The hatch that wouldn't close

Space stories are best remembered for their successes. The emergencies and failures are often reduced to footnotes in space history, even if the learnings from them are also valuable. One such emergency that might have even cost human lives happened during the Soyuz TM-9 expedition.

The ninth expedition to the Soviet/Russian space station Mir, Soyuz TM-9 had a two-member crew in the form of Soviet and Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Solovyov and Aleksandr Balandin. Launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on February 11, 1990, the Soyuz TM-9 docked with the orbital station Mir on February 13.

Thermal blankets damaged The departing crew of TM-8 observed that three of the eight thermal insulation blankets on TM-9's descent module were damaged. There were fears that the damaged insulation could block optical navigation sensor or even lead to overheating or cooling that might cause an electrical short. As a result, a spacewalk that was previously unscheduled was forced on the cosmonauts.

For starters, the Mir space station was manoeuvred so as to keep TM-9 facing the sun and hence have the temperature stabilised. The damage to the blankets, however, required special tools and also an EVA (extra-vehicular activity) ladder to reach the impaired area.

These materials arrived with the long-awaited, much-delayed Kristall module, which docked at Mirs front port on June 10 and was relocated to the port opposite Mirs Kvant 2 module the next day. While Solovyov and Balandin were initially scheduled to return to Earth at the end of July, their mission was extended by 10 days to enable them to activate Kristall's systems and perform the EVA to repair TM-9's damaged blankets.

Learning on the go

To add to the existing issues, Solovyov and Balandin had not been trained to perform an EVA. In such a situation, the duo were asked to train using a videotape that had been sent from Earth on a Progress spacecraft. Additionally, they also observed televised practice sessions.

 

On July 17, the cosmonauts exited through the Kvant 2 hatch and began the repair mission. Using the ladders to reach the damaged site, they observed that the TM-9 descent module remained in excellent condition save for the thermal problem.

As the thermal blankets had shrunk to a stage where it was impossible to reattach them, the cosmonauts resorted to their contingency plan by folding two of the three blankets in half and stowing the torn blankets away from the sensor's line of sight. A time-intensive exercise, it took them nearly six hours, meaning that they were well behind their schedule and fast approaching the rated endurance of their spacesuits.

Back in the Kvant 2 airlock, they realised that the outer hatch wouldn't close. Apparently, they had opened the hatch before the chamber had fully depressurised when they had stepped out. As the airlock wasn't completely evacuated of air, the door now didn't close and its hinges were damaged.

Emergency hatch helps out

The central compartment of Kvant 2 was designed to serve as an emergency hatch. With time running out, Solovyov and Balandin depressurised this compartment, moved into it and then re-pressurised it before entering the pressurised portion of Mir. Their unscheduled EVA had lasted 7 hours and 16 minutes.

On July 25, the duo performed another EVA, this time to repair the hatch and secure their ladders. Following several failed attempts to close the outside hatch from inside. They televised images before going ahead to secure the ladders. In the end, a short-term fix was managed when a portion of the hinge cover, which had broken and lodged between the hatch and its frame, was removed. The second EVA, which lasted 3 hours and 31 minutes, proved to be successful as the hatch was easier to close and seal after this.

Solovyov and Balandin's 179-day mission came to an uneventful end on August 9 when Soyuz TM-9 landed without incident at a predetermined area 72 km north-east of the city of Arkalyk, now in Kazakhstan. The duo had 130 kg of experimental results and industrial products to show for their efforts, apart from an egg that was laid by a quail aboard Soyuz TM-10 while en route to the space station.

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What is the name of the most abundant mineral?

Bridgmanite is the new name for the most abundant mineral on earth. It makes up about 70 per cent of the earth's lower mantle (660 to 2890 km beneath the planet's surface) and 38 per cent of the total volume of earth. It is made up of high-density magnesium iron silicate.

Bridgmanite makes up around 38% of the planet's total volume, meaning it is by far the most abundant mineral on Earth. Although scientists have known about its existence for years, they had not been able to observe, analyze, or name the mineral because it does not (and cannot) rise from the depths of the lower mantle to the surface of the Earth. It was historically referred to as perovskite, as the International Mineralogical Association does not allow formal names for minerals unless they have been examined in person.

That all changed in 2014 when mineralogists found bridgmanite in a meteorite that had crashed into Australia in 1879. During impact, the meteorite was subjected to temperatures in excess of 3600 degrees F and pressures around 24 gigapascal, similar to what is found in the lower mantle. Bridgmanite was named in honor of Percy Bridgman, who won a Nobel Prize in 1946 for his research of materials at very high pressures.

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Scientists create apple that fizzes in mouth like soda

Scientists have created the world's first 'sparkling' apple that fizzes in the mouth when eaten. When the apple is bitten into, the cells in the flesh of the fruit release juices akin to having a mouthful of a fizzy drink. One of the two varieties used to breed the new apple is called Resi- an East German specimen known for its sweet texture. Swiss firm Lubera mixed Resi with the variety Pirouette to create the new apple called Paradis Sparkling. The new breed took years to perfect by trial and error genetic modification.

Swiss firm Lubera mixed Resi with the variety Pirouette to create the new apple called Paradis Sparkling. The new breed took years to perfect by trial and error genetic modification.

“It has a soft texture but a heavy crunch and very big cells that open up in the mouth, releasing a lot of acidity and sugar that gives you a feeling of having a fizzy drink,” said Robert Maierhofer, production manager at Lubera.

Maierhofer said the breeding process involved repeatedly selecting the richest apples produced from a tree to cross-breed with. The sapling trees are now on sale for 34 pounds.

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Cockroach biobots to the rescue!

Researchers have developed a novel technology that allows cyborg cockroaches or "biobots" to pick up sounds with small microphones and seek out the source of the sound.

The technology is designed to help emergency personnel find and rescue survivors in the aftermath of a disaster. For example, in a collapsed building, sound is the best way to find survivors.

The so-called biobots are equipped with tiny electronic backpacks that control the cockroach's movements. In one version, a single multi-directional microphone captures relatively high-resolution sound which is then transmitted wirelessly to first responders. In the other version, multiple three directional microphones detect the location of the sound to innately direct the biobot in that direction.

The team also developed a technology that can be used as an "invisible fence" to keep the biobots at a disaster site within range of each other so that they can be used as a reliable mobile wireless network.

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A cane that "sees" for the blind

Students of IIT Delhi have developed a smart cane for blind people. The SmartCane is designed to help users detect obstacles above knee-level and prevent accidents from occurring. Using sensors, the device detects obstructions up to a distance of 10 feet. It attaches to the top of a standard folding white cane, currently used by millions of visually impaired people across the globe.

Costing 3,000, the SmartCane mimics the capabilities of bats, using sonar to detect objects in the surrounding environment. Ultrasound waves are sent out and, when they return to the cane, they vibrate on the relevant side to warn of an obstacle ahead. Different patterns and intensities let the user know how far away an object is. It has a rechargeable battery that lasts nearly a week without charging.

According to the World Health Organization, 285 million people are estimated to be visually impaired worldwide. Almost 90 per cent of these live in developing countries, with India home to the most, at 12 million.

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Cardinal fish spitting out an ostracod

Scientists might be exploring space, but there are lots of mysterious things on Earth which are still unexplored… especially what lies beneath the ocean waves. The ocean is filled with thousands of wonders.

Looking at the small, translucent fish, which appears to be shooting blue lasers out of its mouth, one would think that either it is some new species or another impact of humans on sea life.

The see-through cardinalfish evolved in step with tiny crustaceans called ostracods. The millimetre-long creatures sometimes get swallowed by the cardinalfish while the fish are looking for their actual food: plankton. To avoid this, the ostracods evolved a brilliant defense: they light up. Since cardinalfish are translucent, their glowing bodies turn them into easy targets for their own predators. Once the fish realizes this, it spits the ostracod out to avoid being preyed upon. The cardinalfish probably became translucent to avoid being seen by its predators. But it's a double-edged sword: the ostracods evolved their light show because it renders the cardinalfish's main defence completely useless.

Luciferase is an oxidative enzyme necessary for luciferin to emit the glow. When they mix, they create the bluish glow shown in the image, which causes the translucent cardinal fish to glow, potentially drawing the attention from nearby predators. As result, the cardinal fish spits out the ostracod.

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What is a yawn a sign of?

A scientific study suggests 'contagious' yawns are a sign of deep empathy. They are caused by an irrepressible need to share and understand the emotions and feelings of others. Contagious yawning activates the same parts of the brain that govern empathy and social know-how. And studies have shown that humans with more fine-tuned social skills are more likely to catch a yawn. The 'emotional bridge' created by the shared experience enhances social bonding.

Biologists believe contagious yawns are caused by an involuntary re-enactment of the facial expression seen in others. 'Mirror neurons' in the pre-frontal cortex - the brain region involved in social behaviour fire when certain expressions are seen in other people, prompting us to instinctively copy them. This 'mirror system is strongest between people who are emotionally attached, probably by shared memories.

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New prosthetics that connect right to the bone let amputees "feel" again

Researchers from University College, London, have created a prosthetic leg that attaches directly to the bone. The Itap (intraosseous transcutaneous amputation prosthesis) involves attaching a metal implant directly to the bone at the end of the residual limb. The metal implant then pokes through the skin and attaches to the prosthetic leg, giving the wearer a direct connection between their body and the prosthesis. That means that the person can feel what that leg is doing since the new setup provides much better tactile feedback - at the cost of never being able to take it off, of course.

The prosthetic limbs are modelled after deer antlers, which have porous bone beneath their surface; the pores help soft tissue invade the bone and seal off the interface between skin and bone, so dirt and bacteria can't get in. Itap uses a similar porous design in the area where the skin and prosthetic meet, allowing soft tissue to invade the metal.

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Is Dreadnoughtus the biggest dinosaur?

Scientists have discovered a new species of dinosaur in Argentina, and it was very, very big! Weighing 65 tons and measuring 85 feet long, the Dreadnoughtus schrani was one of the biggest creatures to ever live. The new member of the Titanosaur family had a 37-foot-long neck, 29-foot-long tail, and was still growing when it died out. To put its size into perspective, it was heavier than a Boeing 737, longer than a basketball court and heavier than 12 elephants. The well-preserved skeleton is the most complete of any of the Titanosaur family, with 70 per cent of its bones found.

It's hard to say how much bigger this or other Dreadnoughtus may have gotten had it fully matured. Nor, without a time machine, can one quickly determine whether this new species was bigger than fellow titanosaurs such as the similarly gargantuan Argentinosaurus.

That's mostly because other finds like these are relatively incomplete, forcing paleontologists to make estimates based off a bone or two here and there.

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What is sense sleep system?

Sense by Hello is a simple system that tracks your sleep, monitors the environment of your bedroom, and reinvents the alarm. It keeps track of noise, light, temperature, humidity and particles in the air that can trigger allergies. The small glowing orb connects wirelessly to a tag (called the 'sleep pill') that clips to your pillow and monitors your sleep patterns, tracks movement like disturbed sleep or waking up, and listens for snoring and sleep talking. The iOS and Android app tells you how well you slept or didn't by giving you a Sleep Score each night, and analyzing the data to work out what temperatures and humidity you sleep best at. It also lets you set a Smart Alarm, waking you up in the morning at the right point in your sleep cycle so that you avoid that groggy feeling.

Your Sleep Timeline shows you a complete overview of our sleep cycle, punctuated by key events from your night. Together, you’ll see how external disturbances — like a car alarm going off outside your window, for example — can affect how well you sleep.

Unlike a normal alarm, Sense’s Smart Alarm analyzes your sleep cycle to know when you’re sleeping lightly, and wakes you up at the optimal time to start your day off right.
Simply set your alarm, choose from one of 15 beautiful wake tones, and Sense will gently wake you while you’re in the lightest phase of sleep, up to 30 minutes before your set time.”

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AirType is a wearable device that lets you type without a keyboard

Crowned the "keyless keyboard of the future", Airtype is an innovative device that lets you type on any surface. Simply slide each of the bands over your palms and type away. It learns your finger movements and adapts to the way you type, so you don't need to change your typing habits. Its text prediction technology ensures that you'll never have to hit the backspace again. Take it with you everywhere by just clipping it to your tablet or laptop.

Airtype is designed to be as portable as a cell phone and can easily clip into a tablet for easy transport. Air Type's website says that the system will learn to adjust to your typing habits. The app has dynamic text prediction and correction, the developers added. However, the team is not saying how exactly the prototype works, but it will most likely connect to devices via Bluetooth or NFC since it doesn't have any wires.

Since most of the people type erratically and never bother to learn the skill of typing, it’s difficult to guess how well Airtype will work. Check out the video below to see the proptype in action.

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How much space dust falls to Earth yearly?

5,200 tonnes of space dust fall to Earth each year. The space between the planets is sprinkled with dust particles, called cosmic dust. These interplanetary dust particles pass through our atmosphere and reach the Earth's surface in the form of micrometeorites. Micrometeorites from comets or asteroids are particles of a few tenths to hundredths of a millimetre and are the biggest source of extraterrestrial material delivered to Earth's surface.

To collect and analyse these micrometeorites, six expeditions led by CNRS researcher Jean Duprat have taken place over the last two decades near the Franco-Italian Concordia station (Dome C), which is located 1,100 kilometres off the coast of Adélie Land, in the heart of Antarctica. Dome C is an ideal collection spot due to the low accumulation rate of snow and the near absence of terrestrial dust.

These expeditions have collected enough extraterrestrial particles (ranging from 30 to 200 micrometres in size), to measure their annual flux, which corresponds to the mass accreted on Earth per square metre per year.

If these results are applied to the whole planet, the total annual flux of micrometeorites represents 5,200 tons per year. This is the main source of extraterrestrial matter on our planet, far ahead of larger objects such as meteorites, for which the flux is less than ten tons per year.

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Antarctica gives birth to world's largest iceberg

A giant slab of ice has sheared off from Antarctica's Ronne Ice Shelf into the Weddell Sea, becoming the largest iceberg currently afloat in the world, says the European Space Agency. The enormous oblong iceberg, designated A-76, was spotted in satellite images captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission. Its surface area spans 4,320 sq km and measures 175 km long by 25 km wide.

The A-76 ranks as the largest existing iceberg on the planet, surpassing the A-23A, which is about 3,380 sq km in size and also floating in the Weddell Sea.

The Ronne Ice Shelf on the flank of the Antarctic Peninsula is one of the largest of several enormous floating sheets of ice that connect to the continent's landmass and extend out into the surrounding seas. Periodic shearing off of large chunks of those shelves is part of a natural cycle. But some ice shelves along the Antarctic Peninsula have undergone rapid disintegration in recent years, a phenomenon scientists believe may be related to climate change.

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Gharial hatchlings seen in natural habitat in Odisha after years

At least 28 gharial hatchlings were sighted recently in the Satkosia gorge of the Mahanadi River in the first-ever case of breeding of the reptiles in natural conditions in 15 years, away from artificial breeding centres. The tiny hatchlings were sighted on the back of the mother gharial and were also swimming independently in the gorge.

Distinguishable by their long snout, the gharials are considered to be among the most critically endangered crocodiles with an estimated 200 400 remaining in the rivers of Uttar Pradesh. Their habitat is threatened due to human encroachment and disruption of population through fishing activities. They are also genetically weak as compared to salt water crocodiles and muggers.

Gharials caught accidentally in fishing nets are either hacked to death or have their snout chopped off by fishermen.

Odisha is the only state in India having all three species of crocodiles (gharial, mugger and saltwater) found in nature. The State Forest Department has begun conservation of these three species since 1975 by establishing three rearing centres - Tikarpada for gharials in Angul district, Ramatirtha for muggers in Mayurbhanj, and Bhitarkanika for saltwater crocodiles in Kendrapara district.

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What is the first most spoken language in the world?

60.4% is the percentage of the top 10 million websites that use the English language. This is followed by Russian (8.5%) in second place and Spanish (4.0%) in third. Chinese comes in at tenth place with 1.4%, even though China has the highest number of internet users. English is the most commonly used language online, and is also the most spoken language worldwide with over 1.13 billion speakers. But it's interesting to note that the online use of a language doesn't always reflect how many people speak it. For example, Hindi is the third most spoken language worldwide, but it isn't one of the top languages used on the internet.

One reason for English being so dominant online is that it is considered a ‘universal language’, often chosen by people of different nationalities as a common way to communicate. Unlike Chinese, which until relatively recently was little spoken outside its homeland, English has long been a common international language in areas such as business and scientific research. This gives it a natural advantage online and helps account for its widespread use.

English accounts for 55% of all online content today yet less than 20 years ago it was more than 80%. During that time, we’ve gone from being passive consumers of content to active creators of it, while online retailers have increasingly offered personalised content to attract customers.

People are more likely to favour their native language online when discussing local issues or sharing with friends and they prefer to shop in their own language. As we continue to create our own content and look for even more tailored content from others, the amount of non-English pages online will only keep growing.

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