tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44005152564862345012024-03-14T01:13:50.829-07:00ASK KUIPERAskkuiper.com (Coming Soon) is slated to be an interactive Q&A space education site. The website is currently in development but a formal announcement will be sent out once the site goes live. For the time being, follow all our social media outlets to stay up-to-date with interesting space news.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00503615560408372682noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400515256486234501.post-29756500091286105352013-12-26T15:58:00.000-08:002013-12-26T15:58:10.158-08:00NASA and JAXA Announce Launch Date for Global Precipitation SatelliteDecember 17, 2013<br />
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Artist concept of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory satellite.</div>
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Image Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center</div>
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RELEASE 13-376<br />
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Environmental research and weather forecasting are about to get a significant technology boost as NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) prepare to launch a new satellite in February.<br />
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NASA and JAXA selected 1:07 p.m. to 3:07 p.m. EST Thursday, Feb. 27 (3:07 a.m. to 5:07 a.m. JST Friday, Feb. 28) as the launch date and launch window for a Japanese H-IIA rocket carrying the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory satellite from JAXA’s Tanegashima Space Center.<br />
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GPM is an international satellite mission that will provide advanced observations of rain and snowfall worldwide, several times a day to enhance our understanding of the water and energy cycles that drive Earth’s climate. The data provided by the Core Observatory will be used to calibrate precipitation measurements made by an international network of partner satellites to quantify when, where, and how much it rains or snows around the world.<br />
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“Launching this core observatory and establishing the Global Precipitation Measurement mission is vitally important for environmental research and weather forecasting,” said Michael Freilich, director of NASA’s Earth Science Division in Washington. “Knowing rain and snow amounts accurately over the whole globe is critical to understanding how weather and climate impact agriculture, fresh water availability, and responses to natural disasters.”<br />
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With the addition of the new Core Observatory, the satellites in the GPM constellation will include the NASA-National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership mission, launched in 2012; the NASA-JAXA Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), launched in 1997; and several other satellites managed by JAXA, NOAA, the U.S. Department of Defense, the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, the Centre National D’Etudies Spatiales of France and the Indian Space Research Organisation.<br />
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“We will use data from the GPM mission not only for Earth science research but to improve weather forecasting and respond to meteorological disasters,” said Shizuo Yamamoto, executive director of JAXA. “We would also like to aid other countries in the Asian region suffering from flood disasters by providing data for flood alert systems. Our dual-frequency precipitation radar, developed with unique Japanese technologies, plays a central role in the GPM mission.”<br />
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The GPM Core Observatory builds on the sensor technology developed for the TRMM mission, with two innovative new instruments. The GPM Microwave Imager, built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corp., Boulder, Colo., will observe rainfall and snowfall at 13 different frequencies. The Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar, developed by JAXA with the National Institute of Information and Communication Technology in Tokyo, transmits radar frequencies that will detect ice and light rain, as well as heavier rainfall. It also will be able to measure the size and distribution of raindrops, snowflakes and ice particles.<br />
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<b><a href="http://askkuiper.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">(Learn More at Ask Kuiper)</span></a></b><br />
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For more information on the Global Precipitation Measurement mission, visit:<br />
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<a href="http://www.nasa.gov/gpm"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">http://www.nasa.gov/gpm</span></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/gpm/index_e.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">http://www.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/gpm/index_e.html</span></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00503615560408372682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400515256486234501.post-88280700150151577932013-12-16T16:25:00.000-08:002013-12-16T16:25:58.864-08:00The death of the universe - Renée Hlozek<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://img.youtube.com/vi/mSzCS_5qtVY/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/mSzCS_5qtVY&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/mSzCS_5qtVY&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
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<br /><b>Published on Dec 12, 2013</b><br /><br />View full lesson: <a href="http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-death-of-the-universe-renee-hlozek"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-death-o...</span></a><br /><br />The shape, contents and future of the universe are all intricately related. We know that it's mostly flat; we know that it's made up of baryonic matter (like stars and planets), but mostly dark matter and dark energy; and we know that it's expanding constantly, so that all stars will eventually burn out into a cold nothingness. Renée Hlozek expands on the beauty of this dark ending.<br /><br />Lesson by Renée Hlozek, animation by Giant Animation Studios.<br /><br /><a href="http://askkuiper.com/videos/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>(See More Videos)</b></span></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00503615560408372682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400515256486234501.post-56351881215840944462013-12-16T10:04:00.000-08:002013-12-16T10:04:02.716-08:00Light waves, visible and invisible - Lucianne Walkowicz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/O0PawPSdk28?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Published on Sep 19, 2013<br /><br />View full lesson: <a href="http://ed.ted.com/lessons/light-waves-visible-and-invisible-lucianne-walkowicz"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">http://ed.ted.com/lessons/light-waves...</span></a><br /><br />Each kind of light has a unique wavelength, but human eyes can only perceive a tiny slice of the full spectrum -- the very narrow range from red to violet. Microwaves, radio waves, x-rays and more are hiding, invisible, just beyond our perception. Lucianne Walkowicz shows us the waves we can't see.<br /><br />Lesson by Lucianne Walkowicz, animation by Pew36 Animation Studios.<br /><br /><a href="http://askkuiper.com/videos/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>(See More Videos)</b></span></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00503615560408372682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400515256486234501.post-75317398384084708342013-12-16T06:55:00.000-08:002013-12-16T06:55:06.429-08:00Why extremophiles bode well for life beyond Earth - Louisa Preston<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Bsp5JYNMAQE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<br /><b>Published on Oct 7, 2013</b><br /><br />View full lesson: <a href="http://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-extremophiles-bode-well-for-life-beyond-earth-louisa-preston"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">http://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-extremo...</span></a><br /><br />Life on Earth requires three things: liquid water, a source of energy within a habitable range from the sun and organic carbon-based material. But life is surprisingly resilient, and organisms called extremophiles can be found in hostile living conditions (think extreme temperatures and little access to oxygen). Louisa Preston argues why extremophiles give astrobiologists hope for life in the universe.<br /><br />Lesson by Louisa Preston, animation by Emanuel Friberg.<div>
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<b><a href="http://askkuiper.com/videos/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">(See More Videos)</span></a></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00503615560408372682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400515256486234501.post-12689380700096186152013-12-09T06:34:00.000-08:002013-12-09T06:34:20.370-08:00Imagine Taking a Vacation to the Moon by 2043By Dave Gilbert, CNN<br />December 9, 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>England (CNN)</b> -- Imagine the delight at unwrapping your Christmas present in 2043 and discovering you've been gifted a trip around the Moon.<br /><br />It may seem a little far-fetched right now but it could become a reality if space companies like <a href="http://www.virgingalactic.com/">Virgin Galactic</a> realize their aspirations over the next 30 years or so.<br /><br />Richard Branson and his children are due to fly in his company's spaceship on its first commercial flight currently slated for 2014. But speaking to CNN outside a space conference in the UK last week, the company's CEO George Whitesides said their ambitions extended beyond sub-orbital flights for those first customers.<br /><br />"If we can make significant progress on the challenge of reusable space access then I think that opens up all kinds of opportunities in the future," he said.<br /><br />"One of the directions that might open up is high-speed point-to-point travel on Earth -- so that you could go from London to Singapore in an hour or go from London to Los Angeles in a couple of hours.<br /><br />"We may be able to open up the opportunity for habitats in low Earth orbit, we could make it more affordable to do longer term flights -- even trips around the Moon. I think he [Branson] has high aspirations for a lot of these different activities."<br /><br />Continue Learning: <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/09/tech/space-tourism/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/09/tech/space-tourism/</span></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00503615560408372682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400515256486234501.post-64180224906428678062013-12-05T14:56:00.000-08:002013-12-05T14:56:37.937-08:00Goddard Planetary Instruments Score a Hat Trick<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Dec. 5, 2013</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">Three mass spectrometers built at Goddard were operating on the same day at the moon, on Mars and en route to Mars.<br />Image Credit: NASA</td></tr>
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<br />Planetary instruments from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., hit the trifecta on Dec. 4, running three experiments of the same kind at different places in space.<br /><br />The instruments, all flying on NASA missions, are mass spectrometers, designed to take in atmospheric, rock or soil samples and identify particular molecules in them. The investigations lined up because of the operating schedules for the three, which must take turns with other instruments on their respective spacecraft.<br /><br />“At the moon and Mars and part way in between, we had three mass spectrometers happily operating in their other-worldly environments or being checked out for the first time in space on the same day,” said Paul Mahaffy, the principal investigator for the instruments.<br /><br />Goddard’s Planetary Environments Lab, headed by Mahaffy, built all three instruments. The mass spectrometers identify gases in atmospheric samples or gases that get released from rock or soil samples as they are processed. To pick out individual components in a sample, an electron beam is used to break the large molecules into smaller fragments. Then high-frequency electric fields are applied to the resulting mixture to sort the fragments by mass and electric charge, producing a fingerprint of the molecules present.<br /><br />Stationed at the moon was NASA’s Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer, or LADEE, which entered an equatorial orbit on Nov. 20 and began science operations the following day. On Dec. 4, the mission’s Neutral Mass Spectrometer was checking out the moon’s thin atmosphere. The instrument will continue to collect samples over multiple orbits with the moon in different space environments.<br /><br />En route to Mars was NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or MAVEN, mission. Launched on Nov. 18, the spacecraft is in the early cruise phase and is scheduled to arrive at the Red Planet in September 2014. The mission’s Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer was turned on for the first time on Dec. 4 and measured calibration gases in the instrument.<br /><br />Upon the spacecraft’s arrival at Mars, the instrument will study the planet’s fragile upper atmosphere, examining its composition and determining how quickly some of the gases are escaping into space over time. This information will help scientists understand what the Martian atmosphere looked like billions of years ago and how most of it has been lost since then.<br /><br />On the surface of Mars was NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory’s Curiosity rover, which carries the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite. SAM has been analyzing multiple samples of the atmosphere and soils and rocks to help scientists understand how habitable Mars was in the past.<br /><br />“With these studies, mass spectrometry is helping us piece together the histories of the moon and Mars and offers a vision of their futures,” said Mahaffy. “It’s a perfect example of how invaluable these instruments are for space science.”<br /><br />MAVEN's principal investigator is based at the University of Colorado Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics in Boulder. Goddard manages the MAVEN mission. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., built the Curiosity rover and manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project. NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field in California manages the LADEE mission.<br /><br />By Elizabeth Zubritsky, NASA<br /><br />(<a href="http://askkuiper.wordpress.com/wp-admin/www.nasa.gov"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">www.nasa.gov</span></a>)<div>
<br /><b>Related article</b><br /><a href="http://askkuiper.wordpress.com/2013/12/04/nasa-alien-atmospheres/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">NASA | Alien Atmospheres</span></a> (askkuiper.wordpress.com)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00503615560408372682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400515256486234501.post-18842714704877997772013-12-03T16:48:00.000-08:002013-12-03T16:48:34.003-08:00Laser communication mission targets 2017 launchDecember 3, 2013<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">This is an artist rendering of the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration hosted aboard a Space Systems Loral commercial communications satellite.<br />Credit: Space Systems/Loral</td></tr>
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NASA's next laser communication mission recently passed a Preliminary Design Review (PDR), another major milestone towards the launch of the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) scheduled for 2017.<br /><br />The PDR is a major agency evaluation milestone of the engineering plan to execute the build and launch of LCRD onboard a Space Systems Loral commercial satellite. "The board concluded that the LCRD review was a resounding success," said Tupper Hyde, chairperson of the PDR. "They met all review success criteria and the LCRD team is ready to proceed with mission plans to conduct this ground-breaking demonstration."<br /><br />The LCRD project is NASA's first long duration optical communications mission. This demonstration will build from NASA's highly successful Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration (LLCD) mission. LCRD will conduct a two-year demonstration of optical relay services to determine how well the system operates and collect long-term performance data. The Goddard team leads the project with significant support from MIT Lincoln Laboratory, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Space Systems/Loral (SSL).<br /><br />Continue Learning: <a href="http://phys.org/news/2013-12-laser-mission.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">http://phys.org/news/2013-12-laser-mission.html</span></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00503615560408372682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400515256486234501.post-53235195928433804792013-12-03T16:40:00.000-08:002013-12-03T16:40:02.608-08:00Spacesuit of the future could power gadgetry with body heatby Elizabeth Armstrong Moore December 3, 2013 10:33 AM PST<br /><br />Researchers at Kansas State are investigating how the difference in temperature between body heat and a spacesuit's cooling garment could run the suit's electronics.<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">Kansas State engineering students work with a model spacesuit to explore the potential integration of wearable medical sensors.<br />Credit: Kansas State University</td></tr>
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Wondering what's next in wearable electronics? Fitness trackers like the Fitbit Force and the Nike+ FuelBand SE may be fine for the earthbound, but for the astronauts among us, NASA's working on a different kind of fashionable circuitry.<br /><br />At Kansas State University, researchers are just over two years into a three-year, $750,000 NASA grant to turn current spacesuits into even better readers of astronauts' vital signs -- and on top of that, make use of the inner workings of the suits themselves to power radios and other embedded electronics.<br /><br />"Right now the spacesuits pretty much only measure heart rate," said William Kuhn, professor of electrical and computer engineering and part of the spacesuit team, which includes engineering professors and a dozen-plus students. "In this project we're focused on EMGs [electromyography] that can monitor muscle activity. The biggest problem that the astronauts have when they're doing their work is they get very fatigued because of the pressure in the suits, so we're focusing on being able to predict when they're going to be fatigued so we can help them reorder their tasks in space."<br /><br />Continue Learning: <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-57613825-76/spacesuit-of-the-future-could-power-gadgetry-with-body-heat/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-57613825-76/spacesuit-of-the-future-could-power-gadgetry-with-body-heat/</span></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00503615560408372682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400515256486234501.post-69984205238482001632013-12-02T14:55:00.000-08:002013-12-02T14:55:32.325-08:00Spacelab: Space Shuttle Flew Europe's First Space Module 30 Years Agoby Robert Z. Pearlman, collectSPACE.com Editor | December 02, 2013 01:17pm ET<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">The European Space Agency's (ESA) Spacelab module is seen in the payload bay of space shuttle Columbia during the lab's first spaceflight on the STS-9 mission in 1983.<br />Credit: NASA/RetroSpaceImages.com</td></tr>
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It doesn't seem out of place today, but the sight 30 years ago of a cylindrical module mounted inside the space shuttle's cargo bay was described as an "odd-appearing assemblage" in 1983.<br /><br />The unusual payload was Spacelab, a $1 billion European built, NASA-operated space-borne science platform, which would not only set the stage for investigations onboard the space shuttle, but would lay the foundation for major parts of today's International Space Station.<br /><br />Space shuttle Columbia launched on Nov. 28, 1983, lifting into orbit the Spacelab and six astronauts. Under the lead of commander John Young, the STS-9 crew included pilot Brewster Shaw and mission specialists Owen Garriott and Robert Parker.<br /><br />Continue Learning: <a href="http://www.space.com/23796-spacelab-space-shuttle-30-years-anniversary.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">http://www.space.com/23796-spacelab-space-shuttle-30-years-anniversary.html</span></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00503615560408372682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400515256486234501.post-71213357214246083512013-12-01T06:11:00.000-08:002013-12-01T06:11:49.812-08:00NASA Issues Human Exploration Rover Challenge To StudentsNovember 30, 2013<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">Image Credit: Thinkstock.com</td></tr>
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Susan Bowen for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online<br /><br />Students, some of whom will have only recently earned their driver’s licenses, will soon have the opportunity to test drive vehicles for use on other planets, asteroids, moons and comets.<br /><br />NASA has issued a new engineering design challenge for teams of high school and college students: to design, build and test vehicles on the simulated surface of another world.<br /><br />Registration for the NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge will be open until early in 2014 and will provide students with an authentic engineering challenge.<br /><br />“We designed this engineering challenge to align with NASA’s commitment of sending humans to Mars by the 2030s,” said Rocky Lind, who manages education and outreach efforts in the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The student teams will be timed, ranked and scored based on design, safety and how well they traverse the set course. The results of the competition will contribute to the design process for NASA’s future exploration goals.”<br /><br />Continue Learning: <a href="http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1113016275/stem-nasa-human-exploration-rover-challenge-113013/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1113016275/stem-nasa-human-exploration-rover-challenge-113013/</span></a><div>
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<li><a href="http://www.universetoday.com/105917/curiosity-mars-rover-back-in-action-after-power-glitch/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Curiosity Mars Rover Back in Action after Power Glitch</span></a> (universetoday.com)</li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00503615560408372682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400515256486234501.post-35785555981713845542013-11-27T13:54:00.000-08:002013-11-27T13:54:49.584-08:00Russian Cargo Spacecraft Heads to Space Station with Holiday Goodies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<b>Published on Nov 25, 2013</b><div>
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The Russian Progress 53 cargo craft blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Nov. 25, hauling almost three tons of food, fuel, supplies and holiday gifts to the International Space Station's Expedition 38 crew. The unpiloted spacecraft will test upgraded automated rendezvous equipment at a distance of a mile from the complex on Nov. 27 before docking to the aft port of the Zvezda Service Module on Nov. 29.<div>
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<b><a href="http://askkuiper.wordpress.com/videos/nasa/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">(See More Videos)</span></a></b></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00503615560408372682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400515256486234501.post-81604506046233044752013-11-27T13:00:00.002-08:002013-11-27T13:18:45.358-08:00Magnetic field: an introduction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<b>Published on Nov 22, 2013</b><br />
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An introduction to Earth's magnetic field: what it is, where it comes from and what it's used for.<br />
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This is the first of three videos:<br />
<a href="http://askkuiper.wordpress.com/2013/11/27/magnetic-field-an-introduction/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Magnetic field: an introduction</span></a><br />
<a href="http://askkuiper.wordpress.com/2013/11/27/magnetic-field-why-it-matters/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Magnetic field: why it matters</span></a><br />
<a href="http://askkuiper.wordpress.com/2013/11/27/magnetic-field-learning-more-with-swarm/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Magnetic field: learning more with Swarm</span></a><br />
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<a href="http://askkuiper.wordpress.com/videos/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">(See More Videos)</span></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00503615560408372682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400515256486234501.post-17511297520218030612013-11-27T12:48:00.000-08:002013-11-27T12:48:40.258-08:00Guide to our Galaxy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><b>Published on Nov 21, 2013</b><br /><br />This virtual journey shows the different components that make up our home galaxy, the Milky Way, which contains about a hundred billion stars.<br /><br />It starts at the black hole at the centre of the Milky Way and with the stars that orbit around it, before zooming out through the central Galactic Bulge, which hosts about ten billion stars.<br /><br />The journey continues through a younger population of stars in the stellar disc, home to most of the Milky Way's stars, and which is embedded in a slightly larger gaseous disc. Stars in the disc are arranged in a spiral arm pattern and orbit the centre of the Galaxy.<br /><br />The discs and bulge are embedded in the stellar halo, a spherical structure that consists of a large number of globular clusters -- the oldest population of stars in the Galaxy -- as well as many isolated stars. An even larger halo of invisible dark matter is inferred by its gravitational effect on the motions of stars in the Galaxy.<br /><br />Looking at a face-on view of the Galaxy we see the position of our Sun, located at a distance of about 26 000 light-years from the Galactic Centre.<br /><br />Finally, the extent of the stellar survey conducted by ESA's Hipparcos mission is shown, which surveyed more than 100 000 stars up to 300 light-years away from the Sun. In comparison, ESA's Gaia survey will study one billion stars out to 30 000 light-years away.<br /><br /><a href="http://askkuiper.wordpress.com/videos/european-space-agency-esa/"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">(See More Videos)</span></b></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00503615560408372682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400515256486234501.post-31395944960180273352013-11-27T12:42:00.000-08:002013-11-27T12:42:55.173-08:003D virtual spacewalk outside the International Space Station<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<b>Published on Nov 19, 2013</b><br /><br />Get an idea of what it feels like to see the International Space Station from the outside, as an astronaut on a spacewalk. Put your 3D glasses on to appreciate the size of humankind's orbital laboratory and watch a Soyuz spacecraft undock and a docking with ESA's supply spacecraft Automated Transfer Vehicle.<br /><br /><a href="http://askkuiper.wordpress.com/videos/european-space-agency-esa/"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">(See More Videos)</span></b></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00503615560408372682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400515256486234501.post-57329909224999513322013-11-27T12:34:00.000-08:002013-11-27T12:34:52.046-08:003D virtual tour of the International Space Station<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ktGPIsJbYng?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<b>Published on Nov 19, 2013</b><div>
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Put your 3D glasses on for this virtual visit of the International Space Station's modules. Float through the space laboratories and connecting modules from the perspective of an astronaut.<br /><br /><a href="http://askkuiper.wordpress.com/videos/european-space-agency-esa/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">(See More Videos)</span></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00503615560408372682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400515256486234501.post-7618201293626662522013-11-27T11:43:00.000-08:002013-11-27T11:43:27.319-08:00Mars showcase (European Space Agency)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/XOPUdZtnt24?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<b>Published on Oct 28, 2013</b><div>
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<b><a href="http://askkuiper.wordpress.com/videos/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">(See more videos)</span></a></b><br />From the highest volcano to the deepest canyon, from impact craters to ancient river beds and lava flows, this showcase of images from ESA's Mars Express takes you on an unforgettable journey across the Red Planet.<br /><br />Mars Express was launched on 2 June 2003 and arrived at Mars six-and-a-half months later. It has since orbited the planet nearly 12 500 times, providing scientists with unprecedented images and data collected by its suite of scientific instruments.<br /><br />The data have been used to create an almost global digital topographic model of the surface, providing a unique visualisation and enabling researchers to acquire new and surprising information about the evolution of the Red Planet.<br /><br />The images in this movie were taken by the High Resolution Stereo Camera and the video was released by the DLR German Aerospace Center as part of the ten years of Mars Express celebrations in June 2013. The music has been created by Stephan Elgner of DLR's Mars Express planetary cartography team. DLR developed and is operating the stereo camera.<br /><br />Read the original post on DLR's website here: <span style="color: #3d85c6;"><a href="http://www.dlr.de/dlr/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-10212/332_read-7208/year-all/332_page-2/#gallery/10805"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">http://www.dlr.de/dlr/en/desktopdefau...</span></a> </span><br /><br />Credit: ESA / DLR / FU Berlin (G. Neukum)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00503615560408372682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400515256486234501.post-64366066105913365232013-11-26T17:55:00.000-08:002013-11-26T17:55:30.301-08:00With 2 More Cubesats in Orbit, Earth-imaging Startup Planet Labs Ships Next Batch of 28 to WallopsBy <a href="http://www.spacenews.com/users/debra-werner"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Debra Werner</span></a> | Nov. 26, 2013<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">Planet Labs is preparing for the scheduled launch Dec. 15 of its operational Earth imaging constellation of 28 satellites, dubbed Flock 1, to the international space station.<br />Credit: Photo by Gabriel Liendo</td></tr>
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SAN FRANCISCO — Planet Labs, the San Francisco company planning to establish the world’s largest Earth imaging constellation, announced Nov. 26 the successful launch of two satellites and shipment to Virginia of 28 additional spacecraft in preparation for their December launch. <br /><br />On Nov. 21, Planet Labs sent triple cubesats Dove 3 and Dove 4 into polar orbit on a Dnepr rocket from Russia’s Yasny launch site. “The launch was extremely successful,” said William Marshall, Planet Labs co-founder and chief executive. “They went into precisely the orbit we wanted. We have also successfully made contact.”<br /><br />The latest additions to the Planet Labs fleet offer improvements in the capability provided by the firm’s first satellites launched in April, Dove 1 and Dove 2, which also were triple cubesats measuring 10 centimeters by 10 centimeters by 30 centimeters. <br /><br />Dove 3 and Dove 4 will demonstrate the firm’s latest technology, including upgraded communications, attitude control and observation technology. “We like to iterate our satellite designs very rapidly,” Marshall said. “It’s the same compact form factor as Dove 1 and Dove 2, but we have stuck in more capability.”<br /><br />Continue Learning: <a href="http://www.spacenews.com/article/civil-space/38361with-2-more-cubesats-in-orbit-earth-imaging-startup-planet-labs-ships-next"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">http://www.spacenews.com/article/civil-space/38361with-2-more-cubesats-in-orbit-earth-imaging-startup-planet-labs-ships-next</span></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00503615560408372682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400515256486234501.post-78063557095989986162013-11-26T17:43:00.000-08:002013-11-26T17:43:15.685-08:00Hi-Def Space Selfies Coming To Your Web Browser SoonPosted by Andrew Fazekas in StarStruck on November 25, 2013<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">Space buffs can expect to to ogle stunning near-real-time Earth views anytime on their computers and mobile devices once new HD cameras are installed on the International Space Station.<br />Credit: NASA</td></tr>
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Coming soon—take the ultimate selfie from space!<br /><br />Two high-definition cameras are on their way now to the International Space Station. There, they will aim to revolutionize how we view our planet and ourselves.<br /><br />A Canadian-based company named UrtheCast will offer the world’s first near-live HD video and imagery of Earth from space, using the new cameras. Launched aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft on Monday, the two eyes in the sky will be installed on the underbelly of the space station over the next few months. Expectations are that space buffs everywhere with an internet connection will see the first live streaming-video broadcast from the cameras on the company’s web portal early next year.<br /><br />One of the cameras will offer sharp five-meter resolution stills of a broad 25-mile-wide (40 kilometer) swath of the globe, with pictures taken anywhere between 51°N and 51°S latitude (from England to Chile). The other camera can be pointed at 150 specific targets of interest per day. It has the capability of generating video with super-sharp Ultra-HD or 4K quality, and offers one-meter resolution.<br /><br />Continue Learning: <a href="http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2013/11/25/hi-def-space-selfies-coming-to-your-web-browser-soon/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2013/11/25/hi-def-space-selfies-coming-to-your-web-browser-soon/</span></a><div>
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<li><a href="http://askkuiper.wordpress.com/2013/11/25/ses-8-satellite-launch-will-be-spacexs-most-challenging-to-date/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">SES-8 Satellite Launch Will Be SpaceX's Most Challenging To Date</span></a> (askkuiper.wordpress.com)</li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00503615560408372682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400515256486234501.post-31325962746969081342013-11-25T13:37:00.000-08:002013-11-25T13:46:42.262-08:00Cut-rate SpaceX poised for first commercial satellite launchBY IRENE KLOTZ<br />
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida Mon Nov 25, 2013 11:40am EST<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">SEPTEMBER 29, 2013 PHOTO CREDIT — SPACEX<br />
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(Reuters) - - An unmanned Falcon 9 rocket developed by Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, is poised to enter the commercial satellite market on Monday, a potential game-changer in a global industry worth nearly $190 billion a year.<br />
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Following a successful debut test fight on September 29, the privately owned firm's upgraded Falcon 9 rocket is due to lift off at 5:37 p.m. EST/2237 GMT from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.<br />
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Perched on top of the rocket is a 6,400-pound (2,900 kg) communications satellite owned by Luxembourg-based SES S.A., which currently operates a 54-satellite fleet, the world's second-largest.<br />
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The satellite, known as SES-8 and worth about $100 million, will be positioned to provide television, cable, broadband and other services to customers in India, China, Vietnam and other markets in Asia.<br />
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"It's an extremely important satellite for us," Martin Halliwell, chief technology officer of SES, told reporters on Sunday in Cocoa Beach, Florida.<br />
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"We know that as we go forward into these very significant growth markets that it's absolutely critical that we have a cost-effective and efficient way to get to orbit. That's really what SpaceX has brought us," Halliwell said.<br />
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Previous SES satellites were launched primarily aboard Russian Proton and European Ariane rockets, which cost far more than the approximately $55 million the company paid for its ride on SpaceX's Falcon booster, Halliwell said.<br />
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He would not say exactly how much SpaceX undercut the competition, but did say SES got a bit of a discount by agreeing to fly on Falcon 9's first mission to the high altitudes that communication satellites require.<br />
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In addition to the upgraded Falcon 9's test flight in September, older versions of the rocket previously flew five times successfully, including three missions for NASA to deliver cargo to the International Space Station, which flies about 250 miles above Earth.<br />
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Continue Learning: <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/25/us-space-spacex-launch-idUSBRE9AO0NN20131125"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/25/us-space-spacex-launch-idUSBRE9AO0NN20131125</span></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00503615560408372682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400515256486234501.post-54522512675446265472013-11-25T10:44:00.000-08:002013-11-25T10:44:03.801-08:00SES-8 Satellite Launch Will Be SpaceX’s Most Challenging To DateNovember 25, 2013<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJJ8o6qBv8fsUjF-75nAqqXsJx-c8Bs0w2H7IyTjvCG-C25CJEV4M_58t0Q4DBrFovwkLw47LJBtkubmu48xfaQcnLr2glGS13VMlF3rb7aQzVtA5qOgbgMbhIwzIQH3MKM6_5T-XE-Y/s1600/spacexfalcon9-617x416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJJ8o6qBv8fsUjF-75nAqqXsJx-c8Bs0w2H7IyTjvCG-C25CJEV4M_58t0Q4DBrFovwkLw47LJBtkubmu48xfaQcnLr2glGS13VMlF3rb7aQzVtA5qOgbgMbhIwzIQH3MKM6_5T-XE-Y/s1600/spacexfalcon9-617x416.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">A September test launch of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. Credit: SpaceX</td></tr>
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Lawrence LeBlond for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online<br /><br />SpaceX is preparing for its next big mission this evening when it will, for the first time, attempt to launch a telecom satellite into orbit. A successful launch could prove the Elon Musk-owned company’s worth as both a private and commercial powerhouse in the space launch game.<br /><br />The launch window for SpaceX’s Falcon 9 opens today at 5:37 p.m. EST from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The rocket will be carrying a Luxembourg-based SES-8 satellite that will serve television customers in India and parts of Southeast Asia.<br /><br />The launch of a satellite is not only a first for SpaceX, but will also be its most challenging. The Falcon 9 rocket must show its capabilities in launching the SES-8 satellite into a geostationary transfer orbit more than 22,000 miles over Earth’s equator.<br /><br />Today’s launch of an upgraded Falcon 9 rocket, known as version 1.1, also comes after a September 29 test launch of the same rocket design in California. While that test was successful, an optional restart of the rocket’s upper stage engine, which will be necessary for the latest mission, failed to activate.<br /><br />SpaceX later determined that an igniter line froze and believes that added insulation will prevent a repeat of the issue.<br /><br />“We’ve done everything we can possibly think of to maximize the reliability of this launch,” Musk, CEO and chief designer at SpaceX, told BBC’s Jonathan Amos in an interview<br /><br />“There’s no stone that hasn’t been turned over at least twice to maximize the probability of success. Being a rocket, there’s still some chance of failure, but whatever happens we can be at peace that we’ve done everything we could think of, and SES’s technical team has looked at it and they concur,” Musk added.<br /><br />Continue Learning: <a href="http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1113012115/spacex-launch-commercial-satellite-tonight-most-challenging-112513/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1113012115/spacex-launch-commercial-satellite-tonight-most-challenging-112513/</span></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00503615560408372682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400515256486234501.post-87036393904695943062013-11-25T10:06:00.000-08:002013-11-25T10:06:19.043-08:00NASA Launches Technology Transfer 'Super Tool'Nov. 25, 2013<br /><br />Sarah Ramsey<br />Headquarters, Washington<br />202-358-1694<br /><a href="mailto:sarah.ramsey@nasa.gov"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">sarah.ramsey@nasa.gov</span></a><br /><br /><div>
<b>RELEASE 13-347</b><br /><br />Businesses and individuals interested in using NASA research to develop new technologies and products now have access to an online tool to make the process of licensing easier.<br /><br />The QuickLaunch licensing tool provides access to a select portfolio of NASA technologies for the purpose of licensing and commercial development.<br /><br />The tool features pre-approved terms and conditions, including fixed, up-front and royalty pricing, a streamlined process for electronic agreements and significantly reduced response and approval times. It provides access to existing, patented NASA technologies to provide rapid and cost-effective deployment to industry.<br /><br />"The QuickLaunch Licensing tool will enhance our efforts to transfer more NASA technologies to American industry and U.S. consumers in a timely manner," said Daniel Lockney, NASA's technology transfer program executive. "NASA develops hundreds of technologies each year in support of its aeronautics and space exploration missions. This new tool ensures that the American taxpayer will receive a second benefit from its investment in NASA through the creation of new products, new markets and new jobs."<br /><br />More than 30 technologies currently are available for license using the QuickLaunch website. The number will increase during the coming year. Technologies range from a plant chlorophyll content meter, which detects plant stress by determining the chlorophyll content of plants, to a propulsion-controlled aircraft computer that provides a low-cost method of implementing this aircraft technology for a wide range of aircraft.<br /><br />QuickLaunch users can search by NASA center or by technology category, ask questions of NASA licensing managers, and file a licensing application online.<br /><br />For more information about NASA's QuickLaunch Licensing website, please visit:<br /><br /><a href="https://quicklaunch.ndc.nasa.gov/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">https://quicklaunch.ndc.nasa.gov</span></a><br /><br />For more information about NASA's Technology Transfer Portal website, visit:<br /><br /><a href="http://technology.nasa.gov/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">http://technology.nasa.gov</span></a><br /></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00503615560408372682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400515256486234501.post-37919943114086512402013-11-25T09:46:00.000-08:002013-11-25T09:46:19.445-08:00NASA Delivers Precipitation Satellite to Japan for 2014 LaunchNov. 25, 2013<br /><br />Steve Cole<br />Headquarters, Washington<br />202-358-0918<br /><a href="mailto:stephen.e.cole@nasa.gov"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">stephen.e.cole@nasa.gov</span></a><br /><br />Rani Gran<br />Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.<br />301-286-2483<br /><a href="mailto:rani.c.gran@nasa.gov"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">rani.c.gran@nasa.gov</span></a><br /><br /><div>
<b>RELEASE 13-346</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">A U.S. Air Force C-5 transport aircraft carrying the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory landed at Kitakyushu Airport in Japan at approximately 10:30 p.m. EST Saturday, Nov. 23.<br />(Credit: JAXA)</td></tr>
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An international satellite that will set a new standard for global precipitation measurements from space has completed a 7,300-mile journey from the United States to Japan, where it now will undergo launch preparations.<br /><br />A U.S. Air Force C-5 transport aircraft carrying the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory landed at Kitakyushu Airport, about 600 miles southwest of Tokyo, at approximately 10:30 p.m. EST Saturday, Nov. 23.<br /><br />The spacecraft, the size of a small private jet, is the largest satellite ever built at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. It left Goddard inside a large shipping container Nov. 19 and began its journey across the Pacific Ocean Nov. 21 from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, with a refueling stop in Anchorage, Alaska.<br /><br />From Kitakyushu Airport, the spacecraft was loaded onto a barge heading to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA's) Tanegashima Space Center on Tanegashima Island in southern Japan, where it will be prepared for launch in early 2014 on an H-IIA rocket.<br /><br /><a href="http://askkuiper.wordpress.com/earth/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Continue Learning...</span></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00503615560408372682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400515256486234501.post-88553556450483952472013-11-23T12:25:00.000-08:002013-11-23T12:26:05.081-08:00MAVEN is on the way on This Week @NASA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Published on Nov 22, 2013</b><br />
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The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN, or MAVEN spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on a 10-month journey to Mars. MAVEN will take critical measurements of the Martian upper atmosphere to investigate how loss of the atmosphere to space impacted the history of water on the planet's surface. Also, Happy anniversary, ISS!, Asteroid Ideas, LADEE in science orbit, Orion progress, Rocket autopilot test, Commercial crew, and more!<br />
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<b><a href="http://askkuiper.wordpress.com/videos/" target="_blank">(See more videos)</a></b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00503615560408372682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400515256486234501.post-22346155488337195602013-11-23T11:33:00.000-08:002013-11-23T11:33:46.983-08:002014 NASA Rover Challenge<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPHiBnKhNnh7hyphenhyphenyZLvi4rO7FdG9f9EgXldrb27CAFvv0h15ooF121Vr_M5Y86aBiujPpw2MlfM5tmWTesMX3OtNCwqQisgohH6g3ndxFmuTw7JxB1_qR8EmMaBrTPHT1HHmeqM-qAojHc/s1600/rover-logo-226.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPHiBnKhNnh7hyphenhyphenyZLvi4rO7FdG9f9EgXldrb27CAFvv0h15ooF121Vr_M5Y86aBiujPpw2MlfM5tmWTesMX3OtNCwqQisgohH6g3ndxFmuTw7JxB1_qR8EmMaBrTPHT1HHmeqM-qAojHc/s1600/rover-logo-226.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">2014 NASA Rover Challenge</td></tr>
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NASA is introducing a new engineering design challenge that will focus on NASA’s current plans to explore planets, moons, asteroids and comets -- all members of the solar system family. The new NASA Rover Challenge (formerly NASA Great Moonbuggy Race) will be held April 10-12, 2014, at the U. S. Space & Rocket Center. The challenge will focus on designing, constructing and testing technologies for mobility devices to perform in these different environments, and it will provide valuable experiences that engage students in the technologies and concepts that will be needed in future exploration missions. <b>Registration is OPEN!</b> <br /><br />Visit the <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/roverchallenge/registration/index.html#.UozghsTks90"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">registration section</span></a> of this site for details.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00503615560408372682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400515256486234501.post-27089571662755727662013-11-23T10:59:00.000-08:002013-11-23T10:59:26.147-08:00Is Inspiration Enough To Launch Inspiration Mars?NASA By Amy Shira Teitel Posted Nov. 22, 2013<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">An artist’s concept of Inspiration Mars Inspiration Mars<br />Credit: Inspiration Mars</td></tr>
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In 2001, Dennis Tito used his millions to buy a seat on a Soyuz spacecraft for an eight-day visit to the International Space Station. On February 27 of this year, he announced his plan to foot a large portion of the bill for Inspiration Mars, a flyby mission to the red planet. On Wednesday in front of a House Committee on Space, he called for NASA to pick up the slack to see his mission fly, both financially and technologically. Inspiration Mars had some obvious problems from the start, but this latest development looks a little like it might be the first nail in the mission’s coffin.<br /><br />Tito unveiled Inspiration Mars earlier this year as a philanthropic mission; technological and scientific ends were secondary to the primary goal of inspiring the nation to aspire to great things in space once again. The mission itself is fairly straightforward. A crew of two (a married, middle-aged, heterosexual couple) will launch in January of 2018, fly to Mars, and whip around the planet’s far side using gravity to boost them back to Earth. The mission isn’t designed to land on Mars of even go into orbit. It would be a 501 day flight with a very short but exciting flyby around one of our neighbours.<br /><br />Continue Learning: <a href="http://www.popsci.com/blog-network/vintage-space/inspiration-enough-launch-inspiration-mars"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">http://www.popsci.com/blog-network/vintage-space/inspiration-enough-launch-inspiration-mars</span></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00503615560408372682noreply@blogger.com0