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Mars Base

DARPA Seeks Ideas to Recycle Space Junk Into New Satellites | Space Junk & Orbital Debr... - 0 views

www.space.com/ycling-phoenix-satellites.html

scibyte34 satellites debris

shared by Mars Base on 17 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • : 20 October 2011
  • United States Department of Defense is looking for ways to repurpose space junk
  • started a program called Phoenix, which seeks to recycle still-functioning pieces of defunct satellites and incorporate them into new space systems on the cheap
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • snag still-working antennas from the many retired and dead satellites in geosynchronous orbit — about 22,000 miles (35,406 kilometers) above Earth — and attach them to smaller "satlets," or nanosatellites, launched from Earth.
  • tender vehicle would cruise over to a satlet, pluck it out of its housing and ferry it to the appropriate defunct satellite. The tender would then switch the antenna over from the retired satellite to the satlet, creating a "new," and relatively cheap, satellite using previously useless space junk.
  • Satellites in GEO are not designed to be disassembled or repaired, so it's not a matter of simply removing some nuts and bolts
  • requires new remote imaging and robotics technology and special tools to grip, cut, and modify complex systems
Mars Base

NASA Wants Gas Stations In Space | NASA Contracts for Cryogenic Rocket Fuel Studies | F... - 0 views

www.space.com/ace-gas-station-contracts.html

scibyte34 satellite

shared by Mars Base on 17 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • 05 August 2011
  • NASA has awarded contracts to four companies with plans to study how to store and transfer fuel in space.
  • Rocket fuel is cryogenic, meaning super-cold substances like liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. If not kept extremely chilled and protected, some of those liquids tend to boil off into gases.
Mars Base

Fruit flies use alcohol as a drug to kill parasites - 0 views

www.physorg.com/...es-alcohol-drug-parasites.html

scibyte34 alcohol

shared by Mars Base on 17 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • February 16, 2012
  • according to a study published online on Feb. 16 in Current Biology
  • fruit flies will actually seek out alcohol to kill off blood-borne parasitic wasps living within them
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • consume alcohol to self-medicate, a behavior that greatly increases their survival rate
  • believe our results are the first to show that alcohol consumption can have a protective effect against infectious disease, and in particular against blood-borne parasites
  • the common fruit fly that swirls around browning bananas in your kitchen
  • The amount of alcohol in their natural habitat can range from 5 to 15 percent
  • fruit flies are really good at detoxifying alcohol."
Mars Base

Swiss satellite to tackle space debris (w/ video) - 0 views

www.physorg.com/...llite-tackle-space-debris.html

scibyte34 satellite debris

shared by Mars Base on 17 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • Swiss Space Center at EPFL is announcing today the launch of CleanSpace One, a project to develop and build the first installment of a family of satellites specially designed to clean up space debris.
  • NASA keeps close tabs on at least 16,000 of these objects that are larger than 10 cm in diameter
  • After its launch, the cleanup satellite will have to adjust its trajectory in order to match its target’s orbital plane
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • When it gets within range of its target, which will be traveling at 28,000 km/h at an altitude of 630-750 km
Mars Base

Cleaning up Earth's orbit: A Swiss satellite to tackle space debris - 0 views

actu.epfl.ch/...orbit-a-swiss-satellite-to-tac

scibyte34 satellite debris

shared by Mars Base on 17 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • Mars Base on 17 Feb 12
     
    Swiss satellite to tackle space debris
Mars Base

Aurora Oddity: Northern Lights Flare Up Without Big Sun Eruption | Space.com - 0 views

www.space.com/e-northern-lights-display.html

scibyte34 aurora ymhs

shared by Mars Base on 18 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • Northern Lights Display Dazzles Without Big Sun Flare
  • reasons scientists can't yet explain, the northern lights blazed up in a dazzling display this week
  • despite the apparent lack of a major solar flare typically associated with these celestial light shows
  • ...13 more annotations...
  • began on Valentine's Day (Feb. 14),
  • uptick in activity in Earth's magnetic field sparked a geomagnetic storm
  • Sometimes the sky surprises us
  • with little warning, geomagnetic activity rippled around the Arctic Circle
  • producing an outbreak of auroras
  • among the best in months
  • some early speculation that a Feb. 10 sun storm, known as a coronal mass ejection (CME), may have triggered the northern lights show, but this solar outburst has not yet been confirmed.
  • occur when charged particles from the sun interact with Earth's upper atmosphere
  • creating ripples of glowing light
  • charged particles are funneled to Earth's poles by the planet's magnetic field
  • typically only visible to skywatchers in far northern or far southern latitudes
  • northern lights are called the aurora borealis
  • southern lights are dubbed the aurora australis
Mars Base

Solar Tornadoes Dance Across Sun's Surface in NASA Video | Sun Tornado & Solar Flares |... - 0 views

www.space.com/-tornadoes-nasa-video-sdo.html

FebMedia

shared by Mars Base on 18 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • The tornado-like eruptions of super-hot plasma were spotted by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which is constantly recording high-definition videos of the sun.
  • shows swirling fountains of plasma creeping across the surface of the sun during a 30-hour period between Feb. 7 and 8.
  • unlike tornadoes on Earth, which are wind-driven phenomena, the sun's plasma tornadoes are shaped by the powerful magnetic field of our star.
  • ...10 more annotations...
  • active region rotating into view provides a bright backdrop to the gyrating streams of plasma
  • particles are being pulled this way and that by competing magnetic forces
  • tracking along strands of magnetic field lines
  • cooler plasma material appears as darker spots on a bright background
  • SDO spacecraft recorded the video in the extreme ultraviolet range of the light spectrum, giving the movie an eerie yellow hue.
  • released
  • SDO video
  • mark the second anniversary
  • on a five-year mission to record high-definition videos of the sun to help astronomers better understand how changes in the sun's solar weather cycle can affect life on Earth.
  • launched on Feb. 11, 2010
Mars Base

Scientists discover molecular secrets of 2,000-year-old Chinese herbal remedy - 0 views

www.physorg.com/...-secrets-year-old-chinese.html

scibyte34 remedy

shared by Mars Base on 18 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • For roughly two thousand years, Chinese herbalists have treated Malaria using a root extract, commonly known as Chang Shan
  • Now, researchers from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine have discovered the molecular secrets behind this herbal extract's power.
  • recent studies suggest that halofuginone, a compound derived from this extract's bioactive ingredient, could be used to treat many autoimmune disorders
  • ...13 more annotations...
  • halofuginone (HF) triggers a stress-response pathway that blocks the development of a harmful class of immune cells
  • prevents the autoimmune response without dampening immunity altogether
  • This compound could inspire novel therapeutic approaches to a variety of autoimmune disorders."
  • exciting example of how solving the molecular mechanism of traditional herbal medicine can lead both to new insights into physiological regulation and to novel approaches to the treatment of disease
  • Prior research had shown that HF reduced scarring in tissue, scleroderma (a tightening of the skin), multiple sclerosis, scar formation and even cancer progression.
  • Recognized only since 2006, Th17 cells are "bad actors," implicated in many autoimmune diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and psoriasis
  • minute doses of HF reduced multiple sclerosis in a mouse model
  • Further analysis showed that HF was somehow turning on genes involved in a newly discovered pathway called the amino acid response pathway, or AAR
  • evidence that it extends lifespan and delays age-related inflammatory diseases in animal studies on caloric restriction
  • during a power outage we conserve what little juice we have left on our devices, foregoing chats in favor of emergency calls," said Whitman. "Cells use similar logic
  • Researchers do not yet fully understand the role that amino acid limitation plays in
  • researchers were able to home in on a single amino acid, called proline, and discovered that HF targeted and inhibited a particular enzyme (tRNA synthetase EPRS) responsible for incorporating proline into proteins that normally contain it.
  • proline also reversed other therapeutic effects of HF, inhibiting its effectiveness against the malaria parasite as well as certain cellular processes linked to tissue scarring
Mars Base

The Bloom Isn't Off This Ancient Plant - Science News - 0 views

www.sciencenews.org/...om_isnt_off_this_ancient_plant

scibyte35

shared by Mars Base on 22 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • A flower that last bloomed while mammoths walked the Earth has been reborn
  • died just before the paper was released
  • radiocarbon-dated to about 31,800 years ago
Chris Fisher

Faster-than-light neutrino result reportedly a mistake caused by loose cable - 0 views

arstechnica.com/...mistake-due-to-loose-cable.ars

neutrino ftl mistake

shared by Chris Fisher on 22 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • a loose fiber optic cable was causing one of the atomic clocks used to time the neutrinos' flight to produce spurious results.
  • If the report is confirmed (right now, there's only one source), then it provides a simple explanation for the fascinating-yet-difficult-to-accept results.
Mars Base

Moon Eats a Chunk Out Of The Sun: Big Pic : Discovery News - 0 views

news.discovery.com/...r-eclipse-sun-moon-120221.html

scibyte35 sun

shared by Mars Base on 24 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • Orbiting the Earth at a distance of 36,000 kilometers in geosynchronous orbit, the SDO usually has a spectacular, uninterrupted view of our nearest star
  • The sharp edge of the lunar limb helps researchers measure the in-orbit characteristics of the telescope
  • how light diffracts around the telescope's optics and filter support grids
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • it is possible to correct SDO data for instrumental effects and sharpen the images even more than before
  • this eclipse can bring the lunar landscape into focus -- mountains and valleys on the moon show up as a raggedy edge when viewed at high resolution.
Mars Base

A Mardi Gras Moon Crossing - 0 views

www.universetoday.com/...a-mardi-gras-moon-crossing

scibyte35 sun

shared by Mars Base on 24 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • During portions of the year, the Moon transits the Sun on a regular basis from the perspective of NASA’s SDO spacecraft, which lies within the Moon’s orbit
  • it gives SDO engineers a way to fine-tune the observatory’s calibration as well.
  • keep up with the latest images coming in on the SDO site at http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/.
Mars Base

'Pac-Man Sun': NASA Probe Sees Solar Eclipse in Space | Lunar & Solar Eclipses | NASA &... - 0 views

www.space.com/-eclipse-nasa-pac-man-sun.html

scibyte35 sun

shared by Mars Base on 24 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • stunning footage of Tuesday's (Feb. 21)
  • partial eclipse that was visible only from space
  • @NASA_SDO
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • During its travels, the moon briefly blocked sunspot AR1422, an active region that is blasting strong ultraviolet emissions into space
  • This caused a dip in the EVE [extreme ultraviolet] output and may allow scientists to calibrate the energy emitted by the active region
  • next partial solar eclipse visible from Earth will occur May 20. Skywatchers in much of Asia, the Pacific and western North America will be able to see it
  • total solar eclipse will take place Nov. 13, but it will be visible only from parts of northern Australia and the South Pacific
  • skywatchers in much of Australia, New Zealand and southern South America will be able to see a partial eclipse on that day.
Mars Base

NASA - Astronaut's Home Away from Home - 0 views

www.nasa.gov/...crew_quarters.html

scibyte35 FebMedia

shared by Mars Base on 24 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • take care of the astronauts 24/7 in the Astronaut Crew Quarters during preflight training and leading up to all shuttle launches
  • they work in shifts, with additional staff called in as needed to help cook and clean.
  • The crew is extremely busy when they come in," Hooper said. "We could not function without all of the group's efforts to take care of the astronauts."
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • Those who work in the crew quarters include cooks, attendants, flight data file personnel, flight nurses and other astronauts supporting the crew.
  • Inside an area that dates back to the Apollo Program are facilities that have been upgraded throughout the years, including a kitchen, staff conference room, crew conference room, workout room, lounge, laundry room, computer room, suit-up room, dining room, medical facility, staff office and prime crew sleeping quarters.
  • access to crew quarters is limited to the staff and astronaut support personnel leading up to each launch
  • certified food handlers
  • team's typical day begins at 6 a.m. They get the kitchen going for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Laundry and inventory are completed. Maintenance trouble calls are tended to, and sleeping quarters and the beach house are cleaned
  • The staff operates under NASA Johnson Space Center's Health Stabilization Program. Twice yearly, the staff undergoes a physical exam and trains regularly on health issues and crew quarters procedures
Mars Base

Study: Old flu drug speeds brain injury recovery - 0 views

medicalxpress.com/...rug-brain-injury-recovery.html

scibyte36

shared by Mars Base on 01 Mar 12 - No Cached
  • reporting the first treatment to speed recovery from severe brain injuries caused by falls and car crashes: a cheap flu medicine whose side benefits were discovered by accident decades ago
Mars Base

Team reveals oldest fossilized forest - 0 views

www.physorg.com/...-oldest-fossilized-forest.html

scibyte36

shared by Mars Base on 01 Mar 12 - No Cached
  • research team has now unearthed and investigated an entire fossil forest dating back 385 million years
  • dating back about 385 million years ago
  • For decades scientists did not know what the trees connected to the stumps looked like
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • found fossils of the tree's intact crown in a nearby location in 2004, and a 28-foot-long trunk portion in 2005
  • named one of the "100 top Science Stories of 2007" by Discover Magazine
  • They were able to determine that these trees actually resembled modern-day cycads or tree ferns, but interestingly enough, were not related to either one
  • how much we don't know but need to understand about our ancient past
  • forest began to emerge -- during the Middle Devonian period, about 385 million years ago – Earth experienced a dramatic drop in global atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and the associated cooling led ultimately to a period of glaciation.
Mars Base

Exciting New 'Enceladus Explorer' Mission Proposed to Search for Life - 0 views

www.universetoday.com/...on-proposed-to-search-for-life

scibyte36

shared by Mars Base on 01 Mar 12 - No Cached
  • project sponsored by the German Aerospace Center, Enceladus Explorer, was launched on February 22, 2012, in an attempt to answer the question of whether there could be life on (or rather, inside) Enceladus. The project lays the groundwork for a new, ambitious mission being proposed for some time in the future
Mars Base

Floor of oldest fossilized forest discovered: 385 million years old - 0 views

www.sciencedaily.com/...120301102716.htm

scibyte36

shared by Mars Base on 02 Mar 12 - No Cached
  • the discovery of the floor of the world's oldest forest
  • most exciting part was finding out just how many different types of footprints there were
  • newly uncovered area was preserved in such a way that we were literally able to walk among the trees, noting what kind they were, where they had stood and how big they had grown
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • dating back about 385 million years ago
  • The complexity of the Gilboa site can teach us a lot about the original assembly of our modern day ecosystems
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