Human Space Flight Day: UN spotlights the need to advance exploration

Posted on by

Marking International Day of Human Space Flight, the United Nations on Sunday spotlighted the contribution of space science and technology to sustainable development and underscored the need to push the boundaries of exploration for the benefit of all people.

I am confident that the International Day of Human Space Flight will remind us of our common humanity and our need to work together to conquer shared challenges, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on the Day marked worldwide on 12 April. I hope it will also inspire young people in particular to pursue their dreams and move the world towards new frontiers of knowledge and understanding, the UN chief added. In 2011, the General Assembly declared 12 April International Day of Human Space Flight to reaffirm the important contribution of space science and technology in achieving sustainable development. The Assembly also expressed interest in promoting and expanding the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes. This day, 12 April back in 1961 was the date of the first human space flight, carried out by Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet citizen. This historic event opened the way for space exploration. Yuri Gagarins journey as the first human in space 54 years ago has inspired us all to advance the boundaries of exploration, said United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) Director, Simonetta Di Pippo. To mark the day, UNOOSA has launched the fourth edition of its Messages from Space Explorers, a collection of messages from Space Explorers serving as a memorabilia of their contribution and inspiration to future generations. Recording the messages of the many men and women who have travelled into space allows us to commemorate the role these people have played as Ambassadors for humankind, said Di Pippo. The new edition available on UNOOSAs website in six different languages - contains messages from space explorers from France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States. One of the featured explorers, Scott Kelly is currently on a one year mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS), which started on 28 March 2015. The autograph album also contains a copy of the signed sheets received from 57 other space explorers from 20 nations, among which Valentina Tereskhova of Russia, the first woman in space, and Charles F. Bolden, the current NASA Administrator, and copy of the autographs of Yuri Gagarin, and Edward H. White, the first American to walk in space. Photo: NASA

Read the rest here:

Human Space Flight Day: UN spotlights the need to advance exploration

Remembering First Man in Space 54 Years Ago

Posted on by

April 12 is the International Day of Human Space Flight, marking the day in 1961 when 27-year-old Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the world's first man in space.

His historic single orbit around Earth, while crouched in the Vostok 1 spacecraft at a speed of 27,400 kilometers per hour, lasted only 108 minutes, but ushered in a new chapter of history - space travel.

Before Gagarin's flight, space travel had been the purview of science fiction writers.

Gagarin had no control over his spacecraft while it was orbiting. It was instead controlled by a computer program sending radio commands to the Vostok. However, a key had been placed in the spacecraft in case Gagarin needed to take command.

Premier Nikita Krushchev named Gagarin a hero of the Soviet Union, and Gagarin, who became an international hero, was dubbed "the Christopher Columbus of the Cosmos."

His flight during Cold War tensions sent the American space program into a frenzy. The Soviet Union had said the space flight was an affirmation of "the genius of the Soviet people."

Less than a month later, U.S. astronaut Alan Shepherd became the first American in space. In February of the next year, U.S. astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth.

Gagarin died in a plane he was piloting in 1968. At the time of his death, he was training for a second space mission.

More here:

Remembering First Man in Space 54 Years Ago

Russian official claims 'enemy' spy satellite network discovered

Posted on by

MOSCOW, April 12 (UPI) -- A Russian official claimed the country detected a network of "enemy" spy satellites disguised as space junk during a film televised Sunday.

Russian Aerospace Defense Commander Maj. Gen. Oleg Maidanovich made the remarks during the 40-minute, state-produced film Space Special Forces shown on the defense ministry channel Zvezda.

"Very recently, specialists of the department of space intelligence center uncovered a newly created group of space satellites... made for radio-technical reconnaissance of equipment on Russian territory," Maidanovich said. He declined to say who the satellites belonged to, stating "there is currently no necessity to do so."

The film was released to commemorate the space flight of cosmonaut Yury Gagarin on April 12, 1961.

Although tensions between Russia and the West have been escalating recently, outer space cooperation, including for the International Space Station, has continued.

The film's narrator described the spy satellites as being turned off for a certain time and then awaking when needed.

"One talks of peaceful satellites, but there are known cases when groups of potential enemy satellites formed against our satellites, above our territory... There are cases when a space satellite pretends to be space junk for years and then wakes up and starts working at the right moment."

Maidanovich said that when spy satellites are discovered, his division reports it to Russian leadership for decisions to be made at international levels.

2015 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

Popular Photos

Continued here:

Russian official claims 'enemy' spy satellite network discovered

Prince Harry Poses with Young Fan’s ‘Red Heads Rule’ Sign During Australian Tour – Video

Posted on by


Prince Harry Poses with Young Fan #39;s #39;Red Heads Rule #39; Sign During Australian Tour
Prince Harry Poses with Young Fan #39;s #39;Red Heads Rule #39; Sign During Australian Tour Prince Harry has gotten a lot of attention for the color of his hair ever since he first appeared in the arms...

By: SEARCH NEWS

Read more here:

Prince Harry Poses with Young Fan's 'Red Heads Rule' Sign During Australian Tour - Video

Buckley: Why Red Sox home opener is always special

Posted on by

As always, youll be getting the baseball equivalent of the Macys Thanksgiving Day parade this afternoon at Fenway Park.

Speeches! Introductions! A first-pitch ceremony! A flyover!

Oh, and now that Major League Baseball and the Red Sox in particular are forging ahead with a campaign to grow the game inside the heads of the little ones, look for there to be a sort of Chuck E. Cheese element to todays Red Sox home opener against the visiting Washington Nationals.

And its all right and proper. The Red Sox always put out the good china for Opening Day, or, as we call it around here, Calling in Sick Day. (But only in the aftermath of the 1967 Impossible Dream season and not, as many would have you believe, since the beginning of time.) Fenway is indeed a special place on Opening Day, with the twin powers of anticipation and nostalgia crashing into each other like Fisk and Munson at home plate; as such, the urge to drop everything and head over to Kenmore Square is far more intoxicating than the beer youll quaff once you get there.

But if theres one thing weve always known about the Sox, its that the selling is easy when the product is good. And its been a case of so good, so good, so good so far with your 2015 Red Sox. By capturing the first two road series of the season, against the awful Philadelphia Phillies and the awfuller New York Yankees, the Sox will be sitting pretty atop the AL East when they trot out to the chalk lines in their crisp, new home whites.

You look at these Red Sox and you ... you ...

You wonder if perhaps Clay Buchholz was on to something when he issued Hes the Ace T-shirts to his comrades in the starting rotation (last nights horrific start against the Yankees notwithstanding).

You watch the fluidity with which Dustin Pedroia is moving around and conclude that, yes, hes back.

You determine that the 2015 scouting report on Brock Holt is the same as the 2014 scouting report on Brock Holt: can come off the bench and play anywhere, and swing the bat like Ty Cobb.

You understand that Xander Bogaerts seems to have figured it out ... that Justin Masterson just might be the steal of the year ... that nobody will steal off Sandy Leon ... that Rusney Castillo is just a phone call away.

Go here to read the rest:

Buckley: Why Red Sox home opener is always special

Buckley: Good times at Fenway

Posted on by

As always, youll be getting the baseball equivalent of the Macys Thanksgiving Day parade this afternoon at Fenway Park.

Speeches! Introductions! A first-pitch ceremony! A flyover!

Oh, and now that Major League Baseball and the Red Sox in particular are forging ahead with a campaign to grow the game inside the heads of the little ones, look for there to be a sort of Chuck E. Cheese element to todays Red Sox home opener against the visiting Washington Nationals.

And its all right and proper. The Red Sox always put out the good china for Opening Day, or, as we call it around here, Calling in Sick Day. (But only in the aftermath of the 1967 Impossible Dream season and not, as many would have you believe, since the beginning of time.) Fenway is indeed a special place on Opening Day, with the twin powers of anticipation and nostalgia crashing into each other like Fisk and Munson at home plate; as such, the urge to drop everything and head over to Kenmore Square is far more intoxicating than the beer youll quaff once you get there.

But if theres one thing weve always known about the Sox, its that the selling is easy when the product is good. And its been a case of so good, so good, so good so far with your 2015 Red Sox. By capturing the first two road series of the season, against the awful Philadelphia Phillies and the awfuller New York Yankees, the Sox will be sitting pretty atop the AL East when they trot out to the chalk lines in their crisp, new home whites.

You look at these Red Sox and you ... you ...

You wonder if perhaps Clay Buchholz was on to something when he issued Hes the Ace T-shirts to his comrades in the starting rotation (last nights horrific start against the Yankees notwithstanding).

You watch the fluidity with which Dustin Pedroia is moving around and conclude that, yes, hes back.

You determine that the 2015 scouting report on Brock Holt is the same as the 2014 scouting report on Brock Holt: can come off the bench and play anywhere, and swing the bat like Ty Cobb.

You understand that Xander Bogaerts seems to have figured it out ... that Justin Masterson just might be the steal of the year ... that nobody will steal off Sandy Leon ... that Rusney Castillo is just a phone call away.

Read the original post:

Buckley: Good times at Fenway

Terps Insider: 5 takeaways from Marylands Red-White spring game

Posted on by

Nearly six weeks after spring practicebegan in the sleet in early March, Marylands players took the next step toward the 2015 season with its annual Red-White spring game on Saturday at Byrd Stadium. Terrapins wide receiver Marcus Leak stole the show on a warm and cloudless afternoon, catching three first half touchdownsto lead Red to a 21-16 win.Heres a rundown of other story lines that unraveled:

1. Both Shane Cockerille and Perry Hills were largely inconsistent on Saturday, although Hills showed flashes in the first half. He made a number of crisp throws to Leak, who finished with six catches for 132 yards and three touchdowns, as well asDeAndre Lane (four catches, 63 yards). Cockerille, who took a majority of the first team snaps all spring, had just five completions on 20 attempts and was picked off once by junior Will Likely. He was also sacked four times.

The complexion of the position will change considerably come August, when senior Caleb Rowe returns from ACL rehabilitation. Rowe is expected to start next fall, although Hills said Saturday hell do everything in his power to win the job. You have to go in with the mindset that youre going to change it. If you dont, youre just going to lay back and let someone have the job that you want, said Hills.

2. Yannick Ngakoue had to answer questions earlier this spring about how he would adjust from being a hybrid outside linebacker in the 3-4 scheme to more traditional defensive end in a 4-3 system, but he looked dominant Saturday. He was more explosive off the ball and gave left tackle Mike Minter problems all afternoon, hurrying first-team quarterback Cockerille often and recording three sacks. I like it a lot. I like putting my hand in the dirt and being explosive. Better than standing up, Ngakoue said.

3. Former Westlake star Antwaine Carter turned some heads from both his post at cornerback and one special teams on Saturday. On the second possession of the day, he read Hills eyes perfectly on an out-route and jumped it for an interception that ended a potential scoring drive. Later in the second quarter, he ran around the edge to block a field goal then opened the second half with a tackle for loss after blowing up a bubble screen. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Carter has a long, athletic frame and had a solid spring after moving from safety to corner (he made an acrobatic interception in traffic during last Saturdays scrimmage) and if he continues to progress, could give Marylands secondary more depth in 2015. I was just out there having fun, Carter said. I understand our playbook and I came out and executed.

4.Aside from senior kicker Brad Craddock hitting a 50-yard field goal in the first half, Marylands kicking game was wildly inconsistent Saturday. Both Lee Shrader and Nicholas Pritchard struggled with the windy conditions in College Park (each kicked six times and had a combined three punts that landed inside the 20-yard line). Maryland also had a field goal blocked and another botched extra point late in the second half.

Edsall noted that 2015 signee Nick Rubinowicz would compete for the starting punting role when he arrives this summer, but ultimately the team needs more consistent production at the position. I didnt think that those guys got the ball turned over enough when we were kicking with the wind, Edsall said of Shrader and Pritchard. Again, well have another young man, Nick [Rubinowicz] coming in and competing. Again, all those things will be decided. Im happy with spring in terms of how it went and what we were able to get accomplished.

5. Senior running back Brandon Ross, who finished with 102 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, said Saturday he could feel the offensive line making strides as a physical unit that is accomplishing more push up front. Maryland has had a number of injuries on the front, including tackles Michael Dunn (back) and Derwin Gray (labrum), but it also had a number of players who put forth productive spring performances including seniors Ryan Doyle and Evan Mulrooney, as well as redshirt freshmen Damian Prince and Brendan Moore. Both the Red and White teams ran the ball well Saturday (Albert Reid led Red with 73 yards on 16 carries, While Jacquille Veii backed up Ross and had 45 yards on 10 carries.

Gray had successful surgery on Friday and is expected to be back in the fold by August. Edsall said no other players were injured during Saturdays scrimmage.

Roman Stubbs covers the University of Maryland athletics for The Washington Post.

Read the original post:

Terps Insider: 5 takeaways from Marylands Red-White spring game

Signs of Alien Life Will Be Found by 2025, NASA’s Chief Scientist Predicts – Video

Posted on by


Signs of Alien Life Will Be Found by 2025, NASA #39;s Chief Scientist Predicts
During a panel discussion on Tuesday, April 7 NASA chief scientist Ellen Stofan had some exciting news: "I think we #39;re going to have strong indications of life beyond Earth within a decade,...

By: Crazy Easy Broadcast Chat

Go here to read the rest:

Signs of Alien Life Will Be Found by 2025, NASA's Chief Scientist Predicts - Video

NASA to Host Human Exploration Rover Challenge

Posted on by

The annual NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge will take place April 17-18 at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

NASA Television will provide coverage of both days races from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. EDT. NASA Marshall Space Flight Centers UStream channel will broadcast the races and the awards ceremony, which will take place at 5 p.m. CDT on April 18 in the Davidson Center for Space Exploration in Huntsville.

This years competition will feature more than 80 high school and college teams from 18 states, Puerto Rico and international teams from Germany, India, Mexico and Russia racing against the clock in this engineering design competition.

The Rover Challenge requires students to design, construct, test and race human-powered rovers through an obstacle course simulating the terrain potentially found on distant planets, asteroids or moons. Teams race to finish the three-quarter-mile-long obstacle course in the fastest time, vying for prizes in various divisions. The event concludes with a ceremony where corporate sponsors will present awards for best design, rookie team and other accomplishments.

Hosted by Marshall, the Rover Challenge highlights NASAs goals for deep-space exploration. The challenge is inspired by the Lunar Roving Vehicles of the Apollo moon missions. The competition challenges students to solve engineering problems, while highlighting NASA's commitment to inspiring new generations of scientists, engineers and explorers.

Media interested in attending should contact Angela Storey of the Marshall Public and Employee Communications Office at 256-544-0034 no later than 4 p.m., April 15. Visitor parking is available in front of the Davidson Center.

To view the 2015 list of teams, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/roverchallenge/teams/index.html

For more event details, race rules, information on the course, contributors and photos from previous competitions, as well as links to social media accounts providing real-time updates, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/roverchallenge

For live coverage of the races, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

and

The rest is here:

NASA to Host Human Exploration Rover Challenge

NASA Joins Forces To Fight Threat To U.S. Freshwater

Posted on by

NASA has joined forces with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and U.S. Geological Survey to transform satellite data designed to probe ocean biology into information that will help protect the American public from harmful freshwater algal blooms.

Algal blooms are a worldwide environmental problem causing human and animal health risks, fish kills, and taste and odor in drinking water. In the United States, the cost of freshwater degraded by harmful algal blooms is estimated at $64 million annually. In August 2014, officials in Toledo, Ohio, banned the use of drinking water supplied to more than 400,000 residents after it was contaminated by an algal bloom in Lake Erie.

The new $3.6 million, multi-agency effort will use ocean color satellite data to develop an early warning indicator for toxic and nuisance algal blooms in freshwater systems and an information distribution system to aid expedient public health advisories.

Ocean color satellite data from NASA's Aqua, the USGS-NASA Landsat, and the European Space Agency's Sentinel-2 and -3 are currently available to scientists, but are not routinely processed and produced in formats that help state and local environmental and water quality managers. Through this project, satellite data on harmful algal blooms developed by the partner agencies will be converted to a format that stakeholders can use through mobile devices and web portals.

"Observations from space-based instruments are an ideal way to tackle this type of public health hazard because of their global coverage and ability to provide detailed information on material in the water, including algal blooms," said Paula Bontempi of the Earth Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

NOAA and NASA pioneered the use of satellite data to monitor and forecast harmful algal blooms. Satellites allow for more frequent observations over broader areas than water sampling. The satellite data support NOAA's existing forecasting systems in the Gulf of Mexico and Great Lakes.

The new network builds on previous NASA ocean satellite sensor technologies created to study the global ocean's microscopic algal communities, which play a major role in ocean ecology, the movement of carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and ocean, and climate change. These sensors detect the color of the sunlit upper layer of the ocean and are used to create indicators that can help identify harmful algal blooms.

Researchers will compare the new freshwater algal blooms data with satellite records of land cover changes over time to identify specific land-use activities that may have caused environmental changes linked to the frequency and intensity of blooms. The results will help to develop better forecasts of bloom events.

Read the original here:

NASA Joins Forces To Fight Threat To U.S. Freshwater

Nasa release stunning GoPro footage taken by astronauts on walk of International Space Station

Posted on by

Barry Wilmore and Terry Virts captured the footage on spacewalks The astronauts were carrying out repair work on the space station Video captures incredibly clear images of the earth from250 miles Spacewalks were in preparation for commercial spacecraft arrival

By Jake Polden For Mailonline

Published: 10:20 EST, 13 April 2015 | Updated: 10:27 EST, 13 April 2015

Nasa has released incredible point-of-view footage taken by astronauts on spacewalks of the International Space Station.

Expedition 42 commander Barry Wilmore and flight engineer Terry Virts recorded three spacewalks, known as Extra Vehicular Activities, on GoPro cameras outside the ISS on February 25 and March 1.

The spacewalks were in preparation for the arrival of multibillion pound commercial spacecraft, which Nasa hope will be in operation by 2017.

Out of this world! NASA astronauts take spacewalk with a Go Pro

Expedition 42 commander Barry Wilmore and flight engineer Terry Virts recorded three spacewalks on GroPro cameras

Nasa recently signed a contract with commercial spaceflight companies SpaceX and Boeing with the intention to produce craft capable of transporting astronauts to the ISS.

The clip was recorded to give the future ISS workers an idea of what they can expect when they go into space to maintain the commercial spacecraft.

See the original post here:

Nasa release stunning GoPro footage taken by astronauts on walk of International Space Station