Tuesday, August 21st, 2012
by AJ Plunkett
The Medaka, or Japanese killifish, have the distinction of being the first vertebrates to mate and reproduce in space. If that weren’t enough, soon they will be answering the call of science again, producing offspring onboard the International Space Station in an experiment examining how radiation and microgravity in space affect multiple generations of a species. Read more.
Thursday, June 21st, 2012
by AJ Plunkett
Using satellite imagery to look for tsunami debris floating across the Pacific Ocean toward the west coasts of North America — it’s not as easy as you might think.
A U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) official was grilled last month by U.S. senators. The senators wanted to know what was being done to keep track of the estimated four million-plus tons of debris washed into the ocean by the March 2011 tsunami that engulfed the coast of Japan. Read more.
Thursday, June 7th, 2012
Firstly, what are Earth observation instruments? Secondly, why do we need them?
A recent report suggests a decline of U.S. Earth observation instruments within the next eight years, and it’s caused quite a buzz — especially over concerns that the losses could seriously hinder weather forecasting. In particular, the ability to spot tropical disturbances early and track their formation into hurricanes. Read more.
Thursday, March 8th, 2012
Like Mars, the moon is being renewed as a go-to place for space exploration — another space race alongside commercial space travel. So, what is the moon hiding beneath its crust that has the world wanting to mine its depths? It’s got a lot to do with water and precious resources.
Did you know that the moon may be able to serve as a giant launch pad for exploration into deep space? Mining the moon could play a major role in launching the human race into outer space.
Friday, February 24th, 2012
Remember back when the CN Tower awed the world? In 1995, the CN Tower was so impressive that it was named one of the world’s modern wonders. Now that a Japanese company has announced plans to build an elevator into outer space, the world’s tallest tower looks like it’s beginning to shrink.
Reported by SPACE.com just yesterday, the mammoth Japanese space structure is slated for completion by 2050. The concept is the brain child of a Japanese company, Obayashi Corp. (which is also currently building the Tokyo Sky Tree). As a relatively modest precursor to the space elevator, and at a height of 634 m, the Sky Tree will become the tallest self-supporting tower in the world, surpassing Toronto’s 553 m CN Tower. Read more.