ACEIZE Tracking the current state of Science and Technology

Professor Roman Kezerashvili recently presented at the International Symposium on Solar Sailing at New York's City College of Technology. The topic of his presentation was using a sail sail space craft to test one of the hypothesis of Einstein's general theory of relativity, namely the frame dragging hypothesis.

What is the Frame Dragging Hypothesis
Frame Dragging predicts that a spinning object will drag space time around itself as it spins. This effect will move an object out of the position predicted by Newtonian physics. There are three types of frame dragging effect listed by Wikipedia; Rotational, Linear, and Static Mass Increase. It sounds like the solar sail would test the Rotational Frame Dragging effect. From WikiPedia:

United Space Alliance, the private contractor which has been servicing NASA's space shuttle will layoff 1394 workers in October 2010. NASA has two scheduled flights of the shuttle remaining to complete the space station. After that, the maintenance contracts will no longer be needed.

There is some possibility that a Senate draft bill may change these plans by creating a third shuttle flight, or directing NASA to maintain some ability to carry large equipment to the space station in case of emergency.

Buckyballs, a molecule also known as C60 or C70 depending on the number of carbon atoms within the molecule, has been observed forming naturally in space. The buckyballs were discovered in the planetary nebula Tc-1 about 6500 light years away in the constellation Ara. On earth, laboratories have been able to create buckyballs by vaporizing graphite in the presence of helium. Until now the natural occurrence of buckyballs has been theoretical.

A huge section of the Thermosphere recently contracted. According to John Emmert of the Naval Research Lab, "This is the biggest contraction of the thermosphere in at least 43 years". The Thermosphere has been known to contract during periods of the solar minimum. The contraction happens in response to a lack of Extreme Ultraviolet Light (EUV). EUV normally heats the thermosphere causing it to expand. It is also thought that the increase in CO2 could be having a radiant cooling effect on the Thermosphere which caused it to shrink and collapse. However, both of these effects are not expected to cause the thermosphere to contract to the level that has been observed. In short, a third unknown cause is presumed to be at work.

The nation of India has developed a $35 touch screen computer. Thus far they have not found a manufacturer for the device. If it is manufactured, it will also be subsidized by the government so that students can purchase it. The computer runs on Linux.

Recent research reveals that our Sun is not likely to have a companion star. In 1984 this proposed companion star was named Nemesis. Nemesis was proposed as an explanation of the roughly 27 million year cycle of mass extinction that occurs on planet Earth. The idea was that companion brown dwarf star (ie, Nemesis) would be in an orbit that would occasionally attract a high number of asteroids and comets from deep outer space. These asteroids and comets would occasionally meet up with the Earth's surface and cause mass extinction. The recent research by Adrian Melott and Richard Bambach, however, shows that the orbit necessary for this to happen is not possible.

NASA is currently looking for ways to expand the scope of robotics in space. Their current plans include robotic engines, probes, fueling depots, and a humanoid helper robot. These robotic projects are expected to help NASA increase it's scope of operations. The robots may be instrumental in an asteroid visit or mars landing.

Below is a humanoid robot, Robonaut2 (R2), which may eventually be found on the International Space Station (ISS).

Below is the robotic X-37 space plane. This plane will be capable of operating in earth's orbit for an unspecified amount of time and return for a landing on earth.

This is a video of a UAV being taken down by laser over the coast of California. It is a 50kW laser created by Raytheon. It was created by bolting together six bog-standard commercial lasers used in the car industry. It is small enough to be mounted on trailers or ships.