Bill Housley
Science Fiction and Fantasy Author
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Into the Dark–Escape of the Nomad
Where’s The Cat?
Another Man’s Terrorist
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Space.com Top Stories
- Why Don't We Have Space Elevators Yet? May 23, 2013There's just one thing keeping space elevators from existence.
- Warp Drive and 'Star Trek': Physics of Future Space Travel (Op-Ed) May 23, 2013Physicist Marc Millis discusses how close humanity really is to a faster-than-light drive like warp speed on "Star Trek."
- Europe's Very Large Telescope's Greatest Hits | Video May 23, 2013Since 1998, the European Southern Observatory's VLT has returned spectacular imagery full of highly useful data. Many astronomers believe these are some of the best ground-based images ever taken, presented here in chronological order.
- Hot Young Stars' Radiation Will One Day Erase This Picture | Video May 23, 2013The Thackeray globules, thick clouds of dust that are silhouetted again the pink glowing nebula (IC 2944) gas, is under attack from ultraviolet radiation emitted from nearby stars. The cloud lies 6500 light-years away in the Centaurus constellation.
- NASA Unveils Space Apps Contest Champions May 22, 2013A greenhouse plan for Mars and an interplanetary weather app took top prizes.
- McDonald Observatory: Searching for Dark Energy May 22, 2013Texas' McDonald Observatory is embarking on a search for dark energy.
- Private Mars Colony Is No Place for Children (Yet) May 22, 2013It would be irresponsible to bring kids into the world on the Red Planet, Bas Lansdorp says.
- Europe Opens New Asteroid-Hunting Center May 22, 2013The Near-Earth Object Coordination Center will serve as a hub for Europe's efforts.
- Massive Galactic Merger Scoped By Several Space Observatories | Time-Lapsed Simulation May 22, 2013The Herschel Space Observatory captured imagery of colliding galaxies, called HXMM01 (~ 11 billion light-years from Earth and when our universe was about 3 billion years old.) A merger of galaxies is simulated.
- Ancient Lunar Patterns | Space Wallpaper May 22, 2013This space wallpaper shows the ray pattern of dust that was ejected from the crater over a billion years ago, when an asteroid larger than a mile (1.6 km) across slammed into the Moon.
- See Jupiter, Venus and Mercury Dance in Sunset Sky May 22, 2013Don't miss your chance to see three bright planets in the night sky.
- Three Planets Appear In 'Sunset Triangle' | Video May 22, 2013On May 26th three planets, Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury, will appear in a triangular formation on the western horizon just after sunset.
- Rare View of Ancient Galaxy Crash Revealed May 22, 2013The find sheds new light on the role such huge collisions played in galactic evolution long ago.
- More Evidence That Ancient Mars Could Support Life Found by Old Rover May 22, 2013The older cousin of Curiosity discovered a water-weathered rock hinting that Mars could have supported life in its ancient past.
- Moon Crash Scene Investigation Tonight: See Telescope Views of Meteorite Impact May 22, 2013Watch a webcast showing views of the moon's fresh, new meteorite impact site.
- Amazing Space Views of ESO's Very Large Telescope (Photos) May 23, 2013See amazing space photos taken by the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope at Paranal Observatory in Northern Chile.
- WEBCAST REPLAY: Slooh Webcast of Moon Meteor Crash Site January 9, 2013The online Slooh Space Camera will offer live views of the moon at 9 p.m. ET today (May 22).
- Space History Photo: Rendezvous Docking Simulator May 22, 2013A multiple exposure image of the Rendezvous Docking Simulator during a training.
- Don't Miss NASA's Cameo in Sci-Fi Film 'Oblivion' May 22, 2013'Star Trek Into Darkness' may be all the rage, but the recent 'Oblivion' is worth it just for NASA's cameo. See where NASA stands in the film.
- 3D Printed Food Development Funded By NASA | Video May 22, 2013NASA is reportedly giving a 3D printing company a six month, $125,000 grant to work on the project.
NASA Breaking News
- Massachusetts Students Speak Live With Orbiting NASA Astronaut May 21, 2013NASA Expedition 35 astronaut and flight engineer Chris Cassidy will speak live from the International Space Station with students at Talbot Innovation Middle School in Fall River, Mass., at 10:05 a.m. EDT, Thursday, May 23.
- NASA Calls For Phase II Visionary Advanced Concepts May 21, 2013NASA is looking for far-out ideas. NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Program is seeking Phase II proposals for continuation of promising studies selected during the first phase of the visionary program.
- NASA and The White House Pay Tribute to Sally Ride May 20, 2013NASA and President Obama are honoring the life and legacy of Sally Ride on the day a national tribute was held for the first American woman in space.
- NASA, Bigelow to Discuss Private Sector Human Space Exploration and Development May 20, 2013NASA and Bigelow Aerospace of Las Vegas are holding a media availability at 1:30 p.m. EDT, Thursday, May 23, to discuss the agency's Space Act Agreement with the company for its insight on collaborating with commercial industry on exploration beyond Earth orbit. Journalists can participate in-person or by teleconference.
- Vanderbilt Takes Top Prize in NASA Student Launch Challenge May 20, 2013The Aerospace Club of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., took first prize in the 2013 annual NASA Student Launch Projects challenge, in which student teams design, build and fly small rockets with science payloads to an altitude of 1 mile and return them safely to Earth.
- NASA Administrator Visits California Centers, Meets Media May 20, 2013NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will hold media availabilities at all three of the agency's centers in California this week, highlighting progress on the asteroid mission, commercial crew transportation and space technology development.
- International Space Station Program, Science Briefing Set May 20, 2013NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston will host a news conference and social media event at 1 p.m. CDT (2 p.m. EDT) Wednesday, May 22, to preview the upcoming Expedition 36 mission aboard the International Space Station.
- Sally Ride National Tribute at Kennedy Center Tonight May 20, 2013NASA and Sally Ride Science are inviting journalists to tonight's "Sally Ride: A Lifetime of Accomplishment, A Champion of Science Literacy," a national tribute to America's first woman in space. The special event will be held at the Concert Hall of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., […]
- NASA TV Coverage Set for Next Soyuz Space Station Crew Launch May 17, 2013NASA Television will provide extensive coverage of the launch and docking of the next crew members who will fly to the International Space Station on Tuesday, May 28.
- NASA Seeks Proposals for Commercial Operations at Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A May 17, 2013NASA released a synopsis Friday announcing plans to issue an announcement for proposals for the commercial use of Launch Pad 39A at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The announcement is expected next week.
LiveScience.com – Top Stories
- The Career That's Growing in Popularity: Entrepreneurship May 23, 2013Thirteen percent of Americans have taken the leap into entrepreneurship, the highest number since 1999.
- Gulf Killifish Show Defects from Crude Oil Exposure May 23, 2013Study finds defects in fish contaminated by the 2010 BP spill.
- 3D Printers Demonstrate Rapid Robot Evolution May 23, 2013Robots in computer simulations can evolve complex traits in a matter of days.
- Cool Science Experiments for Hot Summer Days May 22, 2013These fun science experiments for kids are perfect to do outside where spills don’t matter, and a plastic wading pool makes a perfect laboratory.
- Speedy New Dinosaur Found in Canada May 22, 2013A new quick-footed plant-eatingplant-eating dinosaur has been discovered in southern Alberta.
- 7-Minute Workout: Fact vs. Fiction May 22, 2013The 7-minute workout may seem great, but does it really work? Experts explain.
- Tornado Recovery: What Moore Can Learn from Joplin May 22, 2013Joplin tornado survivors share advice.
- Google Glass Causing Congressional Privacy Concerns May 22, 2013Eight Congress members are questioning how Google Glass would impact the privacy of the 'average American' but others say these worries may be overblown. Powered by NewsLook.
- Costa Rica's Turrialba Volcano Erupts May 22, 2013Ash and gas prompt local evacuation.
- Drowning In Devices? Your Next Gadget May Dissolve When You're Done May 22, 2013The UK’s National Physical Laboratory has developed a printed circuit board made that comes apart in hot water.
- Can We Protect Against the Next Moore Tornado? May 22, 2013Scientists are working to prevent devastation like that seen in Moore, Okla.
- Baby's Life Saved with 3D Printing May 22, 2013Using a 3D printer, researchers created a device that allowed a baby to breathe.
- Dogs Bring Swarm of Bacteria Into Your Home May 22, 2013Owning a dog may up the microbial diversity of your home.
- New Cave-Dwelling Scorpion Species Discovered May 22, 2013The arachnids were found lurking in rocky caverns in Brazil.
- Facts About Zirconium May 22, 2013Properties, sources and uses of the element zirconium.
- Gadget Recycling Solution: Dissolving Circuit Boards | Video May 22, 2013The UK’s National Physical Laboratory has developed a printed circuit board made of ‘unzippable polymeric layers’ that comes apart in hot water. Resistors, capacitors, and integrated circuits can simply be scraped off and used again.
- Why Do Soldiers Break Stride On A Bridge? May 22, 2013The same force is at work when swinging on a swing set.
- Hepatitis C: A 21st Century Success Story (Op-Ed) May 22, 2013Is hepatitis C close to a cure?
- Google Maps Gets a 'Face-Lift' May 22, 2013Google Faces finds unexpected faces on the earth's surface
- Mystery of Irish Potato Famine Solved May 22, 2013Researchers identified the exact strain of plant disease that caused the devastating famine.
Discover Magazine — Space
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NASA Blog Updates
- Mission: Ames May 23, 2013Stairway to the stars. Climbing aboard the SOFIA Airborne Telescope
- NASA - Best Place to Work in the Federal Government May 22, 2013Launch Services Program Rocket Men
- Women@NASA May 22, 2013NASA DEVELOP @ GSFC: Katrina Laygo & Melissa Oguamanam
NASA Image of the Day
- Launching Balloons to Study Space Weather May 22, 2013In Antarctica in January, 2013 – the summer at the South Pole – scientists released 20 balloons, each eight stories tall, into the air to help answer an enduring space weather question: when the giant radiation belts surrounding Earth lose material, where do the extra particles actually go? This NASA-funded mission is called BARREL, for Balloon Array for Rad […]
Masten-space.com Blog updates–X-Prize winner!
- Xaero B Rises March 18, 2013Since last summer, even while we focused on Xombie flights for JPL and expanding Xaero’s flight envelope, we were working. Designing, tweaking, and starting to build the next iteration of Xaero that we affectionately (and creatively) call Xaero-B. We’re finally ready to pull the curtain back and share her with you! Xaero-B is intended to [...]
- February Flight Frenzy! February 1, 2013We finished our work early and now we have extra time for you! As a result, a special one-time deal can be yours this February. Think of it as our Valentine’s Day present to the space community. For projects that can fly by the end of February, we’re offering an open loop flight on our [...]
- Announcing Postgraduate Fellowships January 25, 2013We’re about to embark on a historic year for Masten Space Systems. Team members will be part of test flight firsts, the design and construction of some of the most advanced suborbital test vehicles ever built, and fulfillment of some unique contracts that will further establish Masten as the world leader in VTVL technology. We’re excited today [...]
- Introducing Scimitar October 9, 2012I’m often reminded of an inspirational quote from a truly great self-made man: “I’m on to the next one On to the next one On to the next one On to the next one On to the next one On to the next one On to the next one Hold up, freeze Somebody bring me [...]
- Next September 18, 2012Last week we encountered a sub system failure in flight that necessitated turning the rocket off while still in the air. Landing at that point winds up considerably rearranging the rocket into rocket parts. Since then we’ve heard from a lot of folks offering support, encouragement, and concern. Thank you. Please know that the team [...]
- Xaero Test Update September 11, 2012Today, Masten Space Systems conducted a flight test of Xaero to 1 km altitude with the intention of testing flight controls at higher ascent and descent velocities. Our test objectives were met and initial results show the vehicle performed better than expected at altitude. However, the vehicle was lost during final approach to landing, and [...]
- Xombie 750 Meter Downrange Flight, Precision Landing August 16, 2012You may have noticed we’ve been flying Xombie a lot lately doing some interesting things. We just finished the third leg of a flight campaign on Xombie that expands the boundaries of what we believe to be the nation’s leading terrestrial landing testbed. We are working hard to deliver a way to test systems at [...]
- Xaero: 444 for the 4th! July 4, 2012Happy Independence Day from Masten headquarters! It’s been a while since we released a video but trust us, we’ve been busy! In addition to multiple client projects and bending metal in the shop on yet-to-be-unveiled rocket hardware, we’ve been spending a significant amount of time on Xaero, culminating in a flight to 444 meters AGL [...]
- Katana First Fire May 22, 2012Hello from Mojave! It’s time for some video of some new hardware! On Friday, we fired Masten Space Systems’ newest engine prototype, the Katana class KA5S at our test site in Mojave, CA. In this video, you’ll see a 2 second mid-throttle run on a new engine test trailer designed to test engines significantly larger than [...]
- Why Precision Landing? February 16, 2012We’ve received a number of inquiries about precision landing and why it’s important to us – shouldn’t we be focusing on high altitude suborbital vehicles? The short version is that it addresses a major market need and provides near-term customers for us as we develop our long-term launch capability. That said, it also is an [...]
Discovery Space News
- First Ever Topographic Map of Titan Produced May 22, 2013The first topographic map of the surface of Titan gives a fascinating new insight into Saturn's giant moon. Continue reading →
- NASA's Asteroid Mission a Dead-End to Mars? May 22, 2013NASA’s plan to capture an asteroid and re-position it around the moon for an astronaut visit sounds cool, but it’s a side-show on the road to Mars.
- Rough Roving: Curiosity's Wheels Show Damage May 22, 2013Close-up imagery of Mars rover Curiosity's aluminum wheels reveal obvious wear and tear -- is such damage expected so early into the mission? Continue reading →
- Violent Galactic Clash May Solve Cosmic Mystery May 22, 2013The mother of all cosmic collisions has been spotted between two galaxies containing a total of 400 billion stars, igniting the birth of 2,000 new stars per year! Continue reading →
- 3-D Printed Pizza to Feed Mars Colonists? May 22, 2013Enter the 3-D printer: your all-in-one solution to habitat-building, gun-making and now space pizza preparation! Continue reading →
- Can Space Tourism Save Earth? May 21, 2013Opening spaceflight up to the masses could help spark a global conservation ethic that stems the tide of environmental destruction on Earth.
- EXPOSED: Taking Astronomical Pictures May 21, 2013Ever wanted to take dazzling photos of the night sky? Here are some essential tips before you start slapping your DSLR to the back of your telescope!
- Curiosity Drills into Second Mars Rock May 21, 2013NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has drilled into another rock and plans are afoot to analyze the pulverized material. Continue reading →
- How Kepler Could Die and Keep Giving May 20, 2013NASA hasn’t given up on resurrecting its planet-hunting Kepler space telescope, but it can’t be saved, scientists expect it already has accomplished its goal of finding a habitable, Earth-like planet.
- UK to Send First Astronaut to Space Station May 20, 2013A former army helicopter pilot was on Monday named as the first 'home-grown' British astronaut to head to the International Space Station.
New Scientist
- Earth's tides are shoving the moon away faster May 22, 2013The North Atlantic is now wide enough to create exceptionally high tides, making the rate of the moon's retreat faster now than it was 50 million years ago
- String theory may limit space brain threat May 22, 2013Hypothetical conscious entities that randomly pop into existence may undermine our view of the universe – string theory may banish these Boltzmann brains
- Drake equation for alien life gets an upgrade May 22, 2013The planet-spotting Kepler telescope seems doomed, but its discoveries along with a new version of the famous Drake equation will sharpen the hunt for ET
- Over the rainbow: Patchwork view of Kansas from space May 20, 2013From 700 kilometres above Kansas, you can see how huge swathes of the state have been patterned by agriculture
- Astrophile: Saturn's egg moon Methone is made of fluff May 17, 2013Sitting in an icy nest near Saturn, tiny Methone is oddly smooth, perhaps because it is made of lightweight stuff that can flow to erase impact scars
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