 ISRO to launch radar imaging satellite capable of sending images in cloudy conditions
New Delhi (Sputnik)Dec 06, 2019
The satellite holds immense significance for the armed forces, as an Indian Air Force (IAF) official reportedly said one Mirage 2000 had missed its target during India's air strike in Pakistan's Balakot area while aiming suspected terror camps on 26 February due to inclement weather.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch an earth observation satellite "RISAT-2BR1",
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Hidden giant planet around tiny white dwarf star
Coventry UK (SPX) Dec 05, 2019
The first evidence of a giant planet orbiting a dead white dwarf star has been found in the form of a disc of gas formed from its evaporating atmosphere.
The Neptune-like planet orbits a star a quarter of its size about once every ten days, leaving a comet-like tail of gas comprised of hydrogen, oxygen and sulphur in its wake.
The discovery by astronomers from the University of Warwi
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SpaceX Dragon docks with International Space Station
Washington DC (UPI) Dec 08, 2019
The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft containing 5,700 pounds of cargo arrived at the International Space Station on Sunday morning.
The spacecraft, which is SpaceX's 19th delivery to the ISS, was captured by the Canadarm2 robotic arm operated by astronauts Luca Parmitano and Andrew Morgan at 5:05 a.m. At 7:47 a.m., it was installed at the ISS, according to NASA.
Aboard were genetic
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 Eight Degrees North
How a change of latitude changed my perspective
-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
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Satellites key to '10 Insights in Climate Science' report
Paris (ESA) Dec 08, 2019
A new easy-to-read guide, '10 New Insights in Climate Science' has been presented to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change's Executive Secretary, Patricia Espinosa, at the COP25 climate conference.
The report provides an assessment of the key advances that have been made over the last 12 months in understanding the drivers, effects and impacts of climate change, as well
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China sends six satellites into orbit with single rocket
Taiyuan, China (XNA) Dec 08, 2019
China sent six satellites into space from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern Shanxi Province at 4:52 p.m. Saturday (Beijing Time).
They were launched by a Kuaizhou-1A (KZ-1A) rocket and have entered the planned orbit successfully.
It was the second launch from the Taiyuan launch center in less than six hours after another KZ-1A rocket sent the Jilin-1 Gaofen 02B satellit
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Life of a foam
Paris (ESA) Dec 08, 2019
A fine coffee froth does not last forever. The bubbles that make the milk light and creamy are eventually torn apart by the pull of gravity. But there is a place where foams have a more stable life - in the weightless environment of the International Space Station, bubbles don't burst so quickly and foams remain wet for longer.
Beyond the pleasures of sipping a cappuccino with its signatur
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First launch of UK's OneWeb satellites from Baikonur now set for 30 Jan
Moscow (Sputnik) Dec 08, 2019
The first launch of UK telecommunications satellites OneWeb from Baikonur Cosmodrome is scheduled for 30 January, a spokesman for Glavkosmos, subsidiary of Russian space agency Roscosmos, said.
In late November, a source at the spaceport revealed that the launch of OneWeb satellites had been postponed from 23 January to later January or February due to delays in the production of satellite
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Rocket Lab launches shooting star satellite from New Zealand
Washington DC (UPI) Dec 08, 2019
A satellite that spits out artificial shooting stars for light shows in the sky flew into space Friday from New Zealand. The launch came at 9:18 p.m. local time, or 3:18 a.m. EST.
The satellite, made by Japan-based Astro Live Experiences or ALE Co. Ltd, was packed on board an Electron rocket made by new space company Rocket Lab.
It was the 10th launch for Huntington Beach, Calif.-bas
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SpaceChain sends blockchain tech to ISS for Fintech market
Cape Canaveral FL (SPX) Dec 06, 2019
SpaceChain announced that its blockchain hardware wallet technology is on its way to the International Space Station (ISS), aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of today's CRS-19 commercial resupply service mission. This is the first technology demonstration of blockchain hardware on the ISS, and it will be installed in Nanoracks' commercial platform on Station.
Today marks the third bl
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China launches new optical remote sensing satellite
Taiyuan, China (XNA) Dec 08, 2019
China sent a new optical remote sensing satellite into space from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern China's Shanxi Province at 10:55 a.m. Saturday (Beijing Time).
The Jilin-1 Gaofen 02B satellite, which belongs to the Jilin-1 satellite family, was launched by Kuaizhou-1A (KZ-1A) and entered the planned orbit successfully.
The satellite was independently developed by the
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The PI's Perspective: What a Year, What a Decade!
Boulder CO (SPX) Dec 08, 2019
New Horizons is healthy and performing well as it flies ever onward, at nearly one million miles per day! This month we're collecting new data on the Kuiper Belt's charged particle and dust environment, and observing two distant Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs) to learn about their surface properties, shapes and rotation periods, and to search for satellite systems.
Much more is in store for thi
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SN Now: The Final Installment of SCaN Now
Greenbelt MD (SPX) Dec 08, 2019
NASA satellites, no matter the destination, have to communicate their data to mission control and scientists on Earth. These missions capture extraordinary data that make communications an essential part of each mission: pictures of galaxies, critical information on solar flares and much more. An interactive online tool now shows live data transmissions from each of NASA's three space communicat
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ISS-bound Soyuz MS-13 lifts off from Baikonur Cosmodrome
Baikonur, Kazakhstan (SPX) Dec 08, 2019
On Friday, A Soyuz-2.1a medium launch vehicle carrying Progress MS-13 lifted off from Launch Pad 31 at 12:34:11 Moscow time Dec 6. In 8 min 48 sec after the lift-off contact the vehicle normally separated from the third stage and was inserted into the planned orbit. T
he solar array panels were deployed according to the timeline. In the third orbit around the Earth Progress MS-13 started a
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NASA break SLS tank to test extreme limits
Huntsville AL (SPX) Dec 08, 2019
Engineers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, on Dec. 5 deliberately pushed the world's largest rocket fuel tank beyond its design limits to really understand its breaking point. The test version of the Space Launch System rocket's liquid hydrogen tank withstood more than 260% of expected flight loads over five hours before engineers detected a buckling point, which
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Titan's Geomorphologic Map
From hummocky to dune- and lake-covered, Titan is revealed in its latest global map
-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
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 Closing critical gap in weather forecasting
Scientists working on the next frontier of weather forecasting are hoping that weather conditions 3-to-4 weeks out will soon be as readily available as seven-day forecasts. Having this type of weather information--called subseasonal forecasts--in the hands of the public and emergency managers can provide the critical lead time necessary to prepare for natural hazards like heat waves or the next polar vortex.
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Can A Big Oil Company Go Carbon-Free?
Spanish oil giant Repsol SA this week announced one of the more ambitious emissions reduction efforts in the industry
-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
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Study debunks notion that C-section would increase risk of obesity in the child
Women who have C-sections are no more likely to have children who develop obesity than women who give birth naturally, according to a large study. The findings contradict several smaller studies that did find an association between C-section deliveries and offspring obesity but did not consider the numerous maternal and prenatal factors that the researchers did in this study.
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New kind of soft elastic material has medical and technological applications
Gel-like materials have a wide range of applications, especially in chemistry and medicine. However, their usefulness is sometimes limited by their inherent random and disordered nature. Researchers have found a way to produce a new kind of gel which overcomes this limitation. It is still malleable and adaptable like existing gels, but it has a more ordered structure, which can open up a new range of possible uses in various fields.
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Gamma-ray laser moves a step closer to reality
A physicist has performed calculations showing hollow spherical bubbles filled with a gas of positronium atoms are stable in liquid helium. The calculations take scientists a step closer to realizing a gamma-ray laser.
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3 Problems with High-Intensity Interval Training
The allure of short, intense workouts is obvious. But is High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) really the only workout you need for good overall fitness?
-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
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Reduced soil tilling helps both soils and yields
By monitoring crops through machine learning and satellite data, scientists have found farms that till the soil less can increase yields of corn and soybeans and improve the health of the soil -- a win-win for meeting growing food needs worldwide.
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Simple experiment explains magnetic resonance
Physicists have designed an experiment to explain the concept of magnetic resonance. A versatile technique employed in chemistry, physics, and materials research, magnetic resonance describes a resonant excitation of electron or atomic nuclei spins residing in a magnetic field by means of electromagnetic waves.
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Current treatment for fungal meningitis is fueling drug resistance
A common first-line treatment approach for cryptococcal meningitis in low-income countries is being compromised by the emergence of drug resistance, new research warns. The findings highlight the need to develop new drugs and treatment regimens for the lethal brain infection, which kills around 180,000 people each year.
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Empowering mucosal healing with an engineered probiotic
Researchers developed a living material approach that uses a strain of genetically engineered E.coli Nissle bacteria as a locally acting probiotic. The engineered bacteria produce a network of nanofibers that directly binds to mucus to fill inflamed areas like a patch, shielding them from gut microbes and environmental factors. This probiotic-based therapeutic strategy protected mice against the effects of colitis induced by a chemical agent and promoted mucosal healing.
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Dial-a-frog -- researchers develop the 'FrogPhone' to remotely call frogs in the wild
Researchers have developed the 'FrogPhone', a novel device which allows scientists to call up a frog survey site and monitor them in the wild. The FrogPhone is the world's first solar-powered remote survey device that relays environmental data to the observer via text messages, whilst conducting real-time remote acoustic surveys over the phone.
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Scientists use crabs to validate popular method to identify unknown human brain neurons
A crab's nervous system could help scientists learn what causes single neurons in the human brain to become 'out of whack,' which can contribute to the development of neurological diseases like Alzheimer's disease. Knowing exactly how a single neuron operates among the billions housed in the human brain could one day help scientists design innovative ways to prevent and treat these diseases, such as targeted therapies.
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Infant morbidity decreases with incentive-based prenatal tobacco interventions
A new study reveals a significant reduction in NICU (up to 55%) and preterm births due to incentive-based programs implemented to help low-income pregnant women stop smoking cigarettes. Colorado saved over 4 million dollars in healthcare costs by providing these programs and has an opportunity to save 16 million. The issue is critical because smoking in the third trimester of pregnancy is three to four times higher among women who live in poverty.
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Island 'soundscapes' show potential for evaluating recovery of nesting seabirds
An important tool for monitoring seabird populations involves acoustic sensors deployed at nesting sites to record sounds over long periods of time. But analysis of the recordings to identify and count the calls of different species can be time-consuming, even with computers and artificial intelligence. An alternative approach is to evaluate all of the sounds in an environment as a 'soundscape', using features such as acoustic diversity, complexity, and intensity as indicators of ecosystem healt
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How do you cultivate a healthy plant microbiome?
Crops today never see their parents' microbiome, so how do they develop a leaf microbial community that's healthy and resistant to invasion by pathogens? Biologists sequenced the microbiomes of tomatoes through four generations and saw three-quarters of the bacteria disappear, leaving a core community that proved resistant to random invaders. The findings show it's possible to cultivate a robust plant microbiome, and suggests that probiotic additions could survive on crops, providing lasting ben
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'Conductor' gene found in plant root stem cell 'orchestra'
Researchers lift the veil on the 'conductor' plant root stem cell gene that helps orchestrate and coordinate stem cell division of different root stem cell types, ensuring the harmonic communication necessary for plant growth and maintenance.
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AFRL technology set for launch to International Space Station
Kirtland AFB NM (SPX) Dec 05, 2019
A satellite developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory to measure low frequency waves in the magnetosphere will launch Dec. 4 to the International Space Station.
The AFRL satellite being launched from Cape Canaveral is called the Very Low Frequency Propagation Mapper or VPM. Its mission is to collect data on the Demonstration and Science Experiments, or DSX, satellite the Air Force lau
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New maps of salinity reveal the impact of climate variability on oceans
Paris (ESA) Dec 03, 2019
Since the saltiness of ocean surface waters is a key variable in the climate system, understanding how this changes is important to understanding climate change. Thanks to ESA's Climate Change Initiative, scientists now have better insight into sea-surface salinity with the most complete global dataset ever produced from space.
If you're a keen sea-swimmer, you may have noticed that the wa
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How ancient microbes created massive ore deposits, set the stage for early life on Earth
Vancouver, Canada (SPX) Dec 03, 2019
New research in Science Advances is uncovering the vital role that Precambrian-eon microbes may have played in two of the early Earth's biggest mysteries.
University of British Columbia (UBC) researchers, and collaborators from the universities of Alberta, Tubingen, Autonoma de Barcelona and the Georgia Institute of Technology, found that ancestors of modern bacteria cultured from an iron-
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United States regards space as theatre of war - President Putin
Moscow (Sputnik) Dec 05, 2019
The comment comes as leaders of NATO approved the decision to recognise space as 'potential theatre for operations' at a summit that is currently taking place in London.
The military and political apparatus of the United States views space as a theatre of war, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting dedicated to the development of the Russian Navy on Wednesday.
"Russia has
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Seal takes ocean heat transport data to new depths
Pasadena CA (JPL) Dec 05, 2019
The Antarctic Circumpolar Current flows in a loop around Antarctica, connecting the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. It is one of the most significant ocean currents in our climate system because it facilitates the exchange of heat and other properties among the oceans it links.
But how the current transfers heat, particularly vertically from the top layer of the ocean to the bottom la
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First operational mapping system for high-resolution tropical forest carbon emissions created
Tempe AZ (SPX) Dec 03, 2019
For the first time, scientists have developed a method to monitor carbon emissions from tropical forests at an unprecedented level of detail. The approach will provide the basis for developing a rapid and cost-effective operational carbon monitoring system, making it possible to quantify the economic cost of deforestation as forests are converted from carbon sinks to sources. The study was publi
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Breathing? Thank volcanoes, tectonics and bacteria
Houston TX (SPX) Dec 03, 2019
Earth's breathable atmosphere is key for life, and a new study suggests that the first burst of oxygen was added by a spate of volcanic eruptions brought about by tectonics.
The study by geoscientists at Rice University offers a new theory to help explain the appearance of significant concentrations of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere about 2.5 billion years ago, something scientists call the
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Aerojet Rocketdyne completes tests of subscale OpFires propulsion system
Huntsville AL (SPX) Dec 05, 2019
Aerojet Rocketdyne has finished a series of subscale propulsion-system test firings as part of a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) effort to develop a ground-launched hypersonic missile for tactical use.
DARPA recently announced completion of the preliminary design review for its Operational Fires (OpFires) program, which is developing a two-stage missile capable of engagin
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Signs of life: New field guide aids astronomers' search
Ithaca NY (SPX) Dec 05, 2019
A Cornell University senior has come up with a way to discern life on exoplanets loitering in other cosmic neighborhoods: a spectral field guide. Zifan Lin has developed high-resolution spectral models and scenarios for two exoplanets that may harbor life: Proxima b, in the habitable zone of our nearest neighbor Proxima Centauri; and Trappist-1e, one of three possible Earth-like exoplanet candid
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Scientists reveal potential new class of x-ray star system
Boston MA (SPX) Dec 05, 2019
A scientist at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard and Smithsonian has announced the discovery that mass in triple star systems takes on the characteristics of recipient stars before mass is actually transferred, which may allow scientists to re-examine previously labeled binary star systems for evidence of a third companion.
"Scientists already knew that the transfer of mass from one st
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Fishy Trick Lures Life Back to Coral Reefs
Playing the sounds of a healthy reef near damaged corals may help bring the fish community back. Christopher Intagliata reports.
-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
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'Junk DNA' affects inherited cancer risk
A person's risk of developing cancer is affected by genetic variations in regions of DNA that don't code for proteins, previously dismissed as 'junk DNA', according to new research. This new study shows that inherited cancer risk is not only affected by mutations in key cancer genes - known as oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes - but that variations in the DNA that controls the expression of these genes can also drive the disease.
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 What Is A Calorie?
We encounter, and ingest, them every day. But what does it mean to eat a calorie?
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BPA levels in humans dramatically underestimated
Researchers have developed a more accurate method of measuring bispehnol A (BPA) levels in humans and found that exposure to the endocrine-disrupting chemical is far higher than previously assumed. The study provides the first evidence that the measurements relied upon by regulatory agencies, including the US Food and Drug Administration, are flawed, underestimating exposure levels by as much as 44 times.
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Study seeks to answer whether effects of 'abortion pill' can be reversed
Women who initiate medical abortion but opt to stop in the middle of treatment may be at risk for serious blood loss, a study finds. Researchers found this is true even for women who use an experimental treatment that claims to 'reverse' the effects of the abortion pill. The study provides important insights into the safety of using high doses of progesterone during early pregnancy to try to stop a medical abortion.
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As China rapidly adopts clean energy, use of traditional stoves persists
Old habits are hard to break. A new study of replacement of traditional wood and coal burning stoves with clean energy in China suggests that, without a better understanding of the reasons behind people's reluctance to give up traditional stoves, it will be difficult for policies in China and elsewhere in the world to succeed in encouraging this shift towards clean energy.
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Artificial cells act more like the real thing
Protocells -- artificial cells -- that are active and mimic living cells by moving independently and that are biocompatible and enzymatically active are now possible using an improved method.
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Open source EEG visualization tool
Researchers have developed a free open source computer program that can be used to create visual and quantitative representations of brain electrical activity in laboratory animals in hopes of developing countermeasures for opioid use disorder.
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Top 5 Nutrients for Postpartum Recovery
Registered Dietitian Melissa Mitri discusses the importance of good nutrition after giving birth and the five most important nutrients for a new mom and her baby
-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
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Developing a digital twin of a vehicle
In the not too distant future, we can expect to see our skies filled with unmanned aerial vehicles delivering packages, maybe even people, from location to location. Researchers are developing 'digital twins' that combine computational models and machine learning to predict vehicle health and enable autonomous decision-making at the edge.
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Dull teeth, long skulls, specialized bites evolved in unrelated plant-eating dinosaurs
Herbivorous dinosaurs evolved many times during the 180 million-year Mesozoic era, and while they didn't all evolve to chew, swallow, and digest their food in the same way, a few specific strategies appeared time and time again. An investigation of the skulls of 160 non-avian dinosaurs revealed the evolution of common traits in the skulls and teeth of plant-eating members of otherwise very different families of these extinct reptiles.
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Root of childhood kidney cancer discovered
A fundamental change in our understanding of the childhood kidney cancer Wilms' tumor is on the horizon, after the discovery of its earliest genetic root by scientists. By comparing genome sequences from normal kidney tissue and tumors, the team identified patches of normal-looking kidney tissue that in fact carried DNA changes that cause Wilms' tumor.
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Clinical study finds eating within 10-hour window may help stave off diabetes, heart disease
Researchers have found that a 10-hour time-restricted eating intervention, when combined with traditional medications, resulted in weight loss, reduced abdominal fat, lower blood pressure and cholesterol for participants. The pilot study could lead to a new treatment option for metabolic syndrome patients who are at risk for developing life-altering and costly medical conditions such as diabetes.
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Three types of cells help the brain tell day from night
Researchers report the discovery of three cell types in the eye that detect light and align the brain's circadian rhythm to our ambient light. The study marks the first direct assessment in humans of light responses from these cells, called intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) -- and the implications for health are substantial.
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Technique shows how individual cancer cells react to drugs
sci-Plex, a new cell-response screening method, pools genetically different cells and shows what happens to individual cells when the sample is treated, such as with cancer drugs. The technology collects information on changes in genetic expression in each labeled cell, providing data useful in exploring mechanisms triggered by drugs or other agents.
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