Archive for the ‘Space News’ Category
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July 29th, 2014
Credit: ESA
After a 10-year journey that has clocked up more than 6 billion kilometers, the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Rosetta spacecraft is rapidly closing in on its destination comet.
New images are being provided daily by ESA of Rosetta’s prey: comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
The official Rosetta arrival at comet date is July 19, 2014 (UTC).
Credit: ESA
A new shape model of comet 67P/C-G, based on the previous week’s images, has been used to create a revised, more detailed model.
This model is a formal product delivered to the Rosetta Orbiter and Lander Teams to aid with their preparations for orbiting around and, eventually, landing the Philae probe on the comet.
Take a spin by looking at:
http://blogs.esa.int/rosetta/2014/07/28/updated-comet-shape-model/
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This image is one of the highest resolution images taken to date by the MESSENGER spacecraft. It features a field of secondary craters in Mercury’s northern smooth plains. Secondary craters are formed by the re-impact of debris strewn from a larger crater. The largest secondary craters in this image are roughly a few hundred meters across. If you look closely, you can see some small craters that are only tens of meters across.
Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
NASA’s MESSENGER – short for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging – has moved closer to Mercury than any spacecraft has before.
The spacecraft has been maneuvered to an altitude at closest approach of only 100 kilometers (62 miles) above the planet’s surface.
“This dip in altitude is allowing us to see Mercury up close and personal for the first time,” said Ralph McNutt, MESSENGER project scientist at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland.
Doing so means closer looks at polar ice deposits, unusual geological features, and the planet’s gravity and magnetic fields, McNutt said in an APL press statement.
How low can you go?
Because of progressive changes to the orbit over time, MESSENGER’s minimum altitude will continue to decrease.
On August 19, the spacecraft’s minimum altitude will be cut in half, to 50 kilometers.
Closest approach will be halved again to 25 kilometers on September 12, noted MESSENGER Mission Design Lead Engineer Jim McAdams, also of APL.
Because of progressive changes to the orbit over time, MESSENGER’s minimum altitude will continue to decrease.
On August 19, the minimum altitude will be cut in half, to 30 miles (50 kilometers). Closest approach will be halved again to 15 miles (25 kilometers) on September 12, noted MESSENGER Mission Design Lead Engineer Jim McAdams, also of APL.
“Soon after reaching 25 kilometers above Mercury, an orbit-correction maneuver (OCM-10) will raise this minimum altitude to about 56 miles (94 kilometers),” noted McAdams.
“Two more maneuvers, on October 24 and January 21, 2015, will raise the minimum altitude sufficiently to delay the inevitable – impact onto Mercury’s surface – until March 2015,” McAdams said.
Extended mission
As the first space mission designed to orbit the planet closest to the Sun, the MESSENGER spacecraft was launched on August 3, 2004, and entered orbit about Mercury on March 18, 2011 (UTC), to begin its primary mission – a yearlong study of its target planet.
MESSENGER’s first extended mission began on March 18, 2012, and ended one year later.
MESSENGER is now in a second extended mission, which is scheduled to conclude in March 2015.
China is considering the prospect of moving up their space station agenda, according to recent news reports in that country.
A recent China Daily story explains that the first of three experimental modules for China’s planned space station is expected to be launched in 2018, with the other two set for launch in 2020 and 2022.
Those modules would be the foundation to form a 60-ton space station.
The report quotes Gu Yidong, an academic at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a leading research expert in manned space stations. “We set the date as a preliminary goal,” the scientist said.
The date change reflects a number of factors, Gu said, that can influence a launch date. “This is a common feature in international research,” he said at a recently held Beijing forum on space research.
China Daily also noted that, since the International Space Station is expected to be retired in about 2024, China’s station could be the only remaining base for humans in space.
Specialized duties
Chinese space researchers are drafting a plan on how best to utilize the country’s space station to facilitate scientific inquiry.
Gao Ming is director of the technology and engineering center for space utilization under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, which is in charge of drafting the plan.
She said that China’s space station will accommodate specialized lab duties for a number of purposes, such as applied physics, as well as Earth observation to monitor the environment and for disaster response purposes.
Chinese scientists are hopeful that the details of any international cooperation in using their space station can be detailed later this year.
China Daily also reported that the country will launch the Tiangong-2 space lab next year which will test the technology to sustain astronauts for longer periods in space as well as conduct experiments.
China’s new spaceport is taking shape on Hainan Island.
Credit: CMSE
New booster: CZ-7
Meanwhile, the China Manned Space Office has posted notice that work is progressing on the CZ-7 rocket. That booster is China’s new-generation medium-lift launch vehicle with a low-Earth orbit capacity of 13.5 tons. It is designed to launch Tianzhou cargo spaceships for construction of the future space station.
Tianzhou cargo vehicles will be launched atop CZ-7 carrier rocket from the newly-built Wenchang Satellite Launch Center, located near Wenchang on the north-east coast of Hainan Island.
Fabrication of China’s CZ-7 booster is progressing. Credit: CASC
A first joint rehearsal of the CZ-7 rocket and Tianzhou cargo vehicle will be conducted later this year.
Niu Hongguang, Deputy Chief Commander of the China Manned Space Office said the upcoming rehearsal is challenging, involving adoption of a brand-new launch vehicle, spaceship, launch pad, technical process, command and control system, with the booster transported by sea for the first time.
Artist Kenji Williams is performing his BELLA GAIA around the world.
His unique concert captures the Overview Effect, using satellite imagery of Earth, time lapses, cultural heritage footage, NASA data visualizations, dance, and an award-winning customized musical score.
Williams takes you on a spectacular journey around the planet that illuminates the connections between natural systems and human activities through an immersive storytelling method threaded by an orbiting flight path from the International Space Station.
“BELLA GAIA shows you how humans and nature are connected, and how art and science are connected,” said Williams, BELLA GAIA Founder & Director. “It’s an exploration of the relationship between human civilization and our ecosystem through time and space.”
A new video showcases BELLA GAIA and the distinctive approaches taken by Williams – a TEDx Tokyo speech and performance – in which the artist talks about the live collaboration with astronaut Koichi Wakata onboard the International Space Station.
Go to:
Also, to keep track of BELLA GAIA performances, go to:
Credit: NASA
Here’s a new one from me up this morning on Space.com – I hope you find it of interest. This topic is ripe for discussion!
Mining the Moon? Space Property Rights Still Unclear, Experts Say
By Leonard David, Space.com’s Space Insider Columnist
July 25, 2014 07:25am ET
http://www.space.com/26644-moon-asteroids-resources-space-law.html
Forecasting Freeman Dyson.
Credit: IEEE Spectrum
This video was produced on the occasion of IEEE Spectrum’s 50th anniversary (and Dyson’s 90th birthday).
The interactive video lets you skip to the topics you find most thought provoking.
Go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrH04aoEyPI#t=138 See More
China’s Chang’e 3 Moon lander and Yutu rover.
Credit: Chinese Academy of Sciences
China’s Yutu, or Jade Rabbit, moon rover is apparently still “alive” entering into its eighth “working day” – a period of time equal to roughly 14 Earth days.
However, the overall health of the robotic rover is not good. Yutu suffered a mechanical control problem in late January. Its antenna and solar panels could not fold to assist the robot in fully surviving the plunging cold temperatures during the 14 day lunar night.
Still, the automaton has outlived its designed lifespan of three months since it reached the Moon in mid-December 2013, Chinese space officials point out.
The lunar explorer now sits about 65 feet (20 meters) from the Chang’e-3 lander that deployed Yutu onto the lunar landscape.
According to China Daily, in an interview with Zhang Yuhua, deputy head of Yutu’s design team, experts now believe that the robot was likely damaged by large rocks when it was moving. Zhang said the landing site’s environment was even worse than scientists had expected.
“Experts’ initial judgment for the abnormality of Yutu was that the rover was ‘wounded’ by colliding with stones while moving,” she said in a Xinhua news story. “Yutu has ‘over-served’ its time on the Moon and sent lots of data back to Earth. We hope it can continue to work miracles,” Zhang said.
Drawing of Chang’e 5 lunar sample return craft.
Credit: CNSA
Return samples of the moon
Meanwhile, Chinese scientists and engineers are working on the third phase of China’s lunar exploration venture – robotically landing on the Moon and rocketing back to Earth samples extracted from the lunar surface.
A Chang’e 5 mission to accomplish this feat is to be carried out in 2017, said Wu Weiren, chief designer of China’s lunar exploration program in a recent Xinhua story.
Work is apparently underway to conduct a high-speed re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere as a precursor test for the Chang’e 5 sample return mission. That test flight seemingly has hardware flung outward to the Moon on a circumlunar trajectory – with the re-entry capsule screaming back into the Earth’s atmosphere at high-speed and recovered.
Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
Afterwards, this statement by President Obama:
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
July 22, 2014
Statement by the President on Meeting with the Crew and Family of Apollo 11
Forty-five years ago, while the world watched as one, the United States of America set foot on the moon. It was a seminal moment not just in our country’s history, but the history of all humankind.
The three brave astronauts of Apollo 11 –Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins – took the first small steps of our giant leap into the future. And for all the years since, they and their families have served as testaments to American ingenuity and human achievement. Today, I was honored to welcome Buzz, Michael, and Neil’s wife, Carol, to the White House to mark this historic anniversary – and to thank them for serving as advocates, role models, and educators who’ve inspired generations of Americans – myself included – to dream bigger and reach higher.
Today, under Administrator Bolden’s leadership, the men and women of NASA are building on that proud legacy by preparing for the next giant leap in human exploration — including the first visits of men and women to deep space, to an asteroid, and someday to the surface of Mars — all while partnering with America’s pioneering commercial space industry in new and innovative ways.
The United States of America is stronger today thanks to the vision of President Kennedy, who set us on a course for the moon, the courage of Neil, Buzz, and Michael, who made the journey, and the spirit of service of all who’ve worked not only on the Apollo program, but who’ve dared to push the very boundaries of space and scientific discovery for all humankind.
Credit: NASA
That’s one small step for shoemankind!
The Nike LunarGlide 6 is off and running, launched just in time to spotlight the Apollo 11 mission that landed the first humans on the Moon.
According to Nike, the shoe whose namesake cushioning “was inspired by astronauts bounding weightlessly on the moon is more stable than ever.”
Credit: Nike
The LunarGlide 6 uses lightweight “Nike Lunarlon” cushioning that “delivers a plush, responsive ride that runners love.”
Cost: $110
Rob Williams, Senior Footwear Designer, said in a Nike press statement: “We took a holistic approach to enhancing stability in the LunarGlide 6, and Lunarlon offers lightweight, soft and responsive cushioning. It’s the best of both worlds for runners – lightweight cushioning and amazing support.”
Credit: Nike
For more information, go to:
http://www.nike.com/us/en_us/launch/c/2014-07/nike-lunarglide-6
Credit: NASA
A new free NASA monograph is available that uses case studies to show government support for commercial activities.
This intriguing monograph is titled: Historical Analogs for the Stimulation of Space Commerce.
With the rise of a range of private-sector entrepreneurial firms interested in pursuing space commerce, the process whereby their efforts might be incubated, fostered, and expanded comes to the fore as an important public policy concern in a way never before present in the Space Age.
Roger Launius, associate director for collections and curatorial affairs at the National Air and Space Museum, explores how to apply more effectively already-tested models of government support for commercial activities, as well as the interactions of both the public and private spheres in a new opportunity zone in space.
In each case, a summation yields a range of key points.
In the United States there is a convergence of several powerful economic forces, including the need to restore American capability to reach low-Earth orbit for the servicing of the International Space Station and the rise of a hospitality/tourism/entertainment industry interested in space.
This publication is available for free in PDF format, for Kindle readers and other eBook readers.
Go to:
http://www.nasa.gov/connect/ebooks/historical_analogs_detail.html
