Space Tonics – Page 8

Global WiFi Soon Directly From the Orbit: The Outernet Project

February 27, 2014 Pooja Kashyap

Within a year, prototype satellites would be deployed in orbit to broadcast free internet data across the globe. New York’s Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF) is bankrolling the project, called the “Outernet”. CubeSat, a miniaturized satellite is expected to launch around Jan next year provided the prototype, which is being sent to space this June works well. Soon enough Earth would be encircled with such tiny satellites that would be sending internet signals back to Earth and then there would be no such thing called the censored web, as is…

First Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration Goes Successful

February 18, 2014 Pooja Kashyap

Researchers from NASA and MIT have been trying to create a two-way laser link communication between the Moon and the Earth. The effort has been initiated last year in the month of Oct. First step concluded by beaming of laser light from a spacecraft orbiting the moon to the earth, at White Sands, New Mexico. And then the beam was sent to the spacecraft from the lab and this process went for about a month. Space scientists have dubbed it as Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration (LLCD). The entire mechanism went…

Satellite Servicing: Refueling Missions versus Resurrecting Satellites

February 14, 2014February 14, 2014 Pooja Kashyap

Satellites do not know concepts like repairing or re-fueling. Once they are put into orbit, they last until the task is completed and then de-orbit. In case of malfunctioning, they are just forgotten about and are left to contribute to space junk. So what exactly would robots in manned cosmonautics do, although researchers envision that the bots would help in repairs and maintenance at the ISS along with other things including minimize human work. Interestingly, DARPA is trying to resurrect the ‘dead’ satellites by imparting the required skills to its…

Researchers Map Out Ganymede’s Grooved Terrain: Jupiter’s Largest Moon

February 13, 2014 Pooja Kashyap

After several years of consistent hard work, researchers from Brown University were able to complete the first global gelological map of Ganymede, Jupiter’s largest moon, which is also largest in the solar system. Geologists envision that the map might assist in future exploration since they expects habitable environment upon Ganymede. The moon’s terrain and the possibility of underground waters have made it a subject of curiosity and investigation by the researchers. Voyager and Galileo spacecraft were used to take images for constructing the map. In 1979, Voyager made its first…

Mars Once Had Pools Of Fresh Water

January 27, 2014 Neha Shukla

The red planet had fresh water puddle on its surface around 4 billion years ago, as revealed by NASA Mars Opportunity Rover upon analyzing some of the oldest minerals. The same facts have been confirmed by the Curiosity, the newcomer collecting data on the other side of the planet. Planetary scientist Ray Arvidson, with Washington University in St. Louis said,the pool of water was so fresh that could have sustained all life forms.

Mars One Aims To Develop Human Habitat On The Red Planet

January 3, 2014 Neha Shukla

Humans are always curious about universe, whether there is life like us on any other planet or whether can we thrive on any other planets, both interests us equally. Till now visit to outer space for few months has been achieved, but nobody so far has thought of living on one such planet permanently. In one such mission, Mars One is planning to send selected individuals by 2023 on the red planet Mars (with no return voyage) to become the first ever persons to settle down permanently.

Sun Does Not Influence The Climate Change

December 26, 2013 Neha Shukla

Sun is an enormous source of energy and was considered the prime factor impacting the temperature of our planet Earth. Conventionally, cold and warm climate were considered to be the direct outcome of changes in the solar activity. However, researchers have denied this theory rather claim that the fluctuation in heat from sun does not drastically influence the climate of earth.

Mars Acting Like An Enormous Gas Pump

December 25, 2013December 24, 2013 Pooja Kashyap

Recent research claims that planet Mars might act as an enormous gas pump with its low atmospheric pressure and porous soil making the assertion strong enough to prove the hypothesis. Space scientists have already advocated the constant activity that is going on the surface like dust storms and drifting dunes. And now, the new study holds the certainty of having a similar kind of motion underneath the surface as well. With this assertion, the planet becomes the solar system’s first such body in which continuous pumping on a massive scale…

Europa, Jupiter’s Moon Is Spewing Off Water Vapour

December 14, 2013 Pooja Kashyap

Latest finding put forth by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has confirmed that Europa, Jupiter’s moon, is ejecting water vapour. Its surface consists of water ice and has one of the finest gradients in the Solar System. This has led to a conceivable notion that there might exist water ocean underneath. As per the space scientists, this sign might give rise to a possibility of habitability. The discovery that water vapour is ejected near the south pole strengthens Europa’s position as the top candidate for potential habitability. However, we do not…

Giant Convection Cells Observed Within Sun

December 10, 2013 Pooja Kashyap

We have known that convection currents are a part of the water cycle on earth. A conventional cell – density differences that results from rising and/or falling of currents – is the spark that ignites the formation of clouds with its release and transportation of energy. As air transcends along the surface of the earth, it carries heat, hence loses density (because of fluid dynamics) and moves higher into the atmosphere. Upon reaching there, it experiences low pressure due to which fluid retention becomes difficult and so it releases its…

HD106906 System Explodes The Basic Concepts Of Planet Formation

December 6, 2013 Pooja Kashyap

Recent discovery of planet HD 106906 b has exploded the underlying hypotheses of planet formation so far. A team of space scientists led by a University of Arizona graduate student has pioneered the discovery. The exoplanet weighs around 20.9x 1027 kg, which is eleven times more than that of Jupiter. It’s also found revolving around its star at 650 times the average distance between the Earth and the Sun. As per one theory of planet formation, planets that are in proximity with their stars band together with the help of…

Traces Of Water Discovered Across Exoplanet Atmospheres

December 4, 2013December 4, 2013 Pooja Kashyap

Two teams of space scientists have discovered the presence of atmospheric water across the five distant planets. NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope was the tool employed by the teams for the exploration mission. WASP-17b, HD209458b, WASP-12b, WASP-19b and XO-1b were the planets that were under observation. WASP-17b and HD209458b gave the strongest signal of water content present in their atmosphere while the others showed consistency.

Growing Plants on Moon: NASA’s Next Big Project By 2015

November 30, 2013November 30, 2013 Neha Shukla

Researchers and scientists are always curious to find life on other planets and tries to find whether other planets could ever sustain life. NASA is trying to find an answer to one such question and is planning to grow plants on moon, with the assistance of a robot, few cameras and thousands of schoolchildren. In 2015, a group of NASA scientist named as The Lunar Plant Growth Habitat Team, along with volunteers, contractors and students will be trying to bring life on other planet, which has been never attempted so…

Comet ISON’s Journey Comes To An End

November 23, 2013November 23, 2013 Pooja Kashyap

After travelling for over a million years, Comet ISON or Comet Nevski–Novichonok, a sungrazing comet discovered on 21 September 2012 by Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok will be completing its inward journey through the solar system by the Thanksgiving Day, that is, Nov. 28, 2013. Researchers feel that either it will shatter due to the extreme heat of the sun or speeds back, never to return. Space scientists were intrigued since the time they had discovered the Comet ISON (in Sept 2012) because they believe that the comet consists of…

Dust Ring Confirmed Near Venus Orbit

November 22, 2013 Pooja Kashyap

Interplanetary dust or the Cosmic dust has occupied space in the solar system. Studies are still being conducted in order to understand the nature, origin and its relationship to larger bodies in space. However, one thing is confirmed that a planet’s gravity is acting on the cosmic dust by pulling it into its orbit forming a ring of dust around itself. Earth too has been travelling in the ring of dust, a discovery that was made twenty years ago. Since then space scientists have been working upon gathering the information…