TECHNOLOGY TIPS – NASA IS MAKING MAJOR STRIDES
TECHNOLOGY TIPS – NASA IS MAKING MAJOR STRIDES
This week as I was researching for this blog I found several articles about NASA that were simply fascinating. First did you know that NASA is going to have their own taxis? Partnering with Boeing and SpaceX NASA is creating their own "space taxi" fleet which will serve to end dependence on hitching a ride with Russia to the International Space Station. SpaceX is run by CEO of Tesla Motors Elon Musk.
Along the same lines of space travel NASA’s Maven spacecraft arrived at the orbit of Mars after nearly a year of traveling the 442 million mile journey. The craft will study the planet’s upper atmosphere beginning in November and is not meant to land on the planet itself. Initially Maven’s flight controllers will be checking and adjusting altitude monitoring instruments and observing a comet that should be streaking by at fairly close range. Maven is now one of four crafts orbiting Mars with India’s Mangalyaan set to reach in the next couple days. Maven will be collecting data for at least a full year.
Finally NASA has developed a device called FINDER (Finding Individuals for Disaster and Emergency Response). Inspired by the earthquake in Haiti the Department of Homeland Security went to James Lux. Lux created a device for the US military which could determine if a downed soldier was dead or alive. The technology is able to pick up the human heart beat through up to 40 feet of debris. The device is compact and extremely easy to learn how to use. Using a low power radio signal to detect motion which your heartbeat creates every time it will detect the heartbeat on the radar. The unique element is the software that can discern between movement and signs of life. It’s able to find heartbeats within a 100 foot radius. The software has been tested by FEMA. Lux is currently working to get the FINDER hardware onto drones or helicopters to fly into a disaster area that is unreachable by foot. He is also working on a similar device to assist firefighters.
As NASA continues its space exploration the fascinating by-products of their technology continue.
CATHY MALLERS & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO
