May 29

Inhabitat’s Week in Green: hydrogen-powered space plane, Japan’s solar surge and urban farms of Ze Future

Posted in: green, Japan, NASA, solar, solar power, SolarPower, Today's Chili

Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week’s most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us — it’s the Week in Green.


Green transportation took off for the stars this week as Inhabitat reported that the European Space Agency has approved of a new hydrogen-powered “Skylon” space plane, and we spotted a hot Star Wars-inspired electric chopper that wouldn’t look out of place on the Death Star. We also learned that NASA plans to rejoin the space race with a new MPCV craft fit for deep space flights, while here on Earth we saw GE harness the power of the sun to charge Volt EVs before they hit dealerships.

Speaking of solar power, Japan unveiled plans to construct 10 new solar power plants in the wake of the Fukushima Nuclear Crisis, while Switzerland announced that it will completely phase out the use of nuclear power. We also showcased a stunning chandelier made from 500 fluttering photovoltaic butterflies, and we saw Nevada kick-start construction on the US’ first molten salt solar plant, which will generate energy long after the sun has set.

We also brought you several incredible feats of architecture this week, from a restaurant made from a recycled Soviet airplane in Zurich to an innovative cocoon-like building made from sugarcane that recently won an AIA competition. We also showed how Plantlab is making vertical urban farms a reality, and we spotted a sky-high proposal for an energy-generating city on stilts that would hover over Manhattan. Finally, this week we rounded up some of our favorite eco apps and services that can help you green your consumption.

Inhabitat’s Week in Green: hydrogen-powered space plane, Japan’s solar surge and urban farms of Ze Future originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 May 2011 22:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 28

Visualized: a decade of mapping the universe, and all we got was this bloated JPEG

Posted in: galaxy, NASA, science, space, Today's Chili

Thousands upon thousands of galaxies. Ten years to complete. A glance at the most complete map of the local universe anywhere in existence. Something tells us Richard Branson‘s getting a print for his Virgin Galactic headquarters…

Continue reading Visualized: a decade of mapping the universe, and all we got was this bloated JPEG

Visualized: a decade of mapping the universe, and all we got was this bloated JPEG originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 May 2011 08:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 26

NASA commits to Orion-based Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle for space exploration

Posted in: NASA, space, Today's Chili
There’s been a lot of talk of things coming to an end at NASA lately, but there are also some new beginnings, and the space agency has now officially filled in one big gap. It’s announced that the so-called Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (or MPCV) will be its go-to space exploration vehicle for missions beyond Low Earth Orbit — presumably, the individual spacecraft will get names more up to the level of boldly-named vehicles like Endeavor and Atlantis. If it looks a little familiar, that’s because the MPCV will be based on the Orion spacecraft that was developed under the now-canceled Constellation program and, like it, it will be built by Lockheed Martin. Once its put into service, the spacecraft will be capable of carrying four astronauts on missions up to 21 days, and it could even be used as a backup for cargo and crew delivery to the ISS — to actually get into space, it would blast off atop a heavy lift rocket, and then splash down Apollo-style in the Pacific Ocean. Head on past the break for NASA’s official announcement.

Continue reading NASA commits to Orion-based Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle for space exploration

NASA commits to Orion-based Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle for space exploration originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 May 2011 19:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 25

NASA abandons Mars rover Spirit, chooses to remember the good times

Posted in: launch, NASA, robot, space, Today's Chili

More than a year after it first lost contact with its Mars rover Spirit, NASA has finally decided to throw in the towel. Yesterday, the agency confirmed that it will end all planned communications with the robot on May 25th, effectively ending the craft’s seven-year mission. NASA was hoping that the approaching Martian spring would allow the Spirit to recharge its solar panels and re-establish radio contact, but it now appears that the craft sustained irreparable damage last winter, when it was forced to endure brutally cold temperatures. NASA executive David Lavery, however, says the rover team will remember the Spirit more for its achievements than its slow demise:

“I think we’ll all sit around and have a sip of Guinness and reminisce about when Spirit was a wee small little rover and look back at the accomplishments and successes rover had over its entire lifetime.”

So the Spirit’s spirit will live on, but what about NASA’s mission to Mars? Well, the Opportunity is still in good health and, later this year, will be joined by the next-generation, nuclear-powered rover Curiosity, which will investigate whether or not Mars ever supported life forms. Meanwhile, NASA’s network of orbiting spacecraft will continue to passively listen for signals from the Spirit, just in case it miraculously comes back to life. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading NASA abandons Mars rover Spirit, chooses to remember the good times

NASA abandons Mars rover Spirit, chooses to remember the good times originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 May 2011 07:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 22

Astronomers snap black hole murder in graphic detail (video)

Posted in: galaxy, NASA, space, Today's Chili, video

We tend to imagine a black hole sucking everything around it straight into oblivion. The truth, however, is even more gruesome. Astronomers have just captured an ultra hi-res image of our neighbouring galaxy, Centaurus A, and it helps to reveal what actually happens. Matter is yanked helplessly towards a black hole at the galaxy’s core, but it refuses to die quietly. For some unknown reason, it erupts as it falls, spewing out vast plumes of particles — like blood from celestial murder. These death throes emit radio waves, allowing us to witness them using radio telescopes even though we are 12 million light-years away. If only we were closer; if only we could intervene. Alas, all we can do is watch the video after the break and hit the source links for a fuller explanation — though, admittedly, none of those sound like awful options.

Continue reading Astronomers snap black hole murder in graphic detail (video)

Astronomers snap black hole murder in graphic detail (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 22 May 2011 21:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 19

Willard Boyle, man who revolutionized digital imaging, dies at 86

Posted in: digital camera, DigitalCamera, NASA, Today's Chili

We have some sad news to share with you today: Willard Boyle, the man who created the imaging technology behind everything from digital cameras to barcode scanners, has died at the age of 86. In 2009, Boyle shared a Nobel Prize in physics for inventing the CCD, which allowed people to capture images in digital format for the first time. It all began way back in 1969, when Boyle and his future co-Laureate, George E. Smith, started laying the groundwork for the CCD while working at Bell Laboratories. Building off of Einstein’s photoelectric effect, the two eventually came up with a way to locate and quantify the electrons that are knocked out of orbit every time light strikes silicon. Boyle and Smith used this technology to create their own digital camera in 1970, as well as a TV camera in 1975. Prior to his groundbreaking invention, Boyle spent two years working for NASA’s Apollo program and helped develop both the ruby laser and the semiconductor injection laser. The last three decades of Boyle’s life were spent in Wallace, Canada, where he grew up and, on May 7th, passed away after battling kidney disease. He’s survived by his wife, three children and an indelible legacy.

Willard Boyle, man who revolutionized digital imaging, dies at 86 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 May 2011 15:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 16

Space Shuttle Endeavour lifts off one last time (video)

Posted in: launch, NASA, space, Today's Chili, video
NASA’s Endeavour shuttle marked its final launch today, lifting off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, a fortnight after an initial takeoff was scrubbed over concerns surrounding an auxiliary power unit heater. A six-member crew lead by commander Mark Kelly and some tiny satellites are on-board for the STS-134 mission, which involves the delivery of the massive cosmic ray-collecting Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer and some spare parts to the International Space Station. NASA’s 134th flight is the penultimate mission for the current fleet of shuttle — Atlantis will liftoff for a final time in July. Video of the smoke-filled majesty after the break.

Continue reading Space Shuttle Endeavour lifts off one last time (video)

Space Shuttle Endeavour lifts off one last time (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 May 2011 12:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 10

This Space Sphere Contains a Secret Message to Aliens [Space]

Posted in: NASA, Retro, space, Today's Chili, top

This is LAGEOS. Since 1976, this perfect disco sphere has been orbiting Earth carrying 426 cube corner reflectors made of fused silica glass—except four, made of germanium. It also contains a coded message, designed by Dr. Carl Sagan. More »

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May 06

NASA concludes Gravity Probe B space-time experiment, proves Einstein really was a genius

Posted in: NASA, satellite, space, Today's Chili
Well, it looks like Einstein knew what he was talking about, after all. Earlier this week, researchers at NASA and Stanford released the findings from their six-year Gravity Probe B (GP-B) mission, launched to test Einstein’s general theory of relativity. To do so, engineers strapped the GP-B satellite with four ultra-precise gyroscopes to measure two pillars of the theory: the geodetic effect (the bending of space and time around a gravitational body) and frame dragging (the extent to which rotating bodies drag space and time with them as they spin on their axes). As they circled the Earth in polar orbit, the GP-B’s gyroscopes were pointed squarely at the IM Pegasi guide star, while engineers observed their behavior. In the universe outlined by Einstein’s theories, space and time are interwoven to create a four-dimensional web, atop which the Earth and other planetary bodies sit. The Earth’s mass, he argued, creates a vortex in this web, implying that all objects orbiting the planet would follow the general curvature of this dimple. If the Earth’s gravity had no effect on space and time, then, the position of NASA’s gyroscopes would have remained unchanged throughout the orbit. Ultimately, though, researchers noticed small, but quantifiable changes in their spin as they made their way around the globe — changes that corroborated Einstein’s theory. Francis Everitt, a Stanford physicist and principal investigator for the mission, poetically explained the significance of the findings, in a statement:
“Imagine the Earth as if it were immersed in honey. As the planet rotated its axis and orbited the Sun, the honey around it would warp and swirl, and it’s the same with space and time. GP-B confirmed two of the most profound predictions of Einstein’s universe, having far-reaching implications across astrophysics research. Likewise, the decades of technological innovation behind the mission will have a lasting legacy on Earth and in space.”

The GP-B mission was originally conceived more than 50 years ago, when the technology required to realize the experiment still didn’t exist. In fact, the experiment didn’t actually get off the ground until 2004, when the satellite was launched into orbit 400 miles above Earth. After spending just one year collecting data (and an impressive five years analyzing the information), NASA has finally confirmed something we always quietly suspected: Einstein was smart. Head past the break to see a more in-depth diagram of how the GP-B gathered its data.

Continue reading NASA concludes Gravity Probe B space-time experiment, proves Einstein really was a genius

NASA concludes Gravity Probe B space-time experiment, proves Einstein really was a genius originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 May 2011 08:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 05

Fifty Years Ago, We (Tensely) Put the Second Man in Space [Techversary]

Posted in: NASA, space, Today's Chili, top

This week’s situation room photo will likely be marked as one of history’s most famous—fraught with anxiety. But there’ve been other American rooms filled with tension. When the US put Alan Shepard into space, it was serious business. More »

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