Space news and Exploration II

[ScienceRocks]

Astrophysicists prepare weather forecasts for planets beyond our solar system
4 minutes ago

Astrophysicists prepare weather forecasts for planets beyond our solar system

"Cloudy for the morning, turning to clear with scorching heat in the afternoon."

While this might describe a typical late-summer day in many places on Earth, it may also apply to planets outside our solar system, according to a new study by an international team of astrophysicists from the University of Toronto, York University and Queen's University Belfast.

Using sensitive observations from the Kepler space telescope, the researchers have uncovered evidence of daily weather cycles on six extra-solar planets seen to exhibit different phases. Such phase variations occur as different portions of these planets reflect light from their stars, similar to the way our own moon cycles though different phases.

Among the findings are indications of cloudy mornings on four of them and hot, clear afternoons on two others.

"We determined the weather on these alien worlds by measuring changes as the planets circle their host stars, and identifying the day-night cycle," said Lisa Esteves, a PhD candidate in the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics at the University of Toronto, and lead author of the study published today in The Astrophysical Journal.

"We traced each of them going through a cycle of phases in which different portions of the planet are illuminated by its star, from fully lit to completely dark," said Esteves.

Because the planets are very near to their stars, they are expected to rotate counter-clockwise - just as the majority of objects in our solar system do - with the right side moving in the direction of each planet's orbit. This causes an eastward movement of the planet's surface and therefore an eastward circulation of atmospheric winds. As a result, clouds that form on the planet's night side, where temperatures are cooler while it faces away from its host star, would be blown to the planet's morning side.

"As the winds continue to transport the clouds to the day side, they heat up and dissipate, leaving the afternoon sky cloud-free," said Esteves. "These winds also push the hot air eastward from the meridian, where it is the middle of the day, resulting in higher temperatures in the afternoon."

For four of the planets, the researchers saw excess brightness in the Kepler data that corresponds to when the morning side is visible. For the other two, they saw an excess when the evening side is visible.

"By comparing the planets' previously determined temperatures to the phase cycle measurements provided by Kepler, we found that the excess brightness on the morning side is most likely generated by reflected starlight," said Esteves. "These four planets are not hot enough to generate this excess light through thermal emission.

"The excess light seen on the two very hot planets can be explained by thermal emission," said Esteves. "A likely explanation is that on these two planets, the winds are moving heat towards the evening side, resulting in the excess brightness."

The Kepler telescope was the ideal instrument for the study of exoplanet phase variations. The very precise measurements it provided and the vast amount of data it collected allowed astronomers to measure the tiny signals from these distant worlds. Most of the planets examined in this study are very hot and large, with temperatures greater than 1600 degrees Celsius and sizes comparable to Jupiter - conditions far from hospitable to life but excellent for phase measurements.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Ether compounds could work like DNA on oily worlds
11 hours ago by Adam Hadhazy, Astrobiology Magazine

Ether compounds could work like DNA on oily worlds

In the search for life beyond Earth, scientists have justifiably focused on water because all biology as we know it requires this fluid. A wild card, however, is whether alternative liquids can also suffice as life-enablers. For example, Saturn's frigid moon Titan is awash in inky seas of the hydrocarbon methane.

Here on warm, watery Earth, the molecules DNA and RNA serve as the blueprints of life, containing creatures' genetic instruction manuals. An immense family of proteins carries out these instructions.

Yet in a hydrocarbon medium on Titan, these molecules could never perform their profound chemical duties. Other molecules must therefore step up to the plate if non-water-based, alien life is to operate and evolve in a Darwinian sense, with genetic changes leading to diversity and complexity.

A new study proposes that molecules called ethers, not used in any genetic molecules on Earth, could fulfill the role of DNA and RNA on worlds with hydrocarbon oceans. These worlds must be a good deal toastier though than Titan, the study found, for plausibly life-like chemistry to take place.

"The genetic molecules we have proposed could perform on 'warm Titans'," said paper lead author Steven Benner, a distinguished fellow at the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution, a private scientific research organization based in Alachua, Florida.

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Space exploration fucking rocks!!!!


NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Gallery
OurDwarfPlanetDreamsareComingintoFocushotos

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The term "dwarf planet" wasn't defined until the infamous International Astronomical Union (IAU) vote in 2006, but this year, 9 years later, we are beginning to get our first ever close-up views of two of our solar system's most famous dwarf planets: Pluto and Ceres. VIDEO: Pluto Flyby and Black Holes: Top Space Events for 2015 Currently spiraling in on Ceres, the innermost dwarf planet inhabiting the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, NASA's Dawn spacecraft is slowly revealing a cratered and complex world, details of which that have so far eluded even Hubble's powerful vision. Dawn is scheduled to make final orbital insertion around Ceres in March 2015 where it is destined to remain after its fuel runs out as a permanent human-made satellite of Ceres. A comparison image of the Hubble and Dawn views of Ceres is shown above. ANALYSIS: NASA Spacecraft Ready to Unlock Ceres' Mysteries But Dawn is just the first dwarf planet encounter of 2015. In July, NASA's New Horizons mission will flyby Pluto and its system of moons, exploring the mysterious Kuiper Belt. Between Hubble's blurry observations of Ceres and Pluto and this year's NASA encounters, many artists' impressions of these enigmatic worlds have guessed at what lies in store for our robotic explorers. But how do they measure up now we are beginning to see Ceres' and Pluto's surfaces?
Hubble (left): NASA, ESA, and J. Parker (Southwest Research Institute); Dawn (right): NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA; edit: Ian O'Neill/Discovery News

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This artist's impression of Ceres shows NASA's Dawn spacecraft in orbit around the dwarf planet. As opposed to an ice encrusted world, this visualization shows a cratered, moon-like surface. NEWS: Tantalizing Detail Seen on Mysterious Dwarf Planet
Walter Myers/Stocktrek Images/Corbis

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Again with Dawn in view, this artist's impression shows an active Ceres complete with water vapor escaping from a possible sub-surface ocean. Water vapor was detected in the vicinity of Ceres by Hubble, so Dawn will be on the look-out for any trace of geysers venting water. ANALYSIS: Water Plume 'Unequivocally' Detected at Dwarf Planet Ceres
Walter Myers/Stocktrek Images/Corbis

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As seen by Hubble from afar, curious white patches and possible variations in Ceres' surface composition can be seen. However, any detail in these images have so far prevented planetary scientists from fully understanding the dwarf planet's true nature. NEWS: What is That Mysterious White Blob on Ceres?
NASA, ESA, J. Parker (Southwest Research Institute), L. McFadden (University of Maryland)

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But now, as Dawn fast approaches orbital insertion, we're being treated to a bounty of data that shows a possibly ancient, rocky surface. Those curious white patches originally spied by Hubble are also snapping into view -- but what are they? Theories abound, but they may be tentative signs of subsurface water escaping to space and freezing on the surface. These are all signs of cryovolcanism, a dynamic that may dominate dwarf planet surface morphology. NEWS: Dwarf Planet's Puzzling Landscape Snaps into View
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA

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From afar, NASA's Dawn mission is able to watch Ceres rotate, as this series of observations on Feb. 4 shows. ANALYSIS: Craters Pop as NASA’s Dawn Probe Approaches Ceres
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA

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As Dawn gets up-close and personal with Ceres, the drama in the outer solar system is only just beginning to unfold. After 9 years of flying toward Pluto, NASA's New Horizons mission has begun approach preparations for its flyby in July. VIDEO: Pluto Getting Bigger in New Horizons Probe's Window From ground-based and Hubble observations, there at tantalizing clues that this frozen world has a surprisingly dynamic surface with a thin atmosphere that changes during Pluto's 248 year orbit around the sun. In this artist's impression of New Horizons flying over Pluto, an atmosphere has been included with cryovolcanos -- the latter of which planetary scientists hope to confirm in July.

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Pluto has a system of known moons, the largest of which, Charon, may be considered to be Pluto's binary partner. As Charon orbits Pluto, its powerful gravitational field tugs the dwarf planet off center, a dynamic that New Horizons has observed as it approaches. ANALYSIS: NASA Probe Captures First Pluto Approach Photos
Ron Miller/Stocktrek Images/Corbis

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This artist's conception shows Pluto's moon Charon eclipsing the dwarf planet. Twice every orbit around the sun, each world eclipses the other. NEWS: Tally-Ho on Targets for New Horizons After Pluto
Mark Garlick/Science Photo Library/Corbis

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When Hubble spies on Pluto, it can see the different shades of the dwarf planet's surface rotate. As shown here in these blotchy images, little detail is obvious, but large regions with differing albedo (reflectiveness) may reveal huge craters, vast plains or mountains. But until New Horizons gets close, these regions will remain a mystery.
NASA/Roger Ressmeyer/CORBIS

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In this digital illustration rendered from 3-D NASA data of Pluto, an attempt has been made at matching observations with possible surface features.
William Radcliffe/Science Faction/Corbis

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In July 2014, NASA's New Horizons looked ahead and spied its ultimate goal: Pluto and Charon. Although tiny pinpricks of light, the pair can be seen orbiting one another in a binary dance that shifts Pluto off center. Both masses actually orbit an invisible point in space, above Pluto's surface, known as the Pluto-Charon barycenter. These observations have increased calls for Pluto to be redefined (yet again) as a 'binary planet.' MORE: Can We Call Pluto and Charon a 'Binary Planet' Yet?
NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

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Having spotted Charon months ago, New Horizons is now beginning to see Pluto's wider family of moons pop into view. Shown here are moons Nix (yellow diamond) and Hydra (orange diamond). MORE: Pluto's Tiny Moons Spied by Incoming NASA Probe
NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Southwest Research Institute

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Once NASA's New Horizons mission careens through the Pluto-Charon system, assuming it doesn't hit any debris on its way through, its mission in the Kuiper Belt has only just begun. Hubble is currently being used to identify possible icy targets after the spacecraft's Pluto encounter. Shown here is an artist's impression of another dwarf planet, Eris, that was discovered in 2005. Originally thought to be the tenth planet of the solar system, its discovery led to the IAU's decision to reclassify these small worlds as dwarf planets, demoting Pluto in the process, leaving us with 8 planets. But as we approach Pluto and begin to understand Ceres, just because they are dwarf planets doesn't mean they're not rich and dynamic places to explore. Our voyage of dwarf planet discovery has only just begun and regardless of our need to classify celestial objects, Pluto and Ceres hold some fascinating clues to planetary formation and solar system evolution. For more, regularly check on the NASA Dawn and NASA New Horizons mission web sites.
Corbis



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[ScienceRocks]

New Horizons Probe Mission Spies Pluto's Entire Moon Family

New Horizons Probe Mission Spies Pluto s Entire Moon Family Discovery News

Having already discerned the dwarf planet has distinct surface features, perhaps even a polar ice cap, NASA’s New Horizons mission has now spotted not just Pluto’s largest moons, but the smallest natural satellites too.

Imaged at a distance of over 55 million miles (88 million kilometers) from the Plutonian system between April 25 and May 1, this animated sequence of five 10 second observations by New Horizons’ Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) instrument show Pluto’s largest moon Charon, plus smaller moons Nix and Hydra, and it has also pinpointed, for the first time, the recently-discovered moons Kerberos and Styx.

ANALYSIS: NASA Probe Spies Possible Polar Ice Cap on Pluto

“New Horizons is now on the threshold of discovery,” said mission science team member John Spencer, of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colo., in a NASA news release. “If the spacecraft observes any additional moons as we get closer to Pluto, they will be worlds that no one has seen before.”

May 12, 2015 09:12 PM ET // by Ian O'Neill

View Related Gallery »

 

[ScienceRocks]

Astronomers directly image nearby Super-Jupiter exoplanet

• By Jamie Lendino on May 12, 2015 at 1:26 pm
• Comment

Astronomers directly image nearby Super-Jupiter exoplanet ExtremeTech

Astronomers have pinpointed the location of over 1,800 exoplanets over the past few decades, using a variety of indirect techniques like gravitational microlensing and the ‘transit’ method. Last month, NASA announced it has formed a coalition to search for alien life on exoplanets, and a few weeks ago, a team of researchers measured the visible light spectrum of one for the first time. Now a different team of astronomers in Spain has directly imaged a ‘Super Jupiter’-sized exoplanet (shown above).

The giant planet is estimated to be only 150-300 million years old and 11 times the mass of Jupiter. It orbits a red dwarf star that’s 40 light years away from us — making it the closest exoplanet we’ve imaged to date. Dubbed VHS 1256b, the exoplanet orbits its star at roughly 100 times the distance the Earth orbits the Sun, and 20 times further than Jupiter orbits the Sun, the team said in a statement. The team consists of researchers from the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canaries, the Centre of Astrobiology, and the Polytechnic University of Cartagena in Spain.

“As [VHS 1256b] is young, its atmosphere is still relatively warm, [at] around 1,200 degrees Celsius,” said Bartosz Gauza, a researcher who studied for his doctorate at the IAC, and is the first author on the paper. “And it is still sufficiently luminous for us to be able to detect it with the VISTA telescope of the European Southern Observatory (ESO).”

It’s also close enough for us to study its atmosphere. VHS 1256b appears red when measured in the near-infrared, where the exoplanet emits most of its light. (It’s the tiny red dot in the left photo above.) “In its atmosphere,” said Victor Sánchez Béjar, an IAC researcher and co-author, “we have found traces of water vapor and of alkali metals, which are normal for this type of planet — but not of methane, which is also expected at these temperatures.” Given this and the planet’s distance from the sun, it’s unlikely to be one in what scientists refer to as the habitable zone for just-right, Goldilocks alien worlds.

 

[Mac1958]

Sunset on Mars, from Curiosity:

 

[ScienceRocks]

Air Force should certify Spacex Falcon 9 no later than June 2015 and Allow Spacex to nearly Halve the cost of Air Force Launches

The Air Force expects to certify SpaceX no later than June to compete for space launches, under an updated agreement that streamlines the certification process Once certified, SpaceX, with its Falcon 9 launch vehicle, can compete for national security space launches against United Launch Alliance, the Boeing-Lockheed Martin team that currently...

You just got to love Eon Musk! This man could end up cutting space flight by 80% if his first stage ideas work out.

 

[ScienceRocks]

NASA research reveals Europa's mystery dark material could be sea salt
13 hours ago

The puzzling, fascinating surface of Jupiter's icy moon Europa looms large in this reprocessed color view, made from images taken by NASA's Galileo spacecraft in the late 1990s. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SETI Institute

NASA laboratory experiments suggest the dark material coating some geological features of Jupiter's moon Europa is likely sea salt from a subsurface ocean, discolored by exposure to radiation. The presence of sea salt on Europa's surface suggests the ocean is interacting with its rocky seafloor—an important consideration in determining whether the icy moon could support life.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-05-nasa-reveals-europa-mystery-dark.html#jCp

NASA's Space Launch System enters its critical design review phase
By Anthony Wood
May 13, 2015
2 Pictures

NASA's imaginatively-named Space Launch System (SLS), has entered its critical design review phase, which will see the leviathan rocket given the go-ahead for full-scale construction. The review represents a major milestone that must be passed with flying colors if the SLS is to make its intended maiden launch date, which is currently slated for 2017.

The modern saturn5!!!

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Falcon Heavy enabler for Dragon solar system explorer

Falcon Heavy enabler for Dragon solar system explorer NASASpaceFlight.com
May 11, 2015 by Chris Bergin

SpaceX head Elon Musk has revealed plans to utilize the Falcon Heavy and Dragon 2 vehicles for science missions throughout the solar system. Citing Dragon 2’s capability as a “science delivery platform”, Mr. Musk claimed the crew-capable spacecraft could also be tasked with landing scientific payloads at destinations ranging from the Moon and Mars – and even as far afield as Europa.

Dragon 2 – from Pad Abort to Solar System Adventures:

Mr. Musk, speaking after the Dragon 2 vehicle successfully conducted a Pad Abort test under the NASA Commercial Crew Program milestones, has big plans for his spacecraft.

Dragon 2 (revealed as the Dragon “V2″) is the crew variant of the cargo Dragon spacecraft that is currently enjoying numerous successful resupply runs to the International Space Station (ISS).

 

[ScienceRocks]

NASA selects concepts for phase I of the 2015 NIAC program
NASA selects concepts for phase I of the 2015 NIAC program

The NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts NIAC program has announced 15 phase I winners in its quest to make science fiction science fact. The aim of the program is to encourage the innovation of ideas with the potential to transform future aerospace and exploration operations, but more importantly, it grants us a tantalizing and often fantastical glimpse of what the future may hold.


In the past, NIAC has given rise to a fascinating blend of concepts, from the mundane to the overtly ambitious. In recent years it has filled our heads with ideas of futuristic aerospace concepts and submarines on Titan. The 15 successful 2015 phase I recipients haven't failed to add a sense of wonder to proceedings.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Circular orbits for small extrasolar planets
5 hours ago by Louise Børsen-Koch

Credit: Aarhus University

Orbits of 74 small extrasolar planets are found to be close to circular, in contrast to previous measurements of massive exoplanets. The results, to be published in the Astrophysical Journal are obtained by the SAC researchers Vincent Van Eylen and Simon Albrecht.

Researchers based at Aarhus University have measured the orbital eccentricity of 74 small extrasolar planets and found their orbits to be close to circular, similar to the planets in the solar system. But in contrast to previous measurements of more massive exoplanets where highly eccentric orbits are commonly found. These findings have important implications for planet formation theory, as well as planet occurrence rates and habitability. These findings are a major step that will improve understanding of the planet formation mechanisms that lead to high orbital eccentricities.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-05-circular-orbits-small-extrasolar-planets.html#jCp

 

[ScienceRocks]

Eccentricity from transit photometry: small planets in Kepler multi-planet systems have low eccentricities
Authors: Vincent Van Eylen, Simon Albrecht
(Submitted on 11 May 2015)

Abstract: Solar system planets move on almost circular orbits. In strong contrast, many massive gas giant exoplanets travel on highly elliptical orbits, whereas the shape of the orbits of smaller, more terrestrial, exoplanets remained largely elusive. Knowing the eccentricity distribution in systems of small planets would be important as it holds information about the planet's formation and evolution, and influences its habitability. We make these measurements using photometry from the Kepler satellite and utilizing a method relying on Kepler's second law, which relates the duration of a planetary transit to its orbital eccentricity, if the stellar density is known. Our sample consists of 28 bright stars with precise asteroseismic density measurements. These stars host 74 planets with an average radius of 2.6 R⊕ . We find that the eccentricity of planets in Kepler multi-planet systems is low and can be described by a Rayleigh distribution with σ = 0.049 ± 0.013. This is in full agreement with solar system eccentricities, but in contrast to the eccentricity distributions previously derived for exoplanets from radial velocity studies. Our findings are helpful in identifying which planets are habitable because the location of the habitable zone depends on eccentricity, and to determine occurrence rates inferred for these planets because planets on circular orbits are less likely to transit. For measuring eccentricity it is crucial to detect and remove Transit Timing Variations (TTVs), and we present some previously unreported TTVs. Finally transit durations help distinguish between false positives and true planets and we use our measurements to confirm six new exoplanets.

Van Eylen & Albrecht "Eccentricity from transit photometry: small planets in Kepler multi-planet systems have low eccentricities"
http://arxiv.org/abs/1505.02814

Eccentricity constraints on a bunch of planets, plus verification of six planets in the systems Kepler-92 (already host to two confirmed planets), Kepler-449 and Kepler-450.

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Kepler 92 goes from 2 to 6 planets
Kepler 449 and Kepler 450 is confirmed.


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Long-lived, long-period radial velocity variations in Aldebaran: A planetary companion and stellar activity

We investigate the nature of the long-period radial velocity variations in Alpha Tau first reported over 20 years ago. We analyzed precise stellar radial velocity measurements for Alpha Tau spanning over 30 years. An examination of the Halpha and Ca II 8662 spectral lines, and Hipparcos photometry was also done to help discern the nature of the long-period radial velocity variations. Our radial velocity data show that the long-period, low amplitude radial velocity variations are long-lived and coherent. Furthermore, Halpha equivalent width measurements and Hipparcos photometry show no significant variations with this period. Another investigation of this star established that there was no variability in the spectral line shapes with the radial velocity period. An orbital solution results in a period of P = 628.96 +/- 0.90 d, eccentricity, e = 0.10 +/- 0.05, and a radial velocity amplitude, K = 142.1 +/- 7.2 m/s. Evolutionary tracks yield a stellar mass of 1.13 +/- 0.11 M_sun, which corresponds to a minimum companion mass of 6.47 +/- 0.53 M_Jup with an orbital semi-major axis of a = 1.46 +/- 0.27 AU. After removing the orbital motion of the companion, an additional period of ~ 520 d is found in the radial velocity data, but only in some time spans. A similar period is found in the variations in the equivalent width of Halpha and Ca II. Variations at one-third of this period are also found in the spectral line bisector measurements. The 520 d period is interpreted as the rotation modulation by stellar surface structure. Its presence, however, may not be long-lived, and it only appears in epochs of the radial velocity data separated by ∼ 10 years. This might be due to an activity cycle. The data presented here provide further evidence of a planetary companion to Alpha Tau, as well as activity-related radial velocity variations.

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Astronomers baffled by discovery of rare quasar quartet
12 minutes ago

Image of the region of the space occupied by the rare quasar quartet. The four quasars are indicated by arrows. The quasars are embedded in a giant nebula of cool dense gas visible in the image as a blue haze. The nebula has an extent of one …more

Using the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii, a group of astronomers led by Joseph Hennawi of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy have discovered the first quadruple quasar: four rare active black holes situated in close proximity to one another. The quartet resides in one of the most massive structures ever discovered in the distant universe, and is surrounded by a giant nebula of cool dense gas. Because the discovery comes with one-in-ten-million odds, perhaps cosmologists need to rethink their models of quasar evolution and the formation of the most massive cosmic structures. The results are being published in the May 15, 2015 edition of the journal Science.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-05-astronomers-baffled-discovery-rare-quasar.html#jCp

 

[ScienceRocks]

Futuristic Laser Space Engine Passes Its First Test

Someday it could get us to the moon within hours and Mars within days

In 2013, Y.K. Bae scored funding from NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts program to study an amazing new kind of propulsion: Thrust that comes not from liquid rockets but from lasers continuously fired at the spacecraft, which would steadily gain momentum in the frictionless vacuum of space. It's called the Photonic Laser Thrust system, and it could drastically reduce the amount of fuel needed for space missions. And now, Bae has announced that lab tests of the technology were successful.
In the experiment, Bae fired a laser at a one-pound mock spaceship on a frictionless track and successfully produced thrust. The laser bounced continuously between two mirrors inside a cavity at the bottom of the simulated spaceship, building momentum of 1.1 milliNewtons.

 

[ScienceRocks]

The Universe is full of rogue stars, rogue planets and galaxies that were tough for older telescopes to see

Millions of overlooked galaxies When researchers took a closer look at surveys of galaxies in the local universe, they found many had been mischaracterised. More careful analysis of images revealed that 21 galaxies that originally looked like big 3D clouds of stars – "giant elliptical galaxies" – were actually flat 2D disc galaxies with

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[danielpalos]

Rail gun technology is already here; easily portable; would benefit from solar power in space and is cost effective, especially with any advance in miniaturization that could enable space capable probes to gather some fixed Standard of metrics and about the size of a cannon ball.

 

[ScienceRocks]

DARPA aims for 100 times better space telescopes and Spy satellites

State-of-the-art imagery of objects in low Earth orbit (LEO), up to 2,000 km (1,200 miles) high, can achieve resolution of 1 pixel for every 10 cm today, providing relatively crisp details. But image resolution for objects in geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO), a favorite parking place for space assets roughly 36,000 km (22,000 miles) high,...

 

[ScienceRocks]

Spacex Falcon 9 certified for medium risk NASA launches and another Russian Launch Failure

SpaceX has been certified by NASA’s for Falcon 9 rockets to carryout Category 2 space missions. These are ”medium risk’ launches such as satellites and less expensive space probes. The Atlas 5, Delta 2 and Pegasus XL rockets operate under this certification. It took three years for SpaceX to have its Falcon 9 to complete the certification...

 

[ScienceRocks]

International Space Station may get laser cannon to vaporize orbital debris
International Space Station may get laser cannon to vaporize orbital debris ExtremeTech

The International Space Station (ISS) has been forced to alter trajectory numerous times over the years, but not for any scientific of logistical reason — it was necessary to avoid collisions with space junk. The day of simply stepping out of the way could be coming to an end, though. Researchers from Japan’s Riken Computational Astrophysics Laboratory have proposed a system that could blast dangerous space debris out of the sky before it comes close to the ISS.

 

[danielpalos]

Cool. Advances in such technologies could help with space objects in near Earth vicinity.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Tiny Solar Sail 'Cubesat' Launching with X-37B Space Plane on Wednesday
19 May 2015

A tiny solar-sailing spacecraft will hitch a ride on the rocket that blasts the United States Air Force's X-37B space plane into orbit on its latest mystery mission tomorrow (May 20).

The robotic X-37B spacecraft is scheduled to launch tomorrow at 10:45 a.m. EDT (1445 GMT) atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The booster will also loft 10 tiny "cubesats," including a spacecraft called LightSail, which is about the size of a loaf of bread.
LightSail is part of the nonprofit Planetary Society's effort to develop and advance solar sail technology. Solar sails harness solar radiation pressure, which imparts a tiny but continuous push that can accelerate a spacecraft to tremendous speeds over time.
Solar sailing holds a great deal of promise for cubesats, advocates say. These tiny spacecraft don't have a lot of room for onboard fuel, and they generally launch as ride-alongs on rockets carrying much more expensive primary payloads.
"The group buying the rocket — the primary payload — they get a little bit nervous about, say, 10 miniature fuel banks on your cubesat when they have a multimillion-dollar payload sitting on top of it," said Jason Davis, a digital editor at The Planetary Society, which is headed by former TV "Science Guy" Bill Nye.
"That's what's kind of kept cubesats limited thus far," Davis told Space.com. "So we're trying to show that solar sailing is one way that you can have sort of free propulsion, which could conceivably take cubesats to the next level."

http://www.space.com...pace-plane.html

 

[ScienceRocks]

Second planet at HD 110014, and disconfirmed planets at HD 47536, HD 122430 and HD 70573

RAFT I: Discovery of new planetary candidates and updated orbits from archival FEROS spectra
http://arxiv.org/abs/1505.04796

A recent reanalysis of archival data has lead several authors to arrive at strikingly different conclusions for a number of planet-hosting candidate stars. In particular, some radial velocities measured using FEROS spectra have been shown to be inaccurate, throwing some doubt on the validity of a number of planet detections. Motivated by these results, we have begun the Reanalysis of Archival FEROS specTra (RAFT) program and here we discuss the first results from this work. We have reanalyzed FEROS data for the stars HD 11977, HD 47536, HD 70573, HD 110014 and HD 122430, all of which are claimed to have at least one planetary companion. We have reduced the raw data and computed the radial velocity variations of these stars, achieving a long-term precision of ~ 10 m/s on the known stable star tau Ceti, and in good agreement with the residuals to our fits. We confirm the existence of planets around HD 11977, HD 47536 and HD 110014, but with different orbital parameters than those previously published. In addition, we found no evidence of the second planet candidate around HD 47536, nor any companions orbiting HD 122430 and HD 70573. Finally, we report the discovery of a second planet around HD 110014, with a minimum mass of 3.1 Mjup and a orbital period of 130 days. Analysis of activity indicators allow us to confirm the reality of our results and also to measure the impact of magnetic activity on our radial velocity measurements. These results confirm that very metal-poor stars down to [Fe/H]~ -0.7 dex, can indeed form giant planets given the right conditions.

 

[ScienceRocks]

ESA spacecraft detects the presence of enormous Martian supervolcano
By Anthony Wood
May 21, 2015
4 Pictures

ESA's Mars Express orbiter has captured images that may indicate the presence of supervolcanoes on the surface of Mars. If the findings are later confirmed, the existence of these leviathan volcanoes may greatly inform current theories on climate formation, as eruptions from the supervolcanoes could have dramatically altered the Martian global environment.