SpaceX planned water landing

The company SpaceX, previously successfully launched the Falcon 9 and also successfully landed it planned to launch a new land - this time in the Pacific Ocean.

According to Reuters, the new leadership of the planned flight SpaceX announced on Friday. Falcon 9 rocket with the satellite NASA, designed for ocean observation, will be launched on January 17 with the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Two minutes after the start of the first stage of the rocket separated and tried to sit on a barge floating in the Pacific Ocean.

Earlier, SpaceX has twice tried to land on the water surface. Attempts, however, were unsuccessful. However, the launch, held a month ago, the company added optimism.

The element of the Falcon 9, launched a US Air Force base at Cape Canaveral, successfully landed in a given area. "Landing in Ocean SpaceX will allow more flexibility in the implementation of space missions, ultimately reducing the overall cost of production due to the return of missiles," - explains the news. Similar efforts are now taking also working with NASA competitors Californian companies - Lockheed Martin and Boeing.

According to SpaceX, today the launch of a Falcon 9 rocket costs about 60 million dollars. According to company founder Elon Musk, fuel for each run is spent about 200 thousand. Dollars. Meanwhile, despite the successful landing stage of the Falcon 9 on the ground on December 21 to restore the returned item, likely yet to succeed. Another landing in SpaceX is scheduled for 2016 - the company hopes that this time the returning stage "will survive."

Facts about the benefits of wine

1. Keeps youth

Contained in wine resveratrol rescues the skin from wrinkling.

2. Prevents Cancer

Several studies have shown that wine reduces the risk of colon cancer and breast cancer.

3. Reduces the risk of depression

From two to seven glasses of wine per week greatly increase your chances of preserving mental health.

4. Keeps your heart healthy

About this everybody knows, but we have decided to recall.

5. Protects your memory

Studies have shown that daily consumption of one glass of wine improves memory and reduces the risk of developing senility.

6. Helps you live longer

One Finnish study found that people who drink wine, have a 34% lower risk of premature death.

Engineers created able to enter the walls of the robot

Swiss engineers have created four-wheeled robot that can quickly roll not only on land but also on a vertical surface - and climbing walls. It is reported by New Scientist.

Paul Beardsley (Paul Beardsley) from the company's Disney Research (Zurich laboratory) sought to expand the capabilities of wheeled robots, whose walls are often an insurmountable obstacle.

The prototype is about 60 centimeters in length. It is equipped with two propellers create enough thrust to climb the wall. The rear rotor pushes the car to the wall, and the front pulling it up.

Due to the base plate of carbon fiber and printed on 3D-printer parts by weight of the robot is less than two kilograms. Heavier models are not able to "jump" from the ground to the wall. Lithium-polymer battery robot missing only ten minutes.

Beardsley is now working hard to teach the robot to move from wall to ceiling and one wall to another. In the future, such maneuvering the machine can be used in industrial control, like vacuum cleaners or autonomous vehicles, says the engineer.

North Pole has melted

A powerful storm in the North Atlantic picked up in the Arctic warm air masses, which led to a record warming - for a while the temperature at the North Pole has risen above zero. It is reported by The Washington Post.
December 30 the temperature of the vast territory around the North Pole fluctuated between minus one and plus one and a half degrees Celsius. Buoy 64760, located at latitude 87.45 degrees north latitude, showed maximum - 0.7 degrees.
The abnormal situation due to two strong weather events. The system of low pressure (cyclone), which is on the United States and Northern Europe, along with the high-pressure system (anticyclone) over Siberia to the North Pole pushed the warm Mediterranean air.
Around the air anticyclone moves clockwise around the cyclone - in the opposite direction, resulting in the convergence of the two systems the air like a vacuum cleaner sucking explain meteorologists. Unusual is not the weather, and their intensity and powerful combinatorial effect.
However, temperatures above zero in the winter at the North Pole - this is a temporary phenomenon, scientists believe. Much more dangerous is the summer melting of Arctic ice. Melting North Pole journalists called ideal end of 2015, which is already recognized as the warmest on record.

Cotton will help in the fight against Alzheimer's disease

China has begun clinical trials of a new drug that is based on flavonoids cotton and designed to combat Alzheimer's disease.

According to "Xinhua", scientists Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences began their studies in 2003 and on the eve of the new year announced that the results were successful. In preliminary experiments, isolated from cotton flavonoids - compounds responsible including plant metabolism, - improved the memory of laboratory mice and prevented the aging process of the body.

Scientists have identified 20 of flavonoids contained in the flowers of cotton, and based on them a drug that can help in small doses to get rid of the symptoms of Alzheimer's. The contract signed with the Institute has one of the pharmaceutical companies have now begun clinical trials of the drug. According to news, Xinjiang is one of the largest suppliers of cotton in China. Before improving properties were found petal flowers of cotton, they were destroyed. After the results of studies flowers were sold on the market at the price of 15 yuan (about 2.3 US dollars) per kilogram

In NASA signed a third contract for the delivery of astronauts on the ISS

On the eve of the third NASA signed a contract for the delivery of astronauts on board the ISS. This will the company Boeing, for which the planned flight will be the second mission, approved by the American space agency.
As reported in NASA, the second contract with Boeing provides for the delivery of astronauts to the International Space Station manned spacecraft Boeing CST-100 Starliner. The agreement on another flight was achieved agencies and companies before, in May this year. In addition, another contract for the launch of spacecraft to the ISS NASA has concluded with the company Elon Musk SpaceX. "After passing the certification of ships NASA launches Boeing CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX Crew Dragon crews on board will take place twice a year", - explained the managing program NASA's development of private manned spacecraft (Commercial Crew Program) Katie Leders.
In general, within the framework of Commercial Crew Transportation Capability US space agency plans to sign four contracts (three in view of the latter have already been signed). Terms launch vehicles not yet been approved, but the first one is scheduled for late 2017. The International Space Station, according to specialists, will remain in orbit until at least 2028.

The power of nature in the pictures Dave Sanford

Photographer Dave Sanford Canada published a stunning series of images surging waves of Lake Erie. Erie - the fourth largest lake in the Great Lakes. Dave shot his project on windy days, when the lake rose particularly large wave.
"These days people are trying to stay away from the lake. And in those days, when the Erie alive, you can see its true power. I looked forward to this time of year to make those shots, "- says Sandford.