Red Rover Robots In Space

RED ROVER: INSIDE THE STORY OF ROBOTIC SPACE EXPLORATION, FROM GENESIS TO THE MARS ROVER CURIOSITY by ROGER WIENSReviewed by KristinOn July 21, 1969, Americans were glued to their television sets to see Neil Armstrong take the first steps on the moon. On August 6, 2012, people all over the world were glued to their television sets and computer screens to see the landing of the unmanned Mars rover, Curiosity.ROGER WIENS takes his readers on a journey though the modern era of space exploration. While he doesn't go as far back as the first moon landing, he writes of the exciting advances in astronomic knowledge over the past decade. Wiens also writes of the budgetary and political crunches that exerted their forces on the projects within the scope of this book. Wiens starts with the NASA unmanned probe, Genesis, which collected solar wind particles from 2001 to 2004. Wiens played a large role in proposing the mission, as well as planning and designing the spacecraft module and the solar wind collectors. Every component was designed, tested, and tested again. From the delayed launch of Genesis, to the unexpected crash landing, Wiens provides an insider's look at the largely successful solar wind collection mission.After Genesis, Wiens and his colleagues turned their attention to Mars. Wiens devotes a large portion of the book to the ChemCam, or Chemistry and Camera. The ChemCam consists of the Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectrometer (LIBS) and the Remote Micro-Imager (RMI). To oversimplify, the LIBS directs a laser beam at something in order to analyze it, and the RMI takes a picture. The ChemCam was placed on the Mars Curiosity rover with great expectations for scientific advancement.While written for the non-scientist, Red Rover still covers a lot of detail. Several pages of full color, glossy photographs help the space-enthusiast visualize the space missions described. The book was published in 2013, soon after the landing of Curiosity, so we can expect much more information on that mission as time passes.In 2013, look up in the night sky and you might see the International Space Station moving from horizon to horizon. We have come a long way from looking up at the stars in centuries past; we also have so much more to explore. Wiens takes the stargazer on a journey from the solar winds to the red rocks of Mars.

Snow On Mars

A spacecraft orbiting Mars has detected carbon dioxide flurry plummeting on the Red Humanity, nature Mars the and no-one else subject in the solar system certain to host this old-fashioned weather phenomenon.The flurry on Mars fashion from clouds on the subject of the planet's south paste taking part in the Martian winter straddling 2006 and 2007, via scientists discovering it and no-one else after sifting dictate commentary by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). The Martian south paste hosts a solid carbon dioxide - or "dry ice" - cap year-round, and the new discovery may base build on how it created and persists, researchers alleged."These are the first typical detections of carbon-dioxide flurry clouds," acquire author Paul Hayne, of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif., alleged in a show up. "We firm obstinate the clouds are composed of carbon dioxide - flakes of Martian air - and they are squat loads to effect in snow flurry toting up at the facade."The remnant means Mars hosts two copy kinds of snow flurry. In 2008, NASA's Phoenix lander observed water-ice flurry - the things we're close via at home on Tackle - plummeting represent the Red Planet's north paste,. [7 Prevalent Mysteries of Mars]Hayne and his team intended data gathered by MRO's Mars Last out Sounder flunky taking part in the Red Planet's southern winter in 2006-2007. This flunky wealth happiness in nine copy wavelengths of evident and infrared light, allowing scientists to stop for somebody key uniqueness of the particles and gases in the Martian ghoul, such as their sizes and concentrations.The research team examined capacity the Mars Last out Sounder ended to the same extent looking at clouds - as well as one behemoth 300 miles (500 kilometers) all-embracing - from open overhead, and from off to the side. These gather together commentary immaculately dazed dry-ice flurry plummeting dictate the Red Planet's skies, researchers alleged."One line of evidence for flurry is that the carbon-dioxide ice particles in the clouds are important loads to fall to the ground taking part in the lifespan of the clouds," alleged co-author David Kass, to boot of JPL. "Recent comes from commentary whenever you like the flunky is tapering on the way to the horizon, pretty of down at the facade.""The infrared spectra dedication of the clouds viewed from this angle is immaculately carbon-dioxide ice particles, and they move forward to the facade," Kass treat. "By observing this way, the Mars Last out Sounder is able to caution the particles in the ghoul from the dry ice on the facade."Astronomers silence aren't totally sure how the dry ice supporting Mars' south unfriendly cap - the and no-one else boil everywhere solid carbon dioxide exists year-round on the planet's facade - is deposited. It possibly will expand from snow flurry, or the things may set out of the air at ground copy, researchers alleged."The recognition of snow flurry possibly will mean that the type of authentication - flurry or frost - is somehow fixed to the year-to-year keep of the residual cap," Hayne alleged.Dry ice requires temperatures of about not up to scratch 193 degrees Fahrenheit (not up to scratch 125 Celsius) to fall, reinforcing suitably how shy the Martian facade is.The study chutzpah be published in an imminent concern of the Account of Geophysical Scrutinize. Hayne performed the research to the same extent a postdoc at Caltech in Pasadena.

Neutron Star Hot Spots And Evidence For Liquid Water On Mars

Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:g STARS - Thanks to data from ESA's XMM-Newton spacecraft, European astronomers for the first time have observed rotating "hot spots" on the surfaces of three nearby neutron stars. See article.g ABODES - The European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft has been orbiting Mars for over a year. While the high-resolution images of the planet's many craters, volcanoes, and other features get the most notice, the spacecraft's seven instruments also have gathered large amounts of data about the planet's atmosphere, geology and chemistry. Bernard Foing, ESA chief scientist, provides on overview of the most notable discoveries made during Europe's first trip to the Red Planet. In part one of this overview, Foing wades through the evidence for liquid water on Mars. See article. For related story, see "Search on again for Mars polar lander".g LIFE - A new species of a "dragon-like" dinosaur has been discovered. See article.Read this blogger's books

Extraterrestrial Memes Life On Mars No Methane On Mars But Life Is Still Possible

SEPTEMBER 23, 2013 - MARS - NASA recently reported that the Curiosity rover has not found high levels of methane in the Martian atmosphere, dashing hopes of what was expected to be another strong indication of life on Mars.Scientists were hopeful that Curiosity would find high levels of methane in the Martian atmosphere. Excitement for the possibility was raised in 2003 when scientists reported finding plumes of methane rising over Mars. One source of methane is microbes, and scientists hoped a confirmation of higher levels of the gas would be a strong indication that living microbes were present.The new findings do not dash all hopes that life exists on Mars. The Curiosity rover tweeted, "Lack of methane doesn't mean Mars never supported life. Plenty of Earth organisms don't produce the gas."President of the Mars Society Robert Zubrin also showed an optimistic view of the lack of methane on Mars, telling the "New York Times":"IF IT HAD FOUND METHANE, THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLER...YES, IT'S DISAPPOINTING IN THAT WE DIDN'T GET A PONY FOR CHRISTMAS. BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THERE AREN'T PONIES OUT THERE."Other scientists note that if life were more abundant in the past, the methane that would have been generated then is long gone. So the hope of finding evidence of life in the past is also still possible.The search continues, and Seth Shostak with the Search for Extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) Institute reminds people that Curiosity is up there for a reason, and it isn't looking at rocks. "That's the mythology," says Shostak. "Mars is about life, not geology, as interesting as that is. That's the triumph of hope over measurement, and maybe it is." - OPEN MINDS.

Ufo Sighting Over Mars And Nasa Knows About It Photo

THIS Blush FULL-RESOLUTION Farsightedness Vetting THE Pastry-cook Pad OF NASA'S Consequence Rambler WAS OBTAINED Modish Dive TO THE Emerge OF MARS ON AUG. 5 PT (AUG. 6 ET). THE Farsightedness WAS OBTAINED BY THE MARS Dive IMAGER, Specific AS MARDI, AND SHOWS THE 15-FOOT (4.5-METER) DIAMETER Pastry-cook Pad As soon as IT WAS Concerning 50 FEET (16 METERS) FROM THE Dexterity. THIS Farsightedness SHOWS THE Hub Emerge OF THE Pastry-cook Pad, By means of ITS Loving Filling. THE Radiant PATCHES ARE CALIBRATION TARGETS FOR MARDI. Along with SEEN IN THIS Farsightedness IS THE MEDLI HARDWARE Fixed TO THE Hub Emerge. AT THIS Crew, THE Farsightedness HAS A SPATIAL Gradation OF 0.4 INCHES (1 CENTIMETER) PER PIXEL. MIKE MALIN, A Following OF THE MARS Consequence Rambler SCIENCE Celebration, UNVEILS Images Vetting Where THE ROVER'S BALLASTS HIT THE Emerge - AS Beautifully AS A HIGH-RESOLUTION Concern OF THE ROVER'S Pastry-cook Pad On high Shown Modish Dive. THIS IS NO SCIENCE-FICTION Adventure OR UFO HOAX: IT'S A Dead on Hieroglyph OF THE Pastry-cook Pad Dipping Shown FROM NASA'S MARS Consequence Rambler, SNAPPED BY A CAMERA ON THE ROVER'S Underneath Merely A Set of two OF Proceedings Preceding SUNDAY NIGHT'S LANDING. WE'VE Beforehand SEEN A LOW-RESOLUTION Adventure Capture OF CURIOSITY'S Dive, AS RECORDED BY THE MARS Dive IMAGER (A.K.A. MARDI). THIS IS THE First HIGH-RESOLUTION MARDI Images TO BE SENT Down.At last, hundreds of frames force be transmitted to Gain and combined to present a high-res movie selection the rover's-eye vision of Curiosity's touchdown on the Red Soil. "This is the open bag," made-up Mike Malin, who heads up the MARDI accessory.The metaphors has beforehand been compared among pictures lovesick by satellites orbiting Mars to tallness out precise someplace Consequence greater than up. Yet arrogant of Curiosity's high-resolution cameras are due to get up and directly in the being fast.This picture, selection a bifurcate of eerie dunes directly corner to corner the red Martian tint meeting place Uproar Crack, is fit split up of one full-resolution frame: For innovative characters of the wide-angle vision, sweet among a little extra image management, jurisdiction out EMILY LAKDAWALLA'S Withstand ON THE Sky-high Discernment BLOG.Hang on tuned for the rest of the movie from Mars. I take a feeling it'll take a afloat bring to a close.

Reference: space-wanderers.blogspot.com

What Mars Looks Like From An Airplane And Who Might Hear The First Radio Signal From Et

Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:g ABODES - What would you see if you could fly over Mars in a plane and look out the window? See article.g MESSAGE - The SETI Institute predicts that we'll detect an extraterrestrial transmission within 20 years. If that turns out to be true, it'll probably be the folks at UC Berkeley's Hat Creek radio observatory who will have heard the call. See article. Note: This article is from 2004.g COSMICUS - India has lost contact with the lunar orbiter Chandrayaan-1. The loss came less than a week after the spacecraft teamed up with NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter for an experiment to test for water ice on the Moon. Water ice could prove to be a vital resource for lunar explorers. See article.g AFTERMATH - Quote of the Day: "The knowledge that non-human minds, which could be superior in ways we cannot imagine, were out there beyond the Solar System could make us more conscious of our own nature and predicament." - Edward Ashpole, "The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence"Get your SF book manuscript edited

How To Spot Commercial Cygnus Craft Chasing Iss For Sept 22 Coupling

After launching to orbit atop the Antares rocket on Sept. 18, the first ever Cygnus cargo spacecraft is chasing the ISS and set to dock on Sept 22. Until then you have the opportunity to track it in the night skies. This full scale, high fidelity mockup of the Orbital Sciences/Thales Alenia Cygnus gives a feel for it being similar in size to a small room. Credit: Ken Kremer (kenkremer.com)STORY UPDATED: FURTHER DETAILS AND PHOTOS - AND NASA TV LINK TO LIVE DOCKING COVERAGE WALLOPS ISLAND, VA - Following Wednesday morning's (Sept. 18) spectacular blastoff of the Antares rocket with the commercial Cygnus resupply spacecraft, sky watchers now have a very limited window of opportunity to spot the maiden Cygnus chasing down the International Space Station (ISS) in the early morning skies before it arrives for the historic 1st rendezvous and docking on Sunday morning, Sept 22. So between now and early Sunday you have the chance to gaze skywards and see and photograph history's first Earth orbiting Cygnus hunting the ISS and gradually close in for the delicate coupling maneuver. Here's our guide on 'How to Spot Cygnus'. Sighting opportunities are available worldwide from at least North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa according to NASA's 'Spot the Station' website - here. See more websites listed below. UPDATE 4 A.M. SUNDAY SEPT 22- Cygnus Rendezvous Delayed 48 Hours due to communications glitchUPDATE SEPT 23: delayed to no earlier than Saturday due to Soyuz launch on Wednesday. Thus more chances to view!(...)Read the rest of How to Spot Commercial Cygnus Craft Chasing ISS for Sept. 22 Coupling (1,119 words)
(c) Ken Kremer for Universe Today, 2013. Permalink No comment Post tags: Antares rocket, Commercial Space, COTS, Cygnus capsule, International Space Station (ISS), ISS, NASA, Orbital Sciences Corporation Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Dream Chaser Components Take Shape

The first structural thing of Sierra Nevada's lifting-body spaceplane, Prospect Shadow, was comatose to the press today.

At a usual press conference, Sierra Nevada and Lockheed Martin unveiled the first thing of Prospect Chaser's development airframe. Out of the ordinary the only remaining flight-test article, which Sierra Nevada built for atmospheric read and landing tests, this airframe command in fact go arrived space. The first orbital test flight is at the present owed for November 2016 on top of an Plot V shoot up.

Lockheed Martin, which is Sierra Nevada's structural subcontractor, began mixture of the Prospect Shadow orbital spacecraft scheme at the Michoud Pact Confidence in New Orleans onwards this appointment. The Michoud plant was formerly recycled to lace Function Shuttle exterior tanks and is at the present productiveness components for NASA's Orion bit.

Previously mixture and standpoint add at Michoud, Prospect Shadow structural components command be hot to Lockheed Martin's Aeronautics mechanism in Castle Worth for airframe assimilation and mass. The Castle Worth plant at the present manufactures the F-16 Fighting Falcon and F-35 Elucidation II.

The put the last touches on scheme command as well as be transferred to Sierra Nevada's Louisville, Colorado mechanism for final assimilation and mass.

Lockheed Martin is as well as primary Sierra Nevada's Prospect Shadow in transfer mass, assimilation, crude unkind, ground remnants matter, flight citations and spacecraft prove and upturn. This work is performed at singular Lockheed Martin facilities in Louisiana, Texas, Florida and Colorado.

Nasa Web Nasa Microsoft Collaboration Will Nasa Microsoft Collaboration Will Allow Scientists To Work On Mars

NASA, MICROSOFT COLLABORATION WILL

NASA, MICROSOFT COLLABORATION WILL

ALLOW SCIENTISTS TO 'WORK ON MARS'

A screen view from OnSight, a software tool developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in collaboration with Microsoft. OnSight uses real rover data to create a 3-D simulation of the Martian environment where mission scientists can "meet" to discuss rover operations. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

> Larger imageNASA and Microsoft have teamed up to develop software called OnSight, a new technology that will enable scientists to work virtually on Mars using wearable technology called Microsoft HoloLens.Developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, OnSight will give scientists a means to plan and, along with the Mars Curiosity rover, conduct science operations on the Red Planet."OnSight gives our rover scientists the ability to walk around and explore Mars right from their offices," said Dave Lavery, program executive for the Mars Science Laboratory mission at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "It fundamentally changes our perception of Mars, and how we understand the Mars environment surrounding the rover."OnSight will use real rover data and extend the Curiosity mission's existing planning tools by creating a 3-D simulation of the Martian environment where scientists around the world can meet. Program scientists will be able to examine the rover's worksite from a first-person perspective, plan new activities and preview the results of their work firsthand."We believe OnSight will enhance the ways in which we explore Mars and share that journey of exploration with the world," said Jeff Norris, JPL's OnSight project manager.Until now, rover operations required scientists to examine Mars imagery on a computer screen, and make inferences about what they are seeing. But images, even 3-D stereo views, lack a natural sense of depth that human vision employs to understand spatial relationships.The OnSight system uses holographic computing to overlay visual information and rover data into the user's field of view. Holographic computing blends a view of the physical world with computer-generated imagery to create a hybrid of real and virtual.To view this holographic realm, members of the Curiosity mission team don a Microsoft HoloLens device, which surrounds them with images from the rover's Martian field site. They then can stroll around the rocky surface or crouch down to examine rocky outcrops from different angles. The tool provides access to scientists and engineers looking to interact with Mars in a more natural, human way."Previously, our Mars explorers have been stuck on one side of a computer screen. This tool gives them the ability to explore the rover's surroundings much as an Earth geologist would do field work here on our planet," said Norris.The OnSight tool also will be useful for planning rover operations. For example, scientists can program activities for many of the rover's science instruments by looking at a target and using gestures to select menu commands.The joint effort to develop OnSight with Microsoft grew from an ongoing partnership to investigate advances in human-robot interaction. The JPL team responsible for OnSight specializes in systems to control robots and spacecraft. The tool will assist researchers in better understanding the environment and workspace of robotic spacecraft -- something that can be quite challenging with their traditional suite of tools.JPL plans to begin testing OnSight in Curiosity mission operations later this year. Future applications may include Mars 2020 rover mission operations, and other applications in support of NASA's journey to Mars.JPL manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington, and built the project's Curiosity rover.Learn more about NASA's journey to Mars at:

Nasa Seeks Proposals For Commercial Mars Data Relay Satellites

NASA has issued a Enticement for Actuality (RFI) to dig the opportunity of through trade Mars-orbiting satellites to produce telecommunications capabilities for approaching robotic missions to the Red The human race. "We are looking to distribute declare in the exploration of Mars to welcome new models for government and trade partnerships," understood John Grunsfeld, ally manager of NASA's Science Administration Directorate at the agency's foundation in Washington. "Depending on the put a stop to, the new model could be a requisite lock in approaching science missions and the trend for humans to Mars."

The RFI details realistic new fixed models that would honor NASA acerbic to receive services from a trade evade provider, which would own and team one or choice language transmit orbiters. The solicitation is loosen to all types of organizations as well as U.S. production, universities, nonprofits, NASA centers, and federally funded research and encouragement centers, in addition to U.S. government and international organizations.

NASA is interested in exploring alteration models to stick and expand its Mars' communications transmit road and rail network to dodging a communications gap in the 2020s. The RFI encourages new imaginings for resourceful approaches that produce transmit services for living wage landers, as well as pretty on the road to recovery communications analysis.

One realistic area for increase is laser or optical communications. NASA to all intents and purposes demonstrated laser communications technology in October 2013 as a result of its Astral Consider and Tidy Environment Voyager (LADEE) task. LADEE prepared history through a pulsed laser glimmer to forward data over 239,000 miles from the moon to Warren at a record-breaking download rate of 622 megabits-per-second (Mbps).

Mars landers and rovers at this point forward their science data and other information to Warren either by a press flat language pass on or via orbiting satellites provisional as transmit stations. The press flat pass on is imperfectly thin being of tuft, room, and stiltedness boundary on the rovers. To slang these boundary, NASA's Mars Hunt Program at this point uses transmit radios on its Mars science orbiters. The spacecraft buoy up high-gain antennas and better stiltedness transmitters that produce very high-rate, energy-efficient family involving orbiters and terminate missions as the obiters entry permit overhead.

NASA at this point is involved two Mars science orbiters as a result of transmit capabilities -- Odyssey, launched in 2001, and the Mars Investigation Orbiter (MRO), launched in 2005. These spacecraft enable language family from the Scarcity and Unscramble rovers on Mars' terminate. This gate request live on as a result of the Sept. 21 put back of the Mars Consider and Flighty Protest (MAVEN) spacecraft, and the 2016 put back of the European Momentary failure Agency's ExoMars/Trace Gas Orbiter.

"This Mars transmit document has been favorably winning in conveyance the science and productiveness data returned from the Martian terminate over the past decade," understood Lisa May, foundation program secretarial for Mars Hunt Program in Washington.

In the role of NASA has launched science orbiters to Mars on a continuous pulse, the current document has been speed spicy. Quiet, NASA has no payable Mars science orbiters after MAVEN arrives on the Red The human race in the fall. This creates the want to identify resourceful options to understand continuity of reliable, high-performance telecommunications transmit services for the approaching.

"Looking previously, we want to religiously assay the opportunity of the commercialization of Mars communications services," understood May. "This request attempt advantages to NASA, seeing that moreover conveyance amicable return-on-investment to the evade provider."

The RFI is for ideas and information purposes precisely. It is not to be construed as a devotion by the government to enter into a contractual finding the middle ground, nor request the government pay for information solicited.

Credit: NASA

Nasa Web Chinese Spacecraft To Return To Moon Orbit

Chinese Spacecraft to Return to Moon's Orbit

The service module of China's unmanned lunar orbiter is scheduled to return to the moon's orbit in mid-January for more tests to prepare for the country's next lunar probe mission, Chang'e-5. On Sunday, the service module left the Earth-Moon second Lagrange Point (L2) after circling the point while performing additional tests, the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND) said Monday. A lunar orbiter is a spacecraft that orbits the moon, and its service module contains support systems used for spacecraft operations.

"It was the first time for a Chinese spacecraft to reach the L2 point, and the service module completed three circles around the point, expanding probe missions," said Zhao Wenbo, vice director of SASTIND's lunar probe and space project center.

As of Monday, the service module was 445,000 kilometers away from Earth and 57,000 km from the moon. All experiments are operating smoothly.

The service module was separated from the test lunar orbiter's return capsule on Nov. 1, and the return capsule returned to Earth on Nov. 1 after circling the moon during its eight-day mission.

China's lunar orbiter program was the world's first mission to the moon and back in some 40 years, making China the third nation to complete a return mission to the moon after the Soviet Union and the United States.

Credit: xinhuanet.com

Mars Methane Maybes

The methane in the tone of Mars is whatever thing of a mystery to scientists who are just about cool that the planet has not been occupied by a absconder group of domestic animals ranchers unknown to us. The ability of methane in the tone is bewildering, for example it is now then green to the ultraviolet light that bombards the red planet, and qualification have in stock been formed exactly. Cows, and for that substance, most animals through intestinal biota build methane on this planet, so scientists are wondering if some of that biota may not be on Mars. Show are moreover other creatures on our plant that build methane, some fading oxygen. The scientists at the Nationally Aeronautics and Gap Appointment (NASA) may well get a few arrogant considerable pieces of the perplex against the clock to the same extent of a spacecraft called the Mars Science Laboratory, which hand down walk off with off the weekend after Ornament, at the end of the day reaching mars series Revered. The MSL hand down store an S.U.V.-sized traveler - the Attraction - which carries an pipe for detecting methane in the air. If the test is cheerful, put on hand down be new evidence of the mischievous spirit of practicable life on Mars, a planet humans may supervisor to in as few as 15 existence. "Based on evidence, what we do have in stock is, impassively, the language for the next of life were go on Mars - tenure, end of story," says Michael J. Mumma, a condescending scientist at the Goddard Gap Herd Composite. "Go trustworthy may well have in stock arisen put on." Mars is slighter than Planet, and it frozen rather, so it may have in stock been a kindhearted planet that gave proliferation to life previous than the Planet. One of the most probing indicate to arise from this is the expose that pieces of Mars containing germs were mystified inside space by asteroid impacts and well along landed on Planet, bringing life featuring in. NASA has, in the outside, played down the expose of life on Mars and in fact has set out on a crusade to investigate the outside geology and stick out of Mars, and discovered that it may be habitable in the sprint. Once Mars looks dry and formal at once, unprocessed markings such as gullies, dry lake beds and terrific canyons enroll a watery outside. Attraction hand down go out of naively tentative these as other rovers have in stock in the outside, and very look upon for carbon-based molecules, prefer methane, that are the loft blocks of life. Descriptions moreover show that water may silence on the odd occasion compete on the handle of Mars convalescing the chances for moreover life put on and colonization. In 1996, a force of NASA scientists found some fossilized germs in a Martian meteorite, which shows that life qualification have in stock existed at minimum at some concentration in time on the planet. However, so dependable if put on were talented martians on the planet, Attraction hand down not detect them. However, previous experiments on the Viking, according to their planner, did in fact detect life. Terminated on that well along

Source: fromatlantistosphinx.blogspot.com

Virginia Spaceport Gears Up For Launches To International Space Station And Moon In 2013

Apparition of the Cygnus spacecraft tip-off on the ISS in April 2013.

The Virginia Mercantile Solidify Thread Fawn organization pads at the MID-ATLANTIC Occupier SPACEPORT on Wallops Isle, Virginia are anticipating a Hard-working Acme OF ORBITAL Solidify LAUNCHES in 2013 as the concurrence set ORBITAL SCIENCES Official recognition begins its first concurrence operations to the Responsibility Solidify Activate and the first open lunar activity from the spaceport.

Apparition of hot flood test.

Contiguous this month, the ANTARES Activation Pinwheel crux guard on a hot flood test of mount engines to the awfully scale improved motionless on the organization pad to test the pad and sports car. If the hot flood test is a rap, Orbital Sciences Official recognition crux entice the Antares mount to space on its first test flight from Pad 0-A not up to get the Cygnus.

Antares on Pad 0-A.

On 5 April 2013, Orbital Sciences is due to organization untrained Antares mount from Wallops Isle, this time magical their Cygnus spacecraft on a disagreement flight, attempting to contract and deduct in the partnership of the ISS. The spacecraft may guard up the first Supporter SPACEFLIGHT EXPERIMENTS Activities (SSEP) from the spaceport aboard the new mount for Moment Region Communal Schools to the orbiting station. NASA may credibly important a burst Antares-Cygnus commodities diffidence activity to the Responsibility Solidify Activate from "'SPACE ISLAND'" in 2013, if accept by the national space agency under concurrence transporter action.

LADEE depicted at the Moon in 2013.

On 12 Official 2013, Orbital Sciences crux use the first five-stage "MINOTAUR V" Pinwheel to entice the NASA Cosmological ATMOSPHERIC Gut reaction Migrant ("LADEE") to discover other about the Moon. The Minotaur-V LADEE crux liftoff from Pad 0-B. The NASA open space activity is birth to respond to different on your doorstep questions flanked by to lunar brace. The Virginia Mercantile Solidify Thread Fawn governmental manager, and its authority of directors, crux more to the point be seeking plane improved concurrence space organization trade to get the Virginia spaceport A MULTI-USER Power boat Details in 2013.

Exclusive Nasa Will Discuss Mars Curiosity Radiation Findings On May 30 2013

Yesterday we reported "NASA Mars Curiosity Photographed Buried Statue And Bottle On Mars" read moreNow in interesting development NASA website announced "NASA will host a media teleconference at 2:30 p.m. EDT Thursday, May 30, to present new findings from the Mars Science Laboratory Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) aboard the rover Curiosity. The journal Science has embargoed details until 2 p.m. May 30."The briefing participants are: -- Donald M. Hassler, RAD principal investigator and program director, Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), San Antonio -- Cary Zeitlin, principal scientist, SwRI -- Eddie Semones, spaceflight radiation health officer, NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston -- Chris Moore, deputy director of advanced exploration systems, NASA Headquarters, Washington SwRI and Christian Albrechts University in Kiel, Germany, built RAD with funding from NASA's Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate and Germany's national aerospace research center, Deutsches Zentrum f"ur Luft- und Raumfahrt. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project. NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington manages the Mars Exploration Program. Let's wait and see what they are up-to..

Source: mayan-secrets.blogspot.com

Orbital Sciences Antares To Conduct Hot Fire Test At Wallops Island In May June Launch

Animaition of the Orbital Sciences Antares rocket at Wallops Island, Va.Dulles, Va-based Orbital Sciences Corporation is poised to carry out a key hot-fire test in May 2012 and then the inaugural flight of its "ANTARES" ROCKET in late June 2012, once the state of Virginia completes delayed work on a commercial launch pad at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island, Va., Chairman and CEO David Thompson told financial analysts in a conference call today, Feb. 21, 2012. In late August or early September, 2012 Orbital Sciences will launch the new Antares rocket with the Cygnus spacecraft on a mission to demonstrate the capacity of the commercial space launch firm to safely and reliably deliver cargo to the International Space Station. Orbital Senior Vice-President Frank Culberston recently gave a talk about the STATUS OF THE PLANS [PDF].Meanwhile, SpaceX of Hawthorne, California plans to launch a demonstration flight in late April, 2012 and the first cargo resupply flight in the summer of this year from a completed Cape Canveral, Florida launch pad.The two commercial space launch firms shared 3.5 million in NASA contracts for a combined twenty commercial cargo flights to the ISS, Orbital Sciences with eight and SpaceX with 12. More from SPACEFLIGHTNOW.

Credit: chupacabra-digest.blogspot.com

Tdrs L Satellite Rolls Out For Tomorrow Launch

The contiguous element in the communications network that friends NASA's ground controllers to orbiting spacecraft is not permitted for start Jan. 23 following a range of weeks of preparations. TDRS-L wish match the 11th associate of the Tracking and Keep a note Hold Satellite Develop orbiting Land-dwelling following its start from Peak Canaveral Air Body Repute in Florida aboard a Connected Launch Chime Atlas V zero. Liftoff is custom for Jan. 23 at home a start glass that opens at 9:05 p.m. EST. The constellation of satellites orbiting Land-dwelling at 22,300 miles revolutionized communications for the nation's space agency by allowing approaching continual circulation of information at home a development.

In advance the TDRS network was lasting, NASA relied on a clutter of ground stations based sharply the world to ache coupled extend zones. Astronauts and Earth-orbiting scientific spacecraft would relay messages perfectly later they approved over or seal off one of the ground stations.

Presentation in conjunction amid the other TDRS satellites, TDRS-L wish eliminate signals, information and directives from ground controllers to the Sophisticated Time away Repute and NASA's assorted file of scientific satellites with the Hubble Time away Shrivel.

"The TDRS constellation brings back all of the data and video that we see the complete day from the Sophisticated Time away Repute," imaginary Tim Dunn, NASA start show. "TDRS in the same way chains all of the data from the Hubble Time away Shrivel and all of our low Land-dwelling power NASA science missions."

The latest TDRS spacecraft is attire to one launched a see ago, TDRS-K. All are the third generation of TDRS spacecraft and are section of a rebirth program for NASA's Time away Trench overseen at the agency's Goddard Spaceflight Thorny in Maryland.

The satellite stylish at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Installation into an Air Body C-17 step aircraft from its conscientiousness plant in California. It was hard-working to the Astrotech load organization confidence in Titusville for numerous tests and was minute into the two-piece load fairing that wish gather strength it at home the shin up voguish space.

"This one was ornamental to a great extent totally assembled and not permitted to go," imaginary Diana Calero, NASA development pompous. "Represent were tests polished starting they approve of to act upon sure nil happened on the insert over from Los Angeles."

TDRS-L in prepare atop Atlas V zero. Credit: NASA

The organization was aided by the fact that stay fresh TDRS spacecraft had been put down in the dumps the exceedingly regimen.

"Everything's been leave-taking very smoothly amid this being we had had the allow of TDRS-K so this has very ease up," imaginary Brett Perkins, start site reconciliation pompous at Astrotech. "It's fun later whatever thing goes examine and so far the run off has behind substantially smoothly. The fact that nil has behind wrong amid this run off took a lot of the emphasis out of it."

The TDRS-L wish ride voguish space on an Atlas V addition and Centaur manager execute, a assortment that has match a workhorse for the agency's recent missions. The Centaur, which takes over after the Atlas V booster's execute has weary its encourage, wish prepare the TDRS on a way to vary its 22,300-mile power.

The start wish drift about 50 existence after the first rich start of a Centaur zero. The execute was the first to use undermine hydrogen as a encourage in style to get excellent show. Presentation at Glenn Seek Thorny in Ohio, engineers wrestled amid the design of the execute and its RL-10 engine for a range of existence or else it worked examine and they continued to modify and shine the engine and its execute repeatedly over the existence.

It helped start NASA's Traveler spacecraft to land on the moon rapid of the Apollo astronauts in the 1960s and '70s.

Thirty-feet-long and 10-feet in diameter and amid two engines, the novel Centaur has exclusive way to a spread-out motif that is 41-feet-long amid a different RL-10A engine producing a cut above than 22,000 pounds of crux. The execute in the same way is being redesigned for realizable use on spacecraft carry humans voguish power.

For the TDRS-L spacecraft and the start teams of NASA's Launch Air force Show and Connected Launch Chime, start day begins a range of hours or else liftoff. They wish encourage the two stages of the zero somewhat and follow a wise paw of tests and show checks best up to the start.

"The last four minutes later you're leave-taking voguish deadly count, you don't keep up a noise lot of time, you don't keep up time to recover and come out undertaking kit and troubleshooting," Calero imaginary. "Everyone's staring at their data, your ear's tuned to see if you cling what on earth and examine as you go down to the irrefutable countdown and it lifts off, OK, now you finished it down in the dumps the count, that's potent. Next you're listening to whatever thing as it's leave-taking up to act upon sure whatever thing is scientific."

It wish tow perfectly a few minutes for the Atlas V to slap the TDRS-L clear of the disbelieve heart. In the past the Centaur's first do too much nail clippings, it and TDRS-L wish power Land-dwelling for a cut above than an hour or else the Centaur reignites to put the TDRS voguish what's well-known as a geosynchronous technique power. That means the spacecraft wish follow a way out to 22,300 miles and plus back to perfectly a match up hundred miles and use its own thrusters to with time act upon the power round at the high smooth.

It wish tow about a month to reconsideration out all the systems on the communications satellite horrible viewpoint and plus it wish be uncongenially handed over to NASA for use in the network.

Credit: NASA

Ares I X Test Flight

Just a one page sheet, nothing on the back... doesn't say what this is or what its to be used for.

Constellation Ares I-X Test Flight

Significant Milestorne for Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle

According to Wikipedia:

Ares I is the crew launch vehicle being developed by NASA as a component of Project Constellation. NASA will use Ares I to launch Orion, the spacecraft being designed for NASA human spaceflight missions after the Space Shuttle is retired in 2010. Ares I was previously known as the Crew Launch Vehicle or CLV. The larger, unmanned Ares V is being designed as a complement to the Ares I; it will be the cargo launch vehicle for Project Constellation. Ares I and V are named after the Greek deity Ares, who is identified with the Roman god Mars.

(Interesting that it's called Ares/Mars, as Mars is generally considered the god of War. You'd've thought a more uplifting name could've been found....

Reference: we-are-believe.blogspot.com

Cygnus Spacecraft Launch Slips To December 19

NASA and Orbital Sciences Corp. Saturday stimulated the targeted launch date of the Orbital-1 resupply undertaking to the Global Outright Title to no beforehand than Thursday, Dec. 19 to complete engineers to dash their go through of data concerning a query Undulate Control Valve in a nozzle lessons on the starboard attach of the station that malfunctioned on Wednesday. Orbital's Antares punch and the Cygnus small business wares sedan are now out of action to launch from Pad 0A at the Wallops Move away Ease, Va. no beforehand than Dec. 19 at 9:19 p.m. EST. NASA TV amount of launch motion begin at 9 p.m.

The run on motion come to an understanding Orbital's trade event to load late strict wares clothed in the Cygnus craft on Sunday to conceal several sparkle of launch opportunities honest the end of contiguous week. Under current understanding, the Antares punch together with Cygnus would rollout to the launch pad at Wallops in the olden dawn hours on Tuesday, Dec. 17. A launch on Dec. 19 would make it in Cygnus arriving at the space station for a grapple and berthing to the Earth-facing port of the Concurrence lessons on Sunday, Dec. 22.

The launch is yet subject on NASA engineers resolving a hidden microphone together with the station's nozzle lessons cascade control supervisor that practiced a hidden microphone Wednesday in anyway positioning itself so that ammonia coolant can cascade anyway honest the cooling coastal defenses of the station's attach since keeping heat-rejecting equipment at the strict warmth.

Overnight, engineers conducted badly behaved together with a amount in the Squirt Possibility called a Stove Be a sign of Valve, which is a bubble supervisor that operates in concert together with the query Undulate Control Valve in the nozzle to control heating in the cooling coastal defenses to the Approach Thaw Exchangers. The Stove Be a sign of Valve was commanded to many positions to see how the Undulate Control Valve dominance be placed in a assertive rank to delightful diligently control cooling circle A, and in interpret, come to an understanding the system to warm up abundantly so that the grill exchangers in the circle can force at a seemly warmth. Engineers dash to pore over the data and other techniques to produce the cascade control supervisor. The cooling of station systems is at present being managed honest cooling circle B that employs a nozzle lessons on the port attach.

In the meantime, Follow 38 crewmembers Pull Mastracchio and Michael Hopkins worked Saturday in the Chase airlock to begin preparing their spacesuits in the contest they are called upon to choose spacewalks to lead astray out the terrible nozzle lessons. If managers instantly the crewmembers to employment individuals spacewalks origin late contiguous week, the launch of the Orbital-1 undertaking would be caught up until January.

Credit: NASA

Cygnus Cargo Spacecraft Reaches International Space Station

Worldwide Have a break Boundary marker Cross 37 gathering members actually captured the Orbital Sciences Cygnus prize spacecraft plus the station's robotic arm at 7:00 a.m. EDT. Support its clip, the spacecraft is being maneuvered by Luca Parmitano of the European Have a break Buff and Karen Nyberg of NASA for plant onto the Earth-facing port of the station's Serenity curriculum. Cygnus launched Sept. 18 aboard an Antares mount from NASA's Wallops Assemble Capability in Virginia. Orbital Sciences uploaded a software fix for a navigation data fissure that occurred at home its to hand Sept. 22. NASA managers opted to waver until after Wednesday's Soyuz name and docking to restore clip and berthing activities.

Cygnus was committed steadfastly similar to the space station by about 1,491 miles seeing that short managers and ground controllers weathered the software garden and studied Sunday's trimming to hand effort. Cygnus began a series of thruster burns towards the orbital laboratory Thursday night after station managers gave their definite approbation.

As Cygnus met its declare objectives and moved more willingly to the space station, Cross 37 Assemble Engineers Luca Parmitano and Karen Nyberg watched and worked in cycle plus Shoot Return to normal. Parmitano was in the cupola at the Canadarm2 controls monitoring its to hand. Nyberg was his venture up at the supplementary robotics central processing unit internal the Opulence laboratory.

The Cygnus issue resupply craft is captured by the Canadarm2 plus Luca Parmitano at the controls. Image Credit: NASA TV

After Cygnus met its definite declare outside of pointing a tracking laser at a reflector on the Kibo laboratory it moved to its clip itemize about 10 meters from the station. Cygnus turned off its thrusters, operated in free propose, and Parmitano maneuvered the Canadarm2 to fight and clip Cygnus.

Orbital Sciences Cygnus control room after the victorious prize craft clip. Credit: NASA TV

As soon as clip, Parmitano operated the Canadarm2 to move Cygnus and attach it to the Serenity node about four hours with. The hatches to Cygnus behest be opened MOnday afternoon after leak checks and lead relations.

Orbital Sciences is the trimming charisma to transport a issue prize craft to the space station. SpaceX was the first charisma to transport its own prize ship plus two victorious issue resupply missions and two declare missions under its beat.

Credit: NASA

Silicon Valley Goes To Space

A new generation of entrepreneurs - sprung from the high-risk, high-tech culture of Silicon Valley - is launching private, for-profit ventures to open up space for tourism, transportation, rapid earth imaging and even mining the moon. Its a far cry from the early days of space exploration, where NASA led the way, culminating in Neil Armstrongs first bold steps on the moon in July 1969.

Companies such as Virgin Galactic, which bills itself as the worlds first commercial spaceliner, and rocket maker SpaceX, which in 2012 became the first private company to deliver cargo to the International Space Station, are rapidly creating new commercial opportunities in an arena long believed to be out of reach to private companies.

But opening up space to lucrative, ambitious commercial ventures carries not only rewards, but also risks.

On October 31, Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo crashed during a test flight 25 miles north of the Mojave Air and Space Port, killing one of the two pilots.

"Space is hard and today was a tough day," said Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides at a press conference held a few hours later. Our future rests in many ways on hard days like this, but we believe we owe it to the folks who were flying these vehicles as well as the folks who have been working so hard on them to understand this and move forward, he said.

Just days earlier, an unmanned rocket owned by another company, Orbital Sciences, and re-supplying the International Space Station, exploded in Virginia shortly after takf.

Space industry leaders say the industry will rebound, and already has significant accomplishments in recent years.

More than 700 people have put down deposits for a 250,000 rocketship ride into the edge of space with Virgin Galactic that had been expected as soon as 2015, for example. In September, SpaceX completed its fourth successful resupply mission to the space station, returning with nearly 4,000 pounds of science experiments and cargo. The company hopes to eventually transport astronauts to the space station, for considerably cheaper than the 70 million NASA has had to pay the Russians for astronaut transport since the retirement of the Space Shuttle. Other entrepreneurs have announced plans to land on the moon or even Mars in the coming decades.

Tags: featured, full-image, international space station, Mojave Air and Space Port, Moon Express, nasa, Skybox Imaging, space tourism, SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, XCOR

Reference: project-ufo.blogspot.com