ISS-Above glows when the space station orbits near you

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Get alerts anytime the International Space Station flies over your location, so you can wave, send a tweet, or run outside to see it at night.

It's easy to forget that there's a big floating box full of people orbiting about 200 miles above us. The ISS-Above project on Kickstarter wants to be your reminder. It gives out alerts anytime the space station flies above your location, so you can wave, send a tweet to the station, or run outside to see it at night.

The brains behind ISS-Above is a Raspberry Pi system with a memory card loaded with your location information. LEDs light up to alert you to the space station's presence. There are different case options depending on the look you want your gadget to have, including some colorful 3D-printed options.

A complete ISS-Above device preloaded with your location goes for a pledge price of $115. If you just want the memory card with your location and custom Twitter login for sending a quick "hello" to the ISS, then it's just $42. This is a good option if you want to make your own custom alert device. The project has until February 27 to meet its $5,000 funding goal.

Back when the space shuttle was still in operation, I met my mother to see both the shuttle and ISS together in the night sky, two little pinpoints of light moving rapidly out of view. "There are people up there," was all I could say to her, all my years of "Star Trek" fandom and childhood astronaut dreams running through my head.

I see ISS-Above as a mini-celebration of humans in space, a reminder that we really did manage to get people off the planet, and they're still up there, living and working above.

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ISS-Above glows when the space station orbits near you

NASA Engineers Wrap Up Acoustic Testing For SLS

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Sun, Sep 07, 2014

Engineers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, have wrapped up acoustic testing on a 5-percent scale model of NASA's Space Launch System. The Aug.28 test, the 34th in the series, will help NASA engineers understand how loud the SLS vehicle will be during liftoff. Data from the test series will be used to design the water sound suppression system that reduces liftoff vibrations on the vehicle. SLS will be the most powerful rocket ever built for deep space missions.

The Scale Model Acoustic test article has four operational liquid engines and two solid rocket motors to represent the propulsion system for SLS. The launch structure also has working water delivery systems to represent its sound suppression system. The test article can be elevated to capture how the liftoff noise changes as the vehicle launches to space. Hot-fire testing began in January and will end this fall.

"We have almost completed testing to encompass all of the liftoff noise levels SLS could experience during launch," said Jeremy Kenny, SLS acoustics engineer at the Marshall Center, prior to the test. "The latest test will inform us of the liftoff noise levels as the vehicle is positioned approximately 150 feet above the deck that the model is positioned on."

"This has been a very successful test program," Kenny added. "Not only has our team gotten a better understanding of the noise levels expected at launch, but we've also proven out the effectiveness of the water suppression systems currently being installed at NASA's Kennedy Space Center."

The test program is led by Marshall's Propulsion Department in the Engineering Directorate, with additional engineering support across several NASA centers. The Marshall Center manages the SLS Program for the agency.

(Image provided by NASA)

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NASA Engineers Wrap Up Acoustic Testing For SLS

Red Sox Notebook: Jackie Bradley Jr. back with outfield crowd

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When it comes to Jackie Bradley Jr., Red Sox manager John Farrell is a man of his word.

The plan was to send down the offensively challenged center fielder in August to let him work on things in Triple A only to be called back up in September to finish out the string with the Red Sox.

So there was Bradley at the locker he called home for most of the season putting on his Red Sox gear yesterday before the team opened a three-game set with the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park.

Well when we sent him out we said we would bring him back in September and feel like the work that hes been doing in Pawtucket can continue and will continue here with us in Boston, Farrell said.

The numbers suggest Bradleys time in Pawtucket mirrored what was going on during the entirety of the season. The 24-year-old hit .211 (16-for-76) in 16 games, including two postseason games, for the PawSox with a double, home run and five RBI. Bradley is hitting .216 with one home run and 30 RBI for the year with the Red Sox. In August, he failed to record an extra base-hit in 35 at-bats with a.143 batting average, 15 strikeouts and two walks.

There were reports that Bradley was sent down for other reasons other than what was happening with his on-field production. Farrell was asked about the reports hes received about Bradleys ability to implement the adjustments he needed to work on at the minor league level.

Somewhat. I cant say its complete, the manager said. I dont think a player is ever complete in his work and his adjustments. So thats ongoing.

The ongoing conversation for Farrell and his staff will be figuring when and where to get Bradley into a game. Yoenis Cespedes, barring a day off from Farrell, seems to be cemented in left, while Mookie Betts has outplayed anybody else that could potentially play center field. Farrell is still trying to see what kind of production he can get from a platoon of Allen Craig and Daniel Nava in right.

It will be a balance to get everybody some equal playing time and I cant even guarantee that it will be equal, because we are trying to get a read on multiple guys, Allen Craig is one of them, obviously Mookie the way that he has progressed this year. Daniel Nava continues to earn at-bats against right-handed pitching, Farrell said. We will balance it as best we can.

Bradleys role right now is undefined, and part of that is the way Betts has taken control of the job. Betts has had a multi-hit game in four of his last seven appearances, with three home runs and his first grand slam of his career against Tampa Bay. Hes making Farrells decision to pull him out of the lineup a difficult one, much like Brock Holt did earlier in the season.

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Red Sox Notebook: Jackie Bradley Jr. back with outfield crowd

Red Bulls top Sporting KC in Major League Soccer

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Real Salt Lake forward Alvaro Saboru heads the ball into the net for a goal as FC Dallas midfielder Victor Ulloa (28) defends during an MLS soccer game Saturday, Sept. 6, 2014, in Sandy, Utah. (AP Photo/The Salt Lake Tribune, ... more >

By The Associated Press - Associated Press - Sunday, September 7, 2014

HARRISON, New Jersey (AP) - Bradley Wright-Phillips scored his Major League Soccer-leading 21st goal of the season to help the New York Red Bulls beat Sporting Kansas City 2-1 on Saturday.

Wright-Phillips scored on a penalty in the 11th minute after he was tripped by Matt Besler. Former France international Thierry Henry made it 2-0 in the 52nd minute, curling a shot past Sporting goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum.

Dominic Dwyer pulled one back for Kansas City two minutes later, but Sporting couldnt find the equalizer.

Elsewhere, Giles Barnes scored two goals to lead the Houston Dynamo past the Montreal Impact 3-2.

Barnes opened the scoring in the 30th minute, capitalizing on a defensive mistake to send a shot past goalkeeper Evan Bush.

Montreals Dilly Duka equalized in the 40th, but Houston responded with two goals in a three-minute span - one by Barnes, the other by Ricardo Clark - to put the game out of reach.

In Sandy, Utah, Costa Rica international Alvaro Saborio headed home the winner off Javier Morales corner in the 77th minute as Real Salt Lake beat FC Dallas 2-1.

Saborio came in as a substitute for Olmes Garcia in the 76th minute for his first action following a six-month layoff due to a foot injury.

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Red Bulls top Sporting KC in Major League Soccer

Education at the red light district

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In one of India's bustling red light districts, a madam puts up a school for prostitutes to equip them with skills necessary to escape their current plight

Published 8:00 AM, Sep 07, 2014

Updated 11:16 PM, Sep 06, 2014

MANILA, Philippines Dusshera Chowk in India is a thriving red light district home to more than 200 sex workers. But Madam Bandawa, who heads the red light area, has bigger plans for her girls.

Madam Bandawa put up a school for the prostitutes, teaching them basic reading, writing and math. She says some of the sex workers are illiterate, hence turning to prostitution.

As they learn how to read, write, and manage their earnings they become equipped with skills they may use to escape their current plight.

But Madam Bandawa couldnt handle it just by herself. She needs a dedicated volunteer teacher who can provide something more than basic education. You may course your leads through Mansoor Chetlu of New Life MFI by email. Rappler.com

This is brought to you by Our Better World, an initiative of the Singapore International Foundation sharing stories to inspire good

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Education at the red light district

INOMN2014 – Video

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INOMN2014
About InOMN International Observe the Moon Night (InOMN) is an annual event that is dedicated to encouraging people to #39;look up #39; and take notice of our nearest neighbor, the Moon. From...

By: Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute

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INOMN2014 - Video