Square Kilometer Array

A huge new radio telescope project, the Square Kilometer Array, is currently being pursued.  If funding is secured, which comes to about $1.5 billion, phase one of the project could be completed by 2018 with the third and final phase being finished in 2024.  The SKA will consist of thousands of small radio telescopes networked together to create, in effect, one gigantic instrument.  The component telescopes will be spread over southern Africa, though mostly in the nation of South Africa, and in Australia.  The Africa-Australia connection would give the SKA a huge baseline, which would translate into incredible resolving power.

The SKA is designed to probe such things as the formation of planets, the behavior of black holes, and the early universe.  It would also be an extraordinary tool for SETI research.

SpaceX Passes Review

SpaceX passed a concept review for NASA recently that moved its Dragon capsule one step closer to carrying astronauts.

During the review, the company laid out how it would fly people, from detailing how its abort rescue system will work-- the space shuttle had no such rescue system-- to how the company would pursue safety in other phases of flight.

SpaceX hopes to be flying astronauts to and from ISS by 2015.

Vortex On Titan

The Cassini spacecraft has photographed a huge vortex over the southern polar region of Saturn's huge moon, Titan.  Scientists theorize the vortex is a product of Titan's atmosphere transitioning into winter in its southern hemisphere.

Several worlds-- including Saturn and Earth-- display such atmospheric vortices on occasion.  That Titan's complex, methane-dominated atmosphere has them, as well, suggests a variety of atmospheric systems operate on the same principles of physics.

Pluto's Fifth

Astronomers preparing for the encounter of Pluto by the New Horizons probe in 2015 have discovered a fifth moon of the dwarf planet.  This one is irregularly shaped, and its orbit is well outside the other four.

Pluto is so small and so far away that learning much about it is difficult.  Even the Hubble, which was used to find this latest tiny moon, can only give hints of what might be there.  We will have to wait for New Horizons to arrive in the area to get solid, detailed information.

VG's Next Step

Sir Richard Branson has announced that Virgin Galactic intends to begin offering a satellite delivery service in 2016, thus adding another income stream to the company's fortunes.

WhiteKnightTwo will carry aloft an expendable, two-stage rocket-- LauncherOne-- which will be capable of putting a 500-pound satellite into low Earth orbit, or a 225-pound satellite in Sun synchronous orbit.  VG says it already has  dozens of customers lined up.

Arsenic Life Disputed

In December 2010, as reported in this blog, a researcher concluded a certain bacteria could replace phospherous with arsenic in its DNA.  As biologists see phospherous as one of the essential building blocks of all life, that claim was a big deal.

Since then, however, the arsenic claim has been disputed.  Two studies question the methodology used in the initial paper, arguing it wasn't stringent enough to support such a potentially revolutionary conclusion.

The lead author of the arsenic paper supports the new studies, saying she welcomes research on the question.

XCOR To Midlands

XCOR Aerospace has announced it is building its R&D Headquarters at the international airport in Midlands, Texas.  The company plans to develop an orbital spacecraft capable of carrying two passengers there.

XCOR will take over an existing hangar at the airport, refurbishing it for a 2013 opening.  It also plans to begin suborbital flights of its Lynx spacecraft in 2013 in California.