Super bad ass
Go ninja, go ninja, go!
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
Jan 1, 2024
NGC 1232: A Grand Design Spiral Galaxy
Galaxies are fascinating not only for what is visible, but for what is invisible. Grand spiral galaxy NGC 1232, captured in detail by one of the Very Large Telescopes, is a good example. The visible is dominated by millions of bright stars and dark dust, caught up in a gravitational swirl of spiral arms revolving about the center. Open clusters containing bright blue stars can be seen sprinkled along these spiral arms, while dark lanes of dense interstellar dust can be seen sprinkled between them. Less visible, but detectable, are billions of dim normal stars and vast tracts of interstellar gas, together wielding such high mass that they dominate the dynamics of the inner galaxy. Leading theories indicate that even greater amounts of matter are invisible, in a form we don't yet know. This pervasive dark matter is postulated, in part, to explain the motions of the visible matter in the outer regions of galaxies.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html?
Meet Valkyrie, NASA's humanoid robot enters advanced stages of testing
Dec 28, 2023
NASA's first bipedal humanoid robot, Valkyrie, is undergoing a few of its final testing phases at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
A humanoid, much like Iron Man but constructed from metal and electronics, mimics human walking and appearance. Designed for a diverse array of functions, NASA is exploring if such machines can further space exploration, starting with the Artemis mission, according to Reuters.
Valkyrie, named after a prominent female figure in Norse mythology, commands attention with her formidable presence. Standing at 6 feet 2 inches (188 centimeters) and weighing 300 pounds (136 kilograms), NASA is an electric humanoid robot capable of operating in degraded or damaged human-engineered environments.
In July, the humanoid robot underwent testing in Australia to assess its software, generating valuable data and feedback for NASA. These tests aimed to advance remote mobile dexterous manipulation capabilities to enable the remote maintenance of unmanned and offshore energy facilities.
Helping hands
The Johnson Space Center (JSC) Engineering Directorate conceived and constructed NASA's Valkyrie specifically for participation in the 2013 DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC) Trials. Drawing on the knowledge gained from the creation of Robonaut 2, the Valkyrie team at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) developed and constructed this robot in 15 months. They incorporated enhanced electronics, actuators, and sensing capabilities based on the advancements made in earlier generations of humanoid robots at JSC.
Humanoid robots deployed in space hold the potential to undertake hazardous tasks such as cleaning solar panels or inspecting malfunctioning equipment outside spacecraft. This capability allows astronauts to prioritize exploration and discovery without compromising their safety.
“We’re not trying to replace human crews, we’re just trying to take the dull, dirty, and dangerous work off their plates to allow them to focus on those higher-level activities,” told Shaun Azimi, NASA Dexterous Robotics Team Leader, to Reuters.
NASA has collaborated with robotics firms, including Apptronik based in Austin, Texas, to explore the insights gained from humanoid robots designed for Earthly applications. This collaboration aims to uncover ways in which advancements in terrestrial humanoid robotics can be harnessed to enhance the capabilities of future humanoid robots destined for space missions.
"Valkyrie and other advanced mobile robots can be vital tools in allowing humans to supervise dangerous work remotely and to offload dull and repetitive tasks, enabling humans to work on higher level tasks, including deploying and maintaining robots. These principles apply to both space and Earth, where companies are recognizing the value of human-scale robots," said a statement from NASA.
Advanced offering
Valkyrie has versatile power options, allowing it to operate from a wall connection or using a custom dual-voltage battery, providing approximately an hour of runtime. When the battery is not in use, it can be substituted with a mass simulator and capacitor, mimicking the mechanical and electrical properties of the battery.
The robot's head, mounted on a 3 DOF neck, integrates the Carnegie Robotics Multisense SL as the primary perceptual sensor, enhanced for IR structured light point cloud generation, alongside laser and passive stereo methods. Additionally, fore and aft "hazard cameras" embedded in the torso contribute to situational awareness, according to NASA.
The torso accommodates a series of elastic rotary and linear actuators facilitating motion between the torso and pelvis, housing various computer and power facilities. The pelvis, the robot's base frame, contains three series of elastic rotary actuators for waist and hip rotation joints and IMUs for stability. Valkyrie's upper arms boast four elastic rotary actuators, each featuring quick disconnects for convenient shipping and servicing.
The simplified humanoid hands, comprising three fingers and a thumb, attach to the forearms, which consist of rotary and linear actuators, allowing for easy disconnection for maintenance. The lower limbs incorporate a series of elastic rotary actuators in the upper legs and a series of elastic linear actuators for ankle movement, emphasizing convenient assembly and serviceability with quick disconnects at the first two leg joints.
NASA hopes that backing Valkyrie's progress on Earth will yield valuable data and insights that its teams will incorporate into ongoing and future robotics and automation development for space applications.
https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/meet-valkyrie-nasas-humanoid-robot-enters-advanced-stages-of-testing
United States Space Force
@SpaceForceDoD
2023 was a big year for the Space Force. Here's looking forwarding to great things in 2024!🎊
9:00 PM · Dec 31, 2023
https://twitter.com/SpaceForceDoD/status/1741685750746202163
Mexico eagerly prepares for historic first Latin American lunar mission: 'Elevates the name of our country'
December 31, 2023 6:00am EST
Mexico will launch its first lunar mission next month, a historic step for the country and Latin America as a whole, according to officials.
"This project will make history and is the first of its kind in Latin America, which elevates the name of our country, confirming once again that Mexican engineering is at the level of the best in the world," Salvador Landeros, director of the Mexican Space Agency (AEM), said in a press release.
A team of scientists and nearly 250 university students developed five microrobots that the AEM will launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, between Jan. 8 and Jan. 11 as part of project Colmena.
Each robot weighs 60 grams — a little over one-tenth of a pound — and measures just under 5 inches in diameter.
The robots will communicate with each other on the moon and work together to assemble a panel to generate energy, according to Mexico News Daily. Once set up, the robots will also take measurements of lunar plasma temperature and surface particle sizes, all previously unrecorded data.
Project Colmena is part of a broader NASA program, Artemis, which also includes emerging space programs in Brazil, South Korea and Mexico.
"In today's world, developing our own technology is a necessity for Mexico," Medina Tanco, the current head of the Space Instrumentation Laboratory of the Institute of Nuclear Sciences, said.
"If we want social well-being, if we want a more productive and better future, we need to be no longer just consumers and transform this country into an actor with technological sovereignty."
NASA will provide more than the launch pad. NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program has produced a spacecraft called Peregrine that will deliver the microrobots to the moon.
The early January launch will lead to a late February arrival. The Mexican team had hoped to send the robots to space in 2022 but delayed the project and scrapped a launch after a "wet dress rehearsal" interruption due to a connection timeout error.
The launch has generated significant national excitement.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/mexico-eagerly-prepares-historic-first-latin-american-lunar-mission-elevates-name-country
Some footage from a Japanese channel called Abema News.
Documents from the violent shaking and tsunami that hit Noto on New Year's Day with an earthquake intensity of 7
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkLtjGiMKj0