News from Outer Space: Vatican Believes Space Aliens May Exist
Vatican Believes Space Aliens May Exist
A recent 5-day conference at the Vatican Observatory focused on the search for extra-terrestrial life and the implications if other life forms are found in our galaxy. This is a far cry from the days of persecuting Galileo. Increasingly, Catholic theologians are reaching the conclusion that since God created a huge universe, He is big enough to create life in other forms and places than just here on earth. With hundreds of planets being discovered in nearby solar systems it does seem inevitable that we will find some kind of planet that resembles our own soon, and with that discovery the follow on discovery of other life forms.
In the article below it does seem to point to the prevalence of evolutionary thought that is current inside Catholicism, and that is truly unfortunate. They do, however, assert that belief in other life forms in the galaxy does not contradict a belief in God.
www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hf92aHEwYT87J1XPP4JrIusKBT-AD9BSTO1G1
India Finds Water on the Moon
In a huge breakthrough the Indian Space Research Organization announced that their lunar probe, Chandrayaan-1 has finally discovered water below the surface. Using the American made, NASA supplied Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3), which is the most sensitive device of its kind ever used, H2O was discovered. It has long been hoped that water would be found on the moon, and many suspected it was there, but now finally there is proof.
The significance of this find lies in the fact that now there is hope to send a permanent colony to the moon that can be self sustaining. With water you can drink and recycle it, raise crops, derive oxygen to breath and not be relying on constant resupply from Earth. Of course the ice crystals would have to be mined and processed which would be costly and labor intensive, and the lunar base would have to be near a large enough supply of the ice to make it worthwhile.
With NASA’s cutbacks in the budget and changing of their plans to focus on a mission to an asteroid or to Mars, this will likely be a project for the Chinese or Indians. What a shame that America is no longer leading in outer space.
Here is the link to the story:
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/science/space/article6846639.ece
Jupiter Hit By a Comet?
Yesterday, July 20, the anniversary of Apollo 11 Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landing on the moon and the 15th anniversary of comet Shoemaker-Levy colliding with Jupiter, saw another collision with Jupiter by some other celestial object traveling at a high rate of speed. Spotted by amateur astronomer Anthony Wesley of Australia after the fact, the southern zone of Jupiter had a dark spot appear suddenly, indicating a collision.
See the stunning image from NASA here, appearing as bright spot:
www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2009-112
And check out the visible light image from the Hubble here:
cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/07/24/2008517.aspx
This collision has a VERY HIGH WEIRDNESS FACTOR occurring exactly 15 years after the comet Shoemaker Levy. First of all, comets and asteroids or very large meteors do not collide with planets so that we can see them very often at all. Secondly, to happen 15 years to the day after the HUGE EVENT of Shoemaker Levy is simply BIZARRE.
It will take the astronomers some time to figure out exactly what caused the collision and then to solve the riddle of why it occurred 15 yrs after the last one.
The SCARY THING is, what if it was EARTH getting clobbered by this large rogue space object?
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32015814/ns/technology_and_science-space/
Here are some links to the Soemaker Levy hit from 1994:
Space Shuttle Endeavour Rockets Toward Space Station
The sixth try was the charm as Space Shuttle Endeavour launched yesterday evening on its way to the International Space Station. I don’t like that term, “International” Space Station. America ought to have their own Space Station called something like the Allen Shepherd Space Station, or the Neil Armstrong Station. Anyway, back to the Endeavour, the launch was not incident free as several pieces of insulation broke away and struck the Shuttle’s heat panels. NASA and the crew of Endeavour will spend considerable time today checking the shuttle for excessive damage. The shuttle launch is about 1 month behind schedule due to a series of hydrogen leaks and bad weather.
The Space Station will be crowded on this voyage with 13 astronauts aboard from Japan, Belgium, Canada, Russia, and the USA. Five spacewalks are planned for their 2 week stay, as the American astronauts assist in building a “porch” for the Japanese to conduct exterior experiments.
www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g8gpZRl3t8mV2RxsVjIuPU75dJeAD99FE95O0
Space Shuttle Atlantis Lands Safely
Space Shuttle Atlantis landed safely yesterday, Sunday, May 24, 2009, at Edwards AFB, California after a spectacular repair mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. With a record setting 5 spacewalks, the Crew of STS-125 completely refurbished the Hubble. The 13 day mission gave the Hubble a new life expectancy of from 5 to 10 more years. They orbited the earth 197 times logging some 5.3 million miles. The crew had to land at Edwards due to bad weather in Florida but this delayed the landing from the originally scheduled Friday to Sunday and cost NASA a couple of more million dollars.
www.nbclosangeles.com/news/us_world/Atlantis-Space-Shuttle.html
www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts125/090524fd14/index2.html
Space Shuttle Atlantis Draws Near Hubble
Space Shuttle Atlantis is approaching the Hubble Space Telescope for what may be the most dangerous shuttle mission to date and the Hubble’s last upgrade.
www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D985C4NG0&show_article=1
After a 7 month delay from when the mission was supposed to go, Atlantis blasted off at about 1400 on Monday afternoon. The seven man crew is expected to return after an 11 day mission that will include up to five space walks which is one factor that makes this mission so dangerous.
news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090511/ap_on_sc/us_shuttle_hubble_45
Another factor that makes the mission extraordinary difficult and dangerous is that, in an orbit of 350 miles above the earth, the Hubble is in a debris field from an old wrecked satellite. Should the Atlantis be damaged, they are too far away from the Space Station. Hence, NASA has the Endeavour on the launch pad ready for a rescue mission.
Yesterday the post launch inspection of the shuttle did find a 21″ series of scrapes from debris that struck the heat resistant tiles on the liftoff, but no serious damage was seen.
Japan To Send Robots To Moon
Friday, April 3, 2009– Japan is planning on a manned lunar expedition by 2020, but the astronauts will be accompanied by astrobots. Long time leaders in robotics, the Japanese want to send walking, 2 legged robots on their mission to the moon. These moonbots will be a force multiplier in the sense that they will be able to go on missions on the lunar surface without the aid of life support systems and this will enable the mission to include more exploration without the cost of more food, water, and air being hauled to the moon. Visions of C3PO and “Data” are in my head, although the picture on Drudge was of a female looking ‘bot.
www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ioijx5DLWQ4vTbjJmhNgHsNszNhwD97AVVSG0
Space Shuttle Launch Delayed, Space Station Dodges a Bullet
Friday the 13th of March,2009– The launch of Space Shuttle Discovery was delayed on Wednesday, 3-11-09, due to a leak in the venting system of one of the exterior fuel tanks. Commander Lee Archambault and his crew of 6 astronauts were scheduled to blast off Wednesday night on a 14 day mission that included several space walks. STS-119 has to leave NLT Tuesday in order to accomplish their mission because they must be clear from the International Space Station NLT 25 March to make room for a scheduled Soyuz mission from Russia.
www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html
The International Space Station crew had to evacuate and take refuge in their Soyuz escape craft due to a wandering piece of space junk that was approaching the space station. Though no bigger than the tip of your finger, the speed at which it is traveling relative to the space station could result in a catastrophic failure. The tiny piece of debris was passing by at about 17,000mph and was listed by some as being only a kilometer or two from the space station, which in space terms is incredibly close. NASA keeps track of about 18,000 pieces of space junk orbiting the earth.
www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSTRE52B5DJ20090312?feedType=RSS&feedName=scienceNews&sp=true
