Inspire Space Park - A Second Life classic

Fifty years ago today, United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act into existence. This landmark act led to the formation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, better known as NASA. Now France is urging the EU to expand its own space exploration program, with possible missions to the Moon and Mars.

While we can't compete with Wired's fascinating and/or hilarious compilation this week of science and NASA-related news items, or Popular Mechanics' look at the future of space, the occasion invites a celebration of our own... a tribute, if you will, to one of the best loved spots on the grid, and the most cosmic one I can think of, Inspire Space Park.



We've only mentioned it once before here, so caught up are we with new things. In fact, it was the third post ever on this blog, back when Not Possible IRL was nothing more than a repository for in-world notices.

That notice read, simply, "So there you are, on a date in-world with your hunny... you are sitting in a convertible muscle car on the beach, watching a dubbed Japanese sci-fi flick.... hmm, nothing too unreal here...



...but what's that up there in the sky? TP up for an out-of-world experience... not even the astronauts could lay claim to this sorta thing."


That's me as Marie Antoinette, in orbit

And yes, it is still possible to sit in a convertible Impala at Inspire Beach's drive-in, watching 1950s sci-fi movies where people are still polite with each other while the world is coming to an end.

Inspire Space Park - just 200 meters up - is a place many of us choose to teleport to when we need to relax. Their traffic yesterday was 35,490, and while it is still wildly popular with the newish "I'm a club VIP" types sporting the tags of their first in-world groups, it is a frequent stomping ground for oldbies dating back to 2004 and 2005, and that's saying a lot. Surprisingly, even when dozens of avatars are present, it doesn't feel crowded.

Inspire is so much more than just a cosmic space station where the creators have rezzed some vivid planets and meteors and brilliant asteroid belts, and tossed in a chill music stream.

Earth Primbee (rez: 6/20/2006) and his partners, Grafx Newbold (rez: 7/10/2006), and Raphael Cremorne (rez: 10/28/2006), have thoughtfully created spaces and rezzed items for people to share quiet IMed conversations, or interact with each other in a serene and peaceful way. Couples can even orbit together in a gentle embrace.


There are always several people practicing Tai Chi together

Or you can simply take in the view, quietly, along with several others.




Nearby, the newer Inspire Dance Planet hosts concerts with musicians such as Voicedude Renoir (see Earth Primbee's vid on Massively), Nuvolino Roffo, and someone I like especially, Cypress Rosewood, as seen in this Machinima by Earth Primbee.


Earth's Machinima have been featured on Wired online, NASA WATCH, and the International Spaceflight Museum blog, to mention a few websites, including this blog

Speaking for myself, a visit to Inspire Space Park always makes me think about space exploration and wonder what the future holds.




See also:
* Hamlet Au at New World Notes got super inspired and did a sweet feature story on Inspire Space Park, in which he reveals how the Inspire Parks came to be.
* Megaprims for Science


Inspire Beach (teleport directly from here)
Inspire Space Park (teleport directly from here)