'2001' MOONBUS FLIGHT CREW IN POSITION

Here's a bigger picture of the Moonbus, to show the crew seated in the flight deck, which you couldn't see before. It looks like a spacious place to be.

As an aside, what a shame it is that the combined vision that 2001 Director Stanley Kubrick and author Arthur C. Clarke had of the future development of spaceflight has never come to pass.

If the US had just kept turning out those Saturn 5 rockets, then there would surely be a permanent Moonbase by now, and the Moon itself might even be the 51st state.

As it is, Chinese or Indians are odds-on to be the next humans on the Moon - and good luck to them, if their governments have the cojones and vision to get on with it.

Revell Apollo model rockets

If a Steve Eves giant rocket is not quite your thing, then Revell has a tasty range of Apollo-era plastic kits to tempt you. Three of them are shown here. You can find them at Revell’s site under the 'Buzz Aldrin Rocket Hero' banner.

Countdown to launch the world’s biggest model rocket

If all goes well, this coming Saturday 25 April will mark the launch of the world’s biggest model rocket, in Maryland, USA, where rocketeer Steve Eves has built a huge 1:10 scale Apollo Saturn V. It stands some 11 m (36 ft) tall, and is powered by no less than nine motors, which should thrust the craft more than 1 km (3-4000 ft) into the air. Then the rocket will separate into various sections, which should float down safely under individual parachutes.

The giant model hasn't come cheap. Builder Steve has taken about 1500 hours on the rocket and spent some $25,000 USD (£17,000 GBP), though various sponsors have also chipped in with time, money, and talent. If the launch at Higgs Farm succeeds, Steve will have earned himself a place in the history books for flying the biggest model rocket ever made. Good luck from all of us at SMN, Steve!

You can find out more at Rocketry Planet.