Carnival of Space #402

Welcome to the Carnival of Space #402! This week, we host the amazing articles below from the spacer blogisphere. We would love you to join us and here are the ways how: Read the host blogs, Join the Carnival, Host the Carnival or all three!

See every CoS there has ever been at Universe Today and find out more about participating, if that’s your thing.

Enjoy the articles next…

Destellos desde Vega: Se reafirma la teoría de un gran impactor en la formación de la Luna
Fran Sevilla | Vega 0.0

New studies about the origin of the Moon suggest again that a big object impacted agains our planet. This object is commonly known as Theia. The article is written in Spanish.

Buried Glaciers Have Enough Ice to Cover Entire Surface of Mars, According to New Study
Paul Scott Anderson | The Meridiani Journal

When the topic of ice on Mars comes up, the first thing that usually comes to mind are the polar ice caps which are prominent even in small telescopes. There is, however, ice elsewhere on the planet as well, such as beneath the surface in the mid-latitudes, covered by dust. Now, a new study has revealed…

White Dwarf May Have Shredded Passing Planet
Megan Watzke | Chandra X-Ray Observatory

Researchers used the European Space Agency’s INTErnational Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL) to discover a new X-ray source near the center of the globular cluster NGC 6388. Optical observations had hinted that an intermediate-mass black hole with mass equal to several hundred Suns or more resides at the center of NGC 6388. The X-ray detection by INTEGRAL then raised the intriguing possibility that the X-rays were produced…

The Fastest Spacecraft Ever Launched is 3 Months From Pluto
Brian Wang | Next Big Future

NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft is three months from returning to humanity the first-ever close up images and scientific observations of distant Pluto and its system of large and small moons.

“Scientific literature is filled with papers on the characteristics of Pluto and its moons from ground based and Earth orbiting space observations, but we’ve never studied Pluto up close and personal,” said John Grunsfeld, astronaut, and associate administrator of the NASA Science Mission Directorate at the agency’s Headquarters in Washington. “In an unprecedented flyby this July, our knowledge of what the Pluto system is really like will expand…

Spacex Launch Live Video – Rocket Successfully and First Stage Landed on Droneship but Tipped Over Post Landing
Brian Wang | Next Big Future

Videos and pictures of Spacex launch to ISS

Video Showing Spacex Came Very Close to a Successful Reusable Rocket First Stage Landing
Brian Wang | Next Big Future

Video and pictures of the landing that almost good for the first stage of the Spacex rocket

United Launch Alliance Developing Reusable Rocket Called Vulcan
Brian Wang | Next Big Future

United Launch Alliance Monday unveiled the name of its next rocket and it will be called Vulcan.

The new rocket could launch as soon as 2019. It is ULA’s response to competition from SpaceX and political pressure to phase out use of the Russian RD-180 engine powering its workhorse Atlas V rocket.

ULA CEO Tory Bruno said the rocket’s design will allow recovery and reuse of the booster’s main engines, the rocket’s most expensive components.

ULA has partnered with Blue Origin, the Seattle-based firm privately funded by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, to develop new American engines.

Plans also call for an eventual replacement of the Atlas V’s Centaur upper stage.

Bruno said the Vulcan would be the “highest-performing, most cost-efficient rocket on the market.”

Astrophotography Session @ Sahara Sky Observatory, 10 days of shooting the Universe
Stefan Lamoureux | Links Through Space

Follow our Astronomy Club’s travel post series on my Astronomy trip to the Sahara, Southern Morocco and enjoy the astronomy behind it. This week it’s all about Nebulas and Astrophotography!

And so we begin our Carnival! I sent out another call for articles so I will update with any late comers until we are ready for Carnival of Space #403, hosted by Brownspaceman next week. Enjoy and stop back in a few days!

UPDATED WITH THE NEW ARTICLES NOW!