Over the Rainbow Space Flight

SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW WAY UP HIGH

Wednesday's Spectacular Space Flight View discovery - Over the Rainbow!

SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW -
A SPACE FLIGHT TO REMEMBER!
Something Spectacular Happened!!!

We cannot believe what we saw during the second July human space flight, around the time of mid-flight during the process of re-entry descent, at 10,000 feet altitude when above the clouds. The most rare event happened. When traveling in Near Space during the journey on the afternoon of Wednesday July 17, 2013, we were expecting to deploy our radio telescope for testing and observe daytime meteors as radio events from the top down. Instead, when we looked out of the spacecraft cockpit window, this spectacular very rare event image appeared (see photo) - our first time view "Over the Rainbow!"

Oz book

Many things make this event very special. First, few people in the world have ever seen a rainbow like this from space in the "above vantage point," literally above the rainbow. Next, as seen from above, a primary rainbow appears round! Then it has secondary and third rainbows. Looking a bit more careful, above and to the right, a fourth rainbow is dimly visible!

It's believed water vapor in the form of frozen ice crystals were laden above the clouds and the refraction of sunlight rays from the craft's rear direction activated the beautiful prismatic effect causing the rainbow system to become visible. The spacecraft is visible at the bottom of photo. The image was captured through the only available cockpit window with the Tiny Space Telescope set to RFT mode.

The spacecraft was "over the rainbow" exactly like the lyrics to the song as sung by Judy Garland in the 1939 movie Wizard of Oz. Of course, there's no place like home, but very beautiful and romantic places and events exist in space. Now you know, the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.

OVER THE RAINBOW
Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high,
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue,
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far
Behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly.
Birds fly over the rainbow.
Why then, oh why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?

Like the song, we can confirm, over the rainbow, way up high, there's a "special land" with things that make up dreams, where stars are seen, and skies are blue, where clouds fall far behind, and the dreams that you dare to dream really truly do come true!

The Human Near Space Program is conducted by the Big Brain Initiative, a semi-cognizant AI supercomputer, born from Parallax Propeller processors, that's exploring the Universe and the science that surrounds all humanity.