The Mystery of the Bottom: Strange Creatures Found in Salt Water

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

Have you ever pondered what lays beneath the surface of the water? The most amazing creatures are hidden in the deep blue! 

Should you wish to explore some of them, the following article will provide you with an overview.

1. Bioluminescent Octopus

When you watch the movie Avatar, you will be surprised by the pinkish creatures which look like fancy light bulbs illuminating in the dark. In the movie they are known as Pandoran flora. However, these creatures are not from fiction. They are quite real and the movie gets the idea from actual creatures living in the oceans. These creatures have developed the ability to create their own light and this technique is known as bioluminescence.

Like the creatures in the Avatar movie, this bioluminescent octopus glows with its own lights proving that Pandoran flora are real. This glowing ability exists to attract its prey. There are only a few bioluminescent octopus found half a mile deep in the Gulf of Maine.

There are ample strange deep sea creatures, which are the subject of scientific research and documentaries, such as the one below.

2. Goblin Shark

We live in an atmosphere having temperatures below 40 °C though summers are exceptional. However, underneath the deep sea, there are hydrothermal vents that are more than 100 °C temperature. These hydrothermal vents are fissures in the planet's surface and are commonly found near volcanic areas. Surprisingly enough, there are organisms living there. There are crabs, lobsters, different types of worms and some other creatures living near the hydrothermal vents. Sometimes the liquid coming from these hydrothermal vents reaches temperatures between 100 °C to 400 °C. 

Biology underneath the sea has always been an untold mystery. Part of the mystery is about to be revealed. Do you remember the scary looking fish in fresh waters in South American rivers? Maybe you are confused. But, if I say the word ‘Piranha,’ you would be like ‘oh… yes!’ Thus, there are many other strange creatures in the sea which look at least as scary as piranha.

Goblin sharks dwell in the deep sea and has scary looking sharp teeth. Though it looks scary, it does not cause any harm to humans because it feeds on bottom-feeding fish. It is known as a living fossil since the goblin shark is the only representative of its family. 

3. Humpback Anglerfish 

Humpback anglerfish is another scary looking fish with sharp teeth.

It is a deep water fish found in tropical and temperate oceans. 

4. Fangtooth

Fangtooth fish also looks scary because of its teeth.

The fangtooths are found in tropical and cold-temperate water and they do no harm to humans.

5. Christmas Tree Worm

Apart from all the scary looking strange creatures in sea, there are also fancy and beautiful strangers found in the ocean. The Christmas Tree Worm is one such beautiful creature found at Great Barrier Reef’s Lizard Island.

These worms use spiral branches as their breathing and feeding apparatus. Amazingly enough, the worm lives in a tube kind of thing and it withdraws like a tree when it is under attack or feels threatened.

6. Marrus Orthocanna 

Another weird creature is the Marrus Orthocanna which looks like a swimming rocket. This creature is microscopic and it is made up of multiple repeated units. It has multiple stomachs and tentacles.

These strange creatures are also known as physonect siphonophore and look like jellyfish. They are found in the North Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Arctic Ocean, North West Pacific Ocean, and so on.

7. Sea Pig

Sea pig is another strange creature found in the ocean. These creatures live at the bottom of deep oceans and are commonly found in the abyssal plain in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Ocean. Typically they live at depths over 1000 meters.

They mostly find their food by digging deep-sea mud. Deep sea trawling holds a threat for sea pigs.

8. Harp Sponge

Harp sponge is also a fancy looking stranger found in sea water. This is a carnivorous deep sea sponge discovered deep down in the California coast.

Sponges eat bacteria and filter other microscopic organisms from the surrounding water.

9. Vampire Squids

Vampire squids are also found in temperate and tropical oceans.

These creatures are very small and they have retractile filaments that helps them to be given their name.

10. Red Lipped Batfish

One reason of existence for these strange sea creatures is evolution. Evolution allows diversity of creatures as they evolve with continued strength and progress. Darwin, whose name is linked with the theory of evolution, is also connected to the Galapagos Islands. Darwin wrote the book “The Origin of Species” after he visited Galapagos. One strange sea creature from the Galapagos Islands is the red lipped batfish, also known as Galapagos batfish.

Interestingly enough, the red lipped batfish actually has red lips. They are not good swimmers, so they walk on the ocean floor. These creatures feed on small fish, shrimps, and mollusks. They are found in depths of 3 to 76 meters in the oceans of the Galapagos Islands.

11. Blue Glaucus 

Blue glaucus is another gorgeous creature found in the deep sea. They are sea slugs and they are found in temperate and tropical oceans throughout the world.

Usually beautiful and colorful organisms indicate that they have stored toxins inside them, for instance blue glaucus have toxins inside them which they store to use for their own protection. 

Conclusion

In summary, there are many different types of strange creatures under the blue blanket. Some are pretty, making their own light and illuminate. Beautiful creatures like the aforementioned in this article can attract predators easily as they are so visible. On the other hand, some sea creatures look scary but do not harm humans. Some others look so weird you think they are the result of science fiction films. We have only listed a few from the strange sea creatures found at the bottom of the sea. It is profoundly evident that there are numerous more out there worth exploring! 

YOUR NEXT READ: 10 Gadgets to Help You Catch More Fish

Like what you're reading? Subscribe to our top stories and get all the goodies straight to your inbox.

*by andreascy*

Is There Life on Exoplanets?

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description: 

Most of the planetary scientists believe that there can be at least one exoplanet in our Milky Way galaxy, which has life. They have also figured out that 20% of the sun-like stars that exist on the Milky Way are circled by planets, which has the same dimensions as Earth. These planets are located in habitable zones around the stars as well. Therefore, life on exoplanets has become a popular topic among planetary scientists in the modern world. 

The habitable zone of a planet can simply be defined as the area where the temperature is not too cold or too hot. These conditions help water to exist in those planets in the form of liquid. It is vastly known that life cannot survive without water in its liquid form. Therefore, while it has been figured out that there are about 2,000 exoplanets circling beyond our own sun, the possibility to have some sort of life in these planets depends on a variety of factors. The obliquity of the planet holds a prominent place among them. Obliquity can simply be defined as the angle of axis of a planet relative to its orbital axis around the parent starts.

The planet Earth has a low obliquity when compared to other planets. It rotates around an almost perpendicular axis of its own while rotating around the sun. Planetary scientists have figured out that the obliquity can vary from one planet to another. They believe that the planets with an extreme tilt have a very low chance of having life in it. 

Recently some research scientists as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology figured out that water exists on planets that have a very high obliquity as well. Therefore, we can keep some hope that life can exist in the planets with a high obliquity. They also figured out a shallow ocean with a depth of about 50m in a specific planet, which has a comfortable temperature. According to their calculations, the average temperature of that planet was about 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit per year. 

However, a planet with a high obliquity usually has an extreme and inhospitable climate. The North Pole would receive sunlight for a period of 6 months continuously and it would have to go through an unending night for the other six months. As a result, they believed that such a planet has a very little chance of having life. That’s mainly because the planet would freeze and boil throughout the year, which is really tough for life to exist. Nevertheless, this can differ under some conditions. For example, the oceans can store heat during the summer period and give it out during winter. This can create a somewhat mild climate in the planet. Therefore, we cannot neglect with extremely oblique planets by saying that they are not in a position to inhibit life. 

It has been assumed that the Milky Way has about 200 billion stars. In addition, it has been calculated that there are about 11 billion planets with “habitable” living conditions. All these consist of hydrogen gas and they are seething hot. The planetary systems have been established circling such stars. In fact, sticky and fine dust particles melt together to create rocky cores, which eventually turns into major planets. 

The very first exoplanet was discovered by research scientists 20 years ago. It was circling a sun like star and was named as 51 Pegasi b. Since then, they have discovered a large number of exoplanets, where most of them were smaller than their very first discovery. They even discovered an exoplanet, which is 150 smaller than 51 Pegasi b. 

Many different methods are being used by research scientists in order to discover new exoplanets in the Milky Way. The Doppler Shift method can be considered as the most popular one. This is an effective method, which can be used to discover giant planets that exist closer to fiery stellar planets. This is a sensitive method and is associated with a higher chance of discovering earth-like planets. 

Throughout the past two decades, scientists have figured out many other methods to discover exoplanets apart from the Doppler Shift method. The major drawback with the Doppler Shift method is that it cannot be used to discover smaller planets that have a wider orbit around the stars. However, the recently discovered methods are in a position to help the scientists with discovering such planets. At the end of 2015, they have been able to discover more than 1,900 exoplanets that belong to over 1,200 planetary systems. 

The Kepler Space Telescope of NASA helps a lot for the scientists to discover new exoplanets. It was launched back in 2009 and has discovered few thousand candidate planets up to now. Most of these candidate planets were confirmed as exoplanets by scientists. Several statistical methods such as the verification by multiplicity were used by the scientists to figure out whether they are in a position to inhibit life or not. The Kepler Space Telescope follows a unique methodology when discovering exoplanets. It differs a lot from the Doppler Shift method. This method searches for extremely small dips in stellar brightness when a specific orbiting planet passes ahead of the glaring face of parent star. 

In the meantime, the scientists at MIT spent their efforts in order to create a model of a highly oblique aqua-planet. This planet had the same dimensions of earth and it was positioned at a distance similar to the earth’s separation from sun. This 3D model simulated circulations among sea ice, atmosphere and ocean. The effects of winds and heat were also taken into consideration. They also created a motionless planet for comparison and discovered the possibility of having life in such a planet. They had the ability to control the obliquity of this planet and they discovered that the ocean absorbs heat during the summer period. 

Given the scientific evidence and ongoing research therefore it appears that it is not science fiction to believe in life in other planets. While there is still a long way to go before we start packing, we can keep our fingers crossed for the prospect of habituating an exoplanet in the near future.

KEEP READING: Dreaming About the Future of Space Tourism

We have more goodies to read and watch. What are you waiting for, scroll on! Subscribe to our Newsletter for full access on our exclusive content.

*by andreascy*

Space Travel and Exploration: Dreaming About the Future of Space Tourism

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

Welcome fellow hustler! Busy morning? Here's what you need to know to start your day.

For ages mankind has dreamed of traveling the stars and visiting distant planets. Not just astronauts but civilians too. Over the years we have seen a few of these achievements come to fruition. People have been sent up to orbit the earth and collect data for scientists back on the planet. A select few have claimed the great achievement of setting foot on the moon. A rover was even sent to Mars and transmitted back pictures of the alien surface.

Even with all these advancements over the last 30 years, space exploration is still in its infancy. The recent crash of Virgin’s Space Ship Two can attest to that. Not only are the ‘kinks’ still being worked out, but what has been explored so far, is merely a drop in the ocean when compared to the billions and billions of stars that have yet to be reached. Aside from Mars and the Moon, our own solar system remains an unexplored mystery. With the future of space tourism hinging on uncertainty; what does this mean for the average citizen?

The taxpayer no longer foots the bill

When the idea of space travel was first put on the table, it was the taxpayer’s dollars that funded the missions. Politicians formed the plan, while the working class paid for it. With the introduction of private spaceflight, the politicians have no say and the American citizen isn’t left paying for everything. The only real restriction they have is how much money is available.

Failure is an option

Private companies can fail as much as they want, within reason. They aren’t tied to an ever shrinking budget like NASA was. Unfortunately, not every test is a success, just look at Virgin Galactic. The explosion of their Space Ship Two was a tragedy and devastating blow to private space flight; but this doesn’t mean they have to call it quits. And now that the politicians can’t step in and pull the funding, that’s one less hurdle they have to deal with. Virgin now has the option to try again, if the funds are there. 

Engineers play a bigger part

If one were to work for NASA as an engineer, they would be part of a larger team working together. With smaller teams being employed by private companies, it allows for a more hands on experience. The engineer actually gets to go in the field and fire the rockets, rather than sit behind a desk all day. Smaller teams and limited resources actually foster more creativity, making them almost like modern day MacGyver’s. 

The price of space travel will drop

The flight of a Virgin space plane costs $250,000. That’s nothing compared to the $12 million price tag of launching a satellite into orbit. On top of that, the rocket that sends it to space can only be used once. If the privately funded space planes can make it to orbit consistently, the price of space travel is going to be drastically reduced. A host of scientists are standing by waiting to run tests on these flights. Also, lower cost means more accessible tourism.

Hypersonic travel may finally happen 

Circumnavigating the globe will be achievable in an afternoon. The promise of sub-orbital travel has been talked about for a while now. Until these privately funded space flights came around, it has always been just out of reach. Right now $95,000 for a ticket still may not be for everyone, but as with any new technology it’s always expensive when it first hits that market. The first microwave cost about $5,000. Now you can pick one up for less than $50. The same thing will happen with sub-orbital flights. Once they hone the production process and discover cheaper ways to build these space planes, tickets may even be as cheap as regular commercial flights.

The view will be humbling

Every astronaut has said that seeing the planet against the infinite backdrop of space was not only awe inspiring, but life changing. What’s going to happen when an artist sees this for the first time? What happens when politicians and CEOs start to take these flights regularly? Will they be moved like the astronauts; or will it be business as usual? 

Even though Richard Branson suffered a major set-back, this doesn’t leave him down and out. Without politicians calling the shots, they can go back to the drawing board and try again. This doesn’t mean that failure isn’t costly; this just means that without the threat of having funding pulled, they have a better chance of learning from their mistakes. Whatever Virgin is doing in the wake of this tragedy, people need to start seriously thinking about how space tourism will affect their lives and how it’s about to change the world.

RECOMMENDED: The Infinite Stretch of the Universe

Get our tech emails and alerts. Not spam ever! We value your privacy.

*by andreascy*

20 Stories You Must Read This Weekend

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

Hello guys, long time no hear!

We've been missing in action for a while because we're finishing up another project, which we'll be able to share with you all soon, but we finally were able to come up for air and share some News with you all. 

We hope you'll enjoy our selection so make sure to click the headlines below and read the full story. Only at THE OFFICIAL ANDREASCY - The essential of news, everyday.

1. Introducing node.js Tools for Visual Studio. Tried ‪nodejs‬? Gave up because you couldn’t use a grown-up IDE? Red Gate started the ball rolling with Visual Node, then worked intensively with Microsoft in Redmond to produce node.js tools for Visual Studio. The early results are just incredible.

2. What Does A Navy Do? Confused about what a Navy - a conglomeration of ships, submarines and aircraft - actually does? Here's a quick 101.

3. Front-end CSS Frameworks. This is a nice tool to compare CSS frameworks.

4. This is how you use Twitter: Nokia hits BlackBerry where it hurts. Ouch.

5. PCB Design and Assembly at Human Resources Head. Want to work as a freelance in the field of PCB Design & Assembly? Doesn't matter if you're already working, it's a chance to augment your income and enhance your knowledge. If it excites you, check out the details and apply.

6. Astronomers in Antarctica find neutrinos from outside our solar system. "The era of neutrino astronomy has begun."

7. Mozilla’s reliance on Google is increasing: 90% of 2012 revenue came from that one source. How is Mozilla such a successful nonprofit? Google.

8. Kawasaki built a time machine and stole a bike from the future. Take our money. Take it all.

9. GetGoing Nabbed Me Better JetBlue Airfare Than JetBlue. Would you pick a random travel destination if it meant a very budget-friendly price?

10. Coupling Transport and Solid Mechanics Models for Better Puffed Rice. Thermal and mechanical effects in the production of puffed rice are studied by a group who recently presented at the COMSOL Conference 2013 in Boston last month.

11. Winamp is shutting down on 20th December 2013. R.I.P Winamp. End of an era.

12. Natural Gas Sets Off a Distributed-Energy Boom. Different gas-fueled technologies - fuel cells, microturbines, reciprocating engines, and turbines - are now competing for a spot in the basements of businesses.

13. Google's big health care play: Helpouts is all about video consultations with your doctor. And Google Glass will be a great tool as well.

14. Learn to Set a Formal or Informal Table for Your Thanksgiving Meal. Just in case you need a little refresher before Thanksgiving.

15. Troubles, what troubles? BlackBerry and Porsche Design launch the P’9982, a souped-up, ultra-premium Z10. BlackBerry's new sales strategy: Target the rich.

16. The actual probability of Earth going to hell in the next few decades. Pretty good... which is very bad.

17. My Biggest Interview Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them). If nerves take over every time you have an interview, you'll want to read this.

18. 26 Pictures Of Low-Income Entrepreneurs Who Work Extremely Hard. Inspiring.

19. Monitor and Control Your Environment with Ninja Sphere. Monitor all of your devices, your pets and even your energy use with NinjaBlock a futuristic environmental controller. 

20. Biologist finds possible new species in his own nose. Sometimes, great discoveries are to be found right under your own nose... literally!

As always, we’d love to hear what you think. If we’ve missed your favorite off this list, let us know in the comments below and we’ll take a look at it. If it’s any good, we’ll add it in. 

Have a great weekend! 👋

*by andreascy*

The Newest Eco-Friendly Apartment Building Trends

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

The importance of conserving the Earth's limited resources finally seems like it's gotten through to mainstream culture in recent years. People are beginning to understand how crucial it is to find more efficient energy alternatives.

As of late, the use of environmentally friendly construction materials is on the rise. Many of these "green-living" ideas are implemented in today's modern apartments. When looking for a new apartment, here are some of the most popular ones to look for:

1. Strategic Orientation of a Home to Maximize Sunlight

Building an apartment in a location that receives a lot of sunlight is an ingenious way to save money on heating and lighting. Many engineers and architects are figuring out ways to design buildings that can take advantage of sunlight as much as possible. The orientation of the building makes a huge impact on how natural light is able to come through the windows, so strategic positioning is definitely an eco-friendly way to light up and heat up a place.

2. Exclusive Use of LED Lights

LED lights are a great choice for any apartment, house, business, or any situation where lighting is needed. Why? LED lights are not only brighter than the typical incandescent light bulbs, they are far more energy efficient too. Most LED lights give off a pleasant, white glow and only use about 20% of the energy that standard bulbs use. Renters can easily cut their electric bills in half after replacing all incandescent bulbs with LEDs.

3. Roofs Made from Copper

Metal roofs, especially copper roofs, are becoming a stylish choice in the world of apartments. First, they are quite inexpensive to purchase and install, and they also require very little maintenance. Secondly, they look great when paired with the right architecture. Copper roofs have a very long life span, with up to a century of use. Finally, they can be recycled with ease. What's not to like?

4. Rainwater Collection Units

If people have survived on rainwater for countless years, why can't we make use of it today? Rainwater collection units are set up in strategic locations around the apartment to collect the runoff. This water can then be used for watering the lawn and garden and general cleaning use.

5. Counter Tops Made from Easily Accessible Wood Sources

Granite counter tops have been popular for many years, but it seems that cheap, wood counters are spreading like wildfire through many apartment complexes. What's the appeal of wooden counter tops? Aesthetically, they obviously look good. More importantly, wooden counter tops that come from rapid growing trees like bamboo do much less harm to our forests and environment. When slow-growing trees are used for wood, the environment takes a much bigger hit because animal homes are lost and oxygen production is halted for a much longer amount of time.

6. Water-Saving Toilets

Using the restroom is something that all civilized people must do, flushing the toilet is an unavoidable consequence. Compared to standard toilets, those designed to conserve water can cut water consumption by 20%. These efficient systems can significantly decrease your water bill and put more money in your pocket.

7. Electric Stove Tops

Induction stovetops are much more eco-friendly than gas versions because far less energy is lost when turned on. Heat transfer through physical contact is a better alternative to turning on a flame that burns your money away with every use.

YOU MIGHT LIKE: Tips On Making Your Office Greener

As always you can send your questions to us by email.

*by andreascy*

Tips On Making Your Office Greener

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

As we are all members of this planet, it is our duty to do our part to keep it looking beautiful. In an office setting, it could be difficult to keep this in mind while completing your daily tasks.

License: Creative Commons

But being a little bit greener is not difficult and should not have to inconvenience you or your workers at all. Simple changes, like conserving electricity, using recycled office supplies, and cutting waste, are just a few ways you can do your part in healing the Earth.

Conserve Energy When Possible

One way to make an office greener is to conserve the use of energy when possible. Obviously, with computers as part of our every day lives, electricity is vital, but it can be minimized. Installing motion sensors on the lights in offices is a great way to cut electricity uses. This way, if someone forgets to turn off a light in their office, after a while, it will automatically shut off. Furthermore, urging everyone to turn off their computers at night could drastically reduce energy consumption. If possible, installing solar panels will substantially reduce energy use and also save money.

Use Recycled Office Supplies

As the world has yet to go completely paperless, it's impossible to stop your office from using natural resources, but things can be done to reduce the collective carbon footprint of the office. The easiest way is to use recycled office products, namely, recycled printer paper. But it does not have to stop there. There are other recyclable office materials that can not only save you money, but also, help save Mother Earth. For example, aftermarket toner is a recycled form of toner that is cheaper and greener, and it is an easy change to implement in your office.

Cut Waste

Cutting waste is an important part of going green, but sometimes waste can sneak up on you in aspects that you wouldn’t think about. Does your company have a water cooler? If it does, consider making the switch away from disposable cups. Instead, persuade your employees to switch to refillable plastic or metal bottles, maybe even hand them out as a gift. It would also be helpful to educate them on what can and cannot be recycled. Some times, the greatest ally you can have in trying to be conservative is knowledge, so a quick seminar about where to put certain materials could save time, money, and especially, the environment in the long run.

Check us out on Twitter (@andreaschriscy, #officialandreascy) to see what else we have to say!

*by andreascy*

How Climate Change Is Destroying The Earth

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

Climate Change Is Real 

Thanks to new studies and noticeable changes in weather and storm prevalence, it’s getting harder to turn a blind eye to the reality of climate change. Since the Industrial Age spurred the increasing usage of fossil fuels for energy production, the weather has been warming slowly. In fact, since 1880, the temperature of the earth has increased by 1 degree Celsius.

Although 72% of media outlets report on global warming with a skeptical air, the overwhelming majority of scientists believe that the extreme weather of the last decade is at least partially caused by global warming.

Some examples of climate calamities caused partly by global warming include:

•  Hurricane Katrina 

•  Drought in desert countries 

•  Hurricane Sandy 

•  Tornadoes in the Midwest 

These storms, droughts, and floods are causing death and economic issues for people all over the world - many of whom cannot afford to rebuild their lives from the ground up after being wiped out by a tsunami or other disaster. 

Evidence also indicates that the face of the Earth is changing because of warming trends. The ice caps of the Arctic are noticeably shrinking, the ice cap of Mt. Kilimanjaro alone has shrunk by 85% in the last hundred years, and the sea levels are rising at the rate of about 3 millimeters per year because of all the melting ice. Climate change is also affecting wildlife - for instance, Arctic polar bears are at risk of losing their environment; the Golden Toad has gone extinct; and the most adaptable species are evolving into new versions capable of withstanding warmer water. 

Despite some naysayers with alternative theories about why global temperatures are rising - including the idea that the earth goes through natural temperature cycles every few millennia - the dramatic changes in the earth’s atmospheric makeup suggests humans are to blame. In fact, 97% of scientists agree humans are responsible for climate change. Since the Industrial Revolution, carbon dioxide levels increased 38% because of humans, methane levels have increased 148%, nitrous oxide is up 15% - and the list goes on and on, all because of human-instigated production, manufacturing, and organizations and individuals work hard to promote an Earth-friendly existence, resistance to change is rampant and actions are slow. 

For instance, while the US Environmental Protection Agency is still working on collecting data to support development of greenhouse gas reduction expectations for businesses, most of their efforts feel more like pre-research than actual change. Other countries have made efforts - such as signing to Kyoto Protocol to reduce their 1990 emission levels by 18% by 2020 - but the only solution will require the whole world band together. 

Steps Anyone Can Take To Reduce Global Warming

1. Driving a car with good gas mileage, or investing in a hybrid or electric car 

2. Switching from incandescent light bulbs to CFL or LED 

3. Insulating your home and stocking it with energy efficient appliances 

4. Recycling 

5. Using green power available in your area

Check out the infographic below to see what else the gender wage gap affects.

There is a ton of information available on our website. If you liked this infographic, follow the recommended link below and enjoy.

WHAT TO READ NEXT: Urban Farming is a Green Way to Improving Cities 

Feel free to share this topic with your friends and spread our voice. If you want to see your infographics featured on our site, then the easiest way to do it is to contact us. 

*by andreascy*

Two New European Galileo GPS Satellites Launched Into Orbit This Month

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

The Galileo GPS system is entirely civilian, unlike its rivals designed by the Russian and American military, and when fully operational will offer a more robust GPS solution and exciting opportunities for GPS manufacturers around the world. This month, the European navigation system, Galileo, took a crucial step with the successful launch of two new satellites. The first test of the system will begin soon as there are now enough satellites in orbit to allow for more advanced testing of the system.

Two new Galileo satellites were placed into orbit by a Russian Soyuz rocket from French Guiana. This is an important step for the European navigation system as it will now be able to run a test phase so GPS manufacturers can start to access the capabilities involved. 

Galileo, which will eventually have 30 satellites in total, should be able to provide services to users in the first few years. "We are committed to provide reliable navigation in 2018," said Paul Flament, Program Manager at the European Commission.

A Success for Europe 

Arianespace CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall hailed this as "a success for Europe", seeing it as a "good omen." He also said that "new success" of a Soyuz rocket launch "confirms the exemplary nature of our cooperation with Russia."

The third mission of Soyuz from French Guiana placed the two new satellites on a circular orbit at an altitude of 23,222 km of the Galileo constellation. Each of the spacecrafts have weight 700 kg each.

Designed for a lifetime of 12 years, they join their counterparts in orbit and all four of them will form a "mini-constellation" that is fully operational so tests can be conducted. 

At first, and for a hundred days, it will ensure that new satellites are stable enough for Galileo and are functioning properly. Operational navigation tests will probably not commence until around February of 2013.

Slated to Launch by 2018

In the Spring of 2013, the four European satellites should be able to provide for the first time their first waypoint. The in-orbit validation phase will be followed by the deployment of the remaining satellites and Galileo should be fully operational by 2018 or 2019 at the very latest. These type of projects are prone to delays so it’s currently impossible to fix a 100% confirmed date on the official launch.

The four satellites currently in orbit were built by a consortium led by EADS Astrium Germany and assembled in Rome by Thales Alenia Space.

IN TREND: Space Travel and Exploration - Dreaming About the Future of Space Tourism

Make sure to keep reading and feel free to contact us anytime.

*by andreascy*