Astronauts prepare for future missions to near-Earth asteroids
Sheela Mathur
Jun. 11, 2012

To prepare for future missions to near-Earth asteroids, on Monday, astronauts are heading underwater to take part in a simulation that will help them figure out how they might explore one possible new destination: a near-Earth asteroid.

This will be the 16th NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) expedition led by astronaut Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger. In order to test procedures, the crew will spend two weeks working underwater, which is the best approximation on this planet of what it would be like to operate in the zero gravity of an asteroid.

The article noted Cornell's Steve Squyres, principal investigator for the Mars Rover project, is returning this year and stressed the importance of sending people as well as robots, which "means a lot coming from Squyres, considering he's a robot guy.

Astronauts prepare for future missions to near-Earth asteroids
Sheela Mathur
To prepare for future missions to near-Earth asteroids, on Monday, astronauts are heading underwater to take part in a simulation that will help them figure out how they might explore one possible new destination: a near-Earth asteroid.
READ MORE>>

China will launch its Shenzhou-9 manned spacecraft this month
Subhia Taran
China will launch its Shenzhou-9 manned spacecraft sometime in mid-June to perform the country's first manned space docking mission with the orbiting Tiangong-1 space lab module,
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Smarter conversion of coal to electricity through gasification - China takes the lead
Suresh Manjrekar
Two months back in April, 2012, Chinese engineers in Tianjin, China, fired up a gasification power plant that will provide a benchmark test of the technology’s commercial potential as a low-carbon power source.
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Patterns of veins in your hand is as unique as your DNA
Sunny Ahuja
Fujitsu biometric research has developed sensors that detect the palm vein pattern by using infrared illumination.
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NASA read to send UAVs to monitor hurricane formation and intensity changes
India Daily Tech Reporter
NASA is preparing to deploy a pair of unmanned aircraft above stormy skies to help forecasters improve their understanding of hurricane formation and intensity changes.
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A new Boeing unmanned drone Phantom Eye makes its first flight
India Daily Tech Reporter
A new Boeing unmanned drone that is designed to stay airborne for days has completed its first autonomous flight at Edwards Air Force Base.
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Glenn Research Center is helping develop more robust spacecraft that can better explore Venus
Indiadaily Tech Reporter
Researchers are also improving an advanced Stirling radioisotope generator to better power vehicles that will not be able to use sunlight because of the cloud cover.
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