Starliner Mission Update
NASA is considering using SpaceX’s crew capsule to return two of its astronauts from the International Space Station who arrived on Boeing’s Starliner.
Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams arrived at the station for an 8 day mission... That was 2 months ago. The duo have been supporting the current station crew with science experiments and maintenance while they wait to hear about a plan and a return date to Earth.
NASA and Boeing have been investigating Starliner to find out what went wrong with the flight. Starliner was found to have a number of issues with the vehicle including a helium leak and faulty thrusters, but the investigation continues.
The host of the podcast "Are We There Yet?", and the assistant news director of Central Florida Public Media Brendan Byrne has been covering the story for NPR news. He joins us now to talk about what’s next for Butch and Suni as well as what this all means for Boeing.
County vs. Cities Rural Boundary Debate
An amendment that would allow Orange County the authority to approve more urban development on the rural boundary or remove property will be on the November ballot. The amendment was unanimously approved last week at an Orange County Commissioner Board meeting.
The proposed county charter amendment came after the City of Orlando made a move earlier this year to annex a large part of the land in southeast Orange County. The land included the Stanton Energy Plant and a portion of Tavistock’s Sunbridge Development.
Last week’s meeting drew a large public comment section of residents in support of the rural boundary amendment.
Prior to that, city officials from surrounding municipalities wrote letter to Orange County expressing their concern that the rural boundary amendment would infringe on legal rights.
We reached out to the municipal mayors who signed the letter. Eatonville Mayor Angie Gardener was unable to meet our schedule. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer’s office referred back to the letter and said they had nothing new to add, but Apopka Mayor Bryan Nelson was eager to sit down with us on the subject.
On the other side of this issue, Orange County Commissioner Emily Bonilla oversees District 5 which much of the rural area or the unincorporated Orange County land concerns in this issue.
The commissioner, who was leading an effort to get the rural boundary amendment approved, sat down to speak with us.
Polaroid Portrait Pop-Up
The very first Polaroid camera hit the market in 1948 – the instant camera was an instant success. For the first time, anybody could take a picture and within two minutes, have a developed image in hand, without a costly and time consuming development process.
The camera had a ton of professional applications – and it became a vital piece of party equipment. It allowed friends and strangers to bond over photography and share lasting images. The white strip at the bottom of each picture served a dual role – it housed the developing chemicals and provided a space to record dates, phone numbers or bawdy messages. The Polaroid was more than a camera – it was a tool for facilitating social interaction.
Orlando-based photographer David Lawrence recognized this which is why, among his extensive collection of digital gear, he keeps an old-school Polaroid on hand to use at the portrait pop-ups he organizes. People are invited to attend at locations throughout Central Florida where he takes and shares Polaroids with attendees. One of these pop-ups will take place this Saturday at 11-AM at the Live-Trends Boutique in Winter Garden.
Lawrence joined Engage to talk about the instant camera resurgence.