http://www.redorbit.com Space http://www.redorbit.com/modules/news/images/tools/rss_logo.gif http://www.redorbit.com New observations from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter indicate that the crust and upper mantle of Mars are stiffer and colder than previously thought.The findings suggest any liquid water that might exist below the planet's surface, and any possible organisms living in that water, would be located deeper than scientists had suspected."We found that the rocky surface of Mars is not bending under the load of the north polar ice cap," said Roger Phillips of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colo. http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1387425/orbiter_shows_mars_is_colder_on_the_inside/index.html?source=r_space Thu, 15 May 2008 14:15:00 -0500 Space Russian federal space agency Roskosmos could combine forces with the European Space Agency to develop a spacecraft that will take astronauts to the moon, according to officials in Russia."The European Space Agency (ESA) and Roskosmos both have the technologies and unique experience in designing various space systems to be able to create jointly a hi-tech vehicle," Roskosmos said on its website."(This would) enable us to carry crews of up to six people to near-earth and lunar orbits."However, while Roskosmos was quick to announce that the first test flight would launch in 2015, and the first manned flight would occur in 2018, the ESA was more reluctant to make any solid plans.“This is factually correct in the sense that indeed this is the outline of the system," ESA spokesman Franco Bonacina said."But we haven't decided upon anything yet ... http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1386099/russia_and_europe_announce_possible_future_lunar_mission/index.html?source=r_space Wed, 14 May 2008 21:00:00 -0500 Space Astronomers have discovered a rare type of star called a pulsar that they believe is locked in an elongated orbit around a star much like the sun. The spinning pulsar is called J1903+0327 and is located about 21,000 light years (About 6 trillion miles) from Earth. http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1388948/astronomers_discover_rare_rapidly_spinning_pulsar/index.html?source=r_space Fri, 16 May 2008 01:00:00 -0500 Space Venus Express has detected the molecule hydroxyl on another planet for the first time. http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1387121/spacecraft_discovers_key_molecule_on_venus/index.html?source=r_space Thu, 15 May 2008 10:50:00 -0500 Space The most recent supernova in our Galaxy has been discovered by tracking the rapid expansion of its remains. http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1384754/astronomers_find_youngest_supernova_in_milky_way/index.html?source=r_space Wed, 14 May 2008 08:55:00 -0500 Space Engineers in Europe continue to develop a billion-euro project to put a robotic rover on the surface of Mars.A sophisticated new vehicle prototype has been developed as they work towards the flagship ExoMars mission.ExoMars is scheduled to leave Earth in 2013 and land on the fourth planet a year later. http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1388947/europeans_continue_work_on_mars_rover/index.html?source=r_space Fri, 16 May 2008 00:50:00 -0500 Space Physicists at Penn State have provided a mechanism by which information can be recovered from black holes, those regions of space where gravity is so strong that, according to Einstein's theory of general relativity, not even light can escape. http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1387118/how_does_information_escape_from_black_holes/index.html?source=r_space Thu, 15 May 2008 10:05:00 -0500 Space The Vatican’s chief astronomer and a scientific adviser to Pope Benedict says he sees no problem with believing in God and the existence of extraterrestrial beings on other planets."In my opinion this possibility (of life on other planets) exists," said Rev. http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1387116/vatican_astronomer_acknowledges_possibility_of_et_existence/index.html?source=r_space Thu, 15 May 2008 09:50:00 -0500 Space European firm EADS has announced that plans may be in the works to launch its own independent manned spacecraft.News of the plans came on Tuesday in Bremen, Germany. http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1385238/europe_plans_first_manned_spacecraft_by_2017/index.html?source=r_space Wed, 14 May 2008 10:37:41 -0500 Space Even in the clearest, bluest sky on Earth, there is still water vapor in our atmosphere. If you could condense all the water vapor out of the atmosphere above you, it would form a layer of water two centimeters deep. http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1385241/interviews_water_on_mars/index.html?source=r_space Wed, 14 May 2008 11:24:17 -0500 Space The Russian Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos) and the European Space Agency (ESA) have agreed to carry out joint work to build a spaceship for flights to the earth orbit and expeditions to the Moon, Interfax-AVN has been told by Roskosmos's press secretary Aleksandr Vorobyev. http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1387436/russian_european_space_agencies_agree_to_build_brandnew_spaceship/index.html?source=r_space Thu, 15 May 2008 15:00:00 -0500 Space China's disaster relief authority has asked for domestic and international help in getting quake-related data collected by satellites to aid Sichuan relief operations. http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1386934/china_asks_for_help_in_disaster_monitoring_from_space/index.html?source=r_space Thu, 15 May 2008 09:00:00 -0500 Space The U.S. space agency says it has launched a partnership with the National Institute of Aerospace to produce educational television programs. http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1385539/nasa_announces_educational_tv_partnership/index.html?source=r_space Wed, 14 May 2008 15:00:06 -0500 Space To: TECHNOLOGY EDITORS Contact: Michael Curie of NASA Headquarters, Washington, +1-202- 358-4715, michael.curie@nasa.gov, or Nicole Cloutier-Lemasters of NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, +1-281-483-5111, nicole.cloutier- 1@nasa.gov HOUSTON, May 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA Wednesday awarded ARES Corp. http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1389405/nasa_extends_space_station_contract_with_ares_corp/index.html?source=r_space Fri, 16 May 2008 18:00:07 -0500 Space GREENBELT, Md., May 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA has selected SP Systems Inc. of Greenbelt, Md., to provide mission support services under the Program Analysis and Control (PAAC III) contract. http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1389406/nasa_selects_goddard_program_analysis_and_control_contractor/index.html?source=r_space Fri, 16 May 2008 18:00:07 -0500 Space By Sapet, Kerrily From a galaxy far, far away, a certain item was a stowaway on the space shuttle Discovery last October. Luke Skywalker's original Jedi light saber orbited Earth with the mission's seven astronauts. http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1388371/outer_space_oddities/index.html?source=r_space Fri, 16 May 2008 06:00:06 -0500 Space MOSCOW. May 15 (Interfax-AVN) - A Soyuz-U rocket carrying a Progress M-64 transport cargo vehicle, bound for the International Space Station, was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 00:22 a.m., Moscow time, on Thursday, Mission Control near Moscow told Interfax-AVN. http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1387946/soyuzu_with_space_truck_bound_for_iss_lifts_off_from/index.html?source=r_space Thu, 15 May 2008 21:00:04 -0500 Space By Mark Arnest, The Gazette, Colorado Springs, Colo. May 15--The largest collection of artists studios in the Pikes Peak region is preparing to get larger. http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1387945/cottonwood_artists_school_reveals_new_digs_saturday/index.html?source=r_space Thu, 15 May 2008 21:00:04 -0500 Space To: TECHNOLOGY EDITORS Contact: Beth Hagenauer of NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, +1- 661-276-7960, beth.hagenauer@nasa.gov; or Gemma Loochkartt of Northrop Grumman Corporation, +1-858-618-4245, gemma.loochkartt@ngc.com EDWARDS, Calif., May 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASAs Dryden Flight Research Center and the Northrop Grumman Corporation have reached an agreement that will enable NASA's Science Mission Directorate to conduct Earth science research with the Northrop Grumman-developed RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system. http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1387698/nasa__northrop_agreement_opens_door_to_science_investigations/index.html?source=r_space Thu, 15 May 2008 18:00:06 -0500 Space This summer, HGTV will premiere its first primetime program based on the phenomenally successful online feature HGTV's Rate My Space. Inspired by HGTV.com's most popular online interactive feature and hosted by designer Angelo Surmelis, the new series will preview on Sunday, June 8 at 10 p.m. http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1387697/hgtvcoms_rate_my_space_springboards_from_online_to_onair/index.html?source=r_space Thu, 15 May 2008 18:00:06 -0500 Space CHICAGO, May 15 /PRNewswire/ -- ComEd and the Adler Planetarium today announced eighth grader Matthew Rasmussen as the grand-prize winner in the second annual Shoot for the Moon essay contest. http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1387435/adler_planetarium_and_comed_award_8th_grader_top_prize_in/index.html?source=r_space Thu, 15 May 2008 15:00:06 -0500 Space MOSCOW. May 14 (Interfax) - Russia astronaut Salizhan Sharipov may be taken off the flight to the International Space Station (ISS) in October 2008, a source in the Cosmonaut Training Center told Interfax. http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1386100/russian_astronaut_may_be_taken_off_iss_flight/index.html?source=r_space Wed, 14 May 2008 21:00:04 -0500 Space By TAMARA RACE PLYMOUTH - A new shuttle service will allow visitors to spend a summer weekend in Plymouth while leaving their cars at home. Local businesses, tourism groups, and the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce have joined to create America's Hometown Shuttle service. http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1385251/plymouth_visitors_can_take_shuttle/index.html?source=r_space Wed, 14 May 2008 12:00:00 -0500 Space By Stewart M. Powell, Houston Chronicle May 14--WASHINGTON -- Members of Houston's congressional delegation, having failed to galvanize House support for additional NASA funding, said Tuesday that Texas Sen. http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1384550/hutchison_may_be_key_to_extra_nasa_funds/index.html?source=r_space Wed, 14 May 2008 06:00:05 -0500 Space By Anonymous A US Air Force modernized Global Positioning System Block IIR satellite, built by Lockheed Martin, was successfully launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta II launch vehicle. http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1384509/lockheed_martin_successfully_launches_6th_modernized_gps_satellite/index.html?source=r_space Wed, 14 May 2008 03:00:00 -0500 Space