Space Station Sunday: More Than Just Chillin'

Good evening, space fans!  There was some drama (but thankfully a safe resolution) on the ISS this week, when an alarm roused the astronauts from sleep to indicate that an ammonia leak was possibly taking place.  Fortunately, this was not the case.

According to the New York Times, the alarm sounded not once but twice on Wednesday, when pressure had built up in a water coolant loop on the ISS.  Normally, the water keeps the space station cool by circulating in the loops and then transferring the heat to external ammonia loops, which then radiate excess heat into space.  Thusly cooled, the external ammonia loops keep the station chill from the outside, though due to ammonia's toxicity, it is not used to cool the station interior (hence the water loops.)  The overburdened loop signified that perhaps ammonia was leaking into the water coolant loop, which would put it in dangerous proximity to the air inside the station.

Even the smallest bits of space work need constant attention.
(Image courtesy nasaspaceflight.com.)

NASA spokeman Bob Jacobs summed it up calmly, stating that, "We saw an increase in water loop pressure, then later saw a cabin-pressure increase that could be indicative of an ammonia leak in the worst-case scenario...So we protected for the worst-case scenario and isolated the crew in the Russian segment of the space station while the teams are evaluating the situation."

Nonessential systems were temporarily shut down to prevent any kind of overheating on the station.  This included scientific freezers aboard, but no data was lost due to the fact that the freezers are designed to remain cold for eight hours, independent of power supply.  The power was restored well within the eight-hour window.

According to the deliciously in-depth technical account of event posted on nasaspaceflight.com, after the initial high-pressure/possible leak alarm went off, the astronauts followed procedure by donning their PBAs (Portable Breathing Apparatus), cutting off the IMV (Inter-Module Ventilation), and quarantining themselves in the RS (Russian section) by sealing the Node 1 Aft CBM hatch.  Atmospheric tests for ammonia were then conducted, all which fortunately proved negative.

Ready for anything:  NASA astronaut Terry Virts and ESA astronaut Samathan Cristoforetti practiced for problems on 12/1.
(Image courtesy NASA.gov.)

Ground teams then rerouted the problem areas and vented nitrogen to relieve the pressure.  The crew were cleared to reenter the US segment, but returned hours later when indications of rising cabin pressure once again manifested.  Once again, no ammonia leak was detected.  This second rise in pressure was likely due to the station rebooting itself after the power-down and use of emergency breathing devices.

NASA Spaceflight considered the event a good practice run, albeit a somewhat scare one.  They stated, "If nothing else, the incident served to exercise the well-practiced procedures, proving that both the crew and ground teams responded in a timely and appropriate manner to a situation that could have been very dangerous if missed – thus serving to prove the effectiveness of NASA’s vigorous regime of procedural training and simulation."

All good in the orbital hood.
(Image courtesy pcmag.com.)

The Russian space agency Roscosmos also agreed the scenario was handled well, with Maxim Matyushin, head of the Russian mission command center, telling the Independent UK that,  "Safety of the crew has been achieved through the coordinated and timely actions themselves cosmonauts and astronauts, as well as operational management groups in Moscow and Houston."

Despite the drama, fellow spaceman James Kelly (a Space Shuttle pilot who served two missions to the ISS) chimed in from mission control with some levity, enthusing, "Enjoy your impromptu day off."

 

Keeping it cool.
(Image courtesy space.com.)

In other news, the SpaceX Dragon capsule that made it safely to the ISS last week caused no trouble...however the landing of its attendant Falcon 9 rocket was not so smooth.  This week, exclusive imagery of the rocket crash was released.  The original (and still tangible) intent from the SpaceX mission was to land the rocket safely on an offshore pad and have it retrofitted for re-use.  This plan didn't exactly work out, just yet.  Inappropriately exciting video (linked below) followed.

Well, that's why they call it experimenting.

Not bad, considering how few rockets, you know, LAND.
(Image courtesy newscientist.com.)

That's all this week from our outstanding orbital outpost!  Be sure to tune in next week for more awesomeness above the atmosphere...watch this space!

Solar Panels As Canal Covers? India Gathers Power, Saves Water, Solves Problems

The science of sustainable energy requires making more efficient means of storage and accessibility for your harvested power...but sometimes it can have bonus advantages, when properly plotted.  Unlike oil spills which contaminate massive swaths of ocean, or fracking which can cause a release of chemicals potent enough to set tap water afire, no one worries when there is a solar power leak (some people even pay for these raw materials...look at any tanning salon.)  Now, a community in India has made gathering solar energy an even more useful endeavor, thanks to positioning the solar panels over irrigation canals to thwart extra evaporation.

It's like the peanut butter and chocolate of conservation.
(Image courtesy earthtechling.com.)

According to Yahoo, in the Gujurat state of India, the booming business of solar power is setting precedents for the rest of the nation and likely the world.  By building solar panels over irrigation canals, communities are left not only with more free land space, but also contribute to the efficiency of their farming by not losing excess water to evaporation.  A plant in Vadodara which opened in October produces 10 MW of power thanks to 33,800 solar panels stretched across 3.6 km of irrigation canals (which it in turn powers the pumping distribution of.)  On a nice day, 50,000 electrical units (that's 50,000 hours of usage at 1,000 watts) are sent from the solar into the system.

While the canal-covering solar panels are more expensive to build,  they are easily accessed for cleaning and maintenance.  The water below will eventually tend to 4.45 million acres via some 75,000 km of canal throughout Gujurat and Rajasthan, known as the Sardar Sarovar project.  Already the Vadodara plant has made 16 hectares of land available, and is projected to conserve some 90 million liters of water per year.

The benefits add up:  the creation of the solar infrastructure also powers more jobs.
(Image courtesy gogreenguyz.com.)

As Vice magazine notes, there are a number of dually-useful elements to the project beyond the evaporation containment, including the solar panel conduits being kept cooler thanks to the water below, and also the lack of squabbling over land issues (the canals were utilitarian elements already in place, and adding to them disrupts neither the local environment nor the populace.)

Overall, the Indian government plans to gather 100 MW of power from canal-top photovoltaic panels by 2017.  By 2022, the nation intends to have over 10% of its total energy created by solar power.  The effort is not lost on the rest of the world.  U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon recently visited and remarked, "I saw more than glittering panels – I saw the future of India and the future of our world...I saw India's bright creativity, ingenuity and cutting-edge technology."

Crafty conservation can help fuel the future in ways we haven't even yet pondered.  The fact that a major nation has stepped up to address the power problems in an efficient and intelligent way brings hope for the rest of the world.  Maybe soon we can stop shooting off mountaintops and drilling beneath oceans to gather our energy.  Let's start using our power - and our methods of power collection - for good.

Yet another plus:  all that water saved from evaporation could be made potable for poverty-stricken regions.  Win, India.
(Image courtesy webbenergyblog.files.wordpress.com.)

Power On The Fly: Pioneering With A Pocket-Sized Charger

Sure, you love your devices, but feeding them can become problematic at times.  Stop bothering the bartender and bust out your own portable power, thanks to a new invention: Kraftwerk.  Created by the German company eZelleron, the gadget runs on regular everyday lighter fuel to unobtrusively juice your phone, camera, tablets, e-readers, and whatever other bit of technology is near-permanently in your orbit.

According to the Daily Mail, the device never requires a plug-in of its own, and each refill of lighter fluid or camping gas is enough to fuel 11 iPhones.  The eZelleron company maintains that Kraftwerk is a "quantum leap in terms of performance and availability compared to conventional battery chargers...Kraftwerk really is a small portable power station."

This is your first step to escaping the Grid.
(Image courtesy www.dailymail.co.uk.)

Slated for release in November/December of this year, Kraftwerk already exists in fully functioning prototypes. The remainder of the project is being funded by Kickstarter. The device appeals to a sense of freedom and adventure, with their Kickstarter campaign noting that Kraftwerk is "an invaluable advantage both in everyday life and even when traveling to the ends of the earth."

The durability and portability are major advantages for our hyper-connected world. Lighter than carrying batteries, adept with connection (a simple USB port handles all), approved for air travel, and capable of enduring all sorts of weather conditions, this energy-efficient device will discreetly help fuel the future, 5 volts at a time.

Never miss a gnarly shot again...keep your camera juiced-up anywhere with Kraftwerk.
(Image courtesy GoPro.com.)

The folks behind Kraftwerk are pushing forth what is a small but important part of a larger picture. According to wikipedia, Germany has been hailed as "the world's first major renewable energy economy" and had a third of their electricity generated from sustainable resources in 2014.  With Germany poised to have nearly half of their electricity generated by sustainable resources by 2025, items like the Kraftwerk reflect how such an innovative mentality benefits people in many scenarios, not just on the macro scale.

Their kickstarter pitch isn't being hyperbolic when they say, "So let's revolutionize mobile energy supply together!  Be a pioneer on the fascinating road to freedom of power!"  And nothing says "pioneering" like posting a selfie from someplace definitely sans sockets.  Kraftwerk, keep it going!

Perhaps the band Kraftwerk can use the device Kraftwerk to power their Man Machine?  The possibilities are endless...
(Image courtesy drownedinsound.com.)

E-Emotional Rescue: Computer Programs That Deal In Your Feelings

Experts say that your computer is a better judge of your personality than even your closest family and friends.  It knows your preferences, correspondents, written words, tastes in imagery, secrets kept and deleted, and more.  But what happens in the possibly-near future when machines begin using all of this information to actually UNDERSTAND you?

When it comes to emotional intelligence and your computer, what constitutes too much information?
(Image courtesy singularityhub.com.)

According to the New Yorker, this may be happening more quickly than we expect.  Computers can already attempt to determine moods from vocal pitch and intensity, while simultaneously analyzing any attendant videos for evidence of micro-expressions or gestures that could reveal even more about an interaction.  Even the placement of words in a sentence can be taken to imply other things, indicating how angry, passionate, or spectacularly talented certain authors are.  Now, computers can not only be aware of these elements, but use them to temper their own responses or advice.

Rana el Kaliouby, an Egyptian scientist who runs the Boston-based company Affectiva, is on the forefront of this mecha-emotional leap.  Affectiva's most prominent software, Affdex, is trained to recognize four major emotions:  happy, confused, surprised, and disgusted.  Breaking down the user's face-image into deformable and non-deformable points, the software analyzes how far certain parts of one's face will move (such as a smile or frown raising or lowering the corners of the mouth) in relation to other set points on the face (such as the tip of the nose.)  Things like skin texture (where wrinkles appear, or not) also factor in.  These metrics are analyzed into computing what you feel.

Based off the research of 1960s scientist Paul Ekman, the idea behind this technology stems from a simple, universal concept:  all humans, regardless of race, gender, age or language barriers, have at least six specific facial expressions that register particular emotions.  Ekman broke these expressions down into their constituent movements and wrote a 500-page epic called FACS (Facial Action Coding System) on the subject.  The work has been considered the preeminent treatise on this topic for decades now.

Other companies are on the e-emotional bandwagon too, with names like Emotient, Realeyes, and Sension.  Companies who rely on videoconferencing could now have a useful extra line on what their clients and associates are thinking.  Emotions, which have been found to be closely neurologically related to decision-making and common sense, now can be deduced from faces and choices with a degree of accuracy that seems like mind-reading.

We're less unique than anyone thinks.
(Image courtesy thewaylifeis.com.)

While useful (and now predominantly operational) in business, Kaliouby also spent time researching if this specific recognizance could act as an "emotional hearing aid" for those with autism.  The National Science Foundation offered Kaliouby and her mentor nearly a million dollars to develop this idea.  This proved successful, but the idea was almost immediately extrapolated by businesses from Pepsi to Toyota in the interest of learning more about their consumers' preferences.  These requests overwhelmed the scientists, leading to the creation of Affectiva.  The company, which claims to have refused requests to use the software for espionage (corporate and personal), wanted to generate revenue from investors to augment their autism-relating research.

Thus Affdex began testing users' response to advertisements, giving the promotions industry a leg up on what consumers would be feeling when exposed to their sales pleas.  More than two million videos from eighty countries lent the program an unprecedented amount of information, all adding up to more accuracy in prediction from the program.  Affectiva now deals in these negotiations and improvements full-time.  In coming years, with more "smart" devices and internet-enabled items out there for our interaction, emotional electronics could use their ever-increasing knowledge to hopefully make our lives better.

These programs have our attention, which is a valuable resource.  Now, can that be used to hold our interest, connect us more completely, and/or improve our circumstances (even just by knowing we need the room temperature raised a little?)  Or will it simply serve as another metric to keep tabs on a passive populace?  Will we have the right to know when and where we are being emotionally analyzed, and will we be able to thwart such advances if desired?  Kaliouby maintains that there must be an overall altruistic tilt to the usage of the program, explaining to various advertisers that, “In our space, you could very easily be perceived as Big Brother, as opposed to the gatekeeper of your own emotional data—and it is two very different positions. If we are not careful, we can very easily end up on the Big Brother side.”

Whether we'll end up selling our attention to gain happiness points to sell for more happiness remains uncertain.  But the fact remains that the market for your emotions is vast and lucrative.  Companies will want to know you're happy if it makes them feel they're doing something right.  Other more insidious organizations may be tickled to learn that you're feeling deeply unsettled and on edge (right where some of them want you.)  Will the future be made of humans wearing constant poker faces, lest we be called out by computers?  Will there be surcharges for extra super-sized doses of happiness from certain places or products?  Or should we maybe turn the lens in on ourselves, and understand the nature of our own feelings, before we release them into the wild to be tagged and tracked...or hunted?

And remember, all of this information is taken from imagery alone.  We're not even really "plugged in" yet...
(Image courtesy rdn-consulting.com)

iPhones And Nunchucks...Together At Last

Ever worry about your own personal self defense in this troubled world?  Particularly, do you worry about the safety of your precious smartphone?  Embrace your inner ninja this year with the new iPhone nunchaku case.  It fits the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, and does...well, this.

You'll at least distract any potential attackers or thieves with your ridiculousness.  And that's worth the $30 cost, right?

IS Hacks U.S. Central Command Twitter Feed, Posts Prankish "Leaks" Like The Trolls They Are

It seems that our once-raging war against terrorism has now, at least publicly, been downgraded to some unpleasant cyberbullying.

As reported by the BBC, the United States Central Command's Twitter account was hacked by the revolutionary Islamic fundamentalist group IS, who referred to their online troll brigade as "the CyberCaliphate" in the attack.  Their "CyberJihad" didn't seem to accomplish much more than ruffling a few feathers, despite the "leak" of "secrets" like a few upper-echelon bureaucrats' mailing addresses.

Nerdy terrorists.  Great, just what we need.
(Image courtesy bbc.com.)

The Centcom Twitter account, which was known to report on strikes against IS (before the account was taken down after the hack-attack), provoked a standard "appropriate measures" response as to what was being done in retaliation.  The hack occurred while President Obama was giving a speech on cybersecurity.

Several maps and diagrams were "released" by the hackers, but these appeared to be vague logistics of maritime armaments along the Chinese coast, as well as maps of various installations in North Korea.  Nothing was more of a "secret" than a little googling couldn't uncover, with much of the (completely non-threatening) information sourced from U.S.-based think tanks.

The full feed.  This could easily be an Islamic twelve-year old.
(Image courtesy Reuters.)

According to Reuters, The Defense Department wasn't flustered, stating the government "views this as little more than a prank, or as vandalism...It's inconvenient, it's an annoyance but in no way is any sensitive or classified information compromised," Pentagon spokesman Army Colonel Steve Warren said.Nevertheless, when posted in conjunction with incendiary (fake) headlines reading "PENTAGON NETWORKS HACKED!", the IS troll brigade probably raised a few heartbeats in Washington.  For a minute.  Then we continued bombing them in real time, without needing to tweet about the success.  The "CyberJihad's" silence in America will speak to that.

Unfortunately in France, the AnonGhost cyberterrorism group, a pro-Islamic organization, have tried to terrorize French websites in wake of the Charlie Hebdo attacks.  The UK Mirror reports that larger and more notorious computerized collective Anonymous have vowed revenge for the Charlie Hebdo attacks and have been plaguing IS sites throughout the last week.  This e-poking might escalate to even further name-calling and photoshopped images of completely unbelievable terrorist victory.  In the meantime, they can continue to spam the internet with narcissistic content worthy of a facebook-addicted tween.

Just...no.  Not happening, guys.
(Image courtesy mirror.co.uk.)

Space Station Sunday: Dragon Flies, Flies Fly, And A Space Movie Rolls

Good evening, space fans!  Welcome back to another installment of all the best news from low-Earth orbit.

Yesterday, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched a Dragon capsule bound for the ISS, bearing over 5,100 payload pounds of scientific supplies, food, and equipment.  According to Reuters, in a novel approach to recovering the 14-story Falcon 9 rocket boosters, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had planned for the discarded boosters to be remotely flown to an offshore landing site.

Like a giant, extremely expensive game of lawn darts...with rockets.
(Image courtesy SpaceX.com.)

 
Remarkably, the first rocket did indeed hit its target, on an ocean landing pad some 500 miles off the Florida coast.  Unfortunately, it fell apart soon after.  Musk tweeted that the rocket's “Grid fins worked extremely well from hypersonic velocity to subsonic, but ran out of hydraulic fluid right before landing.”  The hydraulic fluid, which operated the four maneuverable grid fins to remotely position the rockets and stabilize their descent, will be augmented in the next mission so that another attempt at safely landing the rockets may be made.

SpaceX, which is under a $1.6 billion contract to NASA for ferrying supplies to the ISS, is the current closest replacement the United States has for its sidelined Space Shuttle program.  After the fiery disaster that left an Orbital Sciences Corp. rocket decimated last October, SpaceX is now the go-to American rocketry provider to the ISS.  This mission was the fifth of a slated twelve.

The Dragon, breathing fire during liftoff.
(Image courtesy SpaceX.com.)

One of the most interesting bits of cargo aboard the SpaceX Dragon is a colony of fruit flies, which are endlessly annoying on Earth but may contribute to significant scientific research aboard the ISS.  Fruit flies' immune system responses are a close approximation of those found in humans, and research on how they react to microgravity could lend useful results for humans undergoing the same events.  This is particularly notable due to the fact that the fruit flies will be exposed to various microbes that (due to lack of gravity and subsequent cellular structural changes) become more virulent in a space environment.  Yes, those pesky little bugs might end up figuring out how to someday save a sick spacefarer.

 

And they don't even have to go through all the crazy intense training!
(Image courtesy NASA.gov.)

When the Dragon does dock at the ISS, it will be among five other spacecraft moored there.  But the design of the ISS conveniently allows room for all of them.

Plenty of parking space in space.

(Image courtesy NASA.gov.)

Another scientific experiment of interest this week on the ISS was the Haptics-1 experiment, which NASA defines as, "studying the feasibility of controlling robots on the ground from space with a crew member using an advanced joystick that provides haptic feedback."  Basically, the astronauts use a joystick with a rumble-pack that allows them to better sense the issues a robot rover on a planet below might be encountering.  This allows for refinement of motorized tasks and better overall control of the situation on the ground.  From an extremely speculative perspective, our astronauts could someday use this technology to land robot rovers on a foreign planet and, instead of getting put into harm's way themselves, simply feel a buzz in their hand controls if aliens were to shoot up the robots.

This is particularly interesting to study on the ISS, for the reactions from the haptic controller would have immediate effect on the astronaut's physical position while in microgravity.  An astronaut might have to buckle himself or herself to a seat just to deal with even the smallest amount of force exerted on them from the controller.

And in some artistic news to compliment the science, NASA astronaut Terry Virts and Commander Butch Wilmore spent time using an IMAX camera to document interior scenes from the ISS.  This footage will be part of an upcoming 3D movie called "A Perfect Planet."  According to NASA, the film will be for audiences of all ages and will illustrate "the importance of conservation, sustainability and environmental awareness for future generations."  

Saudi Arabia, from a particularly peaceful perspective.
(Image courtesy Butch Wilmore / #AstroButch.)

That's all from orbit for this week, space fans!  Thanks for reading and be sure to check in next week for even more awesomeness above the atmosphere...watch this space!

A perfect planet...it's just the humans we have to worry about.
(Image courtesy Butch Wilmore / #AstroButch.)