Monday, May 31, 2021

Houston We Have a Podcast:Water Bears in Space

Water Bears in Space: Thomas Boothby, assistant professor for the Department of Molecular Biology at the University of Wyoming, teaches us about tardigrades, more commonly known as water bears, that are headed up to the International Space Station for a scientific study to learn how these extremophiles adapt to microgravity. HWHAP Episode 197

Saturday, May 29, 2021

Hubble's 31st Anniversary: Giant Star on the Edge of Destruction

Friday, May 28, 2021

John Williams Recording NBC Nightly News Beat - Sony Studios,Culver City,California - with old portraits of anchors Tom Brokaw and Brian Williams

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Ivory Tower (Outtake) [Official Audio] - unreleased track from the new Deja Vu boxed set

Monday, May 24, 2021

Virgin Galactic Notches Third Human Spaceflight

On 22 May 2021, Virgin Galactic successfully completed its third human spaceflight, making New Mexico the third state from which humans have been launched into space, following Florida and California.The flight was launched from New Mexico's Spaceport America,Virgin Galactic's operational base.Its two previous human spaceflights were launched from its development facility in the Mojave Desert, California.* In the course of the flight, the VSS Unity spaceplane was released from the VMS Eve mothership and reached altitude 89.2 km/55.45 mi. Attending the launch were Virgin Galactic founder Sir Richard Branson;New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham; and former Governor Bill Richardson,who was instrumental in the creation of Spaceport America.* Piloting the VSS Unity were Astronauts CJ Sturckow and Dave Mackay.Sturckow became the first person to fly into space from three different states.The US definition of an astronaut is one who has traveled more than 80 km above the Earth's surface. Three more Virgin Galactic human spaceflights are planned for the test programme, with regular operations slated for 2022.That will allow them to collect enough data to submit to the Federal Aviation Administration for a Commerical Reusable Spacecraft Operator's License. Virgin Galactic has about 600 aspirants signed up for its spaceflights at a price ranging from 200,000-250,000 dollars. The test flight flew over New Mexico's White Sands National Park.Besides collecting data, the flight carried three paid scientific experiments for NASA under the Flight Opportunities Program.* Governor Grisham said: After so many years (15) and so much hard work,New Mexico has finally reached the stars...On behalf of proud New Mexicans everywhere,I'm incredibly grateful to so many dedicated and visionary collaborators in this effort, not least Sir Richard Branson and former Governor Bill Richardson, the entire Virgin Galactic and Spaceport team who made possible this long-awaited day.* Virgin Galactic stock was up 5.84 (27.74%) at close of Monday's trading.* Virgin Galactic Holdings (SPCE)

Sunday, May 16, 2021

Successful Launch of Space Physics Mission

This is to announce that the NASA Wallops Flight Facility,Virginia has launched the KiNET-X mission on a Black Brant XII rocket.The 71.5-foot tall solid fuel rocket with four stages-the Talos, the Terrier, the Black Brant, and the Nika-is built by Magellan Aerospace of Mississauga,Ontario.* The rapid fire launch was similar to a military missile:in the blink of an eye.It took place on the very last night of the launch window.Had it not been launched on 16 May,it would have had to have been rescheduled for later in the year, because the Moon would have been too far above the horizon and blacked out the mission's visual observations in Bermuda.Previous attempts were snakebitten mainly by weather problems with upper level winds at Wallops, and clouds over the Bermuda observation post critical to the mission.There was also a mechanical issue involving possible damage to a rocket motor when the rocket accidentally bumped against its rail, which guides it at launch.The rocket had to be taken down and the motor replaced.* Principal Investigator is Professer Peter Delamere of the University of Alaska-Fairbanks Geophysical Institute,which makes aurora forecasts.The study simulated an aurora by making barium clouds over Bermuda.It seeks to better understand the energy transfer process between different regions of space bound togther by a magnetic field.How are the electrons in an aurora energised by the Solar Wind?* Magellan Aerospace (MAL:TSX).

First look! CSNY “Deja Vu” 50th Anniversary Box Set - Sending Signals po...

Monday, May 10, 2021

Launch Scrubbed

The KiNET-X mission has been scrubbed by NASA because of upper level winds exceeding the safety requirements.If the Black Brant XII rocket were to go off course,there is no way to correct it,so optimal launch conditions are necessary.They will try again tomorrow at the same time.The lainch must occur by 16 May.

Space Physics:Sounding Rocket Mission to Study Big Question

Tonight is to be launched an important scientific payload on a Black Brant XII sounding rocket from NASA Wallops Flight Facility ,Virginia.The launch window begins at 7:40 pm EST and runs for 40 minutes.The launch may be visible along the East Coast and west to the Mississippi River.NASA has posted a map on its website.* The Black Brant family of sounding rockets is built by Magellan Aerospace of Mississauga, Ontario.It is a four stage,solid propellant rocket capable of flight to more than 200 miles above the Earth's surface. In the course of the mission, the KiNET-X payload will discharge two barium clouds in order to stimulate particle interactions.* The study is being conducted by four space and plasma scientists at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks Geophysical Institute.* Sounding rockets are used to study suborbital space phenomena. Space is defined as at least 100 km above the Earth's surface.In this study, the two barium canisters will be detonated at 249 mi/400.7 km and 186 mi/299.3 km respectively.* The study is being led by space physics professor Peter Delamere.It seeks to understand a key interaction of the Solar Wind with the planets: How does a large plasma such as the Solar Wind interact at the particle level with, for instance, the plasma of the Earth's space environment? The interaction of the Solar Wind with a planet having a magnetic field and a substantial atmosphere results in an aurora.So the study seeks to find out how auroral electrons are energised,a process believed to occur at an extremely small scale, a UA-F press release explains. While the plasma of Earth's magnetosphere is several planetary diameters in scale, the aurora has very thin yet active curtains.Why are they so thin? It is a fundamental mystery of heliophysics.* Experts in plasma and space physics from Dartmouth University; University of New Hampshire; University of Maryland; Clemson University; and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center are also participating in the mission.* Magellan Aerospace (MAL:TSX) Note:TD Ameritrade,for one,allows trading on the TSX (Toronto Stock Exchange).