India Launches First Space Observatory
(Source: Space Daily)
India successfully launched Monday its first high-tech telescopes into
space to study the stars, as New Delhi seeks to take another major step
in its ambitious and low-cost space program. A rocket carrying the
150-tonne mini space observatory called Astrosat, along with six
foreign satellites, blasted off on schedule from India's main southern
spaceport of Sriharikota. (9/28)
Audi Quattro Tech Shoots for the Moon
(Source: AutoBlog)
Most automakers seem satisfied building vehicles to drive on the
Earth's surface. But not Audi. The German automaker is quite literally
shooting for the moon. Called the Audi Lunar Quattro, it forms what
promises to be an integral part of one team's campaign for the Google
Lunar Xprize. That team calls itself Part-Time Scientists, and is the
only German contingent of the 25 that originally entered from around
the world and the 15 that are still in the race.
Sponsored and technically assisted by Audi, the Lunar Quattro is a
solar-powered moon rover. It packs an adjustable solar panel and a
lithium-ion battery powering four individual hub motors – one in each
wheel. It can only travel at a theoretical maximum of 2.2 miles per
hour, but outright speed isn't the point here. It's been designed to
traverse the difficult terrain of the moon's finely dusted and craggy
surface.
It'll need to travel at least 500 meters (1,640 feet) and will transmit
high-definition video footage from the twin stereoscopic camera on its
swiveling head back to Earth. The lunar rover is scheduled to be
launched aboard a rocket from Earth to the moon by the end of 2017.
(9/27)
Who Will Power America's Amazing New
Space Rocket? (Source: Motley Fool)
United Launch Alliance's Atlas V launch vehicle is one of America's
biggest rockets. But in just four short years, we'll get a new rocket
to send our satellites into space -- and this one won't depend on
Russian rocket engines. The new rocket, dubbed "Vulcan" will replace
Atlas. Built around one first-stage booster and one second-stage
rocket, Vulcan will be "simple," "affordable," and will offer
"unprecedented flexibility in a single system."
By 2023, ULA plans to switch out the rocket's Boeing-built Centaur
second stage rocket and replace it with an even more powerful "ACES"
(Advanced Cryogenic Evolved Stage) rocket. Additionally, Vulcan will
boast anywhere from four to six solid rocket boosters to give it some
extra "oomph" at liftoff. All that remains now is to figure out who
will build the parts. Click here. (9/28)
Fifth Japanese ISS Cargo Craft Leaves
Station (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)
After five weeks attached to the International Space Station, Japan’s
Kounotori (White Stork) 5 cargo ship was unberthed by the station crew
on Sept. 28, 2015 and sent on a path that will lead to its destructive
reentry over the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, Sept. 29. (9/28)
Mexico Counting on ULA Atlas After
Proton Failure (Source: Florida Today)
An already frustrating experience turned into a "nightmare" for members
of a Mexican government satellite team this May. First, their launch on
an International Launch Services Proton rocket was postponed for 16
days while a potential spacecraft flaw was studied.
Then on May 16, they were stunned when the Proton suddenly stopped
sending telemetry nine minutes after its blastoff from Kazakhstan.
Their nearly $400 million Centenario communications satellite — the
second of three making up the $1 billion Mexsat constellation — soon
was confirmed lost.
Members of the satellite team that had devoted years to the program,
and of the launch team, which was dealing with the latest in a series
of Proton failures, cried. "It was a nightmare," said Omar Charfen, the
Mexsat program manager with Mexico's Ministry of Communications and
Transportation. (9/28)
Liquid Water on Mars (Source:
Guardian)
Liquid water runs down canyons and crater walls over the summer months
on Mars, according to researchers who say the discovery raises the
chances of being home to some form of life. The trickles leave long,
dark stains on the Martian terrain that can reach hundreds of meters
downhill in the warmer months, before they dry up in the autumn as
surface temperatures drop.
Images taken from the Mars orbit show cliffs, and the steep walls of
valleys and craters, streaked with summertime flows that in the most
active spots combine to form intricate fan-like patterns. Scientists
are unsure where the water comes from, but it may rise up from
underground ice or salty aquifers, or condense out of the thin Martian
atmosphere. (9/28)
Wallops: No Way to Conduct an
Investigation (Source: DelMarVa Now)
It was certainly disturbing to hear the findings in a NASA inspector
general’s report released in the wake of the Orbital ATK rocket
disaster at Wallops Island almost a year ago. For starters, the report
cast some doubt on a post-crash investigation, which caused $16 million
in damage to the facility.
It appears that Orbital stacked a preliminary investigation board with
its own employees — with NASA’s blessing. That’s certainly no way to
conduct a study of the incident, especially one with stakes as high as
these. The 33-page inspector general’s report finds much cause
for concern with the way Orbital is moving forward — and the way NASA
oversees one of its two private space flight contractors.
Moving forward, what is needed are independent, transparent
investigations of what goes right and wrong. The stakes are too high to
rely on anything less. The future of commercial space flight relies on
fair, balanced and unbiased investigations of what goes right and wrong
now. (9/25)
Did NASA Just Find Liquid Water on
Mars? (Source: CSM)
NASA will announce a "major science finding" about Mars on Monday. A
news conference is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. ET, and will be broadcast
live on NASA Television as well as its website. The space agency’s
press release does not specify what the finding is, but the list of
participants in the news conference provides some clues.
One of the names is Lujendra Ojha, a Ph.D. candidate in planetary
science who co-authored a study published in Science in 2011 claiming
the first evidence of what could be liquid briny water on Mars. The
source of this water could be below the surface, Mr. Ojha said at the
time. (9/27)
Moonstone Taken from Museum
(Source: Iceland Review)
A piece of rock from the moon which has been on display in the
Exploration Museum in Húsavík, northeast Iceland, has been taken back
into the care of the Icelandic Institute of Natural History, which owns
the stone.
The Institute believes the stone has not been kept under high enough
security at the museum, and its value is believed to run into hundreds
of millions of krónur. ISK 100,000,000 is equivalent to EUR 696,000 or
USD 779,000. (9/27)
Fake Spacesuits in 'The Martian' are
Almost as Incredible as Real Ones (Source: Tech Insider)
Astronauts, engineers, and fans have praised the "The Martian," a
bestselling sci-fi novel, for its scientific accuracy. So if you're
making an equally realistic film adaptation, your spacesuits had better
look damn good. Click here. (9/26)
http://www.techinsider.io/the-martian-spacesuit-photos-2015-9
Dream of Humans on Mars Persists
Despite Challenges (Source: Houston Chronicle)
Mars or Bust. That's the message, neatly stamped in bold red letters,
on a small button pinned to Hum Mandell's khaki shirt. And it's an
ethos the sixth-generation Texan has held to for most of his eight
decades.
Mandell joined NASA in 1962, near the agency's beginning. His first job
seems audacious in hindsight. Although John Glenn had only just
completed America's first orbital flight, Mandell joined a team of
young engineers to plan a journey to Mars... In 1976. Click here.
(9/27)
Stop Taking All the Fun Out of
Science, Astronaut Pleads (Source: The Columbian)
Your kid likes science. Despite the subject’s reputation, and the fact
that schools treat it like the class where fun goes to die, kids are
more excited about science, on average, than math, English and social
studies, according to a new report.
“Kids come out of the chute liking science,” NASA astronaut Mae Jemison
said. “They ask, ‘How come? Why? What’s this?’ They pick up stuff to
examine it. We might not call that science, but it’s discovering the
world around us.” Then something happens.
“Once we get them in school, we turn science from discovery and
hands-on to something you’re supposed to do through rote memorization,”
said Jemison, who was the first African-American woman to travel in
space when she flew the Space Shuttle Endeavor in 1992. Jemison has
teamed up with Bayer Corp. to advance science literacy across the
United States by emphasizing the importance of hands-on, inquiry-based
learning opportunities in public schools. (9/27)
No comments:
Post a Comment