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Tag: outer space

  • Halle Berry Believes in Aliens?

    Halle Berry admits she believes in aliens!

    On Monday, July 7, the 47-year-old actress appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman to discuss her latest role in the new CBS series, Extant.

    Berry portrays Molly Woods, an astronaut who returns home pregnant after spending a year in outer space on a solo mission. The upcoming show, which centers around artificial intelligence and extraterrestrial life, led to the conversation to the topic of aliens.

    When Letterman asked the Gothika actress about her belief in the existence of extraterrestrial life, surprisingly she admitted she believes other “species” may exist.

    “I don’t believe that we are the only species in existence,” she said. “Really?” Letterman asked. “I don’t think so,” she said.

    Letterman went on to ask whether or not she believed “other things” existed in the universe. Berry explained that she doesn’t believe humans and animals are the only surviving creatures on the planet.

    “My ego doesn’t tell me that we are the only ones who have survived. I think it might take us 20 years to get to those other life forms but I think they are out there.”

    While most fans would probably just consider her statement to be an effective way to promote the new show, this isn’t the first time Berry has spoke openly about her belief in the existence of aliens.

    A couple weeks ago, Berry attended the premiere screening for the upcoming science fiction series. She also shared her perspective of aliens with the Los Angeles Times.

    “I’m not so egotistical to think that we’re the only ones living in this vast, vast universe. I do think there’s other life out there.” During the premiere screening event, CBS Entertainment chairman, Nina Tassler, spoke highly of Berry, praising her transition from the big screen to primetime television.

    “[‘Extant’] was a powerful and unique story, and we were instantly captivated when Academy Award-winner Halle Berry joined the project,” Tassler said. “Her enormous talent and presence elevated the series to a new stratosphere. Getting Halle Berry was one of the biggest coups of the year for television.”

    Extant is scheduled to premiere Wednesday, July 9 on CBS.

    Image via YouTube

  • SpaceX Launch Delayed, Will Launch Friday At Earliest

    SpaceX Launch Delayed, Will Launch Friday At Earliest

    A SpaceX launch was delayed earlier this week thanks to an apparent helium leak on board the vessel. While there has been no update, officials say we could see a launch by Friday.

    CBS News reports that SpaceX was preparing to launch a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon cargo capsule on Monday until the aforementioned helium leak was detected. Not wanting to take any chances, the launch was grounded until they could sort out the problem.

    “As folks heard on the anomaly net, we have encountered an issue that will result in our scrubbing today’s 4/14 launch attempt,” SpaceX launch director Ricky Lim said. “The team here will start to safe the vehicle, offload propellants and then working on the details of the next few days forward. So for now, launch is scrubbed. Propellants offload will be commencing here shortly.”

    The next possible time for launch will be Friday at 3:25 p.m. NASA has already approved the time and date for the launch, but cautions that the weather may be bad. In the event that weather prevents a launch, NASA says a backup launch date of Saturday has already been approved.

    While a SpaceX launch is always exciting, NASA wants to get the rocket into space for more than just eye candy reasons. The rocket is carrying a lot of supplies and equipment that astronauts on board the International Space Station need. For instance, the rocket will be carrying food, an extra space suit, spare parts for suits and stuff needed to grow salad-type crops in space.

    In other news, SpaceX has just signed a 20 year lease to take over NASA’s historic Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. The launch pad was used as a takeoff point during NASA’s historic Apollo moon missions, and will be used by SpaceX as early as 2017. The private space company obtained the rights to use the launch pad after winning a bidding war against Jeff Bezos’ Blue Point. While Bezos’ private space venture would have used the launch pad for more than just launches, NASA gave it to SpaceX because the company was already equipped to start using the launch pad.

    For all things SpaceX, including updates on rocket launches, be sure to check out the company’s live updates here.

    Image via NASA/Twitter

  • NASA, Kerbal Space Program Want You To Stop Virtual Asteroids

    NASA, Kerbal Space Program Want You To Stop Virtual Asteroids

    Kerbal Space Program is one of the most fascinating PC games of the last few years. It’s a hardcore space exploration simulator that has players building rockets to send little green men into space. It’s incredibly challenging, and it takes most players dozens of hours before they build anything that can even escape the atmosphere.

    With a game like that, it wouldn’t be long before NASA came knocking.

    The Kerbal Space Program development team announced today that it has entered into a partnership with NASA to produce a series of mission’s based upon the agency’s very real asteroid redirect mission. For the past few years, the agency has been looking into ways to deflect or redirect life threatening asteroids and now Kerbal Space Program players can do the same.

    “Kerbal Space Program is about giving gamers the chance to dream big, even if they’re not astrophysicists. This relationship with NASA, the very beacon of big dreams and imagination, is going to give players a real opportunity to learn about the universe we’re living in,” Kerbal Space Program lead developer Felipe Falanghe said. “The Asteroid Redirect Mission is going to be one of the rewarding and challenging accomplishments in all of gaming. We can’t wait to see our current and future players take on this mission and perhaps, teach NASA a few tricks along the way.”

    Here’s what players will tackle in the new update:

  • Identify: Detect, target, distinguish and select the asteroids that you want to move
  • Redirect: Build a rocket ship and set course to intercept the moving asteroid, then position your ship to redirect the asteroid’s trajectory
  • Research: Send your Kerbals on EVA (extravehicular activity) around the asteroids to conduct experiments on the object and gather valuable scientific data as it (and you) hurtle through deep space

    • While this new mission will provide new items and challenges to players, NASA also hopes it inspires the next generation of astrophysicists and astronauts:

    “The collaboration with Kerbal Space Program can help drive interest by future explorers in next-generation technology development and deep space exploration, said Bob Jacobs, deputy associate administrator for Communications at NASA. “Having an element of the experience based in the reality of NASA’s exploration initiatives empower players to manage their own space program while getting valuable insight into the reality of studying asteroids as a next step in getting to Mars.”

    The add-on mission will launch for Kerbal Space Program later this year. You’ll get a chance to see it in action before then this weekend at SXSW Gaming.

    Image via Kerbal Space Program

  • Penn State Turns To Crowdfunding To Send A Spacecraft To The Moon

    Penn State Turns To Crowdfunding To Send A Spacecraft To The Moon

    Space travel is something that’s usually reserved for government agencies with a lot of money to burn. SpaceX proved that private industry can do it too though with a little help from investors and its own deep pockets. Now Penn State University wants to do the same, but it’s looking to all of us for help.

    Penn State University’s Lunar Lion team wants to send a lander to the moon. If successful, they would be the first university, and only the fourth team, to land a spacecraft on the moon. To realize their goals, they need funding.

    The Lunar Lion team has taken to RocketHub to crowdfund their mission to the moon. They’re looking for $406,536 to fund the project of which they have already raised $22,794. With 34 days left, the team has plenty of time to reach their goal and become the first university to land on the moon.

    Why should you want to support such an endeavor? Well, have you ever wanted to go to space? By supporting the Lunar Lion team, you can send a digital tweet or message to the moon with the lander and have it transmitted back to Earth for only $25. For $50, the team will let you transmit a six second voice message from the moon.

    For those willing to shell out $100 or more, you can get some really cool stuff. For $100, you can have a 140 character message stored in a time capsule that will be sent up to the moon with the lander. For only $1 more, you can send as many 140 character messages to the moon as you want.

    The Lunar Lion crowdfunding campaign will end on February 25. If successful, Penn State will go down in the history books for space travel and crowdfunding.

    Image via Penn State Lunar Lion XPRIZE Team/YouTube

  • Mars-Bound NASA Orbiter MAVEN Set to Launch

    Mars-Bound NASA Orbiter MAVEN Set to Launch

    Mars has been quite the hot spot lately. First, discussions about cultivating a human population on the planet have circulated. Now, NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft is being prepared for the Monday, November 18th launch that is set for 1:28 p.m. EST.

    The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) orbiter is already on the launch pad located in Florida at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. According to NASA, the Atlas V rocket, which is attached to MAVEN, was placed on the Launch Complex 41 pad on Saturday at 10:20 a.m. EDT.

    This recent expedition is partly the result of increasing interest over the transition of the Red Planet from a wet, potentially-life-sustaining planet to the dry, vast dessert that now stretches across the region. No punches have been pulled with devoting necessary resources into this recent mission to Mars as $671 has reportedly been set for the project.

    Scientists hope that MAVEN will gather information about the upper atmosphere of Mars where suspicions regarding the loss of magnetic field inside the planet’s core may provide answers for the current geological landscape. The spacecraft is set for a 10 month journey to the Red Planet. MAVEN will not actually begin orbiting Mars until sometime close to September 22, 2014.

    Those excited about watching live stream coverage of the launch, can see the coverage as NASA continues providing updates through Twitter and MAVEN’s own blog.

    [Image Via NASA]

  • In Saturn’s Rings Might Be The Most Beautiful Film Ever Made

    The advent of special effects and CG has ensured that a lot of the movies made today are at least visually pleasing. As beautiful as these films have become, however, they still have nothing on nature.

    In Saturn’s Rings is a new film coming out next year that takes viewers on a journey through one of the most beautiful areas of our solar system. The most amazing part of the film is that nothing in it is CG or rendered on a computer. All of it is comprised of photos taken by Cassini-Huygens spacecraft. Here’s the first trailer:

    Is that not the most stunning thing you’ve ever seen? It’s mind blowing to think that all of that is floating out there around us. It really makes you appreciate how small we really are in the universe.

    In Saturn’s Rings is scheduled for release in Spring 2014. It will only be available in IMAX theaters for obvious reasons.

  • Video Call Your Friends From Outer Space With Skype

    Skype is pretty much everywhere these days. Millions of people around the world use it to communicate with friends and family. What are you going to do when you’re no longer on the planet though? How will you communicate with your family as you’re traveling to Alpha Centauri?

    To further the cause of space exploration and communication, Skype announced a new service that lets space explorers connect to those who matter most. It’s called Skype into Space and it brings the “best parts of Skype… into the cosmos.”

    Of course, communicating in space does present some unique challenges so Skype is introducing a number of new features to accomodate space travel:

  • Automatic video rotation If you float around in zero gravity while on a video call, the person you’re calling will always see you the right way up.
  • Extreme gravitational resilience Planning an extreme sports trip past a supermassive black hole? Don’t worry, Skype into Space can work through gravitational fields that don’t even let light through.
  • Instant messaging in space Looking to find a new life form? You’ll be able to send instant messages to any part of space, however we can’t guarantee that the potential recipient will have evolved eyes to read them with.
  • Additional language support Our experimental linguists are standing by to learn the languages of any new life forms we come across. We aim to make Skype into Space a truly universal experience.

    • You’ve probably already guessed as much, but this is indeed Skype’s April Fools’ Day prank. Unfortunately, Skype didn’t build an elaborate landing page for its new fake service. All we have is the above image of what Skype into Space may one day look like when we are actually able to travel further through space and communicate across the cosmos.

  • Planetary Resources Shows Off Some New Asteroid Mining Tech

    Remember Planetary Resources? It’s the startup funded by the Google co-founders, James Cameron and others. The company’s goal is to send mining robots into space and collect valuable minerals and elements from the numerous asteroids that fly around our solar system.

    Now, it’s been a while since the company has last updated the public on what it’s doing, but a video uploaded over the weekend should give you a good idea of the tech the company is investing in for its future goals of mining asteroids.

    The tech on display today is called the Arkyd-100 Space Telescope. The device will be a prospector of sorts that will look for potentially mineral-rich asteroids. The team says the 11 kg telescope is “the most advanced spacecraft per kilogram that exists today.

    Be sure to check out the tour of some of the facilities at the end that show some of the work being done with lasers and prototyping. It’s all very impressive.

    I’m not going to pretend I understood everything that he just said, but I do understand that what these guys are doing is extremely important. Much of Earth’s resources are finite. We can alleviate the stress put on our own resources by collecting the same, and maybe even new, resources from asteroids and other heavenly bodies that orbit around earth, our sun, or any of the other planets in the solar system.

    Let’s just hope the technology doesn’t alter the orbits of asteroids and send them straight to Earth. I don’t think a Steven Tyler ballad can save us from that.

  • Uwingu Looks To Crowdfunding For The Future Of Space Exploration

    Uwingu Looks To Crowdfunding For The Future Of Space Exploration

    For years, we’ve entrusted the future of space exploration to public agencies and they have done a great job. NASA was able to land on the moon, send a rover to Mars, and make a satellite out of Android phone with public dollars. Unfortunately, governments aren’t as invested in space anymore. That’s where the private sector comes in.

    A new start-up called Uwingu is hoping to fund the future of space exploration through selling educational software and other space related products. Through these sales, they will set up the Wingu fund. The fund will be put toward the next generation of private space exploration, research and education.

    Like any start-up, they need some help to get off the ground. SpaceX had the advantage of being funded by the founder of PayPal. Uwingu has no such luck, and has therefore turned to the increasingly lucrative crowdsourcing model.

    The Uwingu Indiegogo campaign has raised over $63,000 so far, but requires $75,000 in up front capital to keep going. The campaign only has four more days to go, but they remain confident that they’ll be able to hit their target.

    If successful, this may be the first crowdfunded scientific endeavor. Advances in science and technology are usually funded by governments, corporations or private investors. A lot of people obviously love the idea of space travel, and would happily give money to make it happen. I’m honestly surprised that somebody hasn’t tried to appeal to the public before this.

    All of this only proves that NASA needs to host a Kickstarter campaign. Nerds love NASA and the Internet is full of them. Riding off the momentum of the successful Mars Rover landing would ensure crowdfunding success.

  • NASA Picked These 5 Ideas To “Revolutionize” American Space Capabilities

    NASA announced on Friday that it has selected five technologies to fund, which could “revolutionize America’s space capabilities”.

    Earlier this year, NASA launched its Game Changing Development program, calling for proposals focused on “sudden and unexpected innovations” that could potentially change the game. Now, we know which ones NASA is betting on.

    The awards for the projects range from $125,000 to $1.8 million, with a total NASA investment of approximately $6 million through 2015.

    Here are the projects:

    1. Representing and Exploiting Cumulative Experience with Objects for Autonomous Manipulation

    This proposal comes from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. NASA says the technology could improve autonomous robotic operations using artificial intelligence during deep space missions.

    2. Lightweight High Performance Acoustic Suppression Technology Development

    This proposal comes from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. “This technology could suppress acoustic environments during launch,” NASA explains. “By reducing vibrations by acoustic suppression during launch, the amount of prelaunch vibration stress testing for onboard instruments also could be reduced.”

    3. Fast Light Optical Gyroscopes for Precision Inertial Navigation

    This one comes from the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. NASA says this technology could enhance navigation capabilities for spacecraft, by improving the performance of existing gyroscopes by a factor of 1,000.

    4. EHD-Based Variable Conductance Thermal Interface Material

    This one comes from Boeing, which recently reached an agreement with NASA as part of its Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) initiative.

    According to NASA, the development of this thermal material could provide better heat management for spacecraft.

    5. Membrane Enabled Reverse Lung

    This one comes from Oceaneering Space Systems in Houston. Simply put, it could reduce the number of life support systems required for Astronauts.

    NASA says the selected proposals each address “critical technological barriers” for the advancement of space exploration. Considering they’re trying to take space travel commercial, anything that can help in that regard has to be worth it.

  • Check Out These Photos Of Near-Space Taken By A Raspberry Pi

    The Raspberry Pi is one of the coolest computing innovations of the last few years. It’s a simple ARM-powered Linux computer that only costs $25, yet can already do so much. The initial goal was to use the Pi as a way for kids to inexpensively learn programming, but enthusiasts have been doing some really impressive things with the hardware.

    Case in point: UK resident and all-around awesome guy Dave Akerman strapped a Raspberry Pi to a weather balloon and sent it into space to take pictures. It only got to near-space at 40km before the balloon burst. Amazingly enough, the Raspberry Pi was just fine and they were able to recover it intact.

    Here’s some of the amazing shots that the Pi was able to snap:

    Raspberry Pi Travels To Space And Back

    Raspberry Pi Travels To Space And Back

    The whole process of sending the Raspberry Pi into near-space is quite fascinating. This is obviously a labor of love on Akerman’s part and the solutions that he thought up to various problems are nothing short of ingenious. Check out his blog for all the details on the first expedition of the Raspberry Pi into space. He also uploaded all the pictures that the Raspberry Pi took on its ascent and descent.

    Here’s a video of the launch:

  • Space Exploration Is The Next Frontier Of The Economy

    We all want more money. Unless you have figured out the secrets of Buddhism or Taoism, money helps us achieve what we need and want. The only problem is that money isn’t easy to come by for the large majority of people. How do we get more money? Space exploration and mining.

    A new infographic from the fine folks at Doctoral Programs points our economic ambitions to the stars. Google CEO Larry Page and others recently began funding a trip to mine an asteroid of the precious metals contained therein. Amazingly enough, one asteroid is worth $50 million in platinum alone. When you combine that with the other elements present, you get a giant rock that’s worth billions of dollars.

    On top of space mining, the space tourism business is set to explode within the next few years. Once it becomes cheaper, you’ll see even the middle class buying their way into a trip to space. It’s a place that very few people have been and everybody has wanted to go since they were a kid.

    So, we can totally keep on trying to make money off of what’s left of our planet, but we’ll eventually have to expand beyond Earth. Hopefully we’ll have proper travel by then to accomodate the many years it takes to put people on any planet beyond our own.

    Make Money in Outer Space.

    Graphic by www.doctoralprograms.org

  • CleanSpace One Literally Takes Down Space Junk

    There’s a lot of trash on the earth. That’s why we have people and machines that help clean it up. There’s also a lot of trash in space. There’s nobody cleaning that up – until now.

    École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, or EPFL for short, has announced CleanSpace One. It’s a program designed to build numerous satellites dedicated to cleaning up space debris.

    EPFL says that space trash is a growing problem that needs to be addressed now. NASA tracks about 16,000 objects that are considered space trash. When they collide with a satellite, bad things can happen.

    The first launch of the janitor satellite will target one of the two objects currently orbiting around earth – the Swisscube picosatellite launched in 2009 or TIsat that was launched in 2010. Both satellites were made by Swiss citizens.

    EPFL says that CleanSpace One has three technological hurdles to overcome if it is to be successful. If they are able to successfully create this satellite, they will be able to apply these technologies to future inventions.

    After launch, the satellite will use a new ultra-compact motor to align itself with the orbit of the offending space trash. The space trash will be traveling at speeds of 17,000 MPH at an altitude of 466 miles. CleanSpace One will use a grappling arm to grab and stabilize the trash. From there, CleanSpace One will drag the trash down into the atmosphere where they will both burn up upon reentry.

    cleanspaceone

    You would think that making a satellite just to have it end up being destroyed would be expensive. If you were thinking that, you would be right. The maiden voyage is estimated to cost about 10 million Swiss francs or a little over $10 million. The first mission could take place within three to five years depending on funding.

    EPFL hopes to turn CleanSpace One into a business. They want to be pioneers in the field of space custodians. If they want to actually sell these things, they better fix that burning up on reentry part. They hope to make the program as sustainable as possible as companies probably don’t want to spend $10 million to clean up each piece of space trash.

    Here’s a video showcasing the new technology and what it means to be a space janitor: