MARS 2020 ROVER PLANS
The next Martian rover will be launched by Nasa in the summer of 2020, to land on Mars in 2021.
It will carry a device able to convert carbon dioxide taken from the Martian atmosphere into oxygen.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-28582903
The seven scientific projects on board will include an experimental weather station, ground-penetrating radar for analysing the planet's geology, two arm-mounted gadgets for analysing the chemistry and structure of soil and rocks, and two cameras.
The oxygen produced by a new 'MOXIE' device could be used to support human life in a future manned mission to Mars, or make rocket fuel for return missions.
The rover design will be closely modelled on Curiosity rover, which landed on Mars in August 2012.
Space will be available to store packaged rock samples drilled from the planet's surface, which could be shipped back to Earth by future return flights.
Comment: An exciting development of the Curiosity work currently being carried out on the surface of Mars. But a long six year wait before launch.
Friday, 1 August 2014
Thursday, 31 July 2014
THE BLACKBERRY COMMONS
I have enjoyed Blackberrying for as long as I can remember, and still do. Last year the wild blackberry harvest was magnificent. This year looks at least as good, and starting earlier.
There is something deeply satisfying about picking blackberries. I know a quiet little lane aside a brook with thick prolific brambles both sides. The sheer numbers, more than enough for everyone and the birds and other wild creatures. You soon develop an efficient picking routine despite the thorns and nettles. Those berries just beyond easy reach always seem most desirable. As my jar fills, thoughts of blackberry jam, crumbles and fresh fruit linger.
This is a free resource. No notices about DO NOT PICK. Compare the expensive blackberries on the supermarket shelf, flown in from South America.
As I was picking yesterday, I got to thinking this is a sort of practical expression of the Commons. The common treasury for all. It's not only blackberries in my little lane; here there are sweet apples, plums and cob nuts soon ripening.
I have enjoyed Blackberrying for as long as I can remember, and still do. Last year the wild blackberry harvest was magnificent. This year looks at least as good, and starting earlier.
There is something deeply satisfying about picking blackberries. I know a quiet little lane aside a brook with thick prolific brambles both sides. The sheer numbers, more than enough for everyone and the birds and other wild creatures. You soon develop an efficient picking routine despite the thorns and nettles. Those berries just beyond easy reach always seem most desirable. As my jar fills, thoughts of blackberry jam, crumbles and fresh fruit linger.
This is a free resource. No notices about DO NOT PICK. Compare the expensive blackberries on the supermarket shelf, flown in from South America.
As I was picking yesterday, I got to thinking this is a sort of practical expression of the Commons. The common treasury for all. It's not only blackberries in my little lane; here there are sweet apples, plums and cob nuts soon ripening.
EARTH - MARS DATA LINKS
Nasa is seeking help from universities and companies about better ways to relay data back to Earth. The aim is to close a potential communications gap set to occur in 2020.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-28462351
Currently Nasa relies on two craft orbiting Mars, Odyssey and the Reconnaissance Orbiter, to pass data back to Earth beamed to them from the Curiosity rover on the Martian surface.
Data relay will be taken over by two newer spacecraft: Nasa's Maven satellite (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution in September 2014, and Europe's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter in 2016.
Nasa has no plans to launch orbiters after Maven. However, there are plans to land more rovers on Mars, which will potentially create a problem retrieving data gathered by the rovers.
Nasa's John Grunsfeld says 'We are looking to broaden participation in the exploration of Mars to include new models for government and commercial partnerships.'
This could include laser data transfer to boost data transfer rates.
Comment: Exploration of Mars using surface rovers looks set to expand. Will this develop into a commercial 'goldrush' mentality, allowing a few rich countries to exploit the red planet?
Nasa is seeking help from universities and companies about better ways to relay data back to Earth. The aim is to close a potential communications gap set to occur in 2020.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-28462351
Currently Nasa relies on two craft orbiting Mars, Odyssey and the Reconnaissance Orbiter, to pass data back to Earth beamed to them from the Curiosity rover on the Martian surface.
Data relay will be taken over by two newer spacecraft: Nasa's Maven satellite (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution in September 2014, and Europe's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter in 2016.
Nasa has no plans to launch orbiters after Maven. However, there are plans to land more rovers on Mars, which will potentially create a problem retrieving data gathered by the rovers.
Nasa's John Grunsfeld says 'We are looking to broaden participation in the exploration of Mars to include new models for government and commercial partnerships.'
This could include laser data transfer to boost data transfer rates.
Comment: Exploration of Mars using surface rovers looks set to expand. Will this develop into a commercial 'goldrush' mentality, allowing a few rich countries to exploit the red planet?
Wednesday, 30 July 2014
LICENCE BIDS OPEN FOR FRACKING
For the first time in six years the government has opening bidding for new fracking licences.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-28513036
Half the UK is now open to exploration for shale gas.
New restrictions apply to National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural, and companies granted a licence for test drilling will also need planning permission and environmental permits. The Environment Secretary will also have more power to intervene where their are disputes over drilling.
The first gas from fracking is likely to be extracted early in 2015.
Comment: There have been strong local protests where test drilling has already been carried out. There are several sweeteners on offer to try to persuade local communities to accept the risks around fracking: tax breaks, payments of £100,000 per site plus a 1% share of revenue. The government deny that the new restrictions on fracking are designed to head off protest in Tory seats in the south of England.
For the first time in six years the government has opening bidding for new fracking licences.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-28513036
Half the UK is now open to exploration for shale gas.
New restrictions apply to National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural, and companies granted a licence for test drilling will also need planning permission and environmental permits. The Environment Secretary will also have more power to intervene where their are disputes over drilling.
The first gas from fracking is likely to be extracted early in 2015.
Comment: There have been strong local protests where test drilling has already been carried out. There are several sweeteners on offer to try to persuade local communities to accept the risks around fracking: tax breaks, payments of £100,000 per site plus a 1% share of revenue. The government deny that the new restrictions on fracking are designed to head off protest in Tory seats in the south of England.
Tuesday, 29 July 2014
NEW IMAGES OF ROSETTA'S COMET
New images of comet 67P/C-G from the Rosetta probe appear to show the nucleus of the comet is two objects - a smaller 'head' connected by a 'neck' to a larger 'body'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-28460702
On 20 July Rosetta was about 5,500 km from the comet. The ESA probe is due to move into orbit on 6 August, when it will be 70 km from the surface of comet 67P, a 4.5 km wide ball of ice.
Then surface mapping of the comet will help select a touchdown zone for a small landing robot called Philae in November.
Dr Holger Sierks from the Max-Planck-Institute in Germany said 'The only thing we know for sure at this point is that this neck region appears brighter compared to the head and the body of the nucleus.' The team say this could be due to a different surface composition or topography in the neck region.
Rosetta will be the first space mission to rendezvous with a comet, follow it and attempt to send a lander to its surface.
Comment: Fascinating detail of 67P from Rosetta which should increase our understanding of the nature of comets.
New images of comet 67P/C-G from the Rosetta probe appear to show the nucleus of the comet is two objects - a smaller 'head' connected by a 'neck' to a larger 'body'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-28460702
On 20 July Rosetta was about 5,500 km from the comet. The ESA probe is due to move into orbit on 6 August, when it will be 70 km from the surface of comet 67P, a 4.5 km wide ball of ice.
Then surface mapping of the comet will help select a touchdown zone for a small landing robot called Philae in November.
Dr Holger Sierks from the Max-Planck-Institute in Germany said 'The only thing we know for sure at this point is that this neck region appears brighter compared to the head and the body of the nucleus.' The team say this could be due to a different surface composition or topography in the neck region.
Rosetta will be the first space mission to rendezvous with a comet, follow it and attempt to send a lander to its surface.
Comment: Fascinating detail of 67P from Rosetta which should increase our understanding of the nature of comets.
Tuesday, 3 June 2014
NEW CLASS OF EXOPLANETS
An exoplanet named Kepler-10c has been discovered which has a high mass but a diameter only about twice that of Earth.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-27669572
An exoplanet that massive would have been expected to have a gaseous composition, attracting hydrogen gas, similar to Jupiter or Neptune in the solar system.
The diameter of Kepler-10c was determined using a light-dip technique as the exoplanet transited its host star, while its mass was measured by examining the gravitational attraction between exoplanet and star.
These measurement indicate that the new exoplanet has a density of 7.5 grams per cubic centimetre, compared with Earth's 5.5 gram per cubic centimetre, according to Professor Dimitar Sasselov of the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics. Professor Sasselov said 'Finding Kepler-10c tells us that rocky planets could form much earlier than we thought. And if you can make rocks, you can make life.'
The host star is about 560 light years away from Earth. and is about 11 billion years old, which is early in the evolution of the universe when generations of exploding stars have not had long to make the heavy elements needed to construct rock planets.
Comment: The US space agency's Kepler telescope continues to make further discoveries of different types of exoplanets, increasing our understanding of planetary formation.
An exoplanet named Kepler-10c has been discovered which has a high mass but a diameter only about twice that of Earth.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-27669572
An exoplanet that massive would have been expected to have a gaseous composition, attracting hydrogen gas, similar to Jupiter or Neptune in the solar system.
The diameter of Kepler-10c was determined using a light-dip technique as the exoplanet transited its host star, while its mass was measured by examining the gravitational attraction between exoplanet and star.
These measurement indicate that the new exoplanet has a density of 7.5 grams per cubic centimetre, compared with Earth's 5.5 gram per cubic centimetre, according to Professor Dimitar Sasselov of the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics. Professor Sasselov said 'Finding Kepler-10c tells us that rocky planets could form much earlier than we thought. And if you can make rocks, you can make life.'
The host star is about 560 light years away from Earth. and is about 11 billion years old, which is early in the evolution of the universe when generations of exploding stars have not had long to make the heavy elements needed to construct rock planets.
Comment: The US space agency's Kepler telescope continues to make further discoveries of different types of exoplanets, increasing our understanding of planetary formation.
Monday, 2 June 2014
PATIENTS 'SECTIONED' 'BECAUSE OF PRESSURE ON BEDS'
A survey by the Royal College of Psychiatrists suggests that pressure on mental health beds is so severe that some patients are having to be 'sectioned' to secure necessary care.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27656241
The survey also suggests that critically unwell patients are being sent home because no bed can be found for them.
The survey found that 18% of the junior doctors working in psychiatry in the study said that their decision to detain a patient under the Mental Health Act (referred to as 'sectioning') had been influenced by the fact that doing so might make the provision of a bed more likely. 37% said a colleague's decision had been similarly influenced.
One-in-four said a bed manager had told them that unless their patient had been sectioned they would not get a bed.
Almost 30% have sent a critically-ill patient home because no bed could be found. A third had seen a patient admitted to a ward without a bed. 22% had been forced to send a child more than 200 miles from their families for treatment.
Doctors also reported sending adult patients long distances to access care and admitting people into a bed belonging to another patient who had been sent home for a period of trial leave.
Dr Howard Ryland of the Royal College of Psychiatrists described the survey findings as 'very alarming'. 'People are beginning to recognise that there is a real crisis in mental health.'
The Care Minister Norman Lamb said 'It is not acceptable to detain someone under the Mental Health Act purely because they need an inpatient bed.'
Investigations in recent months have highlighted that more than 1,700 mental health beds have been cut, and that patients are travelling huge distances to access care.
Comment: The findings of this survey, and the information about reductions in mental health beds, are extremely disturbing, affecting as it often does some of the most vulnerable people, at a time of crisis in their lives. The use of the term 'sectioning' - which in effect means being arrested - has become a sort of euphemism and a derogatory term of abuse. The use of this term should be stopped. It is an example of discrimination against mental health patients. The findings of this survey demonstrate clear evidence that the procedure is open to abuse, and is now being routinely abused. Action is needed urgently by the government to end this crisis in health care in the NHS. It is unacceptable that mental health patients are 'cared for' in this way.
A survey by the Royal College of Psychiatrists suggests that pressure on mental health beds is so severe that some patients are having to be 'sectioned' to secure necessary care.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27656241
The survey also suggests that critically unwell patients are being sent home because no bed can be found for them.
The survey found that 18% of the junior doctors working in psychiatry in the study said that their decision to detain a patient under the Mental Health Act (referred to as 'sectioning') had been influenced by the fact that doing so might make the provision of a bed more likely. 37% said a colleague's decision had been similarly influenced.
One-in-four said a bed manager had told them that unless their patient had been sectioned they would not get a bed.
Almost 30% have sent a critically-ill patient home because no bed could be found. A third had seen a patient admitted to a ward without a bed. 22% had been forced to send a child more than 200 miles from their families for treatment.
Doctors also reported sending adult patients long distances to access care and admitting people into a bed belonging to another patient who had been sent home for a period of trial leave.
Dr Howard Ryland of the Royal College of Psychiatrists described the survey findings as 'very alarming'. 'People are beginning to recognise that there is a real crisis in mental health.'
The Care Minister Norman Lamb said 'It is not acceptable to detain someone under the Mental Health Act purely because they need an inpatient bed.'
Investigations in recent months have highlighted that more than 1,700 mental health beds have been cut, and that patients are travelling huge distances to access care.
Comment: The findings of this survey, and the information about reductions in mental health beds, are extremely disturbing, affecting as it often does some of the most vulnerable people, at a time of crisis in their lives. The use of the term 'sectioning' - which in effect means being arrested - has become a sort of euphemism and a derogatory term of abuse. The use of this term should be stopped. It is an example of discrimination against mental health patients. The findings of this survey demonstrate clear evidence that the procedure is open to abuse, and is now being routinely abused. Action is needed urgently by the government to end this crisis in health care in the NHS. It is unacceptable that mental health patients are 'cared for' in this way.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
