Blobs in space: Slime mould to blast off for ISS experiment
Wednesday, 11 August 2021 01:42
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Astronauts aboard the International Space Station are set to welcome a most unusual guest, as "the Blob" blasts off into orbit on Tuesday.
An alien on its own planet, the Blob is an unclassifiable organism - neither fish nor fowl. Nor is it plant, animal or fungus.
As such, Physarum polycephalum - a type of slime mould - has long fascinated scientists and will now be part of a unique Spacebound study began with astronaut medical mystery
Wednesday, 11 August 2021 01:42 Write a comment
An 18-year-old high school graduate has developed an elegant new way to gauge the liver health of astronauts-and it could someday help solve an enduring medical mystery in space.
Each year, the Genes in Space program, founded by Boeing and miniPCR bio and supported by the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory and New England Biolabs, holds an annual student research co Antares launches NG-16 Cygnus space station cargo spacecraft
Tuesday, 10 August 2021 21:38 Write a comment
A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket launched a Cygnus cargo spacecraft Aug. 10 carrying more than 3,700 kilograms of cargo for the International Space Station.
Blobs in space: Slime mold to blast off for ISS experiment
Tuesday, 10 August 2021 19:07 Write a comment
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station are set to welcome a most unusual guest, as "the Blob" blasts off into orbit on Tuesday.
An alien on its own planet, the Blob is an unclassifiable organism—neither fish nor fowl. Nor is it plant, animal or fungus.
As such, Physarum polycephalum—a type of slime mold—has long fascinated scientists and will now be part of a unique experiment carried out simultaneously by astronauts hundreds of kilometers above the Earth and by hundreds of thousands of French school students.
The slime mold first appeared on Earth around 500 million years ago, and defies conventional biology because it is made up of one cell with multiple nuclei.
While most organisms grow and reproduce through the division and multiplication of cells, Physarum polycephalum does not.
Lockheed Martin takes aim at satellite servicing market
Tuesday, 10 August 2021 18:09 Write a comment
Lockheed Martin plans to launch two cubesats later this year to demonstrate how small satellites can service other satellites in orbit.
Intuitive Machines selects SpaceX for launch of third lunar lander mission
Tuesday, 10 August 2021 18:07 Write a comment
Commercial lunar lander developer Intuitive Machines will launch its third lunar lander mission on a SpaceX Falcon 9, the same vehicle the company selected for its first two lander missions.
Unseenlabs lines up Vega flight for fourth maritime surveillance satellite
Tuesday, 10 August 2021 17:48 Write a comment
French startup Unseenlabs is set to fly its next maritime surveillance nanosatellite on an Arianespace Vega rocket in mid-August, instead of launching with Rocket Lab as it did for the first three BRO spacecraft the venture has launched since mid-2019.
Interoperability, sustainability and cybersecurity pose challenges for small satellite sector
Tuesday, 10 August 2021 17:24 Write a comment
Ensuring that small satellites can communicate not only within their own constellations but within a broader ecosystem is one of the primary challenges cited by Lt. Gen. John Shaw, U.S. Space Command deputy commander, in an Aug.
IHI Aerospace to offer Epsilon rocket commercially
Tuesday, 10 August 2021 16:50 Write a comment
Japanese company IHI Aerospace plans to market a version of the little-used Epsilon small launch vehicle to commercial customers, although at prices significantly higher than similar vehicles in development.
BepiColombo skims past Venus
Tuesday, 10 August 2021 16:30 Write a comment
Image:
BepiColombo skims past Venus U.S. Army space commander concerned about disruptions to satellites
Tuesday, 10 August 2021 16:16 Write a comment
peaking at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium at the Von Braun Convention Center, Karbler said adversaries are developing electronic and cyber tools to deny the U.S. military access to satellites in orbit.
Keeping an eye on ocean plastic pollution…from space!
Tuesday, 10 August 2021 16:10 Write a comment
Video:
00:03:21
Meet bag, bottle and straw, three bits of plastic left on the beach.
They are only small, but they are heading into the ocean, where they could cause big damage. ESA is exploring how satellites can help detect and reduce plastic pollution in the ocean. From spotting build-ups of marine litter to tracking ocean currents, satellites could be game-changing in tackling this enormous environmental problem.
Though engaging for children and adults alike, this video is designed with primary school students in mind. In particular, teachers can use it to introduce the topic of marine litter in subjects such as
Space Olympics (full video)
Tuesday, 10 August 2021 15:00 Write a comment
Video:
00:09:41
The International Space Station Expedition 65 crew recorded themselves on a day off after a long week of work having some weightless fun. From Earth orbit, 400 km above our planet, the crew present the very first Space Olympics.
ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet shared this video on social media with the caption:
“The first ever Space Olympics ! A Saturday afternoon on the International Space Station. Four disciplines. Rules that evolved as we played. Seven athletes. Four nations. Two teams. Crew cohesion and morale boosted like never before. The first Space Olympics saw Team Crew Dragon and Team Soyuz
Accion to supply thrusters for Xplore ESPA-class satellite
Tuesday, 10 August 2021 14:30 Write a comment
Accion Systems plans to supply miniature ion thrusters for Xplore Inc.’s 150-kilogram LEO Xcraft satellite, under an agreement announced Aug. 10.
Rocket Lab to launch three sets of BlackSky satellites
Tuesday, 10 August 2021 13:50 Write a comment
Rocket Lab will conduct three launches of satellites for Earth observation company BlackSky in about one month, the fastest launch cadence the company had demonstrated to date.