http://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. (Phys.org) —We all know—generally speaking—how a car works: The gas pedal makes it go, the break pedal makes it stop, and the steering wheel determines its course. But pop open the hood and you'll find there's a lot more nuance to those maneuvers. http://phys.org/news283423852.html Biology Mon, 25 Mar 2013 09:51:05 EST news283423852 (Phys.org) —The down-to-Earth persona of NASA's Mars Curiosity rover, expressed on Twitter, Facebook, live streaming on Ustream, viral videos and the first Foursquare check-in from another planet, has captured the 2013 South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Award for best social media campaign. http://phys.org/news282469809.html Space & Earth Thu, 14 Mar 2013 09:40:01 EST news282469809 (Phys.org)—NASA's Juno spacecraft successfully executed a second Deep Space Maneuver, called DSM-2 last Friday, Sept. 14. The 30 minute firing of its main engine refined the Jupiter-bound spacecraft's trajectory, setting the stage for a gravity assist from a flyby of Earth on Oct 9, 2013. Juno will arrive at Jupiter on July 4, 2016. http://phys.org/news267179369.html Space & Earth Tue, 18 Sep 2012 09:29:35 EST news267179369 (Phys.org) -- NASA's Mars rover Curiosity flexed its robotic arm today for the first time since before launch in November 2011. http://phys.org/news264739177.html Space & Earth Tue, 21 Aug 2012 03:39:51 EST news264739177 (AP) -- The first private spaceship is headed to the International Space Station. Some questions and answers about the cargo mission by Space Exploration Technologies, known as SpaceX: http://phys.org/news256928759.html Space & Earth Tue, 22 May 2012 18:06:04 EST news256928759 A first-of-its-kind commercial supply ship rocketed toward the International Space Station following a successful liftoff early Tuesday, opening a new era of dollar-driven spaceflight. http://phys.org/news256879214.html Space & Earth Tue, 22 May 2012 04:20:25 EST news256879214 A private company is on the verge of making history by launching a spacecraft to the International Space Station. http://phys.org/news256621600.html Space & Earth Sat, 19 May 2012 05:20:01 EST news256621600 NASA said Monday said there is a good chance SpaceX will soon become the first private company to attempt to launch its spacecraft to the International Space Station on an unmanned cargo mission. http://phys.org/news253815034.html Space & Earth Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:11:05 EST news253815034 Several times a year, the International Space Station needs to perform Debris Avoidance Maneuvers to dodge the ever-growing amount of space junk hurtling around in Earth orbit. Additionally, our increased dependence on satellites for communications and navigation is threatened by the risk of potential collisions with space debris. The existing system for finding and tracking objects, the Air Force Space Surveillance System, or VHF Fence, has been in service since the early 1960s, and is sorely out of date. But a prototype system called Space Fence has now been tested in a series of demonstrations, and successfully tracked more and smaller pieces of debris than the current system. http://phys.org/news250505426.html Space & Earth Fri, 09 Mar 2012 08:50:45 EST news250505426 To improve the next generation of insect-size flying machines, Johns Hopkins engineers have been aiming high-speed video cameras at some of the prettiest bugs on the planet. By figuring out how butterflies flutter among flowers with amazing grace and agility, the researchers hope to help small airborne robots mimic these maneuvers. http://phys.org/news247411651.html Electronics Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:27:51 EST news247411651 Spacecraft must operate with utmost precision when conducting landing maneuvers on other planets, or docking to a space station. To ensure they do not drift off course, imaging sensors collect a fl ood of data that are analyzed in real time. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Architecture and Software Technology FIRST have engineered a system based on multicore technologies that allow spacecraft to be piloted and positioned with pinpoint accuracy. It can be seen at the embedded world trade show in Nuremberg from February 28 to March 1, 2012. http://phys.org/news247306078.html Technology Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:20:01 EST news247306078 (PhysOrg.com) -- The Juno spacecraft completed hydrazine fuel loading, oxidizer loading and final tank pressurizations this week, and now the complete propulsion system is ready for the trip to Jupiter. The spacecraft is currently at the Astrotech processing facility in Titusville, Fla. http://phys.org/news229341872.html Space & Earth Fri, 08 Jul 2011 11:20:01 EST news229341872 (PhysOrg.com) -- They've almost arrived. It took one and a half years, over 90 orbit maneuvers, and – wonderfully – many gravitational boosts and only the barest bit of fuel to move two spacecraft from their orbit around Earth to their new home around the moon. http://phys.org/news228129007.html Space & Earth Fri, 24 Jun 2011 10:10:23 EST news228129007 (PhysOrg.com) -- While men and women often disagree about which gender has better driving skills, a new study by the University of Michigan may shed some light on the debate. http://phys.org/news226902216.html Other Sciences Fri, 10 Jun 2011 05:28:12 EST news226902216 (PhysOrg.com) -- Like a fish paddles its pectoral fins to swim through water, flying insects use the same physics laws to "paddle" through the air, say Cornell physicists. http://phys.org/news223623851.html Physics Tue, 03 May 2011 06:44:37 EST news223623851 (PhysOrg.com) -- On Thursday, March 24 at about 4 p.m. PDT (7 p.m. EDT), NASA's Stardust spacecraft will perform a final burn with its main engines. http://phys.org/news220190470.html Space & Earth Thu, 24 Mar 2011 13:01:30 EST news220190470 (PhysOrg.com) -- When a jet is flying faster than the speed of sound, one small mistake can tear it apart. And when the jet is so experimental that it must fly unmanned, only a computer control system can pilot it. http://phys.org/news160234081.html Technology Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:28:56 EST news160234081 (AP) -- For millennia, people have watched the birds and bees and wondered: "How do they do that?" Thanks to high-speed film and some persistent scientists, at least one of the secrets of flight is now revealed. When birds, bats or bugs make a turn, all they have to do is start flapping their wings normally again and they straighten right out. http://phys.org/news158516858.html Biology Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:28:16 EST news158516858