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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.

Folks seem less shy about reporting UFOs

Mon, 21/01/2008 - 21:58 by MT Bureau

Stephensville, Texas -- A space of recent UFO sightings in Texas looks to be part of a growing trend of Americans reporting possible flying saucer incidents.

The Houston Chronicle said Monday that UFO investigators are convinced that people are more comfortable these days with the idea of making a report when they see something unusual.

Ken Cherry, who leads the Texas chapter of the Mutual UFO Network, told the Chronicle that the latest sighting of a huge object gliding over Stephenville, Texas, drew several reports from witnesses despite the area's conservative, Bible-Belt nature.

"Scores and scores of people have seen it, and they are pretty vocal about it," Cherry said. "They don't mind talking to me about it at length."

Cherry told the newspapers the reports and publicity illustrate a trend toward witnesses telling others what they saw regardless of any personal concerns about the reaction of neighbors, employers and public officials.

New NASA aeronautics research chief named

Mon, 21/01/2008 - 20:42 by MT Bureau

Washington -- The U.S. space agency has named Jaiwon Shin as its associate administrator for aeronautics research.

Shin will be responsible for managing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's aeronautics research portfolio, including research in the fundamental aeronautics of flight, aviation safety and the nation's airspace system. Prior to the appointment, Shin served as NASA's deputy associate administrator for aeronautics.

"Jaiwon brings expert knowledge of aeronautics and technology to a critical position at NASA," said NASA Administrator Michael Griffin said. "He's helped develop the aeronautics research road map for the 21st century. His leadership of the directorate will assure our continued recognition as the world's premiere aeronautics research organization."

CO2 clouds are identified high above Mars

Thu, 17/01/2008 - 17:23 by MT Bureau

Paris -- European Space Agency scientists have found carbon dioxide ice clouds high above Mars often are dense enough to cast shadows on the planet's surface.

The discovery was made by a team of French scientists using the OMEGA Visible and Infrared Mineralogical Mapping Spectrometer aboard ESA's Mars Express spacecraft.

The study marks the first time carbon dioxide ice clouds -- often so large and dense that they throw quite dark shadows on the dusty surface -- have been imaged and identified from space. The clouds were found to be surprisingly high and expansive -- more than 50 miles above the surface and several hundred miles across.

"This discovery is important when we come to consider the past climate of Mars," said Frank Montmessin of the University of Versailles, lead author of the study. "The planet seems to have been much warmer billions of years ago, and one theory suggests that Mars was then blanketed with CO2 clouds.

Oscillations found in Saturn's rings

Thu, 17/01/2008 - 14:32 by MT Bureau

Stanford, Calif. -- U.S. scientists have found evidence of periodic variation in the density of particles in some of Saturn's outer rings.

The findings were made by instruments aboard the Cassini spacecraft in a series of experiments exploring the structure of Saturn's rings, and measuring the size and distribution of particles in the rings.

The Cassini spacecraft flew behind the plane of rings A and B, near the outside of Saturn's complex ring structure, and transmitted radio waves through ring particles to Earth.

Scientists from Stanford University in California, Wellesley College in Massachusetts and the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., analyzed the radio signals to help determine properties of the rings.

NASA to televise Columbia remembrance

Wed, 16/01/2008 - 21:11 by MT Bureau

Cape Canaveral, Fla -- The U.S. space agency will televise the Astronauts Memorial Foundation's remembrance service honoring space shuttle Columbia's STS-107 crew.

The ceremony marking the fifth anniversary of the Columbia accident will be 10 a.m. EST, Feb. 1 at the Space Mirror Memorial at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex at Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Speakers during the ceremony will include NASA Administrator Michael Griffin; Evelyn Husband-Thompson, widow of U.S. Air Force Col. Rick Husband; Kennedy Space Center Director Bill Parsons; and NASA Associate Administrator for Space Operations William Gerstenmaier.

Astronauts Memorial Foundation President Stephen Feldman will lead the service.

NASA seeks moon landing craft proposals

Wed, 16/01/2008 - 14:44 by MT Bureau

Washington -- The U.S. space agency is seeking proposals for a human landing craft to be used in future exploration of the moon.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Constellation Program officials said the Altair spacecraft will deliver four astronauts to the lunar surface late during the next decade.

The Constellation Program calls for the establishment of an outpost on the moon through a sustainable and affordable series of lunar missions beginning no later than 2020.

"By soliciting ideas and suggestions from industry and the science community, NASA hopes to foster a collaborative environment during this early design effort," said Jeff Hanley, Constellation Program manager. "Such collaboration will support the development of a safe, reliable and technologically sound vehicle for our crews."

NASA produces cosmic images in Braille

Wed, 16/01/2008 - 14:42 by MT Bureau

The book -- "Touch the Invisible Sky" -- was unveiled during a ceremony at the National Federation of the Blind in Baltimore.

The 60-page book presents color images of nebulae, stars, galaxies and other pictures, with each image embossed with lines, bumps and other textures. The raised patterns translate colors, shapes and other intricate details of the cosmic objects, allowing visually impaired people to experience them.

Braille and large-print descriptions accompany each of the book's 28 photographs, making the book accessible to readers of all visual abilities.

Included are images from the Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-ray Observatory, Spitzer Space Telescope and powerful ground-based telescopes. The celestial objects are presented as they appear through visible-light telescopes and different spectral regions invisible to the naked eye, from radio to infrared, visible, ultraviolet and X-ray light.

NASA: La Nina is peaking

Wed, 16/01/2008 - 13:39 by MT Bureau

Greenbelt, Md. -- The U.S. space agency says wet weather in the Northwest, frigid Plains weather and record dry conditions in Southeast states mean La Nina is peaking.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said La Ninas occur when lower than normal sea surface temperatures form along the equator in the Pacific Ocean.

"With this La Nina, the sea-surface temperatures are about two degrees (lower) than normal in the eastern Pacific and that's a pretty significant difference," said David Adamec of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "I know it doesn't sound like much, but remember this is water that probably covers an area the size of the United States. It's like you put this big air conditioner out there -- and the atmosphere is going to feel it."