Hasta La Gadget!

There are a ton of dead satellites currently still orbiting the Earth, but certain parts on these satellites often still work, such as antennas and solar panels. However, there’s no method to salvage and reuse these satellite parts once they’re launched into space, but DARPA is looking into it, and has launched a new program specifically for recycling old satellite parts.

DARPA calls its new initiative the Phoenix program, and they’re looking to spend around $180 million to test technologies that will retrieve working parts from dead satellites and use them elsewhere. Essentially, DARPA wants to save money overall, and increase the return on investment with all of its satellites.

Essentially, DARPA will launch a robotic mechanic into space with a toolkit that will be able to mine dead satellites for parts. There would then be a separate launch of multiple mini-satellites, where the robotic mechanic would then connect the mini-satellites to the old satellite parts to create a whole new satellite of sorts.

The Phoenix program is actually already under way, and DARPA has given contracts to several companies to develop new technologies that will eventually be able to scrap old satellites for its parts. The agency is also seeking new proposals from interested companies starting next month. The first test that will find out whether the program will work or not will come in 2016, when it launches a demonstration mission to one of 140 dead satellites that DARPA has picked out for this mission. It’s a new technique that’s never been done before, so while we’d love it if the program went off without a hitch, there’s always the possibility that it might not work, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed hoping for the best.

DARPA to breathe new life into dead satellites is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Sometimes a PC lineup just needs a little nip and tuck, you know? Toshiba certainly thinks so, as it’s sweeping through its everyday all-in-one and laptop ranges with tweaks. The most conspicuous update we see is for the higher-end Satellite P series portables, which receive a Windows 8-friendly touchscreen on the 14-inch model and a 1080p display for the 17.3-inch behemoth. Toshiba also says it’s sprucing up the LX815 and LX835 all-in-ones, as well as the Satellite C, L and S series laptops, although the company isn’t specific on what’s truly new — we’ve reached out and will let you know what tune-ups are enroute. Regardless of the scope, all the new mainstream models should ship in February, with prices to come later.

Continue reading Toshiba updates its all-in-ones, mainstream Satellite laptops for early 2013

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

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Source: Toshiba

NASA must think our moon is getting lonely, because it’s mulling the idea of capturing an asteroid and placing it in lunar orbit, so it has a rocky satellite all of its own. More »

The United States Geological Survey is poised to shut down the Landsat 5, an observational satellite that has been circling our fair planet since 1984. The announcement comes about 25 years after when the satellite was originally slated for deactivation. During its life span, Landsat 5 has taken over 2.5 million snapshots.

The satellite is being shut down due to a gyroscope that broke, which the USGS announced on December 21. The gyroscope cannot be repaired, and thus ends the Landsat 5′s long life. The satellite’s decommissioning won’t be instant, however, with the USGS stating that it will take place over most of 2013. The unit has made in excess of 150,000 trips around the Earth.

The Geological Survey’s Director Marcia McNutt offered this statement. “Any major event since 1984 that left a mark on this Earth larger than a football field was likely recorded by Landsat 5, whether it was a hurricane, a tsunami, a wildfire, deforestation, or an oil spill.” The Landsat legacy won’t die with the Landsat 5, however.

The USGS has another observational satellite in orbit, the Landsat 7, which was launched in 1999. Likewise, there are plans to launch another dubbed the Landsat 8 in February. The first Landsat satellite, the Landsat 1, was launched in July of 1972. Says Anne Castle of the Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary for Water and Science, “This is the end of an era for a remarkable satellite, and the fact that it flew for almost three decades is a testament to the NASA engineers and the USGS team who launched it and kept it flying well beyond its expected lifetime.”

[via USGS]

Landsat 5, a satellite that has been observing Earth since 1984, to be shutdown is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

War isn’t always a bad thing – sometimes it’s been necessary for sweeping changes to take place. But it is, for the most part, a tragic time. Because aside from risking the lives of soldiers, there’s also the matter of taking away the lives of innocent civilians. These days, fewer human lives are risked in the skies as the military uses drones to carry out a lot of their bombing.

As you can see, it’s pretty well-documented. And now with the click of a button, you can view images of drone-hit areas in war zones like Afghanistan, where hundreds, if not thousands, of buildings and other structures have been leveled by these blasts.

This is all possible through Dronestagram, which makes use of image-sharing platforms like Tumblr and Instagram to share these images of destruction.

Behind the project is James Bridle, who explains his motivation behind it:

Wadi al Abu Jabara. Beit al Ahan. Jaar. Dhamar. Al-Saeed. Tappi. Bulandkhel. Hurmuz. Khaider khel. These are the names of places. They are towns, villages, junctions and roads. They are the names of places where people live and work, where there are families and schools. They are the names of places in Afghanistan and Yemen, which are linked by one thing: they have each been the location of drone strikes in the past couple of months.

Follow Dronestagram on Tumblr and Instagram and see the damage for yourself.

[via Dvice]