Tag Archives: OuterSpace

DIY Rocket Ship Night Light Kit: For Space Dreams

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Space: the final frontier. I mean at least according to Star Trek. I always thought the final frontier was death. But enough deep philosophizing, this is the $28 DIY Rocket Night Light Decoration available from Apollo Box. The kit includes everything you need to make a rocket ship night light like the one seen above, provided you have the necessary do-it-yourself skills. I’m… not very confident.

Available in both battery and USB powered models, the kit includes a string of lights, clear base, cotton “smoke”, plastic tube armature (to hold the rocket up), and modeling clay and paint to shape and decorate the rocket ship. It also includes two hot glue sticks (gun not included) to stick everything together. As you can see in the video below, the kit is VERY do-it-yourself. Or, in my case, very honey-can-you-please-do-it-for-me.

So you’re basically responsible for making the whole thing from scratch. And do you know what happened the last time I tried to make something from scratch? Everybody who ate the lasagna got sick, and now I don’t get invited to pot-lucks anymore. Food for thought.

Experience the Sights and Sounds of the Moon Through AR

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Since it’s more likely than not that you won’t be visiting the moon anytime soon, why not experience the next best thing? With these LUNAR AR Moon Models, you can hold the moon right in your hand – through the magic of augmented reality, of course.

Using the companion AstroReality app, you can experience what it’s like to see, touch, and yes, hear the moon. Explore lunar craters and seas with the app’s high-resolution topography, and learn insightful moon trivia that will make you want to join NASA tomorrow. All the while, you’ll enjoy a sweet miniature polyresin replica of the Moon you can hold in your hand and display proudly on your desk.

Lunar AR Moon models are available in three sizes – mini (30mm), regular (80mm), and pro (120mm) – with prices ranging from $39 to $219. You can get yours today in the Technabob Shop.

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NASA is crowdsourcing the search for exoplanets

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To those of you who dream of going to space: Sorry, but that may never happen. However, NASA is once again counting on the public for help understanding what's beyond our world. All we have to do is look at some photos online. Today marks the launch...

Watch astronauts make outer space Skype calls with HoloLens

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So why exactly did the crew International Space Station need those HoloLens headsets? For a holographic instruction manual and VoIP calls, of course. Prior to entering orbit, the headset was certified for use on the Weightless Wonder C9 a number of t...

NASA InSight tapped for Mars drilling mission in 2016

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NASA InSight tapped for Mars drilling mission in 2016

The surface of Mars? Psh... been there. With the Curiosity stage well under way, our exploration of the Red Planet is about to take a dive beneath the dust. Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport -- InSight, for short -- was just confirmed as a new NASA mission, with the space agency set to launch in March of 2016. Based on the Phoenix lander, the craft is tasked with giving us a peek beneath the planet's surface, armed with tools that include a geodetic instrument from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which will be used to calculate Mars' rotation axis, a seismic wave sensor and a subsurface heat probe, to measure the planet's internal temperature. The program has a $425 million budget -- a bit shy of the $2.5 billion allocated for Curiosity -- not including the costly launch vehicle. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said that InSight will help pave the way for future human missions to Mars, and represents just one of the related projects to come. Hit up the source link below for a closer look at JPL's latest endeavor.

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NASA InSight tapped for Mars drilling mission in 2016 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 17:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASA InSight tapped for Mars drilling mission in 2016

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NASA InSight tapped for Mars drilling mission in 2016

The surface of Mars? Psh... been there. With the Curiosity stage well under way, our exploration of the Red Planet is about to take a dive beneath the dust. Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport -- InSight, for short -- was just confirmed as a new NASA mission, with the space agency set to launch in March of 2016. Based on the Phoenix lander, the craft is tasked with giving us a peek beneath the planet's surface, armed with tools that include a geodetic instrument from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which will be used to calculate Mars' rotation axis, a seismic wave sensor and a subsurface heat probe, to measure the planet's internal temperature. The program has a $425 million budget -- a bit shy of the $2.5 billion allocated for Curiosity -- not including the costly launch vehicle. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said that InSight will help pave the way for future human missions to Mars, and represents just one of the related projects to come. Hit up the source link below for a closer look at JPL's latest endeavor.

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NASA InSight tapped for Mars drilling mission in 2016 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 17:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceJet Propulsion Laboratory  | Email this | Comments

MIT ‘microthrusters’ are the size of a penny, could reposition tiny satellites

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MIT 'microthrusters' are the size of a penny, could reposition tiny satellites

Bus-sized satellites require massive engines for even the slightest movements, but as far smaller structures become a possibility, a tiny driving mechanism can offer usable thrust. To serve this next-gen tech, MIT saw a need to develop "microthrusters," which are each the size of a penny and can be mounted to tiny cubed satellites. With thruster components measuring a few microns each, the magnetic levitation system is able to accommodate 500 microscopic tips that emit ion beams in a very small package, serving to push two-pound structures through space. The tiny devices have not made their way into orbit yet, but they have been tested in a vacuum chamber. Because of their size, it's possible to add several to each satellite, then enabling sophisticated movements for more precise turns.

There are currently two dozen "CubeSats" in orbit, each measuring only slightly larger than a Rubik's cube, but without any thrusters to power them, positioning can't be adjusted once they're released. Because of their current location, CubeSats eventually burn up in the atmosphere, but once they're released farther from Earth, they won't be able to enter the atmosphere on their own, remaining in orbit as "space junk" even after completing their missions -- micro thrusters could also serve to move these satellites closer to the planet so they can burn up during re-entry. There's no word on when, or even if, MIT's invention will make its way to the launchpad, but you can take a closer look in the demo video after the break.

Continue reading MIT 'microthrusters' are the size of a penny, could reposition tiny satellites

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MIT 'microthrusters' are the size of a penny, could reposition tiny satellites originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Aug 2012 09:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASA ISERV Pathfinder to link up with ISS, keep an eye out for natural disasters

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NASA ISERV Pathfinder

It's easy to assume that the greater mysteries of the universe should require our space agency's utmost attention -- take that mission to Mars, for example. But not all of NASA's endeavors are focused on the bookends of the cosmos. In fact, the ISERV Pathfinder (short for International Space Station SERVIR Environmental Research and Visualization System), a new imaging instrument developed and constructed by its Marshall Space Flight Center, will turn a fixed eye on planet Earth from its ISS berth when it goes operational this coming November. A scheduled July 20th launch aboard Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's H-II Transfer Vehicle will ferry the device to its final destination, making it the first of an eventual series of sensor-laden "Earth-observing instruments" designed to track natural disasters, as well as climate change across various populations. Once assembled by the crew and affixed to the station's Destiny window, the system's camera will be used to map the globe and disseminate satellite imagery and data to developing nations for preventive planning and relief purposes. Sure, it's not as exciting as a fly by of Pluto's newly discovered moon, but this one's for the greater good, folks. Check out the official presser after the break.

Continue reading NASA ISERV Pathfinder to link up with ISS, keep an eye out for natural disasters

NASA ISERV Pathfinder to link up with ISS, keep an eye out for natural disasters originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Jul 2012 00:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nike and Tom Sachs reach for the stars, create NikeCraft sportswear with space-grade materials

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Just because you're not an astronaut, it doesn't mean you can't dress yourself in clothes that are out of this world. Artist Tom Sachs recently teamed up with Nike to create a limited edition lineup of spacey sports clothing, dubbed NikeCraft, to coincide with his current Space Program project -- a rendition of a four week trip to Mars. The company highlights that the roster was made with "materials that have never been used in sportswear," some of which has already made its way onto NASA's equipment for space-travel. As ecouterre points out, among what's on offer, you'll find bags made from the Ortho fabric used on the outside of spacesuits to the Mars Yard shoe with Vectran fiber -- the same stuff from the airbags of the Mars Excursion Rover. There's nary a detail about pricing, but the goods will be available at various boutiques around the world and at Space Program: Mars while it's open until Jun 17th inside of New York City's Park Avenue Armory. Hit up the links below to gaze at all the details.

Just because you're not an astronaut doesn't mean that you can't dress yourself in clothes that are out of this world. Artist Tom Sachs recently teamed up with Nike to create a limited edition lineup of of spacey sports clothing, dubbed NikeCraft, to coincide with his current Space Program project -- a rendition of a four week trip to Mars. As ecouterre notes, the highlight of the pieces is that they're all manufactured (partially, at least) with materials used by NASA in its own equipment. Among what's on offer, you'll find bags made from the Ortho fabric used on the outside of spacesuits to the Mars Yard shoes with Vectran fabric -- the same stuff from the airbags of the Mars Excursion Rover. There's nary a detail about pricing, but the goods will be available at various boutiques around the world and at Space Program: Mars while it's open until Jun 17th inside of New York City's Park Avenue Armory. You'll find more details

Nike and Tom Sachs reach for the stars, create NikeCraft sportswear with space-grade materials originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 21:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Project Aether films northern lights at 100,000 feet using a GoPro camera on a balloon (video)

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ImageProject Aether captures images of northern lights at 100,000 feet using a GoPro camera on a balloon (video)

Sadly we can't all be spacemen. Commercial travel beyond the atmosphere is getting closer but still priced way, way, way beyond the budgetary constraints of mere human beings. The closest many of us will get to outer space is photography and, thanks to ever-cheaper and ever-more-durable cameras, getting those pictures is easier than ever. We recently visited Project Aether on location in Fairbanks Alaska, a group working to study what happens in the upper atmosphere and, along the way, inspire students around the world. Using a helium-filled weather balloon and a payload made of carbon fiber tubing, the team lofted a set of GoPro HD Hero 2 cameras, one of which captured photos of the green aurora borealis and, off to the side, the lingering the glow from a long-set sun. That black arc below? That's the earth.

We'll have much, much more to come on Project Aether in an upcoming Distro feature, but for now, enjoy the video below -- and keep your head in the clouds.

Continue reading Project Aether films northern lights at 100,000 feet using a GoPro camera on a balloon (video)

Project Aether films northern lights at 100,000 feet using a GoPro camera on a balloon (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 08:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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