Menu

Blog

Page 7308

Feb 27, 2020

Time-Lapse Video of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Assembly, Sunshield Deployment

Posted by in category: space

In 2019, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope celebrated the full mechanical and electronic assembly of the world’s largest, most powerful space science observatory ever built. Meaning that Webb’s two halves have been physically put together and its wiring harnesses and electronic interfaces have been fully connected.

Following assembly, the Webb team moved on to successfully send deployment and tensioning commands to all five layers of its sunshield, which is designed to unfold in space, and protect the observatory’s mirrors and scientific instruments from light and heat, primarily from the Sun.

“This has been an amazing journey to get here. The James Webb Space Telescope is now one complete assembly, and known to be the most powerful space telescope ever created by humankind,” said Mark Voyton, Webb Observatory Integration and Testing, and OTIS Manager at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland.

Feb 27, 2020

Scientists discover a gene linked to 20 autoimmune diseases

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

Read more

Feb 27, 2020

On the far side of the Moon, China’s lunar lander makes a game-changing discovery

Posted by in categories: robotics/AI, space travel

“Chang’e 4’s landing was no mean feat in itself. The reason why it is so difficult to send anything, robot or man, to the far side of the Moon, is because it is difficult to maintain communications with ground control on Earth with a giant rock in between (the Moon!).”


Chang’e-4 is the first spacecraft ever to land on the Moon’s far side.

Feb 27, 2020

Wormholes Reveal a Way to Manipulate Black Hole Information in the Lab

Posted by in categories: cosmology, quantum physics

A proposal for building wormhole-connected black holes offers a way to probe the paradoxes of quantum information.

Feb 27, 2020

Quantum researchers able to split one photon into three

Posted by in categories: computing, quantum physics

Researchers from the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) at the University of Waterloo report the first occurrence of directly splitting one photon into three.

The occurrence, the first of its kind, used the spontaneous parametric down-conversion method (SPDC) in quantum optics and created what quantum optics researchers call a non-Gaussian state of light. A non-Gaussian state of light is considered a critical ingredient to gain a quantum advantage.

“It was understood that there were limits to the type of entanglement generated with the two-photon version, but these results form the basis of an exciting new paradigm of three-photon ,” said Chris Wilson, a principle investigator at IQC faculty member and a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Waterloo.

Feb 27, 2020

NM-based glide flights, rocket-powered tests coming

Posted by in category: futurism

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — NM-based glide flights, rocket-powered tests coming.

Feb 27, 2020

California is monitoring at least 8,400 people for the coronavirus

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, health

California has thousands of people that they’re watching for the Wuhan Coronavirus Pandemic.


California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday that 33 people have tested positive for COVID-19 and the state is currently monitoring at least 8,400 others —a day after U.S. health officials confirmed the first possible community transmission of the coronavirus in a Solano County resident.

“This is a fluid situation right now and I want to emphaize the risk to the American public remains low,” said Dr. Sonia Y. Angell, California Department of Public Health Director and State Health Officer during a press conference. “There have been a limited number of confirmed cases to date.”

Continue reading “California is monitoring at least 8,400 people for the coronavirus” »

Feb 27, 2020

Coronavirus: What you need to know to prepare for a covid-19 pandemic

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

With the covid-19 virus spreading in a growing number of countries, many of us are wondering if and how we should prepare. Here’s what to do.

Feb 27, 2020

Do Trees Die of Old Age?

Posted by in category: futurism

The oldest known tree in the world is an unnamed Great Basin bristlecone pine in the White Mountains of California. At 5,064 years old, this tree has seen things, man. Though not even remotely as majestic or gigantic as the mighty Redwoods, the bristlecone pines, which claim the top three spots on the list of the world’s oldest trees, look the part of their ancient age: round, wise, and a little scraggly around the edges, like crotchety old grandmothers.

So will there come a time when these sage trees die from old age?

Feb 27, 2020

Space docking first gives commercial satellites a new lease of life

Posted by in categories: life extension, robotics/AI, satellites

Two unmanned commercial satellites have docked in orbit for the first time. On February 25, Northrop Grumman’s Mission Extension Vehicle-1 (MEV-1) linked up with the Intelsat 901 (IS-901) communication satellite at an altitude of 22,416 mi (36,076 km) above the Earth as part of a project to extend the service life of satellites that are running low on propellants.

The building and launching of satellites is extremely expensive, so it’s more than just frustrating when a perfectly good spacecraft has to be disposed of or abandoned simply because it has run out of the propellants needed to keep it in its proper orbit and pointed at Earth. There have been a number of solutions proposed for this problem – in this case Northrop’s MEV-1 is designed to match orbits with aging satellites, dock, and take over the job of maintaining orbit and attitude.

Continue reading “Space docking first gives commercial satellites a new lease of life” »