[Spacetalk] https://www.nasa.gov/index.html, https://spaceflightnow.com

Wed Jul 18 09:26:42 CDT 2018

hi all,

 I hope everything is going great and you are enjoying your summer “vacation”…I am at the AP in Detroit on my way to Singapore through Korea….I will be speaking at schools and attending an event called Campus Party, Singapore…it will be amazing with so much interface between all the speakers at this event and the audiences…I’ve never done anything quite like this…that is what makes it even more interesting…I have only been back from Germany for 6 days so it has been a crazy time…always fun…last Thursday I did something way cool which was to share the stage with my daughter, Gabrielle, as we were both speakers at a wonderful event for girls...Lake-Sumter State College-Solar Camp…it was wonderful to see how she connected with the girls, is such an inspiration, and left them with so much hope for a better life…then on Saturday I was with friends from both Norway and Brazil visiting Florida…we spent the evening in “Old Town” fashioned after the 50’s & 60’s with a car show and cruise in…so interesting…I have been to Norway 6 times and Brazil 7 times…they are so different, yet we all hung out and enjoyed each others company…it was so special for me to share some of the USA as everyone is always so very kind everywhere I go on my travels…

I started this 2 weeks ago…I am back from Singapore…it was simply awesome in every way…I met so many of the other presenters at Campus Party and I was able to speak at 2 schools for kids who are differently abled, which is always very special for me... time is a blur…I am so fortunate to be able to have so many wonderful opportunities…and so thankful for so many who help me along the way…on Monday I had the great pleasure of meeting with a family from Denmark, considering it has been 3 years since I have been to Denmark it was a special treat for them to contact me to spend some time…

So many interesting things going on it the space program….for this of you who signed up on NASA’s Mission to the sun, proposed launch date is Aug 4th…I will update you as I know more…check our the 2 subject links for the latest from NASA snd the world...wishing you a wonderful day...we have to remember to always do our best, enjoy everything we do, live in the present, make each day special, let those we care about most know, smile and have fun… :-) :-)   love ya, Gabe
 to see ISS go to: www.spotthestation.nasa.gov

Mars Will Soon 'Reverse Its Course' in the Sky <http://click.emails.purch.com/?qs=b438a6e4b377c3d35d05c11678a51b5eb6e3df176f811ed9b1a3e0d0361b95aab5ceefb19cd9101ba5ca5ca397377acce22907da6e171bc3>

Mars will slow and reverse its course in the night sky June 28 — a trick of perspective as the Red Planet and Earth both circle the sun. Credit: NASA/Lewis Research Center
Look up this weekend to catch bright Mars <https://www.space.com/15368-mars-myths-misconceptions-quiz.html> as it begins a zigzag detour across the spring sky. In just five and a half weeks, Mars will make its closest approach to Earth <https://www.space.com/40724-summer-of-mars-2018.html> since August 2003. This week, we can see the Red Planet just before midnight, low in the east-southeast sky, almost matching Jupiter in brilliance and glowing like a yellowish-orange ember. And Mars continues to brighten noticeably with each passing week. 

Chinese Researchers Achieve Stunning Quantum-Entanglement Record
I have no clue what this means but believe some of you will enjoy….:-) :-) 
(

Scientists have just packed 18 qubits — the most basic units of quantum computing — into just six weirdly connected photons. That's an unprecedented three qubits per photon, and a record for the number of qubits linked to one another via quantum entanglement <https://www.livescience.com/28550-how-quantum-entanglement-works-infographic.html>. So why is this exciting? All the work that goes on in a conventional computer, including whatever device you're using to read this article, relies on calculations using bits, which switch back and forth between two states (usually called "1" and "0"). Quantum computers calculate using qubits <https://www.livescience.com/33941-quantum-computing-explained.html>, which similarly waver between two states but behave according to the weirder rules of quantum physics. Unlike conventional bits, qubits can have indeterminate states — neither 1 nor 0, but a possibility of both — and become oddly connected or entangled, so that the behavior of one bit directly impacts the other. This, in theory, allows for all sorts of calculations that regular computers can barely pull off. (Right now, however, quantum computing is in its very early experimental stages, with researchers still testing the waters of what's possible, as in this study.)

SpaceX's Dazzling Dragon Launch to Space Station on CRS-15

On June 29, 2018, the private spaceflight company SpaceX successfully launched a used Dragon cargo ship to the International Space Station <https://www.space.com/41028-spacex-launches-cargo-mission-space-station.html> on a Falcon 9 rocket that had also flown in space before. See photos of the CRS-15 cargo resupply mission here! In this official SpaceX photo, the exhaust plume from Falcon 9 forms a brilliant trail in the predawn sky as it reflects sunlight from high above earth.

Why Did People Panic When the Moon Changed Color?

On July 27, some people get a rare celestial treat: the longest total lunar eclipse of the century. As the Earth snuggles into perfect alignment between the moon and sun, its shadow will completely cover the moon. Rather than appearing as a black spot in the heavens, however, our sole natural satellite will exude a blood-red hue. Yes, it's the blood moon. And while skywatchers today will look up to the heavens in awe (if they're in the right spot), people long ago took a change in lunar hue as a sign of doom — a good reason to panic.

Russia Just Launched the Fastest Cargo Mission Ever to the Space Station

A Russian cargo spacecraft set a record tonight (July 9), arriving at the International Space Station (ISS) less than 4 hours after lifting off. The robotic Progress 70 freighter <https://www.space.com/41110-russia-launches-superfast-cargo-ship-to-space-station.html>, which is packed with nearly 3 tons of food, fuel and other supplies, docked with the station at 9:31 p.m. EDT (0131 GMT on July 10) after completing a mere two orbits of Earth. The vehicle had launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 5:51 p.m. EDT (2151 GMT). Progress 70 linked up with the space station as both spacecraft sailed high over the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand. And there was a bonus: The spacecraft docked a full 8 minutes early, making for an even faster trip than expected. [How Russia's Progress Spaceships Work (Infographic) <https://www.space.com/12725-russia-progress-cargo-spacecraft-infographic.html>] The quickest previous trips to the ISS, pulled off by Progress freighters and crew-carrying Russian Soyuz spacecraft <https://www.space.com/14456-russia-soyuz-space-capsule-infographic.html>, had taken about 6 hours and required four orbits of our planet. The newly completed flight was designed to "demonstrate an expedited capability that may be used on future Russian cargo and crew launches," NASA officials wrote in a statement <https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-tv-to-air-launch-docking-of-russian-cargo-delivery-to-space-station> last week. 

Einstein's Theory of Gravity Passes Toughest Test to Date

Massive objects, such as galaxies, warp space-time, according to Einstein's theory of general relativity.
Einstein's theory of general relativity has passed its toughest-ever test with flying colors, a new study reports. General relativity <https://www.space.com/17661-theory-general-relativity.html>, which the great physicist proposed in 1916, holds that gravity is a consequence of space-time's inherent flexibility: Massive objects distort the cosmic fabric, creating a sort of well around which other bodies orbit.  Like all scientific theories, general relativity makes testable predictions. One of the most important is the "equivalence principle" — the notion that all objects fall in the same way, no matter how big they are or what they're made of. [Einstein's Theory of Relativity Explained (Infographic) <https://www.space.com/28738-einstein-theory-of-relativity-explained-infgraphic.html>] Researchers have confirmed the equivalence principle many times on Earth — and, famously, on the moon. In 1971, Apollo 15 astronaut David Scott <https://www.space.com/20568-david-scott-apollo-15-astronaut.html>dropped a feather and a hammer simultaneously; the two hit the gray lunar dirt at the same time. (On Earth, of course, the feather would flutter to the ground much later than the hammer, having been held up by our atmosphere.) But it's tough to know if the equivalence principle applies in all situations — when the objects involved are incredibly dense or massive, for example. This wiggle room has given hope to adherents of alternative gravity theories, though such folks remain in the minority <https://www.space.com/41020-putting-relativity-to-the-test.html>.

TESS Exoplanet Mission

This is an artist's impression of the Jupiter-size extrasolar planet, HD 189733b, being eclipsed by its parent star. Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have measured carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide in the planet's atmosphere. The planet is a "hot Jupiter," which is so close to its star that it completes an orbit in only 2.2 days. The planet is too hot for life as we know it. But under the right conditions, on a more Earth-like world, carbon dioxide can indicate the presence of extraterrestrial life. This observation demonstrates that chemical biotracers can be detected by space telescope observations.
Credits: ESA, NASA, M. Kornmesser (ESA/Hubble), and STScI

In April 2018, NASA launched the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite <https://www.nasa.gov/tess-transiting-exoplanet-survey-satellite> (TESS). Its main goal is to locate Earth-sized planets and larger “super-Earths” orbiting nearby stars for further study.  One of the most powerful tools that will examine the atmospheres of some planets that TESS discovers will be NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Since observing small exoplanets with thin atmospheres like Earth will be challenging for Webb, astronomers will target easier, gas giant exoplanets first. Some of Webb’s first observations of gas giant exoplanets will be conducted through the Director’s Discretionary Early Release Science <https://jwst.stsci.edu/news-events/news/News%2520items/selections-made-for-the-jwst-directors-discretionary-early-release-science-program> program. The transiting exoplanet project team at Webb’s science operations center is planning to conduct three different types of observations that will provide both new scientific knowledge and a better understanding of the performance of Webb’s science instruments.  “We have two main goals. The first is to get transiting exoplanet datasets from Webb to the astronomical community as soon as possible. The second is to do some great science so that astronomers and the public can see how powerful this observatory is,” said Jacob Bean of the University of Chicago, a co-principal investigator on the transiting exoplanet project. “Our team’s goal is to provide critical knowledge and insights to the astronomical community that will help to catalyze exoplanet research and make the best use of Webb in the limited time we have available,” added Natalie Batalha of NASA Ames Research Center, the project’s principal investigator.

International Space Station: Facts, History & Tracking
check this site:
https://www.space.com/41190-space-station-timelapse-north-america-africa.html

If life on Earth is getting you down, maybe it's time to take a moment to think about the bigger picture — like the view of our planet from the International Space Station <https://www.space.com/16748-international-space-station.html>.
Astronaut Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency shared incredible video footage from just that viewpoint on Twitter <https://twitter.com/Astro_Alex/status/1018478791729897472> Sunday (July 15). The video, which is sped up by a factor of 12.5, shows Gerst's view as the station passes over the U.S. and Africa. In the footage, the space station passes over about 8,700 miles (14,000 kilometers). Gerst is one of six astronauts currently aboard the space station, where he is joined by three U.S. astronauts and two Russian cosmonauts. The crew has been together for nearly a month and a half now. Shortly after posting the timelapse, Gerst and his colleague, U.S. astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor, prompted release of the Cygnus capsule that had been resupplying the space station. This is Gerst's second visit to the space station, where he has been spending much of his time working on experiments dealing with topics like time perception <https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2018/06/21/crew-studies-how-space-affects-time-perception-exercise-and-eyesight-today/> and cancer research <https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2018/07/10/cargo-ships-and-cancer-research-keeps-orbital-lab-humming/>. Gerst will stay at the space station until December and has been enthusiastically sharing his experience on social media — so there will probably be more stunning videos to come. Email Meghan Bartels at mbartels at space.com <mailto:mbartels at space.com> or follow her @meghanbartels <https://twitter.com/meghanbartels>. Follow us @Spacedotcom <http://twitter.com/spacedotcom>, Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/pages/Spacecom/17610706465> and Google+ <https://plus.google.com/b/109556515093730290049/109556515093730290049>. Original article on Space.com <https://www.space.com/41190-space-station-timelapse-north-america-africa.html>.
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