First Digital Map of Earth's Ocean Floor

As reported by EarthSky.org: Scientists have created a digital map of the global seafloor’s geology. It’s the first time the composition of our planet’s seafloor has been mapped in 40 years; the most recent map was hand drawn in the 1970s.

Published in the latest edition of Geology, the map will help scientists better understand how our oceans have responded, and will respond, to environmental change. It also reveals the deep ocean basins to be much more complex than previously thought. Adriana Dutkiewicz from the University of Sydney is the lead researcher. She said:

In order to understand environmental change in the oceans we need to better understand what is preserved in the geological record in the seabed.

The deep ocean floor is a graveyard with much of it made up of the remains of microscopic sea creatures called phytoplankton, which thrive in sunlit surface waters. The composition of these remains can help decipher how oceans have responded in the past to climate change.

A special group of phytoplankton called diatoms produce about a quarter of the oxygen we breathe and make a bigger contribution to fighting global warming than most plants on land. Their dead remains sink to the bottom of the ocean, locking away their carbon.

The new seafloor geology map demonstrates that diatom accumulations on the seafloor are nearly entirely independent of diatom blooms in surface waters in the Southern Ocean. Professor Dietmar Muller from the University of Sydney, is a study co-author. Muller said:

This disconnect demonstrates that we understand the carbon source, but not the sink.

Some of the most significant changes to the seafloor map are in the oceans surrounding Australia. Dutkiewicz said:

The old map suggests much of the Southern Ocean around Australia is mainly covered by clay blown off the continent, whereas our map shows this area is actually a complex patchwork of microfossil remains. Life in the Southern Ocean is much richer than previously thought.

The scientists analyzed and categorized around 15,000 seafloor samples – taken over half a century on research cruise ships to generate the data for the map. They teamed with the National ICT Australia (NICTA) big data experts to find the best way to use algorithms to turn this multitude of point observations into a continuous digital map. Simon O’Callaghan from NICTA is a study co-author. He said:

Recent images of Pluto’s icy plains are spectacular, but the process of unveiling the hidden geological secrets of the abyssal plains of our own planet was equally full of surprises!

The Underwater Cemetery Where Spaceships Go to Die

As reported by Mental Floss: For centuries, burial at sea has been a common practice across cultural lines. It can be done out of necessity, for religious reasons, or because humans feel that the best way to get rid of something is by dumping it in the ocean. And this isn’t just true for organic matter; we’ve been known to do it with 143-ton hunks of space junk as well.

In the South Pacific, 2500 miles off the New Zealand coast, lies a patch of sea that is home to decades worth of space history. The South Pacific Ocean Uninhabited Area, playfully known as the "Spacecraft Cemetery,” has become a favorite place for space programs to crash land their defunct satellites. Thousands of miles of open ocean separate the spot from any islands or human life. Its neighbor is the lonely Point Nemo—named for the Jules Verne character—that's farther from land than any other spot on Earth. 

There are 161 spacecrafts that have made this stretch of sea their final resting place. Among them are several resupply vehicles that serviced the International Space Station, four of Japan’s HTV cargo crafts, and Russia’s massive Mir space station. You may suspect the area’s ocean floor to look like an otherworldly Air & Space museum, but the spacecraft there are all but unrecognizable. The majority of a spacecraft's mass will burn up during reentry, meaning that all that’s left when it hits the ocean are some charred pieces of scrap metal.

In addition to the Spacecraft Cemetery, there’s an alternate destination for unwanted vehicles that’s even further removed from life on earth. By blasting a satellite away from the planet and into a more remote orbit, it becomes part of what’s called a “graveyard orbit.” This is often preferable as it requires less fuel than bringing it back to earth, but it's a temporary solution that adds to a growing problem. 

The space junk orbiting Earth accumulates with each passing year. And while dumping spacecraft in the ocean may not seem environmentally friendly, the atmosphere significantly reduces the junk matter before it ever reaches the ocean. So may the Spacecraft Cemetery live on, both in reality and in our cosmic nightmares.

The Future of Motorsports Sounds like a $20 RC Car

As reported by The Verge: Let's get this out the way first: Formula E is fantastic. The cars look good, the drama is still there, and the organizers aren't afraid to try crazy new concepts (like giving cars speed boosts based on fans' votes). However, we're still not sold on the sound of the vehicle. The high-pitched whine you get from most powerful EVs certainly strikes a futuristic note, but sometimes the engines sound a little off-key or even just plain weedy.

The video below demonstrates this pretty well, showing a compilation of manufacturers' cars ready for the second season of Formula E. Unlike the first season, this time teams have been allowed to customize their powertrains — fiddling with components like the motor, inverter, and gearboxes. This makes for a more varied competition, but also gives each vehicle a unique sound and, listening to the video above, it's clear that some are a little easier on the ear than others. Let's hope that in the future, teams pay a little attention to the noises they can achieve, as well as the speed.

NASA Conducts Sixth SLS RS-25 Static Rocket Test

As reported by NASA Spaceflight: NASA has conducted another static fire test firing of RS-25 engine number 0525 on Thursday at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, continuing development and adaptation of the engine for use with the Space Launch System (SLS). The test was number six in the opening series of seven static fires tasked with gathering development and certification data.

RS-25 Test Six:

Engine number 0525, one of two development engines retained from the Space Shuttle Program (SSP) was fired from the A-1 Test Stand at Stennis in what was the penultimate test of the current series of objectives.

The test series is evaluating the performance of a new engine controller – a unit that controls engine valve settings to produce efficient combustion, and communicates with the vehicle to accept throttle settings and send sensor data.

The controllers on the RS-25Ds used during the Shuttle Program proved to be highly reliable. However, the new controller is utilizing updated hardware and software configured to operate with the new SLS avionics architecture.

“The objectives for this seven-test series have been – first of all – to get development and certification data for our new (engine) controller and software – (to) see how the new controller and software runs with the engine,” noted Steve Wofford, manager of the SLS Liquid Engines Office at Marshall Space Flight Center, in an interview with NASASpaceflight.com before the test.

“(We want to) get calibration data on that new controller to see if it controls the valves to the level of precision and interfaces with the sensors in the closed-loop control system the way we want it to – (to) put it through its paces.”

The Stennis team are also certifying the engine to the new SLS propellant inlet conditions “for both start and run”, and to anchor the analytical models in terms of loads and engine performance and thermal environment for the new SLS vehicle.

“We have analytical models and we have test data and this will help sync up those empirical and analytical models,” added Mr. Wofford.

The test objectives even include changes to the insulation used on the engine nozzle, as they prepare for life as a team of four on the aft of the SLS, compared to the three engines used on the Shuttle orbiters.

“We have some new ablative insulation that we’re putting on the nozzle to protect it from the different heating environment on SLS, so we’re getting durability data on how well it sticks and make sure it’s got the proper adhesion and will do its job in the environment,” Mr. Wofford noted.

“Those overall objectives get decomposed into individual test objectives for test-to-test purposes.”

One of the objectives for Thursday’s test is to see how test engine 0525 operates when subjected to a more extreme start condition than NASA would expect to see in an actual flight, exploring the engine “start box.”

Mr. Wofford said that NASA tests the engines on the ground to a larger box than they would expect to see during flight, providing operational margin.“A start box is basically a plot of what the engine can handle in terms of temperature versus pressure for the inlet conditions,” Mr. Wofford added. “So the propellant inlet conditions have to be inside that box before you can start the engine.”

“That margin is a big part of how we manage risk on the engines. If we throw bigger challenges to it in the ground (testing) than we ever expect to see in flight, then we know we can handle what we expect to see in flight.”

For test six, engineers intentionally introduced propellant inlet conditions to hit one of the corners of the start box – the “hot-fast start” on the LOX (liquid oxygen) side.

“That means the high-pressure oxidizer pump spools up faster than it normally would if you were in the center of the box,” Mr. Wofford explained. “We’re going to see what the engine does under those circumstances. The models show that it will be just fine, but we test it to make sure and to anchor those models.”

Other objectives for the test included testing a liquid hydrogen chill-cycle that is shorter for SLS than it was for Shuttle and for throttling the engine up to 109 percent shortly after it reaches main-stage at the start of the test. The plan is for the engine to fire for 535 seconds.

Ignition occurred on schedule at 4 pm local time (Central Daylight Time) or 2100 GMT on Thursday, but the test team were on station beginning many hours before that.

“We’re starting at 6 am,” Ronald Rigney, RS-25 project manager at Stennis explained before the test. “We’re actually starting some of the count early because (engine start) is set at a specific time, but we’re also starting at that time because of some of the chill requirements we have for this test.

“We’ll be starting with sensor setups at 6 am and then we’ll go through a standard set of procedures that we would for any test to make sure that our calibrations for our sensors are all set properly.”

In providing an overview of some of the pre-test timeline, the complexity of the path to ignition was explained by Mr. Rigney.

“We run (the engine test) off of facility liquid oxygen run tanks and fuel (liquid hydrogen) tanks, but we also have interconnected piping that allows us to back-feed those systems during a hot-fire from barge tanks.

“Early in the morning we top our run tanks off (to) get ourselves to a start level. (We will) prepare the engine for receiving its proper purges. Those will happen before noon and then we’ll go into LOX chilldown. (Liquid hydrogen) fuel (chilldown) will happen around one o’clock.

“Then we’ll be going through several different chill-type flow-rate conditions to demonstrate different environments for the folks with the vehicle to use for data to plan for their eventual chill procedures they will use. We’ll be going through that from about one o’clock all the way up to four (o’clock).”

Mr. Rigney noted that the test team doesn’t normally target a specific time of ignition, but some of the objectives for this test require more specific timing.

“We don’t normally operate on timed countdowns,” he explained, “we have a lot of freedom of time normally, so we’re working off of events primarily.

“For this test though, our chilldown procedure needs to hit as short of a duration as we can – close to the 90-minute mark – which is causing us to be more time-oriented. (That) happens to line up with somewhere around 4 o’clock.”

Mr. Rigney also explained that the shorter chilldown time requires a lot of choreography.

“Just hitting these timelines that we have to deal with.

“We’ve had to have our test team sit down and go through practice sessions to see if an individual could actually (make commands so) a valve opens and closes within so many seconds and the acceptance of that activity and the proper conditions can be conveyed to the next individual that has to make the next step occur within a limited time-frame.”

Mr. Rigney added that they might have forty or fifty steps that have be executed in a fifteen-minute time-frame where the test team may only have a total of sixty seconds of play to work with.

“There’s been a lot of practice…and debate over the last five tests preparing for this day.”

These procedures will be automated on the flight vehicle, but as Rigney said, “we’re having to demonstrate what they will eventually automate.”

Should all go to plan with the post firing review, the final test in this series will take place on August 27.

BlackBerry QNX OS Not Part of the Jeep IoT Hack

As reported by BlackBerry Blogs: By now, you have likely seen the headlines on WIRED and other media outlets about the remote exploitation of a vehicle infotainment system. In summary, two security researchers were able to leverage a vulnerability in the system and take over the vehicle’s dashboard functions, steering, transmission, and brakes.

Since the exploit came to light, a formal recall has been issued for 1.4 million vehicles that may be affected by the vulnerability, it looks like a class-action lawsuit is on the way, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is apparently studying the issue, with a report to come.

More recently, however, the website Seeking Alpha has published its own story on the matter, which speculates on BlackBerry’s role. While the legal complaint is directed at the vehicle manufacturer and the maker of the infotainment system, the operating system used is the QNX Neutrino OS supplied by QNX Software Systems, a subsidiary of BlackBerry. So, the article asks, is the hack a vulnerability of QNX technology?

We can state unequivocally that it is not.

The QNX Neutrino OS has been deployed in more than 60 million vehicles and field-proven in a host of mission-critical and safety-critical applications. In any computing architecture, the OS can play a key role in enabling reliability and security. An infotainment system such as the one in question has several software components in addition to an OS. The security of such a system is only as strong as the weakest link. In this particular case, the vulnerability came about through certain architecture and software components that are unrelated to the QNX Neutrino OS.

Further, the two security researchers who uncovered the vulnerability have clearly demonstrated that the weakness exploited is not due to the QNX Neutrino OS.

Finally, and perhaps most important, the automaker, the infotainment system supplier and the cellular carrier that connects these vehicles to the Internet have already implemented measures to block unauthorized entry to affected systems.

Connected cars are the future, and BlackBerry is proud to play a leading role in this exciting field through QNX and BlackBerry IoT.

Electric Vehicle is Like a Laptop That You Ride

As reported by Dezeen: A Japanese inventor has developed the "world's smallest electric car" – an aluminium board with wheels that carries a passenger like a Segway and fits into a backpack (+ movie).

Kuniaki Sato's company Cocoa Motors is set to launch the new personal transportation device this autumn.

The lightweight aluminium board is approximately the size of a laptop and can carry loads of up to 120 kilograms.

Available as an indoor and outdoor version, the four-wheeled WalkCar is powered by a lithium battery and can reach speeds up to 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) per hour.

The device works similarly to the bulkier two-wheeled Segway device, with the user shifting their weight to change direction.

Stepping onto the board starts it automatically and disembarking immediately stops the motion. The device is small and light enough to pick up and pack away into a rucksack when necessary, similar to Impossible Technology's folding electric bike.

"WalkCar is the world's smallest electric car that can be mobile and put in a bag," said Cocoa Motors. "Just turn the body in the direction you want to go, you can move freely."

According to Cocoa Motors, three hours of charging provides enough power for travelling distances of up to 12 kilometres (7.4 miles).

Sato came up with the idea while studying engineering. He set up Tokyo-based Cocoa Motors in 2013 and has since developed the concept into a working prototype.

"I thought: 'What if we could just carry our transportation in our bags, wouldn't that mean we'd always have our transportation with us to ride on?' And my friend asked me to make one, since I was doing my masters in engineering specifically on electric car motor control systems," Sato toldReuters.

WalkCar is set to launch on crowdfunding website Kickstarter in October 2015, with a price tag of around 100,000 yen (£500) and shipping is expected in Spring 2016.

Last month, the "world's lightest and most compact electric bike" surpassed its crowdfunding goal in just two days.

Lexus, meanwhile, unveiled its eagerly anticipated hoverboard last week, which uses magnetic fields to carry its rider without touching the ground.

SpaceX has been Quietly Simulating Sending Manned Dragons to the ISS

As reported by Wired.co.uk: SpaceX has been launching test flights to and from the International Space Station in secret -- and they've all been a success to date.

Unfortunately for impatient space travel fans, they are all taking place entirely in Hawthorne, California.

The Crew Dragon simulation involves detailed checks of the cargo delivery spacecraft's avionics systems, including the hardware and software. The idea was to check how the two systems would operate in conjunction during a crewed flight.

"It may not sound exciting," admitted Space X vice president of mission assurance, Hans Koenigsmann, "but it's a really, really important tool."

"We can basically fly the Crew Dragon on the ground -- flip the switches, touch the screens, test the algorithms and the batteries -- all before testing the avionics system in flight. It's important to get the avionics right before putting it into the capsule."

Documenting the successful 'launch' on its website, Nasa compared the simulation setup to its own Shuttle Avionics Integration Lab in Houston where the Shuttle Program was put through the wringer before real life launches. It was a chance to ensure all the code was working as it should, and for final tweaks to be made.

SpaceX has already conducted successful launches of its cargo ship, Dragon, though it has experienced a series of setbacks related to its Falcon 9 rocket. The rocket is designed, in theory, to be salvageable and reusable, taking the Dragon spacecraft into orbit and helping ferry cargo to and fro from the ISS. On a test launch on 28 June however, the rocket exploded mid-flight within minutes of take-off, destroying the unmanned Dragon capsule and its cargo. Early analysis indicated the incident was down to a faulty strut.

Nevertheless, the SpaceX team hopes for another Falcon 9 launch by the end of the year, and this will help prep for a future Dragon V2 launch -- a manned version of the Dragon, which the Crew Dragon simulation is designed to test. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is hoping for a 14-day manned flight to take place as soon as 2017. The V2 will be able to carry up to seven astronauts, or a mixture of crew and cargo, and is described as Nasa's future space taxi along with another manned vehicle being developed by Boeing.

There are potentially yet more stumbling blocks on the road for SpaceX, however. On 5 August Nasa told Congress that as a direct result of its underfunding of the commercial space flight scheme, it has had to extend its contract with Russian space agency Roscosmos to deliver cargo and crew to the ISS, at a cost of $490m.

"I am asking that we put past disagreements behind us and focus our collective efforts on support for American industry -- the Boeing Corporation and SpaceX -- to complete construction and certification of their crew vehicles so that we can begin launching our crews from the Space Coast of Florida in 2017," Nasa administrator Charles Bolden wrote in the statement.

Reductions in spending related to Nasa's 2016 fund requests "would likely result in funds running out for both contractors during the spring/summer of FY 2016", warned Bolden. This would likely lead to contract renegotiations and more unscheduled delays.