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Lights out on a ghostly James Webb Space Telescope inspection
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) might be the most important scientific instrument ever developed. It'll peer back in time over 13 billion years to the early universe and look for signs of life around the recently discovered TRAPPIST-1 planetary system.
Astronaut Chris Hadfield's iPad in space
Just ask Canadian Space Agency astronaut Chris Hadfield, and he will tell you that the iPad is just as useful in space as it is at home. Hadfield is currently on the International Space Station and putting his iPad to good use. As shown by Hadfield in a recent tweet, his iPad is a teleprompter tool that he uses along with a camera to film reports for those of us on terra firma. According to the Canadian Space Agency, Hadfield uses his iPad for entertainment and has filled it with thousands of songs. His favorite track? "Take it From Day to Day" by Canadian folk singer Stan Rogers. [Via MacStories]
Canada's Dextre robot refuels faux satellite from the ISS in first-of-a-kind test
Move over, Canadarm. You may have helped the space shuttle fleet repair the Hubble Telescope and build the International Space Station, but there's another robotic tool that's the apple of the Great White North's eye. Dextre, the Canadian Space Agency's dual-armed mechanical "handyman," has successfully refueled a faux satellite from the ISS as part of NASA's and the CSA's joint Robotic Refueling Mission. Not only did the exercise demonstrate how satellites could be juiced up in space and have their lives extended, but the CSA says it's a first for the history books, to boot. Since 2011, Dextre completed a trio of tests to show how it could service satellites that weren't built for being pried opened in space. Late this week, NASA and CSA robotics controllers removed two safety caps from a washing machine-sized mock satellite, snipped two sets of retaining wires and pumped in a bit of ethanol. Sure, you could take a Frankenstein-like approach and cobble together new satellites from old ones, but Dextre's trials indicate there's promise for a proactive tactic that would keep existing hardware humming.
