July 9th radio show description

Already available here, below is the description of what I talked about on the July 9th radio show:

• News: The next sample to be tested by the Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer (TEGA) on the Phoenix Mars Lander to be rich is sub-surface ice, one the ovens that comprise the TEGA has a short circuit most likely the result of all the shaking done early to get a sample in there (link); International Astronomical Union decides to call pluto-like objects "plutoids" (link); Ulysses spacecraft still functioning - fuel lines were expected to freeze on 1 July; Rosetta spacecraft en route to a rendezvous with a comet is preparing to study a rare type of asteroid; main mirror for new airplane-hosted infrared telescope SOFIA has been made; first underwater detector for high energy neutrinos coming from space, Antares, is complete (link); thanks to infusion of money from recent supplemental budget passed by Congress, Fermilab cancels layoffs; congratulations to the winners of NASA's aircraft design competition (link); European Space Agency announces an opportunity for graduate students to conduct an experiment in zero-gravity for their thesis (link); NASA considering developing a program to teach university students how to develop a satellite (link); NASA debuts website devotes for first test flight of the Ares spacecraft - the replacement of the space shuttle (link); new swimsuit being used at the Beijing olympics was tested at NASA's Langley Research Center (link); meeting from July 9-10 in Paris to discuss a mission to Mars that would return a sample to the Earth (link); NASA TV to broadcast upcoming spacewalks (sorry, already happened); European Space Agency to host an Internal Space Station Heads of Agency meeting on July 17th to discuss future activity; Swedish gym for astronauts currently being tests on the International Space Station (link); mysterious acronym on extra-solar planet website believed to hold clue to new discovery; Doritos broadcasts first advertisement into outer space (link); Slovenia signs cooperation agreement with European Space Agency; Austria has joined European Southern-Hemisphere Observatory (ESO)
• Calendar of upcoming astronomy and science events in the greater Poughkeepsie/New York City area
• Return to Moon and Mars: A lot of technological development is required for this since much of the old technological capabilities have essentially been lost, including a new generation of spacesuits (link), a new lunar module breathing system which was just tested for the first time (link), new moon buggies, which NASA has been exhibiting and inviting teams to design their own and race (link, link) with ESA have their own competition (link). Before humans can return to the Moon and establish a permanent base their, more detailed mapping of the lunar surface and subsurface needs to be completed - goal of Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) to be launched later this year. Also need a study of what is required for a moon base, which was reviewed on June 20th. High resolution radar images of Moon's South Pole - a possible place to land people and build a moon base, waere released earlier this year (link). ESA's SMART-1 also doing this (link), and NASA devloped a laser radar technique to get even finer maps of lunar surface (link). NASA to launch in 2011 a mission to measure distortions in the gravitational field of the Moon caused by mass concentration underneath craters called "GRAIL", and will look for subsurface on the Moon with LRO. Once on the surface, moon dust would be a problem for humans and rovers because it is very fine, scratchy, and sticky due to its electrical charge as a result of the Solar Wind - cause be highly carcinogenic (link). Moon dust almost derailed an Apollo 17 rover, but duct tape saved the day. When/If people return to the Moon, NASA plans on doing some Astronomy there as well, has recently issued a called for proposals (link). Moon passes through Earth's magneotail, which also charges moon dust, can cause lunar dust storms, and is a process that is bizarre and one of things NASA hopes to study when people return (link). Giant crater at bottom of Moon might hold key to understanding period or intense bombardment in early Solar System, as well as seeing meteors crashing into Moon today. Reanalysis of Apollo 12 relic yield understanding on lunar "soil", which is a collection of the remains of past meteorites to hit the lunar surface. Moon also a good place to do very low frequency radio observation of the cosmos, since no ionosphere or interference like FM radio stations to worry about(link). Might also be possible to make a giant optical mirror on the moon using moon dust (link). Sun is expected to vaporize Earth when it enters its Red Giant phase of evolution (link) - providing incentive for humanity to leave the Earth in the next billion years or so.

Thank you very much for your patience, and hope you enjoyed listening.