S810 - Slashdot User

Submission + - Largest Star Map Ever Drops Online, Thanks to the ESA (gizmodo.com)

Submitted by S810 on Wednesday April 25, 2018 @12:17PM

S810 writes: The European Space Agency has released a treasure trove of data from its Gaia Spacecraft; totaling around 1.7 billion stars. This star map is the largest of it's kind to date. In addition to the star map, the data also contains motion and color data of 1.3 billion stars relative to the Sun.

From the article, the data also includes "...radial velocities, amount of dust, and surface temperatures of lots of stars, and a catalogue of over 14,000 Solar System objects, including asteroids."

Submission + - Elon Musk hates 405 Freeway traffic, offers money to speed widening (latimes.com)

Submitted by S810 on Thursday April 25, 2013 @02:42PM

S810 writes: Elon Musk, one of the main people behind PayPal, Space Exploration Technologies and Tesla Motors, has paid $50,000 to help Los Angeles speed up construction of the 405 Freeway, making it better and says that he will pay more if needed.

From the article: Musk said he is open to pay the cost of adding workers to the widening project "as a contribution to the city and my own happiness. If it can actually make a difference, I would gladly contribute funds and ideas. I've super had it." — Musk quips that it's easier getting rockets into orbit than navigating his commute between home in Bel-Air and his Space Exploration Technologies factory in Hawthorne.

For those who aren't familiar with this issue, the 405 Freeway runs from the northern end of the San Fernando Valley all the way down to El Torro and runs by LAX. Residents are getting frustrated that this widening project is over budget and well over the anticipated timeframe that it was supposed to completed by.

Submission + - Robot Firefighter to Throw Extinguisher Grenades (discovery.com)

Submitted by

S810

on Thursday March 08, 2012 @02:47PM

S810 writes: "Discovery News is running this article about the US Navy developing a robot capable of "throwing extinguisher grenades."

From the article: "Fire has proven deadly for sailors throughout the centuries of naval warfare. The U.S. Navy wants to counter that ancient foe with a humanoid robot capable of throwing extinguisher grenades as it nimbly moves about the narrow passages and ladderways of modern warships.""

Submission + - Secret Military Mini-Shuttle Marks One Year in Orbit (discovery.com)

Submitted by

S810

on Tuesday March 06, 2012 @11:51AM

S810 writes: "This from an article on Discovery News: "The military won't say what it has been doing with its experimental miniature space shuttle, but the pilotless spaceship, known as the X-37B, has been in orbit for a year now.

The 29-foot robotic spacecraft, also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle, or OTV, was launched on March 5, 2011, on a follow-up flight to extend capabilities demonstrated by a sistership during a 244-day debut mission in 2010.

"We are very pleased with the results of ongoing X-37B experiments," Tom McIntyre, with the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office...""

Submission + - Oxygen found on Saturn's moon Dione (discovery.com)

Submitted by

S810

on Friday March 02, 2012 @01:53PM

S810 writes: "In an article on Discovery News, oxygen was found by the Cassini Spacecraft on the third largest of Saturns Moons. This should open the door for more funding of research to Saturn's and Jupiters moons."

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