Tag Archives: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Michael Massimino Prepares To Twitter In Space
Michael Massimino also known as @Astro_Mike is getting ready to tweet from outer space. Massimino is currently training for overhauling the Hubble Space Telescope. Massimino will be launching into space on May 12 aboard NASA space shuttle Atlantis.
“Practicing approaches and landings with my crew in the space shuttle simulator,” tweeted Massimino about an hour ago. Massimino has done two spacewalks so far. Massimino’s 11 day space mission includes 5 spacewalks and will help extend the Hubble’s lifetime to at least 2014.
Last time Massimino travelled to space, he did some maintenance work to the Hubble telescope. This time around he will be replacing batteries and gyroscopes on the telescope along with attaching a docking ring for future robotic vehicles to make repairs to the telescope’s systems.
This mission is quite a bit riskier than routine missions because it the shuttle is not bound for the International Space Station. If the orbiter suffers from damage, astronauts could take refuge at the International Space Station, but in this case Atlantis will have to fly at a higher orbit and different inclination than the station. If an emergency is necessary, NASA would send a second space shuttle from the launch pad in Florida as a rescue team.
Massimino will be using a mobile device to update Twitter messages. He is currently the only NASA astronaut to use the micro-blogging tool for space agency business.
“Social media is a large and growing sector of communications,” stated NASA spokesperson James Hartsfield. “So this is a very neat thing and it offers Mike a chance to connect with the public.”
[via FOXNews]
Microsoft Partners Gets 100TB Of Space Data From NASA For WorldWide Telescope
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) are competing for who has more data and imagery of outer space. Last month Google revealed Mars 3D and now Microsoft released data of their own of the planet Mars on their WorldWide Telescope software.
Through another agreement that Microsoft made with NASA, the software giant now has access to over 100 terabytes of data (20,000 DVDs) from the Ames Research Center. Ames is based in Mountain View, California and is physically located next to Google’s headquarters. Microsoft previously used 3D images in their Photosynth software from the Kennedy Space Center.
[via VentureBeat]
Holy Discovery, Space Bat! The Ship Is Launching!
I got a little bit carried away with 1960′s Batman lines in the article title here. This flying furry rodent decided to cling to the fuel tank during the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery during the launch on Sunday, March 15. The fate of the bat during lift-off is a mystery because the NASA umbilical camera that takes pictures of the external tank was broken after the separation.
The bat may have flown away or might have gotten fried. Regardless, the “Space Bat” has gotten all the attention it needs, even getting its own website: space-bat.com. Below is a video tribute that RavenCK uploaded on YouTube.
Microsoft Research Launches Worldwide Telescope Beta
“The WorldWide Telescope is a powerful tool for science and education that makes it possible for everyone to explore the universe. By combining terabytes of incredible imagery and data with easy-to-use software for viewing and moving through all that information, the WorldWide Telescope opens the door to new ways to see and experience the wonders of space. Our hope is that it will inspire young people to explore astronomy and science, and help researchers in their quest to better understand the universe.”
-Bill Gates, Microsoft’s chairman
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has announced that they have launched WorldWide Telescope today. This allows users to see the same imagery in the universe as scientists at NASA. The imagery is put together using Chandra X-Ray, the Observatory Center, Sloan Digital Sky Survey and other telescopes.
Users will be able to select a telescope that they want to look through. Users can also view planet locations from the past, present, and future. The foundation of WorldWide Telescope is based on the work of Jim Gray, Senior Researcher at Microsoft Microsoft. As a tribute to Gray, Microsoft is making WorldWide Telescope free.Â
Some of the other features includes zooming and panning as well as guided tours. Some of the features are similar to Google Sky.
Information Source:
[1] Microsoft PressPass: WorldWide Telescope Brings Space Exploration to Earth