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Round 4 - SPB Stays Aloft over Competition

Posted on Apr 01, 2009 12:17:53 AM | NASA EDGE | 20 Comments   

SPB, New Horizons, LRO and SOHO All Advance!

I'm speechless.  My bracket is trash, I am 0-4 when it comes to picking against SPB and no one at JPL will speak to me.  I guess I will leave the analysis up to those who have some credibility left.

The good news is that the final contests are fairly simple to size up.

SPB  vs  New Horizons
LRO  vs  SOHO

I would give my predictions, but I DO NOT want to take the blame for sending a mission packing.

The Co-Host


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20 comments so far ( Post your own )

20 On Oct 22, 2009 05:53:08 PM  orion53  wrote: 

Typing with one finger

19 On Apr 03, 2009 03:39:08 PM  guest  wrote: 

Apparently SPB is also responsible for "climate change", everything that was initially blamed on the Bush administration, bad hair days, teen acne, and the global financial crisis. You people are something else.

18 On Apr 03, 2009 01:13:47 PM  David Hartley UK  wrote: 

guest #17

I agree entirely. You're completely correct. None of the semifinalists were in my predictions. There's no doubt that, to the general public, the Apollos or Shuttle missions would be "the greatest" this competition stopped being a contest to find the greatest mission of all time when SPB fans began voting. Shame really.

But... I just can't stop playing. Not when SPB is 49% and New Horizons is 51%. I think some other missions may be involved, but I can't remember them now.

My wife's comment today: when does it finish? She's as excited as me really, she just doesn't show it!

17 On Apr 03, 2009 12:51:10 AM  guest  wrote: 

I've voted in each of the previous brackets (holding my nose more frequently as it went along), but I find I can't vote any more - I don't want to give credence to ANY of these missions as a "great mission". I think about a "great mission" as my kid saying, "Gee, Dad, do you remember when (X) flew?" And I maintain NOBODY (at least who didn't work on one of the final four" could possibly say truthfully that ANY of these measure up to that criteria. I WAS there when Apollo 11 lifted off, and I refuse to give credence to any assertion that unflown missions or missions years short of encounter or big silver balloons or even a science mission with lots of data return are a "greater" mission than the first time a human set foot on another celestial body.

/rant off

16 On Apr 02, 2009 05:28:26 PM  David Hartley UK  wrote: 

Oh why didn't someone tell me? I am SO SLOW! It's SPB vs New Horizons and LRO vs SOHO!

Oh stupid

15 On Apr 02, 2009 03:48:46 PM  Amanda  wrote: 

Colbert encouraged this flash mob deal, didn't he? Didn't he?! Fess up! I call shenanigans!

I'm really beginning to wonder about the fact that SPB has made it this far. I think the first round was a legitimate upset, possibly even the second round, but after that, how many people are now voting for it just to be cheeky and rile up the Great Pumpkin's critics? Or because it's the underdog and we all love a good rags-to-riches story?

In which case, I would just offer this bit of advice: root for the underdog in your heart, but vote with your head! Libert�, �galit�, fraternit�! Storm the Bastille! VIVE LE SOHO!

14 On Apr 01, 2009 10:41:03 PM  guest  wrote: 

Soldiers of SPB! Rise up once again and vanquish the enemy! ARRRGGGGGHHHHHH!

13 On Apr 01, 2009 07:22:12 PM  KaiYves  wrote: 

I promised on the SpaceVidCast site I'd take a bite out of a Post-It note if Orion lost, and I am a woman of my honor, so I'll do it tomorrow.

Wood pulp will be easier to swallow than these results.

Go New Horizons!

12 On Apr 01, 2009 06:21:47 PM  sam mundell  wrote: 

............I have a very big pin..........!!!!!!

11 On Apr 01, 2009 04:26:09 PM  Cranston Snord  wrote: 

A suggestion on the bracket layout:
When we set up computers at the old folks home and taught them to vote for SPB it was difficult for them to click on the tiny arrow. Putting SPB in Bold (or all programs if you must) with a bigger arrow.. or a one click to advance would be great. We could only get about 50 votes per person per hour with the current setup.

10 On Apr 01, 2009 05:32:25 PM  David Hartley UK  wrote: 

Ok, so I'm clutching at straws now. None of my predictions have made it to the semifinals. I do like New Horizons, we watched the launch live on NASA TV, and my kids are fascinated that it's going to take so long to get there. A fine educational tool on just how darn BIG space is! So I'm going for New Horizons, but SOHO has a large fan base and I can see why. It's pretty amazing what it's been doing.

The other contest is a no-brainer for me, it's LRO simply because I want to see the "Big Silver Pumpkin" deflated! (Without wanting to offend SPB supporters, some of whom can be very sensitive, I know!)

9 On Apr 01, 2009 09:14:34 AM  guest  wrote: 

Given past performance, the only reason you would pick against SPB would be if you knew the caching was disabled to slow voting down to give the larger groups an advantage. I realize NASA absolutely does not want SPB to win, but I would suggest being less obvious about it.

8 On Apr 01, 2009 08:03:41 AM  sam mundell  wrote: 

Maybe NASA and America shouldnt of worried about leading the space race and getting man into space and onto the moon. Looks like no one was bothered anyway!!!!

7 On Apr 01, 2009 10:00:44 AM  guest  wrote: 

So NASA's 'greatest' comes down to four missions...
LRO: Sounds great, hasn't launched.
New Horizons: Great idea, launched successfully, but years from reaching Pluto.
SPB: Cool mission, looks really promising, but not quite yet operational.
SOHO: An overwhelming success with over 13yrs of ongoing revolutionary science, fundamentally changing our understanding of the Sun.

I admit to a little bias, and mean no offense to the other missions, but SOHO is the only one of the final four that can legitimately be considered one of NASA's greatest ever missions. Not to say the others won't be one day -- but they're not even close yet. But of course this is about popularity, not success...

6 On Apr 01, 2009 06:47:31 AM  Drizzle Wilgus  wrote: 

The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

5 On Apr 01, 2009 03:28:04 AM  stratocat  wrote: 

Hey !! we are at semifinals ... good for you SPB!!

StratoCat - Proud member of the SPB's Zombie Army

4 On Apr 01, 2009 03:26:03 AM  guest  wrote: 

Is it just me, or does SOHO have more votes than the Vikes?

3 On Apr 01, 2009 12:43:46 AM  Balloonie Tunes  wrote: 

Hmmm...ORION's votes in the previous rounds were (1) 1924, (2) 3593, (3) 4751, and (4) 36,887. Gee, looks like multiple voting suddenly became popular.

SPB and their supporters RULE!

2 On Apr 01, 2009 12:41:45 AM  guest  wrote: 

Host,
I'm seeing SOHO over Viking, and I've refreshed a bunch of times. Are you sure its Viking?

1 On Apr 01, 2009 06:02:37 AM  guest  wrote: 

Here's what I'm thinking. I think supporters of ORION and SPB are voting more than once. Has anyone else noticed this?

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