Posted on by Nancy Atkinson

Sources of Earth-Bombarding Cosmic Rays May Have Been Located

The cosmic ray hot spots were identified in the two red-colored regions near the constellation Orion. Courtesy John Pretz, LANL

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Last week’s announcement of a puzzling and unknown source of high energy cosmic rays bombarding the Earth is now joined by another discovery of two sources of unexpected cosmic rays from nearby regions of space. A Los Alamos National Laboratory cosmic-ray observatory has seen for the first time two distinct hot spots that appear to be bombarding Earth with an excess of cosmic rays. “These two results may be due to the same, or different, astrophysical phenomenon, said Jordan Goodman, principal investigator for the Milagro observatory, commenting on last week’s announcement by the ATIC experiment and the new discovery by his team. “However, they both suggest the presence of high-energy particle acceleration in the vicinity of the earth. Our new findings point to general locations for the localized excesses of cosmic-ray protons.” The cosmic rays appear to originate from an area in the sky near the constellation Orion.

Researchers used Los Alamos’ Milagro cosmic-ray observatory to peer into the sky above the northern hemisphere for nearly seven years starting in July 2000. The observatory is unique in that it monitors the entire sky above the northern hemisphere. Because of its design and field of view, Milagro was able to record over 200 billion cosmic-ray collisions with the Earth’s atmosphere.

Cosmic rays are high-energy particles that move through our Galaxy from sources far away. No one knows exactly where cosmic rays come from, but scientists theorize they might originate from supernovae—massive stars that explode— from quasars or perhaps from other exotic, less-understood or yet-to-be-discovered sources within the universe.

“Our observatory is unique in that we can detect events of low enough energies that we were able to record enough cosmic-ray encounters to see a statistically significant fractional excess coming from two distinct regions of the sky,” said collaborator Brenda Dingus.

Because Milagro was able to record so many cosmic-ray events, researchers for the first time were able to see statistical peaks in the number of cosmic-ray events originating from specific regions of the sky near the constellation Orion. The region with the highest hot spot of cosmic rays is a concentrated bulls eye above and to the right visually of Orion, near the constellation Taurus. The other hot spot is a comma-shaped region visually occurring near the constellation Gemini.

But the researchers cannot be sure they have precisely located the sources of the cosmic rays. “Whatever the source of the protons we observed with Milagro, their path to Earth is deflected by the magnetic field of the Milky Way so that we cannot directly tell exactly where they originate,” said Goodman. “And whether the regions of excess seen by Milagro actually point to a source of cosmic rays, or are the result of some other unknown nearby effect is an important question raised by our observations.”

A new, second-generation cosmic ray observatory has been proposed, which may be able to solve the mystery of the origin of cosmic rays. The experiment, named the High Altitude Water Cherenkov experiment (HAWC), would be built at a high-altitude site in Mexico.

Sources: UMD, Science Daily

Posted on by Nancy Atkinson

Mr. Fixit In Space Invents Zero-G Coffee Cup

Pettit and the Zero G Coffee Cup. Credit: NASA TV

I have no doubt that the astronauts on board the International Space Station and shuttle Endeavour will be able to fix the balky urine recycling water system. Why? Mr. Fixit is part of the crew.

During his stay on the ISS in 2002/2003 as part of Expedition 6, astronaut Don Pettit became well known for his Saturday Morning Science and tinkering with broken hardware. He’s also renowned among astronauts for building or fixing things with paper clips. But now as part of the STS-126 shuttle crew, he has invented something close to his heart: a zero-g coffee cup.

Like many Americans, Pettit loves his coffee. But drinking coffee from a bag just isn’t the same as sipping and savoring your morning brew. Until now, all liquids have been sipped from a bag in space because of how liquids operate in a zero gravity environment. But during his off-time on Sunday, Pettit used a piece of plastic ripped from his Flight Data File mission book and folded it into a airplane-wing shaped cup.

How does it work?

Surface tension inside the cup keeps the coffee from getting out and floating around the ISS and possibly causing problems.

“We’re no longer sipping from a bag, we can drink from a cup,” said Pettit. “With the special shape of this cup, the surface tension forces will wick the coffee up along the edge.”

The cross section of the cup looks like an airplane wing, and the narrow angle will ‘wick’ the liquid up. “This is what we use when we design fuel tanks for rockets to reignite in weightless environment,” said Pettit. “The veins in the tank will wick the fluids into the suction port. Knowing this for a fuel tank, you can make a cup, and you can enjoy sipping a cup of coffee instead of drinking from a bag.”

See a video here from on collectSPACE.

But Pettit was also busy yesterday using his tinkering skills to fix the water recycling system which will allow astronauts to convert urine, sweat and other used water into potable water. The problem with the system appears to be too much vibration from a centrifuge motor, and on Sunday Pettit removed some rubber dampers from a distillation assembly in hopes of fixing the problem. While the system ran longer than it has previously, it ultimately shut down once again.

The water recycling system is crucial for NASA’s plans to increase the station’s crew size from three to six in May 2009. NASA managers had hoped to collect test water from the urine recycling system and send samples home with the shuttle crew for testing to make sure the water is safe for drinking and cooking.. and making coffee. So, with Pettit aboard, I’m thinking the water recycling system is in good hands, and fixing it is probably a priority for him.

“I like to call it the coffee machine,” said Pettit in an interview before launch about the urine to water system. “It will take yesterday’s coffee and turn it into today’s coffee.”

Sources: collectSPACE, Space.com

Posted on by Nancy Atkinson

SpaceX Wakes Up the Neighbors

SpaceX Falcon 9 test. Credit: SpaceX

SpaceX conducted a successful full mission-length firing of its Falcon 9 launch vehicle’s first stage at its McGregor Test Facility in Texas, late Saturday evening, November 22. But the big news wasn’t the success of the firing, but the brouhaha it created with the neighboring communities. The test occurred at 10:30 pm local time, and the light and noise created by the test was unprecedented, causing a bit of panic. People said it sounded like a bomb exploding, that their house and windows shook the entire time, and one woman said her son was scared the sun was exploding. Television news reports convey the panic, and some online newspaper articles have an incredible amount of comments posted. But SpaceX has conducted over 2,000 previous engine tests and this one is the only test that prompted such a commotion … why?

SpaceX spokesperson Lauren Dryer said the weather conditions at the time of the test contributed to sound and light traveling further. “A combination of low clouds and cool temperatures drastically affected the distance the sound and light traveled,” Dryer said, making the test easier to see and hear from much farther away. She said the company has never had any previous calls or concerns with test firings, even though SpaceX has conducted more than 2,000 tests since operations began in 2003, including 10 multiple-engine tests similar to Saturday’s. SpaceX said they notified local police and fire departments about the test, put a notice in the local newspaper and even put it on the marquee of the area high school, but obviously many residents had no clue the test was going to occur. SpaceX said they will try to put out more notices about future tests as well as invite the media to cover them.

For the static test firing, the first stage remained firmly secured to a huge vertical test stand, where it fired for 178 seconds or nearly three minutes, which simulates the climb the rocket will take to Earth orbit. At full power, the rocket generated 855,000 pounds of force at sea level. In vacuum, the thrust increases to approximately one million pounds or four times the maximum thrust of a 747 aircraft. The test consumed over half a million pounds of propellant.

All nine engines fired for 160 seconds, then two engines were shut down to limit the acceleration and the remaining seven engines continued firing for 18 more seconds, as would occur in a typical climb to orbit. The test firing validated the design of SpaceX’s use of nine engines on the first stage, as well as the ability to shut down engines without affecting the functioning of the remaining engines. This demonstrates the ability of Falcon 9 to lose engines in flight and still complete its mission successfully, much as a commercial airliner is designed to be safe in the event of an engine loss. The Falcon 9 will be the first vehicle since the Saturn V and Saturn 1 to have the ability to lose any engine/motor and still be able to complete its mission without loss of crew or spacecraft.

Sources: SpaceX, Waco Tribune Herald, KXXV TV

Posted on by Nicholos Wethington

NASA Satellites ‘To Serve’ in Africa Disaster Warnings

Real-time imagery of a flood-prone region near Lake Victoria will provide information in case of disaster. Image Credit: NASA

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Outside of the scientific understanding of our Universe that comes from being a spacefaring civilization, there are many benefits to our continued presence in space. Satellites, besides their obvious benefits like research and communication, also can help keep an eye on the Earth, and are valuable tools in case of disasters such as hurricanes and floods. In other words, satellites can save lives, not to mention allow you to find your own house using Google Earth.

NASA and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) recently announced that they will be putting the tool of satellite monitoring in the hands of African countries, giving them previously inaccessible information related to floods, climate change, and other large-scale environmental factors.

NASA and USAID recently unveiled SERVIR-Africa (servir being the Spanish word for “to serve”) in Africa, a monitoring system that provides satellite imaging of the continent using existing United States satellite missions. The project has been in use in southern Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean since 2005 (thus the Spanish namesake, I’m guessing).

Dan Irwin, SERVIR project director at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala said, “SERVIR-Africa will benefit from the breadth and depth of valuable NASA Earth science satellite and model analyses. Science and technology are key, but ultimately it is the combination of local knowledge along with space-based observations that makes real time monitoring of Africa’s environment effective.”

SERVIR-Africa will provide satellite imaging via the internet to the Regional Center for Mapping of Resources for Development in Nairobi, Kenya. The center is an intergovernmental organization comprised of 15 member states in eastern and southern Africa and is already a pioneer in geospatial mapping in the region.

Data acquired from NASA’s satellites will help predict whether regions of the country are flood-prone, and map regions hit by floods to aid in rescue and cleanup efforts. It’s also possible to create an early-warning tool to predict the spread of vector-borne diseases such as Rift Valley Fever, and monitor climate change on the continent to better understand impacts on many of Africa’s diverse ecosystems. Satellite information will also be used to track urbanization, create more accurate maps and more efficiently manage natural resources.

Better information on climate and flooding will likely translate to the reduction of famine due to poor crops, and will aid in the preservation of already-damaged ecosystems in Africa.

In addition to these long-term benefits, African countries will be better equipped when responding to immediate disasters. SERVIR provided real-time data that led to warnings for specific regions in Panama when heavy rainfall caused large landslides in November 2006, and currently monitors the Alantic ocean for potential hurricanes.

Source: NASA

Posted on by Nicholos Wethington

Mars Express Maps Aurorae

If you’ve been lucky enough to ever see the aurorae (or Northern Lights) on Earth, I’m sure you’ll remember it as a spectacular sight. Fortunately, this phenomenon is not unique to the Earth: Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars all have their own unique auroae, and none of them would appear to a Martian or Venusian like those of our own planet.The SPICAM instrument aboard Mars Express first observed an auroral emission event in 2004, and has since been training its UV eyes on the planet, observing a total of nine events since.

Aurorae are created by the interaction of electrically charged particles with the atmosphere of a planet. The solar wind is made up of these charged particles, and when they pass near an orbiting planet, the magnetic field channels them along its field lines (in the case of the Earth, this occurs near the poles). When the interaction occurs, light is emitted, whether it be in the infrared, visible or ultraviolet. On Earth – which has a magnetic field created by a dynamo inside of the planet – the light is visible. Saturn’s recently discovered aurorae can emit light in the infrared, and Jupiter’s aurorae are much more complicated, emitting light in the UV.

Mars doesn’t have it’s own magnetic field, though. Large stores of magnetic rocks in the crust of Mars are scattered throughout the entire planet, and the aurorae correlate with the concentrations of these rock.

NASA
A map of Mars' many magnetic fields - they're all over the place! Image Credit: NASA

SPICAM has observed nine aurorae, all near highly magnetic locations mapped by the Mars Global Surveyor Electron Reflectometer. Though there is a strong correlation between the aurorae and magnetic locations, this isn’t absolute proof that the magnetic fields in these regions are the only cause of the aurorae, but it is rather likely.

The large magnetic field structure of the Earth accelerates the charged particles, which slam into the atmosphere and spark auroral events. The dispersed nature of the magnetic fields on Mars wouldn’t do this, which leaves scientists unsure as to how exactly the aurorae are created.
“It may be that magnetic fields on Mars connect with the solar wind, providing a road for the electrons to travel along,” said Francois Leblanc, from the Service d’Aéronomie, lead author of a paper on the aurorae observed so far, titled “Observations of aurorae by SPICAM ultraviolet spectrograph on board Mars Express: Simultaneous ASPERA-3 and MARSIS measurements” which appeared in the August 2008 Journal of Geophysical research.

The elements that create the colors we see here on Earth – molecular and atomic oxygen and molecular nitrogen – are not very abundant in the thin atmosphere of Mars. SPICAM can only see in the ultraviolet, so is not equipped to detect whether the aurorae would be visible to the human eye. So will future Martian colonists looking out of their glass-domed cities have spectacular light shows every time the Sun acts up?

“We’re not sure whether the aurorae will be bright enough to be observed at visible wavelengths,” said Leblanc.

Source: ESA

Posted on by Nancy Atkinson

Satellite Tracker Captures Lost Toolbag on Video

j Toolbag just out of the reach of Heide Stefanyshn-Piper. Credit: AP/NASA TV

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The toolbag lost by spacewalkers this past week is being tracked by satellite observers and one veteran observer actually captured the toolbag whizzing by on video! Kevin Fetter from Brockville, Ontario video-recorded the backpack-sized toolbag last night, Nov. 22 from his backyard. “It was easily 8th magnitude or brighter as it passed by the 4th magnitude star eta Pisces,” Fetter said. Check out the video here. What these “amateurs” can’t do these days! If you’d like to try to see the toolbag yourself, here’s the link to Space Weather’s Satellite Tracker, so you can find out when it will be traveling over your backyard. This site provides satellite observations times for residents of the US and Canada. The expensive toolbag floated away from Endeavour astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper during the STS-126 mission’s first spacewalk on Nov. 18th. Whoever said the toolbag was lost never to be seen again!

And just why does that toolbag cost $100,000?

Lost tool bag floats away from the ISS. Credit: NASA
Lost tool bag floats away from the ISS. Credit: NASA

“The cost included the EVA crew lock bag itself, four retractable tethers, two adjustable equipment tethers, a grease gun with a straight nozzle, two wire ties, a grease gun with a J-hook nozzle, an EVA wipe caddy, six EVA wipes (two wet, four dry), a scraper debris container, a SARJ scraper and a large trash bag,” NASA spokesman Mike Curie.

Most of that equipment and the bag are not just something you can pick up at your local hardware store. They are specialized hardware that had to be specifically created and certified for the harsh environment of space, able to work properly in a vacuum and withstand temperature swings from plus 200 degrees F (93 C) and minus 200 degrees F (-128 C).

And if you want to complain about astronauts losing things in space, then you go put on a pair of bulky, stiff gloves and a spacesuit (and a diaper) and try to do some very intricate, demanding work in zero gravity for about seven hours!

sources: SpaceWeather.com, Orlando Sentinel

Posted on by Ian O'Neill

“Wasteful” Sample Storage Box Removed from Mars Science Laboratory

The MSL - a monster amongst rovers (hopefully) (NASA)

Stern: “The Mars program is slowly committing suicide in front of our very eyes”
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NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) has been beset by technical challenges and inevitable budget overruns. The nuclear-powered rover is set for an October 2009 launch and engineers are doubling their efforts to ensure the MSL makes it to the launchpad on time. In an attempt to save money and (hopefully) time, MSL program managers have decided to remove a $2 million component from the car-sized wheeled robot. A sample storage box was conceived long after the initial MSL science goals were drawn up (a pretty controversial decision in itself), so analysed rock samples could be saved for a possible future Mars sample-return mission.

Now NASA has deemed the box “of low science value” and “wasteful” on resources that could be directed elsewhere, but outspoken critics have pointed out that by removing the box is just another component on the road to the demise of NASA’s Mars exploration program…

Wouldn’t it be great if we could dig up samples of Martian rock and launch it back to Earth? Just think about the in-depth science that could be carried out on a sample removed directly from the Mars surface. Although rovers and landers are great for in-situ experiments, you still cannot beat analysis by a scientist. Assuming infinite resources, a Mars sample return mission would be technologically possible, but in the current climate of budget cuts and overspending, it is virtually impossible. The money, quite simply, is better spent elsewhere.

So, there’s NASA constructing the most advanced rover to be sent to Mars, ever. It will be a long-term mission, powered not by sunlight but by long-lasting radioisotope thermal generators (RTGs). It will do amazing science whilst dominating the Martian landscape by day and by night. After the MSL design was drawn up, a new piece of equipment was dreamt up: a sample storage box. This may not sound very exciting, after all, its only purpose is to store rocks. Why? So a future mission can retrieve the samples and return them to Earth.

Last week, it was decided that the storage box was surplus to requirements and it will be removed from the MSL. Although it had already been built, MSL project scientist John Grotzinger (Caltech) pointed out that the instrument would have taken time away from the other instruments.

“The cache would have tied our hands to some extent,” Grotzinger said. “Now it restores our freedom.”

The MSL has run up a pricetag of over $1.5 billion, and it is expected to balloon to $2 billion by the time it launches to the Red Planet, so any excess cost should be trimmed where necessary. Alas, the storage box is low on the list of priorities and was dropped, even though $2 million had already been wasted in its development. NASA’s rationale is that more time and money will need to be put into the cache, so they may as well cut their losses.

This move isn’t a popular decision however. Ex-NASA space sciences chief Alan Stern (who resigned in March after the controversy surrounding the erroneous announcement that funds to the existing Mars rovers would be cut), is very critical of the move. “The Mars program is slowly committing suicide in front of our very eyes,” said Stern. “The only concrete step toward a sample return has been tossed after it has already been built. How does that save money?”

Indeed, this may be a signal that a sample return mission is not on the cards, certainly not involving the MSL. I would question why the sample storage box was included in the MSL at all, surely any future sample return attempt would be carried out by a devoted sample return mission? What was the motivation behind picking up rocks the MSL had analysed, only to store them for many years until a theoretical sample return robot collects the box?

When the cache was originally announced, scientists pointed out that the samples will have probably degraded by the time they are sent back anyway, so what’s the point?

Either way, the box now frees up some space on the MSL for an instrumentation cleaning station, but I can’t help but think the $2 million waste could have been prevented…

Original source: Herald Tribune

Posted on by Ian O'Neill

Spiders Adapt to Space, Weaving a Near-Perfect Web

Now that is what I call home improvement! (NASA)

[/caption]The educational experiment currently being carried out on the space station has just returned a surprise result. It would appear the two web-weaving spiders being studied have turned their fortunes around – they have scrapped their aimless 3D mess of silk and started to create the symmetrical 2D webs more commonly seen on Earth. The experiment started off a little precarious as one of the spiders went AWOL, but it would appear the pair are back and better than ever, spinning picture perfect spider webs.

This experiment, currently being studied by hundreds of K-12 students in the USA, is one of the payloads of the STS-126 shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS), dubbed the “home improvement mission.” Not to be outdone by the space walking astronauts, the little arachnid ISS passengers have decided to do some home improvements of their own…

“While y’all have been busy doing your extreme makeover, our spiders have done an extreme makeover and have torn down their first web and have made another one,” flight controllers informed the ISS crew.

“I thought we were your main entertainment, but I guess we’ve been taken over by spiders,” Michael Fincke, space station commander, said in response.

Last weeks web... a tangled mess (NASA)
Last weeks web... a tangled mess (NASA)
And what an extreme makeover these little spiders have carried out! It may have taken them a few days to adjust to the microgravity conditions in orbit, but they have turned their little enclosure into a scene more commonly recognised in nature. Only last week, the camera attached to the spider experiment revealed that although the eight-legged guests were making themselves at home, their habitat was a little chaotic. Without gravity, it appeared that spiders could not construct a “normal” web.

However, it looks like that was just the adjustment period. On Thursday, mission control noticed the web and notified the crew to take a closer look. “We noticed the spiders’ made a symmetrical web,” Fincke radioed to Mission Control on Friday. “It looks beautiful.”

This striking turn-around by the spiders will be of great interest to biologists and students alike. Although it was interesting to study how different forms of life adapt to conditions in space, I don’t think anyone was predicting such a dramatic change in fortune. I just hope the spider duo get an extra treat for their troubles.

It turns out that the space station crew not only have spiders and butterflies in space to keep them company, they also have a collection of fruit flies to feed to the busy spiders. However, having seen the animated movie “Fly Me to the Moon” in August, we already know how flies adapt to space…

Dinner. The heros from Fly Me to the Moon are on the menu
Dinner.

Source: MSNBC

Posted on by Ian O'Neill

Constellation Launch Abort System Successfully Tested (Again)

The Launch Abort System motor at full thrust (NASA)

[/caption]When the Constellation Program is completed, we’ll have a brand new generation of rocket design (Ares) and a hi-tech space ship (Orion). It only seems fair that we should also have a new kind of emergency mechanism that will carry the crew to safety should a problem during launch threaten the astronauts.

Enter the Constellation Launch Abort System, delivering a million pounds of thrust, carrying the crew a mile from any danger. Looks like it would be one hell of a ride!

Last July, I reported that the first full-scale test firing of the Orion jettison motor was successful, and it would seem the tests are continuing. Lighting up the Utah landscape, the awesome power of the Launch Abort System is abundantly clear and it looks like we are well on the road to the full-scale launch abort mock-up.

See the Orion launch abort motor in action »

Apollo pad abort test in 1965 (NASA)
Apollo pad abort test in 1965 (NASA)
In this latest series of tests, the jettison motor delivered a million pounds in thrust. This is impressive as it will quickly clear the crew of Orion from any accident during launch atop the largest rocket system designed since the Apollo Program. In fact, the Orion jettison system is an advancement of the original Apollo pad abort rocket (left).

The Constellation safety measure can be used should there be an emergency on the launch pad or as the Ares I blasts through the atmosphere. Although the experience would be a violent one (the G-force will be several times that of a normal shuttle launch), at least the crew will be carried to safety.

Source: Wired

Posted on by Ian O'Neill

Space Station Urine Recycler Breaks Down

The ISS crew might have to wait a while before waste water is purified.

[/caption]The system has only just been installed and it is already broken down. Unfortunately, the crew of the International Space Station (ISS) don’t have the luxury of returning their faulty urine recycling system to the store to replace it with a new one.

The $154 million recycler was started up just as Thursday’s space walk was ending, but it suddenly shut down for an unknown reason. Today (Friday), the crew re-started the device, only for a sensor to alert NASA that one of the motors inside was not working. NASA engineers are now working hard to establish whether this revolutionary machine has a simple glitch, or whether the motor needs to be replaced. Either way, an answer needs to be found within the next week, as a sample of recycled water needs to be transported on board Shuttle Endeavour when it returns to Earth so it can be tested…

There are currently 10 crewmembers on the ISS, working on the home improvement STS-126 mission launched by Shuttle Endeavour. STS-126 carried the much-publicised urine recycling system, a (much needed) new toilet, a new kitchen and more crew accommodation. This is all in preparation for next year’s crew expansion plans, boosting the continuous presence from three to six astronauts and cosmonauts. The increased temporary crew presence on the space station has meant the orbital outpost is a hive of activity. The ISS has even had its orbit re-boosted by the attached Endeavour, pushing the station one mile higher. On Saturday, the crew will carry out their third spacewalk of the mission.

So what has gone wrong with the waste water recycler? Unfortunately, NASA does not know, but they are on a time-crunch to get the equipment working. Endeavour is set to return to Earth on Thanksgiving (November 27th), but STS-126 commander Christopher Ferguson has said he’d be willing to modify the schedule to allow more time to get the water purifier working.

NASA engineers are working around the clock to root out the recycler problem, but so far the sensors indicate there is a fault with one of the motors. Therefore, the problem is either with the sensor itself (in which case a method will be needed to bypass it) or the motor will need to be replaced by a later shuttle mission.

The urine recycler has been under development since the 1980’s and Bob Bagdigian, project manager at Marshall Space Flight Center, has been working on the project continuously. Bagdigian even cheered the launch of Endeavour with some recycled water from the urine and sweat of Marshall employees used to test prototypes in the laboratory. The water was a 2005 vintage. Apparently the water tastes fine… just like water. That’s because it is water (purified through distillation and filtration processes).

Let’s just hope NASA works out the recycler problems within the week so the ISS crew can send that sample back to Earth for tests.

This is a prime example of how advancing our ability to live in space can affect how we live on Earth. The urine recycler is basically a miniaturized version of water treatment plants. This technology has potential spin-off applications for mobile water purification methods in poor water quality regions in draught-stricken countries.

“This technology of how to reuse our things and be careful with them is really applicable to life on planet Earth,” space station commander Mike Fincke added.

Source: Chron.com