| Uncontrolled fires destroy 'paradise of diversity' Scientists say many native animal species in Northern Australia are "plunging towards extinction". abc.net.au |
In praise of … space clippers | Editorial Robot windjammers laden with instruments could scud out on the gentle breeze from the sun to Europa or Titan and then tack back to EarthThe solar wind is a violent burst of charged particles that creates magnetic storms in the Earth's upper atmosphere. But the sun's light, too, has pressure: Nasa scientists calculated 30 years ago that in the vacuum of space, the impact of sunlight on a gossamer-thin mirror would be enough to get it moving with an acceleration of a millimetre per second per second. This doesn't sound much, but within 24 hours a space sailing ship could be travelling at 100 metres a second, and still be accelerating. It could reach Mars in 400 days. The US Planetary Society has twice tried to launch a prototype space sailing ship; in May this year the Japanese space agency sent its experimental "kite" Ikaros floating towards Venus. And today the European Planetary Science Congress in Rome will hear the case for a fleet of "data-clippers" – robot windjammers laden with instruments, scudding out on the gentle breeze from the sun to Europa or Titan and then tacking back to Earth to download vast quantities of scientific data stored in flash memory. The biggest costs in space are rocket fuel and data transmission across epic distances. A fleet of automaton solar-wind-powered ships would greatly cut the costs and thereby multiply the returns. But beyond this ultimate economy drive, think of the beauty: of a fleet of silent windjammers, riding on radiation alone, literally making light work of charting the planets and their many satellites – all the way to the very last outposts of the empire of the sun.Space technologySpaceguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Obama promotes clean energy; GOP hits Dem spending By ERICA WERNER 2010-10-03T03:04:13ZWASHINGTON (AP) -- Wind, solar and other clean energy technologies produce jobs and are essential for the country's environment and economy, President Barack Obama said in promoting his administration's efforts.... hosted.ap.org |
Private spaceship makes first solo glide flight By 2010-10-11T03:51:23ZMOJAVE, Calif. (AP) -- Virgin Galactic's space tourism rocket SpaceShipTwo achieved its first solo glide flight Sunday, marking another step in the company's eventual plans to fly paying passengers.... hosted.ap.org |
Vital Signs: Aging: Unsteady on Your Feet? Try Moving to Music A music and exercise program lowered the risk of falling in elderly participants, a study found. feeds.nytimes.com |