Spacewalk update
The spacewalk on ISS is not quite finished, but the astronauts are wrapping up after successfully installing the replacement pump to the cooling system. Ground controllers have tested the system and it appears to be working.
Category: Points of Information
Very brief descriptions, with appropriate links, of current or recent news items.
First solar radiation storm of solar cycle 24
Speaking of the Sun, on August 14 it unleashed the first solar radiation storm of new solar cycle 24.
More on Boeing’s cargo/crew capsule
Boeing is hoping to do the first test flight of its privately developed cargo/crew capsule by late in 2013.
The plans for the next spacewalks on ISS are announced
NASA managers have delayed by one day the next spacewalk to repair ISS’s cooling system. Now set for August 16, this spacewalk will install the new pump. The date of a fourth spacewalk to finish up the work is as yet unscheduled.
Japanese planning upgrades to HTV
The Japanese are considering upgrades to their unmanned HTV freighter that carries cargo to ISS. The upgrades would allow HTV to return large cargo to Earth, as well as possibly become a manned vehicle.
Webb costs threaten space science
The continuing cost overruns for the James Webb Space Telescope threaten future space science missions, according to NASA, even as astronomers are about to announce their recommendations for what NASA should do in the next decade. Note that I will be attending the 11 am press conference on the new decadal survey, and hope to post from there.
A possible cause of extended solar minimum proposed
Scientists think they have discovered at least one cause of the recent long and deep solar minimum: a change in how plasma near the surface of the Sun flows from the equator to the pole, sinks, and then flows back to the equator. In the last minimum, this meridional current flowed much slower, while also flowing much closer to the pole before finally sinking.
Is it a planet or not?
An object, initially announced in 1998 to be the first planet ever photographed, then rejected as a planet when data suggested it was too hot, is now being resurrected as a possible planet. Key quote by Adam Burrows of Princeton University:
[If true] this would punctuate one of the strangest episodes in the history of the emerging field of exoplanet research. If false, it would be one more warning that numerous pitfalls await the intrepid astronomer in search of planetary gold beyond the solar system.
Doubts about GISS data in the Himalayas
Willis Eschenbach at WattsUpWithThat has once again discovered serious questions about the climate temperature data produced by the Goddard Institute of Space Studies (GISS).
Volunteers discover pulsar
Two interesting astronomy stories in today’s Science magazine:
Volunteers, using their home computers, have helped discover a previously unknown pulsar.
Scientists, using telescopes, have discovered a previoulsy unknown asteroid in one of the Trojan points of the orbit of Neptune.
Perseid meteor shower tonight and tomorrow
The annual Perseid meteor shower is expected to peak tonight and tomorrow, and Alan Boyle at Cosmic Log has some good tips for the best way to not only view it, but to hear it as well!
Fourth spacewalk anticipated for coolant repairs
With the success of yesterday’s spacewalk, NASA engineers have revamped their remaining spacewalk plans for replacing that failed pump. The third spacewalk has been moved from Sunday to Monday to give everyone more time to prepare, and they are now planning a fourth spacewalk after that to finish things up.
Obamas’ vacation in DC
Important news! Obamas announce surprise vacation to nation’s capital!
Japanese approval for Hayabusa 2
The Japanese government has approved a new asteroid mission similar to Hayabusa. The new mission could launch as early as 2014 and bring samples back by 2020.
Spacewalk a complete success, old pump removed
Today’s spacewalk on ISS was a complete success. The astronauts successfully removed the failed coolant pump and made preparations to install the replacement pump on their next spacewalk.
NASA narrows asteroids to visit to three
NASA officials have reviewed the list of Near Earth Objects and found only three that meet all the constraints for a manned mission. Key quote:
Out of the 44 reachable asteroids, 27 were too small, and only 15 have orbits that allow for exploration between 2020 and 2050 — the timeframe NASA wants to pursue for NEO missions. The 180-day mission constraint further cuts the list to three.
It must also be noted that none of these asteroids are reachable without a heavy-lift rocket like the Ares V.
National anthem forbidden at Lincoln Memorial
Freedom of speech alert! Plus a bit of stupidity. A security guard at the Lincoln Memorial ordered students to stop singing the National Anthem, staying that their actions were a violation of federal law.
California budget a billion over in first month
The great disconnect, part 2,345: In July, the first month of California’s fiscal year, the state spent $1 billion dollars more than had been forecast. Meanwhile, the state legislature has not yet passed a budget.
Diversifying your research portfolio
In this paper [pdf] adapted from a lecture he gave at an astronomy conference, Harvard researcher Abraham Loeb warns young scientists that their tendency today to take on safe research projects is unwise. Moreover, he notes the increasing “herd mentality” due to “stronger social pressure”, “more competition in the job market,” and the “growing fraction of observational and theoretical projects . . . done in large groups with rigid research agendas and tight schedules.” Key quote:
It is always prudent to allocate some limited resources to innovative ideas beyond any dogmatic “mainstream,” because even if only one out of a million such ideas bears fruit, it could transform our view of reality and justify the entire effort. This lesson is surprisingly unpopular in the current culture of funding agencies like NSF or NASA, which promote research with predictable and safe goals.
Hubble image of face-on galaxy
Another spectacular Hubble Space Telescope image was released today, showing a face-on spiral galaxy in the Coma cluster, located about 320 million light years away. Key quote:
The galaxy, known as NGC 4911, contains rich lanes of dust and gas near its center. These are silhouetted against glowing newborn star clusters and iridescent pink clouds of hydrogen, the existence of which indicates ongoing star formation. Hubble has also captured the outer spiral arms of NGC 4911, along with thousands of other galaxies of varying sizes.
