Apollo 11 astronauts look beyond moon, toward Mars

Apollo crewmen wait backstage before participating in a panel discussion during the National Aviation Hall of Fame Spirit of Flight Award at National Museum of the USAF, Friday, July 17, 2009 in Dayton, Ohio. (AP Photo/David Kohl)

The astronauts who first landed on the moon aren't dwelling on their small lunar steps. Instead, two of them on Sunday urged mankind to take a giant leap to Mars.

In one of their few joint public appearances, the crew of Apollo 11 spoke on the eve of the 40th anniversary of man's first landing on the moon, but didn't get soggy with nostalgia. They instead spoke about the future and the more distant past.

On Monday, the three astronauts will get another chance to make the pitch for a Mars trip, this time to someone with a little more sway: President Barack Obama.

Sunday night, a packed crowd at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum 鈥?7,000 people applied in a lottery for 485 seats 鈥?didn't get the intimate details of the Eagle's landing on the moon with little fuel left, or what the moon looked like, or what it felt like to be there.

They got second man on the moon Buzz Aldrin's pitch for Mars. He said the best way to honor the Apollo astronauts "is to follow in our footsteps; to boldly go again on a new mission of exploration."

First man on the moon Neil Armstrong only discussed Apollo 11 for about 11 seconds. He gave a professorial lecture titled "Goddard, governance and geophysics," looking at the inventions and discoveries that led to his historic "small step for a man" on July 20, 1969

Armstrong said the space race was "the ultimate peaceful competition: USA versus U.S.S.R. It did allow both sides to take the high road with the objectives of science and learning and exploration."

Apollo 11 command module pilot Michael Collins, who circled the moon alone while Armstrong and Aldrin walked on it, said the moon was not interesting, but Mars is.

"Sometimes I think I flew to the wrong place. Mars was always my favorite as a kid and it still is today," Collins said. "I'd like to see Mars become the focus, just as John F. Kennedy focused on the moon."

The man who founded and directed Mission Control Houston, Christopher Kraft Jr., also jumped on the go-somewhere-new, do-something-different bandwagon.

"What we need is new technology; we have not had that since Apollo," Kraft said as part of the lecture at the Smithsonian. "I say to Mr. Obama: Let's get on with it. Let's invest in the future."

As the men of NASA of the 1960s talked about new technology and new goals, the current NASA is still looking back at the moon.

NASA is still marching toward a goal of returning to the moon of Armstrong and Aldrin and this time putting a base there. The current plan is based on building new rockets that the former NASA administrator called "Apollo on steroids," with an alternative 鈥?a derivative of the space shuttle 鈥?floating through the space agency.

Although they didn't directly criticize NASA's current plans, Aldrin and Collins said the moon is old hat. Collins said he is afraid that NASA's exploration plans would be bogged down by a return visit to the moon.

Aldrin presented an elaborate slide detailing how to make a quick visit to the moon a stepping stone to visits to the Martian moon Phobos, Mars itself, and even some asteroids like Apophis that may someday hit Earth. Aldrin said he and Armstrong landed on the moon 66 years after the Wright brothers first flew an airplane. What he would like would be for humanity to land on Mars 66 years after his flight. That would be 2035.

And even though Armstrong didn't talk about the future in his 19-minute discourse, Aldrin dragged his commander onto the Mars bandwagon anyway. "It was a great personal honor to walk on the moon, but as Neil once observed, there are still places to go beyond belief," he said. "Isn't it time to continue our journey outward, past the moon?"

(Agencies)

Eclipse draws western amateur stargazers to China

Residents of Japanese city of Oita walk out of the Tianhe Airport in Wuhan City, central China's Hubei Province, July 18, 2009. A delegation, consisting of some 160 Oita citizens, arrived in Wuhan for their planned observation of the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century, set to occur on July 22 over China. (Xinhua/Zhou Chao)

A resident of Japanese city of Oita shows his solar eclipse observing spectacle as he arrives in Wuhan City, central China's Hubei Province, July 18, 2009. The delegation, consisting of some 160 Oita citizens, arrived in Wuhan for their planned observation of the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century, set to occur on July 22 over China.( Xinhua/Zhou Chao)

A family of astrophiles from Europe thumbs up upon their arrival at the Pudong Airport in Shanghai, east China, July 18, 2009. The rising eclipse fever draws myriads of amateur stargazers from rest of the world to China for observation of the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century, set to occur on July 22 over China. (Xinhua/Liu Youping)

A pair astrophiles from Europe brings with a picture of solar eclipse while going through the custom formalities for entry upon their arrival at the Pudong Airport in Shanghai, east China, July 18, 2009. The rising eclipse fever draws myriads of amateur stargazers from rest of the world to China for observation of the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century, set to occur on July 22 over China. (Xinhua/Liu Youping)

A delegation, consisting of some 160 Oita citizens, arrived in Wuhan for their planned observation of the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century, set to occur on July 22 over China.

Rain, clouds may cast shadow on China's total solar eclipse viewing

Photo taken on July 11, 2009 shows the sketch maps illustrating the whole process of the full solar eclipse during a popular science exhibition on the introduction to the forthcoming 2009 Full Solar Eclipse at the Shanghai Science & Technology Museum in Shanghai, east China. The upcoming full solar eclipse, predicted to betide on July 22 and believed to be the longest of its kind in 500 years, will be visible in most parts of the Shanghai Municipality.(Xinhua)

Local citizens watch the sketch maps illustrating the whole process of the full solar eclipse, during a popular science exhibition on the introduction to the forthcoming 2009 Full Solar Eclipse at the Shanghai Science & Technology Museum, in Shanghai, east China, July 11, 2009. The upcoming full solar eclipse, predicted to betide on July 22 and believed to be the longest of its kind in 500 years, will be visible in most parts of the Shanghai Municipality. (Xinhua)

People view the newly-installed sundial donated by the National Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to mark the spot for observing the forthcoming total solar eclipse, in Yanguan Town of Haining City under Jiaxing, east China's Zhejiang Province, July 19, 2009. (Xinhua/Tan Jin)

Astronomers with the Chinese Academy of Sciences Purple Mountain Observatory test their astronomical telescope in the Shangfangshan Forest Park in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, July 20, 2009. (Xinhua/Qi Zhenlin)

The photo taken on July 20, 2009 shows the solar eclipse observation instruments being put in place by astronomers with the Chinese Academy of Sciences Purple Mountain Observatory in the Shangfangshan Forest Park in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Xinhua/Qi Zhenlin)

BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- As astronomy lovers around the world flood China for the July 22 solar eclipse, the country's National Meteorological Center Monday warned of rain and heavy cloud cover in the area where the total eclipse will be most visible.

Thundershowers or thick clouds may overcast many cities in the Yangtze River Valley, including Shanghai, Chongqing and Wuhan as well as the eight sites with the best views recommended by the National Astronomical Observatories, according to local weather stations.

Jiaxing City, eastern China's Zhejiang Province, is one of the places where the eclipse can best be observed. All its hotels and inns are fully booked by eclipse watchers, 6,000 of whom traveled from abroad, according to local tourism administration.

"We have never seen such a huge number of foreign tourists flocking in," said Zhou Hongxia, deputy director of the local tourism administration.

Enthusiastic eclipse observers should prepare themselves for possible bad weather, said Su Yi, head of Tianjin Astronomical Society.

"Of course, a sunny day will be optimal," he said, as observers can enjoy a panoramic view of the corona, Bailey's beads and the backdrop of a starry sky, he said.

Rain or shine, the observer will still experience darkness and may even see the eclipse vaguely through the clouds, said Su.

National Astronomical Observatories have placed a number of live studios within the totality path. In the worst case, people can watch the scene via live coverage on TV or on the Internet, as long as one studio can observe the scene.

ESA: Man will return to Moon by 2020 or 2025

PARIS, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Man will go back to the Moon by 2020or 2025, Director-general of the European Space Agency (ESA) Jean-Jacques Dordain said on Monday, adding that Europe will play a role in the international mission.

In his statement published on the website of the ESA, Dordain talked about the significance of the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11's landing on the Moon and of the continuing lunar exploration.

Dordain said the Moon could be seen as a part of the human environment, which would be used "to make scientific progress, to establish a warning system against asteroids or anything else threatening Earth, or to be a source of resources to take back to Earth."

"I am sure humans will return to the Moon, but they will go to the Moon together and not in the context of two competing countries," he reiterated.

"I think Europe will play a part in the international exploration of the Moon," Dordain said.

Dordain believed that the lunar exploration mainly depends on the current U.S. plan, which is expected to land a crew on the Moon by 2020.

"I am absolutely convinced that mankind will go back to the Moon in 10 years' time, or maybe 20 years, but that is not the most important point. We're not talking about a race. If it's not in 2020, it will be in 2025 -- it doesn't really matter," Dordain said.

NASA to help promote "green" project in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, July 20 (Xinhua) -- NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) will help develop technology to reduce water usage and greenhouse gas emissions in Los Angeles, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced on Monday.

"This partnership will harness Los Angeles' unparalleled creative capital and entrepreneurial spirit to develop clean and green technologies that will spur job growth across the board from research, development, construction and finance," Villaraigosa said after signing the memorandum of understanding to at JPL in Pasadena, Los Angeles.

JPL director Charles Elachi said: "We are proud that JPL technology and expertise will be part of this collaboration to help improve energy efficiency and protect our water supply 鈥?one of our most precious natural resources."

Under the terms of the three-year agreement, staff at JPL and its managing institution, California Institute of Technology (Caltech), will use their expertise in climate-change science, remote sensing and in other fields to help develop technologies to improve energy efficiency, increase the use of renewable energy sources, conserve water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

"We aim to develop real-world solutions based on unparalleled scientific expertise," said David Nahai, General Manager of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) which will take part in the "green" project.

The plan will also require JPL and Caltech to work with local universities such as University of Southern California (USC) and University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) to make technology assessments, develop models, and provide data on global change from Earth science satellites and ground-based instruments.

One project already being investigated could have immediate applications to Southern California's critical water shortage, DWP officials said.

Much of the DWP's water supply comes from the Owens Valley via the California Aqueduct. The department's vast land holdings include Owens Lake, an ancient dry lakebed whose blowing dust can impact air quality for Owens Valley residents.

To help reduce dust, the DWP and its team of contractors are installing a computer-controlled network of sprinklers currently covering more than 14 square miles of the lakebed. But the flooding system consumes significant amounts of water.

JPL and Caltech are working on developing a remote sensing instrument that would measure the lakebed's surface moisture in order to precisely ascertain when water needs to be applied. It would lead to more efficient use of the Owens Lake sprinkler system and conserve water resources.

JPL and Caltech are in the process of developing technology that would make more efficient use of that diminishing water supply.

Other projects aim to reduce agricultural energy and water consumption; predict the availability of solar, wind and wave energy resources; develop communications architectures for smart grid applications; and develop efficient technologies for pre-processing food waste used to produce biogases and renewable energy.

Solar eclipse view may be hurt by clouds, rain

Photo taken on July 11, 2009 shows the sketch maps illustrating the whole process of the full solar eclipse during a popular science exhibition on the introduction to the forthcoming 2009 Full Solar Eclipse at the Shanghai Science & Technology Museum in Shanghai, east China. [Xinhua]

Two pet dogs drink at the roadside in Shanghai, where the temperature hit 40 C, Monday. [China Daily/Gao Erqiang]

SHANGHAI: Those who were looking forward to seeing the total solar eclipse on Wednesday may be disappointed because of rain and clouds.

Officials at China's National Meteorological Center predicted Monday that the cities that had been widely regarded as the ideal places to watch the rare astronomical event, including Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Hefei and Wuhan, will probably experience rainfall or cloudy weather on Wednesday.

"This indeed will be a great pity if the rare event is ruined by rain or cloudy weather on Wednesday morning," an expert from Shanghai Astronomical Observatory said. "But cities will still be plunged into four to six minutes of darkness by the full eclipse."

An official from the Shanghai Tourist Transport Center said Monday people who bought a tour ticket to watch the eclipse could receive a refund if the rare event is rained out.

The center began selling eclipse tour packages last month with a price of 150 yuan ($22) per person. So far, more than 1,500 tickets have been sold for the eclipse viewing at Yangshan Deep Water Port, which is reported to be a prime viewing spot in the city.

The Shanghai Greenery and Public Sanitation Bureau has decided not to turn on landscape lighting during the total solar eclipse after people said the lights could affect eclipse viewing.

The National Astronomical Observatories have also placed a number of live studios within the path of the eclipse. In the worst case, people can watch the scene via live coverage on TV or on the Internet.

Most of central China will be covered by a shadow when the moon moves between the Earth and sun. The rest of the country will see a partial eclipse at that time, he added.

The eclipse will be the longest in China in centuries. A large part of China will be covered and areas along the Yangtze River - including Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Hubei and Sichuan provinces, as well as Chongqing municipality - are among the best observing places.

People there can observe four to six minutes of total eclipse. It is the longest one in the past 2,143 years, according to Li Ding, a professor from Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Zhao Guang, deputy head of the National Astronomical Observatory said people can witness a total solar eclipse once every 300 years in the same spot and it usually lasts only about three minutes.

Heat waves

Shanghai Meteorological Bureau issued the highest heat alert Monday as the city's temperature rocketed to 40 C.

The red heat alert was the first issued this year. The city's weather bureau suggested people stop all outdoor activities and called for heatstroke prevention.

Heat alerts are issued in one of three levels: red, orange and yellow. The red alert is the highest and is issued only when the mercury rises above 40 degrees.

Monday was the eighth day in succession with the temperature higher than 35 degrees. The city upgraded the heat alert from yellow to orange on Sunday when the high temperature peaked at 37.7 degrees in downtown areas.

Bureau officials said the temperature would drop to 35 degrees on Tuesday. The rain on Tuesday night will bring the temperature down to about 30 degrees on Wednesday.

Monday in Beijing, residents also suffered from "sauna weather" - a mixture of heat and humidity - and such weather is expected today as well.

Although the highest temperature hit only 34 C Monday, people felt very uncomfortable because of the high humidity, an official at the local meteorological bureau said.

Residents should avoid outdoor activity during the noontime to prevent sunstroke, the meteorologist said.

Spanish experts to study solar eclipse in China

MADRID, July 20 (Xinhua) -- A group of more than 20 Spanish scientists are now in China to study this century's longest solar eclipse, official sources said Monday.

The Spanish experts are expected to observe and tape record the rare phenomenon that will occur Wednesday in China, said the sources with the regional government in Extremadura, west of Spain.

The group, led by astronomer Miquel Serra-Ricart, a member of the International Astronomical Union, is composed of experts on astronomy, communications and informatics.

Along with the experts, some young Spanish students also got the chance to visit China and its scientific facilities, the sources said.