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Cluster reveals fundamental 3-D properties of magnetic turbulence
http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object … ctid=38841
24 Feb 2006
Fundamental 3-D properties of magnetic turbulence observed in the magnetosheath are reported, thanks to measurements by ESA's Cluster mission close to the magnetopause. These properties are of prime importance to model magnetic turbulence in the magnetosheath, which plays a key role in the dynamical coupling between the solar wind and the magnetosphere. Their consequences are also relevant to astrophysical and laboratory plasmas. This new scientific breakthrough on magnetic turbulence by Cluster is published today, 24 February 2006, in Physical Review Letters.
Eastern scarp of Olympus Mons
3 March 2006
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Mars_Expres … GJE_1.html
These images, taken by the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on board ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft, show the eastern scarp of the Olympus Mons volcano on Mars.
Finally looks like funding is moving forward:
scientists at Hanford in the US kicked off an experiment with a $350m (£200m) machine called Ligo which they are confident will bring the first evidence for the existence of Einstein's elusive waves. Next month, Ligo will be joined by the Geo 600 detector in Hanover, which cost €7m (£4.7m) and is being run by scientists from Glasgow, Cardiff, Birmingham and Hanover universities.
Article also accounts what has been tried thus far not counting other mentions of measuring this effect from geo satelites as frame drag and of course Gravity B which is still in operation but all data collection has stopped from that billions of dollar probe.
Sadly it seems the latest NASA cuts will delay several key science missions indefinitely, including the Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF), a mission to detect and study Earth-like planets, Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), a mission to search for gravitational waves, and Constellation-X, a mission to study black holes.
Statement by Mary L. Cleave - House Science Committee Hearing on NASA FY 2007 Science Budget
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=19813
The Space Interferometry Mission (SIM), which is planned for launch in 2015/2016, remains in formulation, and the Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) mission will be deferred. A review of Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is being conducted in 2006, to determine whether it is appropriate to continue development of this project. If NASA decides to continue the project, we will incorporate the necessary funds into the FY 2007 budget via the Agency Operating Plan. The NuSTAR mission and the Keck observatory outriggers are cancelled. Finally, the Beyond Einstein Program is beginning a process of prioritization, with a goal of selecting a mission (either LISA, Con-X or Joint Dark Energy Mission) to enter development later this decade.
Seems the latest NASA budget chopped many things down. We have some news on those Cancelled/Delayed indefinitely - the cosmology programme, NASA's Beyond Einstein is under review and 2 of its missions LISA ( Laser Interferometer Space Antenna ), to search for ripples in SpaceTime called gravitational waves and ConstellationX might be delayed indefinitely or cancelled
divert cash from science into shuttle
missions – LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna), to search for ripples in space-time called gravitational waves, and Constellation-X, to study black holes – will be delayed indefinitely
Here's what could be happening with the new NASA budget -
Delayed indefinitely - the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a to 2.shch-.metre infrared telescope built into a boeing 747 plane, will be put under "review" because it is behind schedule. It has been given no funding for the foreseeable future
Dawn mission has been cut down. Late January, NASA postponed Dawn, but word is that it is now canceled.
Cancelled/Delayed indefinitely - Mars research has been cut by $243.3 million to $700.2 million. This reflects the cancellation or indefinite postponement of missions such as the Mars Sample Return Mission and the Mars Telecommunications Orbiter.
There are many other missions and projects that have been chopped but the list is too long for me to post in this thread
final name for the CEV/CLV Human Space Transport will be announced in 2006.
the NASA website
http://www.nasa.gov/missions/solarsystem/cev_faq.html
questions
STS-121 is Targeted at a May Launch, Shuttle Discovery will lead what is being tagged as Return to Flight 3 in a year that will hopefully see all three of NASA's Orbiters on missions. Space Shuttle Discovery will not have redesigned gapfillers installed between all 15,000 thermal protection system (TPS) tiles before mission STS 121’s expected May launch. The gapfillers are like playing cards and were originally bonded into position using a needle. The use of the needle led to incorrect adhesive application, giving a weak bond between tile and card. The harsh launch environment would then cause gapfillers to move and protrude if there was ineffective bonding. NASA continues to work towards a May launch of the space shuttle Discovery, with plans to remove the ramp on the external tank that shed the largest piece of foam during its flight in July 2005 – the first since the Columbia disaster. Griffin also confirmed NASA has found the cause of why a section of the PAL Ramp came off the External Tank during STS-114's launch. While he refused to officially state the reason, he did give an indication that previous repair work on the area was to blame. ISS cable reel mechanism will be replaced during one of the three spacewalks by Discovery crewmembers Piers Sellers and Mike Fossum during the STS-121 shuttle mission later this year.
So who says there's no global warming?
.
George Deutsch the NASA public affairs man resigned his post at NASA
http://www.newmars.com/forums/viewtopic … &start=220
NASA Watch has learned that George Deutsch resigned his position today. NASA will not be commenting on this personnel issue.
Bush spinner calls for NASA site censorship
http://uplink.space.com/showflat.php?Ca … ber=442192
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/forums … 01&posts=9
NASA's man who lacked degree quits, he had told a Website designers to add the word 'theory' after every mention of the Big Bang. The Whiteshouse Admin now accused of supressing climate change studies and scientific results.
This guy has tuned in to Venus Express from his backyard!
He's going to try and do the same with Mars Express...
very nice work
Canceling NASA's Terrestrial Planet Finder: The White House's Increasingly Nearsighted "Vision" For Space Exploration
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewnews.html?id=1092
According to NASA's FY 2007 budget documentation "The Terrestrial Planet Finding project (TPF) has been deferred indefinitely." In other words, it is dead. NASA is just afraid to say so.
Freedom of Speech? 1 word. BULLSHIT. In some european countries. Saying that the Holocaust never happened can get you arrested and prisioned. Publishing anything that shows Hitler in a good light (even if it's a joke) can be considered anti-semitic thus illegal. Now when a cartoon links Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) to terrorism. It's freedom of speech.
Holocaust happened - this is fact. Hitler killed many, we have documents and photos which showed he murdered many gypsies, german and millions of jews. In some Euro nations holocaust denial will mean jail time, in other European countries its ok but people will think you're a bit crazy.
In Europe you may get some fine or jail time for this but at least they don't go around in big religious hooligan mobs lynching people, burning down embassies of the sinners and calling for the killing of other 'infidels' over some stupid cartoon joke. My thoughts - most Religion stinks, the Buddists hurt people in the past, the Isrealis did crap, and at one time Christians used to burn 'witches' but radical nuts in the Islamic world are not a thing of the past, they are alive and well today. The radical cleric on some English news channel actually claiming that an EU citizen should be tried and executed in an Islamic court for portraying a prophet, these zealot protestors have to accept that the whole world isn't under Islamic law, but in British society there were protests where a parent feels free enough to have their child wear a 'I love al-Qaeda' hat, there were many loony crackpots in London with about 500 demonstrators chanting "Kill, kill Denmark!" and burning that country's flag as they passed the Danish embassy in a march from Regent's Park mosque.
I think the most important thing, as mentioned by others, is to have strict separation of church and state on Mars.
Sometimes I reckon Bush is a joke of a leader, the mess of Iraq, the massive debts and then the Katrina fiasco
However when you see the radicals on the other side like Iran, Bush don't look so bad
Islamic cartoon Jihad now intensifies,
These islamic nutbags are really pushing it this time, the crazy protestors are giving their peaceful-religion a worse image than the cartoon did. so this time do we allow Taliban thugs to ban all Rap and Rock music all African-American dance because Muslims find it offensive, should we censor the Mona Lisa, Salvador Dalí pics, African art, Playboy magazine - do we burn Mark Twain books, Arthur C Clark novels, burn Margaret Mitchell's books because some Afghan radical doesn't like its content. Holding signs that read “behead those who insult Islam”? There is also the Islamic ban on any pictorial representation, and Orthodox Muslim ban on paintings of creatures/animals/landscapes - the destruction of frescoes and the monumental statues of the Buddha at Bamiyan by the radical Muslim sects and nationalist group, the Taliban. Extremists in the Palestinian refugee camp called Ein-el-Hilwih tell crowd to kill Norwegians and Danish citizens. However the United States and GW backed Muslims against European newspapers that printed caricatures of the Prophet in a move that could help
America's battered image in the Islamic world.
http://img409.imageshack.us/img409/160/567372052bk.jpg
picture
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/4 … 03x300.jpg
The nutbag British Muslims vented their anger, with some shouting: 'UK you must pray, 7/7 is on its way.' Other slogans included 'massacre those who insult Islam' and 'Europe, your 9/11 will come'. Two New Zealand newspapers have reprinted cartoons depicting caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad which have angered Muslims across the world, saying the decision was based on press freedom. The cartoons, first published by a Danish newspaper in September, appeared in the Dominion Post and the The Press based in Christchurch, both owned by Australia's Fairfax group. "It's important for our readers to see what the fuss is about and to make up their own minds. Ours is a secular society based on western ideals of tolerance and open debate, even if that may occasionally offend," said Tim Pankhurst, Dominion Post's editor. "We do not wish to be deliberately provocative but neither should we allow ourselves to be intimidated," he added. They have now attacked the embassy of norway in damaskus, Norwegian Embassy in Syria is also reported to have been stormed by the mob and set on fire, recently Khomeini's fatwa against Rushdie was reaffirmed by Iran's spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a message to the crackpot Islamic pilgrims, there are violent protests now in Syria, Morocco, Indonesia...and all across the crackpot islamic landscape - these thungs also killed hundreds of innocent people at the Miss World contest. bombing in London bus and the attempted suicide subway attack, Muslim riots in France France: Muslim rioters shout "Allahu Akbar", they already killed Rushdie's Italian friend, and they killed his Japanese translator Hitoshi Igarashi in Tokyo, a fatwa was also issued againt Nasreen for her documents on women in islam
http://www.newmars.com/forums/viewtopic … &start=220
more on it
Muslim extremists are using the furor over the Prophet Mohammed cartoons published in European newspapers to rally the faithful to a jihad (holy war), in several Internet postings.
http://www.metimes.com/articles/normal. … 3023-4266r
"Brothers, it's war against Islam ..., grab your swords," says hardline Saudi cleric Sheikh Badr Bin Nader Al Mashari in a voice recording posted on an Islamist Website.
"Iran's Foreign Ministry delivered a strong protest over the publication of the caricature that insulted the religious sentiments of Muslims," television reported.
http://today.reuters.com/news
It added that Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, in a separate letter to his Danish counterpart, had demanded an apology from the Danish government and the newspaper.
I think Discovery Channel are going to be showing this next year sometime
I'll try and see it then
another Space review
Asking the tough questions
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/546/1
Armed with six advanced degrees and a vision for sending astronauts back to the moon and on to Mars, Michael Griffin isn’t your average NASA administrator. The space agency’s 11th chief executive sat down with us recently after nine months on the job and waxed eloquent on topics as diverse as foam, Challenger, Mars, the budget, the astronaut corps and intelligent design. The free-wheeling, hour-long chat took place Jan. 19 in a conference room adjacent to the administrator’s suite at NASA headquarters in Washington.
blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_space_thewritestuff/2006/01/mike_griffin_af.html
NASA trying to look beyond shuttle program
http://www.knoxstudio.com/shns/story.cf … -06&cat=AN
Predicting the weather on Titan?
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMAXTMZCIE_index_0.html
23 January 2006
Using recent Cassini, Huygens and Earth-based observations, scientists have been able to create a computer model which explains the formation of several types of ethane and methane clouds on Titan.
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This climate model also allows scientists to predict the cloud distribution for the complete Titan year (30 terrestrial years), and especially in the next years of Cassini observations.
Moons in Perspective
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/i … ageID=1964
Mimas (397 kilometers, or 247 miles across, at left) is outside the far side of the rings. Dione (1,126 kilometers, or 700 miles across) is outside the rings and closest to Cassini.
The view is from just beneath the ringplane.
NASA Cassini Image:
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=19353
Tethys and Titan
The Huygens Landing:
http://www.space-travel.com/news/The_Hu … ar_On.html
One Year On
ESAmission : Study magnetosphere using 4 cluster formation
http://www.newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=4219
Satellites see largest jet of particles created between Sun and Earth
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=18733
A flotilla of space-weather satellites – ESA's Cluster and NASA's ACE and Wind - observed for the first time steady large-scale jets of charged particles in the solar wind between the Sun and Earth
Solar Orbiter describes exactly what the spacecraft will do - it will orbit the Sun
http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMTWG1A6BD_index_0.html
http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/obj...objectid=38633
17 Jan 2006
The assessment study of the Solar Orbiter has addressed all mission areas, from the scientific requirements to the payload complement, the space and ground segments, and the respective technology readiness, including all corresponding programmatic aspects.
I don't mean that kind of organization. I mean physical organization... the ability to put your knolwedge to use!
CU research team suffers due to NASA shortfalls
http://www.thecampuspress.com/news/2006/01/nasa.php
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/515/1
Human factors and the new Vision for Space Exploration
Gerald Kulcinski has spent the last two decades studying how to develop feasible fusion reactors using helium-3 that could come from the Moon; his focus has now expanded to study workforce issues as part of the NASA Advisory Council.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/536/1
NASA gambles all for a shot at the moon
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/ … 011106.php
Just another Apollo?
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/502/1
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/507/1
SPACEHAB Tasked to Support NASA in New Space Station Activities; Mission Preparation and New Business Opportunities Underway
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/prn … 92203.html
When the Nixon Administration weighed ending the Apollo program early, the political costs of shutting down the nation’s human spaceflight played a major role—just as they would today.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/535/1
Transcription of Press Conference with Mike Griffin at NASA KSC
CRAIG COVAULT: Good morning. Craig Covault with Aviation Week. Big picture, not necessarily focused on the year's coming budget: how would you assess the overall health of the robotic planetary program given overall budget realities in the coming years and, down to the more specific, your confidence in cost and schedule for Mars science lab, which I believe is probably your biggest near-term new project.
GRIFFIN
Overall, I think all components of NASA continue to be healthy. You'll see that NASA is fully supported and the planetary science program is doing well. With regard to Mars science lab, that gets into specifics that I'm just not prepared to go into at this time, Craig. Mars science lab, obviously, is our next big mission to Mars. We will design a mission that fits the budget.
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=19305
BILL HARWOOD: Bill Harwood with CBS. This isn't about the shuttle, but it's about space science. I just wanted to follow up on Craig's question. A lot of the science team is here for New Horizons. Obviously, there is a tremendous amount of concern, and I'm stating that from what I hear from scientists, that moon/Mars is going to really whack the science program in the years to come. I mean, can you just expand on what you said to Craig, or do you have any reassurance to give that community on what is coming down the road after your speech and all of that.
GRIFFIN
" We are not, in your words, we are not "whacking" the space science program to pay for human exploration. This is not "The Sopranos," we don't whack people or programs here. We have, of course, in this nation – I do not need to be the one to tell you this – a difficult budgetary environment. NASA is not looking forward or expecting any gifts of robust growth from either the administration or the Congress. We expect to keep approximately the funding we have, which will essentially be a very low growth funding profile and therefore, all of the components, each separate component of what NASA does can expect to have, at best, only modest growth. The difference between cuts and modest growth, I guess, needs to be explained to people. I think we're doing well and within NASA the space science program is doing well and will continue to do well."
some future missions
MRO - Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
NASA's MTO : seems to be cancelled
Phoenix lander
http://www.newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1415
Mars Gravity Biosatellite ( not to Mars but a Mars simulation at NEO Earth orbit )
http://www.newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3916
2011/2013 Scout-I and core science orbiter with telecommunications capability
http://www.newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=4221
ESA sample mission
http://www.newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1469
Russian Phobos-Grunt
http://www.newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1521
2016 Mid-rovers or Astrobiology Field Laboratory
Scout-2 in 2018
European Mars project Aurora
http://www.newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1468
2020 Planetary Evolution and Meteorology Network
Mars Sample Return Orbiter with Telecom in 2022
2024 Mobile Mars Sample Return
China moon orbiter mission moves forward
http://www.theage.com.au/news/World/
China's plans to send a spacecraft around the moon have reached a new stage, with the unmanned orbiter and rocket entering production and testing, China's top aerospace official said
I heard the news, it seems like a nice idea to build these X-type planes but most of these projects will go nowhere
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/forums … asp?fid=10
Having a Jet that can take off from Earth and fly into space is a fantastic idea, but mankind's technology still hasn't advanced enough and craft like this Ramjet/Scramjet still have very limited ability. India would be better off working on their solid ASLV rockets and nitro tetroxide PSLVs, heap of research has been done into building a futuristic StarTrek/FlashGordon type ship that takles off and flies into space and the X-planes could fly a lot faster than Mach 2 ( 1290 mph ) or Mach 5 speeds. X-plane projects a still a dead end when it comes to Planetary exploration, the worst thing the USA did with this project was to award astronaut status to pilots that flew to an altitude of 50 miles ( thankfully they didn't award status to ever human on a Vomit Comet ). Now compare these planes to the real transport system like the R-7 Soyuz or STS Shuttle which flies into Space at over 620 km and reaches speed of 17,310 miles per hour, some day they might be able to build one of these planes that can rival the ability of a little Pegasus rocket. India should keep working on their bases and lauch vechicles like the new ideas for the GSLV.
Perhaps this one is a much better idea
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has said it will launch its Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) with a home-grown cryogenic engine by this year-end, reports PTI.
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/
"Work is in an advanced stage. May be soon we will have a hot test, and after that we will take a decision. Most probably, the launch will take place by the end of this year," ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair told reporters
ESA's Director General meets the press
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM12CMZCIE_index_0.html
speech (translated) , Questions and answers
http://www.usspacenews.com/index.html
January 16, 2006
ESA is exploring the design for a CEV class spacecraft based on the ATV.
This new crewed spacecraft share
common hardware and software with the ATV (including autonomous
rendezvous and docking). Principle
differences are in thermal control, enhanced ECLSS, escape and
recovery capabilities and crew systems
http://orbit.m6.net/v2/read.asp?id=28516
ESA testing Australian plasma rocket engine
Like the Russian Progress re-supply ship, the much heavier 20.7-tonne ATV can dock safely to the ISS in the unlikely event of total absence of crew on board. The ATV will supply the ISS with pressurized cargo, water, air, nitrogen and oxygen, and attitude control propellant. It will also be used to remove waste from the station and to re-boost the ISS to a higher altitude. The European Space Agency also considered using the Ariane-5/ATV to launch the Columbus laboratory. Although no human beings will ever be launched in a JulesVerne-ATV, astronauts - in shorts and T-shirts - will be able to access its cargo during the six-month stay and remove the payload: supplies, science hardware, parcels of fresh food, mail and family tapes or DVDs. Although the concept of a space tug or transfer vehicle for moving astronauts and equipment to different Earth orbits has been envisioned for decades by different space agencies, the European built ATV will be the most powerful space tug ever built.
http://www.abo.fi/~mlindroo/Station/Slides/sld093.htm
www.lunaroutpost.com/gallery/esa_european_space_agency/pages/atv002.htm
http://www.spacetoday.org/SpcStns/ATV/ATV.html
http://www.friends-partners.org/partner … ahicle.htm
Although ATV will dock to the Russian Zvezda module, it will carry most of its dry payload for the US elements of the ISS. At the launch site in Kourou, French Guiana, six weeks before flight, Jules Verne will be loaded with 1 300 kg of dry cargo out of the 5 500 kg maximum capacity. Most of the dry cargo provided by NASA will be clothes, food, towels and wipes for the crew, logistics items such as batteries and spare parts for maintenance of the Station. This cargo will also include ESA experiments, for Jules Verne, the ISS partners have decided to bring the Russian type of water, basis for Roskosmos standard water is to have some amount of minerals such as calcium, magnesium and fluoride. It is disinfected with silver obtained via electrolysis. Jules Vernes mission will be much more complex than the future routine ATV missions since it will actually demonstrate that the ATV can automatically and safely handle any contingency plans designed to ensure the safety of the ISS crew, such as interrupting the rendezvous, stopping its motion and flying away from the ISS. If required in future programmes, the ATV could also evolve to be used as a transfer vehicle carrying tonnes of supplies to the Moon orbit and beyond. Ariane's Jules Verne payload also provides living quarters, it can remain docked for up to 6 months and ATV becomes an extension of the station.
