Planetary scientists have monitored some Martian sand dunes for more than 30 years, and the dunes have not moved during that time, leading scientists to question whether snow and ice trapped inside the dunes might be preventing movement.

Arctic sea ice thinned dramatically between the winters of 2004 and 2008, with thin seasonal ice replacing thick older ice as the dominant type for the first time on record. The new results, based on data from a NASA Earth-orbiting spacecraft, provide further evidence for the rapid, ongoing transformation of the Arctic's ice cover.

In his 17 June 2009 presentation to the Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee (aka the Augustine Committee) Shuttle Program manager John Shannon presented the Shuttle-derived or "Sidemount" Heavy Launch Vehicle concept. Since that time additional information on this concept has emerged. Due to its commonality with existing Space Shuttle systems (a prime selling point) use of existing payload carriers (MPLMs, external carriers) and other ISS program hardware (ESA's ATV) has been considered as a possible use in addition to its use for moon mission hardware. Indeed, done properly, one single flight of the sidemount HLV could probably supply the ISS for a year. Two concepts are shown. One (above) uses an ATV and two MPLMs or a mixture of MPLMs and external payload carriers. The other "barge" concept (below) uses a propulsion module and a mixture of MPLM and external payload pallets.

This October 4-10, the world will have a very special celebration of the contributions of space to humankind. It will be the 10th celebration of UN-declared World Space Week. You are invited to amplify your outreach by participating in the largest public space event on Earth. World Space Week is the best time every year to get your space-related messages to the public, students, teachers, employees, government, the media, and other audiences.

San Marcos -- Famed Norwegian artist Edvard Munch (1863-1944) has long been a favorite of Texas State University-San Marcos faculty members Don Olson and Russell Doescher. In 2003, the physics department researchers connected the blood-red sky of Munch's anguished masterpiece "The Scream" to the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa on the other side of the globe. They turned their attention to Munch's beloved painting "Girls on the Pier" in 2006, firmly identifying the yellow orb in the sky as the Moon -- not the Sun, as some had theorized -- and used simple physics to explain why the Moon cast no reflection on the waters.

Credit: NASA/DOE/Fermi LAT Collaboration Larger image - Larger image (unlabeled)

With NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, astronomers now are getting their best look at those whirling stellar cinders known as pulsars.