Monthly Archives: June 2014

Astronomy, Events

Blast marks start of construction of the European Extremely Large Telescope

The European Southern Observatory (ESO), which already has several major telescopes in Chile, has begun construction of a new one whose name says it all: European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT). With a 39 meter primary mirror, it should be called the European Monster Telescope. It will take 10 years to build the observatory. The E-ELT will reside on top of the 3000-meter high peak of Cerro Armazones and it will eventually look something like this artist’s creation:

eso1139e[1]

However, to get that nice plateau on which to build it, they had to blow away the peak. Yesterday there was a special event held to mark the first big blast to cut off the peak. Here is a video of the event (jump to 53 seconds to see the blast):

And here is an ESO press release about the event:

Groundbreaking for the E-ELT

Today a groundbreaking ceremony took place to mark the next major milestone towards ESO’s European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT). Part of the 3000-metre peak of Cerro Armazones was blasted away as a step towards levelling the summit in preparation for the construction of the largest optical/infrared telescope in the world.

The groundbreaking ceremony at Paranal Observatory, 20 kilometres away from the blasting, was attended by distinguished guests from both Chile and the ESO Member States, as well as representatives of the local communities, senior officials from the project and ESO staff. The event was also streamed live online and a recording of the event can now be viewed.

The order to proceed with the blasting was given by the Chilean Vice Minister of National Assets, Jorge Maldonado.

During the groundbreaking ceremony the Chilean company ICAFAL Ingeniería y Construcción S.A. blasted part of the top of Cerro Armazones and loosened about 5000 cubic metres of rock. This is just one part of an elaborate levelling process which will help landscape the mountain, so that it can accommodate the 39-metre telescope and its huge dome. A grand total of 220 000 cubic metres will need to be removed to make room for the 150 metre by 300 metre E-ELT platform.

The Cerro Armazones civil works started in March 2014 and are expected to take 16 months. These include the laying and maintenance of a paved road, the construction of the summit platform and the construction of a service trench to the summit [1].

The E-ELT first light is planned for 2024, when it will begin to tackle the biggest astronomical challenges of our time. The giant telescope is expected to allow the exploration of completely unknown realms of the Universe — it will be: “the world’s biggest eye on the sky”.

Activism, Events, Mars

“Time Capsule to Mars” – $25M student-led mission to the Red Planet

Here is an announcement from the project, Time Capsule To Mars “The bold student mission to land a “time capsule of humanity” on the surface of Mars”

Time Capsule to Mars™ – a $25 Million Student-Led Mission to the Red Planet –
to Announce World’s Largest Crowdfunding Initiative and Industry Partnerships

Project to be the First Privately-Funded Mission to Mars, a CubeSat-based
Spacecraft with Custom Propulsion Technology

WASHINGTON – June 17, 2014 – Time Capsule to Mars™ (TC2M), the world’s first student-led interplanetary mission, will host a press conference on Monday, June 23, 2014 at 1:30 p.m. ET at the National Press Club to announce the official launch of the project’s crowdfunding website, alongside leading space industry organizations, academia and renowned astronauts and space veterans.

Who:

  • Emily Briere, founder, mission director and Duke University senior student
  • Jon Tidd, business-team lead and Fuqua School of Business and Duke University graduate student

Also joining in support of this initiative are representatives from NASA, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, ATK, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Draper Laboratory, Deep Space Industries, Explore Mars, Remarkable Technologies Inc., MIT, Stanford University, Duke University, UConn, NASA chief astronaut and vice president of ATK Kent Rominger, astronaut and ATK vice president and general manager of Space Launch division Charlie Precourt, and more.

What:

Emily Briere and Jon Tidd will present the project’s mission, fundraising goals, and official crowdfunding website for Time Capsule to Mars™ (TC2M), as well as details on how people from all over the globe can begin purchasing digital space on the “time capsule of humanity.” Speakers will also make special announcements of new strategic industry partnerships, advisers and university involvement.

When:

Monday, June 23, 2014, 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. E.T.
(Media reception to follow, 2:15 p.m.-3:00 p.m. ET)

Where:

National Press Club
13th Floor (Main Level)
First Amendment Room
529 14th Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20045

Why:

Time Capsule to Mars™ (TC2M) will make history by connecting humanity’s shared history with our shared destiny. Carrying digital messages from tens of millions of people from all corners of Earth in the form of text, images, audio and video clips, the state-of-the-art “time capsule” will remain a crucible of today’s human race – to be rediscovered by future colonists of the Red Planet. Time Capsule to Mars™ intends to become the:

– First private mission to Mars
– First interplanetary CubeSat mission
– First interplanetary test of ion-electrospray propulsion
– Largest crowdfunded project in history

Both Ms. Briere and Mr. Tidd will be available for interviews at a media reception following the press conference. Reception will feature hors d’oeuvres and refreshments and networking opportunities with others in attendance.

About Time Capsule To Mars

The world’s first student-led interplanetary mission, Time Capsule to Mars™ (TC2M), has a goal to design, launch and land intact a time capsule on Mars containing data that memorializes the digital keepsakes of the human race on Earth in the current decade as we set out to colonize the first off world planet in humanity’s history. Time Capsule to Mars™ (TC2M) intends to be the largest-ever crowdfunded science endeavor, aiming to raise an estimated $25 million to accomplish the mission. A particular educational focus will include K-12-aged students from all over the world; the students will be able to access their own personalized “Mission Control” to play a virtual role in the mission, while tracking the vehicle’s (and their data) progression through our Solar System – right up to the landing on Mars. TC2M is a project of the non-profit Explore Mars (www.exploremars.org). Read more about our mission here, follow us @TimeCapsuleMars or #TC2M, and on Google+.

About Explore Mars
Explore Mars was created to advance the goal of sending humans to Mars within the next two decades. To further that goal, Explore Mars conducts programs and technical challenges to stimulate the development and/or improvement of technologies that will make human Mars missions more efficient and feasible. In addition, to embed the idea of Mars as a habitable planet, Explore Mars challenges educators to use Mars in the classroom as a tool to teach standard STEM curricula. Explore Mars, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation organized in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Exoplanets, SETI, Space Science

National Geographic looks at “The hunt for life beyond Earth”

The cover article of the July 2014 issue of National Geographic magazine is about looking for signs of extraterrestrial life :  Astrobiology – The hunt for life beyond Earth: One of the oldest questions may be answered in our lifetimes. Are we alone?

This includes searches both of sites within our solar system and of exoplanets.  Of course, there are great images and infographics like all Nat Geo articles.

Supplements include Distant Oasis about the possibility of life on Jupiter’s moon Europa. Goldilocks Worlds is about finding exoplanets of sizes similar to earth and in orbits within the  habitable zones of their stars.

Bill Nye of the Planetary Society discusses the issue of finding the resources to answer this old question: