I recently mentioned Pam Hoffman‘s blog Everyday Spacer, which urges you to “Take Part in Space Exploration Today!”
Another blog that focus on broad public participation in space activities is Path to Mars from artist Renate Pohl. She provides “1001 ways to get to space without being a rocket scientist”.
She also offers a free newsletter and 35 page booklet titled, Blast Off! An Action Plan to Get You to Space.
John Hunter spoke on the Space Show on Monday about “hydrogen gas gun technology and capability, microwave propulsion for delivering cargo”: Dr. John Hunter, Monday, 2-18-13 – Thespaceshow’s Blog.
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David and callers discussed in an Open Lines show last night a range of topics that included “Carnival Cruise lines & informed consent, space radiation, nanosat launchers, & much more” : Open Lines, Tuesday, 2-19-13 – Thespaceshow’s Blog
The SETI Institute has just posted this video in their lecture series: Discovery of the New Moons of Pluto – Mark Showalter (SETI Talks) – YouTube
Dr. Showalter recently discovered the fourth and fifth moons of Pluto. His recent discoveries of two small moons orbiting Pluto raise interesting new questions about how the dwarf planet formed. We now know that a total of four outer moons circle around a central “double-planet” comprising Pluto and its large, nearby moon Charon.
NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft will arrive at Pluto in July 2015, and the new discoveries come just in time for the science planners to target closeup views of the tiny bodies during the flyby. However, the discoveries also come as a mixed blessing–small moons often raise clouds of dust, prompting concerns about a possible hazard to the spacecraft when it flies through the system at more then 10 km per second.
DARPA is seeking proposals for projects to investigate ways to mitigate the health effects of ionizing radiation: DARPA Seeks to Defuse the Threat of Ionizing Radiation – DARPA
DARPA releases request for information on novel approaches to mitigate immediate and long-term health damage from acute exposure to ionizing radiation and model its biophysical effects
The program is aimed at dealing with terrestrial situations but if it results in useful treatments, the would be useful for space explorers and settlers if they are subjected to high radiation doses when exposed to a solar flare event with insufficient shielding.
Lots of interesting speakers at this weekend’s UKSEDS National Student Space Conference in Bristol, including Alan Bond of Reaction Engines Limited. Check out the Programme and this preview of the event: Space conference 2013 – Bristol University News.