NASA’ robotic spacecraft MESSENGER (an acronym of MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging) has been studying Mercury’s chemical composition, geology, and magnetic field since March 18, 2011. NASA has released high resolution images of Mercury’s pockmarked surface.
NASA’s spacecraft Cassini has been studying Saturn, the second largest planet in the Solar System, and its rings and moons, since it arrived in orbit around the planet in 2004. We have already seen Cassini sending back beautiful images of Saturn and colorful photos of Saturn and its largest moon, Titan. But yesterday on March 4, NASA revealed a gorgeous image of Venus, the second closest planet from the Sun, captured by Cassini.
NASA launched its Van Allen Probes, formerly known as the Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP), on August 30, 2012 to study two giant belts of radiation (also known as the Van Allen radiation belts) that surround Earth. Recently, the two probes have shown scientists something that would require rewriting textbooks. Van Allen Probes have discovered a third radiation belt circling the Earth!
NASA’s Earth Science program is focused on discerning climate changes by keeping a close eye on Earth’s environment. To this end, the space agency has launched a new satellite named Landsat 8 which comes equipped with better light and thermal sensors. The satellite was launched to space on February 11, at 1:02 p.m. EST.
Last year, we reported that U.S. space agency NASA was developing a “service/orbiting robot” that will go to space, refuel the satellites and if needed will repair them. At that time NASA mentioned that it will start testing the robot in early 2013. Right now NASA is running various tests. The good news is that the robot has successfully passed the test on refueling a satellite.
F-1 is the most powerful rocket engine that the U.S. space agency NASA has ever built. NASA used this most powerful rocket engine last time in 1972 for its Skylab space mission. After more than 40 years, NASA has fired a “gas generator” of a F-1 rocket engine once more.
U.S. space agency NASA recently realized that it has some redundant assets at its Kennedy Space Center and therefore is looking to lease or sell them to third parties.
It’s really difficult to sleep in noisy place. Insomnia can cause lower performance, decreased memory, and even sickness. Office people can have a power nap in CalmSpace. But what will the space astronauts do as they are stuck in a noisy machine all the time and within that noisy environment, they have to sleep. We don’t know whether the astronauts in space can even sleep well or not in space, but NASA has pointed it out a big fact. Hence, NASA has decided to replace fluorescent lighting panels in the ISS with a Solid-State Lighting Module (SSLM), SDTO 15008U that produces blue, white, or reddish light. NASA hopes these LED lights will cure space astronaut’s insomnia.