China to put man on the moon by 2030
Beijing: China plans to make a manned moon landing by 2030, but the purpose of exploration of the moon should be seen as "peaceful" rather than a threat, a top scientist has said.
Ye Peijian, chief scientist of deep space exploration at the China Academy of Space Technology, said China's space technology still lags far behind the US and Russia, according to China Daily.
China's three-phase moon exploration plan began in October 2010 with the launch of the Chang'e-2. The second phase will see the Chang'e-3 land on the moon in 2013. Then, in 2017, a sample of rock from the moon will be sent to Earth.
China will launch a space module - the 8.5-tonne Tiangong-1 (or Heavenly Palace-1) - in 2011, after which two manned spacecraft would dock with the module in 2012, said a spokesman for the China Manned Space Engineering Office.
The Shenzhou IX and Shenzhou X spacecraft will blast off in 2012 for manned docking with Tiangong-1.
Training of astronauts for the manned missions has begun. China has also recruited its first two women astronauts for training.
The space station, which would have a lifespan of around 10 years, will be cared for by two or three on-board astronauts, and would be open to scientists from foreign countries, officials said.
Jumat, 04 Maret 2011
Rabu, 02 Maret 2011
Mock Mars Explorers Say Farewell to Virtual Red Planet
Space.com: Mock Mars Explorers Say Farewell to Virtual Red Planet
crew of mock Mars explorers has wrapped up the exploration of a simulated Red Planet and is now set to "fly" back home to Earth – and back to reality.
The Red Planet simulation, called the Mars500 mission, entered the months-long home stretch today (March 2), when six "astronauts" began maneuvering their spaceship — actually a collection of sealed modules on the outskirts of Moscow — to leave Mars orbit and return to Eath. The virtual interplanetary journey will end in November, when the spaceflyers will "land" on their home planet and breathe fresh air for the first time in nearly 18 months.
"T-249 days to the end of 520-day experiment," Mars500 organizers wrote in a Twitter message yesterday. "TODAY: hatch closure, Mars Lander undocking. See you later Mars!"
Elaborate Mars experiment
Mars500 is a $15 million experiment being run by the European Space Agency, Russia and China. It "launched" last June, when six male crewmembers — three Russians, two Europeans and a Chinese astronaut trainer — locked themselves inside a windowless mock spaceship at the Institute of Biomedical Problems in Moscow. [Infographic: The Mars500 Mission]
The project aims to simulate a round trip to Mars — hence the name. Researchers are closely monitoring the crewmembers' physiological and behavioral responses during the long months of isolation and confinement.
Project scientists hope the experiment will help them better understand the stresses that such a long space voyage would impose on human crews, as well as offer solutions to help prevent or mitigate problems during an actual Mars mission, officials have said.
Last month, three Mars500 astronauts descended in a mock lander to the Martian surface — actually another module, outfitted with rocks and some red dirt. They drove rovers around in a high-tech video game and performed a series of "Marswalks" while wearing 77-pound (35-kilogram) spacesuits.
"I think that even if it wasn't exactly the same emotion someone would feel on Mars, it did come quite close, at least for me," Mars500 astronaut Diego Urbina wrote in a blog post after a simulated Marswalk.
Next stop: Earth
Urbina and the two other Marswalkers returned to the mothership on Feb. 27, rejoining the three astronauts who had stayed behind "in orbit." Yesterday, the six reunited crewmembers went through the motions of loading the "lander" with rubbish and detaching it from the main spacecraft, as the crew of a real Mars mission would do upon departing.
Today, the Mars500 astronauts began positioning their mothership for one last orbit around Mars, according to ESA officials, after which the crew will head back toward Earth. The trip home should take about eight months. It's likely to be the most difficult part of the mission for the crewmembers, since they don't have a highlight like the Mars landing to look forward to, officials have said.
But as of now, things are going well, according to project organizers.
"The crew is highly motivated and performing very well," Jennifer Ngo-Anh, ESA's Mars500 manager, said in a recent statement. "At this point, everything looks very good."
crew of mock Mars explorers has wrapped up the exploration of a simulated Red Planet and is now set to "fly" back home to Earth – and back to reality.
The Red Planet simulation, called the Mars500 mission, entered the months-long home stretch today (March 2), when six "astronauts" began maneuvering their spaceship — actually a collection of sealed modules on the outskirts of Moscow — to leave Mars orbit and return to Eath. The virtual interplanetary journey will end in November, when the spaceflyers will "land" on their home planet and breathe fresh air for the first time in nearly 18 months.
"T-249 days to the end of 520-day experiment," Mars500 organizers wrote in a Twitter message yesterday. "TODAY: hatch closure, Mars Lander undocking. See you later Mars!"
Elaborate Mars experiment
Mars500 is a $15 million experiment being run by the European Space Agency, Russia and China. It "launched" last June, when six male crewmembers — three Russians, two Europeans and a Chinese astronaut trainer — locked themselves inside a windowless mock spaceship at the Institute of Biomedical Problems in Moscow. [Infographic: The Mars500 Mission]
The project aims to simulate a round trip to Mars — hence the name. Researchers are closely monitoring the crewmembers' physiological and behavioral responses during the long months of isolation and confinement.
Project scientists hope the experiment will help them better understand the stresses that such a long space voyage would impose on human crews, as well as offer solutions to help prevent or mitigate problems during an actual Mars mission, officials have said.
Last month, three Mars500 astronauts descended in a mock lander to the Martian surface — actually another module, outfitted with rocks and some red dirt. They drove rovers around in a high-tech video game and performed a series of "Marswalks" while wearing 77-pound (35-kilogram) spacesuits.
"I think that even if it wasn't exactly the same emotion someone would feel on Mars, it did come quite close, at least for me," Mars500 astronaut Diego Urbina wrote in a blog post after a simulated Marswalk.
Next stop: Earth
Urbina and the two other Marswalkers returned to the mothership on Feb. 27, rejoining the three astronauts who had stayed behind "in orbit." Yesterday, the six reunited crewmembers went through the motions of loading the "lander" with rubbish and detaching it from the main spacecraft, as the crew of a real Mars mission would do upon departing.
Today, the Mars500 astronauts began positioning their mothership for one last orbit around Mars, according to ESA officials, after which the crew will head back toward Earth. The trip home should take about eight months. It's likely to be the most difficult part of the mission for the crewmembers, since they don't have a highlight like the Mars landing to look forward to, officials have said.
But as of now, things are going well, according to project organizers.
"The crew is highly motivated and performing very well," Jennifer Ngo-Anh, ESA's Mars500 manager, said in a recent statement. "At this point, everything looks very good."
The gigantic underground moon cave
The Week: The Gigantic Underground Moon Cave
Indian scientists have uncovered a cavern on the moon big enough to be a home base for human voyagers. Is this a game-changer for space exploration?
posted on March 2, 2011, at 12:37 PM
Indian scientists believe they have located an underground cave on the moon with a temperate climate that would make it an ideal base for future manned missions. Photo: NASA SEE ALL 37 PHOTOS
India's space agency announced it had discovered an enormous volcanic cave under the surface of the moon, in the midst of analyzing 3D images taken last year by the lunar orbiter Chandrayaan-1. Thanks in large part to its stable climate, the cave could provide suitable housing for humans who want to further explore the moon. Here's a brief guide to this groundbreaking discovery:
How big is this thing?
The cave, which was formed from "ancient volcanic lava flows," is more than one mile long and 393 feet wide — big enough to "contain a small lunar city or a secret Nazi base with a few thousand UFOs," says Jesus Diaz at Gizmodo. It's far bigger than what was previously the largest-known hole on the moon, which is 213 feet across and 289 feet deep, and was discovered by the Japanese Space agency Jaxa in 2009.
Why is it so good for humans?
Its main attraction is a temperate climate. Temperatures on the moon swing wildly, from a maximum of 262 degrees Fahrenheit to a minimum of -292. The cave holds steady at a (relatively) comfortable -4, since the moon's weather can't penetrate its 40-foot-thick wall. It could also protect astronauts from "hazardous radiations, micro-meteoritic impacts," and dust storms, according to paper published by the journal Current Science, as quoted by Silicon India.
So when are we moving in?
Though there has been a recent surge of interest in exploring the moon, "scientists caution that it would be unrealistic to expect any long-term habitation efforts within the next two decades," says G.S. Mudur at the Indian newspaper The Telegraph. Some observers aren't pleased with that assessment. "What's the holdup?" says Adam Frucci at DVice. "Let's get building! I want to visit a hotel in a moon base sometime in the next 20 years, please!"
Indian scientists have uncovered a cavern on the moon big enough to be a home base for human voyagers. Is this a game-changer for space exploration?
posted on March 2, 2011, at 12:37 PM
Indian scientists believe they have located an underground cave on the moon with a temperate climate that would make it an ideal base for future manned missions. Photo: NASA SEE ALL 37 PHOTOS
India's space agency announced it had discovered an enormous volcanic cave under the surface of the moon, in the midst of analyzing 3D images taken last year by the lunar orbiter Chandrayaan-1. Thanks in large part to its stable climate, the cave could provide suitable housing for humans who want to further explore the moon. Here's a brief guide to this groundbreaking discovery:
How big is this thing?
The cave, which was formed from "ancient volcanic lava flows," is more than one mile long and 393 feet wide — big enough to "contain a small lunar city or a secret Nazi base with a few thousand UFOs," says Jesus Diaz at Gizmodo. It's far bigger than what was previously the largest-known hole on the moon, which is 213 feet across and 289 feet deep, and was discovered by the Japanese Space agency Jaxa in 2009.
Why is it so good for humans?
Its main attraction is a temperate climate. Temperatures on the moon swing wildly, from a maximum of 262 degrees Fahrenheit to a minimum of -292. The cave holds steady at a (relatively) comfortable -4, since the moon's weather can't penetrate its 40-foot-thick wall. It could also protect astronauts from "hazardous radiations, micro-meteoritic impacts," and dust storms, according to paper published by the journal Current Science, as quoted by Silicon India.
So when are we moving in?
Though there has been a recent surge of interest in exploring the moon, "scientists caution that it would be unrealistic to expect any long-term habitation efforts within the next two decades," says G.S. Mudur at the Indian newspaper The Telegraph. Some observers aren't pleased with that assessment. "What's the holdup?" says Adam Frucci at DVice. "Let's get building! I want to visit a hotel in a moon base sometime in the next 20 years, please!"
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