LO
ng LY ur ni Yo Win EK d- W E ar Aw AL
THE ALPINE
C
BRIGHT - POREPUNKAH - MT BEAUTY - TAWONGA - TAWONGA SOUTH Wednesday, April 9, 2025
edit.timesobserver@nemedia.com.au
$2.00 inc GST
myrtlefordtimes.com.au
WANDI NUT FESTIVAL ALPINE ALIVE
AUTUMN ART EXHIBITION BRIGHT Autumn Art Show has been drawing plenty of interest since its official opening last week. Now in its 57th year, this year’s show at the Bright Art Gallery has more than 650 paintings and drawings on exhibit. The show is open daily from 10am to 4pm until 11 May, with entry $5.
BRIGHT THUMPS THE LIONS SPORT
PHOTO: Jean-Pierre Ronco
Eric’s space adventure Tawonga South polar explorer splashes back to Earth after spending four days in space
By JEFF ZEUSCHNER TAWONGA South resident Eric Philips OAM is back on Earth after last week becoming the first Australian in space under our nation’s flag. The polar explorer and adventure guide safely splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California early Saturday morning, aboard a SpaceX capsule. The capsule had launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida last Tuesday afternoon as part of the private Fram2 mission, funded
by cryptocurrency billionaire Chun Wang who was the mission commander, accompanied by fellow crew members Norwegian film director Jannicke Mikkelsen (vehicle commander) and German robotics researcher Rabea Rogge (pilot). The spaceflight rookies spent more four days orbiting the Earth’s poles - the first time humans had flown such a mission over the north and south pole - passing the poles every 46 minutes. Mr Philips, who was the medical officer and mission specialist, told the Alpine Observer
prior to the flight, that becoming the fourth Australian to go into space was something he thought would never happen. “I’ve been a polar explorer for 35 years and have always dreamed of being an astronaut but this certainly wasn’t something that has been in the works in terms of my life trajectory,” he said. “I saw the first moon landing live on television and come from that era of being super inspired by early space travel but I never had the concept it would happen for me. “I felt the need to explore and
adventure as a kid and have since led, guided and pioneered many expeditions through the Arctic Circle, Greenland, Antarctica and Patagonia. “When this invitation came up (from Chun) to join a space mission, I jumped at it.” Crew members carried out more than 20 experiments during the mission, including the first attempt to grow mushrooms in space, capturing the first on-orbit X-rays of the human body, and investigating the effects of microgravity on the human musculoskeletal system
during spaceflight. Back on Earth, Mr Philips told the Sunday Project that floating in the no gravity environment was amazing, but he felt like he weighed 1000 pounds when he landed back on Earth and walked from the capsule. He said the experiments had looked at space travel’s effects on the human body and that the nutrition experiment indicated mushrooms will grow in space. Fram2 was SpaceX’s 17th human spaceflight overall, and the sixth launched for SPACE ADVENTURER: Eric private customers. Philips back on Earth.
EMBRACE THE WINTER CHILL Ignite your Winter with our Firewood Warmth in ever piece. Phone for an appointment, call in to our Myrtleford office or visit our website for information on pre-planning your funeral arrangements and funeral bonds. 166 Myrtle Street, Myrtleford
03 5752 2995
www.conwayfuneralhome.com.au
Jayson Hall
Explore our Range
6 McGeehan Cres, Myrtleford • OPEN Mon-Fri 8am-5pm & Sat 8am-1pm