Eye of God pictured in space

European astronomers have taken a stunning photo of a Big Brother-style cosmic eye, nicknamed the Eye of God, staring down from space.

The bright blue pupil and the white of the eye are fringed by flesh-colored eyelids - but this eye is so big that it light takes two and a half years to cross from one side to the other.

The object is actually a shell of gas and dust that has been blown off by a faint central star. Our own solar system will meet a similar fate five billion years in the future.

It lies around 700 light-years away in the constellation of Aquarius, and can be dimly seen in small backyard telescopes by amateur astronomers who call it the Helix nebula. It covers an area of sky around a quarter the size of the full moon.

The photo was taken with a giant telescope at the European Southern Observatory, high on a mountain top at La Silla in Chile. It is so detailed that a close-up reveals distant galaxies within the central eyeball.

Six people selected for Mars flight simulation experiment

Six people have been selected by scientists at the Moscow-based Russian Institute of Medical and Biological Problems. They will take part in a 105-day experiment to simulate a flight to Mars.

Four Russians - astronauts Oleg Artemyev, Sergei Ryazansky, Alexei Baranov, a doctor, and sports physiologist Alexei Shpakov - and two members of the European Space Agency, France's Cyrille Fournier, a civilian pilot, and Germany's Oliver Knickel, a mechanical engineer, will take part in the experiment.

Initially, six Russians and four Europeans wanted to participate in the institute's project.

All participants will receive 15,500 euros (USD 20,000) each, Institute spokesman Mark Belakovsky said.

Institute Director Igor Ushakov said the 105-day trial is a continuation of the 14-day experiment of November 2007 and precedes the main event, a 520-day simulation flight due to start in late 2009.

The 520-day experiment will simulate all aspects of the journey including the 250-day one-way trip to the Red Planet, a 30-day stay on its surface, and the 240-day return flight.

During nearly two years of isolation, crew members will experience many of the conditions likely to be encountered by astronauts on a real space flight.

They will stick to a rigid daily regime of work, rest and exercise, and follow the diet of crews aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Comet Lunin comes closest to Earth

Stargazers are in for a treat as Comet Lulin will swing closest to Earth and is expected to be visible to the naked eye on Tuesday. Comet Lulin, also known as the "Green Comet" because of the green tint due the chemicals in its head, will be within 38 million miles from Earth.

"The comet is brightening every day as it approaches Earth," said Amar Sharma a Bangalore-based amateur astronomer who has been observing the comet for the past few days.

"On Tuesday, February 24 the comet will be at its closest approach to Earth and is expected to be visible to the naked eye," Nehru Planetarium Director N Rathnasree said.

The comet will be visible as a faint green smudge low in the east-southeast sky before dawn. If the weather is clear and there is no haze in the sky, one should be able to locate the comet. A pair of binoculars or a moderate telescope might be needed to view the comet from the light polluted areas of cities like Delhi, she added.

When it's able to be seen, the Comet Lulin will be just 61 million kilometres away — about 160 times the distance between the Earth and the moon — which will be its closest approach to our planet, according to NASA.

The comet, whose official name is C/2007 N3, is expected to appear about a third of the way up the southern sky, a few degrees from Saturn in the constellation Leo. It is called "Lulin" after Lulin Observatory in Taiwan, where astronomers discovered it last year.

Scientists are using NASA's Swift Satellite to track and study the comet as it approaches.

The satellite includes probes that detect ultraviolet and X-ray radiation, which can be used to learn more about its chemistry, said a news release Friday from the Science and Technology Facilities Council in the United Kingdom, which is collaborating with NASA.The satellite can detect hydroxyl molecules that are produced when water is broken down by ultraviolet light from the sun.

NASA to launch CO2 tracking satellite

The world's first satellite designed to map concentrations of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere will be launched by NASA

The Orbiting Carbon Observatory (Oco) will collect precise measurements of the greenhouse gas in the Earth's atmosphere, identifying where it is coming from, where it is absorbed and what happens to it in between.

Scientists hope to get a clearer picture of how the Earth reacts to carbon dioxide with the launch of a new spacecraft designed to collect data on the climate-changing gas on Tuesday

The Orbiting Carbon Observatory is set for launch early Tuesday from California and will take about eight million measurements every 16 days for the next two years.

Researchers said that the information will give them a picture of how the carbon cycle affects climate and how net emissions vary by region. The goal is to measure carbon dioxide (CO2) sources and so-called "sinks" that pull the gas from the atmosphere.

Scientists know that only about 40 percent of the CO2 released since the Industrial Revolution remains in the atmosphere. They can only account for the absorption of another 30 percent, leaving questions about what happened to the 30 percent.

More complete measurements from the observatory should give them a better picture of where the carbon dioxide is being stored and how it changes over time. It should also help account for the uneven absorption of the gas from year-to-year, which does not correspond consistently with how much is released each year.

"It's critical that we understand the processes controlling carbon dioxide in our atmosphere today so we can predict how fast it will build up in the future and how quickly we'll have to adapt to climate change caused by carbon dioxide buildup," scientist David Crisp said.

Previous measurements of carbon dioxide have relied heavily on Earth-based observations and occasional images from aircraft.

India's Cryogenic Engine Is Ready

The indigenous cryogenic engine that would make India totally self-reliant in all aspects of space launch vehicle technology is set to be integrated with the indigenous Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle (GSLV).

"Now, it is getting ready for flight and I hope by the middle of the year, we should be able to make a launch", Chairman of ISRO, G Madhavan Nair, said. ISRO officials indicated that they are looking at a June-July date for the launch.

Indigenous development of cryogenic stage was taken up in 1996 for achieving self-reliance in cryogenic propulsion technology.

Technological challenges faced during the development stage include development of new materials, composite thermal insulation, and new fabrication techniques, handling of cryogenic fluids at cryogenic temperatures, realization of facilities for assembly, integration and testing, and associated safety systems.

GSLV flights launched so far by India used Russian cryogenic engine. Seven cryogenic stages were procured from Russia of which five stages have been utilized.

Forthcoming GSLV launch with indigenously developed cryogenic stage would launch GSAT-4 communication satellite.

ISRO Spokesperson S Satish said: "GSAT-4 communication satellite carries a lot of experiments. Our main interest will be to see how cryogenic engine performs. We have developed the engine using indigenous technology and indigenous fabrication capability. We have completed all qualification tests. We are very confident. We have already conducted flight acceptance test and it has met all parameters.

The indigenous cryogenic engine develops a thrust of 73 kilo Newtons (kN) in vacuum with a specific impulse of 454 seconds and provides a payload capability of 2200 Kg to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) for GSLV.

The engine works on 'Staged Combustion Cycle' with an integrated turbo pump running at around 42,000 rotations per minute (rpm). It is also equipped with two steering engines developing a thrust of 2 kN each to enable three-axis control of the launch vehicle during the mission.

India advised to review space programme

India should undertake a strategic and comprehensive review of its space programmes as quickly as possible given "the military character and military functions" of China's space programme, a senior US expert in Asian military affairs said

Painting a "horror picture" of China's rapidly expanding global military reach, Richard Fischer Jr, a senior fellow at the International Assessment and Strategy Center in the US, said Indian private universities should begin satellite or space development programmes as has been done in the United States.

Initiating a discussion on "Chinese military modernisation" at the Observer Research Foundation, a public policy think tank here, he said China's space and satellite programmes have a military character and military functions.

Given this, he stressed on the need to develop satellite and space technologies to counter China's advancement in these areas.

"We have to look forward to China performing military activities from moon," Fischer said, noting that Beijing's moon programme spokesman had said the team to moon would carry telescopes and lasers.

"What are they going to do with laser and telescope on the moon?" he wondered.

Fischer said the Chinese moon programme had even forced the US to take a re-look at its own lunar programme and to give it high priority with the necessary funds even at a time of economic meltdown.

He said the satellite programmes, to be developed by private Indian universities after obtaining legal permission, should be "completely outside the government's tentacles".

"If China can develop A-Sats and SLVs, why can't India?" he asked, offering India a seat in the US' second moon programme on a bilateral or trilateral basis. He said even Russia might be offering India such cooperation as it had offered to China. India should make "necessary hard choices in these trying circumstances".

Albert Einstein's telescope to know the universe

Scientists are using the phenomenon of gravitational lensing, which they call "Einstein's telescope", as a scientific "instrument" in their quest to determine the makeup of the universe.

The University of Chicago's Evalyn Gates's new book, "Einstein's Telescope: The Hunt for Dark Matter and Dark Energy in the Universe", explains how it works. Although based on Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity, the effect is easily demonstrated.

"Einstein's telescope is using the universe itself as a lens through which we can seek out galaxies that would otherwise be too faint to be seen," said Gates, Assistant Director of the University's Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics.

Long ago, Einstein recognized the potential existence of gravitational lensing, a consequence of his theory of general relativity. According to general relativity, celestial objects create dimples in space-time that bend the light traveling from behind.

Einstein realized that the gravitational influence of a foreground star could theoretically bend the light of another star sitting almost directly far beyond it, producing two images of the background star. "Gravitational lensing magnifies things as well as making multiple images and distorting the shape of images, so you can actually use it as a magnifying glass," Gates explained.

But, assuming that the effect would be too weak to detect, Einstein immediately dismissed its significance. Astronomers now use gravitational lensing to look for dark matter and the imprint of dark energy, two of the greatest modern scientific mysteries.

"We can't see dark energy directly by any means, but we're looking for how it has sculpted the matter distribution of the universe over the past few billion years, since it's been the dominant factor, and also how it has affected the rate at which the Universe is expanding," Gates said.

Gravitational lensing is essentially the only method astronomers have for tracing out the web of dark matter that pervades the Universe, and determining how dark energy has impacted the evolution of this web. "Gravitational lensing is going to allow us to image the universe in ways that wouldn't have been possible even 50 years ago. It may lead us to another revolution in our understanding of the most fundamental aspects of the universe, time, matter, and energy.

NASA and European Space Agency (ESA) plan new missions to Jupiter, Saturn

The US space agency NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) ahead with proposals to send ambitious new missions to explore Jupiter, Saturn and many moons that circle the planets, the agencies announced.

The proposed projects are grand endeavours that set the stage for future planetary science research. These outer-planet flagship missions could eventually answer questions about how our Solar System formed and whether habitable conditions exist elsewhere in the Solar System.

The missions, called the Europa Jupiter System Mission and the Titan Saturn System Mission, are the result of the merger of separate NASA and ESA mission concepts.The missions include sending multiple spacecraft to the Jupiter and Saturn systems to explore the planets and their unique satellites, such as Jupiter's ice-covered Europa and Saturn's shrouded moon Titan.

The first mission to fly would be aimed at Jupiter. Dubbed the Europa Jupiter System Mission, it would send two orbiting spacecraft to study the planet and its large moons Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto in unprecedented detail, NASA officials said on Wednesday.

New exploration challenges at Jupiter and Saturn
NASA would build one orbiter, the Jupiter Europa, while ESA would provide the other, Jupiter Ganymede. The spacecraft would launch in 2020 from different spaceports with the goal of reaching Jupiter by 2026 and spending three years studying the planet and its moons, NASA said.

Like the proposed Jupiter mission, the Saturn expedition would consist of both NASA and European spacecraft.

Dubbed the Titan Saturn System mission, the flagship flight would include a NASA-built orbiter to study Saturn and its moons, as well as European lander and research balloon to continue the exploration of the planet's cloud-covered moon Titan. Saturn's moon Enceladus, which harbours ice-spewing geysers, is also a major target for that mission.

Several technical hurdles must be overcome before the Saturn expedition can launch, and will require more study and technology development before the mission can move forward, NASA said.

Meanwhile, the Cassini orbiter managed by NASA, ESA and the Italian Space Agency is currently in orbit around Saturn, where it has been studying the planet and its many moons since it arrived in June 2004. The orbiter's European-built Huygens lander successfully touched down on Titan's surface in January 2005. Mission managers are pushing to extend Cassini's flight by seven years to 2017.

ISRO to launch RISAT and ANUSAT in March

After the successful Chandrayaan-I moon mission, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is now getting ready to launch two satellites Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT) and ANUSAT.

ISRO is planning to launch these two satellites in March last week with the indigenously built Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle from the Sriharikota spaceport.

Indian space scientists see the 1,780-kg RISAT as a major milestone for the country as far as remote sensing satellites are concerned. RISAT mission would have a C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload, operating in a multi- polarisation and multi-resolution mode.

SAR, being an active sensor, operating in the microwave range of electromagnetic spectrum, provides the target parameters such as dielectric constant, roughness, and geometry, and has the unique capability for day-night imaging, and imaging in all weather conditions including fog and haze, and also provide information on soil moisture.

So far, all satellites launched by ISRO are optical remote sensing satellites. But RISAT will have all other capabilities.

RISAT is capable of taking pictures during night as well and even in cloud-covered conditions, an expertise Indian remote sensing satellites did not have previously.

ANUSAT is a 50 kg micro satellite being designed and fabricated at Anna University, Chennai. The aim is to bring university based academicians and research and development experts of ISRO together to implement a project in university environment. ANUSAT carries a digital store and forward payload for amateur communication. In addition, a number of technological payloads like digital receiver and turbo coder and MEMS based gyro and magnetic field sensor are planned to be in this micro satellite.

Japan unveils new space rocket

Japan's space agency and industrial giant Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) last week unveiled the H-2B rocket's body to a group of reporters, but only after submitting them to a rigorous procedure of finger-printing, an air shower to remove all dust and a requirement to wear chemical suits.

"We expect to make a trial launch toward the middle of this year if all the manufacturing and intermediary steps proceed well," said Tomihisa Nakamura, a researcher who heads the project at Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

The H-2B -- designed to take supplies to the International Space Station (ISS) and launch satellites -- is more imposing than its predecessor, the H-2A.

When it is ready, the H-2B is expected to be 56 meters (185 feet) tall, three meters more than its sister rocket. The rocket is 5.2 meters wide -- compared to four meters for the H-2A -- weighs 530 tonnes, and is equipped with two engines and four auxiliary propellers or "boosters."

The H-2B is initially intended to bring supplies of up to six tonnes per year via an unmanned HTV spacecraft, or "H-2 Transfer Vehicle," to the International Space Station.

The enormous pieces making up the new rocket are currently laid out horizontally in the hermetic hangars of MHI's vast space development site in the central Japanese city of Nagoya.

The H-2B is expected to be able to release an HTV weighing up to 16.5 tonnes into orbit as well as satellites with a combined weight of eight tonnes. These abilities are necessary to compete well internationally.

In addition to developing Japan's space programme, the H-2B was designed to boost MHI's competitiveness against well-known launch services such as Europe's Ariane, and Sea Launch operated by US-based Boeing.

Including the costs of developing and producing the first model, Japan's space agency and the MHI are expected to invest yen 40 billion (USD 444 million).

"The design costs are small compared to those of the H-2A, of an Ariane or another launcher, because we are reusing a lot of elements and knowledge gained from the H-2A. That also minimises the risks," said JAXA's Nakamura.

"Meanwhile we used manufacturing procedures that are new and more efficient," underlined Tomohiko Goto, who heads the project under MHI. Officials hope that a series of successful launches will boost the rocket's reputation -- and that of MHI -- in Japan and abroad.

But the company last month signed a deal with South Korea to launch the multi-purpose Arirang 3 satellite in 2011 using the H-2A, which would be the first commercial order for a Japanese-made rocket.

Up until now, the H-2A listed nine successful launches in a row since 2005, recovering from a blow in late 2003 when it failed its sixth mission -- an accident that delayed its goal of being an international player.

IIT- Kanpur micro satellite named 'Jugnu'

A micro satellite being developed by IIT Kanpur in co-operation with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has been named 'Jugnu'. The satellite, which is near completion, will be handed over to ISRO in November, who after testing will launch it.

IIT Kanpur director Prof Sanjoy Govind Dhande said: “Work on the satellite, which is aimed at gathering prior information regarding flood, drought and disaster management is in the last stage and will be handed over to ISRO in November for further test and launch”.

Last year in August, both ISRO and IIT-K had inked a MoU to develop a micro satellite dedicated for agricultural purpose. A team of mechanical engineering department of the institute has almost finished the work on the satellite. They will need another 6-7 months to give final touch to the project.

Scientists have used indigenous technology to develop 'Jugnu', whose weight and length are 3kg and 34cm respectively, he said, adding an estimated amount of Rs 2.5 crore has been spent to develop the satellite. The hi-tech cameras fitted in the satellite will send photographs regarding agriculture, weather and soil to the base station. The satellite can also be used to link other big satellites in the space.

Iran to send manned spacecraft flight by 2021

Iran has kick off a 12-year project to send an astronaut into space, just days after putting its first home-built satellite into orbit, Press TV reported on Thursday.

Reza Taqipour, the head of the Iranian Aerospace Organization said: "The programme's preliminary needs, assessments and feasibility studies have been carried out".

The organization had drawn up a comprehensive plan for the project and various academic and research institutions must play to carry out a successful space mission by 2021, he said.

"China and India managed to send an astronaut to space in a 15 year program. We see ourselves taking the same path, but we hope to reach that goal in a shorter period.

On February 03, Iran's Omid (Hope) lightweight telecommunications satellite was sent into space by the Iranian-produced satellite carrier Safir-II.

Equipped with two frequency bands and eight antennae, Omid would transmit information to and from earth while orbiting the planet 15 times a day.

After orbiting for one to three months, Omid would return to earth with data that would help Iranian experts send an operational satellite into space.

In February 2007, Iran joined the international space-faring community when it successfully tested a rocket that went into space as part of its planned drive to launch five satellites into orbit by 2010.

Iran has been pursuing a space program for the past few years. In October 2005, Iran's first satellite (the Russian-made Sina-I) was put into orbit by a Russian rocket from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome.

US, Russian satellites collide in space

For the first time in history, two satellites US communications satellite owned by the Iridium Company and a Russian military satellite called Cosmos 2251 have collided in space.

NASA spokesman John Yembrick said: “The unprecedented crash happened 491 miles above Siberia and the resultant debris now poses a risk to other satellites as well as the International Space Station, but "within acceptable limits".

It's the first crash of its kind, but NASA says it doesn't pose a threat to the International Space Station.

"We are looking at around more than 500 pieces of debris," said Navy Lieutenant Charlie Drey, a spokesman with US Strategic Command.

The accident occurred on Tuesday, 10th February at 1655 GMT creating a massive explosion with much debris scattering through space. It’s still unclear what caused the collision, which has become the first-ever involving two intact satellites.

The privately-owned American satellite - Iridium - was launched in 1997 and used for satellite telephone networks. The Russian Cosmos satellite was launched in 1993 and, according to NASA and Pentagon officials, had been non-operational for about 10 years.

According to NASA, debris creates some small risk to the ISS, which is located below the orbit where the accident took place. However, it will take several weeks before the full magnitude of the collision is determined.

There have been minor collisions in space before, but the scale of this crash is unprecedented. The satellites - one weighing about a tonne, the other almost 600 kilogram’s – crashed at a speed of 670 km per minute. Officials said the incident will be investigated and analyzed.

Officials note that there are many hundreds of satellites in space and no ‘road rules’ regarding their orbits, therefore some people believe such accidents could have been expected.

Charles Vick, a space expert at globalsecurity.org said: “International standard for disposing of space debris should be created. It certainly is likely to happen again since we underestimated the potential of this type of accident, but we really shouldn’t have done so”.

India to develop spacecraft which can carry 3 astronauts

India plans to develop a spacecraft that can carry up to three astronauts in the seven-day manned mission to space. "Concept is getting evolved" Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman G Madhavan Nair said on 11th February while addressing an international seminar here

ISRO is looking at developing a capsule (spacecraft) with service module which can lodge three astronauts and take it to lower earth orbit using the indigenous GSLV (Geo-Synchronous Launch Vehicle) in the year 2015. The Mission duration is seven days.

There would also be emergency mission abort and crew rescue provisions in case of necessity. Crew module would be designed for re-entry and service module for mission management.

He said the GSLV-Mk III, which can launch four tonne class satellites, would bring down the launch cost by half. The maiden flight of GSLV-Mk III is slated for next year.

About Chandrayaan-1 moon mission, Nair said instruments on board have thrown up voluminous data which would take a few years for scientists to analyze and come out with exact results. Entire mapping of the lunar surface is expected to be carried out in a year's time. There is no trace of water on moon so far.

Indian repairs world's largest telescope GBT

Dr Srikanta Pal, an Indian scientist has rectified the problem of satellite signals interfering with the observation of the universe by the world's largest telescope in the US.

Dr Srikanta Pal solves the problem and said: “The Robert C Byrd Green Bank Telescope located at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory's site at Pocahontas County in West Virginia, US, had been exhibiting the problem ever since it was set up in August 2000”

Srikanta Pal, an associate professor in the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering at the Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, developed the electronics components needed to rectify the problem during his post-doctoral research in the University of Birmingham in the UK under the supervision of Prof Michael J Lancaster.

The scientist said that the Radio Astronomy Observatory had approached to his mentor Prof Lancaster to rectify the snag. Srikanta Pal, who hails from Bankura district in West Bengal, said he took up the challenge out of sheer interest.

The GBT is described as a 100-meter telescope, but the actual dimensions of the surface are 100 by 110 meters. The overall structure of the GBT is a wheel-and-track design that allows the telescope to view the entire sky above 5 degrees elevation. The track, 64 m (210 ft) in diameter, is level to within a few thousandths of an inch in order to provide precise pointing of the structure while bearing 7300 metric tons (16,000,000 pounds) of moving weight.

Iran to send more satellites in Earth orbit

Iran plans to send satellites in medium and high Earth orbits in the next two or three years. On 3rd February Iran launched Omid light satellite in low Earth orbit, using the Safir 2 rocket. It coincided with celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution and raised concerns in the United States and other countries about Iran’s potential use of long-range missiles to send warheads halfway around the globe.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said: “With this launch, the Islamic Republic of Iran has officially achieved a presence in space and it’s a "source of pride" for the Islamic republic”.

Hossein Rahimi, The chief of Iranian Scientific and Industrial Research, said: “Iran's next step in space technology was sending operational satellites in an orbit of 36,000 km. Iran has designed and manufactured Mesbah 1 telecommunications satellite but it could not be launched because of political stonewalling and we have to find a country which accepts to send the satellite in orbit”.

The scientific progress in the country will be able to launch Mesbah and similar projects in two or three years.

NASA, Google launches Mars in 3D

NASA and Google Inc have launched a new version of Google Earth on 2nd February that allows users to explore the oceans, view images of Mars and watch regions of the Earth change over time.

The new features mark a significant upgrade to Google Earth, a popular software program that provides access to the world's geographical information through digital maps, satellite imagery and the company's search tools.

Google Earth 5.0 was unveiled at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, where former Vice President Al Gore, singer Jimmy Buffet and others spoke about its capacity to educate the public about global warming, ocean acidification and other threats to the planet.

"This is an extremely powerful educational tool," said Gore, who won a Nobel Peace Prize for his work raising awareness about climate change. "One of my fondest hopes is that people around the world will use Google Earth to see for themselves the reality of what's happening because of the climate crisis."

Google Earth has been downloaded more than 500 million times since it was launched in 2005. The software is available for free on Google's Web site. Researchers and organizations can purchase a more powerful version for $400.

John Hanke, director of Google Earth and Maps aid: ”the idea of adding oceans came three years ago when a scientist pointed out that the software was missing the water that covers almost three-quarters of the Earth's surface.

NASA and Google, Inc. have teamed up to build the ultimate atlas for Mars fans eager to explore the red planet in three-dimensional detail while keeping their feet firmly on Earth.

Google Mars 3D, a new mode included in Google's latest version of Google Earth software, allows users to tap into high-resolution and three-dimensional views of Martian terrain from the comfort of their own personal computer.

The mode, which relies on NASA data and imagery from the agency's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and other spacecraft, is designed so users can "fly" through Martian canyons in a virtual mode and see the red planet's surface through the camera eyes of those long-lived NASA rovers Spirit and Opportunity, as well as other Mars missions.

The new Mars mode also includes a sharing feature so users can add their own 3D content to the Mars map for all to see.

NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., collaborated with Google to build the new Google Mars 3D mode. In addition to NASA data, the software includes data produced by researchers at the Carnegie Mellon University, SETI Institute and other organizations

Russia launches CORONAS-Photon spacecraft with Indian payload

Russia has successfully launched its CORONAS-Photon spacecraft with Indian payload on 30 January, 2009 to study the Solar activity and its impact on the upper atmosphere of our planet. Initially the launch of the Cyclone-3 rocket had been scheduled for Thursday, but was delayed by a day for technical reasons.

'Cyclone-3' space launch vehicle lifted off with CORONAS-Photon spacecraft at 1840 IST on Friday from Russia's northern Plesetsk cosmodrome and about two hour later it was placed on its designated orbit, Space Forces spokesman Lt. Col. Alexei Zolotukhin told 'Zvezda' TV channel of the Defence Ministry.

According to experts of MEFI Institute of Astrophysics, which will be coordinating the research and analysis of the Solar mission, low-energy Gamma radiation telescope RT-2 developed by Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Fundamental Research is a major payload along with the NATALYA sensor developed by several Moscow institutes.

The scientific payloads allows to register with high time resolution the electro-magnetic radiation of Solar Fluxes in the energy range to examine the process of transformation of accumulated magnetic field energy into accelerated particles energy at the time of Solar Fluxes.

They would provide data for the detailed study of the mechanism of acceleration, distribution and inter-action of energetic particles in solar atmosphere to examine co-relation between solar activity and physical and mechanical processes in the earth's upper atmosphere.

India and Russia had signed the CORONAS-Photon agreement during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Moscow visit in December 2005.