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Water Found on the Moon

Nerd Grind — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 06:07:11 +0000

Scientists have known for decades that our moon had water on the surface, but they kept trying to confirm it with samples from several trips to the moon long ago, and the Hubble telescope. As the idea of lunar bases on the moon, and even colonization of the moon, is being reintroduced scientists at NASA are treating this as a new discovery. In fact, they’ve know all this for decades, and only now are they talking in detail about it, because funding is needed for a moon base that will act as a stepping stone to get us to the real goal, Mars.

Scientists say the moon has oxygen, water, and hydrogen three which can be used to sustain life, and be used as fuel for energy.

A moon base raises several questions. Is the United States going to claim the moon its territory? Are other countries going to be invited to participate, and help pay for the base? Will the moon be used for military or peaceful purposes? So many questions.

Check out the cool new video that was just made about the moon.

NASA Astronaut Loses Tool bag in Space – Viewed Via Telescope

Nerd Grind — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 11:56:59 +0000

NASA astronaut Heidi Stefanyshyn-Piper lost a tool bag valued at $100,000 in space last week. This caused countless would-be astronomers to boot up their telescopes to see if they could spot the pricey bag floating around space.

Someone succeeded. A short video has been posted claiming to be the aforementioned bag careening around the cosmos. Below is his video, and after that is a video of the original "Oh crap" moment when Stefanyshyn-Piper lost the bag:

NASA Astronaut Invents Zero G Coffee Cup

Nerd Grind — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:14:20 +0000

Who would’ve thunk that the latest state-of-the-art invention by NASA would be a zero G coffee cup? NASA astronaut Don Pettit invented the cup on his day off aboard the International Space Station based on the shape of a rocket fuel tank that enables you to drink every last drop of a liquid without a straw in zero gravity.

Pettit arrived at the ISS from the shuttle Endeavour, to deliver a urine-to-water recycling system as well as other needed supplies.

Just think, right now he’s drinking coffee, next week he’ll be drinking his own pee!

NASA Coolant Tank Comes Back to Earth and Almost Bombs Australia

Nerd Grind — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:44:35 +0000

A retired coolant tank put into space by the ISS and NASA has unexpectedly reentered the Earth’s atmosphere off the coast of Australia. Luckily, the 1400lb tank came back over water and the atmosphere broke it into tiny pieces. No pieces larger than 15lbs are believed to have made it back intact.

NASA threw the tank overboard during a shuttle mission when it was deemed too volatile to bring back to Earth. Scientists believed the tank would find a way back into our atmosphere sometime in November so this comes as no surprise.

Hubble Space Telescope Returns – Scientists Plan Extensive Fix in April

Nerd Grind — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:32:57 +0000

The Hubble Telescope, which was nearly lost this month due to old age and a faulty board, has resumed regular operations today. It has since sent back some photographs, including the gorgeous one above of a pair of galaxies. A mission to replace the Science Instrument Command and Data Handling unit(SIC&DH), the system with the faulty board, is planned for April of next year. Until then, Hubble will be sending images using backup systems.

The replacement SIC&DH will undergo extensive testing starting in mid-December. Unfortunately, it is being constructed out of the same hardware as the old version that has been giving scientists such trouble.

Google and Nasa to Develop Interplanetary Internet

Nerd Grind — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:13:28 +0000

OK, well not really. Google and Nasa have began working on a solution to replace the old-n-busted radio equipment system that was developed back in the ’70s.

The project is called "Interplanetary Internet" and will be tested on the International Space Station sometime in 2009.

I think this is friggin cool but I don’t want to see Mission Specialists playing "World of Warcraft" from space!

NASA Begins Work on a Robotic Therapist for Astronauts

Nerd Grind — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 12:22:17 +0000

NASA has begun work on a four-year, $1.74 million project designed to help counsel depressed astronauts in space. The project, dubbed the Virtual Space Station, is being readied in Boston. The VSS is supposed to independently create a program that will offer astronauts advice based on their typed insecurities. AP writer Jay Lindsay says it is nothing at all like HAL 9000.

How it works: Astronauts type in their various psychological problems into a console, which leads a pre-recorded video therapist to offer up a variety of solutions. The robot therapist "helps astronauts identify reasons for their depression. Then the program helps them make a plan to fight the depression."

The Virtual Space Station is being tested on civilians and it’s designers hope that it will one day cross party lines and be used by astronauts and non-astronauts alike. Researchers involved with the project offer no word on how normalized conventions of doctor/patient privacy will be affected by the project.

Korea enters space race, reveals first orbit-capable rocket

Nerd Grind — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 12:59:00 +0000

South Korea has unveiled it’s first space launch vehicle, imaginatively named the KSLV-1. From an aesthetic standpoint, the thing is definitely a rocket. If you were to doodle a rocket in the binder of your eighth grade notebook, it’d probably look something like the KSLV-1.

The rocket, upon launch, is going to release Korea’s first satellite into the final frontier. The satellite will purportedly exist for "science and technology" reasons. Care to get any more vague guys?

The rocket will not be launching until April or June of next year due to a technical cooperation with Russia. It’s the cold war space race all over again. Awesome!

Nasa Rover Says “Take me to your leader”

Nerd Grind — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 15:12:56 +0000

Nasa has released a photo of the bottom of the aeroshell that will soon be roving all over Mars. It’s the largest aeroshell in the history of space exploration, which isn’t saying much considering the runner up is about the size of a breadbox. This one, though, whoa nelly. It measures in at over fifteen feet and is designed to literally float in the middle of the red planet’s atmosphere.

According to Steve Jolly, from Lockheed Martin, "the biggest challenge for the MSL aeroshell is its gigantic size. It’s almost double the size of our Mars Exploration Rovers’ [Spirit and Opportunity] aeroshells.When you are building a structure that big, there are many considerations we had to take into account, including the fact that this is a lifting capsule that is steerable."

It’ll fit right in on Mars, being as how it already looks like it’s from there. No word on if Val Kilmer will be piloting it.

Flying Car Design Winner

Nerd Grind — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 14:36:42 +0000

NASA awarded $250,000 in prize money this weekend to teams competing to build and fly a small-seat plane that could one day be a prototype for so-called air cars. And the $100,000 winner is….Pipistrel Virus, a $70,000 aircraft that can do 50 MPG and take off on short runways.

"Only 682 pounds empty weight complete–it literally carries more useful load, that is passengers, fuel, and baggage, than the aircraft weighs." said Mark Moore, an aerospace engineer at NASA.

A highly modified kit plane, a Vans RV-4, won $25,000 in the speed challenge and another $50,000 for emitting the least amount of noise on its flight. Finally, the team flying a Cessna 172, the most popular small plane in production since the 40s, won $25,000 for handling.

"The results make sense–the Cessna 172 is the most successful (and highest production volume small aircraft) precisely for the reason that the handling qualities are so good," said Mark Moore.

NerdGrind - How-to Computer Help - Tutorials - Tech and Gadget News » NASA

Water Found on the Moon

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