[meteorite-list] NASA: We’ll find alien life in 10 to 20 years

[Shawn Alan via Meteorite-list]

Hello Listers

I think it will be Mars where they will find signs of life, or 
signs there were life. If that happens I wonder if meteorites
from Mars will go up in price.

Enjoy

Shawn Alan
IMCA 1633 
ebay store http://www.ebay.com/sch/imca1633ny/m.html
Website http://meteoritefalls.com 

NASA: We’ll find alien life in 10 to 20 years 

"Are we alone in the universe? Top NASA scientists say the answer is
almost certainly “no.”

“I believe we are going to have strong indications of life beyond
Earth in the next decade and definitive evidence in the next 10 to 20
years,” Ellen Stofan, chief scientist for the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration, said at a public panel Tuesday in Washington.

“We know where to look, we know how to look, and in most cases we have
the technology,” she said.

Jeffery Newmark, interim director of heliophysics at the agency put it
this way: “It’s definitely not an if, it’s a when.”

However, if visions of alien invasions are dancing in your head, you can
let those go.

“We are not talking about little green men,” Stofan said. “We are
talking about little microbes.”

Over the course of an hourlong presentation, NASA leaders described a
flurry of recent discoveries that suggest we are closer than ever to
figuring out where we might find life in the solar system and beyond.

For example, Jim Green, director of planetary science at NASA, cited a
study that analyzed the atmosphere above Mars’ polar ice caps and
suggests that 50 percent of the planet’s northern hemisphere once had
oceans up to a mile deep, and that it had that water for a long period
of time — up to 1.2 billion years.
"

source:
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/nasa-we%e2%80%99ll-find-alien-life-in-10-to-20-years/ar-AAayMCL?ocid=ansLATimes11
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[meteorite-list] MRO HiRISE Images: April 8, 2015

[Ron Baalke via Meteorite-list]

MARS RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER HIRISE IMAGES
April 8, 2015

o Sinuous Ridge Materials in Reuyl Crater   
  http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_039424_1700

  There are some interesting erosional signs in this observation, 
  which will make for a good comparison with other intracrater fans.

o What on Mars is a High Thermal-Inertia Surface?   
  http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_039485_1660

  What do we mean when we describe a surface as having "high thermal 
  inertia"? The term refers to the ability of a material to conduct and 
  store heat.

o Layers and Dark Dunes 
  http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_039581_1520

  The target of this observation is a circular depression in a dark-toned 
  unit associated with a field of cones to the northeast.

o Seasonal Flows in the Central Mountains of Hale Crater
  http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_040170_1440

  Recurring slope lineae (RSL) are active flows on warm Martian slopes 
  that might be caused by seeping water. 

All of the HiRISE images are archived here:

http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/

Information about the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is 
online at http://www.nasa.gov/mro. The mission is 
managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division 
of the California Institute of Technology, for the NASA 
Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. Lockheed 
Martin Space Systems, of Denver, is the prime contractor 
and built the spacecraft. HiRISE is operated by the 
University of Arizona. Ball Aerospace and Technologies 
Corp., of Boulder, Colo., built the HiRISE instrument.

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[meteorite-list] A primordial origin for the compositional similarity between the Earth and the Moon

[Shawn Alan via Meteorite-list]

Hello Listers

More info on the Earth and Moon.

Enjoy

Shawn Alan
IMCA 1633 
ebay store http://www.ebay.com/sch/imca1633ny/m.html
Website http://meteoritefalls.com 

A primordial origin for the compositional similarity between the Earth
and the Moon

Most of the properties of the Earth–Moon system can be explained by a
collision between a planetary embryo (giant impactor) and the growing
Earth late in the accretion process1, 2, 3. Simulations show that most
of the material that eventually aggregates to form the Moon originates
from the impactor1, 4, 5. However, analysis of the terrestrial and lunar
isotopic compositions show them to be highly similar6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.
In contrast, the compositions of other Solar System bodies are
significantly different from those of the Earth and Moon12, 13, 14,
suggesting that different Solar System bodies have distinct
compositions. This challenges the giant impact scenario, because the
Moon-forming impactor must then also be thought to have a composition
different from that of the proto-Earth. Here we track the feeding zones
of growing planets in a suite of simulations of planetary accretion15,
to measure the composition of Moon-forming impactors. We find that
different planets formed in the same simulation have distinct
compositions, but the compositions of giant impactors are statistically
more similar to the planets they impact. A large fraction of
planet–impactor pairs have almost identical compositions. Thus, the
similarity in composition between the Earth and Moon could be a natural
consequence of a late giant impact.

source:
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v520/n7546/full/nature14333.html
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[meteorite-list] Puzzle of Moon’s Origin Resolved

[Paul H. via Meteorite-list]

Puzzle of Moon’s origin resolved: Simulations 
show that Earth probably collided with an 
unnervingly similar sister planet to form our lunar 
neighbour. by Adam Levy, Nature, a[ril 8, 2105
http://www.nature.com/news/puzzle-of-moon-s-origin-resolved-1.17279

Mastrobuono-Battisti, A., H. B. Perets and S. N. 
Raymond, 2015, A primordial origin for the 
compositional similarity between the Earth and 
the Moon. Nature. vol. 520, no. 7546, pp. 212-215.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v520/n7546/full/nature14333.html

Yours,

Paul H.
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[meteorite-list] Latest Maneuver Illustrates Critical Role Telecommunications System Plays in Delaying MESSENGER's Mercury Impact

[Ron Baalke via Meteorite-list]

http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/news_room/details.php?id=279

MESSENGER Mission News
April 7, 2015

Latest Maneuver Illustrates Critical Role Telecommunications System Plays 
in Delaying MESSENGER's Mercury Impact

MESSENGER's orbit-correction maneuver on April 6 was a nail biter. It 
was the 15th such maneuver since the spacecraft entered orbit about Mercury 
in 2011, and the third in a series of increasingly risky "burns" designed 
to delay MESSENGER's inevitable impact onto Mercury's surface. Each maneuver 
illustrates the critical role that the spacecraft's radio frequency (RF) 
telecommunications system plays in its operation.

The RF telecommunications system is used to receive operational commands 
at the spacecraft from Earth, and to transmit data acquired in making 
science observations, and data indicative of spacecraft health, from the 
spacecraft to Earth. The RF subsystem also supports MESSENGER navigation 
by providing precise observations of the spacecraft's Doppler velocity 
and range in the line of sight to Earth.

The system consists of redundant General Dynamics Small Deep Space 
Transponders, 
solid-state power amplifiers, phased-array antennas, and medium- and low-gain 
antennas. The phased-array antennas, the first electronically steered 
antennas ever to be used in deep space, have no moving parts, thus reducing 
the likelihood of failure in the extreme thermal environment of Mercury. 
These antennas are designed to work at the 350 degrees Celsius ambient 
temperature. 

Onboard Insight

"The RF system provides our only insight into what's going on aboard the 
spacecraft," explained MESSENGER Communications Engineer Dipak Srinivasan, 
of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, 
Md. Such situational awareness is particularly important as the team attempts 
-- in a series of increasingly risky maneuvers -- to raise the spacecraft's 
minimum altitude sufficiently to extend orbital operations as long as 
possible.

"We use data from the RF system to confirm whether a maneuver has started 
and completed properly," he said. "We can also look at the change in the 
signal's frequency -- caused by the spacecraft's changing motion and the 
resulting Doppler effect -- to provide instantaneous assessments on the 
maneuver status."

The frequent, almost back-to-back orbit-correction maneuvers (OCMs) of 
MESSENGER's "hover campaign" present a challenge to the RF system. "During 
OCMs, the spacecraft has to be oriented in a way that best supports the 
propulsion system and keeps the sunshade between the Sun and the spacecraft's 
thermally sensitive payload," Srinivasan added. "This requirement means 
that communications can suffer when we are forced to use our low-gain 
antennas to support communications with Earth. In such situations, the 
signal strength we receive on the ground is quite low, so we must optimize 
our ground configuration to maintain communications throughout the burn."

The Latest Maneuver

MESSENGER was nearly at its farthest point from Mercury in its eccentric 
orbit about the planet when Monday's maneuver was executed. The burn raised 
the spacecraft's minimum altitude above Mercury from 13.1 kilometers (8.1 
miles) to 25.7 kilometers (16.0 miles). It increased the spacecraft's 
speed relative to Mercury and also added about 0.55 minutes to the spacecraft's 
eight-hour, 18.9-minute orbit period. Four of the 12 smallest monopropellant 
thrusters imparted a change in velocity of 1.77 meters per second (3.97 
miles per hour).

The operation used all of MESSENGER's remaining usable hydrazine propellant 
from the small auxiliary fuel tank. It was completed over its final six 
minutes with helium pressurant being expelled through the same thrusters 
that were used with the first part of the maneuver.

Although no problems were reported during the maneuver, the usable propellant 
was depleted sooner than predicted. The MESSENGER flight operations team 
is planning a "clean-up" maneuver for April 8 (with a backup scheduled 
for April 11) that will again use helium pressurant to put the spacecraft 
back on schedule for OCM-16 on April 14.

Solar Conjunction Adds to the Thrill

The spacecraft is about to enter a superior solar conjunction, during 
which Mercury and MESSENGER will be on the far side of the Sun from Earth. 
"As we approach superior solar conjunction, the RF signal has to travel 
through more of the solar plasma," Srinivasan explained. "The plasma causes 
scintillations in the signal, disrupting it in both phase and amplitude. 
This phenomenon introduces noise in our received signal, deteriorating 
our signal-to-noise ratio and making it harder to decode the information 
from the spacecraft. As the angle between the spacecraft and Sun gets 
smaller and smaller, the signal eventually drops out completely, and we 
won't pick it up again until the spacecraft emerges from behind the Sun 
on the other side."

Having an OCM just before a superior so

[meteorite-list] Inside 100 Days to the Historic First Exploration of Pluto, New Horizons Set to Deliver

[Ron Baalke via Meteorite-list]

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/News-Article.php?page=20150406

Inside 100 Days to the Historic First Exploration of Pluto, New
Horizons Set to Deliver

April 6, 2015

Speeding toward a historic flyby on July 14 - just over 98 days from now
- NASA's New Horizons spacecraft has moved into the second phase of its
approach to Pluto and its moons, beginning a series of observations and
activities that will bring these distant, icy worlds into sharper focus
than humankind has ever seen.

New Horizons began its long-distance encounter phase with Pluto in
January, taking dozens of images used primarily to navigate the
spacecraft toward Pluto and using its plasma and energetic-particle
sensors and dust detector to sample the environment and learn more about
the Sun's influence - or space weather - near where Pluto orbits 3
billion miles from the Sun. During this first approach phase New
Horizons also made an important course-correction homing maneuver on
March 10.

In the more intensive Approach Phase 2, which started April 5 and lasts
through mid-June, the mission adds numerous new and significant
observations of the Pluto system, including the first color and spectral
observations of Pluto and its moons, and series of long-exposure images
that will help the team spot additional moons or rings in the Pluto
system. The spacecraft will also make its first ultraviolet observation
to study the surface and atmosphere of Pluto and the surface of Pluto's
largest moon, Charon, and the spacecraft will conduct a major joint test
of flyby radio science observations in conjunction with NASA's Deep
Space Network (DSN) . These
various activities are critical to developing a fuller picture of that
system, and in assessing any hazards New Horizons could face as the
spacecraft passes between Pluto and Charon.

"The best images we have today still show Pluto and its moons as dots in
the distance, but by the time AP2 ends in June, we'll see Pluto like
never seen before," said Alan Stern, mission principal investigator from
Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, Colorado. "This is the time when
Pluto transforms from a planetary astronomer's world - spied only
through telescopes with just the slightest detail - to a planetary
science target of the most capable flyby spacecraft ever sent on a first
reconnaissance mission."

April 14: New Horizons In-depth

The New Horizons team will discuss the objectives and provide a detailed
overview of the July Pluto encounter in a pair of hour-long, televised
and webcast briefings from NASA Headquarters on April 14 at 1 p.m. EDT.
Watch this site and www.nasa.gov/newhorizons for details.

That spacecraft - operated from the Johns Hopkins University Applied
Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland - is healthy, operating
normally and homing in on Pluto at more than 31,000 miles per hour. New
Horizons is approximately 2.98 billion miles (4.79 billion kilometers)
from Earth and just about 73 million miles (118 million kilometers) from
Pluto itself. The team is evaluating new tracking data to decide whether
they'll need to carry out a course correction on May 15; a decision is
expected about May 1.

"As the year started, we said New Horizons was on Pluto's doorstep,"
said mission Project Manager Glen Fountain, of APL. "Now we're opening
that door, getting closer and closer to our first real look at these
mysterious worlds on the edge of the planetary frontier. This is pure
exploration, and it's amazing to be a part of it."

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[meteorite-list] NASA Selects Proposals for Ultra-Lightweight Materials for Journey to Mars and Beyond

[Ron Baalke via Meteorite-list]

April 7, 2015
 
NASA Selects Proposals for Ultra-Lightweight Materials for Journey to 
Mars and Beyond

NASA has selected three proposals to develop and manufacture 
ultra-lightweight (ULW) materials for future aerospace vehicles and 
structures. The proposals will mature advanced technologies that will enable 
NASA to reduce the mass of spacecraft by 40 percent for deep space 
exploration.

"Lightweight and multifunctional materials and structures are one of NASA's 
top focus areas capable of having the greatest impact on future NASA missions 
in human and robotic exploration," said Steve Jurczyk, associate 
administrator for the agency's Space Technology Mission Directorate in 
Washington. "These advanced technologies are necessary for us to be able to 
launch stronger, yet lighter, spacecraft and components as we look to explore 
an asteroid and eventually Mars."

Composite sandwich structures are a special type of material made by 
attaching two thin skins to a lightweight core. Traditional composite 
sandwich structures incorporate either honeycomb or foam cores. This type of 
composite is used extensively within the aerospace industry and in other 
applications making it possible for future journeys to Mars. The ULW 
materials being developed by NASA vary significantly from traditional cores 
and are expected to result in a significant decrease in mass.

Phase I awards of the solicitation are valued up to $550,000, providing 
awardees with funding for 13 months to produce 12-by-12-by1-inch ULW core 
panels. Technologies selected to continue to Phase II will demonstrate the 
ability to scale up to 2-feet by 2-feet by 1-inch and ultimately to produce 
10-feet by 11-feet by 1-inch ULW core panels, with NASA providing up to $2 
million per award for up to 18 months.

The three awards selected for contract negotiations are:

 * HRL Laboratories LLC of Malibu, California: Ultralight Micro-truss Cores
   for Space Launch Systems

 * ATK Space Systems LLC of Magna, Utah: Game Changing Technology Development
   Program Ultra-Light Weight Core Materials for Efficient Load Bearing
   Composite Sandwich Structures

 * Dynetics Inc. of Huntsville, Alabama: Ultra-Lightweight Core Materials for
   Efficient Load-Bearing Composite Sandwich Structures

Proposals for this solicitation were received from NASA centers, universities 
and industry. NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, manages 
the Game Changing Development Program for STMD. For more information about 
STMD, the Game Changing Development Program and crosscutting space technology 
areas of interest to NASA, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/spacetech 

-end-


Joshua Buck
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1130
jb...@nasa.gov 

Chris Rink
Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.
757-864-6786
chris.r...@nasa.gov 

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[meteorite-list] Meteorite Picture of the Day

[Paul Swartz via Meteorite-list]

Today's Meteorite Picture of the Day: NWA 788

Contributed by: Twink Monrad

http://www.tucsonmeteorites.com/mpodmain.asp?DD=04/08/2015
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