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NASA Astronauts to Discuss Mission from Space Station
Sep 09, 2024
Media are invited to hear from NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams during an Earth to space call at 2:15 p.m. EDT, Friday, Sept. 13.
The pair will participate in a news conference aboard the International Space Station in low Earth orbit.
Coverage of the event will stream on NASA+, the NASA app, and the agency’s website.
Learn how to stream NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.
Media interested in participating must contact the newsroom at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston no later than 5 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 12, at 281-483-5111 or jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov.
To ask questions, media must dial into the news conference no later than 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. A copy of NASA’s media accreditation policy is online.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on June 5 for its first crewed flight, arriving at the space station on June 6.
Following the agency’s decision to return Starliner uncrewed, the duo will remain on the space station as part of the Expedition 71/72 crew and return home in February 2025 aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission.
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-astronauts-to-discuss-mission-from-space-station/
BepiColombo’s fourth Mercury flyby: the movie
13/09/2024
Watch the closest flyby of a planet ever, as the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo spacecraft sped past Mercury during its latest encounter on 4 September 2024.
This flyby marked BepiColombo’s closest approach to Mercury yet, and for the first time, the spacecraft had a clear view of Mercury’s south pole.
This timelapse is made up of 128 different images captured by all three of BepiColombo’s monitoring cameras, M-CAM 1, 2 and 3.
We see the planet move in and out of the fields of view of M-CAM 2 and 3, before M-CAM 1 sees the planet receding into the distance at the end of the video.
The first few images are taken in the days and weeks before the flyby. Mercury first appears in an image taken at 23:50 CEST (21:50 UTC) on 4 September, at a distance of 191 km.
Closest approach was at 23:48 CEST at a distance of 165 km.
The sequence ends around 24 hours later, on 5 September 2024, when BepiColombo was about 243 000 km from Mercury.
During the flyby it was possible to identify various geological features that BepiColombo will study in more detail once in orbit around the planet. Four minutes after closest approach, a large ‘peak ring basin’ called Vivaldi came into view.
This crater was named after the famous Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741).
The flyover of Vivaldi crater was the inspiration for using Antonio Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’ as the soundtrack for this timelapse.
Peak ring basins are mysterious craters created by powerful asteroid or comet impacts, so-called because of the inner ring of peaks on an otherwise flattish floor.
A couple of minutes later, another peak ring basin came into view: newly named Stoddart.
The name was recently assigned following a request from the M-CAM team, who realised that this crater would be visible in these images and decided it would be worth naming considering its potential interest for scientists in the future.
BepiColombo’s three monitoring cameras provided 1024 x 1024 pixel snapshots.
Their main purpose is to monitor the spacecraft’s various booms and antennas, hence why we see parts of the spacecraft in the foreground.
The photos that they capture of Mercury during the flybys are a bonus.
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2024/09/BepiColombo_s_fourth_Mercury_flyby_the_movie
Japan's ispace will launch its 2nd lunar lander to the moon in December
September 13, 2024
Japanese space exploration firm ispace is gearing up for its second shot at landing on the moon.
The mission, featuring a lander named Resilience and a tiny rover dubbed Tenacious, is now targeted to launch from Florida's Space Coast on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket no earlier than December, ispace announced in a statement on Thursday (Sept. 12).
"I am very happy to announce that the Resilience lander assembly and integration is complete, and we are on schedule for our planned launch no earlier than this December," said Takeshi Hakamada, founder and CEO of ispace, at a press conference. "The landing site has been decided, and preparations for Mission 2 are progressing steadily."
The primary landing site for Resilience is near the center of Mare Frigoris, or the "Sea of Cold," which lies at 60.5 degrees north latitude and 4.6 degrees west longitude.
The site was chosen based on engineering and operational constraints, as well as scientific value, according to ispace.
Criteria included continuous sun-illumination and communication visibility from Earth. Contingency sites are also in place to ensure operational and scientific flexibility.
Mare Frigoris is a vast basaltic plain in the moon's far north. If successful, Mission 2's landing would be the most northerly touchdown on the moon so far.
A prospective landing date was not revealed.
The Resilience lander will carry five payloads, including water electrolyzer equipment from Takasago Thermal Engineering Co., a self-contained module for food production experiments from Euglena Co., a deep-space radiation probe developed by the National Central University in Taiwan, and a commemorative alloy plate developed by Bandai Namco Research Institute, Inc.
The fifth payload is Tenacious. The 10.24-inch-tall (26 centimeters) micro rover, developed by ispace's Luxembourg-based subsidiary, will sport a forward-mounted HD camera.
The rover will also carry "Moonhouse," a small red house framed in white from artist Mikael Genberg.
The mission is based on ispace's roughly 2,200-pound (1,000 kilograms) HAKUTO-R lander and will be the firm's second effort at a moon landing.
The first attempt, in April 2023, failed due to an onboard altitude sensor being confused by the rim of a crater. The new Resilience lander features upgraded software and other adjustments based on the experiences from the first mission.
Mission 2 follows a flurry of lunar landing missions in 2024.
The Japanese space agency's SLIM ("Smart Lander for Investigating Moon") probe made a successful, yet lopsided, lunar landing in January, while a pair of commercial lunar landing attempts were made by U.S. companies earlier this year.
Astrobotic's Peregrine suffered issues early in its flight and reentered Earth's atmosphere over the Pacific, while Intuitive Machines' Odysseus landed on the moon but tipped over.
China's Chang'e 6 mission landed on the far side and successfully returned samples to Earth.
Looking to the future, ispace is also developing a larger lander, named Apex 1.0. It is expected to fly on Mission 3 around 2026.
https://www.space.com/japan-ispace-second-private-moon-mission-launch-spacex-december-2024
Sun fires off X-class solar flare, increasing aurora viewing chances into weekend
September 12, 2024
A parade of solar activity continues to flow from the sun this week, opening up more chances to spot the aurora across the United States this weekend.
On Thursday morning (Sept. 12), a sunspot region that has not been numbered yet made its presence known blasting off a X1.3 class solar flare.
X-class solar flares are the most powerful of their kind, and are typically followed by a full or partial loss of high frequency (HF) radio signals for sunlit locations on our planet.
The energetic eruption, which peaked at 5:43 AM EDT (943 UTC), brought impacts earlier this morning with communication bands across Africa, Europe, and parts of Asia.
Forecasters at NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center will continue to analyze the data to confirm how many more CMEs could reach Earth's magnetic field both from the X-class flare and also a group of M-class flares (the second strongest in class) also generated early Thursday by two previous sunspots, or Active Regions (AR), designated AR 3811 and AR 3814.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) also reported that a geomagnetic storm occurred Thursday morning (Sept. 12) at 10:46 AM EDT (1446 UTC) at the G3 (Moderate) level. This is the third level on a scale of five.
The storm resulted from a coronal mass ejection (or CME), a blast of the sun's plasma and magnetic field, that was fired off from a solar flare earlier this week on Sept. 10.
The sun was already up across the eastern half of the United States at this time, but some locations further west were able to get a beautiful glimpse of resulting auroras in its wake.
When a sunspot region releases a solar flare, a CME propel away from the sun's corona.
When these are directed at the Earth, we experience the impacts days later.
In fact, aurora chasers will have another opportunity on Friday (Sept. 13) with another geomagnetic storm expected from a CME that began its journey away from the sun in the earlier part of the day on Tuesday (Sept. 10).
The SWPC has a Geomagnetic Storm Watch in place for Friday for the potential of another G2 (moderate) event that could bring a repeated chance to see the aurora, if the weather cooperates, for northern and upper Midwestern states stretching from Idaho to New York.
https://www.space.com/sun-solar-flare-september-12-aurora-chances
SpaceX's private Polaris Dawn astronauts beam photos to Earth using Starlink satellites
September 13, 2024
The private Polaris Dawn astronauts keep notching milestones in Earth orbit.
The four-person Polaris Dawn mission launched aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule early Tuesday morning (Sept. 10).
Later that day, the astronauts got farther from Earth — 870 miles (1,400.7 kilometers) — than any crewed mission since the Apollo era.
Polaris Dawn next pulled off the first-ever private spacewalk on Thursday (Sept. 12), then followed up that historic achievement with one in the communications sphere— posting on X from orbit for the first time using SpaceX's Starlink broadband satellites.
"Hello Earth — We are so grateful for all the support! Please enjoy two recent photos from our mission and stay tuned for our next message.
Sent to you from space over a beam of Starlink laser light — Crew of Polaris Dawn," reads the X post, which was published on Thursday afternoon by the Polaris Program, a three-mission effort organized and funded by billionaire tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman.
One of the two photos shows the four Polaris Dawn astronauts — commander Isaacman, pilot Scott "Kidd" Poteet and mission specialists Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon — inside their capsule, which is named Resilience.
The second is a beauty shot of Earth's brilliant blue limb against the blackness of space.
Polaris Dawn is a free flyer; unlike the astronaut missions that SpaceX conducts for NASA, it won't link up with the International Space Station.
Polaris Dawn is expected to last about five days, meaning it will likely come back to Earth sometime this weekend.
The pioneering private flight is the second orbital jaunt for Isaacman, who also funded and commanded the four-person Inspiration4 mission in September 2021.
And Isaacman has two more SpaceX missions lined up — the second and third flights in the Polaris Program.
Not much is known about either one at this point, though Isaacman has said that Polaris' Flight 3 will be the first crewed mission of Starship, the giant rocket that SpaceX is developing to help humanity settle the moon and Mars.
https://www.space.com/spacex-polaris-dawn-astronauts-photos-starlink-internet
https://x.com/PolarisProgram/status/1834286327891984474
US Space Force is urged to flag emerging humanitarian crises on Earth
Sep 12, 2024, 09:24 AM
The U.S. Space Force should play a greater role in tracking factors related to human security, like food production, climate trends or energy distribution, for military decision-makers, according to a new report from RAND Corp., a federally funded research center.
That’s because the service’s access to communication, navigation and intelligence satellites provides a unique opportunity to monitor non-military factors that often lie at the heart of conflict on Earth, the authors argue.
The report from the public policy research firm highlights the military’s role in disaster prevention and crisis response, pointing to portions of the 2022 National Defense Strategy and National Security Strategy that link national security to humanitarian challenges like food insecurity, energy shortages, climate change and terrorism.
“Although several U.S. government agencies and commercial partners collect and monitor indicators that are potentially related to human security, the [Space Force’s] role as a military service makes it a natural nexus for embedding human security principles and perspectives in the security workforce,” RAND states.
The report comes as Space Force capabilities to track missiles, monitor bad behavior in orbit and support military operations on the ground are in high demand.
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told Defense News this summer that to meet current demand and expand into new mission areas, the service’s $30 billion budget needs to double or triple.
That kind of budget growth is unlikely in the near future, and RAND acknowledges this challenge in its study, noting an increasing appetite for imagery and data collection, in particular.
“Such an expansion is likely difficult to justify, given that the Space Force’s capacity cannot meet current operational demand,” RAND states.
“Although the [Space Force] can potentially play a leading role in the human security area, it will need to rely on partnerships, likely with both public and private organizations, to provide the needed capabilities and capacities.”
Growing capacity and acquiring new systems will require long-term investment, but for now the service should lean on its relationships with international allies, commercial industry and other government agencies “define metrics related to human security through security cooperation training efforts.”
The Space Force should also develop training for its workforce on how to factor human security into its data collection and analysis, injecting relevant scenarios into wargames and exercises, RAND says.
As a case study on the impact space capabilities could have in preventing or managing humanitarian crises, the report explores the famine in Somalia, where over one million people have been displaced due to drought.
Space capabilities could be used to track environmental indicators like land degradation, water level changes and weather conditions.
Satellites could also observe changes in food production, identify whether resources were being hoarded and identify migration patterns and indications of political violence.
“By using space capabilities to monitor such human security indicators as those proposed in this paper, the [Space Force] can help identify human security challenges as they are emerging, thus opening the door to interventions — potentially involving both resources on the ground and in the broader international community,” RAND states.
“Such interventions might help prevent the escalation of cascading challenges.”
https://www.defensenews.com/space/2024/09/12/us-space-force-is-urged-to-flag-emerging-humanitarian-crises-on-earth/
SpaceX Starlink Mission
On Thursday, September 12 at 6:45 p.m. PT, Falcon 9 launched 21 Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities, to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
This was the 18th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, SWOT, Transporter-8, Transporter-9, NROL-146, and now 11 Starlink missions.
https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=sl-9-6
4 SOPS team goes the distance
Published Sept. 12, 2024
Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii (AFNS) –
A group of 18 personnel from the 4th Space Operations Squadron, a component of Delta 8, headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, traveled to Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam for a contingency operations exercise to test a highly technical piece of equipment known as a Mobile Constellation Control Station.
“The Milstar and Advanced Extremely High Frequency military satellite communications system provides survivable, endurable and protected communications for the highest levels of military and civilian leadership within the Department of Defense,” said Tech. Sgt. Andrew White, 4th SOPS transition maintenance supervisor.
In today's complex and rapidly evolving military landscape, reliable and secure communications are necessary.
The MCCS is a tool that plays a crucial role in providing the linkages that enable military units to maintain contact with command centers and intelligence gathering systems.
“We provide warfighters global, secure, survivable, strategic and tactical communications during peacetime and throughout the full spectrum of conflict,” said Capt. William Farrar, 4th SOPS mobile operations flight chief.
White explained the goal behind this complex and far-reaching mission.
“This exercise is intended to test site functionality and to lay the groundwork for establishing an additional operating site in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility, with the goal of [creating] a Memorandum of Agreement between Space Operations Command and JBPHH, on behalf of the 4th SOPS,” White said.
To meet these goals, the team needed to bring the equipment to JBPHH and set it up, enabling them to test the viability of the location with the knowledge that aspects of certain environments can prevent a successful outcome.
“Several factors were taken into consideration in regard to a viable site location and testing of our equipment to include line of sight to [the] satellite, which is the most important factor,” Farrar said.
“If our antenna is not capable of pointing to a satellite in space, then the location simply would not work.”
In addition to the line of sight, other aspects had to be carefully considered such as security, power hook-ups and fuel access.
“During our testing, we verified that we could connect to a satellite within the (U.S. Indo-Pacific Command) area of responsibility through our mobile antenna,” White said.
“After confirming connection with the satellite, we began to test several system tactics, techniques, procedures and checklists to verify that we have command and control over the satellite.”
After establishing successful contact and meeting the main objectives, the team was able to take stock of their accomplishment and prepared to return home from their multi-day mission.
“The general group feeling is typically relief, pride and a sense of accomplishment to the 4th SOPS mobility mission,” White said.
“We train hard and take pride in what we do. Whenever we successfully test the MCCS in a new location, we validate all the hard work and long hours spent working toward this goal.”
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3904059/4-sops-team-goes-the-distance/https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3904059/4-sops-team-goes-the-distance/
USSF announces selections for advanced space power, propulsion research
Published Sept. 13, 2024
The United States Space Force, in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory, selected Rochester Institute of Technology and University of Michigan to lead the USSF University Consortium/Space Strategic Technology Institute 3 research regarding Advanced Space Power and Propulsion.
This research will enable game-changing space power and propulsion technology transition to the Department of Defense.
This week, the Rochester Institute of Technology and University of Michigan were awarded $9.9 million and $34.9 million, respectively, and will each lead teams of academic institutions and industry partners to collaborate on development and demonstration of ASPP subtopics.
The universities will pursue research in advanced solar cell technology, thruster technology and novel power approaches.
The USSF previously awarded in FY23 $6.4 million under Space Strategic Technology Institute 1 to address challenges related to beyond geostationary orbit and space domain awareness, as well as $49.1 million in FY24 under Space Strategic Technology Institute 2 to examine the areas of space access, mobility and logistics research.
About Space Strategic Technology Institutes
The United States Space Force established Space Strategic Technology Institutes to address space, science and technology challenges through a network of partnered universities.
Space Force envisions the institutes, in partnership with the USSF operational community, will facilitate and focus joint applied research on emerging transformational space domain technology breakthroughs and developments that lead to the advancement of capabilities that can be transitioned and integrated into current and future USSF and U.S. government space architecture.
It is highly desired for the research to lead to testbeds, high fidelity modeling and simulations, demonstrations and prototypes.
The research is expected to transition technology to higher technology readiness levels throughout the period of performance, and out years will be awarded based on an evaluation of this ability.
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3904866/ussf-announces-selections-for-advanced-space-power-propulsion-research/
Secretary of Defense announces seven new initiatives to enhance well-being of military force and their families
Published Sept. 13, 2024
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced seven initiatives to improve the quality of life for service members and their families today.
These actions build on the extensive and unprecedented actions that Department of Defense leaders have taken over the past four years as part of Austin's Taking Care of People initiative.
Secretary Austin directed the implementation of the following:
Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts for Service Members: To reduce out-of-pocket health care costs for service members, the DoD will make HCFSAs available to Service members for the first time through a Special Enrollment Period in March 2025.
HCFSAs are an optional benefit that enable Service members to set aside up to $3,200 in pretax earnings per Service member to pay for health care costs, such as co-payments, contact lenses, glasses, dental care, and annual deductibles.
Access to Wi-Fi Pilot: To reduce out-of-pocket expenses and improve quality of life for junior enlisted Service members, the DoD is implementing a series of pilot projects to provide high-speed Wi-Fi internet access at no cost to Service members living in unaccompanied housing, which will form the basis of a long-term plan to build a Wi-Fi connected force.
Making Moves Easier: Building on previous expansions of move-related payments to Service members, the DoD will increase Temporary Lodging Expense reimbursement to 21 days (up from 14 days) and allow Temporary Lodging Allowance to be authorized for up to 60 days when it is necessary for a Service member or dependent to occupy temporary lodging immediately before leaving a permanent duty station outside the continental United States.
The DoD will also initiate a study to review and evaluate increasing the household goods weight allowances for Service members.
Further Expand Spouse Eligibility for My Career Advancement Account Financial Assistance: To support career advancement for military spouses, eligibility for MyCAA financial assistance will be expanded to spouses of active-duty Service members and spouses of National Guard and reserve Service members on Title 10 orders in the E-7, E-8, E-9, and W-3 ranks.
Financial assistance may be utilized to pursue a license, certification, or associate degree as well as testing for college credit and continuing education units.
This initiative aims to reduce barriers to employment for military spouses.
Investment in Childcare Workforce: To improve access to childcare for military families, we must invest in our childcare workforce to ensure we can recruit and retain childcare providers.
The DoD is working closely with Congress to fund compensation increases for childcare providers and to add key positions — lead educators and special needs inclusion coordinators — that will enhance the developmental and educational support provided to children served by DoD child development centers.
Quality of Life at Remote and Isolated Installations Review: The DoD will conduct a review on risk and protective factors, and prevention capabilities of harmful behaviors at three remote installations.
The results of the review will be used to inform and improve quality of life at those locations.
Uniform Costs Review: The DoD will review the quality of standard uniform clothing items issued to the enlisted force and the enlisted monetary uniform replacement allowance rates to ensure they are sufficient.
The Department continues to collaborate with Congress and state partners to ensure the successful implementation and ongoing support of these initiatives.
Find the Secretary's memorandum "Our Enduring Duty to America's Service Members and Their Families" here.
https://media.defense.gov/2024/Sep/13/2003543124/-1/-1/0/OUR-ENDURING-DUTY-TO-AMERICAS-SERVICE-MEMBERS-AND-THEIR-FAMILIES.PDF
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3905094/secretary-of-defense-announces-seven-new-initiatives-to-enhance-well-being-of-m/
Incredible pics of ‘first UFO selfie’ resurface showing glowing spherical craft with yellow ‘landing lights’
Updated: 16:57, 13 Sep 2024
A BRAZILLIAN alien researcher has snapped what many believe is the first-ever UFO selfie.
The snap was taken by UFO researcher Edie Meireles shows a spherical UFO with yellow landing lights.
Eddie was on a hiking trail to La Cascada De La Purificacion, a waterfall in Brazil's Chapada Diamantina National Park when he took the selfie in 2011.
However, his snap has led to problems with the military. Since the sighting, Meireles said his home was raided by "soldiers camouflaged in black."
Despite the apparent military threat, Meireles boasted on Facebook in 2022 that his candid snaps were the only selfies with the spaceship.
He also spoke about his experience in his book Fieldworkers: Pesquisadores de Campo in 2016, which attracted further attention from the military.
Speaking to Museu da Pessoa, a Brazillian non-profit group, Meireles said: "The result of the interrogation was […] Fractures: 4 left ribs and left knee […] Perforation with bleeding in the left lung."
"I was hospitalised for 12 days at the Chapada Regional Hospital, in Seabra-Ba, my medical history is there for anyone who wants to investigate."
Chapada Diamantina National Park was established in September 1985 to protect a host of rare, endangered species native to these Atlantic Forest plateaus 3,000 feet above sea level.
It is home to a giant armadillo, a giant anteater, a Chaco eagle and potentially home to extraterrestrials.
Taking to social media platform Reddit where the image was posted, one user described his experience.
He said: "Holy F***, this is identical to what I saw right before Covid hit.
"The bottom rotated when it glowed red with an orange centre, and then it did a quick zig-zag and it was gone.
"I screamed laughed and cried. I had no idea what I just saw but I knew it wasn’t ours."
However, UFO sceptics believe the photo was photoshopped or a prop was used in the background to achieve the world-first snap.
One person said: "It's a pyrotechnic balloon (no people on it).
"This one is blurry due to low light, but features the Brazillian flag on it.
"You can also see fire on the bottom and the smoke coming from it."
https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/30424549/incredible-pics-of-first-ufo-selfie-resurface/
Britney Spears Thought Sabrina Carpenter's VMAs Performance Was 'Weird': 'Why Is She Kissing an Alien?'
Sept. 12 2024, Updated 3:58 p.m. ET
Did Britney Spears approve of Sabrina Carpenter's tribute to her at the 2024 MTV VMAs?
On Thursday, September 12, the day after the awards show, the mother-of-two shared an Instagram video to reveal that even though she "didn't watch" the VMAs live, she saw the Disney Channel alum's performance on YouTube.
While the "Taste" crooner, 25, honored Spears, 42, by playing a clip from her song "Oops!…I Did It Again" and mimicking the outer spaced-themed music video, the "Toxic" vocalist found the production a bit confusing.
"Why is she kissing an alien on stage?" the Crossroads actress questioned. "I adore her, I love her to death. I didn't understand that part."
"Why didn't she kiss a girl?" Spears continued, possibly referencing the time she and Madonna shocked the masses with an onstage smooch at the 2003 awards show.
"That was weird," the "Gimme More" singer admitted. "I also thought the whole thing was kind of weird all together."
The pop star then went off on a short tangent about taking "a really long bath" after watching the performance, adding she's also very into "coloring right now."
Spears followed up her Instagram post with a video that showed her in a sheer and red dress.
"Did u guys see the VMAS ??? You guys crack me up 😂😂😂," she captioned the clip, which was set to Lenny Kravitz's "Are You Gonna Go My Way?" — a tune the rocker played at the 2024 show.
https://okmagazine.com/p/britney-spears-thought-sabrina-carpenter-vmas-performance-weird-kissing-alien/
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