Space whiskey returning to Earth soon (hurry, please)

Returning to Earth September 12. Screenshot by Eric Mack/CNET

In 2011, vials of Ardbeg scotch whiskey were sent to the International Space Station as part of an experiment to see how the spirits' maturation process is affected by the near zero gravity of near space. Now it's almost time for a homecoming.

According to the folks at the Ardbeg distillery, which dates back to the early 19th century on the Hebrides Islands of Scotland:

"The vials contained a class of compounds known as 'terpenes.' Ardbeg was invited by US-based space research company NanoRacks LLC to take part in testing these micro organic compounds in a maturation experiment (the interaction of these compounds with charred oak) between normal gravity on Earth and micro-gravity i.e. space."

After orbiting the Earth over 15,000 times at a speed of 17,227 miles per hour the past few years, the single malt is scheduled to return to terra firma on September 12.

Related stories Spectacular ISS shots of cities at night (pictures) Powdered-alcohol creator shares 'the truth about Palcohol' NOOOO!! WHY? Beer-delivering drone grounded by FAA

After landing in Kazakhstan, the extra-terrestrially aged booze will be rushed to a lab in Houston, where Ardbeg says a team including the whiskey's creator will "proceed to unlock the mysteries of maturation, through the study of the interaction between Ardbeg-crafted molecules and charred oak, both in micro-gravity (in orbit) and normal gravity (in Ardbeg's Warehouse 3)."

The result will be a white paper that reveals the secrets of the universe and their effects on a good single malt. And perhaps we'll have a new answer to the great existential question of why we seem to be so isolated in the vast universe -- because the best of the hard stuff is being made and hoarded out there.

If not, no biggie. We'll still have a brand new space whiskey to console our lonesome selves with. Humans win!

Tags: Crave Sci-Tech Tech Culture Space About the author

Read More

Astronaut drives rover on Earth -- from space

The Eurobot getting its commands from hundreds of miles away. Video screenshot by Michael Franco/CNET

If you ever had a remote-controlled car as a kid, you know that driving the thing around isn't always the smoothest operation. The legs of my mom's kitchen table certainly saw their share of accidents from my imprecise maneuvers.

So, imagine trying to operate a car-sized rover from about 250 miles away, while moving at over 17,000 miles per hour. That's what one European Space Agency astronaut did last week (see video below).

Related stories Rosetta spacecraft makes historic comet rendezvous Gaia satellite begins 3D-mapping the galaxy Watch gorgeous HD video from the space station From his home aboard the International Space Station (ISS), Alexander Gerst took the ESA's Eurobot rover through a series of maneuvers on the ground in the Netherlands. Gerst had the rover move around and take pictures, which were then beamed back to him on the space station.

"This was the first time Eurobot was controlled from space as part of an experiment to validate communication and operations technologies that will ultimately be used for future human exploration missions," said Kim Nergaard, head of Advanced Mission Concepts at the ESA's European Space Operations Center, in a statement.

The communication link between the rover and the ISS happened over "a new network that stores commands when signals are interrupted if direct line of sight with Earth or the surface unit is lost, forwarding them once contact is re-established," said the ESA. "In the future, controlling robots on Mars or the Moon will require a sort of 'space Internet' to send telecommands and receive data. Such networks must also accommodate signal delays across vast distances, considering that astronauts and rovers on Mars will have to be linked with mission controllers on Earth."

The Eurobot rover which Gerst controlled is a lander which may someday find itself exploring the moon or Mars. It can be operated either by an onboard passenger, or -- as just demonstrated -- remotely by an astronaut in a nearby ship or on a nearby planet. the rover can hold up to 330 pounds and has two robotic arms that can be fitted with a variety of tools, according to the ESA. It also has advanced vision systems, including a 3D camera, and force and torque sensors.

If only the remote control car I had as a kid was equipped with that type of gear. I'm sure my mom's furniture would have benefited greatly!

Tags: Crave Sci-Tech Space About the author

Read More