News Headlines for November 1998

Second Mars Invasion Force Ready Call it the revenge of the robots. But NASA's latest twin Mars missions is the second phase of an ongoing Mars exploration program that could see multiple launches every 18 months over the coming decades. And the estabishment of Robot colonies by 2010. Voyager 2 Healthy 8 Hours Out From Sol Voyager 2 was successfully returned to normal operations after a 66-hour communications black-out which began abruptly November 12. Having long since passed the Saturn and the outer gas giants Voyager 2 is now on the outer fringes of the solar system 8 light hours out, and heading south at 48 degrees to the ellipitic plane. The 1998 Leonids: a bust or a blast? At its peak the 1998 Leonid meteor shower produced "only" 500 shooting stars per hour, well below the 10's of thousands per hour that rained down during the 1966 Leonids Storm. However, what this year lacked in numbers it made up for in dazzle. First Images and Spectra from ISAAC on UT1 See also: Striking images from galaxies far, far away The European Southern Observatory has released the first images from the Infrared Spectometer and Array Camera (ISAAC) and test camera that are mounted aboard its Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile. Astronaut calls space station a stepping stone to Mars Michael Foale, deputy director of the Johnson Space Center in Houston and an astronaut who has flown on the Russian Mir space station, gives reasons why humanity needs a new station. The darkest mystery of them all If gravity works the way it’s supposed to, then at least 90 percent of the universe is invisible, existing as what’s come to be known as “dark matter.” What’s the nature of that missing mass, and what does it all mean for the fate of universe? The questions lead to some of the greatest mysteries of modern physics. NASA advances quest for life's origins with quartet of space probe Over the next four months, NASA will launch a quartet of space probes that will open a new chapter in unmanned exploration -- including the first mission to bring back to Earth interstellar material from beyond the orbit of the moon. Getting the message across - on Mars! Companies will be given the opportunity to advertise on Mars as part of a mission which aims to answer the question of whether life ever existed on the Red Planet. Mars Once Friendlier to Life Imagine turning the clock back 4 billion years: Instead of the charismatic figure you are today, you’re just another microorganism. Where would you have the best odds of surviving, Earth or Mars? Unity: Bringing a 'space hallway' to the ISS The six-sided Unity module, to be added to the ISS next week, is planned to be little more than a passageway, albeit an important one. It's equipped with 6 separate attachment ports, which will eventually connect with all future U.S. modules such as the U.S. laboratory and habitation modules. Australia Telescope to get sharper eyes Astronomers will be able to probe deeper into the secrets of the universe with the upgrade of one of the world's most important radio telescopes, the CSIRO's Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) at Narrabri. Space Lifeboat Say you're floating 354 kilometers above Earth on the International Space Station (ISS). Suddenly a meteorite gouges--and cripples--the station. You need to get out fast. But the space shuttle won't reach you for days. What do you do? Hop on a lifeboat! Science About Space 1998 Physics and Astronomy Highlights including magnetars, space dust, sunspots, and more. Ion Engine on Deep Space 1 Probe Restarted after Two-Week Shutdown See also: Deep Space 1 ion propulsion system starts up The futuristic ion engine aboard NASA's Deep Space 1 probe was back in operation Wednesday after an unexpected successful restart as engineers were trying to determine why it shut down two weeks earlier. Eclipse minister plea blotted out The British government has refused to appoint a minister to deal with the effects of a total eclipse of the sun next summer. Stellar Striptease See also: 'Naked' Stars Give Clue to how Sun Formed and See also: ‘Naked’ stars may reveal secrets A quartet of “naked” stars, stripped of their nourishing cocoons of cosmic dust and gas, could give the best clues yet to how our own sun formed. Leonids Dazzled a Little See also: Return to mission Leonid Last week’s Leonid meteor showers contained some brilliant, beautiful fireballs, but fell far short of rivalling the great 1966 meteor storm. Scientists were still able to gather data on these cosmic streaks of light. Minor Glitches on Space Station See also: First Segment of International Space Station Develops Minor Flaws The five-day-old International Space Station has developed three small malfunctions but they will not prevent it from docking with its next module early next month. Zarya ready and waiting for company It may only be the fourth day since the launch of the first component of the International Space Station, but on Tuesday, the Russian-built Zarya module fired its engine for the last time to raise it into another orbit. Now all it has to do is wait around. That's because the Space Shuttle Endeavour will blast off on December 3rd with the second component of the I.S.S., known as Unity. The docking of the two modules is scheduled to take place on December 6th. Massive Planet Discovered See also: Planet detected in double-star system A newly discovered massive planet could be orbiting a star outside our solar system, Swiss astronomers in Chile reported. Ukraine Plans to Join ISS Ukraine plans to join the $60 billion International Space Station project which got under way last week by building a scientific module that Russia was originally slated to complete. High School Students Discover Distant Asteroid Using NSF Telescope And Education Program High school students have discovered a previously unidentified celestial object in the Kuiper Belt using images from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) 4-meter Blanco Telescope in Chile. Launch links nations’ fates in outer space After a flawless launch from Kazakhstan, the first part of the International Space Station has begun the routines of a new era in space exploration. Back on Earth, representatives of more than a dozen countries said the station would become humanity’s steppingstone to deep space — and specifically to Mars. Leonids Sample Return payload has been found The Leonids Sample Return payload has been recovered. It was pinpointed by amateur balloon trackers on November 18th, and rescued from a briar patch in Chatsworth, Georgia in good condition. The search for cheap life on Mars See also: NASA planning a rocket revival for Mars assault One of the biggest problems with the search for life on Mars is getting the rock samples back to Earth. When you have limited energy resources, collecting rocks with a rover travelling over large expanses of terrain can be a challenge. Now a new method of solving the problem using 1958 technology is coming under scrutiny. ESA's plans for a microarcsec space astrometry mission being presented at the GAIA workshop This week plans for the GAIA space astrometry mission will be presented to more than 70 scientists from all over Europe when they gather in Leiden (Netherlands) for the GAIA workshop. NASA Launches New Mission Control to Monitor Space Station When the first American-built piece of the international space station reaches orbit next week, any problems will be reported as usual to Mission Control in Houston. It just won't be the Mission Control of old. Hubble captures images from 12 billion years ago See also: Aussies help Hubble hunt ancient galaxies Peering down a 12 billion-light-year corridor, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured a glimpse of thousands of previously unseen galaxies at the far side of the universe, astronomers said Nov.23. Is the space station a waste of money? The first part of the multi-billion dollar International Space Station has been launched into the skies, heralding what some say is the dawn of an international era in space. Russia tests space station module See also: Space station's orbit adjusted before rendezvous with shuttle Russia's Mission Control on Monday elevated the first module of the International Space Station into a higher orbit and successfully completed tests on all its systems. Deep Space 1 imaged from Mt. Palomar Using the 5-meter (200-inch) Hale telescope on Palomar Mountain, Jet Propulsion Laboratory astronomers captured this image of the Deep Space 1 spacecraft at a distance of 3.7 million kilometers (2.3 million miles) from Earth. Hotly Debated Space Station Still a Sci-Fi Dream Come True See also: Launch kicks off space station era Friday morning, from a frigid launch pad in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, the first piece of what will become the most complicated and vast space project ever bolted into space. Space Station, Part 1 See also: Russia launches first segment of International Space Station, 'City in space' in orbit, Russia launches first space station segment, First Stage of New Space Station Launched, Russians Hail Liftoff of Zarya Module Lauching the first piece of the International Space Station today marks a new course for the U.S. manned space program. Assembling and operating the massive structure will dominate NASA’s attention for decades to come. Early Birds catch the Leonids The Leonid meteor shower peaked more than 14 hours ahead of schedule. Observers were treated to a dazzling array of brightly-colored meteors and fireballs, numbering as many as 500/hr in some parts of the world. Following Gravity's Loops and Knots The force of gravity governs the motion of planets, asteroids, and other bodies in the solar system. Predicting their orbits requires solving equations representing the gravitational attraction between interacting masses. Now, a mathematician has discovered a new set of approximate solutions of those equations. Space Station Tie to Starship The International Space Station, whose first module is to be launched on Friday, has so far failed to ignite popular imagination in the way that manned missions to the moon or unmanned probes to Mars have done. Images Reveal Stormy Collision on Jupiter The stock market may still take another nosedive, but on Jupiter the crash of '98 is already history. Several years after astronomers first had evidence that two neighboring hurricanes in Jupiter's southern hemisphere were drawing closer together, the storms have collided. The UVES Spectrograph Sees the Sun Information and photos related to the UVES Spectrograph, the third major astronomical instrument for the VLT. There is also a Video Clip with scenes from the laboratory and interview. Up, Up, and Away to the Leonids NASA scientists in Huntsville, Alabama got their first glimpse of the Leonids Monday night and early Tuesday morning, despite a thick blanket of fog across their "observatory." A digital camera, carried aboard a large weather balloon to an altitude of 100,000 feet captured eight spectacular fireballs during a two-hour flight that carried the camera nearly 150 miles, and offered internet viewing of the Leonids shower in real-time. Robotic Telescope, Sheds Light on Cosmic Microwave Background For the past year, astronomers have been imaging the southern heavens in hydrogen-alpha light every night while keeping their day jobs, and without losing any sleep. Thanks to a new robotic telescope installed at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, the tedium of sky mapping is handled autonomously. Mission controllers re-establish contact with Voyager 2 The Voyager 2 spacecraft, approaching the edge of the solar system, re-established contact with Earth after a 66-hour communications blackout. Sea clue to death of dinosaurs See also: Tiny remnant of a killer asteroid Scientists have found a piece of the meteorite that many believe killed the dinosaurs. Hit-and-miss meteor display See also: Leonids peak may have come early, Leonid Meteor Storm Springs Early Surprise and Leonids peak earlier than expected The Leonid meteor storm arrived earlier than predicted, leaving many observers disappointed. Leonid Falling Short of Expectations Still Offers Dazzling, Frightening Show Though the Leonid meteor storm actually resulted in fewer meteors than some had predicted, the result was a dazzling show of "shooting stars" and large "fireballs" in parts of the world as the tiny fragments burned up in the atmosphere. Scientists and Stargazers Watch Spectacular Meteor Storm Meteors streaked through the skies over Asia in blazes of red and white as the biggest meteor storm in decades reached its climax just before dawn Wednesday. Robots To Colonize Mars A new architectural blueprint for international robotic exploration of Mars, resulting in the return of several samples of Martian material to Earth by 2008 and founding of the first permanent robotic colonies by the end of that decade, has been launched by NASA and its international partners in space exploration. Gravitational Anomaly Remains a Mystery The Aerospace Corporation has helped confirm a tiny and unexplained acceleration of NASA spacecraft toward the sun and ruled out a number of possible causes. The principal investigator at Aerospace also has explained what the company believes to be the most likely cause. Leonid Sky Show Though a yearly occurence, tonight's event is the climax of a 33 year cycle as the Tempel-Tuttle comet speeds through the inner solar system and sheds swarms of particles as it nears the Sun. Listen as Morning Edition host Bob Edwards talks to Lt. Col. Don Jewell of the U.S. Air force who saw a preview of the meteor shower last night from one of the best places on Earth to watch this display -- the Royal Australian Air Force Base at Tindel. Space Station: Bright Spot Over the Horizon The most high-tech endeavor in the history of space exploration begins modestly Friday when an unmanned Russian module heads into orbit to await the gradual arrival of the rest of the International Space Station. Astronomers review meteor show A postmortem on Tuesday’s Leonid meteor shower indicates that it peaked earlier than expected - which meant the best seats for the show were in Europe rather than Asia. Meanwhile, satellite experts said the storm of space grit was less severe than they feared - which meant that hundreds of orbiting spacecraft apparently survived the Leonids unscathed. Meteor Mission For obvious reasons, you normally don't send a couple of aircraft to chase a comet. But on November 17, that's essentially what will happen as two planes rise from an airfield on the Pacific island of Okinawa and ascend into the moonless night. World holds breath as meteor storm hits With wishes on a star and sleeping bags to weather the cold, spectators came to Thailand's highest peak and watched the most spectacular meteor shower in more than 30 years. An invitation to the fireworks party BBC science journalist Chris Riley has been invited to the most amazing fireworks party. He is travelling with 40 scientists and engineers as they fly two planes directly under the Leonid meteor storm on the night of Tuesday, 17 November. The Night Light Show This year’s Leonid meteor shower promises to be the best since 1966. Although people in Asia will get the best view, there will be plenty to see in the predawn hours today and Wednesday. Fear Rained From Heaven In the predawn hours of Nov. 13, 1833, the Leonid meteors lit up the skies over North America. People thought Judgment Day had come. Meteor science has come a long way since then. The International Space Station: a risky business Waiting anxiously for space flights to become available and affordable to the average person? Can't wait to book your ticket? Already booked your ticket? Maybe you should read on. The Leonid Sample Return Mission High above the clouds on November 17th a NASA weather balloon will lie in wait for the Leonid meteors. The goal: to capture a meteoroid and return it to Earth intact. Tips on viewing this year's Leonid meteor storm Russia's aging Mir space station will stay in orbit until the end of 1999 or the start of 2000, and possibly even longer, an official said Nov.15th. Official: Mir might stay aloft until 2000 For the best view of this week's Leonid meteor storm, head east. No, really east. Try China, Mongolia, Thailand or Japan. First ISS Segment Ready to Blast off from Baikonur Friday See also: Launch of Zarya control module A carrier Proton rocket with the functional cargo block Zarya docked to it was smoothly placed on the launching pad at the Baikonur cosmodrome on Monday (16th). Canyon of Heroes ride begins for Glenn, Discovery crew Sen. John Glenn, in New York City to celebrate his second ticker-tape parade in 36 years, began his trip up the Canyon of Heroes just after noon. Deep Space 1 Mission Status Ground controllers returned Deep Space 1 to normal cruise configuration Friday, November 13, two days after an event that put the spacecraft into safe mode. The spacecraft is in excellent condition, and the flight team will now resume testing the dozen advanced technologies that the mission is flying. Meteor shower may expose how life on Earth began NASA plans to follow a trail of dust for clues to how extraterrestrial material helped create a suitable environment for life on Earth. Small and dangerous The dust fragments that cause the Leonid meteor shower could disable some orbiting satellites. Russia Seeks International Funds for Mir Station Russia is seeking international and domestic contributions to keep its 12-year-old Mir space station flying past its planned June retirement. The Night Light Show See also: U.S. military braces for meteor attack This year's Leonid meteor shower promises to be the best since 1966. Although people in Asia will get the best view, there will be plenty to see in the predawn hours on Tuesday and Wednesday. NASA to Inspect Meteorite Shower for Signs of Life Researchers looking for extraterrestrial life will examine next week's Leonid meteorite shower for clues. Life on Mars? Anaerobic, primitive and deep The only thing that might shock an exobiologist is if there turned out to be no life on Mars at all. 'I would be aghast,' explained University of Glasgow biology professor Michael Russell, 'But on the other hand it's going to be very hard to find extant life on Mars. It's going to take a lot of drilling.' The International Space Station: Some assembly required… On November 20, at 1:40 am EST, the Zarya control module - the first component of the International Space Station -- will be launched into orbit from Baikonour Kazakstan. A Gray Day on a Brown Dwarf It's too early for detailed weather forecasts, but two astronomers claim to have detected clouds in the atmosphere of a nearby brown dwarf star. Distant Star's Radiation Jolts Earth's Atmosphere On 27 August at about 3:22 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time, a tidal wave of x-ray and gamma ray radiation washed over Earth, turning night to day in the upper atmosphere and shocking some satellite instruments into a self-preserving 'safe hold' mode. Infrared Camera Goes the Distance Viewing the world through rose-colored glasses has its advantages. Using its infrared camera, the Hubble Space Telescope has peered deeper into space and farther back in time than ever before, finding several galaxies that may be the most distant known in the cosmos. Did That Star Explode? Astrophysicists have found a remnant from what would have been the biggest, brightest explosion in the galaxy about 700 years ago, but there is no record of it ever happening. One giant leap for UK astronaut The UK is negotiating with Nasa, the American space agency, to put a British astronaut on the International Space Station. Deep Space Engine Dies See also: Engine stalls on NASA's Deep Space probe The futuristic ion engine flying on NASA's Deep Space 1 probe mysteriously shut down within minutes of being turned on this week, and ground controllers were trying to figure out what went wrong. Russia Drops ISS Change The Russian Space Agency today rejected a last-minute change in the launch of the first International Space Station module next week, a Russian idea that had mystified the U.S. space agency. Watching Falling Fire The northern lights provide a dazzling show of greens, reds and blues. Columnist Lee Dye explains the magic behind it all, and why the next couple of winters will offer great viewing. NASA develops lighter, cheaper rocket An era in which space travel could become as common as air travel is a step closer following the successful test of a revolutionary rocket engine that draws fuel from the atmosphere. NASA's next assignment: Space station See also: Space station sparks hope and hassles NASA's next shuttle mission in less than a month turns astronauts into orbital construction workers in a high-stakes trip to start building the International Space Station. Mooning Over the Dust Rings of Jupiter Images taken by the Galileo spacecraft reveal that the dust kicked up by scraps of interplanetary debris plowing into four of Jupiter's tiniest moons are the source of the giant planet's dust rings. Russians to install 'meteorite trap' on Mir Two Russian cosmonauts on the Mir space station will head out into space late Nov.10 to mount a French-made device for catching and studying meteorite particles. Russia Considers More Mir With just 10 days until the launch of the first International Space Station module, Russian officials are showing growing reluctance to bring down their 12-year-old Mir space station. Leonid Meteor Storm Won't Deter Hubble From Space Observations The anticipated celestial bombardment called the Leonid meteor storm on the afternoon of November 17th (EST) won't deter NASA's Hubble Space Telescope from its key mission of gazing far across the universe -- as long as the view is in the opposite direction of the incoming meteor swarm. Russians fuel first part of International Space Station Russian space workers expect to spend five days fueling the first component of the new International Space Station in preparation for its launch on Nov. 20. Space Station next Stop in Orbit despite Russian Uncertainties The international space station is NASA's next stop aloft, despite a surprise request by the Russians to change the orbital position of the outpost. Opening the final frontier More than 100 people have already booked their first space holiday, even though the vacation still only exists as computer animation - but a $10m prize is on offer to turn fantasy into reality. Glenn's historic flight sets stage for new debate on space The latest flight of the space shuttle Discovery, which carried John Glenn back into orbit, was a historic melding of the past with the present, a symbolic reminder that humanity's adventure in space is just beginning. Glenn: A new chapter in space flight John Glenn's nine-day shuttle mission has opened a new chapter in the history of space exploration. The BBC's Science Editor Dr David Whitehouse assesses John Glenn's return to space. A look back at STS-95 On Saturday at about 12:10 Eastern Standard Time, the Space Shuttle Discovery touched down at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As the shuttle rolled to a stop on Runway 33 and the seven Discovery astronauts were bundled off to take part in the final phase of many of the medical experiments, the public can at last reflect on this historic mission. Welcome Home, John Glenn See also: 'I feel fine:' Glenn returns to Earth, The legend has landed and Discovery Glides to a Picture-Perfect Landing John Glenn returned safely to Earth on Saturday aboard the space shuttle Discovery, an American hero all over again at age 77. Children watch Glenn's mission with awe Do kids today even care about space, or do they dream of living in space stations or traveling to Mars? CNN's Ann McDermott finds that John Glenn's return to space has rekindled at least some of that wonder. China tracing Glenn’s footsteps into outer space While the world is focusing on John Glenn’s mission aboard the space shuttle Discovery, space scientists in China are planning to replicate Glenn’s historic 1962 space flight — a prestige-building mission that also may have military implications. A Tale of Two Mysteries What do the Little Ice Age and the solar corona have in common? They were both the target of science experiments on shuttle Discovery earlier this week. Views of Earth and payloads from Discovery's cameras Captured from NASA Television, these remarkable images show the payload bay of space shuttle Discovery and views of Earth during the STS-95 mission. ESA's experts are ready for a storm of comet dust When the Earth crosses the wake of Comet Tempel-Tuttle on 17 November, European scientists will use the NASA-ESA Hubble Space Telescope to detect impacts of cosmic dust. ESA's European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) has sent out a warning to spacecraft operators about risks to all satellites in the Earth's vicinity on that day, from the Leonid meteor storm. Countless dust grains thrown out by the comet will slam into the Earth's atmosphere at 71 kilometres per second. The Leonids, as they are called, may produce the most spectacular shower of meteors, or "shooting stars", seen since 1966. Russian Cosmonauts Brace for Meteorite Showers Two Russian cosmonauts on the Mir space station face two strong meteorite showers later this month but will be safe, a spokesman for the Russian Space Agency said on Nov.6. Astronomers find their 1000th pulsar See also: Parkes telescope puts 1000 pulsar runs on the board Astronomers have just discovered their 1000th pulsar but what they would really like is to find one orbiting a black hole. Shuttle Mission Winds Down With his historic and likely final voyage into space winding down, John Glenn finds himself craving a little more time in orbit. His wife has another kind of trip in mind: “taking at least five days alone in our car as Mr. and Mrs. John Glenn.” Mars Express wins unanimous support All fourteen national delegations in the European Space Agency's Science Programme Committee have backed the project to send a spacecraft to Mars in 2003. Crossed signals on SETI claims Specialists in the hunt for signals from alien civilizations are focusing on a report that such signals have been sent from a star system called EQ Pegasi — not because they believe the report is true, but because it’s caused such a stir in the media as well as in the scientific community. Discover Alien Life with Your PC and SETI See also: SETI software ready for testing The SETI@home project, which hopes to harness the idle processing power of thousands of desktop personal computers to help in the search for intelligent life in the universe, is back on track with an April 1999 launch date. You can find a link to SETI@Home on the Links page. First Rotation Period of a Kuiper Belt Object Measured A Kuiper-Belt Object, designated as 1996 TO66 was discovered in October 1996 by a group of astronomers from the University of Hawaii, during a survey aimed at discovering KBO's. It is one of the brightest trans-neptunian objects known to date; its magnitude is 21.2, i.e. it is about 1.5 million times fainter than the faintest stars visible by naked eye. A Glowing Pool of Light NGC 3132 is a striking example of a planetary nebula. This expanding cloud of gas, surrounding a dying star, is known to amateur astronomers in the southern hemisphere as the "Eight-Burst" or the "Southern Ring" Nebula. Great Balls of Fire! Hubble Sees Bright Knots Ejected From Brilliant Star Resembling an aerial fireworks explosion, this dramatic NASA Hubble Space Telescope picture of the energetic star WR124 reveals it is surrounded by hot clumps of gas being ejected into space at speeds of over 100,000 miles per hour. Spartan Set Sights on the Sun Astronauts on the shuttle Discovery recovered the Spartan satellite Tuesday, after it spent two days free of the orbiter studying the fiery outer rim of the sun. Bright Lights, Dark Cities It’s a great idea to anyone who suffers through the long nights of the far north. But an orbiting Russian mirror designed to reflect sunlight on to northern cities strikes terror in the hearts of stargazers around the world. Glenn Won’t Rule Out Return See also: John Glenn won’t rule out an encore In his first news conference from space, John Glenn said he won’t rule out a third trip to space. But if his family has its way, he’ll probably remain on the ground. Meanwhile, sleep experiments continue aboard the shuttle. Sun-Watching Satellite Released from Space Shuttle A $9 million satellite was released from the space shuttle Discovery on Sunday for two days of free-flying solar studies. Swarthmore Professor, Students Recreating Conditions On Sun Surface In a small, tungsten-lined chamber in a Swarthmore College laboratory, physicist Michael Brown and a team of undergraduates are recreating conditions found on the surface of the sun -- including temperatures near one million degrees -- to give science its first up-close look at solar flares and the heating of the sun's enigmatic corona. SETI Hacked By Prankster On Monday, October 26, an anonymous enthusiast of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) made a startling anonnouncement: we are not alone in the universe. But within minutes of analysing the alleged data, Professor Nathan Cohen of Boston University gave the verdict: "A hoax", said Cohen. Not even a good one." Galaxy Discovered by NMSU Astronomers Two New Mexico State University astronomers and colleagues in the Netherlands have discovered a galaxy in the immediate neighborhood of our own Milky Way.

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