Nasa to send 3D printer into space in 2014

US space agency Nasa is planning to launch a 3D printer into space next year to help astronauts manufacture essential parts in zero gravity.

One of the biggest obstacles to space exploration is that you need to take everything with you: food, tools, equipment, spare parts - the lot.

Being able to print parts instead would reduce the cost of missions and allow astronauts to produce the things they need on-demand, allowing them to travel farther from the Earth.

It will be the first time a 3D printer has been used in space.

 The 3D printer will be about the size of a microwave oven and will have to be able to withstand very shaky lift-off vibrations and operate safely in an enclosed space station environment.

Nasa is also experimenting 3D printing small satellites that could be launched from the International Space Station and then transmit data to Earth.

New galaxy is 'most distant' discovered yet

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An international team of astronomers has detected the most distant galaxy yet.

The galaxy is about 30 billion light-years away and is helping scientists shed light on the period that immediately followed the Big Bang.

It was found using the Hubble Space Telescope and its distance was then confirmed with the Keck Observatory in Hawaii back on Earth.

The far-off galaxy goes by the catchy name of z8_GND_5296.

Because it takes light so long to travel from the outer edge of the Universe to us, the galaxy appears as it was 13.1 billion years ago.

Lead researcher Steven Finkelstein, from the University of Texas at Austin, US said: "One very interesting way to learn about the Universe is to study these outliers and that tells us something about what sort of physical processes are dominating galaxy formation and galaxy evolution."

He added that in the coming years, astronomers are likely to discover even more distant galaxies when Nasa's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is launched and other ground-based telescopes come online.

 

What are the effects of space travel on the human body?

Commander Chris Hadfield has arrived safely back on Earth after his stint on board the International Space Station - but how has five months in space affected the Canadian astronaut?

Space wreaks havoc on almost every part of the human body because there is less gravity to create the conditions we experience living on Earth.



   Astronauts have to live in cramped conditions while in Space.

To try to avoid this, while they're in space astronauts have a special diet and have to do up to two hours of exercise per day.

 

Even then, after five months in orbit above the Earth, an astronaut like Commander Hadfield would typically lose as much as 40% of muscle and 12% of bone mass, says Jeremy Curtis from the UK Space Agency.

"The muscle loss is the equivalent of a 20-year-old turning into a 60-year-old over a period of three months," he says.

 

The 53-year-old astronaut will experience problems standing up and balancing - and he won't be able to drive to begin with.

He'll have to undergo a special rehabilitation programme for the next year to rebuild his muscles and bones - and he may never regain his previous bone mass.

The exposure to higher levels of radiation in space also means Chris may be more likely to suffer from cancer later on in life.

But on the plus side, scientists say studying the effects of space flight on the human body can help with developing new treatments for diseases like osteoporosis and cancer here on Earth. Thanks Commander Hadfield!

India's first space rocket blasts off to Mars

India has launched its first rocket into space, with the aim of reaching Mars.

The unmanned robotic spacecraft is being sent to Mars to carry out experiments.

The Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) lifted off at 0908 GMT on Tuesday 5 November from Sriharikota.

If all goes well, the spacecraft is set to travel for 300 days and should reach Mars orbit in September 2014.

Trial of Egypt's former president, Mohammed Morsi, put on hold

The former President of Egypt, Mohammed Morsi, went on trial today.

However, soon after it started the judge decided to put the trial on hold until January.

Morsi told the judge that he shouldn't be on trial and that he was still president.

He also refused to wear a prison uniform.

The judge had to temporarily stop the session today because of chanting in the courtroom.

The chanting came from other senior members of Morsi's political party, the Muslim Brotherhood, who are also on trial.

Morsi was removed from power by the Egyptian Army in July in a move that divided the country.

He is accused of encouraging violence against the people who protested against his rule, along with 14 other members of the Muslim Brotherhood.

In August, protests by thousands of supporters of Mr Morsi were met with violence by the country's police force, leading to many hundreds of people being killed.

 

 

 

Police dogs are to get money when they retire

They help catch criminals, sniff out trouble and protect their police handlers. One team of police dogs are so well thought of - they're being given money by their police force when they stop working.

Nottinghamshire Police say the hounds are so brave and hard-working that they deserve a special pot of money for when they retire.

Starting next month all of the force's 26 dogs will be given £1500 to be used on medical bills after they finish working for the police.

More than 9 million Syrians need help, says UN

Around 9.3 million people living in Syria are now in need of help, says the head of humanitarian aid at the United Nations.

This is a big rise since the last time the United Nations released figures about the number of people in need.

In September a United Nations report said 6.8 million people in Syria needed outside assistance, that's a rise of around 2.5 million people in just two months.

Valerie Amos, who is the UN aid chief, says the crisis in Syria is getting worse and she's calling on the United Nations to take action to make it easier for aid workers to access the country.