Sahara space rock 4.5 billion years old upends assumptions about the early solar system
Wednesday, 30 August 2023 14:20
In May 2020, some unusual rocks containing distinctive greenish crystals were found in the Erg Chech sand sea, a dune-filled region of the Sahara Desert in southern Algeria.
On close inspection, the rocks turned out to be from outer space: lumps of rubble billions of years old, left over from the dawn of the solar system.
They were all pieces of a meteorite known as Erg Chech 002, which is the oldest volcanic rock ever found, having melted long ago in the fires of some now-vanished ancient protoplanet.
In new research published in Nature Communications, we analyzed lead and uranium isotopes in Erg Chech 002 and calculated it is some 4.56556 billion years old, give or take 120,000 years. This is one of the most precise ages ever calculated for an object from space—and our results also cast doubt on some common assumptions about the early solar system.
The secret life of aluminum
About 4.567 billion years ago, our solar system formed from a vast cloud of gas and dust.
Wired for space - Muscle stimulation to enhance astronaut health
Wednesday, 30 August 2023 13:30
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Space exploration presents unique health challenges for astronauts due to lack of gravity, isolation, and radiation exposure. ESA's SciSpacE activities aim to comprehend these effects and their implications for human well-being during extended missions.
ESA collaborates with researchers to conduct experiments in microgravity and analogue environments, shedding light on the consequences of space stressors. One critical concern is muscle and bone atrophy. Despite daily exercise routines, astronauts face deterioration. ESA is investigating electrical stimulation as a potential countermeasure, with tests planned on board the International Space Station.
The "Muscle Stimulation" experiment is a centrepiece of this research. By applying
Benchmark Space Systems cracks code for viable ASCENT propellant
Wednesday, 30 August 2023 09:45
Tapped to help U.S. defense agencies deploy safer propellant alternatives to hydrazine, Benchmark Space Systems has announced a two-year, $2.81 million AFRL SPRINT (Space Propulsion Research and Innovation for Neutralizing Satellite Threats) award to further develop and test flight-optimized thrusters running on ASCENT (Advanced Spacecraft Energetic Non-Toxic) fuel.
It is Benchmark's secon PSI study shows evidence of highly mobile lunar regolith
Wednesday, 30 August 2023 09:45
Swirls are enigmatic albedo (light reflection) patterns on the lunar surface associated with local magnetic anomalies. The processes involved in their formation have been examined and debated since their discovery. The most popular idea is shielding of the surface from solar wind radiation by the associated magnetic anomaly. This explains the swirling pattern, as shielded material would be brigh Sols 3932-3933: Touch and Go, Go, Go!
Wednesday, 30 August 2023 09:45
Earth planning date: Monday, August 28, 2023: Curiosity successfully navigated the numerous resistant, dark boulders (once included in the Gediz Vallis ridge deposit and the focus of our recent investigations), 20 degree slopes and broken up bedrock to cover a distance of ~65 m back towards our planned ascent route up Mount Sharp in the weekend plan.
This is one of our longer recent drives Dead stars cast long shadows: WVU astronomer hunts for the glowing ghosts of supernovas
Wednesday, 30 August 2023 09:45
A West Virginia University astronomer is searching the Milky Way for debris left behind by supernovas, the violent explosions that occur when massive stars die.
After a supernova explosion, material that was part of the star expands outward, forming a shell or "remnant." According to Loren Anderson, professor at the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, studying supernova remnants is "essen New X-ray Detectors to Provide Unprecedented Vision of the Invisible Universe
Wednesday, 30 August 2023 09:45
Very detailed information is now available from ultraviolet, optical, and submillimeter observations of the stellar, dust, and cold gas content of galaxies, and yet there is a dearth of understanding about the mechanisms that formed these galaxies. To truly understand how galaxies form, X-ray observations from high energy resolution imaging spectrometers are needed to see the cores of the galaxi Private rocket maker sends remote-sensing satellite into orbit
Wednesday, 30 August 2023 09:45
Galactic Energy, a private rocket maker in Beijing, carried out on Friday the eighth flight mission of its CERES 1 rocket to deploy a remote-sensing satellite into orbit.
The CERES 1 Y8 rocket blasted off at 12:57 pm at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China's Gobi Desert and placed the Jilin 1 Wide-View 02A satellite into its preset orbit, the company said in a news rel Momentus to provide hosted payload services for FOSSA Systems
Wednesday, 30 August 2023 09:45
Momentus Inc. (NASDAQ: MNTS) has signed a contract with FOSSA Systems ("FOSSA"), a Spanish company that offers global low-power Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity and in-space services to provide hosted payload services starting in 2024. The contract also includes two options for additional hosted payloads.
The hosted payloads will strategically complement FOSSA's existing IoT satellite Investigation onboard ISS seeks new insights into cooling technology for electronics
Wednesday, 30 August 2023 09:45
What if microgravity holds the key to preventing the overheating of advanced electronics? That's one idea behind an International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory-sponsored investigation that recently launched to station on Northrop Grumman's 19th Commercial Resupply Services mission (NG-19). This week, the ISS crew is working on the experiment, which aims to improve the efficiency of hea LeoStella and Hera Systems Establish Strategic Alliance
Wednesday, 30 August 2023 09:45
Focused on revolutionizing satellite manufacturing and diversifying customers' choices for multi-satellite solicitations, smallsat experts LeoStella and Hera Systems have announced a strategic manufacturing alliance. This collaboration will mitigate supply chain risks, increase the reliability of production and delivery schedules, and maintain competitive pricing for small satellite constellatio Indian rover confirms sulphur on Moon's south pole
Wednesday, 30 August 2023 06:10
India's Moon rover has confirmed the presence of sulphur on the lunar south pole, the country's space agency said.
Last week, India became the first country to land a craft near the largely unexplored south pole, and just the fourth nation to land on the Moon.
"The Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument onboard Chandrayaan-3 Rover has made the first-ever in-situ measureme Swarm of small transportation vehicles carries 40 tons
Wednesday, 30 August 2023 06:10
Old production machinery has to be replaced due to changed requirements. However, high weight and limited space in plants often make it very difficult to assemble and disassemble big machines or to reposition them. Frequently, this is done by hand using heavy-duty rollers.
FORMIC Transportsysteme, a spinoff of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), has developed a semi-automatic transpor NASA Armstrong supports wind study
Wednesday, 30 August 2023 06:10
Wind affects all aircraft, particularly during takeoff and landing. It's especially critical for new types of transportation. A new NASA flight campaign studying wind aims to gather information to enhance air taxi safety.
Researchers measured wind at altitudes below 2,000 feet using drones, sensors, weather balloons, and other technology during the Advanced Exploration of Reliable Operatio