Space News and Discussions

[Time_Traveller]

South Korea signs Artemis Accords; Brazil, New Zealand likely next

May 27, 2021

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea signed the Artemis Accords May 27, becoming the 10th signatory to the pact that governs norms of behavior for those who want to participate in the NASA-led Artemis lunar exploration program.

On the same day, South Korea and the United States signed an agreement on “civil global navigation satellite systems cooperation” under which the U.S. will support South Korea developing its own satellite navigation system.

The two events were follow-up measures of the May 21 summit between South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden at the White House, during which the two leaders agreed to strengthen the bilateral partnership in civil space exploration, science, aeronautics research and cooperate for effective joint response against security threats in space.

“For successful space exploration, it is critical to implement space development activities transparently and responsibly by collaborating with the international community,” said Science and ICT Minister Lim Hye-sook who signed the Artemis Accords on behalf of the Korean government. “With the signing of the Artemis Accords, Korea would be able to strengthen cooperation with nations participating in the Accords in exploring outer space.”

NASA’s chief celebrated South Korea’s coming on board.

https://spacenews.com/south-korea-signs ... s-accords/

[weatheriscool]

Dark energy survey releases most precise look at the universe's evolution

by Amanda Kocz, Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)

In 29 new scientific papers, the Dark Energy Survey examines the largest-ever maps of galaxy distribution and shapes, extending more than 7 billion light-years across the universe. The extraordinarily precise analysis, which includes data from the survey's first three years, contributes to the most powerful test of the current best model of the universe, the standard cosmological model. However, hints remain from earlier DES data and other experiments that matter in the universe today is a few percent less clumpy than predicted.

New results from the Dark Energy Survey (DES) use the largest-ever sample of galaxies observed over nearly one-eighth of the sky to produce the most precise measurements to date of the universe's composition and growth.

https://phys.org/news/2021-05-dark-ener ... verse.html

[Time_Traveller]

Japanese space company ispace aims to send landers to the moon

Thu, 27 May 2021

Tokyo-based ispace has been selected to deliver rovers from Canada and Japan to the lunar surface after they launch aboard SpaceX rockets. The company will use its recently revealed Hakuto-R lander for both missions, currently scheduled for 2022 and 2023.

The Canadian Space Agency selected three private Canadian companies, each with separate scientific missions, to ride the lander. Mission Control Space Services, Canadensys and NGC are the first companies to receive awards under the CSA's Capability Demonstration program, part of the agency’s Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program. LEAP, unveiled by the Canadian government in February 2020, earmarks $150 million over five years to support in-space demonstrations and science missions from Canadian private industry.

As part of the mission, the ispace lander will deliver the United Arab Emirates’ The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC)'s 22-pound rover, "Rashid." The rover will be equipped with an artificial intelligence flight computer from space robotics company Mission Control Space Services. Mission Control’s AI will use deep-learning algorithms to recognize lunar geology as the Rashid rover traverses the surface.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/japanese-spac ... 26492.html

[weatheriscool]

Curiosity rover captures shining clouds on Mars
https://phys.org/news/2021-05-curiosity ... -mars.html
by Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Cloudy days are rare in the thin, dry atmosphere of Mars. Clouds are typically found at the planet's equator in the coldest time of year, when Mars is the farthest from the Sun in its oval-shaped orbit. But one full Martian year ago—two Earth years—scientists noticed clouds forming over NASA's Curiosity rover earlier than expected.

This year, they were ready to start documenting these "early" clouds from the moment they first appeared in late January. What resulted are images of wispy puffs filled with ice crystals that scattered light from the setting Sun, some of them shimmering with color. More than just spectacular displays, such images help scientists understand how clouds form on Mars and why these recent ones are different.

[weatheriscool]

Curiosity rover on Mars spotted from space as it climbs 'Mont Mercou' (video)
By Mike Wall 2 days ago

We now have a bird's eye view of the Curiosity rover and its latest Martian digs.

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) captured a dramatic image last month of Curiosity ascending Mont Mercou, a landform on the slopes of the Red Planet's 3.4-mile-high (5.5 kilometers) Mount Sharp.

MRO took the picture on April 18 using its High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) instrument, which can resolve features as small as a coffee table on the Martian surface. So the car-sized Curiosity is plainly visible, even though MRO was flying 167.5 miles (269.4 kilometers) above the rover at the time, according to the HiRISE team's image description.

More:
https://www.space.com/mars-rover-curios ... rbit-photo

[weatheriscool]

Chinese cargo spacecraft docks with orbital station

An automated spacecraft docked with China's new space station Sunday carrying fuel and supplies for its future crew, the Chinese space agency announced.

Tianzhou-2 spacecraft reached the Tianhe station eight hours after blasting off from Hainan, an island in the South China Sea, China Manned Space said. It carried space suits, living supplies and equipment and fuel for the station.

Tianhe, or Heavenly Harmony, is third and largest orbital station launched by China's increasingly ambition space program.

https://phys.org/news/2021-05-chinese-c ... bital.html

[weatheriscool]

Japanese space agency to put Transformable Lunar Robot on the moon
https://phys.org/news/2021-05-japanese- ... robot.html
by Bob Yirka , Phys.org

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has announced on its website that the agency has plans to put a Transformable Lunar Robot on the moon. In their announcement, they note that the goal of the robot deployment is to learn more about the surface of the moon as part of preparation for the deployment of a future crewed rover.

JAXA has made clear its aim to be part of establishing a permanent crewed presence on the moon, and as part of that, the agency has developed a lunar lander and is working on a rover. The lander, officially called the ispace lunar lander, has been designed to be a generic host for multiple entities. Customers planning to use the lander include the Canadian Space Agency and The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center. JAXA is developing a rover as well, which it plans to send to the moon in 2029. The lander will be launched aboard SpaceX rockets.

[Time_Traveller]

Government of Japan to support UNOOSA “Space Law for New Space Actors” project

Monday, May 31, 2021

VIENNA, 31 May (United Nations Information Service) — the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the Government of Japan announced their new cooperation on UNOOSA‘s “Space Law for New Space Actors” project.

The project offers UN Member States, upon request, capacity building to draft national space legislation and/or national space policies in line with international space law, promoting the long-term sustainability of outer space activities. Furthermore, the project raises awareness of and adherence to the existing normative framework governing outer space activities.

The Asia-Pacific region is a leading driver in global space activities: investments in the space sector are booming across the region, including from private sector actors. In this context, there is increasing interest from Asia-Pacific countries in international space law. A core part of the UN’s capacity building activities on space law, the Space Law for New Space Actors project helps countries conduct space activities responsibly and sustainably. The generous financial contribution from Japan will support the delivery of the project’s activities.

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=57511

[Yuli Ban]

Space Debris Has Hit And Damaged The International Space Station

The inevitable has occurred. A piece of space debris too small to be tracked has hit and damaged part of the International Space Station - namely, the Canadarm2 robotic arm.

The instrument is still operational, but the object punctured the thermal blanket and damaged the boom beneath. It's a sobering reminder that the low-Earth orbit's space junk problem is a ticking time bomb.

Obviously space agencies around the world are aware of the space debris problem. Over 23,000 pieces are being tracked in low-Earth orbit to help satellites and the ISS avoid collisions - but they're all about the size of a softball or larger.

Anything below that size is too small to track, but travelling at orbital velocities can still do some significant damage, including punching right through metal plates.

(CSA/NASA)

[Time_Traveller]

New Zealand becomes latest nation to sign space agreement with Nasa

June 01 2021

New Zealand has announced it is the latest country to sign a space agreement with Nasa, just as the country’s nascent space industry begins to take off.

New Zealand became the 11th signatory to the Artemis Accords, a blueprint for space cooperation and supporting the US space agency’s plans to return humans to the moon by 2024 and to launch a historic human mission to Mars.

Foreign minister Nanaia Mahuta said New Zealand is one of only a handful of nations able to launch rockets into space.

“New Zealand is committed to ensuring the next phase of space exploration is conducted in a safe, sustainable and transparent manner and in full compliance with international law,” Ms Mahuta said.

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news ... 90480.html