Polaris Dawn project aims to prevent bone loss in space
Wednesday, 11 September 2024 16:27
Dartmouth researchers have a project aboard the Polaris Dawn mission they hope will help address two major health risks of space flight—the breakdown of astronauts' bones in zero-gravity conditions and the resulting danger of developing kidney stones.
When subjected to weightlessness, bones freed from the burden of supporting the human body leach calcium. The shedding of this critical element reduces bone density and, as the calcium enters the urine, heightens the chance of painful kidney stones forming in the urinary tract.
Through Polaris Dawn, which launched from Florida on Sept. 10, researchers at Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine and Thayer School of Engineering are testing a critical element of a handheld device the team is developing that would alert crew members to high levels of calcium in their urine during space flight so they can take action.
Find Me on the Moon: NASA Seeks Navigation Solutions for Lunar Exploration
Wednesday, 11 September 2024 16:04
As part of the Artemis lunar exploration campaign, NASA aims to deepen its understanding of the moon's surface and prepare for future Mars missions. The Artemis missions will target the lunar south pole, a region that holds scientific interest due to its permanently shadowed areas, which may contain water ice reserves vital for sustaining human exploration. This will be NASA's first crewed moon Rover trials demonstrate autonomous sampling capabilities in UK quarry
Wednesday, 11 September 2024 16:04
European Space Agency (ESA) engineers are advancing the capabilities of autonomous Mars rovers, as demonstrated in recent trials conducted in a UK quarry. The ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover, nicknamed "Codi," showcased its ability to locate and retrieve sample tubes using its robotic arm and sophisticated computer vision system.
Codi drove to the sample locations with a remarkable accurac Mystery of Trans-Neptunian Orbits Solved by Stellar Flyby
Wednesday, 11 September 2024 16:04
Many imagine the solar system's edge is marked by Neptune, the furthest known planet. However, astrophysicist Susanne Pfalzner from Forschungszentrum Julich notes, "Several thousand celestial bodies are known to move beyond the orbit of Neptune." It is estimated that tens of thousands of objects larger than 100 kilometers exist in this region. "Surprisingly, many of these so-called trans-Neptuni AI-Assisted Discovery Reveals How Microbial Proteins Adapt to Extreme Pressures
Wednesday, 11 September 2024 16:04
Using a Google AI tool, scientists have revealed how proteins in a heat-loving microbe respond to intense pressure, similar to conditions found in the planet's deepest ocean trenches. This research offers key insights into how life's building blocks may have evolved under early Earth conditions and opens new doors for future studies.
The research, now published in 'PRX Life', highlights th Formation of super-Earths proven limited near metal-poor stars
Wednesday, 11 September 2024 16:04
In a new study, astronomers report novel evidence regarding the limits of planet formation, finding that after a certain point, planets larger than Earth have difficulty forming near low-metallicity stars.
Using the sun as a baseline, astronomers can measure when a star formed by determining its metallicity, or the level of heavy elements present within it. Metal-rich stars or nebulas form Massive merger could explain origin of Milky Way's supermassive black hole
Wednesday, 11 September 2024 16:04
The mystery of how supermassive black holes, which can be millions of times more massive than the sun and sit at the heart of most galaxies, came to exist is one of the great questions in astrophysics.
Researchers from the Nevada Center for Astrophysics at UNLV (NCfA) have uncovered new evidence that the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way, called Sagittarius A' (Sgr A') NASA's Hubble, Chandra find supermassive black hole duo
Wednesday, 11 September 2024 16:04
Like two Sumo wrestlers squaring off, the closest confirmed pair of supermassive black holes have been observed in tight proximity. These are located approximately 300 light-years apart and were detected using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the Chandra X-ray Observatory. These black holes, buried deep within a pair of colliding galaxies, are fueled by infalling gas and dust, causing them to s Parker Solar Probe Lines Up for Final Venus Flyby
Wednesday, 11 September 2024 16:04
NASA's Parker Solar Probe executed a short maneuver on Aug. 26 that kept the spacecraft on course for the mission's seventh and final planned Venus flyby on Nov. 6.
Operating on preprogrammed commands, Parker fired its small directional thrusters for about 17 seconds, changing its velocity by less than a mile per hour, and setting its trajectory some 386 miles (593 kilometers) closer to a AI distinguishes dark matter signals from cosmic noise
Wednesday, 11 September 2024 16:04
Dark matter, an unseen force believed to hold the universe together, constitutes approximately 85% of all matter and 27% of the universe's content. Although its gravitational effects on galaxies and cosmic structures are well-documented, the true nature of dark matter remains elusive.
A dominant theory posits that dark matter could be made up of particles that interact only through gravity Debris from NASA's DART Mission Could Potentially Reach Earth and Mars
Wednesday, 11 September 2024 16:04
NASA's Double Asteroid Redirect Test (DART) mission, which struck the asteroid Dimorphos in 2022, has not only altered the asteroid's orbit but has also created a plume of debris that may eventually reach both Earth and Mars, according to new simulations. The debris, although harmless, could potentially be observed as meteors.
On September 26, 2022, NASA's DART spacecraft, weighing approxi Keeping the cosmos clean
Wednesday, 11 September 2024 16:04
Asked to describe his work for a lay audience, Allan Shtofenmakher responds with an unexpected question: "Have you ever seen the movie 'Wall-E?'" Recalling that the 2008 Disney-Pixar movie's view of Earth from space was "brown and dusty and just surrounded by tons and tons of space junk," he cautions, "If we're not good stewards of our local space environment, we could actually end up in a situa First Metal Part 3D Printed in Space Aboard ISS
Wednesday, 11 September 2024 16:04
ESA's Metal 3D Printer has successfully produced the first-ever metal part in space. This technological milestone, achieved through a partnership with Airbus, marks a significant advancement in additive manufacturing in microgravity.
The Metal 3D Printer was launched to the International Space Station (ISS) earlier this year. ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen was responsible for installing th ChemCam Laser Hits 1 Million Zaps on Mars, Continues Data Collection
Wednesday, 11 September 2024 16:04
The ChemCam instrument, developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory, has fired its laser for the 1 millionth time on Mars. Positioned atop NASA's Curiosity rover, ChemCam has been key to scientific discoveries since its deployment in 2012.
"Not only is this a remarkable technical accomplishment for our instrument, but it also represents a staggering amount of chemistry data from the surfac Antarctic research supports healthy space for astronauts
Wednesday, 11 September 2024 16:04
Astronauts and Australian Antarctic expeditioners are working together to advance human health in space, and on Earth.
Today, four astronauts are orbiting Earth on the Polaris Dawn mission, undertaking a range of research projects to better understand the effects of long-duration spaceflight on human health.
At the same time, expeditioners and doctors at Australia's Antarctic and sub-Antarctic stations are collecting data for two of the projects, involving ultrasound and body scanning technology.
Australian Antarctic Division Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Jeff Ayton, said the two projects were part of a collaboration with the US-based Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH).
"Antarctic expeditioners and astronauts are both isolated, confined populations in extreme environments, doing hazardous work, dependent on technology for survival, and with limited scope for evacuation," he said.
"This makes Australia's Antarctic Program an excellent analog for understanding the risks to humans in space, and for testing and developing technologies and methodologies to reduce these risks.