TYB
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odGnaloRuOA
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
April 25, 2024
NGC 604: Giant Stellar Nursery
Located some 3 million light-years away in the arms of nearby spiral galaxy M33, giant stellar nursery NGC 604 is about 1,300 light-years across. That's nearly 100 times the size of the Milky Way's Orion Nebula, the closest large star forming region to planet Earth. In fact, among the star forming regions within the Local Group of galaxies, NGC 604 is second in size only to 30 Doradus, also known as the Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Cavernous bubbles and cavities in NGC 604 fill this stunning infrared image from the James Webb Space Telescope's NIRCam. They are carved out by energetic stellar winds from the region's more than 200 hot, massive, young stars, all still in early stages of their lives.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html?
NASA’s Planet-Hunting Satellite Temporarily on Pause
APR 24, 2024
During a routine activity April 23, NASA’s TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) entered safe mode, temporarily suspending science operations. The satellite scans the sky searching for planets beyond our solar system.
The team is working to restore the satellite to science operations while investigating the underlying cause. NASA also continues investigating the cause of a separate safe mode event that took place earlier this month, including whether the two events are connected. The spacecraft itself remains stable.
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/tess/nasas-tess-temporarily-pauses-science-observations/
Russia vetoes U.N. resolution on nuclear weapons in space
April 25, 2024
Russia, as expected, vetoed April 24 a United Nations Security Council resolution crafted in response to reports that the country was developing a nuclear anti-satellite weapon.
Russia cast the only vote against the draft resolution that reaffirmed provisions in the Outer Space Treaty prohibiting the placement of nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in space. Thirteen other members of the Security Council voted in favor of the resolution while China abstained. As a permanent member of the Security Council, though, Russia’s vote acted as a veto preventing adoption of the resolution.
Japan and the United States drafted the Security Council resolution, which they billed as the first devoted to outer space issues. The resolution directed members to uphold Article 4 of the Outer Space Treaty, which forbids countries from placing nuclear weapons in orbit or on celestial bodies. It also called on countries not to develop nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction specifically designed to be placed in orbit
The resolution, which had 63 other nations as co-sponsors, was prompted by reports in February that the U.S. had obtained intelligence showing Russia was developing a nuclear ASAT device of some kind that could damage or destroy a large fraction of satellites in low Earth orbit and jeopardize the safety of astronauts. U.S. officials have stated that Russia has not yet deployed such a device, and the Russian government has denied it is working on any such weapon.
In remarks before the vote, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. ambassador to the U.N., emphasized the potential damage that such a device could do to satellites and the services they provide. “With such grave consequences for the long-term sustainability of outer space and Sustainable Development Goals,” she said, “there should be no doubt: placing a nuclear weapon into orbit would be unprecedented, unacceptable and deeply dangerous.”
“Therefore, the resolution before us today should not be controversial,” she added.
Russia’s ambassador to the U.N., Vasily Nebenzya, dismissed the resolution as an “unscrupulous play” by the United States and Japan. “Trying to depict Russia as a player with no interest in preventing an arms race in space (PAROS) who fails to observe the relevant obligations under international treaties is completely absurd,” he said during the Security Council debate on the resolution.
Russia and China proposed an amendment to the resolution that sought to prevent the placement of weapons of any kind in space. The two countries have for years promoted a treaty that would ban placing weapons of any kind in space, an approach the United States and many other Western nations have opposed because of questions of scope — it would not include ground-based ASATs — and verification. The amendment was rejected with seven nations voting in favor of it, seven opposed, and Switzerland abstaining.
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After Russia vetoed the resolution, Thomas-Greenfield harshly criticized Russia for blocking it. “President Putin himself has said publicly that Russia has no intention of deploying nuclear weapons in space,” she said. “And so today’s veto begs the question: Why? Why, if you are following the rules, would you not support a resolution that reaffirms them? What could you possibly be hiding? It’s baffling. And it’s a shame.”
“Regrettably, one permanent member decided to silence the critical message we wanted to send to the present and future people of the world: outer space must remain a domain of peace, free of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons,” Kazuyuki Yamazaki, Japan’s ambassador to the U.N., said after the vote.
The White House also criticized Russia’s veto of the resolution. “As we have noted previously, the United States assesses that Russia is developing a new satellite carrying a nuclear device,” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement. “We have heard President Putin say publicly that Russia has no intention of deploying nuclear weapons in space. If that were the case, Russia would not have vetoed this resolution.”
Nebenzya argued after the vote that the Security Council was not the appropriate forum for discussing space security issues. “The discussion of space security issues and the decisions taken should be comprehensive, involve all U.N. members and focus on eliminating the threat of an arms race in outer space and the emergence of armed conflicts there,” he said.
Other U.N. fora, though, have struggled to make progress on space security. An Open-Ended Working Group on Reducing Space Threats, established by a U.N. General Assembly resolution, met four times in 2022 and 2023 to discuss development of norms and rules of responsible space behavior, but failed to produce a final consensus report primarily because of opposition by Russia. The Conference on Disarmament has also failed to make any progress on space or other topics in recent years.
In a joint statement after the vote, the United States and Japan said they were “incredibly disappointed” in the outcome. “Today’s vote marks a real missed opportunity to rebuild much-needed trust in existing arms control obligations. Now begins the work of righting that wrong.” The statement did not elaborate on any future plans.
https://spacenews.com/russia-vetoes-u-n-resolution-on-nuclear-weapons-in-space/
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China launches 3 astronauts to Tiangong space station on Shenzhou 18 mission (video)
April 25, 2024
China has launched its seventh crew to the Tiangong space station.
A Long March 2F rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert today (April 25) at 8:59 a.m. EDT (1259 GMT or 8:59 p.m. Beijing Time). The rocket carried the Shenzhou 18 spacecraft and its three-person crew into orbit.
The Shenzhou spacecraft separated from its launch vehicle 10 minutes into the flight, prompting the China National Space Administration to declare the launch successful.
Shenzhou 18 is commanded by Ye Guangfu, 43, who was part of the Shenzhou 13 mission in 2021-2022. Fighter pilots Li Cong, 34, and Li Guangsu, 36, both spaceflight rookies, make up the rest of the crew. The three will spend around six months in space.
"The first spaceflight for me was full of excitement as I fulfilled my dream, along with curiosity and expectation, while this spaceflight is more like a mission — responsibility, test and duty," Ye said ahead of launch.
The spacecraft is scheduled to reach the Tiangong space station 6.5 hours after launch. The trio will be greeted aboard the orbital outpost by Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin, who make up the Shenzhou 17 crew. The latter three will soon complete their six months in orbit, handing over control of Tiangong and returning to Earth.
The incoming Shenzhou 18 crew will engage in a range of activities, including extravehicular activities (EVAs), or spacewalks, live science lectures to school children watching back in China, and a series of cargo and science experiments.
"The Shenzhou 18 astronauts will carry out six cargo outbound deliveries via the station's cargo airlock module and implement two to three extravehicular activities," Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the China Manned Space Agency, said during an April 24 press conference that unveiled the Shenzhou 18 crew.
Supplies for the mission were delivered by the robotic Tianzhou 7 cargo spacecraft in January. The crew will welcome Tianzhou 8 to Tiangong around August, with the new spacecraft bringing fresh supplies, equipment and experiments.
Meanwhile, back at Jiuquan, a new Long March 2F — intended to launch the Shenzhou 19 mission late this year — will be kept in a state of near readiness, so it could be prepared for liftoff on short notice as a lifeboat in the event of an emergency.
China began constructing its Tiangong space station in 2021, completing the T-shaped, three-module facility in late 2022. It has been hosting crews of three astronauts for periods of six months at a time ever since.
China intends to keep Tiangong, which is roughly 20% as massive as the International Space Station, permanently occupied for at least a decade. It is considering expanding the space station with new modules and even opening the outpost to commercial activities.
https://www.space.com/china-launches-shenzhou-18-astronaut-mission-tiangong-space-station
China's Tiangong space station damaged by debris strike: report
April 24, 2024
China will beef up its space debris procedures for astronauts after a partial loss of power on its Tiangong space station, according to state media.
Astronauts on the Shenzhou 17 mission conducted two spacewalks outside the Tiangong space station this winter, most recently on March 1. At the time, Chinese media said there had been a partial (but minor) loss of power supply after the outpost's solar panels suffered a debris strike.
These spacewalks were a success, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said Wednesday (April 24) in a press conference reported by the state-run media outlet Xinhua. The agency also plans to do more in the future to guard against space debris issues in orbit.
"The space station's core module Tianhe had suffered a partial loss of power supply due to the impact of the space debris on the solar wing's power cables," Xinhua reported, paraphrasing CMSA deputy director Lin Xiqiang.
Xinhua did not specify if the debris was from micrometeoroids or from human activity in space. Both debris types pose threats to Tiangong as well as the International Space Station (ISS).
Human-generated orbital debris is growing: the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) tracks more than 43,000 overall space objects as of April 2024, according to SpaceTrack.org. As for active satellites, there are more than 7,500 as of May 2023, according to the Union for Concerned Scientists — most of them members of SpaceX's giant Starlink broadband megaconstellation.
ISS controllers, working with NORAD, have had to move the space station out of the way of debris more than 30 times since its first modules launched in 1998. The guidelines are strict, necessitating a maneuver if any debris arrives in a "pizza box" roughly 2.5 miles by 30 miles by 30 miles (4 by 50 by 50 kilometers) with the ISS at the center, according to agency officials.
China's space station as well has "executed maneuvers on multiple occasions to evade space debris impacts", according to the Xinhua report, and Lin discussed several measures the CMSA is taking to prevent future issues. (Tiangong's first element, the Tianhe core module, launched in 2021.)
"China has enhanced its capability to precisely forecast the orbits of the space station and small low-orbit targets, optimized the procedures for space collision warning and avoidance, and reduced the false alarm rate by 30%, according to Lin," Xinhua wrote, without revealing specifics.
Upcoming measures include more video scrutiny of Tiangong using a high-definition camera on its robotic arm and tasking the Shenzhou 18 crew (who are scheduled to launch on Thursday, April 25) to put in more reinforcements. They "will be tasked with installing space debris protection reinforcements for extravehicular piping, cables and critical equipment during their extravehicular activities," Xinhua reported.
https://www.space.com/china-tiangong-space-station-space-debris-measures
Rocket engine expert, ex-NASA exec to lead Korea's new space agency
April 24, 2024 - 18:22
South Korea on Tuesday tapped a South Korean liquid rocket engine expert and a Korean-American who retired from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the United States for the leadership positions of the nascent space agency set for blastoff in late May.
According to the presidential office in Seoul, Yoon Young-bin, an aerospace engineering professor at the Seoul National University, was named the new administrator of the Korea AeroSpace Administration, or KASA.
Yoon's four decades of academic experience have revolved around the liquid rocket engine, combustion and propulsion, according to the office.
Yoon, 62, has a track record of partaking in state-led space projects such as the development of domestically-produced space launch vehicles including Naro, as well as a lunar exploration project in its early stage, according to Sung Tae-yoon, director of national policy at the presidential office.
Plus, former US NASA senior executive John Lee will serve as the KASA deputy administrator for mission directorates.
Born in 1956, Lee is currently a senior adviser to the state-backed Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute. After moving to the US at the age of 10, Lee worked at NASA for nearly 30 years, specializing in flight missions, technology validation and space program management.
Lee previously served as senior adviser of flight projects at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, director of joint agency satellite division at NASA and program executive in NASA Science Mission Directorate's Heliophysics Division. He also worked as acting chief of the information policy and technology branch at the Office of Management and Budget in the White House.
Lee's work experience with "project management in the White House and his vast international professional network renders him a right fit for the position," Sung said.
Also, career bureaucrat Rho Kyung-won will serve as the deputy administrator of the KASA. Rho is currently a senior official in charge of research and development policy at the Ministry of Science and ICT.
Rho, 55, is a skilled administrator with high expertise in aerospace technology, Sung said. Sung added Rho was a government official overseeing the launch of a Naro space launch vehicle in 2013.
According to Seoul, none of the three nominees are required to go through a parliamentary hearing. The three nominees will begin their service immediately after the KASA launches on May 27.
KASA's establishment was pledged by President Yoon Suk Yeol during his 2022 campaign, in the country that became the seventh in the world to have put space satellites into orbit using a homegrown space rocket from a domestic rocket launch center.
Yoon announced his plan to establish the new space agency in November 2022, and legislation to support the move passed the National Assembly in January.
The Ministry of Science and ICT has so far been tasked with the aerospace industry.
The fledgling agency will handle some 800 billion won ($582 million) of the national budget for this year, as President Yoon in March pledged to double the budget to 1.5 trillion won by 2027.
https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20240424050774
Korea’s homegrown nanosatellite successfully launches into space
April 24, 2024 - 15:37
South Korea launched its first homegrown earth observation nanosatellite into orbit as part of the country’s project to create a satellite constellation by 2027, the Science Ministry said Wednesday.
The Earth observation satellite, named NEONSAT-1, lifted off aboard Rocket Lab's Electron rocket from a spaceport in Mahia, New Zealand.
The Ministry of Science and ICT said the satellite was deployed into space at an altitude of 520 kilometers and successfully separated from the launch vehicle at around 8:22 a.m., about 50 minutes after the rocket's launch.
Initially, the launch was set to take place at 7:08 a.m. but was delayed due to a potential risk of collision with another space vehicle. The launch time was postponed to 7:14 a.m., according to the ministry.
The countdown stopped with 12 minutes remaining to resolve a ground system issue during launch preparation, but Rocket Lab resolved the problem and resumed the countdown.
The Science Ministry confirmed that Electron completed the launch process, including pairing with the first-stage engine and separating the second-stage engine, and used the kick stage to insert the satellite into the final orbit.
Around 11:57 a.m., the satellite contacted the state space institute the Korea Aerospace Research Institute’s ground station in Daejeon, South Chungcheong Province, to report its operating status after circling the Earth about twice.
“The overall condition of the satellite was found to be good, with solar panels deployed normally and producing stable power,” an official from the Science Ministry said.
At around 4:30 p.m., the ministry said the satellite communicated with the ground station at Sejong Station in Antarctica at 2:13 p.m. and 3:44 p.m., confirming that two-way communication was normal and the satellite launch was successful.
Developed by the state-run Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology for mass production, NEONSAT-1, less than 100 kilograms in weight with a resolution of 1 meter, is the first among 11 nanosatellites to form a satellite constellation to monitor and take images of the Korean Peninsula and its surrounding waters.
NEONSAT stands for New-space Earth Observation Satellite Constellation for National Safety. The launch project was named BTS, short for "The Beginning of the Swarm," by the launch service provider Rocket Lab.
KAIST plans to test the performance of the satellite and optical payload of NEONSAT-1 as originally planned in the orbit of 500 kilometers and above for a month and check the quality of the observation images for five months. When the inspection is completed in November, it is expected to perform Earth observation missions, the Science Ministry said.
With the successful launch of NEONSAT-1, Korea plans to launch five more nanosatellites into space in June 2026 and five more in September 2027 on the homegrown Nuri space rocket.
Afterward, a total of 11 satellites will capture optical images with a resolution of about 1 meter from an altitude of 500 kilometers for about 3 years.
It is expected that the establishment of a high-frequency, high-precision and real-time surveillance system using the nanosatellite constellation will provide an opportunity to improve the country’s national security and the speed and accuracy of disaster response.
Lee Chang-yune, the first vice science minister in charge of science and technology policies, attributed the success of the first satellite launch to the concentration of industry, academia and research capabilities throughout the entire development, production and launch process.
"We plan to develop follow-up satellites without a hitch in line with the new space era to further strengthen Korea's space technology competitiveness and continue to foster the space industry," he said.
https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20240424050653