A moment of science | Bad Astronomy

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When I was five years old, my entire life changed.

It was a good change the best, really and it happened in a single moment, all at once, irrevocably and utterly. And all I did was look through a telescope.

Wanna know more? Then go read a short article about this I wrote for Slate magazine. They asked me to write about the state of science education, and what can be done to improve it. Thats a huge topic, vast, and in some ways impenetrable. So I poked at it a bit, looking for some leverage, and told the editor that while I dont know how to fix our broken science education system, I know what worked for me personally. And I know it works for thousands, millions of others.

All it took was a moment of science. Go read the article for more.

But wait, theres more! I tweeted a link to the Slate article, and my friend (and newly minted PhD) Nicole Gugliucci asked others what their moment of science was. Its a good question! What was yours? Leave a comment here, or tweet it with the hastag #momentofscience. Im about go on travel for a day, but on Wednesday Ill collect and post them!

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The softly glowing night sky | Bad Astronomy

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Theres a lot more going on over your head than you know.

For example, the atmosphere of the Earth thins out gradually the higher you go, and when you get to about 100 kilometers (60 miles) up, different physical processes become important. One of them is called chemiluminescence light produced by chemical processes. This can make the upper atmosphere glow in different colors. Its faint, and best seen from space where we conveniently keep several astronauts. Neuroscientist and amateur video maker Alex Rivest has collected pictures of this airglow taken by astronauts and made this eerie and beautiful time lapse video:

Alex took the original astronaut pictures and enhanced them somewhat to bring out the faint airglow. You can see it in lots of pictures taken from the space station, and Ive commented on it many times. One thing Ive been meaning to do, though, is find out what the physical process is thats causing the air to glow, and why it creates different colors you can clearly see green, yellow, and red glow in many of the pictures!

Alex comes to the rescue on that as well. On his blog, he discusses how he made the video and why the air glows (based on a somewhat terser explanation at the Atmospheric Optics website).

The way this works is simple in general, though complicated in detail much like everything else in the Universe! Basically, during the day, in the upper atmosphere ultraviolet light from the Sun pumps energy into oxygen molecules (called O2; two oxygen atoms bound together this is the stuff we breathe). This energy splits the molecules apart into individual atoms, and these atoms have a little bit of extra energy we say these atoms are in an excited state. Like a jittery person whos had too much coffee, they want to give off this energy. They can do this in a couple of ways: they can emit light, or they can bump into other atoms and molecules and react chemically with them.

If you have an excited oxygen atom sitting in space all by its lonesome, it can either dump that energy by emitting green light or red light. Usually, itll emit green light in less than a second after becoming excited, and itll emit red light on much longer timescales, like minutes. This is important, so bear with me.

At a height below about 95 km, the atmosphere is thick enough that collisions between atoms happens all the time. In fact, an excited oxygen atom doesnt have to wait very long (usually microseconds) before another atom or molecule bumps it. If collisions happen faster, on average, than about once every 0.1 seconds, then an oxygen atom doesnt have enough time to emit green light before getting smacked by another atom or molecule. When that happens, the other atom can steal its energy, and no green light is emitted. So below that height we dont see any green emission.

At heights of 95 100 km or so, collisions happen less frequently, giving the oxygen atom time to blow out a green photon (a particle of light). So at that height we do see the green glow. This layer is thin, like the shell of a bubble, and we see it as an arc due to limb brightening (which you can read about here if you want details). In the picture above, you can see it as a very thin green arc above the diffuse yellow glow (which Ill get to; hang tight). Normally it wouldnt be very bright, but looking along the edge of the shell is like looking through a very long slab that stretches for hundreds of kilometers. The light builds up, making it bright enough to see.

Higher up, above 100 km, the oxygen atoms are much farther apart because the density is lower. The odds of two of them colliding are a lot lower, so the time between collisions can be pretty long, long enough to give the oxygen atoms time to emit red photons. Thats why we see that red glow higher up, where the air is ethereally thin.

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The softly glowing night sky | Bad Astronomy

The ups and downs of Saturn pictures | Bad Astronomy

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When I look at Cassini images of Saturn with its multitude of rings and fleet of moons I am inspired, moved, and even awed.

And sometimes I laugh. When I saw this image, for example, I actually chuckled to myself. Why?

[Click to encronosenate.]

This gorgeous shot was taken on December 30, 2011 and released just today as the Cassini Image of the Week. It shows Saturns gorgeous rings seen nearly edge on, and the tiny moon Epimetheus, only 113 kilometers in diameter, next to them.

Its a lovely image to be sure, and my very first thought was; I wonder if Epimetheus is closer to us than the rings, or farther away? If were looking down on the rings, from the north, then Epimetheus is closer to us. But if were looking up from underneath the rings, Epimetheus is on the other side of the rings. I could mentally switch my perspective back and forth, but I couldnt tell which view is correct! This prompted my chuckle, as I wryly smiled at my brains confusion (I love optical illusions).

So take another look: are we looking down on the rings, or up? Hint: the Sun is shining from the north, down on the rings.

Its a bit of a conundrum, isnt it? Just by looking its almost impossible to figure out! If youre familiar with Cassini pictures, the rings look subtly different if they are illuminated from above and youre looking at them from underneath, and vice-versa. But its hard to tell. And to be honest, I wouldnt have known without reading the caption for the image.

The answer is were looking up. The Sun is shining down on the top of the rings, and were looking up from underneath, putting wee Epimetheus about 1.5 million kilometers (900,000 miles) from Cassini when this picture was taken. If it helps, hold up something round like a DVD and look at it from underneath. As another helpful guide: in the image above, the part of the rings at the top of the picture are closest to you, the bottom farther away, and Epimetheus father still.

And I bet that even knowing that, some of you are having a hard time picturing it. Our brains are funny things, easily fooled when theres symmetry in a picture, especially when that picture shows an unfamiliar object. Im sure Carolyn Porco can just glance at something like this and figure out everything she needs to understand the geometry! Im not so sure I couldve.

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The ups and downs of Saturn pictures | Bad Astronomy

Astronomy students host car wash to oppose NASA cuts

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LAS CRUCES Members of the New Mexico State University Astronomy Department worked to halt proposed cuts to NASA's planetary exploration budget Saturday by hosting a car wash to raise funds and, more importantly, awareness about the issue.

Motorists traveling on East Lohman Avenue were heralded by a shiny, silver robot to a parking lot beside the nearby AutoZone store where several graduate students and professors from NMSU's Astronomy Department educated drivers on the proposed cuts that they say will be devastating to the nation's future in space exploration, all while making sure their vehicles were sparkling clean.

Part of a nationwide campaign, car washes, bake sales and even shoe-shining events were held by planetary sciences students and faculty, engineers, scientists and space enthusiasts throughout the country Saturday in an attempt to raise awareness about the proposed budget cuts, explained Chas Miller, a graduate student in NMSU's Astronomy Department. Similar fundraisers took place in Houston, Orlando, San Francisco and Boulder, Colo., to name a few.

"The proposed budget would bring about a 20 percent cut in one year for planetary exploration programs," he said.

Like many of the cities were fundraisers were held Saturday, "There is a long history of space exploration in southern New Mexico," said Nancy Chanover, associate professor at NMSU's Astronomy Department.

Charging a mere $1 donation for each car wash, organizers of Saturday's

Sharing information on space exploration and research with patrons, volunteers asked residents to support the cause by signing letters that will be sent to Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, that urge the lawmaker to work to fully restore planetary exploration funding.

"Sen. Hutchison is the closest representative (of the subcommittee) to Las Cruces," Miller explained. "We're not asking for more funding, we're just asking that she work to keep the planetary exploration budget as stable as possible."

The proposed cut would lower funding for NASA's planetary exploration program from $1.5 billion to $1.2 billion in the 2013 fiscal year.

Although patrons weren't required to sign the letter to have a car washed during the event, an hour into the afternoon fundraiser, volunteers had already obtained more than 15 signatures.

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Astronomy students host car wash to oppose NASA cuts

New Cloud-Based Assortment Intelligence Solution from Upstream Commerce Aims To Transform the Way Retailers Merchandise

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BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Upstream Commerce today unveiled the latest tool in its Retail Intelligence Suite -- Assortment Intelligence -- a powerful tool allowing retailers to track assortment changes at competitors' websites in real-time, and adjust their own product-mix accordingly.

The Upstream Commerce Retail Intelligence Suite is a cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution that uses advanced artificial intelligence, semantic analysis, data-mining, and image-recognition algorithms to give retailers comprehensive, real-time competitive price monitoring and analysis, as well as product and assortment intelligence.

With the new Assortment Intelligence tool, retailers can view, compare and analyze the overlap between their own and their competitors assortments; identify competitors products that they dont currently carry (but may wish to add); and identify products which they may currently carry exclusively (for which they could elect to command higher prices).

Historically, retailers have relied on personal experience and manual tracking to optimize their assortment relative to their competitors. The manual approach is no longer practical in todays intensely competitive, highly dynamic markets.

Increasingly savvy consumers are forcing retailers to alter pricing strategies, so it is imperative for multichannel retailers to be opportunistic and flexible with their pricing so they dont miss opportunities, said Gartner research vice president Kevin Sterneckert. Retailers today need every technological advantage they can get to track competitors pricing and assortment in real time.

Assortment composition is far too critical a merchandising decision to leave to the non-real-time, highly variable nature of human assessment, judgment, and action, said Upstream Commerce CEO, Amos Peleg. Assortment Intelligence transforms classic manual merchandising by giving retail owners, executives, managers and buyers actionable and timely product assortment insights.

Assortment Intelligence, the newest tool in the Upstream Commerce Retail Intelligence Suite, builds on the company's already advanced pricing intelligence capabilities to expand the arsenal retailers can employ to compete more effectively and increase their sales and profit margins.

Upstream Commerce boasts an impressive number of customers worldwide, including some who top the Internet Retailer 500 list. The company currently tracks millions of products, and has billions of quality intelligence data points going back two years in some verticals.

About Upstream Commerce

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New Cloud-Based Assortment Intelligence Solution from Upstream Commerce Aims To Transform the Way Retailers Merchandise

Mr. Philip Renaud Appointed Executive Chairman of DIAGNOS

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BROSSARD, QUEBEC, CANADA--(Marketwire -06/11/12)- DIAGNOS inc. ("DIAGNOS" or the "Corporation") (ADK.V), a leader in the use of artificial intelligence ("AI") and advanced knowledge extraction techniques, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Philip Renaud as Executive Chairman of the Company's Board of Directors.

Mr. Renaud has served as Chairman of the DIAGNOS Board of Directors since December 2009. As Executive Chairman, Mr. Renaud will take an active role in the Company and will continue to work closely with DIAGNOS President and Chief Executive Officer, Andre Larente, and the management team, in executing the business plans for the Company's lead products CARA (Computer Assisted Retinal Analysis) and CARDS (Computer Aided Resources Detection System). He will also focus more directly on strategic planning, corporate development and corporate governance.

"We are pleased that Philip has agreed to serve as Executive Chairman at this critical point in the Company's growth," said Andre Larente, President and Chief Executive Officer of DIAGNOS. "I have worked very closely with Philip over the past several years, and he has been intimately involved with the management team. Philip has a long record of success in the business community, and his insights and extensive executive-level experience will continue to be tremendous assets as we move forward with our growth and development initiatives."

"It is a privilege to have been asked by my fellow Board members to serve as Executive Chairman of DIAGNOS at this important stage of the Company's development," said Mr. Renaud. "I look forward to working with Andre and the management team as we continue to advance and work together to build value for shareholders."

Mr. Renaud is Managing Director of Church Advisors, a European investment advisory firm involved in private financings. A graduate of Franklin College of Switzerland with a Bachelor of Arts in international financial management, Mr. Renaud has been instrumental in securing many private equity financings and has an extensive European and North American network. Mr. Renaud is also Chairman of Kane Biotech inc., a biotechnology company and Director of Dia Bras Exploration Inc. and Yorbeau Resources Inc., two public minerals exploration companies.

About DIAGNOS

Founded in 1998, DIAGNOS is a publicly traded Canadian corporation (ADK.V), with a mission to commercialize technologies combining contextual imaging and traditional data mining thereby improving decision making processes. DIAGNOS offers products, services, and solutions to clients in a variety of fields including healthcare, natural resources, and entertainment.

DIAGNOS can count on a multidisciplinary team that includes professionals in geophysics, geology, Artificial Intelligence, mathematics, as well as remote sensing and image interpretation. The Corporation's objective is to develop a royalty stream by significantly enhancing and participating in the exploration success rate of mining. For further information, please visit our Website at http://www.diagnos.com.

The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

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Mr. Philip Renaud Appointed Executive Chairman of DIAGNOS

Singularity Summit 2012 Registration Now Open

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The Singularity Summit is the premier event on cutting-edge technologies including robotics, regenerative medicine, artificial intelligence, brain-computer interfacing, and more.San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) June 11, 2012 The Singularity Summit is now in its sixth year of bi-coastal annual conferences and the 2012 edition will be held at the Nob Hill Masonic Center in San Francisco on October 13-14 ...

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Singularity Summit 2012 Registration Now Open

MASA Group Announces New Customer for SWORD in Ecuador

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PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

At Eurosatory, MASA Group (Hall 5, Booth #J108), a leading developer of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based Modeling & Simulation (M&S) software for the defense, public safety, emergency management, serious games and games-related markets, announces that the Centro de Entrenamiento Operativo Tctico Simulado (CEOTAS, or Center for Simulated Tactical Operational Training) of the Ecuadorian Army will start using MASA SWORD, the companys automated, aggregated constructive simulation software for efficient training and analysis.

SWORD helps users develop and deploy advanced and highly realistic scenarios for the training of decision-makers in command posts and crisis centers, as well as for the analysis of military doctrines and emergency procedures.

The CEOTAS is a technological resource that is being used as an instrument of studies for basic and advanced courses by the students of the Ecuadorian Army headquarters. Its aim is that the academies of war of the Ecuadorian armed forces use it for their improvement processes, and ultimately as a support tool in scientific and technological environments for public safety and national defense.

We selected SWORD because this is a cost-effective off-the-shelf aggregated constructive simulation that we can immediately apply to the training of our commanding officers for military missions as well as global safety missions, Colonel Pablo Carrillo, CEOTAS Project Manager, Ecuadorian Army, declared.

We are particularly proud that MASA SWORD has been selected by the Ecuadorian Army. This decision shows the growing momentum enjoyed by SWORD in Latin America, commented Juan-Pablo Torres, MASA Groups President and CEO. This new customer adoption illustrates how SWORD can be used by progressive and cost-conscious military organizations on a global basis for trainings related to military missions and to Operations Other Than War.

The deployment of SWORD at CEOTAS will be performed starting this month by Latinmedia International LLC, one of MASAs value added resellers in Latin America, and a regional leader in the areas of simulation and visualization in real time. This deployment is the first phase of a long-term project that implies a large-scale deployment to take place in the coming months.

About MASA

MASA Group (MASA) is a global company focused on the development of Artificial Intelligence-based Modeling & Simulation (M&S) software for the Defense, Homeland Security, Emergency Management, Serious Games and Games Development markets. A trusted developer of cutting-edge AI technology for over fifteen years, MASA has founded its success on products that combine scalability, adaptability and low cost of ownership, with a strong standards-driven approach to technology.

MASA SWORD and MASA LIFE are uniquely designed to simplify and optimize the implementation of Artificial Intelligence capabilities for automating and driving simulated behaviors.

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MASA Group Announces New Customer for SWORD in Ecuador

Research and Markets: Concise Aerospace – Aeroflot's Board Reportedly Maintains Its Strategic Goals For 2025

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DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/v3g46t/concise_aerospace) has announced the addition of the "Concise Aerospace" subscription to their offering.

In depth coverage of aerospace and air transport in Russia and the CIS

Concise Aerospace is a business intelligence service that has reported since 1992 on developments within the aerospace and air transport industries of Russia and the CIS.

Concise's principle objective through its long experience of the Russian and the CIS industries is to provide industry professionals with a considered and timely view of events within the sectors. Concise Aerospacecovers developments that have in the past been marked by volatility and unpredictability in terms of politics and economics, a trend that shows little sign of changing in the future.

The editorial team include experienced research analysts and journalists based both in and outside of Russia, who employ a wide variety of research sources to form their views, ranging from the Russian regional media to direct contact with companies and government agencies.

This subscription is for annual access to the online service, archive and a monthly PDF of the previous month's coverage.

April 2012 Edition - Table of Contents:

Russian airlines increased pax numbers 20.2% in January-March 2012

FAVT official says number of passenger complaints increased 100% in 2011; inability to get ticket refunds is seen as the most common problem

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Research and Markets: Concise Aerospace - Aeroflot's Board Reportedly Maintains Its Strategic Goals For 2025

A pioneer in space and on Earth

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By W. Patrick McCray, Special to CNN

updated 12:46 PM EDT, Sun June 10, 2012

SpaceX Dragon spashes down

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Editor's note: W. Patrick McCray is a professor of the history of science at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is the author of the forthcoming book, "The Visioneers: How a group of elite scientists pursued space colonies, nanotechnologies, and a limitless tuture" (Princeton University Press).

(CNN) -- Recently, technology enthusiasts around the planet had the opportunity to get better acquainted with Elon Musk, the creator of SpaceX, the first privately owned company to send a spacecraft to the space station.

Launched in the same manner as a Silicon Valley startup, SpaceX designed and manufactured the Dragon capsule, which successfully completed a mission with the International Space Station before splashing down into the Pacific Ocean.

I see Musk, a 40-year-old entrepreneur who made his fortune by co-founding PayPal, as a "visioneer." That is to say, he is someone who combines scientific and engineering prowess -- in his case, a degree in physics -- with an expansive view of how technology will upend traditional economic models, and has the ability to inspire others to support his work.

W. Patrick McCray

Musk has bold visions for the future. When he finished college, he identified three areas that could change the world. One was the Internet; another was new sources of energy; and the third was transforming our civilization in such a way so that it could expand out into the solar system.

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A pioneer in space and on Earth

China Set To Launch Spacecraft This Month For Manned Space Docking

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China is preparing to launch a manned space flight to an orbiting space laboratory in the middle of this month, according to state media reports and China's human spaceflight agency.

A Long March 2F rocket carrying the Shenzhou 9 capsule has been moved to a launch pad in the north-west of the country, and according to state news agency Xinhua, it will carry three astronauts to the mini-space station Tiangong-1, which has been circling Earth unmanned since its launch last year.

"The Shenzhou 9 will perform our country's first manned space docking mission with the orbiting Tiangong 1 space lab module," the Xinhua news agency quoted Zhou Jianping, chief designer of China's manned space program, as saying.

According to BBC News, this would be China's fourth manned space flight and its first since 2008. It became only the third country to independently send a man into space in 2003.

"It means China's spacecraft will become a genuine manned shuttle tool between space and Earth. It can send human beings to space stations or space labs. This will be a significant step in China's manned space flight history," Zhou said.

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A spokesperson told Xinhua news agency that in the next few days, scientists will conduct functional tests on the spacecraft and the rocket, as well as joint tests on selected astronauts, spacecraft, rocket and ground systems.

China completed a difficult space docking maneuver last year, when an unmanned craft docked with the Tiangong 1 or "Heavenly Body" by remote control. The astronauts onboard the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft will also dock with the Tiangong 1 and carry out scientific experiments on board.

Niu Hongguang, deputy commander-in-chief of the country's manned space program, said in March that the three-person crew might include female astronauts. However, the final selection would be decided "on the very last condition," Xinhua reported.

Tiangong 1 space laboratory module meanwhile is a prototype space station designed to test the technologies required for a much larger space station complex currently under development. The Tiangong 1 module is 34 feet long (10.4 meters), 11 feet wide (3.35 m) and weighed about 8.5 metric tons, Space.com reprted.

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China Set To Launch Spacecraft This Month For Manned Space Docking

Rich Hill Experiences Discomfort With Surgically Repaired Left Elbow, Heads to the 15-Day Disabled List

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BOSTON -- Rich Hill has an appointment scheduled with Dr. James Andrews on Monday.

That rendezvous alone isn't a positive sign. But after being sidelined for a year with Tommy John surgery -- for his elbow -- the Red Sox reliever sensed tightness once again in his left elbow.

As a result of the discomfort, Hill will visit Andrews, the same surgeon who performed the procedure. It prompted the Red Sox to place Hill on the 15-day disabled list and recall Mark Melancon from Triple-A Pawtucket.

Hill first experienced the tightness three weeks ago, according to Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine.

"It bothered him a little, and then it went away and there was no problem," Valentine said. "I heard of it one of those days where I didnt use him for three days or so, and then he said he was fine, and then I think it was five days since he was in a game the other day."

That appearance was Friday, during the series opener against the Nationals. In the outing, Hill surrendering two hits but pitched a scoreless inning. He also racked up his 11th strikeout of the season.

Although Valentine didn't notice anything different with Hill, the skipper said the late breaking movement on the southpaw's curveball was different. Hill unleashed four curveballs in a sequence against Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper.

When approached by reporters at his locker, Hill declined comment until after his meeting with Andrews.

"I don't have any answers right now," Hill said.

His absence leaves two lefties in the bullpen -- Franklin Morales and Andrew Miller. Prior to the revelation of Hill's injury, Valentine expressed his intention to stretch out Morales into long relief and possibly an occasional spot start.

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Rich Hill Experiences Discomfort With Surgically Repaired Left Elbow, Heads to the 15-Day Disabled List

Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bonnaroo 2012: Veteran Rockers Give It Their All

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AP Photo/Manu Fernandez

An already-energized crowd was made even more so by the strange pre-show performance of Carrie the Salsa Dancing Dog. Only at Bonnaroo could such a thing lead directly into latest hit "Monarchy of Roses." Marking a long-overdue notch on the festival's headliner ledger, the Chili Peppers played with a vigor levels above their usual arena tour stop.

Flea leapt around and played his bass like a man possessed, as transitions into classics like "Can't Stop" received rhythmically conscious extended intros. The core four of the band brought new dimensions with a fuller sound broadcasted through the inclusion of keyboard player and an additional percussionist.

"Come on, Tennessee, yeah! Be kind and gentle to your neighbor," implored a smiling Flea introducing drummer Chad Smith, who soloed straight into "Dani California." Anthony Kiedis' shirt made it through exactly two songs.

The latest entry into the Chili Pepper discography, I'm With You, seemed to produce the premium cohesiveness possible within the instrumental unit, which made sense, seeing as it's the first album featuring new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer. Tracks like "Look Around" and "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie" thundered with a fresh RHCP brand funk.

"Last night I was standing out there, and Radiohead was so fucking beautiful," remarked Flea, once again pointing out to the capacity-filled main stage field before launching into "Throw Away Your Television."

A field of lighters ignited the cool southern night as Kiedis cooed the opening lines of the building "Under The Bridge," which was immediately followed by their mid-set rendition of rollicking jumper "Higher Ground".

After closing out the primary set with a mosh-baiting "By The Way," Flea came out walking on his hands for the encore, eventually flipping his stance and leading the band into a jam resulting in "Suck My Kiss." Two songs later, the Chili Peppers said goodbye to the Bonnaroo masses with live staple "Give It Away," walking off stage with cheers and fireworks popping out from all directions.

It's not every band that has the pull and status to hold down Bonnaroo's coveted Saturday night headlining slot. And although Red Hot Chili Peppers as a group are older than the festival itself, there's still only so many new ventures for a veteran act like themselves to hold court over. As a result, the give-it-all effort put forth by the Chili Peppers will go down in Bonnaroo lore as another worthy addition to fest's, and the band's, storied lineage.

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Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bonnaroo 2012: Veteran Rockers Give It Their All

NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter puts itself into standby safe mode

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ScienceDaily (June 10, 2012) NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter put itself into a precautionary standby status early Friday, June 8, Universal Time (Thursday evening, Pacific Time), when the spacecraft detected unexpected characteristics in movement of one of its reaction wheels. The spacecraft uses three of these wheels as the primary method for adjusting and maintaining its orientation. It carries a spare reaction wheel.

Odyssey's flight team is in communication with the spacecraft while planning actions in response to Odyssey entering the standby status, which is called safe mode.

"The spacecraft is safe, and information we've received from it indicates the problem is limited to a single reaction wheel," said Odyssey Mission Manager Chris Potts of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. "The path forward is evaluating the health of the reaction wheel and our options for proceeding."

Because the trigger for the incident was limited to a reaction wheel, the spacecraft did not need to completely reboot its computer, as it had in some earlier safing incidents during its record-setting decade of service at Mars. The flight team will be developing a recovery timeline in coming days.

NASA launched the Mars Odyssey spacecraft on April 7, 2001. Odyssey arrived at Mars Oct. 24, 2001. After arrival, the spacecraft spent several months using a technique called aerobraking, which involved dipping into the Martian atmosphere to adjust its orbit. In February 2002, science operations began. Odyssey has worked at Mars longer than any other mission in history. Besides conducting its own scientific observations, it serves as a communication relay for robots on the surface of Mars. NASA plans to use Odyssey and the newer Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter as communication relays for the Mars Science Laboratory mission during the landing and Mars-surface operations of that mission's Curiosity rover.

Odyssey is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver built the spacecraft. JPL and Lockheed Martin collaborate on operating the spacecraft. For more about the Mars Odyssey mission, visit: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/odyssey .

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NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter puts itself into standby safe mode

NASA Surpasses Test Facility Record With J-2X Powerpack Test

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June 10, 2012

Image Caption: During a record-breaking test on June 8, 2012, engineers throttled the J-2X powerpack up and down several times to explore numerous operating points required for the fuel and oxidizer turbopumps. The results of this test will be useful for determining performance and hardware life for the J-2X engine turbopumps. Credit: NASA/SSC

NASAs Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Miss., broke its own record Friday when it conducted a test on the new J-2X powerpack. The test lasted for 1,150 seconds, surpassing the previous record by more than a full minute.

For NASA, the test marked a milestone step in development of a next-generation rocket engine to carry humans deeper into space than ever before. For Stennis, the 19-minute, 10-second test represented the longest duration firing ever conducted in the centers A Test Complex.

This is the longest and the most complex J-2X test profile to date, said Mike Kynard, NASAs Space Launch System liquid engines element manager. By combining as many test objectives as we can, we aim to get the most out of every opportunity and work as affordability and efficiently as possible while maintaining a reasonable level of risk.

The powerpack is a system of components on the top portion of the J-2X engine, including the gas generator, oxygen and fuel turbopumps, and related ducts and valves. As designed, the powerpack system feeds the thrust chamber system, which produces engine thrust. By removing the thrust chamber assembly, including the main combustion chamber, main injector and nozzle, engineers can push more easily the turbomachinery components over a wide range of conditions to demonstrate durability and safety margins.

Setting a new record for the longest duration test on one of our stands in the A complex is a testament to the longevity and versatility of our testing facilities, said Randy Galloway, engineering and test director at Stennis. These stands, originally built in the 1960s to test the stages for the Apollo Program, then used for the Space Shuttle Program, now are being used to test for the next generation vehicle that will take us farther than we have ever gone.

This record-breaking test explored numerous operating points required for the fuel and oxidizer turbopumps. The results of this test will be useful for determining performance and hardware life for the J-2X engine turbopumps. The test also allowed operators to calibrate flow meters on the stand, which measure the amount of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen delivered to the powerpack.

Before the powerpack test, the longest firing in Stennis A Test Complex occurred in August 1989, with a 1,075-second test of a space shuttle main engine. The B Test Complex still claims the record for test duration at more than 2,000 seconds.

The J-2X engine is the first human-rated liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen rocket engine to be developed in four decades. It will power the upper stage of NASAs evolved Space Launch System, an advanced heavy-lift rocket that will provide an entirely new national capability for human exploration beyond Earths orbit.

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NASA Surpasses Test Facility Record With J-2X Powerpack Test

NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 09 June 2012

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ISS On-Orbit Status 06/09/12

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Saturday - Crew off duty.

After wakeup, Gennady Padalka performed the routine inspection of the SM (Service Module) PSS Caution & Warning panel as part of regular Daily Morning Inspection.

FE-5 Andr Kuipers conducted the regular (~weekly) inspection & maintenance, as required, of the CGBA-4 (Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 4) and CGBA-5 payloads in their ERs (EXPRESS Racks) at Lab O2 & O1, focusing on cleaning the muffler air intakes.

The six Exp-31 crewmembers joined in conducting the regular weekly three-hour task of thorough cleaning of their home, including COL (Columbus Orbital Laboratory) and Kibo JPM (JEM Pressurized Module). ["Uborka", usually done on Saturdays, includes removal of food waste products, cleaning of compartments with vacuum cleaner, damp cleaning of the SM dining table, other frequently touched surfaces and surfaces where trash is collected, as well as the sleep stations with a standard cleaning solution; also, fan screens and grilles are cleaned to avoid temperature rises. Special cleaning is also done every 90 days on the HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) bacteria filters in the Lab.]

As part of Uborka house cleaning, Oleg completed regular weekly maintenance inspection & cleaning of fan screens in the FGB (TsV2) plus Group E fan grilles in the SM (VPkhO, FS5, FS6, VP).

The CDR also handled the routine daily servicing of the SOZh system (Environment Control & Life Support System, ECLSS) in the SM. [Regular daily SOZh maintenance consists, among else, of checking the ASU toilet facilities, replacement of the KTO & KBO solid waste containers, replacement of EDV-SV waste water and EDV-U urine containers and filling EDV-SV, KOV (for Elektron), EDV-ZV & EDV on RP flow regulator.]

FE-1 Padalka downlinked the video recording of yesterday's session with the Russian KPT-10 "Kulonovskiy Kristall" (Coulomb Crystal) experiment. [KPT-10 studies dynamic and structural characteristics of the Coulomb systems formed by charged dispersed diamagnetic macroparticles in the magnetic trap, investigating the following processes onboard the ISS RS (Russian Segment): condensed dust media, Coulomb crystals, and formation of Coulomb liquids due to charged macroparticles. Coulomb systems are structures following Coulomb's Law, a law of physics describing the electrostatic interaction between electrically charged particles. It was essential to the development of the theory of electromagnetism.]

Joe Acaba & Don Pettit got together for another hour of Exp-30/Exp-31 crew handover activities.

FE-3 & FE-6 had their weekly PFCs (Private Family Conferences), via S-band/audio and Ku-band/MS-NetMeeting application (which displays the uplinked ground video on an SSC laptop), Joe at ~11:10am, Don at ~2:20pm EDT.

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NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 09 June 2012

Before Deep Space, NASA Heads Deep Under Water

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Astronauts Shannon Walker and David Saint-Jacques test a probe in the waters off Key Largo, Fla. Their research may help NASA set foot on an asteroid someday.

Astronauts Shannon Walker and David Saint-Jacques test a probe in the waters off Key Largo, Fla. Their research may help NASA set foot on an asteroid someday.

NASA may have retired its shuttles, but it has its sights on sending astronauts deeper into space than ever before.

These voyages are years away, but on Monday, astronauts are heading underwater to take part in a simulation that will help them figure out how they might explore one possible new destination: a near-Earth asteroid.

It'll be the space agency's 16th NEEMO expedition NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations commanded by astronaut Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger. She flew on one of the last space shuttle missions, and even helped prepare Atlantis for its final launch.

"It was a very bittersweet time," says Metcalf-Lindenburger, who wants to go into space again. In the meantime, she's commanding a four-person crew that's putting on scuba gear instead of space suits. She says we all have to move on.

"Like in all things. I just had my daughter finish up her last day of preschool before she goes off to kindergarten. We have to shut chapters and begin new chapters and we had to do that in the space program, too," Metcalf-Lindenburger says.

Her crew will spend two weeks working underwater, which is the best approximation on this planet of what it would be like to operate in the zero gravity of an asteroid.

Their base will be an underwater lab called Aquarius. It's about the size of a school bus and sits 60 feet under the surface a few miles off the coast of Key Largo, Fla.

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Before Deep Space, NASA Heads Deep Under Water

Nanotechnologists develop a 'time bomb' to fight cardiovascular disease

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Atherosclerosis, resulting in a narrowing of the arteries and the development of cardiovascular disease, is the leading cause of death worldwide. Until now, no treatment could target diseased areas exclusively, in order to increase drug efficacy and reduce side effects. To help bridge this gap, a group of Swiss researchers from UNIGE, HUG and the University of Basel have developed a veritable 'time bomb,' a treatment that can recognize the diseased areas and treat only them.

In Switzerland, more than 20,000 people (37% of all deaths) die of cardiovascular disease caused by atherosclerosis each year. Treatment options are currently available to people who suffer from the disease but no drug can target solely the diseased areas, often leading to generalized side effects. Intravenous injection of a vasodilator (a substance that dilates blood vessels), such as nitroglycerin, dilates both the diseased vessels and the rest of our arteries. Blood pressure can thus drop, which would limit the desired increased blood flow generated by vasodilatation of diseased vessels and needed for example during a heart attack.

In order to increase the effectiveness of treatments against atherosclerosis and to reduce side effects, a team of researchers from UNIGE, HUG and the University of Basel have developed nanocontainers having the ability to release their vasodilator content exclusively to diseased areas.

Nanotechnology in medicine

Though no biomarker specific to atherosclerosis has been identified, there is a physical phenomenon inherent to stenosis (the narrowing of blood vessels) known as shear stress. This force results from fluctuations in blood flow induced by the narrowing of the artery and runs parallel to the flow of blood. It is by making use of this phenomenon that the team of researchers has developed a veritable time bomb, a nanocontainer which, under pressure from the shear stress in stenosed arteries, will release its vasodilator contents.

By rearranging the structure of certain molecules (phospholipids) in classic nanocontainers such as liposome, scientists were able to give them a lenticular shape as opposed to the normal spherical shape. In the form of a lens, the nanocontainer then moves through the healthy arteries without breaking. This new nanocontainer is perfectly stable, except when subjected to the shear stress of stenosed arteries. And that's exactly the intention of this technological advance. The vasodilator content is distributed only to the stenotic arteries, significantly increasing the efficacy of the treatment and reducing side effects. "In brief, we exploited a previously unexplored aspect of an existing technology. This research offers new perspectives in the treatment of patients with cardiovascular disease," explains Andreas Zumbuehl from the Department of Organic Chemistry at UNIGE.

"Nanomedicine is a discipline stemming from general nanoscience but which orients itself towards medical research. The interdisciplinary collaboration between chemistry, physics, basic science and clinical medicine in a highly technical environment could lead to a new era of research," states Till Saxer of the Cardiology and General Internal Medicine Departments at HUG.

"The nano component is present in all disciplines, but the most interesting aspect of nanomedicine is its overview allowing the development of clinical products that integrate this global medical point of view from the earliest onset of research projects," states Bert Mller, Director of the Biomaterials Science Centre (BMC) at Basel.

When chemistry gets involved

How did scientists manage to change the shape of the nanocontainers so that they resemble a lens? By rearranging the structure of molecules, chemists at UNIGE replaced the ester bond that links the two parts of the phospholipid (head and tail), with an amide bond, an organic compound that promotes interaction among phospholipids. Once modified, the molecules are hydrated then heated to form a liquid sphere which will relax to solidify in the form of a lens upon cooling.

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Nanotechnologists develop a 'time bomb' to fight cardiovascular disease