Spacers

Discovery Set For Final Fling

2011-02-24T11:03:00.011-07:00

Space Shuttle Discovery is poised on the launch pad for her final mission, STS-133. Commander Steven Lindsey and pilot Eric Boe are joined by mission specialists Alvin Drew, Steven Bowen, Michael Barratt and Nicole Stott on an 11 day excursion to the International Space Station delivering a Permanent Logistics module, named Leonardo. Also on the cargo list, an Express Logistics carrier, and a human-like robotic assistant Robonaut 2 - and yes the nickname R2 has been mentioned a couple of thousand times.

You can watch the launch live on NASA TV at 4:50pm EST. Coverage of activities leading up to the launch is already underway.

Discovery awaits on launch pad 39A

So, isn't Leonardo the name of another module?

Well, yes and no. Leonardo is the name of the module, but it has been re-purposed, beginning life as a multi-purpose logistics module that made several trips to the station delivering cargo, to a permanent fixture on the station, providing an additional storage and experimental space. With the retirement of the only vehicle capable of hauling the module into space - the Space Shuttle, the decision was made to convert one of the three Italian built multi-purpose modules to a permanent Space Station module and leave it attached when the delivering Shuttle departs.

Cosmonaut Yuri P. Gidzenko floats inside Leonardo

So, are these the droids they are looking for?

Yes, very funny. Robonaut 2, or "R2" if you like, is the first so called human-like robotic assistant and has "hands" that allow it to perform tasks beyond the scope of previously introduced humanoid robots. R2 is able to lift a 20lb weight with ease, but unlike its more famous Star Wars namesake R2-D2 he is unable to think autonomously and would be completely useless in the swamps of Dagobah. He does however have a twitter account, and will be tweeting about his Shuttle launch experience. Find out more at http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/myexploration/index2.html and follow @AstroRobonaut on twitter.

Robonaut 2, also known as R2

Stay tuned to Spacers for more updates on the launch today.

[update: 1:11pm EST] The vehicle convoy is on its way carrying the crew to the launch pad.

[update: 2:16pm EST] Crew is being strapped into their seats. No issues are currently being worked and the weather looks good for an on-time launch.

[update: 2:41pm EST] Com checks underway.

[update: 3:02pm EST] Hatch is closed. Astronauts are sealed inside the Shuttle. Looking good for on-time launch at 4:50pm EST.

[update: 4:17pm EST] Closeout crew is clear of the launchpad. Discovery is ready for launch. Flight controllers will be polled for a go/no go shortly.

[update: 4:33pm EST] Range systems report computer problem. Issue could postpone launch if not resolved.

[update: 4:40pm EST] Flight controllers polled. Range safety is no-go. Mission managers will give them until T-5:00 before postponing launch.

[update: 4:46pm EST] Holding a T-5:00. Range safety is still no-go.

[update: 4:49pm EST] Range is GO!

[update: 4:54pm EST] Discovery launches!

SpaceHead

Images credit: NASA

Mark Kelly To Command STS-134

2011-02-06T12:58:00.003-07:00

Spacers is ecstatic to announce that Commander Mark Kelly has decided, with the full support of his wife Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, to return as Commander to the final mission of Space Shuttle Endeavour, STS-134, currently scheduled for launch on April 19th 2011.

There is little more to say other than the spirit of exploration stands proud and triumphant today, mournful of the voices of dissent that wallow in its shadow.

Monsterplow

Merry Christmas From Space

2010-12-26T12:24:00.000-07:00

During this season we are reminded of how we are one world. Whether you celebrate Brumalia, Hanukkah, Mithras, The Saturnalia, Kwanzaa, Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, Christmas, Festivus, The Winter Solstice, or even sing the Boars Head Carol, just remember that the myths that shaped us will continue to be our inspiration, as long as reality is our savior.

Merry Christmas to all during this holiday season.

Greetings come from far and wide, even from three humans privileged to see our planet as one from space, Commander Scott Kelly of NASA and Flight Engineers Cady Coleman of NASA and Paolo Nespoli of the European Space Agency.

Sorry Or LaLaLaLaLa

2010-10-26T17:31:00.002-07:00

If you are one of the vocal few who deny the reality of anthropogenic global warming then you should be very familiar with these two options - for they are your only two options. The science has been settled on the subject for well over a decade now, but the noise coming from deniers of simple reality has been artificially inflating counter arguments insisting that... well, actually the arguments are so disjointed and amorphous as to be lost under a fog of contradictions and moving goalposts. Try this simple experiment: Ask a climate change denier to present the evidence to support their argument. Seriously, that's it. Nothing more. Just ask that one simple question. If you get anything else other than a bluster of noise and waffle, then please report it to NASA's climate department immediately! It has been waiting for evidence to the contrary since...

So, there's no evidence for anthropogenic global warming either, right?
Well actually, it is the single most evidentially supported phenomena that we know of. There is actually less supporting evidence for the existence of gravity! Historically, the problem has not been a need for evidence, but a need for the evidence to be available to the general public. The sheer volume of data alone is overwhelming even for climate scientists, and the publicly available evidence has suffered from presentation deficiency disorder. This fact alone has been exploited to the maximum by those bereft of any counter evidence, claiming everything from a complete absence of evidence to stringing out a non-controversy over a leaked email conversation. Well, it's time to bury the dead and fill in the grave. Anthropogenic Global Warming is real. And here is everything that you need to know about it: http://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/.

Not a Hockey Stick

The above image is a sample graphic from the site illustrates historical CO2 levels. It may not mean much on its own, other than a clear indication of an anthropogenic influence (Of course, if you disagree please present your alternative explanation), but coupled with actual temperature data it shows a distinct, and undeniable correlation. If there is a better conclusion to draw from this than the Earth is warming and it is because of the influence of Man, then please... please... please present it.

Otherwise here are your two response choices:

1) I'm sorry.

2) Lalalalalalala, I can't hear you!

SpaceHead

Image credit: NOAA

Full Extent Of Gulf Oil Slick Revealed

2010-06-23T11:43:00.000-07:00

The full extent of damage from the gulf oil spill is very poignantly revealed in this newly released image from NASA's Terra satellite.

Oil dominates the gulf coast

Click the above image for a larger size and take a moment to think about what you are looking at. This is an environmental catastrophe, no, an environmental tragedy on an unprecedented scale. The human impact is secondary to the horrific impact on the wildlife of the entire area, the species count alone going far beyond any of our worst fears. It looks terrible from space, and it looks even worse close up.

Waves breaking and churning oil

Ours is mostly an economic loss that is already being felt by livelihoods dependent on the coastal ecosystem, but that will very soon start to ripple through the USA and the world. The loss to wildlife is almost incalculable. Particularly galling are the many images of birds covered entirely by a disgusting thick gloop that is painful, debilitating and poisonous.

A pelican is completely covered in oil

The Big Picture has a very graphic pictorial of the effects of the oil on birdlife. I will warn though that it is very difficult viewing. I was only able to view the first few images before feeling too ill to continue.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/06/caught_in_the_oil.html

And all this to save a buck so a fatter paycheck could be delivered to those who created the mess.

So, are you going to get angry about this?
Anger doesn't even begin to describe the emotions about this. A deep sadness and guilt is the starting point, followed by despondence about the stupidity my species is capable of. What truly makes me angry isn't the tragedy itself, but the self-righteous attitude adopted by those who put their own interests above all else. We are facing a crisis like no crisis we have ever faced before, and there are still those who try to spin to their own political gain. From talking heads on "news" programs asking where the oil is, to politicians shifting blame from their own policy, to the corporate restriction of information. If the gravity of the situation wasn't such an overwhelming sadness, it would almost be laughable to hear some of the utter nonsense gushing from those idiotic enough to try and deny their own hand in causing the horror.

It is difficult to find anything positive to report on this. We can only hope that our ability to do things as great as taking majestic images from space, is somehow a match for our ability to be stupid.

SpaceHead

Images credit: MODIS Rapid Response Team, Dave Martin/AP, AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

ISS Gets New Crew

2010-06-18T10:14:00.000-07:00

The Soyuz TMA-19 spacecraft with two American astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut aboard docked with the space station yesterday at 6:21pm EDT, doubling the size of the crew. Cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin on arrival said, "We had a great launch and a great docking".

The new crew poses shortly after arrival

The arrival of the new crew marks the first time that two female astronauts have served together on a long duration mission, an event that coincided with two other milestones for women, launching on June 16th, the 47th anniversary of the launch of the first woman in space, cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, and today the 27th anniversary of the first launch of an American woman into space, astronaut Sally Ride in 1983. 2010 has been a landmark year for women in space, with the most number in space at one time being set in April, when Space Shuttle Discovery brought Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Stephanie Wilson and Naoko Yamazaki, to the station to join Tracy Caldwell Dyson during the STS-131 mission. NASA also has ISS veteran Peggy Whitson serving as chief astronaut this year.

SpaceHead

Image credit: NASA TV

Almost Heaven: Women On The Frontiers Of Space.

Soyuz TMA-19 Launch Today

2010-06-15T13:50:00.002-07:00

Three new crewmembers are set to launch aboard a Soyuz rocket to the ISS today at 5:35pm EST. Launching from the Russian Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the crew are set to complete the lineup of Expedition 24. The two American NASA astronauts, Douglas Wheelock and Shannon Walker are joined by Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhinand are scheduled to remain on the station for the next 6 months where they will complete several spacewalks and play host to the final two Space Shuttle missions of the program before the fleet retires at the end of the year.

Douglas Wheelock, Fyodor Yurchikhin and Shannon Walker

set to launch aboard Soyuz TMA-19 today

SpaceHead

Image credit: RSC Energia.

Naked Eye Comet Coming Closer

2010-06-09T09:46:00.001-07:00

A new comet, McNaught (C/2009 R1), is getting ever closer in the early morning Northern skies and will brighten over the next few days to become visible to the naked eye. McNaught is due to reach its closest point to the Sun on July 2nd, so it will be steadily harder to observe as that date approaches. It is already sporting a green core and spectacular long tail.

Comet McNaught approaches the Sun

It is always uncertain whether a comet will stay bright or fade as its mass is increasingly being blown away the closer it gets to the Sun, so it is always a good idea to catch a sighting whenever possible. After McNaught swings around the Sun it should become visible in the evening sky, but there is no guarantee so don't be waiting around if you are not a morning person - like me.

Find out more about the history of McNaught at http://cometography.com/lcomets/2009r1.html

Enter your location at http://heavens-above.com for sky charts of the comet position.

SpaceHead

Image credit: Jose Francisco Hernandez (Altamira Observartory).

SpaceX Falcon 9 Strange Reactions

2010-06-07T13:01:00.001-07:00

I was alerted by Phil Plait's post at BadAstronomy.com to some very strange reactions by politicians to the successful Falcon 9 launch last week by private rocket company SpaceX. Now, I'm no political analyst but when a politician reveals that they can be an air-head in their elected capacity, I get very concerned. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R) of Texas made this bizarre statement after the launch:

This first successful test flight of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is a belated sign that efforts to develop modest commercial space cargo capabilities are showing some promising signs. While this test flight was important, the program to demonstrate commercial cargo and crew transport capabilities, which I support, was intended to enhance not replace NASA’s own proven abilities to deliver critical cargo and humans to low Earth orbit. Make no mistake, even this modest success is more than a year behind schedule, and the project deadlines of other private space companies continue to slip as well. This test does not change the fact that commercial space programs are not ready to close the gap in human spaceflight if the space shuttle is retired this year with no proven replacement capability and the Constellation program is simultaneously cancelled as the President proposes.

So, why does that make her an air-head then?
Try the following exercise - summarize the statement. I do this all the time to get at the actual content of a statement so I can report it from a SpaceHead perspective. Here's my initial summary:

1. Launch was a success, so commercial space efforts look promising.
2. She supports efforts to enhance, but not replace NASA's capability.
3. The launch was delayed over a year, so commercial space efforts do not look promising.
4. Despite the success there will still be a gap in US space access after the Shuttles retire, which is all President Obama's fault.

Most of the time I get a useful summary that gives me enough information to give a feel for what a politician said, but in this case all I can report is:- Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R) of Texas said of the launch: Commercial space efforts look both promising and not promising. Obama sucks.

Not very helpful, and most definitely a sign of air in the head.

So, enough of the complaining then!
Alright. All that being said, perhaps I should correct rather than critique. She is indeed correct that this successful launch is a promising sign. However, space flight is a very difficult thing, and every single project in its entire history has been delayed. A one year delay is actually shorter than the average, so that in itself is even more promising.

The gap in US access to space is absolutely without question outside the control of the Obama administration. Whilst I understand the need for Republican politicians to gather as much political ammunition as they can to garnish their current denial-based opposition to the Obama presidency, making stuff up just plainly and simply doesn't count. President George W. Bush initiated the retirement of the Space Shuttle fleet and set the deadline of 2010 to complete it. Considering that a viable replacement access to space would take upwards of 10 years to develop and implement, it would have been more prudent for President Bush to begin that process long before retiring the Shuttle Fleet if he wanted to avoid a gap in access. President Obama has been in office for less than two years, and to try to pin any semblance of blame on his administration is to be air-headed - oops, I mean it is politically dishonest.

So, haven't you got anything positive to say about this?
Yes, the Falcon 9 launch by SpaceX was a terrific effort and a milestone achievement in commercial space travel. This really does change everything, and from now on we have a viable alternative to government based space exploration - something I have been advocating for a very long time. Political point scoring and attempts to revise history are meaningless bumps in the road to our becoming a space-faring species. SpaceX truly made a giant leap with this launch. It would be helpful for politics to do the same.

SpaceHead

SpaceX Launch Attempt Today

2010-06-04T10:03:00.002-07:00

Private launch company SpaceX is attempting to launch its Falcon 9 rocket today. With a primary goal of getting its Dragon capsule payload into orbit, SpaceX is also aiming for certification of the flight termination system (FTS). The FTS ensures that Air Force Range safety officials can command the destruction of the vehicle should it stray from its designated flight path.

Falcon 9 first stage test firing in March

After a successful test firing of its first stage rocket in March earlier this year, SpaceX had targeted a May launch date, and has made great progress through technical issues to make the June 4th attempt. The window opened at 11:00am EDT and will last until 3:00pm EDT today. Weather looks good with a 60% chance of favorable conditions. A telemetry issue has prevented an on-time lift off, but a stronger antennae is currently being deployed with hopes of a 1:00pm EDT lift off.

Watch the launch at: http://www.livestream.com/newchannel/popoutplayer?channel=spaceflightnow

[update: 2:35pm EDT] Final launch attempt at 2:45pm EDT

[update: 2:45pm EDT] Falcon 9 launches!

SpaceHead

Image credit: SpaceX/Chris Thompson.

SOFIA Takes To The Skies

2010-05-29T13:36:00.001-07:00

NASA's latest Earthbound telescope is not on the ground, it is in the sky. The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, better known as SOFIA, is a unique telescope that is housed in a 747 - yes, a Jumbo telescope inside a Jumbo jet!

SOFIA opens its eye in the sky

Concentrating on observing in the mid to far infrared spectrum, SOFIA wouldn't be able to operate on the ground, and rather than outlay the expense of operating a space-based telescope NASA decided to try out a flight platform. So far the results are a success, with around 80% of the infrared light that a space telescope would receive reaching the 8 foot mirror. At a fraction of the cost of space operation, a single flight of SOFIA observation will provide a much needed service in an observation spectrum that is already oversubscribed.

Find out more information and images from SOFIA at: http://www.sofia.usra.edu/

SpaceHead

Image credit: NASA

STS-132: Mission Highlights

2010-05-28T01:01:00.000-07:00

Catch the best of the STS-132 mission and the final flight of Space Shuttle Atlantis:

SpaceHead

STS-132: Catchup Highlights

2010-05-27T00:27:00.000-07:00

Atlantis is home safe, so catch up on some highlights

Flight Day 10 Highlights

Flight Day 11 Highlights

Flight Day 12 Highlights

SpaceHead

STS-132: Raiders Of The Lost Highlights

2010-05-25T00:37:00.000-07:00

Spacers apologizes for the current loss of service, but there's still highlights to watch!

Flight Day 7 Highlights

Flight Day 8 Highlights

Flight Day 9 Highlights

SpaceHead

STS-132: Highlights Galore

2010-05-20T12:29:00.001-07:00

Spacers is still experiencing internet problems - and in the middle of a Shuttle mission too!

Grab some highlights while we iron out the problems.

Flight Day 4 Highlights

Flight Day 5 Highlights

Flight Day 6 Highlights

SpaceHead

STS-132: The Highlights Begin

2010-05-17T11:26:00.000-07:00

An internet outage has kept Spacers offline since the launch, but we're back in business now. Let's get some highlights on the table first.

Flight Day 1 Highlights

Flight Day 2 Highlights

Flight Day 3 Highlights

SpaceHead

STS-132: Atlantis Launch Video

2010-05-14T13:11:00.001-07:00

Quick off the mark, NASA TV has the launch ready to view.

SpaceHead

Atlantis Looks Good For Launch Today

2010-05-14T10:08:00.028-07:00

Space Shuttle Atlantis is looking good for an on-time launch today at 2:20pm EDT on its final scheduled mission carrying a Russian research module and replacement parts to the International Space Station. There are no issues currently being worked and weather looks good with a 70% chance of favorable conditions. With astronauts Ken Ham in command and Tony Antonelli as pilot, Atlantis hauls its final crew consisting of mission specialists Michael Good, Garrett Reisman, Piers Sellers and Steve Bowen.

The crew is strapped in

Follow the NASA launch tweetup on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/search?q=#nasatweetup

[update: 1:05pm EDT] 10 minute hold underway with 20 minutes remaining on the countdown.

[update: 1:15pm EDT] 10 minute hold complete. No issues in work.

[update: 1:26pm EDT] 20 minute hold underway with 9 minutes remaining on the countdown.

[update: 1:35pm EDT] Errant ball bearing found from a camera mount is causing a possible launch constraint. Mission managers are discussing, but this may mean they can't come out of the T-9 hold.

[update: 1:48pm EDT] Weather looks great and no technical issues. Waiting for a call on the ball bearing problem.

[update: 1:51pm EDT] Weather up to 90% favorable. No call on ball bearing. It was found in Atlantis' payload bay before closing the doors.

[update: 1:55pm EDT] NASA TV reporting that they expect the ball bearing issue to be cleared, engineers are just discussing to make sure it won't be a problem during the mission.

[update: 2:01pm EDT] Ball bearing issue cleared! Go for launch!!!

[update: 2:06pm EDT] On-board flight recorders activated.

[update: 2:08pm EDT] Launch director gets all go on poll, no constraints.

[update: 2:12pm EDT] 32nd flight of Atlantis is go! 20 minute planned hold complete. T-9 on the countdown clock.

[update: 2:14pm EDT] Orbiter access arm retracting.

[update: 2:17pm EDT] Aero surface check.

[update: 2:19pm EDT] Beanie cap being retracted.

[update: 2:20pm EDT] Atlantis launches! What a beautiful sight.

Atlantis soars on her final planned launch

[update: 2:22pm EDT] SRB Separation.

[update: 2:26pm EDT] Roll to upright, gorgeously smooth.

[update: 2:28pm EDT] Plasma time, my favorite view!

[update: 2:29pm EDT] MECO. Atlantis is in orbit for its final mission. Good luck Atlantis!

I always get excited at launches, but this time I felt more emotional than I thought as I realized I was watching Atlantis soar into the sky for for the final time. This will be a great mission to watch and no doubt the world will be watching too. Keep it tuned to Spacers for updates as the mission progresses.

Thank you for loving spaceflight.

SpaceHead

Images credit: NASA TV

Ice Free Eyjafjalajökull Picture

2010-05-12T12:02:00.001-07:00

Check out the latest picture from orbit of Icelandic volcano Eyjafjalajökull from NASA's Aqua satellite. (click to make huge!)

This picture gives a clear view of the ash cloud as it streams hundreds of miles from the volcano toward Europe. The disruption to air traffic is made all the more understandable by pictures like this. Eyjafjalajökull shows no signs of letting up in the near future, and a lack of pressure from glacial ice on the surrounding land is making the eruption more severe. Although it is difficult to say if the eruption would have been suppressed by the presence of ice, glacial retreat is being increasingly factored in to the prediction models for volcanic eruptions in sub-tundra regions.

A warming planet has many implications beyond simple weather and ocean changes, and we are just now beginning to get a look into the future of a man-altered climate. The controversy over anthropogenic global warming was over decades ago, but yet forces of denial still persist despite exponentially increasing evidence that is far in excess of what is required to be beyond reasonable doubt. The question now isn't why the denial exists - it simply suits a particular political and economic agenda - but rather what will reach tipping point first, the Earth's climate, or the untenability of denial. We can only hope it is the latter.

For more information on climate observation visit: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/

SpaceHead

Image credit: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team

Atlantis' Almost Final Flight

2010-05-11T10:16:00.001-07:00

Space Shuttle Atlantis is looking good for its almost final flight on Friday at 2:20pm EDT. Almost final? Yes, this is the final 'planned' flight of Atlantis, but the orbiter will not be officially retired until after the final Shuttle mission in November because it will remain on standby as an emergency rescue shuttle in case of a failure that prevents Endeavour from landing. Essentially it will be a launch-on-need vehicle and won't have an official STS mission number.

STS-132 is Atlantis' 32nd flight and will carry a Russian research module MRM1, and an integrated cargo carrier to the ISS. MRM1 will be attached to the Zarya module and will not only provide research capability, but also a refueling module that enables visiting Soyuz and Progress spacecraft to transfer propellant to the station.

STS-132 Mission Patch

Three spacewalks are planned for the 12 day mission, which began its official countdown today. Spacers will be covering the launch on Friday, so keep it tuned to your favorite space blog.

SpaceHead

Image credit: NASA/Crew of STS-132

Eyjafjallajökull Throws A Curveball

2010-05-07T10:07:00.000-07:00

Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull is causing disruption across Europe again after another eruption, only this time the ash cloud has been grabbed by twisting air currents and aimed directly at the UK. In this dramatic picture from the Terra satellite, the path of the cloud can be clearly seen curving southward from the eruption site.

Eyjafjallajökull meets weather

As the UK headed to the polls for a general election, mother nature wanted to take a closer look and disrupted air traffic again in the process. This eruption was said to reach as high as 7 kilometers and was made worse by the lava flow stopping, which creates a more explosive venting of ash.

Iceland itself is an island that was created by volcanic eruptions over a geological rift where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. Essentially situated above a hotspot in the Earth's crust, the Icelandic plume, the central rift of the island is highly active with volcanism and geothermal phenomena such as geysers. The activity is ongoing and is actually causing the growth of Iceland itself. In the 1960's a volcanic eruption off the south western coast caused the formation of an entirely new island, subsequently named Surtsey. Given this rate of expansion we can reasonably expect Iceland to take over the entire Northern hemisphere in the next few million years. Now that's what I call disruption!

SpaceHead

Image credit: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team

Final Shuttle Moved To November

2010-05-02T11:49:00.000-07:00

Endeavour's mission STS-134 has become the final Space Shuttle mission, its launch date moving past the previous final mission set for September, Discovery's STS-133 due to the replacement of the primary magnet in its payload, the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, to take advantage of the recent announcement of the extension of ISS through 2020. As the Shuttle program winds down it was expected that there would be several delays and shifts, and even speculation that NASA would miss its target of flying all the remaining missions before the end of 2010, the deadline set by the Bush administration for retiring the ageing fleet. This may of course still happen, but for now it looks like Shuttle watchers will get their final chance a little closer to Christmas.

Atlantis is ready at the pad

Meanwhile, the STS-132 mission with Space Shuttle Atlantis is on target for a May 14th launch, with a successful rollout of the orbiter to the launch pad last week. Propellants are now loaded on board the orbiter making it ready for maneuvering in space.

Keep it tuned to Spacers for updates on the mission and live blogging of the launch.

SpaceHead

Image credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Stunning Solar Dynamics Observatory Images

2010-05-01T13:57:00.002-07:00

The Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO, is the latest NASA satellite to go into action observing our closest star, The Sun. The few images that it has produced so far can only be summed up in one word - Wow!

The first of SDO's amazing solar prominence images

With the ability to show even more resolution and detail than SOHO, SDO is set to provide images and movies of our Sun that will more than surpass the expectations of scientists and public alike. This solar prominence image shows an eruption of plasma that burst from the surface and then rained down again closely following the twisted and tortured magnetic flow lines. What's more, SDO has taken movies of other events like this, which are just as stunning.

SDO shows off its multi-temperature capability

Check Spacers for more SDO images and movies in the near future.

SpaceHead

Images credit: NASA/SDO/AIA, NASA/GSFC/SDO/AIA

Hubble Reaches 20

2010-04-30T12:54:00.000-07:00

The Hubble Space Telescope reached a milestone last week, celebrating 20 years in orbit providing stunning images of the universe. To mark the occasion NASA released this cool video summarizing its achievements.

Enjoy!

SpaceHead

Lookout - Boobquake!

2010-04-26T11:23:00.003-07:00

Monday, April 26th 2010. Today is Boobquake day! Participating women around the world will be wearing something revealing of the, erm, 'upper' private regions of the female form.

So, now Spacers is a smut site?
No such luck! It's just a bit of fun aimed at making a very valid scientific point - women wearing revealing clothing does not cause earthquakes. Spacers is a blog about space, so I'm not going to go into too much of the religious details, but essentially an Iranian cleric attributed what was mistakenly seen as an increase in recent earthquake activity to a deity being angry about the amount of cleavage shown by women in public. Renowned internet blogger and skeptic, Blag Hag, picked up on the story and declared today as Boobquake day - a day in which women would attempt to either prove or disprove the angry deity theory by increasing the amount of exposed female flesh and see what happens.

The source of earthquakes is revealed

So, there's some serious stuff too, right?
Of course there is. Spacers has reported before on how the frequency of earthquakes around the world is under-reported. Understandably the earthquakes that make the news are the big ones, the death and destruction causing monster quakes that devastate entire cities and communities. These are very serious incidents that are worthy of the reporting they get, and indeed of the attention and disaster relief that those communities receive afterward. The science of earthquakes is very well understood and the instances are readily available - just add the earthquake layer to Google Earth - under the "Places of Interest" layer folder there is a folder called "Geographic Features" and under that layer is an "Earthquake" layer.

There are sometimes hundreds of earthquakes every day, most of them are minor, but on occasion there is a major devastating quake. There is nothing to be gained from claiming that a deity is in some way responsible for an increase in earthquakes, it's simply untrue. The tectonic plates are constantly shifting, very slowly around the globe, driven by the heated molten core of the planet. As the plates slowly collide pressure is built up, and when that pressure is inevitably released we get an earthquake at the point where it happened. It's as simple as that.

The earth reveals its cleavage

Around the world we see patterns of earthquakes. The Pacific rim itself is an area of activity that has been coined the "Ring Of Fire" due to the clearly visible circular pattern of volcanic and seismic activity. There are also areas of land that are virtually isolated from such activity and almost never see an earthquake. We can't predict the exact moment or location of a quake, but we can monitor the buildup of pressure at known active areas and warn of potential occurrences.

What we can't do is use the amount of exposed female breast flesh as a guide to how angry a deity is and guess where that deity will send the next earthquake. Even if there is a deity it would be a futile exercise to express your anger in such a way. How would we know for sure that boobs are the reason? Well, Boobquake, of course!

Support Boobquake today by revealing as much cleavage as you dare - and there is no reason the men can't participate too.

SpaceHead

Image credit: Dune911, US Geological Survey

STS-131: Discovery Lands!

2010-04-20T12:00:00.002-07:00

Space Shuttle Discovery has made its penultimate landing early this morning in a picture perfect scene. Turn the volume up for the twin sonic booms at 2:59. Enjoy!

SpaceHead

STS-131: Flight Day 14 Highlights

2010-04-19T23:55:00.000-07:00

Monday weather was just too severe, so it looks like Tuesday morning landing for Discovery on her final mission. Catch up with the highlights here.

SpaceHead

STS-131: Flight Day 12 and 13 Highlights

2010-04-18T11:36:00.000-07:00

With a small chance of rain and no threat posed by the dust plume from Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano, Discovery's crew is planning for a Monday morning return to Earth. Catch up with a couple of Flight Day highlights.

Flight Day 12

Flight Day 13

SpaceHead

Obama Gives NASA Bold New Policy

2010-04-17T11:35:00.000-07:00

President Obama paid a visit to the Kennedy Space Center on Thursday to outline his bold new vision for the future of NASA. Still reeling from the cancellation of the Constellation program and the loss of some sense of direction that resulted, NASA has been hoping for some good news as it grows painfully close to losing its primary human spaceflight option, the Space Shuttle. I reported back in February that I had mixed feelings about the cancellation, but my feelings now are alleviated somewhat as it is clear that the Obama administration is serious about the exploration of space.

At the forefront of the new policy is an increase in funding - a very, very much welcome $6 Billion increase above and beyond any increase to date. Although still a very small national expense compared to the likes of military spending, NASA has suffered through the curse of underfunding pretty much throughout its post Apollo years. This increase goes a long way to addressing that discrepancy. It paves the way for a new heavy lifting platform to be developed, for an increase in Earth observation and climate sciences, and to develop manned missions to destinations such as asteroids and Mars. Human spaceflight may take a little longer now, but it was given a shot in the arm for sure.

President Bush's Moon, Mars and Beyond incentive was a bold move at the time, but it couldn't have anticipated the recent rise in the involvement of private enterprise in space. Companies like SpaceX and Virgin Galactic were not even thought of and with government still the sole off-world accessor, it was a best guess effort that I applauded the president for. Times have changed and it is now time for NASA to go above and beyond the technologies that have tethered us to Low Earth Orbit for so long. This new initiative from the Obama administration puts exploration on the agenda again.

Critics are arguing about minutia, which I don't find surprising, especially given that there seems to be a penchant to just criticize Obama no matter what. To those critics I say, find the positives first before diving into the negative. That way you expose yourself to both sides of the argument and strengthen any criticism you may have by giving it a viable platform. Criticism for criticism sake is just moaning, and is so easily forgettable. Criticism for the right reasons is genuine and helpful. Just my 2 cents.

So, now that I have found the positives, its time for me to criticize. Losing the Moon is a bad idea. The Obama administration is certainly looking ahead, and this is in part fueled by private enterprise taking away a lot of the burden, but, and it's a big but - private enterprise is NOT going to the Moon. A presence on the Moon will be a huge boost to any plans to explore space, especially with the recent discovery of water there. Reaching an asteroid from the Moon will be a lot easier than from Earth, and the human sciences that we can achieve there will make the journey to Mars that much easier. Add to that the fact that other countries are looking at the Moon with renewed interest, and I think we have a bad decision.

All in all though, I am more pleased with this initiative than anything previous. Obama is a strong advocate of space exploration, and it shows.

SpaceHead

STS-131: Flight Day 11 Highlights

2010-04-16T00:05:00.000-07:00

As the mission enters its last full day, catch up with highlights.

SpaceHead

Iceland Volcano Ash Disrupts Traffic

2010-04-15T14:58:00.000-07:00

Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull has erupted for the second time this month, and this time its plume of volcanic ash is heading South East and is large enough to disrupt air traffic in and around the northern UK.

The Eyjafjallajökull plume seen by Terra

NASA's Terra satellite snapped the above image which clearly shows the extent of the plume. It is a large enough eruption to cause concern on the ground and evacuate surrounding areas, and disruption of the heavily used northern Atlantic air traffic lanes is beginning to cause congestion.

Still, from an orbital perspective it makes for quite a beautiful photo-op, don't you think.

SpaceHead

Image credit: NASA/MODIS Rapid Response Team

STS-131: Flight Day 10 Highlights

2010-04-15T01:39:00.000-07:00

As the mission draws to a close, catch up on the flight day highlights.

Enjoy!

SpaceHead

STS-131: Highlights Catch-up

2010-04-14T01:22:00.000-07:00

Two days worth of highlights to keep you occupied.

Flight Day 8 Highlights

Flight Day 9 Highlights

Enjoy!

SpaceHead

STS-131: Flight Day 7 Highlights

2010-04-12T11:16:00.000-07:00

Half way through the mission and the the second spacewalk gets underway.

SpaceHead

STS-131: Flight Day 6 Highlights

2010-04-11T11:38:00.000-07:00

Enjoy!

SpaceHead

ISS To Become Orbital Gas Station

2010-04-10T13:19:00.000-07:00

Well, only for demonstration purposes at first. The International Space Station is better known as a flagship space science platform and a destination for visiting Space Shuttle crews and International space tourists, but a recent campaign at NASA to utilize the platform as a place to service satellites has gained enough ground for a demonstration to go ahead. The robotic device known as Dextre, the Dexterous Manipulator on the station will be used in the experiment which is scheduled to take place within the next year.

Dextre looking almost human

Essentially an in-orbit repair, Dextre will use its array of tools to rip into the side of a demonstration satellite, install a valve, and pump fresh hydrazine fuel into the empty tank. A demonstration that not only can satellites be serviced at the station, but also that the existing fleet can be modified on-orbit to accept refueling even though they were not designed as such.

Due for completion in October, the mock satellite is being constructed at NASA'a Goddard Spaceflight Center and will be installed on an external Express Logistics Carrier on the station's truss. Ground engineers will perform the demonstration without any intervention from the space station crew, demonstrating that the technology need not impact current station operations.

Although the ultimate goal is to provide a commercial service to satellite owners as part of a for-profit industry, this is a major step forward in the thinking of orbital utilization. So far the focus has been very heavily on the exploration and learning side, but it is good to see that now we are at a stage where commercial ventures are able to be considered. The logistics of getting a satellite to the ISS for the operation are an entirely different matter, and one that will need to be addressed for any commercial venture to be a success. The first step though is proving that this can be done, and by this time next year it looks very much like we will have that concept proven.

SpaceHead

Image credit: NASA

STS-131: Flight Day 5 Highlights

2010-04-10T00:20:00.000-07:00

Enjoy!

SpaceHead

STS-131: Revenge Of The Highlights

2010-04-09T00:39:00.000-07:00

Flight Day 3 and 4 Highlights appeared today, and the universe is fun to watch again, yay!

Enjoy!

SpaceHead

Avalanche Number 3

2010-04-08T11:07:00.000-07:00

I never tire of the images coming from the HiRISE satellite in orbit around Mars, and I especially never tire of its penchant for taking snaps of Martian Avalanches in progress. This latest clearly image shows a plume of dust billowing at the foot of the cliff after the debris fall. The falling item is most likely a chunk of carbon dioxide frost that formed on the scarp over the winter months, just now being warmed enough by the longer daylight to disrupt the coherence and initiate a collapse.

Our Mars spacecraft, landers and rovers are slowly forming a catalog of geological events such as this as they occur on Mars, which is to all intents and purposes a dead world that has lost the bulk of its internal heat and is now at a stage in its lifespan where its atmosphere is in danger of being completely stripped away too. Mars is still our closest 'habitable' neighbor, and if we are to someday live there we will need to understand what we are letting ourselves in for.

We now have so much information flowing from Mars that it is almost as if we are actually there taking these pictures ourselves, but of course we're not there yet. We have a long way to go before we are able to send people to the red planet and even further away from being able to stay there permanently. Images like this do serve to maintain the 'cool' factor of space exploration but they are sadly under exposed in the mainstream media. A mention here and there at least keeps it current in the public mind, and competing with the latest star to get booted from a dancing show is no mean feat.

If you think things like this are cool, link to Spacers on your social favorite media or say something cool about it on your status. The things that happen in space are invariably good news, so every little bit of exposure helps to keep it as the current shiny thing. And hey, you just might be saving someone from having to watch the latest reality show about famous bowel movements. You know that's next!

Here are the previous Spacers Avalanche posts.

Avalanche #1: http://spacers.blogspot.com/2008/03/spacers-is-alive.html

Avalanche #2: http://spacers.blogspot.com/2010/03/another-mars-avalanche.html

And check out the HiRISE website: http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/

SpaceHead

Image credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

STS-131: Video Clips

2010-04-08T01:13:00.000-07:00

A couple of cool video clips to keep the flow going while we wait for the highlights.

The backflip:

The docking:

Enjoy!

SpaceHead

STS-131: Discovery Docks To ISS

2010-04-07T01:21:00.000-07:00

Space Shuttle Discovery has docked to the International Space Station just two days after its glorious pre-dawn launch on Easter Monday. With Commander Alan Poindexter at the controls, the docking took place at at 3:44am EDT over the Caribbean Sea.

Time-lapse of Discovery's Monday launch

As soon as the crews perform leak checks on both sides vehicles the hatches well be opened and docked operations will begin pretty much straight away. The standard procedure is for the station commander to give this visiting crew a safety briefing and a brief tour of the orbiting platform, although the crews are so familiar with the station having trained in simulators and mockups for years that it is more of a courtesy than a necessary procedure.

The first order of business is to get the robotics operations underway so that the Shuttle's cargo, the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, or MPLM, can be removed from the cargo bay and installed on the station for the duration of the mission. The MPLM is loaded with science racks and supplies and has flown to the station 5 times before.

After the launch there was a minor debris incident noted on the ascent imagery where a piece of thermal tile was seen to fall off from the Shuttle's tail section, but so far mission managers have not expressed concern for the Shuttle to reenter at the end of the mission.

Keep an eye on Spacers for updates as the mission progresses.

SpaceHead

Image credit: NASA/Ben Cooper

STS-131: Flight Day 2 Highlights

2010-04-07T00:27:00.002-07:00

NASA TV is on point with the flight day highlights this mission. Day 2 is ready for your viewing pleasure.

SpaceHead

STS-131: Flight Day 1 Highlights

2010-04-06T13:05:00.001-07:00

Flight day 1 Highlights are now up on the NASA TV YouTube channel for your viewing pleasure.

SpaceHead

STS-131: Launch Video HD

2010-04-06T01:05:00.003-07:00

Enjoy!

SpaceHead

STS-131: Launch Underway

2010-04-05T01:00:00.013-07:00

Spacers Launch!

Space Shuttle Discovery looks good for a launch at 6:21am EST. Weather looks perfect and no issues are being worked. The crew is just been strapped into the vehicle, comm checks are underway, and any moment now tanking will begin.

Astronaut Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger prepares to board

This post will be updated as the launch countdown progresses.

Happy Launching Spacers!

[update: 4:10am EST] All crew aboard and strapped in. The White Room Crew is preparing to close the hatch.

[update: 4:22am EST] Hatches closed.

The White Room Crew closing Discovery's hatch

[update: 5:07am EST] 20 minute hold entered.

[update: 5:17am EST] 20 minute hold ended. No technical issues in work, all weather indicators are green. Looking good for an on-time launch.

[update: 5:28am EST] 9 minute hold entered.

Holding at 9 minutes

[update: 5:52am EST] Possible command system technical issue being worked.

[update: 6:11am EST] All systems go and all technical issues cleared. Still looking good for launch.

[update: 6:13am EST] 9 minute hold ended.

[update: 6:21am EST] Liftoff!!

Liftoff for STS-131

[update: 6:30am EST] MECO. Discovery is in orbit.

Keep it tuned to Spacers for mission updates as Discovery closes in on the ISS for a docking early on Wednesday morning.

SpaceHead

Images credit: NASA TV

ISS Crew Arrives - Shuttle Go For Launch

2010-04-04T22:40:00.002-07:00

The newest batch of crew arrived at the International Space station today, docking in a Soyuz TMA-18 at 1:25am EDT two days after launching from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Hot on the heels of that event, Space Shuttle Discovery is progressing through the countdown for mission STS-131 and looks good to go for a 6:21am EDT launch just a few hours away.

The ISS crew is back to 6 people

Discovery is inspected for launch

Keep an eye on Spacers for coverage of the launch.

SpaceHead

Images credit: NASA TV

ISS Crew Set To Double

2010-04-03T00:37:00.001-07:00

Launching today from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Russia amidst heightened security after recent terrorist activity, three astronauts headed for the skies with a mission to double the occupancy of the International Space Station. Currently there are three astronauts on board as the permanent Expedition 23 crew, a temporarily reduced number as the station gets into sync with its new capacity and sole reliance on Russian launch hardware to ferry crews to and from the outpost. NASA astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson is joined by Russian cosmonauts Alexander Skvortsov and Mikhail Kornienko as they head for a six month tenure alongside Commander Oleg Kotov of Russia, Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi and NASA astronaut Timothy Creamer.

The Soyuz TMA-18 launches

Hot on the heels of the Soyuz launch, Space Shuttle Discovery is set to join the fold on Easter Monday as the STS-131 mission gets underway to continue outfitting the station for science operations now that its construction is virtually complete. This is a rare opportunity to catch sightings of human spaceflight hardware in action in the skies as they fly in syncronicity. It always amazes me how surprised people are to hear that you can actually see our man-made satellites as they follow their orbits around the planet during two time windows that occur every day. About an hour before sunrise and an hour after sunset, any satellite that passes overhead within a roughly 300 mile radius will be high enough to still be lit by the Sun, reflecting enough light to be seen from the surface Since their orbits are very predictable - we can pinpoint their position in the sky for months ahead - it is a simple matter of some well developed math to predict when such sightings will occur given any location on the globe.

Spacecraft that launch to the ISS are often seen together in close formation as they approach the outpost, giving the impression that they are following each other across the sky. It is a truly incredible sight to see, and sadly at its best with the much larger Space Shuttle which is set to retire at the end of this year - so catch a glimpse of the orbital syncronized flying while you can.

Enter your location and find the next visible pass for you at http://www.heavens-above.com

SpaceHead

Image credit: NASA/Carla Cioffi

Penultimate Discovery On Easter Monday

2010-03-30T23:51:00.000-07:00

Space Shuttle Discovery has been cleared to launch on its penultimate mission on April 5th - Easter Monday. NASA mission managers announced the date after an intensive flight review that took into account a potentially mission threatening leaky helium pressurization valve on Discovery. The launch date for Discovery on the STS-131 mission is set for 6:21am EDT on Easter Monday, April 5th.

Discovery's payload cannister is prepared for the STS-131 mission

After a system test that showed the valve had stuck, tests were conducted that subsequently showed the reading was a one-off and couldn't be reproduced. The impact of the valve failing during the mission is low, so the decision to proceed was taken after a unanimous vote by mission managers. Another minor issue of a potentially loose ceramic inserts around the heat shield tiles of the flight deck was also deemed low risk.

Keep an eye on Spacers as the launch date approaches.

SpaceHead

Image credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

NASA Aims For Warp Drive

2010-03-28T11:24:00.000-07:00

The term they use is 'novel engines', but we can dream can't we. NASA announced on Friday that it was awarding $50 million in grants to companies for novel engine research, which focus more on the use of electricity and non-toxic chemicals than the current batch of engines in use today. Worried by the pollution of the space around Earth and the exodus of precious Earth resources into space, NASA has taken the bold step of looking toward a cleaner future of space travel by taking a closer look at some of the more innovative ideas currently being researched.

The grants were not only hailed by the agency as helping to "explore space as much as we can", but also to look into improving aviation technologies as well. Alternative fuels for aircraft and low-noise propulsion are an ongoing effort by NASA as it looks into ways of improving aviation.

This announcement comes hot on the heels of President Obama's new plans for exploration outlined in the 2011 budget, which include call for NASA to move away from 'concrete' plans for space exploration and focus on new technology and bringing private enterprise into the space arena.

SpaceHead

ISS Timeline In A Flash

2010-03-24T11:49:00.003-07:00

Check out this cool Flash animation of the ISS assembly sequence from USA Today.

http://i.usatoday.net/tech/graphics/iss_timeline/flash.htm

It's easy to forget the sheer volume of work that has went in to the construction of the International Space Station to date, it is quite simply a marvel of human achievement that each of the partner nations should be deservedly proud of. There is often a barrage of criticism aimed at the station, from being over budget to focusing on Low Earth Orbit too much, from diverting funding from more 'needy' projects to its exclusivity to astronauts, but I think it will go down in history as a vital step in our early learning. The Apollo era space race was a rush job that got us to the moon with a big slice of luck on our shoulder. Political pressures got us to another world and what we learned from that experience was a tiny fraction of what we have learned since, and we still have a huge amount to learn. The ISS program has not only provided us with much needed knowledge of how to build large scale structures in the harsh environment of space, but also that to cooperate with each other to do so is by far the best approach. As we stand on the cusp of an era of private and commercial space travel, we should look back with a sense of wonder and pride at what we - mere humans built.

Tip of the space helmet to Spacer Jeff for finding this little gem.

SpaceHead

Virgin Loses Its Virginity...

2010-03-22T23:37:00.000-07:00

...in the skies that is. Today saw the inaugural flight of Virgin Galactic's suborbital aircraft SpaceShipTwo from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. Designed to be carried aloft by a mother aircraft WhiteKnightTwo, the future spacecraft rolled down the desert runway and took to the skies gracefully for the first time, staying aloft for over three hours. This was of course a shakedown flight and represented a systems and hardware test, but still the significance of the first flight of the first commercial suborbital carrier is a significant event on the human spaceflight calendar.

After winning the $10 million Ansari X-Prize in 2004, Burt Rutan's SpaceShipOne concept was adopted by Sir Richard Branson and developed into a fully viable passenger space vehicle launched from the belly of a mother aircraft. Virgin Galactic is aiming to begin passenger operations in late 2011 or early 2012, but at $200,000 a pop it isn't going to make it into that many Christmas stockings in the first year. Maybe year two... here's hoping.

Things are definitely moving forward in the Human Spaceflight department. Slowly, deliberately, but still forward. Let's just hope it takes off (pun intended) and is a commercial success so the cost can be brought down to a level where us pleb Spacers can have a go!

Happy Dreaming, Spacers!

SpaceHead

Image credit: Virgin Galactic

Soyuz Plunges To Icy Earth

2010-03-20T12:40:00.003-07:00

American astronaut Jeff Williams and Russian cosmonaut Maxim Suraev undocked their Soyuz spacecraft from the ISS early on Friday and plunged into a fiery re-entry before making a soft landing on - snow! After six months of observing the snowstorms on Earth from the comfort of orbit, the two space fliers got to experience 20f (-6c) temperatures first had as they cracked open the hatch. The capsule itself was pulled on to its side and dragged by strong winds in the main parachute, but it was not as exciting or dangerous as a bobsled run. The recovery vehicles were delayed by the heavy snow, but helicopters were able to land straight away and assist as the two got used to a steady gravity again.

Expedition 22 Touches Down In Snow

During their mission the Expedition 22 crew played host to two Shuttle missions and saw the installation of the new Tranquility node and Cupola. The departure of Williams and Suraev leaves a three person crew on the ISS for about two weeks until the compliment goes back up to six with the arrival of the Expedition 23 crew set to launch on April 2nd. Three days later on April 5th, Space Shuttle Atlantis is set to make its penultimate jaunt into space on a resupply mission to the station.

It's going to be a busy spring in orbit, so keep an eye on Spacers for a fix of space news.

SpaceHead

Images credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

SpaceX Takes One Step Closer

2010-03-17T00:23:00.000-07:00

Private rocketeer company SpaceX took a step closer to becoming a viable space transportation provider last Saturday, with the successful completion of a test engine firing of its Falcon 9 rocket platform. The test was dogged by delays from glitches and weather, but with it now under their belt the next step is a test launch for flight qualification, which could occur as early as April 12th. Sitting on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral's U.S. Airforce facility, the Falcon 9 rocket has been tentatively scheduled for the first available opportunity between March and May.

The Falcon 9 rocket engine test

Nine Merlin engines power the first stage of the Falcon 9, each one delivering 125,000 pounds of thrust, which will send its Dragon payload spacecraft into orbit with a capacity for 20 tons of cargo. The Dragon module is capable of reaching the ISS, and once the cargo phase is thoroughly tested it will be qualified for human spaceflight.

For more information check out the SpaceX website: http://www.spacex.com

SpaceHead

Image credit: Chris Thompson/SpaceX

Another Mars Avalanche!

2010-03-15T16:10:00.003-07:00

In a blatant outburst of nostalgia, the HiRISE satellite in orbit around Mars revisited an old favorite that was feature on the very first Spacers post - an actual photograph of an avalanche in progress on Mars!

Avalanche!!

This time HiRISE has caught a snap of the actual debris falling. To give it a bit of perspective, the pale blue area at the bottom left is Martian ice, in this case the most likely substance is carbon dioxide, or dry ice. We are looking down the cliff almost vertically which makes it a pretty sheer face. I haven't seen the radar data but I would guestimate the height in hundreds of meters.

It was cool the first time I saw it, and it's just as cool this time. Mars is a planet we really should be exploring in person, and images like this can only serve to inspire us to try harder and make that first step.

You can check out more images from HiRISE at: http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/

SpaceHead

Image credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

Flying Tonight - Mars Style

2010-03-14T02:17:00.000-07:00

Now that we have a wealth of data from our small army of orbiting satellites and ground probes on the planet Mars, we can run so many simulations that are incredibly realistic and accurate that it almost feels like we have actually been there ourselves, in person. This isn't the case of course as going to the red planet isn't an easy task at all, and simulations are all we have - for now. The latest batch of simulations come from a combination of orbital imagery and high resolution radar elevation data from the HiRISE satellite. The result, is this cool video.

Someday we will go to Mars and although videos like this are excellent eye candy, they also provide a heads up for planning where to actually land. We don't want to just plonk ourselves down in just any old crater, we want to have plenty of things to look at and study. Geologists in particular can glean an insight into the origin of the features we see here - vast gullys that look as if they have been carved by water, ridges of mountains that look volcanic, huge sand dunes that look like they took millennia to form. Looking at the planet using this kind of technology will eventually lead to the all important location of that first human step.

Happy Flying, Spacers!

SpaceHead

Radar Love - ISS Style

2010-03-12T01:33:00.000-07:00

Coolest of cool pics. TerraSAR-X - a German satellite that maps the planet with radar - recently turned its radar imager toward a fellow orbiting object, the International Space Station. The result is somewhat spooky, but kinda cool in a space geeky kind of a way.

The ISS - in Radar

Enjoy!

SpaceHead

Image credit: DLR

WISE Unveils Our Hidden Neighbors

2010-03-09T22:59:00.000-07:00

We've already been stunned by the images coming from WISE, the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, and its latest releases are no exception. Behind a veil of galactic dust that has previously obscured our view, two galaxies have been revealed. Big deal, I hear you say, but these galaxies are so close to us - in relative terms of course - that they should be the brightest galaxies in our sky! At a piffling 10 million light years away, Maffei 1 and Maffei 2 are a huge lenticular galaxy and gorgeous barred spiral galaxy that have made short work of stunning astronomers, who just love new things to look at.

Maffei 1 and 2 peek out from behind the dust

Click the image above for a larger view. Seen toward the upper left in this image, the two galaxies are revealed as a familiar spiral and a glowing blue orb set against the edge of the massive structure of the Heart Nebula, a mere 6,000 light years distant. Because the image data is predominantly infrared the colors we see are mapped from the different infrared frequencies which enables us to see what we normally could not. The blue light is 3.4 and 4.6 micron, and dominated by starlight. The green is 12 micron, and red is 22 micron. If we could see in infrared, these colors are pretty close to what we would see. Now, excuse me while I just stare at this for a while longer.

Enjoy!

Visit the WISE website for more of its stunning images: http://wise.ssl.berkeley.edu/

SpaceHead

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/WISE Team

STS-131: Let's Hear It For The Girls!

2010-03-06T20:57:00.001-07:00

It seems as though men have dominated the recent spate of Shuttle missions with maybe one or two women added in for good measure. Well, with the STS-131 mission, Space Shuttle Discovery is set to redress that imbalance with three female crew riding aboard for the trip to the ISS. Veteran American astronaut Stephanie Wilson is joined by two first-time female fliers, American astronaut Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, and Japanese astronaut Naoko Yamazaki as mission specialists. They don't outnumber the men just yet though, as they will be flying with four American guys, Commander Alan Poindexter, Pilot James P. Dutton, and mission specialists Rick Mastracchio and Clayton Anderson.

The STS-131 Crew with their mission patch

The launch of Discovery is targeted for 6:21am EDT on April 5th, and will bring a logistics module packed with much needed science racks and supplies to the station. During the 13 day mission, Mastracchio and Anderson will conduct three spacewalks to replace an ammonia tank assembly, retrieve a Japanese experiment from the station’s exterior and switch out a rate gyro assembly on the S0 element of the station’s truss.

Stephanie Wilson's last visit to the station was back in November of 2007 when she accompanied former female astronaut Lisa Nowak on the STS-120 mission that delivered the Harmony Node to the station, which opened up the capability to add the European Columbus module and the Japanese Kibo module.

It is great to see more female crew taking part in the human spaceflight program, I personally feel there is a need for lot more diversity in gender and cultural representation as it tends to be thought of as the American boys and their toys. Diversity creates more interest across the cultures and sexes, and the more interest we can generate in human spaceflight the better. Although we are losing the capability of the Shuttle at the end of this year, there is a lot of movement on the ground from private space enterprises. Government space agencies have set the ball rolling, and now it is time for the rest of us to have a go at the drive into space.

Keep up the good work girls! (oh, and guys too).

SpaceHead

Image credit: NASA

Discovery Heads To The Pad

2010-03-03T23:54:00.000-07:00

Space Shuttle Discovery made its way to launch pad 39A early this morning as preparations continued for the STS-131 mission, which will be the penultimate mission for the orbiter. Essentially a resupply mission, Discovery will haul a multi-purpose logistics module to the International Space Station filled with science racks and station supplies. With the ISS now 98% complete and permanently manned with a six-person crew, the demand for science has finally overtaken the need for station keeping. It has been an incredible journey that I have followed closely since the beginning, and with the end of the Shuttle era approaching we have an extremely impressive space station in orbit that we as a planet can be proud of. Sure there are political opponents and questions about its validity and cost, but to achieve such an amazing feat of engineering is indeed worthy of praise.

Discovery arrives at launch pad 39A

As the April 5th launch date approaches it will mark the final days of the Space Shuttles as there will be only one remaining launch for each of the active orbiters, Discovery, Endeavour, and Atlantis. Three launches remaining for three orbiters. The fleet has helped build the ISS, which has now ironically been granted an extension to its active orbital life, gracing our skies until at least the year 2020. Access to space will become the domain of other countries and private companies, like SpaceX, that successfully conducted an engine test at the cape this week. With the final missions the Shuttle fleet has its work cut out to loft as much cargo as they can to the station to ensure it is not only fully outfitted, but stocked with spare parts and supplies.

Spacers will be keeping a close eye on the final Shuttle missions, so catch a launch while you can.

SpaceHead

Images credit: NASA

Long Lazy Days Of... Earthquakes?

2010-03-03T00:13:00.002-07:00

I can't even begin to imaging the hardship facing the communities affected by the recent earthquakes, destruction of that scale is hard to compute for a mere human brain. The planet Earth is a dynamic, ever-changing entity and what we don't really pay much attention to is the fact that there are many earthquakes happening every single day. 24 yesterday alone - yes, twenty-four. The largest of those was a 5.6 magnitude quake in Guatemala, and the smallest a 2.2 magnitude quake in Southern California. The land upon which we walk and build and live and thrive has been moving around the globe for billions of years. Sometimes it moves very slowly, building pressure over time to make mountain ranges, and sometimes it moves very suddenly and sharply - like the major 8.8 quake in Chile last Saturday.

The last 30 days of earthquakes

All this movement does have an effect on the planet as a whole, and on this occasion the 8.8 quake resounded across the globe and left lasting measurable footprints. Firstly, the Figure Axis of the Earth - basically the center of rotation - was moved by about 3 inches. Secondly, the day got shorter - but only by 1.26 milliseconds. Of course this kind of change happens every day in varying degrees, and major quakes change things ever so slightly, but usually over time those changes are balanced out.

So in effect the Earth sped up a little, which is fine because the Moon is slowing it down with its constantly shifting pull on the oceans - the tides. Eventually we will slow down to match the Moon's trick of always showing the same face to us, but not for a few hundred million years yet. Just remember though, that what we know as the Earth today is just a snapshot in time of where it all is now. It is changing all the time and will eventually be unrecognizable to us. We are also a new addition to the landscape, and we must adapt and change with our mother planet if we are to survive. Sure we are tampering with the atmosphere and warming the globe, but in her long history Mother Earth has been through much worse. The simple fact is that the Earth will survive that process, but we, alas may not. Enjoy those long lazy days caused by earthquakes while you can.

Spare a moment of thought for those suffering through the motions of Earth today.

SpaceHead

Image credit: US Geological Survey

WISE Shows Its Stunning Images

2010-02-27T12:29:00.000-07:00

The newest space based eye in the sky, the WISE telescope (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) is now producing some incredible images of some very familiar faces, but in a very different light - infrared light. The images we usually see are mostly in visible light augmented with existing ground-based infrared or ultra-violet images which tend to be of lower resolution. Hubble has infrared capability, but in lower resolution and due to the need to keep the telescope extremely cold, only a handful of targets are chosen. WISE gives us the infrared wavelengths in stunning detail, like this image of the familiar Andromeda galaxy.

Andromeda in its Infrared glory

Because WISE is seeing heat rather than light, the hotter dust lanes of the galaxy pop out of the image showing the spiral arms in all their glory. Clicking the image above will take you to a high resolution image for an even better view.

Comet Sliding Spring

Comet Sliding spring in the above image was discovered in 2007 by astronomers in Australia. The incredible thing here is that the comet appears very red in contrast to the blue stars around it, meaning that the comet is very cold. This demonstrates the sensitivity of WISE, which is able to capture the pin-point heat of stars that are hundreds, even thousands of light years away and still capture the low glow from a snowball on its way back to the Oort cloud.

The Fornax Cluster

I just love this image of the Fornax Cluster. The beautiful spiral galaxy in the bottom right corner is NGC 1365, but what may not be immediately obvious is that the blue dots in the center are not stars, but galaxies too.

There are plenty more images from WISE available on its website: http://wise.ssl.berkeley.edu/index.html

Happy Observing, Spacers!

SpaceHead

Images credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA

A Spacers Poll

2010-02-25T13:17:00.000-07:00

I think it's time we had a bit of a poll at Spacers. I get a lot of emails about the Shuttle program ending, mostly questions and requests for more information, but not a lot of personal thoughts about it. I want to know how you feel about losing such a space icon that has been with us for nearly three decades. So, let's have a poll.

How do you feel about the Space Shuttle program ending?

SpaceX Falcon 9 Heads To The Pad

2010-02-23T11:47:00.001-07:00

Private spaceflight took a step closer to becoming a reality on Saturday when Space Exploration Technologies, known as SpaceX, hoisted its Falcon 9 rocket on to the launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Founded by PayPal co-founder Elon Musk, SpaceX is set to begin delivering cargo to the International Space Station as early as this summer, and depending on how successful tests are of the attached cargo carrier, the Dragon Module, SpaceX could be sending humans to the ISS as early as 2012.

Falcon 9 sits ready for tests at the pad

No date has been fixed yet for the launch, but May has been mentioned as a realistic target. Over the next few months SpaceX will perform extensive integration and fueling tests to ensure the rocket is ready to fly, and the results of these tests will be the deciding factor in the timing of the actual launch.

I think this is the right approach as this isn't a business that should be rushed or driven by the need for success visibility. The goal is to create a new launch platform and that in itself is no mean feat. We have been sadly lacking in our approach to space over the last few decades, mainly because of the pitiful spending on space programs by governments, so the establishment of a private space enterprise will give it a much needed boost. Government will always have to cut back on such things due to poorly framed and underexposed arguments for the benefits and need for space exploration, but the private sector can drive the market far beyond the limits of public spending. My only concern is that corporations have a horrible knack of bowing to the almighty profit motive at the expense of the core principles that brought them into existence, so I will watch how SpaceX develops very closely over the coming years. The excitement of a new launch platform will likely overcome any trepidation though.

Look forward to Spacers covering the progress of Falcon 9.

SpaceHead

Image credit: Chris Thompson/SpaceX

STS-130: Endeavour Lands

2010-02-23T00:46:00.000-07:00

Not exactly flight day highlights, but here's the video of Endeavour's landing.

SpaceHead

STS-130: Endeavour Is Coming Home!

2010-02-21T19:32:00.000-07:00

Spacers Quickie
Space Shuttle Endeavour has fired its thrusters to reduce speed and drop out of orbit into the atmpsphere. The burn lasted just over two minutes and puts Endeavour on target for a landing at Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 10:20pm EST.

SpaceHead

STS-130: The Final Highlights

2010-02-21T15:25:00.000-07:00

The last batch of Flight Day Highlights, apart from today of course.

Flight Day 12 Highlights

Flight Day 13 Highlights

Flight Day 14 Highlights

SpaceHead

STS-130: Endeavour Undocks

2010-02-20T10:57:00.000-07:00

After almost 10 full days docked to the International Space Station, Space Shuttle Endeavour has now undocked and is on its way home. During the stay the six astronaut crew took part in the installation of a brand new module, Tranquility, which included the much anticipated Cupola, a 7 window outlook module that is now giving stunning panoramic views of the Earth and of the station itself.

Stephen Robinson poses in the newly installed Cupola

Once undocking was complete, Endeavour performed the customary flyaround of the ISS, an opportunity for the crew to not only see the results of their handiwork, but to get video and pictures of the ISS in its newly expanded state. Pilot Terry Virts took the controls of Endeavour for the flyaround, first moving out to a safe distance of 400 feet, then slowly performing an up and over circle around the station. Once complete, Virts fired the main thrusters to separate from the station. Endeavour is set to land as early as Sunday morning.

Endeavour performs a flyaround of the ISS

This is a perfect opportunity to catch a sighting of the two spacecraft as they orbit the Earth together in a relatively close formation. Visit Heavens Above for sighting opportunities in your area.

SpaceHead

Images credit: NASA, NASA TV

STS-130: The Highlights Continue

2010-02-19T01:22:00.000-07:00

Some more Flight Day Highlights to keep those Spacer eyes occupied.

Flight Day 8 Highlights

Flight Day 9 Highlights

Flight Day 10 HD Highlights

Flight Day 11 HD Highlights

SpaceHead

Shooting The Sky

2010-02-18T12:59:00.001-07:00

This video is in the process of going viral, and rightly so as it is quite incredible. It shows an amateur video of the Feb 11th launch of an Atlas rocket literally shooting the sky - a sundog to be precise.

So, what in the name of Spacers is happening there?
Cool, isn't it! A sundog is a visual illusion caused when ice crystals in the sky reflect the Sun and make it appear as a ghost, or a rainbow either side. The Atlas basically flew straight through the cloud and the sonic shock waves from the rocket dispersed the ice crystals. In effect, the rocket shot the sundog and blew it away. The reaction of the crowd is just great, as it must have been an incredible sight.

Video from NASA of the launch doesn't show this as well because a sundog is only visible when the the ice crystals in the cloud are positioned just right to the observer. On this occasion the crowd got a better view than NASA.

Happy Wonderment, Spacers!

SpaceHead

STS-130: Taking In The View

2010-02-17T11:12:00.000-07:00

Two Kansas song titles in a row - and relevant too. After the third spacewalk of the STS-130 mission, astronauts aboard the ISS have opened the 7 windows of the brand new Cupola and are taking in the spectacular view in between the numerous activation tasks.

The Cupola with Earth as a backdrop

As the spacewalk ended and the astronauts made their way back in to the Quest airlock, Astronaut Jeff Williams prepared the covers of the Cupola for opening. Inside the new Tranquility node outfitting and activation continued, and one by one the protective debris shield covers were peeled back.

The windows are opened one at a time

Cameras mounted on the station's truss were all pointed at the Cupola, watching each and every move inside. Busy with their tasks, the astronauts could be seen inside moving around.

And the view is spectacular

Even after all the windows had been opened the work continued.

Busy at work, but the room has a view now

Not unlike a Millennium Falcon scene from Star Wars, the Cupola bathed the interior with light from all 7 windows. The astronauts became silhouettes as they finished out their tasks and preparations. Astronaut Soichi Noguchi was the first to get the view online by posting an a snapshot with the Sahara desert in the windows on his Twitter page.

Other than providing incredible views of the Earth below, the new Cupola has several operational purposes, not least as a viewing portal for robotics operations. The current robotics workstation is in the Destiny laboratory and consists of an array of monitors that provide camera views and computer displays to astronauts using the Canadarm robotic arm and Dexter, the dexterous manipulator that can attach to the end of the arm. This workstation will now be moved into the Cupola, where robotics operators can get first hand views of the arm as they operate it.

Views of arriving and departing spacecraft will also take on a new meaning, especially the Shuttle as it must perform a back-flip upon arrival so station astronauts can take detailed photography of the heat shield.

SpaceHead

Images credit: NASA TV

STS-130: Silhouettes In Disguise

2010-02-17T00:46:00.003-07:00

Blatant Kansas song titles aside, this is one of several amazing images of Space Shuttle Endeavour taken by an astronaut on the ISS as it closed in to dock.

Endeavour in Silhouette

The NASA website has a nice description of what we are seeing too: Docking occurred at 11:06 p.m. (CST) on Feb. 9, 2010. The orbital outpost was at 46.9 south latitude and 80.5 west longitude, over the South Pacific Ocean off the coast of southern Chile with an altitude of 183 nautical miles when the image was recorded. The orange layer is the troposphere, where all of the weather and clouds which we typically watch and experience are generated and contained. This orange layer gives way to the whitish Stratosphere and then into the Mesosphere.

Sometimes amidst the glare of the technology involved in human spaceflight it is nice to see some straightforward natural beauty.

The NASA website has a complete library of imagery from the STS-130 mission so far, and it is updated daily as new images are downlinked from the station: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/shuttle/sts-130/ndxpage1.html

Happy Spacing, Spacers!

SpaceHead

Image credit: NASA

STS-130: Catching Up On Highlights

2010-02-15T00:16:00.000-07:00

Valentines Day weekend takes its toll on Spacers... so catch up with some Flight Day Highlights until normal service is resumed.

Flight Day 5 Highlights

Flight Day 6 Highlights

Flight Day 7 Highlights

SpaceHead

STS-130: Fireworks And Interviews

2010-02-13T14:41:00.000-07:00

One of the coolest images of Endeavour's STS-130 launch was taken from Ponte Verde in Florida, about 115 miles north of the launch site. Photographer James Vernacotola took this dramatic picture from the Intercoastal Waterway in the the town. Click to enlarge.

On board the ISS the crew is waking up to another day of spacewalking after having a busy day yesterday outfitting the new Tranquility node and talking to the media in a series of interviews.

SpaceHead

Image credit: James Vernacotola

STS-130: Tranquility Has Landed

2010-02-12T00:29:00.000-07:00

On day 5 of Mission STS-130, the crew of Space Shuttle Endeavour along with the ISS crew have successfully installed the new Tranquility Node to the side of the ISS - a temporary installation point where its systems can be checked and the node prepared for its final position on the underside of the station. The first spacewalk is underway to support the installation as the two crews work to activate the new module.

NASA TV is disguising its flight day highlights videos under more descriptive titles, which scuppered those of us looking for a chronological record. The first few days are in order below, and Spacers will try to keep a diligent eye on this disturbing new trend - hah ha!

Flight Day 1 Highlights

Flight Day 3 Highlights

Flight Day 4 Highlights

Flight Day 2 Highlights seem very elusive at the moment, NASA TV must be hiding it. Spacers will keep a look out for it, but if any Spacers out there manage to find it, please let us know and we'll post it here.

Happy Highlights, Spacers!

SpaceHead

STS-130: Repairs And Preparation

2010-02-10T22:53:00.000-07:00

The twelve humans currently aboard the ISS spent their first full day of docked operations carrying out repairs and preparing for a spacewalk tomorrow. The urine recycling unit, which greatly reduces the station crew consumption of water by extensively filtering urine, sweat and condensation, failed for a third time late last year. A refurbished distillation assembly was flown aboard Endeavour for the mission, and will be replaced once again. Tomorrow's spacewalk will be to support the installation of the new Tranquility node on the ISS, and astronauts Robert Behnken and Nicholas Patrick spent the day preparing for what is anticipated to be a challenging installation. NASA flight controllers decided to rest the crew well by thinning the end of day schedule.

No flight day highlights have been released as yet, so in the meantime enjoy a couple of videos of the Shuttle backflip and crew arrival.

SpaceHead

STS-130: Endeavour Closes In For Docking

2010-02-09T19:52:00.013-07:00

Space Shuttle Endeavour is closing in on the ISS for a docking that is predicted for 12:06am EST Wednesday morning. With yesterday's heat shield inspections complete and an orbiter in good shape, the crew will perform a now customary 'backflip' beneath the station to enable the ISS crew to get high resolution photography of the heatshield for further analysis on the ground.

Tranquility sits in the cargo bay ready for delivery

Spacers will update this post as the docking approaches.

[update: 11:54pm EST] Spacers internet issues solved. Endeavour at 75 feet from docking. Closing a 1/10th of a foot per second.

The ISS from Endeavour's docking ring

[update: 12:02pm EST] Endeavour 35 feet from docking.

Endeavour crew busy preparing to dock

[update: 12:06am EST] Endeavour capture confirmed. The Shuttle and ISS are now one spacecraft.

Endeavour moments from docking

[update: 12:16am EST] All motion has been dampened. Crews preparing to hard dock. Latches will be retracted to draw the two craft together creating an air tight seal.

[update: 12:54am EST] Final hooks are confirmed as closed. Hard dock.

[update: 1:14am EST] Pressurization and leak checks underway.

[update: 2:14am EST] Leak checks complete. Hatch opening imminent.

[update: 2:16am EST] Hatches open!

[update: 2:37am EST] Endeavour crew is entering station.

Endeavour and ISS crews meet for the first time

It's straight to work for the two crews now. Preparations will begin after a short safety briefing for the docked portion of the mission. Keep an eye on Spacers for mission updates.

SpaceHead

Image credit: NASA TV

STS-130: HD Launch Video

2010-02-08T12:55:00.000-07:00

NASA TV is quick off the mark this time.

SpaceHead

STS-130: Launch Attempt Two Underway

2010-02-07T22:26:00.018-07:00

1 day after the aborted launch attempt due to unpredictable weather, Space Shuttle Endeavour is once again ready for another attempt to get STS-130 underway. Due to the orbital track of the ISS, a 1 day turnaround ends up at around 23.5 hours later instead of a full day. Launch is scheduled for 4:14am EST Monday morning. Weather is said to look better for this launch attempt and forecasters are a lot more optimistic that weather will not delay again today. No technical issues are being worked either, and tonight looks like a good night to fly.

The countdown has just resumed out of the 3 hour hold, and the astronauts are suiting up and will be heading out to the orbiter shortly.

Endeavour sits ready for its 2nd launch attempt

Keep it tuned to Spacers for updates.

[update: 12:27am EST] Crew departs in the Astrovan for the launch pad.

[update: 12:41am EST] The crew has arrived at the pad and is inspecting the orbiter from underneath.

The crew inspects the Shuttle

[update: 1:20am EST] Crew is entering the orbiter and the close-out crew is strapping them in.

Waiting in the middeck

[update: 1:58am EST] Crew all aboard, comm checks
complete.

[update: 2:50am EST] Close-out crew is leaving the launch pad.

[update: 2:51am EST] 20 minute hold underway.

[update: 3:11am EST] 20 minute hold complete, countdown resumed. No issues in work. Weather a slight concern.

[update: 3:22am EST] Final 9 minute hold underway.

Endeavour looking good for launch

[update: 4:07am EST] 9 minute hold complete, all systems are go and Endeavour is on final countdown.

[update: 4:11am EST] Engine gimbal checks underway.

[update: 4:12am EST] Beanie cap retracting

[update: 4:14am EST] Lift-off!

Lighting up the sky

Endeavour launches!

[update: 4:16am EST] Booster separation.

[update: 4:23am EST] MECO. Endeavour is in orbit.

Keep tuned to Spacers for updates throughout the STS-120 mission.

SpaceHead

Images credit: NASA TV

The Countdown Begins - And Is Scrubbed

2010-02-06T18:47:00.012-07:00

The countdown to mission STS-130 has begun. Scheduled for launch early Sunday morning, Space Shuttle Endeavour will haul the Tranquility node to the International Space Station (ISS) on a mission that will last 13 days and include three spacewalks.

So far in the countdown there have been a few minor issues, but nothing that will have an impact on the launch. A glitch in a cabin pressure regulator aboard Endeavour was quickly dealt with by a repair team that was dispatched to the launch pad. The repair delayed the start of fueling operations by about 45 minutes, which were then further delayed by a glitch on the ground equipment. Everything is back on track now, and Endeavour is loaded up with around 526,000 gallons of propellant for its 8 nine minute ride into orbit.

Endeavour sits ready to go on Pad 39A

NASA TV has begun broadcasting launch coverage, and Spacers will be drinking coffee and updating this very post as the countdown to the launch gets closer to the big moment.

Happy Launching, Spacers!

[update: 3:15am EST] The hatch has been closed on Endeavour and the countdown is proceeding as normal. There is a slight concern about some clouds moving toward the launch site from the north.

The hatch is sealed

[update: 3:30am EST] Close-out crew departs the pad. 20 minute hold in progress.

[update: 3:35am EST] 20 minute hold has ended, we are go for launch!

Endeavour is ready to launch

[update: 3:45am EST] Final 9 minute hold is in progress. No issues are being worked.

[update: 4:28am EST] Mission managers all good to go - apart from weather.

Weather could postpone Endeavour's launch

[update: 4:30am EST] STS-130 launch has been scrubbed! Weather is too unpredictable and mission managers are not comfortable.

Two possible options are available, 24 or 48 hour turnaround. Keep it tuned to Spacers for updates.

SpaceHead

Image credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett, NASA TV

And Now, Live From Space...

2010-02-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

Today is a big day, Spacers, for now we can forget about all those terrestrial live video streams, like the noctournal activities of the latest famehog cast of Big Brother, for now we have a live video stream - from Space!! NASA has begun streaming a live webcam from the ISS, so now you can watch all that zero-g action 24/7. Well, it might be a little quiet during the astronaut sleep time, but hey maybe we can talk them into running shifts!

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html?param=station

Happy Viewing, Spacers!

SpaceHead

Hubble Sees Smashing Asteroids

2010-02-02T23:20:00.001-07:00

Okay, let me just say... WOW! I mean, WOW!

What?? This is a space blog by a space geek, what do you expect?

Wow. Just, Wow!

So, what in the name of Spacers is that?
That, my dear Spacers, is an object called P/2010 A2. It is the aftermath of two asteroids that smashed into each other at over 5km a second - an impact with as much energy as several of our current nuclear bombs, but without the whole radioactivity thing of course. This incredible new image from the newly refurbished Hubble Space Telescope shows that there is not much left of the two objects involved. I'm no image expert, but from reading the analysis it appears that the front is a collection of debris, whilst the tail is being caused by dust blown away from the site by the solar wind.

So, should I be worried about this?
No, not at all. There is no danger to Earth at all from this event as it is too far away, far beyond the orbit of Mars. However, it is another example of something we didn't know about - two previously unknown asteroids. There are likely many more objects that we will find in the coming years as our array of instruments increases in both quantity and quality - the newest addition, the WISE infrared telescope for example has had an impressive first month. We need to keep our eyes open for and get as complete a picture as possible of the near Earth space environment. The last thing we want is a repeat of the event that caused Meteor Crater in Arizona, which despite being a nice place to visit just around the corner from me, is certainly not something I would like to witness happening - well, maybe from afar and with everyone evacuated to a safe place.

For now, just click that picture above and enjoy P/2010 A2 in its full sized glory.

Happy Smashing, Spacers!

SpaceHead

Image credit: NASA, ESA, and D. Jewitt (UCLA)

Did We Just Lose The Moon?

2010-02-01T20:06:00.005-07:00

The big news is out of the box today, President Barack Obama has cancelled the Constellation space program, the initiative set into motion by Bush Jr. to return man to the Moon and head on to Mars and beyond. The NASA statement today states:

NASA’s Constellation program – based largely on existing technologies – was based on a vision of returning astronauts back to the Moon by 2020. However, the program was over budget, behind schedule, and lacking in innovation due to a failure to invest in critical new technologies. Using a broad range of criteria an independent review panel determined that even if fully funded, NASA’s program to repeat many of the achievements of the Apollo era, 50 years later, was the least attractive approach to space exploration as compared to potential alternatives. Furthermore, NASA’s attempts to pursue its moon goals, while inadequate to that task, had drawn funding away from other NASA programs, including robotic space exploration, science, and Earth observations. The President’s Budget cancels Constellation and replaces it with a bold new approach that invests in the building blocks of a more capable approach to space exploration...

So, wait... does that mean we just lost the return to the Moon?
The short answer is, no. This will delay our return to the Moon somewhat, but with continued reading the statement does outline how NASA's plans for a return to the Moon and beyond will be restructured to concentrate on investing in newer technologies that will see us return on a more solid footing, moving even farther away from the simple flags and footprints approach that marred the space race fuelled landings of the 20th century.

The Orion capsule, scrapped with Constellation

Just remember that the old phrase "this isn't rocket science" doesn't apply here - this actually IS rocket science! It is extremely difficult stuff we are talking about. Getting to the Moon and beyond is well within our capabilities, but it is not something that can be achieved with the piffling budgets that are almost thrown to NASA like a bone. In contrast to the old school approach of a race to do this big important thing, ventures of this scale need to be undertaken under the same spirit of international co-operation that has resulted in the incredible human achievement, the International Space Station. The best brains of the human race are required to do this, not just the cream of the crop of a single country.

The involvement of private enterprise is also going to play an increased role as new plans emerge. Companies like SpaceX, a private launch system that is set to begin flights to the ISS within two years, will bring a paradigm shift in space exploration that is fuelled not by the need to be the first, but by the potential enterprise of the venture. Unlike healthcare, space exploration is a good fit for a for-profit industry. As long as the business model is structured correctly, with regulation and oversight paramount, then the addition of the private sector to the fold would be a welcome one.

So, won't it compromise safety to have corporate space exploration?
Well, it could just as easily be argued that NASA space exploration has a compromised safety record. The Apollo and Shuttle deaths are not insignificant, so the safety record of a bona fide government run space agency is already losing out to the untested private sector. NASA helped pioneer a lot of the safety innovations, and would likely do very well as a standards enforcer rather than a primary explorer. If it ends up that NASA becomes a space safety police, that isn't such a strange idea as it sounds.

As usual though, I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand I was excited about the prospect of a whole new exploration platform, and despite the negative press surrounding the recent Ares IX test launch I was genuinely enjoying watching the process unfold - something I haven't done since the Shuttle was being developed. On the other hand it was a bit like reinventing the wheel - and a very expensive wheel at that. After 40 years of being post-Moon space faring we have done little other than fly around the Earth in a cool looking spaceship that can land like an aircraft, but it can't go much farther. Constellation promised to break us out of that rut, but surely we can do better. Today there are many more launch options than back when we were pioneers, and it would certainly be sensible, fiscally prudent, and even a wise move to mature something like the very successful Atlas launcher into a full-blown exploration platform.

Love him or hate him (yeah, some people actually 'hate' him), President Obama is an intelligent and smart advocate of science and progress, and I have every confidence that he has the best interests of the future of the manned space program at heart. Spacers will be keeping a close eye on how this story develops in the coming months.

SpaceHead

Image credit: Lockheed Martin Corp.

Tranquility Hails Final Night Fire

2010-01-31T10:52:00.001-07:00

Space Shuttle Endeavour will launch the Tranquility node aboard STS-130 to the ISS on February 7th in what will be the final night launch of the Shuttle program. At launch pad 39A, engineers are going through final preparations, closing out the aft of the orbiter and loading software into the on-board computers as we enter the final week before launch.

For those of us here in the USA the launch will take place in the early hours of Sunday morning, 4:39am EST on the East coast placing it out of reach for all but the hardiest of space geeks, and lingering partygoers of course. 1:39am PST on the West coast opens it up a bit more to the Saturday night party crowd. The UK and Europe get to watch a nice launch over breakfast, and everyone else will be watching it as part of their regular Sunday.

Endeavour is processed at launch pad 39A

So, is this really the final night launch, then?
Almost certainly, yes. After this mission there will be only four Shuttle launches remaining before the orbiters retire, and each one of those launches is scheduled for daylight hours. Of course there is a very small chance that a succession of launch delays will push one of the launches around the clock and into a night scenario, but this is a very small chance. Because the remaining shuttle launches are targeting the ISS, which orbits the Earth once every 90 minutes, a 1 day delay effectively makes the next launch a half hour earlier the next day assuming the station's orbital track takes it overhead the launch site.

So, what are they doing this time, then?
This is a much anticipated mission, the delivery and installation of the Tranquility node, a six port connecting node that will be attached to the station complete with a Cupola, a 7 window observation platform that will not only give stunning views of the Earth, but also provide a visual platform for robotic work and to watch visiting spacecraft as they dock and undock.

The STS-130 crew poses with their mission patch

Three spacewalks are planned for the 13 day mission, which will be manned by six astronauts: Commander George Zamka, Pilot Terry Virts, and mission specialists, Kay Hire, Steve Robinson, Nicholas Patrick, and Bob Benhken.

Spacers will be reporting on the mission as it progresses.

SpaceHead

Image credit: NASA/JSC, NASA/KSC

Spirit Is Stuck

2010-01-27T23:37:00.002-07:00

Since November Spacers has kept an eye on the progress of the ongoing rescue attempts aimed at freeing the Mars rover, Spirit. Sadly today, NASA and JPL announced that the rover is officially stuck. All of their attempts to rescue the plucky rover from a patch of soft sand in a crater named Troy have failed, and the data gathered from each of the attempts is now sufficient for them to abandon any further rescue efforts. Six years after beginning its 90 day operational mission, Spirit will roam no more. I know it is only a robot - a lump of metal and circuits, but this is truly a sad day. Spirit, along with its twin rover Opportunity, have been a runaway success story of exploration and have far surpassed any expectations of them. If both rovers had been disabled after their 90 days of expected life they would have been considered a success, but to roam the red planet for six years a piece is just an outstanding technical achievement for NASA's JPL team, who have kept them alive throughout.

Spirit. Its days of roaming Mars are officially over

The good news is that despite this setback, Spirit is far from dead. The mobility portion of its mission has ended, but Spirit is still a fully functioning science platform, and even though it hasn't been moving for the last year it has been returning data, albeit from the same location. This isn't a bad thing though, as Spirit can now watch a single area of Mars as it changes over the course of a year, and of course as the years go by.

As NASA said in its announcement today, "Spirit no longer will be a fully mobile robot. NASA has designated the once-roving scientific explorer a stationary science platform..."

Good and bad news, yes, but I have mixed feelings about this. I can't help but think this was a decision taken at a business level - why waste any more resources on freeing the thing when it can function fine where it is. Still, they are the ones calling the shots and it is their budget after all. I have a feeling though, that if the engineers had been left to their own devices, maybe not tomorrow, or next month, but at some point in the not too distant future they would have had us all popping champagne corks as the first images came back from a freed rover of the place it had been stuck for so long.

We'll have to wait until we go to Mars ourselves before we can pick Spirit up and drop her down on hard ground again to continue her roving mission. Yes, of course she'll still be working!

Wait... did I just refer to her... as a her?!

SpaceHead

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The WISEr Spotted Asteroid

2010-01-25T18:19:00.002-07:00

Some of you may remember that I made a quick post late last year about the launch of WISE (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer), the latest and greatest telescope in our array of orbital observatories. In that post I mentioned that WISE would be able to see objects from galaxies to asteroids - well, the telescope is now online and the first picture published is of - an asteroid!

Asteroid 2010 AB78 - yes, it's the red dot

So, why is it red, then?
Well, WISE is an infrared telescope, which means it is designed primarily to see heat - and what you are seeing is a hot little asteroid just over half a mile in diameter. Say hello to the first ever WISEr spotted asteroid - 2010 AB78. The image shows three infrared wavelengths, with red representing the longest wavelength of 12 microns, and green and blue showing 4.6- and 3.4-micron light, respectively.

What has some astronomers worried is that this we should have already spotted this one. WISE had no trouble finding it, which is good news, but if there are a lot more like this out there, then that means our existing asteroid hunting hardware has been sorely lacking. Not to put too fine a point on it, but we really should have a lot more hardware like this out there looking out for us. 2010 AB78 is harmess and has a zero chance of hitting Earth, but if we didn't see it before, then the chances are that there are a lot more out there, and that one of those previously unseen objects is on its way to visit us as a very unwelcome guest.

I have said before and I'm quite happy to say it again - it's a big bad universe out there and it is looking for the next great way to make life difficult for us. Stop wasting time fighting amongst ourselves and start looking out for our future. It's all very well to think that being hit by an asteroid is too remote a possibility to worry about, but the only way to be sure is to invest in better eyes so that we can see and be sure.

If anyone ever asks what space exploration has ever done for us, just point them to this little blog post and the lovely picture of our latest asteroid friend - 2010 AB78. A friend that we now know for sure will not harm us - thanks to space exploration.

SpaceHead

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA

Deep Space Network Ditches Dialup

2010-01-24T12:42:00.002-07:00

So, are they really using dialup to talk to the Mars rovers?
Not literally a dialup modem, no, but let's face it, the current Deep Space Network is painfully slow - even slower than those old 14.4k dialup modems we used to use in the early 90's. Hands up who misses the days of quick touch tone dialing and high-pitched fax connecting sounds? Yeah me too, but only from an aesthetic perspective - the convenience of an always on blazing fast cable connection is worth losing the nostalgia. That stark comparison does serve to illustrate the point that we are currently using something akin to those old modems to talk to all of our probes, landers and spacecraft that are at work all around the solar system. The latest incredible image from the HiRISE camera in orbit around Mars has to be transmitted at painfully slow speeds - the scientists liken it to trying to watch an HD clip on YouTube using a dialup connection. The buffering of the first minute alone would take hours.

A stunning image of Mars from HiRISE

The good news is that NASA is giving the whole system an overhaul in preparation for the upcoming Moon, Mars and Beyond missions. Coming out of savings in the annual $400 million Deep Space Network budget, the upgrade will boost current performance by over 50 times. What this means is that when we do eventually set foot on the Moon and Mars, we won't be limited to those grainy old analogue TV pictures that were so washed out Neil Armstrong almost blended into the scenery, we'll be able to watch proper HD video of the events in real time.

Of course there is a far more wide ranging use than human exploration, the current cadre of probes and landers will have a much shorter wait for an available slot in communications time before sending their data back to Earth. The future will no doubt bring even greater improvements, like laser based communication that is less susceptible to disruption from space weather and solar activity, but for now this upgrade will serve as a good next step in our drive into the cosmos.

Personally, I think it is very sad that this kind of upgrade has to come from a budget savings drive, rather than a direct funding injection, but such is the state of space exploration today - we are at the whim of more important issues on the ground. My view is that we need to be exploring space yesterday! It's all very well to think that our little Earth is a nice cozy safe and warm place to live, but it's a big bad universe out there and it is looking for the next great way to make life difficult for us. Stop wasting time fighting amongst ourselves over the piffling resources of our home planet and start looking where it is in abundance - out there!

SpaceHead

Image credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

Dentist Extracts Meteorite

2010-01-21T14:35:00.000-07:00

Reports are all over the web of a meteorite hitting a Dentist's office in Lorton, Virginia. Cheesy puns aside, the meteorite apparently crashed through the roof of the office at around 5:45pm on Monday, narrowly missing patients and staff. Reportedly no bigger than a mango, the shattered space rock was taken to the Smithsonian Institute for analysis, where it was confirmed as a Chondrite - a stony leftover from the formation of the solar system.

Check out the Maryland weather blog for a picture of the interplanetary visitor.

Hundreds of eyewitness reports of a fireball from North of the impact site around the same time, and scorchmarks on the rock itself point to the object searing through the sky in a Southward direction before hitting. Meteorite hunters have descended on the area trying to pick up an overlooked piece that may have fallen near the site. Finds like this can be very lucrative indeed as they are of enormous scientific value. If you live in that area and come across anything that you may suspect is from the meteorite, it could be well worth reporting.

Don't forget, Spacers, you can only see things like this if you look up at the sky!

SpaceHead

Moon: Tycho Is New Kid On The Block

2010-01-19T23:13:00.000-07:00

NASA's Goddard Space Center has just released stunning new images from the LRO, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, of the crater Tycho - one of, if not the most prominent craters on the Moon. Clearly visible with the naked eye, Tycho has an incredible array of unbroken white streaks that stream from its center, indicating not only a massive impact, but that it was a fairly recent event. Tycho has now been imaged up close and personal, allowing scientists to give a more accurate estimate of its age. Tycho, as it turns out, is a new kid on the block - a rebellious youngster at a mere 108 million years old.

Boulders on Tycho tell of a relatively young event

Yes, those are actual boulders that you see on the surface, boulders of melt glass that were created at the time of impact. Tycho's bright streaks are thought to be mainly made of glass, which makes them stand out prominently, even against the bright Moon surface. Of course, most craters begin life with spectacular ray like streaks like Tycho, but over time they slowly fad into the background and get covered up by the ejecta from smaller impacts. What we see with Tycho is the freshly preened mane of a new arrival strutting its stuff to impress all the other craters.

Thycho in glorious closeup

When NASA returns to the Moon with its new Constellation rocket series, Tycho will be one of the sites chosen for a landing - just North of the central peak in the above image. Getting an accurate age for Tycho will help in dating the surrounding craters, and an actual landing in Tycho to analyse rocks first hand will give a very accurate age.

We are still around ten years away from such a landing under current timelines, but with the recent discovery of water on the Moon, you never know, perhaps the interest level will increase and the years to our return will decrease.

Keep watching the Moon, Spacers!

SpaceHead

Image credit: NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University

Satellite Images Aid Haiti Relief Effort

2010-01-18T01:14:00.012-07:00

It can't be said enough that the devastation in Haiti from the recent earthquake is a disaster of epic proportions. Estimates begin at 50,000 dead, and the number is rising day by day. Numbers of that magnitude can be difficult for a human to process, and at times like these we do very well at pulling together as a species and donating around the world without regard for political borders. The focus of an international aid effort now is to try and prevent the number from rising any more, but as has been seen in the immediate days after the quake, getting aid to the worst affected areas in Haiti has not been an easy task. Satellite imagery of the area is being used to great effect, coordinated by space agencies across the globe. ESA, the European Space Agency, has combined this imagery to create what is called a 'Damage Elevation Map', essentially a map that illustrates the areas where there is most damage similar to a standard topographic relief map.

ESA's Damage Relief Map

Satellite imagery such as this is being donated from around the world as the ongoing relief effort continues. Updated throughout the day, the areas in red show where aid is needed most. We can only hope that the effort can stem the rise of the death toll in the coming days.

Spacers would like to urge its readers to donate through any of the following organizations:

International Red Cross
http://www.icrc.org/

Doctors Without Borders (Médecins sans Frontières)
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/

The Reason Project
http://www.reasonproject.org/

Non-Believers Giving Aid
http://givingaid.richarddawkins.net

Atheist Alliance International
http://www.atheistalliance.org/

Atheists United
http://www.atheistsunited.org/

The British Humanist Association
http://www.humanism.org.uk

The Skeptics Society
http://www.skeptic.com/

Clinton Bush Haiti Fund
http://www.whitehouse.gov/haitiearthquake_embed

UNICEF
http://www.unicef.org/

Or through any organization of your choice.

Thank you.

SpaceHead

Image credit: ESA

Hubble In IMAX 3D

2010-01-15T10:44:00.000-07:00

Okay Spacers, hands up who is space geeky enough to get all shaky when IMAX announces it will be releasing a 3D Hubble movie with imagery from the final Shuttle mission to service the telescope?

Yeah... me too!

You can download a trailer at this site: http://www.apple.com/trailers/imax/hubble3d/

Can't wait? Here's a couple of Hubble's recent images to keep you busy. Don't forget to click the images to make 'em BIG.

Oooh... Ahhhhh....

Wow... I mean, Wow!

Happy Awe, Spacers!

SpaceHead

Image credit: NASA, ESA, SSC, CXC, STScI, and F. Paresce (INAF-IASF, Bologna, Italy), R. O'Connell (University of Virginia, Charlottesville), and the Wide Field Camera 3 Science Oversight Committee,

Videos Of Asteroid Flyby

2010-01-14T11:04:00.000-07:00

A couple of cool videos have been released of the flyby yesterday by asteroid 2010 AL30, which passed within 80,000 miles of Earth at its closest point.

This first one is pretty faint, but it was very small. What you are seeing is an object no bigger than 36 feet across! There is a lot of speculation around at the moment that the object is man-made, possibly a rocket body. One astronomer claims that it is the booster stage of Venus Express, launched back in 2005. Without any decent up close and personal imagery, it will be almost impossible to tell.

The second video is a GIF image composite of 30 still images taken by astronomer Patrick Wiggins who used a C-14 telescope to track the oject. Longer exposure time blurred the stars but made the asteroid brighter.

Patrick Wiggins incredible image sequence

And finally this is a cool video animation showing the view of Earth that the object would have had as it buzzed us.

Happy Viewing, Spacers!

SpaceHead

Image credit: Patrick Wiggins

Asteroid To Buzz Earth Wednesday

2010-01-13T00:47:00.001-07:00

Spacers Quickie
A small asteroid is set to buzz the Earth on Wednesday. 2010 AL30 is just 36 feet wide and will make its closest approach about 7:45am EST, passing within 80,000 miles of Earth. There is no chance of an impact and the object will not be visible with the naked eye, but may be picked up with a reasonable powered telescope - but you have to know where to look.

The weird orbit of 2010 AL30, an ellipse almost exactly 1 year long, has some astronomers suggesting that it may in fact be man-made - possibly an old rocket body launched in the early days of space exploration.

The asteroid will pass through the constellations of Orion, Taurus, and Pisces as it makes its pass, so there will be some familiar markers to make observing it a little easier.

Happy Buzzing, Spacers!

SpaceHead

Shuttle Launch Date May Be Hosed

2010-01-11T11:46:00.001-07:00

An errant cooling system hose on the Tranquility node which failed during a test may delay the planned February 7th launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour to the ISS on the STS-130 mission. The hose ruptured during the test, causing no damage to the payload but necessetating a repair and further tests. There is already a week of built-in buffer time to cater for just such an event, but NASA isn't sure if this is enough time to complete the repair and remain on track for the scheduled launch time. Analysis of the failure will continue over the next few days before an announcement is made on its impact on the launch date.

Artists conception of Tranquility installed on ISS

Engineers at Kennedy continue to prepare Endeavour for launch as Florida is still enduring unusually cold temperatures. Pre-launch propellant testing will continue until Thursday. Meanwhile, the six astronaut crew continues final training and preparations at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. At the moment they are reviewing equipment that will be used during the mission and practicing rendezvous procedures with the ISS in simulators.

Icicles form on a handrail at launch pad 39A

Keep an eye on Spacers for STS-130 udates.

SpaceHead

Images credit: NASA

January Video Roundup

2010-01-10T10:35:00.001-07:00

A bit of a different roundup this January, I've collected a few short videos that sum up the space events nicely. There is a lot of buzz about the new Cupola that will fly to the ISS in early Febraury, so the first video takes a short look at what all the fuss is about.

A video about the rollout of Endeavour.

And finally an interesting video about a recent NASA effort to save Sea Turtles from the freezing temperatures in the wetlands around the Kennedy Space Center.

Happy Viewing, Spacers!

SpaceHead

It Be Cold In Olde England

2010-01-07T21:53:00.003-07:00

Thanks to Phil Plait over at BadAstronomy for spotting this absolutely gorgeous picture of the British Isles from space amidst a not-so-liberal dousing of snow.

The UK under just a little snow

I notice that my old stomping ground in Northern Ireland isn't quite as badly covered as the inland areas, but wow that is one incredible picture. From my warm and cozy desert here in Arizona it is hard to picture what it was like to endure cold like that, but I do remember that the snow was fun - for about the first five minutes, then you had to deal with removing it manually because the DOE (Department Of the Environment) was 'taken by surprise' and didn't grit the roads the night before, causing widespread chaos because of un-passable roads. Still, it had its upsides, the ritual of the making of the snowman and watching my old dog Chewie - a very furry collie - run around the back garden rolling up snowballs in her fur then depositing them around the house. Priceless.

Chewie helping to soak up the snow

Happy Freezing, UK Spacers!

SpaceHead

Image credit: Me, and NASA

Endeavour Heads To Freezing Pad

2010-01-06T11:36:00.000-07:00

Space Shuttle Endeavour rolled out to launch pad 39A this morning, braving freezing cold temperatures as it made its way in preparation for a February 7th launch date. Mission STS-130 is the first of five launches this year, the final year of the Space Shuttle program, and is set to deliver a new node to the International Space Station called Tranquility, which comes equiped with a 7 window Cupola.

Endeavour en-route to pad 39A

The cold temperatures are not unusual at the Florida cape in January, and although the early morning trip began at a sub-zero 4:13am, the hardware was not affected. Launches are not permitted when the weather drops below 2 Celcius (36f), but hauling the Shuttle to the pad is fine as long as the crawlerway - the path to the pad - is not blocked by snow.

STS-130 Mission Patch

Spacers will be keeping a close eye on the launch preparations so stay tuned for updates as STS-130 approaches.

SpaceHead

Image credit: NASA TV, NASA

Five New Worlds

2010-01-04T22:55:00.002-07:00

The Kepler Planet Hunting Mission is in full swing now and has just released details of five new extra-solar planets - planets outside our solar system, around other stars. The incredible thing about this find is that unlike previous finds which tended to be on the heavy side due to the limitations of the method of discovery, these planets are all comparatively light. Most are larger than Jupiter in size, with one somewhat smaller than Jupiter but still larger than Earth.

Size comparison of Kepler's recent planet discoveries

The techniques employed to detect planets have historically been limited to transitions in front of a parent star - effectively a dip in brightness, and small shifts in the position of the parent star due to the pull of the planet's gravity as it orbits. The gravity technique is more adept to finding heavier planets and has a limited capability to detect the likes of an Earth-like planet. Kepler refines the transition technique with a much higher resolution and the dark environment of space.

This is a very exciting find coming from the analysis of just 43 days of data. There is over 8 months of data available to date, so expect a lot more announcements from Kepler in the near future.

Happy Planet Hunting, Spacers!

SpaceHead

Image credit: NASA

Earth Passes Go - Collects $200

2010-01-01T13:42:00.002-07:00

Happy New Year, Earthlings!

So, the Earth has successfully made it once more around the Sun, just like it has over 4 billion times before. This particular trip is marked by a peculiar form of measurement instigated by a bizarre highly evolved species of that planet called Humans, where a period of 10 trips around the Sun is packaged up into a neat little unit called a Decade. Some people confuse the finer points of this unit of measurement with others like a Century and a Millennium, but this is wholly understandable due to the human's own ambiguity surrounding it.

Somewhere in this picture it is a Happy New Year!

In contrast to the billions of trips around the Sun that the Earth has made itself, the humans have a more humble measuring system in place that on the face of it seems like they have only made 2,010 trips around. The numbering system begins with the birth of a special human over two millennia ago, and causes arguments amongst various human sects due to it being 1 based. The first trip around the Sun was called Year 1, so major milestones like centuries are complete at the end of the year the major digit rolls over - eg the 1st century ended on the last day of year 100, and the 2nd century began on the first day of year 101.

Decades however are not measure in the same way, instead being given a nickname that is based on their major digit. For example, the 80's - a 10 year period spanning from the beginning of the 1980 to the end of the 1989. This is markedly different from the 8th Decade of the 20th Century, which began on the 1st day of 1981 and ended on the last day of 1990.

The 21st century is still in its 1st decade, which ends on the last day of 2010, but with the passing of 2009 we entered the 2nd nicknamed decade. The first decade was, for me at least, called the 'Noughties', which comes from the old English word for nothing, Nought. I haven't decided yet what to nickname the 2nd, but suggestions range from; the 'Teenies', to the boring old 'Tens'. We'll yet see what popular culture ends up calling it, but for now, the Noughties were a very interesting decade for me, how were they for you?

Happy Decade, Spacers!

SpaceHead

Image credit: NASA

Europe Gets An Eclipse

2009-12-28T23:46:00.001-07:00

This New Years Eve, Thursday 31st December 2009, most of Europe will experience a partial eclipse of the Moon. Beginning at 17:17:08 UT, the Moon will enter the Penumbral shadow of the Earth and very subtly start to darken. At 18:52:43 UT the Moon will begin to enter the Umbral shadow of the Earth, the point at which the Moon will glow in the classic orange and red colors. Since this is a partial eclipse, the Moon will not completely enter the Umbral shadow. The greatest depth of shadow will occur at 19:22:39 UT.

Graphic depicting the shadow of the Earth

So, doesn't it glow all orange, and stuff?
Yes, it does! One of the most fascinating aspects of a lunar eclipse is the deep orange and red colors that are seen as it enters deeper and deeper into the shadow. The colors are actually caused by the ring of permanent sunrises and sunsets that constantly encircle the Earth, as it is always sunrise or sunset somewhere. The Moon is far enough away to be able to see this ring as a bright orange and red circle once it is inside the full umbral shadow, bright enough in fact to illuminate the surface of the Moon. Imagine for a moment actually standing on the surface of the Moon when this happens, looking up to see planet Earth as a ring of fire in the sky, and looking down to see the once bright white surface flooded with deep reds and oranges. With the discovery of water on the Moon, and the subsequent increase in interest that event caused, it won't be long until we are back there on a permanent basis. The day when we witness such a spectacular event in person may not be that far away.

The Blood Red Moon during the August 16th 2008 eclipse

As can be seen in the image above, sunlight is refracted through the edge of the Earth's atmosphere giving rise to a spectacular lunar light show. If you are in Europe, and happen to be graced with clear skies, it is a sight well worth catching. Even though it is a partial eclipse, there will still be a long period of deep orange colors, making it possible to view even in partially cloudy conditions.

Happy Mooning, Spacers!

SpaceHead

Images credit: Sagredo, Tomruen

A Year In Highlights

2009-12-26T23:33:00.001-07:00

The events of 2009 at NASA have been summed up in a video just released by the agency.

Let's look forward to a 2010 that is just as full of Space!

SpaceHead