Category Archives: Transhuman News

BlueTech Forum 2012 - NASA Research and Experiments Water Technology Applications, Michael Flynn
NASA is the forefront of researching advanced life support and closed water systems for deep space exploration, and for expanding the frontiers for long-term human colonization of space. The focus on water has led to inventions and applications that we commonly use in everyday life. On our space station, Planet Earth, we have a limited supply of water and are increasingly looking at ways to sustainably meet water needs. These programs have yielded forward osmosis, osmotic distillation, and ammonia reduction mdash;just a few of the topics we will hear about in our engaging "Thinking Outside the Bubble" presentations.From:BlueTechResearchViews:0 0ratingsTime:22:52More inScience Technology

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BlueTech Forum 2012 - NASA Research and Experiments Water Technology Applications, Michael Flynn - Video

Astronaut Chris Hadfield is putting a Canadian stamp on his upcoming mission to the international space station, packing some iconic maple syrup, recording a song on board with a Canuck musician, and snapping photos from space of Sarnia, Ont., and other parts of the country close to his heart.

He also hopes to arrange for one night when all residents in Sarnia, where he was born, will turn on their lights,so the Canadian astronaut can see it from high above.

"It will be really nice to know that people in Sarnia are leaving the lights on for me," he said. "That people are thinking of me, and I can, just with my own eyes, see evidence of my friends on Earth," Hadfield said during a telephone news conference Tuesday.

The 53-year-old trailblazer is currently in quarantine at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan preparing to make history. On Dec. 19, he is scheduled to blast off in a Soyuz capsule bound for the International Space Station, where he will take over as its first Canadian commander in March.

Now in the final days after years of preparation, Hadfield says he is taking refresher classes, exercising daily, getting rest, and preparing mentally for the mission.

As part of the preparations, Hadfield and his fellow crew members put a call out to Canada for suggestions on Canadian foods they could take on board.

The astronauts are allowed to bring a selection of so-called "bonus foods" beyond the regular menu, provided they have a long shelf life and are appropriate for space travel, he said.

Out of hundreds of suggestions, they chose about a dozen foods, including jerky with cranberries from northern Saskatchewan, chocolate from B.C., a bar with East Coast blueberries produced in Toronto, and, naturally, maple syrup, said Hadfield.

"We found something iconically Canadian, but also with a space twist," he said. "We found a really good quality maple syrup, and it comes in tubes When you're eating food on a repetitive cycle, to be able to grab a big tube from Canada and squirt something so sweet and flavourful on top will be really nice."

He is also taking special mementoes into space for his family, including specially made wedding rings for his wife, a watch for his daughter, and a tie tack and pins with the mission logo for his sons, he said.

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Chris Hadfield puts Canadian stamp on space mission

When Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata arrives in space in 2013 to take command of the International Space Station, he'll have a little robotic helper ready to assist him.

A consortium of companies is constructing two doll-like robots that speak Japanese, recognize faces and perform simple experiment tasks. One will fly to the space station next year, while the other will stay on the ground as a backup.

The humanoid robot will live in the station's Japanese Kibo module. It doesn't even have a name yet, but the public is being asked for suggestions on a Japanese website.

Even at this early stage, lead designer Tomotaka Takahashi said the concept of a humanoid robot in space is capturing the participating companies' imagination. [Photos: Robonaut 2, Robot Butler for Astronauts]

"Only a few people use [iPhone voice recognition software] Siri in Japan because we are uncomfortable to talk to square gadgets. But we sometimes talk to our pets, even if they're a turtle or a fish," said Takahashi, a University of Tokyo researcher who founded the humanoid robot company Robo Garage.

"We talk to these animals because we can feel some kind of life to them that we cannot with the iPhone," Takahashi added. "So what we are doing for the Kibo robot is to encourage people to be willing to communicate with such things."

Double-checking experiment accuracy

When completed in February, the robot will be about 13 inches (34 centimeters) tall and weigh 2.2 pounds (1 kilogram), making it easy to ship up to the station in the summer.

The delivery spacecraft hasn't been chosen yet, but Takahashi suspected it will be an unmanned Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Kounotori HTV. The robot will return to Earth at a yet-to-be-determined time.

The robot will do simulated, simple experiments with Wakata that could involve tasks such as mixing liquids, Takahashi said. The robot can also send information to scientists back on Earth.

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Doll-Like Robot Will Keep Astronauts Company on Space Station