The space shuttle Discovery and its crew of seven have safely returned to Earth. But the one thing pilots can’t get out their noses is space’s “weird” smell.
"One thing I've heard people say before, but it wasn't so obvious, was the smell right when you open up that hatch," Live Science quoted Discovery pilot Dominic "Tony" Antonelli, as saying after a March 21 spacewalk.
"Space definitely has a smell that's different than anything else,” Antonelli added.
The scientist revealed that the “odd” odor could be smelled once spacewalkers locked the station airlock's outer hatch and reopened the inner door.
Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, who launched to the station aboard Discovery, claimed that he too could smell the odd odor that wafted in from outside the station.
According to ex-NASA astronaut Thomas Jones, a veteran of three spacewalks, the odor could stem from atomic oxygen that clings to spacesuit fabric. When you repressurise the airlock and get out of your suit, there is a distinct odor of ozone, a faint acrid smell. He is adding that the smell is also similar to burnt gunpowder or the ozone smell of electrical equipment. It's not noticeable inside the suit. The suit smells like plastic inside.
Discovery's 13-day flight – which ended just as a new Russian-launched crew was settling into the space station –was highlighted by the installation and unfurling of the station's last pair of solar wings.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Astronomers found a shooting star for 1st time
A black rock found in the Sudanese desert in December 2008, part of the first asteroid tracked from space, into the atmosphere and then to Earth.
For the first time scientists matched a meteorite found on Earth with a specific asteroid that became a fireball plunging through the sky. It gives them a glimpse into the past when planets formed and an idea how to avoid a future asteroid Armageddon.
Last October, astronomers tracked a small non-threatening asteroid heading toward Earth before it became a "shooting star," something they had not done before. It blew up in the sky and scientists thought there would be no space rocks left to examine.
But a painstaking search by dozens of students through the remote Sudan desert came up with 8.7 pounds of black jagged rocks, leftovers from the asteroid 2008 TC3. And those dark rocks were full of surprises and minuscule diamonds, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Nature.
"This was a meteorite that was not in our collection, a completely new material," said study lead author Peter Jenniskens of NASA's Ames Research Center in California. For years, astronomers have been lobbying to send a robot probe to an asteroid, grab a chunk of it and return it to Earth for labs to analyze the material. Instead a piece of an asteroid dropped in their laps and the researchers were able to track where it came from and where it landed.
The asteroid, which mostly burned in the atmosphere 23 miles above the ground, is likely a leftover from when chunks of rock tried and failed to become a planet, about 4.5 billion years ago, scientists said.
"This is a look back in time and it came to us," said University of Maryland astronomer Lucy McFadden.
"It's a beautiful example of looking at an earlier stage of planet development that was arrested, halted," said NASA cosmic mineralogist Michael Zolensky, a co-author of the study.
There are many different types of asteroids, all classified from afar based on color and light wavelengths. This type is called class F and turns out to be mostly porous and fragile. University of Maryland's McFadden said it's unlikely that a class F asteroid could be any danger to Earth, even if it's bigger, because of its porous makeup which would cause it to break up before hitting.
It was full of metals, such as iron and nickel, and organics such as graphite, Zolensky said. And most interesting is that it has "nanodiamonds." These diamonds are formed by collisions in space and high pressure and they are all over the rocks, making them glitter like geodes, he said. But they aren't big. If bacteria had engagement rings, these would be the right size for them.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
India to work with USA on anti-satellite weapons
India, which is one of the few countries in the world to have significant space capabilities, is willing to work with the US to develop anti-satellite weapons, a top diplomat has said.
"This is an area of convergence on which we would be happy to work together with the US and contribute to a multilateral agreement," Shyam Saran, Prime Minister's Special Envoy, said in his address to the Brookings Institution.
Saran was referring to the recent announcements made by the US President, Barack Obama, about his intention to join multilateral efforts to prevent military conflict in space and to negotiate an agreement to prohibit the testing of anti-satellite weapons.
India welcomes this, he said. "We have a large number of communications and resource survey satellites currently in orbit. Although this does not fall strictly within the nuclear domain, the need to ensure the peaceful uses of outer space is important for nuclear stability and international security," Saran said.
In 2007, China had destroyed one of its own defunct satellites with a ballistic missile, sparking global concerns. In February last year, a US Navy ship too launched a missile that hit a dying spy satellite.
Scientists see largest ever exploding star
Scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science and San Diego State University have observed the largest exploding star yet seen which is 50 times bigger than the sun.
While exploding stars, called supernovae, have been viewed with everything from the naked eye to high-tech research satellites, no one had directly observed what happens when a really huge star blows up.
Dr. Avishay Gal-Yam of the Weizmann Institute’s Faculty of Physics and Professor Douglas Leonard of San Diego State University recently located and calculated the mass of a gigantic star on the verge of exploding, following through with observations of the blast and its aftermath.
As they continued to track the spectacular event, they found that most of the star’s mass collapsed in on itself, resulting in a large black hole.
Their findings have lent support to the reigning theory that stars ranging from tens to hundreds of times the mass of our sun all end up as black holes.
Until now, none of the exploding stars scientists managed to observe had a mass of more than 20 suns. Gal-Yam and Leonard were looking at a specific region in space using the Keck Telescope on Mauna Kea in Hawaii and the Hubble Space Telescope. Identifying the about-to-explode star, they calculated it’s mass to be equal to 50 to 100 suns. Continued observation revealed that only a small part of the star's mass was flung off in the explosion. Most of the material, said Gal-Yam, was drawn into the collapsing core. Indeed, in subsequent telescope images of that section of the sky, the star seems to have disappeared. In other words, the star has now become a black hole - so dense that light can't escape.
The death of a star is predetermined from birth by its size and by the "power plant" that keeps it burning during its lifetime. Stars, among them our sun, are fueled by hydrogen nuclei fusing together into helium in the intense heat and pressure of their inner cores. A helium nucleus is a bit lighter than the sum of the masses of the four hydrogen nuclei that went into making it and, from Einstein's theory of relativity (E=MC2) , we know that the missing mass is released as energy.
When stars like our sun finish off their hydrogen fuel, they burn out relatively quietly in a puff of expansion. But a star that's eight or more times larger than the sun makes a much more dramatic exit: Nuclear fusion continues after the hydrogen is exhausted, producing heavier elements in the star's different layers. When this process progresses to the point that the core of the star has turned to iron, another phenomenon takes over; in the enormous heat and pressure in the star's center, the iron nuclei break apart into their component protons and neutrons. At some point, this causes the core and the layer above it to collapse inward, firing the rest of the star's material rapidly out into space in a supernova flash.
According to Gal-Yam, a supernova releases more energy in a few days than our sun will release over its entire existence, and the explosion is so bright that one occurring hundreds of light years away can be seen from Earth even in the daytime. While a supernova's outer layers light up the universe with dazzling fireworks, the star's core collapses further and further inward. The gravitational forces involved in this collapse are so strong that the protons and electrons are squeezed together to form neutrons, and the star's spherical core is reduced from a circumference of 10,000 kilometers to only 10 kilometers. Just a crate-full of material from such a neutron star would weigh as much as the Earth.
But when a star 20 times the mass of our sun or more collapses, he continued, its gravitational pull is so powerful that even light waves can't escape it. Such a star is practically invisible.
Friday, March 20, 2009
ISRO to launch radar imaging satellite (RISAT)
India is all set to launch a radar imaging satellite (RISAT) built with "substantial inputs" from the Israel aerospace industry from Sriharikota spaceport, an ISRO official said on Friday.
Israel has supplied Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), which is in fact "heart" of the 1780-kg remote sensing satellite. Israel has supplied substantial systems," an ISRO official said.
The Israeli "inputs" are seen as a "return gesture" by the Jewish State to New Delhi for launching an Israeli spacecraft Techsar on board India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle from Sriharikota last year. RISAT is likely to be launched in 5th or 6th April.
An active sensor, SAR operates in the microwave range of electromagnetic spectrum and provides the target parameters such as dielectric constant, roughness, and geometry.
Israel has supplied Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), which is in fact "heart" of the 1780-kg remote sensing satellite. Israel has supplied substantial systems," an ISRO official said.
The Israeli "inputs" are seen as a "return gesture" by the Jewish State to New Delhi for launching an Israeli spacecraft Techsar on board India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle from Sriharikota last year. RISAT is likely to be launched in 5th or 6th April.
An active sensor, SAR operates in the microwave range of electromagnetic spectrum and provides the target parameters such as dielectric constant, roughness, and geometry.
NASA to send spacecraft to Venus
NASA is planning to send a future fleet of spacecraft to Venus. According to NASA, the USD 4-billion Venus mission, to be launched between 2020 or 2025, could reveal more about the planet's runaway greenhouse effect, any oceans it may have had, and the volcanic activity.
Two high-altitude balloons built to hover in sulphuric acid clouds could also be part of the fleet to Venus which has more in common with Earth than any other in terms of distance from the Sun, size and mass, the US space agency has said.
And, the mission's two balloons would each carry a gondola full of scientific instruments to sniff the atmosphere at an altitude of 55 kilometers.
In fact, in 2008, NASA tasked a group of scientists to formulate goals for the mission. The team's study outlines a plan to study the planet and the mission concept includes one orbiter, two balloons and two short-lived Landers, all of which would launch into space on two Atlas V rockets.
"Our understanding of Venus is so low, we really need this armada," team leader Mark Bullock of Southwest Research Institute in Colorado was quoted as saying.
Researchers believe water was once plentiful enough to have been able to cover the entire planet in a layer 100 meters deep. But Venus’s hothouse climate eventually dried up most of this water, a process that might have also slowed and eventually stopped plate tectonics on the planet. The landers, which would only last a few hours in the intense heat, could look for evidence of minerals formed by water.
Since such hydrated minerals have a limited lifetime, they could help reveal how long Venus’s oceans might have lasted, a question that could shed light on whether life might have arisen on the planet.
The mission’s two balloons would each carry a gondola full of scientific instruments to sniff the atmosphere at an altitude of 55 kilometers.
The mission could also help reveal more about the origin of Venus’s current carbon dioxide atmosphere, which produces crushing surface pressures 90 times those on Earth.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Indian scientists discover three New bacteria in Stratosphere
Three new species of bacteria, which are not found on earth and highly resistant to ultra violet radiation, have been discovered in the upper stratosphere by some Indian scientists.
One of the new species has been named as Janibacter Hoylei after the distinguished astrophysicist Fred Hoyle. The second bacteria has been named as Bacillus Isronensis recognizing the contribution of ISRO in balloon experiments which led to its discovery and the third bacterial bacillus Aryabhata after India's celebrated ancient astronomer Aryabhata and also the first satellite of ISRO.
According to ISRO, the balloon experiment was conducted using 26.7 million cubic feet balloon carrying a 459 kg scientific payload soaked in 38 kg of liquid neon which was flown from the national balloon facility in Hyderabad, operated by the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR).
The payload consisted of a cryosampler containing 16 evacuated and sterilized stainless steel probes. Throughout the flight, the probes remained immersed in the liquid neon to create a "cryopump effect". These cylinders after collecting air samples from different heights ranging from 20 to 41 km were parachuted down and safely retrieved, it said.
The samples were analyzed by the scientists at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, as well as the National Centre for Cell Sciences, Pune, for independent examination.
One of the new species has been named as Janibacter Hoylei after the distinguished astrophysicist Fred Hoyle. The second bacteria has been named as Bacillus Isronensis recognizing the contribution of ISRO in balloon experiments which led to its discovery and the third bacterial bacillus Aryabhata after India's celebrated ancient astronomer Aryabhata and also the first satellite of ISRO.
According to ISRO, the balloon experiment was conducted using 26.7 million cubic feet balloon carrying a 459 kg scientific payload soaked in 38 kg of liquid neon which was flown from the national balloon facility in Hyderabad, operated by the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR).
The payload consisted of a cryosampler containing 16 evacuated and sterilized stainless steel probes. Throughout the flight, the probes remained immersed in the liquid neon to create a "cryopump effect". These cylinders after collecting air samples from different heights ranging from 20 to 41 km were parachuted down and safely retrieved, it said.
The samples were analyzed by the scientists at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, as well as the National Centre for Cell Sciences, Pune, for independent examination.
Monday, March 16, 2009
IAF men to be on India’s first manned space mission
India's first manned space mission is likely to takes off in 2017, it will have Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel on board.
The IAF is to train two of its personnel for the mission, in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), said a senior IAF official. The proposed manned space mission follows India's successful lunar probe launch last year.
The manned space mission will carry a two-member IAF crew - becoming the second Indians to go into space after Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma, who was part of the joint space programme between India and Russia in 1984.
Though the ISRO wanted one of its scientists on the mission along with an IAF pilot, the air force proposed that both should be IAF personnel.
"The crew will consist of two members. We had a meeting with the ISRO scientists and they insisted on sending one scientist and one air force pilot, but we have proposed to depute one of our engineers also with them for training till the mission happens," a senior IAF official said
Under the ambitious $2.5 billion plan, India's space agency has proposed to put two people into space orbit at 274 km above the earth for seven days.
For the Human Space Flight project, the IAF is also gearing up its infrastructure for training the astronauts.
"We may have an IL-76 (Russian-built Illyushin-76 transport aircraft) modified to familiarize our crew with zero gravity situation. The mission will be unique as the spacecraft will also have an ejection capsule which would help the crew eject safely in time of emergency," the official added.
If the mission takes off, India will become the fourth country after US, Russia and China - to send a manned space mission. India is not the only Asian country in the new space race - Iran recently announced that it will attempt a manned space flight by 2021.
Dismissing the criticism of the huge costs involved in India's proposed manned mission, another senior IAF official listed its military advantages. He said the space mission will help India acquire ICBM (Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile) capability.
"To place a spacecraft in orbit we will require a bigger rocket booster. This large rocket booster will help India acquire the ICBM (Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile) capability," the senior official said requesting anonymity.
He also said it would boost the country's reconnaissance capability. "To be in constant touch with the astronauts as they revolve around the earth, we will need to interlink our satellites, which in turn will boost our reconnaissance capability. Presently we are able to get 15 minutes' feed daily from our satellites. The space mission will give us 90 minutes' feed," the official added.
The decision to send astronauts into space follows the launch last October of India's first unmanned lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1, which signaled the country's entry into an elite club of nations that have reached the moon.
Chandrayaan-1 is now orbiting the moon to compile a 3-D map of its surface among other things. India is planning to launch its second unmanned lunar mission - Chandrayaan-2 - in 2011.
India's decision to go for a manned mission into space comes in the wake of China making great strides in its space pursuits. China completed its first space walk last year, and also shot down one of its own satellites in 2007.
IAF men to be on India’s first manned space mission
India's first manned space mission is likely to takes off in 2017, it will have Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel on board.
The IAF is to train two of its personnel for the mission, in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), said a senior IAF official. The proposed manned space mission follows India's successful lunar probe launch last year.
The manned space mission will carry a two-member IAF crew - becoming the second Indians to go into space after Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma, who was part of the joint space programme between India and Russia in 1984.
Though the ISRO wanted one of its scientists on the mission along with an IAF pilot, the air force proposed that both should be IAF personnel.
"The crew will consist of two members. We had a meeting with the ISRO scientists and they insisted on sending one scientist and one air force pilot, but we have proposed to depute one of our engineers also with them for training till the mission happens," a senior IAF official said
Under the ambitious $2.5 billion plan, India's space agency has proposed to put two people into space orbit at 274 km above the earth for seven days.
For the Human Space Flight project, the IAF is also gearing up its infrastructure for training the astronauts.
"We may have an IL-76 (Russian-built Illyushin-76 transport aircraft) modified to familiarize our crew with zero gravity situation. The mission will be unique as the spacecraft will also have an ejection capsule which would help the crew eject safely in time of emergency," the official added.
If the mission takes off, India will become the fourth country after US, Russia and China - to send a manned space mission. India is not the only Asian country in the new space race - Iran recently announced that it will attempt a manned space flight by 2021.
Dismissing the criticism of the huge costs involved in India's proposed manned mission, another senior IAF official listed its military advantages. He said the space mission will help India acquire ICBM (Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile) capability.
"To place a spacecraft in orbit we will require a bigger rocket booster. This large rocket booster will help India acquire the ICBM (Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile) capability," the senior official said requesting anonymity.
He also said it would boost the country's reconnaissance capability. "To be in constant touch with the astronauts as they revolve around the earth, we will need to interlink our satellites, which in turn will boost our reconnaissance capability. Presently we are able to get 15 minutes' feed daily from our satellites. The space mission will give us 90 minutes' feed," the official added.
The decision to send astronauts into space follows the launch last October of India's first unmanned lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1, which signaled the country's entry into an elite club of nations that have reached the moon.
Chandrayaan-1 is now orbiting the moon to compile a 3-D map of its surface among other things. India is planning to launch its second unmanned lunar mission - Chandrayaan-2 - in 2011.
India's decision to go for a manned mission into space comes in the wake of China making great strides in its space pursuits. China completed its first space walk last year, and also shot down one of its own satellites in 2007.
The IAF is to train two of its personnel for the mission, in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), said a senior IAF official. The proposed manned space mission follows India's successful lunar probe launch last year.
The manned space mission will carry a two-member IAF crew - becoming the second Indians to go into space after Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma, who was part of the joint space programme between India and Russia in 1984.
Though the ISRO wanted one of its scientists on the mission along with an IAF pilot, the air force proposed that both should be IAF personnel.
"The crew will consist of two members. We had a meeting with the ISRO scientists and they insisted on sending one scientist and one air force pilot, but we have proposed to depute one of our engineers also with them for training till the mission happens," a senior IAF official said
Under the ambitious $2.5 billion plan, India's space agency has proposed to put two people into space orbit at 274 km above the earth for seven days.
For the Human Space Flight project, the IAF is also gearing up its infrastructure for training the astronauts.
"We may have an IL-76 (Russian-built Illyushin-76 transport aircraft) modified to familiarize our crew with zero gravity situation. The mission will be unique as the spacecraft will also have an ejection capsule which would help the crew eject safely in time of emergency," the official added.
If the mission takes off, India will become the fourth country after US, Russia and China - to send a manned space mission. India is not the only Asian country in the new space race - Iran recently announced that it will attempt a manned space flight by 2021.
Dismissing the criticism of the huge costs involved in India's proposed manned mission, another senior IAF official listed its military advantages. He said the space mission will help India acquire ICBM (Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile) capability.
"To place a spacecraft in orbit we will require a bigger rocket booster. This large rocket booster will help India acquire the ICBM (Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile) capability," the senior official said requesting anonymity.
He also said it would boost the country's reconnaissance capability. "To be in constant touch with the astronauts as they revolve around the earth, we will need to interlink our satellites, which in turn will boost our reconnaissance capability. Presently we are able to get 15 minutes' feed daily from our satellites. The space mission will give us 90 minutes' feed," the official added.
The decision to send astronauts into space follows the launch last October of India's first unmanned lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1, which signaled the country's entry into an elite club of nations that have reached the moon.
Chandrayaan-1 is now orbiting the moon to compile a 3-D map of its surface among other things. India is planning to launch its second unmanned lunar mission - Chandrayaan-2 - in 2011.
India's decision to go for a manned mission into space comes in the wake of China making great strides in its space pursuits. China completed its first space walk last year, and also shot down one of its own satellites in 2007.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
First full-fledged astronomical gallery in Kerala
A hi-tech astronomical gallery will soon come up at the Regional Science Centre and Planetarium here, the first of its kind in the country.
"With the U.N. declaring 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy, we have drawn up plans to set up the exclusive gallery, first of its kind in the country, in June 2009," planetarium project coordinator V.S. Ramachandran said.
Though Bangalore has a Space Science Gallery, none of the 28 planetariums in the country have a gallery dedicated to astronomy dealing with the science of celestial bodies.
He also said that the planetarium was among the first to construct a "Hall of Human Endurance" to showcase the inextricable role of science and technology in modern day sporting activities.
"The Rs 50-lakh 6,000 sq. ft. hall is designed to project the role of science in the field of sports with a gallery depicting various physiological functions in human body," he said.
"Several sports personalities, including former ace athlete P.T. Usha, now running an athletic school, are among the regular visitors to keep themselves fit," he said.
The centre recently set up a "Mirror Magic" gallery at a cost of Rs 22 lakh. "You can have several interesting experiences like floating in the air, vanishing image, seeing only a side or back of your body, rotating image or tunnel of infinite depth," Mr. Ramchandran said.
Other prime attractions at the centre here include a Science Park, 3-D fantasy shows and a Fun Science gallery which contains exhibits to elucidate various theorems and phenomena in physics, chemistry and astronomy.
"To popularize the activities of the centre we recently held a session for auto drivers who are the real messengers for tourists visiting the area and this concept was widely appreciated at the planetariums' meet held at Goa in January this year," he said.
Similarly, hotel managers and tourist operators' meets were also held regularly at the centre to popularize its activities. "We also conduct mobile exhibitions covering the entire Malabar region, comprising six districts," he said.
On the planetarium topping the list of receiving maximum number of visitors, a record five lakh this season, Ramachandran said "the phenomenal growth is due to the concerted effort of the team of officials striving hard".
The centre also proposes to set up a "Children's Park" by the year-end, besides having a fully-automated digital planetarium by the year 2010-11.
The planetarium will also have a 24-ft long "Foucault's Pendulum" to show that the Earth rotates on its own axis once in every 24 hours.
"With the U.N. declaring 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy, we have drawn up plans to set up the exclusive gallery, first of its kind in the country, in June 2009," planetarium project coordinator V.S. Ramachandran said.
Though Bangalore has a Space Science Gallery, none of the 28 planetariums in the country have a gallery dedicated to astronomy dealing with the science of celestial bodies.
He also said that the planetarium was among the first to construct a "Hall of Human Endurance" to showcase the inextricable role of science and technology in modern day sporting activities.
"The Rs 50-lakh 6,000 sq. ft. hall is designed to project the role of science in the field of sports with a gallery depicting various physiological functions in human body," he said.
"Several sports personalities, including former ace athlete P.T. Usha, now running an athletic school, are among the regular visitors to keep themselves fit," he said.
The centre recently set up a "Mirror Magic" gallery at a cost of Rs 22 lakh. "You can have several interesting experiences like floating in the air, vanishing image, seeing only a side or back of your body, rotating image or tunnel of infinite depth," Mr. Ramchandran said.
Other prime attractions at the centre here include a Science Park, 3-D fantasy shows and a Fun Science gallery which contains exhibits to elucidate various theorems and phenomena in physics, chemistry and astronomy.
"To popularize the activities of the centre we recently held a session for auto drivers who are the real messengers for tourists visiting the area and this concept was widely appreciated at the planetariums' meet held at Goa in January this year," he said.
Similarly, hotel managers and tourist operators' meets were also held regularly at the centre to popularize its activities. "We also conduct mobile exhibitions covering the entire Malabar region, comprising six districts," he said.
On the planetarium topping the list of receiving maximum number of visitors, a record five lakh this season, Ramachandran said "the phenomenal growth is due to the concerted effort of the team of officials striving hard".
The centre also proposes to set up a "Children's Park" by the year-end, besides having a fully-automated digital planetarium by the year 2010-11.
The planetarium will also have a 24-ft long "Foucault's Pendulum" to show that the Earth rotates on its own axis once in every 24 hours.
China plans to launch 16 satellites in 2009
China is planning to launch 15-16 satellites in 2009, Zhang Jianqi, deputy chief commander of the manned space project
"Though the global financial crisis is taking toll on world economy, it has no impact on China's space programs," said Zhang Jianqi, deputy chief commander of the manned space project.
China is at present "batch-producing" the three spacecraft, Shenzhou-8, Shenzhou-9 and Shenzhou-10, according to Zhang, who is also a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature.
"This is the first time for the country to conduct researches and production on three spacecraft at the same time," he said.
China plans to launch Tiangong-1, an unmanned space module, into orbit by the end of 2010, informed Zhang.
The country plans to launch the Shenzhou-8 and Shenzhou-9 spacecraft in 2011, a former chief designer of the manned-space project said earlier.
According to Zhang, the country is selecting a new batch of taikonauts, which may include the country's first female taikonaut.
China has sent an average of eight satellites into space annually during the first two years of its 11th five-year-plan (2006-2010), and the number was 1.5 before its ninth five-year-plan (1996-2000), figures from the China Academy of Space Technology showed.
"Though the global financial crisis is taking toll on world economy, it has no impact on China's space programs," said Zhang Jianqi, deputy chief commander of the manned space project.
China is at present "batch-producing" the three spacecraft, Shenzhou-8, Shenzhou-9 and Shenzhou-10, according to Zhang, who is also a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature.
"This is the first time for the country to conduct researches and production on three spacecraft at the same time," he said.
China plans to launch Tiangong-1, an unmanned space module, into orbit by the end of 2010, informed Zhang.
The country plans to launch the Shenzhou-8 and Shenzhou-9 spacecraft in 2011, a former chief designer of the manned-space project said earlier.
According to Zhang, the country is selecting a new batch of taikonauts, which may include the country's first female taikonaut.
China has sent an average of eight satellites into space annually during the first two years of its 11th five-year-plan (2006-2010), and the number was 1.5 before its ninth five-year-plan (1996-2000), figures from the China Academy of Space Technology showed.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Laser beams to explore alien worlds
Scientists are planning to explore alien world conditions right here on Earth, by using laser beams to hit a tiny target, creating conditions momentarily similar to what exists in the cores of stars and giant planets and inside nuclear weapons.
According to a report in Discovery News, these experiments would be conducted in a new national laboratory in the US that has the power to compress hydrogen down to the density of copper.
"It's an extraordinary time for this type of science," said Gilbert Collins, a physicist with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, host to the new National Ignition Facility, which will use the power of 192 infrared lasers to demonstrate nuclear fusion.
Scientists plan to use the laser beams to hit a tiny target, creating conditions momentarily similar to what exists in the cores of stars and giant planets and inside nuclear weapons.
"Most of the planets we know about are outside our own solar system. They're large, they're in planetary systems that are weird, except well actually, it's perhaps our planetary system that stands out as being a little bit bizarre," said planetary scientist Raymond Jeanloz, with the University of California at Berkeley.
We've had a real breakthrough experimentally in being able to begin to reproduce these kinds of enormous pressures in the laboratory so we can actually study the properties of matter in these conditions.
Scientists'' first look at Mother Nature's planetary toolkit began with Earth, where interior pressures are about 3.5 million times higher than on the surface.
They then moved on to Jupiter, the solar system's largest world, with an interior pressure 70 million times stronger than Earth's.
Prodded by discoveries of extra-solar planets up to 10 times larger than Jupiter, physicists are beginning to explore how matter behaves at pressures that are millions or even a billion times greater than on Earth.
According to a report in Discovery News, these experiments would be conducted in a new national laboratory in the US that has the power to compress hydrogen down to the density of copper.
"It's an extraordinary time for this type of science," said Gilbert Collins, a physicist with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, host to the new National Ignition Facility, which will use the power of 192 infrared lasers to demonstrate nuclear fusion.
Scientists plan to use the laser beams to hit a tiny target, creating conditions momentarily similar to what exists in the cores of stars and giant planets and inside nuclear weapons.
"Most of the planets we know about are outside our own solar system. They're large, they're in planetary systems that are weird, except well actually, it's perhaps our planetary system that stands out as being a little bit bizarre," said planetary scientist Raymond Jeanloz, with the University of California at Berkeley.
We've had a real breakthrough experimentally in being able to begin to reproduce these kinds of enormous pressures in the laboratory so we can actually study the properties of matter in these conditions.
Scientists'' first look at Mother Nature's planetary toolkit began with Earth, where interior pressures are about 3.5 million times higher than on the surface.
They then moved on to Jupiter, the solar system's largest world, with an interior pressure 70 million times stronger than Earth's.
Prodded by discoveries of extra-solar planets up to 10 times larger than Jupiter, physicists are beginning to explore how matter behaves at pressures that are millions or even a billion times greater than on Earth.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Japan to send robot to moon
Japan is considering putting a robot on the moon by 2020 and an astronaut by 2030, a report from a government office showed on Friday, amid fears that the country will be left behind in Asia's space race.
The plans follow China's first space walk and India's launch of their first unmanned moon mission last year. Beijing officials have said that China is looking to eventually put astronauts on the moon, though the government has not revealed any schedule.
The robot and the astronaut would probe the moon to see how its resources could be used, the report showed. A space development panel also discussed on Friday the possibility of Japan eventually starting its own manned space program, a government official said.
"Some experts are concerned that unless there is an independent program, then Japan may be left behind in terms of space development," said an official from the Strategic Headquarters for Space Policy (SHSP), under the Cabinet Office.
"If large scale space development projects, such as moon probes or space solar power system, are conducted, not only robots but also people will have to be there. The technology of manned space programs will certainly become the foundation in such cases," he said.
Japan's space program was in tatters in the late 1990s and early 2000s after unsuccessful rocket launches, but it successfully launched its first lunar explorer in 2007. It has sent six astronauts to space, all through international missions.
The Soviet Union, United States and China are the only countries that have put people in space with their own rockets.
Amid worries about a regional space race and North Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities, Japan introduced a new space law last year that allows military use of space, ending a decades-old pacifist policy.
The law, which allows the military to launch its own satellites for spying and warn of missile launches but rules out offensive weapons in space, opened ways for the nation's space industry to compete globally.
SHSP is set to announce in May its first comprehensive space strategy that will include ideas for military and diplomatic use of space, the official said.
While SHSP was founded last year to oversee the comprehensive space strategy, Japan's space program has been led for years by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
JAXA runs on an annual budget of 228 billion yen ($2.3 billion), just a fraction of NASA's $17 billion annual spending.
The plans follow China's first space walk and India's launch of their first unmanned moon mission last year. Beijing officials have said that China is looking to eventually put astronauts on the moon, though the government has not revealed any schedule.
The robot and the astronaut would probe the moon to see how its resources could be used, the report showed. A space development panel also discussed on Friday the possibility of Japan eventually starting its own manned space program, a government official said.
"Some experts are concerned that unless there is an independent program, then Japan may be left behind in terms of space development," said an official from the Strategic Headquarters for Space Policy (SHSP), under the Cabinet Office.
"If large scale space development projects, such as moon probes or space solar power system, are conducted, not only robots but also people will have to be there. The technology of manned space programs will certainly become the foundation in such cases," he said.
Japan's space program was in tatters in the late 1990s and early 2000s after unsuccessful rocket launches, but it successfully launched its first lunar explorer in 2007. It has sent six astronauts to space, all through international missions.
The Soviet Union, United States and China are the only countries that have put people in space with their own rockets.
Amid worries about a regional space race and North Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities, Japan introduced a new space law last year that allows military use of space, ending a decades-old pacifist policy.
The law, which allows the military to launch its own satellites for spying and warn of missile launches but rules out offensive weapons in space, opened ways for the nation's space industry to compete globally.
SHSP is set to announce in May its first comprehensive space strategy that will include ideas for military and diplomatic use of space, the official said.
While SHSP was founded last year to oversee the comprehensive space strategy, Japan's space program has been led for years by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
JAXA runs on an annual budget of 228 billion yen ($2.3 billion), just a fraction of NASA's $17 billion annual spending.
Friday, March 6, 2009
NASA's Kepler telescope is ready to Launch
NASA's Kepler mission to seek other Earth-like planets is undergoing final preparations for liftoff Friday, March 6, from Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The spacecraft launch aboard a Delta II rocket has two windows of opportunity.
Kepler is designed to find the first Earth-size planets orbiting stars in habitable zones -- regions where water could pool on the surface of the planets. Liquid water is believed to be essential for the formation of life.
"This mission attempts to answer a question that is as old as time itself -- are other planets like ours out there?" said Ed Weiler, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
After the clock ticks down to liftoff, the Delta II's first-stage main engine and six strap-on solid rocket boosters will ignite. Three remaining boosters will ignite 65.5 seconds later, and the first-stage main engine will continue to burn for 4.5 minutes. The second stage will then ignite, carrying Kepler into a circular orbit 115 miles above Earth less than 10 minutes after launch. After coasting for 43 minutes, the second-stage engine will fire again, followed by second-stage shutdown and separation. The third stage will then burn for five minutes.
Sixty-two minutes after launch Kepler will have separated entirely from its rocket and will be in its final Earth-trailing orbit around the sun, an orbit similar to that of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. "We are very excited to see this magnificent spacecraft come to life when it reaches space," said James Fanson, Kepler project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
After a commissioning period lasting about two months, Kepler will begin its job of staring at more than 100,000 stars for three-and-one-half years, looking for planets. Its isolated perch behind Earth will give the telescope an unobstructed view of a single, very large patch of sky near the Cygnus and Lyra constellations.
"We will monitor a wide range of stars; from small cool ones, where planets must circle closely to stay warm, to stars bigger and hotter than the sun, where planets must stay well clear to avoid being roasted," said William Borucki, science principal investigator for the mission at NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif. Borucki has been working on the mission for 17 years. "Everything about the mission is optimized to find Earth-size planets with the potential for life, to help us answer the question -- are Earths bountiful or is our planet unique?"
Kepler will find planets by looking for periodic dips in starlight. Planets that happen to pass directly in front of their stars from Earth's point of view cause the stars to dim by almost imperceptible amounts. Kepler's powerful camera, the largest ever flown in space, can see the faintest of these "winks."
"Trying to detect Jupiter-size planets crossing in front of their stars is like trying to measure the effect of a mosquito flying by a car's headlight," said Fanson. "Finding Earth-sized planets is like trying to detect a very tiny flea in that same headlight."
If the mission does find Earth-sized planets in the habitable zones of stars, it should find them first around stars that are smaller than our sun. This is because the habitable zone is closer for small stars; planets circling in this region would take less time to complete one lap and, theoretically, less time for Kepler to find them and for other ground-telescopes to confirm their existence. Any Earth-size planets orbiting in the habitable zones of stars like our sun -- the true Earth analogs -- would take at least three years to be confirmed.
Kepler is a NASA Discovery mission. Ames is the home organization of the science principal investigator and is responsible for the ground system development, mission operations and science data analysis. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Kepler mission development. Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. of Boulder, Colo., is responsible for developing the Kepler flight system and supporting mission operations
NASA's Kepler telescope is ready to Launch
NASA's Kepler mission to seek other Earth-like planets is undergoing final preparations for liftoff Friday, March 6, from Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The spacecraft launch aboard a Delta II rocket has two windows of opportunity.
Kepler is designed to find the first Earth-size planets orbiting stars in habitable zones -- regions where water could pool on the surface of the planets. Liquid water is believed to be essential for the formation of life.
"This mission attempts to answer a question that is as old as time itself -- are other planets like ours out there?" said Ed Weiler, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
After the clock ticks down to liftoff, the Delta II's first-stage main engine and six strap-on solid rocket boosters will ignite. Three remaining boosters will ignite 65.5 seconds later, and the first-stage main engine will continue to burn for 4.5 minutes. The second stage will then ignite, carrying Kepler into a circular orbit 115 miles above Earth less than 10 minutes after launch. After coasting for 43 minutes, the second-stage engine will fire again, followed by second-stage shutdown and separation. The third stage will then burn for five minutes.
Sixty-two minutes after launch Kepler will have separated entirely from its rocket and will be in its final Earth-trailing orbit around the sun, an orbit similar to that of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. "We are very excited to see this magnificent spacecraft come to life when it reaches space," said James Fanson, Kepler project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
After a commissioning period lasting about two months, Kepler will begin its job of staring at more than 100,000 stars for three-and-one-half years, looking for planets. Its isolated perch behind Earth will give the telescope an unobstructed view of a single, very large patch of sky near the Cygnus and Lyra constellations.
"We will monitor a wide range of stars; from small cool ones, where planets must circle closely to stay warm, to stars bigger and hotter than the sun, where planets must stay well clear to avoid being roasted," said William Borucki, science principal investigator for the mission at NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif. Borucki has been working on the mission for 17 years. "Everything about the mission is optimized to find Earth-size planets with the potential for life, to help us answer the question -- are Earths bountiful or is our planet unique?"
Kepler will find planets by looking for periodic dips in starlight. Planets that happen to pass directly in front of their stars from Earth's point of view cause the stars to dim by almost imperceptible amounts. Kepler's powerful camera, the largest ever flown in space, can see the faintest of these "winks."
"Trying to detect Jupiter-size planets crossing in front of their stars is like trying to measure the effect of a mosquito flying by a car's headlight," said Fanson. "Finding Earth-sized planets is like trying to detect a very tiny flea in that same headlight."
If the mission does find Earth-sized planets in the habitable zones of stars, it should find them first around stars that are smaller than our sun. This is because the habitable zone is closer for small stars; planets circling in this region would take less time to complete one lap and, theoretically, less time for Kepler to find them and for other ground-telescopes to confirm their existence. Any Earth-size planets orbiting in the habitable zones of stars like our sun -- the true Earth analogs -- would take at least three years to be confirmed.
Kepler is a NASA Discovery mission. Ames is the home organization of the science principal investigator and is responsible for the ground system development, mission operations and science data analysis. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Kepler mission development. Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. of Boulder, Colo., is responsible for developing the Kepler flight system and supporting mission operations
Kepler is designed to find the first Earth-size planets orbiting stars in habitable zones -- regions where water could pool on the surface of the planets. Liquid water is believed to be essential for the formation of life.
"This mission attempts to answer a question that is as old as time itself -- are other planets like ours out there?" said Ed Weiler, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
After the clock ticks down to liftoff, the Delta II's first-stage main engine and six strap-on solid rocket boosters will ignite. Three remaining boosters will ignite 65.5 seconds later, and the first-stage main engine will continue to burn for 4.5 minutes. The second stage will then ignite, carrying Kepler into a circular orbit 115 miles above Earth less than 10 minutes after launch. After coasting for 43 minutes, the second-stage engine will fire again, followed by second-stage shutdown and separation. The third stage will then burn for five minutes.
Sixty-two minutes after launch Kepler will have separated entirely from its rocket and will be in its final Earth-trailing orbit around the sun, an orbit similar to that of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. "We are very excited to see this magnificent spacecraft come to life when it reaches space," said James Fanson, Kepler project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
After a commissioning period lasting about two months, Kepler will begin its job of staring at more than 100,000 stars for three-and-one-half years, looking for planets. Its isolated perch behind Earth will give the telescope an unobstructed view of a single, very large patch of sky near the Cygnus and Lyra constellations.
"We will monitor a wide range of stars; from small cool ones, where planets must circle closely to stay warm, to stars bigger and hotter than the sun, where planets must stay well clear to avoid being roasted," said William Borucki, science principal investigator for the mission at NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif. Borucki has been working on the mission for 17 years. "Everything about the mission is optimized to find Earth-size planets with the potential for life, to help us answer the question -- are Earths bountiful or is our planet unique?"
Kepler will find planets by looking for periodic dips in starlight. Planets that happen to pass directly in front of their stars from Earth's point of view cause the stars to dim by almost imperceptible amounts. Kepler's powerful camera, the largest ever flown in space, can see the faintest of these "winks."
"Trying to detect Jupiter-size planets crossing in front of their stars is like trying to measure the effect of a mosquito flying by a car's headlight," said Fanson. "Finding Earth-sized planets is like trying to detect a very tiny flea in that same headlight."
If the mission does find Earth-sized planets in the habitable zones of stars, it should find them first around stars that are smaller than our sun. This is because the habitable zone is closer for small stars; planets circling in this region would take less time to complete one lap and, theoretically, less time for Kepler to find them and for other ground-telescopes to confirm their existence. Any Earth-size planets orbiting in the habitable zones of stars like our sun -- the true Earth analogs -- would take at least three years to be confirmed.
Kepler is a NASA Discovery mission. Ames is the home organization of the science principal investigator and is responsible for the ground system development, mission operations and science data analysis. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Kepler mission development. Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. of Boulder, Colo., is responsible for developing the Kepler flight system and supporting mission operations
Thursday, March 5, 2009
NASA, Cisco Partnering For Climate Change Monitoring Platform "Planetary Skin"
NASA and Cisco Inc. announced Tuesday a partnership to develop an online collaborative global monitoring platform called the "Planetary Skin" to capture, collect, analyze and report data on environmental conditions around the world.
Under the terms of a Space Act Agreement, NASA and Cisco will work together to develop the Planetary Skin as an online collaborative platform to capture and analyze data from satellite, airborne, sea- and land-based sensors across the globe. This data will be made available for the general public, governments and businesses to measure, report and verify environmental data in near-real-time to help detect and adapt to global climate change.
"In the past 50 years, NASA's expertise has been applied to solving humanity's challenges, including playing a part in discovering global climate change," said S. Pete Worden, director of NASA's Ames Research Center. "The NASA-Cisco partnership brings together two world-class organizations that are well equipped with the technologies and skills to develop and prototype the Planetary Skin infrastructure."
Cisco and NASA will kick off Planetary Skin with a series of pilot projects, including "Rainforest Skin," which will be prototyped during the next year. Rainforest Skin will focus
on the deforestation of rainforests around the world and explore how to integrate a comprehensive sensor network. It also will examine how to capture, analyze and present information about the changes in the amount of carbon in rainforests in a transparent and useable way. According to scientists, the destruction of rainforests causes more carbon to be added to the atmosphere and remain there. That contributes significantly to global warming.
"Mitigating the impacts of climate change is critical to the world's economic and social stability," said John Chambers, Cisco chief executive officer. "This unique partnership taps the power and innovation of the market and harnesses it for the public good. Cisco is proud to work with NASA on this initiative and hopes others from the public and private sectors will join us in this exciting endeavor."
NASA provides continuous global observations of our home planet using a constellation of spacecraft, as well as airborne and in situ ground observations to monitor the health and well-being of Earth. NASA's investment in Earth observations and climate change research is greater than that of all other nations combined.
Cisco will bring its experience and expertise in networking technologies and advanced innovation to the project. Cisco's Internet Business Solutions Group has a unique combination of business acumen, scientific, economics and policy understanding. Its experts will conduct complex data analysis and modelling, and share an in-depth knowledge of the next generation Internet Protocol architectures to determine how to best prototype, replicate and scale a Planetary Skin to millions of participants.
Cisco is also working on the Planetary Skin program with the United Nations, multi-lateral development banks, businesses, international government agencies, universities, think tanks, non-governmental agencies and foundations. Planetary Skin participants will pool their unique skills, assets and technologies to develop the decision support capabilities to effectively manage natural resources such as biomass, water, land and energy; climate change-related risks such as a rise in sea level, droughts and disease proliferation; and new environmental markets for carbon, water and biodiversity.
Two big black holes found together
Two colossal black holes appear to be orbiting one another in sort of a cosmic minuet at the center of a faraway galaxy formed when two separate galaxies collided, U.S. astronomers said on Wednesday.
These two so-called super massive black holes, which are celestial objects with enormous gravitational pull, are locked in orbit about 5 billion light years away from Earth, the scientists said. A light year is about 6 trillion miles (10 trillion km), or the distance light travels in a year.
Data from Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico provided the best evidence to date of two black holes orbiting each other. This is known as a binary system, according to astronomer Todd Boroson of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory in Tucson, Arizona.
Scientists believe all or most galaxies have super massive black holes at their center. For example, our Milky Way galaxy has a black hole at its center that is about 3 million times the mass of the sun.
When galaxies collide and merge, as they do relatively often, the black holes at their center may gravitate toward one another because of their great mass, entering into orbit as these two appear to be doing.
Boroson said orbiting black holes eventually may merge into an even larger single black hole. While scientists think binary black holes may be relatively common, they have been elusive.
Boroson and fellow National Optical Astronomy Observatory astronomer Tod Lauer detected these two by spotting the radiation emitted by objects apparently being sucked into the black holes by their gravitational pull.
The smaller of the black holes is about 20 million times the mass of our sun, while the larger one is a billion times the sun's mass, the scientists wrote in the journal Nature.
"We've discovered that there's a pretty good correlation between the size of a black hole and the size of the galaxy that it's in. This could be a case where a big galaxy ate a smaller galaxy. These two black holes take about a hundred years to orbit each other and are located about three-tenths of a light year from each other”, Boroson said.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
An asteroid gives Earth a close shave
An asteroid of a similar size to a rock that exploded above Siberia in 1908 with the force of a thousand atomic bombs whizzed close past Earth on Monday, astronomers said on 3rd March, 2009.
2009 DD45, estimated to be between 21 and 47 meters (68 and 152 feet) across, raced by at 1344 GMT on Monday, the Planetary Society and astronomers' blogs reported.
The gap was just 72,000 kilometers (44,750 miles), or a fifth of the distance between Earth and the Moon and only twice the height of satellites in geosynchronous orbit, the website space.com said.
The estimated size is similar to that of an asteroid or comet that exploded above Tunguska, Siberia, on June 30 1908, flattening 80 million trees in a swathe of more than 2,000 square kilometers (800 square miles).
2009 DD45 was spotted last Saturday by astronomers at the Siding Spring Survey in Australia, and was verified by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Centre (MPC), which catalogues Solar System rocks.
The closest flyby listed by the MPC is 2004 FU162, a small asteroid about six meters (20 feet) across which came within about 6,500 kms (4,000 miles) of us in March 2004.
NASA’s Cassini finds 60th Moon of Saturn
Scientists have found a new moon hidden in one of Saturn's dazzling outer rings. The international Cassini spacecraft spotted the moon, which measures about a third of a mile wide. The discovery was announced Tuesday in a notice by the International Astronomical Union.
Researchers have long puzzled over the formation of Saturn's G ring, one of the planet's more mysterious arcs. They now think the G ring was likely formed from icy debris that scattered when meteorites crash into the newfound moon.
Scientists confirmed the moon's existence last summer after analyzing images from Cassini. Saturn has over 60 moons.
The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging team is based at the Space Science Institute, Boulder, Colo.
Russia launches military satellite into space by Proton Rocket
A Russian Proton rocket hauled a military communications satellite into orbit on 28th February,. The three-stage Proton booster, topped by a Block DM upper stage, blasted off at 0410 GMT (11:10 p.m. EST Friday) from Complex 81 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
The rocket's Block DM upper stage completed several burns to place mission's payload into a geosynchronous transfer orbit stretching from an altitude of approximately 136 miles to a high point of about 22,000 miles.
The payload, believed to be a Raguda military communications satellite, separated from the Block DM at 1046 GMT (5:46 a.m. EST), successfully punctuating the six-and-a-half hour mission, according to Russian defense officials.
Raguda satellites are also known as the Globus series. The craft operate in geosynchronous orbit 22,300 miles above the planet to relay critical communications between troops and military leaders.
Saturday's launch was the second Proton mission of 2009, coming two-and-a-half weeks after another Proton rocket delivered two Russian civil communications satellites into space.
The next Proton flight is scheduled for 28th March to launch the W2A communications satellite for Eutelsat.
Monday, March 2, 2009
China's lunar probe Chang'e-1 lands on moon
Chang'e-1, China's first lunar probe, impacted the moon at 4:13 p.m. Beijing Time (0813 GMT) Sunday, said sources with the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense.
The satellite ended its 16-month mission Sunday when it hit the lunar surface at 1.50 degrees south latitude and 52.36 degrees east longitude.
China landed its first satellite on Moon, as the Communist nation braces to compete in space technology with countries like US, Russia and India. It represents the first step in the Chinese ambition to land robotic explorers on the moon before 2020.
Chang'e-1 began to reduce its speed under remote control by two observation and control stations in east China's Qingdao and northwest China's Kashi.
This was the first phase of China's three-stage moon mission, which will lead to a landing and launch of a rover vehicle around 2012, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
Chang'e-1 was launched into space on October 24, 2007 and sent the first full map of the moon's surface back to China one month later.
A dozen performance tests were carried out while Chang'e-1 was in orbit to find out its orbit adjustment capability. "Chang'e" is named after a legendary Chinese moon goddess.
China is the third nation, after the U.S. and Russia, to launch people into space after Yang Liwei was put into orbit aboard the spaceship Shenzhou-5 on October 15, 2003. Another three astronauts were sent into space in Shenzhou-7 and carried out the country's first space walk in September of last year.
China to launch space module in 2010
China will launch a space module next year and carry out the nation's first space docking in 2011 as a step towards its goal of building a space station, state media said on Sunday.
The Tiangong-1, or "Heavenly Palace-1" is scheduled for launch in late 2010 and will dock with a Shenzhou-8 spacecraft early the following year, Xinhua news agency said, citing officials with China's space programme.
"The module, named Tiangong-1, is designed to provide a 'safe room' for Chinese astronauts to live and conduct scientific research in zero gravity," the report said.
"Weighing about 8.5 tonnes, Tiangong-1 is able to perform long-term unattended operation, which will be an essential step toward building a space station."
Space programme officials have previously said that China is expected to place in orbit several modules like the Tiangong and link them up to form a semi-permanent space platform.
It was not immediately clear if the Tiangong-1 would eventually serve as China's first manned space station, or whether it would only be a platform to test docking and space station technology.
The planned 2011 space docking would be remotely carried out by scientists on the ground and would not involve astronauts. China became the third nation to put a man in space when Yang Liwei piloted the one-man Shenzhou-5 space mission in 2003.
Last September, the Shenzhou-7, piloted by three "taikonauts" or astronauts, carried out China's first space walk.
Several prototypes of the Tiangong would be built this year, while upgrades to the carrier rocket that will launch the module into space would also be carried out, the report said.
Following the Shenzhou-8 flight, China also hopes to begin the mass production of Shenzhou spacecraft which will be used to transport astronauts to the space station.
The International Space Station commenced with the launch into orbit of the first station element, a Russian-built module on November 20, 1998. It orbits some 350 kilometres (190 miles) above the earth's surface with a permanent crew of three astronauts who remain aboard for stays lasting several months.
ISRO to Carry More Astronauts to Space
As the country readies itself for putting a human on a space flight, scientists are busy developing next generation rockets that can carry more astronauts and put heavier satellites in orbit.
The Geostationary Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk III), expected to be launched in the next three years, will give the country self-sufficiency in launching the entire range of satellites.
"If everything goes through successfully, we can attempt a launch by 2011 beginning," said GLSV Mk III Project Director N Narayan Moorthy.
Scientists at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram will carry out testing of all engines this year.
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientists also said the GSLV Mk III will enable them to send "heavier and more meaningful" probes to Mars and also help send more astronauts on a single mission.
ISRO is planning to use the current version of the GSLV in the human space flight it plans to undertake in 2015.
"In case we use Mark III, we can send three persons instead of two by the regular GSLV," an ISRO scientist said.
The GSLV is capable of launching 2.5-tonne satellites and ISRO has to depend on the European Space Agency to put in orbit its communications satellites.
The GSLV Mk III will also enable ISRO to pack more transponders on a single flight, thus making it a cost-effective option for satellite launches. The rocket will shape up as a giant vehicle towering over 44 meters, four meters in diameter and carry almost three times more fuel than the current GSLV Mk II.
The new rocket, which can put a four tonne satellite in orbit, will help Antrix Corporation, ISRO's commercial arm, to offer the cheapest space launches in the space market. The regular GSLV can put 2.2 tonne satellites in orbit.
The Geostationary Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk III), expected to be launched in the next three years, will give the country self-sufficiency in launching the entire range of satellites.
"If everything goes through successfully, we can attempt a launch by 2011 beginning," said GLSV Mk III Project Director N Narayan Moorthy.
Scientists at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram will carry out testing of all engines this year.
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientists also said the GSLV Mk III will enable them to send "heavier and more meaningful" probes to Mars and also help send more astronauts on a single mission.
ISRO is planning to use the current version of the GSLV in the human space flight it plans to undertake in 2015.
"In case we use Mark III, we can send three persons instead of two by the regular GSLV," an ISRO scientist said.
The GSLV is capable of launching 2.5-tonne satellites and ISRO has to depend on the European Space Agency to put in orbit its communications satellites.
The GSLV Mk III will also enable ISRO to pack more transponders on a single flight, thus making it a cost-effective option for satellite launches. The rocket will shape up as a giant vehicle towering over 44 meters, four meters in diameter and carry almost three times more fuel than the current GSLV Mk II.
The new rocket, which can put a four tonne satellite in orbit, will help Antrix Corporation, ISRO's commercial arm, to offer the cheapest space launches in the space market. The regular GSLV can put 2.2 tonne satellites in orbit.
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