Archive for the ‘Space News’ Category
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November 26th, 2014
Illustration by Andy Kale, University of Alberta.
Scientists have discovered an “invisible shield” roughly 7,200 miles (11,500 kilometers) above Earth that blocks so-called “killer electrons” – highly charged electrons that can fry satellites, degrade space systems during intense solar storms, and pose serious health risks to astronauts.
Researchers say that an “extremely sharp” boundary at the inner edge of the outer belt at that altitude appears to block the ultrafast electrons from breeching the shield and moving deeper towards Earth’s atmosphere.
“It’s almost like theses electrons are running into a glass wall in space,” said Daniel Baker, director of CU-Boulder’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP).
Baker said the new discovery is somewhat like the shields created by force fields on Star Trek that were used to fend off alien weaponry.
“We are seeing an invisible shield blocking these electrons. It’s an extremely puzzling phenomenon,” Baker added in a Univ. of Colorado, Boulder press statement.
The barrier to the particle motion was discovered in the Van Allen radiation belts, two doughnut-shaped rings above Earth that are filled with high-energy electrons and protons.
The identical Van Allen Probes follow similar orbits that take them through both the inner and outer radiation belts. The highly elliptical orbits range from a minimum altitude of approximately 373 miles (600 kilometers) to a maximum altitude of approximately 23,000 miles (37,000 kilometers).
Courtesy: JHU/APL
Twin probes
The impenetrable barrier has been observed by the twin Van Allen belt probes launched by NASA in August 2012.
A paper has been published in the Nov. 27 issue of Nature magazine, at: http://www.nature.com
As the study’s lead author, Baker said: “It’s not obvious how the slow, gradual processes that should be involved in motion of these particles can conspire to create such a sharp, persistent boundary at this location in space.”
“I think the key here is to keep observing the region in exquisite detail, which we can do because of the powerful instruments on the Van Allen probes,” Baker said. “If the Sun really blasts the Earth’s magnetosphere with a coronal mass ejection (CME), I suspect it will breach the shield for a period of time.”
NASA images used in a photo composite by Christine Daniloff/MIT
Unusual phenomenon
“It’s a very unusual, extraordinary, and pronounced phenomenon,” says John Foster, associate director of MIT’s Haystack Observatory – also an author of the published research paper.
“What this tells us is if you parked a satellite or an orbiting space station with humans just inside this impenetrable barrier, you would expect them to have much longer lifetimes. That’s a good thing to know,” Foster said in an MIT press release.
Additional CU-Boulder study co-authors include Allison Jaynes, Vaughn Hoxie, Xinlin Li, Quintin Schiller, Lauren Blum and David Malaspina.
Other co-authors were from UCLA, The Aerospace Corp. Space Sciences Lab in Los Angeles, the University of Minnesota, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, the University of Iowa and the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
The Van Allen probes mission is part of NASA’s Living with a Star Program managed by the Goddard Space Flight Center. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory built the twin satellites and is managing the mission for NASA.
Posted in 
Credit: Chinese Academy of Sciences
A special issue of Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics has been dedicated to the early results from China’s Chang’e 3 lander mission to the Moon.
On December 14, 2013, the Chang’e 3 (CE-3) landed on the Mare Imbrium basin in the east part of Sinus Iridum (19.51◦W, 44.12◦N). It was China’s first soft landing on the Moon. The achievement made China the third country to achieve a soft landing on the lunar surface.
China’s first lunar surface exploration mission made use of a heavily instrumented lander and a rover
“The mission is part of the second phase of China’s Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP) that has the ultimate goal of launching manned flights to the Moon,” one of the scientific papers reports.
Previously, the first phase of China’s robotic lunar exploration program had two orbital probes, Chang’e 1 (CE-1) and Chang’e 2 (CE-2), which were launched in 2007 and 2010, respectively.
Credit: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Lunar dust
In the journal, an array of scientists from the Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, present initial findings from the lander and its lunar rover, Yutu.
According to the papers, an analysis of the effect of the CE-3 engine plume on the lunar surface was done by comparing images before and after the touchdown using data from the craft’s landing camera.
For example, during the landing process of CE-3, lots of lunar dust was blown away by the engine plume. Furthermore, the scope of influence is about 60 meters from east to west and 135 meters from south to north. “Thus, this leads to a redistribution of lunar dust and changes in space weathering on the lunar surface,” one of the research papers notes.
The landing site of CE-3 was found to be a high titanium basalt stratum, and its geological age is young Eratoshenian – the longest period of the lunar timescale, thought to range from about 3.2 to 1.1 billion years old.
Ultraviolet eyes
A Moon-based Ultraviolet Telescope (MUVT) is one of the payloads on the CE-3 lunar lander.
Because of the advantages of having no atmospheric disturbances and the slow rotation of the Moon, long-term continuous observations of a series of important celestial objects in the near ultraviolet band were possible, as were sky surveys of selected areas, observations that cannot be completed on Earth.
Reported in one paper, the results from the MUVT demonstrate that the methods used for data collection and preprocessing are effective, and conducive to follow-up scientific research.
Also, the Extreme Ultraviolet Camera (EUVC) obtained the first global image of the plasmasphere from the Moon. After an image of the plasmasphere was acquired, the EUVC was rotated away from the Earth to take a dark image of the background. Then the background was removed from the image of the plasmasphere. The result was that the plasmasphere, plasmapause, airglow and the Earth’s shadow were clearly seen in imagery.
“Data from the EUVC will provide useful images for researchers to investigate how the plasmasphere responds to solar activities,” another research paper states.
Radar scans
Along with its camera gear, the Yutu lunar rover carried Lunar Penetrating Radar (LPR) equipment. After the lunar rover was dispatched on the Moon’s surface, the LPR started to work on December 15.
“A large amount of scientific data about exploring the lunar regolith and subsurface were successfully obtained,” it is reported.
After preliminary analysis, one channel of the LPR equipment clearly detected information about the shallow layer of the lunar crust along the path of the lunar rover. Another LPR channel detected the layer structure of lunar regolith.
“These observations have revealed the configuration of regolith where the thickness of regolith varies from about 4 meters to 6 meters. In addition, one layer of lunar rock, which is about 330 meters deep and might have been accumulated during the depositional hiatus of mare basalts, was detected,” one of the group of scientific papers states.
The regolith on the Moon’s surface is a highly comminuted surface layer, it is reported, which was formed by billions of years of collisions. The regolith is not uniform and structures with multiple layers have been observed. Working with the LPR, the data collected shows that the regolith around the landing place in Mare Inbrium is about 4 meters to 6 meters in depth.
“Since the Yutu rover had severe problems during its second lunar day, it is pity that the Yutu rover only transversed a limited distance. Nevertheless, the LPR worked successfully and performed the first on-site exploration of structure under the lunar subsurface,” one paper explains.
Looking around the landing site
Other items noted:
— The landing site of the Chinese spacecraft lies on the edge of a plateau in a flat plain with a declining trend from west to east. The topographic slope and waviness of the area are low, which is typical for terrain in lunar mare.
— The crater next to the landing site has a lower difference in elevation from east to west, but has a higher difference in elevation from south to north. There are thousands of rocks distributed in the southern and western parts of the crater wall.
— The distance from the landing point to the western edge of the crater is 40 meters. The adjacent area is flat terrain, with landforms such as craters, domes, strata and rocks with different albedos, which are good targets for scientific exploration.
To take a look at the full range of papers, go to:
Credit: NASA
Research by a political science professor shows opinions on space exploration are influenced by a person’s religious beliefs.
University of Dayton political science assistant professor, Joshua Ambrosius, used data from the General Social Survey and three Pew surveys to compare knowledge, interest and support for space exploration among Catholics, Evangelicals, Mainline Protestants, Jews, Eastern religions and those with no religion.
His research, “Separation of Church and Space: Religious Influences on Support for Space Exploration Policy” was recently presented at the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion conference in Indianapolis.
Among his findings, Ambrosius found Evangelicals — who account for one-quarter of the U.S. population — are the least knowledgeable, interested and supportive of space exploration, while Jews and members of Eastern traditions were most attentive and supportive, according to a Univ. of Dayton press statement.
The researcher also found that while regular church attendance, along with other measures of traditional religious belief like a high view of the authority of the Bible and belief in creationism, exert a negative effect on support for space exploration, clergy support for science exerts a significant positive effect.
Evangelicals in particular were twice as likely to recognize the benefits of space exploration if their pastors speak positively about science.
Disturbing trend
According to Ambrosius, the youngest generations, generation X and the millennials, as a whole, exhibit less interest in space exploration than the previous baby boomer generation.
“This finding, if reflective of reality, is a disturbing trend. This again highlights the need for the space community to educate and excite young people to build the long-term constituencies necessary to promote and carry out future space exploration,” Ambrosius observes in his research paper.
Additionally, Ambrosius notes that the privatization of space exploration could be a game changer if Evangelical hesitations are, in some part, driven by anti-government sentiment. “Further research should explore this possibility,” he adds.
Our space-faring future
“This research finds evidence that religion shapes space and space policy attitudes, even if the significant effects are dampened or eliminated once socio-demographic factors, like education, are held constant. One tradition—Evangelical Protestants—stood out as exhibiting less space knowledge, space policy support, appreciation for space exploration, and expectations of achievements in space,” Ambrosius notes in his paper.
“All in all, this research shows that further study must be done to test the influence of religion on space exploration attitudes and, ultimately, to assess the roles of religion in our space-faring future,” Ambrosius explains. “Ultimately, religions must ensure their survival by embracing space.”
“No, religion does not stand in the way of serious space exploration – but the space community still has a lot of work ahead to reach skeptical Evangelicals, foster support among religious friends of space, and convince young people that our future is among the stars. Our survival as a species, and by extension the survival of human religious institutions, may very well depend on it,” Ambrosius concludes.
A composite image created by Susie Duckworth from the following:
Top: Rainforest canopy in Panama. (Art Wolfe); Middle: Waterfall in the rainforest of
Madagascar. (Art Wolfe); Bottom: A “Blue Marble” image created from images taken
January 4, 2012, using the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the
Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership satellite. Credit: NASA/NOAA
A new book – Sanctuary: Exploring the World’s Protected Areas from Space – offers a stunning look at current global conservation challenges here on Earth and explores the role that information generated by remote-sensing satellites plays in effective terrestrial and marine conservation.
Published by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) of Arlington, Virginia, with support from NASA, the publication highlights how the view from space with Earth-orbiting sensors is being used to protect some of the world’s most interesting, changing, and threatened places.
The book recently debuted at the 2014 World Parks Congress in Sydney, Australia.
Written by Nancy S. A. Colleton and Andrew Clark of IGES, they note the striking contribution of Earth orbiting satellites: “What we have found is a remarkable bounty of information about the natural world. Every shade of color we could have imagined in the past pales in comparison to what we now know.”
This “Blue Marble” image was created from images taken January 23, 2012, during six orbits of the Suomi National
Polar-orbiting Partnership satellite, using the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). Credit: NASA/NOAA
Gauging the impact of human activity
“NASA and numerous other space agency partners from around the globe have used this view from space to make incredible scientific advances in our understanding of how our planet works,” explains NASA’s chief, Charles Bolden. “As a result, we can now better gauge the impact of human activity on our environment and measure how and why our atmosphere, oceans, and land are changing.”
As a former astronaut, Bolden explains that he has gazed upon Earth from space, adding: “I hope that we can advance the use of space-based remote sensing and other geospatial tools to study, understand, and improve the management of the world’s parks and protected areas as well as the precious biodiversity that thrives within their borders.”
Sunrise over Lake Moraine, Banff National
Park, Canada.
Credit: Shutterstock/Zvia Shever
Take a look at this impressive piece of writing and collection of photos by going to:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/www.strategies.org/IGES_SanctuaryBook_Oct2014.pdf
Credit: NASA/JPL
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover is cruising for science in studying “Pink Cliffs” within the “Pahrump Hills” outcrop forming part of the basal layer of the Mount Sharp mountain.
Here are some new images from the robot showing the work in progress:
This image was taken by Front Hazcam: Right B (FHAZ_RIGHT_B) onboard NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 815 (2014-11-21 10:31:45 UTC). Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image using its Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), located on the turret at the end of the rover’s robotic arm, on November 20, 2014, Sol 814 of the Mars Science Laboratory Mission, at 11:45:36 UTC. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Credit: DLR
What’s it sound like when you land on a comet?
Well, as you would guess, it’s a “thud.”
That’s the report from Martin Knapmeyer, a planetary scientist at the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR)
A short but significant “thud” was heard by the Cometary Acoustic Surface Sounding Experiment (CASSE) as Europe’s Philae lander made its first touchdown on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
The two-second recording from space is the very first of the contact between a human-made object with a comet upon landing.
The CASSE sensors are located in the feet at the base of all three legs of the lander and were active on November 12, 2014 during the descent to the comet.
“The contact with the surface was short, but we can evaluate the scientific data,” said Knapmeyer, scientific leader of the CASSE Team.
Go to:
Credit: Copyright – Don Davis – Used with Permission
New story from me up today on Space.com:
Asteroid Impact Threat: Experts Report on Early-Warning Strategies
by Leonard David, Space.com’s Space Insider Columnist
November 20, 2014 06:40am ET
http://www.space.com/27809-asteroid-impact-early-warning-system.html
Artist’s image shows NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft in orbit around Mars. (Courtesy NASA/GSFC)
NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission (MAVEN) is off and running – starting its one-year primary science mission on November 16.
“With the formal start of our science mission, we’re on track to be able to carry out our full mission as planned, and the science team is looking forward to an incredibly exciting year,” said Bruce Jakosky, MAVEN Principal Investigator at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
The start of science is actually a “soft start”, in that the instruments started making science measurements beginning almost as soon as we were in orbit, and some instrument calibration activities will be continuing throughout the mission.
The commissioning of MAVEN, in what the spacecraft’s team called its “transition phase”, included adjusting the orbit to get into its science orbit, deploying the booms that hold a number of the instruments away from the spacecraft, ejecting the Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer instrument cover, turning on and checking out each of the science instruments, and carrying out calibration activities for both the spacecraft and the instruments.
Comet observations
“This period also included the close approach of Comet Siding Spring, which whizzed by Mars at a rough distance of only 135,000 kilometers on October 19, Jakosky said in a NASA statement.
“We also took time off from commissioning to observe the comet and to take before and after observations of the Mars atmosphere to look for changes,” Jakosky said.
“Using several MAVEN instruments, observations both revealed a tremendous quantity of metal ions that came from cometary dust that entered the atmosphere,” Jakosky said. “Their presence was unexpected, in that the nominal models of the paths taken by dust grains, calculated prior to the comet passage, indicated that no dust would make it all the way to Mars. We’re certainly glad that we took precautions to protect us from dust during the encounter!”
Artist concept of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) 70-metric-ton configuration launching to space. SLS will be the most powerful rocket ever built for deep space missions, including to an asteroid and ultimately to Mars.
Credit: NASA
The NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a November 14 report that flags the space agency’s current and top management and performance challenges.
Its key observation is that NASA’s “static” budgets, along with fiscal uncertainties, makes it tough for the space agency to move forward on its agenda.
Looking forward to 2015, the NASA OIG identified the following:
— Managing NASA’s Human Space Exploration Programs: the International Space Station, Commercial Crew Transportation, and the Space Launch System
— Managing NASA’s Science Portfolio
— Ensuring Continued Efficacy of the Space Communications Networks
— Overhauling NASA’s Information Technology Governance Structure
— Ensuring the Security of NASA’s Information Technology Systems
— Managing NASA’s Infrastructure and Facilities
— Ensuring the Integrity of the Contracting and Grants Processes and the Proper Use of Space Act Agreements
“The late October failure of a cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station underscores the difficulty of spaceflight and increases the challenges associated with NASA’s approach to using commercial partners to resupply the Station,” the OIG report notes.
“Similar to last year, we noted that declining budgets and fiscal uncertainties have compounded the difficulty of meeting these and other NASA challenges.”
James Webb Space Telescope
Credit: Northrop Grumman
The report takes a hard look at a number of on-going NASA efforts, from extending the life of the International Space Station; developing the Space Launch System; completing the James Webb Space Telescope; as well as scrutinizing the space agency’s Near-Earth Objects (NEO) Observation Program.
The OIG report also carries a response from NASA’s chief, Charles Bolden, noting in part:
“The audits and investigations that your office conduct provide valuable oversight and insight,” Bolden says.
“The one overarching and seven specific management and performance challenges identified in your 2014 assessment provide NASA with additional tools and solutions set for improvement, which the Agency continues to build upon. We continue to aggressively pursue mitigation of the challenges that your office has identified…”
A tip of the space visor goes to SpacePolicyOnline.com News for calling attention to the release of this new NASA OIG report.
Take a look at the full report here:
Instrumented Philae comet lander.
Credit: ESA/DLR
Update – the Philae lander has entered sleep mode at 01:36 Central European Time (CET) on November 15, 2014.
The Philae lander performed about 56 hours of continuous scientific measurements on the surface of Comet 67P.
But by 01:15 CET on November 15 the energy state of the lander became so low that the engineers assumed that Philae would go into sleep mode during the night.
“Philae is a complete success,” said Project Manager Stephan Ulamec of the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR).
According to a DLR press statement, from around 23:30 CET, Philae was in contact with the Lander Control Center (LCC) at DLR Cologne and sent back scientific data from the SD2 drill and the COSAC instrument.
At the beginning of the contact period, engineers in the DLR LCC continued to send commands to Philae.
The lander performed well, although the radio link to Earth failed several times. The mission scientists cheered repeatedly as new data arrived from space.
During the night, the lander also conducted measurements with the PTOLEMY instrument, acquired two images with the ROLIS camera and examined the interior of the comet nucleus using radio signals – together with the CONSERT instrument on board the Rosetta orbiter.
In addition, ground operators were able to rotate the body of the lander with its solar panels by 35 degrees, so that they are better oriented towards the Sun. The team hopes that this will allow the lander batteries to charge faster in its shaded location.
Philae’s hibernation means a break for the Philae team.
“After a very exciting and successful week, Philae is now taking the time to rest – and the team is now able to take a breath,” said DLR engineer Koen Geurts.
In recent days, the lander control team had been working around the clock to command the lander and make optimal use of the time available for the “First Science Sequence.”
