NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
July 12, 2024
Jones-Emberson 1
Planetary nebula Jones-Emberson 1 is the death shroud of a dying Sun-like star. It lies some 1,600 light-years from Earth toward the sharp-eyed constellation Lynx. About 4 light-years across, the expanding remnant of the dying star's atmosphere was shrugged off into interstellar space, as the star's central supply of hydrogen and then helium for fusion was depleted after billions of years. Visible near the center of the planetary nebula is what remains of the stellar core, a blue-hot white dwarf star. Also known as PK 164 +31.1, the nebula is faint and very difficult to glimpse at a telescope's eyepiece. But this deep image combining over 12 hours of exposure time does show it off in exceptional detail. Stars within our own Milky Way galaxy as well as background galaxies across the universe are scattered through the clear field of view. Ephemeral on the cosmic stage, Jones-Emberson 1 will fade away over the next few thousand years. Its hot, central white dwarf star will take billions of years to cool.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html?
NASA Remembers Retired Astronaut, US Air Force Pilot Joe Engle
JUL 11, 2024
Retired NASA astronaut and U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Joe Engle died July 10, surrounded by his family at home in Houston.
Among his many honors, he is the only astronaut to pilot both the X-15 and space shuttle. He was 91.
Engle became an astronaut at age 32 while flying the X-15 for the U.S. Air Force, becoming the youngest pilot ever to qualify as an astronaut.
When selected as a NASA astronaut candidate in 1966, he was the only person selected that was already engaged in spaceflight operations. He was the last surviving X-15 pilot.
“A natural pilot, Gen. Joe Engle helped humanity’s dreams take flight – in the X-15 program, the Apollo Program, and as one of the first commanders in the Space Shuttle Program,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
“He was one of the first astronauts I met at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. I’ll never forget his big smile, his warmth, and his courage. We all will miss him.”
Engle was born in Dickinson County, Kansas, and attended the University of Kansas, Lawrence, where he graduated with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1955.
He received his commission through the Air Force Reserve Officers Training Course, earning his pilot wings in 1958.
As a NASA astronaut, he supported the Apollo Program, and was backup lunar module pilot for Apollo 14.
In 1977, he served as commander of the space shuttle Enterprise, which used a modified Boeing 747 shuttle carrier aircraft to release Enterprise for approach and landing tests.
In November 1981, he commanded the second flight of the space shuttle Columbia. He was the first and only pilot to manually fly an aerospace vehicle from Mach 25 to landing.
He accumulated the last of his 224 hours in space when he commanded the space shuttle Discovery in August 1985, one of the most challenging shuttle missions ever.
On that mission the crew deployed three commercial satellites and retrieved, repaired, and redeployed another malfunctioning satellite that had been launched on a previous shuttle mission.
“As we mourn the immense loss of Joe, we’re thankful for his notable contributions to the advancement of human spaceflight,” said Vanessa Wyche, center director, NASA Johnson.
“Joe’s accomplishments and legacy of perseverance will continue to inspire and impact generations of explorers for years to come.”
Engle flew more than 180 different aircraft types and logged more than 14,000 flight hours.
His military decorations include the Department of Defense Distinguished Service Medal, U.S. Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, and the Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster. He has received the NASA Distinguished Service Medal and Space Flight Medal, as well as the Harmon International Aviation Trophy, the Collier Trophy, the Goddard Space Trophy, the Gen.
Thomas D. White Space Trophy, and the Kinchelow Experimental Test Pilot’s Trophy. In 1992, he was inducted into the Aerospace Walk of Honor.
“Joe Henry was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. Blessed with natural piloting skills, General Joe, as he was known to many, was at his happiest in any cockpit.
Always with a smile, he lived a fulfilled life as a proud American, U.S. Air Force pilot, astronaut, and Kansas Jayhawk,” said his wife, Jeanie Engle.
“His passing leaves a tremendous loss in our hearts. We take comfort that he has joined Tom Stafford and George Abbey, two of the best friends anyone could ask for.”
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-remembers-retired-astronaut-us-air-force-pilot-joe-engle/
Scientists design spacesuit that can turn urine into drinking water
Fri 12 Jul 2024 00.15 EDT
A sci-fi-inspired spacesuit that recycles urine into drinking water could enable astronauts to perform lengthy spacewalks on upcoming lunar expeditions.
The prototype, modelled on the “stillsuits” in the sci-fi classic Dune, collects urine, purifies it and can return it to the astronaut through a drinking tube within five minutes.
The suit’s creators hope it could be deployed before the end of the decade in Nasa’s Artemis programme, which is focused on learning how to live and work for prolonged periods on another world.
“The design includes a vacuum-based external catheter leading to a combined forward-reverse osmosis unit, providing a continuous supply of potable water with multiple safety mechanisms to ensure astronaut wellbeing,” said Sofia Etlin, a researcher at Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell University and co-designer of the suit.
Nasa is preparing for the Artemis III mission in 2026, which aims to land a crew on the lunar south pole, with a stated ambition of launching crewed missions to Mars by the 2030s.
Urine and sweat are already routinely recycled on the International Space Station (ISS), but Etlin says an equivalent system is needed for when astronauts are out on expedition.
“Astronauts currently have only one litre of water available in their in-suit drink bags,” said Etlin. “This is insufficient for the planned longer-lasting lunar spacewalks, which can last 10 hours, and even up to 24 hours in an emergency.”
There are also longstanding complaints about the current waste management solution, the so-called maximum absorbency garment (MAG), which is essentially an adult nappy.
The garments are reportedly leak-prone, uncomfortable and unhygienic, prompting some astronauts to limit food and drink intake before spacewalks and others to complain of urinary tract infections (UTIs).
“If you’re giving Nasa billions of dollars, you’d think they wouldn’t keep the diaper,” said Etlin, who surveyed astronauts while researching the new design.
“It’s commonplace for the MAG to leak,” she added. “The astronauts talk about how at a certain point they can’t tell whether it’s urine or sweat any more. They’re like: ‘Yes, I’m an astronaut and this is a burden I have to bear.’”
Future commercial astronauts may be less likely to take such a stoical view, she suggested.
Prof Christopher Mason, of Weill Cornell Medicine, the study’s senior author, said: “Even in the absence of a large desert planet, like in Dune, this is something that could be better for astronauts.”
The proposed stillsuit system comprises a collection cup of moulded silicone to fit around the genitalia, with a different shape and size for women and men. This is contained within an undergarment made of multiple layers of flexible fabric.
The silicon cup connects to a moisture-activated vacuum pump that automatically switches on as soon as the astronaut begins to urinate. Once collected, the urine is diverted to the filtration system where it gets recycled into water with an efficiency of 87%.
The system uses an osmosis system to remove water from urine, plus a pump to separate water from salt.
Collecting and purifying 500ml of urine takes only five minutes. In deployment, the purified water could be enriched with electrolytes and returned to the astronaut as an energy drink.
The system measures 38cm by 23cm by 23cm, with a weight of approximately 8kg, which was judged to be sufficiently compact and light to be carried on the back of a spacesuit.
The team are planning to recruit 100 volunteers in New York in the autumn to test the system for comfort and functionality.
“Our system can be tested in simulated microgravity conditions, as microgravity is the primary space factor we must account for,” said Mason.
“These tests will ensure the system’s functionality and safety before it is deployed in actual space missions.”
Details of the prototype are published in the journal Frontiers in Space Technology.
https://www.theguardian.com/science/article/2024/jul/12/scientists-design-spacesuit-that-can-turn-urine-into-drinking-water
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/space-technologies/articles/10.3389/frspt.2024.1391200/full