Far right party protests jailing of leaders

November 30, 2013

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Around 1,000 supporters of the far-right Golden Dawn party have gathered outside Greece's parliament to protest the jailing of its leader and two other lawmakers.

Several Golden Dawn lawmakers spoke to the enthusiastic but smaller-than-expected crowd, some of whom carried torches. The crowd chanted slogans in favor of party leader Nikos Michaloliakos and against Prime Minister Antonis Samaras.

Two smaller, rival gatherings of leftist activists in Athens, meanwhile, dispersed peacefully. Police had mobilized to prevent the leftists and the Golden Dawn backers from clashing. Michaloliakos and two other Golden Dawn lawmakers were detained following the September death of a leftist rapper; a party supporter confessed to the killing. They face charges related to involvement in a criminal group.

The far-right party's popularity rose in recent years as Greece's economy plummeted.

France to host meeting on Central African Republic

November 30, 2013

PARIS (AP) — An official says France will host an informal meeting on the crisis in Central African Republic next month in Paris.

Leaders of countries including Gabon, Cameroon, Congo-Brazzaville and Chad are to take part, along with Central African Republic's prime minister and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. A French official who requested anonymity because she was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter said the daylong session will come at the end of a broader summit involving some 40 African leaders Dec. 6-7.

France's foreign minister has warned its former colony is "on the verge of genocide" as attacks mount between mostly Muslim fighters and Christian militias. France hopes a U.N. resolution authorizing French troops to end massacres and restore order will pass ahead of the summit on African security issues.

Large protests over Bedouin resettlement in Israel

November 30, 2013

JERUSALEM (AP) — Large protests over a plan to resettle nomadic Bedouin Arabs in Israel's southern Negev desert caused injuries Saturday and led to some arrests as well as condemnation from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Protests focused on a bill that would move thousands of Bedouins into government-recognized villages. Opponents charge the plan would confiscate Bedouin land and affect their nomadic way of life, but Israel says the moves are necessary to provide basic services that many Bedouins lack and would benefit their community while preserving their traditions.

Over a thousand people protested in a Negev village in southern Israel Saturday. The demonstration turned violent when some protesters threw rocks and fire bombs at police and burned tires. Police, some on horseback, responded with water cannon, tear gas and stun grenades, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.

Hundreds more took to the streets at protests held in Jerusalem, Haifa and elsewhere. Police made more than 40 arrests and 15 officers were injured, Rosenfeld said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement condemning the violence. "We will treat offenders to the fullest extent of the law and will not tolerate such disturbances. We have — and will have — no tolerance for those who break the law, Netanyahu said. "Attempts by a loud and violent minority to deny a better future to a large and broad population are grave. We will continue to advance the law for a better future for all residents of the Negev," he said.

Bedouins are a small group within the Arab minority. Traditionally, they have identified more closely with Israel than their Arab brethren, but their complaints against the resettlement program, known as the Prawer Plan, echo broader sentiments among other Arab Israelis.

The government body dealing with the plan said it calls for the vast majority of Bedouin to live where they are. It said it is investing hundreds of millions of dollars in housing, health, public services and education for the Bedouin.

Officials said in a statement that the body is planning "a variety of rural and urban living options which will allow the Bedouin population to integrate into the fabric of a modern state while preserving their traditions."

It blamed Saturday's violence on "extremists, many of whom are not Bedouin" for using the protests to further their own agenda.

Russian spacecraft with advanced navigation system docks with ISS

Moscow (Voice of Russia)
Dec 01, 2013

An unmanned Russian resupply spacecraft carrying an improved navigation system docked early Saturday with the International Space Station, Russian Mission Control said.

"The manual docking was carried out by cosmonaut Oleg Kotov," Mission Control said.

The Progress M-21M space freighter was loaded with almost 2.5 metric tons of food, fuel, experiment hardware and other supplies for the space station's six Expedition 38 crew members. The craft lifted off aboard a Soyuz-U launch vehicle from the Russian-leased Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan on Tuesday.

On November 28, the spacecraft conducted flybys of the orbital station and successfully tested a lighter and more efficient automated navigation and docking system, known as Kurs-NA.

The Kurs-NA boasts advanced electronics, a fully-digitized control system and increased docking precision compared to its predecessor, Kurs. The improved system will be used on all upgraded Soyuz and Progress vehicles in the future.

The space station's crew currently comprises Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Tyurin, Sergey Ryazanskiy and Oleg Kotov, NASA astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Mike Hopkins, and Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata.

Source: Space-Travel.
Link: http://www.space-travel.com/reports/Russian_spacecraft_with_advanced_navigation_system_docks_with_ISS_999.html.

Designer: moon rover uses cutting-edge technology

Designer: moon rover uses cutting-edge technology

by Han Bin Xinhua News
Beijing (XNA)
Dec 01, 2013

China's third lunar probe, the Chang'E Three is set to launch in early December.

In recent years, China has made considerable progress in its space program. In June, three Chinese astronauts spent 15 days in orbit. And this time the country will send a rover to the moon.

A monumental project like the Chang'E Three requires time, money, and people. Han Bin, the Deputy Chief Designer of China's first lunar Rover, says the moon rover marks another breakthrough for China's space exploration.

Noting can hide Jia Yang's pride.

He's the deputy Chief designer of China's first lunar rover, named the "Jade Rabbit". He's been working on it for some ten years.

The moon rover is China's most advanced robot with complete automatic navigation and operation. For Jia Yang, China's third lunar probe is a great leap forward in space exploration.

"China started four decades late in the lunar project, yet the rover design is not a simple copy of advanced nations. It combines an integration of modern technologies of electronics, machinery, and thermal control," Jia says.

The dream of flying to the moon has deep roots in Chinese culture. According to legend, the fairy Chang'E drank a magic potion that gave her the ability to fly there. The dream has already come true for US and Russian astronauts. But it might take China at least another decade.

China has a moon rock at the Beijing Planetarium, a gift from former US President Jimmy Carter. The Chang'E lunar project is also aimed at bringing back materials from the moon in the future.

"China's lunar project will help accumulate experience and technology, which will be crucial for future projects. Making a soft landing and moon rover is a practical step for the long journey of China's space exploration," Jia says.

This is just a mini model of the rover. If all goes well, Jia Yang and the world will see the real rover on the moon, from the pictures taken and sent back from the Lander.

Jia Yang's dream is to see the "Jade Rabbit" running on the moon. He also believes the country will go beyond the moon, to Mars and other celestial bodies.

This mission shows China's resolve to bridge the gap with other space going nations. The Chang'e-3 is just one more example of the country's increasing technological capabilities. For scientists, like Jia Yang, the next part of the space dream could be clear, sending astronauts to the moon.

Source: Space Daily.
Link: http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Designer_moon_rover_uses_cutting_edge_technology_999.html.

China pursues "zero window" launch for lunar probe

Beijing (XNA)
Dec 01, 2013

China will strive to launch its Chang'e-3 lunar probe at the optimal time within the launch window, the Xichang Satellite Launch Center said on Friday.

China is scheduled to launch the probe in early December. It will be the first time for a Chinese spacecraft to soft-land on the surface of an extraterrestrial body.

The center said it will pursue a "zero window" launch for the mission, referring to a launch at a pre-determined optimal time for the probe to reach its intended target. If a "zero window" launch is not achieved on time, it must be delayed until the next launch window.

If a zero window launch is achieved, Chang'e-3 will not need to make trajectory correction before entering the pre-selected orbit, and fuel can be saved during orbital transfer, according to the center.

The zero window launch can be achieved through timing control of the rocket ignition, said Zhao Ming, deputy commander in charge of China's lunar program launching site system.

However, the launch will be influenced by a variety of factors, including the project's targets, the motion of the earth, moon, and sun, as well as the weather conditions at the launch site, Zhao added.

"Achieving a zero window launch is difficult, and success will reflect the ability for the project's different systems to coordinate and cooperate," Zhao said.

Source: Space Daily.
Link: http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/China_pursues_zero_window_launch_for_lunar_probe_999.html.

Deep Space Perils For Indian Spacecraft

by Morris Jones
Sydney, Australia (SPX)
Dec 01, 2013

There's no turning back. India's Mars Orbiter Mission has left Earth orbit and is heading for the red planet. After a flourish of media coverage before and shortly after launch, attention on this mission is likely to fade for several months. The MOM now has a long journey to reach its destination. It will arrive at Mars in September 2014.

Despite the spotlight moving on, it should not be assumed that this phase of the mission will be uneventful. Hopefully, things will go well, but the risks should not be underestimated. This is the most adventurous space mission ever launched by India, and probably its most hazardous.

What could go wrong? MOM has already had a minor problem with a backup fuel system, but this was not a threat to the mission. The spacecraft seems generally healthy right now, and has survived some of the most stressful parts of its mission already.

Launch, deployment, checkout, engine burns and velocity changes have gone well. Nevertheless, the longer the mission stays in space, the higher the chance that some component will malfunction.

Then there's the environment. Interplanetary space holds dangers that do not always threaten spacecraft that stay close to Earth. There is a higher level of exposure to radiation and particles. Thermal stresses are also potentially higher. There's no shadow of the Earth or magnetic fields to protect the spacecraft. MOM is designed for these conditions but it will still need careful management.

Space is also unpredictable. Solar storms can throw particles into deep space that pose hazards for local satellites. In deep space, it can be even worse. Some deep space missions have been damaged by solar activity. Although we can monitor these outbursts, there is often nothing that can be done to protect a spacecraft from their influence.

The hazards of deep space gave rise to the legend of the Great Galactic Ghoul, a mythical monster that lurks in space and devours spacecraft. The Ghoul has been implicated in the loss of several missions, and seems very eclectic in its tastes. It eats spacecraft from America, Russia, Japan and other nations. Does the Ghoul like Indian food? It's never been tempted this way before. Hopefully it will not bite.

Surviving the journey is just one task now facing MOM. Some of the instruments could be used to measure conditions in deep space even before the spacecraft approaches Mars. This gives controllers practice and confirms the successful operation of the experiments. It also boosts the scientific return. Most of this activity will not grab headlines but it will steadily chalk up the overall performance of MOM.

If the mission attracts little media coverage for the next few months, it will probably be a positive rather than a negative. It will probably mean that no surprises have developed. In the hazardous environment of interplanetary space, no news is usually good news.

Source: Mars Daily.
Link: http://www.marsdaily.com/reports/Deep_Space_Perils_For_Indian_Spacecraft_999.html.