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Blockchain Technology  NASA and other space agencies, such as the European Space Agency (ESA), are considering potential applications of blockchain technology to space missions and internal operations. According to a NASA presentation titled “ Bitcoin, Blockchains and Efficient Distributed Spacecraft Mission Control ,” blockchain technology could have useful applications in distributed spacecraft missions involving multiple elements. Artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technologies could be further integrated to make space-based sensor networks more efficient and responsive. In September 2017, NASA  awarded  a $333,000 grant to University of Akron (UA) Assistant Professor  Jin Wei  to research how to make space hardware smarter and more autonomous. The research program, titled “ RNCP: A Resilient Networking and Computing Paradigm for NASA Space Exploration ,” wants to improve the automation, environment awareness and intelligence of NASA space pr...

Space  Traveling  Humans are going to Mars. We don’t know exactly when, who it will be, or exactly what spacecraft will be the first to make the journey, but with several space-faring nations setting their sights firmly on the red planet, it’s going to happen sooner rather than later. To make that goal a reality, groups like NASA are going to need the help of companies like Lockheed Martin, and the latter  just released  its newest vision for what an orbiting Mars space station and reusable lander. The station, which is built with our current scientific understanding of Mars in mind, features a pair of what Lockheed Martin is calling “MADVs,” or Mars Ascent/Descent Vehicles. Those vehicles function as landers to ferry astronauts to and from the surface of the planet, with the space station itself acting as a “base camp.” “Sending humans to Mars has always been a part of science fiction, but today we have the capability to make it a reality,” Lisa Callahan, vice p...

Global warming Image Source: NASA Goddard The Earth is getting warmer and warmer, and scientists are now essentially unanimous in their opinion that  humans are to blame , but could other factors also be contributing?  A new study  looked closely at whether or not our sun could also being playing a role in how hot it’s getting here on our planet. As far as the results go, well, if you’re looking something that excuses humanity’s impact on global warming, the sun most definitely isn’t it. DON'T MISS It’s a crime that this $12 accessory doesn’t come with every Fire TV Stick The sun might look the same every day it rises but it actually goes through distinct cycles. Those cycles bring changes to the sun’s overall brightness as well as the production of the dark sunspots that often mark its surface, so it’s logical to wonder if those fluctuations could also be responsible for spikes in temperatures on Earth recorded over the past 100 years. Our planet has seen an overal...

Near-Earth objects make passes by our planet on a fairly regular basis, but the space rock that’s going to  cruise by  on September 1st is a real goliath. Named Florence, the massive asteroid is thought to be the largest object to make such a close approach to Earth since NASA decided to start keeping records for that sort of thing. The good news is that scientists don’t believe it poses much of a threat — at least this time around. DON'T MISS 9 paid iPhone apps on sale for free right now While many near-Earth asteroids that safely pass our planet are comparable in size to busses or even houses, Florence is quite a bit larger than any of those. The asteroid, which is named for Florence Nightingale, measures a whopping 2.7 miles across, making it a real world-killer if it were to ever actually collide with us. Thankfully, NASA doesn’t believe that’s going to happen any time soon. When Florence makes its pass on September 1st it’ll be at a distance of about 4.4 million mil...

Satellite data suggest that water inside the moon is widespread, and that volcanic rocks may be a valuable resource for future explorers. There’s Water Inside the Moon—More Than We Thought There's even more water on the moon than we previously thought, according to new analysis of tiny glass beads left over from ancient volcanic eruptions. The naturally occurring beads were collected in the 1970s as part of the Apollo 15 and 17 missions, which landed near zones of volcanic activity. The beads formed when magma bursting onto the surface crystallized in such a way that water became trapped inside. However, scientists couldn’t be sure if the Apollo samples are unique or if other volcanic flows on the moon are filled with water-bearing glass. (Find out how  flying oceans of magma help demystify the moon's creation .) In a  new study published today in  Nature Geoscience , scientists reexamined the Apollo samples and used more recent satellite data to look for signs of...

NASA, SpaceX and Boeing expect test flights of their Crew Dragon and CST-100 Starliner vehicles to take place next year after extensive delays. Credit: SpaceX artist's concept and Boeing WASHINGTON — Both NASA and the two companies developing commercial crew vehicles say those efforts remain on schedule for test flights that are in some cases less than a year away. NASA published July 20 what it called “the most recent publicly-releasable dates” of the test flights of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon vehicles. Each company, under terms of Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contracts awarded in September 2014, are required to first fly an uncrewed test flight of their spacecraft, followed by one with astronauts on board. The latest SpaceX schedule calls for an uncrewed test flight in February 2018, followed by a crewed test flight in June 2018. Boeing’s schedule anticipates an uncrewed test flight in June 2018 and a crewed test flight in August ...

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches a Dragon cargo mission for NASA from the historic Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida on Feb. 19, 2017.  Original Image Credit: SpaceX CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. —  SpaceX has launched the first private rocket from the same historic site that saw some of NASA's greatest space missions, then landed a booster nearby in a resounding success. The California-based company's  Falcon 9 rocket launched a robotic Dragon cargo capsule  toward the International Space Station today (Feb. 19) at 9:39 a.m. EST (1439 GMT) from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center — the same pad that once hosted Apollo moon missions and space shuttle launches. "Liftoff of the Falcon 9 to the space station on the first commercial launch from Kennedy Space Center's historic Pad 39a!" said NASA commentator George Diller. [ In Photos: SpaceX's 1st Launch from NASA's Historic Pad 39A ] A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocke...

Several upcoming NASA missions will use lasers to increase data transmission from space. Thought your Internet speeds were slow? Try being a space scientist for a day. The vast distances involved will throttle data rates to a trickle. You're lucky if a spacecraft can send more than a few megabits per second (Mbps) - a pittance even by dial-up standards. But we might be on the cusp of a change. Just as going from dial-up to broadband revolutionized the Internet and made high-resolution photos and streaming video a given, NASA may be ready to undergo a similar "broadband" moment in coming years. The key to that data revolution will be lasers. For almost 60 years, the standard way to "talk" to spacecraft has been with radio waves, which are ideal for long distances. But optical communications, in which data is beamed over laser light, can increase that rate by as much as 10 to 100 times. High data rates will allow researchers to gather science faster, study s...

By  Trevor Mogg   NASA The mission could provide vital information that helps pave the way for a human trip to Mars. As the rover’s own name cleverly suggests, Mars 2020 is set to head for the red planet in three years’ time. The mission, assuming everything goes to plan, will see the rover carry out geological assessments of its landing site on Mars, as well as examine the habitability of the harsh environment. It’ll also search for signs of ancient Martian life, and attempt to make an assessment of the natural resources and hazards for future human visitors. Its work could also lead to the first-ever return of rock samples from the planet. Landing site After a recent meet-up with scientists at a workshop in Monrovia, California, NASA has taken a big step toward choosing the all-important landing site for Mars 2020. The team narrowed the choice from eight locations to three, though the original list included 30 different sites. First up is Columbia ...