JPL scientists demand correction of White House statements before Supreme Court
JPL scientists demand correction of White House statements before Supreme Court over privacy suit.
Category: Points of Information
Very brief descriptions, with appropriate links, of current or recent news items.
Federal government spending rose 9% in 2010
Soyuz launches with three astronauts, headed to ISS
A Soyuz rocket launched a new crew of three astronauts to ISS today. Fun quote:
The six [astronauts on ISS] on Nov. 1 will celebrate the 10th anniversary of continuous human presence on the station.
ESA struggles to fund returnable module
Government space faces budget realities: The European Space Agency is struggling to find the funds to both extend ISS as well as upgrade their cargo carrier so that it can also return cargo from ISS.
Bigelow about to announce big news
Private space moves forward, without NASA: Clark Lindsey at www.rlvnews.com notes that Robert Bigelow — the man behind the first private space station’s — seems poised to announce the first six nations who’ve agreed to rent space on his stations.
Bolden’s trip his idea, not the White House’s
According to the website SpaceRef, NASA administrator Charles Bolden’s trip to Saudia Arabia and China this past week was his idea alone, and that the White House did not want him to go.
The Sun was brighter when it was dimmer?
The science is settled? According to one scientist’s data, the Sun actually brightened in visible wavelengths during the ramp down from solar maximum to minimum in 2004-2007 — the exact opposite to what was expected — while dropping in the ultraviolet four times more than predicted.
Scientists and Soldiers Solve a Bee Mystery
The cause of the mysterious honey bee die-off since 2006 appears to have been identified.
Layoffs Continue as NASA Slows Constellation Spending
Confusion at NASA: Layoffs continue as NASA slows Constellation spending. This despite a budget in 2010 that requires the program’s continuation, and a Congressional authorization for 2011 that requires NASA to build a comparable heavy-lift rocket.
Chang’e 2 arrives in lunar orbit
China’s new lunar orbiter, Chang’e 2, has arrived in lunar orbit.
Apollo 11 original television footage unveiled
Digitally remastered footage of the original television recordings from the Apollo 11 mission have been unveiled in Australia.
It’s only a seltzer moon Plumes from Saturn’s Enceladus may be carbonated
The plumes that come out of the tiger stripe cracks on Saturn’s moon Enceladus may be carbonated!
Pluto’s ice: 97% nitrogen, 3% methane
More results from the press conference going on right now at the 42nd meeting of the AAS Division for Planetary Sciences:
Pluto’s surface ice is made up of 97% nitrogen, 3% methane, while the surface of the Kuiper Belt object Eris (which is larger than Pluto) is even more rich in methane, with a make up of 90% nitrogen and 10% methane. Both measurements go down to a depth of about 10 inches. To see the abstract for this result, go here.
The atmosphere of Venus is 60% less dense at its poles
By diving into the upper atmosphere of Venus above its north pole, Venus Express has found that the atmosphere there is 60% less dense than predicted. This from a press conference going on right now at the 42nd meeting of the AAS Division for Planetary Sciences. They plan an additional dive campaign during the next month. And they plan more dives, going deeper each time, as they judge the consequences to the spacecraft each time.
To read the abstracts of the Venus Express papers, go here.
Updated: The full press release, with images, can be seen here.
No active volcanoes on Mars
If you do this in an email, I hate you
EPA’s Own Estimates Say Greenhouse Gas Regs Could ‘Slow Construction Nationwide for Years’ — and Take a Century to Reduce Temperature 0.0015 Degrees
The EPA itself believes that its effort to regulate carbon dioxide under its Prevention of Significant Deterioration program could “slow construction nationwide for years”. And what would this accomplish? Global temperatures would be reduced a whopping 0.0015 degrees! Key quote:
“It is clear throughout the country, PSD (Prevention of Significant Deterioration) permit issuance would be unable to keep up with the flood of incoming applications, resulting in delays, at the outset, that would be at least a decade or longer, and that would only grow worse over time as each year, the number of new permit applications would exceed permitting authority resources for that year.”
Treasury Inspector General to Investigate White House Disclosure of Confidential Taxpayer Data of Political Opponent
The headline says it all: “Treasury Inspector General to investigate White House disclosure of confidential taxpayer data of political opponent.”
Four Chinese lunar landers?
Hayabusa brought back extraterrestrial matter
Reports today in the Japanese press say that the Hayabusa return capsule did capture minute particles of extraterrestrial material.