Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Space Highlights - February 10, 2015

February 10, 2016


North Korea has successfully placed another satellite into orbit this past week - although the satellite is reportedly tumbling in orbit and incapable of useful function.
http://www.space.com/31860-north-korea-satellite-launch.html
http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/02/north-koreas-successful-satellite-in-orbit-but-tumbling-and-useless/


SpaceX is planning its next launch attempt for February 24th, when it plans to place the SES-9 commercial broadcasting satellite into orbit.
https://spaceflightnow.com/2016/02/09/ses-says-spacex-will-launch-its-satellite-in-late-february/


NASA has completed installation of the 18 primary mirrors for the James Webb Space Telescope.  The telescope is expected to be launched into space in October 2018, where the mirrors will unfold into a 21.3 feet (6.5 meters) wide structure: the largest telescope ever launched into space.
http://www.universetoday.com/127121/all-primary-mirrors-fully-installed-on-nasas-james-webb-space-telescope/
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/mirror-assembled-for-hubbles-successor-james-webb-space-telescope-0209201623/


NASA has released a 360-degree video survey from the Curiosity rover, as the robotic explorer investigates a Martian sand dune.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3439103/Is-ultimate-selfie-Tour-red-planet-sofa-360-degree-interactive-video-Curiosity-rover-Mars-dunes.html
http://techcrunch.com/2016/02/08/nasa-releases-360-degree-video-of-martian-surface/


215 years after it was first discovered by telescope, the Dawn spacecraft has settled into its final, lower orbit around Ceres.
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Dawn_now_circling_Ceres_in_its_final_orbit_999.html
http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/ceres-flyover/
http://www.space.com/31840-ceres-still-stuns-215-years-later.html


Gravitational measurements taken from the Rosetta spacecraft indicate that comet 67P, which it is currently in orbit around, is highly porous all the way down to its core, with roughly four times more dust than ice by mass, and twice as much dust as ice by volume.
http://news.discovery.com/space/rosettas-comet-is-fluffy-dust-to-the-core-160203.htm
http://www.astrobio.net/topic/solar-system/meteoritescomets-and-asteroids/inside-rosettas-comet/


Researchers poring through the images supplied by the New Horizons spacecraft have discovered water ice "hills" that appear to be "floating" on top of the nitrogen ice glaciers that make up the Sputnik Planum.
http://www.universetoday.com/127225/floating-ice-hills-on-pluto/

No comments:

Post a Comment