There aren’t too many options when choosing your flight to the International Space Station. When NASA sends astronauts to the ISS aboard the Russian Soyuz spacecraft, it will have to pay about $70 million per seat.

CBS reports that NASA will pay $424 million in order to get its astronauts to the International Space Station in 2016 and 2017. That works out to about $70 million per seat. But don’t worry, the training for the six astronauts is included in the price.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden criticized congress for putting NASA in its current position. Bolden said that if congress would have granted the agency’s request for more funding it wouldn’t have to shell out millions to hitch a ride to the ISS.

Bolden said: “Because the funding for the President’s plan has been significantly reduced, we now won’t be able to support American launches until 2017. Even this delayed availability will be in question if Congress does not fully support the President’s fiscal year 2014 request for our Commercial Crew Program, forcing us once again to extend our contract with the Russians. Further delays in our Commercial Crew Program and its impact on our human spaceflight program are unacceptable. That’s why we need the full $821 million the President has requested in next year’s budget to keep us on track to meet our 2017 deadline and bring these launches back to the United States.

There are a few companies working on private spacecrafts at the moment but NASA won’t be able to utilize those for at least a few more years.

Bolden continued: “NASA is committed to launching our astronauts on American spacecraft from U.S. soil as soon as possible. Since the end of our Space Shuttle Program in 2011, NASA has relied on the Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos) for the launch and safe return of astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS) aboard its Soyuz spacecraft. While our Russian counterparts have been good partners, it is unacceptable that we don’t currently have an American capability to launch our own astronauts.”

NASA To Pay $70 Million Per Seat On Russian Rocket is a post from: The Inquisitr

When they’re not busy drawing giant space penises on Mars, the folks at NASA are researching and testing new ways for us mere earthlings to travel.

Said research includes finding a way to develop a supersonic airliner that’s quiet enough to legally fly over land.

If they succeed, it could see the return of supersonic air travel, as offered by Concorde, the excessively noisy Anglo-French supersonic airliner that was retired in 2003.

Boeing has already submitted new concepts for futuristic supersonic airliners designs to NASA. In the designs, the engines are on top of the plane to shield the ground from their roar, while a V-shaped tail funnels the sonic boom backwards. This, suggests Boeing, would keep the boom in the air for longer, keeping it away from your precious ears (and hopefully encouraging authorities to reverse the rules on commercial supersonic flight).

NASA is now testing Boeing’s concepts at its Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The space agency says:

“We are testing overall vehicle design and performance options to reduce emissions and noise, and identifying whether the volume of sonic booms can be reduced to a level that leads to a reversal of the current ruling that prohibits commercial supersonic flight over land.”

Concorde, you probably won’t recall, boasted a cruising speed of Mach 2.04. To you and me, that’s roughly 2,179kph, or 1,354mph, some way ahead of current passenger airliners.

If NASA can find a way to reduce the noise of supersonic planes, we could all be flying back to the future soon.

NASA Assisting In Development Of Ultra-Quiet Supersonic Airliner is a post from: The Inquisitr

Looks like the folks at NASA operating the Mars Rovers get bored from time to time, just like everyone else. One Redditor pointed out that a rover had apparently drawn a penis on the planet’s surface, seen in an image that made the official NASA website.

If you really like space stuff and are super interested in the Mars Rover project, you can jog on over to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory website and read about all of the behind-the-scenes fun that makes the Mars Rovers project what it is.

If that’s a little over your head, then your eyes are likely to wander like Redditor aggrazel’s did, to an image of a Mars Rover’s tread marks shaped conspicuously like a giant dong.

Aggrazel put the image on Reddit with the caption “”Mars Rover = $800M, Team to Operate = $1B. Drawing a penis on the surface of another planet = Priceless,” and it has been upvoted into the stratosphere.

From the comments, it appears as though NASA’s JPL page became so popular from the post that it experienced errors and even periodic blackouts. There’s even talk on one thread of an inadvertent DDOS attack which replaced the entire page with the image of the Mars Rover’s penis drawing, but we were unable to see that for ourselves, beyond the before-and-after link provided.

What do you think of the Mars Rover’s penis drawing? Intentional, accidental, awkward? Sound off below!

Mars Rover Draws Penis In The Red Planet, The Internet Notices is a post from: The Inquisitr

Space debris, often called space junk, is a growing hazard in low-earth orbit. This week’s 6th European Conference on Space Debris is currently being held in Darmstadt, Germany to allow members of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the concerned public to address the problem of space junk leftover from the approximately 4,900 launches that have occurred from the beginning of the Space Age in the late 1950s through 2012.

The ESA said that the bulk of the space junk comes from two sources — 240 explosions in orbiting craft and “fewer than 10 known collisions” between two or more orbiting craft. They said that both American and European estimates agree that there are over 23,000 objects larger than 5 to 10 centimeters spinning around the earth at speeds of around 25,000 kilometers per hour.

Whew. That’s a lot of hazardous debris floating around.

One space technology company, Astrium, is proposing a specialized harpoon that can catch the estimated 6,000 tons of dangerous debris and remove it from low-earth orbit.

Astrium engineer Jaime Reed told CNN that the full proposal will be unveiled on Wednesday. In essence, though, the plan involves a so-called chase satellite that will deploy a tiny barbed harpoon to catch nuisance pieces of space junk so that they can be towed back toward the atmosphere. Small pieces of junk can then be dropped to burn up harmlessly as they fall through the air — similar to the way that small bits of space dust streak through the sky as meteors as they burn up before hitting the earth.

The solution might sound Hollywood, but the problem is very real, and orbiting satellites are already under siege from space debris.

In March, we posted a video based on an Analytical Graphics Inc. (AGI) report which showed how Chinese space junk had knocked a Russian satellite off-track in late January.

As for the harpoon? Well, is it all that different from the so-called lasso that NASA has proposed for a future asteroid retrieval mission?

That extremely ambitious plan would have a NASA robot, with possible help from the Russian space agency, attempt to lasso an asteroid in the belt between Mars and Jupiter and then drag it back into orbit around the moon.

That plan would cut four years off a mission proposed by President Obama and others to send humans to an asteroid.

But if it succeeds and the asteroid is then mined for valuable minerals, it might astronomically increase the amount of space junk up there.

[artist's rendering space debris courtesy European Space Agency]

Space Junk Debris Harpooning Talks Underway At European Space Agency is a post from: The Inquisitr

NASA’s planet hunting probe is being planned for a 2017 launch. The Satellite (TESS) and Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) are the latest missions approved by NASA’s Astrophysics Explorer Program. The program’s officials say the project will cost $200 million for satellites and $55 million for space station experiments.

To scan for exoplanets, the TESS spacecraft will utilize an array of wide-field cameras. The cameras will look for Earth-sized worlds in their stars’ habitable zones. If the spacecraft finds planets where water could exist, it will send that data back to NASA officials.

In a statement for the announcement, principal investigator George Ricker of MIT revealed:

“TESS will carry out the first space-borne all-sky transit survey, covering 400 times as much sky as any previous mission. It will identify thousands of new planets in the solar neighborhood, with a special focus on planets comparable in size to the Earth.”

The TESS name was chosen because the spacecraft will look for planets as they transit their host stars (cross in front of stars). This is not the first time such a platform has been used. NASA’s Kepler spacecraft has used the transit setup since March 2009. Kepler to date has discovered more than 2,700 potential exoplanets.

TESS will be a free-flying spacecraft while NICER will be attached to the International Space Station. NICER will measure cosmic X-ray sources in the hopes that scientists can better understand neutron stars.

In a statement regarding the platform, John Grunsfeld, NASA’s associate administrator for science in Washington, said:

“With these missions we will learn about the most extreme states of matter by studying neutron stars, and we will identify many nearby star systems with rocky planets in the habitable zone for further study by telescopes such as the James Webb Space Telescope.”

Here is a video that talks about an Earth-like planet discovered by another NASA project:

More than  90 missions have launched under NASA’s Explorer program since Explorer 1 launched in 1958. That first mission discovered Earth’s radiation belts.

Do you think TESS and NICER are worthwhile efforts on behalf of NASA?

NASA’s Planet Hunting Probe Launching In 2017 is a post from: The Inquisitr

Scientists on Friday announced a breakthrough that could help them prove the existence of dark matter. According to the group of researchers, new results point to further evidence that the elusive matter exists.

The new findings were announced at the James E. Webb Auditorium  at NASA Headquarters.

According to Michael Salamon, the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science program manager for the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS):

“There have been little glitches, but the end product is here for all of us to see and it’s a happy day.”

NASA scientists used a buz-size particle detector (the AMS) mounted to the outside of the International Space station to investigate the presence of dark matter in our universe.

Scientists examined a year-and-a-half worth of data and found about 400,000 positrons, the antimatter partner particles of electrons.

According to William Gerstenmaier, the NASA associate administrator for Human Exploration and Operations:

“Some days, my job is really great, and this is one of those days where my job is really great.”

The breakthrough validates the work of the scientists who had to fight for their $2 billion dark matter detector. The AMS program was originally cancelled in 2005 over concerns of astronaut safety. It wasn’t until major backlash in the scientific community occurred that NASA received permission to move forward with the project.

The AMS was launched to the International Space Station in May 2011. The project is run by Nobel laureate Samuel Ting, a physics professor at MIT. Ting is currently working with 200 scientists from 56 different institutions in 16 countries.

Researchers are convinced through early results that further breakthroughs will be discovered with the help of the AMS program.

According to NASA associate administrator for Human Exploration and Operations William Gerstenmaier:

“I think it’s just kind of the beginning of other great things that will come from this instrument on board space station.”

Do you think scientists have the technology needed to uncover dark matter, or are true breakthroughs still years in the making.

Dark Matter Evidence Further Uncovered By Eager Scientists is a post from: The Inquisitr

Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) said Friday that there’s a cool $100 million penciled into President Barack Obama’s proposed federal budget for a plan to lasso an asteroid with a robotic spacecraft and then safely tow it into orbit around the moon. And Nelson, who’s chairman of the Senate Science and Space Subcommittee as well as the second sitting member of Congress to fly in space, should probably know.

Clearly, the movement to learn how to move asteroids around has gotten some momentum in recent months. Not long after a damaging meteor struck Russia in February, four asteroids zipped by the earth in just one week in early March.

A former NASA director, Scott Hubbard, has been raising $450 million in private funds for nonprofit B612 Foundation, which has the goal of enlarging the human ability to seek out and find dangerous asteroids before they get too close to earth. However, some scientists questioned the purpose of finding out we’re about to get pelted by an asteroid, since we currently have no technology to do much of anything about it.

In addition to allowing NASA to develop and test technology for moving asteroids around safely, the “park it by the moon” plan would also bring an asteroid conveniently close to earth. That would advance an existing mission for human travel to an asteroid by four years. President Obama had previously said that humans might visit one of the giant space rocks by 2025.

Senator Nelson said the new plan will move up the date to 2021. Oh, and he’s also excited about the concept of mining the asteroid for potentially valuable minerals.

He said that we should see the item in Obama’s new budget when it’s released next week.

Although it sounds like the plot of a science fiction movie, Senator Nelson told an Orlando, FL press conference that we could see a robot ship catch a 500 ton asteroid by 2019.

[asteroid photo courtesy Igor Zh based on NASA/JPL-Caltech images via Shutterstock]

Senator Bill Nelson Says NASA Plans To Lasso Asteroid is a post from: The Inquisitr

Scientists think it may be impossible to predict when the next massive solar flare will erupt. Whether or not Earth would be in the direct path of such a flare also largely remains a mystery. The Sun is moving towards the peak of an 11-year cycle. So far, solar storm activity has remained relatively low during the first three months of 2013.

A recent report on solar flares (or coronal mass ejections) also noted that the Sun will hit its cycle peak this fall. NASA and NOAA scientists agree that more sun spots mean more solar storms are possible, if not likely.

Sun Spots

Sun spots are areas of magnetic fields which reach a turbulent status and prompt solar flares. Solar flares have always existed and have fluctuated in power for centuries. During the past several decades, scientists discovered that sun spots actually create the eruptions that we now commonly refer to as solar flares.

While space weather experts and scientists from both NOAA and NASA are in agreement about how solar flares are formed, their opinions about the possibility of a “cataclysmic” solar storm differ. Scientists who have warned Congress about the dire impact an Earth-directed solar flare could have on the power grid often point to the 1859 Carrington Event as proof.

Carrington Event

The massive solar flare was named after the British astronomer who documented the impact of the coronal mass ejection. The technology of the 1800s was of course a lot more primitive than the electricity-dependent devices which are integral parts of our daily lives today.

The Carrington Event of 1859 was the largest geomagnetic storm in recorded history. The Earth-directed solar flare slammed into our atmosphere with incredible force. While the colorful auroras created by the CME may have been beautiful, the infusion of electricity wreaked havoc on the most advanced technology of the time – the telegraph.

Electricity from the solar flare set fire to both telegraph lines and papers on the shocked (literally) operator’s desks. The electrical currents flowed into telegraph wires and overloaded circuits. If a solar flare similar in strength should occur today, life as we know it would come to a screeching halt.

During the late 1980s, a significantly strong solar flares hit in Canada and caused electrical outages and computer failures. Storm Analysis Consultants owner John Kappenman said we are essentially playing Russian roulette with the Sun. Kappenman also warned that even after the 11-year cycle passes, solar flare dangers still exist.

If a Carrington Event style CMA hit again, it could potentially render several continents in total darkness. The computer components in modern vehicles could be fried as well. If transportation also ground to a halt, food would no longer be delivered to grocery stores. Medical care and the delivery of life-saving medications would also cease until the power grid could be repaired.

Power Grid Concerns

Fixing our overly-taxed and antiquated power grid would not be either an easy or quick endeavor. The equipment in hospitals, factories, stores, and our homes would also likely be rendered useless.

A North American Electric Reliability Corporation representative feels the power grid could be back online in a “week or so.” Other experts are far more pessimistic about how long it would take to replace transformers and repair fried electrical lines. If something close to the worst case scenario should occur, America could be in the dark for months and then experience “chronic shortages” for many years to come.

Evan a week or so without electricity, and access to food and medications could spawn massive civil unrest. The current near-peak solar flare activity has been quieter than previous cycle ending periods. The chance of a massive solar flare hitting Earth is rare, but not impossible. As one Space Weather Prediction Center scientist pointed out, a massive hurricane hitting the New York City area was also a rarity.

Are you concerned or prepared for a massive solar flare to hit Earth?

Scientists Admit They Can’t Predict When Mega Solar Flare Will Hit is a post from: The Inquisitr

NASA has released the first photo of Earth sent down from the International Space Station’s (ISS) new ISERVE camera system.

The ISERVE Pathfinder system was installed in ISS in January, and snapped its first photo the day before Valentine’s Day.

The first shot shows the Rio San Pablo pouring into the Golfo de Montijo in Veraguas, Panama. It’s an area set aside for protection by the National Environmental Authority of Panama. Panama calls it a “wetland of International importance.”

ISERVE is positioned in the Earth-facing window of ISS’s Destiny module. Ultimately it is intended to help monitor natural disasters and environmental concerns

“We hope it will really make a difference in people’s lives,” said principal investigator Burgess Howell of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. “For example, if an earthen dam gives way in Bhutan, we want to be able to show officials where the bridge is out or where a road is washed out or a power substation is inundated. This kind of information is critical to focus and speed rescue efforts.”

Depending on the space station’s orbit, photographic data can be provided to earth in as little as three hours, or as long as several days.

Scientist involved in the project can imagine all the ways ISERVE will be used, but they’re open to let it evolve. The first phase is to shoot a lot of photos of different locations to discover what the system’s strengths and weaknesses will be.

When not fulfilling its most dire responsibilities, it will send back a lot of pretty pictures. Its location in ISS gives ISERVE a view from which it can photograph 90% of Earth’s populated areas.

The camera system will be controlled from NASA Marchall in Huntsville, Alabama. When needed to provide photographic information during a natural disaster, the engineers will have the camera take high resolution photos at 3 to 7 frames a second providing up to 100 images per pass. Resolution is sharp enough that it can capture anything larger than a cow.

To see a high resolution copy of “First Light,” you can download it from NASA. The file is 8MB, JPEG, 3451×4525.

International Space Stations ISERVE Camera Sends Back First Photo is a post from: The Inquisitr

A newly founded non-profit organization led by the world’s first space tourist, millionaire Dennis Tito, has announced an ambitious plan to send an older, married couple to Mars in 2018  in what would be the first manned mission to the Red planet.

The couple will not be landing on the surface of the planet, but instead will take advantage of a rare planetary alignment that would allow a quick flyby within 100 miles of Mars before returning to Earth.

Tito — who paid $20 million to spend a total of six days on the International Space Station in 2001 — detailed plans for the private Mars Mission at a press conference today to launch his new organization, the Inspiration Mars Foundation.

The Foundation plans to select a space capsule and rocket from among those already on the market and modify them to carry two people to Mars and back in 501 days.

Tito believes that the proposed pair should be a man and a woman “because this is humanity’s first flight out to Mars and humanity should be represented by both genders.” In addition, the space enthusiast would prefer the couple to be married in order to combat the loneliness and isolation that would such a mission would entail.

“When you’re out that far and the Earth is a tiny, blue pinpoint, you’re going to need someone you can hug,” Tito told Space.com. “What better solution to the psychological problems you’re going to encounter with that isolation?

Jane Poynter, who is involved in the planning of the Mars mission, agrees.

Poynter, who previously spent two years locked away in a sealed ecosystem with seven other people in 1991 as part of the Biosphere 2 project, says mission planners want the crew to consist of an older couple because their relationship will need to be able to withstand the stress of living in a confined environment for two years.

“I can attest from personal experience from living in Biosphere 2 that having somebody that you really deeply trusted and cared for was an extraordinary thing to have,” Ms. Poynter told BBC News.

She added that the mission will be “challenging” for the couple, but says a rigorous selection process will attempt to find “resilient people that would be able to maintain a happy upbeat attitude in the face of adversity.”

Tito says he doesn’t think it will be hard to find appropriate candidates for the mission. Citing a statistic that 600,000 people have applied to be astronauts over the past 40 years, he believes his foundation will get plenty of applicants.

However, the 72-year-old warns that conditions on board the space capsule would be “cramped,” adding that they should be “really mechanically inclined,” as “they will be overhauling this life support system if it breaks.”

The plan to choose not just a couple — preferably married — but a middle-aged couple is because their health and fertility would be less affected by the radiation they would be exposed to during the long space mission. Whoever is finally chosen will receive extensive training and would be able to draw on psychological support from mission control throughout the voyage.

Millionaire Backed Mars Mission Looking For Older, Married Couple To Withstand ‘Adversity’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Justin Bieber may currently walk among us, but it seems the pop star’s ultimate destiny lies beyond the stars — and NASA have heard his call.

On Saturday, February 23, the 18-year old superstar posted a tweet expressing his desire to put on a gig in space.

Bieber’s one-line tweet read: ”I wanna do a concert in space.”

Less than 24 hours later, NASA responded via twitter — naturally — with a message that suggested they were seriously considering making Bieber’s space gig happen, replying:

“Maybe we can help you with that. ‘All Around the World,’ next off it?”

The space agency’s wish-fulfillment plans may have to wait however.

MTV reports that Bieber is in the UK right now on his “Believe” world tour and is due to perform at London’s O2 Arena next week.

NASA, too, have quite a lot going on.

The agency recently confirmed its science contribution to the European Space Agency’s (ESA) 2022 JUpiter ICy moons Explorer — or JUICE — spacecraft mission to explore Jupiter’s Moons.

Along with 15 other European countries and Japan, NASA has provided a radar capable of deep-searching inside Jupiter’s moons once the spacecraft arrives in orbit. The space agency has also stumped for the parts of two other science instruments, Space.com notes.

In addition, NASA also has another spacecraft en route to Jupiter. The Juno spacecraft, which launched in 2011, is expected to arrive in the giant planet’s orbit in July 2016.

The purpose of its mission is to study Jupiter’s magnetic field and atmosphere.

So who knows, if future talks between NASA and Bieber go well, he and his band could be part of Juno’s payload.

Justin Bieber Gets Space Gig Invite From NASA: Now Do You Believe? is a post from: The Inquisitr

The European Space Agency’s mission to launch a robotic probe to explore Jupiter’s icy moons in 2022 has been kitted out with its science gear.

In total, the ESA picked 11 instruments for the planned JUpiter ICy moons Explorer — or JUICE — spacecraft.

The mission is slated to reach Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, in 2030 and will then spend at least three years studying the gas giant’s major moons Callisto, Europa, and Ganymede and the volcanic Io, all of whom are thought to have huge oceans beneath their icy crusts.

Dmitrij Titov, JUICE study scientist for ESA, explains the mission’s purpose:

“Jupiter and its icy moons constitute a kind of mini-Solar System in their own right, offering European scientists and our international partners the chance to learn more about the formation of potentially habitable worlds around other stars.”

Space. Com reports the JUICE spacecraft is expected to make 12 flybys of Callisto as well as two close passes of Europa to measure the thickness of the moons’ crusts.

ESA officials said the spacecraft will also orbit Ganymede, the largest moon in our solar system, to analyze its surface and internal structure.

Unusually, Ganymede is the only known moon in the solar system with its own magnetic field, and JUICE will observe the moon’s interactions with Jupiter’s magnetosphere, said Frontiers.

The science instruments include cameras, spectrometers, a laser altimeter, an ice-penetrating radar, a magnetometer, plasma and particle monitors as well as radio science hardware.

Although the collection of instruments have been approved, teams from 15 European countries, the United States, and Japan will develop the tools to make them fit for purpose.

Luigi Colangeli, coordinator of ESA’s solar system missions, said in a statement.

“The suite of instruments addresses all of the mission’s science goals, from in-situ measurements of Jupiter’s vast magnetic field and plasma environment, to remote observations of the surfaces and interiors of the three icy moons.”

NASA will provide one of the instruments on JUICE — a radar to search deep inside Jupiter’s icy moons — as well as the parts for two European instruments, the space agency confirmed.

While the JUICE mission will launch in 2022, NASA also has another spacecraft en route to the giant planet. Launched in 2011, the Juno spacecraft is expected to arrive in Jupiter’s orbit in July 2016.

Its mission? To study the planet’s magnetic field and atmosphere. Putting those missions in context, JUICE and Juno are the first missions marked for Jupiter’s exploration since NASA’s Galileo mission from 1989 to 2003, Astrobio notes.

European Mission To Jupiter’s Icy Moons Gets Kitted With Science Instruments is a post from: The Inquisitr

Recent Earth-scorching encounters with asteroids have accelerated the search for ways to protect our planet from collisions with space rocks. Now, scientists think they may have hit on a answer — paint.

But lets recap first. On February 15, asteroid 2012 DA14 redefined the words close shave after it missed Earth by a mere 17,200 miles. Just hours earlier, a meteorite exploded over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk, damaging buildings and injuring 1,200 people.

In addition, residents in California reported seeing an unusual flash of light over the San Francisco Bay area on February 16,  followed a day later by a meteor shower in Florida.

Space.com reports the heightened cosmic activity has increased scientists’ resolve to find viable solutions to reduce or deter inevitable destructive impacts in the future.

Dave Hyland, professor of physics and astronomy, and faculty member in the aerospace engineering department at Texas A&M University, and a researcher with more than 30 years of awards to his name, believes he has found one of those solutions.

Hyland’s idea builds on an earlier proposal that possibly threatening asteroids could be dusted with a thin coat of paint using a process called “tribocharging powder dispensing.”

This process entails spreading a thin layer of paint on an approaching asteroid. But, of course, it’s not your average house decorating paint.

Hyland explains:

“It could not be a water-based or oil-based paint because it would probably explode within seconds of it entering space.”

“But a powdered form of paint could be used to dust on the asteroid and the sun would then do the rest. It cures the paint to give a smooth coating, and would change the unequal heating of the asteroid so that it would be forced off its current path and placed on either a higher or lower orbit, thus missing Earth.”

“I have to admit the concept does sound strange, but the odds are very high that such a plan would be successful and would be relatively inexpensive. The science behind the theory is sound. We need to test it in space.”

The thinking behind the theory is that the paint changes the amount by which the asteroid reflects sunlight, potentially moving it away from Earth through the “push” arising from the thermal photons radiating from the asteroid’s surface, Science Daily reports.

That ‘push’ effect is called the Yarkovski effect (discovered by and named for a Russian engineer in 1902).

The force is created because on a spinning asteroid the dusk side is warmer than the dawn side and emits more thermal photons. Each of these photons carries a small momentum. The unequal heating of the asteroid then creates a net force strong enough to cause the asteroid to shift from its current orbit, Hyland theorizes.

So how would scientists get paint on the asteroid in the first place?

The mechanics were such an enterprise were discovered by a former student of Hyland’s, Shen Ge, who has since started a new space company.

The “tribocharging powder dispenser” would spray a mixture of inert gas and charged dry-paint powder at the asteroid that would pull the powder to its surface through electrostatics. Then solar wind and UV radiation would cure the powder, giving a smooth, thin coat on the surface.

NASA has now approached Hyland to discuss developing such a space test, and according to Science Daily — the Earth may need it soon.

An asteroid called Apophis is due in 2029 and will come nearer to the planet than many of the communications satellites in orbit right now. It will fly by on April 13  and make a return trip in 2036.

It’s estimated to be more than 1,000 feet in length and is somewhat fittingly named after an Egyptian god of chaos and destruction. Apparently there is no chance of it hitting Earth in 2029, but a small chance exists in 2036, says Hyland.

The paint theory is not the only asteroid deflecting plan in town, but as Hyland astutely observes, the more options scientists have at their disposal the better.

“It is really important for our long-term survival that we concentrate much more effort discovering and tracking them, and developing as many useful technologies as possible for deflecting them,” he said.

Spray Painting Asteroids Could Protect Earth from Space Rock Threat, Say Scientists is a post from: The Inquisitr

NASA has released a new report that shows that the meteorite that crashed into Russia last week is the biggest to hit the Earth in more than 100 years. When the meteorite hit, it caused many people to wonder whether this was a chunk of the much larger meteor DA14 that also passed by the earth around the same time this one was crashing into it.

NASA has also made it clear that the Russian meteor is actually not a chunk of that larger meteor but was a free flying chunk that had its own trajectory. Still, the damage and power that was demonstrated by the crash shows just how much damage could be done should DA14 hit us.

NASA reported that the Russian meteor was actually bigger than initially thought, growing in estimations from 7,000 tons to 10,000 tons. The Verge reported that the force at which the meteor hit ended up being about 500 kilotons.

Kilotons is generally a unit of measurement that we save for when we are talking about a nuclear blast. This meteor hit the earth with a force that was equal to about 30 times the bomb that the US dropped on Hiroshima. Thankfully, though there is not nuclear fallout to worry about, there was still plenty of destruction.

Most reports say that as many as 2,100 people were injured and more than 3,700 buildings were damaged in some way by the blast. Final numbers say there is the equivalent of 2.15 million feet of shattered glass in the aftermath. The costs of the cleanup are expected to total more than $33 million.

NASA added that an event like this really should only be expected about 100 years, so the Russian meteor was apparently just trying to stay on schedule. When NASA’s meteor detecting ATLAS telescopes are online in 2015, we’ll have a better idea when these things are headed our way.

NASA: Russian Meteor Biggest In 100 Years is a post from: The Inquisitr

Nasa scientists are planning a mission that could look for life on Europa, a moon of Jupiter that is covered in vast oceans of water under a thick layer of ice.

A probe could be ready in 2021, but it could take almost six years to get there depending on the type of rocket used. The Europa Clipper would be the first dedicated mission to the Jupiter moon, and would first need funding approval from Nasa.

BBC News reports that the project is set to cost $2 billion.

“On Earth, everywhere where there’s liquid water, we find life,” said Robert Pappalardo, a senior research scientist at Nasa’s jet propulsion laboratory in California, who led the design of the Europa Clipper.

He added:

“The search for life in our solar system somewhat equates to the search for liquid water. When we ask the question where are the water worlds, we have to look to the outer solar system because there are oceans beneath the icy shells of the moons.”

With 67 confirmed moons, Io, Ganymede, Callisto and Europa are Jupiter’s biggest moons . While they are too far from the sun to gain much heat from it, the oceans that lay beneath their layers of ice are warmed up as they orbit the planet.

Speaking at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Boston, Pappalardo said:

“We generally focus down on Europa as the most promising in terms of potential habitability because of its relatively thick ice shell, an ocean that is in contact with rock below, and that it’s probably geologically active today.”

Europa is also subject to bombardment by extreme levels of radiation. As a result, scientists say the moon is likely to be covered in oxidants at its surface. These are created when water is ripped apart by energetic radiation and could possibly be used by lifeforms as a type of fuel.

For years scientists have been considering plans for a spacecraft that could orbit Europa, but overstretched budgets stalled Nasa’s plans. Pappalardo has been worked with colleagues over the past year at the applied physics lab at Johns Hopkins University to come up with the Europa Clipper.

The plan is for a spacecraft to orbit Jupiter and make several flybys of Europa, in the same way that the successful Cassini probe did for Saturn’s moon Titan.

“That way we can get effectively global coverage of Europa, not quite as good as an orbiter but not bad for half the cost . We have a validated cost of $2 billion over the lifetime of the mission, excluding the launch,” Pappalardo says.

However, Nasa’s priority for exploration missions do not extend beyond Mars at the moment.

In December, the space agency announced plans for another rover to be sent to Mars, in light of the ongoing success of the Curiosity rover which last week drilled its first hole into the planet’s surface to begin an examination of the soil.

According to The Guardian, under Nasa’s current mission timetable, there will be no probes in the outer solar system after Juno arrives at Jupiter in 2016 and crashes into the planet a year later. Nasa scientists may have a small role in the European Space Agency’s Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer (Juice) mission, but that will not reach those moons until around 2030.

Undaunted, Pappalardo says:

“Mars exploration is part of the bigger picture of human exploration. However, part of Nasa’s mission is to go explore and that should include places that are an extremely high scientific priority. It really is one of the most profound questions we can ask: is there life elsewhere in the solar system?”

He went on to say that whereas Mars might have been habitable planet billions of years ago, Europa might be an ideal habitable environment for life today.

To Pappalardo, the time is now for such a mission. If it takes 50 years before humans send probes and then terraformers to Europa,”we’re going to look back and say we should have been doing this all along, and that would be tragic,” he said.

NASA Eyeing Plans For $2 Billion Europa Mission To Jupiter Moon is a post from: The Inquisitr

Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA – Liftoff has occurred for the latest Landsat satellite mission.

Fueling operations have begun and the tower rolled away for today’s launch of the latest NASA Landsat satellite. Liftoff, scheduled for a 48-minute launch window, has begun.

According to Al.com, the Landsat program began in 1972, and this launch is its eighth. Landsat data is used in forest monitoring, human and environmental health, and disaster recovery, according to NASA.

The Landsat-8 mission began its travel to infinity and beyond on an Atlas rocket from the US Air Force base at Vandenberg.

The spacecraft is planned to maintain the longest continuous image record of the Earth’s surface as viewed from space, making it one big camera.

According to BBC News, NASA project scientist, Dr. Jim Irons states:

“Landsat is a critical asset. Land cover and land use are changing now at rates unprecedented in human history due to an increasing population, advancing technology and shifts in the climate. In order for us to adapt to these changes and make sensible decisions about what we do to the surface of the planet, we need the information this satellite series gives us.”

The entire image archive expected to span 40 years is open and free. Scientists around the globe use the imaging information in several ways. They can monitor the health of crops and the status of volcanoes as well as measure city growth.

Landsat-8 will operate alongside Landsat-7, which has sufficient fuel to keep working three more years.

In the Landsat-7, the satellite uses mirrors that sweep back and forth across the field of view. This builds an image on a relatively small set of detectors. The pushbroom technology on Landsat-8 eliminates the mirrors and relies instead on a larger collection of detectors.

Dr. Jim Irons comments about the technology improvement:

“We call it pushbroom because it is like pushing a big broom of detectors across the ground track.”

So, basically it takes a larger picture, which any art editor can tell you is an advantage.

Are you excited to see what images the latest Landsat satellite is capable of?

Watch as the #Landsat Data Continuity Mission team gives the final “go” for launch.youtube.com/watch?v=yzvnqh…

— NASA Kennedy / KSC (@NASAKennedy) February 11, 2013

Latest Landsat Mission Achieves Launch is a post from: The Inquisitr

Astronauts are planning on watching the Super Bowl from outer space. Yup, not even the vacuum of space will stop these six fans from cheering their teams to victory.

The six astronauts living in space may be lacking gravity, fresh food or a shower, but they won’t miss the Super Bowl this Sunday. The Super Bowl XLVII showdown between the 49ers and the Ravens will be beamed, via NASA’s Mission Control in Houston, live to the International Space Station. The astronaut crew can cheer on San Francisco or Baltimore from the “final frontier”.

According to Space.com, NASA spokesman Josh Byerly said in an email:

“Yes, they are going to watch it this weekend.”

Josh Byerly said Mission Control made a special point on February 1 of asking the astronauts if they wanted to catch the game:

“And they said they definitely wanted to see it.”

The Expedition 34 team includes two American astronauts (Kevin Ford and engineer Tom Marshburn), Russian cosmonauts Evgeny Tarelkin, Oleg Novitskiy and Roman Romanenko, and Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, Kia‘s “Space Babies” commercial will air during the Super Bowl and answer once and for all one of children’s biggest questions.

According to NBC News, it is unknown if the space station crew will throw a traditional Super Bowl party or hold a zero-gravity football game. The International Space Station is just about as big as the football field in New Orleans where Sunday’s game will be held, so either could be possible. It is doubtful any chips, soda or beer will be available for the game there, though.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, NASA installed LED lights on the International Space Station to help with insomnia, though the Super Bowl should definitely keep them awake.

AXE, the personal care products company, will announce the first winner of its AXE Apollo Space Academy contest just after the Super Bowl. The prize is a private trip to space for 22 people. XCOR Aerospace and Space Expedition Curacao will offer the trips.

Both men and women in more than 60 countries are eligible to win. Visit AXEApollo.com and write about why you should fly in space. The deadline to enter is February 3.

What would you do to celebrate the Super Bowl if you were an astronaut at the International Space Station?

This is pretty cool! “@nbcnews: Astronauts will watch Super Bowl from space nbcnews.to/11zRcPq”

— Alyssa Sylvia (@alyssasylvia) February 2, 2013

Astronauts Will Watch Super Bowl From Outer Space is a post from: The Inquisitr

An Earth-directed solar flare occurred on January 23. Fortunately for all of us who rely so heavily on electronics to function in our daily lives, the solar flare did not have much of a punch. Two non-Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMS) also occurred during the past week.

The second January 23 solar flare sent ejections hurling towards Mercury, Space.com reports. NASA’s STEREO and SDO spacecrafts recorded the solar activity. The video of the solar flares bursts are quite captivating. Another non-Earth-directed CME reportedly happened on January 25. A YouTube video posted by FlareAware tracks the plasma cloud created by the solar flare.

There are currently four sunspots visible on the “Earthside” of the sun, The Watchers notes. None of the sunspots are emitting flaming activity at this time. Three new sunspots will reportedly be showing in the coming week. NOAA scientists estimate the chance of an M-Class solar flare happening at this time at no more than a 10 percent chance.

Both NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) have noted that CMEs are expected to peak in 2013. The closer the Earth is to the sun (i.e. summer) the more likely a strong solar flare directed towards Earth could disrupt life as we know it.

As the sun prepares to hit its 11-year cycle peak, both scientists and common folk concerned about the consequences of a maximum solar flare are becoming more vocal. As previously reported by The Inquisitr, NASA recently spent $5 million on a telescope project which offered 165 never before seen images of the sun’s upper atmosphere.

While the images will do nothing to aid our antiquated power grid if a strong Earth-directed coronal mass ejection occurs, it may offer precious hours of warning before such a hit reaches our atmosphere. Time to get home is extremely valuable, but what happens to millions of Americans if they are suddenly left without electricity for several months? The Hurricane Sandy tent camps may indicate that FEMA is not prepared to offer the help necessary to protect a massive population when faced with a natural disaster.

The Carrington Event of 1859 is often regarded as the worst solar storm in history. Telegraph wires spurred fires at operator’s desks. The folks of the bygone era did not rely on electricity like we do today. The thought of 300 downed power grid transformers did not factor into their consciousness.

Although a massive coronal mass ejection will not likely cause any physical harm to humans, the civil unrest such an incident could prompt creates the possibility for loss of life. NASA and NOAA experts estimate that a massive solar flare could cause $2 trillion worth of damage.

Depending upon the strength of such a solar flare, modern vehicles could be rendered nothing more than huge pieces of non-functional metal. Are you concerned enough about a possible maximum solar flare to develop at least a mild prepping mindset?

[Image via: The Watchers]

An Earth-Directed Solar Flare Occured This Week And We Didn’t Feel A Thing … This Time is a post from: The Inquisitr

In an effort to improve the exploration of other planets, NASA is launching a daring “Angry Birds”-like mission to bombard the Martian moon Phobos with robotic hedgehog probes. This mission is expected to span the next decade or so.

The mentioned space hedgehogs are small, spiky, ball-shaped rovers composing a novel mission idea called Phobos Surveyor. The rovers are said to be able to take advantage of the the Mars moon Phobos’ low gravity, as well as that of its sister moon Deimos, and various asteroids. The devices have been designed to work with a nearby mother ship, and their shape just happens to resemble that of the notorious “Angry Birds” characters.

The low gravity of the mere miles-wide moon Phobos will allow the hedgehogs to work well, states Yahoo News. Mars’ own gravitational pull is a thousand times stronger than that of its moons, and roughly a third that of Earth itself. NASA’s Curiosity and Opportunity rovers currently explore the surface of Mars, where their weight allows them enough traction to compensate for the gravity, said researcher Marco Pavone of Stanford University.

Pavone, who developed the technology for the hedgehog, states:

“The problem with [conventional] rovers is, in low gravity, you don’t have any traction. That means your wheels spin and you do not move.”

Pavone points out that the hedgehog will utilize three discs inside to move it:

“The three discs inside a hedgehog point in different directions, giving controllers the ability to move the devices with precision. Slightly speeding up the discs can send the hedgehogs tumbling, and a quick spin can make the hedgehog hop to a nearby location.”

Plans are in progress for 5-6 of the rovers to make the lengthy journey to Phobos, and then to release the “hedgehogs” one-by-one at different sites. However, Planet Save suggests the technology to get them there has yet to be perfected, and could take another decade or two depending on funding.

The “Angry Birds” mission is said to facilitate the gathering of data to map and study the surface of other planets and asteroids with less gravity, and NASA plans to relay the information via an orbiting mother ship.

NASA Launches ‘Angry Birds’ Mission To Explore Mars Moon Phobos is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Mona Lisa has gone where no painting has gone before: to the moon. NASA used lasers to beam a digital image of the world-famous painting into outer space, where a satellite by the moon itself was a bit like a projector wall.

High art has never been so high. NASA scientists have beamed a picture of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa to a powerful spacecraft orbiting the moon, marking a breakthrough in interplanetary laser communication.

David Smith, a researcher working with the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (where the image was transmitted), says the NASA laser acted as a test for future space exploration:

“This is the first time anyone has achieved one-way laser communication at planetary distances. In the near future, this type of simple laser communication might serve as a backup for the radio communication that satellites use. In the more distance future, it may allow communication at higher data rates than present radio links can provide.”

According to Fox News, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft was already equipped with a laser receiver, making it the perfect choice to test out the novel laser-based communication method. While radio signals track most spacecraft exploring the solar system, NASA is using lasers to track LRO as well.

The famous da Vinci painting had to be digitally divided into sections measuring 150 by 200 pixels. Then at just the right time it was transmitted via the pulsing of the laser to the orbiter at a rate of about 300 bits per second. Radio telemetry was used to beam the 500-year-old image back to Earth. According to CNET, errors caused by atmosphere turbulence were cleaned up with Reed-Solomon error correction, a technique used in CDs and DVDs, .

Leonardo is said to have loved this ever-famous portrait and taken it with him to France. He would most likely appreciate that Mona’s smile has graced the heavens as well. What do you think about NASA beaming Mona Lisa to the moon?

Mona Lisa Gets Beamed To The Moon By NASA Lasers is a post from: The Inquisitr

NASA’s Ebb spacecraft recorded an amazing flyover video of the moon’s far side before intentionally slamming into a lunar mountain on December 17, 2012. Before crash landing, the spacecraft captured the stunning final video on December 14, a final gasp of air before it ended its gravity-mapping mission.

The spacecraft eventually crashed near the moon’s north pole.

The footage that follows was taken just 6 miles above the lunar surface, and it was captured using the spacecrafts MoonKAM (Moon Knowledge Acquired by Middle school students) camera.

After flying closely over the far side’s northern hemisphere, the spacecraft crashed near the crater known as Jackson.

The crash landing ended the $496 million Grail mission. Grail stands for Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory. The spacecraft was launched in September 2011 and arrived in lunar orbit three months later. The Ebb spacecraft was the size of a washing machine and spent one year flying around the moon as it measured the height and span of lunar moons, craters, and subsurface mass concentrations.

By collecting information for various types of lunar measurements, the Ebb spacecraft was able to create a very accurate map of the lunar gravity field.

NASA officials intentionally crashed the spacecraft into the surface of the moon as it began to run out of fuel. Officials made the decision one month ago.

About 2,400 individual frames were collected from the nearly two-minute video.

NASA Releases Ebb Spacecrafts Final Video Before Crash Landing is a post from: The Inquisitr

NASA scientists have confirmed 42 alien planets found by amateur astronomers. These 42 alien planets were found via a crowdsourcing project called Planet Hunters overseen by Zooniverse, where volunteers use their web browsers to sift through NASA data gathered by the Kepler satellite telescope. 15 out of these 42 alien planets may be habitable since they lie within the so-called Goldilocks Zone around a star, a limited range of orbiting distance considered to be optimal for life.

Crowdsourcing projects excel in distributing tasks that cannot be automated with current technology. Ars Technica explains why a crowdsourcing project like Planet Hunters allows to find the 42 alien planets when the time-limited professionals and their fancy supercomputers may have overlooked them:

“The Planet Hunters project allows volunteers to look through various light curves, sorting out possible planet transits from other natural variations in starlight. These might arise from dim binary companions, brown dwarfs, or fluctuations in the star’s output due to stellar weather. The premise of Planet Hunters is that human beings can sometimes be better at distinguishing between the different types of light curves than automated computer routines.

“As with other citizen science projects, Planet Hunters makes sure multiple sets of eyes look at each candidate light curve. That ensures double- and triple-checking of results, helping to avoid false positives. Finally, professional exoplanet astronomers look at the light curves identified by the citizen scientists and make the ultimate decision. This process allows researchers to have a lot of confidence in the identifications—and the volunteers turn out to be very good at their work.”

According to Yahoo News, Chris Lintott of the University of Oxford helms the Zooniverse projects and he believes it’s clear that with a simple Web-based tutorial and a well-designed user interface, non-scientists can perform real research-related tasks:

“These are planet candidates that slipped through the net, being missed by professional astronomers and rescued by volunteers in front of their web browsers. It’s remarkable to think that absolutely anyone can discover a planet.”

Out of the 42 alien planets found 15 candidate planets found by the Planet Hunters crowdsourcing project may be in the habitable zones of their parent stars. These candidates are awaiting confirmation by professional astronomers, but one of these Jupiter-size planets called PH2 b features a moon similar to the fictional Pandora in the movie Avatar. The picture at the beginning of the article depicts what artists think the view might look like from this moon.

42 Alien Planets Found By Planet Hunters Amateur Astronomers is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Kepler Space Telescope operated by the folks at NASA has reportedly found a whopping 461 potential alien planets. Four of these planets could possibly be the home to life similar to that found on Earth.

Since the telescope’s mission began in 22 months ago, the device has located a total of 2,740 alien worlds that could be home to extraterrestrial life. According to Yahoo! News, only 105 of these candidates have been confirmed by NASA scientists.

In addition to finding another 461 planets that may house alien lifeforms, the $60 million Kepler Space Telescope has increased the number of stars thought to have more than one planet from 365 to 467.

NASA’s Ames Research Center said in a recent statement:

“The large number of multi-candidate systems being found by Kepler implies that a substantial fraction of exoplanets reside in flat multi-planet systems. This is consistent with what we know about our own planetary neighborhood.”

News Room America explains that the Kepler telescope has increased the number of possible Earth-sized planets by 43 percent. The number of super Earth-sized candidates reportedly increased by 21 percent. Scientists believe this increases the chance of finding a planet that can sustain life similar to human beings.

In order to determine if these planets are the real deal, each candidate will require additional observation by the NASA team at Ames Research Center.

Mission project scientist Steve Howell said:

“The analysis of increasingly longer time periods of Kepler data uncovers smaller planets in longer period orbits– orbital periods similar to Earth’s. It is no longer a question of will we find a true Earth analogue, but a question of when.”

For those who are interested in taking a peek at the possible candidates, the entire catalog of Kepler discoveries can be found at the NASA Exoplanet Archive.

What do you think about the 461 planets found by the NASA telescope? Do you believe there could be life on other planets?

461 Potential Alien Planets Found By NASA Telescope is a post from: The Inquisitr

Buzz Aldrin is officially divorced from his third wife, Lois Driggs Cannon.

The divorce was finalized on December 28, according to TMZ.

Cannon is set to receive half of Aldrin’s $475,000 bank account, as well as 50 percent of any profit he makes from his businesses. Aldrin has also agreed to pay $9,500 a month in spousal support.

Cannon will also be able to keep her 1988 Mercedes, although she might want to have her “Moon Gal” license plate changed.

Aldrin filed for divorce from Cannon in June 2011 after 23 years of marriage. He cited that old cliché — irreconcilable differences — as the cause. The two married on Valentine’s Day in 1988, and shared their first kiss as man and wife to “Fly Me to the Moon.”

When Neil Armstrong died in August 2012, Aldrin lamented the fact that he would not be around to mark the anniversary of the moon landing.

“I had truly hoped that on July 20th, 2019, Neil, Mike [Collins] and I would be standing together to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of our moon landing, as we also anticipated the continued expansion of humanity into space, that our small mission helped make possible,” Aldrin said in an official statement after Armstrong’s passing. “Regrettably, this is not to be. Neil will most certainly be there with us in spirit.”

Aldrin hasn’t shied away from criticizing his former employer since his retirement. In December 2003, Aldrin published an opinion piece in The New York Times that expressed concern over NASA’s development of a spacecraft that would only be able to transport four astronauts at a time. He also said that the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster “may lead to a re-invigoration of the shuttle program.” However, he said the tragedy was no reason to give up on manned space travel.

[Photo credit: Helga Esteb/Shutterstock]

Buzz Aldrin Officially Divorced, Ex-Wife Gets Half Of Fortune And Spousal Support is a post from: The Inquisitr

The mission to Mars may be tainted by the possibility that the voyage may result in Alzheimer’s or even blindness for the astronauts. Studies where mice have been exposed to stellar radiation have resulted in cognitive degradation. Although, it’s possible that a SciFi-like shielding system may protect astronauts of the future.

When traveling in space beyond the protection of Earth’s magnetosphere, you are likely to see a strange phenomenon entitled “flicker-flash” by scientists in NASA. In the past, this phenomenon usually occurred during sleep shifts when the spacecraft was dark and the windows were shaded. People would suddenly spot a brief flash, then nothing. Occasionally there were would be streaks, not unlike a tiny meteor trail, and even double flashes.

The first sighting of these events were with the Apollo missions, naturally, since any particles that could do this would normally be deflected by the Van Allen belts. These magnetic belts extend over thirty five thousand miles above the Earth and protect it from all sorts of cosmic radiation.

Flicker-flash was hypothesized at the time to be a high energy subatomic particles of some sort, yet to be determined, that penetrate spacecrafts. A streak of light would appear to the viewer, either the result of the ionization caused by the atmosphere of the spacecraft or an effect solely caused by the particle hitting the eyes’ retinas. Research had determined these particles not only penetrated in and out of the spacecraft, but they also penetrated through astronaut’s helmets and even heads. Even so, there was no physical sensation connected with the phenomenon at all; it is strictly a visual impression.

Dr. M. Kerry O’Banion, a professor of neurobiology and anatomy at the University of Rochester Medical Center, was part of a study published in PLOS One that looks at the effects of galactic cosmic radiation on mice. For six months, the mice underwent behavioral and memory testing, which showed a decrease in the mice’s cognitive abilities. According to CNET, the studies conclusions paint a grim picture for manned space exploration:

“The doses used in this study are comparable to those astronauts will see on a mission to Mars, raising concerns about a heightened chance of debilitating dementia occurring long after the mission is over.”

Exposure to space radiation leads to increases of Aβ plaque pathology, which are changes in the brain which could lead to cognitive illnesses. According to the Huffington Post, Dr. O’Banion believes long term effects could be severe:

“These findings clearly suggest that exposure to radiation in space has the potential to accelerate the development of Alzheimer’s disease.”

In addition to Alzheimer’s, it is very possible these HZE particles could cause blindness during long space flights such as to Mars. The claim by some scientists is that these flicker-flashes destroy brain cells and also cause damage to other nearby cells. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, no one has gone on such a lengthy trip. The moon was only three days away with the old Apollo equipment, and no one knows for certain the effect that long-distance space travel will have on astronauts.

Protection against HZE particles may be possible with confined magnetic fields. Engineers at Dartmouth college describe the technical challenges of creating effective shielding:

“Traditional methods for protecting spacecraft and occupants from these forms of radiation involve some configuration of a massive material shield to absorb the energy of incoming particles. For the high energy galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) that astronauts will be exposed to, these so-called passive shields are too massive to be practical and will likely produce showers of secondary radiation that could be more harmful than the GCRs themselves. Active shields which rely on magnetic (or electric) fields to deflect energetic particles offer a potential solution to the problem. Designing a magnetic shield that is strong enough to deflect GCR particles but weak enough to not harm astronauts is a challenge.”

What do you think about manned space exploration now that you know about the extra dangers like potential Alzheimer’s and blindness that astronauts will face when making the mission to Mars?

Mars Voyage Might Cause Alzheimer’s And Blindness In Astronauts is a post from: The Inquisitr

Mars is known as “the red planet”, but was it always like that? Scientists are theorizing that it may have once been like Earth.

It’s hard to imagine what Mars might have looked like with water and thick atmosphere sporting clouds. Now try to imagine what ancient Mars might look like with its own biosphere.

Using elevation data from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Kevin Gill, a software engineer, was inspired to create the rendering of a virtual red planet with a difference, as he told Discovery News:

“I had been doing similar models of Earth and have seen attempts by others of showing life on Mars, so I figured I’d give it a go. It was a good way to learn about the planet, be creative and improve the software I was rendering it in.”

In the rendering, an ocean dominates one side of the planet, feeding one of the longest valleys in the solar system, Vallis Marineris. The peaks of Mars’ huge volcanoes dominate the Tharsis Bulge with their peaks above the atmosphere. Gill imagined that the high-altitude region would likely be a desert where very little would grow, whereas lower altitudes would support a more humid climate and more greenery.

As the Mars rover Curiosity travels the surface of the planet, we are discovering very river-bed-like sand in a massive valley that could have once been underwater.

It is also known that the Martian atmosphere was once much thicker. Over the eons, the solar wind has been eroding the upper atmosphere — as without a global magnetic field, the solar wind runs unabated. So far, though, there is next to no real evidence that the world used to support flora or fauna, let alone an atmosphere capable of sustaining life, says FOX News.

For those with a fascination for Mars, like NASA perhaps, this is a wonderful alternative version of a planet have always assumed a lifeless red.

Could the surface of Mars be a sign of what Earth will be like in millions of years?

Did Mars Used To Be Blue? is a post from: The Inquisitr

NASA is currently thinking of capturing an asteroid and placing it in the moon’s orbit.

According to Gizmodo, researchers at the Keck Institute for Space Studies in California have “confirmed that NASA is mulling over” a plan to put an asteroid into lunar orbit.

Said plan would require the launching of a special robotic spacecraft to grab an asteroid before placing it in the moon’s orbit. This mission is estimated to cost around $2.6 billion and could be underway by the 2020′s.

Now, why would NASA want to put an asteroid in lunar orbit? The moon doesn’t need a moon of its own.

The Obama administration has said that it wants to sent astronauts to an asteroid that is near Earth.

So far, the best target is a space rock called 1999 AO10. Taking a trip to this asteroid would require a dangerous six-month trip by the astronauts in question. If NASA could bring that targeted Asteroid into lunar orbit, it would be much safer for the astronauts.

According to New Scientist, a specially designed spacecraft would be necessary for the current proposal to work.

The Keck team’s vision is to launch a slow-moving spacecraft, propelled by solar-heated ions, with an Atlas V rocket.

The specially designed spacecraft would then propel itself out to a targeted asteroid. The asteroid would probably be no bigger than seven meters wide.

After briefly studying the asteroid,  the robot would then catch the targeted asteroid in a bag measuring about 10 meters by 15 meters and head back towards the moon.

NASA is predicting that, altogether, it would take about six to 10 years to drag the asteroid into lunar orbit.

According to Louis Friedman of the Planetary Society the proposal still needs “some technical and scientific fine-tuning.”

It may not be easy, however, the moon just may have a moon of its own here soon.

NASA Wants To Put Asteroid In Moon’s Orbit is a post from: The Inquisitr

Neil Armstrong lied about how he conceived the famous moon landing quote, according to his brother Dean Armstrong. Neil Armstrong originally said that his famous quote — that’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind — was conceived in transit to the moon, but now it’s being said that the quote actually originated back on Earth months prior to the launch.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, this is what Dean Armstrong says really happened:

“Before he went to the Cape, he invited me down to spend a little time with him. He said ‘why don’t you and I, once the boys go to bed, why don’t we play a game of Risk. I said I’d enjoy that. We started playing Risk and then he slipped me a piece of paper and said ‘read that’. I did. On that piece of paper there was ‘That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind’. He says ‘what do you think about that?’ I said ‘fabulous’. He said ‘I thought you might like that, but I wanted you to read it’. It was ‘that is one small step for A man.”

The claim that Neil Armstrong lied is a pretty strong one, and it seems to conflict with certain historical facts. According to The Economist, the original plan called for Buzz Aldrin to take the first step onto the moon. But due to the physical positioning of the astronauts inside the compact lunar landing module, it was easier for the commander, Neil Armstrong, to be the first to exit the spacecraft and set foot on the moon. So why would Neil Armstrong have created a speech ready for being first to step on the moon?

It’s possible that Neil Armstrong purposefully set up the scenario where Buzz Aldrin would have been forced to clamber over him in order to exit the moon lander first. But if this had been the case, Neil probably would have bragged about it to someone over the long years and the story would have surfaced eventually.

The other and more likely possibility is that Neil did know for certain he was going to be one of two to be walking on the surface of the moon. In this scenario, Neil Armstrong lied still, but he may have prepared the quote in advance without realizing he would be accidentally given the opportunity to be first on the moon’s surface.

The remaining possibility is that Neil Armstrong is not the person who lied. I talked to retired Apollo space worker Charles T. Reece who was the spacecraft inspector during the entire Apollo program and who knew all the astronauts personally. After the astronauts returned to earth, Mr. Reece was the person who gave them a helping hand out of the return capsule floating in the ocean. Mr. Reece went onto become a manager during the space shuttle program and retired in the 1990′s.

Mr. Reece believes that Dean Armstrong is jealous of his brother and says that “it is incredible that his brother would come in at this point and put a cloud over his brother’s statement.” In fact, even if what Dean says is true, Mr. Reece insists that it’s “actually more intelligent to plan in advance by writing a prepared a statement.” According to him, the quote by Neil Armstrong was a strong philosophical statement that will stand the test of time despite any controversies over how it may have been conceived.

In addition, “the idea that Buzz Aldrin was supposed to be first is not true at all.” NASA had planned and designated Neil Armstrong well in advance to be first to step on the moon from the outset. Buzz Aldrin accepted that and knew that, and he was supposed to be monitoring communications as Neil Armstrong stepped down. So there was nothing haphazard like the seating plan accidentally causing Neil to be the first to step on the moon.

Another interesting bit of history is that, at one point, there was discussion by some activists in Washington of planting an United Nations flag on the moon instead of the American flag. A few days before the flight, Mr. Reece was on the swing arm of the White Room and people were discussing the United Nations flag idea. Neil Armstrong responded to this controversy by saying, “We either put the American flag on the moon or I’m not going.” Neil actually thought it was a joke that anyone would consider this action seriously.

Mr. Reece is “astounded” that Neil’s brother Dean would claim that Neil Armstrong lied. His reaction was actually stronger than just that, but we laughingly agreed that Mr. Reece’s further wording could not be printed in this case. He speculates that, since Neil was famous as a fighter pilot long before, it’s possible that brotherly jealousy is what drove this sudden revelation. What do you think about the claim that Neil Armstrong lied?

Neil Armstrong Lied? Claim By Brother Dean Defies History [Exclusive] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Last night was likely quite a display of fireworks if you were lucky enough to live where they are legal to use (sorry, desert states), but the universe isn’t done with the light show.  Meteors are coming for all to see, thanks to NASA.

This week, Quadrantids meteor shower will peak, giving star watchers a little something extra that should be visible under clear night skies, says Yahoo News. It might also give Armageddon theorists the shivers, but hey, it’s been almost two weeks since the Mayan event, so they should be calming down.

If you’re not a fan of being out in the cold in early morning January 3, the Quadrantids will be streaming live on NASA’s website. Officials for the Hubble Space Telescope announced in a skywatching video guide:

“Those who brave the cold might see up to 40 meteors per hour, although moonlight will make faint meteors harder to spot.”

The waning gibbous moon will be out in all its glory during the shower’s peak, but skywatchers in the northern hemisphere with minimal light pollution during the wee hours of Thursday morning could still see the show, reports Space.com.

The Quadrantids come from the EH1 asteroid, says NASA. They may have come from a piece of comet that broke up several hundred years ago, the same source as the Geminid meteor shower. NASA officials add that it is:

“Located between the constellations Bootes and Draco, Quadrans represents an early astronomical instrument used to observe and plot stars.”

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama has a light-activated camera to record and live-stream the meteor shower during its peak.

First Meteor Shower Of The Year This Week: Live From NASA is a post from: The Inquisitr

NASA is really going out of its way to get attention these days. First it was their parody video “NASA Johnson Style”, and now the Mars rover Curiosity is set to ring in the New Year as the ball drops in New York Times Square.

As noted by SlashGear, the Curiosity mission has been using social media more than some people, with the Mars rover even ”checking in” on Foursquare back in October. Curiosity used the social location service to check in to Gale Crater, where it made its landing in August, according to PC Mag.

It’s not solid exactly what Curiosity has up her sleeve for tonight. It could be a live stream of Mars or just a quick pre-recorded video of the rover on the prowl on the Red Planet, says Slashgear.

NASA has really been celebrating Curiosity’s travels this year. From the famous “7 minutes of terror” marking the ultimate descent of the rover to the Martian surface, to the unlikely celebrity of Bobak Ferdowski, the “Mohawk Guy,” to the ongoing stream of data and imagery being sent back from Mars, Curiosity has engaged the public and helped rejuvenate the space agency following the retirement of the space shuttle fleet in 2011.

Will you be in @timessquarenyc for New Year’s Eve? Look for a special message from Mars on the giant Toshiba screens.

— Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) December 31, 2012

Science praised the Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft’s “sky crane” landing system, for its ability to lower the three-ton rover to the Martian surface at the end of its nearly-year-long trip from Earth. That’s quite an accomplishment, as it’s never been done before to our knowledge.

Curiosity landed in Gale Crater on August 6, no doubt to the raucous cheering of NASA engineers, and had an original mission duration extending into 2014. Though earlier this month, NASA officials theorized that they could possibly continue the mission for another 55 years or more.

If you happen to be in Times Square when the ball drops, check the “giant Toshiba screens” for a message from our mechanical buddy on Mars.

Mars Rover Curiosity To Ring In The New Year is a post from: The Inquisitr

Depite popular technology in car development, Saturn is still a planet. Shocking, isn’t it? And NASA has photos to prove it.

NASA has unveiled amazing new views of the planet Saturn giving us a new glimpse of its moons, rings and turbulent atmosphere as seen by the spacecraft Cassini. The first photo, released on December 24, clearly shows Saturn’s south pole and distinctive rings. It also seems to hold some new surprises.

The shadow of Mimas, one of Saturn’s moons, appears in the photo as a small dark spot slightly to the left and above the planet’s south pole. Mimas is known for a huge crater dominating one of its hemispheres, leading some “Star Wars” fans to compare its look to the “Death Star.” Could there be a forest with a force field generator under all that gas on the surface of “Endor”, er, Saturn?

Cassini also got a great shot of Janus, another of the more than 60 known moons of Saturn, in the top left section of the image. The small satellite is evasive to the eye, but appears to be a tiny white dot just over the planet’s north pole. Though NASA released the photo of Saturn, Mimas and Janus this week, Cassini actually took the picture in August. Since then, scientists polished the image to highlight its features, says Space.com.

Another raw, unprocessed photo released December 26 shows Saturn’s turbulent surface in extreme detail. Violent storms raging among Saturn’s cloud tops appear as delicate whorls and swirls. Clearly a fantastic vacation spot for the enterprising extra terrestrial.

The Cassini spacecraft has logged more than 3.8 billion miles since its departure alongside the Huygens lander in 1997. Cassini arrived in 2004 and dropped European-built landers onto the surface of Saturn’s moon Titan. The Cassini – Huygens mission is a joint project involving NASA, the Italian Space Agency, and the European Space Agency, according to Yahoo News.

During its trek through the stars, Cassini has taken more than 300,000 images of Saturn and its moons. The spacecraft is due to stay on a program that runs through 2017.

NASA Photo Gets Up Close And Personal … With Saturn is a post from: The Inquisitr

NASA has snapped its most incredible self-portrait yet of the Curiosity rover on Mars, showing the unit posing with its destination, a Martian mountain.

The new view of Curiosity on Mars is actually a mosaic of dozens of high-definition color photos snapped by the rover between October 31 and November 1. The image shows Curiosity surrounded by its own tracks, with the 3-mile-high Mount Sharp in the distance, according to Space.com.

NASA featured the mosaic portrait as its image of the day December 27 after releasing the photo earlier this month.

Curiosity used its Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), a powerful camera mounted at the end of the rover’s robotic arm. Curiosity turned the camera on itself much like a human tourist might when traveling alone, or most people on Facebook or MySpace, snapping a series of photos that rover technicians then stitched together into a high-definition composite.

The rover moved its robotic arm through more than 50 positions in one day to capture its full car-size body on camera.

NASA scientists used a test version of Curiosity on Earth to practice the photo session. Too bad we can’t get Michael Bay to update the footage from the first Transformers movie, but that’s roving on to a different subject.

Here’s the view from “Grandma’s House,” my home for the solidays (holisols?). Wish you were here!twitpic.com/bnqgeg

— Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) December 20, 2012

The Mars rover is headed toward a spot near the base of Mount Sharp called Glenelg to perform continuous experiments along the way. The $2.5 billion machine’s primary mission is to determine if its Gale crater landing site could have ever supported primitive microbial life, says Yahoo News.

We have suspected that we aren’t the only life in the universe, and we are determined to prove it.

NASA Snaps Mars Rover Curiosity Self Portrait is a post from: The Inquisitr

A study released in 2001 by NASA scientists found that nearly 50 percent of all astronauts take sleeping pills to get a good night’s sleep. Nearly 12 years later, NASA scientists have finally found a way to help astronauts avoid rampant insomnia.

The space agency is planning to replace the station’s panel lights with solid-state lighting modules that can dim and change hues. Those color changes will mimic the time of the day on Earth.

NASA is replacing the old standard lights in an attempt to fight insomnia, a major trigger of depression among astronauts who can spend months in the dark recesses of space. According to NASA, the new SSLM panels are composed of blue, white, and red lights. Each light setup corresponds to different cycles on sleep on Earth.

By mimicking natural light on Earth, the hope is that astronauts will get a better night’s sleep.

The new lights will be tested in 2016 and will cost nearly $11.2 million to install.

NASA Installing LED Lights On International Space Station, Will Help Astronauts Avoid Insomnia is a post from: The Inquisitr

Just when you thought it was over, another apocalypse theory rears its ugly head, and is quickly debunked.

In the wake of the let-down of the world not ending on December 21, 2012, it has been announced that the potentially hazardous asteroid 2011 AG5 will not threaten Earth in the year 2040. Darn, right?

The 140-meter wide asteroid made headlines soon after it was discovered as its projected orbit gave it a 0.2 percent chance of giving us deja vu in 2040, says Discovery News.

University of Hawaii astronomers went to work refining the asteroid’s orbital trajectory to reveal that 2011 AG5 will miss us by 550,000 miles, over twice the distance from Earth to the moon.

We are safe. Houston, we do not have a problem.

This data was then given to NASA’s Near-Earth Object Program Office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California for confirmation, and it was given via IfA press release.

This result wasn’t entirely unexpected. Observations in May 2012 have narrowed it down and everything is looking positive. The observations finally reduced the risk to a definite zero.

Interestingly, the press release was issued Saturday, when the world was fixated on the Mayan calendar marking the of the end of the world. What a coincidence…

Oh well, there’s always December 23, 2220, the recalculated last day on the uber famous calendar.

Or perhaps we will invent a reason for it to happen in six years again. After all, we thought it would happen in 2000, 2006 (06-06-06), and 2012, so the next logical Armageddon theory should be sometime in 2018.

Somehow I can hear the Mayans rolling in their ancient graves.

Next Apocalypse Theory Already Debunked is a post from: The Inquisitr

NASA scientists and their research partners are convinced that Asteroid 2011 AG5 will miss Earth when it passes close by our orbit in February 2040. Scientists previously placed the chance at a collision at less than 1 percent.

Scientists originally were not sure of the asteroid’s direct path and asked for further observation. New observations were made by a team of astronomers at the  University of Hawaii at Manoa over several days in October 2012 with the help of a Gemini 8-meter telescope in Mauna Kea, Hawaii.

On Friday, NASA revealed:

“An analysis of the new data conducted by NASA’s Near-Earth Object Program Office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, shows that the risk of collision in 2040 has been eliminated.”

The 2011 AG5 is a 460 foot long asteroid that will come within 553,000 miles of Earth, approximately two times the distance of the moon.

According to the team at the Gemini Observatory, the asteroid would have been been enough to release more than 100 megatons of energy. An explosion that size would have been several thousand times more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped at the end of World War II.

Predicting an asteroids future path is tricky business as scientists often must attempt to observe objects as they pass in front of the sun and pass behind other objects. However, after determining the shape and distance of 2011 AG5 and applying some complex algorithms into the equation, the group is certain the Earth will not meet its demise because of Asteroid 2011 AG5.

There are currently more than 4,700 potentially hazardous Asteroids in our solar system.

NASA: Asteroid Will Miss Earth Despite Uncertainties is a post from: The Inquisitr

NASA is getting into the holiday spirit with a high-definition photograph of a nebula that looks like a Christmas ornament. Last year, the space agency used the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer to capture a photo of a nebula that looks like a Christmas wreath.

This year, scientists used the Hubble Space Telescope to take a picture of NGC 5189, a nebula that the agency says looks like a Christmas ornament that has been wrapped in a bow.

Perhaps there’s just a little too much Christmas cheer at NASA, but I don’t see the resemblance.

NASA posted the photo (pictured above) and then showcases what the nebula entails in an agency sponsored video.

NASA’s PR team might be stretching things a little bit, but it’s hard not to admire their work:

Here’s the full photo in all its high definition glory:

NASA Captures ‘Christmas Ornament’ Nebula In Photo is a post from: The Inquisitr

Pixar and NASA have teamed up to create the next generation of spacesuits. Well, not exactly. But NASA’s Z-1 prototype definitely looks like it stole a few ideas from the classic Toy Story character.

The Z-1 Prototype Spacesuit and Portable Life Support System 2.0, otherwise known as NASA’s Buzz Lightyear suit, was recently named one of Time Magazine’s inventions of the year. The suit was designed to withstand all sorts of weather conditions in order to allow astronauts to fly into deep space.

NASA spacesuit engineer Amy Ross told UberGizmo:

“It’s like you’re trying to go on vacation, but you don’t know if you’re going to Antarctica, Miami, or Buckingham Palace,”  “We’re building a lot of tools for the toolbox. Right now we’re asked to be very flexible.”

The Huffington Post reports that NASA’s spacesuits haven’t been upgraded since 1992. But now that the space agency is extending its reach into space and mulling around the idea of sending humans to two infinity and beyond again, they decided that it was probably a good idea to make an upgrade.

Time Magazine writes:

“The Z-1 space suit provides go-anywhere garb featuring more-flexible joints, radiation protection for long stays in space and a hatch on the back that allows the suit to dock with a portal on a spacecraft or rover so an astronaut can crawl through without letting dust in or air out.”

The Z-1 prototype hasn’t been used in space yet. I’m guessing that NASA is still trying to work out contact issues with Pixar.

Here’s a look at NASA’s new prototype spacesuit. Do you think they should cut Pixar a check?

NASA Unveils Buzz Lightyear Inspired Spacesuit is a post from: The Inquisitr

Commentary | NASA Johnson Style is a Gangnam Style parody that honors the space agency. NASA’s Johnson Space Center just released its own spoof of singer PSY’s cross-over Korean pop hit. The k-pop imitating viral video uses footage from the International Space Station and scenes from the NASA Johnson Space Center itself to highlight the ongoing research of NASA scientists.

Gangnam Style has been enjoying a large number of spoofs and reenactments due to it being the number one YouTube video for the year. Even Christmas lights are dancing along with prisoners in Thailand. The dance is so popular that doctors warned of health issues after a British Dad died while going Gangnam Style. The popularity persists even after PSY admitted he was tired of Gangnam Style and he was criticized for an anti-American song written back in 2004.

According to LiveScience, the NASA Johnson Style viral video features cameos from many astronauts:

“A few astronauts even make cameos in parody video. The astronaut shooting the PSY impersonator a disapproving look a little less than two minutes into the video is Mike Massimino — a veteran of two space shuttle missions, both of which visited the Hubble Space Telescope.

“Clayton Anderson, a member of the Expedition 15 mission to the International Space Station, can be seen dancing at about the 2:30 mark. And Tracy Caldwell Dyson, who lived aboard the station for 174 days in 2010, pops up a few different times lip synching from inside a space capsule. A couple of the other guest stars include astronauts Michael Coats and Ellen Ochoa.”

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) had previously parodied LMFAO’s People of Walmart (Sexy and I Know It) with a video called We’re NASA and We Know It (Mars Curiosity). The NASA video producers seem to be working their way from west to east so I’m hoping their next stop will be Cape Canaveral, Florida.

I’ve lived about half my life within earshot of the home of the space shuttles. Locals were used to hearing the rumble of the shockwave created by the frequent shuttle blast offs. A friend of mine remembers watching the shockwave race across the waters near some bleachers where people were blown off their feet. The Saturn V rockets would often shatter windows miles away. A piece of our souls was lost when the Federal government decided to mothball the space shuttle program.

The local economy was especially hit hard, with the unemployment rate going from a low of 2.9 percent in 2006 to a high of 11.8 percent in 2010. The economy has bounced back due to businesses diversifying and Boeing and Space-X re-investing into the space race but we’re still nowhere near our relatively recent peak.

During that time I had a chance to visit the Kennedy Space Center many times in order to fix their computer systems. NASA employees would tell me the latest news before it ever hit the newsstands. I remember clearly how worried they all were about Obama’s plans for NASA space programs.

One of my retired friends was a manager of Kennedy Space Center through the Apollo programs and to the space shuttle era. He’s on first-name basis with all the astronauts and he still meets with famous names for lunch on a regular basis. Because of friends like him I’ve received the VIP tour treatment at Kennedy. I’ve had a chance to try out the zero-g and shuttle simulators along with the g-force accelerator.

Because of all this I was greatly excited when I first saw NASA Johnson Style. I’m hoping videos like this may revive public interest in the work that NASA is doing. Cape Canaveral especially needs some cheering up and I’m hoping that the next NASA viral video features my friends.

NASA Johnson Style: Gangnam Style Parody Honors Space Agency is a post from: The Inquisitr

Mayan apocalypse fears have taken hold in at least 10 percent of the global population, if statistics in a new Reuters survey are accurate. A total of 16,000 were asked if they thought the doomsday would arrive and the world as we know it would end on December 21.

Preppers are not simply an American phenomenon. People in Russia are reportedly hoarding matches, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Folks in China are snatching up all the candles they can find. As previously reported by The Inquisitr, approximately 100 Chinese citizens have been rounded up and arrested for spreading Mayan apocalypse rumors.

A statement on the NASA Why The World Won’t End website attempts to reassure the 10 percent worried about a Mayan apocalypse that they will indeed wake up to the same old world on December 22:

“Just as the calendar you have on your kitchen wall does not cease to exist after December 31, the Mayan calendar does not cease to exist on December 21, 2012. This date is the end of the Mayan long-count period but then, just as your calendar begins again on January 1, another long-count period begins for the Mayan calendar.”

Stereotyping preppers is as idiotic and making blanket generalization about any other group, race, or culture. Sure, there are some nutballs in every crowd, but some people simply feel more secure if they know that their loved ones will have food and medicine in case any type of disaster should occur. Health departments often warn citizens to stockpile necessary items to use if (or when, according to some) a pandemic should occur.

Natural disasters typically bring out both the best and worst of human nature. Ample food, medication, blankets, and weapons to protect against looters came in very handy for those tragically impacted by Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy. Could solar flares be strong enough to knock out power for a significant amount of time? Some experts say yes and caution against letting the cupboards get empty and flashlight batteries go unchecked.

Mayan Apocalypse: 10 Percent Of The Global Population Thinks The World Will End On Friday is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Mayan Apocalypse has no chance of happening on December 21. That was the message NASA sent earlier this week when the space agency released its own Mayan Apocalypse video early.

In the video, an announcer proclaims:

“December 22, 2012. If you’re watching this video, it means one thing: the world didn’t end yesterday.”

Dr. John Carlson, Director of the Center for Archaeoastronomy, tells The Atlantic:

“The whole thing was a misconception from the very beginning.”

In fact, the Mayan Apocalypse misconceptions eventually led NASA scientist Dr. David Morrison, senior scientist at NASA’s Astrobiology Institute in the Ames Research Center in California, to sit down with The Awl to discuss the problems associated with the Mayan prediction and questions he has been receiving via email.

Here’s part of the interview with Morrison:

“The emails started filtering in at a trickle, but after a few years of what he called “relative peace,” it’s become a deluge. He estimated that over the past four years, he’s gotten over 5,000 emails related to doomsday. Lately, the column has been receiving about 50 emails a week, most of them about the apocalypse …

” ‘I have become somewhat obsessed with it,’ [Morrison] said. Even if the interactions don’t usually go beyond two emails, he never tires of hearing the responses. ‘It’s the depths of their commitment that’s so amazing, that they will go to such mental contortions to try to think of a way to preserve their beliefs in spite of evidence to the contrary.’ “

Still not convinced the world won’t come to an end on December 21, 2012? Here’s NASA’s answer to the Mayan Apocalpyse non-sense:

NASA Releases Mayan Apocalypse Video Early, Confident World Won’t End is a post from: The Inquisitr

The world will finally see next Friday if the Mayan Apocalypse theory is correct. For those who are interested in watching their impending doom — or at least watching people freaking out about their impending doom — you can watch the event (or lack thereof) online through live stream cameras around the world.

Millions of people around the world believe that our planet will come to an abrupt, and likely messy, end on December 21 (next Friday).

While researchers, archaeologists, anthropologists, scientists, and experts on Mayan culture have all extensively debunked any theories regarding the so-called Doomsday, their assurances have not reached everyone, reports the International Business Times.

Mayan Apocalypse watchers (or those looking to laugh, should their theories not hold) can watch live streams across the globe from New York City to Africa. Live streams are being provided through UStream and Livestream. While they normally help people watch city life, birds, the stars, or the sunset, this time they will be used to watch for the possible end of the world.

Regardless of whether the world really ends or not, these cameras will still provide watchers with beautiful views of anything from the stars at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama to a look at South America’s Machu Picchu.

The live streams of the Mayan Apocalypse are as follows:

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center will give an excellent view of the sky, should anything come to the Earth from space (like the fabled Nibiru, or Planet X). This camera was considered the best view of the recent Geminid meteor shower, but also provides an excellent view of the sky, should a wayward planet or asteroid sneak up on us between now and next week.

New York City is the second live stream for the so-called Doomsday. Along with an excellent view of the Empire State Building, the camera on 111 Eighth Avenue in downtown will help those who believe the Mayan Apocalypse will be centered in the Big Apple.

The camera overlooking Pete’s Pond (a waterhole on Mashatu Game Reserve) in Botswana is one of the more famous and popular webcams. It is fantastic for bird watching, though it will also be useful for Doomsday watchers who want a view of the African continent.

While it was the Mayas and not the Incans who were unwittingly behind the 12/21/12 apocalypse date, Machu Picchu is still a fantastic way to keep tabs on South America. The camera is located at Tambo del Inka Resort & Spa.

A view of the ocean from a beach in Santa Cruz, California would be an almost ideal place to watch a live stream of the Mayan Apocalypse — especially if it comes in the form of a massive tidal surge.

Another idyllic setting for a view of the end of the world next Friday is a camera high up in the Rocky Mountains in Greeley, Colorado. While it may not provide a shocking view of the destruction of a city or a massive tidal wave, it certainly provides a beautiful view.

Will you be watching the live streams of the rumored Mayan Apocalypse, which millions believe will happen on December 21?

Watch The Mayan Apocalypse Live Stream From Across The World [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

NASA is planning on crashing a pair of lunar probes into the moon next week at the end of a yearlong mission to learn what lies underneath the lunar surface.

The probes are twin Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory spacecraft (GRaIL), named Ebb and Flow. They will take their suicidal plunge on Monday into a mountain located near the moon’s north pole, reports The Guardian.

The impacts likely won’t be visible from Earth, partially because of how small the probes are and also because the impacts will take place when the moon’s northern part is dark. They will take place about 20 seconds apart at 5:28 pm EST on Monday.

The two lunar probes are currently flying about seven miles above the moon’s surface and are about the size of a washing machine. They are almost out of gas but have enough make one final steering maneuver before their science instruments are shut down in preparation for Monday’s impact.

Gravity maps made from the first part of the probes’ mission showed that the moon has a much shallower and broken up crust than scientists expected. The fracturing is the result of several asteroid and comet impacts made billions of years ago.

Wired notes that, despite the success of CRaIL, the mission’s project manager, David Lehman, of JPL, stated:

“I’m hoping tonight, a gas station will pull up next to our spacecraft, refuel it, and we can continue on for another six months. The mission is almost over. It’s king of sad for me. I think our team’s done an outstanding job.”

The impact site for the twin probes was chosen in part to avoid historical heritage sites that are associated with the Apollo, Surveyor, Luna, and Lunokhod programs. GRaIL’s principal investigator, Marka Zuber of MIT, explained:

“The impacts are going to occur in the dark, so we will not have live images. We’re not expecting a flash that is visible from Earth. But nonetheless, LRO, which has extremely, extremely sensitive instruments, will attempt to make some observations.”

The twin probes will impact the surface of the moon at about 3,760 miles per hour. The scientists will use the craters left by the probes to study other impacts on the moon’s surface.

NASA Will Crash Twin Probes Into Moon Next Week is a post from: The Inquisitr

Representatives for Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood have been forced to deny that he is holed up in Brazil waiting for the end of the world.

The bizarre denial arises from claims by numerous Brazilian media that the 41-year-old is hiding in a Sao Paulo rural guest-house to wait for December 21 — the date on which according to some interpretation of ancient Mayan calendar, an intergalactic planet will crash into Earth.

The guest house where Greenwood is reported to be staying is in the city of Sao Luiz do Paraitinga, in the state of Sao Paulo.

The city’s Tourism Minister, Eduardo de Oliveira Coelho, told the Folha de Sao Paulo news outlet that Greenwood arrived in Sao Paulo earlier this month.

Coelho also claimed that the rest of Radiohead were joining Greenwood in the next few days, and that the guitarist planned to give free guitar lessons to the city’s children if the Mayan “End of Days” prophecy did not come true.

According to The Telegraph, Frenchman Emmanuel Rengade, owner of hotel Fazenda Catucaba in São Luiz do Paraitinga, said:

“The reason why he’s here is to get away, because hotels like this preserve the privacy of the guests and he does not want publicity.”

The Daily Mail reports that Radiohead’s management, Courtyard Management, said Greenwood was not even in Brazil and that the reports were completely untrue.

Reasons as to why this bizarre story surfaced in the first place probably have more to do with the Brazilian economy and municipal tourist officials.

But if Greenwood — or anyone, for that matter —  does need any assurances that the world won’t be ending any time soon, they need look no further than NASA.

The US space agency is so confident that an apocalypse is not scheduled for December 21st that they have released a video 10 days ahead of time entitled “Why the World Didn’t End Yesterday.”

The video addresses each of the main ‘myths’ surround the ending of the Mayan calendar and has been put together by NASA scientists.

Radiohead Guitarist Denies Hiding Out In Brazil Over Mayan End Of World Prophecy is a post from: The Inquisitr

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has captured the first image of a 200-mile-long river on Titan, on of the Saturn’s orbiting moons.

According to The Space Reporter, this liquid river is the first observed on another planetary body. The river stretches more than 200 miles (400 kilometers) from its headwaters to a large sea.

NASA scientists used Cassini’s radar imaging instruments to determine that the strange geological feature is likely a river.

The scientists came to the conclusion that it was a river because of the dark, smooth surface within the meanders and channel that suggested the presence of a liquid.

According to NASA, the radar image that details Titan’s north polar region was taken on September 26, 2012. The north polar region is where the river valley flows into Kraken Mare, a sea that is similar in size to the Caspian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.

NASA astronomers say that the river system could help provide them with a better understanding of Saturn’s fractured surface

Jani Radebaugh, Cassini radar team associate at Brigham Young University said:

“Though there are some short, local meanders, the relative straightness of the river valley suggests it follows the trace of at least one fault, similar to other large rivers running into the southern margin of this same Titan sea. Such faults — fractures in Titan’s bedrock — may not imply plate tectonics, like on Earth, but still lead to the opening of basins and perhaps to the formation of the giant seas themselves.”

Astronomers have long thought that Titan could serve as a hotbed for microscopic lifeforms.

According to NASA, Titan is the only other world we know of that has stable liquid on its surface. And while Earth’s hydrologic cycle relies on water, Titan’s cycle involves hydrocarbons such as ethane and methane.

Steve Wall, the radar deputy team lead, said:

“Titan is the only place we’ve found besides Earth that has a liquid in continuous movement on its surface. This picture gives us a snapshot of a world in motion. Rain falls, and rivers move that rain to lakes and seas, where evaporation starts the cycle all over again. On Earth, the liquid is water; on Titan, it’s methane; but on both it affects most everything that happens.”

NASA’s Cassini Spacecraft Discovers River On Titan [VIDEO] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Toutatis, a 3-mile-wide asteroid, is buzzing by Earth Tuesday night. The Clay Center Observatory is offering a free viewing of the asteroid from 5 pm through 11 pm EST.

Toutatis is a well-known asteroid that makes a fly-by of Earth every four years, reports Wired. The asteroid’s passing is also closely watched by astronomers because it is so close to our planet.

The near-Earth asteroid has come as close as one million miles to our planet (about four times the distance between Earth and the moon), though this year’s pass will be around 3.7 million miles.

The 3-mile-wide asteroid was first discovered in 1934, but it was considered lost until it was “officially” found in 1989. It is classified as a potentially hazardous asteroid because of how close it comes to Earth. The classification, however, does not mean that scientists believe the asteroid will ever hit us.

Along with the Clay Center Observatory, the Slooh Space Camera and Virtual Telescope Project will also broadcast the 3-mile-wide asteroid’s passing, notes Fox News. The Slooh camera is broadcasting Toutatis’ passing from a scope located in the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa. Another show will follow with views recorded from Arizona. Astronomy Magazine columnist Bob Berman, who will help with commentary at Slooh, stated:

“Slooh technical staff will let the public follow this fast-moving asteroid in two different ways. In one view, the background stars will be tracked at their own rate and the asteroid will appear as an obvious streak or a moving time lapse-dot across the starry field.”

The second view will track Toutatis, making the background stars appear to whiz by. The Virtual Telescope Project will also offer its own free webcast about the asteroid on Thursday at 3 pm EST.

Check out the live-stream below to see the 3-mile-wide asteroid buzzing by Earth.

Live stream by Ustream

3-Mile-Wide Asteroid Toutatis Buzzes By Earth is a post from: The Inquisitr

Trips To The Moon For The Price Of $1.5 Billion is a post from: The Inquisitr

Today, NASA announced a $1.5 billion plan to build another Mars rover based on the design of its current Curiosity rover. Their intention for the new rover design is to send it to Mars in 2020.

According to NBC News, the move comes less than a year after the space agency said it couldn’t afford to contribute $1.4 billion to the European-led Exomars missions, and it seems likely to stir new debate within the planetary science community.

Hoped-for missions to other interplanetary destinations, such as the Jovian moon Europa, may be affected by the revised plans for Mars exploration.

John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for science at NASA Headquarters, insisted that the budget could handle the new commitment. He said this in a NASA news release:

“This mission concept fits within the current and projected Mars exploration budget, builds on the exciting discoveries of Curiosity, and takes advantage of a favorable launch opportunity.”

Grunsfeld said that the future rover will be built on the same basic design used for the $2.5 billion Curiosity rover. This will allow them to capitalize on the design work that was done during Curiosity’s development for its Mars Science Laboratory mission.

Thanks to a spare radioisotope thermoelectric generator, the new rover will also be nuclear-powered.

Grunsfeld announced the plan for the rover remake during a town-hall session at the American Geophysical Union’s fall meeting in San Francisco.

Projected budget cuts have cast a fair amount of uncertainty over future plans for interplanetary probes, but the idea of bringing samples back from Mars for study on Earth is on top of planetary scientists’ priority list for the next decade.

Grunsfeld told the AGU audience that the rover might be given the capability to gather and store samples for later return.

NASA said that a science definition team would be selected to outline the mission’s objectives, and that the selection of science and instruments for the mission would then be openly discussed.

According to the agency, the future mission will also help lay the groundwork for eventual human exploration of Mars.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in today’s statement:

“The Obama administration is committed to a robust Mars exploration program. With this next mission, we’re ensuring America remains the world leader in the exploration of the Red Planet, while taking another significant step toward sending humans there in the 2030s.”

NASA Plans To Remake Mars Rover For 2020 Mission is a post from: The Inquisitr

NASA‘s Curiosity rover has yet to confirm the detection of organic compounds on Mars, however, it has shown that the Mars’ soil contains water and more complex chemicals, as well as signs of an intriguing compound called perchlorate.

According to NBC News, the first soil sample analysis from Curiosity’s Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) lab was the leading topic today at the American Geophysical Union’s fall meeting in San Francisco.

The findings were much anticipated because of rumors that the Curiosity team was on the verge of announcing major findings. Even though NASA lowered their expectations, the scientists said they were overjoyed with the first round of analysis.

“We really consider this a terrific milestone,” Paul Mahaffy, a NASA researcher who is SAM’s lead scientist, said at the AGU briefing.

Mahaffy said in a statement issued by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory:

“We have no definitive detection of Martian organics at this point, but we will keep looking in the diverse environments of Gale Crater.”

Curiosity landed on Mars in Gale Crater on Aug. 5, and since then it’s been studying Martian rocks, soil, and atmosphere with the help of ten scientific instruments. Its two-year, $2.5 billion mission is aimed at determining whether conditions in the crater were ever conducive for microbial life.

SAM is a key tool for that mission. It can cook Martian samples in a mini-oven and then analyze the gases that are given off to identify the compounds contained in the sample. Other instruments, including the Chemistry and Mineralogy instrument (CheMin),  were also used to study the initial soil samples that were collected over the past several weeks.

These samples were collected from a drift of windblown sand and dust called Rocknest.

NASA said CheMin found that the composition of the Rocknest samples was similar to that of soil analyzed by other Mars rovers such as Pathfinder, Spirit, and Opportunity. The composition consisted of about half common volcanic minerals, and half non-crystalline minerals such as glass.

SAM identified other ingredients in much lower concentrations, which included water molecules that were apparently bound to the grains of sand and dust. Although the water wouldn’t be enough to support any sort of life, the concentration found was higher than expected.

SAM also identified a type of perchlorate, a compound that includes oxygen and chlorine. Perchlorate, which was also found by NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander in 2008, is considered a toxic substance and is used as an ingredient in rocket fuel on Earth. But scientists say the compound could conceivably serve as an energy source for microbes on Mars.

Mahaffy said the particular type of compound detected by Curiosity appeared to be calcium perchlorate, but “we have to study that further.”

Reactions with other chemicals in SAM’s oven formed chlorinated methane compounds, which geologists consider organic chemicals because they contain carbon and hydrogen.

Mahaffy said it was most likely that the chlorine came from a perchlorate-like compound in the soil. However, he did say that it wasn’t yet clear whether the tiny amount of carbon in the compounds came from the Martian soil or was actually brought to Mars from Earth by Curiosity itself.

Mahaffy told reporters:

“We have to be very careful to make sure both the carbon and the chlorine are coming from Mars.”

Caltech’s John Grotzinger, the project scientist for Curiosity’s mission, agreed with that view. He said:

“We just simply don’t know if they’re indigenous to Mars or not.”

Grotzinger said that the team would first have to confirm that the constituents of the organic compounds seen by SAM truly came from Mars. If the presence of organics is confirmed, then the scientists would have to look into whether they are merely part of the “background fall of cosmic material” onto the planet, or arose through chemical processes on Mars itself.

It would take a step-by-step process to confirm the presence of truly Martian organic compounds, and reconstruct how those compounds were formed.

Grotzinger explains what would happen next:

“Then you have … to decide whether or not those formation pathways are abiotic, or maybe in the end biologic. So you see there’s a complicated decision pathway there, and we have to explore each one systematically.”

Grotzinger cautioned that there would be no “hallelujah moment” in the search for organic chemicals on Mars.

Scientists Will Try To Determine Origin Of Organic Compounds Found By Curiosity is a post from: The Inquisitr

NASA scientists are concerned that children, teenagers, and some adults may become dangerously preoccupied with the Mayan apocalypse rumors, according to Yahoo! News.

David Morrison, an astrobiologist at NASA Ames Research Center, truly feels there is nothing to worry about. Since most scholars believe the Mayans did not view the end of their calendar cycle as seriously bad news, Morrison doesn’t think people should spend too much time worrying about things.

“There is no true issue here,” he said at a NASA Google+ Hangout event on Wednesday. “This is just a manufactured fantasy.”

Although experts have tried their best to soothe concerns regarding the rumored apocalypse, some people are allowing Doomsday fears to control every aspect of their daily lives. According to NDTV, NASA has even posted information about the event on its website in an effort to keep people from completely freaking out.

“The world will not end in 2012. Our planet has been getting along just fine for more than 4 billion years, and credible scientists worldwide know of no threat associated with 2012,” NASA explained. “Just as the calendar you have on your kitchen wall does not cease to exist after December 31, the Mayan calendar does not cease to exist on December 21, 2012.”

Morrison explained that, while some people believe these myths are nothing more than a hilarious joke, many folks seem to honestly believe the world is going to end in December.

“While this is a joke to some people and a mystery to others, there is a core of people who are truly concerned,” Morrison said, adding that children are being frightened by the large number of rumors they read on the internet.

Individuals who are truly concerned about the impending 2012 Mayan apocalypse are encouraged to visit NASA’s official page on the subject.

Do you agree with NASA that Doomsday 2012 is nothing more than a myth based on misconceptions? Are you worried the world will end this December?

Doomsday 2012: NASA Attempts To Soothe Concerns Over Mayan Apocalypse is a post from: The Inquisitr

New images from a NASA spacecraft orbiting Saturn have revealed a view that any retro-gamer would recognize. A second moon with a heat tattoo of the 1980′s video game icon Pac-Man.

According to NBC News, the latest images were snapped by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft during a photo session of Saturn’s icy moon Tethys. The images reveal an infrared pattern on the moon shaped like Pac-Man.

It is the second time Cassini has found a Pac-Man shaped heat pattern on a Saturn moon using its infrared spectrometer. The first time was in 2010, when the spacecraft found a similar view on Saturn’s moon Mimas.

Mimas is also known for it’s giant impact crater that gives it a similar look to the fictional Death Star from Star Wars.

Study leader Carly Howett said this in a statement on Monday:

“Finding a second Pac-Man in the Saturn system tells us the processes creating these Pac-Men are more widespread than previously thought. The Saturn system — and even the Jupiter system — could turn out to be a veritable arcade of these characters.”

Some scientists suspect that the Pac-Man shapes on Mimas and Tethys are created when high-energy electrons slam into low latitudes on the forward-facing sides of the moons as they orbit Saturn.

NASA officials say that this bombardment transforms the normally “fluffy” surface into hard-packed ice.  They also said that the effect means that the hard-packed ice does not heat up as fast during the day or cool down as fast at night.

The surface of Tethys is also regularly bombarded by icy particles from geysers on Enceladus, which is another Saturn moon.

Researchers say that the Pac-Man heat signature on Tethys suggests that the surface changes from electron bombardment are occurring faster than the re-coating effect from Enceladus’ plumes.

Cassini spectrometer principal investigator Mike Flasar said this:

“Studies at infrared wavelengths give us a tremendous amount of information about the processes that shape planets and moons. A result like this underscores just how powerful these observations are.”

Cassini’s views of Tethys have also confirmed that the Pac-Man heat map on the moon can also be spotted in visible-light images as a dark, lens-shaped area. This surface oddity was first sighted by NASA’s Voyager spacecraft in 1980, but now finally explained.

Cassini project scientist Linda Spilker of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif said:

“Finding a new Pac-Man demonstrates the diversity of processes at work in the Saturn system. Future Cassini observations may reveal other new phenomena that will surprise us and help us better understand the evolution of moons in the Saturn system and beyond.”

NASA Photos Reveal Second Saturn ‘Pac-Man’ Moon is a post from: The Inquisitr