force to back his or her authority) . This could, potentially, be a very difficult manuever to pull off without triggering the very holocaust he or she would hope to avoid . And yet, multiple truly space-faring nations, if led by biological beings, could be expected to eventually destroy their home planet in a war amongst eachother . . .

Unfortunately, (in my opinion), such a consolidation of effective control, particularly to the extent it may be accomlished by the effective toppling of representative democracies world-wide, steers the world directly toward, (and perhaps through), the event horizon of a Global Winnowing expression of the Great Filter . It is not difficult to imagine --- given the impunity with which the authorities and the wealthy can act, (and add to their power over the ruled and the poor), in the absence of meaningful representative democracy --- that society can trap itself in an endless rat-race . What is difficult to fully comprehend is how completely technology will change the picture . Jobs, livelihoods, stand to be shed from advanced, (and human-capital), economies in stunning numbers during this century . The first two paragraphs of Wikipedia's page on "Technological singularity", currently hold, (as of a 2012 survey), that runaway advancement cybernetic intelligence will take flight, (in the median view of experts), around 2040 . We are engineering our own obsolescence . We are dealing ourselves out of our livelihoods in an environment where right-wing candidates are, (often and in my opinion), doing strangely better than expected at the polls . And, (in at least some cases), our political, press, and religious leaders do not seem to have their eyes firmly focussed upon the constitutionality, (or lack thereof), of election practices in many, (perhaps decisively many), parts this country . This seems to me an object example of the principle that parchment barriers cannot stand without people to hold them up .

Pursuing such a dystopia further, (and perhaps beyond the point of rationality), i imagine it possible that a post 2040 world, if fully captured by its powerful and their associated wealthy, may for some generations spiral into being a world totally mute to the external universe . Without any effective controls upon ambition save for other powerful and wealthy people, i expect that poor people will be created and, (largely), exterminated in successive waves by advancing automation . I expect that survival will, increasingly, depend upon being among the 1% of the 1% of the 1%, (in terms of power, wealth and/or beauty), ad infinitum, until no biological humans may remain . Only the machinery . A mitigating factor would be the benevolence of the world's dictators, (in succession), and of the world's wealthy and powerful below them . I accept that the wealthy and powerful can at times mean well ; but i also believe that such a milieu would evolve in directions which will not reward altruism to nearly the extent it would self-interest . I note also for every truly benevolent person in power, there exists the possibility of a truly malevolent one . Unless there is a way to engineer an incorruptible, benevolent, permanent cybernetic dictator --- a worthy but tall order in which blind faith in secretive corporate methodologies is not recommended --- to perserve and protect the lives as many people as the land will support, this seems to be a very dangerous course for the world to be on . Even if, to those blessed to be at the top, for a while, it will resemble an endless party ; (though an increasingly spookily empty one) .

And then there is Global Warming . I see this as among those factors most likely to bring World War III, (one possible expression of the Great Filter) . I see it also as among those most likely to bring violent conflict within and between nations, which (in my opinion) could move human civilization closer to world-wide authoritarianism and thus toward a Great Winnowing expression of the Great Filter .

IMG_8349

For additional background, please see a Quixotic Idea .

I see the situation as, (potentially), desperate ; but not as unremittingly dark . It is possible that the needle can be threaded, in my opinion .

Ultimately, to do so, humanity must establish an equitable alliance, (and division of labor), with the artificial intelligence we will be developing within this century . I imagine such intelligence would be ideally suited to working in outer-space, (and other hostile environments), while terrrestrial work should remain --- to a large extent --- in human hands, (to protect our livelihoods) . I believe, (and hope), that a consolidation of global power based upon real, well-informed, and wealth-redistributive representative democracy will have a better chance of threading the needle than one based upon autocracy, plutocracy and trans-national corporations .

But i acknowledge that the jet-streams which i believe guide (cosmic and terrestrial) history through their structuring of the outcomes of quantum-mechanical events, (and thus, by extension, those macroscopic ones which outwardly seem governed by chance), are pulling toward whatever outcome they would be pulling toward . I had imagined a more favorable one than seems to be upcoming, and this perturbs me . But and also, as i believe that surface conditions can influence the course and strength of atmospheric jet streams, i wonder to what extent human free will can influence the course and strength of historical jet streams .

"Some burning idea" territory :

It is difficult for me not to become enthusiastic when i think of sub-surface colonies on the moon, (built and maintained by cybernetic machines and humans, working together, and populated by both), which would run on solar electricity and generate artificial gravity by placing (human) crew cabins on circular rail tracks some hundreds of meters in diameter . Such technology could be ironed out there, (days from resupply and rescue), before being expanded to Mars, Mercury and the Asteroid Belt . To protect humans, (and cybernetic control systems), from radiation, (and most small drifting objects), during journeys to these inner-solar-system objectives, craft could be built on the moon which encased crew and control quarters in many meters of lunar brick held in place by a mortar of lunar metal . This also would provide additional stability for rotation-based artificial gravity environments, (ballasting the wobble which would result as the crew moved around), though some form of moving counterweight system would probably also be required . Such craft could be launched from the moon using solar-electricity powered rail guns . Water could be sourced from Mars ; a low-gravity, (.376 g), thin atmosphere, (.006 atm), environment where we could work out those and other additional details .

With the resources available in inner solar-system, outer solar system missions could be contemplated . Great parabolic mirrors to reflect sunlight to solar panels could be built, in part, from water ice --- once one was far enough from the sun for this to be structurally stable . Water ice could also be used as an additional jacket around the space-craft to absorb impacts from drifting objects . On these longer journeys, more control could be given over to cybernetic intelligences which would be optimized for deliberative thought-processes ; (once again, i see this as a worthy but challenging endeavor) . A journey to the as yet unlocated and unnamed Planet Nine, (please see Wikipedia's page), might take a hundred years . During this, the details of multi-generational space-travel could be worked out . Additionally, it may be worth a try in outer-solar system contexts to set up laser stations which would beam power to passing, (or departing), spacecraft having receivers optimized to convert the laser's frequency to electricity .

Ultimately, the goal would be to place human beings on Earth II, (III, IV, V, VI, and so on), which a sufficiently large and accurate space-telescope should be able to locate .

But first, the goal is to get through the next hundred years without getting caught in some expression of the Great Filter . Rightly or wrongly, i find it dangerously naive to assume that President-elect-apparent Donald Trump won a majority (or plurality) of the expressed intent of the voters for every electoral vote his camp claims, particularly those of Pennsylvania and Florida . I believe his elevation to President-apparent would be a grave mistake without taking the necessary time for the Supreme Court, (as it stood on election day), and a qualified Military Court Martial to, simultaneously, consider the Contitutionality of American election practices as they stood on election day ; and if these were found to be Unconstitutional, what remedial action should be taken . I would have no objection --- i would welcome --- the establishment of a provisional government by the Military while this process was ongoing .

And i do not consider such a statement seditionist, as a review of the military oaths, (of office and of enlistment), shows that all United States service members vow

... "that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same" ... .

This, in my opinion, gives the American Military interest and standing in determining the matter of whether an election was conducted Constitutionally, (and thus, by extension, whether the President-elect-apparent is legitimately so) . Particularly if the United States Supreme Court either refuses to consider the matter, or deadlocks when doing so .

Goodbye Edwards, hello Nellis by Robert Sullivan

7

A formation flight of Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II "Joint Strike Fighter's" over Edwards Air Force Base, California. The 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron recently completed its initial operational test and evaluation mission and six F-35s were reassigned to the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather, stealth, fifth-generation, multirole combat aircraft, designed for ground-attack and air-superiority missions. It is built by Lockheed Martin and many subcontractors, including Northrop Grumman, Pratt & Whitney, and BAE Systems.

The F-35 has three main models: the conventional takeoff and landing F-35A (CTOL), the short take-off and vertical-landing F-35B (STOVL), and the catapult-assisted take-off but arrested recovery, carrier-based F-35C (CATOBAR). The F-35 descends from the Lockheed Martin X-35, the design that was awarded the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program over the competing Boeing X-32. The official Lightning II name has proven deeply unpopular and USAF pilots have nicknamed it Panther, instead.

The United States principally funds F-35 development, with additional funding from other NATO members and close U.S. allies, including the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, Canada, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and formerly Turkey. These funders generally receive subcontracts to manufacture components for the aircraft; for example, Turkey was the sole supplier of several F-35 parts until its removal from the program in July 2019. Several other countries have ordered, or are considering ordering, the aircraft.

As the largest and most expensive military program ever, the F-35 became the subject of much scrutiny and criticism in the U.S. and in other countries. In 2013 and 2014, critics argued that the plane was "plagued with design flaws", with many blaming the procurement process in which Lockheed was allowed "to design, test, and produce the F-35 all at the same time," instead of identifying and fixing "defects before firing up its production line". By 2014, the program was "$163 billion over budget [and] seven years behind schedule". Critics also contend that the program's high sunk costs and political momentum make it "too big to kill".

The F-35 first flew on 15 December 2006. In July 2015, the United States Marines declared its first squadron of F-35B fighters ready for deployment. However, the DOD-based durability testing indicated the service life of early-production F-35B aircraft is well under the expected 8,000 flight hours, and may be as low as 2,100 flight hours. Lot 9 and later aircraft include design changes but service life testing has yet to occur. The U.S. Air Force declared its first squadron of F-35As ready for deployment in August 2016. The U.S. Navy declared its first F-35Cs ready in February 2019. In 2018, the F-35 made its combat debut with the Israeli Air Force.

The U.S. stated plan is to buy 2,663 F-35s, which will provide the bulk of the crewed tactical airpower of the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps in coming decades. Deliveries of the F-35 for the U.S. military are scheduled until 2037 with a projected service life up to 2070.

Development

F-35 development started in 1992 with the origins of the "Joint Strike Fighter" (JSF) program and was to culminate in full production by 2018. The X-35 first flew on 24 October 2000 and the F-35A on 15 December 2006.

The F-35 was developed to replace most US fighter jets with the variants of a single design that would be common to all branches of the military. It was developed in co-operation with a number of foreign partners, and, unlike the F-22 Raptor, intended to be available for export. Three variants were designed: the F-35A (CTOL), the F-35B (STOVL), and the F-35C (CATOBAR). Despite being intended to share most of their parts to reduce costs and improve maintenance logistics, by 2017, the effective commonality was only 20%. The program received considerable criticism for cost overruns during development and for the total projected cost of the program over the lifetime of the jets.

By 2017, the program was expected to cost $406.5 billion over its lifetime (i.e. until 2070) for acquisition of the jets, and an additional $1.1 trillion for operations and maintenance. A number of design deficiencies were alleged, such as: carrying a small internal payload; performance inferior to the aircraft being replaced, particularly the F-16; lack of safety in relying on a single engine; and flaws such as the vulnerability of the fuel tank to fire and the propensity for transonic roll-off (wing drop). The possible obsolescence of stealth technology was also criticized.

Design

Overview

Although several experimental designs have been developed since the 1960s, such as the unsuccessful Rockwell XFV-12, the F-35B is to be the first operational supersonic STOVL stealth fighter. The single-engine F-35 resembles the larger twin-engined Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, drawing design elements from it. The exhaust duct design was inspired by the General Dynamics Model 200, proposed for a 1972 supersonic VTOL fighter requirement for the Sea Control Ship.

Lockheed Martin has suggested that the F-35 could replace the USAF's F-15C/D fighters in the air-superiority role and the F-15E Strike Eagle in the ground-attack role. It has also stated the F-35 is intended to have close- and long-range air-to-air capability second only to that of the F-22 Raptor, and that the F-35 has an advantage over the F-22 in basing flexibility and possesses "advanced sensors and information fusion".

Testifying before the House Appropriations Committee on 25 March 2009, acquisition deputy to the assistant secretary of the Air Force, Lt. Gen. Mark D. "Shack" Shackelford, stated that the F-35 is designed to be America's "premier surface-to-air missile killer, and is uniquely equipped for this mission with cutting-edge processing power, synthetic aperture radar integration techniques, and advanced target recognition".

Improvements

Ostensible improvements over past-generation fighter aircraft include:

Durable, low-maintenance stealth technology, using structural fiber mat instead of the high-maintenance coatings of legacy stealth platforms.

Integrated avionics and sensor fusion that combine information from off- and on-board sensors to increase the pilot's situational awareness and improve target identification and weapon delivery, and to relay information quickly to other command and control (C2) nodes.

High-speed data networking including IEEE 1394b and Fibre Channel (Fibre Channel is also used on Boeing's Super Hornet.

The Autonomic Logistics Global Sustainment, Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS), and Computerized maintenance management system to help ensure the aircraft can remain operational with minimal maintenance manpower The Pentagon has moved to open up the competitive bidding by other companies. This was after Lockheed Martin stated that instead of costing 20% less than the F-16 per flight hour, the F-35 would actually cost 12% more. Though the ALGS is intended to reduce maintenance costs, the company disagrees with including the cost of this system in the aircraft ownership calculations. The USMC has implemented a workaround for a cyber vulnerability in the system. The ALIS system currently requires a shipping-container load of servers to run, but Lockheed is working on a more portable version to support the Marines' expeditionary operations.

Electro-hydrostatic actuators run by a power-by-wire flight-control system.

A modern and updated flight simulator, which may be used for a greater fraction of pilot training to reduce the costly flight hours of the actual aircraft.

Lightweight, powerful lithium-ion batteries to provide power to run the control surfaces in an emergency.

Structural composites in the F-35 are 35% of the airframe weight (up from 25% in the F-22). The majority of these are bismaleimide and composite epoxy materials. The F-35 will be the first mass-produced aircraft to include structural nanocomposites, namely carbon nanotube-reinforced epoxy. Experience of the F-22's problems with corrosion led to the F-35 using a gap filler that causes less galvanic corrosion to the airframe's skin, designed with fewer gaps requiring filler and implementing better drainage. The relatively short 35-foot wingspan of the A and B variants is set by the F-35B's requirement to fit inside the Navy's current amphibious assault ship parking area and elevators; the F-35C's longer wing is considered to be more fuel efficient.

Costs

A U.S. Navy study found that the F-35 will cost 30 to 40% more to maintain than current jet fighters, not accounting for inflation over the F-35's operational lifetime. A Pentagon study concluded a $1 trillion maintenance cost for the entire fleet over its lifespan, not accounting for inflation. The F-35 program office found that as of January 2014, costs for the F-35 fleet over a 53-year lifecycle was $857 billion. Costs for the fighter have been dropping and accounted for the 22 percent life cycle drop since 2010. Lockheed stated that by 2019, pricing for the fifth-generation aircraft will be less than fourth-generation fighters. An F-35A in 2019 is expected to cost $85 million per unit complete with engines and full mission systems, inflation adjusted from $75 million in December 2013.

inside Hardox ASL by Scott (tm242)

12

packer blade is on top, and it rests on the partially retracted ejector blade. the two work in tandem to eject, in a computerized extend/retract sequence that keeps material from falling behind the blades. this can only be found on Amrep "Automated" units, aka ASLs.

Lockheed Martin F-35 "Lightning II" by Robert Sullivan

7

Two Lockheed Martin F-35B "Lightning II's" with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211 “Wake Island Avengers,” 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, taxi the runway after landing at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., July 5. A total of 10 aircraft and more than 250 Marines with VMFA-211 will participate in Red Flag 17-3, a realistic combat training exercise hosted by the U.S. Air Force to assess the squadron’s ability to deploy and support contingency operations using the F-35B. Red Flag 17-3 begins July 10 and ends July 28.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Lockheed Martin F-35 "Lightning II" is a family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather, stealth, fifth-generation, multirole combat aircraft, designed for ground-attack and air-superiority missions. It is built by Lockheed Martin and many subcontractors, including Northrop Grumman, Pratt & Whitney, and BAE Systems.

The F-35 has three main models: the conventional takeoff and landing F-35A (CTOL), the short take-off and vertical-landing F-35B (STOVL), and the catapult-assisted take-off but arrested recovery, carrier-based F-35C (CATOBAR). The F-35 descends from the Lockheed Martin X-35, the design that was awarded the "Joint Strike Fighter" (JSF) program over the competing Boeing X-32. The official Lightning II name has proven deeply unpopular and USAF pilots have nicknamed it Panther, instead.

The United States principally funds F-35 development, with additional funding from other NATO members and close U.S. allies, including the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, Canada, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and formerly Turkey. These funders generally receive subcontracts to manufacture components for the aircraft; for example, Turkey was the sole supplier of several F-35 parts until its removal from the program in July 2019. Several other countries have ordered, or are considering ordering, the aircraft.

As the largest and most expensive military program ever, the F-35 became the subject of much scrutiny and criticism in the U.S. and in other countries. In 2013 and 2014, critics argued that the plane was "plagued with design flaws", with many blaming the procurement process in which Lockheed was allowed "to design, test, and produce the F-35 all at the same time," instead of identifying and fixing "defects before firing up its production line". By 2014, the program was "$163 billion over budget [and] seven years behind schedule". Critics also contend that the program's high sunk costs and political momentum make it "too big to kill".

The F-35 first flew on 15 December 2006. In July 2015, the United States Marines declared its first squadron of F-35B fighters ready for deployment. However, the DOD-based durability testing indicated the service life of early-production F-35B aircraft is well under the expected 8,000 flight hours, and may be as low as 2,100 flight hours. Lot 9 and later aircraft include design changes but service life testing has yet to occur. The U.S. Air Force declared its first squadron of F-35As ready for deployment in August 2016. The U.S. Navy declared its first F-35Cs ready in February 2019. In 2018, the F-35 made its combat debut with the Israeli Air Force.

The U.S. stated plan is to buy 2,663 F-35s, which will provide the bulk of the crewed tactical airpower of the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps in coming decades. Deliveries of the F-35 for the U.S. military are scheduled until 2037 with a projected service life up to 2070.

Development

F-35 development started in 1992 with the origins of the "Joint Strike Fighter" (JSF) program and was to culminate in full production by 2018. The X-35 first flew on 24 October 2000 and the F-35A on 15 December 2006.

The F-35 was developed to replace most US fighter jets with the variants of a single design that would be common to all branches of the military. It was developed in co-operation with a number of foreign partners, and, unlike the F-22 "Raptor", intended to be available for export. Three variants were designed: the F-35A (CTOL), the F-35B (STOVL), and the F-35C (CATOBAR). Despite being intended to share most of their parts to reduce costs and improve maintenance logistics, by 2017, the effective commonality was only 20%. The program received considerable criticism for cost overruns during development and for the total projected cost of the program over the lifetime of the jets.

By 2017, the program was expected to cost $406.5 billion over its lifetime (i.e. until 2070) for acquisition of the jets, and an additional $1.1 trillion for operations and maintenance. A number of design deficiencies were alleged, such as: carrying a small internal payload; performance inferior to the aircraft being replaced, particularly the F-16; lack of safety in relying on a single engine; and flaws such as the vulnerability of the fuel tank to fire and the propensity for transonic roll-off (wing drop). The possible obsolescence of stealth technology was also criticized.

Design

Overview

Although several experimental designs have been developed since the 1960s, such as the unsuccessful Rockwell XFV-12, the F-35B is to be the first operational supersonic STOVL stealth fighter. The single-engine F-35 resembles the larger twin-engined Lockheed Martin F-22 "Raptor", drawing design elements from it. The exhaust duct design was inspired by the General Dynamics Model 200, proposed for a 1972 supersonic VTOL fighter requirement for the Sea Control Ship.

Lockheed Martin has suggested that the F-35 could replace the USAF's F-15C/D fighters in the air-superiority role and the F-15E "Strike Eagle" in the ground-attack role. It has also stated the F-35 is intended to have close- and long-range air-to-air capability second only to that of the F-22 "Raptor", and that the F-35 has an advantage over the F-22 in basing flexibility and possesses "advanced sensors and information fusion".

Testifying before the House Appropriations Committee on 25 March 2009, acquisition deputy to the assistant secretary of the Air Force, Lt. Gen. Mark D. "Shack" Shackelford, stated that the F-35 is designed to be America's "premier surface-to-air missile killer, and is uniquely equipped for this mission with cutting-edge processing power, synthetic aperture radar integration techniques, and advanced target recognition".

Improvements

Ostensible improvements over past-generation fighter aircraft include:

Durable, low-maintenance stealth technology, using structural fiber mat instead of the high-maintenance coatings of legacy stealth platforms.

Integrated avionics and sensor fusion that combine information from off- and on-board sensors to increase the pilot's situational awareness and improve target identification and weapon delivery, and to relay information quickly to other command and control (C2) nodes.

High-speed data networking including IEEE 1394b and Fibre Channel (Fibre Channel is also used on Boeing's "Super Hornet".

The Autonomic Logistics Global Sustainment, Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS), and Computerized maintenance management system to help ensure the aircraft can remain operational with minimal maintenance manpower The Pentagon has moved to open up the competitive bidding by other companies. This was after Lockheed Martin stated that instead of costing 20% less than the F-16 per flight hour, the F-35 would actually cost 12% more. Though the ALGS is intended to reduce maintenance costs, the company disagrees with including the cost of this system in the aircraft ownership calculations. The USMC has implemented a workaround for a cyber vulnerability in the system. The ALIS system currently requires a shipping-container load of servers to run, but Lockheed is working on a more portable version to support the Marines' expeditionary operations.

Electro-hydrostatic actuators run by a power-by-wire flight-control system.

A modern and updated flight simulator, which may be used for a greater fraction of pilot training to reduce the costly flight hours of the actual aircraft.

Lightweight, powerful lithium-ion batteries to provide power to run the control surfaces in an emergency.

Structural composites in the F-35 are 35% of the airframe weight (up from 25% in the F-22). The majority of these are bismaleimide and composite epoxy materials. The F-35 will be the first mass-produced aircraft to include structural nanocomposites, namely carbon nanotube-reinforced epoxy. Experience of the F-22's problems with corrosion led to the F-35 using a gap filler that causes less galvanic corrosion to the airframe's skin, designed with fewer gaps requiring filler and implementing better drainage. The relatively short 35-foot wingspan of the A and B variants is set by the F-35B's requirement to fit inside the Navy's current amphibious assault ship parking area and elevators; the F-35C's longer wing is considered to be more fuel efficient.

Costs

A U.S. Navy study found that the F-35 will cost 30 to 40% more to maintain than current jet fighters, not accounting for inflation over the F-35's operational lifetime. A Pentagon study concluded a $1 trillion maintenance cost for the entire fleet over its lifespan, not accounting for inflation. The F-35 program office found that as of January 2014, costs for the F-35 fleet over a 53-year lifecycle was $857 billion. Costs for the fighter have been dropping and accounted for the 22 percent life cycle drop since 2010. Lockheed stated that by 2019, pricing for the fifth-generation aircraft will be less than fourth-generation fighters. An F-35A in 2019 is expected to cost $85 million per unit complete with engines and full mission systems, inflation adjusted from $75 million in December 2013.

Seattle - Space Needle by Michael Kemper

7

View from Smith Tower

Aussicht vom Smith Tower

The Space Needle is an observation tower in Seattle, Washington, United States. Considered to be an icon of the city and the Pacific Northwest, it has also been designated as a Seattle landmark. Located in the Lower Queen Anne neighborhood, it was built in the Seattle Center for the 1962 World's Fair, which drew over 2.3 million visitors. Nearly 20,000 people a day used its elevators during the event.

Once the tallest structure west of the Mississippi River, it is 605 ft (184 m) high, 138 ft (42 m) wide, and weighs 9,550 short tons (8,660 metric tons). It is built to withstand winds of up to 200 mph (320 km/h) and earthquakes of up to 9.0 magnitude,[8] as strong as the 1700 Cascadia earthquake. It also has 25 lightning rods.

The Space Needle has an observation deck at 520 ft (160 m), which features views of the downtown Seattle skyline, the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, Elliott Bay, and surrounding islands in Puget Sound.

Visitors can reach the top of the Space Needle by elevators that travel at 10 mph (16 km/h). The trip takes 41 seconds. On windy days, the elevators slow to 5 mph (8.0 km/h). On April 19, 1999, the city's Landmarks Preservation Board designated it a historic landmark.

In September 2017, the tower's SkyCity restaurant was closed as part of a $100 million renovation. The renovation included the installation of a new rotation motor and see-through glass floors in the restaurant space, as well as the replacement of the observation deck's wire enclosure with glass panels. The space reopened in August 2018 as the Loupe, an indoor observation deck.

The architecture of the Space Needle is the result of a compromise between the designs of two men, Edward E. Carlson and John Graham, Jr. The two leading ideas for the World Fair involved businessman Edward E. Carlson's sketch of a giant balloon tethered to the ground (the gently sloping base) and architect John Graham's concept of a flying saucer (the halo that houses the restaurant and observation deck). Victor Steinbrueck introduced the hourglass profile of the tower.[ The Space Needle was built to withstand wind speeds of 200 mph (320 km/h), double the requirements in the building code of 1962. The 6.8 Mw  Nisqually earthquake jolted the Needle enough in 2001 for water to slosh out of the toilets in the restrooms. The Space Needle will not sustain serious structural damage during earthquakes of magnitudes below 9.1. Also made to withstand Category 5 hurricane-force winds, the Space Needle sways only 1 in (25 mm) per 10 mph (16 km/h) of wind speed.

For decades, the hovering disk of the Space Needle was home to 2 restaurants 500 ft (150 m) above the ground: the Space Needle Restaurant, which was originally named Eye of the Needle, and Emerald Suite. These were closed in 2000 to make way for SkyCity, a larger restaurant that features Pacific Northwest cuisine. It rotates 360 degrees in exactly forty-seven minutes. In 1993, the elevators were replaced with new computerized versions. The new elevators descend at a rate of 10 mph (16 km/h).

On December 31, 1999, a powerful beam of light was unveiled for the first time. Called the Legacy Light or Skybeam, it is powered by lamps that total 85 million candela shining skyward from the top of the Space Needle to honor national holidays and special occasions in Seattle. The concept of this beam was derived from the official 1962 World's Fair poster, which depicted such a light source although none was incorporated into the original design. It is somewhat controversial because of the light pollution it creates.[16] Originally planned to be turned on 75 nights per year, it has generally been used fewer than a dozen times per year. It did remain lit for eleven days in a row from September 11, 2001, to September 22, 2001, in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks.

A 1962 Seattle World's Fair poster showed a grand spiral entryway leading to the elevator that was ultimately omitted from final building plans. The stairway was eventually added as part of the Pavilion and Spacebase remodel in June 2000. The main stairwell has 848 steps from the basement to the top of the observation deck. At approximately 605 ft (184 m), the Space Needle was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River at the time it was built by Howard S. Wright Construction Co., but is now dwarfed by other structures along the Seattle skyline, among them the Columbia Center, at 967 ft (295 m). Unlike many other similar structures, such as the CN Tower in Toronto, the Space Needle is not used for broadcasting purposes.

Edward F. Carlson, chairman of the 1962 World's Fair in Seattle, had an idea for erecting a tower with a restaurant at the World's Fair. Carlson was president of a hotel company and was not recognized in art or design, but he was inspired by a recent visit to the Stuttgart Tower of Germany. Local architect John Graham soon became involved as a result of his success in designing Northgate Mall. Graham's first move was to alter the restaurant's original design to a revolving restaurant, similar to his previous design of the La Ronde tower restaurant at the Ala Moana Shopping Center in Hawaii.

The proposed Space Needle had no pre-selected site. Since it was not financed by the city, land had to be purchased within the fairgrounds. The investors had been unable to find suitable land and the search for a site was nearly dead when, in 1961, they discovered a lot, 120 by 120 ft (37 by 37 m), containing switching equipment for the fire and police alarm systems. The land sold for $75,000. At this point, only one year remained before the World's Fair would begin. The Needle was privately financed and built by the Pentagram Corporation, consisting of Bagley Wright, contractor Howard S. Wright, architect John Graham, Ned Skinner, and Norton Clapp. In 1977 Bagley, Skinner and Clapp sold their interest to Howard Wright who now controls it under the name of Space Needle Corporation.

The earthquake stability of the Space Needle was ensured when a hole was dug 30 ft (9.1 m) deep and 120 ft (37 m) across, and 467 concrete trucks took one full day to fill it. The foundation weighs 5,850 short tons (5,310 metric tons) (including 250 short tons or 230 metric tons of reinforcing steel), the same as the above-ground structure. The structure is bolted to the foundation with 72 bolts, each one 30 ft (9.1 m) long.

With time an issue, the construction team worked around the clock. The domed top, housing the top five levels (including the restaurants and observation deck), was perfectly balanced so that the restaurant could rotate with the help of one tiny electric motor, originally 0.8 kilowatts (1.1 hp), later replaced with a 1.1 kilowatts (1.5 hp) motor. With paint colors named Orbital Olive for the body, Astronaut White for the legs, Re-entry Red for the saucer, and Galaxy Gold for the roof, the Space Needle was finished in less than one year. It was completed in April 1962 at a cost of $4.5 million. The last elevator car was installed the day before the Fair opened on April 21. During the course of the Fair nearly 20,000 people a day rode the elevators to the Observation Deck. Upon completion, the Space Needle was the tallest building in the western United States, replacing the Smith Tower in downtown Seattle as the tallest building west of the Mississippi since 1914.

The revolving restaurant was operated by Western International Hotels, of which Carlson was President, under a 20-year contract from April 1, 1962 to April 1, 1982.

As a symbol of the Pacific Northwest, the Space Needle has made numerous appearances in films, TV shows and other works of fiction. Examples of films include It Happened at the World's Fair (1962), where it was used as a filming location, and Sleepless in Seattle (1993). In the 1974 film The Parallax View, the inside and outside platforms of the observation deck are the setting for a political assassination and a brief chase takes place on the roof above it. In the 1999 film Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, it served as a base of operations for the villain Doctor Evil with the word Starbucks written across its saucer after his henchman Number 2 shifted the organization's resources toward the coffee company.[54][55][56] It is also featured prominently in Chronicle (2012), and is a key element in the film's climax.

The Space Needle has been used in several practical jokes, especially those on April Fools' Day. In 1989, KING-TV's Almost Live! reported that the Space Needle had collapsed, causing panicked people to call emergency services and forcing the station to apologize afterwards; the incident was compared to the 1938 radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds, which caused nationwide panic. In 2015, public radio station KPLU 88.5 FM reported in the news story "Proposed Development To 'Assimilate' Seattle's Landmark Space Needle?" that a permit application (Notice of Proposed Land Use Action) had been submitted "to construct a 666 unit cube to assimilate" the landmark.

In the TV series Frasier, an outline of the tower's iconic design appears in the title screen. The base of the tower is visible from a high-rise condo in the show, although the view is fictitious as there are no high-rise condos in the area depicted, of that height.

Lone establishing shots of the Space Needle are often featured in the medical drama series Grey's Anatomy, which is set in Seattle.

Other TV appearances include The History Channel's Life After People, in which the tower collapses after 200 years because of corrosion. The tower was also destroyed in the TV miniseries 10.5 when a 7.9 earthquake hits Seattle. The miniseries mistakenly portrays the Needle as crumbling concrete, though the structure is actually made of iron and designed to withstand up to a 9.0 earthquake. The needle is also featured in some episodes of Bill Nye the Science Guy, such as the episode "Storms" where Bill Nye uses the lightning rod on top of it as an example of conducting lightning strikes. Max Guevara, the main character from the series Dark Angel which is set in a post-apocalyptic Seattle, is often seen on the roof of the derelict Space Needle.

A 57-piece Lego model of the tower was released in 2010 as part of the Lego Architecture collection.

The Space Needle was also incorporated into the logos of the city's two professional basketball teams, the SuperSonics of the NBA from 1975 to 2001, and the Storm of the WNBA. The tower is stylized from an anchor in the secondary logo of the Seattle Kraken, an NHL expansion team that will begin play in 2021.

In the 2014 action-adventure game Infamous Second Son, the Space Needle is a location the player can visit in the game, and the tower was used prominently in promotional material.

(Wikipedia)

Space Needle (englisch für Weltraumnadel) ist ein 184 Meter hoher Aussichts- und Restaurantturm in Seattle, der zur Century 21 Exposition, der Weltausstellung 1962, errichtet wurde. Nachdem sich der Beginn der Bauarbeiten unter anderem durch eine ungeklärte Finanzierungsfrage hingezogen hatte, konnte er in einjähriger Bauzeit rechtzeitig fertiggestellt werden. Das Turmbauwerk war das erste mit einem drehbaren Restaurant in Nordamerika. In den folgenden Jahrzehnten diente es zahlreichen Fernseh- und Aussichtstürmen weltweit als Vorbild.

Das achthöchste Bauwerk der Stadt prägt deren Skyline und wurde damit zum Wahrzeichen von Seattle. Zum Zeitpunkt der Fertigstellung des Baues war die Space Needle nach den Pylonen der Golden Gate Bridge das zweithöchste Bauwerk der Vereinigten Staaten westlich des Mississippi. Der futuristische Stil der Space Needle wird der Architektur- und Designform Googie zugerechnet und ist dem Ausstellungsmotto „Das Leben des Menschen im Weltraumzeitalter“ angepasst. Am 19. April 1999 wurde die Space Needle von der Stadt offiziell zur historischen Landmarke erklärt. Sie wird als touristisches Ziel im Jahr von über einer Million Menschen besucht.

Der Vorsitzende der Weltausstellungskommission von 1962, Edward E. Carlson, hatte durch einen Besuch im Frühjahr 1959 auf dem Stuttgarter Fernsehturm die Idee, ein Turmrestaurant für die Veranstaltung zu errichten. Er informierte sich eingehend über den Turm und stellte auch fest, dass er wirtschaftlich ein großer Erfolg war. Bereits während seines Besuches in Stuttgart entstand die Idee unter dem Projektnamen Space Needle.[5] Gerade für das Ausstellungsmotto „Das Leben des Menschen im Weltraumzeitalter“, das im Zeichen des Wettlaufs ins All stand, schien die Idee eines „Restaurants im Himmel“ für Carlson besonders geeignet zu sein, eine beeindruckende Architektur für die Messe, aber auch ein Wahrzeichen für die Stadt zu schaffen.

Der Architekt John Graham erhielt den Auftrag, entsprechende Pläne zu erstellen. Graham hatte zuvor für das Einkaufszentrum Ala Moana Center in Honolulu ein Drehrestaurant entworfen und schlug dies – da er das Patent darauf innehatte – auch für den Turm in Seattle vor. Die ersten Entwürfe im Sommer 1959 sahen einen schlanken, stelzenartigen Fuß mit einem Turmkorb vor. Der Designer Art Edwards schlug einen ellipsoiden Turmkorb vor, der einem Ballon glich. Da Edwards in seinem Vorentwurf keinen Platz für Fahrstühle vorsah, überarbeitete er seine Arbeit dergestalt, dass er die Aufzüge entlang einem spiralförmigen Fuß integrierte. Für zusätzlichen Halt sollten Kabel zwischen dem Erdboden und dem Turmkorb sorgen. In seinem eingereichten Vorschlag war eine Kombination des Restaurants mit einem Planetarium an der Turmspitze vorgesehen. Diese und andere Ausarbeitungen muteten recht abenteuerlich an; ihre statische Machbarkeit musste zunächst überprüft werden.

Unterdessen wurde die Frage der Finanzierung erörtert. Erste Expertisen ergaben, dass das Projekt mehrere Millionen Dollar Kosten verursachen würde. Während einer Sitzung am 5. Dezember 1959 im Beisein des Gouverneurs des Bundesstaates Washington Albert Rosellini und Edward Carlson wurde unter anderem die Finanzierung besprochen. Dabei wurden auch die örtlichen Fernsehstationen mit dem Ziel eingeladen, sie an dem Projekt als Investoren zu beteiligen. Diese winkten jedoch ab und zeigten kein Interesse, auf der Space Needle Fernsehantennen zu errichten.

Mit den ersten ingenieurtechnischen Überarbeitungen, die den Turmschaft dick und massiv gestalteten, waren die Designer nicht zufrieden. Sie befanden, dass er damit seine Eleganz verlieren würde. Graham holte den Ingenieur Victor Steinbrueck ins Team, der die Entwürfe prüfen sollte. Steinbrueck präsentierte im Sommer 1960 einen baufähigen Entwurf, der bereits die geschwungenen Stelzen enthielt. Durch eine Taillierung im oberen Drittel wirkte er filigran und wenig behäbig. Der Turmkorb neigte sich in Fortsetzung zu den Stützpfeilern nach außen. Steinbruecks Entwurf wurde im Wesentlichen für die umgesetzte Fassung übernommen. Lediglich der Turmkorb wurde an die Idee angepasst und erhielt die Form einer umgedrehten Untertasse mit pagodenähnlichem Abschluss. Während die Architektur einer Formfindung näherkam, war im August 1960 die Finanzierung des Turms immer noch ungeklärt. Nachdem auch die Einbindung von drei Countys als Investoren scheiterte, wurde das Projekt aus rein privater Hand finanziert. Unter den Investoren waren der Architekt John Graham und Howard S. Wright, der Eigentümer des ausführenden Bauunternehmens, sowie die Geschäftsleute Bagley Wright, Ned Skinner und Norton Clapp.

Die Standortfrage blieb bis ins Jahr 1961 hinein ungeklärt. Neben vertraglichen Problemen musste auch sichergestellt werden, dass der Untergrund das tonnenschwere Fundament tragen konnte. Für 75.000 Dollar kaufte schließlich John Graham ein quadratisches Grundstück mit 36,5 Meter Seitenlänge. Da sich die Banken immer noch weigerten für das Vorhaben einen Kredit zu geben, wurde der Kauf über Grahams Unternehmen abgewickelt. Nachdem die fehlenden bautechnischen Expertisen beigebracht wurden und John Graham zuletzt auch vom ursprünglich geplanten Baustoff Beton auf Stahl umschwenkte, erklärte sich am 8. März 1961 ein Konsortium aus mehreren Banken bereit, die Finanzierung sicherzustellen. Für die rechtliche Abwicklung wurde die Gesellschaft Pentagram Corporation gegründet. Der Auftrag zur Bauausführung ging an das in Portland ansässige Unternehmen Howard S. Wright. Vor Baubeginn testete ein Team unter der Leitung des Ingenieurprofessors Alfred Lawrence Miller (1897–1965) am 24. März 1961 ein 1,82 Meter hohes Modell des Turms im Windkanal der University of Washington.

Die Bauarbeiten wurden am 17. April 1961 aufgenommen. Da sich die Arbeiten am Bauwerk aufgrund der lange ungeklärten Finanzierung und langwierigen Grundstücksfindung verzögerten, mussten die Bauarbeiten selbst mit ungewöhnlicher Schnelligkeit vollzogen werden, um die Space Needle noch rechtzeitig zur Weltausstellung fertigstellen zu können. Die lokale Presse begleitete die Arbeiten, wie auch die Vorbereitungen der gesamten Weltausstellung, mit entsprechender Skepsis, was die fristgerechte Fertigstellung betraf.[19]

Die Aushubarbeiten für das Fundament waren nach elf Tagen abgeschlossen. In dem 9,10 Meter tiefen Y-förmigen Aushub wurde eine insgesamt 250 Tonnen schwere Stahlkonstruktion montiert, die mit Beton umschlossen wurde. Das Betonieren, das um 5 Uhr morgens am 26. Mai 1961 begann, dauerte gerade mal zwölf Stunden. In dieser Zeit wurden ununterbrochen 467 Lastwagenladungen mit insgesamt 5600 Tonnen Beton in den Fundamentblock eingebaut. Die 27,4 Meter langen und gut 40 Tonnen schweren, geschwungenen Doppelstahlbeine entlang des Turmschafts wurden aus Chicago bis nach Seattle verschifft und anschließend per Tieflader an die Baustelle zur Montage geschafft. Der erste mit dem Fundament verbundene Stahlfuß ragte bereits im Juni 1961 in die Höhe. Um zu erreichen, dass das 113 Meter lange Mittelteil die Krümmung erhält, war es notwendig, die Einzelteile mit 89 Zentimeter langen und rund 150 Kilogramm schweren L-förmigen Balken miteinander zu verschweißen. Diese Präzisionsarbeiten wurden von Pacific Car and Foundry’s (heute: Paccar Inc.) vorgenommen. Für den Transport der Bauteile wurde ein Kletterkran an der Spitze des zentralen Schafts angebracht. Der von Pacific Car and Foundry’s konstruierte Kran konnte bis zu 15 Meter lange und etwa 45 Tonnen schwere Teile heben. Die Krümmung der Balken wurde dadurch erreicht, dass man sie partiell erhitzte. Nachdem sie abgekühlt waren, dehnte sich der breite Teil durch das Erhitzen stärker aus als der engere, was die gewünschte Form hervorbrachte. Während der gesamten Bauarbeiten kam es zu keinem tödlichen Unfall. Am 1. September 1961 erreichte das Bauwerk eine Höhe von 61 Metern.

Je mehr das Turmbauwerk Gestalt annahm und seine Fertigstellung näher rückte, desto mehr wurde es zum Publikumsmagneten. Entsprechend stieg der Vorverkauf von Eintrittskarten für die Weltausstellung an.

Die Bauarbeiten am Turmkorb wurden im November beendet, der Innenausbau und die Malerarbeiten sowie alle baulichen Maßnahmen waren nach acht Monaten komplett abgeschlossen. Die ursprüngliche Farbe des Turmkorbs war ein kräftiges Orange, Galaxy Gold genannt. Der Kern wurde in „Orbital Oliv“ gestrichen und die Stelzenkonstruktion in einem „Astronautenweiß“. Der gesamte Anstrich benötigte rund 6090 Liter Farbe. Bereits im Dezember 1961 wurden die letzten Bauteile vernietet und damit die Bauarbeiten abgeschlossen. Die Fahrstühle wurden allerdings erst am 20. April 1962 – einen Tag vor Eröffnung der Weltausstellung – in Betrieb genommen. Damit dauerte es vom Entwurfsbeschluss am 8. März 1961 bis zur Fertigstellung 407 Tage.

Mit Vollendung des Turms wurde er zum höchsten Bauwerk der Stadt und löste den 147,5 Meter hohen neoklassizistischen Wolkenkratzer Smith Tower ab. Das Drehrestaurant war nach dem im Einkaufszentrum Ala Moana Center in Honolulu das zweite des Architekten Graham.

Die Bedeutung der Space Needle für die Stadt fasste die Denkmalbehörde 1999 in ihrer Begründung, das Bauwerk zur historischen Landmarke zu erklären, wie folgt zusammen:

“The Space Needle marks a point in history of the City of Seattle and represents American aspirations towards technological prowess. [It] embodies in its form and construction the era’s belief in commerce, technology and progress.”

„Die Space Needle stellt einen historischen Meilenstein in der Geschichte der Stadt Seattle dar und repräsentiert die amerikanischen Bestrebungen um technologische Fähigkeiten. Der Turm verkörpert durch seine Form und Konstruktion ein Zeitalter des Glaubens an den kommerziellen und technologischen Fortschritt.“

Neben dem 324 Meter hohen Pariser Eiffelturm und dem 228 Meter hohen Tower of the Americas in San Antonio gehört die Space Needle zu den höchsten Türmen, die speziell für eine Weltausstellung permanent errichtet wurden. Nach dem Eiffelturm gehört die Space Needle zu den bekanntesten dieser Bauwerke. Gerade die Verwendung von Stahl, im Gegensatz zu den Mitte der 1950er Jahre aufkommenden Stahlbetontürmen, lässt ihn wie eine moderne Antwort und Weiterentwicklung auf Gustave Eiffels Meisterwerk erscheinen. Die Architektur des Turms war so ausgerichtet, dass sie eine Vision der auf das Weltraumzeitalter bezogenen Zukunft aufzeigen und reflektieren sollte. Der Lamellenring an der Aussichtsplattform lässt den Turmkorb nicht nur gestalterisch flacher und wie eine Fliegende Untertasse wirken, sondern erinnert gleichzeitig an die Saturnringe. Das Drehrestaurant der Space Needle gehört zu den ersten weltweit und gilt als wegweisend für die Errichtung ähnlicher Restaurants in den 1960er und 1970er Jahren. Eine formtechnische Anlehnung der drei aufstrebenden, aerodynamisch gestalteten Pfeiler findet sich erst in teilweise Jahrzehnte später gebauten Türmen wieder wie dem CN Tower in Toronto (1976), dem Stratosphere Tower in Las Vegas (1996), dem Menara Alor Setar (1998) oder im Macau Tower (2001).

Der Pressesprecher der Weltausstellung, Jay Rockey, schaffte es, dass die Weltausstellung 1962 gleich zwei Mal Titelthema des Life-Magazin wurde. In der Februar-Ausgabe war der Turmkorb der Space Needle auf dem Titelbild zu sehen und wuchs schnell zu einem Symbol heran, das sinnbildlich nicht nur für die Ausstellung und die Stadt stand, sondern dem vergleichsweise kleinen Seattle zu einem Ruf verhalf, der die Stadt in die Nähe der großen Metropolen der Welt rückte.

Die US-amerikanische Post gab zur Weltausstellung 1962 am 25. April eine Sondermarke mit einer Darstellung der Space Needle und der Einschienenbahn heraus. Die Marke mit einer Frankatur von 4 Cent hatte eine Auflage von 147.310.000 (Scott-Katalog #1196).

Die 1997 gegründete Fußballmannschaft Seattle Sounders trägt die Space Needle in ihrem Teamlogo. Auch in der Frauenbasketballmannschaft Seattle Storm bildet der Turm seit 2000 einen Teil des Teamlogos. In Gatlinburg am Rande des Great-Smoky-Mountains-Nationalparks im Bundesstaat Tennessee trägt ein 124 Meter hoher Aussichtsturm aus dem Jahr 1970 ebenfalls den Namen Space Needle.

Der Spielzeughersteller Lego brachte im Rahmen seiner „Architecture“-Serie von architektonisch bedeutsamen Bauwerken einen 57-teiligen Bausatz der Space Needle heraus.

Aufgrund seiner Symbolkraft für Seattle und den gesamten Nordwesten der Vereinigten Staaten war die Space Needle in zahlreichen Filmen Handlungsort oder wurde dementsprechend als bedeutende Landmarke mit Wiedererkennungscharakter gezeigt.

Bereits 1963 wurde der Turm in dem Musicalfilm mit Elvis Presley It Happened at the World’s Fair als Handlungsort verwendet. Im Film Zeuge einer Verschwörung von 1974 wird der Aussichtsturm als zentraler Handlungsort eines politischen Attentats genutzt. Es kommt zu einer kurzen Verfolgungsjagd auf dem Dach des Bauwerks. In der Agentenkomödie Austin Powers – Spion in geheimer Missionarsstellung wurde im Turm eine futuristische Starbucks-Filiale eingerichtet. Die in Seattle spielende Krankenhausserie Grey’s Anatomy hat ihren Haupthandlungsort am fiktiven Krankenhaus Seattle Grace Hospital, dessen Drehort sich in der Nähe zur Space Needle befindet. Die ebenfalls in Seattle spielende Sitcom Frasier zeigt wiederkehrend den Aussichtsturm und hat sein Konterfei in seinem Serienlogo als Skyline der Stadt eingebunden.

In der Folge „Bart verkauft seine Seele“ der siebten Staffel von Die Simpsons spielt die Space Needle bei Itchy & Scratchy in „Skinless in Seattle“ eine wichtige Rolle.

Selbst in düsteren Science-Fiction-Formaten wie der Serie Dark Angel wird das Wahrzeichen immer wieder thematisiert und als Handlungsort eingebunden. In der Dokuserie Zukunft ohne Menschen stürzt die Space Needle in sich zusammen, ebenso in den Katastrophenfilmen 10.5 – Die Erde bebt und Der Supersturm – Die Wetter-Apokalypse (Seattle Superstorm). In beiden Filmen stürzt der Turm zu Boden. Das Echtzeitstrategiespiel World in Conflict spielt in einem Kalter-Krieg-Szenario, das in einem zerstörten Seattle stattfindet, in dem der Turm unversehrt geblieben ist. Dieser kann im Gefechtskampf jedoch zerstört werden.

In dem Action-Adventure „inFAMOUS: Second Son“ gilt es in einer Mission die Space Needle zu erklimmen und auf dem Dach einen Kampf auszuführen. Die virtuelle Kopie ist dort sehr genau dem Bauwerk nachempfunden.

(Wikipedia)

St James Trust Building - Sydney by Peter Miller

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The Trust Building is of State significance as one of the major buildings erected in Sydney in the pre-World War I period. It is an unsurpassed example of architecture in the Interwar Commercial Palazzo style. The exterior of the building is the leading example of the first generation skyscrapers in Sydney. It is also a rare commercial purpose built building surviving in Sydney from the Edwardian Period.

The Trust Building is the site of the former Daily Telegraph offices, the highest circulating daily newspaper of the time. This building is one of four surviving newspaper offices built between 1900 and 1930.

Source: NSW Govt website

Karaoke World

Fully air-conditioned, stylish private rooms, brand new surround sound system with over 120,000+ songs to choose from and many more!

At Karaoke World we pride ourselves on having the most up-to-date and popular songs. With over 120,000+ songs in our computerized Karaoke System, we have songs in English, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian and Korean.

Source: Karaoke World website

Lockheed Martin F-35B "Lightning II" by Robert Sullivan

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