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Discovery Now

Discovery Now is a daily 90 second program that features highlights in aeronautics and astronautics technology, science, history, innovations, research, and inventions from the aerospace industry, worldwide.
 
Discovery Now is written and produced by the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA) through grant funding from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.




To subscribe to a podcast either click the "Subscribe with iTunes"  button or click inside the podcast address text box , copy the address and paste it into your favorite podcast software.




Subscribe with iTunes  or download each episode.






Electromagnetic Formation Flight - MP3 Download

Magnets are the latest space mission tools - and they're 'attracting' quite a bit of attention!








ACRAS - MP3 Download


The European Space Agency's Mars Express Spacecraft has been busy probing underneath the Red Planet for water.









Bigelow Orbital Milestone - MP3 Download




A privately funded space station has passed an orbital milestone, which could reshape the future of space travel.








CAMRAS - MP3 Download





Sweating and heavy panting were the focus of a recent scientific study - and the results have researchers breathing easier.









EcoJet - MP3 Download




The budget airline Eco-Jet has the aviation industry buzzing with its radical new design.








First U.S. Space Lawyer - MP3 Download



Michael Dodge, a law student at the University of Mississippi is the recipient of the first space law certificate in the United States.









S-3B Viking - MP3 Download





Originally built to fly into enemy territory, the U.S. Navy's S-3B Viking aircraft is reporting for duty on an entirely new mission.









Trip To The Sun - MP3 Download


NASA and the Applied Physics Laboratory are working together to develop a solar probe that will get us eight times closer to the sun than any spacecraft has been before.









Nasa 50th - Nasa's Greatest Hits - MP3 Download



For half a century, NASA has amassed an impressive collection of "greatest hits" – and it’s that "star" quality that has moved the space program to the top of the charts!











Names In Space - MP3 Download




Imagine having your name attached to the discovery of an Earth-like planet beyond our solar system?









Nasa Goes Virtual - MP3 Download



"Second Life," NASA’s version of reality TV is open to anyone, and the first Federal Government presence in the 3D virtual world.










Beatles Travel to Deep Space - MP3 Download




On February 4, 2008, NASA’s Deep Space Network beamed The Beatles’ hit "Across the Universe" directly into deep space.








Andros EOD Robot - MP3 Download


The Andros Explosive Ordinance Disposal robots work in hazardous combat zones and see action virtually every day.








X2 Technology - MP3 Download

Sikorsky Aircraft is developing a helicopter that will fly almost as fast as conventional aircraft.









Exoskeleton - MP3 Download


A futuristic robotic suit is blurring the lines between science fiction and reality, turning the soldier of tomorrow into the fictional superhero of today.








Caterpillar Chariot - MP3 Download




NASA is enlisting the help of Caterpillar, Inc., to help create a lunar vehicle with the ability to dig and move dirt on the moon’s surface.







NextGen - Airportal and Airspace - MP3 Download



One of the most important NextGen ideas is to keep passengers consistently in the loop, with frequent updates that allow them to plan their schedules accordingly.









Jason 2 OSTM - MP3 Download


The Ocean Surface Topography Mission, or OSTM, is an international study of our oceans’ effects on weather, climate and response to global climate change.






Athlete Habitat - MP3 Download



NASA is developing a mobile robot and habitat combination that will allow astronauts to move their homes around to different lunar base camps.







CVX-2 - MP3 Download


When it comes to the physics of food, a NASA experiment has served up a scientific phenomenon – and it’s fat-free!







Selene Releases Lunar Maps - MP3 Download



The Japanese Space Agency’s SelEEneological and Engineering Explorer will investigate the moon from pole to pole.






DALI - MP3 Download




Astronomers at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory hope to start listening to the universe by placing one hundred thousand antennas on the moon.






First Vietnamese Satellite Launched -  MP3 Download



The launch of Vietnam’s first satellite may help bridge the communication and economic gaps that divide the country’s urban and rural communities.








Selene Releases Lunar Maps - MP3 Download


The Japanese Space Agency’s SelEEneological and Engineering Explorer will investigate the moon from pole to pole.







NASA 50th - First Shuttle Spacewalk - MP3 Download



In 1983, NASA astronauts Donald Peterson and F. Story Musgrave stepped out for the very first spacewalk of the Shuttle Program.










Dragonfly or insect spy? - MP3 Download


Miniaturized surveillance planes built to look like bugs could save lives by navigating collapsed buildings to locate survivors.









Flowers On The Moon - MP3 Download



A Ukrainian team, working with the European Space Agency has shown that marigolds can grow in anorthosite, a mineral similar to lunar rocks.








Lunar Databank - MP3 Download



If civilization is wiped out on Earth, salvation may come from a databank kept on the moon.








NASA 50th - Surveyor 1 - MP3 Download





In 1966, NASA’s Surveyor I landed on the Moon’s Ocean of Storms, and sent over 11 hundred photos back to Earth.










Nasa 50th - Kennedy's Message - MP3 Download




On May 25th 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced the dramatic and ambitious goal of sending an American safely to the Moon.









Galaxy’s are Bigger Than Thought - MP3 Download


NASA’s Galaxy Evolution Explorer has revealed that roughly 20 percent of nearby galaxies have spiral arms that extend far beyond the galaxies’ apparent edges.










From Space To Earth - MP3 Download


 

The technology that allows doctors to monitor critically ill patients all started with the Apollo missions.






The Right Stuff For The ESA - MP3 Download



The European Astronaut Corps is seeking out new talent for future missions to the International Space Station, the moon and beyond!








Space Age Swimsuit - MP3 Download




A space-age swimsuit, developed with NASA’s help is available at a cost of a little over $500.




NASA Cuts Utility Costs - MP3 Download


A new NASA partnership is using space-age technology to say goodbye to the high cost of consumer gas and electric bills.







Spacecraft Shock Absorbers - MP3 Download


NASA engineers are considering heavy duty shock absorbers to smooth out a potentially bumpy ride aboard the Ares I rocket.








Hydrogen Powered Plane - MP3 Download



The aviation industry is going green – with a new plane that could change the face of flight.







Nutrigras Spin-Off - MP3 Download


NASA’s quest for more nutritious space food led to a revolutionary new fat substitute that cuts calories and enhances flavor!







ARCTAS - MP3 Download


NASA and its partners are studying the Arctic’s lower atmosphere.






1st Cosmonaut on Shuttle -  MP3 Download

 In 1994, two superpowers joined forces in space – and made international history above the clouds.





EADS Space Tourism Rocket Planes - MP3 Download


European aerospace company EADS is looking to meet the demands of the future space tourism market by producing planes specifically made to carry paying passengers into space.






All-Woman Mission - MP3 Download

An all female crew made NASA history when they took the reins of a space mission on Mars in February 2008.








COTS - MP3 Download



NASA has offered approximately $500 million to industry companies to develop a commercial supply vehicle that can successfully dock on the ISS, deliver cargo and transport a crew.






HACCP - MP3 Download


The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point, or HACCP concept developed forty years ago by NASA and the Pillsbury Company has led to food safety systems and new nutritional products in space and on Earth!






Dextre - MP3 Download



Dextre, the stick-figured shaped robot is assembled and ready for work aboard the International Space Station.






X-38 - MP3 Download


Ten years ago, the first life-boat for the International Space Station took flight – giving the ISS its own SOS vehicle.






Scramjet - MP3 Download

NASA is working on developing smaller, lighter and faster planes by taking away the need for on-board fuel tanks.






Drones In Demand - MP3 Download


The US military is examining ways of keeping an unseen eye on insurgent activity in Iraq without putting soldiers in harm’s way.





Exploding Star - MP3 Download


Long ago and far away … a distant star exploded … taking 7.5 billion years for its light to reach Earth!





Oil Resistant Material - MP3 Download

Engineers at MIT have designed a substance that can repel oils when coated on spacecraft.






Many Earth Like Planets -  MP3 Download
 

A University of Arizona study suggests that worlds with potential for life might be more common than previously thought.






Fly My Remains To The Moon - MP3 Download


Celestis Incorporated will take your ashes to the Moon!





Antarctic Space Rocks - MP3 Download


A pair of unusual space rocks found recently in Antarctica has scientists wondering about their origin.





2nd Generation Astronaut -  MP3 Download


Richard Garriott has signed up to take a trip to the International Space Station … and following in his father’s footsteps, former NASA astronaut Owen Garriott.





Milky Way Is Bigger - MP3 Download


Data from the Internet has helped a group of Australian scientists recalculate the size of the Milky Way.





Nasa 50th - 1998 ISS - MP3 Download

In 1998 officials from 15 countries met in Washington to sign the 1998 Intergovernmental Agreement on Space Station Cooperation.





Nasa 50th - DeBakey & NASA Heart Pump - MP3 Download

Two decades of an innovative collaboration began when a NASA engineer, the late David Saucier, became a patient of famed heart surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey







Better Space Images - MP3 Download

Goddard Space Flight Center and Northrop Grumman just signed an agreement to develop new instrumentation that will improve the way we observe planetary surfaces from space







Signs Of Life On Saturn -  MP3 Download

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft may have found evidence of liquid water reservoirs on Saturn’s moon Enceladus.






Converting Radiation To Energy - MP3 Download

US researchers have developed highly efficient materials that convert the radiation from nuclear reactions into electricity.






Invisible Braces - MP3 Download


NASA technology originally designed to track heat-seeking missiles has developed into invisible dental braces






Hypersonic Passenger Jet - MP3 Download

A British firm called Reaction Engines is developing a hypersonic craft that will carry 300 passengers and will travel at a sustained speed of 3800 miles per hour.





The Search For Life - MP3 Download

More than 30 years after NASA’s Viking landers first searched for life on Mars, NASA again asks the question - are we alone in the Universe?




Atomic Oxygen Saves Art -  MP3 Download

Oxygen is breathing new life into old artwork – using a treatment developed by NASA.



22 Osprey - MP3 Download


Rovers - MP3 Download


Virtual Space - MP3 Download


Venus Lighting - MP3 Download


Sun Laser Beams - MP3 Download


Sub Helo - MP3 Download


Metallic Glass - MP3 Download


Skin Patch With Meds - MP3 Download


PLATO - MP3 Download


New Telescopes On Moon - MP3 Download
 

Nasa 50th Viking 1 - MP3 Download
 

Nasa 50th Mariner - MP3 Download
 

Nasa 50th Apollo Soyuz -  MP3 Download
 

Nanotubes Fight Tumors - MP3 Download
 

Nano Building Bacteria -  MP3 Download
 

Moonlite - MP3 Download
 

Medical Microbots - MP3 Download
 

Lunar X Prize - MP3 Download
 

Lunar Rover Concept Vehicle - MP3 Download
 

Kimchee In Space - MP3 Download

Individual Lift -  MP3 Download


Hypersonic Missles - MP3 Download


Flying Casinos - MP3 Download


Fish In Space - MP3 Download


EXP Crew ISS -  MP3 Download


Electric Force Fields - MP3 Download


China's Flying Phoenix - MP3 Download


Bionic Bones - MP3 Download


Bionic Limbs - MP3 Download


50th Galileo - MP3 Download


50th First Flight Shuttle - MP3 Download


50th First Astronaut on Mir -  MP3 Download


50th Twin Voyagers - MP3 Download


1958 Comeback -  MP3 Download


Space Race -  MP3 Download


1983 Sally K Ride - MP3 Download


Apollo 8 - MP3 Download


Freely In Space - MP3 Download

1983 -  MP3 Download


Project Mercury -  MP3 Download


Undular Bores -  MP3 Download


Repair For Broken DNA - MP3 Download


Desert Rats -  MP3 Download


Laser Fly Planes -  MP3 Download


James Webb -  MP3 Download


Van Allen Belts -  MP3 Download


Leland Melvin - MP3 Download


Columbus Science Lab - MP3 Download


Astro and Nexsat - MP3 Download


Lunar Agreement - MP3 Download


Moon Base South Pole - MP3 Download


Hirad - MP3 Download


FastSat - MP3 Download


Rovers Renewed - MP3 Download


Nextgen - MP3 Download


Nanodiamonds - MP3 Download


Lockheed Sharpshooters - MP3 Download


pimp my plane - MP3 Download


Tones From Space - MP3 Download


Nanoparticles - MP3 Download


Firefighting Plane -  MP3 Download


arctic melting - MP3 Download


Spinning Brains - MP3 Download


Satellite Health - MP3 Download


15 - MP3 Download


LandSat - MP3 Download


Messenger - MP3 Download


LCROSS - MP3 Download


LRO - MP3 Download


SAM - MP3 Download


Orbital Test Vehicle - MP3 Download


ISS Investors - MP3 Download


Good Vibes - MP3 Download


Brain Interface Game - MP3 Download


Virtual Product - MP3 Download


Mars Caves - MP3 Download



Bacteria in Space - MP3 Download



China Launch - MP3 Download



Terra Pass - MP3 Download


Beating Bugatti - MP3 Download


Nintendo - MP3 Download


Arterio Vusion - MP3 Download


Space Race - MP3 Download


Space Technology - MP3 Download


Spore Detection - MP3 Download


Space Suit Tailors - MP3 Download


Sarsat - MP3 Download


Freezing Charters - MP3 Download


Cool Suits - MP3 Download


ISS Harmony - MP3 Download


Ramadan in Space - MP3 Download


Neutron Star - MP3 Download


Missee - MP3 Download


Geoss - MP3 Download

Sunita Williams 11-23
Sunita Williams is a United States Naval officer and a NASA astronaut, since 1998.  It wasn’t until December 2006 that she boarded the Space Shuttle Discovery for her first flight into space.  But little did she know that her first time in space would also account for some “firsts” in space.
MP3 Download

The Space Shuttle Facts 11-22
The Space Shuttle, the most complex machine ever built, has more than 2.5 million parts, including almost 230 miles of wire, more than a thousand plumbing valves and connections, over 14 hundred circuit breakers and more than 27 thousand insulating tiles and thermal blankets!
MP3 Download

Rover Braving Dust Storms
A series of severe Martian summer dust storms has affected the NASA rovers Opportunity and Spirit, blocking over 90 percent of direct sunlight to the rovers leaving little sky light to power them.  NASA scientists fear the storms might continue for several days, if not weeks, which will prevent the rovers from generating enough power to keep themselves warm and operational.
MP3 Download


Virgin Galactic
Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic continues to take commercial space travel to new heights.  The company will soon be taking reservations for the first “pleasure trip” to the moon and the entrepreneur has decided to launch his new endeavor with the help of the BBC and reality television.
MP3 Download


Cost of Space Tourism
To date, five space tourists have paid $20 to $25 million to visit the space station via the Soyuz spacecraft, with trips arranged by Space Adventures.   The company recently announced that two more Soyuz seats have been purchased for tourists to fly in 2008 and 2009.
MP3 Download


NASA’s Spitzer Finds Water Vapor on Hot, Alien Planet
Beyond our solar system lies a scorching-hot gassy planet, steaming with water vapor, according to new observations by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope. The telescope observed the hot-gas planet as it dipped behind a star and was able to detect the spectrum of its light.
MP3 Download


Pierce’s Disease
California vineyards have been under attack by glassy-winged, pesky insects that suck the moisture from the heavy stalks of grapevines, and winemakers have called on NASA for help.
MP3 Download

Baby Food Supplement
It’s difficult to imagine a connection between planetary space flight and baby food, but there is such a thing. Infant formulas now contain nutritional enrichment ingredients that trace back to NASA-sponsored research!
MP3 Download


Center of the Earth?
Currently, scientists define Earth’s center in two different ways: as the mass center of solid Earth or as the mass center of Earth’s entire system, which combines solid Earth, ice sheets, oceans and atmosphere.
MP3 Download


Space Walk for Money
Space Adventures, a company that arranges private trips to the ISS, is now offering a bonus spacewalk for clients willing to pay for more than the standard $20 million trip. Future visitors to the space station can take a 90-minute space-walk, or extravehicular activity and extend their orbital trip by up to eight days for additional $15 million!
MP3 Download


NEEMO 13
This summer, NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations 13 (NEEMO), a 10-day “moon” walk mission on the ocean floor, lent itself to the use of advanced navigation and communication equipment. NEEMO 13 allows NASA to reevaluate and adapt missions before a return to the moon’s surface for a lot less than the real thing.
MP3 Download


Animals in Space
In the early days of space exploration, no one knew if people could survive a trip away from Earth, so using animals was the best way to find out. Today, the use of snails and fish can be applied to human conditions, which provide enough similarities to gain necessary knowledge and new insights into biological mechanisms that influence our lives on Earth and in space.
MP3 Download


Mars Mission Redesigned
NASA latest mission to Mars will include attempts to unlock the secrets of the Red Planet’s frozen water.  This time, it means using bits and pieces of equipment from previous, but failed, missions to Mars.
MP3 Download


Fuel Cells
NASA research is helping to tackle some of the obstacles of high prices at the pump, by finding new ways to build “solid oxide” fuel cells that operate at half the temperature of current designs.
MP3 Download


Fashionable Spacesuits
The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency and Rocketplane, Ltd., along with a number of fashion designers and artisans, have taken it upon themselves to organize the Hyper Space Couture Design Contest. The multi-part competition has been underway for several months, patterned to elicit space tourism fashion ideas.
MP3 Download


Dawn Mission
With the recently launched Dawn mission, NASA hopes to compare the different evolutionary paths of asteroid Veras and dwarf planet Ceres as well as create a picture of the early solar system overall.
MP3 Download


Modified Jet Trainer
NASA has two highly advanced simulators for training their pilots. With the modification of four of its corporate jets with shuttle cockpits and control and computer simulators, pilots get the real feeling of drag and dive, while flying at about 300 miles per hour!
MP3 Download


NASA and Homeland Security
Efforts to protect our nation’s internal security have quadrupled since the terrorists attacks of September 11. Federal agencies, including NASA, are doing their part to provide technology that proactively monitors our nation’s most important resources: air and water.
MP3 Download


AIRS Data
Using sensors on weather balloons, NASA’s Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature, water vapor, clouds and greenhouse gases with the same accuracy currently possible only through such direct measurements, where the data is extremely limited.
MP3 Download


Astronaut Health Reviews
With the arrest of former astronaut Lisa Nowak in February 2007, NASA began a quest to reassess its behavioral health procedures. Four primary areas will be reviewed: alcohol use, medical policy, astronaut code of conduct, and communication between astronauts and the space agency.
MP3 Download


Ski Boot Spinoff
Since 1970, NASA and a company called Comfort Products have partnered to develop NASA technology-inspired ski boots for use by the recreational skier as well as hundreds of world-class competition skiers. The ski boots use accordion-like folds, similar to the design of space suits, to allow the boot to flex without distortion, while giving support and control for precision skiing.
MP3 Download


Green Giants:
Global warming isn’t a new issue, but regulators and politicians are challenging the aviation industry to clean up the air, making the friendly skies, more eco-friendly while more and more airlines go green.
MP3 Download


Aerotropolis:
In the film, The Terminal, Tom Hanks found everything he needed to survive - food, water, sleeping areas, shopping and even entertainment – all, within the confines of an airport. The movie may be fiction, but the idea of an airport providing the comforts of home is about to materialize and may be coming to a terminal near you!
MP3 Download

GEOSS:
There are thousands of systems observing the Earth at any given time, from GPS systems to weather satellites. The systems are so diverse and the most of them use different formats. In 2005, the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) implemented the Global Earth Observation System of Systems to tackle the challenge of putting all systems under one format.
MP3 Download

NASA and Discovery Communications

NASA and Discovery Communications have teamed up for the anniversary party of the century – bringing space, science television and story-telling together for one big celebration - with the world television premiere of the film In the Shadow of the Moon, in 2008. And you don’t want to miss it!
MP3 Download

Spacecraft Recycling
In the world of space exploration, spacecrafts are designed specifically for each mission and upon completion, never used again. But that concept is changing as NASA gives new life to old spacecraft – recycling them for future exploration.
MP3 Download

Lightsaber in Space
For 30 years, the film series Star Wars has brought instant fame to a hairy Wookie co-pilot and two quirky androids.  NASA will celebrate the anniversary of Like Skywalker and friends by giving a movie prop, a Star Wars-studded sendoff into real  outer space.
MP3 Download

ADS-B
When radar technology was first introduced in the 1950s, it revolutionized air travel. But today, many say that same technology needs a major upgrade, such as Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast, ADS-B, which determines and broadcasts a plane’s location every second.
MP3 Download

Space Hotel
If you’re looking for a getaway that's out of this world, look no further than the high-end “Galactic Suite” hotel – the first luxury hotel planned for use in space.

MP3 Download


Asian Space Race

China’s military-run space program has made great strides in the past few years and in 2003, became the first Asian country to send its own astronauts into space.  Competing with China is Japan, which claims its space project, SELENE, a lunar satellite, is the biggest since NASA’s Apollo program.
MP3 Download


Training for Space Walks
For every hour in spent in space, the astronauts train for seven hours on the ground, in a special training facility that mimics zero gravity, called the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL).  The NBL is a large pool that holds over 6 million gallons of water and astronauts can train underwater, wearing spacesuits with two-way communication capability with flight controllers as if they were in space.
MP3 Download


Women in Space
Scientists speculated that since women are smaller and lighter than men are, on average, they might make good occupants for cramped space vehicles.  With that in mind, in 1960, the Women in Space Program was born and award-winning pilot Jerrie Cobb was invited to undergo the first physical testing regimen for women. Within a year, 19 women pilots had taken astronaut fitness exams to be allowed to fly in space
MP3 Download


NEW HORIZONS IMAGES:
New photographs and movies sent from space are offering an unprecedented look at Jupiter and its moons.  The New Horizons spacecraft has seven cameras and sensors, sending data and images, traveling over 600 million miles, back to Earth. 
MP3 Download

 
Death In Space:
Preparing policies about how crews should react in the unlikely event of the death of an astronaut on missions to Mars.
MP3 Download


METHANE POWER:
Exploring the solar system can have its drawbacks – not only are gas prices out of this world, but finding a refueling system once you leave Earth can be just as difficult. NASA is using a natural gas that farmers have known about for years – methane fuel as the fuel of the future for planet-hopping spacecraft!
MP3 Download


PHOENIX:
Early NASA missions to Mars always landed on dry regions , leading scientists to believe that the planet was barren, with no signs of life. But, recent satellite missions have revealed widespread ice near the planet’s poles.
MP3 Download


Mercury 13:
It was 1961, when Russia put the first man in space and a group of thirteen American women were undergoing top-secret astronaut training in the United States, aka Mercury 13.
MP3 Download


Cosmic Ring Evidence of Dark Matter:
It can’t be seen, it doesn’t shine or reflect light, and no one knows what it’s made of, but existence of dark matter has been indicated by images from the Hubble Space Telescope.
MP3 Download


Vulcan:
It has a hot, dry climate and is filled with beings who are logical to a fault.  And now Gene Rodenberry’s planet Vulcan could be the next stop on a NASA planet-finding mission!
MP3 Download


Tiros:
Back in 1962, NASA took an experimental step to determine if satellites could be useful to the study of our planet, using the Television Infrared Observation Satellite Program, or TIROS.
MP3 Download


Team American Rocketry Challenge:
The Aerospace Industries Associates in conjunction with NASA is in its fifth year sponsoring the Team American Rocketry Challenge; a unique contest that has attracted youth to the world of aerospace.
MP3 Download


Space Tether:
Blasting rockets into space may now be tethered to swing from one place to another if Rob Hoyt gets his way.  The physicist and aerospace engineer knows a lot about flying space junk and has designed a new kind of space tether.
MP3 Download


Sonic Booms and Space Tourism:
By the end of the decade, the skies will be much busier due to the debut of private spacecraft and increased tourist space flights, which means more noise, especially sonic booms.  Officials at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center are the impact with computer models to reduce the annoyance.
MP3 Download

 
A Shuttle Simulated:
The Shuttle Launch Experience, a $60 million attraction that opened up this summer at the Kennedy Space Center’s Visitor Complex, takes its riders on a trip to space with state-of-the-art special effects, sounds and vibrations that will make you really feel like an NASA astronaut.
MP3 Download


Shooting Marbles:
NASA is planning extended missions to the Moon, where crew members would work and live on the lunar surface.  Before that can happen, protecting the astronauts from commonplace explosions that occur when meteorites slam into the moon is  first priority.
MP3 Download


Orbiting Gas Station:
Stone Aerospace in Austin, Texas is drawing up plans to re-fuel spacecraft in orbit. First stop, the Moon. The idea is to send a team to Shackleton Crater at the Moon’s south pole, to search for frozen water and other resources under the lunar surface.
MP3 Download


Kibo:
Japan’s space agency, JAXA, has developed the Kibo laboratory, a new $3 billion experiment module, will be the first Japanese human spaceflight facility set to be attached to the International Space Station, by 2008.
MP3 Download


EASTERN U.S. HEATS UP:
A new NASA study says that the eastern United States will start warming up with summer temperatures reaching 10 degrees higher by the mid-2080s. According to Dr. Leonard Druyan, one of the scientists with the study, says that computers underestimate the severity of global warming because they take into account too many rainy days in their predictions which tend to cool things down. 
MP3 Download


Dreamlifter:
Humpbacked in shape, Boeing’s Dreamlifter cargo plane, once a 747, carts around all the large pieces of Boeing’s new Dreamlifter 787 with its 65,000 cubic feet of storage from factories all over the world to the assembly plant in Washington state.
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Astronaut Glove Challenge:
An engineer from Maine can now add “space innovator” and “astronaut tailor” to his resume. Peter Homer grabbed the $200,00 prize in NASA’s Astronaut Glove Challenge this year. The contest is part of the Centennial Challenges program designed to spur interest and innovation in spaceflight technology.
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ASDE-X:
The worst airplane accident in history didn’t occur during flight – it happened on the runway, when two jets collided, killing 547 people.  The FAA is turning to a new digital system, called ASDE-X, which is designed to track planes, snow plows and other ground vehicles with greater accuracy on the runways.
MP3 Download