Wednesday 10 July 2013

NASA and Japanese Space Agency Discuss Space Cooperation

Jagged graphene edges can slice into cell membranes

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Researchers have shown how tiny graphene sheets can be big trouble for cells. Sharp corners and jagged edges on the sheets puncture cell membranes, allowing the sheet to enter the cell and disrupt function. The new understanding of how graphene interacts with cells could lead to safer production of this important nanomaterial.

via Science Daily

Space station illuminates dusty plasmas for a wide range of research

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One of the most frequently-used physics laboratories on the International Space Station recently completed its final set of experiments. The Plasma Kristall Experiment (PK-3 Plus) lab, a Russian-German cooperation in operation since January 2006, has provided new insight into an unusual type of matter called plasma crystals. Though the experiment runs came to a close on June 14, the research continues to open an exciting world of potential technological spin-offs in medicine, agriculture and general science.

via Science Daily

NASA Announces Education Research Program Award Recipients

NASA has awarded $10.5 million to colleges and universities to conduct research and technology development in areas important to the agency's mission, develop faculty and support higher education students.

via NASA Breaking News

http://www.nasa.gov/press/2013/july/nasa-announces-education-research-program-award-recipients

IBEX spacecraft images the heliotail, revealing an unexpected structure

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NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer spacecraft recently provided the first complete pictures of the solar system's downwind region, revealing a unique and unexpected structure.

via Science Daily

NASA Satellite Provides First View of the Solar System's Tail

Like a comet, the solar system has a tail. NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) has for the first time mapped out the structure of this tail, which is shaped like a four-leaf clover.

via NASA Breaking News

http://www.nasa.gov/press/2013/july/nasa-satellite-provides-first-view-of-the-solar-systems-tail

Where do astronauts go when they need 'to go?'

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The first American man in space had no place “to go,” and urinating in space was a tough problem for engineers to solve. A new article discusses the considerations necessary to accommodate this most basic physiological function.

via Science Daily

Helix Nebula and the view from space


The Helix Nebula project brings together leading IT providers with three of Europe's largest research centres: CERN, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the European Space Agency (ESA).


The project aims to develop a cloud-computing infrastructure, initially based on the needs of European IT-intense scientific research organizations, but taking into account the needs of governments, businesses and citizens.


Eventually the project aims to provide sustainable cloud services for research communities - a "Science Cloud."


Last month, the European Space Agency (ESA) in Frascati, Italy, played host to an event titled "Big data from space". Wolfgang Lengert, manager of two separate Earth-observation satellite missions at ESA, spoke to International Science Grid This week about the Helix Nebula and the challenges of Big data.


Read the interview: "View from above: A planet brimming with data" - International Science Grid This Week





via CERN updates

http://home.web.cern.ch/about/updates/2013/07/helix-nebula-and-view-space

NASA, Space Station Partners Announce Future Crew Members

Science team outlines goals for NASA's 2020 Mars rover

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The rover NASA will send to Mars in 2020 should look for signs of past life, collect samples for possible future return to Earth, and demonstrate technology for future human exploration of the Red Planet, according to a report provided to the agency.

via Science Daily

Eye - Stellar Nursery R136 on nebula background Square Sticker

Carina Nebula - Breathtaking Universe Star Sticker

Astronomers witness birth of Milky Way's most massive star

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Scientists have observed in unprecedented detail the birth of a massive star within a dark cloud core about 10,000 light years from Earth.

via Science Daily

Trifid Nebula, Messier 16 - Pillars of Creation Refrigerator Magnet