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.
Tuesday, August 14th, 2012
by AJ Plunkett
Did you know that there have been not one, but five Canadarms? Now, after three decades of hard work, Canadarm has come home. Read more.
Wednesday, August 8th, 2012
by Theras Wood Something unusual surrounded the successful landing of Curiosity on Mars — and it happened right here on Earth.
Monday, July 30th, 2012
by Jason Taetsch
Could we all have our own drones one day? Following the successful test of civilian drones by CAE and Aeronautics, the Canadian government is considering removing restrictions placed on UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) for non-military purposes.
Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012
It’s getting busier in outer space, and a United Nations panel is now calling for stronger regulations on how humans conduct themselves beyond Earth’s boundaries. In particular, the Legal Subcommittee of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space wants to keep an eye on the increased activity of private sector space enterprise.
The call for increased regulation was sent out barely a month before a group of high-profile entrepreneurs — operating under Planetary Resources Inc. – announced their intention to mine asteroids for minerals and other resources. By some estimates, this venture could make the company trillions of dollars.
Planetary Resources’ April 24 announcement was followed, within hours, by the musings of bloggers on the legalities of how such exploration could be done and the issue of celestial ownership. It’s just one type of scenario that the U.N. subcommittee appeared to be trying anticipate after almost two weeks of meetings in late March.
Tuesday, May 1st, 2012
At 5:57 A.M. on July 21, 2011, the Space Shuttle Atlantis touched down at the tarmac at Kennedy Space Center for the final time. For many, the landing brought about an end of an era along with a tinge of sadness. After all, the Shuttle fleet had flown over 130 missions since launching in April of 1981, and was a source of pride for many over the program’s 30-year span of deployment. Read more.
Saturday, April 28th, 2012
Earlier this month we blogged about the recent success of space commercialization and the planned mission to dock the first private space craft, the SpaceX Dragon capsule, with the International Space Station (ISS). If that news wasn’t big enough, the newsrooms and blogs roared back to life following an announcement that film director James Cameron and top executives at Google are planning a venture – Planetary Resources, Inc. – to begin mining minerals from asteroids, as soon as 2013. Read more.
Thursday, April 26th, 2012
Sir Isaac Newton put it best: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. His theory holds true to this day, but when it comes social change, the laws of physics just don’t apply.
Wednesday, April 25th, 2012
To a passerby, April 21 resembled any other beautiful day in the San Francisco Bay. Or so it seemed. A smattering of clouds dotted the skies and gulls soared over the tourists’ heads. People milled about, leaning against railings, chatting with friends, and watching boats glide out of the harbour.
Monday, April 23rd, 2012
This Saturday April 21, Vancouver’s H.R. MacMillan Space Centre played host to ‘Earth in HD’ — an evening with UrtheCast President Scott Larson, who presented UrtheCast’s plan to offer the first high-definition (HD) video of Earth from the International Space Station (ISS). Read more.