Monday, January 14, 2008
credits:angkasawan
The Solar System is the Sun and all the objects in orbit around it. The objects orbiting the Sun are the 8 planets - Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, three dwarf planets (Pluto, Ceres and Eris), the planets’ 170 moons, and billions of smaller bodies, including asteroids, Kuiper belt objects, comets, meteoroids, and interplanetary dust.
The four planets closest to the sun—Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars—are called the terrestrial planets because they have solid rocky surfaces. The four large planets beyond the orbit of Mars—Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—are called gas giants.
From the time of its discovery in 1930 until 2006, Pluto was considered the Solar System's ninth planet. But in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, many objects similar to Pluto were discovered in the outer Solar System, most notably Eris (formerly 2003 UB313), which is slightly larger than Pluto. On August 24, 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) formally downgraded Pluto from an official planet to a dwarf planet. According to the new rules a planet meets three criteria: it must orbit the Sun, it must be big enough for gravity to squash it into a round ball, and it must have cleared other things out of the way in its orbital neighborhood. Apart from Pluto, Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt; and Eris, which lies in the scattered disc were named in the new category of dwarf planet.
99.86% of the Solar System total mass belongs to the Sun. Of the 0.14% total mass left, more than 90% belong to the two largest planets, Jupiter and Saturn.
National spacemen Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Sheikh Mustapha and Major Dr Faiz Khaleed were today commissioned as cosmonauts by the Russian government.
The commissioning was done by Anatoly Perminov, the chairman of Roskosmos (Russian National Space Agency), at Star City, Russia at 4pm Russian time (8pm in Malaysia).
Science, Technology and Innovations Ministry secretary-general Datuk Abdul Hanan Alang Endut and National Space Programme director Colonel Dr Zulkeffeli Mat Jusoh were present at the ceremony.
Dr Zulkeffeli, when contacted by Bernama tonight, said that the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) through its representative at the commissioning ceremony, also recognised the duo as astronauts.
On Oct 10, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar together Russian flight engineer Yuri Malenchenko and commander Peggy Wilson from the United States took off in a Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS). The Malaysian astronaut returned to Earth on Oct 21.
Source: Bernama
Saturday, November 17, 2007
NASA is now accepting applications for its 2009 astronaut class. The agency is looking for a few men and women who want to fulfill their dreams and be a part of the next generation of explorers.
"We look forward to gathering applications and then being able to select from the largest pool possible," said Ellen Ochoa, NASA's chief of Flight Crew Operations at the Johnson Space Center. "Continuing our impressive record in successfully carrying out challenging human spaceflight missions depends on maintaining a talented and diverse astronaut corps."
To be considered, a bachelor's degree in engineering, science or math and three years of relevant professional experience are required. Typically, successful applicants have significant qualifications in engineering or science, or extensive experience flying high-performance jet aircraft.
Teaching experience, including work at the kindergarten through 12th grade level, is considered qualifying. Educators with the appropriate educational background are encouraged to apply.
The open positions are for astronaut candidates to train for tours of duty on the International Space Station, the largest human spacecraft ever built. It is also the site for research that will prepare NASA for future long-duration human missions to the moon and other destinations. The Constellation Program is responsible for building and operating the next-generation vehicles that will carry astronauts to the space station and the moon.
Applicants must meet physical standards and educational requirements, which include a bachelor’s degree in engineering, math or science and at least three years of experience in one of these fields. Teaching experience, including experience at the K-12 level, is considered to be qualifying experience; therefore, educators are encouraged to apply.
The open positions require extensive travel on Earth and in space. Possible destinations may include, but are not limited to, Texas, Florida, California, Russia, Kazakhstan, the International Space Station and the moon.
Unfortunately, the application was only opened to U.S. citizens, both civilian and military, who are qualified and super-motivated can apply for these positions. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. The deadline is July 1, 2008.
NASA HAS SPACE FOR YOU!
To Apply: visit http://www.usajobs.gov
The Angkasawan Programme is the Malaysian national programme to send the first Malaysian to space. The Malaysian will join two other cosmonauts aboard a Soyuz space craft that will rendezvous with the International Space Station, which is in orbit around the Earth at an altitude of approximately 360 km. The Angkasawan will carry out scientific researches on board the space station.
The programme is part of an offset agreement between Malaysia and Russia in relation to Malaysia’s purchase of Russian-made Sukhoi-30MKM fighter jets. Through this package, the Russian government agreed to train two Malaysians, one of which will make the journey while the other one will act as his backup. The Russian Government will bear the costs.
The Malaysian astronaut is officially called the Angkasawan, which means astronaut in the Malaysian language. The two Angkasawan candidates who are now undergoing training were selected out of over 11,000 applicants in an open selection process which started in October 2003 and ended in September 2006.
The Angkasawan Programme is a giant step for Malaysia in developing its scientific and technological capabilities and in buiding its international image. The programme is hoped to spur Malaysians to develop interests in space studies in particular and science and technology in general, and encourage local scientific and space industries. It is also designed to instil a sense of can-do spirit especially amongst the younger Malaysians.
The Angkasawan Programme is only a step in Malaysia’s involvement in space. The Angkasawan Programme, in essence, marks the beginning of a new and exciting chapter in the history of Malaysia.
via Angkasawan
Thursday, November 15, 2007
