The 2006budget of NASA shows that the agency plans to cancel or scale back some high-profile projects. The Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter mission has been cancelled. Funding for Project Constellation to build a Crew Exploration Vechile (CEV) to replace the space shuttle for travel to the Moon has been reduced, although NASA still expects that the CEV will be operational in 2014. No funding has been requested to service the Hubble Space Telescope, however funds have been requested for a deorbit mission to safely guide Hubble into the ocean once it is no longer capable of doing science. (Space.com) (http://www.space.com/news/nasa_budget_050207.html)
Scientists working at Penn State announce the discovery of the smallest extrasolar planet, yet. It is member of a set of planets circling a pulsar. (Spaceref.com) (http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=16094)
The United States National Institutes of Health releases its plan to promote and encourage open access of most NIH-sponsored research findings as part of an effort to allow easier and freer access to recent scientific findings. (NPG) (http://www.nature.com/news/2005/050131/full/050131-20.html)
Japanese scientists have discovered single-cell organisms living in the Pacific Ocean's deepest trench, the Challenger Deep. 432 types of hard and soft walled foraminifera were found at depths where life was assumed to be scarce. (National Geographic.com) (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/02/0203_050203_deepest.html)(Nature) (http://www.nature.com/news/2005/050131/full/050131-13.html)
NASA astronomers at the Keck Observatory in Hawaii have used infrared imaging to demonstrate that Saturn has a warm "polar vortex" at its south pole. Saturn is the only planet known to have a warm polar vortex.(NASA) (http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/solarsystem/saturn-020305.html)
Researchers at Hewlett-Packard have developed and sucessfully tested the 'crossbar latch', a nanoscale transistor. They propose that the crossbar latch may replace the transistor, important for the development of nano-computing. (Internetnews.com) (http://www.internetnews.com/ent-news/article.php/3467491)(BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4226305.stm)
Neurotransmitter kisspeptin has been shown to trigger puberty in monkeys, by eliciting the release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). Kisspeptin may have a similar role in humans. (Science) (http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2005/201/2)
By tracking the rate of cell division in BacteriumEscherichia coli scientists have been able to show that bacteria age, countering the common belief that bacteria are immortal. (Nature) (http://www.nature.com/news/2005/050131/full/050131-6.html)
