NEO Search wins grant from NASA

Good News! SpaceRef.com is reporting that the University of Arizona has done extremely well in its search for NEOs (Near Earth Objects- those pesky dangerous asteroids which MIGHT impact the Earth, causing devastation and grief).  In fact, they've done SO well, they've been granted a NASA Grant of over $3,000,000 to enlarge their program and continue to watch the skies! Last year the program detected 565 new NEOs, a hundred more than the previous year.

This is great news in the war against planetary terrorism, but it also highlights the fact that there are many more objects out there that we don't know about yet. These unseen cosmic bombs could cause terrible destruction, and it is our duty to prepare for the inevitable successful strike.  

By the way, to learn more, you can go to: www.SpaceRef.com for updates on the NEO news as it occurs. 

Picture: Asteroid Ida (thanks NASA)

Intruder Alert!

Thanks to APOD (Astronomy Photo Of the Day) I've been alerted to the appearance of Comet Lulin (C/2007 N3).  Currently in the constellation of Libra, if you are at about 40º latitude it should appear low in the sky about 5- 5:40 am.  Might be difficult for me as I live on the western side of Mt. Timpanogos which blots out the entire eastern sky.  However, as I often head to the gym that early in the morning, I might have a chance of catching it. I'll try using binoculars.

Except for the next couple of days: Winter snowdump in progress. Don't even want to get the car out of the garage. No clear sky for a little while.

Now that this interloper is on the radar, however, we'll be keeping an eye on it here at the bunker.

Planetary Bombardment Under Way

Tonight Earth will be bombarded by fast moving projectiles hurtled at us from outer space. 

Astronomers often refer to this particular recurring event as the Quadrantid Meteor Shower. According to the experts at SpaceWeather.com, it's peak intensity should occur in the early morning hours over America on Saturday January 3rd.  Unfortunately, at this time here in Utah we are experiencing a major snowfall event which will cloud over the skies at the time of this happening. I myself will be sheltered in the Command Bunker. The danger level for this event is very small, thanks to the expected minor size of the projectiles. Therefore, I expect I'll be snoozing away in anticipation of shoveling frozen H2O later on.

However, it pays to be cautious. Fox News reported on a mysterious explosion over the region of Fairbanks, Alaska last Monday afternoon. Multiple witnesses reported a contrail in the sky recording the path of the asteroid which evidently exploded above ground. Witnesses also reported hearing the shockwaves of the explosion which destroyed the falling object.

Lucky Fairbanks. If that object had reached the ground before exploding, it could have caused great damage.

But the question really is, Who? Who is behind this devious assault on Planet Earth? 

50 YA: Lunik 1

On this day 50 years ago, the USSR scored a big success by launching Lunik 1 probe into orbit around the Sun. That was the first solar orbital probe! Unfortunately, the radio signals coming from the probe ended on the 5th.

New Years Day 2009 Update

I've been a bad, bad, blogger. Got too busy and didn't keep up with the Space Rubble blog. 

Oh well, moving on.

First, what I missed from the rest of December 50 YA that was significant:

1) 10th- National Airlines starts first domestic airlines service from New York to Miami. (Big one, this!)

2) 13th- Brave little squirrel monkey named Gordo was lost after a ride in the nosecone of a Jupiter ballistic missile. The capsule was not recovered from the sea. Actually Gordo was probably terrified unless they drugged him.  Unfortunately it brings back a tragic memory of my 5th graders launching a model rocket with a cricket in the payload section, only the ejection charge blew the payload section apart (not enough glue, apparently) and the cricket was not recovered.  : (

3) 16th- Successful test shots of the Thor ballistic missile.

4) 17th- IMPORTANT DATE: NASA announces that Project Mercury will be the name of the man-in-space program. Wahoo!

5) 18th- A communication satellite prototype, PROJECT SCORE, was blasted into orbit by by a test Atlas missile. This would be a forerunner of future communication satellites, which will change the world of communications forever.

6) 19th- Using the PROJECT SCORE satellite, President Eisenhower's voice was beamed from the satellite delivering a Christmas message . First voice beamed in from space! Wahoo!

7) 20th- Cape Canaveral sees a Titan missile test explode on the pad. Ouch!

8) 1958 was the first year that Transatlantic passengers by AIR outnumbered passengers by SHIP. Very significant change in travel history.

There were other events as well, but I thought these were the more interesting ones.

Now for the resolutions:

In 2009 I intend to....

1) Increase the frequency of 50 YA postings

2) Cover significant events in current NASA endeavors

3) Report on my own pathetic efforts  as a space enthusiast

I especially intend to open a new front in reporting on the war.

Oh, Not THAT war. I mean the one that most people ignore on a daily basis. That's right, the constant, never-ending struggle for mankind to free itself from the unrelenting assault from outer space. The war to defend ourselves from the constant barrage of projectiles which threaten to wipe humans (and other species) from the face of the Earth. In this great crusade we must not fail, or we will end up like the dinosaurs and others who only remain as fossilized witnesses to the longest war in history.

Um, more on this later.

50 YA - Pioneer III

Actually I'm off by a couple of days, I'm referring to Dec. 6, 1958. Oh well.

Pioneer 3 was a plucky step forward for the USA. It was originally meant to be a lunar probe. Its job was to fly close enough to the moon to have the lunar light activate a photosensor which would trigger a camera. This probe did not include the camera, but was meant to test the trigger device. In the actual event, the satellite did not reach escape velocity and did not go into a solar orbit.

After reaching almost 110,000 kilometers from the Earth, the little probe began to fall back in Earth's gravity. Revised objectives allowed scientists to use the probe to investigate the Van Allen radiation belt which had been discovered by our first satellite to orbit, Explorer 1.  The data from Pioneer 3 helped Dr. Van Allen to eventually discover a second belt of radiation around the planet.

The photo shows scientists assembling the probe. The launch was conducted by both NASA and the US Army Ballistic Agency (where good old Dr. Von Braun was working).

Up to now 50 YA

Well, let's see if I can get on track with this blog thing.  While things have been quite busy for me (enough to really distract me for the last month), back in 1958 things were very busy as well.

NASA's first official day was October 1, 1958.  Imagine the vast challenge they felt as they organized their management and tried to create a space program! All sorts of space programs run by other agencies, like project Vanguard, were transfered officially to NASA.

October 4 was a noted date- the Vandenberg Air Force base was dedicated. It was the world's first ICBM base located among the free nations.

On October 7, an important program was adopted- Project Mercury. It had 3 goals: first, to place a manned capsule in orbit. Second, investigate how man can live and work in orbit. Third, recover the astronaut and spacecraft safely.  That is just cool - 50 years ago...

I think it was October 8- Lt. Clifton M. McClure almost set a balloon altitude record in the MAN HIGH III balloon to 99,900 feet.

Go Baby! On October 11, 1958, Pioneer I launched from Cape Canaveral, FL on a Thor-Able rocket. One of its tasks was to measure micrometeorite density in space. It also explored the magnetic field and traveled 70,700 miles before coming back to Earth.

October 15- A most excellent date. The first of the three X-15 experimental rocket craft rolled out of North American Aviation's plant. Eventually Neil Armstrong would fly one of those three before transferring to NASA.

October 21st saw a double launch of BOMARC missiles from Cape Canaveral in a test, which successfully intercepted their targets. These missiles were designed to protect our country from invading enemy bombers at long range.

Although not related to NASA, a significant event occurred on the 26th when Pan American World Airways began cross- Atlantic service with the Boeing 707 jet from New York to Paris. Today it's hard to imagine a world without transatlantic jets.

With the start of Project Mercury, America was committing itself to make science fiction come true. "Buck Rogers" would be traveling in space, and if it was up to NASA, the first spaceman would be an American. 

50 years ago. Busy month.