Recent Space Technology Spinoffs Provide Advances In Medicine

NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) recently released articles about space technology spinoffs that are providing advances in medicine.   Biological decontamination technology designed to keep the air in the Mir space station free from airborne fungi, bacteria, spores and viruses has been adapted to for use in hosiptals in Europe (see article).  Meanwhile, back in the US, surgeons will soon be able to map brain tumors using inrared cameras. (see article).
 
Both the ESA and NASA have programs for spinning off space technology into the commercial sector: ESA Technology Transfer Program, NASA Spinoff

  

Iapetus A Mixture Of Light And Dark

Iapetus, one of Saturn's 31 known moons,  has a mixture of very dark and very light coloring on its surface as shown very clearly in recent Cassini images.  The contrast is not an illusion and is not due to shadowing, but is due to the composition of the surface materials.  Scientists do not yet know whether the dark material has been deposited from an external source - possibly one of Saturn's other moons, Phoebe - or whether it originates from inside the moon itself.  Cassini will continue to study Iapetus periodically throughout its mission.

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NASA's Aura Spacecraft Launches Successfully

Early this morning at 3:01:59 am PDT, a Boeing Delta II rocket lifted
NASA's Aura satellite from Vandenberg Air Force into a 705 kilometer
(438 mile) orbit. Aura will study the quality and composition of
Earth's atmosphere. (Boeing press release)

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DART Vehicle Arrives At Vandenberg For Pre-Flight Preparations

The Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology (DART) spacecraft, built for NASA by Orbital Sciences Corporation, has arrived at the Vandenberg Air Force Base for final testing and pre-flight preparations. Orbital plans to launch the craft from a Pegasus launch vehicle, also built by Orbital, in mid-October of this year. The DART mission will demonstrate the technologies required for the United States to perform automated docking in space, currently only done by the Russians. Another automated vehicle, the European Space Agency's (ESA's) Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) is currently in design with the first launch expected in the second half of 2005.

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Mars Exploration Rovers Still Going Strong

Although well past their 90-day "waranty" lifetime, the Spirit and Opportunity Mars Exploration Rovers (MERs) are still going strong. Opportunity continues to study Endurance crater and recently imaged wispy clouds in the Martian atmosphere. Since Spirit's right-front wheel continues to draw more current than normal, mission controllers have begun testing a process called "visual odometry" to track the rover's travels in case it needs to move about using only five of its six wheels.

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ESA Panel Recommends Mission To Move An Asteroid

Based on the consideration of six studies submitted to the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2003, the Near-Earth Object Mission Advisory Panel (NEOMAP) recommended Friday that ESA focus on a mission to actually alter the orbital path of as asteroid. Such a mission would provide valuable insight on how to protect Earth from any potential impacts by large near-Earth objects (NEOs). The concept mission, dubbed Don Quijote, would use one spacecraft to study an asteroid over a several month period and then observe while a second craft smashes into the asteroid at a very high speed. Scientists would then observe the effects of the impact to determine the resulting change in the asteroid's orbit. Depending on the level of international coorperation, a mission could be launched as early as 2010-2015.

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United Nations Uses IKONOS Imaging Satellite To Help Fight War On Drugs

Space Imaging's high resolution imaging satellite, IKONOS, was used by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to monitor illicit drug crops, such as opium and the coca plant, in countries including Afghanistan, Laos, Myanmar and Bolivia in 2003 and early 2004. High-resolution commercial satellite like IKONOS provide the capability to safely monitor crops in dangerous areas around the world. The IKONOS satellite has 1 meter resolution, meaning it can resolve objects of that size and larger.

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Telstar 18 Satellite Reaches Its Orbital Position

Loral Space & Communications announced today that the Telstar 18 satellite has reached its intended orbital position and still has enough fuel to last for its designed 13 year lifetime. An anomoly caused the Zenit-3SL launcher to shut down 54 seconds early on 28 June, leaving the satellite in a lower than intended orbit. Operators used the stationkeeping fuel margin to boost the spacecraft to its proper orbit. The satellite is currently undergoing in-orbit testing and should be operationally deployed in August. (related articles: Telstar 18 Satellite Launched)

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New Firm Uses Unique Space Technology Transfer

Haliaetus Technologies SAS, a French startup company, has developed a new use for space technology: loudspeakers. The innovative design uses speaker horn shapes that are similar to those used in rocket nozzles, such as those aboard the Ariane launcher. As with rocket nozzles, these shapes minimize distortion caused by turbulence in airflow. Haliaetus expects to launch its commercial product line in October.

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Free Lectures Focus On Saturn's Rings

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) deputy project scientist for the Cassini-Huygens mission, Dr. Linda Spilker, will present two free lectures on Saturn and its rings this week in Pasadena, California. The lectures will be held Thursday, 15 July at JPL (von Karman Auditorium, 4800 Oak Grove Dr.) and Friday 16 July at Pasadena City College (Vosloh Forum, 1570 E. Colorado Blvd.), both starting at 7:00 PM (PDT). Seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, call (818) 354-0112.

  

NASA's Aura Launch Is Delayed

Due to problems with the Delta II booster, NASA's Aura satellite launch at Vandenberg Air Force Base has been re-scheduled from 11 July to 13 July. The launch window extends approximatly from 3:02 AM until 3:05 AM (PDT).