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Beatles song directed into deep space

Sat, 02/02/2008 - 17:17 by MT Bureau

Houston -- U.S. space officials said The Beatles song "Across the Universe" will be blasted directly into deep space next week.

The tune will be beamed over NASA's Deep Space Network at 7 p.m. EST on Feb. 4. to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the day The Beatles recorded the song, as well as the 50th anniversary of the founding of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the agency said in a release.

The transmission is being aimed at the North Star, Polaris, 431 light years away from Earth. The song will travel across the universe at a speed of 186,000 miles per second.

"Amazing! Well done, NASA!" former Beatle Paul McCartney said in a message to the space agency. "Send my love to the aliens. All the best, Paul."

NASA issues Constellation impact statement

Thu, 31/01/2008 - 21:22 by MT Bureau

Washington -- The U.S. space agency issued an environmental impact statement for its Constellation Program that's aimed at returning humans to the moon by 2020.

The statement prepared by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration concludes that localized and global environmental impacts associated with implementing the program would be comparable to past or ongoing NASA activities.

The United States requires its federal agencies to prepare an impact statement for programs that might affect the quality of the environment. The Constellation Program components to be developed include the crew exploration, crew launch and cargo launch vehicles, as well as a lunar lander.

NASA said since the Constellation Program will be based largely upon components and facilities used by its space shuttle program, any potential environmental impacts are expected to be similar.

Atlantis launch is set for Feb. 7

Thu, 31/01/2008 - 20:15 by MT Bureau

Cape Canaveral, Fla. -- The U.S. space agency set next Thursday as the target date for the launch of space shuttle Atlantis's mission to the International Space Station.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration senior managers at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida completed a readiness review Wednesday and said, pending resolution of an issue with a shuttle radiator hose, the space shuttle would lift off at 2:45 p.m. EST, Feb. 7.

During an inspection of Atlantis this week, one of four hoses that carry Freon to radiators in the shuttle's payload bay was found not properly retracted in its storage box. NASA said repairs were initiated and managers were to review the problem Saturday.

During the 11-day mission to the ISS, Commander Steve Frick and his six crewmates are to conduct three spacewalks to install the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory that will provide scientists around the world with the ability to conduct space-based life, physical and materials science experiments.

Mercury: Far different than Earth's moon

Thu, 31/01/2008 - 14:45 by MT Bureau

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. space agency said its Messenger spacecraft showed that the planet Mercury appears to be surprisingly different from Earth's moon.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said that after a journey of more than 2 billion miles and 3 1/2 years, the Jan. 14 flyby of Mercury produced an entirely new look at the planet once thought to have characteristics similar to those of Earth's moon.

The spacecraft collected more than 1,200 images of the planet and made other scientific observations, including the first up-close measurements of Mercury since the Mariner 10 spacecraft's third flyby March 16, 1975.

Scientists said the images obtained by Messenger show Mercury has huge cliffs with structures snaking hundreds of miles across the planet's face. The images also revealed impact craters that appear very different from lunar craters.

Astronauts use vertical treadmill

Wed, 30/01/2008 - 21:21 by MT Bureau

Cleveland -- U.S. astronauts preparing for long-duration space missions are using a new treadmill that allows them to run while being suspended horizontally.

Engineers from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland built the "Standalone Zero Gravity Locomotion Simulator" to imitate conditions astronauts experience while exercising in space. The new machine will be used to develop improved exercise routines for astronauts to conduct during spaceflight.

The treadmill simulates zero gravity by suspending human test subjects horizontally to remove their torso, head and limbs from the normal pull of gravity. Participants are pulled toward a vertically mounted treadmill system where they can run or walk. The forces against a test subject's feet are precisely controlled and can mimic conditions of zero gravity in low Earth orbit or conditions on the moon, which has one-sixth the gravity of Earth.

Astronomers study asteroid nearing Earth

Fri, 25/01/2008 - 14:24 by MT Bureau

Pasadena, Calif. -- An asteroid believed about 500 feet to 2,000 feet in size is being closely monitored by the U.S. space agency as it approaches Earth for a Tuesday fly-by.

Asteroid 2007 TU24 is expected to be about 334,000 miles from Earth at 3:33 a.m. Jan. 29 and should be observable by amateur astronomers with modest-sized telescopes, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said.

The asteroid was discovered by the NASA-sponsored Catalina Sky Survey Oct. 11. Scientists at NASA's Near-Earth Object Program Office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., have determined there is no possibility of an impact with Earth in the foreseeable future.

"This will be the closest approach by a known asteroid of this size or larger until 2027," said Don Yeomans, manager of the Near Earth Object Program Office. "As its closest approach is about one-and-a-half times the distance of Earth to the moon, there is no reason for concern. On the contrary, Mother Nature is providing us an excellent opportunity to perform scientific observations."

NASA awards design, fabrication contracts

Fri, 25/01/2008 - 13:35 by MT Bureau

Washington -- The U.S. space agency has selected four companies to provide aerospace model systems and developmental test hardware.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said the design and fabrication projects will support spaceflight, space exploration, flight tests and ground-based tests. The cumulative value of all contracts is a maximum of $30 million over five years.

NASA said the companies, which will compete for orders, are Advanced Technologies Inc. of Newport News, Va.; ATK Micro Craft of Tullahoma, Tenn.; Tri Models Inc. of Huntington Beach, Calif., and Triumph Aerospace Systems of Newport News, Va.

The multiple-award, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contracts are for reliance consolidated models and a centralization of design and fabrication efforts supporting NASA's Langley, Research Center in Hampton, Va.; the Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif.; the Glenn Research Center in Cleveland and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.

Meteor impacts can have subtle effects

Thu, 24/01/2008 - 19:28 by MT Bureau

Lower Hutt, New Zealand -- A New Zealand study suggests meteor impacts with the Earth can produce effects of a more subtle and insidious kind than just catastrophic extinction.

Researchers at the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences in Lower Hutt, New Zealand, said the shattering impact of meteors on rocks can produce increased groundwater-rock surface interaction, affecting the quality of groundwater that percolates through the fractured, melted rocks of the impact structure.

The scientists said a good example was found at the Canadian town of Gypsumville, Manitoba, located near the Lake St. Martin meteor impact crater. Domestic wells in the town have elevated salinity, sulfate and fluoride concentrations. The fluoride, which exceeds health limits, is of concern as excess intake causes mottling of teeth at moderate levels, to softening of bones and neurological damage at higher levels.

U.S. launched 1st satellite 50 years ago

Thu, 24/01/2008 - 19:18 by MT Bureau

Pasadena, Calif. -- This month marks the 50th anniversary of the launch of the United States' first satellite to orbit the Earth.

Explorer 1 lifted off Jan. 31, 1958 -- a few months after the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik. The White House had asked the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., and the Army Ballistic Missile Agency to launch a satellite as quickly as possible. JPL designed and built the satellite, the upper stages of the rocket and a tracking system. The Army's Redstone Arsenal produced the liquid-filled rocket.

The launch of Explorer 1 was followed by the creation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in October 1958 and transformed JPL from a producer of ballistic missiles to a center for robotic exploration of the solar system and beyond. Today, the California Institute of Technology manages JPL for NASA.

British minister visits ESA space center

Wed, 23/01/2008 - 21:59 by MT Bureau

Darmstadt, Germany-- Britain's minister of state for science visited the European Space Agency's operations center Wednesday -- the first visit from a British state secretary.

Ian Pearson held discussions with ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain and was also updated on European space activities and on the participation of British industry in ESA programs. Peterson also met with British industrial contractors working at the center, located in Darmstadt, Germany.

The ESA said Pearson's tour of the facility included visits to individual mission control rooms and to the main control room from which more than 57 space missions have been successfully operated.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.

U.S. launched 1st satellite 50 years ago

Tue, 22/01/2008 - 21:56 by MT Bureau

Pasadena, Calif -- This month marks the 50th anniversary of the launch of the United States' first satellite to orbit the Earth.

Explorer 1 lifted off Jan. 31, 1958 -- slightly more than a year after the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik. The White House had asked the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., and the Army Ballistic Missile Agency to launch a satellite as quickly as possible. JPL designed and built the satellite, the upper stages of the rocket and a tracking system. The Army's Redstone Arsenal produced the liquid-filled rocket.

The launch of Explorer 1 was followed by the creation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in October 1958 and transformed JPL from a producer of ballistic missiles to a center for robotic exploration of the solar system and beyond. Today, the California Institute of Technology manages JPL for NASA.

NASA publishes 2008 space calendar

Tue, 22/01/2008 - 00:10 by MT Bureau

Houston -- The U.S. space agency has published a calendar that highlights 50 years of its milestones, including the first decade of the International Space Station.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said its 2008 calendar details historical facts and photographs that "capture the work and wonder of a decade building the world's largest orbiting laboratory."

Each month of the calendar has a specific theme with images, photographs, significant NASA historical events and Web sites for educators.

"Teachers inspire," said NASA's ISS program manager at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. "We hope this calendar also will inspire a new generation of explorers."

The space agency said nearly 100,000 copies of the calendar have been delivered to classrooms across the United States.