Chernobyl species decline linked to DNA
August 21, 2010
Scientists working in Chernobyl have found a way to predict which species there are likely to be most severely damaged by radioactive contamination.
‘Terror bird’ was prize fighter
August 19, 2010
They are popularly called “terror birds”, and with good reason.
The giant, flightless beasts that roamed South America for more than 50 million years following the demise of the dinosaurs were fearsome predators.
New research shows the birds’ huge beaks could deliver swift and powerful pecks, very probably killing their victims in one blow before ripping the flesh from their bodies.
Dark matter hunt eyes deeper home
July 26, 2010
Scientists are looking to relocate an underground experiment searching for dark matter to an even deeper site.
Cosmic rays striking the Earth could completely mask the rare dark matter events sought by the experiment.
Russian cargo ship ‘under control’ official says
July 3, 2010
A cargo vessel which failed to dock with the International Space Station is under control, a Russian space agency official has said.
Mission controllers are still trying to establish what went wrong with the docking system on the ship.
Bionic feet for amputee cat
June 27, 2010
A cat that had its back feet severed by a combine harvester has been given two prosthetic limbs in a pioneering operation by a UK vet.
The new feet are custom-made implants that “peg” the ankle to the foot. They are bioengineered to mimic the way deer antler bone grows through the skin.
German TanDEM-X satellite returns first images
June 26, 2010
Germany’s new radar satellite, TanDEM-X, has returned its first images.
The spacecraft was launched from Kazakhstan on Monday on a mission to make the most precise 3D map of the Earth’s surface.
German TanDEM-X satellite seeks 3D view of Earth
June 21, 2010
The TanDEM-X satellite has blasted into orbit on a mission to acquire the most precise 3D map of the Earth’s surface.
The German radar spacecraft will fly in formation with an identical platform called TerraSAR-X launched in 2007.
Illegal bushmeat ‘rife in Europe’
June 20, 2010
About 270 tonnes of illegal bushmeat could be passing through one of Europe’s busiest airports each year, the first study of its kind estimates.
A team of researchers says the illicit trade could pose a risk to human or animal health and increase the demand for meat from threatened species.
The figure is based on seizures from searches carried out over 17 days at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.
Japan Itokawa asteroid mission set for re-entry
June 13, 2010
Japan’s Hayabusa probe returns to Earth on Sunday, releasing a capsule into the atmosphere that scientists hope will contain samples from asteroid Itokawa.
If the 40cm-wide conical disc survives the blistering heat of the descent and can deploy a parachute, it should touch down in Australia at about 1400 GMT.
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket enjoys successful maiden flight
June 5, 2010
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket has enjoyed a successful maiden test flight after the first launch attempted was aborted.
The rocket, which could one day carry astronauts, blasted-off from its launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 1845 GMT.
The California-based firm developed the vehicle with a large subsidy from Nasa.