TYB
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
July 1, 2024
Time Spiral
What's happened since the universe started? The time spiral shown here features a few notable highlights. At the spiral's center is the Big Bang, the place where time, as we know it, began about 13.8 billion years ago.
Within a few billion years atoms formed, then stars formed from atoms, galaxies formed from stars and gas, our Sun formed, soon followed by our Earth, about 4.6 billion years ago.
Life on Earth begins about 3.8 billion years ago, followed by cells, then photosynthesis within a billion years.
About 1.7 billion years ago, multicellular life on Earth began to flourish. Fish began to swim about 500 million years ago, and mammals because walking on land about 200 million years ago.
Humans first appeared only about 6 million years ago, and made the first cities only about 10,000 years ago.
The time spiral illustrated stops there, but human spaceflight might be added, which started only 75 years ago, and useful artificial intelligence began to take hold within only the past few years.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html?
Japan launches advanced Earth-observing satellite on 3rd flight of H3 rocket
June 30, 2024
Japan's new H3 rocket flew for the third time ever tonight (June 30).
The H3 launched the Advanced Land Observing Satellite-4 (ALOS-4; also known as DAICHI-4) from Japan's Tanegashima Space Center tonight, rising off the pad at 11:06 p.m. EDT (0306 GMT and 12:06 p.m. Japan Standard Time on July 1).
ALOS-4 was deployed into low Earth orbit as planned about 16 minutes after liftoff, commentators said on the webcast provided by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
The two-stage H3 was developed by JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. It's envisioned to be Japan's workhorse medium-lift rocket, taking those reins from the H-2A, which is set to retire later this year after more than 20 years of service.
The H3's path to orbit was a bit bumpy, however. The new rocket was originally supposed to launch for the first time in 2020, but difficulties in engine development and other issues pushed that debut back to March 2023.
And that initial liftoff didn't go well: The H3's upper-stage engine failed to ignite, and the rocket's payload — the Advanced Land Observing Satellite-3 (ALOS-3, or DAICHI-3) — was lost.
The H3 bounced back on its second flight, which occurred in February of this year and carried a 5,900-pound (2,600 kilograms) mass simulator as its main payload.
The rocket reached orbit successfully and also deployed two small Earth-observation satellites, called CE-SAT-IE and TIRSAT, that were along for the ride.
The 3-ton ALOS-4 is an advanced successor to Japan's ALOS-2 satellite, which has been studying Earth using synthetic aperture radar since its 2014 launch.
"JAXA and its prime contractor, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, are developing the satellite aiming at achieving both high resolution and a broader observation swath," JAXA officials wrote in an ALOS-4 mission description.
"Unlike observations by an optical sensor, radar images can be acquired day and night as it does not require sunlight," the agency added.
"Moreover, since radio waves can penetrate cloud, the images can be obtained regardless of weather condition.
The ALOS-4 will leverage these merits for observing and monitoring disaster-hit areas, forests and sea ice."
https://www.space.com/japan-alos-4-satellite-launch-h3-rocket
Asteroid Day Revelation: Explore the Massive Meteor Crater in Arizona From Space
JUNE 30, 2024
For Asteroid Day (June 30), the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over the Meteor Crater, also known as the Barringer Meteorite Crater.
Formation of the Crater
Around 50,000 years ago, an iron-nickel meteorite, estimated to be 30-50 m (100-165 feet) wide, smashed into North America and left a massive hole in what is today known as Arizona.
The violent impact created a bowl-shaped hole of over 1200 m (4000 feet) across and 180 m (600 feet) deep in what was once a flat, rocky plain.
During its formation, millions of tonnes of limestone and sandstone were blasted out of the crater, covering the ground for over a kilometer in every direction with a blanket of debris.
Large blocks of limestone, the size of small houses, were thrown onto the rim.
Crater’s Unique Shape and Context
One of the crater’s main features is its squared-off shape, which is believed to be caused by flaws in the rock which caused it to peel back in four directions upon impact.
The wide perspective of this image shows the crater in context with the surrounding area.
The impact occurred during the last ice age, when the plain around it was covered with a forest where mammoths and giant sloths grazed.
Crater Preservation and Importance
Over time, the climate changed and dried. The desert that we see today has helped preserve the crater by limiting its erosion, which makes it an excellent place to learn about the process of impact cratering.
Impact craters are inevitably part of being a rocky planet. They occur on every planetary body in our solar system – no matter the size.
By studying impact craters and the meteorites that cause them, we can learn more about the processes and geology that shape our entire solar system. Over the past two decades, ESA has tracked and analyzed asteroids that travel close to Earth.
ESA’s upcoming Flyeye telescopes will survey the sky for these near-Earth objects, using a unique compound eye design to capture wide-field images, which will enhance the detection of potentially hazardous asteroids.
Future Missions and Asteroid Deflection
ESA’s Hera spacecraft, launching later this year, will closely explore asteroids, improve our understanding of these celestial bodies, and help us better prepare for potential future asteroid deflection efforts.
https://scitechdaily.com/asteroid-day-revelation-explore-the-massive-meteor-crater-in-arizona-from-space/
Once-in-a-lifetime star explosion, visible from Earth, could happen any day now
July 1, 2024
If you've always wanted to witness a stellar explosion, your time is about to come. T Coronae Borealis, also known as T CrB (pronounced tee-core-bore) or the "Blaze Star," is on the precipice of a massive explosion — one that should be visible from Earth.
According to calculations by Brad Schaefer, Professor Emeritus of Astronomy at Louisiana State University, along with data from amateur astronomers affiliated with the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO), the nova should occur within a few months of May 2024.
T CrB is a binary star system some 3,000 light-years away that consists of a white dwarf and a red giant. It's also a recurrent nova, which means the system explodes regularly.
(That's what makes this a nova rather than a supernova — the latter is a one-and-done event that's a dying star's last breath.)
Humans first recorded T CrB's nova in the year 1217; German abbey leader Abbott Burchard wrote about "a faint star that for a time shone with great light." Since then, we've observed two more of T CrB's novas, most recently in 1946.
Even though we've only witnessed three events, scientists believe the explosions occur quite regularly, once every 79 or 80 years, which puts us on target right now.
Plus, in March 2023, they noticed a "pre-eruption dip" in T CrB's brightness, indicating that the nova should occur imminently.
"There are a few recurrent novas with very short cycles, but typically, we don't often see a repeated outburst in a human lifetime, and rarely one so relatively close to our own system," Dr. Rebekah Hounsell, an assistant research scientist specializing in nova events at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, said in a statement.
"It's incredibly exciting to have this front-row seat." Once T CrB goes nova, it should appear as an extremely bright star in the night sky, and you'll be able to witness this brightness for about a week.
To see it, you'll want to look for the constellation Hercules, between the bright stars of Vega and Arcturus. Just to its side is a U-shaped curve of stars called the Northern Crown.
T CrB is located in this crown, and once it goes nova, you shouldn't be able to miss it with the naked eye.
"Typically, nova events are so faint and far away that it’s hard to clearly identify where the erupting energy is concentrated," aid Dr. Elizabeth Hays, chief of the Astroparticle Physics Laboratory at NASA Goddard.
"This one will be really close, with a lot of eyes on it, studying the various wavelengths and hopefully giving us data to start unlocking the structure and specific processes involved. We can’t wait to get the full picture of what’s going on."
As soon as we get word that the nova is underway, we'll be sure to provide updates
https://www.space.com/the-universe/stars/once-in-a-lifetime-star-explosion-visible-from-earth-could-happen-any-day-now
Turion wins Space Force contract for debris-capture technology
July 1, 2024
Turion Space, an Irvine, California-based startup, has secured a $1.9 million contract from SpaceWERX, the U.S. Space Force’s technology arm, to develop an autonomous spacecraft docking and maneuvering system.
The contract aims to advance technologies for engaging uncooperative space objects and facilitating the deorbit of inactive satellites.
Ryan Westerdahl, Turion’s co-founder and CEO, said in an interview that the company is focusing on in-space mobility and non-Earth imaging.
Turion launched its first satellite, Droid.001, a 32-kilogram spacecraft designed for space situational awareness, in June 2023.
Data from this satellite is being integrated into the Space Force’s Unified Data Library.
Westerdahl revealed plans for a demonstration as early as 2026, featuring a Droid mothership hosting “micro-Droid” satellites equipped with the capturing device being developed under the SpaceWERX contract.
The micro-Droid, partly funded by NASA, will use grapplers to capture debris objects.
“The space debris problem can be solved with a better understanding of where things are in the space domain so operational satellites can maneuver without regret to avoid collisions, and by removing large non-maneuverable objects,” Westerdahl explained.
While Turion’s long-term goal is to provide a debris removal service, the company is currently focused on hosting space domain awareness payloads to generate steady revenue.
Turion plans to offer three payload hosting options: Droid Alpha Mini, Droid Alpha, and Droid Alpha Enhanced Mobility with ion thrusters.
The company’s next satellite launch, scheduled for February, will demonstrate the larger Droid Alpha bus.
Westerdahl projects that by 2027, Turion will be producing 45 satellites annually.
The enhanced mobility ion thrusters will be co-produced with Desert Works Propulsion, a specialist in electric propulsion for space applications.
To date, Turion Space has raised nearly $20 million in venture capital. Westerdahl said.
A former SpaceX propulsion engineer, Westerdahl co-founded Turion Space in 2020 with Tyler James Pierce and Patryk Wiatr.
https://spacenews.com/turion-wins-space-force-contract-for-debris-capture-technology/
NSIC changes commanders, redesignated Field Operating Agency
July 1, 2024
In a dual ceremony, Space Delta 18—the National Space Intelligence Center—changed commanders and was redesignated as a field operating agency of the U.S. Space Force during a ceremony June 28, 2024.
Lt. Gen. David Miller, Jr., Space Operations Command commander, presided over the ceremony, recognizing the achievements of the unit’s first commander, Col. Marqus Randall, who assumed the position when NSIC first stood up in June 2022
“Marqus, your leadership has been nothing short of extraordinary,” Miller said. “Starting with a team of just 24, you've masterfully built it to over 450, to really take to charge of what we need in space.”
Miller thanked the outgoing commander for his dedication and setting a strong foundation for the unit’s next commander, Col. Marcus Starks.
As he took command, Starks emphasized his excitement to further the unit’s efforts in support of service and intelligence community requirements.
“I'm thrilled to be here today, eager to tackle challenges brimming with opportunity,” Starks said.
“I'm looking forward to serving the intelligence community and our local communities, and forging partnerships that will innovate problem solving and bring about the success we envision."
As a field operating agency, NSIC reports directly to Maj. Gen. Gregory Gagnon, the Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Intelligence, who maintains oversight of all space intelligence activities for the service.
Realignment as a FOA best postures the organization to support both current and future requirements for detailed, long-term intelligence analysis in support of operations, acquisitions, future concept development and service-wide force design needs.
It also aligns the organizations in a similar manner to the other military services, which has proven effective in adjudicating both service and broader national intelligence production needs.
“Threats in space and threats to space continue to grow, diversify, and mature. The demand for space-related intelligence must be met to ensure success of our nation’s multi-domain joint military force.
U.S. strength in military space underpins integrated deterrence, fuels joint force power projection and delivers positive national security outcomes,” Gagnon said.
“This realignment as a field operating agency postures NSIC for increased effectiveness both inside the service and with our national intelligence community partners.”
The U.S. Space Force is the 18th member of the intelligence community, and NSIC supports the Space Force’s ability to fulfill its service responsibilities providing foundational scientific and technical intelligence for the space domain.
The mission of NSIC is to deliver unparalleled technical expertise and game-changing intelligence—empowering national leaders, joint force warfighters, and acquisition professionals to outwit, out-reach and win in the space domain.
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3822843/nsic-changes-commanders-redesignated-field-operating-agency/