Moon dust could contaminate lunar explorers' water supply
Tuesday, 23 July 2024 14:27
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Water purification is a big business on Earth. Companies offer everything from desalination to providing just the right pH level for drinking water. But on the moon, there won't be a similar technical infrastructure to support the astronauts attempting to make a permanent base there. And there's one particular material that will make water purification even harder—moon dust.
We've reported plenty of times about the health problems caused by the lunar regolith, so it seems apparent that you don't want to drink it. Even more so, the abrasive dust can cause issues with seals, such as those used in electrolyzers to create rocket fuel out of in-situ water resources. It can even adversely affect water purification equipment itself.
Unfortunately, this contamination is inevitable. Lunar dust is far too adhesive and electrostatically charged to be kept completely separate from the machinery that would recycle or purify the water.
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Expiring medications could pose challenge on long space missions
Tuesday, 23 July 2024 08:00 Write a comment
Medications used by astronauts on the International Space Station might not be good enough for a three-year journey to Mars. A new study led by Duke Health shows that over half of the medicines stocked in space—staples such as pain relievers, antibiotics, allergy medicines, and sleep aids—would expire before astronauts could return to Earth.
Astronauts could end up relying on ineffective or even harmful drugs, according to the study appearing July 23 in npj Microgravity.
"It doesn't necessarily mean the medicines won't work, but in the same way you shouldn't take expired medications you have lying around at home, space exploration agencies will need to plan on expired medications being less effective," said senior study author Daniel Buckland, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Duke University School of Medicine and an aerospace medicine researcher.
Expired medications can lose their strength by a little—or a lot. The actual stability and potency of medications in space compared to Earth remain largely unknown. The harsh space environment, including radiation, could reduce the effectiveness of medications.
Buckland and co-author Thomas E.
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Tuesday, 23 July 2024 07:27 Write a comment
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Chief of Space Operations advocates refocus on integrated defense at Global Air, Space Chiefs' Conference
Monday, 22 July 2024 13:36 Write a comment
During a trip to the United Kingdom, U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman appeared at the Global Air and Space Chiefs' Conference, delivering a keynote address to a crowd of global leaders, industry partners and academics in the air and space defense industry, July 17.
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Monday, 22 July 2024 13:36 Write a comment
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Monday, 22 July 2024 13:36 Write a comment
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Monday, 22 July 2024 13:36 Write a comment
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Monday, 22 July 2024 13:36 Write a comment
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