Category Archives: Points of Information
More Layoffs at NASA
Anniversary of the discovery of chocolate
East Anglia violated FOI rules
The University of East Anglia has been found in violation of the UK’s freedom of information law in connection with the climategate emails, suggesting again and strongly that the final conclusions of the investigation of Phil Jones was a whitewash.
The University of East Anglia has been found in violation of the UK’s freedom of information law in connection with the climategate emails, suggesting again and strongly that the final conclusions of the investigation of Phil Jones was a whitewash.
Another climategate whitewash
Updated. Also, bad link fixed. Sorry.
Another climategate whitewash. Phil Jones, at the center of the scandal, has been reinstated by the University of East Anglia. Steve McIntyre of Climate Audit has an excellent analysis of the some of the absurd rationalizations the investigation adopted to clear Jones.
This Daily Mail article on the investigation gives a somewhat balanced description.
Updated. Also, bad link fixed. Sorry.
Another climategate whitewash. Phil Jones, at the center of the scandal, has been reinstated by the University of East Anglia. Steve McIntyre of Climate Audit has an excellent analysis of the some of the absurd rationalizations the investigation adopted to clear Jones.
This Daily Mail article on the investigation gives a somewhat balanced description.
upcoming Ares I solid rocket test
The Ares I solid rocket motor is now fully assembled on its test stand in Utah, ready for the motor’s second test firing, planned for September.
The Ares I solid rocket motor is now fully assembled on its test stand in Utah, ready for the motor’s second test firing, planned for September.
Cernan calls for Bolden resignation
Orion capsule passes first review
The fullsized Orion capsule has passed its first safety review. This is the design that the Obama adminstration wishes to cancel.
The fullsized Orion capsule has passed its first safety review. This is the design that the Obama adminstration wishes to cancel.
Lockheed buyouts
NASA layoffs
United Space Alliance, the contractor that provides support during every shuttle launch, announced significant layoffs today in anticipation of the end of the shuttle program.
United Space Alliance, the contractor that provides support during every shuttle launch, announced significant layoffs today in anticipation of the end of the shuttle program.
First photos from inside Hayabusa capsule
Update and bumped: More details have been released about what was inside the Hayabusa capsule. In total, two 0.01 millimeter particles have been found in the inner capsule, and about 10 large particles in the outer capsule.
The first photo from inside the Hayabusa capsule has been released, showing the presence of a tiny 0.01 millimeter particle. It is still unknown whether this is an asteroid particle or something captured on the return to Earth.
Update and bumped: More details have been released about what was inside the Hayabusa capsule. In total, two 0.01 millimeter particles have been found in the inner capsule, and about 10 large particles in the outer capsule.
The first photo from inside the Hayabusa capsule has been released, showing the presence of a tiny 0.01 millimeter particle. It is still unknown whether this is an asteroid particle or something captured on the return to Earth.
Another climategate whitewash?
Another climategate whitewash? The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency has reviewed the 2007 UN IPCC report and decided that, though the report did have some really embarrassing errors (including some new ones uncovered by the review), the IPCC’s conclusion — that global warming is happening and that it is caused by humans — must still be correct.
Another climategate whitewash? The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency has reviewed the 2007 UN IPCC report and decided that, though the report did have some really embarrassing errors (including some new ones uncovered by the review), the IPCC’s conclusion — that global warming is happening and that it is caused by humans — must still be correct.
Government and the impending shortage of helium
The law of unintended consequences strikes again! We are going to run out of our supply of helium, and it is all because the government first tried to manage and control the resource in the early 20th century, and then decided in the 1990s to extricate itself from that management. For those of us following the continuing space war over NASA’s future, this story is most instructive in illustrating how difficult it is to get the government out of our lives, once we have let it in.
The law of unintended consequences strikes again! We are going to run out of our supply of helium, and it is all because the government first tried to manage and control the resource in the early 20th century, and then decided in the 1990s to extricate itself from that management. For those of us following the continuing space war over NASA’s future, this story is most instructive in illustrating how difficult it is to get the government out of our lives, once we have let it in.
Big Peace
The launching post of Andrew Breibart’s Big Peace website expresses best why the courage to defend freedom and liberty at all costs is the best guarantor of peace.
The launching post of Andrew Breibart’s Big Peace website expresses best why the courage to defend freedom and liberty at all costs is the best guarantor of peace.
Minute particles found in Hayabusa capsule
Japanese scientists have detected minute particles in the Hayabusa capsule! Whether these particles are from the asteroid or not remains unknown.
Japanese scientists have detected minute particles in the Hayabusa capsule! Whether these particles are from the asteroid or not remains unknown.
the press finally notices the absurdities of Obama’s new space policy
The press finally notices the absurdities of Obama’s new space policy, something I have been talking about for months, and noted again earlier this week.
The press finally notices the absurdities of Obama’s new space policy, something I have been talking about for months, and noted again earlier this week.
Progress successfully docks, July 4, 2010
After its docking failure Friday, the Russian unmanned Progress freighter successfully docked with ISS today.
After its docking failure Friday, the Russian unmanned Progress freighter successfully docked with ISS today.
Want to know how big the Sun is?
Space war continues
The political space war continues. The Senate Commerce Committee is going to propose on July 15 one extra shuttle flight and the immediate move to develop a “heavy-lift” rocket (which is merely another name for the Ares rocket).
The political space war continues. The Senate Commerce Committee is going to propose on July 15 one extra shuttle flight and the immediate move to develop a “heavy-lift” rocket (which is merely another name for the Ares rocket).
Docking at ISS of Progress freighter fails
The arrival of a new unmanned Progress freighter at ISS has gone wrong, with the freighter drifting past the station by several miles. What happened is not yet clear, but as far as I know from my research into the Russian space station program, this is the first time the automatic docking of a Progress freighter has failed this wildly. There have been some near collisions, but to miss by miles is unprecedented.
Whether they can redirect the freighter back to the station also remains as yet unknown.
The arrival of a new unmanned Progress freighter at ISS has gone wrong, with the freighter drifting past the station by several miles. What happened is not yet clear, but as far as I know from my research into the Russian space station program, this is the first time the automatic docking of a Progress freighter has failed this wildly. There have been some near collisions, but to miss by miles is unprecedented.
Whether they can redirect the freighter back to the station also remains as yet unknown.
Kepler detects extrasolar earthquakes
The birth of extrasolar helioseismology: Using the first month of data from Kepler, scientists have actually detected oscillations or fluctuations in the shapes of 47 red giants (the equivalent of stellar earthquakes). The pdf preprint is here.
The birth of extrasolar helioseismology: Using the first month of data from Kepler, scientists have actually detected oscillations or fluctuations in the shapes of 47 red giants (the equivalent of stellar earthquakes). The pdf preprint is here.
astronaut photography
Alan Boyle on his Cosmic Log webpage today has a nice report on astronaut photographer Douglas Wheelock and the spectacular pictures he is taking in his stint on ISS.
Alan Boyle on his Cosmic Log webpage today has a nice report on astronaut photographer Douglas Wheelock and the spectacular pictures he is taking in his stint on ISS.
why I remain skeptical about global warming
Here is another example of why I remain skeptical of any claims that the science of global warming is settled. Ken Stewart, a retired school teacher in Australia, decided to make a very detailed comparison between the raw data and adjusted data of all thirteen weather stations in the state of Victoria, and found that, for unknown reasons, the adjusted “data [has] been arbitrarily adjusted to cool earlier years,” thereby creating the illusion that the region’s climate has been warming since the 1930s.
Take a look at the many graphs on his webpage. It will make you wonder.
Here is another example of why I remain skeptical of any claims that the science of global warming is settled. Ken Stewart, a retired school teacher in Australia, decided to make a very detailed comparison between the raw data and adjusted data of all thirteen weather stations in the state of Victoria, and found that, for unknown reasons, the adjusted “data [has] been arbitrarily adjusted to cool earlier years,” thereby creating the illusion that the region’s climate has been warming since the 1930s.
Take a look at the many graphs on his webpage. It will make you wonder.
why I never use Wikipedia
Why I never use Wikipedia. Key quote:
The larger moral of this story is that Wikipedia itself is a fundamentally flawed and unreliable source. In fact, it is wrong even to describe — much less to use — Wikipedia as a source. Wikipedia is merely a platform. Since anyone and everyone can edit Wikipedia entries and since they can do so anonymously, Wikipedia is, by its very nature, susceptible to constant manipulation.
Why I never use Wikipedia. Key quote:
The larger moral of this story is that Wikipedia itself is a fundamentally flawed and unreliable source. In fact, it is wrong even to describe — much less to use — Wikipedia as a source. Wikipedia is merely a platform. Since anyone and everyone can edit Wikipedia entries and since they can do so anonymously, Wikipedia is, by its very nature, susceptible to constant manipulation.
New Horizons course correction to Pluto
Mission operators at the Applied Physics Lab in Maryland did a 35 second course correction yesterday on the New Horizon’s mission to Pluto, increasing its velocity by one mile per hour. The planned fly-by now set for July 14, 2015.
Mission operators at the Applied Physics Lab in Maryland did a 35 second course correction yesterday on the New Horizon’s mission to Pluto, increasing its velocity by one mile per hour. The planned fly-by now set for July 14, 2015.
More images of Ikaros
A new picture of the Japanese solar sail Ikaros has been released, showing the sail in operation. By turning power on and off to different sections along the sail’s rim, engineers can change the way light reflects off those sections to control the sail’s attitude in space without using fuel. Note also that the power comes from sunlight, not from batteries. The picture below illustrates this, with different parts of the rim either bright or dark, depending on whether they are powered or not.
A new picture of the Japanese solar sail Ikaros has been released, showing the sail in operation. By turning power on and off to different sections along the sail’s rim, engineers can change the way light reflects off those sections to control the sail’s attitude in space without using fuel. Note also that the power comes from sunlight, not from batteries. The picture below illustrates this, with different parts of the rim either bright or dark, depending on whether they are powered or not.
dates for last two shuttle flights extends program into 2011
NASA has now made it official: they have set the dates for the last two shuttle flights, extending the program into late February 2011. Considering the dissatisfaction in Congress and with the public over the lack of any replacement for the shuttle, don’t be surprised if at least one more shuttle flight gets added to the schedule.
NASA has now made it official: they have set the dates for the last two shuttle flights, extending the program into late February 2011. Considering the dissatisfaction in Congress and with the public over the lack of any replacement for the shuttle, don’t be surprised if at least one more shuttle flight gets added to the schedule.
streaks in shuttle engine plume
Want to get a sense of the subtleties and complexity of rocket engineering? Go to this Chris Bergin report at nasaspaceflight.com about the unusual number of visible streaks of light that were seen in the engine plume of the shuttle’s main engines during the last flight of Atlantis. Who would have thought this matters? It does.
Want to get a sense of the subtleties and complexity of rocket engineering? Go to this Chris Bergin report at nasaspaceflight.com about the unusual number of visible streaks of light that were seen in the engine plume of the shuttle’s main engines during the last flight of Atlantis. Who would have thought this matters? It does.
Klaven and Gore
Enough with depressing space news. Take a break and watch Andrew Klaven’s totally untrue but very silly analysis of how global warming broke up the Gore marriage.
Enough with depressing space news. Take a break and watch Andrew Klaven’s totally untrue but very silly analysis of how global warming broke up the Gore marriage.
The Final Tanks
And are we supposed to be happy? NASA is going to give the last shuttle external tank a send off ceremony when they roll it out for shipment by barge to the Cape on July 8.
And are we supposed to be happy? NASA is going to give the last shuttle external tank a send off ceremony when they roll it out for shipment by barge to the Cape on July 8.
Ocean Conveyor Belt theory questioned
Always remember: science is doubt! Since the 1970s, most oceanographers have favored the theory that past ice ages on Earth were caused by the switching on and off of a global ocean conveyor belt. Now, that decades-old theory is being questioned.
Always remember: science is doubt! Since the 1970s, most oceanographers have favored the theory that past ice ages on Earth were caused by the switching on and off of a global ocean conveyor belt. Now, that decades-old theory is being questioned.