The stakes are high for NASA's new, huge Mars rover

Back on Earth, scientists and engineers on the Mars Science Laboratory project are busily preparing for the Aug. 5 landing of the mission's 1-ton Curiosity rover. And there's a lot riding on the success of the ambitious mission.

By Leonard David,?SPACE.com / June 11, 2012

In this 2011 artist's renderin the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover examines a rock on Mars with a set of tools at the end of its arm, which extends about 2 meters.

JPL-Caltech/NASA

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NASA?s newest rover, the massive Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity, is less than two months away from plunging into the thin atmosphere of the Red Planet ? a harrowing seven-minute dive that will use a landing never-before attempted on another world.

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Back on Earth, scientists and engineers on the?Mars Science Laboratory?(MSL) project are busily preparing for the Aug. 5 PDT landing of the mission's 1-ton Curiosity rover. And there's a lot riding on the success of the ambitious mission.

The nuclear-powered MSL mission's price tag is not small potatoes. To date, the rover has cost $2.5 billion, including $1.8 billion for spacecraft development and science investigations and additional amounts for launch and operations.

So there's no doubt that the MSL rover is a?high-stakes Mars mission. As one high-ranking NASA Mars mission leader recently said: "We know it will land ? but the only question is how fast will it be going?"

The ultimate Mars test

About the size of a small SUV, Curiosity?s wheels-down meeting with Mars will rely on the Sky Crane ? a novel system for getting the mobile laboratory safely onto the Martian surface. [Mars Rover's Sky Crane Landing (Infographic)]

"We are getting ready for landing ?sort of cramming before the final," said Richard Cook, deputy project manager for MSL at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "We?re doing a lot of rehearsing [for] how operations will be conducted," he said, speaking here at the Spacefest IV conference, which ended June 3.

The target of choice is Gale Crater, with Curiosity making its touchdown within a precise landing ellipse. That ellipse is shrinking in size, Cook said, "because of how well the spacecraft is going to Mars."

Instead of being 15.5 miles by 12.4 miles (25 km by 20 km), it?s more like 12.4 miles by 6.2 miles (20 km by 10 km), Cook added. "That means driving less to get to the Promised Land that the scientists want to look at," he said.

Gale Crater spans 96 miles (154 km) in diameter and sports a mountain ? dubbed Mount Sharp ? that rises about 3 miles (5 km) above the crater floor.

Nearly six years of deliberations led to picking Gale Crater, Cook said, a site "where not only there could have been a good habitable environment in the past ?but it?s preserved to today. It is a history book of ancient times."

Martian aerial ballet

But getting Curiosity down safe and sound means performing a high-tech aerial ballet above Mars using the Sky Crane.

"Sky Crane has to do with the size of Curiosity. Airbags can?t really extrapolate to something this big. Leg landers that we?ve flown in the past are not really that great for a mobile vehicle,? Cook said. "Getting a mobile vehicle off a leg lander is pretty challenging and you?re also vulnerable to rocks and other things. So we decided to adopt a new approach." [Video: Curiosity Rover's Peculiar Mars Landing]

Hovering above Mars, Sky Crane is a big propulsion system, armed with sophisticated radar hardware. When the descent stage senses it has slowed to nearly zero velocity over the planet, Curiosity will be released.

A Sky Crane bridle system will spool out the rover to the ground. Curiosity is to be set down at a velocity of about 1.7 mph (2.7 kph).

When the?Curiosity rover?feels a soft touchdown, the connecting cords between rover and Sky Crane will be severed. The Sky Crane descent stage will then rocket itself to a destructive landing far away from the rover?s location.

"It crashes about a kilometer away from the rover," Cook said. "We wanted to get it far enough away ? get it way over there. Obviously, we don?t want a scenario where the descent stage falls on top of the rover."

End-to-end testing

Cook said that evaluating on Earth how the?Sky Crane system will work on Mars?was not possible.

"The dynamics of the Earth's atmosphere and the gravity change the system in a way that makes it impossible to test, end-to-end, the landing system," Cook said. It was done piecemeal, he said, with test evaluations of different hardware elements glued together to prove that the landing system will work all at once.

"So when we get to Mars, it?ll be the first time we?ve ever done the whole thing end-to-end," Cook said.

MSL?s entry phase at Mars takes all of seven minutes, from the top of the atmosphere to the ground. "The vehicle will have traveled about 500 million kilometers ? to get into the right entry angle and to make sure it survives the entry into the Mars atmosphere," Cook said.

Given one-way communications at the time between Mars and Earth of 15 minutes, the spacecraft is under its own, autonomous control.

"By the time we hear about it, it?s already all done. So the vehicle has to do everything on its own," Cook said.

Ready to roll (almost)

Once Curiosity is on Mars and in ready-to-roll mode, don?t expect the rover to start putting pedal to the metal right away.

Depending on the rover?s status, a tentative plan is to start driving Curiosity in the middle of September. However, expect pictures almost right away from Curiosity?s landing locale, Cook said.

"It will take us a while. We?re not going to press the gas very fast on this thing. It?s a very complicated vehicle," Cook said. "We want to make sure it?s all okay before we really start going quickly."

The rover's design warranty is for one?Mars?year, about two Earth years, Cook said. But like the still-operating Mars Exploration Rover, Opportunity, no telling how long Curiosity will be on-duty.

Curiosity is fully loaded, off the showroom floor with almost two of everything in terms of critical electronic components. Mechanical parts, well, that?s another issue, Cook said.

"I would expect it to last for quite a long time. Whether it is in the Opportunity-class, that would be great, but hard to bet on that," Cook said.

Leonard David has been reporting on the space industry for more than five decades. He is a winner of last year's National Space Club Press Award and a past editor-in-chief of the National Space Society's Ad Astra and Space World magazines. He has written for SPACE.com since 1999.

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Syrian troops used children 'as human shields'

The United Nations on Tuesday accused Syrian troops of using children as "human shields," as UN chief Ban Ki-moon demanded access to the town of Al-Heffa amid fears of a new "massacre" by regime forces.

Branding Damascus as one of the worst offenders on its annual "list of shame" of conflict countries, the UN said in a report that Syrian children as young as nine had been victims of killing and maiming, arbitrary arrest, detention, torture and ill-treatment, including sexual violence.

"Rarely, have I seen such brutality against children as in Syria, where girls and boys are detained, tortured, executed, and used as human shields," Radhika Coomaraswamy, UN special representative for children in armed conflict, told AFP before releasing the report.

Ban said in a statement meanwhile that "intensive military operations" by government forces against the central province of Homs and firing from helicopters on other towns had caused heavy civilian casualties.

Residents and activists say government helicopter gunships have strafed rebel positions in Al-Heffa, a town of 30,000 near the border with Turkey, and tanks were parked on the outskirts.

The UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) said it had received reports of "a large number of civilians, including women and children trapped inside the town and are trying to mediate their evacuation."

One Syrian activist broke down in tears as she told AFP via Skype that tanks were parked on the edge of Al-Heffa.

"They have never come this close before," Sem Nassar said, adding: "There's only one doctor working to treat the wounded in the town," and that most residents had fled.

Ban joined UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan in demanding that unarmed military observers from UNSMIS be let into Al-Heffa.

Such reports prompted Washington to voice concerns Assad's regime is planning to carry out new atrocities, after the massacre of 55 people last week in Al-Kubeir and at least 108 near Houla on May 25-26.

"The United States joins joint special envoy Kofi Annan in expressing deep alarm by reports from inside Syria that the regime may be organising another massacre," US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.

Nuland said the tactics showed the Assad regime, cracking down on the most severe threat to his family's four-decade rule, was "increasingly desperate."

Human rights groups estimate that about 1,200 children have died during the 15-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, whose brutal crackdown on Arab Spring-inspired protests has been widely condemned.

The UN report said that Syrian government forces rounded up dozens of boys aged eight to 13 before an attack on the village of Ain al-Arouz in Idlib province on March 9.

The children were "used by soldiers and militia members as human shields, placing them in front of the windows of buses carrying military personnel into the raid on the village," it said.

Quoting witnesses, the UN report said Syrian military and intelligence forces, as well as pro-government shabiha militiamen, surrounded the village for an attack that lasted more than four days.

Among the 11 dead on the first day were three boys aged 15 to 17. Another 34 people, including two boys aged 14 and 16 and a nine-year-old girl, were detained.

"Eventually, the village was reportedly left burned and four out of the 34 detainees were shot and burned, including the two boys aged 14 and 16 years," the Children in Armed Conflict report said.

The report was completed before the Houla massacre on May 25, when 49 of the 108 victims were said to be children, some as young as two and three, who were shot in the head or had their skulls smashed with blunt instruments.

On the ground on Tuesday, 10 civilians were killed when the Al-Jbaible neighbourhood of the eastern city of Deir Ezzor was hit by mortars fired by regime forces, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The mortar attacks come a day after 12 people were killed, including three children, when a car bomb exploded in Al-Joura neighbourhood of Deir Ezzor, the Britain-based group said.

It said that Hreitan in the northern province of Aleppo was subjected to violent shelling on Tuesday morning, adding that clashes with rebels at the entrances to the town have led to "heavy losses among regime troops."

Syrian army helicopters fired on rebel stronghold towns on Monday, leaving at least 106 people dead nationwide, including 77 civilians and 23 Syrian troops, activists said.

Reports of high daily death tolls are becoming the norm in Syria where over 14,000 people have been killed since the anti-regime revolt erupted in March 2011, according to the Observatory.

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AU summit moved to Addis Ababa over Bashir row

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Earlier birth, at 37 weeks, is best for twins, study suggests

ScienceDaily (June 13, 2012) ? University of Adelaide researchers say women pregnant with twins should elect to give birth at 37 weeks to avoid serious complications.

The advice is based on the world's biggest study addressing the timing of birth for women who have an uncomplicated twin pregnancy, the results of which are published June 13 in the British Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology.

Studying 235 women in Australia, New Zealand and Italy, researchers found that babies born to women in the early birth group (37 weeks) were significantly less likely to be small for their gestational age compared with babies born to women in the standard care group (38 weeks or later).

Lead researcher Professor Jodie Dodd from the University of Adelaide's Robinson Institute and the Women's & Children's Hospital says: "Infants of a twin pregnancy are recognized to be at risk of problems during pregnancy, particularly from a slowing of the rate of growth in one or both twins.

"This slowing of the growth rate can result in low birth weight, which is associated with an increased need for care in the neonatal nursery in the short term and increased risk of health problems in later life, including heart disease and diabetes. There is also the risk of one or both twins being stillborn.

"This is why we've taken such a great interest in the optimal time for twins' birth," Professor Dodd says.

"We found that at 37 weeks, elective birth is associated with a significant reduction in the risk of serious morbidity for infants, without increasing complications related to immaturity or induction of labor."

Professor Dodd says there has been a lot of uncertainty in clinical practice about the optimal time for twins' birth.

"We hope this study will help clinicians to make recommendations to women with healthy twin pregnancies that lead to less complications at birth, and therefore lead to happier, healthier lives for their babies.

"While this is the biggest study of its kind so far, our research supports the evidence shown in previous studies, and it also supports the guidelines of care released by the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists in September 2011. These guidelines recommend that women who have uncomplicated twin pregnancies should elect to give birth at 37 weeks."

This study was supported by a grant from the Women's and Children's Hospital Foundation.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Adelaide, via Newswise.

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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

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UAE amends stock ownership rules in transparency move

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US students survive 9 days in New Zealand bush

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) ? Two U.S. students trapped in the New Zealand wilderness by a snowstorm trekked back out to safety after surviving their nine-day ordeal by rationing their meager supplies of trail mix and warming themselves in hot springs.

Alec Brown and Erica Klintworth, both 21, returned to the city of Christchurch on Monday after meeting up with members of a search team ? famished but otherwise in good shape, police said.

[Related: Lost in the great alone]

The two students, on a foreign study program in New Zealand with University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, had planned to hike and camp for a few days at some hot springs on the country's South Island. But heavy rains and a snowstorm during the Southern Hemisphere winter prevented the couple from being able to cross a river and return.

"Unfortunately it rained and rained, day after day, and snowed," Alec Brown wrote in an email to The Associated Press Monday.

He said the nights were tough to take because the rain and sleet pounded down on the tarpaulin covering their sleeping hammock and the river roared ? reminding them all the time of their predicament.

When they realized they were going to be stuck they started rationing: "a biscuit and jelly one day," Brown wrote "and even less another."

[Slideshow: New push to solve Amelia Earhart disappearance]

Brown's mother Lisa, of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, said she panicked when she first found out her son was missing.

"It's too much for a mom," she told the AP. "Especially when they're that far away. I just felt so helpless."

She had faith that Alec, an environmental science major, knew the outdoors well enough to survive, she said, adding that Erica, who is studying graphic design, is a strong woman.

The couple's ordeal began June 1 when friend Katie Jenkins, another UW student, dropped them off at a national park on the South Island's West Coast so they could hike in and camp for a few days.

"They were just going to the hot springs, to chill out and study for finals," Jenkins said, adding that she continued on with her own travels and didn't realize the couple were missing until eight days had passed, which is when she raised the alarm.

[Related: Man conquers world's 14 tallest peaks]

The couple didn't take much food ? some carrots, rice, peanut butter and trail mix, according to Police Sgt. Sean Judd, who coordinated rescue attempts. He said that after three days, a steady rain started.

"Then on Wednesday the snowstorm hit and it got progressively worse," Judd said.

Brown said that soaking in the hot pools "helped keep us warm and slow energy loss."

It wasn't until Sunday, Brown said, that the river finally seemed safe enough to cross again. He and Klintworth prepared for their hike out by cooking up a "good meal" of rice, marshmallows, peanut butter and chocolate, he said.

"We then left and crossed the icy waters only up to our waist," he said. "We were climbing the mountains under the dense tree cover when we first heard the helicopter we assumed was looking for us. The copter never saw us and we walked out just fine and met up with the search and rescue by the road."

It was when they attended a debriefing, he added, that "we found out what a big deal all this was."

Judd said the pair made some good choices, particularly by not trying to cross the flooded river, but could have entered the wilderness better prepared.

Brown said he relied on his past experience hiking and camping and felt confident in the couple's ability to survive.

"I believe when you go into the bush you take your life into your own hands and need to be prepared to handle whatever conditions occur," he said. "We could have been more prepared, but in the end we were prepared enough to walk ourselves out."

The incident comes one month after three Boston University students studying abroad were killed in New Zealand when their minivan rolled. The students were driving to a hike at the time of the crash. A fourth student who was critically injured in the crash has since regained consciousness.

___

Follow Nick Perry on Twitter at http://twitter.com/nickgbperry

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iMessage Has More Than 140M Users, And Has Sent Over 150B Messages, Over 1B A Day.

Screen Shot 2012-06-11 at 11.20.45 AMA little over a year after it's debut, Apple's Scott Forstall revealed today that Apple's SMS killer iMessage now has 140 million users, and has sent over 150 billion messages, with over 1 billion a day. Forstall also revealed that Twitter has seen a 3x growth increase in iOS users since it's integration was announced a year ago. 10 billion tweets now from iOS 5 and 47 percent of all photos on Twitter come from iOS 5.

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Officials confirm dock that washed up in Oregon is from Japan

NEWPORT, Ore. - Agate Beach remains open, state parks officials say - just stay off the dock that floated over from Japan.

Wednesday afternoon, Chris Havel with Oregon Parks and Recreation sent out a short statement by email that said "The Japanese consulate has confirmed that the dock washed ashore at Agate Beach is debris from the March 2011 tsunami in Japan."

Earlier, Oregon Parks and Recreation sent out a photo of the placard Wednesday morning?and said they forwarded the image to the Japanese consulate in Portland, Oregon, for their review. "The origin of the dock has not yet been confirmed," officials said at the time.

But a steady stream of clues continued to point towards the dock making the long voyage from Japan over the last 15 months.

KATU traced a phone number on the placard to a?business located in Tokyo, called Zeniya Marine Services Company, Ltd., which builds docks and other floating?marine structures.

Greg Smith, who said he works in Japan, emailed a translation of the placard to KATU.com?that indicated the dock was indeed built in Japan in 2008. Several other KATU?viewers also emailed translations that?matched Smith's.

Oregon Parks and Recreation officials sent out a second press release Wednesday that said the dock was tested for radiation and "found to be?negative"?but scientists at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport?verified animals attached to the structure are definitely from Japanese waters.

Officials said steps are being taken to?contain any problems with possible invasive species and they are studying?disposal options including salvage or demolition.

Oregon Senator Ron Wyden also weighed in on the discovery, saying the dock is likely just the first big piece of debris headed for the Oregon Coast. "With the strong possibility that more debris could pose a significant threat to shipping lanes and fishing grounds, I encourage the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to redouble its efforts in tracking debris generated by the Japanese earthquake," the statement read in part. Full text of statement is at the end of this story.

Beachcombers first spotted the dock floating offshore on Monday. The structure washed ashore and is sitting at the high tide line, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department staff said.

The dock?was marked with warning signs and tape advising the public to stay clear of the structure, which could shift and move at high tide as waves come ashore.

The dock is 7 feet tall, 19 feet wide and 66 feet long. Parks staff said that, while made of concrete and metal, the structure was clearly designed to float.

Previously, officials said there was no indication the structure crossed the ocean or that it came loose after the Japanese tsunami last year.

But beach-goers who talked to KATU?News said they couldn?t help but think it is debris from the tsunami-stricken shores of Japan.

Kirk Tite and his boys were drawn to the beach Tuesday by the massive hunk of concrete and metal covered in sea creatures.

The family said they found clues like a tiny Japanese symbol and an imprint on the tires that might indicate its origin.

"It says Shibata, Japan, which could mean it was made in Shibata, Japan, but it could also be from Shibata, Japan," said Kirk Tite.

"I just think it?s kinda weird that it could come all the way from Japan. It could be from the tsunami that happened quite a bit ago," said Kirk's son, Trevor.

The Oregon Parks Department has sent early photos of the dock to NOAA and the Japanese consulate.

"We don't know where it's from," said Chris Havel with the parks department. "We don't know if it's from Japan or not but we have to eliminate those possibilities as we go forward."

The dock will either be helped back out to sea and towed away or dismantled on the beach. Officials with the parks department will decide in the next few days.


Full statement from Sen. Ron Wyden on expected tsunami debris:

?The huge dock that washed ashore in Agate Beach is clear evidence that debris from last year?s tsunami in Japan is reaching the Oregon Coast much sooner than anyone predicted.

This massive dock, which crossed the Pacific Ocean undetected in 15 months, may be the vanguard of more debris to come.

With the strong possibility that more debris could pose a significant threat to shipping lanes and fishing grounds, I encourage the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to redouble its efforts in tracking debris generated by the Japanese earthquake and to work closely with other federal, state and local agencies to inform the public how best to report suspected debris."

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