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
- Space News Webcasts: Used SpaceX Rocket Launching Bulgarian Satellite @ 3:10 pm ET June 23, 2017A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that has launched once before will make its second flight Friday, June 23, to launch BulgariaSat-1 from Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Watch it live here at 3:10 pm ET.
- The Best ISO-Certified Gear to See the 2017 Solar Eclipse June 23, 2017When the "Great American" total solar eclipse sweeps across the U.S. on Aug. 21, you'll need some safety-rated gear to watch it safely. Here are Space.com's picks for the best eclipse-viewing gear, including glasses, binoculars, telescopes and more!
- The Missing Link: Where Are Medium-Size Black Holes? June 23, 2017For decades, while astronomers have detected black holes equal in mass either to a few suns or to millions of suns, the missing-link black holes in between have eluded discovery.
- 'Hyperloop Hotel' Could Be the Future of Luxury Travel June 23, 2017The mobile hotel concept combines high-speed rail with luxury accommodations.
- Space Calendar 2017: Launches, Sky Events & More June 23, 2017Here's a guide to the major astronomical events of the next year, as well as space launches and milestones for spacecrafts already in travel.
- 'We Don't Planet' Episode 9: The Cosmic Distance Ladder June 23, 2017Astronomers use a variety of methods to determine how far away celestial objects are from Earth. Learn about this "cosmic distance ladder" in the ninth episode of "We Don't Planet."
- Image of the Day June 23, 2017NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) entered a testing facility at Johnson Space Center in Houston on Tuesday (June 20), where it will spend the next three months in a freezing-cold vacuum.
- Today in Space! June 23, 1949: XS-1 Supersonic Plane Takes Flight June 23, 2017Find out what happened today in space on June 23, 1949 when test pilot Robert Champine took the XS-1 spacecraft out for its 117th flight.
- Here's Where Space.com Staffers Will View the 2017 Solar Eclipse June 23, 2017Here's where the staff of Space.com will be viewing the total solar eclipse on Aug. 21, 2017, and the reasons why we selected our individual viewing sites.
- Newborn Star Gorges on a 'Space Hamburger,' Belching Spinning Jets June 23, 2017Astronomers have observed the eating habits of a protostar — and like any youngster, it has an affinity for fast food.
- Watch SpaceX Rocket Re-Launch, Kicking Off Double Header June 23, 2017After a slight delay, a used SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to make its second trip to space today (June 23) to orbit the first communications satellite for Bulgaria.
- Life on TRAPPIST-1 Planets? Rock-Swapping May Boost Odds June 23, 2017The three potentially habitable Earth-size planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system may be even more promising abodes for life than scientists had thought.
- Planet 10? Another Earth-Size World May Lurk in the Outer Solar System June 22, 2017Another planet-size object may be orbiting beyond Pluto in the far, icy reaches of the solar system.
- On a Roll! SpaceX Launches, Lands Used Rocket Once Again, With 'Highest-Ever Reentry Force' June 22, 2017Elon Musk's company successfully launched a satellite to orbit today (June 23) using a pre-flown Falcon 9 booster, pulling off the feat for the second time in less than three months.
- Burning Mystery of the Sun's Plasma Jets May Finally Be Solved June 22, 2017A new understanding of how jets of plasma explode from the surface of the sun could help scientists crack one of the biggest mysteries surrounding our nearest star.
- NASA Eyes Close-Up Mission to Uranus, Neptune June 22, 2017New NASA mission ideas would investigate the gassy environments of Uranus and Neptune, two planets on the edge of the solar system that spacecraft have visited only once.
- Will August's Eclipse Be Most Watched Ever? Totally June 22, 2017The total solar eclipse that will sweep across the U.S. on Aug. 21 may very well be the most-watched solar eclipse in history, NASA scientists said at a news briefing in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday (June 21).
- Official: Ron Howard New Han Solo Director June 22, 2017One of Hollywood's top directors will step into helm Han Solo.
- American Indians in the Space Program to be Honored on 2019 US Dollar Coin June 22, 2017The United States Mint will honor the important roles that Native Americans have held in the U.S. space program with the issuance of a dollar coin in 2019.
- Pew Pew Pew! Why Scientists Are Fired Up About Futuristic Space Lasers June 22, 2017Lasers are helping scientists conduct highly precise measurements and observations on Earth, in orbit around our planet and in space.
NASA Breaking News
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LiveScience.com – Top Stories
- The Most Interesting Science News Articles of the Week June 23, 2017Here are the most interesting, amazing and unusual things that happened in the world of science this week. A recap of Live Science's best.
- Amazing Images: The Best Science Photos of the Week June 23, 2017Here are the stories behind the most amazing images in the world of science this week. A recap of the coolest photos featured on Live Science.
- Crystal Healing: Stone-Cold Facts About Gemstone Treatments June 23, 2017Crystal healing is an alternative medicine technique that employs crystals and other stones as conduits for natural healing energy.
- Lactose Intolerance: Symptoms, Treatment & Coping Strategies June 23, 2017Lactose intolerance is not the same as milk allergy
- 60% of Moms Have Been Mom-Shamed June 23, 2017Moms' discipline choices are a lightning rod for criticism
- Canada Issues Guidelines for Safer Use of Marijuana June 23, 2017Officials in Canada are releasing guidelines for how people can lower the health risks associated with using marijuana
- What Is a Solar Eclipse? June 23, 2017Solar eclipses are some of nature's most dramatic celestial performances. They occur when the Earth, moon and sun are aligned in the same plane and the moon passes between the two other bodies.
- Why 'Greener' Gas-Powered Vehicles Aren't As Clean As You Think June 23, 2017So called "cleaner" gas-powered cars still emit pollutants that eventually turn into harmful particulate matter in the atmosphere, new research shows.
- Weight Bias May Show Up in School Kids As Young As 9 June 23, 2017School-age kids may be biased against their peers who are overweight or obese and not even know it, a new study finds.
- Customizable 'Smart' Exoskeleton Learns from Your Steps June 23, 2017Assisted walking just got smarter.
- Satellites Keep Eye on Huge Crack in Antarctic Ice Shelf June 23, 2017The Larsen C ice shelf is about to calve one of the biggest icebergs on record. And space agency satellites are watching.
- The Gulf of Mexico's 'Dead Zone' Could Nearly Double in Size This Year June 23, 2017Agricultural runoff and biological waste from the Mississippi River fuel algae blooms each year in the Gulf of Mexico, depleting marine oxygen and sometimes triggering massive die-offs.
- Planet 10? Another Earth-Size World May Lurk in the Outer Solar System June 23, 2017Another planet-size object may be orbiting beyond Pluto in the far, icy reaches of the solar system.
- What Is Raspberry Ketone? June 23, 2017Raspberry ketone is touted as a weight-loss aid. But how strong is the evidence that taking raspberry ketone supplements may actually help you lose weight? And is it safe? Here's what experts had to say.
- The Serengeti: Plain Facts about National Park & Animals June 23, 2017The Serengeti is a vast ecosystem in east-central Africa.
- Treading the Fine Line Between Climate Talk and Alarmism (Op-Ed) June 23, 2017Climate scientist Sarah Myhre talks about the impossible bind between being an alarmist and communicating the alarming science of global warming.
- Yellowstone Grizzlies Lose Endangered Status June 23, 2017Yellowstone grizzly bears were stripped of their endangered status by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
- Where the Mountains Meet: Take a Tour of Historic Fort Bowie (Photos) June 23, 2017Take a trip through Fort Bowie National Historic Site and journey back into time.
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS): Facts & Symptoms of Lou Gehrig's Disease June 22, 2017Ice bucket challenges aside, treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive and fatal neurological disease, is limited. However, promising research is ongoing.
- What is Testosterone? June 22, 2017Testosterone is a male sex hormone that is important for sexual and reproductive development.
Discover Magazine — Space
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NASA Image of the Day
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Masten-space.com Blog updates–X-Prize winner!
- Masten Achieves First Hot-Fire of Broadsword Rocket Engine May 11, 2017Mojave, CA – On September 30, 2016, Masten Space Systems successfully concluded the 13-month design, build, and test period for the first development unit of the Broadsword 25 rocket engine, funded as a technology demonstration under the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)’s Experimental Spaceplane (XS-1) program. This first phase of the engine […]
- What’s the Point? April 27, 2017That is a question that comes up from time to time when people see Xaero-B and Xodiac. Both vehicles seem to be doing what other rocket companies have already *demonstrated* and to greater lengths at that. The underlying premise of the question is this: you are not seeing anything that hasn’t already been done. And
- Masten’s Green Bipropellant: MXP-351 March 23, 2017As part of our partnership with NASA through the Lunar CATALYST (Lunar Cargo Transportation and Landing by Soft Touchdown) program, we have been actively developing a proprietary new bipropellant – MXP-351. This propellant is intended to be flown on our XL-1 lunar lander which is capable of bringing up to 100 kg (221 lb) softly
- Summer 2017 Internship December 5, 2016Masten is now accepting intern applications for the Summer of 2017. If you’ve followed us you know we’ve had a great history of outstanding interns working with us. There are few places like us that can deliver an internship with this level of responsibility and hands on work. We’re not looking for gophers, we’re looking for
- Introducing Xodiac and XaeroB June 7, 2016Introducing the next generation of reusable rockets – Masten’s Xodiac and XaeroB. These two new rockets are designed and built on the success of their predecessors – Xombie, Xoie, and Xaero. For those who have followed us, you will see the obvious connection to our previous vehicles. With this new iteration, we are bringing greater capability
- Masten Space Systems selected by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency for XS-1 Program July 23, 2014Mojave, CA (July 23, 2014) — Masten Space Systems, Inc. (Masten) announced today that the company has been awarded a contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) as part of Phase 1 of the Experimental Spaceplane (XS-1) program to develop a reusable launch vehicle. Over the last decade, Masten has built three highly
- Astrobotic Technology And Masten Space Systems Perform Visually Guided Precision Landing June 30, 2014Contact John Thornton contact@astrobotic.com Sean Mahoney smahoney@masten.aero FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ASTROBOTIC TECHNOLOGY AND MASTEN SPACE SYSTEMS PERFORM VISUALLY GUIDED PRECISION LANDING Groundbreaking effort integrates two privately developed technology platforms to validate performance of autonomous precision landing capability Mojave, CA: Astrobotic Te […]
- Project Prometheus May 19, 2014A lot has been going on in the past year, and while we have been busy with clients and flying customer payloads, the Masten Team has also been thinking about ways we could engage the broader community and increase accessibility to our VTVL vehicles. One of the largest barriers to entry for any technology developer
- NASA Partners with Masten for Lunar CATALYST April 30, 2014We’re excited to be part of opening the moon to commercial enterprises. Masten has been investing private money for years building core technologies to open the Moon for business. The CATALYST program is a great step towards unlocking the Moon’s potential. (Source: NASA)
- Masten featured on PBS documentary December 2, 2013We get asked on a regular basis what life is like working at Masten. Well, the good folks at KQED (San Francisco Bay Area PBS affiliate) came out in May to capture a slice of Mojave with a healthy dose of Masten rockets. Watch for Masten to appear around time marker 13:47. We really enjoyed hosting
Discovery Space News
- Huge Tsunamis May Have Ravaged Ancient Mars May 25, 2016When Mars was a wet world, did its oceans experience powerful tsunamis spawned by meteorite impacts?
- Collapsing Cosmic Clouds Birth Black Hole Monsters May 24, 2016Supermassive black holes occupy all known galaxies, but astronomers have little idea how they formed. Now space telescopes have found a clue.
- Mystery Plumes: Did the Sun Bruise Mars? May 24, 2016Strange plumes have been spotted high in the Martian atmosphere that have, so far, defied explanation. Now scientists think space weather is to blame.
- NASA Probe Tracks Object in Solar System's Badlands May 23, 2016While coasting through the outer solar system, NASA's New Horizons is busying itself with astronomical observations of a distant Kuiper Belt Object.
- Solar Superflares Set Stage for Life on Earth May 23, 2016Earth could have grown warm enough for liquid water as far back as 4 billion years ago thanks to massive and frequent solar flares.
- See the Red Planet with Your Own Eyes This Weekend May 21, 2016Mars reaches opposition this weekend, making Saturday and Sunday (May 21 and 22) an opportune time to see the Red Planet with your own eyes.
- Extreme Exoplanets Reveal Migration Mystery May 20, 2016A star hosting 4 massive gas giant exoplanets has been spotted -- is this how our solar system looked in its ancient past?
- How to Form Io's Mountains? Just Squeeze! May 20, 2016On Earth, mountains form along tectonic boundaries, but Io, Jupiter's volcanic moon, is awash with molten rock and dotted with solitary mountains -- how did they form?
- DNews: Meet a Black Hole 17 Billion Times the Sun's Mass May 20, 2016DNews sits down with U.C. Berkeley astronomy professor Chung-Pei Ma to learn all about supermassive black holes, including one nearby that's just honking huge.
- LHC Opens the Quantum Physics Floodgates May 20, 2016As it restarts its mission to discover weird and exotic things about our universe, the Large Hadron Collider is about to become a firehose of quantum data.
New Scientist
- ESA approves gravitational-wave hunting spacecraft for 2034 June 23, 2017The triplet LISA spacecraft, which will use powerful lasers to measure ripples in space-time from supermassive black holes, have been green-lit
- Weird orbits hint ‘Planet Ten’ might lurk at solar system edge June 23, 2017Astronomers studying icy objects in a distant region called the Kuiper belt say an unconfirmed planet with similar mass to Mars could be responsible for tugging them out of alignment
- Buckyballs mysteriously show up in cold space and warp starlight June 21, 2017These molecular carbon cages could be used as tracers to understand how prebiotic molecules form in space
- Kepler finds 219 new exoplanets and 10 are rocky and Earth-like June 20, 2017NASA’s Kepler team has released its latest batch of planet candidates and they fall into two kinds: ones like Earth and those like mini-Neptunes
- The bandwidth black hole that will kill Elon Musk’s Mars dream June 19, 2017Without a new interplanetary internet to support the imminent boom in Martian probes, those with hopes of walking on the Red Planet will be stuck on Earth
