NASA Research Project Takes Off with
Aim to Make Airports More Efficient (Source: Phys.org)
As part of the transition to NextGen, NASA is launching a new five-year
project to research and test how information sharing between air
traffic management can benefit airports. "Shared information leads to
more accurate planning so we can create a clearer picture to streamline
all airport and airline operations," said Leighton Quon, project
manager for the NASA Airspace Technology Demonstrations project based
at the Ames Research center in California. (6/24)
Curiosity Rover Finds Unusual Mineral
on Mars (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)
Researchers using data from NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover have found an
unexpected mineral in a rock sample at Gale Crater. The discovery may
change our understanding of how Mars evolved. Curiosity has been
studying sedimentary rocks in Gale crater since landing in August 2012.
The rover collected powder from a rock at a location called “Buckskin”
in July 2015.
Scientists analyzing sample data from the rover’s CheMin x-ray
diffraction instrument detected significant amounts of a silica mineral
called tridymide. This finding was a surprise to researchers as
tridymite is usually associated with silicic volcanism, which occurs on
Earth but was not thought to be present on Mars. The presence of this
mineral suggest that the Red Planet may have once had explosive
volcanoes. (6/27)
Moon Express Update at Space Club
Meeting (Source: NSCFL)
Dr. Robert ‘Bob’ Richards, Founder and CEO, Moon Express, will be the
featured speaker at the National Space Club Florida Committee’s (NSCFL)
monthly luncheon on Tuesday, July 12. His presentation is entitled
“Moon Express 2017: A Private Mission to the Moon.” The luncheon event
begins at 11:30 am and will be held at the Radisson at the Port
Convention Center, Cape Canaveral.
Dr. Richards is a space entrepreneur and futurist. He is a co-founder
of the International Space University, Singularity University, SEDS,
the Space Generation Foundation and Google Lunar X PRIZE competitors
Odyssey Moon Ltd. and Moon Express, Inc. Dr. Richards participated in
the 2007 NASA Mars Lander mission and 2004 XSS-11 mission of the U.S.
Air Force. He is a member of the International Institute of Space Law
and co-chairs of the Exploration Committee of the Commercial
Spaceflight Federation. (6/27)
What India Gains From Missile
Technology Control Regime (Source: Live Mint)
The Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) is an informal, voluntary
grouping of countries which aims to check the proliferation of missiles
and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) capable of carrying weapons of mass
destruction (WMD). It is not a treaty and does not impose any legally
binding obligations on its adherents and members.
A grouping of 35 countries, MTCR keeps a check on transfer of missiles
and UAVs capable of carrying a payload of at least 500kg over a range
of at least 300km. It also focuses on any equipment, software or
technology that can enable a nation to produce such systems. Once India
puts in place an appropriate export policy for items covered by the
MTCR, an argument can be made that the sale of any such systems to
India will not lead to any further proliferation. (6/27)
Japanese Startup Aims High in Small
Satellite Market (Source: Nikkei)
A Japanese startup is working to develop the world's first compact
commercial rocket in southern Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost main
island. Takahiro Inagawa, CEO of Interstellar Technologies, recently
spoke with The Nikkei about the company's goal of building cheap
booster rockets for small satellites. The startup is preparing to
launch its first sounding rocket for observation as early as this
summer. (6/26)
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