“You can believe your eyes: NASA to test flying saucer”

Keep an eye on the skies over Hawaii on Thursday. If all goes to plan, NASA will be testing out a saucer-shaped craft that could hold the key to a future human mission to Mars. The test flight was originally scheduled for Tuesday but mission managers were forced to postpone the launch twice due to unfavorable ocean conditions. The next chance to launch will be Thursday after 7:30 a.m. If conditions are suitable, an enormous balloon will lift the test vehicle carrying the disc- like Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator, or LDSD, to a height of 120,000 feet, or more than 20 miles, above Earth. Then, mission controllers will set the LDSD free to fire its rockets and try out the centerpiece of the test: a giant supersonic parachute, measuring 100 feet across. "This year's test is centered on how our newly designed supersonic parachute will perform. We think we have a great design ready for the challenge, but the proof is in the pudding and the pudding will be made live for everyone to see.” This means the supersonic parachute will have its work cut out to create sufficient atmospheric drag to slow the vehicle down so it can be landed safely. Using drag for deceleration means precious fuel can be saved for landing maneuvers. A third test flight for the LDSD is scheduled for summer 2016.

In Other News When you're blind, navigating the world involves more than avoiding physical obstacles. Just as important is navigating your social relationships, which can be a challenge when you're not always sure who's around you. Researchers at Birmingham City University, in the UK, are attempting to address that issue with a new cane design that will help the visually impaired recognize people from up to 32 feet away. The researchers are in the process of building the XploR, a "smart" cane that's embedded with a camera, facial recognition software, and GPS. Their idea is to embed the capabilities of a computer into the prosaic cane, long considered to be an affordable and effective mobility aid. When you're blind, navigating the world involves more than avoiding physical obstacles. Just as important is navigating your social relationships, which can be a challenge when you're not always sure who's around you. Researchers at Birmingham City University, in the UK, are attempting to address that issue with a new cane design that will help the visually impaired recognize people from up to 32 feet away. The researchers are in the process of building the XploR, a "smart" cane that's embedded with a camera, facial recognition software, and GPS. Their idea is to embed the capabilities of a computer into the prosaic cane, long considered to be an affordable and effective mobility aid. A plan to cut cash out of shopping could see Denmark become the first country to ditch notes and coins altogether. The Danish government has proposed that most stores could dump their cash registers from January Essential services, such as hospitals, pharmacies and post offices, would still have to accept cash under the plan, which is some way from becoming law. Denmark, with its Scandinavian neighbors Norway and Sweden, is leading the global trend towards electronic money. Business groups point to benefits such as reduced handling and transport costs, increased security and a drop in attempts to steal cash. Scandinavians rely on cash for less than 6% of all payments made. By contrast, around 47% of U.S. payments are still made with cash. A plan to cut cash out of shopping could see Denmark become the first country to ditch notes and coins altogether. The Danish government has proposed that most stores could dump their cash registers from January Essential services, such as hospitals, pharmacies and post offices, would still have to accept cash under the plan, which is some way from becoming law. Denmark, with its Scandinavian neighbors Norway and Sweden, is leading the global trend towards electronic money. Business groups point to benefits such as reduced handling and transport costs, increased security and a drop in attempts to steal cash. Scandinavians rely on cash for less than 6% of all payments made. By contrast, around 47% of U.S. payments are still made with cash.