NASA's CATS eyes clouds, smoke and dust from the space station

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

1-Dec-2014

Contact: Rani Gran rani.c.gran@nasa.gov 301-286-2483 NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center @NASAGoddard

Turn on any local TV weather forecast and you can get a map of where skies are blue or cloudy. But for scientists trying to figure out how clouds affect the Earth's environment, what's happening inside that shifting cloud cover is critical and hard to see.

To investigate the layers and composition of clouds and tiny airborne particles like dust, smoke and other atmospheric aerosols, , scientists at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland have developed an instrument called the Cloud-Aerosol Transport System, or CATS. The instrument, which launches to the International Space Station in December 2014, will explore new technologies that could also be used in future satellite missions.

From space, streaks of white clouds can be seen moving across Earth's surface. Other tiny solid and liquid particles called aerosols are also being transported around the atmosphere, but these are largely invisible to our eyes. Aerosols are both natural and man-made, and include windblown desert dust, sea salt, smoke from fires, sulfurous particles from volcanic eruptions, and particles from fossil fuel combustion.

Currently, scientists get a broad picture of clouds and air quality conditions in the atmosphere and generate air quality forecasts by combining satellite, aircraft, and ground-based data with sophisticated computer models. However, most datasets do not provide information about the layered structure of clouds and aerosols.

CATS will provide data about aerosols at different levels of the atmosphere. The data are expected to improve scientists' ability to track different cloud and aerosol types throughout the atmosphere. These datasets will be used to improve strategic and hazard-warning capabilities of events in near real-time, such as tracking plumes from dust storms, volcanic eruptions, and wildfires. The information could also feed into climate models to help understand the effects of clouds and aerosols on Earth's energy balance.

Clouds and aerosols reflect and absorb energy from the sun in a complex way. For example, when the sun's energy reaches the top of the atmosphere, clouds can reflect incoming sunlight, cooling Earth's surface. However, clouds can also absorb heat emitted from Earth and re-radiate it back down, warming the surface. The amount of warming or cooling is heavily dependent on the height, thickness, and structure of clouds in the atmosphere above.

"Clouds are one of the largest uncertainties in predicting climate change," said Matt McGill, principal investigator and payload developer for CATS at Goddard. "For scientists to create more accurate models of Earth's current and future climate, they'll have to include more accurate representations of clouds."

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NASA's CATS eyes clouds, smoke and dust from the space station

The Perfect Holiday Gift: The Year In Space Calendar 2015!

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by Nancy Atkinson on December 1, 2014

Heres our most-recommended holiday gift every year: The Year In Space Calendar! And for 2015 its back, its big and its what every space enthusiast will enjoy all year. The gigantic wall calendar is full of amazing color images, daily space facts, historical references, and it even shows you where you can look in the sky for all the best astronomical sights. The 2015 version of Steve Cariddis wonderful Year in Space wall and desk calendars are now available to order, perfect for your Cyber Monday shopping.

The gorgeous wall calendar has over 120 crisp color images and is larger, more lavishly illustrated, and packed with more information than any other space-themed wall calendar. Its a huge 16 x 22 when hanging up!

Published in cooperation with The Planetary Society, the Year In Space calendar takes you on a year-long guided tour of the Universe, providing in-depth info on human space flight, planetary exploration, and deep sky wonders. Youll even see Universe Today featured in this calendar!

Other features of the Year In Space calendar: Background info and fun facts A sky summary of where to find naked-eye planets Space history dates Major holidays (U.S. and Canada) Daily Moon phases A mini-biography of famous astronomer, scientist, or astronaut each month

These calendars normally sell for $17.95, but Universe Today readers can buy the calendar for only $13.95 or less (using the Internet discount), and get free U.S. shipping and discounted international shipping. There are also volume discounts. Check out all the details here. Theres also the 136-Page Desk Calendar at a similar discounts.

You can preview the entire calendar at the Year in Space Calendar website.

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The Perfect Holiday Gift: The Year In Space Calendar 2015!

Red zone became a dead zone for Ravens in loss to Chargers

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The errant pass from quarterback Joe Flacco on third down skidded across the ground late in the fourth quarter Sunday as the Ravens squandered another prime red-zone opportunity.

When kicker Justin Tucker connected on a 31-yard field goal to briefly boost the lead to six points, it repeated a costly pattern for the Ravens during their eventual 34-33 loss to the San Diego Chargers at M&T Bank Stadium.

The Ravens settled for field goals instead of the touchdowns they needed to keep pace with Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, who answered the field goal by manufacturing a game-winning touchdown drive. On Sunday, the Ravens went 3-for-7 in the red zone -- the area between the 20-yard line and the end zone.

Whether it was their inability to pound the football into the end zone, Flacco holding it too long in the pocket and receivers not getting open or the blockers not creating enough push, the Ravens' red-zone failures were a major reason why they lost a crucial AFC game that held major playoff implications.

"That was huge," wide receiver Torrey Smith said. "It was the difference in the game. We wouldn't have had to worry about them scoring at the end of the game. The defense wouldn't have been under pressure like they were, and we have to take responsibility for that."

The setback left the Ravens shaking their heads afterward and taking inventory of what happened. Entering Sunday, the Ravens ranked 15th in red-zone offense with 22 touchdowns on 41 red-zone scoring opportunities.

Their defensive line, they came off the ball very well and they made it very tough in the red zone and on the goal line for us to get a lot of push, Ravens fullback Kyle Juszczyk said. Those are things we stress and things we have to do better. I think it was a key factor, us not scoring touchdowns in the red zone.

I was talking to some of the guys and its a weird feeling because it felt like we were in control of the game the whole time. We were moving the ball. For us not to win this game at the end, its a weird feeling. For us to get better, we know what we have to do. We have to score more touchdowns.

That was a problem the Ravens never solved on a consistent basis. Despite facing a team that entered Sunday ranked 26th in red-zone defense, having allowed 20 touchdowns to opponents in 31 red-zone possessions, the Ravens' offense was stonewalled throughout the game.

The problems started in the first quarter when the Ravens failed to capitalize on an interception by middle linebacker Daryl Smith. The Ravens only came up with two yards on a completion to wide receiver Steve Smith on 3rd-and-3 at the Chargers' 12-yard line, ultimately settling for a field goal and a 10-0 lead.

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Red zone became a dead zone for Ravens in loss to Chargers

Port Fairy aid worker heads to west Africa to join Ebola fight

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Dec. 1, 2014, 4 a.m.

BOB Handby will be spending Christmas sweating in the heat of west Africa helping combat the spread of Ebola instead of the cool Port Fairy sea breeze with his family.

BOB Handby will be spending Christmas sweating in the heat of west Africa helping combat the spread of Ebola instead of the cool Port Fairy sea breeze with his family.

Bob Handby: ready to help. 130729RG17 Picture: ROB GUNSTONE

The 64-year-old former Moyne Shire health manager left Australia yesterday for Red Cross headquarters in Geneva for intense briefing sessions before flying into Sierra Leone next week where he will help improve and maintain water quality, sanitation and body transport.

Hes no stranger to working in crisis zones having previously been on more than 50 foreign assignments to war and disease zones in several countries, his first being to Uganda 30 years ago.

Ive been away on my birthday several times, but never away at Christmas, he said.

To help my eight grandchildren cope with me being away, Ive promised to take them all for a holiday in March.

Im excited about going back to Africa, although it will be my first time in the west.

Hes undaunted by the hype around Ebola which has killed almost 5000 people this year, but is bracing himself for the challenges of wearing a full-protection body suit while working in the hot, humid climate.

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Port Fairy aid worker heads to west Africa to join Ebola fight

Sunday Mail: Should Red Sox Have Targeted Donaldson Instead of Panda?

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An all-Twitter 'box this week. Let's dig in with some possible Blue Jay envy:

That's a great question. Donaldson has been a tremendous player the past two seasons. He is an exceptional defensive third baseman and a legit middle-of-the-order bat. He's been second in WAR among position players (B-R version) in each of the past two seasons, trailing Mike Trout both times. And while he's going to start making some money via arbitration soon, he won't be a free agent until 2019. You could argue the Jays traded for the second-best player in the American League and got him on a cost-controlled deal and you wouldn't be wrong.

But ... Donaldson is older than you probably think. He'll be 29 in December, which is four years older than the third baseman who went to Oakland in the deal, Brett Lawrie. And Lawrie, for all of his injury and maturity issues, shows up as the No. 5 comp on Donaldson's list. Add in the two young arms the A's got as well as a 18-year-old lottery ticket Franklin Barreto, and the suspicions that Billy Beane sees something we don't start to percolate.

I love the Jays' pickup of Donaldson. With him, Jose Bautista, and Edwin Encarnacion in the same lineup, it becomes practically imperative for the Red Sox to add a legitimate righthanded starter to the top of the rotation.

It would have been fascinating to see what the Red Sox might have offered the A's for Donaldson. Beane loves buying low on one-time phenoms, Lawrie being the obvious example here. I bet he would have taken back Will Middlebrooks or Jackie Bradley Jr. as a third or fourth piece in a deal. Guess we'll never know.

I'm glad it worked out this way. I mean, you'd rather see Donaldson in another division, if not another league entirely. But given the choice between paying cash for Pablo Sandoval or trading a top prospect if not two for Donaldson, well, here's to the panda heads. I like having Sandoval and Mookie Betts, you know?

It's pretty remarkable, a tribute to the unyielding interest of sports fans in this market. The success of the teams is also a huge factor, obviously, and the talent of some of the hosts -- not all, but a majority, probably -- is also relevant in drawing and keeping an audience. I've mentioned it before, but perhaps not enough, so here's the reminder again. We get so caught up in the rivalry between The Sports Hub and WEEI and their battles in the ratings that it's easy to overlook that this region sustains two highly rated sports stations. That's kind of incredible, and one of the greatest tributes to fans' passion for their teams around here.

I'm not sure if there's one favorite aspect, Jason, because there has been so much that's fun and rewarding about this season already. Gronk's return to beast-man form is right up there ... but if that trumps the individual brilliance of Tom Brady and Darrelle Revis, or even the emergence of Dont'a Hightower, it doesn't trump these other feats by much.

And that brings us to Chris's question, which is another real satisfaction of this season so far: the emergence of unheralded players as important contributors, whether we're talking Alan Branch, Akeem Ayers, Tim Wright, Jonas Gray, and on and on. It's always a blast to watch Belichick bring in players whose skills fit a specific need, and then to watch him utilize them in a way that brings out their best.

To answer the question, though, it's probably Wright for me, because there was so much howling about the Logan Mankins trade, and suddenly for a number of reasons (money, Mankins's fading skills, Wright's good fit here) it's starting to look like a very savvy move.

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Sunday Mail: Should Red Sox Have Targeted Donaldson Instead of Panda?

Video: NASA’s Van Allen probes find an impenetrable barrier in space around Earth – Video

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Video: NASA #39;s Van Allen probes find an impenetrable barrier in space around Earth
Two donuts of seething radiation that surround Earth, called the Van Allen radiation belts, have been found to contain a nearly impenetrable barrier that prevents the fastest, most ener Two...

By: JacskerMonday

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NASA Orion

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By Amanda Barnett, CNN

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- It looks like a throwback to the Apollo era, but NASA's new spaceship is roomier and designed to go far beyond the moon -- to an asteroid and eventually Mars.

Orion is scheduled to lift off on its first test flight at 7:05 a.m. ET Thursday from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The launch window will be open for two hours and 39 minutes.

Orion will climb to an altitude of 3,600 miles (15 times higher than the International Space Station) and orbit Earth twice during the four and a half hour test run, NASA says. The spaceship will splash down in the Pacific Ocean about 600 miles off the coast of Baja California. Two U.S. Navy ships, the USS Anchorage and the USNS Salvor, will help NASA recover the capsule.

Orion is wrapped in protective panels before being moved to the launch pad on November 10.

Apollo 11 crew members Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin wait to be picked by a helicopter on July 24, 1969. The fourth man in the raft is a U.S. Navy swimmer.

This first flight won't carry any astronauts, but it will move NASA closer to getting back in the crewed spaceflight business. The U.S. has had to pay Russia's space agency to launch astronauts to the space station since the space shuttle program ended in 2011.

Orion's crew module is designed to carry four people on a 21-day mission. But it could support six astronauts for shorter missions. By comparison, the Apollo capsules held three astronauts and were out in space for about six to 12 days.

Orion will be launched on a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, the largest rocket available. NASA is building its own launch system for Orion.

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NASA Orion

NASA spaceship ready for test flight

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By Amanda Barnett, CNN

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- It looks like a throwback to the Apollo era, but NASA's new spaceship is roomier and designed to go far beyond the moon -- to an asteroid and eventually Mars.

Orion is scheduled to lift off on its first test flight at 7:05 a.m. ET Thursday from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The launch window will be open for two hours and 39 minutes.

Orion will climb to an altitude of 3,600 miles (15 times higher than the International Space Station) and orbit Earth twice during the four and a half hour test run, NASA says. The spaceship will splash down in the Pacific Ocean about 600 miles off the coast of Baja California. Two U.S. Navy ships, the USS Anchorage and the USNS Salvor, will help NASA recover the capsule.

Orion is wrapped in protective panels before being moved to the launch pad on November 10.

Apollo 11 crew members Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin wait to be picked by a helicopter on July 24, 1969. The fourth man in the raft is a U.S. Navy swimmer.

This first flight won't carry any astronauts, but it will move NASA closer to getting back in the crewed spaceflight business. The U.S. has had to pay Russia's space agency to launch astronauts to the space station since the space shuttle program ended in 2011.

Orion's crew module is designed to carry four people on a 21-day mission. But it could support six astronauts for shorter missions. By comparison, the Apollo capsules held three astronauts and were out in space for about six to 12 days.

Orion will be launched on a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, the largest rocket available. NASA is building its own launch system for Orion.

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NASA spaceship ready for test flight

Nasa gives go-ahead for Orion capsule that could take man to Mars to blast off on Thursday

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Nasa's Orion spacecraft is designed to carry astronauts to an asteroid andeventuallyto Mars Will be launched for first time on Thursday from Cape Canaveral AirForce Station in Florida Engineers are now preparing Orion to launch atop a United Launch Alliance Delta 4 Heavy rocket Pointed tip of the capsule is known as the Launch Abort System and can take astronaut's to safety The fairing - or casing - which aims to stream line the launch, will be jettisoned during Orion's ride into space Unmanned test flight will take place on December 4th and will take around four hours

By Ellie Zolfagharifard and Mark Prigg for MailOnline

Published: 16:09 EST, 1 December 2014 | Updated: 16:23 EST, 1 December 2014

The radical Orion spacecraft, designed to carry astronauts into deep space, has been given to go-ahead to launch for the first time on Thursday.

The launch has been overshadowed by two space disasters - the Antares rocket explosion and the tragic failure of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShip Two.

However, Nasa hopes the launch could reinvigorate the space programme.

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Ready to go!Engineers are now preparing Orion to launch on top of 180ft tall (55 metres) United Launch Alliance Delta 4 Heavy rockets in an unmanned test flight on December 4th.

Weather conditions remain good for Thursday's Orion test flight, forecasters say.

The latest predictions show there is a 60 percent chance of favorable weather for the 7:05 a.m. launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

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Nasa gives go-ahead for Orion capsule that could take man to Mars to blast off on Thursday

NASA Glenn Has Role In Flight Test of New Orion Spacecraft

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As an integral part of the Orion team that spans multiple NASA centers and industry partners across the United States, the engineers at NASAs Glenn Research Center in Cleveland have been busily working to ensure the success of Orions first launch on December 4 at 7:05 a.m.

The Orion flight test is an uncrewed mission designed to see how Orion performs in and returns from a deep space journey. Launching atop the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, Orion will orbit the Earth twice and reenter the atmosphere at a speed of 20,000 miles per hour, faster than any current spacecraft. During the 4.5 hour test, Orion will travel to an altitude of 3,600 miles and be exposed to temperatures of 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit twice as hot as molten lava during reentry. Orion will then deploy a series of parachutes to slow the rate of descent before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.

Glenns expertise has been instrumental in the design and development of many of Orions systems including structures, mechanisms, pyrotechnics, propulsion, thermal protection, materials, power and avionics. Early in the development of Orion, Glenn conducted wind tunnel testing to validate the aerodynamics of the launch abort system. Glenn directly contributed to Orions electrical power system and power distribution capability; the crew and service module structure; the crew module thermal protection system; and many of the spacecraft mechanisms including those for fairing separation, the umbilical, and the crew and service module retention and release.

We are excited to see the launch of Orions first flight and look forward to the results to determine how they validate the work weve done here at Glenn, said NASA Glenn Director Jim Free.

The first flight will demonstrate the spacecrafts capabilities and provide critical test data on the performance of the flight systems to validate their designs. Orions flight test is the first step in NASAs bold mission to design and build a spacecraft capable of transporting humans to deep space. NASA is committed to human spaceflight beyond low-Earth orbit and the continued development of its next generation spacecraft, Orion. Orion will be used to reach destinations throughout the solar system, including an asteroid and Mars. No other spacecraft in the world has this capability.

For more information Glenn, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn

For more information on Orion and its first flight test, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/orion

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NASA has 3D printed an object in space for the first time

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WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 (UPI) -- NASA has officially 3D printed an object in space for the first time, on board the International Space Station.

The printer was delivered at the end of September, with help from SpaceX, and it was tested for the first time this week. The object they decided to make is a small placard that says "Made in space, NASA."

NASA astronaut Barry "Butch" Wilmore created the test object.

"This first print is the initial step toward providing an on-demand machine shop capability away from Earth," said Niki Werkheiser, project manager for the International Space Station 3-D Printer at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. "The space station is the only laboratory where we can fully test this technology in space."

The printer was made by a California company named Made in Space, which spent a large portion of two years learning how to 3D print an object without the aid of gravity.

The test found that the part adhesion was stronger than they had predicted, and they intend to study how printing differs in low gravity. NASA will have the printed pieces sent back to Earth for further investigation.

2014 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.

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Growing industry still unsure of the risks of nanotechnology

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Albany

Amid all the hope and enthusiasm for nanotechnology in the Capital Region, there is often a sense of unease with the public health implications.

Although nanotechnology is widely believed to be revolutionizing everything from consumer electronics to health care, experts say a lot more research has to be done on the occupational and public health impacts.

A new study by the Maryland-based Sustainable Investments Institute says that many companies don't disclose the nanotechnology they use in their products or the potential risks, putting whole industry sectors at risk for legal and financial problems down the road.

"This means companies should tell investors how they are using nanotechnology and taking appropriate precautions," Heidi Welsh, executive director of the Sustainable Investments Institute said when the study was released last month.

The study, called "Nanotechnology and the S&P 500: Small Sizes, Big Questions," was commissioned by the Investor Responsibility Research Center Institute, a Wall Street think tank that supports corporate responsibility.

The strict definition of nanotechnology is something that is measured in nanometers. One nanometer is one-billionth of a meter in size. For instance, a strand of DNA has a diameter of 2.5 nanometers, while a gold atom is less than a third of a nanometer, according to the National Nanotechnology Initiative.

The concern is that so-called man-made "nanoparticles" could have unintended consequences on the human body and the environment. In some cases, for instance, nanoparticles can take on different physical properties than would normally be expected.

SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Albany, home to the Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, has been focusing on the public health impacts of nanotechnology for years now and recently expanded its collaboration with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health on a joint research project into safety and health in the electronics industry.

SUNY Poly spokesman Jerry Gretzinger said the school has also developed industry standards in partnership with Sematech, the semiconductor manufacturing consortium that is located on campus.

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Growing industry still unsure of the risks of nanotechnology

UK researchers discover breakthrough technology for enterprise networks

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'Once switched, PCMs require no power to maintain their switched state'

Optical-switching technology built on nano-antenna reflectarrays and tunable materials could transform high-speed optical networks, new research has shown.

Dr Maciej Klemm and Professor Martin Cryan from the University of Bristols Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering propose using the concept of tunable optical antennas and antenna arrays for dynamic beam shaping and steering utilised in free-space optical inter/intra chip interconnects.

Tunability of optical antennas is achieved by using phase change materials (PCMs), which exhibit different optical properties in the amorphous and crystalline states.

By engineering optical antennas or antenna arrays, it is possible to design dynamic wireless optical links. In order to demonstrate this concept, the researchers modelled a PCM-based tunable reflectarray configured to form a dynamic optical link between a source and two receivers.

>See also:IBM grants UK universities unprecedented access to AI system Watson

The study found the designed reflectarray is able to switch the optical link between multiple optical receivers by changing the refractive index of the PCM. Two types of antennas were used in the tunable reflectarray to achieve full control of the wavefront of the reflected beam.

PCMs, together with nanoantennas, have the potential to provide fast, dynamic optical switching with very low power consumption levels, said Dr Klemm. Once switched, PCMs require no power to maintain their switched state.

This could be a breakthrough technology for applications such as data centres where power consumption is of critical importance.

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UK researchers discover breakthrough technology for enterprise networks

Texas Tech Engineers Discover New Method to Determine Surface Properties at the Nanoscale

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Newswise Engineering researchers at Texas Tech University have developed a method for characterizing the surface properties of materials at different temperatures at the nanoscale.

Knowing properties of materials at different temperatures is important in engineering, said Gregory McKenna, a professor of chemical engineering and the John R. Bradford Endowed Chair in Engineering. For example, the rubber O-ring that failed during the 1986 space shuttle disaster serves at a tragic case study of what can go wrong when decision-makers dont take this into account.

The problem, he said, is known properties of a material can radically change at the nanoscale a tiny scale about 1/1000 of the diameter of a human hair at which scientists have begun building machines that do work. McKenna and graduate student Meiyu Zhai looked at several polymers and explosive materials to see how surface properties varied at the nanoscale and how the surface impacts the nanoscale properties.

Their first results on the multi-curve method appeared in the peer-reviewed journal, Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics and was highlighted in Advances in Engineering.

The nanoscale is a funny range of sizes where materials have properties that are not what we expect, even at a step up at the microscale, he said. We are developing methods to characterize surface properties and relate them to nanoscale behavior using a nanoindenter and other nano-mechanical measurement methods.

In nanoindentation, researchers can investigate both the elastic properties (how materials spring back when pushed) or the viscous properties (how the material flows). The group has found several surprising results: For example, in other work, the team found extremely thin polycarbonate films become liquid-like at the nanoscale, while they are glassy at the macroscopic size scale. Nanoindentation can be used to relate surface properties to this observation.

As machines get smaller and smaller, McKenna said, knowing this information can be invaluable to future engineers.

The nanoindentation project was funded by The Office of Naval Research. The researchers also are funded by the National Science Foundation and the American Chemical Society-Petroleum Research Fund.

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Texas Tech Engineers Discover New Method to Determine Surface Properties at the Nanoscale