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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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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Scientists involved in the project to protect the Earth from the threat of falling meteorites NEOShield, proposed the creation of a system of satellites bombers that a collision will change the trajectory of small celestial bodies. The process is divided into 3 phases: detection, threats analysis and its elimination. For the last step, of course, you need a lot of energy here, scientists have proposed to use disposable devices accelerated to enormous speeds. Currently, employees NEOShield able to accelerate millimeter to more than 22,000 miles per hour.

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