Space News and Discussions

[caltrek]

Australia to Build a Lunar Rover to Help NASA Find Oxygen on the Moon
October 13, 2021

https://www.courthousenews.com/australi ... n-on-moon/

Introduction:

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia has agreed to build a 20-kilogram (44-pound) semi-autonomous lunar rover for NASA to take to the moon as early as 2026 in search of oxygen.

The rover would collect soil that contains oxides and NASA would use separate equipment to extract oxygen from that soil, a government statement said. Oxygen extracted from the lunar surface would ultimately be used to sustain a human presence on the moon and support future missions to Mars.

Australian Space Agency deputy head Anthony Murfett said NASA had been impressed by technology used to remotely control from 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) huge dump trucks that transport iron ore from mines in northwest Australia.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said the agreement would strengthen a relationship with Australia related to space exploration that dates back more than 50 years.

The agreement depends on the rover meeting a range of conditions during its development

[andmar74]

For late detection of asteroids on collision course with Earth, there's only one defence: Nukes. But it works!

https://www.sciencealert.com/our-last-l ... tudy-shows

[caltrek]

The Next Era of Astronomy Will Look Back in Time to the Dark Ages of the Universe

by Chris Impey
October 14, 2021

https://www.alternet.org/2021/10/james- ... telescope/

Introduction:

(Alternet) Some have called NASA's James Webb Space Telescope the “telescope that ate astronomy." It is the most powerful space telescope ever built and a complex piece of mechanical origami that has pushed the limits of human engineering. On Dec. 18, 2021, after years of delays and billions of dollars in cost overruns, the telescope is scheduled to launch into orbit and usher in the next era of astronomy.

I'm an astronomer with a specialty in observational cosmology – I've been studying distant galaxies for 30 years. Some of the biggest unanswered questions about the universe relate to its early years just after the Big Bang. When did the first stars and galaxies form? Which came first, and why? I am incredibly excited that astronomers may soon uncover the story of how galaxies started because James Webb was built specifically to answer these very questions.

[weatheriscool]

Lucy in the sky: Spacecraft will visit record 8 asteroids
https://phys.org/news/2021-10-lucy-sky- ... roids.html
by Marcia Dunn

Attention asteroid aficionados: NASA is set to launch a series of spacecraft to visit and even bash some of the solar system's most enticing space rocks.
The robotic trailblazer named Lucy is up first, blasting off this weekend on a 12-year cruise to swarms of asteroids out near Jupiter—unexplored time capsules from the dawn of the solar system. And yes, there will be diamonds in the sky with Lucy, on one of its science instruments, as well as lyrics from other Beatles' songs.

NASA is targeting the predawn hours of Saturday for liftoff.

[weatheriscool]

Hubble finds evidence of persistent water vapor in one hemisphere of Europa
https://phys.org/news/2021-10-hubble-ev ... phere.html
by Space Telescope Science Institute

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope observations of Jupiter's icy moon Europa have revealed the presence of persistent water vapor—but, mysteriously, only in one hemisphere.

Europa harbors a vast ocean underneath its icy surface, which might offer conditions hospitable for life. This result advances astronomers' understanding of the atmospheric structure of icy moons, and helps lay the groundwork for planned science missions to the Jovian system to, in part, explore whether an environment half-a-billion miles from the Sun could support life.

Previous observations of water vapor on Europa have been associated with plumes erupting through the ice, as photographed by Hubble in 2013. They are analogous to geysers on Earth, but extend more than 60 miles high. They produce transient blobs of water vapor in the moon's atmosphere, which is only one-billionth the surface pressure of Earth's atmosphere.

[caltrek]

China Launches Shenzhou 13 Astronauts on Historic Mission to New Space Station
by Mike Wall
October 15, 2021

https://www.space.com/china-launches-sh ... ce-station

Introduction:

(Space.com) China's second crewed mission to its new space station is underway.

The nation's Shenzhou 13 spacecraft launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert today (Oct. 15), rising off the pad atop a Long March 2F rocket at 12:23 p.m. EDT (1623 GMT; 00:23 Oct. 16 local time).

Shenzhou 13 and its three passengers — commander Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu — are headed toward Tianhe, the core module of the Tiangong space station that China is building in low Earth orbit.

"Please rest assured that we will definitely succeed in this mission," Zhai told mission officials as he headed to pad before today's liftoff. (Zhai spoke in Mandarin; the translation was provided by Chinese TV station CCTV, which webcast the launch.) After reaching orbit, Zhai reported the crew was doing fine and all systems were nominal.

If all goes according to plan, Shenzhou 13 will meet up with Tianhe tonight, about eight hours after launch.

[weatheriscool]

New crew docks at China's first permanent space station

Chinese astronauts began Saturday their six-month mission on China's first permanent space station, after successfully docking aboard their spacecraft.

The astronauts, two men and a woman, were seen floating around the module before speaking via a live-streamed video.

The new crew includes Wang Yaping, 41, who is the first Chinese woman to board the Tiangong space station, and is expected to become China's first female spacewalker.

"We'll co-operate with each other, carefully conduct maneuvers, and try to accomplish all tasks successfully in this round of exploration of the universe," said Wang in the video.

The space travelers' Shenzhou-13 spacecraft was launched by a Long March-2F rocket at 12:23 a.m. Saturday and docked with the Tianhe core module of the space station at 6:56 a.m.

The three astronauts entered the station's core module at about 10 a.m., the China Manned Space Agency said.

https://phys.org/news/2021-10-crew-dock ... space.html

[weatheriscool]

Astronomers see white dwarf 'switch on and off' for first time
https://phys.org/news/2021-10-astronome ... dwarf.html
by Durham University

Astronomers have used a planet-hunting satellite to see a white dwarf abruptly switching on and off for the first time.

The researchers led by Durham University, UK, used NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) to observe the unique phenomenon.

White dwarfs are what most stars become after they have burned off the hydrogen that fuels them. They are approximately the size of the Earth, but have a mass closer to that of the Sun.

The white dwarf observed by the team is known to be accreting, or feeding, from an orbiting companion star.

With the new observations astronomers saw it lose brightness in 30 minutes, a process only previously seen to occur in accreting white dwarfs over a period of several days to months.

[caltrek]

Volcanism on the Moon Ended About 2 Billion Years Ago
by Matt Williams
October 17, 2021

https://www.universetoday.com/152906/vo ... ore-152906

Introduction:

(Universe Today) According to the most widely accepted theories, the Moon formed about 4.5 billion years ago after a Mars-sized object (Theia) collided with Earth. After the resulting debris accreted to create the Earth-Moon system, the Moon spent many eons cooling down. This meant that a few billion years ago, lakes of lava were flowing across the surface of the Moon, which eventually hardened to form the vast dark patches (lunar maria) that are still there today.

Thanks to the samples of lunar rock brought back to Earth by China’s Chang’e 5 mission, scientists are learning more about how the Moon formed and evolved. According to a recent study led by the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences (CGAS), an international team examined these samples to investigate when volcanism on the Moon ended. Their results are not only filling in the gaps of the Moon’s geological history but also of other bodies in the Solar System.

The study, which recently appeared in the journal Science, was led by Xiaochao Che of the Beijing Sensitive High-Resolution Ion Micro Probe Center, located at the CGAS Institute of Geography. He was joined by researchers from the Planetary Science Institute (PSI), McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences, the Swedish Museum of Natural History, Shandong Institute of Geological Sciences, and several universities from the US, UK, and Australia.
The samples obtained by the Chang’e-5 rover are the first to be returned to Earth since the Apollo era (45 years ago) and were obtained from the volcanic plain known as Oceanus Procellarum (Latin for “Ocean of Storms”). This lunar region is unique among lunar terrae, as it is believed to have hosted the most recent basalt lava flows on the Moon. Jim Head, a research professor in Brown’s Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, was a co-author on the new study.

The Chang’e-5 spacecraft landed in this region on Dec. 1st, 2020, and managed to collect about 1,730 g (61.1 oz) of lunar rock from this region, including a core sample obtained from a depth of ~1 m (3.3 ft) beneath the surface

[wjfox]

[weatheriscool]

Elon Musk: Starship will be ready for its first orbital launch attempt next month

https://spacexmania.com/1/archives/855? ... Accf_Cf6yo
1 day ago

SpaceX’s Starship rocket is still being built in southeast Texas, with significant work being made on crucial parts like the launch tower construction and the installation of the vacuum-rated Raptor engines that will power the spacecraft once it reaches space.

Elon Musk claims that it might be ready for its maiden orbital flight attempt next month if it receives the necessary regulatory approvals.

To make the effort, SpaceX will need clearance from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as it has for all of its previous test flights of Starship from its development facility outside of Brownsville, Texas.

[weatheriscool]

NASA targeting Feb. 2022 to launch new lunar program Artemis

A NASA employee holds the official Artemis mission patch at NASA Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio.

NASA said Friday it is now targeting February 2022 for the uncrewed lunar mission Artemis 1, the first step in America's plan to return humans to the Moon later this decade.

The space agency had initially wanted to launch the test flight by the end of this year, with astronauts on the ground by 2024 on Artemis 3, but the timeline has slipped back.

It achieved a major milestone Wednesday when it stacked the Orion crew capsule atop its Space Launch System megarocket, which now stands 322 feet (98 meters) tall inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

After further tests, it will be wheeled out to the launch pad for a final test known as the "wet dress rehearsal" in January, with the first window for launch opening in February, officials told reporters on a call.

"The February launch period opens on the 12th and our last opportunity in February is on the 27th," said Mike Sarafin, Artemis 1 mission manager.

The next windows are in March and then April.

https://phys.org/news/2021-10-nasa-feb- ... temis.html

[raklian]

[weatheriscool]

Bezos' Blue Origin announces plans for private space station

The core module of Orbital Reef is seen in an artist's illustration, courtesy of Blue Origin.

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin on Monday announced it wants to launch a space station that will house up to 10 people in the second half of the decade, as the race to commercialize the cosmos heats up.

"Orbital Reef," described in a press statement as a mixed-use business park in space that will support microgravity research and manufacturing, is a joint venture with commercial space company Sierra Space and has the support of Boeing and Arizona State University.

"For over sixty years, NASA and other space agencies have developed orbital space flight and space habitation, setting us up for commercial business to take off in this decade," said Blue Origin executive Brent Sherwood.

"We will expand access, lower the cost, and provide all the services and amenities needed to normalize space flight."

The private outpost is one of several planned in the coming years as NASA considers the future of the International Space Station after the 2020s.

The space agency holds a contract with a company called Axiom to develop a space station that will initially dock with the ISS and later become free-flying.

https://phys.org/news/2021-10-bezos-blu ... ation.html

[weatheriscool]

Firefly Aerospace is One Step Closer to Landing on the Moon
on Monday, October 25, 2021 in Space & Astrophysics

Firefly Aerospace, Inc., a leader in economical launch vehicles, spacecraft, and in-space services, today announced it reached a major milestone with the successful completion of the Critical Design Review (CDR) of their Blue Ghost lunar lander. This CDR paves the way for construction of the Blue Ghost lander, which is scheduled to touch down in the Mare Crisium lunar basin in September of 2023 carrying ten NASA payloads as part of the $93.3-million Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) contract secured by Firefly earlier this year. The lander will also take several commercial payloads to the lunar surface. The 2023 Blue Ghost mission will be the first of what are expected to be yearly lunar surface missions for Firefly.

“This milestone marks another step in an aggressive schedule and meeting it continues to showcase our spacecraft team’s ability to consistently deliver incredible work,” stated Dr. Tom Markusic, Firefly’s CEO. “This mission is a forerunner of what we see as a growing cadence of recurring data and payload service missions in cis-lunar space that will kickstart a lunar economy, and we’re honored to be demonstrating our ability to deliver these services for NASA and for our commercial customers.”

Blue Ghost will operate a variety of payloads through lunar transit and orbit, as well as while on the lunar surface. These payloads will explore the region’s regolith properties, geophysical characteristics, and interaction of the solar wind and the Earth’s magnetic field. There are also several key technology demonstrations related to navigation and sample collection.

https://www.scientiststudy.com/2021/10/ ... pXFI71c6-Y

[weatheriscool]

SpaceX Gateway to Mars
October 26, 2021 by Brian Wang
https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2021/10/s ... -mars.html
SpaceX shows off Boca Chica and the Super Heavy Starship in a video on twitter – Gateway to Mars.

[weatheriscool]

Juno spacecraft peers deep into Jupiter's colorful belts and zones
https://phys.org/news/2021-10-juno-spac ... piter.html
by University of Leicester

A University of Leicester study of data captured in orbit around Jupiter has revealed new insights into what's happening deep beneath the gas giant's distinctive and colorful bands.

Data from the microwave radiometer carried by NASA's Juno spacecraft shows that Jupiter's banded pattern extends deep below the clouds, and that the appearance of Jupiter's belts and zones inverts near the base of the water clouds. Microwave light allows planetary scientists to gaze deep beneath Jupiter's colorful clouds, to understand the weather and climate in the warmer, darker, deeper layers.

At altitudes shallower than five bars of pressure (or around five times the average atmospheric pressure on Earth), the planet's belts shine brightly in microwave light, whereas the zones are dark. But everything changes at higher pressures, at altitudes deeper than 10 bars, giving scientists a glimpse of an unexpected reversal in the meteorology and circulation.

Dr. Leigh Fletcher, Associate Professor in Planetary Science at the University of Leicester and Participating Scientist for the Juno mission, is lead author of the study, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research-Planets. He said, "One of Juno's primary goals was to peer beneath the cloudy veil of Jupiter's atmosphere, and to probe the deeper, hidden layers.

"Our study has shown that those colorful bands are just the 'tip of the iceberg," and that the mid-latitude bands not only extend deep, but seem to change their nature the further down you go.

"We've been calling the transition zone the jovicline, and its discovery has only been made possible by Juno's microwave instrument."

[weatheriscool]

NASA's Juno: Science results offer first 3D view of Jupiter atmosphere
https://phys.org/news/2021-10-nasa-juno ... ts-3d.html
by Jet Propulsion Laboratory

New findings from NASA's Juno probe orbiting Jupiter provide a fuller picture of how the planet's distinctive and colorful atmospheric features offer clues about the unseen processes below its clouds. The results highlight the inner workings of the belts and zones of clouds encircling Jupiter, as well as its polar cyclones and even the Great Red Spot.

Researchers published several papers on Juno's atmospheric discoveries today in the journal Science and the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets. Additional papers appeared in two recent issues of Geophysical Research Letters.

"These new observations from Juno open up a treasure chest of new information about Jupiter's enigmatic observable features," said Lori Glaze, director of NASA's planetary science division at the agency's headquarters in Washington. "Each paper sheds light on different aspects of the planet's atmospheric processes—a wonderful example of how our internationally-diverse science teams strengthen understanding of our solar system."

Juno entered Jupiter's orbit in 2016. During each of the spacecraft's 37 passes of the planet to date, a specialized suite of instruments has peered below its turbulent cloud deck.

[caltrek]

The Benefits of On-orbit Operations and Servicing
by Alexandra Ames
November 1, 2021

https://techcrunch.com/2021/11/01/learn ... pace-2021/

Introduction:

(TechCrunch) If you think manufacturing, assembling and servicing highly complex equipment on Earth is challenging, try doing it in space. On-orbit operations and servicing are vital emerging technologies, and you’ll have ample opportunity to improveyour understanding of them at TC Sessions: Space 2021 on December 14 – 15.

When a satellite breaks down, you can’t just call AAA. On-orbit servicing (OOS) enables inspections, repairs and technology upgrades for both military and commercial satellites — extending their service viability, reducing dangerous space debris and saving a galactic ton of money. Consider this: a military satellite in geostationary orbit can cost more than a billion dollars. Would you junk a billion-dollar car if you could fix it instead?

A very high-tech version of reduce, reuse and recycle, on-orbit ops/services lead to orbital sustainability— a more efficient, affordable operating environment for both the public and private sectors. Plus, the ability to install new payloads, such as upgraded communication or navigation systems, to existing satellites supports their mission while, again, reducing costs and space clutter.

But this isn’t our first foray into this category, Orbit Fab, who launched in Startup Battlefield at Disrupt in 2019, is working with the U.S Air Force Research Laboratory to advance on-orbit refueling technology. They also just raised $10M from both VC and prime contractor investors.

[wjfox]

The Guide for the Next Decade of Space Research Just Dropped

The Astro2020 Decadal Survey's top priorities include new telescopes, the search for habitable exoplanets, and far-infrared and x-ray probe missions.

11.04.2021 11:41 AM

https://www.wired.com/story/the-guide-f ... t-dropped/