DSG2 - Slashdot User

ESA launches first Earth Explorer mission GOCE-> 0

Submitted by

DSG2

on Tuesday March 17 2009, @03:23PM

DSG2 writes "This afternoon, the Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) satellite developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) was lofted into a near-Sun-synchronous, low Earth orbit by a Rockot launcher lifting off from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in northern Russia. With this launch, a new chapter in the history of Earth observation in Europe has begun. GOCE is the first of a new family of ESA satellites designed to study our planet and its environment in order to enhance our knowledge and understanding of Earth-system processes and their evolution, to enable us to address the challenges of global climate change. In particular, GOCE will measure the minute differences in the Earth's gravity field around the globe. Read More Here"
Link to Original Source

Launch of ESA's gravity mapping satellite delayed-> 0

Submitted by

Matt_dk

on Monday March 16 2009, @02:43PM

Matt_dk writes "This afternoon, ESA's Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) satellite was due to be launched by a Russian Rockot vehicle from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Northern Russia. However, the launch operations were stopped a few seconds before scheduled liftoff as the doors of the launch service tower did not open. Due to this anomaly, the tower was held in position and did not move back as required for a launch."
Link to Original Source

ISS Reality TV Show Gets Thumbs Down-> 0

Submitted by

DSG2

on Thursday March 12 2009, @12:47PM

DSG2 writes "Roscosmos and NASA have decided not to pursue a U.S.-initiated idea to make life on the International Space Station (ISS) a reality show, the Russian Space Agency announced on Thursday. Views of Earth from the space station will be streamed round-the-clock on the NASA web site using cameras mounted on the exterior of the orbiter, but the activities of crewmembers monitored on interior cameras will not be shown. A number of U.S. astronauts and Russian cosmonauts reacted negatively to the idea. Roscosmos also noted that the psychological effect of such experiments during long-duration stays in orbit had not been researched. Read more on this story and discuss the implications Here"
Link to Original Source

Galactic Dust Bunnies Found to Contain Carbon-> 0

Submitted by

Matt_dk

on Thursday March 12 2009, @12:38PM

Matt_dk writes "Astronomers have long been baffled by a strange phenomenon: Why have their telescopes never detected carbon-rich stars at the center of our galaxy even though they have found these stars in other places? Now, by using Spitzer's powerful infrared detectors, a research team has found the elusive carbon stars in the galactic center. This discovery is significant because it adds to our knowledge of how stars form heavy elements — like oxygen, carbon and iron — and then blow them out across the universe, making it possible for life to develop."
Link to Original Source

ESA designs its smallest ever space engine-> 0

Submitted by

Matt_dk

on Wednesday March 11 2009, @08:37AM

Matt_dk writes "This month an ESA team is preparing to test the performance of the smallest yet most precisely controllable engine ever built for space, sensitive enough to counteract the force of incoming sunshine. Measuring only ten centimetres across and emitting a faint blue glow as it runs, the Field Emission Electric Propulsion (FEEP) engine produces an average thrust equivalent to the force of a single falling hair. But despite its low power, FEEP's thrust range and controllability are far superior to more forceful thrusters, holding the key to future success of an ambitious ESA science mission."
Link to Original Source

SPACEX Complete Falcon 9 Engine Test Fire-> 0

Submitted by

RobGoldsmith

on Tuesday March 10 2009, @06:10PM

RobGoldsmith writes "Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) successfully conducted a full mission duration firing of its new Merlin Vacuum engine on March 7, at SpaceX's Test Facility in McGregor, Texas. The engine fired for a full six minutes, consuming 100,000 pounds of liquid oxygen and rocket grade kerosene propellant. The new engine, which powers the upper stage of SpaceX's Falcon 9 launch vehicle, demonstrated a vacuum specific impulse of 342 seconds — the highest efficiency ever for an American hydrocarbon rocket engine. Thrust was measured at approximately 92,500 lb of force in vacuum conditions and the engine remained thermally stable over the entire run. Read More Here"
Link to Original Source

X PRIZE Team Ready to Land a Rover on the Moon-> 0

Submitted by

RobGoldsmith

on Tuesday March 10 2009, @12:42PM

RobGoldsmith writes "InterPlanetary Ventures, the Human Synergy Project, and Interorbital Systems have joined forces to compete in the Google Lunar X PRIZE race to the Moon, which offers $30,000,000 in prizes for competition winners. Read this amazing interview with the team as they aim to place a robot on the Moon by 2012. They discuss the developments of their rovers, their new rockets and how the team decided on doing something that only Government Organizations have done before. Read it all Here"
Link to Original Source

ISS to become second brightest object in the sky-> 0

Submitted by

Matt_dk

on Monday March 09 2009, @02:35PM

Matt_dk writes "Move over, Morning Star. Once Canadarm2 helps install the fourth and final set of solar array wings to the International Space Station later this month, the Station will surpass Venus as the brightest object in the night sky, second only to the Moon. The Space Shuttle Discovery is set to deliver the power-generating solar panels and Starboard 6 (S6) truss segment to the ISS on the 125th mission in the Shuttle program, known as STS-119/15A (slated for launch on March 11, 2009 at 9:20 p.m.)"
Link to Original Source

New Technologies for landing on the Moon-> 0

Submitted by

Matt_dk

on Thursday March 05 2009, @12:42PM

Matt_dk writes "The United States have been to the Moon and want to go again, China and India have recently launched their own lunar missions, and Europe is looking at the possibility of future missions to Earth's natural satellite. Astrium is working on a European Space Agency (ESA) study: 'NEXT Lunar Lander with In-Situ Science and Mobility'. The initial stage of defining the baseline for a mission concept was completed in 2008, right now the mission concept is being finalised and the design of the transfer module, the lander and the Moon rover is being developed. Read this article and discover how they are addressing issues such as technological challenges, optical navigation, obstacle avoidance, Propulsion and much more."
Link to Original Source

The lower atmosphere of Pluto revealed-> 1

Submitted by

Matt_dk

on Tuesday March 03 2009, @07:18AM

Matt_dk writes "Using ESO's Very Large Telescope, astronomers have gained valuable new insights about the atmosphere of the dwarf planet Pluto. The scientists found unexpectedly large amounts of methane in the atmosphere, and also discovered that the atmosphere is hotter than the surface by about 40 degrees, although it still only reaches a frigid minus 180 degrees Celsius. These properties of Pluto's atmosphere may be due to the presence of pure methane patches or of a methane-rich layer covering the dwarf planet's surface."
Link to Original Source