Supermicro Expands Embedded Computing Solutions with New Wireless IoT Gateway at Embedded World, Nurnberg

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Ultra Low-Power Edge to Cloud Mesh Network Device offers Connectivity, Programmability, Security and Reliability for Data Sense and Analytics Infrastructure

NURNBERG, Germany Super Micro Computer, Inc. (NASDAQ: SMCI), a global leader in high-performance, high-efficiency server, storage technology and green computing debuts its latest lineup of Embedded Building Block Solutions this week at Embedded World in Nurnberg, Germany. At the show, Supermicro highlights its new Internet of Things (IoT) Gateway System (SYS-E100-8Q) which extends Supermicro's Embedded solutions ecosystem with an ultra low-power Edge-to-Cloud mesh network device powered by a 2.2W Intel Quark SoC X1021 and featuring 512GB DDR3 ECC memory, a ZigBee module socket and expansion support with Micro SDHC (up to 32GB) and 2x Mini-PCI-E slots. In addition, Supermicro will also display a wide range of server/storage building blocks and solutions based on Intel Atom processors and Intel Xeon processors targeting embedded applications in Medical Imaging, Communications, Retail, Transportation Control, Digital Security and Surveillance, Industrial Automation, Cloud and Cold Storage, and Content Management and Distribution.

"Supermicro is expanding our Embedded Building Blocks with a new IoT gateway product that provides complete edge-to-cloud solutions for data aggregation and analytics," said Charles Liang, President and CEO of Supermicro. "The addition of this new class of device to our embedded server and storage solutions provides maximum flexibility to configure scalable computing infrastructure optimized for enterprise, commercial and industrial automation applications."

"The Intel Quark SoC X1000 series based IoT Gateway System E100-8Q is built upon the Intel IoT Gateway which offers integrated security, enhanced reliability and long lifetime support," said Geetha Dabir, vice president and general manager of Application Ready Platforms for IoT at Intel. "With Supermicro providing both Intel architecture-based server and storage solutions alongside their IoT Gateway E100-8Q, customers can rapidly deploy end-to-end embedded computing infrastructure across a wide range of applications such as Smart Factory and Smart Building."

Supermicro Embedded Server, Storage and Building Block Solutions @ Embedded World

-- Compact Servers -- SYS-E100-8Q - NEW IoT Wireless Gateway. Compact, Ultra Low-Power, Fanless Edge to Cloud Mesh Network Device. Supports 2.2W Intel Quark X1021 SoC, 512MB DDR3 ECC memory, 1x Micro SDHC up to 32GB, 2x Mini-PCI-E slots, 1x ZigBee module socket, TPM 1.2, 2x 10/100Mbps RJ45, Operating Temperature 0C to 50C -- SYS-5028A-TN4 - Space-efficient, Mini-Tower for Cloud/Virtualization/NAS applications in SOHO, Corporate environments. Supports Intel Atom processor C2758F (20W 8-Core), 4x 3.5" Hot-Swap SATA Trays, 2x 2.5" internal HDD bays, 1x PCI-E 2.0 x8 slot, up to 64GB ECC SODIMM 4x DIMM slots, Quad LAN with Intel C2000 SoC -- SYS-5018A-FTN4 - 1U Short-Depth, Front I/O server for gateway, file-sharing, security appliances. Supports Intel Atom processor C2758 (20W 8-Core), 2x 3.5" Fixed SATA3 HDD bays or 4x 2.5" SATA2 HDD optional, 1x PCI-E 2.0 x8 slot, up to 64GB DDR3 1600MHz ECC SO-DIMMs in 4x DIMM sockets, Quad GbE ports, IPMI w/ dedicated LAN, DOM power connector, 200W Low-noise power supply w/ PFC, supports Intel QuickAssist Acceleration Technology -- SYS-E200-8B - Compact 1U Mini ITX BOX PC for digital signage, kiosk applications. Supports Intel Celeron J1900 (10W, 4C), 1x 2.5" internal drive bay, up to 8GB 1333MHz DDR3 Non-ECC SO-DIMMs in 2x sockets, 1x Mini-PCIe and 1x mSATA slot, 2x SATA 2.0, 4x SATA 3.0 (RAID 0, 1, 10), 2x GbE, 1x HDMI, 1x Display Port, 1x VGA, 1x SATA DOM support -- SYS-5018A-TN7B - Compact network security server. Supports Intel Atom processor C2758 (20W 8-Core), 7x GbE LAN including 6 ports LAN bypass (SW programmable) ports w/SoC I354, I350-AM2 and I210-AT, 1x 3.5" Fixed drive bay or 4x 2.5" drive bays w/optional bracket, 1x PCI-E 2.0 x4 (in x8) slot, up to 64GB DDR3 1600MHz ECC or non-ECC UDIMM, IPMI 2.0 with shared LAN -- SYS-1018L-MP - Compact System optimized for Security Appliance, Surveillance, Digital Signage, Indoor Kiosk- Video processing, streaming. Supports Intel 4th Generation Core i7/i5/i3, Pentium, Celeron processors, Intel H81 Express Chipset, 1x 2.5" internal HDD support, up to 16GB DDR3 non-ECC 1600MHz SODIMM in 2x sockets, 1x Mini-PCI-E (Full and Half-height card with mSATA support), 2x GbE, 1x DVI-I, 1x HDMI, 1x Display Port, 2x COM, and 1x Audio, 1x SATA DOM support -- Uni-Processor (UP) Motherboards -- A1SQN - Ultra Low-Power, Compact E100 (4.1" x 4.0") IoT Gateway device. Supports Intel Quark (2.2W) SoC, 512MB DDR3 ECC memory onboard, 2x Mini-PCI-E slots, 1x ZigBee module socket, TPM 1.2, 2x 10/100Mbps LAN -- Compact Low-Power Intel Atom C2558/C2758 SoC, Micro ATX -- A1SRM-LN7F-2758F, A1SRM-LN5F-2358 (communications 3 pair LAN bypass); A1SRM-2558F/-2758F, A1SRi-2558F/-2758F (communications Intel Quick Assist Technology) -- X10SBA/-L - Mini-ITX supports Intel Celeron J1900 (10W, 4C), Intel HD Graphics with HDMI, Display port, eDP and VGA -- X10SLV/-Q - Mini-ITX supports Intel 4th Gen Core i7/i5/i3, Pentium, Celeron processors, Intel Processor Graphics with Display Port, HDMI and DVI-I -- X10SLQ - Micro ATX supports Intel 4th Gen Core i7/i5/i3, Pentium, Celeron processors, AMT 9.0, vPro -- X9SKV-1125 (Intel Xeon E3-1125C, 40W, 2.0GHz. 8M, formerly known as Gladden) / -1105 (Intel Xeon E3-1105C v2, 25W, 1.8GHz. 8M) / -B915 (Intel Pentium B915C, 15W, 1.5GHz. 3M); Flex ATX (9.0" x 7.2"), Intel Communication Chipset 8903, quad ports programmable LAN bypass -- X9SPV-M4/-3QE/-3UE - Mini-ITX, Intel 3rd Generation Core i7-3555LE Mobile ECC processor, Intel Integrated Graphics HD 4000 with HDMI/DP/DVI-I, AMT 8.0, vPro, TPM 1.2 header -- X9SPV-LN4F-3QE/-3LE - Mini-ITX, Intel 3rd Generation Core i7-3612QE Mobile ECC processor, Intel Integrated Graphics HD 4000 or Matrox G200eW to VGA via BIOS -- X9SCV-QV4 - Mini-ITX, Intel 2nd or 3rd Gen Core i7/i5/i3, Celeron Processor B800 series, vPro 7.0 AMT7.0, TPM 1.2 onboard -- X9SCAA/-L - Mini-ITX, Intel Atom N2800 (6.5W), Intel NM10 Express Chipset, HDMI, Display port, LVDS and VGA -- X10SAE - ATX, Intel Xeon E3-1200 v3 or Intel 4th Generation Core i3/i5/i7, 1x DOM power connector, 1x SPDIF Out Header, UEFI BIOS support -- X10SLH-F - Micro ATX, Intel Xeon E3-1200 v3, 4th Gen Core i3, Pentium, Celeron, processors, supports Intel VHD and Node Manager -- Dual Processor (DP) Motherboards supporting Intel Xeon Processor E5-2600 v3 -- X10DRi/-T4+ - E-ATX, up to 1TB ECC DDR4 2133MHz in 16x DIMM slots, Intel X540 Dual port 10GBASE-T LAN -- X10DRH-iT - E-ATX, up to 1TB ECC DDR4 2133MHz in 16x DIMM slots, 10x SATA3 (6Gbps) ports w/ Intel C612 controller; RAID 0, 1, 5, 10, Intel X540 Dual port 10GBASE-T LAN -- X10DRL-i - ATX, up to 512GB ECC DDR4 2133MHz in 8x DIMM slots, 10x SATA3 (6Gbps); RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 -- X10DRL-CT - ATX, up to 512GB ECC DDR4 2133MHz in 8x DIMM slots, 8x SAS3 (12Gbps) via LSI 3108; HW RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60; 6x SATA3 (6Gbps); RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 -- X10DRW-i(T) - WIO, up to 1TB ECC DDR4 2133MHz in16x DIMM slots, 10x SATA3 (6Gbps); RAID 0, 1, 5, 10, Flexible I/O via WIO Riser Card, 1x PCI-E 3.0 x32, 1x PCI-E 3.0 x16 -- X10DDW-i - WIO, up to 1TB ECC DDR4 2133MHz in16x DIMM slots, 1x PCI-E 3.0 x32 Left riser slot, 1x PCI-E 3.0 x8 Right riser slot, 1x PCI-E 3.0 x8 for Add-On-Module, Intel i350 Dual port Gigabit Ethernet, 10x SATA3 (6Gbps); RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 -- New SuperChassis -- CSE-514-R400C - 1U rackmount for Short-depth UP/DP motherboards. 2x 2.5" Internal Drive Bays, 1x Full-height AOC expansion slot, 4x 40x56mm high-efficiency fans (2x more optional; 6x fans maximum) -- CSE-721TQ-250B - Compact Mini-Tower for Mini-ITX Intel Atom/Intel Core i7 motherboards, 4 x 3.5" Hot-Swap SATA HDD and 2x internal 2.5" SATA HDD, 1x low profile expansion slot -- CSE-101S - Slim, space saving 1U Mini-ITX, Standard Mini-ITX MB form factor 6.7" x 6.7", 1x 2.5" internal HDD support (Design for 9.5mm thickness HDD), VESA/Wall-mount ready -- CSE-504-203B - Mini 1U short-depth, 1x 3.5" Internal Drive Bay with 1x Half-height, Half-length PCI, or 2x 3.5" Internal Drive Bays, or 2x 2.5" Internal Drive Bays with 1x Full-height, Half-length PCI, or 4x 2.5" Internal Drive Bays

Visit Supermicro, an Associate member of the Intel Internet of Things Solutions Alliance, at Embedded World in Nurnberg, Germany, February 24 through 26 at the NurnbergConvention Center, Hall 1, Stand 320. For more information on Supermicro's complete line of Embedded Building Block Solutions visit http://www.supermicro.com/Embedded or download an Embedded Solutions Brochure. For more information on Supermicro's complete range of high performance, high-efficiency Server, Storage and Networking solutions, visit http://www.supermicro.com.

Follow Supermicro on Facebook and Twitter to receive their latest news and announcements.

About Super Micro Computer, Inc. Supermicro (NASDAQ: SMCI), the leading innovator in high-performance, high-efficiency server technology is a premier provider of advanced server Building Block Solutions for Data Center, Cloud Computing, Enterprise IT, Hadoop/Big Data, HPC and Embedded Systems worldwide. Supermicro is committed to protecting the environment through its "We Keep IT Green" initiative and provides customers with the most energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly solutions available on the market.

Supermicro, Building Block Solutions and We Keep IT Green are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Super Micro Computer, Inc.

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Supermicro Expands Embedded Computing Solutions with New Wireless IoT Gateway at Embedded World, Nurnberg

Stem cell therapy inches towards an autism cure

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Researchers and physicians are increasingly acknowledging the positive role stem cell therapy plays in managing a host of complicated ailments that were once very difficult to handle.

Among such health conditions is autism, the neuro-developmental disorder that impacts the brain of children and severely hinders development of communication and social interaction skills.

Showing results

There is a positive impact of stem cell therapy and conventional rehabilitation for autistic children. Over a period of time, hyperactivity among children is reduced, they are calmer and their eye contact has improved. Attention span and the ability to sit at one place have improved. This allows rehabilitation specialists to work more efficiently with children, claims Nandini Gokulchandran of Neurogen Brain and Spine Institute, Mumbai.

For the past four years, the researcher has been working with 250 children from across the world on stem-cell therapy and autism.

In fact, results from a study of stem cells impact on 32 autistic children by researchers led by Alok Sharma and Dr. Gokulchandran were published in the journal Stem Cells International .

Correcting

the imbalance

Dr. Gokulchandran, who was in the city recently to deliver a talk on autism organised by Durgabai Deshmukh Vocational Training and Rehabilitation Centre, says that through stem cells, vital organs inside the brain are targeted for rejuvenation.

It is widely known that inside the brain, three vital parts cerebellum, hippocampus and amygdala function lesser among autistic children. Other parts in the brain are hyperactive, creating an imbalance.

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Stem cell therapy inches towards an autism cure

Reasons for ibrutinib therapy discontinuation in CLL

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About 10 percent of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) discontinued therapy with the Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor drug ibrutinib because of disease progression during clinical trials, according to a study published online in JAMA Oncology.

CLL is the most prevalent leukemia in adults and it is not considered curable without an allogeneic (donor) stem cell transplant. However, advances in therapy have been made, notably the emergence of kinase inhibitors for patients whose disease relapsed, according to the study background.

The drug ibrutinib (marketed as Imbruvica) is the first drug designed to target Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK), a protein essential for CLL-cell survival and proliferation. The drug is approved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and mantle cell lymphoma. Much of the clinical and basic-science research that led to the approval of ibrutinib for CLL was performed by scientists at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center -- Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC -- James).

Hematologists Kami Maddocks, MD, Jennifer Woyach, MD, and colleagues have now described the characteristics of patients who discontinued ibrutinib therapy and their outcomes in a group of 308 patients participating in four trials at The OSUCCC -- James.

The study results show that with a median (midpoint) follow-up of 20 months, 232 patients (75 percent) remained on therapy, 31 (10 percent) discontinued because of disease progression and 45 discontinued for other reasons (including 28 because of infection, eight for other adverse events and nine due to other medical events).

Disease progression included Richter's transformation (when the cancer becomes an aggressive lymphoma) or progressive CLL. Richter's transformation appeared to occur early and CLL progression later. Median survival after Richter's transformation was 3.5 months and 17.6 months following CLL progression, the results indicate.

"These data enhance our understanding of how patients do on ibrutinib long-term and who is likely to relapse. We know that many patients will have very durable remissions with ibrutinib, and understanding which patients are at higher risk helps us select who might benefit from clinical trials investigating other new agents and combination therapies rather than starting ibrutinib treatment by itself," says Woyach, senior author of the study. "We have confirmed that specific gene mutations are seen in patients who relapse, which gives us an idea of other drugs that might be effective in these circumstances."

OSUCCC -- James researchers conclude that this data confirms ibrutinib as an effective therapy and identifies, for the first time, baseline factors associated with ibrutinib therapy discontinuation.

"Outcomes data show poor prognosis after discontinuation, especially for those patients with Richter's transformation. Patients with either progressive CLL or Richter's tend to require therapy quickly after ibrutinib is stopped, so having a plan in place for alternative therapy is necessary. This sub-segment of patients who relapse on ibrutinib remains a high research priority to identify new targets and new therapies, and we have multiple studies ongoing at the James to try to help these patients," adds Maddocks.

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Using flotation tanks to wash away stress

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ORLANDO -- Carolina Begglo looked like a sleeping princess as she lay on her back, her long, dark hair billowing around her while 10 inches of water cradled her body and 1,000 pounds of Epsom salts kept her from sinking.

Begglo, 31, is a new convert to an old form of rest and pain relief that has arrived in Orlando: the flotation tank.

"Everything happens so fast: your life, your work, constant stress," said Begglo, a massage therapist. "It's always nice to find someplace to relax."

That's what Laurie Samulonis Bowers and her husband, Mark Bowers, thought when they opened East Coast Floats in Baldwin Park, Fla., in August. Since then, more than 800 people have climbed into one of their three sleek, white pods that look as if they belong in a sci-fi movie.

Begglo, whose hands and back get tired from work, said the water, darkness and silence ease her discomfort and soothe her mind. The sensation is similar to dreaming, she said.

"It's very calm. It's very quiet. It's just you and yourself," Begglo said, adding it "totally relaxes you until the point that you forget even your name."

Proponents say the focus and freedom from distractions they get in a flotation tank -- sometimes known as a sensory-deprivation tank -- are conduits to spiritual enlightenment, anxiety relief, improved creativity and physical restoration. Some tout the tank as a remedy for conditions including fibromyalgia, arthritis, whiplash, jet lag, migraines, insomnia, premenstrual tension, back discomfort and depression.

Claims of miracle cures haven't been proved, said Tom Fine, who studied flotation for 20 years and is on the board of the Flotation Tank Association. But research and anecdotal evidence have shown that floating can relieve pain and tension.

"It's an easy way for people to experience a very deep relaxation experience that then they can transfer and continue to experience with a technique like meditation," said Fine, a mental-health counselor and associate professor in the psychiatry department at the University of Toledo College of Medicine.

The process works like this: A client enters a soundproof private room, disrobes, showers and lies supine in 150 gallons of skin-temperature water. Earplugs and inflatable neck collars are also available.

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Using flotation tanks to wash away stress

Space station astronauts cleared for third spacewalk

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Expedition 42 commander Barry "Butch" Wilmore, wearing a green shirt, and Terry Virts chatted with reporters Thursday from the space station's Quest airlock module. NASA managers Friday cleared them for a third spacewalk Sunday to complete initial preparations for dockings by commercial crew capsules. NASA TV

International Space Station managers Friday cleared astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Terry Virts to proceed with a third spacewalk Sunday, as originally planned, after concluding a small amount of water in Virts' space helmet after an EVA Wednesday was an understood condition and not a threat to crew safety.

The six-and-a-half-hour spacewalk is scheduled to begin around 7:10 a.m. EST Sunday when the astronauts switch their spacesuits to battery power and exit the station's airlock. The spacewalkers plan to install four antennas, laser reflectors and cabling to permit communications with approaching and departing commercial crew capsules being built by Boeing and SpaceX.

"We're going to lay down over 400 feet of cable," Virts told a reporter Thursday. "These cables are going to attach to some antennas that are going to be used for the future American vehicles that are going to be docking, bringing crew to the space station starting in a few years.

"So we need to put these antennas and the cables there for them, and also some reflectors so their on-board navigation systems that use lasers (to) know where the station is and what orientation it's in and will be able to dock properly. There's a lot of moving from one end to the other on the station and a lot of equipment and hardware that we're going to be bringing out there."

During spacewalks last Saturday and Wednesday, Wilmore and Virts laid out some 340 feet of power and data lines needed by two new docking mechanisms what will be installed later this year and made preparations to relocate a storage module and a docking port extension. Virts also lubricated the grapple mechanisms on the end of the station's robot arm.

During airlock repressurization Wednesday, Virts noticed a small blob of water floating in his helmet and reported that a water absorption pad at the back of his helmet was damp, indicating seepage through the helmet's air duct.

During a spacewalk in July 2013, Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano endured a potentially catastrophic water leak that forced him to make a quick retreat to the safety of the airlock. That leak was blamed on a clogged filter inside the suit's water cooling system.

But in Virts' case, the water intrusion occurred after the spacesuit had been reconnected to a station umbilical and after airlock repressurization had begun. As it turns out that same spacesuit experienced similar incidents after seven previous spacewalks, the result of condensation in the suit's cooling system after airlock repressurization.

"When you connect to the umbilical, you have a lot of cold air that's going past the cooling system of the suit and this air will often condense," Alex Kanelakos, a NASA spacewalk officer, said Friday. "And as we repress, we have high-density gas that's flowing past this condensed water that can often move the water over the crew member's helmet."

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Astronauts to go ahead with spacewalk Sunday

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Astronauts on the International Space Station will make a spacewalk Sunday despite the appearance of water inside an astronaut's helmet after a spacewalk earlier this week, NASA reported Friday on its website.

NASA said the suit worn by NASA astronaut Terry Virts has a history of "sublimator water carryover." Water in the sublimator cooling component can condense when the suit is repressurized after a spacewalk, causing a small amount of water to push into the helmet, NASA said.

NASA said International Space Station managers had "a high degree of confidence" in the suit.

On the upcoming spacewalk, Virts and Barry Wilmore will install antennas to provide data to visiting vehicles and deploy 400 feet of cable along the edge of the station.

Virts said he first noticed traces of fluid and dampness in his helmet Wednesday while he was waiting for the crew lock cabin to repressurize in the International Space Station.

He and Wilmore had been outside the space station for nearly seven hours working on the station's robotic arm and performing some maintenance.

Virts immediately alerted fellow astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti about the water and she alerted Mission Control in Houston.

Cristoforetti helped Virts out of his helmet and examined it. She confirmed the presence of moisture, mostly in the helmet absorption pad, or HAP, describing it as "wet and cold."

At the request of Mission Control, Anton Shkaplerov used a syringe to draw as much water as he could from the top of the helmet. Water had collected in the white plastic at the top and around both ear cups. Shkaplerov estimated there was 15 milliliters of water in the helmet.

That's a far cry from the amount of water that accumulated in Luca Parmitano's suit during a spacewalk in July 2013. Between 1 and 1.5 liters of water backed up in the suit and helmet, prompting fears Parmitano could drown in his own helmet. The spacewalk was cut short and NASA implemented some changes to its suits, including the addition of absorbent padding in helmets.

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Astronauts to go ahead with spacewalk Sunday

Improved vision for James Webb Space Telescope

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14 hours ago James Webb Space Telescope. Credit: Northrop Grumman

Key science elements of the James Webb Space Telescope have been upgraded ahead of the observatory's launch in 2018.

The telescope, also known as JWST, is a joint project of NASA, ESA and the Canadian Space Agency. It carries a 6.5 m-diameter telescope and four state-of-the-art science instruments optimised for infrared observations. Europe has led the development of two of the instruments.

As a general-purpose observatory, it will tackle a wide range of topics, including detecting the first galaxies in the Universe and following their evolution over cosmic time, witnessing the birth of new stars and their planetary systems, and studying planets in our Solar System and around other stars.

Installation of the four instruments in the telescope's Integrated Science Instrument Module, or ISIM, was completed last April. Since then, the module has undergone extensive testing to ensure it can withstand the stresses of launch and operation in space.

A critical part of this process saw the instruments complete cryogenic testing in a round-the-clock campaign running for 116 days last summer.

Following the campaign, several months were dedicated to replacing key components of some of the instruments already known to require additional work before the next stages.

Europe's 'NIRSpec', the near-infrared multi-object spectrograph, was one of the instruments upgraded. NIRSpec will split infrared light from distant stars and galaxies into its colour components a spectrum providing scientists with vital information on their chemical composition, age and distance.

The first generation of JWST's highly sensitive near-infrared detectors were found to suffer from a design flaw that resulted in a progressive degradation of their performance. New detectors have now been installed in all three near-infrared instruments.

"Excellent detectors are crucial to the outstanding instrument performance needed when you want to look at the extremely distant and faint early stars and galaxies that formed when our Universe was still young, and the new detectors secure this top priority of NIRSpec and JWST," says Pierre Ferruit, ESA's JWST project scientist.

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Improved vision for James Webb Space Telescope

NASA approves Sunday spacewalk despite water leak in helmet

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AP Photo/NASA, File FILE - In this file image made from video provided by NASA, astronaut Terry Virts points to his helmet as he sits inside the International Space Station on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2015, during an inspection for water in his suit. Virts reported the water while he waited in the air lock for Wednesday's spacewalk to formally conclude. On Friday, Feb. 27, 2015, NASA cleared Virts' spacesuit for the last of three spacewalks, set for Sunday. Mission managers believe they understand the quirks with this suit, and insist it is safe to use.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. American astronauts will venture back out for a spacewalk this weekend, despite a helmet water leak on their previous trip outside the International Space Station.

NASA on Friday cleared astronaut Terry Virts' spacesuit for the last of three spacewalks to install cable. Mission managers believe they understand the quirks with this older suit and insist it is safe to use for Sunday's spacewalk.

In 2013, another astronaut nearly drowned because of a flooded helmet. On Wednesday, the amount of water seepage in Virts' helmet was significantly smaller and occurred at the end of the spacewalk when Virts was already inside.

"They're very different occurrences," said Alex Kanelakos, a spacewalk officer in Mission Control.

Kanelakos said the latest leak was the result of condensation that occurred during the air lock repressurization. There have been seven other similar instances on this particular suit, he said.

"It's a known feature," Kanelakos said during a NASA broadcast Friday.

Virts estimated the amount of water in his helmet Wednesday at one-half of an ounce. That did not include the water that moistened the absorbent pad at the back of his head, or that might have escaped when his helmet was removed.

As much as 2 ounces of water could condense like this and get into the helmet without causing a problem, Kanelakos said.

Astronaut Butch Wilmore's suit which is new functioned perfectly.

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Weather Gang: NASA satellite captures global precipitation, 3-D views of D.C. winter storms (Video)

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NASA released a global map of rain and snow moving across the planet over the past six months. (NASA Goddard)

NASA has releasedaglobal map of rain and snow traveling across the planetover the past six months the first from anewmission that unites data from a dozenweather-monitoring satellites.

Themission takes a snapshot of the weather across Earth every 30 minutes, but itmeasures morethan cloud tops and temperature, which is what we typically see on satellite imagery. Ithas the ability to look under theclouds and see what the precipitation is doing, says George Huffman, the deputy project scientist for the mission.This is a new effort, and is considerably more difficult than the cloud maps.

One year ago, NASA launched the Global Precipitation Measurement missions Core Observatory satellite, which acts tosynchronizeprecipitation measurements across 12satellites operated by international partners, including the U.S., Japan, France, India and Europe. With the GPM core observatory acting as an anchor to allow us to cross-calibrate data from a very diverse set of satellite measurements from our international and interagency partners, we can clearly see the big picture in terms of where its raining or snowing across the globe,said Ramesh Kakar, GPM program scientist.

Thanks to the Core Observatory, scientists can now collect and study continuousprecipitation patterns extending over nearly the entire globe, from 60 degrees North to 60 South a larger area than previously monitored. In particular, I really appreciated looking at the Southern Ocean, said Huffman. You see the numerous swirls with very little land to get in the way, and as a result these storms just swirl around Antarctica continually.

The mission offers more than just high-latitude storm monitoring. It has also captured 3-D images of snow storms across the Mid-Atlantic this month. The GPM Core Observatory carries two instruments that show the location and intensity of rain and snow, which constitutes a crucial part of the storm structure and helps to define how it will develop, writes NASA. The GPM Microwave Imager sees through the tops of clouds to observe how much and where precipitation occurs, while the Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar observes precise details of precipitation in three dimensions.

NASA shared video of the3-D imagescaptured during thePresidents Day storm on Feb. 16-17, which gave the D.C.metro anywhere from 3 to 6 inches of snow, plus an extra day off on Tuesday for some. The video shows a swath of the storm over the Mid-Atlantic. Blue indicates snow, and colors from green to red indicate rain. Its interesting to see how the instrument captures the areas of all snow, and where precipitation is starting to fall as snow, but then melts to rain. The imagery shows great variation in precipitation types over the southeastern United States, writes NASA.

NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission's Core Observatory captured a 3-D image of a snow storm that covered large portions of Kentucky, southwestern West Virginia and northwestern North Carolina on Feb. 17. (NASA Goddard)

The mission also captured 3-D imagery of our Feb. 21 winter storm which, before transitioning over to sleet and rain, ended up giving our northern suburbs more snow than was expected.

NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission's Core Observatory flew over a snow storm that covered most of the Washington, D.C., metro area leaving as much as nine inches of snow in some of the surrounding suburbs on Feb. 21. (NASA Goddard)

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Weather Gang: NASA satellite captures global precipitation, 3-D views of D.C. winter storms (Video)

Leonard Nimoy: NASA honors the iconic logical Vulcan 'Spock' with tweet

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Actor Leonard Nimoy, who portrayed the iconic logical Vulcan Spock on the TV's "Star Trek" and in feature films, has died. He was 83.

Nimoy's career spanned TV, feature films, art and photography, but he was perhaps best known for playing Spock, the logical Vulcan on the starship the USS Enterprise, in "Star Trek." Nimoy died from complications due to "end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease," according to theNew York Times, which first reported the actor's death Friday morning(Feb. 27).

"A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP [Live long and prosper]," Nimoy wrote in a recentpost on Twitteron Feb. 23. The actor would sign his tweets "LLAP," echoing Spock's famous words on "Star Trek."

Nimoy was born in Boston, Massachusetts on March 26, 1931 and started acting by the time he was 8 years old, according to the New York Times.

His idea for Spock's signature Vulcan salute was actually inspired by his Jewish heritage after seeing men at his synagogue use the hand gesture during prayer. He suggested it to the director as a Vulcan greeting and it stuck, Nimoy told theYiddish Book Center in a video.

Aside from being a beloved science fiction star, Nimoy also got involved with real space science. Henarrated a video for NASAdetailing the space agency's Dawn mission to the dwarf planet Ceres for the first time.

NASA paid tribute to the actor today with apost on Twitterfeaturing a photo of Nimoy and his "Star Trek" co-stars in front of the space shuttle Enterprise, named for the fictional starship in the television show. In April 2012, Nimoy greeted the space shuttle Enterprise with a Vulcan salute when the spacecraft prototype was delivered to New York City for installation at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum.

"RIP Leonard Nimoy. So many of us at NASA were inspired by Star Trek. Boldly go ..." NASA officials wrote on Twitter.

Nimoy's friends and colleagues have posted their feelings about the "Star Trek" legend on social media as well.

"I loved him like a brother," William Shatner, who played Captain Kirk alongside Nimoy's Spock on the TV show,said via Twitter. "We will all miss his humor, his talent, and his capacity to love."

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Leonard Nimoy: NASA honors the iconic logical Vulcan 'Spock' with tweet

NASA study looks to the ionosphere to improve GPS communications

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A new NASA study focusing on irregularities in Earths upper atmosphere may help scientists overcome disruptions in GPS communication. The findings provide an insight into the causes of the disruptive regions, and represent the first time that such observations have been made from space.

The ionosphere is a barrier of charged ions and electrons, collectively known as plasma, produced by a combination of impacting particles and solar radiation. When signals pass through the barrier, they sometimes come into contact with irregularities that distort the signal, leading to less accurate data.

The NASA observations, carried out by the Canadian Space Agencys Cascade Smallsat and Ionospheric Polar Explorer (CASSIOPE) satellite, focused on the Northern Hemisphere. They compared turbulence in the auroral regions narrow, oval-shaped areas outside the polar caps that are bombarded with particles from the magnetosphere with that observed at higher latitudes, above the Arctic polar cap.

It was found that irregularities tend to be larger in the auroral region where they were measured to be between 1 and 40 km (0.62 to 25 miles) than at higher latitudes, where they measured between 1 and 8 km (0.62 to 5 miles).

The study surmised that the variation between the two regions can be attributed to outside factors, with the auroral regions being exposed to energetic particles from the magnetosphere, while the polar cap region is affected by solar wind particles and electric fields in interplanetary space. This is important information in understanding and mitigating the effects of the irregularities.

Given the issues they cause from the distortion of radio telescope imagery to disruption in aircraft communications obtaining a greater understanding of the irregularities is an important endeavor, and will help researchers to predict when and where they will occur.

One example of the usefulness of such predictive abilities relates to NASAs Deep Space Network (DNS), which monitors the positions of spacecraft from Earth. The system is routinely affected by the ionosphere, but this could be mitigated by the findings, with the team able to measure the delay in GPS signals caused by the disruptions in ionosphere, relaying the information back to the DNS team.

"By understanding the magnitude of the interference, spacecraft navigators can subtract the distortion from the ionosphere to get more accurate spacecraft locations, said JPL supervisor Anthony Mannucci.

Source: NASA

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NASA study looks to the ionosphere to improve GPS communications