Universe Today » Nicholos Wethington

Hayabusa May Come Home After All

Nicholos Wethington — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:26:36 +0000

Artist concept of the Hayabusa spacecraft. Credit: JAXA

As we reported last week, it seemed as if the Hayabusa asteroid explorer mission was dealt a fatal blow when the third of its four ion engines failed. But the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced yesterday that it may have come up with a solution to that problem to get Hayabusa back home by using components from two different inoperable thrusters in combination.(...)
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Astronaut Glove Challenge Winners Announced

Nicholos Wethington — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:23:20 +0000

NASA's Astronaut Glove Centennial Challenge contest was held yesterday at the Astronaut Hall of Fame in Titusville, Florida, and two contestants walked away with a total of $350,000 in prize money for their improved designs of space suit gloves. Peter Homer of Southwest Harbor, Maine, won $250,000 for his glove, and Ted Southern of Brooklyn, New York won $100,000. Both contestants had participated in the 2007 event, and Peter Homer qualified for a prize last time.(...)
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Cassini/IBEX Data Changes View of Heliosphere Shape

Nicholos Wethington — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:22:48 +0000

Though the Cassini mission has focused intently on scientific exploration of Saturn and it's moons, data taken by the spacecraft has significantly changed the way astronomers think about the shape of our Solar System. As the Sun and planets travel through space, the bubble in which they reside has been thought to resemble a comet, with a long tail and blunt nose. Recent data from Cassini combined with that of other instruments, shows that the local intertstellar magnetic field shapes the heliosphere differently.(...)
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Want to be a Martian?

Nicholos Wethington — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:16:47 +0000

If you've ever dreamed of exploring Mars, but are worried about all that pesky radiation exposure and being cramped in a capsule for the two-year flight – or about never coming back – then your dream may be realized with NASA's "Be a Martian" web site. In the spirit of other citizen scientist collaborations such as Galazy Zoo and Stardust@Home, NASA has created a site that allows you to view and categorize images to help map the Martian surface from the safety of your own home here on Earth.

(...)
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35 Radio Observatories Link to Break Record

Nicholos Wethington — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:00:21 +0000

Ever wondered what the largest telescope on the Earth is? Well, this coming Wednesday and Thursday of this week, the largest telescope ever assembled here will take observations for a whole day. How big is the telescope? About the size of the whole Earth! 35 radio telescopes on 7 continents will link together for one whole day in an effort to observe distant quasars as part of an initiative to improve the reference frame that scientists use to measure positions in the sky.(...)
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Second Exoplanet with Retrograde Orbit Discovered

Nicholos Wethington — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:53:46 +0000

The exoplanet HAT-P-7b has been observed to have a very curious orbit. It either has a highly tilted orbit – passing almost over the poles of its parent star, HAT-P-7 - or a retrograde orbit; that is, orbiting in the opposite direction of its parent star. Two teams of researchers, both using the Subaru Telescope in Japan, have published papers on the bizarre properties of this planet, the second exoplanet ever observed to have a retrograde orbit.(...)
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Dawn Takes up Residence in Asteroid Belt

Nicholos Wethington — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:21:16 +0000

The Dawn spacecraft – which is on a course to study the asteroid Vesta and dwarf planet Ceres – has taken up permanent residence in the asteroid belt as of November 13th. Dawn is officially the first human-made object to become a part of the asteroid belt, which is sandwiched between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.(...)
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NASA to Fund Primate Radiation Research

Nicholos Wethington — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:55:19 +0000

Monkeys have made contributions to spaceflight before, and NASA plans to start using them again to test the effects of radiation exposure on their performance of various tasks. With renewed efforts to send humans to the Moon and Mars – which exposes them to radiation from the Sun and galactic cosmic rays – NASA wants a better idea of exactly what the effects of this radiation will be on the cognitive performance of astronauts. A research proposal on the effects of radiation in primates is just one of twelve studies that NASA has chosen to fund through its Human Research Program grants for space radiobiology research.(...)
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Designing a Better Astronaut Glove

Nicholos Wethington — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:30:54 +0000

If you can build a better mousetrap, then you can certainly build a better glove for astronauts! Making a glove that both protects the hands of the astronauts in the harsh environment of space or on the Moon, and allowing them the dexterity to manipulate tools is a tough challenge for NASA. That's why they are holding the second Astronaut Glove Challenge on November 19th, with a $400,000 prize for the best glove.(...)
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Vatican Holds Conference on Extraterrestrial Life

Nicholos Wethington — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:31:39 +0000

Though it may seem an unlikely location to happen upon a conference on astrobiology, the Vatican recently held a "study week" of over 30 astronomers, biologists, geologists and religious leaders to discuss the question of the existence of extraterrestrials. This follows the statement made last year by the Pope's chief astronomer, Father Gabriel Funes, that the existence of extraterrestrials does not preclude a belief in God, and that it's a question to be explored by the Catholic Church. The event, put on by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, took place at the Casina Pio IV on the Vatican grounds from November 6-11.(...)
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NASA Satellites Monitor Tropical Storm Ida

Nicholos Wethington — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:18:11 +0000

NASA has been keeping an eye on tropical storm Ida off the Gulf Coast, which was downgraded from a hurricane earlier today. Its satellites have been helping meteorologists to measure the rainfall and windspeeds of the storm. Ida is predicted by the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida to make landfall near Pensacola, Florida on Tuesday morning (Nov. 10th), after which it is expected to drop in intensity and head East.(...)
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Post tags: hurricanes, live satellite view

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Stuck Spirit Rover Moves!

Nicholos Wethington — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:59:17 +0000

The Spirit Rover, which has had its wheels stuck for 145 Martian sols, has finally moved! Though she's far from being extricated from her current position, this is the first time that she's budged in quite a while. The Mars rover driving team is working on ways to get Sprit out, and this recent move was just them getting Spirit's wheels in alignment for an upcoming procedure to free her from the sand trap she's stuck in. But it's a start!

(...)
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LaserMotive Takes Prize During Space Elevator Games

Nicholos Wethington — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:29:18 +0000

The 2009 Space Elevator Games ran from November 4-6, and there is a winner! LaserMotive from Seattle took home the Level 1 prize of $900,000. Three teams competed for the $1.1 million and $900,000 prizes in this year's event: LaserMotive from Seattle, the Kansas City Space Pirates, and the University of Saskatchewan Space Design Team (USST).(...)
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Physicist Vitaly Ginzburg Dies at age 93

Nicholos Wethington — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:11:36 +0000

Vitaly Ginzburg, a Russian physicist and Nobel laureate, died yesterday of cardiac arrest. He was 93 years old. Ginzburg shared the 2003 Nobel Prize in physics for his work on superconductors, but contributed to many other fields of study, including quantum theory, astrophysics, radio-astronomy and diffusion of cosmic radiation in the Earth's atmosphere. In addition, he is known for his contributions to the development of the Russian hydrogen bomb in the 1950s, for which he received the Stalin Prize.(...)
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Camera Network Spies Anomalous Meteorite

Nicholos Wethington — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:16:08 +0000

A network of time-lapse cameras set up in the Nullarbor Plain desert of Western Australia has allowed researchers to track a fallen meteorite to the ground, and enabled them to determine its original orbit and parent body. The meteorite has a composition different than that of other meteors, leading researchers to believe that it originates from a different parent body than most meteorites that impact Earth. The Desert Fireball Network, a project coordinated by the Imperial College of London, was able to track the meteor when it entered the atmosphere, giving researchers an impact location and information on where it originated.(...)
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Why did HAL sing 'Daisy'?

Nicholos Wethington — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:10:02 +0000

Okay, so this may not be important breaking news about astronomy, but it may answer a burning question posed by most people who have watched or read "2001: A Space Odyssey": that is, why does the computer HAL-9000 sing the song 'Daisy Bell' as the astronaut Dave Bowman takes him apart? Well, Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke made HAL's final act in the world this song as a tribute to HAL's great ancestor, the first IBM computer to ever sing. Click below for more on this geeky topic!(...)
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NASA and ESA Sign Mars Exploration Joint Initiative

Nicholos Wethington — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:18:37 +0000

NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) have officially agreed to combine their efforts in the exploration and study of Mars. The heads of both agencies, NASA administrator Charles Boden and ESA director-general Jean-Jacques Dordain signed an agreement that officially binds the two agencies together for upcoming orbiter and rover missions. Discussions of this cooperation began in December of 2008, and culminated in a meeting in June 2009, out of which came the official agreement signed last week.(...)
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Going Up? Top Floor, Space Elevator Games 2009

Nicholos Wethington — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:56:08 +0000

BREAKING NEWS: LaserMotive successfully qualified for the $900,000 prize! Their official speed was 3.72 m/s. Way to go! See more below.

Though it's unlikely that anyone will be pressing the elevator button labeled 'Space' on one of the competitors' vehicles this year at the 2009 Space Elevator Games, there is hope that a winner will walk away with the $1.1 million prize. Three different teams will compete to see if any can send a laser powered vehicle up a thin but strong ribbon 1km (.6 miles) into the sky.(...)
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Mars Explorers May Use AI to Become 'Cyborg Astrobiologists'

Nicholos Wethington — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:46:04 +0000

Ever heard of a 'Cyborg Astrobiologist'? Probably not. But I bet you'll want to be one after learning that future exploration of Mars (and other planets, for that matter) may employ the use of artificial intelligence integrated into spacesuits to enhance the ability of astronauts in taking scientific data while exploring. The AI assistance could help future astronauts exploring planets to recognize differences in their surroundings as being due to the presence of life. Does this sound like something from 50 years from now? Well, a prototype model has already been tested, and has shown the principle behind this idea to be sound.

(...)
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Post tags: Astrobiology, Exploration, Mars

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Rosetta to Make Final Earth Flyby Nov. 13th

Nicholos Wethington — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:44:33 +0000

The comet chasing spacecraft Rosetta will make its third and final swing by the Earth on November 13th to pick up more speed for the last part of a 10-year journey that lies ahead. Its mission is to place a lander on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and chase the comet for an entire year on its orbit around the Sun. The spacecraft will be visible to observers from the ground in certain locations on the Earth. This last flyby will increase the spacecraft's speed by 3.6 km/s (2.2 miles/s) with respect to the Sun, giving Rosetta the energy it needs to boost it to the outer regions of the Solar System.(...)
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Masten wins $1 million X-Prize on Last Possible Day

Nicholos Wethington — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:22:27 +0000

The X-Prize competition for building a lander vehicle capable of making a simulated landing and liftoff on the Moon has come to a close, with the 1st place, $1 million award going to Masten Space Systems for their vehicle, Xoie (pronounced like the name 'Zoey'). Armadillo Aerospace came in a close second, and received $500,000 for their Scorpius rocket. The Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander X-Prize challenge was initiated to spur development of lunar landing vehicle by a privately funded institution. The last of the challenge flights occured Friday, October 30th, and the competition came down to the wire, as Masten encountered problems on Wednesday and Thursday challenge windows that delayed their final flight to the last day of the challenge.(...)
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New CMB Measurements Support Standard Model

Nicholos Wethington — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:31:10 +0000

New measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) – the leftover light from the Big Bang – lend further support the Standard Cosmological Model and the existence of dark matter and dark energy, limiting the possibility of alternative models of the Universe. Researchers from Stanford University and Cardiff University produced a detailed map of the composition and structure of matter as it would have looked shortly after the Big Bang, which shows that the Universe would not look as it does today if it were made up solely of 'normal matter'.(...)
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Two ESA Satellites Launch Successfully

Nicholos Wethington — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:47:11 +0000

UPDATE: Information about both SMOS and the Proba-2 satelite are on ESA Television. The program loop is embedded at the bottom of this post. Enjoy!

Last night at 2:50 am Central European Time, two European Space Agency (ESA) satellites were successfully launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Northern Russia. The Rockot launch vehicle was carrying both the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite, and the Proba-2 satellite. SMOS will monitor the moisture exchange of the Earth between the ocean, air and land as well as the salinity of the oceans and the moisture of the soil in an effort to better understand how these factors influence the climate of our planet. Proba-2 will test out various instruments, including a small wide angle optical camera, and instruments for monitoring the plasma environment in orbit and the Sun's corona.(...)
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Asteroid Explosion over Indonesia

Nicholos Wethington — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:49:30 +0000

This has taken awhile to filter into the Western press, but an asteroid exploded over the town of Bone,Indonesia on October 8th at around 11am local time. Initially, locals called the police to report that a plane had crashed, or that an earthquake shook the ground, as reported in the Jakarta Globe. The Jakarta Post quoted Thomas Djamaluddin, head of the Lapan Center for Climate and Atmosphere Science Implementation as saying that the explosion was due to a meteorite or bit of space junk that had entered the Earth's atmosphere. As it turns out after further analysis, the explosion was due to an asteroid about 5-10 meters (15-30 feet) in diameter exploding in the air between 15 and 20 km (nine to 12 miles) above sea level. Nobody was injured as a result of the explosion, but it evidently caused quite a scare with the local population!(...)
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Post tags: Asteroids, Earth asteroid tracking

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Bacteria Could Survive in Martian Soil

Nicholos Wethington — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:57:02 +0000

Multiple missions have been sent to Mars with the hopes of testing the surface of the planet for life – or the conditions that could create life – on the Red Planet. The question of whether life in the form of bacteria (or something even more exotic!) exists on Mars is hotly debated, and still requires a resolute yes or no. Experiments done right here on Earth that simulate the conditions on Mars and their effects on terrestrial bacteria show that it is entirely possible for certain strains of bacteria to weather the harsh environment of Mars.(...)
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