Japanese Astronaut Takes Command of Space Station

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Pledging to uphold the Japanese spirit of wa harmony Koichi Wakata took command of the International Space Station on Sunday, the first Japanese astronaut to lead a human space mission.

In a change-of-command ceremony, broadcast on NASA Television, Wakata, thanked the outgoing commander, Russian Oleg Kotov, for his leadership as well as crewmates Sergey Ryazanskiy and Mike Hopkins, all of whom who will be returning to Earth on Monday.

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We will continue to keep the station operations safe, efficient and fun, as you guys led us to do so. Have a safe return and well catch you back on the planet in a couple of months, Wakata said.

Wakata, 50, who is serving for the second time aboard the space station, becomes only the third person who is not an American or a Russia to lead a space station crew. Previously, Canadian Chris Hadfield and the European Space Agencys Frank DeWinne held command posts.

I hope you will bring station operation to success with wa spirit, a Japanese flight director said, speaking through a translator.

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Wa harmony is a creed, replied Wakata. I think it expresses the spirit of Japanese through its long history. I really want to respect the wa spirit.

Wakata will remain in command until he and crewmatesRick Mastracchio and Mikhail Tyurin return to Earth in mid-May. They will be joined by three new space station crewmembersOleg Artemyev, Alexander Skvortsov and Steve Swanson later this month.

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Japanese Astronaut Takes Command of Space Station

Astronaut Suit 'Flies Away' From Space Station And Burns Up In The Atmosphere (VIDEO)

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If you've seen 'Gravity', you might assume this video of a space suit dramatically spinning away from the International Space Station into the void is just another trailer, or at worst an outtake.

It's real.

The clip shows a space suit being tossed from the airlock of the ISS, spinning around and heading towards the Earth.

So why have you never seen it before? Because there was no human inside that suit.

The clip went viral online over the weekend, but actually dates from 2006. It records an experiment known as SuitSat, in which Russian astronauts attempted to use as old space suit as a cheap way to place a satellite in orbit.

The suit was filled with electronics and transmitters, and pushed out into space. It then stayed in orbit for seven months, before tumbling into the atmosphere and burning up.

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Astronaut Suit 'Flies Away' From Space Station And Burns Up In The Atmosphere (VIDEO)

First ever Japanese astronaut takes charge of International Space Station

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Mr Wakata, 50, had been a space station flight engineer since he and two crew mates arrived on November 7.

"I am humbled to assume the command of the space station," Mr Wakata said during a change-of-command ceremony broadcast on NASA Television.

So far, four Japanese astronauts have served as space station crew members, including Mr Wakata, who previously flew in 2009, Mr Wakata also is a veteran of two space shuttle missions.

One of his first tasks as commander will be to oversee the arrival of a Space Exploration Technologies' Dragon cargo ship which is due to launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida next Sunday and reach the station on March 18.

The station, a $100 billion research laboratory, flies about 260 miles above Earth. It has been permanently staffed by rotating crews of astronauts and cosmonauts since November 2000.

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First ever Japanese astronaut takes charge of International Space Station

Space station command a first for Japan

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The Small Satellite Orbital Deployer, in the grasp of the Kibo laboratory robotic arm, is photographed by an Expedition 38 crew member on the International Space Station as it deploys a set of NanoRacks CubeSats last month. REUTERS/NASA

Wakata, 50, had been a space station flight engineer since he and two crewmates arrived on Nov. 7.

"I am humbled to assume the command of the space station," Wakata said during a change-of-command ceremony broadcast on NASA Television.

Outgoing station commander Oleg Kotov, flight engineer Sergey Ryazanskiy, both from Russia, and NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins are due to depart the orbital outpost on Monday. Their replacements arrive on March 26.

Wakata's command marks just the third time the station is being overseen by a crewmember who is not from NASA or the Russian Space Agency, the two primary partners of the 15-nation project.

Canadian Chris Hadfield served as commander from March to May 2013. European Space Agency astronaut Frank DeWinne led a station crew in 2009.

"I am very proud as a Japanese to be given this important command," Wakata, speaking Japanese, said through a translator.

"I think that this reflects the real trust toward Japan and what Japan has achieved over the past years," he said.

So far, four Japanese astronauts have served as space station crewmembers, including Wakata, who previously flew in 2009. Wakata also is a veteran of two space shuttle missions.

Along with NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin, Wakata is scheduled to remain aboard the station until mid-May.

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Space station command a first for Japan

Space Florida Space Tourism Marketing Plan

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Space Florida's objective for the space tourism marketing appropriation is to define and develop the scope of space tourism throughout the state of Florida. Breaking the plan into three phases will allow us to address the different needs and goals of the aerospace industry. Each stage of this plan includes specific tactics with messaging relevant to the targeted demographic, as well as built in opportunities to measure reach, effectiveness and the return on investment of each individual tactic.

Phase I will re-engage our targeted demographic and renew their enthusiasm in space through current space-related tourism activities. Although there are no longer shuttle launches, the space industry is just as relevant. By capitalizing on the branding and nostalgia of space history, we will have the opportunity to promote future space travel opportunities while engaging people through current space-related activities. Whether its visits to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, a ride on Zero G gravity plane, or developing new business opportunities, Florida is the place for space.

Phase II will begin the shift fiom space-related tourism to actual "space tourism" by partnering with the organizations involved in this transition in conjunction with Florida's branding of space tourism as human space flight, for pleasure, business or educational opportunities. Defining and promoting the limitless possibilities of space tourism creates a consumer reach that targets millions.

Phase III will begin in anticipation of the first human space flight. The excitement we've been building through the first two phases of space tourism marketing will culminate when space vehicles begin taking tourists to explore space. Florida will be known, not only for the history of the nation's space program, but as the place where private citizens can experience space flight for themselves.

The attached document titled: Space Tourism Strategies & Activities, identifies a three phase approach to the proposed plan which is based on a five year strategy.

Full document: Space Florida Space February 3 FY 2014 Tourism Report DEO Deliverables, Space Florida

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Space Florida Space Tourism Marketing Plan

NASA: There Is 'Probably' No 'Nemesis' Death Star Beyond Pluto

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Nasa has announced that there is almost certainly not a giant, dark 'Nemesis' star lurking at the edge of our Solar System.

"Probably".

It has long been theorised - though only by a fringe of the astronomy community - that a massive, unseen celestial body exists beyond the orbit of Pluto.

Known as 'Nemesis', or Planet X, the theories attempt to explain geological studies which suggest oddly regular mass extinctions on Earth.

Above: A nearby star stands out in red in this image from the Second Generation Digitized Sky Survey.

The idea is that this large star or planet might occasionally rush through bands of comets at the edge of the solar system, and send them hurtling towards Earth.

It's not a widely-held belief, though. And now a full-sky sweep by the space agency's Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) has found "no evidence" that such a thing exists.

Nasa said it is now sure there is no object larger than Jupiter beyond Pluto to a distance of 26,000 'AU' (astronomical units) - where the distance to the Sun from Earth, or 93 million miles, is one AU.

"The outer solar system probably does not contain a large gas giant planet, or a small, companion star," said Kevin Luhman of the Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds at Penn State University.

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NASA: There Is 'Probably' No 'Nemesis' Death Star Beyond Pluto

NASA Kepler telescope discovers 715 new planets

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Nasa animations illustrate planet Kepler-16b, discovered by Nasa's Kepler mission, circling two stars. (Courtesy Nasa Jet Propulsion Laboratory, no sound)

NASA has announced a torrent of new planet discoveries, hailing a "bonanza" of 715 worlds now known outside the solar system thanks to the Kepler space telescope's planet-hunting mission.

A new method for verifying potential planets led to the volume of new discoveries from Kepler, which aims to help humans search for other worlds that may be like Earth.

"What we have been able to do with this is strike the mother lode, get a veritable exoplanet bonanza," said Jack Lissauer, a planetary scientist at NASA.

This artist's impression illustrates Kepler-22b, a planet known to comfortably circle in the habitable zone of a sun-like star. Photo: NASA

"We have almost doubled just today the number of planets known to humanity," he said.

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The 715 newly verified planets are orbiting 305 different stars.

The latest announcement brings the number of known planets tobetween 1500 and 1800, depending on which of the five main extra-solar planet-discovery catalogues is used.

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NASA Kepler telescope discovers 715 new planets

NanoIsrael 2014: Top Global Researchers & Companies, Achievements in Science and Business, and Potential Investors

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TEL AVIV, Israel--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NanoIsrael 2014, the 4th international conference & exhibition, which will be held on March 24th-25th , at the TelAviv David Intercontinental Hotel, Israel, will focus this year on innovations and business opportunities in the fields of medicine, materials, defence, electronics, photonics and energy. The event is expected to draw over 1,000 participants from Israel and around the world, including Nano related companies, venture capital experts, institutional and organizational investors, regulators, government decision makers, leading scientists and researchers.

"Israel is recognized as a centre for innovation and research in Nanotechnology, with documented achievements across many business sectors such as energy, water and the environment, aerospace and defense, medicine and biotechnology, electronics and communications," says Nava Swersky Sofer, the conference cochair. "Top companies and researchers from around the world will come to Israel to share their knowledge. The best of Israels achievements in science and business will be presented and potential investors and business partners will attend the event to seek collaborations.

Prof Uri Sivan of the Technion, renowned scientist and the first head of the Russell Berry Nanotechnology Centre at the Technion, is chairing the scientific committee this year, and Rafi Koriat of INNI is the third co-chair.

"We expect a great turnout, as we have had in previous conferences. At the first conference, we had a ratio of 80:20 between academia and industry and slowly but surely this is moving towards the applied arena while keeping the scientific aspects at the highest level and the next generation of developed applications," concludes Swersky Sofer.

NanoIsrael 2014 is held in cooperation with the Israel National Nanotechnology Initiative (INNI) and the nanotechnology centers at Israeli universities, and is supported by the Ministry of Trade & Industry, the Foreign Ministry, key companies, universities and organizations from Israel and abroad.

The conference site: http://www.kenes.co.il/nano

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NanoIsrael 2014: Top Global Researchers & Companies, Achievements in Science and Business, and Potential Investors

Challenges in Bioethics and Policy Development at the Frontiers of Science and Medicine – Video

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Challenges in Bioethics and Policy Development at the Frontiers of Science and Medicine
Visit: http://seminars.uctv.tv/) Larry Goldstein,UCSD professor of cellular and molecular medicine, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and a lea...

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Challenges in Bioethics and Policy Development at the Frontiers of Science and Medicine - Video