Mini NASA Methane Sensor Makes Successful Flight Test
Pasadena CA (JPL) Mar 30, 2016 -
As part of a project to improve safety in the energy pipeline industry, researchers have successfully flight-tested a miniature methane gas sensor developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, on a Vertical Take-off and Landing small unmanned aerial system (sUAS).
The sensor, similar to one developed by JPL for use on Mars, enables detection of methane with much high ...
more
Continuing the Search for Gravitational Waves
Notre Dame IN (SPX) Mar 30, 2016 -
In February, the LIGO Scientific Collaboration announced it had detected gravitational waves for the first time, confirming the last prediction of Albert Einstein's theory of relativity.
Somewhat overlooked in the excitement that followed is the fact that scientists don't know the exact location the waves were coming from. University of Notre Dame astronomer Peter Garnavich is leading a gr ...
more
Russia May Launch Up to Three Glonass Satellites in 2016
Moscow (Sputnik) Mar 30, 2016 -
Russia may launch two or three Glonass navigation satellites this year, a senior space industry official said. The official noted that the launches of the satellites would depend on the state of the Glonass system.
"We are planning to launch one Glonass-M satellite in the next three months to the second orbital plane. We are also planning another Glonass-M launch for this year to the secon ...
more
RadioAstron Observations of the Extremely Hot Heart of Quasar 3C 273
Bonn, Germany (SPX) Mar 30, 2016 -
The space mission RadioAstron employing a 10-meter radio telescope on board of the Russian satellite Spektr-R has revealed the first look at the finest structure of the radio emitting regions in the quasar 3C 273 at wavelengths of 18, 6, and 1.3 cm. These ground breaking observations have been made by an international research team with four of the largest radio telescopes on Earth, including th ...
more
Moon Mission: A Blueprint for the Red Planet
Washington DC (Sputnik) Mar 30, 2016 -
A human colony of astronauts could be living on the Moon by 2022, thanks to modern technology making missions cheaper, according to NASA scientists.
The Apollo program that lead to the first humans landing on the moon in 1969 cost US$25 billion - which is US$150 billion by today's standards and up until now, another mission to the Moon seemed out of the question, since the majority of NASA ...
more
India to launch 22 satellites by single rocket in May
New Delhi (XNA) Mar 30, 2016 -
India is planning to launch a record 22 satellites by a single rocket in May this year from the southern spaceport of Sriharikota, a top space official said.
The state-owned Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will send the 22 satellites, including India's Cartosat 2C and a number of micro and nano satellites from the United States, Canada, Indonesia and Germany, to space on board it ...
more
Instrument Team Selected to Build Next-Gen Planet Hunter
Washington DC (SPX) Mar 30, 2016 -
NASA has selected a team to build a new, cutting-edge instrument that will detect planets outside our solar system, known as exoplanets, by measuring the miniscule "wobbling" of stars. The instrument will be the centerpiece of a new partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF) called the NASA-NSF Exoplanet Observational Research program, or NN-EXPLORE.
The instrument, named NEID ...
more
Has Tiangong 1 gone rogue
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Mar 30, 2016 -
China's announcement in late March that telemetry to the Tiangong 1 space laboratory had ceased is disturbing. The language used in the original Xinhua story was vague, but strongly suggested that Tiangong 1 had malfunctioned. This analyst has waited more than a week for a correction, clarification, or resumption of telemetry to be announced by China. That hasn't happened. We can safely conclude ...
more
Belgium releases Brussels attacks suspect
Brussels (AFP) March 28, 2016 -
Belgium on Monday freed the sole suspect charged over last week's Islamic State attacks in Brussels that left 35 dead, raising fresh questions about the handling of the case by under-fire Belgian authorities.
Prosecutors charged Faycal C. on Saturday with "terrorist murder" and were investigating whether he was a third airport attacker who fled after his bomb did not go off, but said there w ...
more
S. Korea, Japan guarded over Trump's foreign policy plans
Seoul (AFP) March 28, 2016 -
South Korea and Japan offered muted reactions Monday to Donald Trump's suggestion that, as president, he would withdraw troops from both countries and allow them to develop their own nuclear arsenal.
There are nearly 30,000 US troops permanently stationed in South Korea and 47,000 in Japan, with little appetite for nuclear weapons in either nation.
Asked to respond to Trump's 'America fi ...
more
FBI hacks attacker's iPhone, drops Apple suit
Los Angeles (AFP) March 29, 2016 -
The FBI has unlocked the iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino attackers, officials said Monday, ending a heated legal standoff with Apple that had pitted US authorities against Silicon Valley.
Apple, backed by a broad coalition of technology giants like Google and Facebook, was fiercely opposed to assisting the US government in unlocking the iPhone on grounds it would have wide-reaching ...
more
Seoul activists launch anti-Kim leaflets into N. Korea
Seoul (AFP) March 28, 2016 -
South Korean activists on Monday launched tens of thousands of anti-Pyongyang leaflets into North Korea for the second time in three days, amid heightened military tensions on the divided peninsula.
The conservative activists, including many North Korean defectors, used gas-filled balloons to float 100,000 leaflets criticising North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un over the heavily militarised bor ...
more
Obama to discuss N. Korea threat with S. Korea, Japan leaders
Washington (AFP) March 29, 2016 -
US President Barack Obama will discuss the growing threat of a nuclear-armed North Korea at a meeting this week with the leaders of Japan and South Korea, the White House said Monday.
The trilateral sit-down on Thursday with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Park Geun-Hye will take place on the sidelines of a wider nuclear security summit bringing together delegat ...
more
Defense contractors pay $8M to settle defective flares allegations
Washington (UPI) Mar 29, 2016 -
Two U.S. Defense contractors are settling allegations of selling defective counter-measure flares to the U.S. Army in violation of the False Claims Act.
The U.S. Justice Department identified the companies as the Kilgore Flares Company of Tennessee and the ESM Group of New York.
The two agreed to pay a total $8 million to settle the matter, with ESM paying for allegedly avoiding ...
more
CACI International wins $180 million geospatial intel contract
Arlington, Va. (UPI) Mar 29, 2016 -
Geospatial analytic support services are to be provided to the U.S. Special Operations Command by CACI International.
The contract issued to the company has a one-year base performance period with four one-year options. The prime contract carries a total value of $180 million.
"CACI has a long history of providing intelligence analysis to support government customers' missions," ...
more
New regulations could further close China's Internet
Beijing (AFP) March 29, 2016 -
Draft Chinese Internet rules could further restrict access to websites not registered in the closely regulated country, experts said Tuesday, although the measures' potential impact remained unclear.
The proposed rules come as China increases censorship across the board, ratcheting up already strict limits on access to online content and stepping up pressure on the media to toe the governmen ...
more
UK defence chief says Qatar warplane deal 'on the table'
Doha (AFP) March 29, 2016 -
Britain's defence minister said on Tuesday that a deal to sell Eurofighter Typhoon warplanes to Qatar was "definitely still on the table".
Michael Fallon, speaking on board a British destroyer anchored in Doha port, said he had held discussions on a possible sale with Qatari officials within the past week.
He added that the deal had not been killed off by a Qatari decision to buy 24 Rafa ...
more
Iraq PM pushes back against deadline for new cabinet
Baghdad (AFP) March 29, 2016 -
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi called Tuesday for parliament to support or reject his calls for a technocratic government, pushing back against a looming deadline for a new cabinet line-up.
"It is not wise to present a ministerial line-up that faces rejection by parliament," Abadi said in televised remarks, calling on lawmakers to clarify their position.
Parliament must decide if i ...
more
Syria regime forces advance on IS town near Palmyra: monitor
Beirut (AFP) March 29, 2016 -
Syrian regime forces were locked in fierce clashes with Islamic State group jihadists on Tuesday on the outskirts of a key town near the ancient city of Palmyra, a monitor said.
Just two days after seizing Palmyra from IS, pro-government fighters advanced southwest towards the jihadist-held town of Al-Qaryatain.
They seized a series of hilltops overlooking the town during the night and b ...
more
Six children killed, maimed daily in Yemen since Saudi air strikes began: UN
Geneva (AFP) March 29, 2016 -
Six children have been killed or maimed daily in Yemen since Saudi-led air strikes began a year ago, the UN said Tuesday, warning the conflict was taking a horrifying toll on the country's youth.
In a report marking the anniversary of the start of the Saudi-led campaign, the UN children's agency said nearly a third of the more than 3,000 civilians killed in Yemen were children.
"Children ...
more
Indian Navy orders submarine rescue systems
Barrow-In-Furness, England (UPI) Mar 29, 2016 -
The Indian Navy has given Britain-headquartered James Fisher Defense a $252.3 million contract to provide and support a submarine rescue capability.
The contract includes the design, build and supply of two complete submarine rescue systems, as well as a 25-year annual maintenance contract.
The rescue systems will be fly-away units and include deep search-and-rescue vehicles, lau ...
more
Russia's Syrian strikes have killed more than 1,000: report
Washington (AFP) March 29, 2016 -
Russian air strikes in Syria likely killed more than 1,000 civilians in the war-torn country during the last quarter of 2015, the Airwars monitoring group said Tuesday.
The London-based group gathered media and social media reports - as well as accounts from rebel groups and non-governmental organizations - to compile a grim database detailing every known civilian casualty incident that al ...
more
US orders families of personnel out of southern Turkey
Washington (AFP) March 29, 2016 -
The Pentagon and US State Department on Tuesday ordered families of US troops and civilian personnel stationed in southern Turkey to leave the region due to security fears.
The order encompasses the city of Adana, where a US consulate and Incirlik air base are located, as well as Ismir and Mugla provinces.
"This decision allows for the deliberate, safe return of family members from thes ...
more
N. Korea test-fires short-range 'projectile': S. Korea
Seoul (AFP) March 29, 2016 -
North Korea test-fired a short-range missile or rocket near its east coast Tuesday, South Korea's military said, the latest in a series of launches amid rising tension on the divided peninsula.
The North fired the "short-range projectile" near the eastern city of Wonsan around 5:40 pm (0840 GMT) which flew about 200 kilometres (124 miles) to the country's northeast, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of S ...
more
Iran sanctions removal duration unclear: Austrian president
Tehran (AFP) March 29, 2016 -
Austrian President Heinz Fischer has said it is unclear how long it will take for the West to lift sanctions on Iran, in an interview with Iran's state television news agency IRIB.
Iran's historic agreement with world powers went into force on January 16, ending a 13-year standoff over Tehran's disputed nuclear programme and lifting punishing sanctions on its economy.
But more than two ...
more
