Two newly discovered meteorites from Antarctica have feldspar-rich rock called andesite, similar to those found on Earth. The rocks' age and chemical signature suggest they formed on an undifferentiated asteroid with a diameter over 100 kilometers, providing insights into the early stages of planetary formation.
The NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) successfully completed a comprehensive Mission Operations Readiness Review, assessing its operational readiness and progress to launch. The review determined that NPP's overall operations readiness is sound, with strengths and weaknesses identified but no major issues found.
Researchers at Mayo Clinic developed a probe that can detect cancerous cells in the colon with 90% accuracy, reducing the need for unnecessary polyp removal. The probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy system could potentially cut colon polyp removal in half.
Recent research suggests that mass extinctions may be more common than previously thought, with 'sick Earth' extinctions being the norm. The study of five mass extinctions reveals that asteroid impacts are unlikely to have triggered most of them.
CU-Boulder's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics has been selected by NASA to lead the $485 million Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission. The MAVEN spacecraft will study Mars' upper atmosphere, solar wind, and ionosphere to determine its past climate and potential life.
Merging multiple CT images simplifies probe repositioning during radiofrequency ablation treatments, according to a recent study. The summation method allows for rapid and accurate visualization of treated areas, increasing the effectiveness of the treatment.
A novel 3D ultrasound probe guides catheter procedures with clearer real-time images, eliminating x-ray radiation and contrast agent risks. The device is portable and provides continuous imaging, enabling wider range of interventional procedures.
A new probe that uses light to detect skin cancer has received more funding for clinical trials. The device, called a 'clinical spectrometer,' can take measurements and identify cancerous cells within seconds.
Scientists propose that sunlight increases or decreases the spin rate of asteroids, leading to moon formation through material slung off at the equator. This process exposes fresh material at the poles and coalesces into a satellite orbiting its parent.
The GLAST Mission Operations Center (MOC) at NASA Goddard is responsible for several aspects of the GLAST mission, including command planning and monitoring the Large Area Telescope's health and safety. The observatory is commanded from MOC and is receiving high-quality data, enabling optimal science return.
Researchers have designed a new probe to image thousands of protein interactions inside living cells, giving them a tool to untangle signaling pathways. The probes are derived from an enzyme and its peptide substrate, allowing for easy detection of protein interactions.
The High-Resolution Soft X-Ray Spectrometer (SXS) will investigate dark matter, galaxy formation, and explore the nature of matter in extreme environments. NASA's Explorer Program Mission of Opportunity has awarded $44 million for the instrument and operations.
Computer simulations support massive asteroid impact as explanation for Mars' hemispheric differences. The models suggest that an impactor about one-half to two-thirds the size of the Moon could have created the observed differences.
The University of Colorado at Boulder returned nearly $3 million in cost savings to NASA for the Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) satellite mission. The SORCE mission, launched in 2003, was controlled from CU-Boulder's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics and provided critical measurements of solar variation.
Researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have created a new probe that allows for the modeling and measurement of the immune system in action. The probe enables scientists to monitor the immune response at the whole body level in 3D, facilitating faster diagnosis and treatment evaluation of immunological disorders.
The Phoenix Mars Mission will investigate the Martian environment, searching for signs of climate cycles and microbial life. The spacecraft will collect soil and ice samples and analyze them to understand the Red Planet's history.
Researchers at Mayo Clinic have developed a high-resolution confocal endomicroscopy probe system that can accurately identify benign colon polyps without removal. The technology was tested in 37 patients and showed an accuracy rate of 98% in flagging non-cancerous polyps.
The OSTM/Jason 2 satellite will monitor global sea-level rise and study ocean circulation and its links to Earth's climate. The mission aims to improve weather and climate forecasts, providing better seasonal predictions and near-real-time data on ocean conditions.
Scientists found tiny airborne carbon cenospheres near an asteroid impact site, formed when carbon deep in the Earth's crust was vaporized and created new structures in the atmosphere. The discovery suggests environmental circumstances were less dramatic than previously thought, challenging the long-held fire-on-Earth hypothesis.
The Solar Probe mission will study the streams of charged particles emitted by the sun, exploring the processes that heat its corona and produce solar wind. The spacecraft will zip past the sun at speeds up to 125 miles per second, gathering data on magnetic fields, energy flow, and energetic particle formation.
A NASA satellite mission led by MIT Professor Dara Entekhabi will provide global soil moisture data, essential for accurate weather forecasts and understanding the global carbon cycle. The Soil Moisture Active-Passive mission (SMAP) aims to create a new perspective on how water, energy, and carbon cycles work together.
Three postdoctoral researchers have been chosen to support innovative research on the Gamma-ray Large Area Telescope (GLAST) mission. The program aims to stimulate new ideas and approaches to enhance the scientific return of GLAST, surveying the high-energy sky with unprecedented sensitivity.
A robotic probe called ENDURANCE will test its performance in cold, icy conditions on Lake Mendota, simulating the environment of Jupiter's moon Europa. The probe is designed to map underwater environments and collect data on biological conditions.
Arecibo Observatory will observe near-Earth asteroid TU24 on January 27-28 and February 1-4, using its powerful radar to gauge size, speed, and spin. The mission aims to map the object's surface in detail, providing valuable information about potentially hazardous near-Earth objects.
New research reveals that comet Wild 2's sample is missing ingredients expected in cometary IDPs and resembles chondritic meteorites from the asteroid belt. The high-speed capture of Stardust particles may have altered the material.
New seismic images of the Chicxulub crater suggest the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs landed in deeper water than previously thought. This led to a larger release of water vapor into the atmosphere, which could have exacerbated the effects of acid rain and climate change.
BepiColombo, a joint ESA-JAXA mission, will make the most comprehensive study of Mercury ever, revealing its composition, magnetosphere, and origin. The mission consists of two spacecraft: MPO and MMO, carrying instruments to study the planet's surface and internal structure.
The Hubble servicing mission, scheduled for August 2008, aims to equip the telescope with new instruments, including the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph and Wide Field Camera 3. These upgrades will enhance Hubble's capabilities to explore the universe, studying dark matter, dark energy, and planetary atmospheres.
The Deep Impact spacecraft is using its flyby of Earth to calibrate its instruments for the EPOXI mission, which will study comet Hartley 2. The team made observations of the moon to test the spacecraft's pointing and commanding systems.
The EPOXI mission will use the Deep Impact spacecraft to search for Earth-sized planets around five stars and conduct an extended flyby of Comet Hartley 2, studying its surface and composition. This new mission aims to better understand how solar systems form and evolve.
The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission will precisely map the moon's gravitational pull, revealing differences in density of the moon's crust and mantle. The detailed information gained will facilitate future manned or unmanned missions to land on the moon.
A mathematical algorithm has been developed to determine the most efficient path for a spacecraft's journey from point A to point B, regardless of distance or time. The algorithm was tested and validated on the 1997 Cassini Mission, which required numerous gravity assists and complex maneuvers.
The probe, which binds to active proteases in cancerous cells, beams out near-infrared light that passes through skin and is detectable with a special camera. The technique has the potential to provide a less harmful method of detecting cancer, especially in early stages.
The National Research Council recommends pursuing the Joint Dark Energy Mission as the first mission in the 'Beyond Einstein' program, which aims to study dark energy. The report also suggests investing additional funds in technology development of the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) program.
The National Research Council recommends the Joint Dark Energy Mission, supported by NASA and DOE, to study dark energy's role in the universe's expansion. The mission aims to map the sky with unprecedented resolution and study Type Ia supernovae to shed light on this mysterious entity.
The UK's proposed TRUTHS satellite mission seeks to settle international debates on climate change by launching a calibration laboratory into space. This will enable more accurate climate data and inform predictive quality of climate models.
Researchers developed a self-test tool using data from an undersea mission to assess stress, fatigue and cognitive fitness in astronauts. The test involves a vigilance task and cortisol measurements to evaluate the effects of prolonged space missions on mental performance.
A CU-Boulder team is part of a massive field campaign studying tropical storms' impact on global warming and stratospheric ozone depletion. The team will use three NASA aircraft, seven satellites, and other instruments to collect data on chemical compounds, high-altitude clouds, and their influence on the Earth's radiation budget.
Researchers mapped the stiffness of bovine shin bone using a molecular force probe, revealing non-uniformity in bone's mechanical properties within a single region. The study's findings could lead to improved diagnoses and treatments of bone diseases, as well as the development of new materials with improved toughness.
Raven, a mobile surgical robot developed by the University of Washington, will operate in an underwater capsule off the coast of Florida, guided by surgeons in Seattle. The 12-day mission tests current technology for sending remote-controlled surgical robotic systems into space.
The Gravity Probe B satellite has confirmed Einstein's predicted geodetic effect to a precision of better than 1 percent, but the frame-dragging effect is 170 times smaller and requires further analysis. Electrostatic patches on the gyroscopes' surface cause small torques, complicating the measurement of relativity effects.
A satellite carrying CU-Boulder instruments will probe noctilucent clouds forming 50 miles above Earth's polar regions every year. The mission aims to determine why these clouds form and how they change, potentially linked to human activity.
A team of astronomers has assembled the most complete picture yet of a pair of asteroids orbiting each other, thanks to combined observations from professionals and amateurs. The asteroid 90 Antiope is depicted as two slightly egg-shaped rubble piles locked in orbit, with uncertainties remaining from previous studies.
Astronomers have described the double asteroid Antiope in unprecedented detail, revealing its unique orbit and shape. The asteroid consists of two rubble-pile chunks of material, tidally locked and rotating around each other at the same speed as they orbit.
A comprehensive tree of mammalian evolution puts major diversifications well after dinosaur die-off, casting doubt on their impact. The team constructed a complete evolutionary tree using molecular data and fossil evidence, finding that diversification didn't take off until the Eocene epoch, about 56 to 34 million years ago.
A team of scientists observed the speeding up of an asteroid's rotation, showing it is due to the heating of its surface by the Sun. The YORP effect, a theoretical prediction, was directly detected in action on a small near-Earth asteroid.
A team of international researchers has found an asteroid whose rotation speed increases due to re-radiation of solar energy from its surface. The study confirms that non-gravitational forces play a crucial role in asteroid evolution and could potentially affect asteroid collisions with Earth.
Cornell astronomers have confirmed that solar radiation and an asteroid's shape determine its rotation rate, a phenomenon known as the Yarkovsky-O'Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack Effect. This effect can help explain the formation of binary asteroids by creating strong centrifugal forces.
A novel detection procedure using nanotechnology and high-temperature superconductors enables surgeons to accurately locate the sentinel lymph node for breast cancer. The ultrasensitive magnetic probe detects minuscule magnetic fields, allowing for more effective staging and treatment of breast cancer.
A new study published in the journal SLEEP found that sleepy driver near-misses may be dangerous precursors to actual accidents. The study analyzed 35,217 individuals and reported that near-miss accidents associated with sleepiness were common, occurring in 18.3% of the sample.
The Corot space mission is scheduled to launch on December 27, 2006, and will detect planets orbiting around other stars. The mission will also probe the secrets of stellar interiors, potentially discovering rocky worlds similar to Earth.
Researchers have discovered a binary asteroid system where two asteroids orbit around each other, creating a unique and fascinating phenomenon. The larger object is spinning so fast that it has been flattened into a flying saucer shape, with the lowest points on the surface actually forming the highest ridges.
Scientists have observed a continuously changing feature in Saturn's innermost ring, the D ring, which indicates a recent comet or asteroid collision. The findings suggest that Saturn's rings are not eternal but dynamic systems that can change over time.
A recent study confirms that asteroids can be the source of Earth's meteorites due to space weathering. The process of high-energy ion bombardment and particle vaporization changes an asteroid's optical properties, making them similar to common meteorite samples.
Scientists on the NASA African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses (NAMMA) mission used a combination of satellites and aircraft to study hurricanes. They found surprisingly strong winds in tropical disturbances and evidence of dry air, which typically comes from the Sahara Air Layer.
SNAP, a NASA-supported mission, aims to measure the expansion history of the universe and investigate dark energy. Using two independent techniques, it will analyze thousands of Type Ia supernovae and independently probe the growth structure of the universe.
University of Utah meteorologist Ed Zipser leads a NASA mission to study African weather disturbances that intensify into hurricanes. The study aims to improve hurricane prediction and understanding of extreme events like category 5 storms.
Researchers created a nanoscale probe that can capture both biochemical makeup and topography of complex biological objects in their natural environment. The Scanning Mass Spectrometry (SMS) probe helps understand cellular interactions at the most fundamental level, including cell signaling and protein expression.
Astronomers have found four stable groups of asteroids around the Sun: Kuiper Belt, Jupiter Trojans, main asteroid belt, and now Neptune Trojans. The new discoveries suggest a large population of high-inclination Neptune Trojans, which may have formed after giant planets settled into their orbits.
Asteroid Itokawa's surface composition was determined by Brown University researcher Takahiro Hiroi, who linked it to LL chondrites, a common class of stony meteorites. The team also described the asteroid's diverse terrain, suggesting it may be an earlier stage of asteroid evolution and formation.