SpaceX launches to space station, but experiences problem in orbit

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SpaceX launched an unmanned rocket with capsule to ferry supplies to space station. Once in orbit, some of the capsule's thrusters wouldn't work.

On an overcast morning, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket launched from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and sped through the clouds Friday on its way to the International Space Station.

However, about 12 minutes into the NASA resupply mission, after the rocket had lifted its Dragon capsule packed with more than 1,200 pounds of cargo into orbit, there was an anomaly in the spacecraft.

"It appears that although it reached Earth orbit, Dragon is experiencing some type of problem right now," John Insprucker, Falcon 9 product director, told viewers on SpaceX's live webcast. "We'll have to learn the nature of what happened."

PHOTOS: A 'new era': Private-sector space mission

The live webcast was then shut down.

Elon Musk, SpaceX founder and chief executive, took to Twitter to describe the problem: "Issue with Dragon thruster pods. System inhibiting three of four from initializing. About to command inhibit override."

The company later issued a statement about the thrusters, which are crucial to the spacecraft successfully reaching the space station:

"One thruster pod is running. Two are preferred to take the next step which is to deploy the solar arrays. We are working to bring up the other two in order to plan the next series of burns to get to station."

The Hawthorne company's craft blasted off at 7:10 a.m. PST. The plan was that Dragon would reach and attach to the space station on Saturday, but it's unclear how the thruster issue will affect that.

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SpaceX launches to space station, but experiences problem in orbit

SpaceX Dragon Capsule Problem Stalls Space Station Cargo Delivery

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A thruster problem on the robotic Dragon space capsule launched by the private spaceflight company SpaceX on Friday (March 1) has engineers scrambling to identify the cause, forcing a delay in the spacecraft's arrival at the International Space Station by at least a day.

SpaceX and NASA officials say the thruster glitch, which occurred after the Dragon spacecraft's launch atop a Falcon 9 rocket today, prevented the spacecraft from performing vital maneuvers to put it on course for the International Space Station. The spacecraft is hauling nearly a ton of cargo and support equipment to the space station for NASA.

The Falcon 9 rocket launched on time at 10:10 a.m. ET (1510 GMT) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, but once the Dragon capsule separated from the booster, the problem became apparent.

Three of the four thruster pods on the Dragon space capsule required to propel the spacecraft to the space station did not activate properly after today's launch, according to officials at SpaceX. An issue with one of the capsule's propellant valves caused the thrusters to malfunction before the solar arrays the pieces of machinery responsible for powering Dragon to the station could deploy. [Photos: SpaceX's Dragon Launch to Space Station]

Friday afternoon, SpaceX founder Elon Musk announced that after some troubleshooting, ground controllers were able to activate one of the inactive thruster pods.

"Pods 1 and 4 now online and thrusters engaged," Musk wrote in a Twitter post. "Dragon transitioned from free drift to active control. Yes!!"

Engineers on the ground decided to extend the two solar arrays in spite of the less-than-ideal conditions. The solar panels were deployed when the capsule was upside down, preventing them from performing their intended function, according to press reports.

According to NASA officials, three thrusters need to be in working order before the craft can dock with the space station. Two will get the capsule within the vicinity of the orbiting science laboratory, but unless three thrusters are proved to be functioning, it cannot attach to the station.

This is the first time SpaceX has experienced problems with a Dragon spacecraft in orbit, but not the first glitch on a mission by the company.

During an October 2012 cargo launch to the International Space Station, one of the nine Merlin engines on the Falcon 9 rocket shut down during launch. The engine shutdown did not affect the delivery of Dragon to the station, but it did prevent the mission's secondary payload from being deployed in its proper orbit.

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SpaceX Dragon Capsule Problem Stalls Space Station Cargo Delivery

SpaceX Dragon capsule to miss berthing date at space station after thruster issue

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LOW EARTH ORBIT A commercial vessel carrying a ton of supplies for the International Space Station ran into thruster trouble shortly after liftoff Friday and will miss its docking date, despite a day spent scrambling by flight controllers to fix the problem.

In a press conference Friday afternoon, SpaceX founder Elon Musk said the company had resolved issues that prevented three of the four sets of thrusters on the company's unmanned Dragon capsule from kicking in, delaying the release of solar panels -- and ultimately preventing the vehicle from making its planned docking date.

Dragon's twin solar wings swung opened two hours later than planned as SpaceX worked to bring up the idled thrusters, which Musk said should happen shortly.

Weve been deeply engaged in trying to find out what went wrong with the Dragon thruster system, Musk said over the phone from SpaceX mission control in California. "Im optimistic that well be able to turn all four thruster pods on and restore full control soon, he added.

The Dragon is equipped with 18 thrusters, divided into four sets, and can maneuver adequately even with some unavailable. The thruster issues caused SpaceX to miss its scheduled rendezvous.

Fortunately, we have quite a bit of flexibility in our birthing date, explained Michael Suffredini, International Space Station program manager. Musk noted that the capsule could orbit safely for up to a month before docking, if needed. And because the cargo is largely scientific, a delay won't put the station crew in any jeopardy.

The problem cropped up following Dragon's separation from the rocket upper stage, nine minutes into the flight. The liftoff was right on time and appeared to go flawlessly; the previous Falcon launch in October suffered a single engine failure that resulted in the loss of a communications satellite that was hitching a ride on the rocket.

This is the first major trouble to strike a Dragon in orbit. Two similar capsules, launched last year, had no problem getting to the orbiting lab.

It was a little frightening there, Musk admitted, stressing that the Falcon rocket performed perfectly despite the minor troubles with the Dragon capsule. More than 1 ton of space station supplies are aboard the cargo craft, including some much-needed equipment for air purifiers.

SpaceX has a $1.6 billion contract with NASA for 12 deliveries to restock the space station, and hopes the venture will lead to transporting astronauts there in a few years. A company-sponsored demo mission kicked everything off last May.

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SpaceX Dragon capsule to miss berthing date at space station after thruster issue

SpaceX capsule hits glitch after launch for space station

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - A rocket built by Space Exploration Technologies blasted off on Friday on supply run to the International Space Station, but a thruster problem with the cargo ship threatened to derail the mission.

The 157-foot (48-meter) tall Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo ship lifted off at 10:10 a.m. EST from the company's leased launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, just south of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

"It appears that although it achieved Earth orbit, Dragon is experiencing some kind of problem right now," John Insprucker, a Falcon 9 manager with Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX as the company is known, said during a webcast after the capsule's release into orbit.

The Dragon capsule, which carries more than 2,300 pounds (1,043 kg) of science equipment, spare parts, food and supplies, is scheduled to reach the station Saturday morning.

Engineers, however, were troubleshooting a problem with three of the capsule's four thruster pods, which are needed to maneuver in orbit and position the ship's solar arrays to face the sun.

"Holding on solar array deployment until at least two thruster pods are active," company founder and Chief Executive Elon Musk posted on Twitter.

The arrays were later deployed even though three of the four thruster pods were not operational, said SpaceX spokeswoman Christine Ra.

The glitch occurred about 11 minutes after liftoff, when the capsule's solar wings were to unfurl. SpaceX's onboard cameras did not show that happening.

The cargo run is the second of 12 missions for privately owned SpaceX under a $1.6 billion NASA contract.

Following a successful test flight to the space station in May 2012, SpaceX conducted its first supply run to the orbital outpost in October. During launch of that mission, one of the Falcon's nine engines shut down early, but the other motors compensated for the power shortfall.

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SpaceX capsule hits glitch after launch for space station

Space station capsule problem appears fixed

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) A commercial craft carrying a ton of supplies for the International Space Station ran into thruster trouble shortly after liftoff Friday. Flight controllers managed to gain control, but were forced to delay its arrival at the orbiting lab.

The earliest the Dragon capsule could show up is Sunday, a full day late, said top officials for NASA and the private company SpaceX.

"We're definitely not going to rush it," said SpaceX's billionaire founder Elon Musk. "We want to make sure first and foremost that things are safe before proceeding."

The Dragon, owned and operated by SpaceX, holds considerable science experiments for the International Space Station as well as food and spare parts.

Musk said six hours into the flight that all four sets of thrusters finally were working properly. "All systems green," he reported via Twitter. The problem might have been caused by a stuck valve or line blockage. The thrusters are small rockets used for maneuvering the capsule.

It is the first serious trouble to strike a Dragon in orbit. None of the three previous flights had any signs of thruster issues, Musk told reporters by phone from company headquarters in Hawthorne, Calif.

He said it appeared to be a glitch versus a major concern.

NASA space station program manager Mike Suffredini said at least three groups of thrusters on the Dragon need to work before the capsule can come close to the complex. That's a safety rule that will not be waived, Suffredini said.

Engineers for both SpaceX and NASA plan an exhaustive study before allowing the rendezvous to take place. The Dragon could hang around at least a month before linking up with the station, Musk said. It's supposed to spend more than three weeks there.

A crucial maneuver needed to be made quickly, however, to raise the orbit and keep the capsule from plunging down through the atmosphere. Musk promised in a tweet that was forthcoming.

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Space station capsule problem appears fixed

Private SpaceX rocket launched to space station

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) A commercial cargo ship rocketed toward the International Space Station on Friday under a billion-dollar contract with NASA that could lead to astronaut rides in just a few years.

SpaceX, a private California company run by the billionaire who helped create PayPal, launched its unmanned Falcon rocket into clouds right on time. It is the third supply run by a Dragon capsule, an unparalleled accomplishment all under a year.

Launch controllers applauded and gave high-fives to one another, once the spacecraft safely reached orbit. The successful separation of the Dragon from the rocket was broadcast live on NASA TV; on-board cameras provided the unique views nine minutes into the flight.

The space station and its six-man crew were orbiting 250 miles above the Atlantic, just off the New England coast, when the Falcon soared. The Dragon spacecraft is due to arrive Saturday morning after an unusually short chase; astronauts will use a hefty robot arm to draw the Dragon in and dock it to the station.

SpaceX tucked fresh fruit into the Dragon for the station residents; the apples and other treats are straight from the orchard of an employee's family. There wasn't room in the research freezers for the usual ice cream cups.

Also on board: 640 seeds of a flowering weed used for research, mouse stems cells, protein crystals, astronaut meals and clothing, trash bags, air-purifying devices, computer parts and other gear.

SpaceX formally Space Exploration Technologies Corp. has a $1.6 billion contract with NASA for space station shipments. Its founder, Elon Musk, monitored the launch from the company's Mission Control and home office in Hawthorne.

NASA's deputy administrator, Lori Garver, said using commercial providers is more efficient for the space agency. It's part of a long-term program, she noted, that has NASA spending less money on low-Earth orbit and investing more in deep-space missions. That's one reason why the space shuttles were retired in 2011 after the station was completed.

The goal is to have SpaceX and other private firms take over the job of ferrying astronauts to and from the space station in the next few years.

SpaceX so far the leader of the pack is aiming for a manned Dragon flight by 2015.

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Private SpaceX rocket launched to space station

Browse Images NASA – Huge UFOs near the Sun March 1, 2013 (SOHO STEREO Ahead Behind EUVI 195) – Video

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Browse Images NASA - Huge UFOs near the Sun March 1, 2013 (SOHO STEREO Ahead Behind EUVI 195)
Browse Images NASA - Huge UFO near the Sun March 1, 2013 (SOHO STEREO Ahead Behind EUVI 195) For full information about the UFO near the Sun, as well as the disclosure of the secrets of the sun, the aliens in the sun, read a book and watch the DVD. Information at: http://www.thesunproject.net Watch in HD and full screen! For full information about UFOs and paranormal phenomena, please visit http ------------ (RUS) #1043; #1080; #1075; #1072; #1085; #1090; #1089; #1082; #1080; #1077; #1053; #1051; #1054; #1080; #1043; #1080; #1075; #1072; #1085; #1090; #1089; #1082; #1080; #1077; #1072; #1085; #1086; #1084; #1072; #1083; #1080; #1080; #1074; #1086; #1079; #1083; #1077; #1057; #1086; #1083; #1085; #1094; #1072; 1 #1084; #1072; #1088; #1090; #1072; 2013.

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NASA's Orion Flight Test Launch On Course

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Image Caption: An artist concept shows Orion as it will appear in space for the Exploration Flight Test-1 attached to a Delta IV second stage. Credit: NASA

NASA

The first spacecraft NASA has designed to fly astronauts beyond Earth orbit since the Apollo era is well on its way to making a flight test next year, agency officials said Wednesday. The mission is planned for launch in September 2014, and will see an Orion capsule orbit Earth without a crew and return through the atmosphere at speeds unseen since astronauts last returned from the moon in 1972.

Its a key element of our overall plan to get humans beyond Earth orbit as quickly as we can, said Dan Dumbacher, deputy associate administrator for NASAs Exploration Systems Development Division.

Exploration Flight Test (EFT)-1, will be the first chance engineers get to test Orions design in space. Flying atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket, the spacecraft will be pressurized as it would be if astronauts were onboard. It will orbit the Earth twice on a track that will take it more than 3,600 miles above us, about 15 times higher than the International Space Station.

From that height, Orion will be steered to a re-entry at speeds of about 20,000 mph, slamming into the atmosphere to test whether the heat shield will protect the spacecraft adequately.

It allows us to stress the heat shield in conditions that are very close to what we will see coming back from a region around the moon, said Mark Geyer, Orion program manager. This is going to help us make our heat shield lighter, safer and more reliable.

Launching from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the spacecraft will carry scores of instruments. Even the heat shield will have instruments to measure temperature and plasma flow around the spacecraft as it endures the searing conditions of high-speed reentry.

Engineers will use the readings to update computer models and refine designs for the spacecraft, ground support equipment and the in-development Space Launch System rocket. The agency also will provide the data to the agencys commercial partners developing their own spacecraft.

Orion will land under parachutes in the Pacific Ocean where recovery teams from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida and the Department of Defense will retrieve it and return it to Florida.

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NASA's Orion Flight Test Launch On Course

NASA Solicitation: Research and Development Servicies From The Mississippi Research Consortium

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Synopsis - Mar 01, 2013

General Information

Solicitation Number: NNS13DA002 Posted Date: Mar 01, 2013 FedBizOpps Posted Date: Mar 01, 2013 Recovery and Reinvestment Act Action: No Original Response Date: Mar 11, 2013 Current Response Date: Mar 11, 2013 Classification Code: A -- Research and Development NAICS Code: 541712

Contracting Office Address

NASA Office of Procurement, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529-6000

Description

NASA/SSC has a requirement for Research and Development Services from the Mississippi Research Consortium.

NASA/SSC Office of Procurement intends to issue a sole source, firm fixed price conctract to the Mississippi Research Consortium under the statutory authority of FAR 6.302-3 (a)(2)(ii) and 10 U.S.C. 2304 (c) (3), Industrial Mobilization Engineering, Development or Research Capability, or Expert Services. There will be only one award made for this requirement and the period of performance shall be one (1) base year with four (4) one-year options.

The Government intends to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12.

The Statement of Work is provided below:

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NASA's Mars Rover Curiosity Swaps Computers

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March 1, 2013

Image Caption: This artist concept features NASA's Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover, a mobile robot for investigating Mars' past or present ability to sustain microbial life. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory

The ground team for NASAs Mars rover Curiosity has switched the rover to a redundant onboard computer in response to a memory issue on the computer that had been active.

The intentional swap at about 2:30 a.m. PST today (Thursday, Feb. 28) put the rover, as anticipated, into a minimal-activity precautionary status called safe mode. The team is shifting the rover from safe mode to operational status over the next few days and is troubleshooting the condition that affected operations yesterday. The condition is related to a glitch in flash memory linked to the other, now-inactive, computer.

We switched computers to get to a standard state from which to begin restoring routine operations, said Richard Cook of NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, project manager for the Mars Science Laboratory Project, which built and operates Curiosity.

Like many spacecraft, Curiosity carries a pair of redundant main computers in order to have a backup available if one fails. Each of the computers, A-side and B-side, also has other redundant subsystems linked to just that computer. Curiosity is now operating on its B-side, as it did during part of the flight from Earth to Mars. It operated on its A-side from before the August 2012 landing through Wednesday.

While we are resuming operations on the B-side, we are also working to determine the best way to restore the A-side as a viable backup, said JPL engineer Magdy Bareh, leader of the missions anomaly resolution team.

The spacecraft remained in communications at all scheduled communication windows on Wednesday, but it did not send recorded data, only current status information. The status information revealed that the computer had not switched to the usual daily sleep mode when planned. Diagnostic work in a testing simulation at JPL indicates the situation involved corrupted memory at an A-side memory location used for addressing memory files.

Scientific investigations by the rover were suspended Wednesday and today. Resumption of science investigations is anticipated within several days. This week, laboratory instruments inside the rover have been analyzing portions of the first sample of rock powder ever collected from the interior of a rock on Mars.

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NASA's Mars Rover Curiosity Swaps Computers

NASA Announces Fourth Round of CubeSat Space Mission Candidates

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NASA has selected 24 small satellites to fly as auxiliary payloads aboard rockets planned to launch in 2014, 2015 and 2016. The proposed CubeSats come from universities across the country, a Florida high school, several non-profit organizations and NASA field centers.

CubeSats belong to a class of research spacecraft called nanosatellites. The cube-shaped satellites measure about 4 inches on each side, have a volume of about 1 quart, and weigh less than 3 pounds.

The selections are from the fourth round of the CubeSat Launch Initiative. After launch, the satellites will conduct technology demonstrations, educational research or science missions. The selected CubeSats will be eligible for flight after final negotiations and an opportunity for flight becomes available.

The following organizations submitted winning satellite proposals:

-- The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, Calif. -- The Discovery Museum and Planetarium, Bridgeport, Conn. -- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, Ariz. -- Morehead State University, Morehead, Ky., in partnership with the University of California at Berkeley -- Montana State University, Bozeman (2 CubeSats) in partnership with The University of New Hampshire, Durham -- Merritt Island High School, Florida, in partnership with California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo -- NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. -- NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. (3 CubeSats) -- NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., in partnership with the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena (3 CubeSats) -- NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Florida -- Pennsylvania State University, in partnership with the Naval Research Laboratory, Monterey, Calif., and the Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, Calif. -- Saint Louis University, St. Louis -- Tyvak Nano-Satellites Systems, Irvine, Calif., in partnership with the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo -- University at Buffalo, The State University of New York -- University of Colorado, Boulder -- University of Florida, Gainesville, in partnership with Stanford University -- University of Maryland, Baltimore County -- University of Texas, Austin -- Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn., in partnership with the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, Silver Spring, Md.

In the three previous rounds of the CubeSat initiative, NASA has selected 63 missions for flight. The agency's Launch Services Program Educational Launch of Nanosatellite (ELaNa) Program has launched 12 CubeSat missions. This year, 22 CubeSat missions are scheduled for flight.

For additional information on NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative program, visit: http://go.nasa.gov/nXOuPI

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: http://www.nasa.gov

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NASA Announces Fourth Round of CubeSat Space Mission Candidates

NASA's Mars Rover Curiosity in Safe Mode After Computer Glitch

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This story was updated at 4:30 p.m. ET.

A computer glitch on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has forced the robot to switch to a backup computer while engineers try to resolve the problem.

In the meantime, Curiosity's science work is on hold, and the spacecraft is in a minimal-activity state known as "safe mode" while its backup computer is updated with the command codes and parameters it needs to take over the rover's full operations.

"We're still early on in the process," said Richard Cook, Curiosity project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "We have probably several days, maybe a week of activities to get everything back and reconfigured."

The issue cropped up Wednesday (Feb. 27), when the spacecraft failed to send its recorded data back to Earth and did not switch into its daily sleep mode as planned. After looking into the issue, engineers decided to switch the Curiosity rover from its primary "A-side" computer to its "B-side" backup on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. EST (22:30 GMT). [Curiosity Rover's Latest Amazing Mars Photos]

"Don't flip out: I just flipped over to my B-side computer while the team looks into an A-side memory issue," NASA officials wrote on behalf of the rover via Curiosity's Twitter feed.

The computer problem is related to a glitch in flash memory on the A-side computer caused by corrupted memory files, Cook said. Scientists are still looking into the root cause the corrupted memory, but it's possible the memory files were damaged by high-energy space particles called cosmic rays, which are always a danger beyond the protective atmosphere of Earth.

"The hardware that we fly is radiation tolerant," Cook told SPACE.com, "but there's a limit to how hardened it can be. You can still get high-energy particles that can cause the memory to be corrupted. It certainly is a possibility and that's what we're looking into."

Once Curiosity is up and running again, the rover should have no problem using its B-side computer as its primary computer for a while, officials said. As standard protocol, Curiosity, like many spacecraft, has redundant main computer systems as a safety precaution for just this type of anomaly.

"While we are resuming operations on the B-side, we are also working to determine the best way to restore the A-side as a viable backup," said JPL engineer Magdy Bareh, leader of the mission's anomaly resolution team, said in a statement.

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NASA's Mars Rover Curiosity in Safe Mode After Computer Glitch

Jelly Roll Feat. Cody Jacobs "THE END" (Old Crow Medicine Show)(2013)[Whiskey,Weed and Waffle House] – Video

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Jelly Roll Feat. Cody Jacobs "THE END" (Old Crow Medicine Show)(2013)[Whiskey,Weed and Waffle House]
Jelly Roll Feat. Cody Jacobs "The End".Produced by: Greenway. Sampling the "Old Crow Medicine Show" song titled "Tennessee Pusher". FROM THE "WHISKEY,WEED AND WAFFLE HOUSE" MIXTAPE. BRAND NEW 2013. (Whiskey,Weed and Waffle House) Hosted by: DJ HYLYTE DOWNLOAD THE MIXTAPE HERE:www.livemixtapes.com @JELLYROLL615 http://www.jellyroll615.com

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Jelly Roll Feat. Cody Jacobs "THE END" (Old Crow Medicine Show)(2013)[Whiskey,Weed and Waffle House] - Video

U.S. pledges food and medicine for Syrian rebels

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ROME The Obama administration will provide food and medicine to Syrian rebel fighters, Secretary of State John F. Kerry said Thursday, opening the first channel of U.S. aid to the opposition military.

The cautious foray into front-line battlefield support fell far short of the heavy weaponry and high-tech gear the rebels seek. But Kerry said he would take additional opposition requests back to Washington for further consideration.

The stakes are really high, and we cant risk letting this country in the heart of the Middle East be destroyed by vicious autocrats or hijacked by the extremists, Kerry said after discussions among opposition leaders and a group of Western and Arab nations that are funding, and in some cases arming, the fighters.

The military supplies are to be funneled through the Syrian Opposition Coalition, the rebel political organization, to vetted individuals, vetted units, said a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity before Kerrys public statement. Britain, France and other opposition supporters are expected to announce shipments of non-lethal military aid including night-vision equipment and body armor to the rebels over the next week.

Kerry also announced that the United States would provide $60million in humanitarian assistance to the coalition to provide basic services and help build governing institutions for civilians in parts of Syria under rebel control.

In both cases, the aid is intended to bolster moderate forces that the United States and its allies think have lost ground to Islamist extremists in battles against President Bashar al-Assads military and in the provision of services to civilians. The administration remains unwilling to provide the rebels with weapons or to intervene with U.S. military forces.

Kerry called the provision of aid directly through the opposition a significant stepping-up of the policy. The United States has previously provided $50million in indirect communication supplies to the opposition, and $385million to nongovernmental aid organizations providing humanitarian relief to Syrian refugees and people displaced inside the country during the nearly two-year-old conflict.

Standing with Kerry in an appearance before reporters, the leader of the political opposition had no words of thanks for an offer that still represents a hedge of the U.S. bet on the group it helped to form last year.

Syrian Opposition Coalition chairman Mouaz al-Khatib angrily appealed for help in establishing a humanitarian corridor to the besieged city of Homs and said the rebels are tired of Western complaints about extremists in their ranks. He argued that the real enemy is the Assad regime but said too many outsiders are worried only about the length of a beard of a fighter.

No terrorists in the world have such a savage nature as those in the regime, Khatib said in Arabic.

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U.S. pledges food and medicine for Syrian rebels

Doctors Can Detect Skin Cancer Earlier With New Modernizing Medicine and 3Gen, Inc. Partnership

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BOCA RATON, FL--(Marketwire - Mar 1, 2013) - Modernizing Medicine, the creator of the Electronic Medical Assistant (EMA), a cloud-based specialty-specific electronic medical records (EMR) system, announced today that it has partnered with 3Gen, Inc., a product design and development company which created DermLite, a line of devices that enables the trained eye to detect skin cancer and other types of skin conditions early.

The partnership between Modernizing Medicine and 3Gen will make 3Gen's DermLite available to users of EMA Dermatology.3Gen's DermLite can be used with a physician's iPhone or iPad. Images captured with 3Gen's DermLite through an iPhone or iPad go directly into EMA Dermatology and the labeled photo appears in the doctor's charts automatically, connecting the physician's dermoscopy photo with the current patient, diagnosis, plan and body location.

"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with Modernizing Medicine," said John Bottjer, President of 3Gen. "Together, we are making it easier to streamline imaging with the instant upload of hi-resolution images to patient files."

"The partnerships we have formed prove our commitment to making EMA the most powerful specialty-specific EMR available on the market today," said Daniel Cane, CEO and co-founder of Modernizing Medicine.

Dermatologists who visit Modernizing Medicine's booth (booth number 1885) at this week's American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting in Miami will be among the first to see the integration of EMA Dermatology and DermLite.

Since launching in 2010, Modernizing Medicine has expanded to save 750 specialty-specific practices time and money with EMA, including over 14% of the dermatology market. In 2012 alone, specialty-specific practices have used EMA for over 2 million patient encounters.

About Modernizing Medicine Modernizing Medicine is delivering the next generation of electronic medical records (EMR) technology for the healthcare industry. Our product, Electronic Medical Assistant (EMA), is a cloud-based specialty-specific EMR with a massive library of built-in medical content, designed to save physicians time. Available as a native iPad application or from any web-enabled Mac or PC, EMA adapts to each provider's unique style of practice and is designed to interface with hundreds of different practice management systems. Today, Modernizing Medicine provides specialty-specific offerings for the dermatology, ophthalmology, optometry, orthopedics and plastic surgery markets, and to more than 750 physician practices across the country.In 2013 Modernizing Medicine was listed at No. 47 on FORBES annual ranking of America's Most Promising Companies.

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Doctors Can Detect Skin Cancer Earlier With New Modernizing Medicine and 3Gen, Inc. Partnership

Seniors’ hard work leads to medical school acceptance

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By Jocelyn Nederhoff Posted on February 28, 2013 | News | No comment

This semester 25 talented seniors will graduate and continue their education at medical schools across the state.

The time at ACU has been busy and challenging for these future physicians years full of job shadowing, rigorous class work, community involvement, passing the Medical College Admissions Test, medical school applications and interviewing at multiple institutions.

For these students, their hard work has finally paid off.

The program at ACU pushed me to achieve things I didnt know that I was capable of and made myself and my peers competitive medical school applicants, said Blaine Smith, senior biology major from Keller.

Smith will attend either the University of Texas Medical School at Houston or the Texas Tech School of Medicine. He will decide on his specialty once in medical school, but he is currently interested in being an orthopedic or opthalmic surgeon.

Luke Sorrell, senior biochemistry major from Coppell, and Heather Kregel, senior English major from Tyler, will attend UT at Houston as well. Both are interested in pediatrics.

I cannot imagine having a better experience anywhere else, Sorrell said. We are genuinely a family. Because the program is small and close-knit, we get opportunities for job shadowing and medical mission trips that you would not get at other schools.

Chloe French, senior biochemistry major from Palestine, will attend theUniversity of Texas Health Science Center School of Medicine in San Antonio. She is interested in dermatology and emergency medicine.

I dont think I would have gotten such a well-rounded education at any other institution, French said. I feel very prepared mentally, academically and spiritually to enter medical school.

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Whispers of Doom – StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty – Video

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Whispers of Doom - StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty
Zeratul travels to planet Ulaan to retrieve three prophecy fragments that talk about the return of the Xel #39;Naga. Check out Blizzplanet #39;s StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty single-player campaign transcript for more: http://www.blizzplanet.com

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