News Headlines for November 2000

Cosmosphere makes Liberty Bell 7 items available to the public The Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center is making a limited number of items remaining from the restoration of the Liberty Bell 7 Mercury spacecraft available to the public. The proceeds from the sales will help offset the costs of the Cosmosphere's Liberty Bell 7 restoration and exhibition program. Scientists discover possible microbe from space See also: Scientist's extraordinary claim: Alien microbe discovered An international team of scientists has recovered microorganisms in the upper reaches of the atmosphere that could have originated from outer space, a participant in the study said Friday. A year after lift-off, XMM-Newton is impressing the X-ray astronomy community Tiny, eccentric Pluto is the last unexplored planet in the sun's family--and it may stay that way for a long time if NASA scientists and engineers cannot greatly reduce their output of the dreaded element "unobtainium." That's NASA chief scientist Edward Weiler's pet term for an overly optimistic reliance on unobtainable goals that often results in higher mission costs--or no mission at all. NASA Suspends Mission to Pluto Tiny, eccentric Pluto is the last unexplored planet in the sun's family--and it may stay that way for a long time if NASA scientists and engineers cannot greatly reduce their output of the dreaded element "unobtainium." That's NASA chief scientist Edward Weiler's pet term for an overly optimistic reliance on unobtainable goals that often results in higher mission costs--or no mission at all. Europe plays a major part in future Mars exploration Starting with Mars Express and Beagle 2 and ending with a possible Sample Return Mission, Europe will be making a major contribution to Mars exploration over the next two decades. Europe's plans complement the new programme recently announced by NASA in the wake of last year's mission losses. China offers rare look at its emerging space program China lifted some of the secrecy shrouding its ambitions in space on Wednesday, releasing a policy paper that calls for boosting commercial launch services with more powerful rockets and putting a man in orbit by the decade's end. Observatory coup for UK astronomers British astronomers have been told they can join the project that will operate the largest optical telescope in the world. Huygens helps Cassini to meet Galileo at Jupiter As the Cassini spacecraft starts its approach of Jupiter, the Huygens Probe and all its onboard instruments remain dormant. However, Huygens is not going to be totally passive. The role of Huygens in acting as a sunshield will be crucial in protecting Cassini's instruments from the heat of the Sun. New insight offered into formation of Yucatan crater Computer simulations have revealed that a vast region of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, may have behaved like a fluid during the formation of the Chicxulub impact crater. Swedish winner for the Cassini-Huygens quiz!! In May this year, when Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn aligned , ESA proposed the Cassini-Huygens contest. The competitors had to answer two questions: How big a telescope would be needed to see Cassini/Huygens in mid-May 2000? At what angle with respect to the Sun-Earth line would you see it? Leonids Galore During the annual Leonids meteor shower last weekend, sky watchers in parts of Europe, Africa, and the Americas reported short bursts of meteors at rates of up to 200 meteors per hour, according to a Science@NASA news report. Many observers took photographs and video which have been collected in an online gallery. Final boom deployment clears the way for Cluster commissioning Events have moved quickly over the past week as the Cluster mission has passed a series of significant landmarks. Jupiter and Saturn offer close-ups New images taken from space show further evidence of gullies on the surface of Mars that may have been carved by water. Space probe films cloud dance on Jupiter See also: Watch Jupiter’s Red Spot move Two brief video sequences of Jupiter released by NASA this week reveal the violent weather patterns that dominate the largest planet in the solar system. More evidence of flowing water on Mars New images taken from space show further evidence of gullies on the surface of Mars that may have been carved by water. Prime lunar real estate for sale -- but hurry Want to buy a piece of land that promises lots of quiet and great views of the stars? There's a sale going on that's out of this world. But hurry, the price will soon rise astronomically. Fresh supplies for space station A cargo craft has successfully docked with the International Space Station after some initial technical hitches. Life From Mars? New research brings up interesting possibilities In an exclusive article written for the Planetary Society's bi-monthly magazine The Planetary Report, researchers from Caltech, in Pasadena California, discuss their recent discovery that shows it is possible for a rock to be violently blasted off of another planet (in this case Mars), travel through interplanetary space, and re-enter the atmosphere of another planet (in this case Earth) without portions of the rock being heated over 40C (104F). Cosmodrome lease to be extended for ten years Kazakhstan is prepared to extend Russia's lease on the Baikonur Cosmodrome for another ten years. Shooting stars disappoint See also: Meteor shower makes a splash Poor conditions have disappointed many stargazers in the UK, hoping for one of the most impressive displays of shooting stars of the year. Just in time for holiday gift-giving: personal satellites With the holiday season approaching, Dale Richards and Robert Twiggs say they may have just the item for that special scientist in your life -- a personal satellite. Space station skipper: Air conditioner thumps, but toilet works great With the holiday season approaching, Dale Richards and Robert Twiggs say they may have just the item for that special scientist in your life -- a personal satellite. Astro-architects build earthly foundations “Every single aspect of space is conspiring at every moment to pretty much kill humans.” And this is part of what motivates Madhu Thangavelu to be a space architect. Flowing Sand in Space NASA scientists are sending sand into Earth orbit to learn more about how soil behaves during earthquakes. Their results will help engineers build safer structures on Earth and someday on other planets, too. Final boom deployment clears the way for Cluster commissioning Events have moved quickly over the past week as the Cluster mission has passed a series of significant landmarks. Extreme ultraviolet light mission comes to an end After eight years on orbit, more than twice its planned lifetime, NASA will terminate operations of a bantam astronomy explorer in December that returned unprecedented results. NASA's retooled Mars plan a smart approach The retooled effort is a good one in its smart call for a slower, more deliberate, and more international approach that remains geared toward the key goal. Date set for Mir destruction See also: Final Plans? , Mir to be scuttled next February and Russia plans for Mir's destruction The final decision on the future of the 14-year-old Mir space station seems to have been made by the Russian Government. A cabinet meeting has approved a plan to de-orbit Mir between 26 and 28 February, 2001. Pyramids lined up with the stars See also: Stars Tell Time and British Egyptologist Solves Pyramid Mystery Ancient Egyptian astronomers aligned the pyramids due north by using two stars that circle the celestial polar point. NASA image reveals a battle of galactic forces Like a balloon being inflated, jets powered by a black hole push hot gas away from galaxy Cygnus A, leaving a football-like cavity. The features are revealed in a new image from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. Space tourist keeps hope alive The death knell may have tolled for the Mir space station, but for Dennis Tito, the man intent on becoming the world’s first space tourist, it’s music to his ears. “I believe the chance of me going to Mir is less than 1 percent,” Tito said in an exclusive interview with Space.com, “but I think it is highly likely that I will end up flying to the International Space Station on April 30.” Space station crew 'hams' it up ahead of cargo ship visit The first residents of the International Space Station enjoyed a few days rest before preparing for the arrival of a Russian spacecraft crammed with tons of supplies. During their down time they hooked up a ham radio and spoke with people more than 200 miles (320 km) below on Earth. A space reporter's trek to the highly remote frontier "The Soyuz rocket that would carry the first International Space Station crew to their home-far-away-from-home was out there somewhere, fueled-up, filled-up and sealed-up, we were assured." Will Iridium Bankruptcy Buyout Be Deal Of the Century The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York today approved the bid of Iridium Satellite LLC to purchase the operating assets of Iridium LLC and its subsidiaries. Lighting Up the Ecosphere Using satellite images of city lights at night, NASA scientists are mapping the spread of urban areas around the globe and monitoring their impact on our planet's ecosystem. Ancient Stars Reveal Clues To Heavy Element Formation Astronomers studying how elements heavier than iron were produced in the early Milky Way have identified a distinct series of epochs of galaxy-wide chemical formation. NEAR Team Releases Low-Flyover Movie Showing you don't need lasers and light sabers to make a great space flick, the NEAR mission team has released the first movie from NEAR Shoemaker's low-altitude buzz over Eros. Sometimes the Sky Does Fall The danger of asteroids isn't fantasy. Deflection might not be possible, but detection should be pursued. Cluster Is 'One Of The Best' Says U.S. Science Magazine 2000 It’s official. ESA’s Cluster mission represents one of the most significant advances in space science over the past 12 months. Lone neutron star speeds through space See also: Hubble observes fast-moving neutron star and Hubble Sees Bare Neutron Star Streaking Across Space Astronomers have identified a runaway neutron star that is hurtling in our direction at more than 100 times the speed of a supersonic jet. A Snowy Io? University of Arizona scientists were somewhat puzzled to discover a thick layer of sulfur-based 'snow' covering Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io. New England Can Catch Leonids Glimpses Nov 17 Six teams of scientists led by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., will monitor the annual Leonids meteor shower this month when the phenomenon is brightest over the North American continent. Gym gives space muscles a workout There is no doubt that future Red Planet explorers will be more than a little weak-in-the-knees after a round-trip jaunt lasting some three years. Research shows that exposure to microgravity weakens muscle, causes bone loss and plays havoc with a person’s balance and coordination. But scientists and engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Man-Vehicle Laboratory are tackling the problem with experiments in artificial gravity. Flickering Quasar Helps Chandra Measure the Expansion Rate of the Universe Astronomers using the Chandra X-ray Observatory have identified a flickering, four-way mirage image of a distant quasar. A carefully planned observation of this mirage may be used to determine the expansion rate of the Universe as well as to measure the distances to extragalactic objects, arguably two of the most important pursuits in modern astronomy. Cassini captures the many faces of Jupiter A probe traveling through deep space conducted an extensive photo shoot of Jupiter, documenting the changing appearance of the gas giant as it turned more than one full rotation, NASA said this week. Collider to close for good European scientists have decided to close a giant machine that may have seen the "missing link" of particle physics. Mars sample return plan carries microbial risk, group warns Should NASA bring back Mars soil or rock to Earth? While the space agency hopes to accomplish that feat within the decade, the International Committee Against Mars Sample Return (ICAMSR) warns it could infect Earth with an interplanetary plague. Much Ado about 2000 SG344 Later this century a relic from NASA's earliest space exploration efforts might return to Earth, if current estimates are confirmed. The near-Earth object, which follows an orbit almost identical to our planet's, looks like an asteroid but may be an Apollo-era rocket booster. Listen to this story! From Red Centre To Red Planet Australia could may one day become a player in the international effort to send people to Mars, with the recent announcement of a grant to Mars Society Australia for design and construction of the Human Operations Prototype (HOP) Mars rover as part of Project Marsupial. High Rate Of Star Births Linked To Supermassive Black Holes The unusually high rates of star births seen in some galaxies may be linked to voracious black holes at the center of those galaxies, according to a new analysis of astronomical data by researchers at The Johns Hopkins University. Humans on Mars? The debate rages Humans are landing on Mars all the time in Hollywood movies, with even more scheduled to do so this month. But when will astronauts really go to Mars? Mars may still rumble Mars may not be volcanically dead. Lava may have flowed over its surface just a few tens of millions of years ago. China Eyes Space See also: China pushing ahead with plans to put its astronauts in space China will soon put a person into space and become the third nation in the world to boast manned space flight, a top Chinese aerospace official said Sunday. Fair forecast for meteor show Forecasting the intensity of the annual Leonid meteor shower has gone from luck to precise science, and two astronomers who predicted 1999’s shower with unprecedented accuracy call for a modest display on Nov. 17 and 18. Chandra Observes Cosmic Traffic Pile-Up In Energetic Quasar Jet Using the unrivaled high resolution of NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers have seen important new details in the powerful jet shooting from the quasar 3C273. Space Station Debut See also: Missing parts vex space station crew The international space station is a concept that has taken decades to happen. But astronauts and scientists see a rosy future now that it’s finally occupied and even has a name. Mars In The Early 21st Century In the wake of last year's twin Mars failures NASA's exploration program is undergoing a period of crisis and drastic redesign. And while the Outer Planets exploration program - or lack there of - has left a bitter taste for many involved, plans for Mars are pushing ahead as SpaceDaily's Bruce Moomaw reports from Pasadena, where members of NASA's Solar System Exploration Subcommittee met last week. Sex That's Out of This World Getting amorous while in orbit is a fantasy for some, and a serious question for those with a scientific thirst to know if having sex in zero-gravity conditions would be fabulous or fraught with technical difficulties. Solving the X-ray background mystery The long standing uncertainty over the origins of the X-ray background (XRB) may perhaps be a thing of the past. XMM-Newton observations are backing up the view that this faint glow of X-rays pervading the cosmos comes essentially from many individual but so-far undetected celestial objects and not just from the hot environment within galaxies. Stellar 'corpses' linked to gamma-ray bursts Huge blasts of high-energy radiation which sweep out across the Universe almost daily are most probably linked to the death throes of giant stars. Earthbound candidates don't articulate space policy Why is it that the popular imagination flies so high, while the political imagination just creeps along? TV, movies and video games bubble with enthusiasm for space exploration, but politicians, including the presidential candidates, aren't much interested. And yet humanity's future in space is a matter of vital concern. Save the Pluto Express Mission - An Update The Planetary Society's campaign to save the Pluto-Kuiper Express mission has helped draw attention to the tiny distant planet. In fact, Congress has taken notice AND, more importantly, taken action. Scientists revise asteroid warning See also: Asteroid spotted in space has a slim chance of hitting Earth and Impact Scare in 2030 Put To Rest Astronomers say reports that the Earth could be struck by a small asteroid in 2030 are wildly exaggerated. NASA cancels miniature rover for joint Japan-U.S. asteroid mission NASA has canceled development of a miniature rover, which would have been part of the U.S. contribution to a Japanese mission to an asteroid. The primary reasons for the cancellation were rising costs and weight. Life In The Cracks The cracks in Europa's icy crust are where life is most likely to be found on the Jovian moon, a conference heard last week. Pod Lands in Desert The first test flight of an emergency escape pod landed successfully in the Mojave Desert, after a 13-minute flight. The Fun Part See also: Space crew get down to work , Settling In and Dirty laundry, puffy faces: the downside of space living The first residents of the international space station arrived at their new home Thursday, swinging open the doors and settling in for a four-month stay. NASA'S Chandra captures telling gamma-ray afterglow The Chandra Observatory's sharp-eyed X-ray vision has detected something never before seen. The discovery may help find the origin of what many researchers believe are the most powerful explosions in the Universe. Venezuela hopes to offer vacations on the moon Venezuela's president hopes a new space project in the South American country will offer tourists vacations on the moon. Collider's fate in the balance See also: Physicists May Have Detected Elusive Higgs Boson Particle and Higgs hunting The decision on whether to finally pull the plug on the world's largest particle collider has been delayed until next week. New results on Martian meteorite support hypothesis that life can jump between planets According to one version of the "panspermia" theory, life on Earth could originally have arrived here by way of meteorites from Mars, where conditions early in the history of the solar system are thought to have been more favorable for the creation of life from nonliving ingredients. The only problem has been how a meteorite could get blasted off of Mars without frying any microbial life hitching a ride. What we know about Mars: read all about it on the ESA science web site It's fewer than 40 years since the first spacecraft to visit Mars, the Mariners, finally demonstrated that there are no canals or thick vegetation on the planet. Since then, our knowledge about Mars has grown dramatically with every subsequent visit by a successful space mission. New Evidence Suggests Mars Has Been Cold and Dry U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists studying Mars have discovered minerals with profound implications for the past history of the planet. The mineral olivine, an iron-magnesium silicate that weathers easily by water, has been found in abundance on Mars. The presence of olivine implies that chemical weathering by water is low on the planet and that Mars has been cold and dry throughout its geologic history. Crew sets up shop on space station 'Alpha' Before going to sleep for the first time in their new home, the inaugural residents of the International Space Station decided to give it a new name. ‘Planet’ definition is being changed Traditional views of what makes a celestial body a planet, in place for centuries and defined almost entirely by the nine with which we’re most familiar, have become thoroughly antiquated in five short years as a host of new objects have been discovered. And so the word “planet” will be redefined by the world organization authorized to do so. The change could come as early as mid-November. Man pleads guilty to selling fake moon rocks On Oct. 30, 2000, Richard Keith Mountain (AKA: Nicholas Parker Cole), New Milford, CT, appeared before United States Magistrate Morton Silver, District of Arizona, and entered a plea of guilty to six counts of mail and wire fraud in connection with a scheme to sell alleged "moon rocks" to interested buyers. A Bird's Eye View of a Galaxy Collision See also: Hubble spies colliding galaxies What appears as a bird's head, leaning over to snatch up a tasty meal, is a striking example of a galaxy collision in NGC 6745. The "bird" is a large spiral galaxy, with its core still intact. It is peering at its "prey," a smaller passing galaxy (nearly out of the field of view at lower right). The bright blue beak and bright, whitish-blue top feathers show the distinct path taken during the smaller galaxy's journey. These galaxies did not merely interact gravitationally as they passed one another; they actually collided. Jupiter's Volcanic Moon Io: Strange Shapes In A Sizzling World The volcanoes on Jupiter's moon Io are like exotic dishes: they're hot, spicy, and have unfamiliar ingredients, according to new data from NASA's Galileo spacecraft. Astronomers Find Surprising Double Asteroid and a New Asteroid Moon Astronomers announced today that they have found a large, double asteroid in our solar system. The configuration is a surprise to astronomers, who once thought asteroids were lone objects. Recipe For Neptune Revealed By Scientists See also: Keck Snaps Neptune's Icy Atmosphere What do you get if you mix together one part helium and five-and-a-half parts hydrogen, add a dash of methane, heat to 60 Kelvins (-351 degrees F) and let sit for over four billion years? If you made a large enough batch of these mixed gases, you might get the planet Neptune.

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