NASA's Jupiter-Bound Spacecraft Arrives in Florida

 

The Juno spacecraft passes in front of Jupiter in this artist's depiction. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

PASADENA, Calif. - NASA's Juno spacecraft has arrived in Florida to begin final preparations for a launch this summer. The spacecraft was shipped from Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, to the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., today. The solar-powered Juno spacecraft will orbit Jupiter's poles 33 times to find out more about the gas giant's origins, structure, atmosphere and magnetosphere. 

"The Juno spacecraft and the team have come a long way since this project was first conceived in 2003," said Scott Bolton, Juno's principal investigator, based at Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. "We're only a few months away from a mission of discovery that could very well rewrite the books on not only how Jupiter was born, but how our solar system came into being." Next Monday, Juno will be removed from its shipping container,

the first of the numerous milestones to prepare it for launch. Later that week, the spacecraft will begin functional testing to verify its state of health after the road trip from Colorado. After this, the team will load updated flight software and perform a series of mission readiness tests. These tests involve the entire spacecraft flight system, as well as the associated science instruments and the ground data system. Juno will be carried into space aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket lifting off from Launch Complex-41 at the Cape 

Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The launch period opens Aug. 5, 2011, and extends through Aug. 26. For an Aug. 5 liftoff, the launch window opens at 8:39 a.m. PDT (11:39 am EDT) and remains open through 9:39 a.m. PDT (12:39 p.m. EDT). NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the Juno mission for the principal investigator, Scott Bolton, of Southwest Research Institute at San Antonio. 

The Juno mission is part of the New Frontiers Program managed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is building the spacecraft. The Italian Space Agency in Rome is contributing an infrared spectrometer instrument and a portion of the radio science experiment. Launch management for the mission is the responsibility of NASA's Launch Services Program at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Additional information about Juno is available at http://www.nasa.gov/juno .

 

 

DC Agle 818-393-9011
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
agle@jpl.nasa.gov

2012 End of the World

2012 has been a superstition to be the "End of the World" in many cultures around the world.  One of the major evidence to be found is from the writings of the Mayan culture.  The Mayans were brilliant artist of studying astrology and predicting events around the world.  For some reason their calendar ends in the year 2012 A.D. which has brought up many suspicions.  Are you ready for a major catastrophic event if it was to happen in your local area or to your family?  It is always better to be safe then sorry, and it is a good idea to know how to survive any catestrophic event if it were to happen. Be prepared and get a survival guide by clicking this link How to Survive Catastrope Knowledge of knowing how to prepare will help aid others in advance. 

Could it be that there is some sort of catastrophic event to occur in the year 2012?  Or is this some sort of superstition similar to the Y2K controversy?  This is my article which will be updated and revised periodically for the sole purpose of letting society be aware of what could come or what is to come. 

I will pull out a number of evidence and facts I found to support my article.  I am in a neutral position of what could happen.  Because why would I want the world to end?  I would rather be prepared of what could possibly happen rather then deny what could happen.  This should not scare others but bring awareness of what man kind could fall into.

The "End of the World" is stated in the Bible, in Nostradamos's prophecies, and even in Mayan culture.  There are a number of websites dedicated for the "2012 End of the World" concept which has brought a lot of debate on the table.  SatansRapture is one website that offers a number of information about the predictions.  The site speaks of a large comet that could travel through our solar system causing catastrophic world changes.  Some call it Planet X and others call it Nibiru . Supposedly this comet is larger than Jupiter and if it ever passes through our solar system it could cause planet Earth to shift the world's polar axis which could cause severe weather conditions such as tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, and climate changes. But, that is not simply enough to convince any normal reader that this could be true. 

Well, if some website made by a proclaimed doomsday fan just brings skepticism then what about Nasa?  What can Nasa tell us about Nibiru?  Check this out, Nasa claims to have found another planet Nasa Site. 

However, a simple chance of a comet colliding with the Earth is still possible but also slim.  It has happened before and it’s more the possible to happen again.  Could mankind be ready for this?  Some engineers are developing nuclear warheads to use specifically on large objects that could collide with the Earth. 

But, let’s forget about the comet theory for a bit.  There are other hazardous things that could destroy life as we know it.  The issue of "Global Warming" should not be neglected and be taken very seriously.  However with natural "green" energy us humans could reverse global warming by installing natural energy into our own homes How to Build Solar Energy which is just one of many examples to control global warming.  With the whole "green house effect" and temperatures rising every year the world will witness weather changes that could be irreversible.  Would anyone believe that this could be the first time in human history where the North Pole will melt away completely by the end of summer?  Could this play a role in "2012 End of the World" theory or possibly later on?  I found an article about it located here if anyone is interested....North Pole gone by the end of summer.

So let’s say "Global Warming" never causes any catastrophic events and amazingly people like Al Gore helps contribute to reverse it and humans go about their daily lives like nothing happened.  We are forgetting other problems that could destroy us.  Political tensions and the wars in the <?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = ST1 />Middle East play a big role in the survival of human kind. 

With the wars going on in the Middle East many believe it could get worse.  How long has the war with Iraq been going on for?  I remember just being a college student of the age of 20 years old when America first started bombing Iraq.  And that was years ago.  Sure, America has accomplished a lot in Iraq but there is a huge debate on what the main reason for the invasion to begin with.  From what I remember there was supposedly "weapons of mass destruction" in Iraq.  No weapons of mass destruction were found.  And Iraq did not play a role in 9/11 either.  But, I believe 9/11 triggered one of the reasons to invade Iraq as a purpose for "war against terrorism". 

Either way it’s too late to point fingers at this time.  There are issues in Afghanistan that need to be taken care of as well.  Many lives have been taken, and I hope it’s not in vain.  I wish someday that the world could be at peace and let everybody live their own lives equally in respect.  The major issue I would like to bring up is Nuclear Weaponry.  We have made threats or what others could call ultimatums against North Korea and Iran to cease any further nuclear weaponry.  Iran will not give up and simply laughs at America.  And honestly if we ever invaded Iran it would be more difficult then Iraq was.  North Korea however eventually cooperated with America and destroyed any Nuclear development.  Are you ready for a potential nuclear war or even another World War? 

These military guides could come in handy visit 1000 military guides. 

What would happen if two counties decided to bomb each other with Nuclear warheads?  The effects would be everlasting and could take many lives for years to come.  A nuclear explosion is equal if not stronger then the temperature of the Sun.  And the radiation a nuclear bomb puts off could affect surrounding areas for a very long time.  This results in cancer caused by radiation and many lives slowly fading away.  A large enough nuclear bomb could cause an artificial winter destroying plant life and animals that depend on this type of food source.  It's all a chain reaction that has nothing but negative effects. 

And what is up with the Economy people?!?!  Seriously, America and most of the world is in an economic mess that is going to take quite some time to get out of.  How does this happen to begin with?  Who is to blame?  How do we get out of it?  Many people would speculate that Ex. President Bush got America into economic depression but really can you put all the blame on just one person?  I think not!  People are using too much resources and everything is becoming more expensive each day.  We are spending too much in the West while the East is saving up so that puts an imbalance on the economy?  The reality is, America is borrowing money from other countries like China and soon enough the American dollar will lose its value further.  I can't even begin to talk about what else is going on but if you want to ride the economic tsunami and survive this depression please visit Economic Survival Guide. 

So, as much as I love this life and enjoy the planet we lay upon there plays a lot of risk living here.  Some of the risk we can't prevent and others we can prevent.  To reduce the risk is an easier living then what could be.  Whatever happens in 2012 I hope it’s not the "End of the World"  The world is a beautiful place and we should treat it as a gift that could not be replaced.  I hope that everyone realizes the reality of our situation as today is here and tomorrow is never guaranteed. And please folks lets all contribute on preventing "global warming" by installing natural energy into our homes. Natural Energy Resources

Continue reading at NowPublic.com: 2012 End of the World | NowPublic News Coverage

Retirement of NASA’s Space Shuttle Program Delayed Until 2011

The Space Shuttle ‘Endeavor’ was scheduled to make the last mission in NASA’S space shuttle history in November of 2010, when it was all set to take off from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, but that final launch has now been postponed until February of 2011.

The final flight of the spaceship ‘Discovery’, will be launch in November, if all goes according to plan. The decision to cancel NASA’s space shuttle program explosion of the spaceshuttle ‘Challenger’ when it re entered the earth’s atmosphere, that killed seven crew members, one of which was the first teacher in space.

President Obama bill decided to go ahead with the planned cancellation, but also dropped a Bush initiative which would have placed astronauts back on the moon before 2020, in a new system which would comprise the Orion crew capsule and the Ares rocket. But Obama’s current fiscal plans ditch the Ares and makes Orion into an emergency lifeboat which would be docked constantly at the International Space Station.