NASA Image of the Day, Aug 13th..[ 1629 ]

The latest NASA "Image of the Day" image.

Testing for the Future

Testing advanced designs for high-speed aircraft in 1948, an engineer makes final calibrations to a model mounted in the 6 x 6 Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel at the NACA 

Ames Aeronautical Laboratory, Moffett Field, California. NACA, NASA’s predecessor organization the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, was established in March 1913 by Congress to "supervise and direct the scientific study of the problems of flight, with a view to their practical solutions." 

The Ames Aeronautical Laboratory is now NASA’s Ames Research Center. 

Image Credit: NASA
Παρασκευή, 13 Αύγουστ

NASA Image of the Day, Aug 12th..[ 1628 ]

The latest NASA "Image of the Day" image.

50 Years of Communications in Space

The idea behind a communications satellite is simple: send a signal into space, and send it back down to another spot on the globe. In NASA's early days, engineers discovered the easiest way to accomplish this: bounce signals off a giant metal balloon floating in orbit. 

The concept was developed into the aptly-named Echo program, and Echo 1A became the first successful launch of the project on Aug. 12, 1960. Echo 1A, now commonly known as just Echo I, was a 100 foot diameter balloon made of mylar polyester. 

The spacecraft was designed as a passive communications reflector for transcontinental and intercontinental telephone, radio, and television signals. 

Pictured here is a scale prototype of the Echo satellite undergoing a Skin Stress Test on May 1, 1960. 

The prototype was 12 feet in diameter, with the size being chosen because that was the ceiling height in the NASA Langley model shop. After an unsuccessful launch attempt for the original Echo I satellite, Echo 1A and the follow-on Echo II were successfully launched. The Echo projects were instrumental in letting the world see that the U.S. was a major force in the space race not very far behind Russia. 

Among the many contributions of the Echo programs are the first voice communication via satellite which was made by none other than then President Eisenhower and the first coast-to-coast telephone call using a satellite. In addition, the Echo programs resulted in advances in atmospheric density, solar pressure, gossamer structures, solar sailing, and transmitting videos via satellites. 

The Echo 1A satellite re-entered the atmosphere on May 24, 1968. 

Image Credit: NASA
Πέμπτη, 12 Αύγουστος

'Cool Britannia'..[ 1627 ]

David Cameron dismisses 'Cool Britannia'

David Cameron has said Britain should focus on its heritage and move away from a 'Cool Britannia' image in order to become one of the world's top five tourism destinations.

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Cool Britannia is a media term that was used in the 1990s to describe fashionable contemporary culture which was leading the world Photo: REX FEATURES

 

Published: 9:35AM BST 12 Aug 2010

David Cameron addresses British tourism industry leaders at the Serpentine Gallery, London Photo: PA

The Prime Minister said the income generated from the £115 billion-a-year tourism sector was ''fundamental'' to rebuilding the UK's shattered economy.

In a speech at the Serpentine Gallery in London, he accused the former Labour government of failing to promote Britain properly.

''For too long tourism has been looked down on as a second class service sector. That's just wrong,'' he said.

''The last government underplayed our tourist industry. There were eight different Ministers with responsibility for tourism in just 13 years.

''They just didn't get our heritage. They raided the National Lottery taking money from heritage because it didn't go with their image of 'cool Britannia'.''

He said that the new coalition Government was now committed to building the ''strongest possible tourism strategy''.

''We're going to be a Government that understands the huge potential of our tourism industry, that gets tourism and that gives the industry the backing it needs.''

He said it was now essential to take the opportunity offered by a decade of major sporting events in the UK - starting with the 2012 London Olympics - to restore its fortunes.

''Tourism is a fiercely competitive market, requiring skills, talent, enterprise and a government that backs Britain. It's fundamental to the rebuilding and rebalancing of our economy.

''It's one of the best and fastest ways of generating the jobs we need so badly in this country. And it's absolutely crucial to us making the most of the Olympics and indeed a whole decade of great international sport across Britain.''

Mr Cameron said that between 2008 and and 2009, UK had fallen from sixth to 11th place in the World Economic Forum's travel and tourism competitiveness ratings.

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Cool Britannia is a media term that was used in the 1990s to describe fashionable contemporary culture which was leading the world. The term was prevalent during the 1990s, and was closely associated with the early years of New Labour under Tony Blair.

Taliban torturers..[ 1626 ]

Taliban torture and execute pregnant woman

A pregnant woman was flogged and shot dead in public in a remote part of western Afghanistan after being convicted of having an affair.

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• / Momento24 en Español

The victim, 48-year-old Bibi Sanubar, was flogged up to 200 times before being shot on Sunday – in the head and chest – in the remote Qades district. Her alleged lover managed to escape.

A Taliban commander carried out the execution, shooting the woman in her head, said Hashim Habibi, the district governor of Qades, which is located in the province.

Gul had been widowed for four years. She was accused of adultery for her relationship with the unnamed man, said Abdul Jabar, the provincial police chief.

Elders in the village of Quds contacted Taliban commanders after the woman’s pregnancy became known. A local official said: ‘She had an illegal relationship with a man who was not her husband.’

But he added: ‘ Her husband died many years before. Then she became pregnant so, according to Islam, we gave her a very strong punishment. It was more than 200 lashes. Then we shot her.’

A Taliban spokesman has since denied any involvement.

“We have not done anything like that in Badghis or any other province,” the spokesman said, calling the report “propaganda” by foreigners and the Western-backed Afghan government.

NASA image of the Day, Aug 11th..[ 1625 ]

The latest NASA "Image of the Day" image.

Testing at the Space Power Facility

The Centaur Standard Shroud at Glenn Research Center's Space Power Facility, Plum Brook Station, protects spacecraft during launch. 

 

When it was constructed, the Space Power Facility was the world's largest vacuum chamber. 

It stands more than 122 feet high, 100 feet in diameter and provides a vacuum environment for the study of space propulsion. 

 

Originally commissioned for nuclear-electric propulsion studies, the SPF has been recommissioned for current and future use in the ongoing research and development of space propulsion systems. 

 

Image Credit: NASA

Τετάρτη, 11 Αύγουστος 2010 7:00:00 πμ