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
- The World's Most Sensitive Dark Matter Detector Is Now Up and Running May 24, 2017The XENON1T detector hasn't detected any dark matter particles yet. But it has carried out a 30-day science run, and project scientists are optimistic about the future.
- Behind the Scenes: Inside Astronaut Scott Carpenter's 1962 Mercury Flight (Photos) May 24, 2017The second American to orbit the Earth, Scott Carpenter, blasted off on May 24, 1962 and made three trips around the planet before he accidentally landed off-course. See archival NASA photos of the historic mission in this photo gallery.
- Strange Signals from Space: 'Space's Deepest Secrets' Investigates (Video) May 24, 2017A special episode of the Science Channel show "Space's Deepest Secrets" will probe the origins of mysterious radio bursts in the sky and other phenomena that beg celestial explanation, such as the repeated dimming of "Boyajian's star."
- 'Alien Megastructure' Star Subject of 'Space’s Deepest Secrets' | Video Clip May 24, 2017The Science Channel show takes a look at the mysteriously dimming star.
- Surprise! Galaxy's Monster Black Hole Likely Has Huge Neighbor on a Crash Course May 24, 2017Two supermassive black holes are apparently on a collision course near the heart of a nearby galaxy, a new study reports.
- Trump's 2018 Budget Request Axes 5 NASA Earth-Science Missions May 24, 2017Five NASA Earth-science missions are now on the chopping block.
- US Military's XS-1 Space Plane Will Be Built by Boeing (Video) May 24, 2017The U.S. military's new XS-1 space plane will be built by Boeing, and it's called the Phantom Express.
- 'Space Aggressors' Train US Forces for Extraterrestrial Conflict May 24, 2017Elite military units are specializing in mock space warfare, as Russia and China develop anti-satellite weaponry.
- World's Largest Aircraft Completes Successful Test Flight May 24, 2017The Airlander 10, a massive blimp-like aircraft, successfully flew and landed during a reecent test of new improvements.
- Rocket Lab Waits Out Weather Delays May 24, 2017As weather continues to delay the first launch of its Electron rocket, Rocket Lab's chief executive said the company remains patient until conditions are right to attempt a flight.
- Best Space Books for Kids May 24, 2017Feed and inspire a kid's thirst for space with these book picks by Space.com's writers and editors.
- New Experimental Space Plane Design Released by DARPA | Video May 24, 2017The new design will give the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency the ability to launch within days. The new Experimental Spaceplane (XS-1) is called Phantom Express.
- Total Solar Eclipse 2017: When, Where and How to See It (Safely) May 24, 2017On Aug. 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse will darken the skies from Oregon to South Carolina. Here's what you need to know about this rare celestial show.
- Mars Rover 2020: Here's What NASA's New Red-Planet Car Will Look Like May 24, 2017NASA has unveiled some cool new concept art for its next Red Planet robot, the Mars 2020 rover, and it looks awesome.
- High Fashion Meets Vintage NASA in New 'Coach Space' Collection May 24, 2017NASA is having a fashion moment. Or, perhaps more accurately, fashion is having a NASA moment.
- Neutron Stars - What are They? How will NICER Study Them? | Video May 24, 2017When a star roughly 20 to 30 times the mass of our Sun explodes it leaves behind a neutron star. Learn more about it and how NASA’s Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) will study them.
- NASA NICER Mission - Neutrons Stars and 'GPS' for the Galaxy | Teaser Trailer May 24, 2017The Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) “provide high-precision measurements of neutron stars” according the NASA”s Goddard Space Flight Center. It’s secondary mission is to test technology that will use pulsars as navigation beacons.
- Image of the Day May 24, 2017Venus and the crescent moon dominate the morning sky in this photo by astrophotographer John Chumack. The brilliant celestial pair rose together before dawn on Monday (May 22).
- Best Space Books and Sci-Fi: A Space.com Reading List May 24, 2017Space.com's editors present a reading list for space and sci-fi lovers, as well as children who are interested in astronomy and spaceflight.
- 'Orphan Memory' Could Broaden Gravitational Wave Hunt May 24, 2017There might be a new technique coming to study small ripples in space-time. An effect called “orphan memory” could help the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) search for a broader range of gravitational waves.
NASA Breaking News
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LiveScience.com – Top Stories
- Trouble Sleeping? Air Pollution Could Be the Culprit May 24, 2017People in a new study who lived in areas with high levels of air pollution slept worse.
- From 'Magic' Mushrooms to Meth: The ER Rates for Drug Users May 24, 2017Alcohol and marijuana may be the most commonly used recreational drugs in the world, but magic mushrooms appear to be the safest, a new survey finds.
- Your Intelligence Genes: 52 and Counting May 24, 2017The genes only explain a small portion of the differences in intelligence among people.
- Marijuana Extract Reduces Seizures in Kids with Rare Disorder May 24, 2017A clinical trial finally supports what anecdotal evidence had suggested for some time.
- In Images: Meet the Top 10 Newfound Species May 24, 2017A "bleeding" tomato, a "Game of Thrones" ant and others made the list.
- New Map Tracks Germs' Travels Around Hospitals May 24, 2017In a yearlong study, researchers watched bacteria populate a newly opened hospital.
- Rip Currents: The Ocean's Deadliest Trick May 24, 2017Each year, rip currents kill more people than sharks or jellyfish or even hurricanes.
- Taiwan's Top Court Rules in Favor of Same-Sex Marriage May 24, 2017A ruling by Taiwan's Constitutional Court this morning paves the way for the island to become the first place in Asia to approve same-sex unions.
- US Military's XS-1 Space Plane Will Be Built by Boeing (Video) May 24, 2017The U.S. military's new XS-1 space plane will be built by Boeing, and it's called the Phantom Express.
- Nimble Robot Has Flexible, 3D-Printed Legs | Video May 24, 2017Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a soft robot that is capable of walking on rough surfaces, such as sand and pebbles.
- Double First: 19th-Century Book Is 1st with Photos, by 1st Female Photographer May 24, 2017The Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands has acquired a photography first: the first book to be illustrated with photos, by a pioneering female photographer.
- New Experimental Space Plane Design Released by DARPA | Video May 24, 2017The new design will give the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency the ability to launch within days. The new Experimental Spaceplane (XS-1) is called Phantom Express.
- How Accurate Is Your Fitness Tracker, Really? May 24, 2017A new study put seven popular fitness trackers to the test, to check the accuracy of their heart rate and energy expenditure measurements.
- 9 Craziest Skydives of All Time May 24, 2017A history of risky high-altitude stunts.
- Dragon Ant, Devil Orchid Star in Top 10 Newfound Species May 24, 2017The top 10 highlight global biodiversity — as well as a slew of interesting names.
- Pope Francis Gifts Trump His Encyclical on Climate Change May 24, 2017During a meeting today (May 24) at the Vatican, Pope Francis not only urged President Donald Trump to be a peacemaker, but also brought up the need to protect planet Earth — the pope gave the U.S. president his 2015 encyclical on the environment.
- Feats of Balance: How Do Flamingos Stand on One Leg? May 24, 2017These birds spend long periods, often asleep, standing on one leg. Is it passive biomechanics or active nervous system control of their muscles that allows them to do easily what's impossible for us?
- Hot-Donut Earth? Planet May Once Have Taken on Odd 'Synestia' Form May 24, 2017Earth probably became a "synestia" for a brief period about 4.5 billion years ago. That's the term for a newly proposed cosmic object: a huge, hot, donut-shaped mass of vaporized rock that results from the collision of two planet-size bodies.
- Soft 3D-Printed Robot Is Agile Even on Sand and Rocks May 24, 2017A robot with elaborate, 3D-printed legs is able to walk across different types of surfaces, including sand and pebbles.
- Hunting Big Game: Why People Kill Animals for Fun May 24, 2017What motivates people to hunt wild animals for pleasure, and to display them as trophies?
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
- Weird energy beam seems to travel five times the speed of light May 24, 2017The galaxy M87 emits a jet of plasma that looks like it’s breaking the cosmic speed limit – here’s how it manages the trick
- Tangoing pairs of hungry supermassive black holes grow in number May 23, 2017The discovery of more of these deadly duos through a fresh data-sifting technique raises the hope that their secret recipe might soon be unlocked
- Astronomers scramble as ‘alien megastructure’ star dims again May 23, 2017Tabby’s star’s weird behaviour has been blamed on everything from asteroids to aliens. Now astronomers are racing to watch its dimming in action
- Mouse sperm sent into space produces healthy IVF babies May 22, 2017The first experiment to test how space travel could affect mammals’ reproduction shows that pregnancy can smooth over DNA damage from cosmic radiation
- LIGO could detect gravitational waves’ permanent space-time warp May 19, 2017When gravitational waves permanently distort space-time, it causes a “memory” signal – which may help LIGO find some of the universe’s most exotic objects
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