MarkWhittington - Slashdot User

Submission + - Despite Mars Curiosity Landing, Poll Shows Tepid Support for Human Mars Mission (yahoo.com)

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MarkWhittington

on Sunday August 12, 2012 @01:07AM

MarkWhittington writes: "The recent landing of the Curiosity science rover on Mars had not created an overwhelming level of support for sending a human expedition to Mars, according to the findings of a survey conducted by Rasmussen Reports. The Rasmussen survey showed that 36 percent of American adults question agreed that a humans to Mars mission should be included in America's space goals. 38 percent disagreed with that goal. 27 percent were not sure. The survey was conducted of 1,000 American adults on Aug. 7-8."

Submission + - NASA's Morpheus crashes and burns in first free flight test (examiner.com)

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MarkWhittington

on Thursday August 09, 2012 @05:45PM

MarkWhittington writes: "NASA’s Morpheus lander prototype has blown up upon launch in its first free flight attempt at the Kennedy Space Center. The test took place at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility.

Morpheus, which is testing an engine that burns liquid oxygen and liquid methane, and an autonomous collision avoidance system, underwent numerous tethered tests at the Johnson Spaceflight Center in Houston before being moved to the Kennedy Space Center for a series of free flight tests."

Submission + - Success of Mars Curiosity Sparks Renewed Space Policy Debate (yahoo.com)

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MarkWhittington

on Tuesday August 07, 2012 @05:39PM

MarkWhittington writes: "The successful landing of the Curiosity science rover on Mars has sparked a new space policy debate in the media. What should NASA's direction actually be and how much money should be spent on it are some of the questions being asked."

Submission + - NASA's Bolden Speaks on Future Mars Mission, Chinese Moon Landing (yahoo.com)

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MarkWhittington

on Thursday August 02, 2012 @02:58PM

MarkWhittington writes: "During an interview with USA Today on the eve of the arrival of the Mars Rover Curiosity, NASA administrator Charles Bolden had some interesting thoughts on why a humans to Mars mission should be international and not American led, how the world should react positively to the Chinese beating America back to the moon, and what he would do (or rather not do) if NASA were to have an "unlimited" budget."

Submission + - NASA Greenland Ice Melt Report Sparks Global Warming Debate (yahoo.com)

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MarkWhittington

on Sunday July 29, 2012 @06:07PM

MarkWhittington writes: "A NASA report describing an "unprecedented" instance of ice melting in Greenland has sparked a new debate about global warming and has elicited accusations that the space agency has become politicized where climate science is concerned. NASA satellite data suggests that at one time or another 97 percent of the ice sheet that covers Greenland had thawed due to the persistence of a warm air mass over that land mass. Ordinarily roughly half of Greenland's ice sheet melts at one time or another during the summer. Scientists are not certain whether the phenomenon will increase the overall loss of ice in Greenland and cause the surface levels of the ocean to rise. The ice appears to be refreezing, however. The controversy that has arisen as a result of the report is due to the use of the word "unprecedented" in the title of the report. However, down toward the bottom of the NASA report, Lora Koenig, a Goddard glaciologist and a member of the research team analyzing the satellite data suggested that events such as these occur naturally every 150 years. Ice core data seem to confirm this finding."

Submission + - NASA Considers Apollo-Era F1 Engine for Space Launch System (yahoo.com)

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MarkWhittington

on Thursday July 26, 2012 @06:36PM

MarkWhittington writes: "A company named Dynetics, in partnership with Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, will perform a study contract for NASA to explore whether a modern version of the Saturn V F1 booster could be used on the Space Launch System. These would be the basis for a liquid fueled strap on rocket that would enhance the SLS to make it capable of launching 130 metric tons to low Earth orbit, thus making it capable of supporting deep space exploration missions in the 2020s."

Submission + - Debate Breaks Out on Chinese Lunar Military Bases (yahoo.com)

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MarkWhittington

on Tuesday July 24, 2012 @04:04PM

MarkWhittington writes: "Another debate has broken out concerning the Chinese space program, the moon, and space as the military high ground. Rep. Bill Posey, R-Fla., was on one side. On the other side is Stephen Smith, a political consultant and space blogger. At question is whether or not the Chinese mean to colonize the moon and to use it as a military high ground."

Submission + - NASA Pinpoints Cis-Lunar Space as a Venue for Exploration (yahoo.com)

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MarkWhittington

on Saturday July 21, 2012 @01:31PM

MarkWhittington writes: "NASA's Human Spaceflight Architecture Team (HAT) has published yet another report concerning Future in Space Operations (FISO). The report is entitled "The Role of Cis-Lunar Space in Future Global Space Exploration." The report fleshes out NASA thinking about what the Orion Multi Purpose Crew Vehicle, launched by the heavy lift Space Launch System, will do during the initial period of of operations. Three destinations are discussed, low Earth orbit, geosynchronous orbit, and two of the Lagrange points, L1, which is between the Earth and moon, and L2, which is past the farside of the moon."

Submission + - Newt Gingrich Banters with Jay Leno on Moon Colonies (yahoo.com)

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MarkWhittington

on Thursday July 19, 2012 @06:37PM

MarkWhittington writes: "Former House Speaker and presidential candidate Newt Gingrich appeared on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno on Wednesday, July 18. During a conversation about Gingrich's failed presidential run, the subject of a moon colony was brought up."

Submission + - Details of Chinese Moon Rocket Emerge (yahoo.com)

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MarkWhittington

on Wednesday July 18, 2012 @04:57PM

MarkWhittington writes: "AmericaSpace has published the results of a study of Chinese rocket development by Charles Vick, a noted expert on the Russian and Chinese space programs who works for GlobalSecurity.org, using Chinese language sources.

Of note are the developing concepts for a super heavy launch vehicle designated as the CZ9 or Long March 9, capable of taking Chinese astronauts to the moon and points beyond."

Submission + - Natural Gas Fracking Causes Plunge in CO2 Emissions (examiner.com) 2

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MarkWhittington

on Wednesday July 18, 2012 @01:37PM

MarkWhittington writes: "Natural gas fracking, in which fluids are injected in a shale formation to force natural gas to the surface, has caused an economic boom in places such as the Eagle Ford formation in south Texas, according to CNBC. The natural gas fracking boom seems also to have fixed a situation that has vexed environmentalists, according to Investor’s Business Daily. The natural gas fracking boom has caused a plunge in CO2 output, down to 1990s levels."

Submission + - Fan of 'The Big Bang Theory' awarded ride on XCOR Lynx into space (examiner.com)

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MarkWhittington

on Saturday July 14, 2012 @10:09AM

MarkWhittington writes: "A ticket to ride on that company’s Lynx suborbital spacecraft was given to Mercedes Becerra of Paso Robles, Calif during a panel session for “The Big Bang Theory,” a popular television sitcom at Comiccon in San Diego. The ride into space was sponsored by Warner Brothers Television, which produces the show."

Submission + - XCOR Midland deal points the way to government support of commercial space (examiner.com)

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MarkWhittington

on Wednesday July 11, 2012 @02:21PM

MarkWhittington writes: "The recent decision by XCOR to establish a research and development headquarters in Midland, Texas, away from its traditional venue of operations at the Mojave space port in California, illustrates how different governments approach business in general and commercial space businesses in particular."

Submission + - Reports: Deal in the works to move commercial space firm XCOR to Midland, Texas (examiner.com)

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MarkWhittington

on Saturday July 07, 2012 @01:02AM

MarkWhittington writes: "A deal is in the works to establish a corporate headquarters in Midland, Texas for XCOR, a commercial space company that is developing a suborbital space tourism vehicle, the Lynx. The deal will likely also involve certifying Midland International Air Port as a space port so that the Lynx can operate there. XCOR is characterizing the move as an expansion as it still intends to maintain operations at the Mojave Spaceport in California."

Submission + - Discovery of Higgs Boson Bittersweet News in Texas (yahoo.com)

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MarkWhittington

on Wednesday July 04, 2012 @06:08PM

MarkWhittington writes: "The probable discovery of the Higgs Boson particle is greeted as bittersweet news in Texas. Had the Superconducting Super Collider, at one time under construction in Waxahachie, Texas, not been cancelled by Congress in 1993 the Higgs Boson might have been confirmed a decade ago, some believe, and in America."

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