Scientists investigate using lunar soils to sustainably supply oxygen and fuels on the moon
Friday, 28 October 2022 16:32
Building up a lunar settlement has been the ultimate aim of lunar exploitation since humanity's first step on the moon. Yet, limited fuel and oxygen supplies restrict human survival on the moon.
Combining photovoltaic and electrocatalysis, the artificial production of hydrocarbon fuels along with oxygen using carbon dioxide and water as the feedstocks has been demonstrably feasible on the Earth and is recognized as a potential strategy to be imitated in extraterrestrial sites. With the rapid progress of moon exploration, researchers have discovered that the moon's surface has considerable carbon dioxide and water reserves, which further confirms the feasibility of the idea.
Against this background, the joint research team of the University of Science and Technology of China, Nanjing University and China Academy of Space Technology found that the lunar soil brought back by the Chang'e 5 mission can be used as a catalyst to drive the electrocatalytic CO2 conversion for fuel and oxygen production.
Photo from NASA satellite shows the sun was 'smiling' this week
Friday, 28 October 2022 15:20
The sun was in a good mood this week, or at least that's what it looked like in a photo published by NASA.
A photo of the sun taken from a NASA satellite and time-stamped Thursday morning appears to show a smile on the surface of our nearest star.
It's not the first time this week the cheerful pattern appeared.
"Today, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory caught the sun 'smiling,'" NASA said in a Wednesday tweet. "Seen in ultraviolet light, these dark patches on the sun are known as coronal holes and are regions where fast solar wind gushes out into space."
According to SpaceWeather.com, the sun is spewing a triple stream of solar wind toward Earth. This could produce auroras here on Earth as early as Saturday, the website said.
The Solar Dynamics Observatory is a satellite that's in orbit around the Earth, with sensors pointed at the sun to take a variety of measurements of the sun and solar activity.
One of the mission's goals is to see how the sun's magnetic field is generated and structured, and how it impacts life on Earth and our telecommunications systems.
Haunting portrait: Webb reveals dust and structure in Pillars of Creation
Friday, 28 October 2022 13:00
This is not an ethereal landscape of time-forgotten tombs. Nor are these soot-tinged fingers reaching out. These pillars, flush with gas and dust, ‘bury’ stars that are slowly forming over many millennia. The NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has snapped this eerie, extremely dusty view of the Pillars of Creation in mid-infrared light – showing us a new view of a familiar landscape.
Webb’s instruments showcase the Pillars of Creation (slider)
Friday, 28 October 2022 13:00
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The NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has revealed two new views of the Pillars of Creation, which was made famous by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope in 1995, and again in 2014.
On the left is Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) image. Interstellar dust cloaks the scene. And while mid-infrared light specialises in detailing where dust is, the stars aren’t bright enough at these wavelengths to appear. Instead, these looming, leaden-hued pillars of gas and dust gleam at their edges, hinting at the activity within. Learn more about this image here.
On the right is Webb’s
Webb's portrait of the Pillars of Creation (MIRI)
Friday, 28 October 2022 13:00
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The NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope’s mid-infrared view of the Pillars of Creation strikes a chilling tone. Thousands of stars that exist in this region disappear from view — and seemingly endless layers of gas and dust become the centrepiece.
The detection of dust by Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) is extremely important — dust is a major ingredient for star formation. Many stars are actively forming in these dense blue-grey pillars. When knots of gas and dust with sufficient mass form in these regions, they begin to collapse under their own gravitational attraction, slowly heat up, and eventually
Week in images: 24-28 October 2022
Friday, 28 October 2022 12:15
Week in images: 24-28 October 2022
Discover our week through the lens
Next Artemis 1 launch attempt on schedule for mid-November
Friday, 28 October 2022 10:27
Preparations for the next attempt to launch the Space Launch System rocket on the Artemis 1 mission remain on schedule for the middle of November, but agency officials said launch opportunities may be limited if it slips to later in the month because of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Chinese commercial remote sensing satellite firm to double size of constellation
Friday, 28 October 2022 09:31
Chinese commercial firm Changguang Satellite Technology says it will expand its under-construction Jilin-1 constellation from 138 to 300 satellites.
The post Chinese commercial remote sensing satellite firm to double size of constellation appeared first on SpaceNews.
US to 'hold Russia accountable' if satellites attacked: W.House
Friday, 28 October 2022 09:26
The United States will respond in an "appropriate" way to any Russian attack against US commercial satellites, the White House said Thursday after a Russian official suggested they could become legitimate targets in space.
"Any attack on US infrastructure will be met with an appropriate response in an appropriate way," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. The United NASA generated $71 billion in economic impact in 2021
Friday, 28 October 2022 09:26
NASA's latest economic impact report released Thursday, boasting $71.2 billion in output during the fiscal year 2021.
The report from NASA outlines how its activities, including research and technology, affect the economy. Those activities supported more than 339,000 jobs across the United States while generating about $7.7 billion in tax dollars.
NASA's moon to Mars mission was Meteorite that smashed into Mars shook planet
Friday, 28 October 2022 09:26
Scientists who study Mars on Thursday revealed the remarkable Christmas gift they received from the planet last year.
On December 24, 2021, a meteorite hit Mars' surface, triggering magnitude 4 tremors, which were detected by NASA's InSight spacecraft - which landed on the planet four years ago - some 2,200 miles (3,500 kilometers) away.
The true origin of this so-called marsquake wa Sidus Space signs MOU with Mission Space for Space Weather Intelligence Data Partnership
Friday, 28 October 2022 09:26
Sidus Space, Inc. (NASDAQ:SIDU), a Space-as-a-Service company focused on mission critical hardware manufacturing combined with commercial satellite design, manufacture, launch, and data collection, recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Mission Space for a partnership for space weather intelligence data collection.
With this partnership, Sidus Space will integrate sets of Missi Mini-radar for asteroid CubeSat
Friday, 28 October 2022 08:37
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Mini-radar for asteroid CubeSat SOLARIS Industry Day - update
Friday, 28 October 2022 08:34
To support the preparation of the SOLARIS initiative on Space-Based Solar Power, to be proposed at ESA's Ministerial Council next month, the Agency organised the first SOLARIS Industry Day.
The event took place at the ESTEC technical centre in the Netherlands and online on 18 October 2022.
Presentations from SOLARIS Industry Day
Friday, 28 October 2022 08:34To support the preparation of the SOLARIS initiative on Space-Based Solar Power, to be proposed at ESA's Ministerial Council next month, the Agency organised the first SOLARIS Industry Day.
The event took place at the ESTEC technical centre in the Netherlands and online on 18 October 2022.