News Headlines for June 1998

Commit to space to secure bright future As a child, space brought to Jim Lovell's mind images of an ideal world with hovering cars and spacious self-cleaning house near the spaceport. In his dreams, it still does. Neutron star could kill us all, but perhaps not today As if you didn't have enough to worry about already, it turns out that we're 100 million years overdue for mass extinction. Japanese Planet-B Spacecraft To Study Martian Atmosphere The Planet-B orbiter to Mars is slated for launch on July 4, 1998 (Japan Standard Time). This new mission heralds a series of Japanese space science missions to explore the inner planets, Moon, and near-Earth asteroid Nereus. One year after Mars Pathfinder  It’s been almost a year since the Mars Pathfinder probe bounced down to the surface of the Red Planet. To mark the anniversary, NASA and space scientists are looking back at the mission’s legacy and pondering their next steps in Mars exploration. Scientists Lose Contact with Soho Solar Spacecraft U.S. and European scientists have lost contact with the SOHO spacecraft, which has been circling and studying the sun for the past two years, the European Space Agency (ESA) said on June 26. Mir needs cash boost to ensure controlled descent See also: Cash or crash warns Mir The company which operates the Russian space station, Mir, has threatened to abandon the craft, leaving it to crash back to Earth, unless the Russian government pays its maintenance costs. Getting Worked Up Over Mars Astronauts on long missions in space need to exercise as much as two hours a day to keep from becoming brittle weaklings on their return to Earth, top scientists have said. Scientists Find New Planet See also: Planet found orbiting nearby star and Another New Planet Astronomers have discovered a planet bigger than Jupiter just 15 light years from Earth, apparently a huge ball of gas with a surface temperature well below zero. 'Ice bacteria' clue to life on Mars Colonies of bacteria thriving in one of the coldest, driest places on Earth have raised hopes of finding life on Mars. Alone With Hopes of Mars They don’t call it a sacrifice, but a few brave volunteers are locking themselves into NASA isolation tanks for months on end, experiments essential for a manned mission to Mars. NASA Defends Space Station The International Space Station is over budget, behind schedule and not being supported by Russia, but canceling the project would be “devastating” to the U.S. space program. Asteroid finder named to hall of fame Asteroid finder and astronomer Eleanor F. Helin of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, has been named to the Women in Science and Technology International (WITI) Hall of Fame, an award that honors women in science and technology worldwide. Star flare causes stir A brightening star is causing excitement among astronomers because it may be caused by so-called 'dark matter'. A Space Invader Is here It's a galaxy-eat-galaxy universe out there. Big ones cat little ones, then the big ones "merge" with other big ones. Mergers start out as collisions. Hot Time on Neptune Moon One of Neptune’s moons has warmed up suddenly over the last nine years, possibly because a rare southern summer has heated the polar caps, turning frozen nitrogen into gas. Earth image database is a mega-hit Even before its official release, a trillion-byte database of aerial images from around the globe is attracting millions of hits per day, the project’s partners said June 23. The resolution is good enough to spot streets and houses, even cars and boats — but not people. First Circumstellar Disk around a Massive Star Observations with an infrared-sensitive instrument at the ESO 3.6-m telescope at La Silla have for the first time shown the presence of a disk around a hot and massive star, known as G339.88-1.26. Until now, disks have only been found around less massive stars. Planets are formed in such disks. The new discovery may thus have important implications for our understanding of the formation of planetary systems around stars. The VLT Images a "Rectangular" Planetary Nebula IC 4406 is a planetary nebula with an unusual, almost "rectangular" shape. It is located in the southern constellation Lupus (the Wolf). The distance is somewhat uncertain, possibly around 5,000 light-years. The VLT Looks Deep into a Spiral Galaxy This is a combination of two 30 min exposures of the southern spiral galaxy Messier 83, obtained in succession with the VLT. First VLT Colour Photo of a Strange Galaxy This colour photo from the VLT shows NGC 4650A, a member of the so-called Centaurus chain of galaxies in the southern constellation of that name. A Star Changes its Tune A common technique in studio recording these days is over-dubbing an artist's voice so that she can harmonize with herself. Amazingly, astronomers have discovered a pulsating star that appears to be doing the same thing: pulsating with two different rhythms simultaneously. And because it has only started exhibiting this behavior recently, the star may be at a rare moment in its life when the snail's pace of stellar change become measurable on a human timescale. Getting a solid view of the Sun's corona Understanding what's going on with the Sun may require a second look - from a different perspective. Most of the images scientists now have of the Sun are based on a limited view from Earth. Even telescopes in space are so near the Earth that they see the same face as we do. A proposal has been made to use two separate spacecraft - one in Earth's orbit and one in deep space - to simultaneously observe the Sun's activity in true stereo. Return to space: John Glenn gets ready A pre-flight interview. CNN Correspondent John Holliman recently questioned the past and future astronaut about his upcoming mission. Critics call it a taxpayer-funded joyride, but Glenn, who pushed for the assignment, says it will prove valuable in learning more about space and the aging process. Eavesdropping on Mir In the tradition of the Kettering Group of British school children, who in the 1960s and ’70s tuned into Soviet space signals and told the world what they found, many Western radio amateurs still listen to the broadcasts between Mir and Mission Control in Moscow. 1 Year After Mir Crash, Foale Reminisces More than anything, astronaut Michael Foale remembers the black silence each time the ruptured Mir space station slipped around the dark side of the Earth. Cosmic-ray observatory might not be built in Utah A proposal to build a $50 million cosmic-ray observatory in Utah's Millard County likely will be delayed until construction of a twin observatory in Argentina is well under way, and it is possible the Utah facility will not be built. Meteorites are attracting out-of-this-world attention, prices Rocks from outer space are bringing big prices from collectors on Earth. Late last month, two intact iron meteorites sold at auction in Los Angeles for $100,000 apiece. Another slice of meteorite studded with crystals of semiprecious olivine brought $45,000. United States and France Work Toward Mars Sample Return Mission in 2005 France and the United States have announced that they will cooperate in the robotic exploration of Mars. Plans focus on the Mars sample return mission that would launch a NASA-built lander and/or rover on the French Ariane rocket. SpaceChimps: The Forgotten Veterans They’re pioneers of the space program who are about to be sold by the U.S. government, triggering a fight over their future. Should they be used for the latest medical experiments or spend their last days in retirement? Meteorite finds home Houston Woods was drinking coffee in his kitchen when a meteorite crashed through his roof and lodged in the springs of his bed. At least he thinks it was a meteorite. "Big Bang 2" Linked By UCSD Astrophysicists To The Birth Of A Supermassive Black Hole The incredible burst of gamma rays detected last December 14, surpassed in power only by the original Big Bang, may be the lingering cry of millions of stars being engulfed by a newly born monster black hole at the edge of the universe. Mars mission schedule in flux NASA says it is rethinking its plan for exploring Mars over the next decade. The leading scenario calls for a slimmed-down mission in 2001 without a rover, although mission planners emphasized June 18 that a final decision has not yet been made. Hubble finds huge black hole See also: 'Giant hubcap' is spinning in space The Hubble Space Telescope has done it again, this time taking a dramatic picture of a disk of debris circling a black hole embedded in a distant galaxy. Astronomers find comets around two nearby stars, indicating likelihood of forming planets See also: Two Separate Studies Shed Light on How Comets May Be Involved in the Birth of Planets Space scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have found two nearby stars that appear to be continually bombarded by comets, thought by many to be the building blocks of planets. Mars in 3D Clever use of technology is providing some of the best pictures ever seen of the red planet. Scientists have managed to produce 3D images of the surface. Unlike normal, flat images the new pictures show the height of objects. Beam-riding rocket lifts off Scientists in America have begun testing a rocket powered by a laser beam which they hope could revolutionise space travel. Robotic Helicopter Will Help NASA Scientists Explore Remote Arctic Crater and Learn More about Mars NASA scientists will use an experimental robotic helicopter developed at Carnegie Mellon to explore a meteorite impact crater on a tiny island in the Canadian High Arctic to learn more about Mars. From June 22 to July 26, a 20-member team will explore the Haughton Impact Crater on Devon Island. Space group hopes to launch first amateur rocket into space On Saturday morning (June 20), a small group of space enthusiasts will attempt to make space history by sending the first amateur rocket into space - and the first hybrid rocket into space ever. Chabrow Report released The cost assessment and validation task force, an independent committee chaired by Jay Chabrow, has completed its report on the International Space Station. Read NASA Administrator Dan Goldin's cover letter. Read NASA's response (this is a text file for you to read using your word processor.). Winter on Mars is much like the Earth See also: Orbiter documents Martian winter The Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft has taking some remarkable images of the onset of winter in the northern hemisphere of Mars. First Female Cosmonaut Marks 35 Years since Space Flight Similar to Yuri Gagarin, who was the first to shake the world making the first ever manned space flight, Valentina Tereshkova became another sensation of the century. She was the first female cosmonaut launched into space on board the " Vostok-6" spaceship 35 years ago. $20 Million Restored to Mars 2001 Mission The United States Senate Appropriations Committee's fiscal year 1999 budget for NASA restores $20 million to the mission, and this will go a long way to reduce severe technical constraints and enhance the mission's success. Down-to-earth view of impact threat During a Capitol Hill briefing June 15, scientists sought to play down the Hollywood hype surrounding near-Earth asteroids and comets, saying threatening objects would be spotted more than a year in advance. But what happens if a threat is detected? That real-life plot line hasn’t been written yet. Return to Mercury Japanese scientists are considering an ambitious mission to the little visited planet Mercury in the early years of the next century. Search for life on Mars with your computer In August 1996 Nasa scientists stunned the world by claiming they had found tiny fossilised micro-organisms in a meteorite from Mars. Now anyone with a computer can help look for some more. No Money to Lower Mir See also: Russian cash crunch threatens to scuttle Mir's retirement Hours after announcing that the Mir space station would start a controlled descent this week in preparation for being discarded, space officials said today they lacked money to perform the maneuver—at least for now. Galileo finds ghostly ring on Jupiter The Galileo spacecraft, in orbit around the giant planet Jupiter, has detected a ghostly light ring that circles the planet's poles. Names Headed for Space More than 330,000 names will be etched on two microchips that will set off in February on a seven-year trip to a comet and back. Will yours? "Nearby" Galaxy Clusters May Still Be Birthing New Stars Astronomers at Northwestern University have found newer, bluer galaxies than expected in nearby galaxy clusters, suggesting broods of young stars in these galaxies. Tuning In On "The Antennae": The Ultraluminous Starburst Potential At a meeting of the American Astronomical Society on June 9, radio astronomers announced that the total molecular gas content--the fuel for star formation--in a pair of colliding galaxies, known as "the Antennae," is much greater than previously thought. Giant SHRIMP Poised To Target Big Questions With Tiny Ion Beam Picture the solar nebula, that hot cloud of gas and dust that collapsed to form our solar system. Where did the gas and dust molecules come from? And what was the sequence of events that transformed them from a swirling amorphous blob into the well-organized planets and atmospheres that we know today? Pathfinder leaders take their place among the stars Four asteroids have been named in honor of key team members of the Mars Pathfinder mission that landed on the red planet a year ago on July 4. The new asteroid names were announced by asteroid hunter Eleanor Helin of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena. Hubble finds ring of stars Many of the images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope are strikingly beautiful and perhaps none more so than the ring of stars circling the galaxy NGC 4314. Back on The Ground Space shuttle Discovery landed in Florida at 2 p.m. EDT June 12, wrapping up NASA’s final mission to Mir and bringing home the last American tenant on the Russian outpost: a homesick Andrew Thomas. Cosmic Rays Start in Stars See also: New theory emerges for origin of cosmic rays Cosmic rays, mysterious high-energy particles that constantly zip through planets and even people, are born in the shock waves of exploding stars and sent racing outward at near the speed of light, according to a new theory. The VLT Sharpens its View Following the very successful First Light Event in late May, the first 8.2-m Unit Telescope (UT1) of the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) has continued to demonstrate its great potential. The stable atmosphere above Paranal, in combination with optimized, total control of the VLT UT1 optics, has now allowed some of the sharpest astronomical images to be obtained. NASA satellite captures video of bright, fast solar explosion NASA has released video footage of an intense solar flare -- evidence that solar explosions are caused by "waves" of energy travelling across the surface of the sun. The brighest object in the universe See also: Astronomers Spot Object that Might Be Brightest Known Astronomers have spotted what appears to be the brightest known object in the universe, a distant quasar that looks like an ordinary star through a small telescope. Scientists warn of meteor storm Astronomers and satellite operators are preparing for the most intense bombardment by meteors since 1966. A cosmic blizzard due in November could disable a few satellites in Earth orbit. Antenna problems continue to plague space shuttle A communication system failure aboard space shuttle Discovery has prevented astronauts from relaying information to Earth and almost certainly has spoiled a $33 million physics experiment. Brown Dwarfs Get Some Respect See also: Astronomers find new class of starlike objects Brown dwarfs may have failed as stars, never igniting into thermonuclear furnaces, but they’re all across the heavens. In fact, they’re the most popular object out there. Missing Matter a Gas Aside from the elusive dark matter that astronomers mumble about, there’s other stuff we can't find. A good chunk of the everyday matter that should be out there, we can’t see. One fellow may have the answer. Scientists Solve Sun Mystery Astronomers and mathematicians have solved a mystery that has perplexed scientists for half a century: Why the atmosphere of the sun is so much hotter than its surface. ET update: There’s still no ‘contact’ See also: The lonely planet asks: E.T., where are you? If there is an ET out there, astronomers on Earth haven’t heard from him. Hollywood may have had extensive communication with aliens in the movie “Contact,” but University of California, Berkeley researchers report that the most sensitive search for extraterrestrial radio signals ever conducted has turned up no evidence of anybody trying to call Earth. NASA selects home for Next Generation Space Telescope The duties of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, MD, will be expanded to include the management of science operations for the Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST), NASA officials announced June 9. Russians considering bringing Mir down earlier than planned The heads of the Russian Space Agency and one of Russia's two largest space contractors said June 9 that the Mir space station might have to be de-orbited late this year unless money is found to pay for future flights, the Itar-Tass news service reported. Radio Telescopes Detect 143 New Galaxies See also: Astronomers Peek Behind Obscuring Curtain of Dust Two radio telescopes, one in the Netherlands and the other in Australia, have detected 143 new galaxies previously obscured by the Milky Way, a scientist said on June 9. What caused the biggest explosion ever seen? Earlier this year, astronomers revealed that they had seen the biggest explosion in space since the big bang. Now they want to explain it. Meteorite Rocks Small Town See also: Texas Kids Win Battle Over Meteor Rights Eleven-year-old Alvaro Lyles says a meteorite that landed in his front yard belongs to him and his family under one of the oldest rules in the book: "finders, keepers." But city officials are holding on to the soccer-ball-sized rock, saying it actually landed on government property. A view from largest-ever sky survey See also: Picturing the Heavens The most ambitious mapping of the heavens ever undertaken is about to start from a remote observatory in New Mexico, using the most complex camera ever built. The $77 million project, called the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, will probe 40 times farther into the universe than any earlier survey, taking pictures in three dimensions and in five colors. Astronomy conference devotes session to gamma-ray bursts The discovery of visible stars and afterglows where huge cosmic explosions were detected are leading to new findings. Photo captions for latest MGS image The Mars Global Surveyor, in orbit around the Red Planet, has imaged a small, fresh impact crater with dark ejecta using the Mars Orbiter Camera. U.S. astronomers discover mysterious star cluster See also: Astronomers Discover Mysterious Group of Newly Formed Stars Near Earth -- And a Brown Dwarf Companion Astronomers on June 8 announced the discovery of a mysterious cluster of newly-formed stars, far closer to Earth than expected and accompanied by a giant "brown dwarf" planet. Discovery Departs From Mir Completing a historic last linkup, space shuttle Discovery pulled away from Mir today, marking the end of America's three-year partnership with the Russian space station and the transition into a new era of spaceflight: the international space station. Neutrino Researchers Bemoan Funding Cuts The team of physicists who stunned the scientific world with evidence that neutrinos have mass, or weight — a finding that could force the rethinking of basic theories about the universe — said June 6 that government budget cuts threaten to end their experiments. Mir's leaks stay hidden Russian and American crewmen on the Mir space station have made another abortive attempt to locate the leaks in a section of the orbiting complex which was punctured in a collision a year ago. An Asteroid is Coming! Calm Down Following March’s false alarm about an asteroid coming dangerously close to Earth in the 21st century and two Hollywood summer blockbusters about cosmic collisions, experts met June 6 to plan methods for asteroid warnings that won’t trigger mass panic. Mars Society Calls for Mobilization to Save Mars 2001 Mission Rover As a result of the Clinton Administration's pulling of $60 million in committed funds to support the Mars 2001 mission, NASA has canceled plans to fly the "Athena" robotic rover to Mars in that year. Thomas settles into life back aboard U.S. spacecraft Astronaut Andrew Thomas settled in today for the ride home aboard space shuttle Discovery after a four-month stay as the last American to live on Mir. Deep Space 1 trajectory includes asteroid flyby Mission planners for NASA's Deep Space 1 have selected a near-Earth asteroid, 1992 KD, as a flyby destination on July 28, 1999. The mission is scheduled for launch from July 21 to October 15, with the launch period extending to October 30. Scientists Make Surprising Discovery about Auroras As reported in the May 28, 1998, cover story of Nature, scientists from The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) have made a surprising discovery that contradicts long-held beliefs about the sun's relationship to the aurora. Mysterious Pluto Unseen but not Unnoticed Where have all the planets gone? For casual skywatchers used to the treat of at least one or two of the brightest members of our solar system showing up during an evening stroll, this year's June sky is a cupboard bare. New model shows how gravity wrinkled the universe A new computer model shows how gravity turned the smooth skin of the early universe into the wrinkly 12-billion-year-old structure seen today. Chinese Station Doing Celestial Research from Roof of the World Chinese scientists have built the world's highest observatory in the northern hemisphere, 4,300 meters above sea level on the Tibet Plateau at Yangbajan to do research that is usually done by satellites and space stations. Astronomers analyze 'Deep Impact' When it comes to the film "Deep Impact," astronomers are better equipped than anyone to sit back, dip a hand into the popcorn bag and provide a reality check on one of the biggest box-office hits of the season. Galileo finds strange interior of Jovian moon New data from NASA's Galileo spacecraft have prompted scientists to modify their concept of the interior structure of Jupiter's moon, Callisto, and suggest that Callisto has evolved differently than the other largest Jovian moons -- Io, Ganymede and Europa. Neutrino study may alter atom theory See also: The Universe Gains Weight and Reexamining Neutrinos In a revolutionary finding that may change fundamental theories about the past and future of the universe, physicists announced Friday they have evidence that the neutrino — an elusive, subatomic particle — has mass, or weight. Scientists Raise New Questions about Life in Mars Rock A chemical study casts fresh doubt on claims by NASA scientists that a rock from Mars contains evidence of life. A California research team says a mineral structure inside the meteorite were made by nonbiologic processes, and not by ancient bacteria as proposed by some researchers at NASA. Russians, Americans greet on Mir for last time Russian cosmonauts and American astronauts greeted each other for the last time aboard the Mir space station Thursday, as the hatch between Mir and the shuttle Discovery was opened after the two craft docked 245 miles above Earth. Mars-sur-la-mer Traces of an ancient Martian seashore have appeared on images from Nasa's Mars Global Surveyor probe. The spacecraft has also produced evidence that hot hydrothermal vents once bubbled on the planet's surface. Detective's Tale At Lucent Technologies Leads To Monument Honoring The Father Of Radio Astronomy A detective's tale, involving a Nobel Prize winner and a National Academy of Sciences member, has led to a June 8 ceremony at Lucent Technologies' Bell Labs facility here that honors the first person to hear radio waves from outer space. Two Comets Plunge into Sun See also: SOHO observations of two sungrazing comets Two comets plunged into the Sun this week, and hours after the second one hit, the Sun spewed out a mass of solar gas, NASA reported on June 2. Missiles 'fail to budge asteroids' See also: Rock piles in space and Blowing Up Asteroids Computer simulations suggest that trying to blow up a threatening asteroid with a nuclear weapon may be harder than was previously thought. Pilot’s Credentials Were Bogus A pilot accused of parlaying phony credentials into access to some of NASA's highest security areas has been arrested, charged with impersonating a federal officer. Universe in a Computer Researchers tested 10 computer models of the universe against what’s seen in the night sky. Only one came close. But that doesn’t mean it’s right. Astronauts sent to space without TV Space shuttle Discovery was hit by a TV blackout that could deprive NASA of live images of the final shuttle linkup with Mir on June 3. Space shuttle blasts off for final Mir mission The space shuttle Discovery has blasted off for Mir despite fears of delays following computer problems aboard the ailing Russian outpost. The Hundred-Mile-High Club? With the possibility of a nearly 1,000-day trip to Mars in the next century and extended stays on the new space station, NASA is considering a possible official OK to sex in outer space. After all, it’s pretty lonely up there among the stars. Last Mir Visit Planned Andy Thomas may be the astronaut most looking forward to Discovery’s lift-off. He’s been aboard space station Mir since January 25 and can’t wait to get home after four months aloft. Glenn participates in rappelling exercise as space training continues It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's a 76-year-old U.S. senator rappelling down the side of a space shuttle. Astronomers honor city of San Jose by renaming asteroid An asteroid discovered in 1975 has officially been renamed "San Jose" in honor of the city that has kept street lights dim in an effort to aid astronomers. Berry phase warps scientific theories of time While the Earth spins gaily round the sun once a year, Jupiter is ambling along, taking 12 times as long to complete a solar revolution. As it moves, its pull on the Earth is producing a slight change in our own position in the solar system, adding 25 milliseconds to each Earth year. South Africa to build world's second largest telescope South Africa announced plans on June 1 to build the southern hemisphere's largest single optical lens telescope, able to monitor other solar systems and spot a theoretical "candle burning on the moon." New ISS schedule released showing more delays NASA has released its updated launch schedule for parts of the new International Space Station, and, as expected, there will be a significant delay. NASA undecided on shuttle launch amid Mir problems NASA operations managers were to decide later Monday whether to go ahead with Tuesday's scheduled launch of the U.S. space shuttle Discovery on a mission to bring back U.S. astronaut Andy Thomas. Ex-Cosmonaut Returning to Orbit a LA John Glenn to See Mir When NASA travels to Mir for the last time, an ex-cosmonaut who lost 55 pounds to fit into a spacesuit will be along for the ride. ISO discovers water vapour on Titan The presence of water vapour in the mysterious atmosphere of Saturn's largest moon, Titan is revealed by infrared emission at wavelengths of 39.37 and 43.89 microns. The European Space Agency's Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) observed Titan with its Short Wavelength Spectrometer during several hours of observations in December 1997, when Titan was at its farthest from Saturn. ISO Switched Off After successful completion of its in-orbit mission, the ISO satellite was switched off at 14.00 CET on 16 May.

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