Some of the world's oldest rubies linked to early life
While analyzing some of the world's oldest coloured gemstones, researchers from the University of Waterloo discovered carbon residue that was once ancient life, encased in a 2.5 billion-year-old ruby.
The research team, led by Chris Yakymchuk, professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Waterloo, set out to study the geology of rubies to better understand the conditions necessary for NASA, FEMA to host Alliance For Climate Action series in October
NASA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will co-host the Alliances for Climate Action, a virtual series to address rising demand for accurate, timely, and actionable information at a time of rapid global climate change. The first event, featuring NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, will take place noon EDT Wednesday, Oct. 6, and will livestream on the agency's website.
Attendee Increased aurora activity herald a new solar cycle
Solar Cycle 25 is underway, and that means more frequent opportunities to see auroras-more commonly known as the northern lights and southern lights. One of the best opportunities in recent years occurred on October 11-12, 2021. In the early morning hours of October 12, 2021, the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the NOAA-NASA Suomi NPP satellite acquired images of the aurora JWST launch preparations on track
The success of the most recent Ariane 5 launch has allowed preparations for the launch of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to move into the home stretch, officials said Oct. 27.
NASA to Host Briefing on Webb Telescope Engineering, Deployments
NASA will hold a virtual media briefing 11 a.m. EDT Tuesday, Nov. 2, to discuss the engineering of the James Webb Space Telescope, the world’s largest and most powerful space science telescope. Op-Ed | To shore up U.S. space dominance, Biden administration must boost Japan-U.S. alliance
Recent reports that China has tested a space-based, nuclear-capable hypersonic missile underscore the need for the Biden administration to take a number of steps to strengthen a Japan-U.S. alliance.
CASIS and Estée Lauder seek microgravity research on plastic alternatives
The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) announced plans Oct. 28 to work with multinational corporation Estée Lauder to solicit microgravity projects aimed at reducing plastics waste.
Solar wing jammed on NASA spacecraft chasing asteroids
A Mars colony could be a hydrogen factory, providing propellant for the inner solar system
There are lots of potential uses for a Mars colony. It could be a research outpost, mining colony, or even a possible second home if something happens to go drastically wrong on our first one. But it could also be a potential source of what is sure to be one of the most valuable elements in the space economy—hydrogen.
A new paper from Dr. Mikhail Shubov at the University of Massachusetts Lowell discusses just such an eventuality. Hydrogen is useful in myriad applications. From creating water to exploding as rocket fuel, the most abundant element in the universe sure has many uses. The problem is it's relatively hard to get access to in the broader solar system.
There is plenty of it in Jupiter or even the sun, but extracting the material from those enormous gravity wells is not particularly cost-effective. Smaller orbital bodies, such as asteroids, have some water that could be used as a hydrogen source, but they are not large enough to provide all of the solar system's needs.
Image: Lunar lander in Dubai
This mockup of ESA's European Lunar Logistics Lander (EL3) is currently on display at the International Astronautical Congress in Dubai.
The versatile EL3 will be used to land cargo on the lunar surface in support of crewed expeditions as well as to host science payloads, potentially enabling sample returns as well.
This EL3 Landing and Descent Element mockup was created for ESA by startup Spartan Space in France. In practice this segment will be attached to a payload-hauling Cargo Platform Element, the subject of a study by ESA's Concurrent Design Facility (CDF).
