Mirror, Mirror

Camaraderie, Creativity and Cosplay

Photos by Jennifer Allen

Mirror, Mirror by Jennifer Allen

With the world gradually returning to some sense of “normalcy” as the months continue on, one of many fun activities I’m most looking forward to enjoying a few funfilled days at one of many annual pop culture conventions. While some conventions have chosen to go virtual again this year just in case, some others have taken a leap of faith to run as they usually would in various locations around the world. Regardless, there will be plenty of chances this year to celebrate whichever branch of pop culture you prefer. But I’m getting a bit ahead of myself. While some of you may understand what the concept of a ‘convention’ is, it’s another thing to understand how many of them work when it comes to pop culture. We should start with the clear definition of what pop culture is, I think. A term defined initially in the mid-19th century, popular culture (or “pop culture”) refers in general to a material culture of a particular society. In modern terms, pop culture refers to cultural mediums such as music, art, literature, fashion, dance, film, cyber culture, television, and radio that have mass accessibility and appeal. A pop culture convention is then an event where fans for specific mediums congregate and appreciate that fandom in the company of like-minded individuals. Often also these gatherings include opportunities to meet people who have worked on these pop culture projects such as actors, writers, producers, designers, performers and the like who are generally designated as “Guests”. At many of these conventions you’ll be exposed to a wide variety of activities such as workshops, Guest speaker panels, premiere film or TV presentations, gaming sessions and demonstrations, and so much more. On top of that there’s also opportunities to visit a designated area with various retail and guest booths where you can buy anything from memorabilia to books to clothing. Speaking of clothing, you will no doubt also be exposed to various fans (and sometimes Guests, too) dressed up in various types of Cosplay. Some are as simple as wearing a special top or mask to celebrate their favorite genre while others go so far as to pull off elaborate costumes that had to have taken many months or even years to create. Often the best sign that you’ve found a great Cosplayer is if a ton of other fans ask to take his or her picture. It’s even more gratifying if the other fans are wanting to take pictures of your own Cosplay. As I’ve previously mentioned in another article, I’ve only personally ventured into the realm of Cosplay for a few years now, with my outfits gradually growing more detailed as time has gone by. It can be extremely fun, but also equally as exhausting to walk around in a multilayered outfit all day. If considering trying out Cosplay for an event, you’re always welcome to ask others for advice on how to manage such a hobby.

NASA Mega Moon Rocket Passes Key Test Readies for Launch

The core stage for the first flight of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket is seen in the B-2 Test Stand during a second hot fire test, Thursday, March 18, 2021, at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. The four RS-25 engines fired for the full-duration of 8 minutes during the test and generated 1.6 million pounds of thrust. The hot fire test is the final stage of the Green Run test series, a comprehensive assessment of the Space Launch System’s core stage prior to launching the Artemis I mission to the Moon. Credits: NASA/Robert Markowitz The largest rocket element NASA has ever built, the core stage of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, fired its four RS-25 engines for 8 minutes and 19 seconds on March 18, 2021 at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. The successful test, known as a hot fire, is a critical milestone ahead of the agency’s Artemis I mission, which will send an uncrewed Orion spacecraft on a test flight around the Moon and back to Earth, paving the way for future Artemis missions with astronauts. Engineers designed the eight-part Green Run test campaign to gradually bring the SLS core stage to life for the first time, culminating with the hot fire. The team will use data from the tests to validate the core stage design for flight. “The SLS is the most powerful rocket NASA has ever built, and during today’s test the core stage of the rocket generated more than 1.6 million pounds of thrust within seven seconds. The SLS is an incredible feat of engineering and the only rocket capable of powering America’s nextgeneration missions that will place the first woman and the next man on the Moon,” said acting NASA Administrator Steve Jurczyk. “Today’s successful hot fire test of the core stage for the SLS is an important milestone in NASA’s goal to return humans to the lunar surface – and beyond.” NASA previously conducted a hot fire test of the SLS core stage Jan. 16. The four RS-25 engines fired together for the first time for about one minute before the test ended earlier than planned. Following data analysis, NASA determined a second, longer hot fire test would provide valuable data to help verify the core stage design for flight, while posing minimal risk to the Artemis I core stage. During the second hot fire test, the stage fired the engines for a little more than eight minutes, just like it will during every Artemis launch to the Moon. The longer duration hot fire tested a variety of operational conditions, including moving the four engines in specific patterns to direct thrust and powering the engines up to 109% power, throttling down and back up, as they will during flight. “This longer hot fire test provided the wealth of data we needed to ensure the SLS core stage can power every SLS rocket successfully,” said John Honeycutt, manager for the SLS Program at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “During this test, the team conducted new operations with the core stage for the first time, repeated some critical operations, and recorded test data that will help us verify the core stage is ready for the first and future SLS flights for NASA’s Artemis program.” The two propellant tanks in the SLS core stage collectively hold more than 733,000 gallons of supercold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to help fuel the RS-25 engines at the bottom of the stage. The core stage has a complex network of flight software and avionics systems designed to help fly, track, and steer the rocket during launch and flight. Prior tests in the Green Run test series evaluated the

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