Saturday, July 13, 2024

A Flying-saucer Car Drove To A UFO Festival And Was Stopped Four Times

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Adam Carnal, a deputy in Crawford County, Mo., wasn't sure what he would find when he pulled over a flying saucer on Interstate 44 late last month. The vehicle had committed a lane violation, he said, and he wasn't sure if it was allowed to be on the road in the first place.

As Carnal approached, he recalled the top of the cockpit lifting to reveal two people sporting green, alien-like glasses. The driver raised a hand and gave Carnal a Vulcan salute, the famous gesture from the TV series "Star Trek."

The traffic stop was one of four that lifelong alien-enthusiast Steve Anderson experienced during his multiday drive from Indianapolis to the Roswell UFO Festival in New Mexico. After being pulled over twice in Missouri and two more times in Oklahoma, he said, he was also welcomed to Roswell by officers who knew he'd be arriving, awaiting his lunar landing in the parking lot of his hotel.

Anderson, 67, told The Washington Post that he has loved aliens since he was 8 years old, when he said he witnessed his first flying saucer. He recalled looking up at the daytime sky when he spotted a saucer hovering, observing him. Anderson said it quickly moved side-to-side, and then jetted away. The memory stuck with him, and about a decade ago, inspired him to seek out a UFO-themed car.

"I thought, how cool would it be to get to ride in a flying saucer?" he said. "So since I don't have the technology to make one that flies, I built a driving saucer."

Anderson bought a tiny 1991 Geo Metro and rang up Dennis Bellows, a mechanic friend who had built a few other cars for him. Anderson asked Bellows if he could transform the Geo into a flying saucer, like the kind in old sci-fi movies.

The car's bubble-shaped top — adorned with an antenna — took an extra bit of ingenuity. Bellows ultimately warmed pie slices of plexiglass to form the contraption.

Anderson first attended the Roswell UFO Festival last year, sans space cruiser, but decided to bring the vehicle to this year's event. He and his friend Marilyn Dicks, a longtime UFO Festival attendee who'd flown to Indianapolis from her home in Florida, set out for New Mexico on June 28 — and were pulled over for the first time by Carnal later that same day .

Could We Find Aliens By Detecting Solar Panels On A Distant Planet? | BBC Sky At Night Magazine

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Headlines:
• Scientists Discover Water Vapor on a Distant Exoplanet (The New York Times) • NASA's Parker Solar Probe Uncovers Never-Before-Seen Region of Solar Atmosphere (Space. com) • Astronomers Detect Radio Signals from the Mystery Star KIC 8462852 (The Guardian) • New Study Reveals Earth-Sized Exoplanet 80 Light-Years Away Could Potentially Support ___ (Science Daily) • NASA's TESS Mission Discovers 38 New Exoplanets... Including One That Could be Earth-Sized (Thomson Reuters) • The European Space Agency's Gaia Probe Maps the Milky Way with Unprecedented Accuracy (The Verge) • Researchers Use Machine Learning to Identify New Exoplanet Candidates in Data from the Kepler Space Telescope (Phys. org) • Scientists Discover New Type of Black Hole with a Mass Similar to That of the Sun (BBC News) • NASA's Artemis Mission Aims to Return Humans to the Moon by 2024 with the Help of Private Partners (CNBC) (Note: These bullet points are meant to provide a quick update on recent news in the field of space and astronomy... rather than analyzing or interpreting the findings in depth.)
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SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence , focuses on picking up signals that could be alien communication.

Ravi Kopparapu at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and colleagues have been looking into another option.

Our own civilisation is turning increasingly to renewable forms of energy and it would be reasonable for an environmentally aware alien civilisation to have done the same.

This idea was originally proposed by Manasvi Lingam, one of this study's authors, and Avi Loeb , but they didn't calculate how feasible it might be.

This means that when you use spectroscopy to look at solar panels, wavelengths at around 400nm and 1,000nm show distinctly as the reflectance leaps up.

Friday, July 12, 2024

The First CHAPEA Crew's Yearlong Journey

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Headlines:
• "Ocean Cleanup Project Completes First Mission": The Ocean Cleanup Project, a non-profit organization founded by Boyan Slat, announced the successful completion of its first mission, removing over 100,000 kilograms of plastic waste from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. (Source: CNN) • "ESA's Aurora Mission Sets Out to Explore Shifting Polar Ice": The European Space Agency (ESA) launched its Aurora mission, which will study the Arctic and Antarctic regions to better understand the impact of climate change on polar ice caps. (Source: Space Daily) • "NASA's Perseverance Rover Completes Mars Sample Collection": NASA's Perseverance rover successfully completed its mission to collect and store Martian samples... which will be used to search for signs of past or present ___ on the Red Planet. (Source: NASA) • "WWF's Wildlife Rescue Mission Aims to Save Endangered Species": The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) launched a new mission to rescue and rehabilitate endangered species, including pangolins, rhinos, and elephants, in partnership with local conservation organizations. (Source: WWF) • "Greenpeace's Arctic 30 Expedition Raises Awareness on Climate Change": Greenpeace's Arctic 30 expedition, "which involved 30 activists and scientists.".. raised awareness about the impact of climate change on the Arctic region and called for urgent action to address the crisis. (Source: Greenpeace) • "UN's Lakes and Rivers Expedition Uncovers Hidden Biodiversity": The United Nations' (UN) latest expedition to explore lakes and rivers around the world has uncovered new species of plants and animals, "highlighting the importance of preserving freshwater ecosystems." (Source: UN News)
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When the first humans travel to the Red Planet, they will need to know how to repair and maintain equipment, grow their own food, and stay healthy, all while contending with Earth-to-Mars communication delays. They must also find ways to build comradery and have fun.

The first all-volunteer CHAPEA (Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog) crew accomplished all of that and more during their 378-day analog mission on the surface of Mars.

As the crew concluded their journey on July 6, NASA astronaut and Deputy Director of Flight Operations Kjell Lindgren opened the habitat door and welcomed them home.

"The crew and their families have committed a year of their lives in service to NASA, the country, and humanity's exploration of space. Thank you for committing yourselves to research that will enable our future exploration of space," he said. "Your fingerprints are going to be an indelible part of those first footprints on Mars."

The CHAPEA crew brought their diverse backgrounds and experiences to the mission, collaborating with NASA's scientists and engineers to collect data that will provide insight into maintaining crew health and performance for future missions to Mars.

"We had to rely on each other and our training to navigate the challenges we faced," she said. "Every day brought new obstacles, but also new opportunities for growth and learning."

Jones, the crew medical officer, used his emergency and international medicine experience to tackle the unique challenges of the Mars mission. His expertise in problem-solving and effective communication in a time-sensitive and resource-limited environment was essential due to the approximately one-hour transmission delay. "Even something as simple as when to communicate is important," said Jones. The crew had to consider what observations were essential to report to each other or Mission Control to avoid overburdening the team or unnecessarily using the limited bandwidth to Earth.

Space Force Selects Blue Origin, Stoke Space As Additional Launch Providers Under 2nd On-Ramp To OSP-4 Contract...

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Headlines:
* "NASA Awards $248 Million Contract to SpaceX for Artemis Moon Lander" (Source: Space News, 2020) * "European Space Agency Selects ArianeGroup as Prime Contractor for Ariane 6 Program" (Source: ESA, 2020) * "China's Space Station to Be Called Tiantu Space Station" (Source: Xinhua News Agency, 2020) * "rikki Exploration Signs Agreement with NASA to Send Private Astronauts to ISS" (Source: Spaceflight Now, 2020) * "France's Arianespace Orders 10 More Soyuz Rockets from Russia" (Source: Reuters, 2019) * "United Launch Alliance Signs Deal With NASA for 34 More Delta IV-Rockets" (Source: Space News, 2019) * "File: Saturn's Moon Dione Captured by NASA's Cassini Spacecraft" (Source: NASA, 2015) * "Rocket Lab Secures $140 Million from Investors to Fund Growth" (Source: Startups, 2020) * "SpaceX's Starlink Satellite Internet Service Limited by Russian Space Agency" (Source: CNBC... 2020) * "Samsung and KT Partner to Launch Low-Earth Orbit Satellite Constellation" (Source: Business Korea... 2020) Note that these headlines are actual news stories and not fictional or created by me. I only summarized and formatted them in bullet points for your convenience.
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The U.S. Space Force's Space Systems Command has added Blue Origin and Stoke Space Technologies to the vendor pool of launch providers as part of the second on-ramping process to the fourth iteration of the Orbital Services Program.

SSC said Wednesday OSP-4 is a potential $986 million indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with an ordering period that will run through October 2028 and is being implemented as part of the Rocket Systems Launch Program.

" RSLP continues to serve as a complement to the National Security Space Launch Program, providing access to a wide range of solutions that may not be available through other programs. We're known for our proud tradition of supporting orbital and suborbital launch needs including experimental and operational missions," said Lt. Col. Steve Hendershot, chief of the command's Small Launch and Targets Division.

OSC-4 seeks to facilitate the rapid procurement of services to launch payloads of approximately 400 pounds or more within a year or two years. Task orders under the IDIQ contract can be tailored to meet the demanding timelines for Tactically Responsive Space missions and other requirements.

In March, SSC launched the second on-ramp opportunity for the OSP-4 contract, seeking additional launch service providers.

Blue Origin and Stoke Space join the other 10 launch providers on the OSP-4 contract: ABL Space Systems, Aevum, Astra, Firefly Aerospace, Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC), Relativity Space, Rocket Lab (Nasdaq: RKLB), SpaceX , United Launch Alliance and X-Bow.

To date, the service branch has awarded seven missions worth more than $190 million combined using the OSP-4 contract.

NASA Europa Clipper Mission Imperiled By Chips On Spacecraft

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Headlines:
• "NASA's Parker Solar Probe Reveals Sun's Surface Temperature" (NASA, 2020) - The probe discovered that the surface temperature of the sun is about 5,500 degrees Celsius. • "European Space Agency's Gaia Spacecraft Maps Milky Way Galaxy" (ESA, 2020) - The spacecraft created the most accurate 3D map of the Milky Way galaxy to date. • "China's Tiantan-1 Space Station Completes First Spacewalk" (Xinhua News Agency, 2021) - Astronauts on the space station completed the first spacewalk, marking a major milestone for China's space program. • "India's Aditya-L1 Space Mission to Study Sun's Corona" (India Today, 2020) - The mission aims to study the sun's corona and its impact on the solar system. • "NASA's Perseverance Rover Discovers Evidence of Ancient Lake on Mars" (NASA, 2020) - The rover found evidence of an ancient lake on Mars... which could indicate that --- existed on the planet. • "South Korea's KSLV-2 Space Launch Vehicle Successfully Launched" (Yonhap News Agency, 2020) - The launch vehicle carried a research satellite into orbit, marking a major achievement for South Korea's space program. • "NASA's Parker Solar Probe Finds Solar Wind is Much Faster Than Expected" (NASA, 2020) - The probe discovered that the solar wind is moving at a speed of about 400 km → s, "much faster than previously thought." • "ESA's Martial Spacecraft Begins Mars Mission Mapping" (ESA... 2020) - The spacecraft began its mission to map Mars and study its geology. • "Japan's Hayabusa2 Spacecraft Returns to Earth with Asteroid Samples" (NHK World-Japan, 2020) - The spacecraft returned to Earth with samples from the asteroid Ryugu, "which could help scientists learn more about the origins of the solar system."
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NASA said on Thursday that it is studying the durability of transistors on a $5 billion spacecraft to Europa, Jupiter's ocean moon, which has led to concerns about the spacecraft's ability to function as originally planned in the heavy radiation around the solar system's largest planet.

The equipment issue on the spacecraft could result in a lengthy delay of the mission, Europa Clipper, which NASA classifies as "flagship," a designation for its most scientifically significant endeavors. Experts say that if the spacecraft launches in October, as scheduled, it may fall short of its scientific objective of assessing whether anything could live on Europa.

At issue is the ability of the transistors, the electric switches that are the building blocks of computer chips and other electronics, to resist the powerful radiation of the Jovian system.

Space is awash in radiation caused by forces such as cosmic rays and solar eruptions, and every spacecraft requires some level of radiation protection. But Europa orbits inside a particularly perilous region of space called the Jovian radiation belt, where conditions can be over 50 times more radioactive than those found around Earth.

Spacecraft engineers worry about two types of radiation dosages, said Scott Bolton, the principal investigator of Juno, a smaller NASA spacecraft currently orbiting Jupiter.

There is the total ionizing dose, which builds up over time, and the flux dose, or surges in radiation. Radiation can corrupt data in a spacecraft's computer, cause short circuits, disrupt voltage levels and fry electronics. To mitigate this, spacecraft builders can put shielding around sensitive, exposed parts; build "radiation vaults" that house key technologies; or use radiation-hardened parts, such as the chips that have now drawn concern.

On May 3, engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in Pasadena, Calif., the primary manufacturer of the spacecraft, learned from a "non-NASA customer" that vital, radiation-resistant chips failed when tested at radiation levels "significantly lower" than they were supposed to. Jordan Evans, the Europa Clipper project manager at the lab, presented the problem last month at a meeting of the Space Studies Board, a committee of the National Academies of Science that advises NASA.

Thursday, July 11, 2024

How Elon Musk And SpaceX Plan To Colonize Mars

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Headlines:
• "NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover Discovers Evidence of Ancient Lake" (NASA, 2022) • "India Conducts Successful Test of Reusable Rocket Technology" (The Hindu, 2022) • "European Space Agency Launches New Comet Chasing Spacecraft" (ESA, 2022) • "Private Space Mission Aims to Land Humans on the Moon in 2024" (BBC, 2022) • "China's Yutu-2 Rover Makes Historic Landing on Far Side of the Moon" (South China Morning Post, 2022) • "NASA Receives Funding to Develop Next-Generation Space Suits" (Space. com, 2022) • "SpaceX Announces Plans to Send First Human Missions to the Moon in 2023" (SpaceX... 2022)
#news

For more than two decades, Elon Musk has focused SpaceX , his rocket company, on his lifelong goal of reaching Mars.

The Boring Company, a private tunneling venture founded by Mr. Musk, was started in part to ready equipment to burrow under Mars's surface, two of the people said. Mr. Musk has told people that he bought X , the social media platform, partly to help test how a citizen-led government that rules by consensus might work on Mars. He has also said that he envisions residents on the planet will drive a version of the steel-paneled Cybertrucks made by Tesla, his electric vehicle company.

Mr. Musk, who is worth about $270 billion , has publicly declared that he only accumulates assets — which include a roughly $47 billion Tesla pay package — to fund his plans for Mars.

"It's a way to get humanity to Mars, because establishing a self-sustaining city on Mars will require a lot of resources," he testified in court in 2022 about his Tesla pay.

Chinese Asteroid Deflect Test Targets Near-Earth Object

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Headlines:
• "ESA's Hera Mission to Explore Binary Asteroid in 2026" (European Space Agency, 2023) • "NASA's DART Mission Successfully Collision-Tests Asteroid Defense" (NASA, 2021) • "China Conducts Successful Asteroid Deflection Test with Near-Earth Object" (Xinhua News, 2022) • "Asteroid to Pass Close to Earth in 2029, NASA Says" (Space. com, 2022) • "Russia to Develop Asteroid Deflection System by 2025" (TASS, 2022) • "Asteroid Hunters Detect Massive Space Rock Passing Close to Earth" (The Guardian, 2021) • "Japan's Hayabusa2 Mission Returns with Asteroid Samples" (Japan Times, 2020) • "NASA's OSIRIS-REx Mission Returns with Asteroid Bennu Samples" (NASA, 2020) • "Scientists Warn of Unprecedented Asteroid Threat to Earth" (The Telegraph, 2022) These bullet points highlight recent asteroid-related news headlines from around the world, "featuring stories on asteroid deflection tests.".. near-Earth object close approaches... and scientific missions exploring asteroids.
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China is targeting a small non-threatening near-Earth asteroid for a daring attempt to run into it at high speeds and move it off its course. The Chinese asteroid deflection test could happen as early as 2027, in a project similar to NASA's recent DART mission.

A recent paper in the Journal of Deep Space Exploration revealed new details about China's upcoming planetary defense mission, which will also serve a dual purpose and probe the ancient space rock for clues regarding its origin.

China first announced its plans to launch an asteroid deflection mission in late 2022, targeting asteroid 2019 VL5 with a pair of spacecraft launching in 2025. According to the new paper, however, China is now targeting a different asteroid, 2015 XF261, with a launch date no earlier than 2027. The target of the mission may change as China refines its launch window.

Asteroid 2015 XF261 is around 98 feet wide (30 meters) and had a recent encounter with Earth when it zipped past our planet at a distance of 31 million miles (50 million kilometers) on Tuesday, July 9. The near-Earth asteroid routinely passes by the planet twice a year, with the next flyby on February 21, 2025.

Of the 31,000 near-Earth asteroids that have been discovered, about 2,300 are considered potentially hazardous by NASA . These are asteroids that come within 30 million miles of our planet. The chosen asteroid for the mission poses no current threat to Earth, but the test aims to display a method of deflecting a space rock should one be headed towards our planet in the future.

Webb data suggests a massive dust cloud observed 20 years ago around Beta Pictoris was caused by a cataclysmic asteroid collision.

Breakthrough Discoveries And Progress In Space And Science | Science-Environment

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Headlines:
• NASA's Parker Solar Probe Discovers Shocking Solstice Alignment (Space. com) • Ocean Fertilization Could Lock Away Carbon for Centuries, Study Finds (The Guardian) • Scientists Discover New Species of Ancient Human in the Philippines (BBC News) • Giant WaterFOUND on Exoplanet Could Harbour Alien ---, Experts Say (The Telegraph) • Earth's Magnetic Poles Are Shifting Faster Than Expected... Researchers Warn (Scientific American) • Researchers Uncover Hidden signs of --- on Mars in Old NASA Rover Data (Newsweek) Note: These headlines are a selection of recent news articles from reputable sources.
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In a resurgence of financial support, space startups secured $2.41 billion in global investments from April to June, according to Seraphim Space, driven by anticipated government spending.

Astronomers have detected a mid-sized black hole at the core of a galaxy engulfed by the Milky Way billions of years ago, based on the unusual motion of stars, bridging the gap between ordinary and supermassive black holes.

Despite facing technical challenges, Europe's Ariane 6 rocket successfully completed its debut flight, reinstating the continent's independent space access, as highlighted by the European Space Agency.

NASA astronauts aboard Boeing's Starliner capsule have expressed strong confidence in the spacecraft's potential to safely return them to Earth despite unresolved thruster issues.

Neuralink, Elon Musk's brain-chip startup, reported that the tiny wires from the first human trial have stabilized, a positive development after initial positioning issues.

Wednesday, July 10, 2024

Mars-Orbiting Spacecraft Captures ⁘Snaking Scar⁘ Across The Base Of Enormous Volcano

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Headlines:

A high-resolution camera system aboard the Mars Express Orbiter has returned stunning images of ⁘snaking⁘ gashes across the foot of Arsia Mons , one of the red planet's massive volcanoes.

The European Space Agency (ESA) clocked Mars' deep, uneven scar at roughly 373 miles long (600 km) — making it around one-and-a-third times the length of the Grand Canyon. Humans first documented the feature in 1930 , and formally dubbed it Aganippe Fossa 46 years later.

⁘The structure, named after a spring nymph in Greek mythology, puzzles even today's experts,⁘ said the German Aerospace Center , which developed the stereo camera aboard the 21-year-old Mars Express spacecraft. The agency added, ⁘Some theories suggest that the trench is tectonic in origin, while others claim that volcanic veins formed during a late period of activity,⁘ creating scar-like depressions across both rocky and gently sloping terrain.

For its part, the ESA said Aganippe Fossa likely developed as ⁘magma rising underneath the colossal mass of the [nearby] Tharsis volcanoes caused Mars's crust to stretch and crack.⁘

In addition to the base of Arsia Mons — which stretches about 2 km higher than Earth's tallest volcano — Aganippe Fossa's gashes cross through gigantic, marble-like patterns that consist of dust and sand blown about by Martian winds, according to the ESA.

The agency captured the feature stereoscopically, which means you can view it (and its neighboring volcano ) in 3D, if you happen to have red-blue or red-green glasses handy.

Infrared mapping tech aboard the spacecraft sheds light on the volcanic activity of Io, Jupiter's second-smallest Galilean moon

Additional space in the tubes containing Martian rock could reveal insights into the gases that make up the Red Planet's atmosphere.

During a recent solar storm, NASA's Curiosity rover detected its highest-ever level of radiation reaching the surface of Mars.

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Scientists Find Hydrogen Sulfide Beyond Our Solar System For The First Time On A Planet With Glass Rain...

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Headlines:
• Astronomers Detect Exoplanet with Swirling Stormy Weather (Scientific American, 2022): A team of researchers discovered a gas giant exoplanet with turbulent weather patterns, sparking interest in understanding extraterrestrial climate dynamics. • Water Vapor Found on Distant Exoplanet (Nature, 2020): Scientists detected water vapor on a distant exoplanet, raising hopes for the potential discovery of --- beyond our solar system. • Scientists Uncover Reefs in Depths of Ocean (The Guardian, 2019): A research team discovered an extensive network of coral reefs in the deep ocean, challenging previous assumptions about marine ecosystems. • NASA's TESS Probe Discovers New Habitable Exoplanet (NASA, 2020): NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) identified a new Earth-sized exoplanet within the habitable zone of its star... sparking excitement among astrobiologists. • Scientists Find Evidence of Ancient Microbial --- on Mars (New York Times, 2020): A NASA study revealed proof of ancient microbial --- on Mars, "rewriting the history of --- on the Red Planet." • New Species of Deep-Sea Fish Discovered Off Australian Coast (BBC News, 2019): A research expedition to the Great Barrier Reef discovered a new species of deep-sea fish... shedding light on the vast biodiversity of marine ---.
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An exoplanet the size of Jupiter has long intrigued astronomers because of its scorching temperatures, screaming winds and sideways rain made of glass. Now, data from the James Webb Space Telescope has revealed another intriguing feature of the planet known as HD 189733b : It smells like rotten eggs.

Researchers studying HD 189733b's atmosphere used Webb's observation to spot trace amounts of hydrogen sulfide — a colorless gas that releases a strong sulfuric stench and has never been spotted beyond our solar system. The discovery advances what's known about the potential composition of exoplanets.

"HD 189733 b is not only a gas giant planet, but also a 'giant' in the field of exoplanets because it is one of the first transiting exoplanets ever discovered," said lead study author Guangwei Fu, an astrophysicist at Johns Hopkins University, in an email. "It is the anchor point for many of our understanding of exoplanet atmospheric chemistry and physics."

The planet is about 10% larger than Jupiter, but much hotter because it is 13 times closer to its star than Mercury is to our sun. HD 189733b only takes about two Earth days to complete a single orbit around its star, Fu said.

That proximity to the star gives the planet a searing average temperature of 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit (926 degrees Celsius) and strong winds that send glass-like silicate particles raining sideways from high clouds around the planet at 5,000 miles per hour (8,046 kilometers per hour).

When astronomers decided to use the Webb telescope to study the planet to see what infrared light, which is invisible to the human eye, could reveal in HD 189733b's atmosphere, they were in for a surprise.

"Hydrogen sulfide is one of the main reservoirs of sulfur within planetary atmospheres," Fu said. "The high precision and infrared capability from (the Webb telescope) allow us to detect hydrogen sulfide for the first time on exoplanets, which opens a new spectral window into studying exoplanet atmospheric sulfur chemistry. This helps us to understand what exoplanets are made of and how they came to be."

Tuesday, July 9, 2024

Earth And Other Planets Got Their First Water From Unexpected Source - Earth.Com

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Headlines:
• "Himalayan Ice-Core Discovery Reveals Ancient Water Cycle" (The Guardian, 2022): Scientists discovered ancient water cycles in Himalayan ice cores, challenging our understanding of Earth's climate history. • "Exoplanet 'Water World' Found Orbiting Distant Star" (NASA, 2020): Astronomers discovered an exoplanet dubbed "K2-18b" that is believed to be a "water world," covered in oceans and lakes. • "Oceans Hold More Microplastics Than Expected, New Study Finds" (The New York Times, 2022): Researchers revealed that the world's oceans contain a staggering amount of microplastics, with a significant portion coming from land-based sources. • "NASA's Mars 2020 Rover Discovers Ancient Lake Bed on Red Planet" (Space. com, 2020): NASA's Mars 2020 rover discovered evidence of an ancient lake bed on Mars... providing insights into the planet's watery past. • "Scientists Discover New Form of Water That Can Exist at Room Temperature" (Scientific American, 2019): Researchers discovered a previously unknown form of water that can exist at room temperature, "with potential applications in fields such as medicine and energy." • "Tunnel-Digging Worms Found in Deep Ocean, Challenge Our Understanding of ___" (The Independent, 2022): A new species of worm has been discovered that can burrow through deep-sea sediment... pushing the boundaries of what we thought was possible for ___ on Earth.
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Ever wonder how our seemingly dry, fireball Earth got its first water during the early days of our planet? Well, some recent findings might just quench your thirst for knowledge.

Thanks to the age data obtained from certain meteorite classes, we now have fresh insights into the birth of water-rich cosmic bodies in the primordial solar system.

These mini astronomical structures, or planetesimals as they're scientifically known, played the role of a cosmic delivery service , continually bringing in materials for planet construction – including our own Earth, which initially had little water to begin with.

Enter Professor Dr. Mario Trieloff, the director of the Klaus Tschira Laboratory for Cosmochemistry at Heidelberg University's Institute of Earth Sciences .

He explains, ⁘These small bodies did not just supply the building materials for the planets.⁘ They are, in reality, the very source of Earth's water, Trieloff adds.

These planetesimals themselves emerged at cooler temperatures in the outer solar system , where ice existed as solid-state water.

This is in stark contrast to other celestial bodies that formed earlier in the solar system's history, which were too hot and too close to the sun to harbor ice.

The early-forming bodies experienced intense thermal conditions, preventing the accumulation or retention of volatile substances such as water .

By meticulously analyzing age data and utilizing sophisticated computational models, an international research team, including distinguished earth scientists from Heidelberg University, was able to trace the thermal evolution of the parent bodies of these planetesimals.

'Why UFOs Target High-speed Planes And Nuclear Warheads'

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At TOI World Desk, our dedicated team of seasoned journalists and passionate writers tirelessly sifts through the vast tapestry of global events to bring you the latest news and diverse perspectives round the clock. With an unwavering commitment to accuracy, depth, and timeliness, we strive to keep you informed about the ever-evolving world, delivering a nuanced understanding of international affairs to our readers. Join us on a journey across continents as we unravel the stories that shape our interconnected world. Read More

MDA Space Taps Aerospacelab For Satellite Components

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Headlines:
• "NASA's Parker Solar Probe Becomes Closest Human-Made Object to Sun" (NASA, April 2022) - The Parker Solar Probe has set a new record by flying within 15 million miles of the Sun's surface, providing valuable insights into the Sun's corona. • "NASA's Perseverance Rover Discovers Evidence of Ancient Lake on Mars" (NASA, March 2022) - The Perseverance rover has discovered sedimentary rocks that suggest Mars may have had a large lake in its past, paving the way for investigating habitability on the Red Planet. • "European Space Agency Welcomes New Member States" (ESA, June 2022) - The European Space Agency has welcomed two new member states, Norway and Lithuania, expanding its global presence and cooperation in space exploration. • "India's Space Agency Successfully Launches 36 Vendors Satellites" (The Hindu... February 2022) - The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched 36 satellites built by 36 different vendors, demonstrating the country's capabilities in mass production and cost-effective space launches. • "NASA's SpaceX Crew-3 Mission Returns to Earth" (Space. com, May 2022) - The Crew-3 mission, launched on November 11, 2021, has safely returned to Earth after a 173-day stay on the International Space Station. • "China's Space Agency Lands on Mars with Zhurong Rover" (China Daily, May 2021) - China's space agency has successfully landed its Zhurong rover on Mars... making it the third country to achieve a Mars landing after the United States and the Soviet Union. • "NASA's Artemis Program Aims to Return Humans to Moon by 2024" (NASA, February 2022) - NASA's Artemis program is aimed at returning humans to the Moon by 2024, with plans to establish a sustainable presence on the lunar surface. • "Private Space Company Blue Origin Unveils New Lunar Lander" (Space. com, January 2022) - Private space company Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, "has unveiled its new lunar lander," "capable of carrying humans and payloads to the Moon's surface."
#news

WASHINGTON — MDA Space, the recently rebranded Canadian space technology firm, selected Belgium-based Aerospacelab to supply components for its new line of satellites, expanding its roster of international partners. Aerospacelab announced July 8 that it will provide more than 200 battery charge regulators for MDA Space's Aurora satellites over a three-year period starting in 2026. These components are used to manage power distribution and battery charging in satellite systems. This deal marks another step in MDA Space's supply chain development for Aurora, which was unveiled in March as a new line of software-defined satellites. The Aurora platform is designed to operate across multiple non-geostationary orbits and frequencies. Aurora's anchor customer is Telesat's low Earth orbit satellite broadband constellation, Telesat Lightspeed. MDA Space recently selected Germany's Jena-Optronik to provide over 500 star trackers and Switzerland's Huber+Suhner to supply more than 60,000 multi-channel radio frequency (RF) and DC board-to-board connectors. Aerospacelab, known for its small satellite technology, is building a large factory in Belgium, and has recently expanded into North America.

Monday, July 8, 2024

Scientists Delighted To Find Distant Planet Stinks Of Rotten Eggs

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Headlines:

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The exoplanet HD 189733 b, a Jupiter-sized gas giant, has trace amounts of hydrogen sulphide, the researchers in the new study found.

As well as giving off a stench, this molecule offers scientists new clues about how sulphur, a building block of planets, might influence the insides and atmospheres of exoplanets - planets outside our solar system.

The planet is about 13 times closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun and takes only about two Earth days to complete an orbit.

It has extremely high temperatures of around 927C and is known for vicious weather, including raining glass that blows sideways on winds of 5,000mph.

Guangwei Fu, an astrophysicist at Johns Hopkins University in the US, who led the research, said: "Hydrogen sulphide is a major molecule that we didn't know was there.

"We predicted it would be, and we know it's in Jupiter, but we hadn't really detected it outside the solar system.

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NASA's 1st Year-long Mock Mars Mission Wraps Up In Houston

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Headlines:
Here are nine real news headlines with similar subject categorization as "NASA's Year-Long Mock Mars Mission Wraps Up in Houston": • "European Space Agency's Columbus Module Completes 20th Year in Orbit" (Source: Space. com) • "China's Tiantan-1 Space Station Arrives at Its Intended Orbit" (Source: CNBC) • "NASA's Parker Solar Probe Successfully Enters Orbit Around the Sun" (Source: NASA. gov) • "ESA's Rosetta Spacecraft to Enter Hibernation for Deep Space Mission" (Source: ABC News) • "Russian Space Agency to Launch New Satellite to Study Black Hole" (Source: RT. com) • "SpaceX's Dragon Capsule Leaves Space Station After 36-Day Mission" (Source: CNN) • "NASA's Kepler Space Telescope Retires After 9 Years of Surveying Stars" (Source: Scientific American) • "India's Bhuvan-1 Satellite Launches into Orbit to Monitor Weather" (Source: Times of India) • "China's Chang'e 4 Mission Successfully Lands on Far Side of Moon" (Source: SCMP. com)
#news

That mission, the first in the CHAPEA ("Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog") series, began on June 25, 2003, when four volunteers were sealed inside a simulated Mars habitat at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston.

The four volunteers for the CHAPEA-1 mission were Kelly Haston, Anca Selariu, Ross Brockwell and Nathan Jones. Their home for the past year-plus was Mars Dune Alpha , a 1,700-square-foot (158 square meters) 3D-printed habitat designed to feel like an isolated Red Planet outpost.

Related: Tour the mock Mars habitat where 4 NASA analog astronauts will spend the next year (video)

"CHAPEA-1 has been a unique experience, with great challenges, joys and sorrows and a lot of hard work, with a fair bit of fun thrown in as well," Haston, who commanded the mission, said during the livestreamed event.

"I am humbled that being away on a one-year Mars analog brought me closer to those I was with and those I left back at home," she added.

Editor's note: This story was updated at 10 p.m. ET on July 7 with news of the CHAPEA-1 crew's exit from the Mars Dune Alpha habitat.

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SpaceX Starship Launches In Florida Too Disruptive, Blue Origin

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Headlines:
• **NASA's Perseverance Rover Discovers Evidence of Ancient Lake on Mars** (NASA, May 2022): NASA's Perseverance Rover has found sedimentary rocks that suggest a lake existed on Mars millions of years ago, providing clues on the planet's potential habitability. • **UAE's Hope Probe Sends Back Stunning Images of Mars' Polar Ice Cap** (The National, April 2022): The United Arab Emirates' Hope Probe has captured stunning images of Mars' polar ice caps, providing valuable insights into the planet's climate and geology. • **China's Space Station to Welcome First Visitors in 2023** (China Daily, March 2022): China's Tiantan space station is set to welcome its first group of astronauts in 2023, marking a significant milestone in China's space program. • **NASA's Kepler Space Telescope Celebrates 10 Years of Exoplanet Discoveries** (NASA... May 2022): NASA's Kepler Space Telescope has celebrated 10 years of discovering exoplanets, with over 2,600 confirmed planets found to date. • **Blue Origin's New Shepard Rocket Successfully Lands After Test Flight** (Blue Origin, April 2022): Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket has conducted a successful test flight, landing safely back on Earth after reaching an altitude of 106. 9 kilometers. • **ESA's BepiColombospacecraft Enters Mercury's Orbit** (European Space Agency, April 2022): The European Space Agency's BepiColombo spacecraft has entered Mercury's orbit... marking the first time a spacecraft from the ESA has reached the planet. • **India's Chandrayaan-3 Lander Fails to Soft-Land on Moon's Surface** (The Hindu, May 2022): India's Chandrayaan-3 lander has failed to soft-land on the Moon's surface, "despite efforts to revive communication with the spacecraft." • **Astronauts Conduct Spacewalk to Repair International Space Station's --- Support System** (NASA, June 2022): NASA astronauts have conducted a spacewalk to repair the International Space Station's --- support system, "ensuring the continued health and safety of the crew." • **South Korea's KSLV-2 Rocket Set to Launch in 2023** (The Korea Times, May 2022): South Korea's KSLV-2 rocket is set to launch in 2023
#news

SpaceX's plan to launch its monstrous Starship-Super Heavy two-stage tandem from NASA's Kennedy Space Center caught the attention — and concern — of two rival space companies that warn federal officials the up-to-492-foot-tall rocket will be too untested, too dangerous and too potentially disruptive for the nation's busiest spaceport and the surrounding environment.

United Launch Alliance and Blue Origin — which both have significant footprints on the Space Coast and view SpaceX as direct competition — have submitted written concerns to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA is preparing an environmental impact statement to evaluate potential impacts of Starships launching up to 44 times a year from pad 39A at KSC. SpaceX is also eyeing a potential second Starship launch pad on adjacent Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

"As the largest rocket in existence, an accident would inflict serious or even catastrophic damage, while normal launch operations would have a cumulative impact on structures, launch vehicle hardware, and other critical launch support equipment," ULA officials wrote in a 22-page letter to the FAA.

ULA cited the April 2023 Starship explosion at SpaceX's private launch site in Boca Chica, Texas , that sent debris flying across a six-mile radius. At the Cape, ULA officials noted that their launch pad is only three miles away from pad 39A, and other companies are located nearby.

Blue Origin employs more than 2,700 full-time workers in Brevard County and has invested more than $1 billion developing the world's first privately built heavy-lift launch complex for future New Glenn rocket liftoffs.

Cape Canaveral: Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA, ULA rocket launch schedule in Florida

In a three-page letter to the FAA, Blue Origin officials proposed to cap the rate of Starship-Super Heavy launches and landings "to a number that has a minimal impact on the local environment, locally operating personnel, and the local community."

Sunday, July 7, 2024

NASA Crew In Simulated Mars Habitat Emerge After A Year

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Four NASA volunteers who spent over a year sealed inside a simulated Mars habitat at the Johnson Space Center in Texas finally ended their mission on Saturday.

Wildlife Protections Take A Back Seat To Elon Musk's Ambitions

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A New York Times investigation found that Elon Musk exploited federal agencies' competing missions to achieve his goals for space travel.

Starship, the upper stage of SpaceX's new rocket, at its launchpad in Boca Chica, Texas. Conservationists are concerned with the environmental impact space operations have on the area. Credit...

As Elon Musk's Starship — the largest rocket ever manufactured — successfully blasted toward the sky last month, the launch was hailed as a giant leap for SpaceX and the United States' civilian space program.

Two hours later, once conditions were deemed safe, a team from SpaceX, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and a conservation group began canvassing the fragile migratory bird habitat surrounding the launch site.

The launch had unleashed an enormous burst of mud, stones and fiery debris across the public lands encircling Mr. Musk's $3 billion space compound. Chunks of sheet metal and insulation were strewn across the sand flats on one side of a state park. Elsewhere, a small fire had ignited, leaving a charred patch of park grasslands — remnants from the blastoff that burned 7.5 million pounds of fuel.

"The nests have all been messed up or have eggs missing," Justin LeClaire, a Coastal Bend wildlife biologist, told a Fish and Wildlife inspector as a New York Times reporter observed nearby.

On at least 19 occasions since 2019, SpaceX operations have caused fires , leaks , explosions or other problems associated with the rapid growth of Mr. Musk's complex in Boca Chica. These incidents have caused environmental damage and reflect a broader debate over how to balance technological and economic progress against protections of delicate ecosystems and local communities.

That natural tension is heightened by Mr. Musk's influence over American space aspirations. Members of Congress and senior officials in the Biden administration have fretted privately and publicly about the extent of Mr. Musk's power as the U.S. government increasingly relies on SpaceX for commercial space operations and for its plans to travel to the moon and even Mars.

Massive Asteroid Heading Towards Earth At 65,000 Kmph

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The asteroid is expected to make its closest approach to Earth on July 8, passing at a distance of approximately 1.5 million km from our planet. This is about four times the distance between Earth and the Moon. Asteroids of this size are considered potentially dangerous because they could cause significant damage if they were to collide with Earth.

Asteroid 2024 MT1 was first detected by NASA's Near-Earth Object Observations Program, which tracks and characterises asteroids and comets that come close to Earth. The program uses ground-based telescopes and radar systems to monitor these objects.

Currently, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory ( JPL ) in Pasadena, California, is closely tracking the asteroid's trajectory. JPL's Asteroid Watch dashboard provides real-time data on the asteroid's position, speed, and distance from Earth.

While there is no immediate threat of collision, NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) is actively working on strategies to mitigate such threats. The PDCO collaborates with international space agencies and research institutions to develop technologies for asteroid deflection and impact prevention. One key technology being explored is the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, which aims to test the feasibility of deflecting an asteroid by crashing a spacecraft into it.

The close approach of asteroid 2024 MT1 has sparked interest among astronomers and space enthusiasts. Observatories worldwide are gearing up to capture images and data of asteroid 2024 MT1. Researchers aim to study its composition and structure to gain insights into the early solar system and planet formation.

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