June 30, 2005

• The launch of the next space shuttle
  Space Shuttle
  The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
  
   mission is scheduled for July 13, 2005. (BBC)

June 29, 2005

• NASA
  NASA
  The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
  
   publishes pictures taken by the Cassini spacecraft showing a feature that could be a lake of liquid methane
  Methane
  Methane is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest alkane, the principal component of natural gas, and probably the most abundant organic compound on earth. The relative abundance of methane makes it an attractive fuel...
  
   or ethane
  Ethane
  Ethane is a chemical compound with chemical formula C2H6. It is the only two-carbon alkane that is an aliphatic hydrocarbon. At standard temperature and pressure, ethane is a colorless, odorless gas....
  
  , close to the southern pole of Titan
  Titan (moon)
  Titan , or Saturn VI, is the largest moon of Saturn, the only natural satellite known to have a dense atmosphere, and the only object other than Earth for which clear evidence of stable bodies of surface liquid has been found....
  
  . (BBC)

June 28, 2005

• The Stafford-Covey panel reports that 12 of 15 recommendations by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board
  Columbia Accident Investigation Board
  The Columbia Accident Investigation Board was convened by NASA to investigate the destruction of the Space Shuttle Columbia during STS-107 upon atmospheric re-entry on February 1, 2003. In addition to determining the cause of the accident, the panel also recommended changes that should be made...
  
   (CAIB) were met or exceeded. It also states that the shuttle
  Space Shuttle
  The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
  
   "is a safe vehicle to fly", even though three recommendations were not met. (BBC)
• Countries backing the ITER
  ITER
  ITER is an international nuclear fusion research and engineering project, which is currently building the world's largest and most advanced experimental tokamak nuclear fusion reactor at Cadarache in the south of France...
  
   fusion
  Nuclear fusion
  Nuclear fusion is the process by which two or more atomic nuclei join together, or "fuse", to form a single heavier nucleus. This is usually accompanied by the release or absorption of large quantities of energy...
  
   reactor meet in Moscow and decide that the experimental fusion reactor will be built in Cadarache
  Cadarache
  The CEA Cadarache facility is a French scientific research centre which specialises in nuclear energy research. It is located in the commune of Saint-Paul-lès-Durance, Bouches-du-Rhône, in the southern region of Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur...
  
  , Southern France. The competing site in Japan will receive compensation. (PhysOrg) (European Commission) (BBC) (IHT)

June 22, 2005

• ESA
  European Space Agency
  The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
  
   announces that the MARSIS radar
  Radar
  Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
  
   experiment on board the Mars Express Orbiter is operational. (YahooNews/AFP) (Link dead as of 15 January 2007)

June 21, 2005

• The first specifically designed solar sail
  Solar sail
  Solar sails are a form of spacecraft propulsion using the radiation pressure of light from a star or laser to push enormous ultra-thin mirrors to high speeds....
  
   craft, Cosmos 1
  Cosmos 1
  Cosmos 1 was a project by Cosmos Studios and The Planetary Society to test a solar sail in space. As part of the project, an unmanned solar sail spacecraft christened Cosmos 1 was launched into space at 15:46:09 EDT on June 21, 2005 from the submarine Borisoglebsk in the Barents Sea...
  
  , a joint private project between Planetary Society
  Planetary Society
  The Planetary Society is a large, publicly supported, non-government and non-profit organization that has many research projects related to astronomy...
  
  , Cosmos Studios
  Cosmos Studios
  Cosmos Studios former Abbey Road Studios / EMI - studios in Skärmarbrink on the outskirts of Stockholm, Sweden, has been since the early sixties a landmark of Swedish and international music.-External links:* *...
  
   and the Russian Academy of Science, is launched from a Russian submarine. The rocket
  Rocket
  A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
  
  , however, fails 83 seconds after the launch and the chance of mission failure is "significant". (BBC) (SBS)

June 20, 2005

• The BLAST
  BLAST (telescope)
  The Balloon-borne Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope is a submillimeter telescope that hangs from a high altitude balloon. It has a 2 meter primary mirror that directs light into bolometer arrays operating at 250, 350, and 500 µm. These arrays were developed for the SPIRE instrument on the...
  
   telescope
  Telescope
  A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
  
   lands safely in the Canadian arctic
  Canada
  Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
  
   after four days of taking data, while held aloft by a balloon
  Balloon
  A balloon is an inflatable flexible bag filled with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, or air. Modern balloons can be made from materials such as rubber, latex, polychloroprene, or a nylon fabric, while some early balloons were made of dried animal bladders, such as the pig...
  
  . (CBSNews)

June 18, 2005

• The supply craft Progress
  Progress spacecraft
  The Progress is a Russian expendable freighter spacecraft. The spacecraft is an unmanned resupply spacecraft during its flight but upon docking with a space station, it allows astronauts inside, hence it is classified manned by the manufacturer. It was derived from the Soyuz spacecraft, and is...
  
   docks at the International Space Station
  International Space Station
  The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
  
  , after cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev
  Sergei Krikalev
  Sergei Konstantinovich Krikalev is a Russian cosmonaut and mechanical engineer. As a prominent rocket scientist, he has been veteran of six space flights and currently has spent more time in space than any other human being.On August 16, 2005 at 1:44 a.m...
  
   takes over control of the spacecraft. (spaceflightnow)

June 16, 2005

• ESA
  European Space Agency
  The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
  
   announces that the deployment of the second MARSIS boom on the Mars Express Orbiter was a full success. (ESA)
• IBM
  IBM
  International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
  
   and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
  École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne
  The École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne is one of the two Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology and is located in Lausanne, Switzerland.The school was founded by the Swiss Federal Government with the stated mission to:...
  
   announce that they are working on a computer model of the brain, creating a 3-D simulation
  Computer simulation
  A computer simulation, a computer model, or a computational model is a computer program, or network of computers, that attempts to simulate an abstract model of a particular system...
  
   of the neocortex
  Neocortex
  The neocortex , also called the neopallium and isocortex , is a part of the brain of mammals. It is the outer layer of the cerebral hemispheres, and made up of six layers, labelled I to VI...
  
  . (CNN Money) (Link dead as of 15 January 2007)

June 15, 2005

• The second MARSIS antenna boom of the Mars Express Orbiter is being deployed. Mission engineers are evaluating the success of this operation. (BBC)
• The space shuttle
  Space Shuttle
  The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
  
   Discovery
  Space Shuttle Discovery
  Space Shuttle Discovery is one of the retired orbiters of the Space Shuttle program of NASA, the space agency of the United States, and was operational from its maiden flight, STS-41-D on August 30, 1984, until its final landing during STS-133 on March 9, 2011...
  
   returns to the launch pad
  Launch pad
  A launch pad is the area and facilities where rockets or spacecraft lift off. A spaceport can contain one or many launch pads. A typical launch pad consists of the service and umbilical structures. The service structure provides an access platform to inspect the launch vehicle prior to launch....
  
   in Cape Canaveral
  Cape Canaveral
  Cape Canaveral, from the Spanish Cabo Cañaveral, is a headland in Brevard County, Florida, United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic coast. Known as Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated from it by the Banana River.It is part of a region known as the...
  
   for a planned launch on July 13. (YahooNews/AP) (Link dead as of 15 January 2007)

June 14, 2005

• An earthquake
  Earthquake
  An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
  
   of magnitude 7.0 strikes about 80 miles (130 kilometers) off the coast of northern California
  California
  California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
  
   on Tuesday night, briefly prompting a tsunami
  Tsunami
  A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
  
   warning along the Pacific coast but with no immediate reports of damages or injuries. (AP)

June 13, 2005

• A 7.9 magnitude earthquake
  Earthquake
  An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
  
   occurs in the Andes mountains, Chile
  Chile
  Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
  
  , killing at least eight persons and injuring several others. (Yahoo News) (Link dead as of 15 January 2007) (BBC)
• Astronomer
  Astronomer
  An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
  
  s announce the discovery of the smallest exoplanet, yet, with about 7.5 times Earth's mass. It orbits the star
  Star
  A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
  
   Gliese 876
  Gliese 876
  Gliese 876 is a red dwarf star approximately 15 light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Aquarius. As of 2011, it has been confirmed that four extrasolar planets orbit the star...
  
  , where two Jupiter
  Jupiter
  Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
  
  -like planets were previously detected. (BBC)
• Red Hat
  Red Hat
  Red Hat, Inc. is an S&P 500 company in the free and open source software sector, and a major Linux distribution vendor. Founded in 1993, Red Hat has its corporate headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina with satellite offices worldwide....
  
   releases Fedora Core
  Fedora (operating system)
  Fedora is a RPM-based, general purpose collection of software, including an operating system based on the Linux kernel, developed by the community-supported Fedora Project and sponsored by Red Hat...
  
   4. (ZDNet)

June 10, 2005

• Dr Modadugu Vijay Gupta
  Modadugu Vijay Gupta
  Dr. Modadugu Vijay Gupta, a biologist from India was the recipient of the World Food Prize in 2005 for development and dissemination of low-cost techniques for freshwater fish farming by the rural poor.-Biography:...
  
   was awarded the World Food Prize
  World Food Prize
  The World Food Prize is an international award recognizing the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world.-The Prize:...
  
   for his development of low-cost fish farming techniques. World Food Prize

June 9, 2005

• Tinkerers and innovators have devised a way to link useful data graphically using Google Maps
  Google Maps
  Google Maps is a web mapping service application and technology provided by Google, free , that powers many map-based services, including the Google Maps website, Google Ride Finder, Google Transit, and maps embedded on third-party websites via the Google Maps API...
  
  . Vital information such as crime statistics, gas prices, dark alleyways, housing prices, and potentially much more could be displayed as pinpoints on a Google Map. Efforts to improve the technology are currently underway. (CNN) (Link dead as of 15 January 2007)
• The first Atlantic tropical storm of the 2005 season
  2005 Atlantic hurricane season
  The 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the most active Atlantic hurricane season in recorded history, repeatedly shattering numerous records. The impact of the season was widespread and ruinous with an estimated 3,913 deaths and record damage of about $159.2 billion...
  
   develops south of Cuba
  Cuba
  The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
  
  . (CNN) (Link dead as of 15 January 2007) (CBSnews)

June 8, 2005

• The Mars Express Orbiter detects an aurora
  Aurora (astronomy)
  An aurora is a natural light display in the sky particularly in the high latitude regions, caused by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the high altitude atmosphere...
  
   on Mars
  Mars
  Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
  
  . (spaceflightnow)

June 6, 2005

• Debian GNU/Linux
  Debian
  Debian is a computer operating system composed of software packages released as free and open source software primarily under the GNU General Public License along with other free software licenses. Debian GNU/Linux, which includes the GNU OS tools and Linux kernel, is a popular and influential...
  
  : Version 3.1, codenamed sarge, is released. (Press release)
• Apple Computer
  Apple Computer
  Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
  
   announces they will change the processors for their Macintosh computer lineup from IBM
  IBM
  International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
  
   PowerPC
  PowerPC
  PowerPC is a RISC architecture created by the 1991 Apple–IBM–Motorola alliance, known as AIM...
  
  s to Intel-made CPUs. (Ziff Davis) (BBC)

June 4, 2005

• After 5 weeks of slow progress Mars Rover Opportunity
  Opportunity rover
  Opportunity, MER-B , is a robotic rover on the planet Mars, active since 2004. It is the remaining rover in NASA's ongoing Mars Exploration Rover Mission...
  
   is freed from the sand dune that it got stuck in April. (CNN) (Link dead as of 15 January 2007)

June 3, 2005

• Scientists claim they have sequenced the DNA
  DNA
  Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
  
   of an extinct cave bear
  Cave Bear
  The cave bear was a species of bear that lived in Europe during the Pleistocene and became extinct at the beginning of the Last Glacial Maximum about 27,500 years ago....
  
  . It was extracted from the remains of animals that died about 40,000 years ago in Austria. (BBC)

June 1, 2005

• A new type of sauropod has been discovered with a short, stubby neck. Unlike all other known sauropods, whose long necks could get up to four times the length of their backs, Brachytrachelopans neck was shorter than its backbone. This species was also unable to lift its neck and head above horizontal
  Horizontal plane
  In geometry, physics, astronomy, geography, and related sciences, a plane is said to be horizontal at a given point if it is perpendicular to the gradient of the gravity field at that point— in other words, if apparent gravity makes a plumb bob hang perpendicular to the plane at that point.In...
  
  . (National Geographic)
• Astronomer
  Astronomer
  An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
  
  s announce the results of the most detailed simulation
  Simulation
  Simulation is the imitation of some real thing available, state of affairs, or process. The act of simulating something generally entails representing certain key characteristics or behaviours of a selected physical or abstract system....
  
   of the evolution of the Universe
  Universe
  The Universe is commonly defined as the totality of everything that exists, including all matter and energy, the planets, stars, galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space. Definitions and usage vary and similar terms include the cosmos, the world and nature...
  
  , using supercomputers, called the Millennium Run. (BBC)

Past science and technology events by month

See also

• Science and technology at Wikinews