Tag Archives: NASA

Mars as you’ve never seen it

Posted on November 14, 2009 | Comments Off on Mars as you’ve never seen it

abalos-undae_dune field.jpg

Amazing what a high-resolution satellite camera can do. These are some details of the Abalos Undae sand dunes. Meanwhile, a permanent moon base gets another boost.

Via Simply Jews.

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Posted in Space

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Mars water we got

Posted on September 24, 2009 | Comments Off on Mars water we got

At least in ice at the poles. Now it appears it may also be available in ice at lower latitudes as well. Not that it matters to Obamalot. They ain’t willing to go there either. Gotta fix earth first, apparently. If it takes a thousand years.

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Posted in Obamalot, Space

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Show me the water

Posted on September 23, 2009 | Comments Off on Show me the water

We’ve heard several times that there may be water on Luna. In the form of ice on the surface, and, perhaps, some liquid underground. NASA is expected to unveil Thursday research showing "a lot of water" exists on the surface.

From the AAAS journal Science advancer to Science writers: "…three reports utilize data collected by three separate spacecrafts to provide evidence of hydroxyl (OH) or water – or both – on the surface of the Moon. These findings are forcing a reexamination of the notion that our Moon is completely dry."

If there is abundant water, it makes a colony more feasible, as well as the refueling of spacecraft for interplanetary travel. As it says here I’m ready to believe. Just show me the water.

UPDATE:  Here’s the NASA version. Suspiciously timely, given recent cancellation of back-to-the-moon? Naw.

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We are star stuff

Posted on August 17, 2009 | Comments Off on We are star stuff

An old story, panspermia. But always nice to have fresh evidence. This time, it’s from a comet.

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Posted in Science/Engineering, Space

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Ares 1-X

Posted on July 10, 2009 | Comments Off on Ares 1-X

ARES_1_InSpace-300x300.jpg

They’re stacking this baby down at KSC for what is billed as a test flight "later this year," mainly to see how the first stage works. I’ll believe it when it happens. But I hope it flies eventually, before the Dems have spent all the available money on ACORN and pork. Because this is the rocket that will take us back to the moon to build a base where we will build a ship for Mars. Theoretically. In the space game the way NASA plays it, you should never count your space flights until they’re launched.

Via SlashDot.

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Comet Lulin

Posted on February 5, 2009 | Comments Off on Comet Lulin

I don’t usually bother to tout comets any more, having once had to do it for a living when they generally proved a disappointment. But this green one looks to be unusual, with a Juipter-sized atmosphere, or coma. Of course, coming no closer than thirty-eight million miles away on Feb. 24 will keep it from seeming all that large.

Indeed, at only an anticipated fourth or fifth magnitude, it may be so dim that it requires dark country skies to see it at all. Even if it is brighter, observers deep inside the urban light cone are unlikely to see anything. On the cone’s fringes, however, you can start looking on Friday if you like, when Comet Lulin is expected to be a binocular object in the runup to its flyby.

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Posted in Science/Engineering, Space

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James Hansen’s boss…

Posted on February 4, 2009 | Comments Off on James Hansen’s boss…

…John Theon of NASA, says Hansen’s global warming data is bosh. No surprise, there. When science turns messianic, it’s time to watch out. Hansen has even declared that energy industry execs who question his data should be jailed. Sweet reversal.

UPDATE:  Ah but, meanwhile, in Obamalot, the warnings continue as if nothing had changed. How brilliant.

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Posted in Science/Engineering, Space, Weather/Climate

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