No Planet of Alpha Centauri B?
(Source: Sky & Telescope)
Last October astronomers announced big news: the discovery of a rocky,
scorching hot, Earth-sized planet circling our closest stellar
neighbor, the orange dwarf star Alpha Centauri B just 4.3 light-years
away. Exoplanet astronomer Debra Fischer told the New York Times that
the planet next door was the “story of the decade.” Almost lost in the
excitement was the caveat that the planet’s detection was still iffy
and required heroic efforts to extract any sign of it from the
background noise of the star’s radial-velocity measurements.
Now the plot has become more muddled. A new analysis of the data by an
independent researcher has failed to confirm the planet’s existence.
The new study, by Artie Hatzes,
is not a death sentence for Alpha Cen Bb, as it’s named. But both sides
say it illustrates the need for more data collection and confirmation
before it is accorded full planethood — or, Hatzes adds, feted by the
media. “Although big discoveries are exciting, they should be treated
with caution,” he says. (5/28)
The Private Road to Mars
(Source: Space Review)
Sending humans to Mars is widely considered to be such a difficult
project that only government agencies can achieve it, and even only
then as a long-term goal. Jeff Foust reports on the progress made by
private efforts who believe they can get humans to Mars, perhaps
permanently, more quickly and less expensively than traditional
government programs. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2303/1
to view the article (5/28)
Launch Failures: Information Flow
(Source: Space Review)
Determining the cause of a launch failure can be difficult enough, but
disseminating that information to companies and organizations can be
even more challenging. Wayne Eleazer reviews some past problems with
sharing launch failure information and discusses whether the situation
is better today. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2302/1
to view the article (5/28)
Effective Mechanisms for Space Security
(Source: Space Review)
International discussions about codes of conduct and other measures to
promote space security continue this year at the UN and elsewhere. Ajey
Lele examines what is required for such measures to truly enhance space
security. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2301/1
to view the article (5/28)
Consider Mars (Source: Space
Review)
Spending money on space exploration is often pitted against terrestrial
programs to raise the standard of living of people around the world.
Frank Stratford argues that space programs can explore the solar system
and serve humanitarian missions simultaneously. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2300/1
to view the article (5/28)
Space Mom's Balance of Career, Life
Draws Attention (Source: Florida Today)
Dandelions in a makeshift vase with the remark: “Picked fresh for me
today! Some of the most special ‘flowers’ I’ve ever received.” A little
boy in Thomas the Tank Engine boots splashing in a rain puddle.
Snuggling with her 10-year-old dog, Charlie.
There’s a common thread to most of Karen Nyberg’s social media photos
and posts, many using the #simplejoysonearth hashtag: They are personal
and simple, with her 3-year-old son, Jack, often the star. They are a
catalog of the small moments that many moms record and share.
Then comes a tweet such as “Measuring center of mass for launch vehicle
calcs during final fit check of Sokul suit today. Suit’s ready to go!”
And with that, a reminder of Nyberg’s other job: astronaut. The
43-year-old Minnesota native, who became the 50th woman in space when
she flew to the Space Station in 2008, is now only only the ninth woman
in the world to make a long-duration flight to the International Space
Station. (5/28)
ULA Returns Delta IV to Service
(Source: America Space)
Providing a strong showing for itself, United Launch Alliance’s Delta
IV medium rocket thundered off of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s
Space Launch Complex 37 (SLC-37) at the opening of its launch window at
8:27 p.m. EDT Friday, May 24. In so doing, it returned the launch
vehicle to service after an issue cropped up during the Delta IV’s
previous launch. Unique angles, incredible imagery, and an epic return
to flight were all part of a day’s work.
The normal viewing locations the media are normally taken to for launch
viewing were unavailable. As such, they were taken to the camera mound
near the iconic Astronaut Beach House at Cape Canaveral. Coupled with
still and video imagery from SLC-37, we think you’ll agree this launch
stands out. Click here.
(5/26)
Student-Built Robots to Race in Mock
Mars Rover Challenge (Source: Space.com)
What does it take to build and command a vehicle capable of exploring
Mars? Ninety students from around the world are about to find out. Next
week, in a remote desert in southern Utah, 10 teams from the United
States, Canada, India and Poland will compete in the annual University
Rover Challenge (URC). The competition is hosted by the Mars Society, a
non-profit research organization dedicated to promoting the exploration
and eventual settlement of Mars.
The competition site is located at the society's Mars Desert Research
Station (MDRS), a rocky barren landscape that's about as close to
Martian terrain as you can get on Earth. Each team was allowed to spend
up to $15,000 on their rovers, which can weigh no more than 50
kilograms — about 110 lbs. The competition will begin early Thursday
morning as teams leave their lodgings in Hanksville, Utah (Pop. 215),
and travel about seven miles along a road that dwindles to a dirt
track. Over three days, teams will use their vehicles to compete in
four challenges, designed to replicate the activities of NASA's rovers
on Mars. (5/25)
What We'll eat, Wear and Play With to
Ease Boredom in Space (Source: NBC)
One month into a simulated space mission, a team of "gastronauts" in
Hawaii is already figuring out what to have for dinner on Mars. It's
thumbs up for wraps and vegetables, even when the vegetables are
dehydrated or freeze-dried. It's thumbs down for pre-prepared meat
dishes and most sugary drinks. But Tang is a hit, just as it was for
astronauts 50 years ago.
That's the early word from the Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and
Simulation, or HI-SEAS, a NASA-funded experiment that is forcing six
non-astronauts to live on a Mars-style diet for four months. The
findings could help the space agency determine what real astronauts eat
and drink when they're sent to Mars in the 2030s or later. Click here.
(5/24)
Alien Debris Found in Lunar Craters
(Source: Discovery)
Strange minerals detected at the centers of impact craters on the moon
may be the shattered remains of the space rocks that made the craters
and not exhumed bits of the moon's interior, as had been previously
thought. The foreign matter in the craters is probably asteroid debris
and some could even be from Earth, which has thrown off its share of
material as it's been battered by asteroids and comets over the eons.
The discovery comes not from finding anything new in the craters
themselves, but by planetary scientists who were looking at models of
how meteorite impacts affect the moon. Specifically, the researchers
simulated some high-angle, exceptionally slow impacts -- at least slow
compared to possible impact speeds -- and they were surprised at what
they found. (5/26)
Space Act Deals Draw Lawmaker Scrutiny
(Source: Florida Today)
NASA's increasing use of unconventional contracts to carry out some of
its most important work is drawing heavy scrutiny on Capitol Hill.
Several key Republicans are questioning whether the contracts, known as
Space Act agreements, are compromising safety and security, or
squandering tax dollars in order to speed development of missions or
foster international partnerships.
NASA Inspector General Paul Martin also has begun an audit of how well
the agency manages its more than 1,500 agreements with domestic and
international partners. His findings are not expected until early next
year. The contracts allow NASA to reach a "legally binding commitment"
with an outside entity for a specific service, such as education
outreach, experiments on the International Space Station, or the
leasing of NASA facilities — without having to competitively bid for
it.
Lately, they've been used to accelerate development of NASA's ambitious
Commercial Crew and Commercial Cargo programs that work with private
companies to replace the mothballed space shuttles with space taxis
that will ferry astronauts and supplies to the International Space
Station. Under the agreements, the Obama administration has allocated
$1.5 billion to three firms. (5/26)
3D Printing Could Aid Deep-Space
Exploration, NASA Chief Says (Source: Space.com)
Technological advances are bringing down the cost of space research and
exploration, with 3D printing poised to provide a transformative leap,
NASA chief Charles Bolden says. During a tour of the space agency's
Ames Research Center here Friday (May 24), Bolden lauded the scientific
potential of PhoneSats, tiny and inexpensive spacecraft based on
off-the-shelf smartphones. And he singled out 3D printing as a
promising key enabler of humanity's push out into the solar system.
(5/27)
NASA Telescope May Hunt for Rocky
Mars-Size Planets Around 'Failed Stars' (Source: Space.com)
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope could be used to find Mars-size alien
planets orbiting strange "failed stars" known as brown dwarfs,
according to a new proposal by a multinational astronomy team. The
group, led by a postdoctoral researcher at MIT, proposes to use the
venerable observatory to find small, rocky exoplanets around brown
dwarfs, which are larger than planets but too small to ignite the
nuclear fusion reactions that power stars. (5/27)
Military's Secretive Space Plane
Mission Passes 5-Month Mark (Source: Space.com)
The U.S. Air Force's robotic X-37B space plane has quietly passed the
five-month mark on its latest secret mission in Earth orbit. The
unmanned X-37B spacecraft launched into space atop an Atlas 5 rocket
from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Dec. 11, 2012,
kicking off a mission whose objectives and payloads are classified.
(5/28)
French Government Posts Space
Counsellor in Bangalore (Source: Indian Express)
The French government posted Mat Weiss as its space counseller with
diplomatic rank in Bangalore to strengthen and expand relations between
its space agency and the Indian space agency. "Weiss will liaison with
the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on regular basis as we
implement the agreement signed by the two governments during the visit
of President Francois Hollande to India in February," French space
agency CNES president Jean-Yves Le Gall said. (5/27)
What Is It About Sending People Into
Space? (Source: The Independent)
To boldly go where no man has gone before. It is the most famously
sexist split infinitive in the English language and yet it sums up
neatly why we still need to have a human program of space exploration.
Of course, the only “manned” space missions we currently have are
focussed on sending astronauts to and from the International Space
Station, a floating palace of technological wizardry weighing 3,600
tons and whizzing 28,000km an hour around the Earth at an altitude of
more than 400km.
Any astronaut staying up there will see approximately 16 sunsets and
sunrises in every 24-hour period. Whatever can be said about this kind
of orbital space flight, it is not about boldly going where no-one had
gone before – unless you include records for making circular journeys
around Earth. So what is it about sending men and women into space? Why
do we need to do it? As Jeremy Paxman so succinctly put it when
interviewing Major Tim Peake last week; what’s the point?
Lord Martin Rees has explained his own schizophrenic attitude to human
space exploration. As a scientist and practical man he is against on
the grounds that it is a waste of money – you can get more bang for
your bucks by sending probes and intelligent robots into space. But as
a human being, he is in favour. By sending living, breathing sentient
beings like ourselves into space we can come closer to the shear thrill
and danger of travelling to a far-away place we can only imagine. (5/27)
Curiosity Tasked With Hunting for
Elusive Martian Organics (Source: SpaceflightNow.com)
Back in action after a month out of contact with Earth, NASA's
Curiosity rover is renewing its quest to excavate a definitive signal
of organic molecules - the building blocks of life - from the red
planet's regolith and bedrock after a first taste of Martian soil
turned up inconclusive results. Scientists say there should be plenty
of organic molecules on Mars. The red planet has been pummeled by
asteroids and comets since it formed, delivering organics to the
surface over billions of years. (5/27)
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