Credits: +European Space Agency, ESA by Mars Express
July 4, 2013
No Star Treck names for the Pluto's moons
Dear followers,
the two last moons discovered in orbit around Pluto in 2011 and 2012 by the +Hubble Space Telescope, has firstly called by numerical identifiers, respectively P4 and P5. Actually, in astronomy, naming of planets go to the finders and in this case, that honor went to a scientific team led by +Mark Showalter a researcher at the +SETI Institute in Mountain View, California.
Credits: +NASA
After a online vote, many fans of +Star Trek proposed the name of Vulcan, the name of Spock's home planet. However, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) rejected this proposition. Actually, Vulcan was the name given to a hypothetical planet astronomers thought they had discovered between the Sun and Mercury back in the 1800s.
Finally, the two Pluto's moons will be called Kerosene and Styx, two names of the roman and greck mythology.
July 3, 2013
July 2, 2013
Dramatic lost of Proton-M rocket launching Russian navigation satellites
Dear followers,
today, the Proton-M rocket carrying three satellites for Russia's Global Navigation Satellite System, or Glonass, exploded after few second of its lift-off. Glonass is the Russian equivalent to the United States' Global Positioning System, or GPS. This fail is terrible for Russian space program, while the India agency performed yesterday a successful lift-off of their first navigation satellites.
Credits: Russische raket stort neer par Zoomin_Nederland
Seconds later, the space rocket changed its course, and burnt into flames and dove nose-first into the ground.
In 2010, another Proton-M rocket carrying three satellites crashed in the Pacific Ocean.
Authorities have suspended further launches of the rockets as they investigate what caused the explosion.
Successful launch of Navigation Satellite from India
Dear followers,
yesterday, Monday July 1st , India has successfully put the country’s first Navigation Satellite into orbit on Monday. A Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle blasted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Center on India’s East coast at 18:11 UTC.
Credits: +ISRO
The IRNSS-1A spacecraft has been delivered to its intended orbit about 20 minutes after launch. This successful flight starts the race for India to its own navigation constellation, the Indian Regional Navigation System that will cover the country and surrounding areas.
July 1, 2013
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