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
- NASA Spacecraft Buzzes Saturn's Largest Moon Titan for 100th Time March 6, 2014A far-flung NASA space probe flying around Saturn zipped past the ringed planet's biggest moon for the 100th time. The Cassini spacecraft made its closest approach to the hazy moon Titan on Thursday.
- Small Asteroid Gives Earth a Close Shave, 3rd in 2 Days March 6, 2014The 25-foot-wide (8 meters) asteroid 2014 EC came within 38,300 miles (61,600 kilometers) of our planet at 4:21 p.m. ET today, NASA officials said. For comparison, the moon orbits Earth at an average distance of 239,000 miles (385,000 km).
- Bright Fireball Over New Mexico Rattles Houses - See and Hear It | Video March 6, 2014On March 6th, 2014, a meteor slammed into the Earth's atmosphere and burned up over the night skies of north central New Mexico. Thomas Ashcraft captured the sights with a his fireball camera and the sounds with a forward-scatter meteor radar.
- Winklevoss Twins in Space: Not the 1st Identical Siblings to Leave Earth March 6, 2014The Winklevoss twins launched into the headlines Wednesday (March 5) by announcing their plan to ride a Virgin Galactic space plane (and paying with Bitcoins, no less), but they aren't the first set of identical twins to fly in space.
- Big Mars Impact Gave Earth Most of Its Martian Meteorites March 6, 2014A huge meteorite impact on Mars was so powerful that it blasted a bunch of Red Planet rocks in Earth's direction five million years ago. The cosmic crash is the source of all "shergottite" Martian meteorites found on Earth, researchers say.
- Famed 'Star Trek' Original Series Teleplay by Harlan Ellison Gets IDW Comics Adaptation March 6, 2014Harlan Ellison is well-known in science fiction circles — in fact, considered a modern master of science fiction, and one of his most critically acclaimed stories came from the "Star Trek: The Original Series" episode "City on the Edge of Forever."
- Photos from 'Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey' TV Series (Gallery) March 6, 2014The 2014 sequel to the classic science television show comes to Fox Network. See photos and images from the new incarnation 'Cosmos: A Space-time Odyssey.'
- Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, Seth MacFarlane Talk 'Cosmos' with GQ March 6, 2014It's hard to imagine the late astronomer Carl Sagan gracing the glossy pages of GQ wearing one of his turtlenecks and corduroy blazers. But it's a different story for the men who are launching a stylish reboot of Sagan's beloved "Cosmos" TV series.
- Near-Earth Asteroids: Famous Space Rock Flybys and Close Calls (Infographic) March 6, 2014Several of the asteroids that have been spotted passing with the orbits of the moon and even Earth's communications satellites.
- Majestic Milky Way Galaxy Rises Over Remote Island (Photo) March 6, 2014Green airglow shimmers atop translucent clouds as the Milky Way rises over a remote island off the northwest coast of Africa in a majestic photo recently sent to Space.com.
- Fast Moving Galaxy Leaves Behind A Trail Of Stars | Video March 6, 2014As spiral galaxy ESO 137-001 zooms through the super hot gas of the Norma cluster, much of it's own gas is pulled away in a process called 'ram pressure stripping. The threads of gas left behind give birth to bright young stars, seen here in blue.
- Armstrong Flight Research Center Puts The Aeronautics In NASA | Video March 6, 2014The research center (formerly Dryden F.R.C.) is testing next generation airplanes with plans to increase their efficiency and design. The flight center was renamed after Neil Armstrong, the first moonwalker.
- 'Cosmos' Reborn: New Fox TV Show Aims to Bring Science to Everyone March 6, 2014The new TV show "Cosmos" isn't just for science nerds and space geeks. The producers of the show want to reach everyone with their broad, visually stunning approach to science.
- Runaway Galaxy | Space Wallpaper March 6, 2014The spiral galaxy ESO 137-001 looks like a dandelion caught in a breeze in this stunning space wallpaper from Hubble Space Telescope.
- NASA Hot-Fires Mini-Engines in SLS Test | Video March 6, 2014A tiny model (2 percent actual size) of the proposed Space Launch Systems was tested fired by Marshall Flight Center engineers to provide data on convective heating environments during ascent of the actual rocket.
- Facebook to Purchase Solar-Powered Drone Company March 6, 2014Facebook is in talks to buy a drone company that manufactures ultra-lightweight, solar-powered planes that are designed to fly high above commercial air traffic and can impressively remain aloft for up to five years, according to news reports.
- Never-Before-Seen Asteroid Break-Up Snapped By Hubble | Video March 6, 2014A space rock in the asteroid belt, named P/2013 R3, has fragmented into as many as 10 pieces. The four largest fragments are larger that 2 football fields each. Astronomers are investigation the cause with the help of the Hubble Space Telescope.
- NASA Launches Rocket Through Auroras for GREECE Mission (Photos) March 6, 2014Photos of the NASA-funded sounding rocket mission including some stunning shots of the launch—straight into an aurora over Venetie, Alaska.
- NASA Meteor Experts Host Reddit 'Ask Me Anything' @ 2pm ET Today March 6, 2014Three of NASA's top meteor and fireball experts will answer questions from the public about the science behind space rocks from the sky today in a Reddit "Ask Me Anything" forum today live at 2 p.m. EST (1900 GMT).
- Robotic Satellite Refueling Tech Works, NASA Proves | Video March 6, 2014The Remote Robotic Oxidizer Transfer Test (RROxiTT) was successfully completed when a unique propellant transfer system (PTS) pumped fuel in to mock tank at the NASA KSC (Florida), while being controlled at NASA Goddard (Maryland).
NASA Breaking News
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LiveScience.com – Top Stories
- US Navy's Next-Generation Aircraft Carrier Begins Testing Phase March 7, 2014The U.S. Navy's newest aircraft carrier — a massive warship outfitted with the latest radar technology and sophisticated systems to accommodate unmanned, carrier-launched drones — is set to undergo more than two years of rigorous testing.
- Cat Firebombs Featured in 500-Year-Old German War Manual March 6, 2014In the same century that Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel and Shakespeare wrote "Richard III," German artillery experts were trying to master the art of strapping bombs to cats.
- Why Some People Don't Like Music March 6, 2014Some people just don't enjoy music, even though they can experience pleasure in other ways.
- How Cosmetic Fillers May Cause Blindness March 6, 2014The complication is highly rare, but taking care of wrinkles on the forehead can cause permanent damage to the eye, a new report shows.
- Seen from Space: Guatemala's Pacaya Volcano Pops March 6, 2014A bevy of satellites have caught a bird's-eye view of Guatemala's Pacaya volcano since the peak erupted on March 2.
- Game of Rivers: How Waterways Behead Mountains March 6, 2014A model for how river networks take shape, such as in the Appalachians, could help improve understanding of how landscapes change through time.
- SXSW 2014: Expect Wearable Tech, Robotics, Science Celebs and More March 6, 2014The South by Southwest Interactive festival kicks off Friday (March 7) in Austin, Texas, and Live Science will be onsite with the latest news on wearable technologies, the digital future, robots and more.
- Did That Just Happen? How Your Brain Alters Mental Timelines March 6, 2014Exactly how the brain organizes memories in relation to each other has long puzzled scientists. In a new study, researchers set out to identify the nature of brain activity that puts a time stamp on memories.
- US Navy Toys With Physics of Bouncy Balls March 6, 2014A toy ball that bounces on water but not on land gets the ability from its elasticity, a physicist has found. The Navy is funding the research for potential military applications.
- Women Lag Behind Men in Job Quality March 6, 2014A new study found that women in industrialized nations lag behind men in most aspects of job quality; women tend to be more stressed, they don't see as many opportunities for advancement and they report a lack flexibility and job security.
- Guts of Galapagos Volcano Revealed in 3D Images March 6, 2014New 3D images from beneath a volcano in the Galapagos Islands show how these volcanoes differ from those in Hawaii.
- San Francisco Moves to Ban Plastic Water Bottles March 6, 2014San Francisco's Board of Supervisors met this week and unanimously voted to begin phasing out the sale of single-use, plastic water bottles less than 21 ounces on city-owned land.
- Experimental Device Could Prevent HIV & Pregnancy in Women March 6, 2014A new intravaginal ring could protect against HIV, herpes and pregnancy, which could address women's needs in developing countries for both family planning and sexually transmitted disease protection.
- E-Cigarettes Are 'Aggravating' Teen Smoking Epidemic, Study Suggests March 6, 2014Although e-cigarettes have been marketed as a way to help people quit smoking, a new study finds that teens who use the products often smoke regular cigarettes as well.
- The First US City Was Full of Immigrants March 6, 2014A sprawling city in the heartland of the United States was a cultural melting pot hundreds of years before Europeans ever set foot on the continent.
- Blazing Hybrid | Space Wallpaper March 6, 2014This vivid space wallpaper is a color composite image made from a ground-based eclipse image obtained by the Williams College Eclipse Expedition in Gabon and a wide-field EUV mosaic of the solar corona obtained in space by SWAP onboard PROBA2.
- NASA Meteor Experts Host Reddit 'Ask Me Anything' @ 2pm ET Today March 6, 2014Three of NASA's top meteor and fireball experts will answer questions from the public about the science behind space rocks from the sky today in a Reddit "Ask Me Anything" forum today live at 2 p.m. EST (1900 GMT).
- Image of the Day January 27, 2010Amazing images every day!
- Monster Black Hole Spins at Half the Speed of Light March 6, 2014Astronomers have calculated how fast a distant supermassive black hole rotates, clocking it at nearly half the speed of light. A fortuitious lineup of cosmic objects allowed scientists to measure the mind-boggling spin rate.
- Saturn Rings, Moon Shine in Dazzling New NASA Photo March 6, 2014The space agency's Cassini probe snapped the photo in October, when it was 1.6 million miles from Saturn and 38 degrees below the ring plane. The planet's battered "Death Star" moon Mimas is visible as a pinprick of light at the bottom right.
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
- 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 →
- Dinky Space Rock to Buzz Earth in Not-So-Scary Flyby March 5, 2014It happens 20 times a year, but the mere mention of an asteroid flying past Earth is enough to whip the tabloid press into a frenzy. Continue reading →
- Distant Black Hole Spins at Half the Speed of Light March 5, 2014Back when the universe was half its present age, supermassive black holes were feeding from a steady and plentiful diet of neighboring galaxies, the first measurement of a distant supermassive black hole’s spin shows.
- Lightning, Stars, and Aurorae Shine in Epic Time-Lapse March 5, 2014When the sun sets, the show begins: night after night of incredible weather, shimmering aurorae, and stunning starry vistas over the rugged and rural landscapes of South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming are captured in "Huelux." Continue reading →
- DNews: How We Find Water on Exoplanets March 5, 2014Astronomers confirm an additional 715 planets outside our solar system, and find water vapor in the atmosphere of a nearby planet! Join Trace as he discusses these findings, and what they mean for the future of space exploration.
- Ukraine Crisis: Russian Roulette in Space? March 5, 2014Rocky Russian relations could leave U.S. astronauts without rides to the International Space Station.
- Every Red Dwarf Hosts at Least One Exoplanet March 4, 2014An international team of astronomers have estimated that every red dwarf in our galaxy hosts at least one exoplanet and that one quarter host super-Earths orbiting within their habitable zones. Continue reading →
- R-Rated: Space Telescopes Witness Cosmic 'Bloodbath' March 4, 2014If the Universe made a slasher flick, it would star the innocent bystander spiral galaxy ESO 137-001 and violent baddie galaxy cluster Abell 3627. Continue reading →
- The Brave Story of Mars' McClure-Beverlin Escarpment March 3, 2014Every feature on Mars that's named for an engineer or technician has a back story, including the McClure-Beverlin Escarpment. Continue reading →
New Scientist
- 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
- Daring Mars fly-by in limbo after US Congress hearing March 4, 2014NASA may be asked to take the helm of a 2021 human mission to Mars originally intended for private backing, but funding and feasibility remain vague
- Moon's radio glow could keep Muslim calendars in sync March 4, 2014Radio waves bouncing off the moon could be used to mark the start of a new Islamic month since their arrival is more reliable than the moon's visible light
- 'Great curtains of delicate light hung and trembled' February 28, 2014An X-class solar flare – the most powerful kind – caused spectacular displays of the aurora borealis over the UK last night
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