Archive for the ‘space’ category: Page 802
Jan 19, 2018
Real-world intercontinental quantum communications enabled by the Micius satellite
Posted by Saúl Morales Rodriguéz in categories: encryption, internet, mathematics, quantum physics, security, space
A joint China-Austria team has performed quantum key distribution between the quantum-science satellite Micius and multiple ground stations located in Xinglong (near Beijing), Nanshan (near Urumqi), and Graz (near Vienna). Such experiments demonstrate the secure satellite-to-ground exchange of cryptographic keys during the passage of the satellite Micius over a ground station. Using Micius as a trusted relay, a secret key was created between China and Europe at locations separated up to 7,600 km on the Earth.
Private and secure communications are fundamental for Internet use and e-commerce, and it is important to establish a secure network with global protection of data. Traditional public key cryptography usually relies on the computational intractability of certain mathematical functions. In contrast, quantum key distribution (QKD) uses individual light quanta (single photons) in quantum superposition states to guarantee unconditional security between distant parties. Previously, the quantum communication distance has been limited to a few hundred kilometers due to optical channel losses of fibers or terrestrial free space. A promising solution to this problem exploits satellite and space-based links, which can conveniently connect two remote points on the Earth with greatly reduced channel loss, as most of the photons’ propagation path is through empty space with negligible loss and decoherence.
A cross-disciplinary multi-institutional team of scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, led by Professor Jian-Wei Pan, has spent more than 10 years developing a sophisticated satellite, Micius, dedicated to quantum science experiments, which was launched on August 2016 and orbits at an altitude of ~500 km. Five ground stations in China coordinate with the Micius satellite. These are located in Xinglong (near Beijing), Nanshan (near Urumqi), Delingha (37°22’44.43’‘N, 97°43’37.01” E), Lijiang (26°41’38.15’‘N, 100°1’45.55’‘E), and Ngari in Tibet (32°19’30.07’‘N, 80°1’34.18’‘E).
Jan 17, 2018
‘Potentially hazardous’ asteroid is headed towards Earth
Posted by Genevieve Klien in category: space
The asteroid is around 0.7 miles (1.1km) wide — making it longer than the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which stands at 0.5 miles high (0.8km).
It is set to pass by our planet on the 4th February at a distance of around 2,615,128 miles (4,208,641km) away — which is relatively close in space terms.
Continue reading “‘Potentially hazardous’ asteroid is headed towards Earth” »
Jan 15, 2018
Simply fix the Moon Treaty
Posted by Klaus Baldauf in categories: economics, geopolitics, space, treaties
My article with Jeff Sommers (see “The emerging field of space economics: theoretical and practical considerations”, The Space Review, December 18, 2017) raised considerable criticism regarding the Moon Treaty, particularly, the inclusion of the Common Heritage of Mankind (CHM) doctrine. Leigh Ratiner, L5 attorney during the 1980 Senate ratification hearings, had identified CHM as the reason for rejecting ratification:
Jan 13, 2018
Meet the robo-MANTIS unveiled for the first time at CES
Posted by Klaus Baldauf in categories: robotics/AI, space
MotivRobotics, which is also responsible for creating the robotic arms for NASA’s next Mars rover, debuted the robot for the first time at CES in Las Vegas. The mantis is semi-autonomous.
Jan 12, 2018
Citizen science bags five-planet haul
Posted by Genevieve Klien in categories: science, space
Astronomy enthusiasts help to confirm the existence of a five-planet system orbiting a far-off star.
Jan 12, 2018
Martian ice deposits could sustain human outposts in the future
Posted by Dan Kummer in categories: futurism, space
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — Scientists using images from an orbiting NASA spacecraft have detected eight sites where huge ice deposits near the Martian surface are exposed on steep slopes, a potential source of water that could help sustain future human outposts.
While scientists already knew that about a third of the surface of Mars contains shallow ground ice and that its poles harbor major ice deposits, the research published on Thursday described thick underground ice sheets exposed along slopes up to 100 yards (meters) tall at the planet’s middle latitudes.
“It was surprising to find ice exposed at the surface at these places. In the mid-latitudes, it’s normally covered by a blanket of dust or regolith,” loose bits of rock atop a layer of bedrock, said research geologist Colin Dundas of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Astrogeology Science Center in Flagstaff, Arizona, who led the study.
Continue reading “Martian ice deposits could sustain human outposts in the future” »
Jan 11, 2018
Rotation of fast radio burst reveals origins of the cosmic blast
Posted by Dan Kummer in category: space
Jan. 10 (UPI) — By analyzing the unique rotation of FRB 121102, a fast radio burst discovered by Cornell astronomers, scientists have been able to study the nature of its cosmic origin.
While studying the giant pulse of radio waves, researchers realized the waves gyrate, or “twist and shout,” as they pass through a veil of magnetized plasma. The twists represent what’s called Faraday rotation, while the shouts describe the bursts.
By measuring these two phenomena, scientists can better understand the cosmic conditions that inspired the massive pulse of radio waves.
Continue reading “Rotation of fast radio burst reveals origins of the cosmic blast” »
Jan 9, 2018
Want faster data and a cleaner planet? Start mining asteroids
Posted by Klaus Baldauf in categories: business, economics, habitats, space
Mining asteroids might seem like the stuff of science fiction, but there are companies and a few governments already working hard to make it real. This should not be surprising: compared with the breathtaking bridges that engineers build on Earth, asteroid-mining is a simple, small-scale operation requiring only modest technological advances. If anything is lacking, it is the imagination to see how plausible it has become. I am afraid only that it might not arrive soon enough to address the urgent resource challenges that the world is facing right now.
As an academic researcher, I work with several asteroid -mining companies to address that urgency. I depend on their funding, so there are trade secrets I cannot share. However, I can reveal the core reasons why I am optimistic about the business case for asteroid-mining, and what it will mean for our future.
Many people are skeptical of asteroid-mining because they imagine that the goal is to bring platinum back for sale in Earth’s metals market. Reporters repeatedly cite an irresistible statistic that the platinum in an asteroid can be worth trillions of US dollars, but anyone with an understanding of economics realises that bringing home a huge stash of precious metal would crash the market, reducing the valuation of the asteroid.
Continue reading “Want faster data and a cleaner planet? Start mining asteroids” »
Jan 6, 2018
The moon is about to do something it hasn’t done in more than 150 years
Posted by Shailesh Prasad in categories: biotech/medical, space
Call it whatever you like—a blue red moon, a purple moon, a blood moon—but the moon will be a special sight on Jan. 31.
Three separate celestial events will occur simultaneously that night, resulting in what some are calling a super blue blood moon eclipse. The astronomical rarity hasn’t happened for more than 150 years.
A super moon, like the one visible on New Year’s Day, is the term for when a full moon is closest to the Earth in its orbit, appearing bigger and brighter than normal.