Giant tracking station readies for operation

One of the world’s most sophisticated satellite tracking stations is nearing inauguration in Malargüe, Argentina, 1000 km west of Buenos Aires. The new station will ensure reliable communications with missions voyaging hundreds of millions of kilometres into our Solar System.

ESA’s new tracking station, near the town of Malargüe in Mendoza province, joins two existing stations in Spain and Australia to provide global coverage for the Agency’s deep-space missions.  

Deep Space Antenna 3 – or DSA 3 – will send commands, receive data and perform radiometric measurements with missions such as Mars Express, Venus Express, Rosetta, Herschel, Planck, Gaia, BepiColombo, ExoMars, Solar Orbiter and Juice.

With major construction complete, teams are preparing DSA 3 for hand-over to operations, formal inauguration late this year and entry in routine service early in 2013. 

First test signals received from Mars Express

The first test signals were received in June 2012 from Mars Express, over a distance of about 193 million km, proving that the station’s technology is ready for duty.

 “Initial in-service testing with the Malargüe station shows excellent results.” “Our initial in-service testing with the Malargüe station shows excellent results,” says Roberto Maddè, ESA’s project manager for DSA 3 construction.

“We have been able to quickly and accurately acquire signals from ESA and NASA spacecraft, and our station is performing better than specified.” Maddè says part of the reason for the excellent performance is the improved ultra-low-temperature amplifiers installed at the station, and also the fact that it’s located at 1500m altitude in the clear Argentinian desert air. 

Completing a trio of deep space stations

DSA 3 joins the Agency’s existing DSA 1 and DSA 2 stations in New Norcia, Western Australia, and Cebreros, Spain, respectively, to provide the third link in a global network that is controlled remotely by engineers at ESOC, ESA’s European Space Operations Centre, and Germany. 

Lifting the huge antenna dish into place 

Like the New Norcia and Cebreros stations, Malargüe is equipped with a giant 35 m-diameter dish antenna and super-sophisticated cryogenically cooled low-noise amplifiers to detect faint signals and operate at various power levels – up to 20 kW – to transmit commands.

The tracking capability of all three ESA deep space stations also provides support to partner agencies such as NASA and Japan’s JAXA, who likewise make their tracking networks available to ESA missions, helping to boost science data return for all.

The three are also equipped for radio science, which studies how matter, such as planetary atmospheres, affects the radio waves as they pass through. This can provide important information on the composition for the atmospheres around Mars, Venus or the Sun, for example.

Using galaxies to pin point satellite locations

The ESA stations can use the highly accurate ‘delta – Differential One-Way Ranging’ (delta-DOR) technique for very accurate locating and navigation of spacecraft in our Solar System. This sophisticated method uses quasi-stellar radio sources – very energetic and distant active galaxy centres – as calibration points to fix the location of a spacecraft to within a few metres. 

Boosting tracking capacity to support future missions

“The commissioning of this station into ESA´s deep-space network allows us to serve the most demanding scientific missions of ESA and provide the required communication capacity for transferring large volumes of scientific data from the sophisticated instruments onboard ESA spacecraft,” says Manfred Lugert, ESA’s Head of Ground Facilities Operations. 

“The design, development and construction of this station marks a huge success for ESA and our industrial partners,” says Juan Miro, ESA’s Head of Ground Systems Engineering. “It helps to confirm ESA as Europe’s top space research and development organisation.”

For further information visit: http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMBJD52Q8H_index_0.html

Nereidum Montes helps unlock Mars’ glacial past

On 6 June, the high-resolution stereo camera on ESA’s Mars Express revisited the Argyre basin as featured in our October release, but this time aiming at Nereidum Montes, some 380 km northeast of Hooke crater.

The stunning rugged terrain of Nereidum Montes marks the far northern extent of Argyre, one of the largest impact basins on Mars. Nereidum Montes stretches almost 1150 km and was named by the noted Greek astronomer Eugène Michel Antoniadi (1870–1944).

Based on his extensive observations of Mars, Antoniadi famously concluded that the ‘canals’ on Mars reported by Percival Lowell were, in fact, just an optical illusion.

Nereidum Montes perspective view

The images captured by Mars Express show a portion of the region, displaying multiple fluvial, glacial and wind-driven features. Extensive dendritic drainage patterns, seen towards the north (lower right side) of the first and topographic images, were formed when liquid water drained into deeper regions within the area.

On Earth, tree-like channels of this kind are usually formed by surface runoff after significant rainfall, or when snow or ice melts. Similar processes are thought to have occurred on Mars in the distant past, when scientists now know there to have been water on the surface of the Red Planet.

Several of the craters within the region, particularly in eastern parts (lower section) of the first image, show concentric crater fill, a distinctive martian process marked by rings of surface fluctuations within a crater rim.

The ratios between the diameter and depth of the filled craters suggest that there may still be water ice, possibly in the form of ancient glaciers, present below the dry surface debris cover.   

Nereidum Montes in context 

Scientists have estimated that the water-ice depth in these craters varies from several tens up to hundreds of metres. The largest crater on the south western side (top-left half) of the first and topographic images appears to have spilled out a glacier-like formation towards lower-lying parts of the region (shown as blue in the topographic image).

Topographical view

A smooth area to the east of (below) the glacial feature appears to be the youngest within the image, evidenced by an almost complete lack of cratering.

Another indication of subsurface water is seen in the fluidised ejecta blanket surrounding the crater at the northern edge (right-hand side) of the first and topographic images. These ejecta structures can develop when a comet or asteroid hits a surface saturated with water or water ice.

Perspective view

Finally, throughout the images and often near the wind-sheltered sides of mounds and canyons, extensive rippling sand dune fields are seen to have formed. 

3D view

In-depth studies of regions such as Nereidum Montes play an essential role in unlocking the geological past of our terrestrial neighbour, as well as helping to find exciting regions for future robotic and human explorers to visit.

For further information visit: http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMO3S52Q8H_index_0.html

Indian operators have until Dec. 31 to enable BlackBerry monitoring

India's telecom department (DoT) has demanded mobile operators enable the monitoring of BlackBerry services and user traffic by Dec. 31 this year. Failure to do so will result in these services being shut down.

BlackBerry maker, Research In Motion (RIM) had set up a local server in Mumbai since last February to allow Indian security agencies to monitor data flow between its BlackBerry Internet browsing and Messenger services. However, several local mobile operators had fallen behind schedule to connect to this system and test lawful interception capabilities, prompting the DoT to set the December deadline, the Hindu Business Line reported Wednesday.

It cited an internal DoT memo which said: "The BlackBerry Interception Solution shall be deployed and offered for testing to the respective Telecom Enforcement, Resource, and Monitoring Cells [which is the monitoring wing of the DoT] on or before Dec. 31, in such a manner that the services can be intercepted in a readable format.

"Failing the successful demonstration, the BlackBerry services shall be restrained to be offered to subscribers from Jan. 1, 2013."The stipulated deadline is the latest turn of events, which have been ongoing for over two years, regarding the Indian government's move to have the ability to intercept BlackBerry services, the report noted.

The government in August 2010 threatened to block RIM's BlackBerry services if it was not provided unencrypted access to Indian customers' e-mail and instant messaging. Besides BlackBerry Internet Service and BlackBerry Messenger, the Canadian smartphone maker also offers an e-mail client BlackBerry Enterprise Service, but it said it was unable to provide a technical solution for this service to be monitored. As a workaround, Indian security agencies would have to track all individual servers set up by corporations using this service.

To enable this, the DoT told operators to state the details of the server identity linked to each BlackBerry device on customer acquisition forms at the time of activating the connection, the report said. This would allow security agencies to directly access the specific server servicing a particular subscriber.

For further information visit: http://www.zdnet.com/in/indian-operators-have-until-dec-31-to-enable-blackberry-monitoring-7000007075/

Security Threat to Skype in India; Government Warns Users

"A malicious spam campaign is on the rise targeting Skype users by sending instant message which appears to come from friends in the Skype contact list," a government advisory said to users on Tuesday, according to Press Trust of India.

The popular Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service was identified with malevolent content and links, after which cyber security officials strictly warned users not to click on such links which hints a fraud network.

In the wake of the newly emerged threat, cyber security experts have recommended a number of measures to tackle the spam. The authoritative body The Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), which has been making efforts to tackle the threat, said the spam "eventually controls the victim machine by opening a backdoor and communicating to a remote http server".

"The worm [is] reported as stealing user credentials, engaging in click fraud activities and pose as ransom ware," the agency added. The advisory has asked users to download the latest version of Skype from a trustworthy source and update anti-virus software on their systems.

"Download the latest version of the Skype from the trusted markets, install and maintain updated anti-virus software at gateway and desktop level, use caution when opening attachments and accepting file transfers, disable auto play feature as a safe practice," the agency said."Use caution when clicking on links to web pages and protect yourself against social engineering attacks," it added.

Skype users have been facing problems of malicious content since the beginning of October. According to Trend Micro, messages like "lol is this new profile pic?" have been lurking in the vicinity of cyber networks of Indian users. A click on the message will lead to the download of malicious spam on a user's system.

For further information visit: http://www.ibtimes.co.in/articles/399883/20121031/skype-security-threats-india-spam-malware.htm

Scientists Monitor Comet Breakup

The Hergenrother comet is currently traversing the inner-solar system. Amateur and professional astronomers alike have been following the icy-dirt ball over the past several weeks as it has been generating a series of impressive outbursts of cometary-dust material.

Now comes word that the comet's nucleus has taken the next step in its relationship with Mother Nature."Comet Hergenrother is splitting apart," said Rachel Stevenson, a post-doctoral fellow working at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

"Using the National Optical Astronomy Observatory's Gemini North Telescope on top of Mauna Kea, Hawaii, we have resolved that the nucleus of the comet has separated into at least four distinct pieces resulting in a large increase in dust material in its coma."With more material to reflect the sun's rays, the comet's coma has brightened considerably.

"The comet fragments are considerably fainter than the nucleus," said James Bauer, the deputy principal investigator for NASA's NEOWISE mission, from the California Institute of Technology. "This is suggestive of chunks of material being ejected from the surface."

The comet's fragmentation event was initially detected on Oct. 26 by a team of astronomers from the Remanzacco Observatory, using the Faulkes Telescope North in Haleakala, Hawaii. The initial fragment was also imaged by the WIYN telescope group at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona.

For those interested in viewing Hergenrother, with a larger-sized telescope and a dark sky, the comet can be seen in between the constellations of Andromeda and Lacerta.The orbit of comet 168P/Hergenrother comet is well understood. The comet, nor any of its fragments, is a threat to Earth.

For further information visit: http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Scientists_Monitor_Comet_Breakup_999.html

Space Systems Loral Selected by USAF to Develop Next Gen Protected Military Satellite Communications

Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) has announced that it was selected by the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) to develop affordable design concepts for next generation Protected Military Satellite Communications (MILSATCOM). SS/L has a long history of successfully delivering timely and affordable high-performance commercial satellite systems.

As a prime contractor leading several protected communications system and technology domain expert companies, SS/L is well-positioned to provide proven solutions with shorter schedules and lower, better controlled cost, to defend against growing and changing intentional jamming and cyber threats and to deliver advanced communications capability to the warfighter.

In today's cost-conscious environment, the objective of the SMC program is to develop practical new architectures and technologies that will protect increasingly contested and threatened high security communications. Space Systems/Loral will combine its expertise and existing technologies from commercial developments together with existing military technologies provided by a team of domain experts to assess options for both space and ground segment design.

"The protected MILSATCOM contract is an opportunity for SS/L to continue its efforts to serve the U.S. Government with cost-effective solutions based on commercial market innovation," said John Celli, president of SS/L.

"Working with our industry partners, we will use domain expertise, proven military technology, and our supply chain efficiencies to quickly bring increased capability to the warfighter."The SS/L business is based on addressing changing requirements in mobile communications, broadband and high definition video broadcasting within the budget and schedule constraints of the commercial marketplace.

For the SMC's Protected MILSATCOM program, SS/L will help remedy existing gaps in the space communications layer and demonstrate specific design concepts focused on improved life-cycle affordability that will meet the warfighter needs far into the future.

For further information visit: http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Space_Systems_Loral_Selected_by_USAF_to_Develop_Next_Gen_Protected_Military_Satellite_Communications_999.html

Russian Proton Briz-M Launches Yamal Satellites Into Orbit

The Russian Proton-M launch vehicle carrying Yamal-300K telecoms satellite and Luch 5B relay satellite lifted off earlier on Saturday from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan. Both Yamal satellites launched earlier have successfully reached orbit, Russia's space agency Roscosmos confirmed on Saturday morning.

"The separation of the Yamal-300K from the Briz-M booster went smoothly, and to schedule," a Roscosmos spokesman told RIA Novosti on Saturday, adding that the same was true of the Luch 5B relay satellite, and confirming that both had entered orbit. The Russian Proton-M launch vehicle carrying Yamal-300K telecoms satellite and Luch 5B relay satellite lifted off earlier on Saturday from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan.

The satellites were built by Russia's Reshetnev space company.

The Yamal-300K will expand the cluster of Yamal class telecoms satellites operated by Gazprom Space Systems (GSS), a telecommunications arm of Russia's energy giant Gazprom.

The satellite is fitted with a combined payload including eight active 72 MHz transponders in C-band and eighteen active 72 MHz transponders in Ku-band.

Yamal-300K service zone covers 95% of the Russian territory.

The dual-purpose geostationary Luch 5B satellite has been primarily designed to relay live telemetry and other data from low-orbiting space vehicles as they fly beyond the communication range of ground control stations.

It is also capable of tracking low-flying space objects along their trajectories thanks to its two high-precision antennas operating in Ku-band and S-band.

For further information visit: http://www.space-travel.com/reports/Russian_Proton_Briz_M_Launches_Yamal_Satellites_Into_Orbit_999.html

Long-Term Sea Level Rise Could Cost Washington, D.C., Billions

— (PRNewswire) — A University of Maryland study projects that Washington, D.C., city and federal property could suffer billions of dollars in damage if sea level rise from global warming increases over the next century. Potential for significant damage will be even greater in the event of extreme weather like Hurricane Sandy.

The study by Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor Bilal Ayyub, Haralamb Braileanu and Naeem Qureshi, of the Clark School of Engineering's Center for Technology and Systems Management, looks at possible long term effects of projected sea level rise on Washington, D.C. real-estate property and government infrastructure. They conclude that over the next 100 years, continuing sea level rise could cause damages of more than $24.6 billion to Washington's commercial property, museums, and government agencies.

The study, "Prediction and Impact of Sea Level Rise on Properties and Infrastructure of Washington, D.C.," appears in the November 2012 issue of Risk Analysis, published by the Society for Risk Analysis. Current trends and predicted increases suggest the nation's capital is likely to face flooding and infrastructure damage brought about by sea level rise linked to thermal expansion of the oceans and melting of global ice sheets caused by global warming.

"Climate change not only results in increasing the sea level but also the annual rate and intensity of storms," says Ayyub. "Our loss predictions at high sea levels are partly intended to account for these extreme storms. However, due to lack of information available to us, they underestimate direct losses by not considering, for example, underground utilities, or including economic valuations of interruption of business and government operations."

Bolling, FBI, IRS

Using Geographic Information System (GIS) tools, data from government agencies and real-estate listings for property values, the University of Maryland researchers compared their results to models on sea level rise generated by authoritative international bodies and experts.

The results, based on what the authors say may be an optimistic model, show that the current rate of sea level rise in Washington, D.C., is about 3.16 millimeters per year. At the low levels of increase expected in the near future, sea level rise would lead to a minimal loss of city area. However, if sea level rises 0.1 meters by the year 2043, flooding about 103 properties and other infrastructure, damages would cost the city about $2.1 billion. Bolling Air Force Base would have 23 buildings impacted.

If sea level rise were to reach 5.0 meters over the next 100 years, the authors warn of significant damages, in excess of $24.6 billion, to commercial buildings, military installations, museums and government agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Justice Department, the Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Education.

Extreme Weather Effects

While a long-term rise of 5.0 meters is considered unlikely, it may represent storm surges and waves created by extreme storms such as Hurricane Sandy, Tropical Storm Isabel in 2003, and the high tides and rains in April 2011, which triggered waterfront flooding in the city and Northern Virginia.

The study recommends that "Decisions must be made in the near future by lawmakers or city planners on how to reduce the impact of and adapt to sea level rise. Cost-effective methods to deal with sea level rise should be developed, and long-term solutions that extend well into this millennium are necessary."

The full study is available http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1539-6924.2011.01710.x/full.

The University of Maryland is a public research university located in the city of College Park just outside Washington, D.C. The University of Maryland was founded in 1856 and is the flagship institution of the University System of Maryland. As a Public Ivy institution, it has a fall 2010 enrollment of more than 37,000 students, over 100 undergraduate majors and 120 graduate programs. Its Center for Technology and Systems Management, directed by Professor Bilal Ayyub was founded in 1996 to leverages the expertise of both in-house experts and external associates to offer the capabilities for making intelligent decisions in areas of systems engineering that encompasses functional modeling, technology forecasting and assessment, human and organizational factors, and expert opinion elicitation; reliability, risk, statistical and decision studies that include risk analysis and management, risk-based regulation development, risk profiling, modeling and analysis, risk-based decision making, multi-criteria ranking and decision making, as well as failure, crash and accident investigation including forensic engineering; and project management that includes scheduling with network optimization and equilibrium problems. http://www.ctsm.umd.edu

About the A. James Clark School of Engineering

The Clark School of Engineering, situated on the rolling, 1,500-acre University of Maryland campus in College Park, Md., is one of the premier engineering schools in the U.S., with graduate and undergraduate education programs ranked in or near the Top 20. In 2012, the Clark School was ranked 14th in the world by the Institute of Higher Education and Center for World-Class Universities in its Academic Ranking of World Universities. Three faculty members affiliated with the Clark School were inducted into the National Academy of Engineering in 2010.

The school, which offers 13 graduate programs and 12 undergraduate programs, including degree and certification programs tailored for working professionals, is home to one of the most vibrant research programs in the country. The Clark School garnered research awards of $171 million last year.  With emphasis in key areas such as energy, nanotechnology and materials, bioengineering, robotics, communications and networking, life cycle and reliability engineering, project management, intelligent transportation systems and aerospace, the Clark School is leading the way toward the next generations of engineering advances.

For further information visit: http://www10.giscafe.com/nbc/articles/view_article.php?section=CorpNews&articleid=1133896&printerfriendly=1

GIS NEWS: Envitia announce the release of MapLink Pro 7.1

-- MapLink Pro is a component based geospatial development toolkit for the management and display of geospatial data. MapLink Pro 7.1 builds upon the high performance and flexible 64-bit architecture delivered in MapLink Pro 7.0. The latest release expands the already extensive data support to include over 20 new vector, raster and terrain formats including: ECRG, FileGDB, Geospatial PDF, KML, and USRP.  The full list is available at www.envitia.com/maplinkpro

MapLink Pro 7.1 also delivers enhanced support for loading and display of maritime formats, allowing developers to combine maritime geospatial data such as ENC (including encrypted S57/S63), AML, DNC, HCRF and DBDBV 6.2 with other non-maritime data sources.  MapLink Pro enables Situational Awareness and C2 Systems to access the same data that is being used by ECDIS and WECDIS systems.

“It is clear that organisations have a requirement to work with an ever increasing range of data formats and standards” says Matthew Wood, Product Manager, Envitia. “Interoperability is key, and MapLink Pro 7.1 continues to provide unrivalled support for integration of disparate data types, as well as extensive file format compatibility and support for open and industry standards.  With this release we are providing further data flexibility and agility to developers and system integrators.”

MapLink Pro has more than 7000 deployed systems worldwide and is the geospatial toolkit of choice for the world’s leading System and Technology Integrators. There is a 30-day evaluation version of MapLink Pro 7.1 available to download at www.envitia.com.

For further information visit: http://www10.giscafe.com/nbc/articles/view_article.php?section=CorpNews&articleid=1134612

NASA's SPoRT Team Tracks Hurricane Sandy

The SPoRT team provided images to the National Weather Service to help forecast Hurricane Sandy. (NASA) 

As Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on the east coast, weather experts at the Short-term Prediction Research and Transition, or SPoRT Center at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville were busy developing information to help forecasters better predict the massive storm.

The SPoRT Center uses Earth Observing System measurements and other satellite data to generate products useful in the analysis of weather events. SPoRT provides these products and data sets to partners within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NOAA's National Weather Service, and private sector organizations like The Weather Channel.

In 2002, NASA established SPoRT, at the Marshall Space Flight Center to facilitate the use of real-time Earth Observing System measurements for short-term weather forecasting. Near real-time satellite imagery is useful for monitoring current conditions and events likely to occur in the next few hours.

SPoRT provides a variety of satellite imagery and unique products from NASA and NOAA satellites such as Terra, Aqua, and the recently launched Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP).These products can be useful for identifying hazards such as severe thunderstorms and tropical cyclones, fog, and snow cover, or help to monitor disasters such as floods and wildfires. SPoRT researchers also incorporate satellite observations of the land surface and profiles of atmospheric temperature and moisture within high resolution weather forecasting models with a goal of improving short-term weather predictions over the next few days.

"SPoRT has been transitioning unique NASA and NOAA research satellite data to numerous National Weather Service forecast offices for the last 10 years to help them improve short-term weather forecasts of hazardous weather conditions like hurricane Sandy," says Dr. Andrew Molthan, a research meteorologist affiliated with the project.

"We work closely with end users to understand their forecast problems and match our data capabilities to those problems."For the last year, several additional National Weather Service Centers of Excellence including the National Hurricane Center, the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center, and the Ocean Prediction Center, have used unique multichannel satellite composite products from SPoRT.

The composites are derived from NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer or MODIS and the European Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager or SEVIRI instruments to monitor large scale weather systems that pose significant weather threats to the United States.Through partnerships with NOAA's Satellite Proving Grounds, SPoRT provides additional data products from MODIS, SEVIRI, and the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite or VIIRS instruments to monitor daily weather events, including then-Hurricane and now post-Tropical Cyclone Sandy. Forecasters are being provided imagery from multiple satellite sensors, including a recently developed "air mass" satellite product, fusing data from two instruments on the Suomi NPP satellite, to help forecasters monitor the development and decay of this storm.

"There are many MODIS and VIIRS images of Sandy available on the web, but SPoRT provides the National Weather Service with MODIS and VIIRS data directly within their decision support systems, allowing use with all of their other tools," said Molthan. "SPoRT creates a number of unique value-added products not available anywhere else."

NASA's Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center continues to provide satellite imagery to the National Weather Service weather forecast office partners and National Centers through core SPoRT activities and collaborations with NOAA's GOES-R and Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Proving Grounds. Final images were created by NASA's SPoRT at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, using MODIS and VIIRS data provided courtesy of the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

The compositing technique resulting in the false color VIIRS day-night band and infrared imagery was provided by the Naval Research Laboratory in Monterey, California as part of an ongoing NRL-SPoRT collaboration.

For further information visit: http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/NASAs_SPoRT_Team_Tracks_Hurricane_Sandy_999.html

NASA Seeks Partners to Explore Johnson Structural Testing Research and Development

 HOUSTON -- NASA has released a Request for Information (RFI) to explore the potential interest and use of its unique facilities, labs and technical expertise for structural testing at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The facilities and capabilities could support commercial, government and academic activities, and possibly lead to new technology developments.

The RFI is seeking responses from prospective partners interested in using Johnson's extensive testing facilities to provide high-performance solutions for a variety of structural testing in diverse industries, including aerospace. These solutions can help businesses meet their challenges by helping engineers develop deeper insight in their materials and building processes.

Structure testing capabilities at Johnson include a full range of end-to-end test labs and tools, and the expertise of NASA scientists and engineers in analyzing data and operations. Core areas include material properties and advanced manufacturing techniques research, as well as rapid prototyping or fabrication of aircraft, spaceflight vehicle systems and industrial structures.

Johnson's structural analyses are able to evaluate many different types of designs and can be conducted with environmental conditioning to analyze composites in extreme environments and verify design predictions that may support industry goals.

New partnerships using Johnson structural testing facilities and expertise would be consistent with NASA's missions and are expected to be on a reimbursable basis.

For further information visit: http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2012/oct/HQ_12-380_JSC_RFI_Structural_Testing.html

NASA NEWS: NASA Rover's First Soil Studies Help Fingerprint Martian Minerals

This graphic shows results of the first analysis of Martian soil by the Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) experiment on NASA's Curiosity rover. The image reveals the presence of crystalline feldspar, pyroxenes and olivine mixed with some amorphous (non-crystalline) material. The soil sample, taken from a wind-blown deposit within Gale Crater, where the rover landed, is similar to volcanic soils in Hawaii. The colors in the graphic represent the intensity of the X-rays, with red being the most intense. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Ames.

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has completed initial experiments showing the mineralogy of Martian soil is similar to weathered basaltic soils of volcanic origin in Hawaii.

The minerals were identified in the first sample of Martian soil ingested recently by the rover. Curiosity used its Chemistry and Mineralogy instrument (CheMin) to obtain the results, which are filling gaps and adding confidence to earlier estimates of the mineralogical makeup of the dust and fine soil widespread on the Red Planet.

"We had many previous inferences and discussions about the mineralogy of Martian soil," said David Blake of NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., who is the principal investigator for CheMin. "Our quantitative results provide refined and in some cases new identifications of the minerals in this first X-ray diffraction analysis on Mars."

The identification of minerals in rocks and soil is crucial for the mission's goal to assess past environmental conditions. Each mineral record the conditions under which it formed. The chemical composition of a rock provides only ambiguous mineralogical information, as in the textbook example of the minerals diamond and graphite, which have the same chemical composition, but strikingly different structures and properties.

CheMin uses X-ray diffraction, the standard practice for geologists on Earth using much larger laboratory instruments. This method provides more accurate identifications of minerals than any method previously used on Mars.

X-ray diffraction reads minerals' internal structure by recording how their crystals distinctively interact with X-rays. Innovations from Ames led to an X-ray diffraction instrument compact enough to fit inside the rover.

These NASA technological advances have resulted in other applications on Earth, including compact and portable X-ray diffraction equipment for oil and gas exploration, analysis of archaeological objects and screening of counterfeit pharmaceuticals, among other uses.

"Our team is elated with these first results from our instrument," said Blake. "They heighten our anticipation for future CheMin analyses in the months and miles ahead for Curiosity."

"Much of Mars is covered with dust, and we had an incomplete understanding of its mineralogy," said David Bish, CheMin co-investigator with Indiana University in Bloomington.

"We now know it is mineralogically similar to basaltic material, with significant amounts of feldspar, pyroxene and olivine, which was not unexpected. Roughly half the soil is non-crystalline material, such as volcanic glass or products from weathering of the glass. "

Bish said, "So far, the materials Curiosity has analyzed are consistent with our initial ideas of the deposits in Gale Crater recording a transition through time from a wet to dry environment. The ancient rocks, such as the conglomerates, suggest flowing water, while the minerals in the younger soil are consistent with limited interaction with water."

During the two-year prime mission of the Mars Science Laboratory Project, researchers are using Curiosity's 10 instruments to investigate whether areas in Gale Crater ever offered environmental conditions favourable for microbial life.

For further information visit: http://www.marsdaily.com/reports/NASA_Rovers_First_Soil_Studies_Help_Fingerprint_Martian_Minerals_999.html

INDIA NEWS: Kalam: like China, India too going the nuclear way

Just as China has moved towards ending its ban on new nuclear projects after the Fukushima disaster by giving the go-ahead for constructing power plants, the former President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, said in Beijing on Friday that India “had also come to the conclusion” that nuclear power would have to play a key role in achieving energy independence.

While Japan and some countries in the West, such as Germany, have moved away from nuclear energy in the wake of Fukushima, the Chinese government on October 25 signalled its intent to push forward its ambitious plans for the nuclear sector, albeit at a slower pace, after undertaking an extensive safety review.

Asked about China’s plans to go forward with nuclear energy, Dr. Kalam, who is in Beijing to attend a conference, told The Hindu in an interview that India was also of a similar view. “India has also come to the conclusion,” he said. “We have got to generate 20,000 MW by 2020, so definitely India is going ahead. There is no doubt about it.”

‘We have to shape ideas’

“Of course in a democratic nation,” he said, “some views will come out.. [But] we have to shape ideas.”

China, which is operating 16 nuclear power reactors and has 26 more under construction, on October 25 approved a Nuclear Power Safety Plan from 2011-2020, after a longer than expected safety review was initiated in March. A Cabinet meeting decided China “will return to normal nuclear power construction by maintaining a rational construction pace,” indicating it would slow down its expansion plans.

The government said it would not construct any nuclear projects in inland areas — some of the 26 projects already approved are in the interior — and would only build plants in coastal areas. To address safety fears, the government said it would also spend 80 billion yuan (Rs. 68,800 crore) by 2015 to upgrade security standards and phase out older reactors.

Dr. Kalam said the experiences of other countries — whether the bullishness in China or the wariness in Japan and Europe — did not ultimately matter as far as India was concerned. “We have to think about what is right for India,” he said, “and India should go for energy independence.”

Offer to teach

Dr. Kalam was welcomed warmly on his first visit to Beijing, where he addressed a conference on Friday. Peking University’s Council Chairman Zhu Shanlu, who met with the former president, extended an invitation to Dr. Kalam to deliver annual lectures at the university and conduct research here.

“They said you must teach here, and can come here and do research,” he said. “I love to teach youth wherever they are; I teach in the U.S., I teach in India. It is a unique place because this is the place where we have to build bridges.”

Scientists at the China Academy of Space Technology told Dr. Kalam they wanted to work with India and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on their space missions and set up a formal initiative.

World Knowledge Platform

Dr. Kalam on Friday suggested setting up a World Knowledge Platform for Global Action that would invest $4 billion to bring together universities, governments and entrepreneurs to take forward joint initiatives on sustainable development, energy independence and the environment.

“The youth and the intellectuals and the academy here, and even in the political field, can see there is a necessity to work together [with India],” he said, suggesting India could leverage China’s core competencies in manufacturing while India could offer its know-how in IT and the services.

“We [India and China] had a bad experience historically, the question is what we do now,” he said. “If you look at Europe, they fought for 100 years and one day they all joined together. We have to make up our mind. Defence is of course very important for every country,” he added, “but we are talking about 37 per cent of the world’s population, and that is a great opportunity.”

For further information visit: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/kalam-like-china-india-too-going-the-nuclear-way/article4060461.ece

ISRO NEWS: ISRO's centre in Ahmedabad helped track Hurricane Sandy

MUMBAI: Indian Space Research Organization (Isro)'s Oscat radio scatterometer on board its 960kg Oceansat-2 remote sensing satellite had tracked ocean surface winds of Hurricane Sandy that wrought havoc in eastern US on Monday, a Nasa Jet Propulsion Laboratory announcement has said.

 NASA had sought Isro's help as its QuikSat satellite stopped operating in November 2009. QuikSat resembles the Oscat radio scatterometer. Officials said Isro's Ahmedabad-based Space Applications Centre has designed and developed the scatterometer, an active microwave device, which among other things is equipped with one-meter parabolic dish antenna. It has been designed to provide global ocean coverage.

 Isro chief spokesperson Dev Prasad Karnik said Isro, NASA and US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (USNOAA) have an agreement regarding sharing Oceansat-2's data. "The sharing of data of Hurricane Sandy only reflects the growing collaboration between Isro, Nasa and USNOAA," he told TOI.

 The scatterometer's image of Hurricane Sandy obtained at 9.30 am (IST) on Monday was transmitted to NASA and USNOAA and shows it heading towards the eastern US coast.

 The satellite was launched from four-stage Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle on September 23, 2009 and operates at an altitude of 720km in the sun-synchronous orbit. Oceansat-2 is the Isro's sixth remote sensing satellite.

For further information visit: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-11-02/india/34877078_1_isro-chief-spokesperson-space-applications-centre-scatterometer