Space Tourism, Space Transport and Space Exploration News
December 13, 2018
OUTER PLANETS
NASA's Juno mission halfway to Jupiter science



Pasadena CA (JPL) Dec 13, 2018
On Dec. 21, at 8:49:48 a.m. PST (11:49:48 a.m. EST) NASA's Juno spacecraft will be 3,140 miles (5,053 kilometers) above Jupiter's cloud tops and hurtling by at a healthy clip of 128,802 mph (207,287 kilometers per hour). This will be the 16th science pass of the gas giant and will mark the solar-powered spacecraft's halfway point in data collection during its prime mission. Juno is in a highly-elliptical 53-day orbit around Jupiter. Each orbit includes a close passage over the planet's cloud deck, ... read more

DRAGON SPACE
China's Chang'e-4 probe enters lunar orbit
Beijing (XNA) Dec 13, 2018
China's Chang'e-4 probe decelerated and entered the lunar orbit Wednesday, completing a vital step on its way to make the first-ever soft landing on the far side of the moon, the China National Spac ... more
EXO WORLDS
Common ground discovered in planet-forming disks
Houston TX (SPX) Dec 13, 2018
A distant star surrounded by a protoplanetary disk of dust and gas has given up more of its secrets to a team led by a Rice University astronomer. And it's in good company. Rice astronomer And ... more
ENERGY TECH
Taming turbulence to make complex simulations a breeze
Madison WI (SPX) Dec 12, 2018
For scientists wrestling with problems as diverse as containing superhot plasma in a fusion reactor, improving the accuracy of weather forecasts, or probing the unexplained dynamics of a distant gal ... more
ENERGY TECH
Developing new materials for the fusion reactor
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 12, 2018
In the future fusion reactor, plasma is confined by using the magnetic field inside the doughnut-shaped vacuum vessel. The blanket is in a location where it almost touches the plasma, and as if to e ... more
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TECH SPACE
Astroscale enters technical cooperation with European Space Agency
London, UK (SPX) Dec 13, 2018
Astroscale UK Ltd has signed an agreement with ESA to exchange data and expertise related to space debris collision avoidance, environmental monitoring of debris and the development of monitoring te ... more
EXO WORLDS
UNLV study unlocks clues to how planets form
Las Vegas NV (SPX) Dec 13, 2018
Astronomers have cataloged nearly 4,000 exoplanets in orbit around distant stars. Though the discovery of these newfound worlds has taught us much, there is still a great deal we do not know about t ... more
MARSDAILY
NASA's InSight takes its first selfie
Pasadena CA (JPL) Dec 12, 2018
NASA's InSight lander isn't camera-shy. The spacecraft used a camera on its robotic arm to take its first selfie - a mosaic made up of 11 images. This is the same imaging process used by NASA's Curi ... more
IRON AND ICE
Instrument on NASA probe finds hydrated minerals on Asteroid Bennu
Tempe AZ (SPX) Dec 12, 2018
NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, newly arrived at asteroid Bennu, has found strong spectral evidence that the asteroid's rocks have undergone interactions with water at some point in their history. ... more
EXO WORLDS
The epoch of planet formation, times twenty
Charlottesville VA (SPX) Dec 12, 2018
Astronomers have cataloged nearly 4,000 exoplanets in orbit around distant stars. Though the discovery of these newfound worlds has taught us much, there is still a great deal we do not know about t ... more
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IRON AND ICE
First Images from OSIRIS-REx Have Scientists Buzzing with Excitement
Orlando FL (SPX) Dec 11, 2018
The holidays came early for the science team leading NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission to collect samples from a near-Earth asteroid. Monday they announced findings from the mission thus far, which arrived ... more
IRON AND ICE
Evidence for carbon-rich surface on Ceres
San Antonio TX (SPX) Dec 10, 2018
A team led by Southwest Research Institute has concluded that the surface of dwarf planet Ceres is rich in organic matter. Data from NASA's Dawn spacecraft indicate that Ceres' surface may contain s ... more
MOON DAILY
Learning from lunar lights
Paris (ESA) Dec 10, 2018
Every few hours observing the Moon, ESA's 'NELIOTA' project discovers a brilliant flash of light across its surface - the result of an object hurtling through space and striking our unprotected rock ... more
IRON AND ICE
OSIRIS-REx already finds water on Asteroid Bennu
Washington DC (SPX) Dec 11, 2018
Recently analyzed data from NASA's Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission has revealed water locked inside the clays that make up ... more
OUTER PLANETS
Record Setting Course-Correction Puts New Horizons on Track to Kuiper Belt Flyby
Laurel MD (SPX) Dec 10, 2018
With just 29 days to go before making space exploration history, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft performed a short but record-setting course-correction maneuver on Dec. 2 that refined its path toward ... more


Helium exoplanet inflated like a balloon, research shows

SPACE MEDICINE
Russian Scientists Reveal How Mars Mission Will Impact Astronauts' Lifespans
Moscow (Sputnik) Dec 11, 2018
Russia's Roscosmos, NASA, the European Space Agency, and China's National Space Administration have all made plans to send manned missions to the Red Planet sometime in the next few decades. However ... more
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DRAGON SPACE
China launches rover for first far side of the moon landing
Beijing (AFP) Dec 7, 2018
China launched a rover early Saturday destined to land on the far side of the moon, a global first that would boost Beijing's ambitions to become a space superpower, state media said. ... more
SPACE MEDICINE
HHS and NASA team up to explore health on Earth and in outer space
Washington DC (SPX) Dec 10, 2018
by Eric D. Hargan - Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services My father was an Air Force veteran of the Korean War and he shared his fascination with planes, NASA and anything ... more
ROBO SPACE
New models sense human trust in smart machines
West Lafayette IN (SPX) Dec 13, 2018
New "classification models" sense how well humans trust intelligent machines they collaborate with, a step toward improving the quality of interactions and teamwork. The long-term goal of the ... more
ROBO SPACE
Robot shown on Russian TV revealed to be man in costume
Moscow (AFP) Dec 12, 2018
A "state-of-the-art" robot that appeared in a report on Russia's main TV news channel was revealed by internet users on Wednesday to be a man in a costume. ... more
EXO WORLDS
Life in Deep Earth totals 15 to 23 billion tons of carbon
New York NY (SPX) Dec 11, 2018
Barely living "zombie" bacteria and other forms of life constitute an immense amount of carbon deep within Earth's subsurface - 245 to 385 times greater than the carbon mass of all humans on the sur ... more
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NASA's InSight takes its first selfie
Pasadena CA (JPL) Dec 12, 2018
NASA's InSight lander isn't camera-shy. The spacecraft used a camera on its robotic arm to take its first selfie - a mosaic made up of 11 images. This is the same imaging process used by NASA's Curiosity rover mission, in which many overlapping pictures are taken and later stitched together. Visible in the selfie are the lander's solar panel and its entire deck, including its science instruments ... more
+ InSight's robotic arm ready for some lifting on Mars
+ NASA's InSight lander 'hears' wind on Mars
+ NASA's Mars InSight Flexes Its Arm
+ Mars 2020 rover mission camera system 'Mastcam-Z' testing begins at ASU
+ Over Five Months Without Word From Opportunity
+ Life at home on Mars in a Big Sandbox
+ Safely on Mars, InSight unfolds its arrays and snaps some pics


Learning from lunar lights
Paris (ESA) Dec 10, 2018
Every few hours observing the Moon, ESA's 'NELIOTA' project discovers a brilliant flash of light across its surface - the result of an object hurtling through space and striking our unprotected rocky neighbour at vast speed. Based at the Kryoneri telescope of the National Observatory of Athens, this important project is now being extended to January 2021. Impact flashes are referred to as ... more
+ China launches rover for first far side of the moon landing
+ China Will Launch First Probe to Moon's Far Side Later This Week
+ NASA Announces New Partnerships for Commercial Lunar Payload Delivery Services
+ Lockheed Martin Selected for NASA's Commercial Lunar Lander Payload Services Contract
+ NASA chooses nine companies to bid on flying to Moon
+ Construction of Russian Lunar Orbital Station May Be Launched in 2025
+ Roscosmos, NASA to work together on concept of Lunar orbital station
Record Setting Course-Correction Puts New Horizons on Track to Kuiper Belt Flyby
Laurel MD (SPX) Dec 10, 2018
With just 29 days to go before making space exploration history, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft performed a short but record-setting course-correction maneuver on Dec. 2 that refined its path toward Ultima Thule, the Kuiper Belt object it will fly by on Jan. 1. Just as the exploration of Ultima Thule will be the farthest-ever flyby of a planetary body, Sunday's maneuver was the most distan ... more
+ NASA's Juno mission halfway to Jupiter science
+ Radio JOVE From NASA: Tuning In to Your Local Celestial Radio Show
+ The PI's Perspective: Share the News - The Farthest Exploration of Worlds in History is Beginning
+ Encouraging prospects for moon hunters
+ Evidence for ancient glaciation on Pluto
+ SwRI team makes breakthroughs studying Pluto orbiter mission
+ ALMA maps temperature of Jupiter's icy moon Europa
The epoch of planet formation, times twenty
Charlottesville VA (SPX) Dec 12, 2018
Astronomers have cataloged nearly 4,000 exoplanets in orbit around distant stars. Though the discovery of these newfound worlds has taught us much, there is still a great deal we do not know about the birth of planets and the precise cosmic recipes that spawn the wide array of planetary bodies we have already uncovered, including so-called hot Jupiters, massive rocky worlds, icy dwarf planets, a ... more
+ Helium exoplanet inflated like a balloon, research shows
+ Common ground discovered in planet-forming disks
+ UNLV study unlocks clues to how planets form
+ Life in Deep Earth totals 15 to 23 billion tons of carbon
+ An exoplanet loses its atmosphere in the form of a tail
+ Unknown treasure trove of planets found hiding in dust
+ Radio Search for Artificial Emissions from 'Oumuamua
NASA Sounding Rockets Carry TRICE-2 over Norwegian Sea
Wallops Island VA (SPX) Dec 11, 2018
Two NASA sounding rockets successfully flew over the Norwegian Sea early in the morning December 8 carrying an experiment to study the electrodynamics of the polar cusp. The Twin Rockets to Investigate Cusp Electrodynamics or TRICE-2 were launched at 3:26 and 3:28 a.m. EST from the Andoya Space Center in Andenes, Norway. The first rocket flew to an altitude 646 miles and the second flew to ... more
+ Roscosmos to submit super-heavy rocket project to Government
+ Dragon attached to Station, returns to Earth in January
+ China puts 2 Saudi satellites into orbit
+ Aerojet Rocketdyne awarded DARPA contract to design advanced opfires propulsion system
+ Tesla CEO Elon Musk taunts US financial regulatory agency
+ Rocket Lab prepares to launch historic CubeSat mission for NASA
+ Arianespace Orbits GSAT-11 and Geo-Kompsat-2A for India and South Korea


China's Chang'e-4 probe enters lunar orbit
Beijing (XNA) Dec 13, 2018
China's Chang'e-4 probe decelerated and entered the lunar orbit Wednesday, completing a vital step on its way to make the first-ever soft landing on the far side of the moon, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced. After flying about 110 hours from earth, an engine on the probe was ignited when it was 129 km above the surface of the moon, in line with instructions sent fr ... more
+ China launches rover for first far side of the moon landing
+ Evolving Chinese Space Ecosystem To Foster Innovative Environment
+ China sends 5 satellites into orbit via single rocket
+ China releases smart solution for verifying reliability of space equipment components
+ China unveils new 'Heavenly Palace' space station as ISS days numbered
+ China's space programs open up to world
+ China's commercial aerospace companies flourishing
OSIRIS-REx already finds water on Asteroid Bennu
Washington DC (SPX) Dec 11, 2018
Recently analyzed data from NASA's Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission has revealed water locked inside the clays that make up its scientific target, the asteroid Bennu. During the mission's approach phase, between mid-August and early December, the spacecraft traveled 1.4 million miles (2.2 million km) on its journey f ... more
+ Instrument on NASA probe finds hydrated minerals on Asteroid Bennu
+ Evidence for carbon-rich surface on Ceres
+ First Images from OSIRIS-REx Have Scientists Buzzing with Excitement
+ Rosetta witnesses birth of baby bow shock around comet
+ Look up at a green, fuzzy comet and shooting stars
+ Get ready to greet the Geminid Meteors
+ Planetary Defense: The Bennu Experiment


Radiance Technologies tapped for U.S. Army laser research
Washington (UPI) Nov 30, 2018
The U.S. Army is contracting Radiance Technologies for high energy laser lethality research, assessment and support in the amount of $28.2 million. Work on the contract, announced Thursday by the Department of Defense, will be performed in Huntsville, Ala., and is expected to be completed by November 2023. It falls under a small business contract under acquisition rules, though R ... more
+ Lockheed Martin's missile defense laser concept continues toward development
+ Lockheed Martin, General Atomics, Boeing compete for laser-armed drone
+ Microwave weapon suspected in mystery attacks on US diplomats: report
+ Team Dynetics receives contract for next phase of 100kW laser weapon system for US Army
+ Dyenetics, Lockheed chosen for work on 100 KW laser weapon
+ Raytheon contracted to develop laser for U.S. Army
+ China firm develops 'laser gun'
Pentagon conducts latest successful test of US-Japan interceptor
Washington (AFP) Dec 11, 2018
The US military on Tuesday successfully conducted a test of a new ballistic-missile interceptor system, which is being co-developed with Japan. The launch marks the second successful test in less than two months for the SM-3 Block IIA missile and its associated technologies, which had previously experienced failures. According to the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), sailors at the Aegis As ... more
+ Navy to purchase new containers for air defense missiles
+ Aegis Combat System demonstrates success during on-land test against Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile
+ Navy to commission new Arleigh Burke destroyer USS Thomas Hudner
+ Raytheon to supply Romania with Patriot missile defense systems
+ Raytheon's SM-3 IIA successful in ballistic missle defense test
+ Aerojet Rocketdyne propulsion critical to successful intercept test for SM-3 Block IIA Missile
+ Aegis Combat System Demonstrates Success During At-Sea Test Against Medium Range Ballistic Missile


Water on Saturn's Moon Phoebe Is Out of This World
Tucson AZ (SPX) Dec 03, 2018
By developing a new method for measuring isotopic ratios of water and carbon dioxide remotely, scientists have found that the water in Saturn's rings and satellites is unexpectedly like water on the Earth, except on Saturn's moon Phoebe, where the water is more unusual than on any other object so far studied in the solar system. The results, found in the Icarus paper "Isotopic Ratios of Sa ... more
+ A new way to create Saturn's radiation belts
+ Saturn's Moon Dione Covered by Mysterious Stripes
+ Cutting through the mystery of Titan's atmospheric haze
+ Surprising chemical complexity of Saturn's rings changing planet's upper atmosphere
+ Latest insights into Saturn's weird magnetic field only make things weirder
+ In its final days, Cassini bathed in 'ring rain'
+ Groundbreaking Science Emerges from Ultra-Close Orbits of Saturn
Pitt chemical engineers develop new theory to build improved nanomaterials
Pittsburgh PA (SPX) Dec 12, 2018
Thanks in part to their distinct electronic, optical and chemical properties, nanomaterials are utilized in an array of diverse applications from chemical production to medicine and light-emitting devices. But when introducing another metal in their structure, also known as "doping," researchers are unsure which position the metal will occupy and how it will affect the overall stability of ... more
+ Artificial synapses made from nanowires
+ How microscopic machines can fail in the blink of an eye
+ Stealth-cap technology for light-emitting nanoparticles
+ Nano-scale process may speed arrival of cheaper hi-tech products
+ Watching nanoparticles
+ Penn engineers develop ultrathin, ultralight nanocardboard
+ Physicists designed new antenna for supersensitive magnetometers of a new generation


Mini-detectors for the gigantic
Dresden, Germany (SPX) Dec 13, 2018
The gravitational waves created by black holes or neutron stars in the depths of space indeed reach Earth. Their effects, however, are so small that they could only be observed so far using kilometer-long measurement facilities. Physicists therefore are discussing whether ultracold and miniscule Bose-Einstein condensates with their ordered quantum properties could also detect these waves. Prof. ... more
+ Portsmouth researchers make vital contribution to new gravitational wave discoveries
+ Four New Gravitational Wave Detections Announced
+ Universal laws in impact dynamics of dust agglomerates under microgravity conditions
+ Griffith precision measurement takes it to the limit
+ Gravitational waves could shed light on dark matter
+ In five -10 years, gravitational waves could accurately measure universe's expansion
+ RUDN physicist described the shape of a wormhole
Researchers create tiny droplets of early universe matter
Boulder CO (SPX) Dec 11, 2018
Researchers have created tiny droplets of the ultra-hot matter that once filled the early universe, forming three distinct shapes and sizes: circles, ellipses and triangles. The study, published in Nature Physics, stems from the work of an international team of scientists and focuses on a liquid-like state of matter called a quark gluon plasma. Physicists believe that this matter filled th ... more
+ Bizarre 'dark fluid' with negative mass could dominate the universe
+ Science: High pressure orders electrons
+ On the trail of the Higgs Boson
+ Four New Gravitational Wave Events from Black Hole Mergers
+ Galileo satellites prove Einstein's Relativity Theory to highest accuracy yet
+ Scientists Detect Biggest Known Black-Hole Collision
+ Black hole 'donuts' are actually 'fountains'


Robot shown on Russian TV revealed to be man in costume
Moscow (AFP) Dec 12, 2018
A "state-of-the-art" robot that appeared in a report on Russia's main TV news channel was revealed by internet users on Wednesday to be a man in a costume. The Rossiya 24 rolling news channel on Tuesday broadcast footage of what it presented as a dancing, singing robot at a technology forum for school pupils. "At the forum there's the opportunity to see state-of-the-art robots," the pre ... more
+ New models sense human trust in smart machines
+ Artificial joint restores wrist-like movements to forearm amputees
+ Norfolk Navy Shipyard introducing exoskeletons for workers
+ Insight into swimming fish could lead to robotics advances
+ Flexible electronic skin aids human-machine interactions
+ Embark on a NASA technology scavenger hunt with Optimus Prime
+ Smarter AI: Machine learning without negative data
New foldable drone can navigate narrow holes
Washington (UPI) Dec 12, 2018
Drones can be used to explore environs too difficult and dangerous for humans to navigate, like a burned out building or the rubble of a collapsed bridge. But often, entrances to and passageways through these environments are quite small - holes and cracks measuring just a few inches wide. Engineers at the University of Zurich have developed a foldable drone that can shrink itself to f ... more
+ Using drones to simplify film animation
+ General Atomics tapped for French MQ-9 drone support
+ Logos demonstrates Redkite advanced surveillance pod
+ Drones offer ability to find, ID and count marine megafauna
+ From parcel delivery to security, Singapore bets big on drones
+ DARPA tests autonomous drone swarms against communications and GPS jamming
+ Special Operations Command awards Insitu $18M for continued drone operations
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