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December 25, 2014

Tales from a Martian Rock
San Diego CA (SPX) Dec 26, 2014
A new analysis of a Martian rock that meteorite hunters plucked from an Antarctic ice field 30 years ago this month reveals a record of the planet's climate billions of years ago, back when water likely washed across its surface and any life that ever formed there might have emerged. Scientists from the University of California, San Diego, NASA and the Smithsonian Institution report detailed measurements of minerals within the meteorite in the early online edition of the Proceedings of the Nationa ... read more

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QinetiQ North America refurbishing, modernizing Talon robots used by the military Robots used by U.S. military forces in Iraq and Afghanistan are being refurbished and modernized by QinetiQ North America under U.S. Army and Navy contracts. ... more		Scientists create human primordial cells in the lab The first time in history, researchers have successfully used human embryonic stem cells to create primordial germ cells, cells that divide and mature into egg and sperm. Previously, the feat had been accomplished using rodent stem cells - not those from a human embryo. ... more		Pitt team publishes new findings from mind-controlled robot arm project In another demonstration that brain-computer interface technology has the potential to improve the function and quality of life of those unable to use their own arms, a woman with quadriplegia shape ... more
				Russian scientists 'map' water vapor in Martian atmosphere Russian scientists from the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), together with their French and American colleagues, ... more		New idea for transporting spacecraft could ease trip to Mars Scientists say a new method, called ballistic capture, for transporting robotic rovers, satellites and astronaut-carrying spacecraft to Mars could save space agencies time and money. ... more

Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison & Memory Foam Mattress Review

Young Red Dwarf Stars could Host Habitable Worlds Red dwarf stars, or M dwarfs, have recently been hailed as the best places to discover alien life. They are by far the most common stars in our galaxy, making up 75 percent of all stars. They are al ... more		Sunday night the longest since 1912, here's why At 6:04 p.m. EST on Sunday, the sun will be appear directly overhead along the Tropic of Capricorn, at 23.5 degrees latitude, south of the Equator. ... more				Flying over Becquerel This latest release from the camera on ESA's Mars Express is a simulated flight over the Becquerel crater, showing large-scale deposits of sedimentary material. The 167 km-diameter Becquerel c ... more
				'Shooting the Moon' with Satellite Laser Ranging Laser ranging from Earth to NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) was a milestone in the 50-year history of satellite laser ranging. Launched in 2009 and still orbiting the moon in 2014, LRO was ... 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

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

Kepler Proves It Can Still Find Planets To paraphrase Mark Twain, the report of the Kepler spacecraft's death was greatly exaggerated. Despite a malfunction that ended its primary mission in May 2013, Kepler is still alive and working. Th ... more		NASA, Planetary Scientists Find Meteoritic Evidence of Mars Water Reservoir NASA and an international team of planetary scientists have found evidence in meteorites on Earth that indicates Mars has a distinct and global reservoir of water or ice near its surface. Thou ... more				Inmarsat-2 F2 satellite retired after more than 23.5 years of GEO operations Inmarsat-2 F2, the second Eurostar satellite designed and built by Airbus Defence and Space, was retired from operational service and safely decommissioned this week after completing a record breaki ... more
Robot named 'Athena' becomes first humanoid robot to pay for a seat on a flight A robot named "Athena" has officially become the first humanoid robot to pay for a seat on a flight. ... more		NASA's Kepler Reborn, Makes First Exoplanet Find of New Mission NASA's planet-hunting Kepler spacecraft makes a comeback with the discovery of the first exoplanet found using its new mission - K2. The discovery was made when astronomers and engineers devised an ... more		Signs of Europa Plumes Remain Elusive in Search of Cassini Data A fresh look at data collected by NASA's Cassini spacecraft during its 2001 flyby of Jupiter shows that Europa's tenuous atmosphere is even thinner than previously thought and also suggests that the ... more		Opportunity drives on in no-flash mode Opportunity is on the west rim of Endeavour Crater heading towards 'Marathon Valley,' a location assumed to have abundant clay minerals only about a half-mile (800 meters) to the south. With t ... more

	Australian university students aim to generate first 'breathable' air on Mars A Mars One astronaut candidate and a team of Western Australian students aiming to generate the first breathable air on Mars have reached the finals of the international competition that will land v ... more		First steps for Hector the robot stick insect A research team at Bielefeld University has succeeded in teaching the only robot of its kind in the world how to walk. Its first steps have been recorded in a video. You can watch them in Bielefeld ... more

Goddard instrument makes first detection of organic matter on Mars		NASA Rover Finds Active and Ancient Organic Chemistry on Mars		Super-Earth spotted by ground-based telescope, a first		NASA is letting people name the craters of Mercury		Spike seen in methane on Mars, but source unknown
Tag Heuer changes tune, now looking at smartwatches		Moon Express testing compact lunar lander at Kennedy		Mars Mountain was All Wet		MAVEN Identifies Links in Chain Leading to Mars Atmospheric Loss		Opportunity Flash-Memory Resets Continue

Oil-dwelling bacteria are social creatures in Earth's deep biosphere

Opportunity In No-Flash Mode: Kludge Ready To Radiate

Signs of Ancient Mars Lakes and Quakes Seen in New Map

Observing Solar System Worlds as if They Were Distant Exoplanets

ESA and Omega: a watch for astronauts

MESSENGER Data Suggest Recurring Meteor Shower on Mercury

Building a Worldwide Genetic Library BRIC-by-BRIC

Astronomers spot Pluto-size objects swarming about young sun

Early adoption of robotic surgery leads to organ preservation for kidney cancer patients

New 'electronic skin' for prosthetics, robotics detects pressure from different directions

How Did Life Become Complex, And Could It Happen Beyond Earth?

Flash-Memory Reformat Planned

On Pluto's Doorstep, NASA's New Horizons Spacecraft Awakens for Encounter

Swarms of Pluto-Size Objects Kick Up Dust around Adolescent Sun-Like Star

Saturn's Moons: What a Difference a Decade Makes

Two Robots, One Challenge, Endless Possibility

UK Plans to Drill Into Moon, Explore Feasibility of Manned Base

Asteroid 2014 UR116 Represents No Threat to the Earth

Mars is a Four-Letter Word

Airbus Defence and Space signs contract for Microwave Sounder instruments

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