Space News and Discussions

[firestar464]

New dark matter theory explains two puzzles in astrophysics

https://phys.org/news/2023-12-dark-theo ... ysics.html

[firestar464]

THE TOMATO HAS BEEN FOUND


https://www.businessinsider.com/missing ... te-2023-12

[firestar464]

In more serious news:

The ISS has turned 25

https://futurism.com/the-byte/space-sta ... sary-death

[weatheriscool]

[weatheriscool]

Hubble Space Telescope Is Back Online After Gyro Glitch
The observatory is doing science once again after several weeks of troubleshooting.
By Ryan Whitwam December 11, 2023

https://www.extremetech.com/science/hub ... yro-glitch

Hubble's origins stretch back to the late 1970s when engineers began grinding a 2.4-meter mirror destined for the iconic telescope. While that mirror needed some adjustments to see clearly, Hubble is still producing incredibly detailed astronomical observations all these years later. Hubble is not immune from the ravages of time, though. NASA recently had to shut the observatory down due to a glitchy gyroscope. The agency says Hubble is back online now, but these system failures aren't going to get less common.

The latest issues cropped up late last month when one of the telescope's three remaining gyroscopes began reporting incorrect data. This sent Hubble into safe mode, prompting NASA to begin an investigation. The gyroscope is part of the spacecraft's pointing control system, which also includes reaction wheels and fine guidance sensors. Hubble doesn't have thrusters, so it relies on these moving parts to point the mirror at observation targets.

During Hubble's last Space Shuttle servicing mission in 2009, astronauts replaced all six of the observatory's gyroscopes. Three of them were an older model that was prone to failure, and three were a new, more robust design. The three old versions failed in a few years, making this the first real problem with the redesigned gyroscopes. According to NASA, engineers have managed to resurrect the telescope with all three of its gyroscopes working. Science operations have resumed using both the Wide Field Camera 3 and Advanced Camera for Surveys.
Hubble orientation system

[weatheriscool]

Breakthrough Hypersonic Dual-Mode Ramjet with Rotating Detonation Combustion
December 14, 2023 by Brian Wang
https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2023/12/b ... stion.html

GE Aerospace has shown a bew architecture with Rotating Detonation Combustion (RDC) could power super-efficient hypersonic vehicles with longer range that will go faster than MACH 5 (over 4,000 MPH).

The team has moved very fast. It took just 12 months from start to finish for the DMRJ with RDC demonstration. The team is on track with its goal to demonstrate a full DMRJ with RDC at scale next year.

A typical air-breathing DMRJ propulsion system can only begin operating when the vehicle achieves supersonic speeds of greater than Mach 3. GE Aerospace engineers are working on a rotating detonation-enabled dual mode ramjet that is capable of operating at lower Mach numbers, enabling the flight vehicle to operate more efficiently and achieve longer range.

[wjfox]

Shetland is first UK spaceport for vertical rocket launches

3 hours ago

A site in the Shetland Islands has become the UK's first spaceport for vertical rocket launches.

SaxaVord Spaceport on the small island of Unst has been given approval from the Civil Aviation Authority to begin launches in 2024.

It will be the first fully-licensed spaceport in Western Europe able to launch vertically into orbit.

It permits up to 30 launches a year, that will be used to take satellites and other payload into space.

[...]

Full orbital launches are expected to take place at SaxaVord from 2025.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland- ... d-67741864

[wjfox]

NASA laser message beams video of a cat named Taters back to Earth, and it’s a big deal

Published 6:51 PM EST, Mon December 18, 2023

A laser communications experiment flying aboard NASA’s Psyche mission has beamed back a video to Earth from nearly 19 million miles (31 million kilometers) away — and the short clip stars a cat named Taters. It’s the first time NASA has streamed a video from deep space using a laser.

In the ultra-high definition video, the playful orange tabby cat chases, of all things, the elusive red dot from a laser pointer as it moves across a couch.

The cat video was transmitted to Earth from a flight laser transceiver as part of the Deep Space Optical Communications experiment, or DSOC. The technology could one day be used to quickly transmit data, imagery and videos as humans push the limits of space exploration by venturing to places like Mars.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/12/18/worl ... index.html



JPL-Caltech/NASA

[raklian]

NASA laser message beams video of a cat named Taters back to Earth, and it’s a big deal

Published 6:51 PM EST, Mon December 18, 2023

A laser communications experiment flying aboard NASA’s Psyche mission has beamed back a video to Earth from nearly 19 million miles (31 million kilometers) away — and the short clip stars a cat named Taters. It’s the first time NASA has streamed a video from deep space using a laser.

In the ultra-high definition video, the playful orange tabby cat chases, of all things, the elusive red dot from a laser pointer as it moves across a couch.

The cat video was transmitted to Earth from a flight laser transceiver as part of the Deep Space Optical Communications experiment, or DSOC. The technology could one day be used to quickly transmit data, imagery and videos as humans push the limits of space exploration by venturing to places like Mars.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/12/18/worl ... index.html



JPL-Caltech/NASA

A glimpse of the Solar Internet, or Solnet.

[firestar464]

History and contents of the universe can be determined using radio telescopes on the moon, researchers say

https://phys.org/news/2023-12-history-c ... copes.html