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An Ancient Partnership: Co-Evolution of Earth Environments and Microbial Life
JUL 18, 2024
NASA-supported scientists have examined the long and intricately linked history of microbial life and the Earth's environment.
By reviewing the current state of knowledge across fields like microbiology, molecular biology, and geology, the study looks at how microorganisms have both shaped and been shaped by chemical properties of our planet's oceans, land, and atmosphere.
The study combines data across multiple fields of study and discusses how information on the complicated history of life on our planet from a single field cannot be viewed in isolation.
The first life on Earth was microbial. Today the vast majority of our planet's biomass is still made up of tiny, single-celled microorganisms.
Although they're abundant, the history of microbes can be a challenge for astrobiologists to study.
Microbes don't leave bones, shells or other large fossils behind like dinosaurs, fish or other large organisms.
Because of this, scientists must look at different evidence to understand the evolution of microbial life through time.
In order to study ancient microbes on Earth, astrobiologists look for isotopic fingerprints in rocks that can be used to identify the metabolisms of ancient communities.
Metabolism refers to the conversion of food into energy, and happens in all living things. Many elements (think carbon (C), nitrogen (N), Sulfur (S), iron (Fe)) are involved in microbial metabolism.
As microbes process these elements, they cause isotopic changes that scientists can spot in the rock record.
Microbes also help to control how these elements are deposited and cycled in the environment, affecting geology and chemistry at both local and global scales (consider the role of microbes in the carbon cycle on Earth today).
Another way to study ancient microbial life is to look back along the evolutionary information contained in the genetics of life today.
Combining this genetic information from molecular biology with geobiological information from the rock record can help astrobiologists understand the connections between the shared evolution of the early Earth and early life.
For an example of geological evidence of microbial metabolism, we can consider the formation of banded iron formations (BIFs) on the ancient seafloor.
These colorful layers of alternating iron- and silicon-rich sediment were formed from 3.8 billion to 1.8 billion years ago and are associated with some of the oldest rock formations on Earth.
The red colors they exhibit are from their high iron content, showing us that the ocean of Earth was rich in iron during the 2 billion years in which these rocks were forming.
In the new study, the team of researchers provide a review of current knowledge, gleaning information into the early metabolisms used by microbial life, the timing of when these metabolisms evolved, and how these processes are linked to major chemical and physical changes on Earth, such as the oxygenation of the oceans and atmosphere.
Over time, the prevalence of oxygen on Earth has varied dramatically, in the ocean, in the atmosphere, and on land.
These changes impacted both the evolution of the biosphere and the environment. For instance, as the activity of photosynthetic organisms raised oxygen levels in the atmosphere, creating new environments for microbial life to inhabit.
Different nutrients were made accessible to life to fuel growth. At the same time, microbes that couldn’t survive in the presence of oxygen had to adapt, perish, or find a way to survive in environments where oxygen didn’t persist, such as deep in the Earth’s subsurface.
The new study explains our understanding of how oxygen levels have changed over time and spatial scales.
The authors map different types of microbial metabolism, such as photosynthesis, to this history to better understand the “cause-and-effect relationship” between oxygen and the evolution of life on Earth.
The paper provides important context for major changes in the course of evolution for the biosphere and the planet.
cont.
https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/planetary-science/astrobiology/an-ancient-partnership-co-evolution-of-earth-environments-and-microbial-lifean-ancient-partnership/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-024-01044-y
Ex-NASA researcher nominated as new science minister
July 18, 2024 - 14:57
Yoo Sang-im, a former NASA researcher, has been nominated as the new minister of science and ICT, the presidential office announced Thursday.
Introducing Yoo, the presidential office described him as “the right person to strongly lead our country’s science and technology policies during this great transformation of the advanced technology revolution, based on his long research experience and expertise in the field of science and technology.”
The 65-year-old graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in nuclear materials engineering and obtained a Ph.D. in materials engineering from Iowa State University.
He then worked as a postdoctoral researcher at NASA’s Ames Research Center and as a senior researcher at Japan’s Railway Technical Research Institute before becoming a professor of materials engineering at Seoul National University in 1998.
Upon his nomination, Yoo stated, “I will spare no effort to resolve the numerous issues facing the science and technology sector, lead change and innovation and ensure that our country can appropriately respond to and lead the rapid changes occurring in the world as we enter the era of the fourth industrial revolution.”
Yoo is the elder brother of Yoo Sang-bum, a member of the National Assembly from the People Power Party, and actor Yoo Oh-seong.
https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20240718050567
Full Buck Moon shines this weekend on Apollo 11 moon landing anniversary
July 18, 2024
When you look up this weekend you will see not only a striking full moon but also a piece of history.
In a rare celestial coincidence, July's full moon will share the spotlight with the 55th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, providing a unique opportunity to reflect on humanity's achievements in space exploration and our enduring fascination with our closest neighbor.
The July full moon officially occurs on July 21 at 6:17 a.m. EDT (1017 GMT), but the moon will still appear full the night before and after the peak to the casual stargazer.
This means it will still appear full during the 55th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20.
A full moon occurs when the moon is on the opposite side of the sun from Earth and is fully illuminated by the sun.
This scene plays out roughly every 29.5 days and marks the midpoint of the lunar cycle.
The July full moon has many names. One of the most common is the Buck Moon, due to the moon occurring when the new antlers of male deer, known as bucks, begin to emerge.
It is also called the Thunder Moon after the thunderstorms that are common over parts of the world at this time of year.
When gazing up at the moon this weekend we are also reminded of the monumental achievement that played out 55 years ago, when humans first set foot on the moon.
The Apollo 11 mission was the climax of the Apollo program, which pushed human spaceflight forward faster than ever before.
Cmdr. Neil Armstrong, Col. Edwin Eugene "Buzz" Aldrin and command module pilot, Lt. Col. Michael Collins made history on July 20, 1969, when Armstrong and Aldrin entered the lunar module nicknamed "Eagle" and separated from the Command Service Module — the "Columbia" — and headed for the lunar surface.
Then at 4:17 p.m. Eastern time. Armstrong notified Houston with the historic words, "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed."
Over the next three years, five more Apollo missions took astronauts to the lunar surface, with increasingly ambitious and exploratory missions.
The Apollo era ended in 1972 with the final mission to the moon, Apollo 17. And we haven't been back since.
But that is all about to change with the next era of lunar exploration known as the Artemis program, which aims to place humans back on the moon by 2026.
So when you gaze upon the lunar surface tonight or any night, you'll see where astronauts, rovers and landers have explored another world.
If you want to see the lunar landing sites for yourself check out our Apollo landing sites guide which takes you on an in-depth tour of our rocky companion.
And if that isn't enough we've also composed a lunar observation guide so you can take a moon-lit tour of the mountains, craters and lunar seas visible on the surface of the moon.
https://www.space.com/see-full-buck-moon-celebrate-apollo-55-anniversary
Firefly CEO leaves company
July 18, 2024
The chief executive of Firefly Aerospace has left the company amid reports the company was investigating an alleged inappropriate relationship.
In a brief statement late July 17, Firefly announced that Bill Weber was no longer the chief executive of the launch vehicle and lunar lander company.
The statement did not disclose the reason for his departure and whether Weber resigned or was fired.
The announcement came two days after Payload reported that the company was investigating claims that Weber had an “inappropriate relationship” with a female employee of the company.
Firefly said at the time it was aware of the allegations and looking into them, but did not comment further.
Weber took over as chief executive in September 2022. He was previously president and chief executive of KeyW Corporation, a cyberspace operations and geospatial intelligence company serving the national security community.
Weber took over as CEO after AE Industrial Partners acquired a majority stake in the company earlier that year.
He replaced Tom Markusic, a co-founder of the company who led the company through an earlier bankruptcy and restructuring by Max Polyakov, a Ukrainian entrepreneur.
Firefly said that Peter Schumacher, a member of Firefly’s board, will serve as interim chief executive while the company conducts a search for a permanent replacement.
Schumacher served in the same role in 2022 after Markusic’s departure and before Weber was hired.
The leadership change comes two weeks after Firefly successfully launched a set of NASA-sponsored cubesats on its Alpha rocket.
The company said then it planned three more launches this year, with the next being a “dedicated commercial mission” for Lockheed Martin.
Firefly is also preparing to launch its first Blue Ghost lunar lander for NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.
During a July 17 briefing, NASA said that launch was expected in the fourth quarter of this year.
https://spacenews.com/firefly-ceo-leaves-company/
https://karshhagan.com/case-studies/denver-international-airport
http://andreashaver.com/denfiles/
https://www.businessinsider.com/denver-airport-conspiracy-theories-horse-gargoyle-behind-the-scenes-tour-2024-7
Rosotics unveils 3D printer with space applications
July 17, 2024
Rosotics unveiled a metal 3D printer July 17 for rocket tanks and other large aerospace structures.
“This system is designed for demanding applications as well as the more commonplace ones,” Christian LaRosa, founder and CEO of Mesa, Arizona-based Rosotics, told SpaceNews.
“You can use it to print a first or second stage tank. You could use it for domes or engines.”
In 2023, Rosotics built Mantis, a 3D printer to heat feedstock with a magnetic field in the nozzle.
Mantis is now obsolete, LaRosa said, since the new Halo platform is designed for production.
Aerospace forms the bulk of Rosotics’ business. Customers also are focused on naval and energy applications for the additive manufacturing technology.
Phantom Space, the Tucson, Arizona-based startup manufacturing satellites and launch vehicles, is Rosotics’ first customer.
“We’re pretty impressed with the capability they’re building,” said Jim Cantrell, Phantom Space co-founder and CEO.
“Small-format 3D printing is ideal for things with complex internal structures like rocket engines.
The true limitation is speed, cost of the machine and the cost of facilities.”
In contrast, Rosotics technology is “ideal for industrial-scale production of things like rocket tanks,” Cantrell said. “
We’ll see how we can implement their technology here in the shop and we’ll be buying one of their machines.”
The retail price for Halo machines is $950,000. Rosotics plans to begin delivering Halo to customers in the United States and Europe in late August.
Down the road, Halo could have space-based applications.
“This platform was developed from the ground up to consume a lot less power than any other form of production in metals,” LaRosa said.
“We take the space market very seriously, beyond what it is today.”
https://spacenews.com/rosotics-unveils-printer-for-space-applications/