Astronomers have discovered a number of extrasolar planets this century, but this earth-type world lies in its star’s “Goldilocks Zone,” and could support life (according to our understanding of the concept).
Unofficially nicknamed Zarmina’s World, the planet has some other interesting characteristics.
If you have any chemistry or science teachers on your Christmas list, your shopping is done.
The Japanese spaceship Ikaros has unfurled its solar sail and successfully used the sail to move through the cosmos.
The space age may not be over…..
Delayed a day by rainy weather, the space shuttle Discovery is back, safe and sound at Kennedy Space Center in Florida after a 15 day mission.
Meanwhile, the Atlantis is getting ready to be moved overnight to the Vehicle Assembly Building to get her ready for her final mission. That mission is slated to launch May 14th.
The next time Discovery takes to the skies it will be in September and will mark not only her final mission, but the last planned mission for the entire shuttle fleet.
It was an early morning launch, but the Space Shuttle Discovery is now in orbit. They are reporting some problems with the shuttle’s main antenna, but it doesn’t appear to be bad enough to scrub Discovery’s planned dock with the ISS.
This mission represents the first time four women have been in space at the same time (three from the Shuttle’s crew and one aboard the ISS).
The mission also marks a milestone for the retiring program. Every mission from here on out will be each shuttle’s last.
The Large Hadron Collider is now up and running, and has had its first beam collisions. I did a piece about why the LHC is important around this time last year, and will be touching on some of these topics again in Bureau 42’s first ever Summer School session on Mondays through July and August.
A British hobbyist, for about $800.00 U.S., has created a system for space photography that has caught NASA’s attention.
Maybe the successful basement-inventor isn’t relegated entirely to history and pop culture.
The Martin Aircraft Company’s Jetpack will be available commercially, they expect, by the end of the year. The company has been developing these things for decades, had their first paying customers a few months back, and now expect to be doing general business with an admittedly elite clientele. Their site may be found here. You may see video at the site or after the jump, and several more, tracing the history of their packs, here.
To Infiinity…. And Beyond!
Noted film critic Roger Ebert lost his voice to several cancer surgeries. Unlike others– such as the world’s most famous electro-larynx, Stephen Hawking– Ebert has been given a computer voice that sounds like his original.
Thumb’s up for modern technology.