New precise particle measurement improves subatomic tool
Dallas TX (SPX) Oct 01, 2015 -
Physicists at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, have achieved a new precise measurement of a key subatomic particle, opening the door to better understanding some of the deepest mysteries of our universe. The researchers calculated the new measurement for a critical characteristic - mass - of the top quark.
Quarks make up the protons and neutrons that comprise almost all visible matte ...
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NASA's Big Mars Story
Mountain View CA (SPX) Oct 01, 2015 -
Every time NASA ballyhoos a press conference to announce an exciting discovery about Mars, the public bets heavily that the news will either be about water (What, again?) or life (Finally!) This week's communique is about both, and neither. But there's no gainsaying the fact that it's exciting.
It concerns the seasonally changing features on crater walls and other vertical topography, know ...
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Background Ozone a Major Issue in U.S. West
Pasadena CA (JPL) Oct 01, 2015 -
Levels of "background ozone" - ozone pollution present in a region but not originating from local, human-produced sources - are high enough in Northern California and Nevada that they leave little room for local ozone production under proposed stricter U.S. ground-level ozone standards, finds a new NASA-led study.
The researchers, led by Min Huang of George Mason University, Fairfax, Virgi ...
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Space for safer cars
Paris (ESA) Oct 01, 2015 -
A spacecraft tool is now improving car safety by stress-testing many of the internal computer systems to be sure they work well when the car is on the road.
Designed to test how computers on spacecraft react to cosmic radiation, the Xception software used by ESA proved to be the right tool to check the tiny computer controlling a car dashboard display.
This rather advanced space tech ...
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Down to Earth and walking the line
Houston TX (SPX) Oct 01, 2015 -
Walking an obstacle course on Earth is relatively easy. Walking an obstacle course on Earth after being in space for six months is not quite as simple. The longer an astronaut spends in space, the more difficult it is for their brain to readapt to gravity. Astronauts returning to Earth after living aboard the International Space Station for that amount of time have exhibited balance control prob ...
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ASU-led partnership engages citizens in NASA's Asteroid Initiative
Tempe AZ (SPX) Oct 01, 2015 -
How can humans best protect the Earth from a potentially devastating asteroid impact? Could our ability to study an asteroid assist with both planetary defense and sending humans farther into our solar system? Once humans have advanced their space-exploration capacities, what should a future mission to Mars look like?
Making the public part of discussions such as these is the result of an ...
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Rover's Current Location Makes Communications a Challenge
Pasadena CA (JPL) Sep 28, 2015 -
Opportunity is within 'Marathon Valley' on the west rim of Endeavour Crater conducting a walk-about survey for clay minerals.
The rover's current location within Marathon Valley with its high walls to the north and west presents a challenge for low-elevation Ultra-High-Frequency (UHF) relay passes to the west. On Sol 4141 (Sept. 17, 2015), no data were received as the orbiter's flight path ...
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