Music of Space: An Ode to the Sonic Frontiers Beyond Earth
Thursday, 04 April 2024 19:06
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In the realm of space exploration and science fiction, visuals have always taken the front seat, painting our imaginations with the vast, starry unknown. However, it's the music that breathes life into these cosmic vistas, often becoming the soul of our interstellar narratives. Chris Carberry's book, "Music of Space," delves deep into this auditory journey, charting the evolution of space-themed Perseverance uncovers a watery past on Mars
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NASA's Perseverance Mars rover's recent analysis has revealed that its latest rock core sample, collected on March 11, experienced prolonged water exposure in Mars' distant past, possibly as part of an ancient Martian shoreline. This discovery was made possible by the rover's 24th sample, which includes various rock cores, regolith, and a sample of the Martian atmosphere.
Ken Farley, the p Unlocking the secrets of lunar soil for future moon construction
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The legacy of Buzz Aldrin's moonwalk, immortalized by his boot print, has evolved from a symbol of human achievement to a focal point of scientific inquiry as NASA embarks on its Artemis program, aiming to establish a permanent base on the moon. This endeavor necessitates a deep dive into the composition of lunar soil, a task undertaken by Northwestern University's mineralogist Steven Jacobsen w North Korea says it test-fired new solid-fuel hypersonic missile
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North Korea's Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch of a new medium-to-long range solid-fuel hypersonic missile, state media said Wednesday, hailing the "important military strategic value" of the new weapon.
Video in state media showed the missile being carried into position on its launching vehicle, as Kim and an array of uniformed soldiers stood by watching, before the missile blasts off, traili Solar Orbiter ready for emergency scenarios amidst close encounter with Sol
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ESA's mission control team is on high alert as the Solar Orbiter embarks on its critical journey near the Sun, entering a phase of intense scientific activity and potential hazards. The spacecraft's proximity to our star during its perihelion introduces a heightened risk of operational complications, prompting extensive preparations to safeguard its mission and scientific yield.
Daniel Lak GOES-U set for June 25 launch following repairs to latest NOAA satellite
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NASA and SpaceX have rescheduled the launch of the GOES-U satellite, marking the culmination of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) - R Series, to June 25. This adjustment provides the necessary window to address and thoroughly examine a liquid oxygen leak discovered in the Falcon Heavy's core booster during a rou AERKOMM Merges with IX Acquisition Corp in a Deal Boosting Satellite Broadband Connectivity
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In a strategic move to enhance its position in the satellite technology landscape, AERKOMM Inc. (Euronext: AKOM), a frontrunner in providing broadband connectivity solutions across multiple orbits, has joined forces with IX Acquisition Corp (Nasdaq: IXAQU, "IXAQ"), a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) with a focus on the technology, media, and telecommunications sectors. This definitive A robot hopper to explore the moon's dangerous terrain
Thursday, 04 April 2024 19:02 Write a comment
Intuitive Machines recently had a major breakthrough, successfully becoming the first non-governmental entity to land on the moon in February. At least the landing was partially successful—the company's Odysseus lander ended up on its side, though its instruments and communication links remained at least partially functional. That mission, dubbed IM-1, was the first in a series of ambitious missions the company has planned. And they recently released a paper at the LPSC 2024 conference detailing features of a unique hopping robot that will hitch a ride on its next moon mission.
Known as South Pole Hopper (or S.P. Hopper), the robot will be the first of a new class called µNova. Weighing in at only 35 kg and standing only 70 cm tall, this miniaturized craft is a stand-alone spacecraft that can operate entirely autonomously. It must do this to complete its mission of exploring the region around the permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) at the lunar south pole.
ESA to launch Arctic weather satellite in June
Thursday, 04 April 2024 17:20 Write a comment
The European Space Agency said Thursday it will launch a satellite in June which will improve weather forecasting in the Arctic—a region highly exposed to the effects of global warming.
The Arctic Weather Satellite (AWS) was designed over three years by European aerospace company OHB.
The satellite, which is to be launched by a SpaceX rocket taking off from California, weighs 125 kilograms (275 pounds) and is 5.3 meters (16 feet) long with its wings deployed.
The mission is particularly important for research into global warming, said Swedish Education Minister Mats Persson.
"Mitigating climate change is a priority and space data is essential for analyzing the changes and identifying" the effective solutions," he said.
With a lifespan of approximately five years, the satellite will support others already in orbit "and provide accurate short-term weather forecasts for the Arctic region," the ESA said.
The Arctic is warming faster than the rest of the planet.
Its glaciers, forests and frozen carbon-rich soil are in danger of undergoing irreversible changes causing potential cascading repercussions across the globe.
Is the universe really a 'dark forest' full of hostile aliens in hiding?
Thursday, 04 April 2024 16:11 Write a comment
We have no good reason to believe that aliens have ever contacted Earth. Sure, there are conspiracy theories and some rather strange reports about harm to cattle, but nothing credible. Physicist Enrico Fermi found this odd. His formulation of the puzzle, proposed in the 1950s and now known as "the Fermi Paradox", is still key to the search for extraterrestrial life (SETI) and messaging by sending signals into space (METI).
The Earth is about 4.5 billion years old, and life is at least 3.5 billion years old. The paradox states that, given the scale of the universe, favorable conditions for life are likely to have occurred many, many times. So where is everyone? We have good reasons to believe that there must be life out there, but nobody has come to call.
Kratos demonstrates satellite internet tech for U.S. Army
Thursday, 04 April 2024 16:09
Boeing 1 month out from 4 years of catchup to SpaceX with 1st crewed Starliner flight
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After nearly four years of playing catchup, Boeing is finally set to join SpaceX as one of two commercial partners capable of flying NASA astronauts to the International Space Station.
Boeing's CST-100 Starliner is aiming for a May 6 launch, carrying commander Barry "Butch" Wilmore and pilot Sunita "Suni" Williams on the Crew Flight Test. They will fly atop an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex 41.
The duo are looking to dock Starliner with the ISS for about eight days before bringing the spacecraft back home for a ground landing in the western U.S. It will pave the way for Boeing to begin regular service to the station as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, the remedy to reliance on Russia for ferry service to the ISS after the end of the space shuttle program in 2011.
"It's really exciting to finally get here to this day," said Williams, and "represent so many people who have worked for years to get this Boeing Starliner ready to go. We just happen to be the tip of the spear, the face of it, and take it to space.
Which type of clouds make it harder to see the April 8 solar eclipse?
Thursday, 04 April 2024 14:10 Write a comment
With less than a week away from the solar eclipse, weather forecasters are keeping an eye on the cloud cover, which can make or break a person's chance to see the event.
Different types of clouds have different effects on a person's viewing experience. When the moon completely covers the sun April 8, it will be the first total eclipse in North Texas since 1878.
Generally, clouds are divided based by their height: low-level, mid-level and high-level.
What are stratus clouds?
The type of clouds does depend on the system, which is the movement of warm and cold air. But in the springtime, there's a good chance the Dallas-Fort Worth area gets many stratus clouds, said Monique Sellers, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth. They are low-level cloud layers that sometimes appear as ragged sheets, per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Multiple layers of clouds are possible in the area, she said, but most times, lower cloud decks are observed locally. In North Texas, Sellers said, the altitude of the layers don't vary as much: lower clouds can vary anywhere from 1,500 feet to 6,000 feet in the air, mid-level clouds are anywhere between 6,500 to 23,000 feet up and high-level clouds are anything above that.
Calling all space stewards: could direct-to-smartphone elevate space sustainability?
Thursday, 04 April 2024 12:30
3D-bioprinted blood vessel
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3D-bioprinted blood vessel