On Orbit - Social Space News and Networking

Government-sponsored SETI -- In The 1920's

keithcowing — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:06:25 -0800

"Here's a 1924 telegram from then Chief of U.S. Naval Operations, Edward W. Eberle, instructing all Naval stations to monitor the airwaves for any unusual transmissions due to anticipated contact from Martians. August 22nd of that year was witness to the closest Mars opposition since 1804 (a mere 55,777,566 km), and as such provided desirable conditions in which to receive radio signals from the Red Planet. The man tasked with clearing the airwaves - a Professor David Todd - somehow managed to persuade both the Army and Navy to report any findings for a three day period, but failed to silence the country's private radio broadcasters for even two days. Needless to say, the three day exercise produced nothing but static."

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Cassini Barnstorms Enceladus

keithcowing — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:42:04 -0800

Cassini captured this raw image on its Nov. 02, 2009, flyby of Enceladus. The camera was pointing toward Enceladus from approximately 10,000 kilometers (6,000 miles) away.

This image has not been validated or calibrated. A validated/calibrated image will be archived with the NASA Planetary Data System in 2010.

South Pole-based Experiment Confirms Main Model for the Cosmos

keithcowing — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:35:56 -0800

Photo Courtesy: Church Group Web site An aerial view of the QUaD telescope in the reflective ground shield at South Pole. The shield prevents interference from the ground. The experiment ran from 2005-2007, and scientists recently published results that confirm the standard model of the cosmos.

Wayne Hale's Blog: X-38: Gathering Dust

keithcowing — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:10:46 -0800

By chance I was in Omaha this week when the news was announced that the X-38 was going on display in the Strategic Air & Space Museum there. What an interesting and out of the way place to display this remarkable device. My work schedule didn't allow me the luxury of a visit to the museum, but then I've seen the X-38 up close before.

ESMO Student Moon Satellite

keithcowing — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:54:38 -0800

ESA's Education Office has awarded a contract to Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd of the UK to manage the development and testing of the first European student mission to the Moon. Launch is expected in 2013-2014.

NASA Seeks Student Payloads for High-Flying Research Balloon

keithcowing — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:26:43 -0800

NASA is accepting applications from students at U.S. colleges and universities who want to send their experiments to the edge of space on a high-flying scientific balloon.

The annual NASA project provides near space access for 12 undergraduate and graduate student experiments to be carried by a NASA high-altitude research balloon. The flights typically last 15 to 20 hours and reach an altitude of 23 miles. Experiments may include compact satellites or prototypes.

Making Uracil In The Lab

keithcowing — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:21:38 -0800

Left to right: Stefanie Milam, Michel Nuevo and Scott Sandford. Photo credit: Dominic Hart/NASA

NASA scientists studying the origin of life have reproduced uracil, a key component of our hereditary material, in the laboratory. They discovered that an ice sample containing pyrimidine exposed to ultraviolet radiation under space-like conditions produces this essential ingredient of life.

Team Lasermotive Qualifies Part of $900,000 NASA Power Beaming Prize

keithcowing — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:59:24 -0800

In their first run today and their first ever successful run in any of the NASA sponsored Power Beaming Challenge events, Team Lasermotive qualified for at least a share of the 1st level prize money of $900,000. The event also known as the Space Elevator Games has two other competing teams, USST and KC Space Pirates, who will try to duplicate Lasermotive's effort. Teams will also be vying for the 2nd level prize of $1.1 million. The competition runs for another 2 days.

Solar Winds Triggered by Magnetic Fields

keithcowing — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:00:18 -0800

University College London: Solar wind generated by the sun is probably driven by a process involving powerful magnetic fields, according to a new study led by UCL (University College London) researchers based on the latest observations from the Hinode satellite.

Impacts May Have Cooked Up Life's Components

keithcowing — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:50:50 -0800

AGU: It has been suggested that the organic matter needed for the origin of life could have been delivered to Earth through meteoritic impacts early in Earth's history, but studies have shown that most of the delivered organics would have decomposed through shock heating or aerodynamic interaction with the ambient atmosphere. However, Sugita and Schultz suggest that some of the decomposed organics could have been revived through chemical reactions between the meteoritic matter and the ambient atmosphere during hypervelocity oblique impacts.