Bill Housley
Science Fiction and Fantasy Author
About.me
Bill Housley
Author, Actor, Father, Wildman
Hates the World;
Loves the world;
Writes about the world;
End of Story.
Contact
Into the Dark–Escape of the Nomad
Where’s The Cat?
Another Man’s Terrorist
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Space.com Top Stories
- Soyuz Spacecraft Returns US-Russian Space Station Crew to Earth Amid Wind, Snow March 11, 2014A Soyuz spacecraft carrying NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins and cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Sergey Ryazanskiy touched down on the steppes of Kazakhstan at 11:24 p.m. EDT Monday, about 3 1/2 hours after leaving the International Space Station.
- WATCH LIVE NOW: Soyuz Spacecraft Returns to Earth w/ US-Russian Crew October 6, 2012NASA TV will air live coverage of three International Space Station crew members returning to Earth after 166 days in space today (March 10).
- NASA Astronaut, 2 Cosmonauts Heading Home from Space Station March 11, 2014NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins and Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Sergey Ryazanskiy left the station in a Soyuz spacecraft at 8:02 p.m. EDT Monday (March 10; 0002 GMT on March 11), wrapping up a 166-day orbital stint.
- Intergalactic Voids Are Not So Empty - 'Tendrils' Pierce Cosmic Bubbles | Animation March 11, 2014Astronomers observing with the Anglo-Australian Telescope have found a strangely arranged population of faint galaxies penetrating what were thought to be huge empty regions of space. Termed 'tendrils' these strings of matter may interconnect.
- Glowing Moonset Off Portugal Coast Awes Stargazer (Photo, Video) March 10, 2014The moon sets over the Atlantic Ocean in this beautiful photo and timelapse video taken by photographer Miguel Claro in Portugal. See how the photographer captured the scene.
- Dinosaur-Killing Asteroid Triggered Lethal Acid Rain March 10, 2014The oceans became a lethal sulfuric-acid stew after the huge asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs some 65 million years ago, a new study suggests.
- Saturn's Full Moon: Rhea Shines Bright for Cassini March 10, 2014This newly-released observation of Saturn's second largest moon could be mistaken for our own moon hanging in the night sky.
- Soyuz Landing Photos: US-Russian Expedition 38 Crew Returns to Earth March 11, 2014See photos from the March 10, 2014 landing of the a Russian Soyuz TMA-10 spacecraft carrying NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins and Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Sergey Ryazanskiy to wrap up a 166-day space mission.
- SpaceX's 3rd Space Station Resupply Flight Gets 3-Sided Mission Patch March 10, 2014Final preparations are now underway for the launch of SpaceX's third Dragon cargo flight to the International Space Station, including the reveal of the company's official patch for the NASA-contracted Commercial Resupply Services 3 (CRS-3/SpX-3) mission.
- Soyuz Landing Tonight Might be Delayed by Bad Weather March 10, 2014Officials are concerned about wintry conditions on the steppes of Kazakhstan, where the Soyuz is slated to touch down about three hours later. Indeed, the landing team commission began meeting today at 4 p.m. EDT (2000 GMT) to discuss the situation.
- President Obama Hopes 'Cosmos' TV Reboot Inspires Next Generation of Scientists (Video) March 10, 2014Even the president of the United States is into the new 'Cosmos.' President Barack Obama introduced 'Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey' last night (March 9) during the FOX premiere of the new show, a reboot of Carl Sagan's original 'Cosmos' series.
- President Obama's 'Cosmos' Intro Dares America To Reach Farther | Video March 10, 2014Urging all Americans to open their imaginations to discoveries yet unmade, the President of the United States introduced the premiere episode of 'Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey' on March 9th, 2014.
- Astronauts Celebrate 'Cosmos' with Weightless Experiment in Space (Video) March 10, 2014The premiere of the new "Cosmos" series got a nod from the astronauts aboard the International Space Station. In a video beamed from space, NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio shows how Newton's third law of motion works in microgravity.
- US-Russian Space Station Crew Returns to Earth Tonight: Watch It Live March 10, 2014An American astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts will return to Earth tonight aboard a Soyuz space capsule tonight (March 10) after more than five months in orbit, and you can watch their landing live online.
- Dusty Disc | Space Wallpaper March 10, 2014Only 12 million years old, or less than three-thousandths of the age of the Sun, Beta Pictoris, as seen in this space wallpaper, is 75 percent more massive than our parent star.
- 'Cosmos' Honored In Space With Experiment | Video March 10, 2014Neil DeGrasse Tyson, the host of the re-envisioned show, introduces a zero-gravity demonstration of Newton's third law of motion. Expedition 38's Rick Mastracchio and Koichi Wakata prove the law aboard the International Space Station.
- Kibo Commander: Koichi Wakata Becomes 1st Japanese to Command Space Station March 10, 2014The International Space Station has its first Japanese commander, Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. 'I am humbled to assume command of the space station,' Wakata said during a ceremony on board the orbiting outpost.
- Incredible Technology: How Fleets of 'Flat Landers' Could Explore Other Planets March 10, 2014Researchers are developing flat, blanket-size landers that could be delivered en masse to worlds such as Mars or Jupiter's moon Europa. The approach could enable NASA to mount missions to places previously deemed too risky to explore, researchers say.
- 'Cosmos' Recap: 7 Things We Learned in Last Night's Premiere March 10, 2014Against a backdrop of sleek graphics and astronomical imagery, host Neil deGrasse Tyson brought a new generation of "Cosmos" viewers up to speed about our place in the universe.
- Live Webcast Helps Track Large Newfound Asteroid Tonight: How to Watch March 9, 2014An asteroid the size of a skyscraper will make a distant flyby of Earth this week, and you watch astronomers track the space rock tonight (March 9) in a live webcast, weather permitting. The asteroid poses no threat to Earth.
NASA Breaking News
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LiveScience.com – Top Stories
- Corn Snakes: Facts, Food & Bites March 11, 2014Corn snakes are non-venomous snakes found primarily in the southeastern United States. They are popular as pets.
- German Culture: Facts, Customs and Traditions March 11, 2014Germans place a high value on hard work, precision and order, and have made tremendous contributions to engineering, classical music and beer. Here is an overview of German customs, traditions and values.
- Do Zoos Really Teach Visitors Anything? (Op-Ed) March 11, 2014A new study claims zoos provide a learning experience, but little more.
- There Are Fewer Than 100 Black Professors in Britain – Why? March 11, 2014This means that there are more higher education institutions than there are black British, African and Caribbean professors actually teaching in them.
- Chill Out, Cool Down ... Athlete Anxiety at the Winter Games March 11, 2014Whether an athlete is competing at the Olympics or Paralympics, anxiety management is one of the most common psychological issues experienced.
- Climate Alters Mongolian Past And Present March 11, 2014Tree-ring data sheds light on climate change's historic and modern impact.
- Algae Snot Explodes Cloud Formation Mystery March 11, 2014Open ocean clouds have been found to contain biological substances that can be traced to the waters where they formed.
- Virtual Reality System Lets You Explore Your Brain in Real-Time March 10, 2014What if it were possible to explore your brain in virtual reality, watching your thoughts flashing before your eyes? A neuroscientist and a videogame developer have created a way to do precisely that.
- Woman's Low Birth Weight May Lead to Fertility Woes Later March 10, 2014Girls born with a low birth weight may be at increased risk for fertility problems as adults, a new study from Sweden suggests.
- Cowboy Physics: The Math of Trick-Roping | Video March 10, 2014Two animated clips from a trick-roping model show what happens to a lasso when changing either the size of the loop or the rotation speed is changed. A trick roper demonstrates these skills in real life.
- Shutdown Caused National Park Visits to Drop March 10, 2014Thanks to the government shutdown and Hurricane Sandy, America's national parks saw a three percent drop in visitors last year from 2012.
- Bullying Linked to Suicidal Behavior in Adolescents March 10, 2014Bullying is associated with suicidal thoughts in youth, a new study finds.
- Volcanoes Helped Antarctic Life Weather Ice Ages March 10, 2014Like an ice age radiator, heat from volcanoes helped Antarctica's plants and bugs survive Earth's glacial periods.
- FEMA's New NYC Flood Maps Will Soon Be Out-of-Date (Op-Ed) March 10, 2014FEMA's new NYC flood maps are already outdated.
- Photos: The Hidden Fortress Beneath Alcatraz March 10, 2014Researchers have now discovered extensive tunnels, embankments and other remnants of a military fortress hidden beneath the floors of the infamous Alcatraz prison complex.
- Hidden Fortress Discovered Beneath Alcatraz March 10, 2014Alcatraz, the notorious island prison surrounded by the waters of San Francisco Bay, is slowly giving up its secrets. Researchers have now discovered extensive tunnels and other remnants of a military fortress hidden beneath the floors of the site.
- Hoarding Ideas at Work? Why You Should Stop March 10, 2014Worried that someone at work might be stealing your good ideas? Relax. It doesn't happen as often as you think.
- Trigger and Wesson? Gun Names Gaining Popularity March 10, 2014More parents are looking toward the gun cabinet when choosing baby names, picking monikers such as Gunner, Browning and Colt for their children. As gun ownership declines, those who do own firearms see them as more crucial to their self-concept.
- Elephant Alarm Call Warns of Angry Bees | Video March 10, 2014When an African elephant family hears an alarm call warning of angry bees, they move away quickly and the matriarch shakes her head to flick off any insects.
- Treasure Trove of Icicle Images To Go Online March 10, 2014After finding that impurities in water cause icicles' iconic ripple shape, a physicist is putting a repository of gorgeous icicle images online for all to download and study.
Discover Magazine — Space
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NASA Blog Updates
- NASA Deputy Administrator's Blog June 26, 2013A Great Day for Equality
- NASA Administrator June 26, 2013Protecting Planet Earth
- NASA IV&V Matters June 24, 2013Summer Interns Return to IV&V
NASA Image of the Day
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Masten-space.com Blog updates–X-Prize winner!
- Fall 2014 Internships January 20, 2014Masten is now accepting applications for internships for the Fall of 2014. 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
- 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
- Summer 2014 Internships November 11, 2013Masten is now accepting applications for internships for the Summer of 2014. 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
- Joy and Sadness November 11, 2013Most of the time these blog posts update you on just a glimpse of what’s going on behind the curtain over here at Masten, and the man behind that curtain for most of those posts over the last three plus years has been Colin. Today’s post is a little different. Today, it is both with
- 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
Discovery Space News
- Rosetta's Brightening Comet Emerges From Behind the Sun March 10, 2014Europe’s Rosetta spacecraft has resumed its decade-long journey to meet up with the inbound comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, which recently re-emerged from behind the sun. Continue reading →
- 'Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey': A Triumph for Science March 10, 2014Neil deGrasse Tyson's 'Cosmos' reboot has proven, once again, that the famous astronomer is one of the heavyweight science communicators of our time. Continue reading →
- Saturn's Nearly-Full Moon: Rhea Shines Bright for Cassini March 10, 2014This newly-released observation of Saturn's second largest moon could be mistaken for our own moon hanging in the night sky. Continue reading →
- Japanese Astronaut Takes Command of Space Station March 9, 2014Pledging to uphold the Japanese spirit of "wa" -- harmony -- Koichi Wakata took command of the International Space Station on Sunday, the first Japanese astronaut to lead a human space mission. Continue reading →
- There's No Planet X March 7, 2014There's no evidence for the existence of Planet X, despite a NASA space telescope’s best efforts to track it down.
- Infrared Stellar Mystery Solved With Magnetic Fuzz March 7, 2014NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has helped solve an infrared mystery surrounding baby star systems that has puzzled astronomers since the 1980s. Continue reading →
- Comet Swarm Smash-Up Spied Around Nearby Star March 7, 2014A giant clump of carbon monoxide found around a nearby star hints at collisions between comets and the presence of a massive hidden planet. Continue reading →
- Martian Spring Thaws Frigid Sand Dunes: Big Pic March 7, 2014As winter descends on Mars' southern hemisphere, forming tell-tail frost in the lengthening shadows, the opposite is true in the northern hemisphere -- spring has sprung and the northernmost dunes are beginning to thaw.
- Impact Crater Origin of Mars Meteorites Discovered March 6, 2014Out of the thousands of craters scarring the face of Mars, one has emerged as the likely source of most of the Martian meteorites that have been recovered on Earth.
- Hubble Witnesses Mysterious Breakup of Asteroid March 6, 2014Hubble has observed some weird things since it was launched in 1990, but this is probably one of the strangest. Continue reading →
New Scientist
- 'I'd give new Kepler mission a 150 per cent chance' March 10, 2014NASA astrophysicist Steve Howell is confident that a new method of aiming the crippled Kepler space telescope will convince the space agency to keep it alive
- Most Mars meteorites may be from same giant crater March 7, 2014Fresh evidence hints that most Martian rocks found on Earth could be from the same ancient terrain, but the claim has set off a firestorm among meteorite experts
- Hubble catches first disintegrating asteroid on camera March 7, 2014The Hubble Space Telescope has spotted a space rock as it breaks apart – the first one ever caught in the act. What's to blame?
- Earth raises a plasma shield to battle solar storms March 6, 2014Defending itself like a knight in a fight, Earth can funnel material from its immediate surroundings to act as a buffer against incoming geomagnetic storms
- Did dark matter kill the dinosaurs? Maybe… March 6, 2014The link between the most mysterious stuff in the universe and fatal comet strikes on Earth is tenuous – but it would elegantly connect two open questions
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