tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7511717344400525882025-11-23T05:34:31.331-08:00Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751171734440052588.post-16291068300192703252011-07-31T16:54:00.000-07:002011-07-31T16:54:00.553-07:00 <IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87851" height=580 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/2011-6046-386x580.jpg" width=386> Hoisting Solar Powered Juno atop most powerful Atlas Rocket<BR>At Space Launch Complex 41, a crane is lowered over the nose of the Atlas payload fairing enclosing the Juno spacecraft in preparation for its lift to the top of the Atlas rocket stacked in the Vertical Integration Facility. Juno is scheduled to launch Aug. 5 aboard the most powerful ever United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The solar-powered spacecraft will orbit Jupiter's poles 33 times to find out more about the gas giant's origins, structure, atmosphere and magnetosphere and investigate the existence of a solid planetary core. Credit: NASA/Cory Huston</P><P>In less than one week’s time, NASA’s $1.1 Billion Juno probe will blast off on the most powerful Atlas V rocket ever built and embark on a five year cruise to Jupiter where it will seek to elucidate the mysteries of the birth and evolution of our solar system’s largest planet and how that knowledge applies to the remaining planets. </P><P>The stage was set for Juno’s liftoff on August 5 at 11:34 a.m. after the solar-powered spacecraft was mated atop the Atlas V rocket at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral and firmly bolted in place at 10:42 a.m. EDT on July 27.</P><P>“We’re about to start our journey to Jupiter to unlock the secrets of the early solar system,” said Scott Bolton, the mission’s principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. “After eight years of development, the spacecraft is ready for its important mission.” </P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87852" height=580 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/2011-6058-386x580.jpg" width=386> Inside the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex 41, the Juno spacecraft, enclosed in an Atlas payload fairing, is in position on top of its Atlas launch vehicle. The spacecraft was prepared for launch in the Astrotech Space Operations' payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. Credit: NASA/Cory Huston</P><P>The launch window for Juno extends from Aug. 5 through Aug. 26. The launch time on Aug. 5 opens at 11:34 a.m. EDT and closes at 12:43 p.m. EDT. Juno is the second mission in NASA’s New Frontiers program. </P><P>JUNO’s three giant solar panels will unfurl about five minutes after payload separation following the launch, said Jan Chodas, Juno’s project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif.</P><P>The probe will cartwheel through space during its five year trek to Jupiter. </P><P>Upon arrival in July 2016, JUNO will fire its braking rockets and go into polar orbit and circle Jupiter 33 times over about one year. The goal is to find out more about the planets origins, interior structure and atmosphere, observe the aurora, map the intense magnetic field and investigate the existence of a solid planetary core.</P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87853" height=580 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/2011-6056-386x580.jpg" width=386> Hoisting Juno inside the payload fairing at Space Launch Complex 41. Credit: NASA/Cory Huston</P><BR>“Juno will become the first polar orbiting spacecraft at Jupiter. Not only are we over the poles, but we’re getting closer to Jupiter in our orbit than any other spacecraft has gone,” Bolton elaborated at a briefing for reporters at the Kennedy Space Center. “We’re only 5,000 kilometers above the cloud tops and so we’re skimming right over those cloud tops and we’re actually dipping down beneath the radiation belts, which is a very important thing for us. Because those radiation belts at Jupiter are the most hazardous region in the entire solar system other than going right to the sun itself.” <P>“Jupiter probably formed first. It’s the largest of all the planets and in fact it’s got more material in it than all the rest of the solar system combined. If I took everything in the solar system except the sun, it could all fit inside Jupiter. So we want to know the recipe.”</P><P>Watch for my continuing updates and on-site launch coverage of Juno, only the 2nd probe from Earth to ever orbit Jupiter. Galileo was the first.</P>Tagged as: Atlas V, Juno mission, Jupiter, radiation, solar power, Solar System, Space Exploration </P><br /><p><a href="http://www.universetoday.com/87785/juno-orbiter-mated-to-mightiest-atlas-rocket-for-aug-5-blastoff-to-jupiter/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751171734440052588.post-22916687171915753452011-07-31T15:27:00.000-07:002011-07-31T15:27:00.615-07:00 <IMG class="size-full wp-image-87794" title=ugc7342halpha height=244 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/ugc7342halpha.png" width=260> UGC 7342 in H-Alpha - Credit: Galaxy Zoo</P>It’s 28 pages long and it has been submitted to the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. It’s filled with exciting new discoveries. What is it? Try the Galaxy Zoo’s latest findings… the Great Voorwerpje Round-up! <P>“Eighteen thousand candidate active galactic nuclei. One hundred ninety-nine Zooites. A hundred fifty-four possible galaxies with clouds, of which 49 became targets for spectra. And finally, nineteen certified Voorwerpjes – giant clouds of gas ionized by a central active nucleus, like Hanny’s Voorwerp but smaller (and sometimes not all that much smaller) and dimmer.” says Bill Keel. “Of these clouds, many (including the largest) are new discoveries.”</P><P>The Galaxy Zoo has been on the hunt and what they’ve found has proved to be very exciting to the team. Says Keel: “About half of these have gas too highly ionized too far from the nucleus to account for by the nucleus we see (even including far-infrared results to tell how much radiation is being absorbed by dust), so they may be additional, less dramatic instances of the AGN fading over time spans of 100,000 years or so. This large fraction suggests that at least Seyfert nuclei may constantly be brightening and fading over times of a few hundred thousands years (a time span about which we’ve previously had almost no information).”</P><P>Their images include those taken with filters that isolate [O III] or Ha emission – even subtracting ordinary starlight. In one such image of UGC 7342, they could trace gas out to twice the estimated size of the Milky Way! This could mean the presence of an AGN. “Starlight doesn’t have enough far-ultraviolet or X-rays to make gas that highly ionized, but an active galactic nucleus does. Furthermore, the ratios of these lines let us estimate how intense this radiation is when it reaches a cloud.” comments Keel. “Even though UGC 7342 is pretty chewed up because of an interaction with at least one companion, the gas motions aren’t as chaotic as they might be – the gas isn’t orbiting retrograde or anything.”</P><P>Their research is shedding new light on Voorwerpje mysteries – giving consistencies to ionized clouds located in galaxies which are interacting or merging – and accounting for tidal disturbances. Preliminary findings also show a symmetry as well, where around 50% of the galaxies studied show two ionized clouds on opposite sides.</P><P>“Of course, we want to know more. Answers tend to multiply questions. Hubble observations are scheduled, and (with a little luck) X-ray measurements with ESA’s XMM-Newton observatory. We’ve managed to interest some of the people at ASTRON in the Netherlands in using the Westerbork array to examine the cold hydrogen around these galaxies.” says Keel. “In addition, we’re doing new observations of various samples of active and “nonactive” galaxies to look for fainter, and maybe older, gas clouds. Special thanks to everyone who participated in this project, either through the targeted hunt or the complementary forum search for clouds in galaxies not listed as AGN. Stay tuned!”</P><P>You can bet we will…</P><P>Original Story Source: Zooniverse Blog.</P><br /><p><a href="http://www.universetoday.com/87793/voorwerpje-and-away/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751171734440052588.post-53476561347902233292011-07-31T13:33:00.000-07:002011-07-31T13:33:00.553-07:00 <IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87848" height=408 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/seti21-580x408.jpg" width=580> The search for extraterrestrial intelligence could be a waste of time according to a recent statistical analysis of the likelihood of life arising spontaneously on habitable-zone exoplanets out there in the wider universe (and when have predictive statistics ever got it wrong?). Credit: SETI Institute.</P><P>History has proved time and again that mathematical modelling is no substitute for a telescope (or other data collection device). Nonetheless, some theoreticians have recently put forward a statistical analysis which suggests that life is probably very rare in the universe – despite the apparent prevalence of habitable-zone exoplanets, being found by the Kepler mission and other exoplanet search techniques.</P><P>You would be right to be skeptical, given the Bayesian analysis undertaken is based on our singular experience of abiogenesis – being the origin of life from non-life, here on Earth. Indeed, the seemingly rapid abiogenesis that occurred on Earth soon after its formation is suggested to be the clinching proof that abiogenesis on habitable-zone exoplanets must be rare. Hmm…</P><P>Bayes theorem provides a basis for estimating the likelihood that a prior assumption or hypothesis (e.g. that abiogenesis is common on habitable-zone exoplanets) is correct, using whatever evidence is available. Its usage is nicely demonstrated in solving the Monty Hall problem. </P><P>Go here for the detail, but in a nutshell:<BR>There are three doors, one with a car behind it and the other two have goats. You announce which door you will pick – knowing that it carries a 1/3 probability of hiding the car. Then Monty Hall, who knows where the car is, opens another door to reveal a goat. So, now you know that door always had a zero probability of hiding the car. So, the likelihood of the remaining door hiding the car carries the remaining 2/3 probability of the system, since there was always an absolute 1/1 probability that the car was behind one of the three doors. So, it makes more sense for you to open that remaining door, instead of the first one you picked.</EM></P><P>In this story, Monty Hall opening the door with a goat represents new data. It doesn’t allow you to definitively determine where the car is, but it does allow you to recalculate the likelihood of your prior hypothesis (that the car is behind the first door you picked) being correct.</P><P>Applying Bayesian analysis to the problem of abiogenesis on habitable-zone exoplanets is a bit of a stretch. Speigel and Turner argue that the evidence we have available to us – that life began quite soon after the Earth became habitable – contributes nothing to estimating the likelihood that life arises routinely on habitable-zone exoplanets.</P><P>We need to acknowledge the anthropic nature of the observation we are making. We are here after 3.5 billion years of evolution – which has given us the capacity to gather together the evidence that life began here 3.5 billion years ago, shortly after the Earth became habitable. But that is only because this is how things unfolded here on Earth. In the absence of more data, the apparent rapidity of abiogenesis here on Earth could just be a fluke.</P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87847" height=384 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/Stromatolitesunderwatermd2-580x384.jpg" width=580> Stromatolites - which were a fairly early form of life on Earth. Earth became inhabited by such early life shortly after it became habitable. This might seem suggestive that life is somewhat inevitable when the conditions are right. But a statistician is never going to buy such an argument when it's based on a single example.</P><P>This is a fair point, but a largely philosophical one. It informs the subsequent six pages of Spiegel and Turner’s Bayesian analysis, but it is not a conclusion of that analysis.</P><P>The authors seek to remind us that interviewing one person and finding that she or he likes baked beans does not allow us to conclude that most people like baked beans. Yes agree, but that’s just statistics – it’s not really Bayesian statistics. </P><P>If we are ever able to closely study an exoplanet that has been in a habitable state for 3.5 billion years and discover that either it has life, or that it does not – that will be equivalent to Monty Hall opening another door.</P><P>But for now, we might just be a fluke… or we might not be. We need more data.</P><P><STRONG>Further reading:</STRONG> Spiegel and Turner. Life might be rare despite its early emergence on Earth: a Bayesian analysis of the probability of abiogenesis.</P>Tagged as: Bayesian analysis </P><br /><p><a href="http://www.universetoday.com/87842/astronomy-without-a-telescope-the-unlikeliness-of-being/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751171734440052588.post-89451391250344366012011-07-31T12:15:00.000-07:002011-07-31T12:15:00.942-07:00 <IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87791" title="2010 TK7 is seen as a speck of light in the center of this image, which is the addition of three individual exposures taken with the MegaCam camera at CFHT. The telescope was tracking the motion of the asteroid, leading to the image of the stars to be trailed. With three exposures added, stars end up looking like a broken trail. Credit: C. Veillet, Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. " height=435 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/trojan-580x435.jpg" width=580> 2010 TK7 is seen as a speck of light in the center of this image, which is the addition of three individual exposures taken with the MegaCam camera at CFHT. The telescope was tracking the motion of the asteroid, leading to the image of the stars to be trailed. With three exposures added, stars end up looking like a broken trail. Credit: C. Veillet, Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope.</P><P>The first known “Trojan” asteroid in Earth’s orbit has been discovered. A Trojan asteroid shares an orbit with a larger planet or moon, but does not collide with it because it orbits around one of two Lagrangian points. Trojans sharing an orbit with Earth have been predicted but never found until now. Astronomers analyzing data from the asteroid-hunting WISE telescope – which ceased operations in February 2011 – found the asteroid, named 2010 TK7, and followup observations with the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope on Mauna Kea in Hawaii confirmed the discovery and the object’s stealthy orbit.<BR></P><P>In our solar system, we know of Trojans that share orbits with Neptune, Mars and Jupiter. Two of Saturn’s moons share orbits with Trojans. Astronomers have known that Earth Trojans would be difficult to find because they are relatively small and appear near the sun from Earth’s point of view.</P><P>But 2010 TK7 proves that Trojans associated to Earth can be found, and astronomers predict that since one has been found, perhaps they’ll find more, as we’ll learn more about their dynamics and characteristics of their population from this first one. </P><P>“These asteroids dwell mostly in the daylight, making them very hard to see,” said Martin Connors of Athabasca University in Canada, lead author of a new paper on the discovery in the July 28 issue of the journal Nature. “But we finally found one, because the object has an unusual orbit that takes it farther away from the sun than what is typical for Trojans. WISE was a game-changer, giving us a point of view difficult to have at Earth’s surface.”</P><P>The animation below shows the orbit of 2010 TK7 (green dots). </P><P>The asteroid is roughly 1,000 feet (300 meters) in diameter. It has an unusual orbit that traces a complex motion near the L4 point. However, the asteroid also moves above and below the plane. The object is about 50 million miles (80 million kilometers) from Earth. The asteroid’s orbit is well-defined and for at least the next 100 years, it will not come closer to Earth than 15 million miles (24 million kilometers).</P><P>“It’s as though Earth is playing follow the leader,” said Amy Mainzer, the principal investigator of WISE’s extended mission called NEOWISE that looked especially for Near Earth Object “Earth always is chasing this asteroid around.”</P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87792" title="Asteroid 2010 TK7 is circled in green, in this single frame taken by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA " height=435 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/neowise-trojan-580x435.jpg" width=580> Asteroid 2010 TK7 is circled in green, in this single frame taken by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA </P><P>A handful of other asteroids also have orbits similar to Earth. Such objects could make excellent candidates for future robotic or human exploration. Asteroid 2010 TK7 is not a good target because it travels too far above and below the plane of Earth’s orbit, which would require large amounts of fuel to reach it.</P><P>“This observation illustrates why NASA’s NEO Observation program funded the mission enhancement to process data collected by WISE,” said Lindley Johnson, NEOWISE program executive at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “We believed there was great potential to find objects in near-Earth space that had not been seen before.”</P><P>The WISE telescope scanned the entire sky in infrared light from January 2010 to February 2011. The NEOWISE project observed more than 155,000 asteroids in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter, and more than 500 NEOs, discovering 132 that were previously unknown.</P><P>Sources: Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, NASA</P>Tagged as: Asteroids, NEOWISE, trojan asteroids, wise telescope </P><br /><p><a href="http://www.universetoday.com/87790/earths-first-trojan-asteroid-discovered/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751171734440052588.post-86127183769389856652011-07-31T10:38:00.000-07:002011-07-31T10:38:00.500-07:00 <IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87807" title=Awaves height=580 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/Awaves-580x580.jpg" width=580> These jets, known as spicules, were captured in an SDO image on April 25, 2010. Combined with the energy from ripples in the magnetic field, they may contain enough energy to power the solar wind that streams from the sun toward Earth at 1.5 million miles per hour. Credit: NASA/SDO/AIA</P><P>Have you ever seen the hot summer wind blow across a ripening field of wheat? If so, you’re familiar with the rippling effect. Now imagine that same crop – only the stalks are 32,000 feet high and on the surface of the Sun. This cascading effect is called Alfven waves. </P><P>Thanks to NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), we’re now able to see the effect of Alfven waves, track their movements and see how much energy is being carried along. These new findings have enlightening solar researchers and may be the key to two other enigmatic solar occurrences – the intense heating of the corona to some 20 times hotter than the Sun’s surface and solar winds that blast up to 1.5 million miles per hour. </P><P>“SDO has amazing resolution so you can actually see individual waves,” says Scott McIntosh at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo. “Now we can see that instead of these waves having about 1000th the energy needed as we previously thought, it has the equivalent of about 1100W light bulb for every 11 square feet of the Sun’s surface, which is enough to heat the Sun’s atmosphere and drive the solar wind.”</P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87808" title=575168main1_spicules-670 height=385 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/575168main1spicules-670-580x385.jpg" width=580> Credit: NASA/SDO/AIA</P><P>As McIntosh points out in his July 28 Nature article, Alfven waves are pretty simple. Their movement undulates up and down the magnetic field lines similar to the way a vibration travels along a guitar string. The plasma field enveloping the Sun moves in harmony with the field lines. The SDO can “see” and track this movement. Although the scenario is much more complex, understanding the waves is key to understanding the nature of the Sun-Earth connection and other less clear cut questions such as what causes coronal heating and speeds of the solar wind.</P><P>“We know there are mechanisms that supply a huge reservoir of energy at the sun’s surface,” says space scientist Vladimir Airapetian at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. “This energy is pumped into magnetic field energy, carried up into the sun’s atmosphere and then released as heat.” But determining the details of this mechanism has long been debated. Airapetian points out that a study like this confirms Alfven waves may be part of that process, but that even with SDO we do not yet have the imaging resolution to prove it definitively.</P><P>Hannes Alfven first theorized the waves in 1942, but it wasn’t until 2007 that they were actually observed. This proved they could carry energy from the Sun’s surface to the atmosphere, but the energy was too weak to account for the corona’s high heat. This study says that those original numbers may have been underestimated. McIntosh, in collaboration with a team from Lockheed Martin, Norway’s University of Oslo, and Belgium’s Catholic University of Leuven, analyzed the great oscillations in movies from SDO’s Atmospheric Imagine Assembly (AIA) instrument captured on April 25, 2010. “Our code name for this research was ‘The Wiggles,’” says McIntosh. “Because the movies really look like the Sun was made of Jell-O wiggling back and forth everywhere. Clearly, these wiggles carry energy.”</P><P>The “wiggles” – known as spicules – were then modeled against Alfven waves and found to be a good match. Once pinpointed, the team could then could analyze the shape, speed, and energy of the waves. “The sinusoidal curves deviated outward at speeds of over 30 miles per second and repeated themselves every 150 to 550 seconds. These speeds mean the waves would be energetic enough to accelerate the fast solar wind and heat the quiet corona.” says the team. “The shortness of the repetition – known as the period of the wave – is also important. The shorter the period, the easier it is for the wave to release its energy into the coronal atmosphere, a crucial step in the process.”</P><P>According to preliminary data, the spicules leaped to coronal temperatures of at least 1.8 million degrees Fahrenheit. The pairing of Alfven waves and heat may just be what it takes to keep the corona at its current temperature… but not enough to cause radiation bursts. “Knowing there may be enough energy in the waves is only one half of the problem,” says Goddard’s Airapetian. “The next question is to find out what fraction of that energy is converted into heat. It could be all of it, or it could be 20 percent of it – so we need to know the details of that conversion.”</P><P>More study? You betcha’. And the SDO team is up to the task.</P><P>“We still don’t perfectly understand the process going on, but we’re getting better and better observations,” says McIntosh. “The next step is for people to improve the theories and models to really capture the essence of the physics that’s happening.”</P><P>Original Story Source: NASA SDO News.</P><br /><p><a href="http://www.universetoday.com/87806/amber-waves-of-energy/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751171734440052588.post-27595614347067504272011-07-31T09:24:00.000-07:002011-07-31T09:24:00.393-07:00 <P><IMG class="alignleft size-full wp-image-87828" title=causticsodapodcast-200 height=200 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/causticsodapodcast-200.png" width=200>If you’re looking for another popcultury podcast to listen to, here’s a link to the most recent episode of the Caustic Soda Podcast, featuring me. They wanted to talk about comets, meteorites and asteroids, so they thought I’d somehow be able to elevate the conversation. Did I? You be the judge. Here’s a link to the episode. Thanks guys!</P><br /><p><a href="http://www.universetoday.com/87827/fraser-on-the-caustic-soda-podcast/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751171734440052588.post-29864781182101971972011-07-31T08:09:00.000-07:002011-07-31T08:09:00.421-07:00 <IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87818" height=418 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/IMG2386bSTS-135Ken-Kremer-580x418.jpg" width=580> Remember when there was a Space Shuttle<BR>Atlantis flew the final flight of NASA’s Space Shuttle Era on the STS-135 mission and was the last flight worthy orbiter to be towed back from the Shuttle Landing Facility. Atlantis touched down on July 21, 2011 at the Kennedy Space Center. Credit: Ken Kremer</P><P>Space Shuttle Atlantis closed out NASA’s Space Shuttle Era with a safe touchdown on July 21, 2011 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at the conclusion of the STS-135 mission, the 135th and final shuttle mission.</P><P>I was extremely fortunate to be an eyewitness to history and one of the lucky few journalists permitted by NASA to follow along as Atlantis took her historic final journey back from wheels stop at Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility as a flight worthy orbiter. </P><P>A convoy of 25 specialized vehicles safe each orbiter after landing. Some four hours later, Atlantis was towed off the runway with a diesel powered tractor for about 2 miles along the tow way leading to the Orbiter Processing Facility which lies adjacent to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at KSC. </P><P>The STS-135 crew consisted of Shuttle Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim.</P><P>Check out my Towback Photo Album below, and prior album from wheels stop at the shuttle runway earlier in the day, here:</P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87817" height=406 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/IMG2306aSTS-135Ken-Kremer-580x406.jpg" width=580> Atlantis towed nose first from runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at KSC.<BR>Credit: Ken Kremer (kenkremer.com) </P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87816" height=386 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/IMG4410aSTS-135Ken-Kremer-580x386.jpg" width=580> Atlantis towback from shuttle landing strip on July 21, 2011. Credit: Ken Kremer</P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87815" height=477 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/IMG4436aSTS-135Ken-Kremer-580x477.jpg" width=580> Atlantis and post landing convoy vehicles. Credit: Ken Kremer</P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87814" height=181 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/IMG4443aSTS-135Ken-Kremer-580x181.jpg" width=580> Impressionistic Atlantis. Credit: Ken Kremer</P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87813" height=386 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/IMG2377bSTS-135Ken-Kremer-580x386.jpg" width=580> Convoy of 25 specialized vehicles tow Atlantis from the runway to the Orbiter Processing Facility.<BR>Credit: Ken Kremer</P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87812" height=568 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/IMG4451aSTS-135Ken-Kremer-580x568.jpg" width=580> Convoy crew waves to media. Credit: Ken Kremer</P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87811" height=386 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/IMG2393aKen-Kremer1-580x386.jpg" width=580> Convoy of 25 specialized vehicles tow Atlantis two miles along tow way from the runway to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Credit: Ken Kremer</P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87809" height=348 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/IMG4476aSTS-135Ken-Kremer-580x348.jpg" width=580> Atlantis heads to the Orbiter Processing Facility adjacent to Vehicle Assembly Building at KSC.<BR>Credit: Ken Kremer</P><P>Read my features about the Final Shuttle mission, STS-135:<BR>Wheels Stop ! With Awesome Atlantis on the Shuttle Runway – Photo Gallery Part 1<BR>Ghostly Landing of Atlantis Closes America’s Space Shuttle Era Forever<BR>Love of Science Drives Last Shuttle Commander – Chris Ferguson Brings Science Museum to Orbit<BR>Revolutionary Robotic Refueling Experiment Opens New Research Avenues at Space Station<BR>Water Cannon Salute trumpets recovery of Last Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters – Photo Album<BR>Shuttle Atlantis Soars to Space One Last time: Photo Album<BR>Atlantis Unveiled for Historic Final Flight amidst Stormy Weather<BR>Counting down to the Last Shuttle; Stormy weather projected<BR>Atlantis Crew Jets to Florida on Independence Day for Final Shuttle Blastoff<BR>NASA Sets July 8 for Mandatory Space Shuttle Grand Finale<BR>Final Shuttle Voyagers Conduct Countdown Practice at Florida Launch Pad<BR>Final Payload for Final Shuttle Flight Delivered to the Launch Pad<BR>Last Ever Shuttle Journeys out to the Launch Pad; Photo Gallery<BR>Atlantis Goes Vertical for the Last Time<BR>Atlantis Rolls to Vehicle Assembly Building with Final Space Shuttle Crew for July 8 Blastoff</P>Tagged as: chris ferguson, international space station, ISS, NASA, Space Shuttle, space shuttle atlantis, STS-135 </P><br /><p><a href="http://www.universetoday.com/87715/last-towback-of-a-flight-worthy-space-shuttle-atlantis-post-touchdown-photo-album/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751171734440052588.post-24600364945761008222011-07-31T07:03:00.000-07:002011-07-31T07:03:00.108-07:00 <IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87822" title="Image of the Scanning Shack Hartmann System (SSHS), a pair of large mirror test stations used to measure the mirror segments of the Webb telescope. As part of that SSHS program, several improvements were made to the wavefront sensor technology that now allow eye health instruments to be aligned more precisely. Credit: Abbott Medical Optics Inc." height=580 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/Webbscan-shack-lg-414x580.jpg" width=414> Image of the Scanning Shack Hartmann System (SSHS), a pair of large mirror test stations used to measure the mirror segments of the Webb telescope. As part of that SSHS program, several improvements were made to the wavefront sensor technology that now allow eye health instruments to be aligned more precisely. Credit: Abbott Medical Optics Inc.</P><P>Editor’s note: This NASA press release provides just one example of how developing technology for space missions often has practical, beneficial and sometimes unintended applications on Earth. </EM></P><P>Even while construction of the James Webb Space Telescope is underway on the most advanced infrared vision of any space observatory, its technologies are already proving useful to human eye health here on Earth.</P><P>“The Webb telescope program has enabled a number of improvements in measurement technology for astronomy, mirror fabrication, and measurement of human eyes, diagnosis of ocular diseases and potentially improved surgery,” said Dr. Dan Neal, Research Fellow at Abbott Medical Optics Inc. in Albuquerque, N.M.<BR><BR>The Webb telescope will be the most scientifically powerful telescope NASA has ever built — 100 times more powerful than the Hubble Space Telescope. The Webb telescope will find the first galaxies that formed in the early universe, connecting the Big Bang to our own Milky Way Galaxy. It will also peer through dusty clouds to see stars and planets being born, connecting star formation in our own galaxy with the solar system.</P><P>“The advanced wavefront sensing technology developed for testing the Webb telescope’s 18 primary mirrors led to the new applications in other areas,” said Tony Hull of L3 Integrated Optical Systems Division-Tinsley Facility in Richmond, Calif., where the Webb’s mirrors were recently polished to accuracies of less than one millionth of an inch.</P><P>“Wavefront sensing” is used to measure shape of the mirrors during fabrication and control the optics once the telescope is in orbit.</P><P>Ophthalmologists routinely use wavefront technology to measure aberrations of the eye. Those measurements help with diagnosis, research, characterization and planning treatment of eye health issues.</P><P>“The technology also provides more accurate eye measurements for people about to undergo Laser Refractive Surgery,” Neal said. “To date 10-12 million eyes have been treated with Lasik procedures in the U.S. alone. As technology improves, so does the quality of these procedures.”</P><IMG class="size-full wp-image-29057" title="James Webb Space Telescope" height=150 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/jameswebb-150x150.jpg" width=150> James Webb Space Telescope. Credit: NASA</P><P>A new “scanning and stitching” technology developed for the Webb telescope led to a number of innovative instrument concepts for more accurate measurement for contact lenses and intra-ocular lenses. Another benefit to eye health is that this technique can help “map” the topography of the eye more accurately.</P><P>Think of the surface of your eye as being as dented as the surface of the moon. Precise measurements of your eye’s surface are helpful when assessing eyes for contact lenses. The scanning and stitching technology improvements have enabled eye doctors to get much more detailed information about the shape and “topography” of your eye, and do it in seconds rather than hours. Four patents have been issued as result of innovations driven by the Webb telescope program. “These tools are now used to align and build the next generation of measuring devices for human eyes,” Neal said.</P><P>“The lasting impact of the Webb telescope may go beyond the vision of astronomers seeking to see the distant universe; the impact may be a better national technology base and better vision for people everywhere,” Hull said.</P><P>NASA’s Innovative Partnerships Program Office (IPPO) is making available wavefront sensing and adaptive optics technologies, procedures and lab equipment to private industry through its “Can you See it Now?” campaign. All of the technologies associated with the campaign are available for licensing and can be found at http://ipp.gsfc.nasa.gov/wavefront.</P>Tagged as: James Webb Space Telescope, Technology </P><br /><p><a href="http://www.universetoday.com/87821/new-webb-telescope-technologies-already-helping-human-eyes/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751171734440052588.post-59704540352542082502011-07-31T05:15:00.000-07:002011-07-31T05:15:01.528-07:00 <IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87797" title=OrionSunset height=570 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/OrionSunset-580x570.jpg" width=580> NGC 2023 - Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA </P><P>Here the stellar winds are carving out a cavity in a vast reflection nebula. It’s an area of Orion that many of us have seen before – but not like the Hubble Space Telescope reveals it. Located right next door to the famous Horsehead Nebula, NGC 2023 can be glimpsed in a telescope as a tiny patch of light that closely resembles its more famous cousin – the Orion Nebula. Spanning approximately four light years across and located some 1500 light-years from Earth, this awesome visage conjures up a peaceful picture of the setting Sun. </P><P>However, there’s no sun slipping beyond a horizon in NGC 2023. Hidden inside is a hot, newborn star illuminating the dusty cloud of gas which is its womb. Radiation pressure runs rampant from this massive young B-type star hidden just outside the edge of this image – its winds blowing the material away from it and forming the fanciful shapes we see. Caught in the act are young proto-stars awaiting their turn to be born.</P><P>Unlike our Earthly clouds, the clouds we see here are 5000 times denser than the interstellar medium. It is here where weird green clumps could be Herbig-Haro objects – the product of high-speed gases impacting the diaphanous material and creating shockwaves. Their lives are short – lasting only a few thousand years – but what an image they create! If only they could sing…</P><P>“I can’t light no more of your darkness… All my pictures seem to fade to black and white…I’m growing tired and time stands still before me… Frozen here on the ladder of my life.”</P><P>Original Story Source: Hubble News Photo Release.</P><br /><p><a href="http://www.universetoday.com/87796/peace-in-the-light-an-orion-sunset/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751171734440052588.post-14548873361843200662011-07-31T04:11:00.000-07:002011-07-31T04:12:14.876-07:00 <IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87826" title="A lenticular galaxy located about 32 million light years from Earth." height=514 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/n3115-580x514.jpg" width=580> The galaxy NGC 3115 is shown here in a composite image of data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT). Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ. of Alabama/K.Wong et al, Optical: ESO/VLT</P><P>Those who are interested in black holes are familiar with the event horizon, but the Chandra X-Ray Observatory is giving us an even more detailed look into the structure surrounding these enigmas by imaging the inflowing hot gases. Galaxy NGC 3115 contains a supermassive black hole at its heart and for the first time astronomers have evidence of a critical threshold known as the “Bondi radius”. </P><P>Located approximately 32 million light years from the Solar System in the constellation of Sextans, NGC 3115 is a prime candidate for study. Contained in its nucleus is a billion-solar-mass black hole which is stripping away hot gases from nearby stars which can be imaged in X-ray. “The Chandra data are shown in blue and the optical data from the VLT are colored gold. The point sources in the X-ray image are mostly binary stars containing gas that is being pulled from a star to a stellar-mass black hole or a neutron star. The inset features the central portion of the Chandra image, with the black hole located in the middle.” says the team. “No point source is seen at the position of the black hole, but instead a plateau of X-ray emission coming from both hot gas and the combined X-ray emission from unresolved binary stars is found.”</P><P>In order to see the machination of the black hole at work, the Chandra team eradicated the signal given off by the binary stars, separating it from the super-heated gas flow. By observing the gas at varying distances the team could then pinpoint a threshold where the gas first becomes impacted by the supermassive black hole’s gravity and begins moving towards the center. This point is known as the Bondi radius.</P><P>“As gas flows toward a black hole it becomes squeezed, making it hotter and brighter, a signature now confirmed by the X-ray observations. The researchers found the rise in gas temperature begins at about 700 light years from the black hole, giving the location of the Bondi radius.” says the Chandra team. “This suggests that the black hole in the center of NGC 3115 has a mass of about two billion times that of the Sun, supporting previous results from optical observations. This would make NGC 3115 the nearest billion-solar-mass black hole to Earth.”</P><P>Original Story Source: Chandra News Further Reading: Resolving the Bondi Accretion Flow toward the Supermassive Black Hole of NGC 3115 with Chandra.</P>Tagged as: billion-solar-mass black hole, Black Holes, Bondi radius, event horizon, NGC 3115, Physics, super-massive black holes </P><br /><p><a href="http://www.universetoday.com/87825/chandra-captures-enticing-evidence-of-black-holes-bondi-radius/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751171734440052588.post-65401135203393211542011-07-23T07:36:00.000-07:002011-07-23T07:36:00.462-07:00 <IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87659" title="Atlantis crosses the face of the Sun July 21st 2011 at 08:27:48 UT, just 21 minutes before the shuttle's deorbit burn to return to Earth. Credit: Thierry Legault. " height=362 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/atlantistlcrop-580x362.jpg" width=580> Atlantis crosses the face of the Sun July 21st 2011 at 08:27:48 UT, just 21 minutes before the shuttle's deorbit burn to return to Earth. Credit: Thierry Legault.</P><P>If you’re like me, you were probably wondering if photographer Thierry Legault would have the opportunity to photograph space shuttle Atlantis in orbit during the final mission of the shuttle program. Regular UT readers will recall that Legault has taken several amazing images of the space shuttle and International Space Station from the ground with his specialized equipment, with many spectacular views of the spacecraft transiting across the face of the Sun or the Moon. It took a mad dash across Europe, but he was successful in chasing down the shuttle, capturing it crossing the face of the Sun several times, and once — just in the nick of time (above) — just minutes before the Atlantis’ final deorbit burn. </P><P>“I went to Czech Republik, then Germany and now I’m in Netherlands, on my way back to Paris,” Legault said in a note he sent to Universe Today. “The last transit has been taken Thursday morning, just 21 minutes before the deorbit burn, therefore there are chances that is the last image of a space shuttle in orbit.”</P><P>Earlier in the mission, he was able to catch the ISS and shuttle just 50 minutes after Atlantis undocked from the station, so his images capture historic moments of the final shuttle mission.<BR></P><P>In addition, this stunning view shows Atlantis docked to the ISS:</P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87662" title="Atlantis during the STS-135 mission docked to the International Space Station, July 15, 2011. Credit: Thierry Legault. . " height=386 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/issatlantis110715crops-580x386.jpg" width=580> Atlantis during the STS-135 mission docked to the International Space Station, July 15, 2011. Credit: Thierry Legault.</P><P>Legault said this solar transit of Atlantis docked to the ISS was taken on July 15th from France (Caen, Normandy). Transit duration: 0.7s. ISS distance to observer: 520 km. Speed in orbit: 7.5km/s (27000 km/h or 17000 mph).</P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87660" title="Atlantis appears on four images as it crossed the Sun, in this composite image. Credit: Thierry Legault. Click for larger version. " height=580 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/atlantis110721composite20-580x580.jpg" width=580> Atlantis appears on four images as it crossed the Sun, in this composite image. Credit: Thierry Legault. Click for larger version</P><P>Four images of Atlantis crossing the face of the Sun taken on July 21st 2011 at 08:27:48 UT, and combined into one image. The images were taken just 21 minutes before Atlantis’ deorbit burn, from the area of Emden, NW Germany. Transit duration: 0.9s. Distance to observer: 566 km. Speed in orbit: 7.8 km/s. </P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87665" title="A Calsky image below shows the last miles of Atlantis in orbit with the transit site in Europe, the deorbit burn position and the landing site in Florida. Image courtesy Thierry Legault. " height=358 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/atlantis110721calsky-580x358.jpg" width=580> A Calsky image below shows the last miles of Atlantis in orbit with the transit site in Europe, the deorbit burn position and the landing site in Florida. Image courtesy Thierry Legault. </P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87664" title="Atlantis and the ISS side by side, 50 minutes after undocking. Credit: Theirry Legault. Click for larger version, and full version of the Sun's face. " height=483 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/issatlantis110719crop-580x483.jpg" width=580> Atlantis and the ISS side by side, 50 minutes after undocking. Credit: Theirry Legault. Click for larger version, and full version of the Sun's face.</P><P>Solar transit taken on July 19th at 7:17 UT from Czech Republik (North of Praha), showing Atlantis and the ISS side by side, 50 minutes after undocking. Transit duration: 1s. ISS distance to observer: 676 km.</P><P>Many thanks to Thierry Legault for sharing his images with Universe Today, and taking us along on the ride of his travels across Europe to capture the final space shuttle mission in a way that only he can! </P><P>See more at Thierry Legault’s website. </P>Tagged as: Atlantis, Space Shuttle, Space Station, STS-135, Thierry Legault </P><br /><p><a href="http://www.universetoday.com/87657/a-space-shuttle-on-the-sun-one-last-time/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751171734440052588.post-72304287005716831962011-07-23T06:29:00.000-07:002011-07-23T06:30:59.830-07:00 <IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87677" title="This computer-generated view based on multiple orbital observations shows Mars' Gale crater as if seen from an aircraft northwest of the crater. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/UA" height=326 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/gale-crater-landing-ellipse-580x326.jpg" width=580> This computer-generated view based on multiple orbital observations shows Mars' Gale crater as if seen from an aircraft northwest of the crater. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/UA</P><P>Its official: the Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity, will be landing Gale Crater on Mars. Scientists announced the final decision at a special event at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum Friday morning. Comparing the terrain to an enticing bowl of layered Neopolitan ice cream, the rover will land at the foot of a layered mountain inside Gale Crater. </P><P>“The science at Gale is going to be amazing and it will be a beautiful place to visit,” said Dawn Sumner, a geologist with the MSL team.<BR><BR>MSL is scheduled to launch in November 2011 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and land in August 2012. Curiosity is twice as long and more than five times as heavy as previous as the Mars Exploration rovers Spirit and Opportunity. The rover will study whether the landing region at Gale crater had favorable environmental conditions for supporting microbial life and for preserving clues about whether life ever existed.</P><P>News had leaked out a few weeks ago that Gale was the favored site, but scientists today explained what made Gale stand out among the four final candidates, which each offered their own delicious “flavor,” making the decision a difficult one. </P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87678" title="NASA has selected Gale crater as the landing site for the Mars Science Laboratory mission. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU" height=448 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/gale-crater-bw-580x448.jpg" width=580> NASA has selected Gale crater as the landing site for the Mars Science Laboratory mission. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU</P><P>“When it comes down to four landing sites, it comes down to what feels right,” said John Grotzinger, Mars Science Laboratory project scientist. “We as a science team, as a community, we got together and in the end we picked the one that felt best. Why? Here, we’ve got mountain of rocks, taller than Mount Whitney. It looks like Hawaii; it’s not a tall spire, but a broad mound. So we can actually climb up this mountain with the rover. That alone justifies sending the spacecraft there. It turns out, though, the most attractive science sites are at the base of the mountain. We can address the principle goals of the things the Mars community would like answers to.”</P><P>NASA’s strategy for Mars has been to “follow the water,” since we know that wherever there is water on Earth, there is life. Scientists are hedging their bets on Mars that wherever liquid water once flowed would be the best places to look for evidence of past habitability. </P><P>Gale has that going for it.</P><IMG class="size-full wp-image-87055" title="Gale Crater stratigraphy. Iimage courtesy Matt Golombek. " height=331 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/Gale-crater-stratigraphy.jpg" width=552> Gale Crater stratigraphy. Iimage courtesy Matt Golombek. </P><P>The portion of the crater where Curiosity will land has an alluvial fan likely formed by water-carried sediments. The layers at the base of the mountain contain clays and sulfates, both known to form in water.<BR>“It’s a huge crater sitting in a very low-elevation position on Mars, and we all know that water runs downhill,” Grotzinger said. “In terms of the total vertical profile exposed and the low elevation, Gale offers attractions similar to Mars’ famous Valles Marineris, the largest canyon in the solar system.”<BR>The scientists emphasized that MSL is not a life detection mission, as it can’t look for fossils. But it can detect organic carbon, which can tell the early environmental story of Mars, found the sediments within rocks.</P><P>Gale Crater crater spans 154 kilometers (96 miles) in diameter and is about the combined area of Connecticut and Rhode Island. The mound in the center rises 5 km (3 miles) hight and the Layering in the mound suggests it is the surviving remnant of an extensive sequence of deposits. </P><P>The crater is named for Australian astronomer Walter F. Gale.</P><P>About the size of a Mini-Cooper, Curiosity has 17 cameras and a full color video camera. The mission should offer incredible vistas that will likely wow the public, beginning with the landing, as Curiosity will take a full color, high definition movie as it descends on the “Sky Crane” landing system. </P><P>Anyone else ready for this mission to get going?</P>Tagged as: Curiosity Rover, Mars, Mars Science Laboratory, Missions </P><br /><p><a href="http://www.universetoday.com/87676/mars-science-lab-rover-will-land-in-gale-crater/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751171734440052588.post-30670386398847262422011-07-17T13:12:00.000-07:002011-07-17T13:12:01.523-07:00 <IMG class="size-full wp-image-87542" title="Delta IV Medium rocket thunders off of Cape Canaveral Air Force Stations Launch Complex 37B. Credit:: Alan Walters (awaltersphoto.com) for Universe Today. " height=768 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/delta-launch-alan-walters.jpg" width=512> Delta IV Medium rocket thunders off of Cape Canaveral Air Force Stations Launch Complex 37B. Credit:: Alan Walters (awaltersphoto.com) for Universe Today.</P><P>CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The U.S. Air Force launched the GPS IIF-2 satellite into orbit Saturday (July 16) on a mission to enhance the country’s constellation of Global Positioning System satellites. The satellite was launched atop a Delta IV Medium 4, 2 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Launch Complex 37B at 2:41 a.m. EDT. The Delta IV had been scheduled to launch two days prior but slipped one day due to a technical issue with the satellite and a second day when technicians were prevented from rolling the Mobile Service Tower or MST back because of weather.</P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87538" title=DSC_5807 height=320 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/DSC5807-580x320.jpg" width=580> The early-morning launch lit up the skies for miles around Florida's Space Coast and saw the second of twelve planned IIF satellites placed into orbit. Photo Credit: Jason Rhian</P><P><STRONG>This morning’s launch</STRONG></P><P>The rocket was provided by United Launch Alliance (ULA) and the company oversaw the liftoff. This configuration of the Delta IV Medium has two solid rocket boosters which are provided by Utah’s Alliant Techsystems (ATK). The boosters are required to provide the extra boost required to send the spacecraft into the correct orbit.</P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87537" title="DSC_5808 - Copy" height=336 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/DSC5808-Copy-580x336.jpg" width=580> A United Launch Alliance Delta IV Medium rocket thunders off of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 37B. Photo Credit: Jason Rhian</P><P>Weather was the biggest concern for the launch, but when the clock reached zero the launch vehicle thundered off of the pad in a spectacle of sound and light. The weather turned out to be a non-issue with mostly clear moonlit skies and almost no breeze. Lightning could still be seen lighting up the Florida sky off in the distance – but the summer light show only served as a backdrop for the launch.</P><P>“This is an exciting time for ULA, we are happy to have launched our 52nd mission,” said United Launch Alliance Spokesman Chris Chavez. “We’re happy to support the U.S. Air Force along with our customer and partner Boeing – it was a great launch and a great morning.”</P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87539" title=Picture2 height=385 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/Picture2-580x385.jpg" width=580> The pulse-line production method can be seen in this picture provided by Boeing. The satellite is moved through its various stations in a similar fashion as to how aircraft are produced. Photo Credit: Boeing</P><P><STRONG>The satellite</STRONG></P><P>Boeing is the prime contractor that provided the U.S. Air Force with the GPS satellite. The GPS IIF system is expected to provide next-generation performance to the GPS constellation of satellites. These abilities are considered to be vital to U.S. national security as well as maintaining the GPS constellation’s availability for civil, commercial and military requirements. The IIF is expected to provide enhanced capability and better performance.</P><P>The first GPS IIF satellite was launched in 2010. It is hoped that the pulse-line production method that is employed by Boeing will ensure that the IIF fleet is placed on orbit on schedule. This production method is very similar to how airplanes are developed. The process is named because satellites are moved from one work station to the next in a steady rhythm – similar to a pulse.</P><P>The GPS IIF-2 satellite will be utilized for both for civilian and military purposes. A new civilian L5 signal will assist with search and rescue missions, while the military will benefit from the satellite’s resistance to jamming. The satellite also has a reprogrammable processor that can receive uploads on-orbit. GPS IIF-2 has a design life of 12 years and it is hoped that it will provide long-term service will keeping operating costs low.</P><P>“The enhancements that the GPS IIF-2 satellite has should strengthen the constellation for many years to come,” said Boeing Spokesperson Angie Yoshimura. </P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87540" title=DSC_5812 height=385 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/DSC5812-580x385.jpg" width=580> Launch Complex 37B smolders after bearing the fury of the Delta IV Medium with its GPS payload. Photo Credit: Jason Rhian</P><br /><p><a href="http://www.universetoday.com/87531/ula-delta-iv-thunders-off-pad-with-gps-iif-2-satellite/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751171734440052588.post-28148591681342548052011-07-17T12:06:00.000-07:002011-07-17T12:06:00.578-07:00 <IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87544" title="A panoramic view of Earth taken from the ISS, with shuttle Atlantis docked to the station. Aurora Australis or the Southern Lights can be seen on Earth's horizon and a number of stars also are visible. Credit: NASA" height=435 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/aurora-shuttle-station-1-580x435.jpg" width=580> A panoramic view of Earth taken from the ISS, with shuttle Atlantis docked to the station. Aurora Australis or the Southern Lights can be seen on Earth's horizon and a number of stars also are visible. Credit: NASA</P><P>The STS-135 crew of space shuttle Atlantis and the Expedition 28 crew of the International Space Station were treated with great views of the Aurora Australis. Here’s one shot the crews photographed, showing a panoramic view of the station/shuttle complex along with several different astronomical beauties! The aurora shows up brightly, but what else is in the image? Looking closely –and southern hemisphere observers might recognize some objects better — but do you see the globular cluster Omega Centauri, the Coalsack Nebula and the Southern Cross? Anyone see anything else? </P><P>See below for another great aurora shot from the ISS, where the green glow shows up even better:</P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87545" title="The Southern Lights or Aurora Australis as seen from the space station and space shuttle. Credit: NASA" height=435 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/Aurora-shuttle-station-2-580x435.jpg" width=580> The Southern Lights or Aurora Australis as seen from the space station and space shuttle. Credit: NASA</P><P>These images were taken on Thursday during one of the “night” passes for the station/shuttle. The astronauts mentioned the aurora during media interviews on Friday. “We saw an incredible Southern Lights aurora,” said STS-135 pilot Doug Hurley. “It was the best one I’ve seen in my two spaceflights. It was just unbelievable, the view out the cupola.”</P><P>See larger views on NASA’s mission gallery page. </P>Tagged as: Astrophotos, Aurora Australis, Expedition 28, Space Shuttle, Space Station, STS-135 </P><br /><p><a href="http://www.universetoday.com/87543/awesome-aurora-photographed-by-shuttleiss-crews/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751171734440052588.post-11583178490840883742011-07-17T11:01:00.000-07:002011-07-17T11:01:00.746-07:00 <IMG class="size-full wp-image-3542 " title="STS-135 Tweetup" height=276 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/591484702146f3a2f0a0b.jpg" width=575> Space Tweeps Unite! NASA Tweetup participants gather at the launch clock on Friday, July 8, 2011. © NASA HQ Photo</P><P>It’s been over a week since the NASA Tweetup and I’m still thinking about it. For good reason, of course… it was awesome.</P><P>Over the course of two days I saw a capsule that had been to space and back, talked with five astronauts (one currently in orbit!), toured Kennedy Space Center, met a muppet, touched a piece of the Moon, made dozens of new friends and, of course, watched, heard and felt the launch of the last space shuttle to leave Earth. (And managed to talk my way into a delicious barbecue sandwich inside the Vehicle Assembly Building.) All with less than six hours of sleep.</P><P>Not too shabby. <IMG class=wp-smiley alt=;) src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/iconwink.gif"> </P><IMG class="size-thumbnail wp-image-3543 " title=Twent height=113 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/twent.jpg" width=175> Tweeting in the Twent</P><P>I have to say, I was very impressed with the organization by the people at NASA. From directions to getting our badges to the lovingly air-conditioned, internet-supplied and somewhat rainproof Tweetup tent (or “twent”, as it’s called) to the guest speakers and tours of Kennedy Space Center, they all did a fantastic job at making the 150 Tweetup participants (er, “tweeps”… yes, there’s a definite lingo here) feel like genuine VIPs. We had access to places that most people don’t get to see, and got to watch Atlantis launch from a location reserved for members of the press. The twent was located on the edge of the press lawn, just to the right of the big countdown clock and between the Lockheed-Martin and Boeing tents. Seeing the shuttle on the pad was as easy as stepping outside the twent and looking across the pond… we were literally closer than all the major media representatives! (And I believe we were</EM> visited first by Elmo.)</P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-3551 " title="The Launch 34b" height=129 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/the-launch-34b.jpg" width=225> Atlantis ignites! © Jason Major</P><P>What’s it like to watch a shuttle launch from the press site? In a word: <STRONG>amazing!!!</EM></STRONG> (Really, what did you think??) When the smoke and steam started billowing up from the pad, a gasp was heard from all present, followed by a cheer and then the simultaneous clicking of hundreds of cameras. This, of course, was only audible until the sound of the shuttle’s rockets crossed the 3.1 miles between the pad and the press site and quickly filled the air with a growing rumble that culminated in a deep, flapping roar that you could feel as much as hear. It was all I could do to keep my hands steady to take photos – luckily I had pre-focused and set my camera so all I had to do was adjust zoom and keep the shutter going. Every now and then I made sure I looked at what was happening with my own eyes as I didn’t want to experience the launch only through the viewfinder of a camera. Still, the actual launch happened so quickly and the shuttle passed through the clouds so soon, I only got a couple of glimpses of it as it soared upwards. But the memories of it are burned in my mind.</P><P>And, of course, I do</EM> have lots of photos.</P><P>I opted for photos rather than video because I wanted something I could print at a decent size, perhaps even on photo canvas, and I figured there’d be plenty of videos out there of the launch anyway. (And there are.)</P><P>I did shoot some video during the Tweetup, of the chat between Elmo and astronauts Mike Massimino and Doug Wheelock in the twent, of the inside of the Vehicle Assembly Building and of the retraction of the Rotating Service Structure from the shuttle – during which we were lucky enough to be in the adjacent viewing lawn!<BR><EMBED src=http://www.youtube.com/v/PRxICWSZVu0?version=3&hl=en_US width=560 height=349 type=application/x-shockwave-flash allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></EMBED></P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-3544 " title=340172953 height=150 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/340172953.jpg" width=200> Me talking with Doug Wheelock. Credit: Patty Cleveland @scienceesl</P><P>I’m not sure how to sum up the Tweetup as a cohesive story, other than that it was an experience like I’ve never had before. Being around so many other people who share one’s excitement about spaceflight and astronomy and who are all fixated on one event taking place is quite a feeling. Meeting astronauts in person is an awesome experience as well. Col. Wheelock was especially gracious to all of us, giving a first-hand account of his time aboard the space shuttle and International Space Station and informing us of what happens in the minutes before, during and after a launch, and was more than happy to take time to sign autographs and pose for photos. I got a photo with him, got his signature in my autograph book and even let him use my back as a signing table! He seemed like a genuinely nice guy, who loves what he does, and was a pleasure to meet. I also got a chance to talk with Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, who was also very nice, as well as Garrett Reisman (who now works for SpaceX developing rockets), Mike Massimino (briefly) and Expedition 29 astronaut Ron Garan via iPhone while he passed overhead aboard the ISS! Very cool.</P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-3545 " title="Atlantis at Dawn" height=225 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/atlantis-at-dawn.jpg" width=149> Atlantis on the pad before dawn, July 8 2011. © Jason Major</P><P>Ultimately luck was on our side on Friday, as Atlantis launched despite a 70% chance that the weather would not cooperate. The day before brought torrential rain and thunderstorms and the word around the site was that it wasn’t looking good for launch, but NASA seemed extra-determined to make the final flight of the shuttle program happen on time. For some reason, once I saw Atlantis lit up by those powerful spotlights early Friday morning, glowing in the distance like a holy temple of space travel – which, in a way, it was</EM> – I had a feeling it was going to take off that day. Which it did, thankfully, only two minutes later than planned at 11:29 am.</P><P>(See above for what that</EM> was like.)</P><P>Yeah. <IMG class=wp-smiley alt=:) src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/iconsmile.gif"> </P><P>Here’s some other random thoughts I have regarding the Two Days of Tweetness:</P>They don’t mess around with security at Kennedy Space Center. They know what’s going on, everywhere, as well as what time it is. If tweeps aren’t allowed in the gate until 5am, they aren’t going to let you in at 4:35am. And don’t speed in KSC. They will</EM> pull you over.The VAB is HUGE. Way huge. Picture the biggest building you have ever been in. It’s bigger than that.<P><EMBED src=http://www.youtube.com/v/EEUfYooy8Rk?version=3&hl=en_US width=560 height=349 type=application/x-shockwave-flash allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></EMBED></P>I watched a spaceship take off.When you watch the shuttle launch, it’s a dramatic, powerful event that blows your mind. Then you remember that there’s four humans riding on it, and your mind is blown even more.Kennedy Space Center is a place where they build spaceships in giant buildings surrounded by moats filled with alligators. If that’s not science fiction I don’t know what is.If you want good prices on NASA mission patches and t-shirts visit the gift shop at the Air Force Space and Missile History Museum. Same stuff, way cheaper. Tell Mary Ann I said hi.The Saturn V rocket is the biggest rocket you have ever seen. (Which makes sense, because it’s the biggest rocket ever made.)You can say you’re going to Tweet a launch, but in reality you won’t be Tweeting much because there’s no cellular service during a launch. Totally clogged up.Manatees live in the pond between the press site and the launch pad. That’s cool.Bring bug spray.And sunscreen.When people say to bring bug spray and sunscreen, do it.And when the sign says don’t drink the water on site for any reason, don’t drink the water. This goes for brewed coffee too. (It’s a long story.)The NASA cafeteria is a great place for a deli sandwich, but you better know what you want. The ladies there aren’t fooling around.There’s a lot more waiting than launching at a shuttle launch. And don’t trust the clock… NASA time is not real time. When it says there’s three hours to launch that really means seven hours to launch. Plan accordingly.Of course, there won’t be any more shuttle launches, so that’s a moot point.<P>Regardless of it being the end of the shuttle program, KSC is an awesome place to visit. I am honestly shocked that this is the first time I have ever been there, considering all the times I have been in Florida. But then again I have never been a guest of NASA like I was during the Tweetup – it’s definitely a different experience that way! Still I’d go back in a second as there’s still a lot I didn’t get a chance to see. Until then, I’ll be replaying the events of last week over and over in my mind… until then and for the rest of my life, I’m sure. Thanks to everyone at NASA who made this possible, and thanks to the great tweeps I met while I was there! We’re now part of a special group of people who shared a historic event, it’s true, but we’re also very excited to share it with as many people as we can.</P><P>Because it really was</EM> just that cool.</P><IMG class="size-full wp-image-3548 " title="The Launch 16" height=867 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/the-launch-16.jpg" width=575> STS-135 Atlantis launched at 11:29 am on July 8, 2011. I was there. © Jason Major</P><P>See more photos from the STS-135 Tweetup in the Flickr group here.</P><P>_______________________</P><P>Jason Major is a graphic designer, photo enthusiast and space blogger. Visit his website </EM>Lights in the Dark</EM> and follow him on Twitter </EM>@JPMajor</EM> or on </EM>Facebook</EM> for the most up-to-date astronomy awesomeness!</EM></P>Tagged as: Atlantis, KSC, Launch, NASA, shuttle, STS-135, Tweetup, Twitter </P><br /><p><a href="http://www.universetoday.com/87557/two-days-of-tweetness-witnessing-a-shuttle-launch/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751171734440052588.post-40707692323685428682011-07-17T09:01:00.000-07:002011-07-17T09:01:01.046-07:00 <P><IMG class="aligncenter size-thumbnail wp-image-87468" title="where in the universe 150" height=187 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/where-in-the-universe-150-250x187.jpg" width=250></P><P>Still wondering what this is — or just needing a confirmation that you were correct in your guesses? Find the answer to this week’s WITU challenge back on the original post! And check back next week for another test of your visual knowledge of the cosmos.</P>Tagged as: Where In the Universe? </P><br /><p><a href="http://www.universetoday.com/87526/answer-now-posted-for-this-weeks-where-in-the-universe-challenge/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751171734440052588.post-49013519594536528582011-07-17T07:45:00.000-07:002011-07-17T07:45:00.797-07:00 <IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87498" title=mercury_craters1 height=290 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/mercurycraters1-580x290.png" width=580> Images of craters obtained by MDIS from orbit. Left: A simple, bowl-shaped crater 4.1 km in diameter crater located at 78.8?N, 346.3?E. Solar illumination is from the south. Right: A complex crater 51.5 km in diameter located at 2.3?N, 121.4?E. Illumination is from the east. Shadows cast on a crater interior can be used to estimate the depth of a crater floor below the surrounding rim.</P><P>Getting to know a planet well is getting to know its surface features. Through measuring impact craters, planetary scientists are able to disclose information such as the origin and evolution of Mercury’s surface. We know it’s a matter of numbers, but just exactly how is it done when you can’t physically be there? </P><P>Size, shape and structure of craters is the common bond that most solar system bodies share. By understanding the physics of how they were made, researchers are able to draw conclusions through modeling. Their laboratory impact experiments and numerical simulations make judging crater qualities doable on a planetary scale. To further refine their results, it is then compared against known data for new, as well as eroded, craters. This information then gives us a clearer idea of surface properties, such as mineral deposits, soil composition, ice deposits, proportions and more. Checking out shapes and sizes on Mercury with observations obtained by the MESSENGER spacecraft are just the beginning.</P><P>Why is a Mercury crater investigation so important? Maybe because its surface gravitational acceleration (3.7 m/s2) is nearly identical to that at Mars. In this case, gravity plays an important role as the “transition diameter” is affected. According to the study, “Simple craters tend to be bowl shaped, whereas complex craters have terraced walls and can contain a central peak. If gravity were the dominant factor controlling the transition diameter, one would expect that this diameter would be similar on Mercury and Mars.” These transition diameters observed on Mercury are important because they give us clues to the Martian crust. Their differences could mean a weaker surface due to near-surface water ice.</P><IMG class="size-full wp-image-87499" title=mercury_craters2 height=414 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/mercurycraters2.jpg" width=503> An example complex crater on Mercury, ~ 55 km in diameter and centered near 63.5°N, -139?E, that has been imaged by MDIS (left) and profiled by MLA (right). A slightly larger complex crater lies along the MLA profile to the south.</P><P>The Mercury Laser Altimeter (MLA) and the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS) are hard at work providing the photo data needed to study cratering. We’re now able to get an inside look at central peaks, walls, floors and slopes. In addition, we’re getting a concise measurement of diameters. As with the Moon, researchers can make assessments as to depth by measuring the shadows. While MLA cannot always be used for these types of measurements, these fresh insights are furthering our understanding of crater properties – both on Mercury and across all holey bodies in our solar system.</P><P>Original News Source: Messenger News.</P><br /><p><a href="http://www.universetoday.com/87496/measuring-mercurys-craters/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751171734440052588.post-54477602730672927212011-07-17T06:38:00.000-07:002011-07-17T06:38:00.641-07:00 <IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87548" height=435 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/569949mainimage2004800-600-580x435.jpg" width=580> Astronuats Install Robotic Refueling Mission experiment during Shuttle Era's Final Spacewalk. Spacewalker Mike Fossum rides on the International Space Station's robotic arm as he carries the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment. This was the final scheduled spacewalk during a shuttle mission. Credit: NASA</P><P>NASA’s new Robotic Refueling Experiment (RRM) is a revolutionary technology demonstration device – brought aloft by the final shuttle mission – that will test out and prove whether existing Earth orbiting spacecraft that were never intended to be serviced can be successfully refueled and repaired robotically. </P><P>The RRM payload is a state of the art path finding experiment that promises to open exciting new avenues of station science research that potentially could save and extend the lifetime of orbiting commercial, government and military satellites valued at billions of dollars. </P><P>RRM was delivered to the International Space Station (ISS) by the four person crew of STS-135, the shuttles grand finale. The project is a joint effort between NASA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).</P><P>During the very final spacewalk of the Space Shuttle Era, RRM was temporarily installed by US astronauts Mike Fossum and Ron Garan onto a platform on the Dextre robot – the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator – which functions as a “handyman” in space. </P><P>Dextre is a two armed robot provided by CSA which is also a key component of the experiment because it enables the performance of repair and maintenance tasks at the heart of the RRM experiment. </P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87552" height=419 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/IMG9030aSTS-135Ken-Kremer-580x419.jpg" width=580> RRM wire cutter experiment tool equipped with integral camera and LED lights on display at Kennedy Space Center Press Site: Credit: Ken Kremer</P><P>The washing machine sized unit weighs 500 pounds and was tucked inside the payload bay of Space Shuttle Atlantis and attached to the Lightweight Multipurpose Carrier (LMC) for the one way trip to space.</P><P>After Atlantis departs, the RRM will be transferred to a permanent attach point on the stations truss and mounted on the Exterior Logistics Carrier 4 (ELC-4) of the million pound orbiting outpost.</P><P>RRM is NASA’s first ever such technology demonstration intended to test the feasibility of on orbit servicing operations on satellites that were not built to ever be worked upon and maintained after blasting off to space, according to Justin Cassidy, RRM Hardware Manager at the NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.</P><P>The RRM box will simulate both the satellite to be serviced and the maintenance techniques required to perform both robotic refueling and repair work. </P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87551" height=413 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/IMG8679aSTS-135Ken-Kremer-580x413.jpg" width=580> Full size Mock up of RRM box and experiment tool at KSC Press Site<BR>Equipment Tool movements and manipulations by Dextre robot are simulated by NASA Goddard RRM manager Justin Cassidy. Credit: Ken Kremer</P><P>“The Dextre robot will manipulate four specially designed ‘Tools’ stored in bays inside the RRM,” said Cassidy in an interview at the Kennedy Space Center. </P><P>Using a high fidelity RRM mockup on display at the Kennedy Space Center Press Site, Cassidy spoke to me in detail about the RRM mission and objectives. </P><P>The four unique RRM tools have heritage in the Hubble Servicing Missions and were developed at NASA Goddard; The Wire Cutter and Blanket Manipulation Tool, The Multifunction Tool, the Safety Cap Removal Tool, and the Nozzle Tool. </P><P>“Dextre will grapple the tools and move them around with its ‘hands’ to perform refueling and maintenance tasks on activity boards and simulated satellite components mounted on the exterior walls of the RRM,” Cassidy told me. “The activity boards can be swapped in the future to carry out new experiments.” </P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87553" height=386 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/IMG9137aSTS-135Ken-Kremer-580x386.jpg" width=580> High Fidelity Mock up of RRM experiment box at KSC Press Site. RRM was delivered to ISS during STS-135 mission. Credit: Ken Kremer</P><P>The RRM assignment marks the first use of Dextre beyond routine maintenance chores aboard the ISS. Indeed, the research project working with RRM is actually a new R & D function beyond what was originally planned and envisioned for Dextre, said Mathieu Caron, CSA Mission Operations manager. </P><P>Tasks planned for RRM include working on and manipulating caps, valves and screws of assorted shapes and sizes, cutting wires, adjusting thermal blankets and transferring fluids around fuel reservoirs. Ethanol will be used to simulate the flow of hydrazine fuel, said Cassidy. </P><P>“RRM will be operated by controllers on the ground at NASA Goddard, the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., and also in Canada by the Canadian Space Agency,” explained Cassidy. </P><P>Each RRM tool is equipped with integral cameras housing six built in LED’s to aid ground controllers precisely guide the tools. </P><P>“The RRM experiment phase to demonstrate robotic refueling and maintenance operations at the ISS is set to last two years and could continue for perhaps ten or more years,” said Cassidy.</P><P>President Obama asked the STS-135 crew about the RRM experiment during an Oval Office phone call from the White House to the ISS. Watch Obama’s phone call on YouTube</P><P><EMBED src=http://www.youtube.com/v/oXzkdYVzlcc?version=3 width=500 height=306 type=application/x-shockwave-flash allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></EMBED></P><P>NASA hopes that the small investment in RRM technology demonstration will pave the way for advanced follow missions and private development of commercial robotic refueling and maintenance vehicles – in the not too distant future – that will reap billions of dollars in cost savings and dividends.</P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87549" height=441 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/RRMonISS25Jun2011web-580x441.jpg" width=580> Artist concept of Robotic Refueling Mission experiment and Dextre robot (right) at work testing feasibility of satellite refueling at ISS. Credit: NASA</P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87554" height=386 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/IMG8949aSTS-135Ken-Kremer-580x386.jpg" width=580> Demonstration of wire cutter tool snipping wires and multilayer insulation (MLI). Credit: Ken Kremer</P>Tagged as: Robotic Refueling Mission, robotics, RRM, space shuttle atlantis, STS-135 </P><br /><p><a href="http://www.universetoday.com/87419/revolutionary-robotic-refueling-experiment-opens-new-research-avenues-at-space-station/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751171734440052588.post-14182576484835110162011-07-17T04:46:00.000-07:002011-07-17T04:46:00.677-07:00 <P><IMG class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-46919" title=365-days-logo2 height=256 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/365-days-logo2.png" width=328></P><P>UT writer Steve Nerlich and I have collaborated for a couple of podcasts on the 365 Days of Astronomy podcast series where we talk about our favorite space shuttle missions. We actually did the first one last year, and decided to do an encore this year with the end of the space shuttle program upon us. Give us some love and have a listen:</P><P>My Favorite Space Shuttle Missions, Part 1</P><P>My Favorite Space Shuttle Missions — Part 2</P><P>And if anyone is interested in doing their own podcast on 365 Days of Astronomy and sharing your interests in space and astronomy, there are plenty of days available throughout the rest of the year. Find out more at this link. </P>Tagged as: Podcasts, Space Shuttle </P><br /><p><a href="http://www.universetoday.com/87550/podcasts-our-favorite-space-shuttle-missions/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751171734440052588.post-79751199248319007052011-07-17T02:51:00.000-07:002011-07-17T02:51:00.745-07:00 <IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87555" height=430 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/untitled4-580x430.png" width=580> An artist's impression of gravitational waves. In reality, a single uniform massive object does not generate gravitational waves. However, a massive binary system in orbital motion, could generate dynamic pulses of gravitational energy that might be detected from Earth. Credit: NASA.</P><P>Gravitational waves have some similar properties to light. They move at the same speed in a vacuum – and with a certain frequency and amplitude. Where they differ from light is that they are not scattered or absorbed by matter, in the way that light is.</P><P>Thus, it’s likely that primordial gravitational waves, that are speculated to have been produced by the Big Bang, are still out there waiting to be detected and analyzed.</P><P>Gravitational waves have been indirectly detected via observations of pulsar PSR 1913+16, a member of a binary system, the orbit of which decays at the rate of approximately three millimetres per orbit. The inspiraling of the binary (i.e. the decay of its orbit) can only be explained by an invisible loss of energy, which we presume to be the result of gravitational waves transporting energy away from the system.</P><P>Direct observation of gravitational waves currently escapes us – but seems at least feasible by monitoring the alignment of widely separated test masses. Such monitoring systems are currently in place on Earth, including LIGO, which has test masses separated by up to four kilometres – that separation distance being monitored by lasers designed to detect tiny changes in that distance, which might result from the passage of a gravitational wave initiated from a distant point in the universe.</P><P>The passing of a gravitational wave should stretch and contract the Earth. This is not because it strikes the Earth and imparts kinetic energy to it – like an ocean wave hitting land. Instead, the Earth – which sits within space-time – has its geometry altered, so that it continues to fit the momentarily stretched and then contracted space-time within which it sits, as a gravitational wave passes.</P><IMG class="size-full wp-image-87530" height=420 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/LIGOhanfordligo.jpg" width=575> The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) Hanford installation. When you are talking gravitational wave astronomy, big is good. Credit: Caltech.</P><P>Gravitational waves are thought to be unaffected by interaction with matter and they move at the speed of light in a vacuum, regardless of whether or not they themselves are in a vacuum. They do lose amplitude (wave height) over distance, but only through attenuation. This is similar to the way that a water wave, emanating from the point of impact of a pebble dropped into a pond, loses amplitude proportionally to the square of the radius of the growing circle that it forms.</P><P>Gravity waves may also decline in frequency (i.e. increase in wavelength) over very large distances, due to the expansion of the universe – in much the same way that the wavelength of light is red-shifted by the expansion of the universe.</P><P>Given all this, the exceedingly tiny effects that are expected of the gravitational waves that may routinely pass by Earth create a substantial challenge for detection and measurement – since these tiny space-time fluctuations must be distinguished from any background noise.</P><P>The noise background for LIGO includes seismic noise (i.e. intrinsic movements of the Earth), instrument noise (i.e. temperature changes that affect the alignment of the detection equipment) and a quantum-level noise, also known as Johnson-Nyquist noise – which arises from the quantum indeterminacy of photon positions.</P><P>Kip Thorne, one of the big names in gravity wave theory and research, has apparently ironed out that last and perhaps most troublesome effect through the application of quantum non-demolition principles – which enable the measurement of something without destroying it, or without collapsing its wave function.</P><P>Nonetheless, the need for invoking quantum non-demolition principles is some indication of the exceedingly faint nature of gravitational waves – which have a generally weak signal strength (i.e. small amplitude) and low frequency (i.e. long, in fact very long</EM>, wavelength).</P><P>Where visible light may be 390 nanometres and radio light may be 3 metres in wavelength – gravitational waves are more in the order of 300 kilometres for an average supernova blast, up to 300,000 kilometres for an inspiraling black hole binary and maybe up to 3 billion light years for the primordial echoes of the Big Bang.</P><P>So, there’s a fair way to go with all this at a technological level – although proponents (as proponents are want) say that we are on the verge of our first confirmed observation of a gravitational wave – or otherwise they reckon that we have already collected the data, but don’t fully know how to interpret them yet.</P><P>This is the current quest of citizen science users of Einstein@Home – the third most popular BOINC distributed computing project after SETI@Home (spot an alien) and Rosetta@Home (fold a protein).</P><P>This article follows a public lecture delivered by Kip Thorne at the Australian National University in July 2011 – where he discussed plans for LIGO Australia and also the animated simulations of black hole collisions described in the paper below – which may provide templates to interpret the waveforms that will be detected in the future by gravitational wave observatories.</EM></P><P><STRONG>Further reading:</STRONG> Owen et al (including Thorne, K.</EM>) Frame-Dragging Vortexes and Tidal Tendexes Attached to Colliding Black Holes: Visualizing the Curvature of Spacetime.</P>Tagged as: gravitational waves; LIGO </P><br /><p><a href="http://www.universetoday.com/87529/astronomy-without-a-telescope-gravitational-waves/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751171734440052588.post-61035198491630529742011-07-17T01:29:00.000-07:002011-07-17T01:30:21.790-07:00 <P><EMBED src=http://www.youtube.com/v/oXzkdYVzlcc?version=3 width=600 height=390 type=application/x-shockwave-flash allowScriptAccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></P><P>President Barack Obama called out for pizza today and ending up talking with the crews of STS-135 and Expedition 28 on the International Space Station. Well, that was his story anyway, but he did talk with the crews, offering a challenge for commercial space companies, as well as remembering the first flight of cooperation between the US and the Soviet Union – the Apollo-Soyuz test project which launched 36 years ago today — and reiterating the challenge of sending humans to Mars. </P><P>The STS-135 crew brought a flag that was flown on STS-1, the first shuttle mission, up to the ISS. “We’ll present the flag to the space station crew and it will hopefully maintain a position of honor until the next vehicle launched from US soil brings US astronauts up to dock with the space station,” STS-135 commander Chris Ferguson told the president.</P><P>“And I understand this is going to be sort of like a capture the flag moment for commercial space flight, so good luck to whoever grabs that flag,” Obama said.<BR><BR>“That’s an excellent point sir,” Ferguson replied. “We sure hope to see some of our commercial partners climbing on board really soon. I know there’s a lot of competition out there, there’s a lot of people are fervently working towards this goal to be the first one to send a commercial astronaut into orbit.” </P><P>Shortly afterward, the SpaceX Twitter account posted: “SpaceX commencing flag capturing sequence…”</P><P>Later Obama acknowledged said that while this mission marks the final flight of the space shuttle program, “it also ushers in a new era exciting new era to push the frontiers of space exploration and human spaceflight. Crew members like you will continue to operate the ISS in the coming years and seek to use it to advance scientific research and technology development. I’ve tasked NASA with an ambitious new mission to develop the systems and the kinds of space technologies that are going to be necessary to conduct exploration beyond Earth and ultimately sending humans to Mars, which is obviously no small feat, but I know we’re going to be up to the task.” </P><P>This is the second time within a week Obama has said Mars is the ultimate goal for human spaceflight, (he also mentioned it in a statement following the successful launch of Atlantis last week), which is a slight departure from the flexible path scenario or a mission sending humans to an asteroid that he unveiled over a year ago. </P><P>Each partner in the Apollo-Soyuz Test project launched on July 15, 1972, where an Apollo capsule and Soyuz capsule met up and docked together in Earth orbit. It was the first joint U.S./Soviet space flight, and the last manned US space mission until the first Space Shuttle flight in April 1981. “It’s exciting to know that we aren’t just shaking hands 36 years later but are working everyday with partners of other nations to represent humankind coming together in space,” Obama told the crews. </P><P>Obama also recognized the people who have worked “countless hours and untold effort making the space shuttle and the International Space Station are a unique part of our history.” </P>Tagged as: Apollo-Soyuz, history, President Barack Obama, Space Flight, Space Shuttle, Space Station </P><br /><p><a href="http://www.universetoday.com/87527/obama-this-is-a-capture-the-flag-moment-for-commercial-spaceflight/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751171734440052588.post-37362581005318928212011-07-14T00:39:00.000-07:002011-07-14T00:39:00.430-07:00 <IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87400" title="Father and Son: STS-1 and STS-135. Chris Bray and his father took two similar images, 30 years apart. Image courtesy Chris Bay. Click the image to see it on Flickr." height=226 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/father-son-shuttle-launch-580x226.jpg" width=580> Father and Son: STS-1 and STS-135. Chris Bray and his father took two similar images, 30 years apart. Image courtesy Chris Bay. Click the image to see it on Flickr</P><P>Chris Bray and his father Kenneth attended the first space shuttle launch 30 years ago and even though they hadn’t seen any other launches in person since, they decided to make the journey to see the final launch to ‘bookend’ the shuttle program in their lives. Plus, they were able to take this great image of father and son at two shuttle launches, “the picture we waited 30 years to complete,” Chris Bray said. </P><P>Note the similar shirts and poses, as well as examples of the available technology of the day.</P><P>But their odyssey wasn’t without a bit of adventure!<BR><BR>“In addition to being astronomy buffs for as long as I can remember, Dad and I have been big fans and followers of the space program — including all the private endeavors,” Chris Bray told Universe Today. “We’ve only been to the two Shuttle launches. I live in NYC and he lives in NJ, so it’s not always the easiest and most convenient trip to make.”</P><P>Chris said that about a year ago when NASA started discussing the last missions, he and his father talked about how nice it would be to go to the last launch since they had attended the first.</P><P>“Dad was a jewelry designer and made some of the official shuttle pins for the early STS missions (like this one),” Chris said, “so that’s why we were down there for the first launch. We were lucky enough to get in the lottery for STS-135 and scored some tickets to the Astronaut Hall of Fame viewing site.”</P><P>“But we almost didn’t make it! Our flight out of Newark on Thursday the 7th was delayed 5 or so hours and we didn’t get to Orlando until about 2:30 am. On top of that, all the rental cars were gone and despite having a reservation for a car we had no transportation. We eventually were able to rent a 15 seat passenger van (the last available car) from a small rental company and drove straight to the site, bailing on our hotel.”</P><P>Chris said both he and his Dad are sad to see the program end, but at the same time excited about the next phase, whatever that might be.</P><P>Thanks to Chris for sharing the image with Universe Today. </P>Tagged as: launches, Space Shuttle, STS-1, STS-135 </P><br /><p><a href="http://www.universetoday.com/87398/an-image-it-took-30-years-to-complete-father-and-son-at-first-and-last-shuttle-lauch/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751171734440052588.post-25377978133907816702011-07-13T22:58:00.000-07:002011-07-13T22:58:00.367-07:00 <IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87421" title="A 3-D view of Atlantis during the RBAR pitch maneuver while approaching the space station. Credit: NASA, 3-D by Nathanial Burton-Bradford. Click for larger view on Flickr." height=580 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/3d-atlantis-flip-569x580.jpg" width=569> A 3-D view of Atlantis during the RBAR pitch maneuver while approaching the space station. Credit: NASA, 3-D by Nathanial Burton-Bradford. Click for larger view on Flickr. </P><P>Time to grab your 3-D glasses (the red/cyan kind, please) and see a couple of 3-D views of Atlantis during her final flight. Above, she’s doing the belly flip, the RBAR pitch maneuver while approaching the station, and 3-D wizard Nathanial Burton-Bradford has 3-D-ified the view. Below is a 3-D look at Atlantis’ launch. Thanks to Nathanial for sharing his images with Universe Today. See his Flickr page for more!</P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87422" title="Atlantis' final launch on July 8, 2011. Credit: NASA, 3-D by Nathanial Burton-Bradford. Click for larger view on Flickr." height=580 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/3d-atlantis-lauch-460x580.jpg" width=460> Atlantis' final launch on July 8, 2011. Credit: NASA, 3-D by Nathanial Burton-Bradford. Click for larger view on Flickr.</P>Tagged as: Space Flight, Space Shuttle, space shuttle atlantis, STS-135 </P><br /><p><a href="http://www.universetoday.com/87420/3-d-atlantis-in-flight/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751171734440052588.post-28630369177399763342011-07-13T20:59:00.000-07:002011-07-13T20:59:00.490-07:00 <IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87385" height=316 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/IMG0474aSTS-135Ken-Kremer-580x316.jpg" width=580> NASA Water Cannon Salute to recovery of the Last Shuttle SRB’s<BR>Liberty Star pictured here towed in Atlantis right SRB as pleasure boat speed by.<BR>Credit: Ken Kremer<BR>Photo Album below</P><P>NASA welcomed the very last spent Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB’s) back into port with a special water cannon salute today (July 10) at Port Canaveral, Florida. The twin boosters parachuted back to Earth after powering Atlantis’ historic final ascent to orbit for the first two minutes following blastoff of the STS-135 mission from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on July 8. </P><P>After splashdown into the Atlantic Ocean, the boosters were towed back individually by two NASA naval vessels named Freedom Star and Liberty Star. See my photo album. </P><P>This beautiful photo op is free and open to the public – and has been since the beginning of the space shuttle program 30 years ago. </P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87407" height=386 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/IMG1241aSTS-135Ken-Kremer-580x386.jpg" width=580> Freedom Star hauls in the very last spent Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster from the Atlantic Ocean to Port Canaveral. Credit: Ken Kremer </P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87384" height=383 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/IMG0444STS-135Ken-Kremer-580x383.jpg" width=580> NASA Water Cannon Tribute to recovery of the Last Shuttle SRB’s<BR>The twin SRB’s on the STS-135 mission powered the last Space Shuttle Orbiter to Space.<BR>Credit: Ken Kremer </P><P>Atlantis’ right SRB was towed back first by Liberty Star and arrived at Port Canaveral jetty at about 12 p.m. EDT. Freedom Star came in at about 11 p.m. </P><P>Both NASA ships are typically manned by a crew numbering 24 team members. The ocean retrieval normally takes about two days.</P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87401" height=339 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/IMG0841aSTS-135Ken-Kremer-580x339.jpg" width=580> Liberty Star tows last SRB’s past humongous Cruise Ships at Port Canaveral. Credit: Ken Kremer </P><P>A large crowd of onlookers – including many of us KSC press site photojournalists – were on hand to witness the water cannon blasting from the Elizabeth’s tug, owned by the Port Canaveral Port Authority, and trumpeting the procession through the port channel and eventually past several gigantic Cruise ships. </P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87408" height=386 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/IMG1262aSTS-135Ken-Kremer-580x386.jpg" width=580> Freedom Star and last SRB pass through last drawbridge on the way to the Port Canaveral locks a few yards away. Credit: Ken Kremer </P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87406" height=335 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/IMG1004aSTS-135Ken-Kremer-580x335.jpg" width=580> Liberty Star tows spent Solid Rocket Booster alongside throngs of spectators in pleasure boats. Credit: Ken Kremer </P><P>The boosters were temporarily moored at the North Turning Basin before being towed through the locks and then headed out to the AF refurbishment hanger at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. </P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87386" height=199 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/IMG0563aSTS-135Ken-Kremer-580x199.jpg" width=580> Liberty Star enters Port Canaverl jetty with Atlantis right SRB in tow from Atlantic Ocean. Credit: Ken Kremer </P><P>The water cannon tribute was specially commissioned to honor the ocean retrieval of the last shuttle SRB’s that will ever fly.</P><P>“The future of Liberty Star and Freedom Star remains to be decided,” according to KSC spokesperson Allard Beutel in an interview. “The ships are available for use. SpaceX rented out one of the ships in an attempt to retrieve the first stage of the Falcon 9 during their two launches from Cape Canaveral.” </P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87387" height=321 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/IMG0572aSTS-135Ken-Kremer-580x321.jpg" width=580> Atlantis right SRB towed into Port Canaveral. Credit: Ken Kremer </P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87396" height=346 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/IMG0647aSTS-1325Ken-Kremer-580x346.jpg" width=580> Rear view of last SRB towing from Jetty Park Pier. Credit: Ken Kremer </P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87397" height=484 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/IMG0667aSTS-135Ken-Kremer-580x484.jpg" width=580> Rear view of last SRB towing from Jetty Park Pier. Credit: Ken Kremer </P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87399" height=320 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/IMG0711aSTS-135Ken-Kremer-580x320.jpg" width=580> Hoards of spectators watch towing of Atlantis right SRB. Credit: Ken Kremer </P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87402" height=386 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/IMG0904aSTS-135Ken-Kremer-580x386.jpg" width=580> Liberty Star tows SRB through the locks at Port Canaveral as the public freely watches this fantastic space show from a few feet away. Notice the 5000 pound frustrum on the deck which houses the parachutes at the top of the booster. Credit: Ken Kremer</P><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87405" height=386 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/IMG0901aSTS-135Ken-Kremer-580x386.jpg" width=580> Recovery team at work on spent Solid Rocket Booster at Port Canaveral. Credit: Ken Kremer</P><BR><IMG class="size-medium wp-image-87411" height=439 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/IMG1375aSTS-135Ken-Kremer-580x439.jpg" width=580> Lucky photojournalists covering the ocean retrieval of the very last Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster in history (Ken Kremer 3rd from right) as Atlantis’ left side SRB passes through the locks at Port Canaveral. Credit: Ken Kremer </P><P>Read my features about the Final Shuttle mission, STS-135, here:<BR>Shuttle Atlantis Soars to Space One Last time: Photo Album<BR>Atlantis Unveiled for Historic Final Flight amidst Stormy Weather<BR>Counting down to the Last Shuttle; Stormy weather projected<BR>Atlantis Crew Jets to Florida on Independence Day for Final Shuttle Blastoff<BR>NASA Sets July 8 for Mandatory Space Shuttle Grand Finale<BR>Final Shuttle Voyagers Conduct Countdown Practice at Florida Launch Pad<BR>Final Payload for Final Shuttle Flight Delivered to the Launch Pad<BR>Last Ever Shuttle Journeys out to the Launch Pad; Photo Gallery<BR>Atlantis Goes Vertical for the Last Time<BR>Atlantis Rolls to Vehicle Assembly Building with Final Space Shuttle Crew for July 8 Blastoff</P>Tagged as: NASA, Solid Rocket Boosters, space shuttle atlantis, STS-135 </P><br /><p><a href="http://www.universetoday.com/87383/water-cannon-salute-trumpets-recovery-of-last-shuttle-solid-rocket-boosters/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-751171734440052588.post-4401662358227317222011-07-13T19:33:00.000-07:002011-07-13T19:33:01.099-07:00 <IMG class="size-full wp-image-42187" title="Artist rendering of the VASIMR powered spacecraft heading to Mars. Credit: Ad Astra" height=413 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/Bekuo3k.jpg" width=580> Artist rendering of the VASIMR powered spacecraft heading to Mars. Credit: Ad Astra</P><P>A next-generation plasma rocket being developed by former NASA astronaut Franklin Chang Diaz called the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) has been touted as a way to get astronauts to Mars in weeks rather than months, as well as an innovative, cheap way to re-boost the International Space Station. But in a biting commentary posted on Space News and the Mars Society website, “Mars Direct” advocate Robert Zubrin calls VASIMR a “hoax” saying the engine “is neither revolutionary nor particularly promising. Rather, it is just another addition to the family of electric thrusters, which convert electric power to jet thrust, but are markedly inferior to the ones we already have,” adding, “There is thus no basis whatsoever for believing in the feasibility of Chang Diaz’s fantasy power system.”<BR></P><P>The VASIMR uses plasma as a propellant. A gas is ionized using radio waves entering into a plasma state. As ions the plasma can be directed and accelerated by a magnetic field to create specific thrust. The purported advantage of the VASIMR lies in its ability to change from high impulse to low impulse thrust as needed, making it an ideal candidate for a mission beyond low Earth orbit. </P><P>Chang Diaz’ company, the Ad Astra Rocket Company successfully tested the VASIMR VX-200 plasma engine in 2009. It ran at 201 kilowatts in a vacuum chamber, passing the 200-kilowatt mark for the first time. “It’s the most powerful plasma rocket in the world right now,” said Chang-Diaz at the time. Ad Astra has signed a Space Act agreement with NASA to test a 200-kilowatt VASIMR engine on the International Space Station, reportedly in 2013.</P><P>The tests would provide periodic boosts to the space station, which gradually drops in altitude due to atmospheric drag. ISS boosts are currently provided by spacecraft with conventional thrusters, which consume about 7.5 tons of propellant per year. By cutting this amount down to 0.3 tons, Chang-Diaz estimates that VASIMR could save NASA millions of dollars per year.</P><P>For the engine to enable trips to Mars in a reported 39 days, a 10- to 20-megawatt VASIMR engine ion engine would need to be coupled with nuclear power to dramatically shorten human transit times between planets. </P><IMG class="size-full wp-image-87426" title="Robert Zubrin. Credit: The Mars Society" height=226 alt="" src="http://risioja.allalla.com/blogs/RobertZubrinbytheMarsSociety.jpg" width=225> Robert Zubrin. Credit: The Mars Society</P><P>Zubrin is the president of the Mars Society and author of the book “The Case for Mars: The Plan to Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must.” He has long touted the “Mars Direct” approach of getting humans to Mars to create a sustainable human settlement. The plan includes a series of unmanned and human flights to Mars using existing technology, as well as “living off the land” on Mars by creating rocket fuel to return to Earth, and using underground reservoirs of water on Mars. </P><P>In his commentary on VASIMR, Zubrin says, “existing ion thrusters routinely achieve 70 percent efficiency and have operated successfully both on the test stand and in space for thousands of hours. In contrast, after 30 years of research, the VASIMR has only obtained about 50 percent efficiency in test stand burns of a few seconds’ duration.”</P><P>On the ‘39 days to Mars’ claim, Zubrin says VASIMR would need to couple with a nuclear reactor system with a power of 200,000 kilowatts and a power-to-mass ratio of 1,000 watts per kilogram, while the largest space nuclear reactor ever built, the Soviet Topaz, had a power of 10 kilowatts and a power-to-mass ratio of 10 watts per kilogram.</P><P>Zubrin has invited Chang Diaz to a formal public debate the VASIMR at a Mars Society convention in Dallas next month. </P><P>Read Zubrin’s commentary on Space News or the Mars Society website. </P><P>More info: Ad Astra Rocket Company</P>Tagged as: Franklin Chang Diaz, Mars, plasma rockets, Robert Zubrin, Space Station, VASIMR </P><br /><p><a href="http://www.universetoday.com/87425/zubrin-claims-vasimr-is-a-hoax/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0