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December 06, 2014

Asteroid Explorer Hayabusa2 Completion of Critical Operation Phase
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 07, 2014
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) confirmed the completion of a sequence of the important operations for the Asteroid Exploration "Hayabusa2" mission including the deployment of the horn part of the sampler that captures samples from the asteroid's surface, the release of the locks for the launch that ratchet the gimbal that controls the direction of the ion engine, and functional verification of the three-axis stabilization controls and the ground precision orbit determination system. With ... read more

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Dawn Snaps Its Best-Yet Image of Dwarf Planet Ceres The Dawn spacecraft has delivered a glimpse of Ceres, the largest body in the main asteroid belt, in a new image taken 740,000 miles (1.2 million kilometers) from the dwarf planet. This is Dawn's be ... more		Meteorite From Mars Contains Alien Biomass Chinese scientists discovered that a meteorite of Martian origin that hit Earth in Morocco in summer 2011, contains signs of water and organic carbon combinations, which may be evidence of extraterr ... more		Red Planet's Mystery While NASA plans to return astronauts to the Moon by 2020 for extended missions in search of more water, scientists say it might be a good idea to drop by to Mars as well. In 2011, the first real pr ... more
				European astronomers spot faint asteroid European experts have spotted one of the faintest asteroids ever found - a chunk of space rock thought to be about 100 m in diameter beyond the orbit of Mars. Astronomers at the Large Binocular Tele ... more		Finding infant earths and potential life just got easier Among the billions and billions of stars in the sky, where should astronomers look for infant Earths where life might develop? New research from Cornell University's Institute for Pale Blue Dots sho ... more

Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison & Memory Foam Mattress Review

Mini Rovers Hold Big Promise for Community College Students Four miniature rovers will go head-to-head this week at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, as community college students across the state - and one from Hawaii - get a first-h ... more		'Mirage Earth' exoplanets may have burned away chances for life Planets orbiting close to low-mass stars - easily the most common stars in the universe - are prime targets in the search for extraterrestrial life. But new research led by an astronomy graduate stu ... more		Russia offers to extend nuclear arms limits with US Saudi Arabia and Pakistan sign mutual defense pact Brazil, Chile sign defense agreement		The impact of long duration spaceflights on brain function Space is one of the most demanding and unforgiving environments. Human exploration of space requires astronauts to maintain consistently high levels of cognitive performance to ensure mission safety ... more
				Traces of possible Martian biological activity inside a meteorite Did Mars ever have life? Does it still? A meteorite from Mars has reignited the old debate. An international team that includes scientists from EPFL has published a paper in the scientific journal M ... more		Stardust Not Likely to Block Planet Portraits Planet hunters received some good news recently. A new study concluded that, on average, sun-like stars aren't all that dusty. Less dust means better odds of snapping clear pictures of the stars' pl ... more

Startup in the Land of the Rising Sun; A Japanese Solar Venture - by Bradley L. Bartz

Eris the largest dwarf planet in Solar System Our universe is full of mysteries but there are a few things we know for certain. For instance, that the Earth orbits the Sun and not vice versa, or that there are eight planets in the solar system. ... more		Meteorite stirs life-on-Mars debate Analysis of a meteorite that fell in the Moroccan desert three years ago revives theories about life on Mars, scientists said on Tuesday. ... more		Ex-US climate envoy: Trump threatening 'consensus science' worldwide How did an Indian zoo get the world's most endangered great ape? Australian scientists grapple with 'despicable' butterfly heist		Hawking warns AI 'could spell end of human race' British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking has warned that development of artificial intelligence could mean the end of humanity. ... more
Researchers develop building material that cools by reflecting heat into space Researchers at Stanford say they've developed a material that cools itself by beaming excess heat into space; they hope it can one day be used to keep buildings cool on hot, sunny days. ... more		Soyuz Installed at Baikonur, Expected to Launch Wednesday The Soyuz-2.1A carrier rocket has been successfully installed at the launch site at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and is scheduled for launch on October 29, the press service of the Russian ... more		Waking Up on Pluto's Doorstep It's hard for me to believe, but after almost nine years of flight, we are literally on Pluto's doorstep, on schedule, in good health, and on course. In fact, at the end of this week, on Saturday, D ... more		NASA's Orion Flight Test and the Journey to Mars In the not-too-distant future, astronauts destined to be the first people to walk on Mars will leave Earth aboard an Orion spacecraft. Carried aloft by the tremendous power of a Space Launch System ... more

	Orion Test Flight a Critical Step on NASA's Journey to Mars America embarks on a long-lasting trip to Mars this Thursday. Orion's maiden flight, Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1), slated to test spacecraft's crucial systems is a critical first step on our jo ... more		Carnegie Mellon Unveils Lunar Rover "Andy" Carnegie Mellon University has unveiled Andy, a four-wheeled robot designed to scramble up steep slopes and survive the temperature swings and high radiation encountered while exploring the moon's p ... more

What to look for in China and Europe's climate plans

Chinese firms pay price of jihadist strikes against Mali junta

EU states agree broad UN emissions target avoiding 'embarrassment'

Observing Solar System Worlds as if They Were Distant Exoplanets		Ground-Based Detection Paves Way to Remote Sensing of Small Exoplanets		Ground-based detection of exoplanets		Why we should mine the moon		Japan again delays launch of asteroid probe
Astrobiology Acupuncture: Collecting Data from Non-Planar Surfaces		Uwingu to Beam Almost 90,000 Messages to Mars		Service module of China's returned lunar orbiter reaches L2 point		Laser link offers high-speed delivery		Preparing for Alien Life

An eel-lectrifying future for autonomous underwater robots

Frost-covered chaos on Mars

Asteroid Mining Could Make For Boom Times

Within Rover's Reach at Mars Target Area 'Alexander Hills'

Young Volcanoes on the Moon

How Can We Search For Life On Icy Moons Such As Europa?

NASA Licenses Cellular Technology

Hot, Super-Earths Help Track Water-Rich Atmospheres

Rapidly Freezing Saltwater Could Provide Spark of Life on Icy Worlds

An alternative to 'Turing Test'

China Launches Second Disaster Relief Satellite

Russia Preparing Joint Moon Exploration Agreement With EU

Extreme Shrimp May Hold Clues to Alien Life

Mars Exploration Program Director Named

NASA contracts two firms to work on asteroid mining

Time in Space Exposes Materials to the Test of Time

How to estimate the magnetic field of an exoplanet?

A new approach to the delivery of satellites to orbit

Can robots help stop the Ebola outbreak?

Second Time Through, Mars Rover Examines Chosen Rocks

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