The world finally has its first 'parastronaut'. Can we expect anyone to be able to go to space one day?
Friday, 02 December 2022 15:48
The European Space Agency made history last week with the announcement of the first "parastronaut," 41-year-old UK citizen John McFall.
He is the first candidate selected for the Parastronaut Feasibility project, described by ESA as a "serious, dedicated and honest attempt to clear the path to space for a professional astronaut with a physical disability."
McFall, a former Paralympic sprinter, had his right leg amputated after a motorcycle accident at age 19.
Most of us are familiar with images of grueling astronaut selection tests and training from movies such as The Right Stuff. ESA seeks to answer the practical question of what changes to training and equipment need to be made for a physically disabled person to travel to space.
How are astronauts selected?
NASA first selected astronauts, the Mercury Seven, in 1959.
OneWeb aims to deploy a record 40 satellites in SpaceX mission
Friday, 02 December 2022 13:08
OneWeb said SpaceX is slated to launch 40 of its satellites as early as Dec. 6 to complete almost 80% of its low Earth orbit broadband constellation.
Week in images: 28 November - 02 December 2022
Friday, 02 December 2022 13:04
Week in images: 28 November - 02 December 2022
Discover our week through the lens
FCC grants partial approval for Starlink second-generation constellation
Friday, 02 December 2022 10:56
The FCC has partially approved SpaceX’s application for the second generation of its Starlink constellation, allowing the company to launch up to a quarter of the proposed 30,000 satellites while deferring action on the rest.
Green City Makers wins top prize at Copernicus Masters
Friday, 02 December 2022 10:06
Green City Makers wins top prize at Copernicus Masters
Orion begins return leg of Artemis 1 mission
Friday, 02 December 2022 08:34
NASA’s Orion spacecraft started its trip back to Earth Dec. 1 with the first of two maneuvers that will put the spacecraft on course for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean in a week and a half.
Earth from Space: the moraines of Malaspina
Friday, 02 December 2022 08:00
The remarkable moraine patterns of Malaspina Glacier – the largest piedmont glacier in the world – are featured in this false-colour image acquired by Copernicus Sentinel-2.
Webb tracks clouds on Saturn’s moon Titan
Friday, 02 December 2022 07:00
Image:
These are images of Saturn’s moon Titan, captured by the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam instrument on 4 November 2022. The image on the left uses a filter sensitive to Titan’s lower atmosphere. The bright spots are prominent clouds in the northern hemisphere. The image on the right is a color composite image. Click here for an annotated version of this image.
Titan is the only moon in the Solar System with a dense atmosphere, and it is also the only planetary body other than Earth that currently has rivers, lakes, and seas. Unlike Earth, however, the
Southern hemisphere's biggest radio telescope begins search for ET signatures
Friday, 02 December 2022 05:55
Breakthrough Listen has begun observations using a powerful new instrument deployed to the MeerKAT radio telescope in the remote Karoo region of South Africa. The new search for technosignatures - indicators of technology developed by extraterrestrial intelligence - expands the number of targets searched by a factor of 1,000.
The astronomers and engineers on the Breakthrough Listen team ha NASA to cancel GeoCarb Mission, expands greenhouse gas portfolio
Friday, 02 December 2022 05:55
NASA announced Monday it intends to cancel development of its GeoCarb mission, and instead implement a plan for pursuing alternate options to measure and observe greenhouse gases.
Newer options to make key greenhouse gas measurements are emerging that were not previously available for the agency when considering GeoCarb. For example, NASA's newest instrument that launched in July to the In NASA responds to Independent Review of Earth System Observatory
Friday, 02 December 2022 05:55
NASA shared a response Wednesday on an independent review board established to assess plans and goals for the next generation of Earth-observing satellites: NASA's Earth System Observatory, a cutting edge suite of spacecraft that will forward understanding of our changing planet.
The independent review board report examined the technical concepts developed so far for robustness as well as The PI's Perspective: Extended Mission 2 Begins!
Friday, 02 December 2022 05:55
New Horizons remains healthy from its position deep in the Kuiper Belt, even as it speeds farther from the Earth and Sun by about 300 million miles per year! The spacecraft, which began its second extended mission on Oct. 1, also continues its record-length hibernation that began June 1 and ends March 1.
Hibernation, which takes place in spacecraft "spin mode," saves fuel and wear and tear HFES releases Policy Statement on Human Space Flight
Friday, 02 December 2022 05:55
The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) has issued a new Policy Statement on Human Space Flight and Exploration Programs. As both government and commercial space operations continue to evolve and expand, this statement highlights the urgency and fundamental necessity to focus more attention on human factors engineering and human performance in the design of the technologies, training and New minerals discovered in massive meteorite may reveal clues to asteroid formation
Friday, 02 December 2022 05:55
A team of researchers has discovered at least two new minerals that have never before been seen on Earth in a 15 tonne meteorite found in Somalia - the ninth largest meteorite ever found.
"Whenever you find a new mineral, it means that the actual geological conditions, the chemistry of the rock, was different than what's been found before," says Chris Herd, a professor in the Department of Back to the Marker Band - Sols 3667-3668
Friday, 02 December 2022 05:55
Still stuffed and feeling thankful our weekend plans were successful! This morning's downlink showed we had more power to play with than was modeled last week, this time due to the SAM activities running conservatively on Sols 3662 and 3663 (Thanksgiving and the day after). From this "power gift" we were able to add a whole hour to our remote science time and use our DRT for a full sol of scienc