Counting downNASAs uncertain future Nov 5, 2009
Or is staying the course and sticking with NASA's five-year-old plan to return to the moon the best strategy ... The long-term goal of exploration would shift from a high-tech replay of the Apollo moon effort to an incremental program with different, lower-gravity destinations, such as near-Earth asteroids or Martian moons ... But the Augustine panel estimated that the space agency's plan to return to the moon by 2020 would cost at least $145 billion, which is $45 billion more than originally... (MSNBC -- Technology)
Device like Star Trek replicator is in the works Nov 5, 2009
But NASA has developed a technology that could enable lunar colonists to carry out on-site manufacturing on the moon, or allow future astronauts to create critical spare parts during the long trip to Mars ... NASA's LCROSS lunar probe smashed into a crater on the south side of the moon. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Malaysia Won't Return "Allah" Bibles Nov 5, 2009
"This constitutional right (to practice freely) is rendered illusory if Christians in Malaysia are denied access to Bibles in a language with which they are familiar," the federation's chairman Bishop Ng Moon Hing said in a statement ... "New Moon," "Sherlock Holmes," "A Christmas Carol" and More Movies to Enjoy this Holiday Season. (CBS News)
SPACE PHOTOS THIS WEEK: Ares Dent, Moon Geyser, More Nov 4, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009. SHARE RELATED STORIES. (National Geographic)
EXCLUSIVE: Secrets of Google's 3-D Mars, Moon Nov 4, 2009
Michael Weiss-Malik, Product Manager, Mars in Google Earth So, Moon and Mars in Google Earth are a lot like a video game ... And in Mars and Moon it's just like that except that you can actually explore another planet and they're based on real data, so instead of exploring you know, a fake world and shooting aliens you can actually explore a real alien world, and dive in and see craters and explore and, and also read some of the human stories on those planetary bodies where you can find out how... (National Geographic)
Strange Brew at LCROSS's Crash Site Nov 4, 2009
On the plus side, the engineering team for LCROSS (short for Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite) delivered as promised, deftly driving a spent 2;-ton Centaur rocket into a target zone near the Moon's south pole only 2 miles (3; km) across ... Liquid mercury on the Moon ... Reed describes how mercury was found in lunar regolith returned by the crews of Apollos 12, 15, 16, and 17, and other work suggests it might be present in the Moon's wispy-thin exosphere. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
This Week's Sky at a Glance Nov 4, 2009
Watch in a telescope tonight as Jupiter's moon Ganymede partially occults the slightly fainter moon Europa, from 11:55 p.m. to 12:03 a.m. EDT (8:55 to 9:03 p.m. PDT) ... Jupiter's moon Io occults Europa partially from 11:38 to 11:43 p.m. EDT (8:38 to 8:43 p.m. PDT) ... Full moon (exact at 2:14 p.m. EST). (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Shuttle launch dress rehearsal wraps up amid uncertainty Nov 4, 2009
This new architecture will have the ability to go wherever we want-low Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, near-Earth objects, Lagrange points, you name it. There's also going to be a renewed emphasis on research and development. (Florida Today)
Amelia Earhart’s legacy for women Nov 4, 2009
Then Purdue alumnus Neil Armstrong landed Apollo 11 on the moon. That historic moment and the inspiration of Amelia Earhart refocused my career aspirations on the stars. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Opinion)
Italy Fined for Crucifixes in Schools Nov 4, 2009
"New Moon," "Sherlock Holmes," "A Christmas Carol" and More Movies to Enjoy this Holiday Season. Woman and Lover Allegedly Fake Kidnapping for Ransom. (CBS News)
Bad NFL tackling? It's because they don't practice Nov 4, 2009
News Tribune -Sports. The Information you need. (Jefferson City News Tribune, MO)
Discovery offers clearer picture of Mercury Nov 4, 2009
Mercury is a third the size of Earth and slightly larger than Earth's moon ... The surface looks much like the moon with steep cliffs, flat plains and deep craters. (AZCentral -- News)
Deep space objects guide Earths GPS system Nov 4, 2009
For example, Earth wobbles as it rotates due to the gravitational pull from the moon and the sun. And even seemingly minor movements, such as shift in air and ocean currents and motions in the Earth's molten core, all influence the orientation of the planet. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Coming events Nov 3, 2009
Hawaii Supreme Court Justice Ronald Moon to address members of six Rotary Clubs 7:30 a.m. Nov. 12 at Kapolei High School faculty lounge in West Oahu regarding the Kapolei Court Complex, whose construction is near completion. Information: 722-1489 (Harold Nedd). (Honolulu Advertiser)
Winner named in lunar lander X Prize contest Nov 3, 2009
The flight profile simulates what would be required to descend from lunar orbit, land on the moon and then lift off again to return to lunar orbit. NASA put up $2 million in prizes for the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge as an incentive to spur development of technology by space entrepreneurs. (OregonLive, OR -- News)
Strong Leonid meteor showers expected Nov 3, 2009
New moon on Nov. 16 will help make fainter streaks more visible ... Also a big plus in 2009 is the lack of any interference from the moon ... New moon is on Nov. 16, so skies will be dark for catching the fainter meteor streaks. (MSNBC -- Technology)
New images proof of moon landing Nov 3, 2009
NASA moon landing photos blow for conspiracy theorists ... NASA has put to bed conspiracy theories that humans never landed on the moon with the release of the first high resolution images of the lunar surface showing the lander and flags left by astronauts in the 1970s ... The area photographed is the landing spot for the last manned mission to the moon, Apollo 17, which left the lunar surface on December 14, 1972 after more than three days there. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Technology)
So She Thought: Hopefully hopeless? Or hopelessly hopeful? Nov 3, 2009
In general, I'm hopeful that everything is going to turn out OK. Admittedly, what we've seen in the last several years is not the future I had imagined in my childhood; I was kind of hoping for the scenario where we would all drive around in hovercars, live in self-cleaning houses, and enjoy an occasional lunch on the moon ... Could lunch on the moon be all that far off ... The suspicion that neither my children nor my grandchildren will live the sci-fi dreams of driving hovercars and having... (Hanford Sentinal, CA)
Skywatch: Leonid meteor shower Nov 3, 2009
Binoculars will reveal a few of its atmospheric bands, as well as its four largest moons, discovered by Galileo Galilei, the great Italian astronomer and physicist, in 1609 ... Look for Venus to the left of the crescent moon low in the southeastern sky about 30 minutes before sunrise on Nov. 15 ... During its four-day mission, Jim Lovell (who later commanded the ill-fated Apollo 13 flight) and Buzz Aldrin (who served as lunar module pilot on Apollo 11 and became the second man to walk on the... (AZCentral -- Travel)
Contests increasingly a top draw for innovators seeking challenge, recognition Nov 2, 2009
NASA s Centennial Challenges program has awarded more than $2 million since 2006 to teams that designed rocket-powered moon landers, durable gloves for astronauts, and space-faring robots ... Last month, a team led by Worcester Polytechnic Institute student Paul Ventimiglia won $500,000 in a NASA competition to build a lightweight robot that could quickly excavate and transport the rocks and dust found on the surface of the moon ... For the current round of the agency s Lunar Lander challenge,... (Boston Globe)
Looking Up: Answer the quiz, you might win a free star chart Nov 2, 2009
Which planet has a moon with rain and seas of liquid methane ... Name the first man to walk on the moon, and the date it happened ... Name one of the moons of Jupiter. (Belmont Citizen Herald, MA)
Life is an adventure Nov 1, 2009
We currently have plans to return to the moon. The way the government is doing it would take us decades. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
Soccer Highlights: Moon girls fall to Norwin Nov 1, 2009
Norwin coach Danielle Baginski said she hoped her team would play a "level-headed" playoff game against WPIAL Class AAA top-seeded Moon ... "The kids weren't afraid of Moon, despite their seeding," Baginski said. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA -- Sports)
Ariz. companies vying for slice of $50 million in NASA funds Nov 1, 2009
The company already is developing a thermal-control system and space suit for the Orion spacecraft, which NASA is developing for missions to the moon. "The bread and butter of the company is life support and thermal control in extreme environments," said co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Taber MacCallum. (AZCentral -- Business)
Leonids meteors light up November skies Nov 1, 2009
This combined with a new moon should make for a wonderful viewing experience, provided the weather cooperates. Obviously the early morning hours of any November day in Wyoming can be on the chilly side. (Casper Star-Tribune, WY)
NASA's future is on Mars Nov 1, 2009
disagrees with a plan pushed by former President George W. Bush to return to the moon with manned missions ... disagrees with a plan pushed by former President George W. Bush to return to the moon with manned missions ... Instead, the panel members said, NASA should be focusing on new, and presumably more expensive, places to explore, such as nearby asteroids or one of the moons of Mars. (Athens Banner-Herald)
Nepal's 'laptop astrologer' takes to the airwaves Nov 1, 2009
"Changes in the position of the planets affect every one of us in this world, just as the sea becomes violent on the night of a full moon," he said in an interview with AFP.. "In this day and age, you have to use the technology available to you. The knowledge is old, but you can incorporate newer ideas. It's a fusion," added Shastri, who is now working on a website to provide his service online. (Yahoo! Asia News)
2 Parachutes Malfunctioned in NASA Test Oct 31, 2009
Two of three parachutes malfunctioned in the test flight of a prototype moon rocket earlier this week, causing major damage to the booster, NASA said Friday ... The $445 million flight test was the first step in NASA's effort to return astronauts to the moon. (Time.com)
LOOKING UP: Twice the fun: Enjoy the Double Cluster Oct 31, 2009
The next clear night, before the Moon gets very bright, look north for the five easily seen stars of the W , the constellation Cassiopeia ... First Quarter Moon arrives October 25 ... Monday night, the 26th, the Moon is close to the bright planet Jupiter. (Medfield Press, MA)
Editorial roundup: Human trafficking Oct 31, 2009
disagrees with a plan pushed by former President George W. Bush to return to the moon with manned missions. Instead, the panel members said, NASA should be focusing on new, and presumably more expensive, places to explore, such as nearby asteroids or one of the moons of Mars ... We agree with at least some of the commission's report we see no urgent need to return to the moon. (Hanford Sentinal, CA)
Faulty Chutes Led to Ares Moon Rocket Damage Oct 31, 2009
Ares I-X was the first prototype of the Ares I rocket planned to carry astronauts to low-Earth orbit and the moon after the space shuttles retire. Ares I, part of NASA's Constellation program, is currently under review by the White House. (Fox News)
> read more Oct 31, 2009
Five hundred people gathered here to look at the Moon and Jupiter with our two biggest scopes (11- and 12-inch SCTs, and to learn something about Galileos life and contributions to the modern astronomy. Half of them had never seen the sky with a big telescope, including more than 100 children, who observed the Moon and Jupiter shouting "Wow," "Wonderful," "Incredible". (SkyAndTelescope.com)
How To See a Black Hole Oct 31, 2009
Yet, because of its great distance, its a mere speck against the sky, about 36 million times smaller than the full Moon ... The surprising corollary to this is that M87s black hole, if viewed from Earth, should be the same apparent size as the black hole in Sgr A* just as the Sun and the Moon appear roughly the same size, though the Sun is larger and much farther way. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
A special issue on the International Workshop of the 2008 Solar Total Eclipse Oct 31, 2009
The path of the Moon's umbral shadow started from Canada and extended across northern Greenland, the Arctic, central Russia, Mongolia, and China. A partial eclipse was seen within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which included northeastern part of North America, most parts of Europe and Asia ... Talks presented by T. Sakurai, Haimin Wang, Kiyoshi Ichimoto, Yong-Jae Moon, Frank Grupp, Mei Zhang, Robert Cameron, Hiroaki Isobe, Mats Carlsson, Kazunari Shibata, Hirohisa Hara,... (EurekAlert!)
Does God Exist...Prove it! Oct 31, 2009
Outraged wrote on Oct 17, 2009 5:01 PM:" I don't understand how anyone can't believe in GOD!!!When you look at nature and the beauty and complexity, how magnificent and complex it is how can you not???The way our moon causes the tides to move and sea life depends on these tidal movements for their existence.Watch a humming bird in flight,see his magnificent plumage!!!All these things didn't just begin with a Big Bang,it began with a Big BRAIN!!!!The way DNA is programed to replicate our... (New Iberia, LA)
Halloween sky will offer its own Great Pumpkin Oct 31, 2009
4 percent of the moon's diameter, equivalent in size to a tiny crater on the moon. An astronomical unit is the average distance from the Earth to the Sun: 93 million miles, making Mars 110 million miles from Earth. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Exploring The Final Frontier: Disease Proposed As Major Barrier To Mars And Beyond Oct 31, 2009
"Unfortunately, because spacecraft technology is way ahead of our understanding of how to maintain human health, disease-free survival after reaching Mars or establishing a colony on the Moon may be problematic." ... 14, 2008) As NASA prepares to send humans back to the moon and then on to Mars, psychologists are exploring the challenges astronauts will face on missions that will be much longer and more demanding than ... Astrophysicists found that the moon's surface becomes electrified during... (Science Daily)
U.S. stimulus buoys U.K.factory workers Oct 30, 2009
It was brilliant, we were over the moon, the 29-year-old cab assembly worker said of the first time he and his fellow workers saw the pictures ... Darren Dewis, a Modec factory worker, couldn't have been more excited to see President Obama speaking in front of his company's U.K.-built truck: It was brilliant, we were over the moon. (MSNBC -- International)
US scientist faces death for Israel spy plot Oct 30, 2009
A leading NASA scientist credited with helping discover water on the Moon has pleaded not guilty to charges he tried to sell US defence secrets to Israel for $US2 million ($2. 2 million). (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Key Process For Space Outpost Proved On 'Vomit Comet' Ride Oct 30, 2009
29, 2009) Flying high over the Gulf of Mexico, researchers from NASA and Case Western Reserve University found a key to unlocking oxygen from the surface of the moon ... But, how would the sifters work in the moon's gravity, which is about one-sixth as strong as the Earth's ... Inside the plane, the pull of gravity approximated the moon's weak gravity during the rapid drop in each arc. (Science Daily)
Fire thwarts rocket in lunar lander competition Oct 30, 2009
An unmanned private rocket attempting to win a $1 million X Prize in a simulated moon landing competition has failed to lift off in the Mojave Desert ... Panel says NASA should skip moon, fly elsewhere ... NASA needs to make a major detour on its grand plans to return astronauts to the moon, a special independent panel told the White House Thursday. (Fresno Bee -- State)
NASA moon rocket completes first test flight Oct 30, 2009
NASA's newest rocket successfully completed a brief test flight Wednesday, the first step in a back-to-the-moon program that could yet be shelved by the White House ... Liftoff, in fact, occurred 48 years and one day after the first launch of a Saturn rocket, a precursor to what carried astronauts to the moon during the Apollo program ... The Saturn V moon rockets were the tallest ever built, an impressive 363 feet. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Science)
Masten Space Systems Attempts Launch of Lunar Lander Rocket to Qualify for Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge Top Prize Oct 29, 2009
The two-level competition challenges private companies to develop and launch rocket technology that will assist in NASA's return to the Moon ... OTHER: The competition underscores the report to President Obama by the Augustine Commission, which called for increased commercial sector participation both in orbital operations and NASAs efforts to reach the Moon by 2020. (NASA Watch)
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Oct. 23, 2009 Oct 29, 2009
On the surface of it, NASA s announcement of plans to crash two spacecraft into the moon Oct. 9 appeared to be just one more in a long list of projects the U.S. was pursuing in its space program to gain knowledge about the universe. But upon reflection, the planned moon crash seems more like the kind of arrogant act that has always characterized man s existence on planet Earth: if we can see it, it must be ours, to do with whatever we choose ... But we should ask ourselves, who will speak for... (Bolton Common, MA)
Ares Rocket Launch Faces More Bad Weather Oct 29, 2009
The Ares I-X is a precursor to the rockets NASA hopes to launch with astronauts to the International Space Station and, ultimately, the moon. The White House may scrap it, however, in favor of other rockets and destinations. (CBS News)
NASA's new moon rocket makes first test flight Oct 29, 2009
-- NASA's newest rocket successfully completed a brief test flight today, the first step in a back-to-the-moon program that could yet be shelved by the White House ... The launch represented the first step in NASA's effort to return astronauts to the moon. (Albany Times Union)
Show Transcript: October 29 Oct 29, 2009
The craft is scheduled to replace the space shuttle, and might one day take astronauts to the moon, Mars and beyond. Before yesterday's launch, John Zarrella checked in with a preview of NASA's new program. (CNN -- US)
NASA launches Ares rocket Oct 29, 2009
Eventual goal with Ares I-X program is return to the moon ... The rocket's launch is part of NASA's mission to someday return astronauts to the moon and later travel to Mars. (CNN -- Tech)
Ares 1-X Rocket Launch a Soaring Success Oct 29, 2009
This rocket could eventually take man into space, back to the moon. In an actual moon launch, the second stage of the rocket will contain the liquid propellant that carries the capsule further into space, and ultimately into orbit. (Fox News)
NASA launches test rocket on second try Oct 29, 2009
- A one-of-a-kind NASA rocket soared into the Florida sky Wednesday in a brief but critical test flight of a new booster slated to launch astronauts into space and, eventually, toward the moon ... That way, NASA could focus on building a heavy-lift vehicle to take people to the moon and Mars. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Russian president backs nuclear spaceship Oct 29, 2009
The only planetary mission considered by Russia is a probe to one of Mars' twin moons, Phobos ... The Russian space agency also has weighed missions to the moon and Mars but has set no specific time frame. (MSNBC -- Technology)
The Ares Liftoff: Learning from Space Shuttle Mistakes Oct 29, 2009
Ares I is part of a family of new rockets in NASA's Constellation program, which was propelled by former President George W. Bush's 2005 space initiative to go to Mars or back to the moon ... (The program did have its disasters, though: the Apollo 1 crew perished in a launch-pad fire and Apollo 13 suffered an oxygen-tank explosion and power failure on its way to the moon. (Time.com)
By 2021, Russia plans to go nuclear in space Oct 29, 2009
He added that the development of Megawatt-class nuclear space power systems (MCNSPS) for manned spacecraft was crucial for Russia if the country wanted to maintain a competitive edge in the space race, including the exploration of the Moon and Mars ... Anatoly Koroteyev, president of the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics and head of the Keldysh research center, earlier said that the key scientific and technical problem in sending manned missions to the Moon and Mars was the development of new... (India Times, India)
Robot armies set to 'explore alien worlds Oct 29, 2009
Fink envisages the cybernetic adventurers mapping the land and seascapes of Saturn's moon, Titan. Robotic airships and satellites will fly above the surface of the distant world, commanding squadrons of wheeled rovers and floating robot boats, a development that will transform planetary exploration. (India Times, India)
NASA tests next-generation rocket Oct 29, 2009
Ares and Orion are part of Constellation, NASA's grand program to send astronauts back to the Moon by 2020, and then perhaps to Mars and other destinations. Wednesday's launch represented the first step in NASA's effort to return astronauts to the moon. (Xinhuanet, China)
I-X marks the start Oct 29, 2009
CAPE CANAVERAL CAPE CANAVERAL -- A successful six-minute test flight from Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday boosted NASA's confidence that a new moon rocket is on track to replace the shuttle, despite growing uncertainty about its future ... Seeing the first launch of a system intended to return people to the moon or beyond was emotional, he said. (Florida Today)
NASA rocket launch advances Moon mission dream Oct 29, 2009
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (AFP) - NASA successfully launched Wednesday the prototype for a new generation of space rocket, advancing its plans to return man to the Moon by 2020 ... The rocket is the prototype of the Ares I, designed to carry a new capsule-shaped crew module called the Orion into low Earth orbit for missions to the International Space Station, the Moon, and beyond ... Ares and Orion are part of Constellation, NASA's grand program to send astronauts back to the Moon by 2020, and... (Yahoo! Asia News)
Are UFOs and Aliens Real? Oct 28, 2009
Former astronaut, Dr. Edgar Mitchell, the sixth man to walk on the moon, went public with his information on ufos and stated that not only is the Roswell incident true, but also that the United States government has had ongoing contact with aliens for years. He further went on to say that the government has been covering up the existence of ufos for over 60 years. (Suite101.com)
This Week's Sky at a Glance Oct 28, 2009
Watch the Moon pass by Jupiter Sunday through Tuesday evenings. (Moon positions are for evening in North America ... During early evening for eastern North America, Jupiter's moon Ganymede occults (crosses over) Europa partially, from 8:31 to 8:40 p.m. EDT. In a telescope they'll appear to merge for a number of minutes, then separate. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
NASA scrubs Ares rocket launch Oct 28, 2009
Eventual goal with Ares I-X program is return astronauts to the moon ... The flight test is part of NASA's mission to someday return astronauts to the moon and later travel to Mars. (CNN -- Tech)
The strangest moments in space launch history Oct 28, 2009
Shepard, who died in 1998 at age 74, related the experience in the book "Moonshot," which he wrote with fellow Mercury astronaut Deke Slayton ... No one wants to get hit by lightning, but that's what happened to the massive Saturn V rocket launching the Apollo 12 mission the second manned moon landing on Nov. 14, 1969 ... The bolt did not cause serious damage and Apollo 12 went on to make a successful, pinpoint landing on the moon near an old unmanned Surveyor probe. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Second delay for Ares rocket test launch: NASA Oct 28, 2009
WASHINGTON (AFP) - NASA on Tuesday delayed the launch of the Ares I-X, a test rocket space officials hope will replace the aging space shuttle fleet and one day take astronauts to the Moon and Mars. NASA television reported that the launch had been pushed back for a second time because of inclement weather after an earlier half-hour delay, and that the anticipated launch time is now 9:24 (1324 GMT). (Yahoo! Asia News)
Microwave satellite imagery shows an eye developing in Mirinae Oct 28, 2009
This NASA AIRS microwave image of Mirinae from Oct. 27 shows the development of an eye (purple area resembling a half moon). Cold areas (yellow-green) indicate precipitation or ice in. (EurekAlert!)
NASA contractor meets with Athens Academy sixth-graders Oct 28, 2009
M.E. Eberhardt, left, and Sam Slocum work on a math problem in which Morales challenged the students to determine the size of the moon in a proportions problem ... 5 centimeters, which represented the moon; and the actual diameter of the Earth as 12,756 kilometers ... "Maybe someone in this room will be part of the mission going to Mars or to the moon. We do plan to go back to the moon in the year 2020 and to Mars by the year 2030," he said. (Athens Banner-Herald)
NASA's Ares rocket set for test flight Oct 28, 2009
The vehicles under Constellation are being designed not only to ferry astronauts to the international space station, but also to the moon and. The Ares 1-X test is the first time NASA will be able to check the stability, controllability and safety of the Ares 1 design. (CNN -- International)
