Space Tourism, Space Transport and Space Exploration News

March 18, 2016

Unexpected changes of bright spots on Ceres discovered
Pasadena CA (JPL) Mar 18, 2016
Ceres is the largest body in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and the only such object classed as a dwarf planet. NASA's Dawn spacecraft has been in orbit around Ceres for more than a year and has mapped its surface in great detail. One of the biggest surprises has been the discovery of very bright spots, which reflect far more light than their much darker surroundings. The most prominent of these spots lie inside the crater Occator and suggest that Ceres may be a much more active world ... read more

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China to establish first commercial rocket launch company China will establish a commercial rocket development and launch company, a scientist with a state-owned space technology enterprise said Tuesday. Hu Shengyun, chief model designer of China San ... more		VLA observes earliest stages of planet formation New stellar imagery showcases what scientists believe are the earliest stages of planet formation. ... more		Hollywood robots: Movie machines may boost robot acceptance Remembering robots from film portrayals may help ease some of the anxiety that older adults have about using a robot, according to Penn State researchers. In a study, older adults who recalled ... more
				Amputee feels texture with a bionic fingertip An amputee was able to feel smoothness and roughness in real-time with an artificial fingertip that was surgically connected to nerves in his upper arm. Moreover, the nerves of non-amputees can also ... more		The Saturnian Sisters Similar in many ways, Saturn's moons Tethys and Rhea (left and right, respectively) even share a discoverer: Giovanni Cassini, namesake of the NASA spacecraft that captured this view. The moon ... more

Pluto's 'Snakeskin' Terrain: Cradle of the Solar System? Today's blog post is from Orkan Umurhan, a mathematical physicist currently working as a senior post-doc at NASA Ames Research Center. He has been on the New Horizons Science Team for over two years ... more		The Tilted Terminator Of Enceladus NASA's Cassini spacecraft captured this view of Saturn's moon Enceladus that shows wrinkled plains that are remarkably youthful in appearance, being generally free of large impact craters. Whe ... more		North Korea declares nuclear statehood 'permanently enshrined' ArianeGroup to develop next-generation M51.4 missile for French nuclear deterrent Comtech modem earns first sovereign certification for SES O3b mPOWER network		NIST's internet time service serves the world The Internet Time Service operated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) serves much of the Earth, with customers from around the globe. In one month of study alone, jus ... more
				How the ExoMars mission could sniff out life on Mars "It (could be) life Jim, but (perhaps) not as we know it." This is not just a sci-fi catchphrase, but also something some planetary scientists have uttered in response to the discovery of methane in ... more		ExoMars on its way to solve the Red Planet's mysteries The first of two joint ESA-Roscosmos missions to Mars has begun a seven-month journey to the Red Planet, where it will address unsolved mysteries of the planet's atmosphere that could indicate prese ... more

Military Network Modernization 2016 - Washington DC - April 25-27

Space Tech Expo - Design - Build - Test - Pasadena CA - May 24-26, 2016

Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison & Memory Foam Mattress Review

UA's Space Expertise Seen as Key for US Security With its recently launched research initiative focused on space object behavioral sciences, the University of Arizona is uniquely positioned at the forefront of a field that has implications for nat ... more		Solving the mystery of the Tully Monster The Tully Monster, an oddly configured sea creature with teeth at the end of a narrow, trunk-like extension of its head and eyes that perch on either side of a long, rigid bar, has finally been iden ... more		New U.S.-European Sea Level Satellite Will Help Safeguard Ships at Sea Planet captures first light from Pelican-3 satellite as constellation expands Trump signs memorandum to deploy U.S. National Guard troops to Memphis		Domino's to trial robots for pizza delivery Fast food giant Domino's is to trial pizza delivery robots in New Zealand, it said Friday, describing the hi-tech, driverless units as a world first. ... more
Super elastic electroluminescent 'skin' will soon create mood robots Imagine a health care robot that could display the patient's temperature and pulse, and even reacts to a patient's mood. It sounds futuristic, but a team of Cornell graduate students - led by Rob Sh ... more		Some assembly required to boost robot ratings Robot makers may want to follow Ikea's strategy for customer satisfaction and give people a chance to partially assemble their new robots to ease acceptance of the devices, according to Penn State r ... more		Life's Building Blocks Form In Replicated Deep Sea Vents Chimney-like mineral structures on the seafloor could have helped create the RNA molecules that gave rise to life on Earth and hold promise to the emergence of life on distant planets. Scientists th ... more		ExoMars 2016 - The heat is on Airbus Defence and Space, the world number two in space technologies, has designed and built the two heat shields which will enable the Schiaparelli capsule of the ExoMars 2016 mission to withstand ... more

	NASA Selects Scientists for Mars Rover Research Projects NASA has selected 28 researchers as participating scientists for the Curiosity Mars rover mission, including six newcomers to the rover's science team. The six new additions work in Alabama, Colorad ... more		Rocket blasts off on Russia-Europe mission seeking life on Mars Two robotic spacecraft on Monday began a seven-month journey to Mars as part of a European-Russian unmanned space mission to sniff out leads to life on the Red Planet. ... more

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Scientists explain why Mercury's surface is so dark

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Watch Google's AlphaGo computer take on world's best Go player

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