Bridging the heavens and Earth
Tuesday, 24 September 2024 14:00When Jared Bryan talks about his seismology research, it's with a natural finesse. He's a fifth-year PhD student working with MIT Assistant Professor William Frank on seismology research, drawn in by the lab's combination of GPS observations, satellites, and seismic station data to understand the underlying physics of earthquakes. He has no trouble talking about seismic velocity in fault zones o
New study suggests Earth's mantle is more chemically uniform than previously thought
Tuesday, 24 September 2024 14:00Lavas from volcanic hotspots around the world, such as Hawaii, Samoa, and Iceland, likely come from a chemically uniform reservoir in Earth's mantle, according to new research published in 'Nature Geoscience'. The study challenges the long-standing belief that the mantle contains chemically distinct reservoirs. The research suggests that Earth's mantle is more homogeneous than scientists h
Draco mission made for destruction
Tuesday, 24 September 2024 12:00Over the nearly 70 years of spaceflight, about 10 000 intact satellites and rocket bodies have reentered the atmosphere with many more to follow. Yet for such a ubiquitous event, we still lack a clear view on what actually happens to a satellite during its fiery last moments.
ESA is preparing the Destructive Reentry Assessment Container Object (Draco) mission that will collect unique measurements during an actual reentry and breakup of a satellite from the inside. A capsule especially designed to survive the destruction will transmit the valuable telemetry shortly after.
Planet unveils Forest Carbon Monitoring dataset
Tuesday, 24 September 2024 12:00Maxar Intelligence opens international headquarters in London
Tuesday, 24 September 2024 11:05Viasat wins $33 million U.S. Air Force contract for satellite communications antennas
Tuesday, 24 September 2024 11:02Jielong-3 sea launch sends 8 satellites into orbit
Tuesday, 24 September 2024 09:11LUNA infographics
Tuesday, 24 September 2024 07:53Research abounds at the International Space Station
Tuesday, 24 September 2024 07:48At the International Space station, researchers are making strides in everything from Earth science to chemical properties. Here's what they're up to and why it matters.
Recently, researchers have found that eddies, or swirling wind patterns, increased moisture evaporation in an alfalfa field. A better understanding of the complex exchange of water and heat between the ground and atmosphere could improve remote sensing products and their use in agricultural water management.
The station's ECOSTRESS instrument takes high-resolution thermal infrared measurements of Earth's surface that provide data on changes in water availability, vegetation water stress, and agricultural water use. Researchers use observations from the USGS Landsat 8 and 9 satellites and ECOSTRESS to validate climate models and update data on Earth's surface energy (the amount of energy absorbed from the sun and radiated back into the atmosphere).
Firefly Aerospace wins contract to launch NOAA QuickSounder
Monday, 23 September 2024 23:19Space Force taps four companies to design ‘Resilient GPS’ satellites
Monday, 23 September 2024 21:13NASA SPAR Lab shares AI tool for spacecraft
Monday, 23 September 2024 19:51Low gravity in space travel found to weaken and disrupt normal rhythm in heart muscle cells
Monday, 23 September 2024 19:01Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists who arranged for 48 human bioengineered heart tissue samples to spend 30 days at the International Space Station report evidence that the low gravity conditions in space weakened the tissues and disrupted their normal rhythmic beats when compared to Earth-bound samples from the same source.
The scientists said the heart tissues "really don't fare well in space," and over time, the tissues aboard the space station beat about half as strongly as tissues from the same source kept on Earth.
The findings, they say, expand scientists' knowledge of low gravity's potential effects on astronauts' survival and health during long space missions, and they may serve as models for studying heart muscle aging and therapeutics on Earth.
A report of the scientists' analysis of the tissues is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Previous studies showed that some astronauts return to Earth from outer space with age-related conditions, including reduced heart muscle function and arrythmias (irregular heartbeats), and that some—but not all—effects dissipate over time after their return.