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
- Poll: Should Naming Places on Other Planets Be Open to the Public? March 11, 2014The International Astronomical Union is discouraging people from buying the naming rights to Mars craters, insisting the monikers will never be "official." What do you think?
- Aurora Photographer Captures Dazzling Fireball Over Canada (Photos) March 11, 2014A brilliant fireball blazed across an aurora-filled sky over remote Northwest Territories in Canada in these spectacular images by astrophotographer Yuichi Takasaka of the photography group The World at Night (TWAN). See his photos.
- NASA Offers Cash Prizes for Help Hunting Dangerous Asteroids March 11, 2014NASA and asteroid-mining company Planetary Resources have teamed up to launch a contest series called "Asteroid Data Hunter," which asks the public to develop algorithms that can help identify space rocks in Earth's neck of the cosmic woods.
- SpaceX Mission Photos: 3rd Dragon Cargo Ship Visits Space Station This Month March 11, 2014See photos from SpaceX's third Dragon space capsule mission to delivery supplies to the International Space Station for NASA. The mission launches March 16, 2014 from Cape Canaveral, Fla.
- You Can Name a Mars Crater, but Astronomy Group Spoils the Fun March 11, 2014The IAU, the authority that assigns "official" names for all celestial bodies and surface features, will not legitimize any purchased names for cosmic objects and their features, including Martian craters, IAU officials announced today (March 11).
- Rhea Shines | Space Wallpaper March 11, 2014A nearly full Rhea shines in the sunlight in this stunning space wallpaper taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft’s narrow-angle camera on Sept. 10, 2013. Rhea (949 miles, or 1,527 kilometers across) is Saturn's second largest moon.
- NASA's Powerful Mars Orbiter Sidelined by Glitch March 11, 2014NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter switched over to safe mode after unexpectedly swapping from one main computer to another. The glitch has suspended science operations, but mission officials are confident the probe can return to service soon.
- 'Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey' Pulls In 8.5 Million Viewers: Report March 11, 2014The launch of Fox's "Cosmos" TV series reboot on 10 different networks Sunday (March 9) attracted in 8.5 million viewers according to a Neilsen ratings summary, the Los Angeles Times reports today.
- Yuri's Night Contest Promises Space Prizes for Cosmic Party-Starters March 11, 2014Space lovers around the world are getting ready to revel in the excitement of human spaceflight on Yuri's Night, April 12. This year, the celebration's organizers will hold a "catalyst" competition, promising prizes for a host and an event catalyst.
- NASA Seeks Bounty Hunters for Asteroids - $35K in Awards | Video March 11, 2014NASA's Asteroid Grand Challenge is asking citizen scientists to improve how we identify asteroids. The contest runs through August 2014.
- Space History Photo: Engineers checkout Early Bird-Communication Satellite March 11, 2014Engineers check out the world's first communication satellite known as the Early Bird.
- SpaceX Test-Fires Falcon 9 Rocket Engines Ahead of Sunday Launch March 11, 2014SpaceX fired up the nine-engine first stage of a Falcon 9 rocket Saturday in a major preflight rehearsal before the March 16 launch of nearly 5,000 pounds of experiments and supplies to the International Space Station.
- Photographer Captures 'Impossible' View of Milky Way from Light-Polluted Singapore (Video, Photo) March 11, 2014Bright Venus rises and the Milky Way dazzles over the light-polluted skies above Singapore in this rare image recently sent to Space.com. See how the photographer did it.
- National Geographic, NASA Count Down to Epic 'Live from Space' TV Special on Friday March 11, 2014Astronauts on the International Space Station are going to beam into homes around the world during a live TV event this week.
- 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.
NASA Breaking News
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LiveScience.com – Top Stories
- Secret to Ancient Sloths' Aquatic Lives Found March 12, 2014Aquatic sloths once crawled the coast of Peru with dense bones that helped the animals sink to shallow seafloors and graze on vegetation.
- 7 Ambitious Scientific Expeditions March 12, 2014From filling in the map of the world to taking man's first step on the moon, intrepid explorers set out on these arduous expeditions at least partly in the name of science.
- Hurricane Sandy's Rainfall Decoded Via CrowdSourcing March 11, 2014The storm smash-up that morphed Hurricane Sandy into a hybrid weather monster left a chemical trail that scientists have decoded with the help of crowdsourced water samples.
- All Ears: Elephants Can Identify Human Languages March 11, 2014Scientists never understood exactly how finely tuned elephants' hearing is, until researchers tried to see if the pachyderms could distinguish among the sounds made by different groups of humans.
- Super Star Cluster | Space Wallpaper March 11, 2014This cool space wallpaper from the VLT Survey Telescope at ESO's Paranal Observatory shows the remarkable super star cluster Westerlund 1. This exceptionally bright cluster lies in the southern constellation of Ara (The Altar).
- Are You Orderly? Imaginative? How Personality Affects Health March 11, 2014A young adult's personality may hold clues to his or her health later in life, so perhaps doctors should assess their patients' personalities during checkups, a new study says.
- Far Out! Making Crystals Ripple with Light March 11, 2014Crystals hit with infrared light could be the next generation of nanometer scale devices.
- Warm, Wet Climate Likely Helped Genghis Khan Conquer the World March 11, 2014The Mongol invasion was probably made possible by an unusual warm, wet spell that carpeted Asia with grass and provided food for the horses and livestock of Genghis Khan's armies.
- 12 Amazing Women Who Totally Rocked at Science March 11, 2014This March, in honor of Women's History Month, LiveScience is taking a look at the accomplishments of some of the most inspirational women in science.
- Secrets of Chinese Terra-Cotta Warrior Weapons Revealed March 11, 2014Weapons found among China's terra-cotta warriors were made by cells of craftspeople working with identical molds, new research suggests.
- Rare Double Infection: Lupus Patient Makes Antibodies to Fight HIV March 11, 2014One woman's uncommon ability to fight her HIV infection may provide new insights for developing a vaccine that triggers a special immune response against the viral disease, researchers said.
- Ancient 'Ritual Wand' Etched with Human Faces Discovered in Syria March 11, 2014A roughly 9,000-year-old wand with realistic faces carved into it was unearthed in a graveyard in southern Syria. The wand was found near headless skeletons.
- Japan Earthquake: Shocks Linger Three Years Later March 11, 2014Millions of Japanese marked the third anniversary of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami on Tuesday.
- Great White Shark 'Lydia' Veers Away from UK March 11, 2014The Brits may not see the great white after all, as the shark seems to be heading northwest. And in other news, she may be pregnant.
- Sponges May Have Breathed Life into Ancient Oceans March 11, 2014You may owe your life to the lowly sea sponge. Flourishing in extreme, deep-ocean environments hundreds of millions of years ago, sponges may have helped produce the oxygen requisite for the explosion of more complex life forms on Earth, a new study says.
- In Images: An Ancient Wand Etched with Faces March 11, 2014A roughly 11,000-year-old wand with realistic faces carved into it was unearthed in a graveyard in southern Syria. The wand was found near headless skeletons.
- Woman's 90-Pound Mucus-Filled Tumor Surgically Removed March 11, 2014A woman who complained of a rapidly expanding waistline was actually suffering from a mucus-filled, 88-lb. ovarian cyst, a new case report reveals.
- Flight 370 Mystery: How Can a Jetliner Drop Off the Radar? March 11, 2014The mystery surrounding a missing Malaysia Airlines jet raises a fundamental question: How can a big plane full of people just vanish into thin air in this day and age?
- Tectonic Puzzle: Why West Africa Didn't Follow South America March 11, 2014A new model helps explain why the Sahara settled east of the Atlantic instead of sailing off with South America — it's all about the angles.
- Popular Supplement Doesn't Help with Knee Pain March 11, 2014For people with knee osteoarthritis, taking the supplement glucosamine may not decrease the loss of knee cartilage or pain, at least in the short term, new study finds.
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
- NASA's Mars Orbiter Glitch Forces Mission Offline March 11, 2014NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) made an unscheduled computer swap on March 9, forcing the mission into a temporary "safe mode." Continue reading →
- Venus Express Orbiter Basks in Venusian Glory March 11, 2014The European Space Agency's Venus Express orbiter has spotted a very terrestrial phenomenon in the high-altitude cloud cover of Earth's hellish 'sister' world. Continue reading →
- IAU: Crowdfunded 'Name a Mars Crater' Projects Not Legit March 11, 2014The International Astronomical Union -- the official body that governs the naming and designations of all celestial objects -- has once again spoken out against crowdfunded space naming efforts. Continue reading →
- 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 →
New Scientist
- First alien rainbow image holds clues to Venus mystery March 11, 2014This rare type of rainbow has previously only been glimpsed on Earth – and could help solve a decades-old mystery about Venus's atmosphere
- First twin astronauts take on space microbiome March 11, 2014For the first time, identical twin astronauts will be used to study health in space – and the projects include some of the hottest topics in biomedicine
- Space diaries reveal 6 things on an astronaut's mind March 11, 2014Little-seen diaries by NASA astronauts are telling glimpses of life in space, from the ridiculousness of urination to the sublime sense of solitude
- We need philosophers to tackle the big cosmic puzzles March 11, 2014What can we do when cosmologists delve into the multiverse and raise questions they cannot answer? Call in the philosophers, says physicist Joseph Silk
- Invisible Saturn-sized planet given away by comet army March 11, 2014A strange cloud of carbon monoxide, probably from icy objects crashing together, may owe its existence to an invisible exoplanet
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