Universe Today - December 14, 1999 |
|
the U N I V E R S E T O D A Y Space Exploration News From Around the Internet, Updated Every Weekday. December 14th, 1999 - Issue #138 http://www.universetoday.com info@universetoday.com To unsubscribe from this newsletter, just reply with only the subject line "UNSUBSCRIBE NEWSLETTER". An HTML version of this Newsletter is available at: http://www.universetoday.com/html/misc/today.html ************************************** AN ALL-NEW "MISSION CONTROL, OVER" For three decades Joe McMann, as head of the Advanced Extravehicular Activity Systems, dressed NASA's astronauts for all kinds of missions. He's a pioneer in hardsuit development and is crucial in the development of outerwear for long stays on Mars! Ask Joe all about his work in the famous Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory...and just what is a "doglock" anyway? He's one of the men who helped write the book on spacesuits and this is your chance to ask him anything you want! Check it out at: http://www.spacewatch.com/ ************************************** -- UNIVERSE TODAY STORY SUMMARY -- * Chandra Observes Galactic Cluster * Surveyor Will Help Search for Lost Lander * Solar Wind Stopped for a Day * Brazil Scraps Satellite Program CHANDRA OBSERVES GALACTIC CLUSTER ------------------------- With Hubble out of commission, the Chandra X-ray observatory is having to pick up the slack. Recently, the giant space telescope was used to observe the Hydra A galactic cluster. This object contains hundreds of galaxies colliding together, and has the material to make thousands more. http://www.astronomynow.com/breaking/9912/13chandra/index.html http://explorezone.com/archives/99_12/14_chandra_hydra.htm SURVEYOR WILL HELP SEARCH FOR LOST LANDER ------------------------- With attempts to communicate with the Mars Polar Lander unsuccessful, NASA scientists are planning to use another tool to find out what happened - the Mars Global Surveyor. Its cameras don't have the resolution to see the lander directly, but it could see the probe's 20 meter parachute, or the signs of a violent crash landing. http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_564000/564613.stm http://www.foxnews.com/science/121499/marslander.sml http://www.msnbc.com/news/304520.asp SOLAR WIND STOPPED FOR A DAY ------------------------- Normally a constant hail of particles from the Sun, the solar wind nearly stopped for two days in May of this year - the strength of the wind decreased by 30 to 50 times its normal density. Without the pressure, the Earth's magnetic field (which protects us from the solar wind) expanded to 100 times its normal size. http://www.discovery.com/news/briefs/brief2.html?ct=38569aa1 http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/earth-magnetic-99e.html BRAZIL SCRAPS SATELLITE PROGRAM ------------------------- After its second launch failure, the Brazilian government has decided to scrap the Scientific Applications Satellite (Saci) program. Space officials note, however, that this isn't the end of Brazil's overall space program - in fact, they're currently working with France to develop the next generation of satellites. http://www.foxnews.com/science/121499/brazil.sml ************************************** Space News from SpaceDaily.com for today Robot To Try Its Luck Searching For Meteorites http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/robot-99m.html Twisting With Plasma On A Magnetic Field http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/plasma-99a.html Laser Will Have The Scan On Mars http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/laser-99h.html Waging War in Space http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/milspace-99k.html Can Kermit Patch ISS http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/iss-99s.html UK Funds Astrobiology Research With MicroSat http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/life-99k.html Internet To The Village http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/internet-99a.html Surviving Deep Pressure http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/life-99j.html Magnetic Field Expands http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/earth-magnetic-99e.html Becalmed In The Solar Doldrums http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/solarwind-99a.html To unsubscribe from this newsletter, just reply with only the subject line "UNSUBSCRIBE NEWSLETTER". All contents copyright (c) 1999 Universe Today |