GOES Satellite Video of Snowstorm in the U.S. at Feb. 12, 2014 #NASA #NOAA #GOES – Video

Posted on by


GOES Satellite Video of Snowstorm in the U.S. at Feb. 12, 2014 #NASA #NOAA #GOES
A new NASA video of NOAA #39;s GOES satellite imagery shows three days of movement of the massive winter storm that stretches from the southern U.S. to the north...

By: w1TenMinutes

Read the rest here:

GOES Satellite Video of Snowstorm in the U.S. at Feb. 12, 2014 #NASA #NOAA #GOES - Video

Human space flight prog: HAL hands over crew module assembly to ISRO

Posted on by

Bangalore, Feb 13:

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has handed over the first Crew Module Structural Assembly for the Human Space Flight Program to ISRO's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).

The first crew module will be further equipped with systems necessary for crew support, navigation, guidance and control systems for experimentation in the forthcoming GSLV-MK3 launch.

HAL takes pride in Indias space programmes and our aerospace division has produced this crew module in record time to meet the requirements of ISRO, said Dr R. K. Tyagi, Chairman, HAL.

HAL has contributed to Indias space programmes, including ISROs mars mission, by providing the satellite structure, propellant tankages and supplied 13 types of riveted structural assemblies, seven types of welded propellant tankages, which include the cryogenic liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen tanks and cryogenic stage structures, for the GSLV D5.

(This article was published on February 13, 2014)

View original post here:

Human space flight prog: HAL hands over crew module assembly to ISRO

SpaceX Prepares for Mid-March Launch to Space Station

Posted on by

Juggling flight delays and busy skies with the skill of seasoned air traffic controllers, International Space Station managers have approved the launch date for SpaceX's next cargo resupply mission for March 16.

Liftoff from Cape Canaveral's Complex 40 launch pad is set for 4:41 a.m. EDT (0841 GMT), the time when Earth's rotation brings the space station's flight path over the Space Coast, NASA announced last week.

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo carrier will make the company's third commercial logistics delivery to the space station under a $1.6 billion contract with NASA. The deal calls for 12 missions through 2016.

The Dragon spacecraft will chase the space station for two days, with final approach set for March 18 under the guidance of high-tech laser mapping sensors.

The outpost's crew, scheduled to be three-strong at the time of the Dragon capsule's arrival, will grapple the free-flying spacecraft with the space station's Canadian-built robot arm. The crane-like appendage will move the food- and experiment-toting Dragon to a parking port on the lab's Harmony module for a one-month stay. [The Rockets and Spaceships of SpaceX (Photos)]

The astronauts will unpack the Dragon spacecraft's pressurized cabin, about the size of a large walk-in closet, of several tons of supplies, including government, commercial and student experiments. Then the crew will reload the spaceship with an array of cargo tagged for return to Earth, including biological samples, equipment requiring repair, and other unnecessary gear.

Quiz: How Well Do You Know SpaceX's Dragon Spaceship?

The spaceflight company SpaceX is one of several firms building private space taxis and cargo ships to launch astronauts and supplies into space. But there's more to SpaceX than meets the eye. Test your SpaceX know-how here.

0 of 10 questions complete

Quiz: How Well Do You Know SpaceX's Dragon Spaceship?

Read the original:

SpaceX Prepares for Mid-March Launch to Space Station

Peter J. Salerno, NASA engineer

Posted on by

Peter J. Salerno, a senior electrical systems engineer for NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., for 30 years, died Jan. 6 at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, Md. He was 53.

He had a heart attack and complications from diabetes, his mother-in-law, Dorothy Boerner, said.

Mr. Salerno, a resident of Calverton, Md., worked in Goddards flight microwave and telecommunications systems branch. He helped develop radio-frequency communications and was part of a team that helped service the Hubble Space Telescope in the 1990s.

Peter Joseph Salerno was born in Washington and grew up in Rockville, Md. He was a 1977 graduate of Richard Montgomery High School and received a bachelors degree in electrical engineering from the University of Maryland in 1983.

He served on design review boards at Goddard and received a 30-year service award from NASA in 2013.

Mr. Salerno enjoyed hunting and judged competitions for the Potomac Chapter of the National Association of Versatile Hunting Dogs of America and the D.C. Chapter of the Weimaraner Club of America. He was an amateur radio operator and a member of the American Radio Relay League. He also was a member of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America, a conservation group.

Survivors include his wife of 28 years, Susan Boerner Salerno of Calverton; his parents, James and Elizabeth Salerno of Rockville; two sisters, Ann Gervasio of Herndon, Va., and Joanne Salerno of Portland, Ore.; and a brother, Robert Salerno of New Windsor, N.Y.

Megan McDonough

More:

Peter J. Salerno, NASA engineer

A Tribe Called Red hits the right buttons with powwow step

Posted on by

REGINA It was just a few years ago DJs NDN, Shub and Bear Witness were holed up in rehearsal session, trying to loop an Aboriginal grass dance into the opening of a dubstep instrumental.

Right away as soon as we heard the two together, we slapped our heads, said Bear Witness. Were remixing dance music with dance music now.

That experiment would become the first live mash-up produced by the DJ collective thats now A Tribe Called Red. Theyre known for revamping electronic tracks, from dubstep to trap and reggaeton, with traditional chanting and drums. Its even being called a new sub-genre: powwow step.

It comes from music and traditions that are very much alive right now, but being exposed to a lot of people who didnt realize that it existed, said Bear Witness. We started doing this for the urban indigenous community, but we didnt expect everybody else to get it.

A Tribe Called Red has since toured all around Canada and the United States, where rave culture and EDM has especially reached mainstream popularity. The group even played festivals in the France and the United Kingdom last year.

I guess were coming at a moment where people are ready to hear it, said the DJ from Ottawa. I definitely come from a time when electronic music was underground, at least in North America. Its exciting to play all these big shows its good and weird at the same time.

But according to Bear Witness, thats the biggest challenge creating tracks that can translate to dance floor hits without the limited shelf life of commercial music something thats not just for clubs, but also tells a story, he said.

The DJs are hoping to accomplish this by collaborating with a range of different vocalists, including MCs, for the upcoming new album. A Tribe Called Red is also heavily involved with Tribal Spirit, a fair trade record label that allowed the group to sample all the chants and drums from its catalogue. For the new album, Tribal Spirit is even helping by recording on multiple tracks. The new audio of hand drums and big drums, even men and women singing separately, will give the group more creative freedom, says Bear Witness.

Meanwhile, A Tribe Called Red is touring Canada and continuing to use its success as a platform to raise political awareness. The group was vocal supporters of Idle No More and last year, DJ NDN even filed a human rights complaint against the Nepean Redskins Football Club.

I think it comes down to a fine line where we dont make political music on the surface, its politic by nature, said Bear Witness. What were able to do as performers is be able to affect the way that were represented in the media, going against a long history of misrepresentation of indigenous people. We can break down those stereotypes as simply as with a photograph of us laughing and smiling.

Read the original post:

A Tribe Called Red hits the right buttons with powwow step

Kendra Wilkinson Rocks Huge Baby Bump on Red Carpet: Picture

Posted on by

Must have been in hiding! Pregnant Kendra Wilkinson is showing -- in a big way! After first debuting a tiny belly last November, the reality star turned heads sporting a major bump on a red carpet in L.A. on Tuesday, Feb. 11.

PHOTOS: Celebrity pregnancy confessions

The 28-year-old Kendra on Top star proudly showed off her belly at the premiere of The Hungover Games in a tight-fitted blue dress. She placed her hands on her tummy for pictures on the red carpet, and looked flawless with her shoulder-length blonde locks worn down.

PHOTOS: Kendra and Hank's wedding album

Wilkinson may have played up the blue Tuesday night, but soon she'll be seeing all pink! Us Weekly confirmed last December that Wilkinson and husband Hank Baskett, 31, are expecting a baby girl. (The couple are already parents to son Hank Baskett IV, 4.)

"He's beyond excited. He's beyond," the former Playboy model shared with Us last November of her little tot. "I mean, it's because of him we're having another one. It's perfect timing for everyone."

PHOTOS: Kendra's first pregnancy

As for how she's handling her second pregnancy? "I got it by the balls! I have full control now," she told Us of keeping in shape while awaiting the arrival of her daughter. "First time around I'm like, 'I'm a skinny person, I'm going to get back right away.' Oh no. I learned a lot from my first one," she explained. "I'm working out everyday; doing anything I can to control this this time around."

Read more:

Kendra Wilkinson Rocks Huge Baby Bump on Red Carpet: Picture

NASA's Robotic Lander Morpheus Soars in Test Flight (Video)

Posted on by

NASA's next robotic moon lander Morpheus successfully completed its fifth free-flight test this week.

Video of the Morpheus test flightshows the SUV-sized prototype taking off vertically on Feb. 10, 2014 at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility in Florida.

The 74-second trial run took Morpheus 467 feet (142 meters) above the ground, soaring more than 160 feet (48 meters) higher than its last test, according to NASA. The experimental lander then flew forward 637 feet (194 m) in 30 seconds before descending and landing on target.

"The vehicle flew its pre-planned trajectory flawlessly, reaching a max ascent velocity of 13 m/s [42 feet/s], and landing with no appreciable deviation from its intended target," NASA officials said in a YouTube description of the test.

The flight was the latest in a round of free-flight teststhat began on Dec. 10, 2013. The Morpheus project suffered a setback in August 2012, when the lander prototype crashed and exploded moments after liftoff in its first free-flight.

TheMorpheus lander uses liquid oxygen and methane, or so-called green propellants. NASA officials say these fuelsare safer and cheaper to use than traditional rocket propellantsand can be stored in space for longer periods.

Morpheus could deliver about a 1,100-lb. (500-kilogram) payload tothe moon, NASA officials say. Modifications to its landing system could even be used to help a spacecraft deliver cargo to other planetary bodies, such as an asteroid in deep space.

NASA officials said there is one more test flight planned for Morpheus before the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology (ALHAT)is installed on the vehicle. ALHAT will use lasers to scan the surface of a potential landing site for hazards, such as a dangerous boulder or crater.

Follow Megan Gannon onTwitterandGoogle+. Follow us @SPACEdotcom, FacebookorGoogle+. Originally published onSpace.com.

More:

NASA's Robotic Lander Morpheus Soars in Test Flight (Video)

NASA moves Mars spacecraft for new observations

Posted on by

Washington, Feb 13 : The maneuver took place Tuesday. Odyssey team engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif., and Lockheed Martin Space Systems of Denver, designed the gentle move to accelerate Odyssey's drift toward a morning-daylight orbit.

The desired change will occur gradually until the intended orbit geometry is reached in November 2015 and another maneuver halts the drift.

The change will enable observation of changing ground temperatures after sunrise and after sunset in thousands of places on Mars.

Those observations could yield insight about the composition of the ground and about temperature-driven processes, such as warm-season flows observed on some slopes, and geysers fed by spring thawing of carbon-dioxide ice near Mars' poles.

"We're teaching an old spacecraft new tricks," said Odyssey Project Scientist Jeffrey Plaut of JPL. "Odyssey will be in position to see Mars in a more different light from ever before."

Neither Odyssey, nor any other NASA Mars orbiter since the 1970s, has flown an orbital pattern with a view of the ground in morning daylight.

Earlier NASA orbiters and the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter have provided some tantalizing views of morning mists on Mars, but have concentrated on afternoon observation times when views of the surface are less hazy.

Odyssey was launched in 2001 and began its science mission 12 years ago this month. It is the longest-working spacecraft ever sent to Mars.

Odyssey completed Tuesday's maneuver at 12:03 p.m. PST (3:03 p.m. EST). It used four thrusters, each providing about 5 pounds (22 newtons) of force for a 29-second burn.

"This veteran spacecraft performed exactly as planned," said Odyssey Project Manager David Lehman of JPL.

Excerpt from:

NASA moves Mars spacecraft for new observations