More info on next Falcon 9 launch
Here’s a further update on SpaceX’s plans for the second test launch of its Falcon 9 rocket, now set for November 8.
Category: Points of Information
Very brief descriptions, with appropriate links, of current or recent news items.
European plans to develop advance return vehicle
Faced with the loss of the space shuttle yet committed to the ISS at least through 2020, the European Space Agency is moving forward in its plans to upgrade its Automated Transfer Vehicle, which is only able to bring cargo to ISS, to what they call an Advanced Re-entry Vehicle, which will be able to also bring cargo back.
Results from Hayabusa delayed till next year
We won’t know if the Japanese probe Hayabusa actually brought asteroid materials back to Earth until spring 2011. Key quote from the project scientist:
Kawaguchi said his science team found “tens of particles” in Chamber A of the canister. The tiny particles are being removed one-by-one in an extraction process that is stretching longer than anticipated.
Note that they still have not opened Chamber B, which is thought to have had a better chance of capturing asteroid material because it was the chamber in contact with the asteroid Itokawa.
11 Predictions About 2010 That the Simpsons Got Right
Crystal ball alert: Eleven correct predictions about 2010 that the Simpsons television show made in 1995.
Russia to launch commercial space station by 2016
A Russian company says it plans to launch its own commercial space station by 2016.
One third of so-called extinct species have turned up alive
Back from the dead! A new study has found that scientists are significantly over-estimating the number of animal extinctions, with approximately one third of the so-called “extinct” species turning up alive. This quote makes one wonder if politics have been a factor:
The mistakes cannot be blamed on primitive technology or old fashioned scientific methods. “Mammals missing in the 20th century were nearly three times as likely to be rediscovered as those that disappeared in the 19th century.”
New speed record for lawnmower
New world speed record — 96.5 miles per hour — for lawnmowers.
UN denies plan to name ‘ambassador’ to aliens
The United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) today denied any plan to name an “ambassador” to act as a point of contact with extra-terrestrials.
James Hansen arrested protesting against mining
NASA climate scientist James Hansen was arrested yesterday in a Washington, D.C. protest against mountaintop mining.
Charges dismissed against Maryland man who taped traffic stop
Victory for freedom of speech: Charges have been dismissed against a Maryland man for videotaping a policeman who pulled him over for speeding.
Lying Congressman
Vile dishonest congressman alert! A comparison of Congressman Alan Grayson’s (D-Florida) campaign commercial with the actual facts demonstrates clearly that Grayson should be digging ditches rather than representing American citizens in Congress.
Launch of China’s next lunar probe as soon as Friday
The launch of China’s next lunar probe, Chang’e 2, could occur as soon as this Friday.