|
|
| Some Parts Need More Protecting from Radiation |
| Oct 27, 2005 - One of the hazards of human spaceflight is the radiation damage of solar storms and cosmic rays. But it turns out the different parts of the human body are more susceptible to radiation than others. Although the best protection would be to get under cover, like in a spacecraft, future spacesuits could have extra radiation protection for specific areas of the body, like the hips (to prevent bone marrow damage). (Full Story) |
|
|
|
 |
| Russian Rokot carrying the Cryosat satellite. Image credit: ESA. Click to enlarge. |
|
| Launcher Caused Cryosat Failure |
| Oct 27, 2005 - A preliminary investigation by the Russian Failure Investigation State Commission has determined that a flight control system in the Rockot's Breeze upper stage caused the loss of the ESA's Cryosat satellite. The failure occurred when the Breeze didn't generate the command to shut down the second stage's engines. The Commission will present its detailed findings on November 3, 2005 to Eurorockot and the European Space Agency. (Full Story) |
|
|
|
|
|
| When Did the Earth's Core Separate from its Shell? |
| Oct 27, 2005 - Geologists have come up with two measurements of radioactive decay to calculate when the Earth's core separated from its crust, but the problem is, these two numbers don't match. Researchers from the University of Bristol think that the giant collision that occurred early on in Earth's history - which went on to form the Moon - might have reset one of these "countdown clocks" and created the discrepancy. (Full Story) |
|
|
|
|
|
| Student-Built Satellite Launches |
| Oct 27, 2005 - A Russian Kosmos 3M launcher blasted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome this morning carrying a satellite designed and built by European university students. The Student Space Exploration and Technology Initiative (SSETI Express) satellite is about the size of a washing machine, and contains several detectors and experiments. Students working in 23 different university groups came together through the Internet to design and build the satellite. (Full Story) |
|
|
|
 |
| Ripples in Saturn's F ring caused by Prometheus' gravity. Image credit: NASA/JPL/SSI. Click to enlarge. |
|
| Prometheus' Ripples in the Rings |
| Oct 27, 2005 - This image is a mosaic of 15 photographs of Saturn's rings taken by Cassini. The strange ripples are caused by gravity from Saturn's moon Prometheus interacting with the ring particles. The ring particles closer to Prometheus move slower than the other particles, which gives the ring this ripple effect. (Full Story) |
|
|
|
|
