SPACE
& SCIENCE NEWS: October 2006
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Thrills and spills abound at rocket fest
(Oct 22, 2006)
The competitions at a New Mexico rocket festival went to the bitter
end and beyond on Saturday. The Wirefly X Prize Cup ended in disappointment
for Texas-based Armadillo Aerospace, which made two unsuccessful bids
to win a $350,000 prize in the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge.
Meanwhile, the $400,000 Space Elevator Games – another marquee
event at the X Prize Cup – went into overtime.
Read
more. Source: MSNBC |
Mars may be cozy place for hardy microbes
(Oct 22, 2006)
A class of especially hardy microbes that live in some of the harshest
Earthly environments could flourish on Mars
and other chilly planets, according to a research team of astronomers
and microbiologists. In a two-year laboratory study, the researchers
discovered that some cold-adapted microorganisms not only survived
but reproduced at 30°F, just below the freezing point of water.
The microbes also developed a defense mechanism that protected them
from cold temperatures.
Read
more. Source: Space Telescope Science Institute |
No winner in lunar lander challenge
(Oct 21, 2006)
This year's sole competitor for the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander
Challenge did not win the $350,000 prize on Friday at the Wirefly
X Prize Cup in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Armadillo Aerospace of Mesquite,
Texas, will try to rebuild their damaged Pixel rocket and try again
on Saturday. The competition, designed to help develop technologies
necessary to land rockets on the Moon, was timed.
Read
more. Source: New Scientist |
Gold mine holds life untouched by the
Sun
(Oct 20, 2006)
The first known organisms that live totally independently of the sun
have been discovered deep in a South African gold mine. The bacteria
exist without the option of photosynthesis by using radioactive uranium
to convert water molecules to useable energy. Similar life forms may
exist on other planets, experts speculate. The bacteria live in ancient
water trapped in a crack in basalt rock, 3 to 4 kilometres down.
Read
more. Source: New Scientist |
Astronauts offer etiquette lessons to
space tourists
(Oct 19, 2006)
Don't look directly at the Sun. Don't play with your grape juice.
And don't hog prime viewing space at the windows. This was the advice
several astronauts and space doctors gave to prospective space
tourists on Tuesday at the International Symposium for Personal
Spaceflight in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Many of the next space explorers
will not be chosen from the highly trained, highly accomplished astronaut
corps.
Read
more. Source: New Scientist |
Doubt cast on lunar ice deposits
(Oct 19, 2006)
Hopes that the Moon's
south pole has significant water ice deposits that could be used to
set up a lunar base appear to be unfounded, a study says. Hypothesised
deposits of lunar water-ice have figured in NASA's planning for future
Moon landings. The study in Nature journal suggests radar echoes thought
to be from frozen water could be from rocky debris.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Colliding galaxies reveal ephemeral stars
(Oct 18, 2006)
A colossal collision between galaxies is seen in greater detail than
ever before in an image from the Hubble Space Telescope. The rampant
star formation visible in the galaxies should help astronomers figure
out the maximum mass with which a star can form. Called the
Antennae, they are among the nearest examples of colliding galaxies.
Read
more. Source: New Scientist |
Active volcano may explain changes in
Titan's bright spot
(Oct 17, 2006)
The brightest spot on Saturn's moon Titan
has been seen brightening and growing, suggesting it might be an active
volcano, a controversial analysis of images from the Cassini
spacecraft suggests. If so, it would be the first indication of current
volcanic activity on the giant moon. Scientists are interested in
whether Titan is volcanically active because volcanoes could help
supply the large amount of methane seen in its atmosphere.
Read
more. Source: New Scientist |
NASA'S Spitzer sees day and night
on exotic world
(Oct 16, 2006)
NASA's Spitzer
Space Telescope has made the first measurements of the day and
night temperatures of a planet outside our solar system. The infrared
observatory revealed that the Jupiter-like gas giant planet circling
very close to its sun is always as hot as fire on one side, and potentially
as cold as ice on the other.
Read
more. Source: NASA/JPL |
Slushy volcanoes might support life on
Titan
(Oct 14, 2006)
Dozens of structures on Saturn's moon Titan
that appear to be collapsed slush volcanoes have been revealed by
NASA's Cassini spacecraft. The heat and chemicals associated with
these possible volcanoes could provide a niche for life on the frigid
moon. Figuring out whether Titan is volcanically active is important
because volcanoes could be a source of the methane found in relatively
large amounts in the moon's atmosphere.
Read
more. Source: New Scientist |
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