When Waters Rise: NASA Improves Flood Safety
Greenbelt MD (SPX) Mar 25, 2014 -
Flooding is the most frequent and widespread weather-related natural disaster, taking a huge toll in lives and property each year. NASA Earth-observing satellites and airborne missions provide vital information to emergency planners, relief organizations and weather forecasters, helping to improve flood monitoring and forecasting, as well as providing a more comprehensive understanding of one of ...
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Robotic arm probes chemistry of 3-D objects by mass spectrometry
Atlanta GA (SPX) Mar 26, 2014 -
When life on Earth was first getting started, simple molecules bonded together into the precursors of modern genetic material. A catalyst would have been needed, but enzymes had not yet evolved.
One theory is that the catalytic minerals on a meteorite's surface could have jump-started life's first chemical reactions. But scientists need a way to directly analyze these rough, irregularly sh ...
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N. Korea test-fires missiles as Obama hosts summit
Seoul (AFP) March 26, 2014 -
North Korea test-fired two medium-range ballistic missiles Wednesday, prompting a stern US reaction after President Barack Obama hosted a landmark Japan-South Korea summit aimed at uniting the three nations against Pyongyang's nuclear threat.
Washington condemned the tests as "troubling and provocative", with the US State Department threatening "appropriate measures" for the violation of UN ...
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Pandas and yak soup on Michelle Obama's China menu
Beijing (AFP) March 26, 2014 -
US First Lady Michelle Obama on Wednesday wrapped up a week-long trip to China by feeding a panda before having a yak-based lunch at a Tibetan restaurant.
Obama, who is travelling with her mother and daughters, visited the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in the southwestern province of Sichuan.
There, the Obamas viewed a 22-year-old grandmother panda named Lili as well as f ...
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Obama hosts landmark Japan, S. Korea summit
The Hague (AFP) March 25, 2014 -
US President Barack Obama pledged "unwavering commitment" to Tokyo and Seoul's security concerns in the face of nuclear-armed North Korea on Tuesday as Pyongyang reportedly test-fired two ballistic missiles.
"The US commitment to the security of both Japan and the Republic of Korea is unwavering... and a nuclear North Korea is unacceptable," Obama said at a landmark Japan-South Korea summit ...
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Iraq election chiefs quit as attacks kill 37
Baghdad (AFP) March 25, 2014 -
The board of Iraq's electoral commission resigned en masse on Tuesday in protest at political and judicial "interference", throwing a general election due next month into disarray.
The sudden decision comes with doubts already swirling over whether the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) could organise polling nationwide on April 30 with anti-government fighters in control of a city ...
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Lyon in lockdown mode for Chinese President Xi's visit
Lyon (AFP) March 25, 2014 -
Road, tunnel and subway closures; spot checks for residents; maximum security: The French city of Lyon was in lockdown mode Tuesday as Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived on a state visit.
Xi chose to kick off a lavish three-day French trip with a whistle-stop tour of a city which, as a former silk centre, forged links with China from the 16th century that have endured until today.
And ...
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LockMart Opens Advanced Materials and Thermal Sciences Center In Palo Alto
Palo Alto CA (SPX) Mar 26, 2014 -
The Lockheed Martin Space Systems Advanced Technology Center (ATC) has opened a new state-of-the-art laboratories building that will enable the company to provide innovative technical solutions to customers with more agility and efficiency.
The Advanced Materials and Thermal Sciences Center, with 82,000 square feet of floor space, will house 130 engineers, scientists and staff. The new lab ...
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Operating capability on Patrol Coastal Griffin Missile System Reached
Tucson AZ (SPX) Mar 26, 2014 -
The U.S. Navy has achieved initial operational capability (IOC) on the MK-60 Patrol Coastal Griffin Missile System that includes the Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) Griffin missile. The milestone comes as the Navy continues to conduct littoral security operations in areas that require an immediate and precise response to confirmed threats.
The MK-60 Patrol Coastal Griffin Missile System inclu ...
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China to have nuclear missiles on subs soon: US admiral
Washington (AFP) March 25, 2014 -
China for the first time will likely have subs equipped with long-range nuclear missiles later this year, part of an increasingly potent submarine fleet, a top US officer said Tuesday,
The head of US Pacific Command, Admiral Samuel Locklear, said the latest class of Chinese subs would be armed with a new ballistic missile with an estimated range of 4,000 nautical miles (7,500 kilometers). ...
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