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Posts Tagged “Moon”

papernauts

NASA to Fly You to the Moon for Free, Sinatra Style

NASA is opening the door to anyone wanting to go to the moon as part of their next lunar mission—all without requiring years of tests, training, or smoking astroturf. Sadly, only your name will go, which is actually good because the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter—set to select landing and outpost sites for the Constellation program—is not returning. Ever. Just submit your name to the mission site, and it will be added to a chip that will orbit for eternity around the biggest cheese in the Universe, and you will get a certificate from NASA. More »

10:30 PM on Sat May 3 2008
By Jesus Diaz
35,934 views, 60 comments

Latest by Atsumi: Tiffany Peters is living on the moon. ...sometime. more »

aliens

Scientists Propose Flashing Mirrors on Moon to Catch ET's Eye

Far more serious than beaming a salted snack advert into space, scientists at Pennsylvania State University in State College suggest that if we really want to catch the attention of aliens, then we should cover half the moon in mirrors, and send coded flashes of light into space. Always assuming ET's not too bored by us, that is. More »

11:30 AM on Wed Apr 30 2008
By Kit Eaton
3,438 views, 68 comments

Latest by crosshare: Yeah! Turn the moon into a giant Disco ball! more »

science

Flowers Grow In Moon Soil Simulation

The moon is a nice place to visit, but you'd never want to live there. Because of the lack of breathable air? Nah. There are no flowers. But now, scientists have successfully grown marigolds in crushed anorthosite, a rocky Earth-based soil that is quite similar to the stuff we see on the moon. More »

10:00 AM on Fri Apr 18 2008
By Mark Wilson
5,512 views, 38 comments

space

First High Definition Moon Map Released, Uranium Sites Located

Selene, Japan's lunar spacecraft and HD peeping Tom, keeps sending stunningly-detailed information from our crystal clear Moon to trashed Mother Earth. These first-ever high definition global topographic maps of the Moon were created using 1,127,392 point measurements, taken with its laser altimeter. And they are just preliminary versions. More »

3:00 PM on Sun Apr 13 2008
By Jesus Diaz
66,119 views, 38 comments

robots

NASA's ATHLETE Hex-Legged Lunar Robots Now Work in Pairs

We've shown you NASA's neat ATHLETE robots before and it looks like the little hexapod machines have been getting more sophisticated. This vid of two ATHLETEs collaborating to lift a heavy habitat load onto the ground sent faint Matrix-esque shivers down my spine. NASA is taking development of the robots seriously, as it turns out their multiple-wheeled dexterity make them perfect for carrying mobile habitats across the rocky, uneven lunar terrain. They've even been discussed in the most recent mission planning, so they really might be trotting-rolling across the Moon's surface in a short bunch of years. Next up for ATHLETE: a mock mobile lunar base trial. [NASA and New Scientist]

5:00 PM on Fri Apr 4 2008
By Kit Eaton
2,980 views, 24 comments

Latest by 1roll20s: That's pretty cool. Space robots are slow. They need to run off solar cells, or very limited low output power supplies. They also have to be built to handle extremely long input lag. more »

space

NASA Lunar Chariot Tested by NYT Earthling (Verdict: Best Rims in Outer Space)

NASA's Lunar Chariot, which costs a reported $2 million to build, has just been tested by the NYT. The top speed of 15 mph may not set tarmac on fire, but it sure as hell can burn a truckload of astro stuff, all with it's six-wheeled wackiness trailing closely behind. The front driving "turret" houses the primary control; a joystick for steering, as well as various cameras and sensors, the feedback of which is relayed to the onboard screen. John Schwartz, the NYT reporter sent out to run the test, didn't get to drive the buggy itself, but he was offered the passenger's seat / stand, and here's what he made of it.
More »

6:00 PM on Sun Mar 30 2008
By Haroon Malik
5,729 views, 35 comments

Latest by Jswatz: Low-RIde-Er knows every street, yeah... more »

furniture

Full Moon Sideboard, Your Gear's Own Glowing Lunar Base

I'm about to move home, and this sideboard by designer Sotirios Papadopoulos is going right on my dream-about-it furniture list. "A sideboard?" you say. Well, it's simple and beautiful, in a very sciencey kind of way. The detailed luna surface is painted with a glowing paint Sotirios invented, called EcoLightInside since it's apparently eco-friendly. Why's it a dream-only item? It's a limited edition of just 24, and while the price is unknown I suspect it'll be astronomical. Shame: I'd already pictured myself dotting it with markers detailing the Apollo missions. [InventorSpot]

5:34 AM on Fri Mar 28 2008
By Kit Eaton
2,560 views, 9 comments

Latest by VitorFreitas: [vitorfreitas.wordpress.com] ...[Via]... more »

to infinity and beyond

Orion Crew Test Module Timelapse Build

This timelapse video shows the construction of the first Orion crew module, the spacecraft that will take humanity to the moon and Mars. As you can see, this version is not the full ship, as it lacks all computer, engine and support systems, not to talk about the proton torpedoes and turbolasers. However, the Apollo-style module is the first real tangible part of the Constellation Program, and will play a crucial part in its early development.
More »

7:00 PM on Thu Mar 13 2008
By Jesus Diaz
10,307 views, 24 comments

Latest by jgilbs: like previous posters said, this looks exactly like apollo. but yes, apollo did work, extremley well actually. why are we wasting all this taxpayer $$ on an entire new design? Why don't we just use the same more »

space

NASA to Intentionally Smash Two Spacecraft Into the Moon

NASA is planning to intentionally smash two spacecraft into the surface of the moon, hoping to reveal some water ice under the surface of the moon's south pole. Hey, where'd they get this idea? Hmm, it seems pretty familiar… More »

3:50 PM on Thu Feb 28 2008
By Adam Frucci
14,436 views, 51 comments

Latest by jc2k: Isnt this what they did in the movie remake of "Time Machine" where they drilled too deep into the moon, and it caused all kinds of chaos, thus leading to the demise of mankind and the rise of those monster more »

moon map

NASA's New Glorious 3D Moon Map to Help Next Lunar Landings

When astronauts return to the Moon in a few years they'll be using NASA's new 3D lunar maps. Produced using Earth-based radar measurements, the maps of the south polar region show details as small as 60 feet across and record heights to within 15 feet&mdash 30 times more accurate than previous surveys. More »

8:37 AM on Thu Feb 28 2008
By Kit Eaton
4,946 views, 10 comments

Latest by Spaceboy: cool, no need to go there anymore. at least not with disposable rockets. more »

nasa

Lunar Astronauts To Have Mobile Phone Service

NASA will definitely beat the Mt. Everest phone calls when they launch mobile phone service on the moon around 2012. Their MoonLite system will link astronauts, the lunar base and Earth via satellite. Even though there is over four years until launch, the service will only have a speed of 3kbps down/2kbps up. One small call for man...ah forget it. [Silicon.com via Newlaunches]

2:40 PM on Wed Feb 20 2008
By Eric Sheline
1,522 views, 17 comments

space travel

Inflatable Moon Base to be Tested in Antarctica Next Year

We recently showed you simulations of Mars voyages here on earth, and now NASA is looking to get in on the fun. The department of space nerds will begin a yearlong test of an inflatable moon base in Antarctica in January. Fully inflatable in a mere 11 minutes, the base probably won't be housing astronauts on the moon in the near future, as after this test they'll probably need to test it in a vacuum chamber. But hey, eventually, right? [SpaceRef via The Raw Feed]

1:00 PM on Tue Nov 20 2007
By Adam Frucci
4,990 views, 16 comments

Latest by n/a: Hi, thought you might be interested in this, a few musings from yours truly on the topic. Feel free to lambast me in the comments section if you have the time and inclination: [tool4theman.blogspot.com] more »

moon

First HD Image of the Earth from 236,000 Miles Away

If you ever wondered what our planet looked like in hi-def from a quarter of a million miles away, now you know. Thanks to an HDTV camera with 1920 x 1080 resolution onboard the lunar explorer Kaguya (but you can call her Serene), images of the Earth rising and setting on November 7 were beamed back to JAXA's Usuda space station (JAXA is Japan's space agency). The southern hemisphere is toppermost, so that is an upside-down Australia you can see, but that's just normal for those of us who are British. Oh, and we know that 286 lines of Flash vid doesn't constitute "HD," but this is the best we can deliver. (There's no sound on the vid, either, but that's because it's in space.) [Jaxa]

8:39 AM on Wed Nov 14 2007
By Addy Dugdale
34,141 views, 39 comments

Latest by chevronexxon: If you fart in space after eating nothing but tang and freeze dried ice cream, in zero gravity, will the fart eventually dissipate or can you come back fifteen minutes into the same corner you were in and smell it. more »

toys

Discovery "Moon In My Room" Means Remote-Controlled Nightly Mooning

Discovery's Moon In My Room is an AA-powered smart nightlight that hangs, wire-free, from any wall. You can flip through the phases showing on its detailed, accurate lunar surface, or just go hands-off, letting it rotate through all 12 phases on its own. When the sun goes down, a light sensor turns up the moonglow. For people slightly older than those kids in the pictures, it may well be the ideal accompaniment to the Volcano vaporizer and a little Floyd, but word is that when you leave it on auto, the battery drains like a beeyotch. [Discovery via Babygadget, Make]

10:49 AM on Fri Nov 9 2007
By Wilson Rothman
2,603 views, 4 comments

Latest by balloondoggle: "Get a real-life, under-the-moon experience from the comfort and safety of your own bed." Mostly while asleep. more »

roundup

Afternoon News: Bronze iPhones, Butterfly-Inspired Displays and the Moon

• Rumors before UK iPhone release: British users to get bronze trim instead of silver? [Gadget Lab]
• Qualcomm's low-powered IMOD display replicates the light-bending qualities of butterfly wings. [Extreme Tech]
• Moon filmed in HD for the first time, embarrassed to find age lines and stretch marks. [Pink Tentacle]

5:50 PM on Wed Nov 7 2007
By Benny Goldman
2,410 views, 3 comments

Latest by spinner: What about GadgetLab's mention of 02's iPhone having a "SIM Applications" button? What does that (potentially) mean? And, yeah, bronze. Slap in the face if it's true. more »

nasa

One of These Days, ATHLETE... Bang! Zoom! Straight to the Moon (Video)

ATHLETE, NASA's "All-Terrain Hex-Limbed Extra-Terrestrial Explorer," was designed for lunar cargo hauling with expertise in hernia-free crouch and lift. A pair of cameras mounted on each of its six sides provide full stereoscopic panoramic view of the lunar surface. The small wheels are used on hard terrain, but they can lock to become feet when the goin' gets rougher. Legs can become arms, and the motors used to control the wheel can also power claws, plows and drills. NASA plans to ship this baby skyward in a "decade or so." [NASA via Make]

10:35 AM on Wed Nov 7 2007
By Wilson Rothman
10,163 views, 29 comments

Latest by Patchouli: Actually this is even more innovative then it first sounds this could enable a moon base segment to drive off after landing and then dock it's self with the other modules yes real scifi self assembly. With this you could have more »

you never will call

YouNeverCall Promises $10,000 to the First Cell Phone Caller from the Moon

OK, it is a marketing scam, but a clever one, so we shall humor YouNeverCall. The press release states that $10,000 shall be awarded to the company/person that places a cellular phone call from the moon to YouNeverCall's HQ in LA. More »

9:00 PM on Sat Sep 22 2007
By Haroon Malik
6,394 views, 38 comments

moon man

Get Your Mug on the Moon With the Lunar Legacy Program

In addition to the Robotic Moon Race that X Prize announced yesterday, they are also going to start the Lunar Legacy Program. The program will allow regular geeks like you and me to upload a 1MB image and a quick note that will then be copied onto a 17GB DVD and placed on one of the spacecraft heading toward the moon. (The upload will cost you $10.) Once it completes the journey to the moon, it will be left on the moons. Hopefully, the aliens that find the disc won't be using some advanced version of a cassette player. [Wired]

3:20 PM on Fri Sep 14 2007
By blongo3
1,637 views, 10 comments

Latest by entropyman: umm... if aliens are coming from across the universe - light years upon light years and they stumble across our solar system- why would they go to our moon, a dead hunk of rock? if they came that far wouldn't more »