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NASA transmits hip-hop song to deep space for first time
This illustration of the large Quetzalpetlatl Corona located in Venus’ southern hemisphere depicts active volcanism and a subduction zone, where the foreground crust plunges into the planet’s interior. A new study suggests coronae reveal locations where active geology is shaping Venus’ surface. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Peter Rubin

The stars above and on Earth aligned as an inspirational message and lyrics from the song "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" by hip-hop artist Missy Elliott were beamed to Venus via NASA's DSN (Deep Space Network). The agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California sent the transmission at 10:05 a.m.

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Increased fire risk during astronautic space missions
The image shows an ignited acrylic glass sheet during a microgravity experiment in the Drop Tower Bremen (left: sideview; right: front view). Credit: Florian Meyer, ZARM, University of Bremen

A research team from the Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM) at the University of Bremen has investigated the risk of fire on spacecraft in a recent study. The results show that fires on planned exploration missions, such as a flight to Mars, could spread significantly faster than, for example, on the International Space Station (ISS). This is due to the planned adjustment to a lower ambient pressure on spacecraft.

"A fire on board a spacecraft is one of the most dangerous scenarios in ," explains Dr. Florian Meyer, head of the Combustion Technology research group at ZARM.

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ESA's Ramses mission to asteroid Apophis

30 years ago, on 16 July 1994, astronomers watched in awe as the first of many pieces of the Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet slammed into Jupiter with incredible force. The event sparked intense interest in the field of planetary defence as people asked: “Could we do anything to prevent this happening to Earth?”

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Video: 00:02:00

While no person could get this close during Ariane 6’s inaugural flight on 9 July 2024, several small cameras bravely witnessed its take-off from the launchpad.

After years of preparations, the Vulcain main stage engine ignites, arms providing cryogenic fuels to the rocket until the very last moment retract and boosters fire – Ariane 6 is space-bound. As it lifts off, vast amounts of water are pumped at high speed to dampen vibrations at the launch site, which then come rushing towards one of these small cameras in a dramatic swirl, hiding the departing rocket from view.

Ariane 6 launched

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Food aroma study may help explain why meals taste bad in space
Associate Professor Gail Iles from RMIT University smelling an aroma sample, as participants did during the study. Credit: Seamus Daniel, RMIT University

Scientists from RMIT University have led a world-first study on common food aromas that may help explain why astronauts report that meals taste bland in space and struggle to eat their normal nutritional intake.

This research, which is published in the International Journal of Food Science and Technology, has broader implications for improving the diets of isolated people, including nursing home residents, by personalizing aromas to enhance the flavor of their food.

Previous research has shown that plays a big role in the flavor of food.

The team in this study tested how people perceived vanilla and almond extracts, and how lemon essential oil changed from normal environments on Earth to the confined setting of the International Space Station (ISS), which was simulated for participants with virtual reality goggles.

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XMM-Newton and Euclid image of galaxy cluster Abell 2390 Image: XMM-Newton and Euclid image of galaxy cluster Abell 2390
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The CubeCat-4, the new UPC nanosatellite, is already orbiting the earth
Final tasks to integrate the EXOpod Nova module with the launcher Ariane 6. Credit: ESA

The CubeCat-4 nanosatellite, developed by the UPC's NanoSat Lab, is one of seven payloads that have traveled on the Ariane 6 maiden flight, which took off on the night of 9 to 10 July from French Guiana.

CubeCat-4 is the only Catalan instrument and one of two from Spain on board this ESA mission. Developed by students, the nanosatellite focuses on observing the Earth, studying weather and climatic phenomena from space, and locating and tracking vessels to prevent accidents. Some students were present at the launch site.

CubeCat-4 is the fifth nanosatellite created by the NanoSat Lab of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya—BarcelonaTech (UPC). This laboratory is linked to the Barcelona School of Telecommunications Engineering (ETSETB), where an Advanced Engineering Project course is taught.

CubeCat-4 is a one-unit CubeSat-type nanosatellite and It was selected to be launched aboard the rocket along with a satellite from Galicia and other payloads from Germany, Slovakia, France and Portugal.

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A hopping robot could explore Europa using locally harvested water
Artist’s depiction of SPARROW and it’s lander operating on an ocean world. Credit: NASA JPL / Caltech

Various forms of hopping robots have crept into development for use in different space exploration missions. We've reported on their use on asteroids and even our own moon. But a study funded by NASA's Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) in 2018 planned a mission to a type of world where hopping may not be as noticeable an advantage—Europa.

The mission, developed by engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Purdue University, and Honeybee Robotics, is known as the Steam Propelled Autonomous Retrieval Robot for Ocean Worlds, or SPARROW. It's about the size and shape of a soccer ball, with the logic, power, and inside a spherical outer hollow shell.

SPARROW wouldn't be able to operate on its own, however. It would require a to deposit it onto the surface and serve as a refueling and sample collection storage base.

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