Garmin has announced the start of the development of a series of navigation and mapping the Moon Garmin mūni 2022.

Due to the ever-increasing level of technological development, as well as increased interest in the colonization of other planets and space tourism, heads of Garmin decided to become a pioneer and master previously unaffected Market Navigator for the moon. Garmin experts started to develop a gadget that will allow any space tourist to navigate a strange planet.

Orbital group Garmin, consisting of three satellites, will enable high-speed data transmission and triangulation. Individually designed software will be installed on all the latest models of navigators line Garmin mūni. They will be presented in two formats: a built-in suit helmet HUD-display and portable 6-inch gadget with a magnetic mount to the suit. In the first case, the image will be projected on the inside of the glass and have a wide survey on the perception of the relevant 20-inch screen at a distance of 1.5 meters. In the second – the navigator will be presented in the familiar format of us with a capacitive multi-touch color display, dual orientation, and the white backlight. Moreover, the touchscreen will respond to the data even after switching spacesuit gloves thanks to special conductors.

Smart-notification system will enable the exchange of data about the location, to display basic information about the health of tourists, the number of steps / miles remaining to the destination, reverse tracking, as well as the rules of being on a territory belonging to private individuals. Voice control with high sensitivity, location sharing with members of the tourist group, customizable icon, automatic recalculation of the route – and it’s only a small part has announced the technical characteristics of the new revolutionary novelties from Garmin!

The first expedition group will be sent to the moon as early as 2022 to test the line navigators Garmin mūni. Garmin is also considering the possibility of providing more places for journalists on the first shuttle. For accreditation must submit an application in a free form by the end of the week, and in the future – to prepare a cover letter in English, and undergo a medical examination, as well as a training course on the use of equipment and rules of conduct in emergency situations.

Source: Gumtree

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Some time ago, a project was launched Mars One. Its purpose is to create a human settlement on Mars. And, for the astronauts is no option to return to Earth.

This year, representatives of Mars One project began with the selection of candidates for a flight to Mars. Total organizers spent about 200 thousand applications, of which only 1,058 were selected persons. They represent 107 different countries. In the second round of selection included 297 people from the U.S., 62 – from India, 52 – from Russia. Among the candidates, men constitute 55% of women – 45%. Throughout 2014-2015, the selection will continue, and on the number of applicants will be only a few dozen people. But this selection of the best candidates will not end. In 2025, Mars is planned to send a small group of astronauts, consisting of 4 people. This will be preceded by several preliminary shipments transport ships with residential units and the necessary equipment.

Note Mars One project on private colonization of Mars is some skepticism. This is mainly due to the intention of organizing a television show of the conquest of the red planet. The whole process is planned to be televised. Currently, negotiations are underway with several studios.

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It was learned that NASA experts are currently working on the implementation of two rather interesting projects. First – this is a project to create a new generation rover that does not have wheels or caterpillar tracks, and consists of rods and cables, built on the principle of tensegrity. The second task, which went to researchers from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), is to develop an efficient method for controlling robots using points Oculus Rift and Kinect sensor 2.

It is noted that the combined in a seamless design rods and cables, of which mainly consists rover new generation can be controlled by multiple motors. Engines are responsible for compression or stretching of the structural elements, resulting in a change in the shape and the rover can be pumped to the surface of the Moon or other celestial objects. According to the researchers, the rover this type not only takes up very little space inside the spacecraft, but can be reset on the planet’s surface with sufficiently large height and remain intact.

The following video allows you to see the principle of operation of such rovers in detail.

The results of the JPL team are no less impressive. Just a few days they were able to combine a virtual reality goggles Oculus Rift and motion capture Kinect sensor 2 in a single hardware platform for remote control robot arm. In an interview with the resource Engadget JPL engineers said that Oculus Rift Kinect 2 and allowed to create “the most exciting to date interface” remote control of robots.

At this stage, the researchers were able to develop a technology that allows you to conveniently manage only one robot arm. However, in the future it will help to subdue the entire robot. The first technology to be adapted to such robots as Robonaut 2, which is currently on board the ISS.

The video below is able to give a more clear idea about the new development JPL.

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Last week (December 19) The European Space Agency (ESA) launched the Space Telescope Gaia (Global Astrometric Interferometer for Astrophysics), which over the next five years with an enviable regularity will recheck coordinates billions of stars in order to build the most detailed to date, three-dimensional map of the galaxy Milky Way.

It should be noted that the satellite went into space on a Russian rocket “Soyuz-ST-B” with the upper stage “Fregat-MT”, and start was made with the ESA spaceport Kourou, French Guiana. According to the ESA, all went according to plan: 118 seconds since the start of secession of the four stages of the launch vehicle “Soyuz-ST-B”, 220 seconds to reset the containment Gaia, 42 minutes to separate the third stage booster “Fregat-MT” and already in the 88th minute the machine managed to get into orbit, where it began the deployment of protection from the sun with a diameter of 10.5 m, resembling an umbrella. Currently Gaia is at an early stage of the mission – the spacecraft is sent to such a Lissajous orbit around the L2 Lagrange point of the Earth-Sun, which is at a distance of 1.5 million km from Earth. It will take about a month.

After arriving at the specified location in space Gaia space telescope will be on board to prepare equipment for operation, which will take about 6 months. That telescope on board scientific instruments for a long period of time will measure the position, direction and speed of the billions of stars. Moreover, Gaia will also be sent to Earth luminance information, the surface temperature and the composition of these stars.

In addition to the stars in the telescope main tasks included the study of asteroids and comets traveling expanses of the solar system, and also search for extrasolar planets, red dwarfs, supernovae and quasars. All this is possible thanks to being on board the “biggest digital camera” with a resolution of 1 billion pixels ever sent into space. Her the strength to do 40 million images of objects from which the radiation occurs in one million times weakening of light visible to the naked eye during the day. ESA is estimated that by the end of the mission the amount of data collected by Gaia, will be more than 1 PB, which is equivalent to the information recorded on the disc 200 thousand DVD.

Finally it is worth noting that the original launch was scheduled for November 20, but due to a problem is detected with the TRD X-band launch had to be postponed.

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From now on, China is the third country to which the spacecraft made a soft landing on the lunar surface. It happened on Saturday December 14, 2013 at 13:11 GMT.

Thus, the Chinese authorities have kept their word and, as previously expected , brought lunar lander vehicle “Chang’e-3”, and is in its cargo bay moonwalker “Yuytu” (Moon Hare), in an area called Rainbow Bay. Should clarify that the rover was launched on the moon’s surface in seven hours from the time of the landing, which needed to charge the batteries, placed on board “Yuytu.”

Resource Gizmag notes that the boarding process began after the “Chang’e-3” was released on the lowest point of its orbit (about 15 km above the lunar surface). In the process of reducing to around 2 km above the surface of the machine slowed to 1.7 km / s to zero. The control of “Chang’e-3” was transferred to the automated system, which carried out a landing in several stages. Initially, at an altitude of 100 m above the surface by means of lasers and cameras “Chang’e-3” was 3D-map of the intended landing site, examining all potential threats and landscape. Another small air hang apparatus for the purpose of additional cross-checking the landing was made at a height of 30 m above the surface. After this “Chang’e-3” down to a height of 4 m, disabled jet engines and landed on the lunar surface.

According to the plan the mission, moonwalker “Yuytu” which is powered by two solar panels, within three months will be to explore the lunar surface by the instruments installed on board. At the same time the lander “Chang’e-3” will conduct research for at least one year.

It should be noted that the procedure for landing “Chang’e-3” and drop “Yuytu” channel CCTV broadcast in real time, as the propagation delay of radio signals between the Moon and the Earth is less than 2 seconds.

As the resource Engadget , just one day after landing on the moon rover “Yuytu” sent to Earth more than 4.5 thousand pictures. Unfortunately, there were only released some of them.

By the way, past the moon landing was carried out in the framework of missions Apollo 17 in 1972, and Luna 24 in 1976.

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NASA experts have long been hatching plans to seize and moving asteroids . It is now known that in its neutral buoyancy laboratory NBL (Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory) in Houston Agency is testing a special version of the suit Advanced Crew Escape System (ACES).

Suits Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU), which use the ISS astronauts are too bulky and uncomfortable, and the space inside the spacecraft Orion, designed for deep space research and hunting for asteroids – limited. That is why a team of experts was tasked NASA spacesuit to make ACES more mobile and comfortable. The following video captures the process of testing a modified ACES suit in the pool with water.

It is noted that the changes are designed to create a suit that can be applied equally well both inside and outside the spacecraft.

“We go back to our heritage, to be able to use one suit for multiple tasks” – said Dustin Gohmert, systems manager for crew protection in NASA.

Recall that the program to capture and movement of asteroids will not begin until 2025, so the time at NASA is still there. Who knows, maybe one of the crew members at the time can become a humanoid robot Valkyrie .

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The Dutch team Mars One, who became famous thanks to his project to colonize Mars One Mars, now reported the conclusion of partnership agreements with companies Lockheed Martin and SSTL.

Joint efforts of the above companies are going in 2018 to send to Mars first private spaceship. Instead of running the team of astronauts, in accordance with the ultimate goal, this mission is presented as proof-of-concept, and probably as a way to draw attention to the project Mars One.

Lockheed Martin’s and SSTL in this collaboration will work with Mars One on different projects. The company Lockheed Martin will develop a modified lander Phoenix, which was sent to Mars in 2007. An updated version of Phoenix is ​​designed for in-depth study of the Martian soil, getting water from the Martian soil and test the deployment of solar panels. The spacecraft is also planning to install a camera that will broadcast streaming video in real time on Earth. Broadcast video will be assigned to the relay satellite, which is to create a company SSTL. Executive Director of Mars One Bas Lansdorp said that according to estimates satellite will last at least two years.

Before starting the lander Mars One intends to hold a competition among high school students in order to find ideas for the mission. Top of the ideas will be selected as the main tasks of the mission. Bas Lansdorp also promises to launch a campaign on Indiegogo, to allow people to vote in favor of the main tasks of the mission.

Joint project of Mars One Team, Lockheed Martin and SSTL signals big leap forward in the commercial spaceflight industry over the next few years, but it is difficult to say how good such ambitious long-term plans for Mars One Team.

Earlier, Mr. Lansdorp expected that the desire to get a one way ticket to Mars Mars One program will show more than 1 million people, and thanks to a small entrance fee of problems with financing the project will not arise. However, acceptance of applications ended on 31 August, and still want to be much less than expected – a little more than 200 thousand over the next two years, 200 thousand of these will be selected for training from 24 to 40 people. However, on Mars in 2025 will fly only a team of four. Earlier, it was planned that the flight will take place two years earlier.

By the way, plans for Mars One, Lockheed Martin and SSTL currently exist only on paper. Thus the cost of the project is $ 332 thousand if in the near future will be able to find investors, the company will begin the next stage – the development and launch of the satellite system and the comic.

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iss Relatively recently stirred up a network of news about dangerous cyber weapons – the virus Stuxnet . At the time, we found out that the Stuxnet worm was actually designed by the U.S. and Israel to disrupt Iran’s nuclear program. It is now known that Stuxnet managed to get to the International Space Station (ISS).

The virus was delivered to the ISS is not a stranger, obsessive thoughts to harm humanity. Everything is much easier, most of all, he was smarter than their creators and escaped from their tight grip.

Many reports indicate that the Stuxnet virus not only managed to escape into space, but also began to attack nuclear power stations in the countries for which it was not intended. The head of “Kaspersky Lab” Evgeny Kaspersky, referring to his friend, who works for the Russian nuclear power station, said the worm was able to inflict significant damage to the company. In this case, the virus managed to penetrate into the internal network, which was not connected to the Internet. Resource ExtremeTech reports that the Stuxnet virus may have infected optical media and USB-devices that interact with it to the infected computer.

Mr. Kaspersky, referring to the words of Russian cosmonauts, said the Stuxnet virus got on board the ISS due to pre-infected USB-device. In doing so, the astronauts did not even know that their devices are infected.

It should be noted that the purpose of which is put in front of the worm WIN32/Stuxnet, is to gain access to systems Simatic WinCC, running the Microsoft Windows family of operating systems that are responsible for control and production management in various companies.

At this point, it seems, there is no unified comprehensive solutions, which prevents the spread of Stuxnet. However, Evgeny Kaspersky said that if the virus does infect the ISS, it has already found its way back to the creators and wanders around its walls.

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National Agency of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in February of this year reported that the assembly of the space probe MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) is completed. Recall that the spacecraft was built by specialists Lockheed Martin, and the launch of the mission, which will help determine how Mars lost its atmosphere, will be held next Monday – November 18.

The probe will be launched from the space center at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Will be used to launch the rocket Atlas 5. According to NASA, to get to Mars MAVEN spacecraft will take about 10 months. It is expected that the probe will be released on an elliptical orbit around Mars in September 2014.

On board the spacecraft are 8 different devices, forming three sets of tools. They are designed to help scientists to accurately measure the rate at which the red planet is losing air, and to find out how the rate of loss of the atmosphere affect the climate of Mars in the past.

Finally it is worth noting that the construction of MAVEN spent $ 671 million if the rocket launch for some reason not be able to do during the launch window (from 18 November to 7 December), it will have to wait for the next two years.

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According to the resource 3DNews, currently at the Research Cosmonauts Training Centre Gagarin pass a practical test of the Russian android SAR-400. It is designed to perform certain types of work on the International Space Station and beyond. This was stated by deputy head of the scientific management center Oleg Gordienko.

It is noted that the performance of work in the open space is always fraught with risk to life because of the risk of damage suit astronaut negligent act or small meteorites. Moreover, this procedure is costly in terms of plant operation. Maybe in the future human presence in space will be optional, but so far it is only the introduction of robots to perform simple, but dangerous to human operations. For example, robots can perform spacecraft docking station or an external inspection for damage and correct them.

SAR-400 – is torsovy anthropomorphic robot. Its main unit for interaction with the surrounding objects are the limbs in the form of hands, allowing him to use tools made for man. Android devoid of similarity intelligence and management is fully charged pilots. It accurately reproduces all the movements of the operator, giving it an image, sound, and even tactile sensations. The creators claim that the robot can be done at a distance and do not require high skills of the operator. It can also be programmed for autonomous execution of routine operations. Robot SAR-400 has 144 kg weight and can operate objects weighing up to 10 kg. Send it to the ISS will be held in the next two years. In the future we plan to use the robot missions to the Moon and Mars.

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