The Kepler Observatory suffered a huge blow to its pointing precision last year when one of its reaction wheels malfunctioned. However, a scheme is being attempted that will use solar light pressure to compensate for the lost reaction wheel and allow for partial restoration of the observatory’s exoplanet finding capabilities. (For an infographic see Kepler’s Second Light: How K2 Will Work 0NASA.)

A test of the new technique looks promising: NASA’s revived exoplanet-hunter sees its first world – New Scientist.

WASP-28b is about the size of Jupiter and is in a very tight orbit around its star, with a year that lasts just 3.4 Earth days. Unfortunately, K2 will not be able to carry on with Kepler’s original quest to find habitable Earth-sized planets around sun-like stars. To confirm that a planet is real, Kepler needed to see it transit three times, meaning true Earth twins would take about three years to confirm. The modified space telescope won’t be able to maintain its lock on a star for that long.

But the K2 mission will be able to collect data on very young stars and search for planets or planet-forming discs around them. “This will be a window into both star formation and planet formation,” says Howell.

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Check out this interesting recent interview of Prof. Sara Seager (MIT) about exoplanets and the Kepler project: Dr. Sara Seager, Friday, 1-24-14 – Thespaceshow’s Blog.

Activism, Mars, Space Arts

2014 Mars Society Poster Contest

February 9, 2014 TopSpacer

The Mars Society opens a new contest:

Participate in the 2014 Mars Society Poster Contest!

Feeling Creative? Want to Promote Mars Advocacy? Participate in the 2014 Mars Society Poster Contest!

The 2014 Mars Society Poster Contest is now underway! The winning design will serve as the primary graphic for promoting the 17th Annual International Mars Society Convention, to be held in League City, Texas (outside Houston), August 7-10, 2014.

When designing posters, participants are asked to use the theme of the 2014 convention: “Blazing the Path to Mars.” The poster should seek to emphasize various efforts

to drive and promote the human exploration and settlement of the Red Planet.

The winner will receive free admission to all sessions of the Mars Society convention, including the main convention banquet. [Airfare and hotel accommodations are not included.]

The deadline for submitting poster designs is Monday, March 31, 2014 at 5:00 p.m. EST.

With regard to technical requirements for the contest, the size of the poster should be 11″ x 17″. There are no restrictions on color, however if your poster is chosen, in addition to a full color poster, the Mars Society will need a gray-scale copy. Posters can be submitted as a .pdf file, although it is preferred in the original format (i.e., Photoshop).

To submit your design, please e-mail the sample to: postercontest@marssociety.org. Please also use this e-mail address for any inquiries regarding the contest and/or the submission process.

Use of Image: Artist gives permission to The Mars Society to use digital images(s) of art work in online and print media.

Poster Contest Disclaimer: The Poster Contest Artist, by submitting an application, agrees to defend, indemnify and hold harmless The Mars Society from and against any and all claims, demands or expenses (including attorney fees) for libel, slander, invasion of privacy, infringement of copyright, personal injury, damages, or any other claims, demand or expenses resulting from performance in connection with this agreement.

[Image: Winning submission of the 2013 Mars Society Poster Contest, designed by Cody Edwards]

Activism, DIY space, Mars

Mars One crowdfunding update

February 9, 2014 TopSpacer

It appears that Mars One will reach only 3/4 of the $400k goal in their Indiegogo campaign, which ends today. The money will go towards funding “Mission Concept Studies by Lockheed Martin and Surrey Satellite Technology LTD (SSTL) for our first unmanned mission in 2018″. However, $300k is still a lot of money to raise via crowdfunding. (Unlike Kickstarter, campaigns at Indiegogo can use whatever amount of money is raised, even when the total is less than the goal.)

[ Update Feb.10.14: Final total = $313,749 ]

Bas Lansdorp, the chief of Mars One, posted the following on the Indiegogo updates page:

Hi everyone,

As you know, our campaign is coming to a close. So far, we have raised an impressive 290,000 dollars. As a community, we’ve actually raised more money during this two-month campaign than we raised from private donations over the past two years. An incredible feat. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Exciting days are ahead. I am on my way to Lockheed Martin in Denver as I write this to attend a progress meeting for the mission concept study they are currently performing for our 2018 Lander Mission. We’re expecting the results of the study in May of this year and we will share the public summary of the report with everyone who contributed for the Mission Backstage Pass.

My meeting on Monday at Lockheed Martin will be on the work breakdown structure and on landing site selection. The work that Lockheed Martin is doing is the first step in a project that will result in the landing of the first privately funded mission on the surface of Mars in 2019. We are getting closer every day! And you will have helped make that possible. I want to personally thank each and every one of you for your contributions and look forward to the exciting days and years ahead!

Thanks again!

Regards,
Bas

Amateur/Student Satellite, Space Radio

AMSAT, Student Sat & ISS amateur radio news

February 9, 2014 TopSpacer

Go to AMSAT News for the latest headlines about developments in amateur and student satellites and for updates about amateur radio on the ISS.

ANS 040 Weekly AMSAT Bulletin – February 8, 2014:
* Ham radio CubeSat deployment postponed
* Ham TV Commissioning Postponed until March 8
* Satellites News from the Magazines
* Can Radio Hams receive NASA’s ISSE-3/ICE ?
* Send Your Name to the Asteroid Bennu!
* Outernet – Shortwave radio from space
* FCC Seeks Comments on WR-2015 Draft Rcommendations
* ARISS News
* Satellite Shorts From All Over

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Here is an update on the cubesats brought to the ISS by NanoRacks for deployment from the Japanese module : ISS CubeSat Deployment, “Ham Video” Commissioning Postponed – ARRL

Two Amateur Radio-related activities aboard the International Space Station have been postponed. The deployment of Amateur Radio CubeSats planned for February 6 has been put off, and a new date has not yet been announced. NASA reported that astronaut Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA, this week installed a deployer mechanism that will be used in concert with the Kibo robotic arm to release the first set of CubeSats. He ran into difficulty last week installing some related electronics, delaying the CubeSat deployments. NASA now wants to make sure the CubeSats do not fall into the intended orbit of the Global Precipitation Measurement satellite, which goes into space later this month.