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Saudi Arabia, NASA explore collaborations in space technology
October 02, 2024 15:07
Saudi Arabia is seeking to strengthen its ties with NASA following a recent high-level meeting in the US focused on exploring partnerships in advanced technologies and global scientific innovation.
During his visit, Abdullah Al-Swaha, the Saudi minister of communications and information technology and chairman of the Saudi Space Commission, met with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson to discuss strategic collaborations in space-related industries.
The discussions centered on joint efforts to promote space-based scientific innovation for the benefit of humanity.
Al-Swaha also met with Princess Reema bint Bandar, the Saudi ambassador to the US, and leaders from the American Chamber of Commerce to explore investment opportunities between the two nations.
Topics included potential investments in the digital economy, artificial intelligence, space, and innovation, as well as Saudi initiatives aimed at fostering science and entrepreneurship, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
While in Washington, Al-Swaha praised Saudi students at the Cultural Attaché office for their achievements, highlighting their contributions to the country’s competitiveness in science, engineering, technology, and space.
As part of Saudi Arabia’s delegation to the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, he also participated in the Summit of the Future held last month in New York.
During the summit, Al-Swaha noted that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s support for youth and women has led to significant progress in inclusion and empowerment, with a 35 percent participation rate of women in the tech sector in just six years—surpassing averages in the EU and G20 countries.
He highlighted initiatives like the Misk Foundation’s “Saudi Codes” program, which has trained one million women and youth in programming, and the historic journey of Rayyanah Barnawi, the first Muslim Arab female astronaut to the International Space Station.
He concluded by emphasizing that these efforts have improved Saudi Arabia’s standing in global indices, including the UN E-Government Development Index 2024, where the Kingdom ranked fourth worldwide and second among G20 nations in the digital services index.
Al-Swaha also discussed Saudi Arabia’s role as a model of international cooperation, collaborating with the UN’s International Telecommunication Union to address the digital divide affecting 2.6 billion people lacking access to digital solutions.
He showcased the Kingdom’s pioneering virtual hospital, which has successfully performed specialized surgeries, including open-heart operations for patients in various countries.
Additionally, he reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to advancing its digital economy through the proposed establishment of the Digital Cooperation Organization, aimed at serving over 800 million people by providing digital platforms and a unified digital market to stimulate innovation in healthcare, education, and business.
At the summit, Al-Swaha also discussed Saudi Arabia’s efforts to bridge social, economic, and AI gaps during a session titled “Toward a Common Digital Future.”
He revealed that the Kingdom presented seven recommendations to the UN, including the establishment of an independent international scientific committee on AI and the creation of a platform for sharing AI-related standards and best practices.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2573640/business-economy
NASA Turns Off Science Instrument to Save Voyager 2 Power
October 1, 2024
Mission engineers at NASA have turned off the plasma science instrument aboard the Voyager 2 spacecraft due to the probe’s gradually shrinking electrical power supply.
Traveling more than 12.8 billion miles (20.5 billion kilometers) from Earth, the spacecraft continues to use four science instruments to study the region outside our heliosphere, the protective bubble of particles and magnetic fields created by the Sun.
The probe has enough power to continue exploring this region with at least one operational science instrument into the 2030s.
Mission engineers have taken steps to avoid turning off a science instrument for as long as possible because the science data collected by the twin Voyager probes is unique.
No other human-made spacecraft has operated in interstellar space, the region outside the heliosphere.
The plasma science instrument measures the amount of plasma (electrically charged atoms) and the direction it is flowing.
It has collected limited data in recent years due to its orientation relative to the direction that plasma is flowing in interstellar space.
Both spacecraft are powered by decaying plutonium and lose about 4 watts of power each year.
After the twin Voyagers completed their exploration of the giant planets in the 1980s, the mission team turned off several science instruments that would not be used in the study of interstellar space.
That gave the spacecraft plenty of extra power until a few years ago. Since then, the team has turned off all onboard systems not essential for keeping the probes working, including some heaters.
In order to postpone having to shut off another science instrument, they also adjusted how Voyager 2’ voltage is monitored.
Monitoring Results
On Sept. 26, engineers issued the command to turn off the plasma science instrument. Sent by NASA’s Deep Space Network, it took 19 hours to reach Voyager 2, and the return signal took another 19 hours to reach Earth.
Mission engineers always carefully monitor changes being made to the 47-year-old spacecraft’s operations to ensure they don’t generate any unwanted secondary effects.
The team has confirmed that the switch-off command was executed without incident and the probe is operating normally.
In 2018, the plasma science instrument proved critical in determining that Voyager 2 left the heliosphere.
The boundary between the heliosphere and interstellar space is demarcated by changes in the atoms, particles, and magnetic fields that instruments on the Voyagers can detect.
Inside the heliosphere, particles from the Sun flow outward, away from our nearest star.
The heliosphere is moving through interstellar space, so at Voyager 2’s position near the front of the solar bubble, the plasma flows in almost the opposite direction of the solar particles.
The plasma science instrument consists of four “cups.” Three cups point in the direction of the Sun and observed the solar wind while inside the heliosphere.
A fourth points at a right angle to the direction of the other three and has observed the plasma in planetary magnetospheres, the heliosphere, and now, interstellar space.
When Voyager 2 exited the heliosphere, the flow of plasma into the three cups facing the Sun dropped off dramatically.
The most useful data from the fourth cup comes only once every three months, when the spacecraft does a 360-degree turn on the axis pointed toward the Sun. This factored into the mission’s decision to turn this instrument off before others.
The plasma science instrument on Voyager 1 stopped working in 1980 and was turned off in 2007 to save power.
Another instrument aboard Voyager 2, called the plasma wave subsystem, can estimate the plasma density when eruptions from the Sun drive shocks through the interstellar medium, producing plasma waves.
The Voyager team continues to monitor the health of the spacecraft and its available resources to make engineering decisions that maximize the mission’s science output.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/voyager/2024/10/01/nasa-turns-off-science-instrument-to-save-voyager-2-power/
Strong Solar Flare Erupts from Sun
October 1, 2024
The Sun emitted a strong solar flare, peaking at 6:20 p.m. ET on Oct. 1, 2024. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured an image of the event.
Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts.
This flare is classified as an X7.1 flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/solarcycle25/2024/10/01/strong-solar-flare-erupts-from-sun-22/
https://www.spaceweather.gov/
Three-time Spacewalker Josh Cassada to Retire from NASA
Oct 01, 2024
NASA astronaut Josh Cassada retired Oct. 1, after 11 years of service to the agency across multiple programs, including 157 days in space and three spacewalks.
Cassada also is a retired United States Navy captain and naval aviator with more than two decades of service.
Cassada served as pilot of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission and Expedition 68 flight engineer aboard the International Space Station, executing myriad maintenance, contingency, and upgrade activities inside the station while also contributing to hundreds of experiments and technology demonstrations.
His three spacewalks outside of the orbiting laboratory totaled more than 21 hours, successfully installing a pair of International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Arrays (IROSAs) to boost the station’s electrical capacity.
Cassada, alongside crewmate NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, also assembled the infrastructure for a future IROSA installation and fully restored a malfunctioning legacy solar array.
“I want to extend my sincere gratitude to Josh for his dedication and service to human space exploration,” said NASA Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche.
“Josh’s contributions and achievements to the advancement of science and exploration will inspire the next generation of explorers, the Artemis generation, and benefit humanity for decades to come.”
Throughout Expedition 68, Cassada and his crewmates completed extensive problem-solving with ground teams, including the modification of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to accommodate an additional crew member in the event of an emergency return, and leveraged the crew’s various skill sets and training to ensure continued safe and effective operations for current and future crews.
In Houston, Cassada served as a capsule communicator in NASA’s Mission Control Center and assistant to the chief of the Astronaut Office for space station operations.
As a physicist and test pilot, Cassada also contributed to the development of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and Orion spacecraft and represented the Astronaut Office in technical and operational reviews of scientific experiments such as the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer and Cold Atom Lab.
“Josh has played a significant role in NASA’s deliverance of reliable and cost-effective human transportation to and from the space station,” said Norm Knight, director of flight operations at NASA Johnson.
“Through his dedication and commitment to human spaceflight exploration, Josh’s work will continue to push us forward on our journey back to the Moon, and beyond.
We will miss him and are excited to see what his next journey entails.”
As he transitions from government service, Cassada will return to the private sector, working on extremely low light detection technologies with broad and emerging applications in various areas, including quantum networks and computing, remote sensing, long-range communication, semiconductor manufacturing, and medical imaging.
“I am incredibly grateful for my many opportunities here at NASA,” Cassada said, “and especially to have served alongside some of the most amazing people both on and off our planet, accomplishing things that are only possible when we work and innovate together as a team. As humans, we explore .
And each scientific adventure, whether in a lab on Earth or in space, requires courage to explore and advance society.
I am incredibly fortunate to have been surrounded by explorers during my entire career so far and going forward. An expedition may seem daunting, but it’s a lot less so when you’re prepared and with the right crewmates.”
Before his selection by NASA in 2013 as a member of NASA’s 21st Class, Cassada earned his doctorate in High Energy Particle Physics from the University of Rochester, New York and was a U.S. Navy pilot, instructor pilot, test pilot, and instructor test pilot.
Throughout his career, Cassada has accumulated more than 4,000 flight hours in over 50 different aircraft and has been awarded various military and civilian awards.
Cassada graduated from White Bear Lake Area High School in Minnesota in 1991 and received his bachelor’s in Physics in 1995 from Albion College in Michigan.
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/three-time-spacewalker-josh-cassada-to-retire-from-nasa/
Transform to Open Science
October 2, 2024
NASA's Transform to Open Science (TOPS) initiative is designed to transform agencies, organizations, and communities to an inclusive culture of open science. TOPS's goal is to train the scientific community in open science principles and practices. The curriculum will introduce those beginning their open science journey to important definitions, tools, and resources; and provide participants at all levels recommendations on best practices.
What Is TOPS?
Transform to Open Science (TOPS) is a NASA initiative designed to rapidly transform agencies, organizations, and communities to an inclusive culture of open science. TOPS is part of NASA’s Open-Source Science Initiative. NASA’s TOPS initiative will allow us to create a scientific culture that is ready for 21st century challenges.
How To Take Open Science 101
Take OS101 Online or Attend an Instructor Led Training
TOPS and its external grantees host instructor led trainings that can be attended in person or online.
If you would prefer a self-guided approach, we’ve got you covered! Our online option guides you seamlessly through each of the five modules.
Why Practice Open Science?
The world is changing rapidly. To stay ahead, science needs to be collaborative, transparent, accurate, and reproducible to enable the truly transformative breakthroughs that will help us thrive.
https://science.nasa.gov/open-science/tops/
https://nasa.github.io/Transform-to-Open-Science/take-os101/
NASA plans to grow mushroom houses on the moon
11:37 am Tue Oct 1, 2024
With NASA's sights on moon bases, the question becomes how do you build shelters for tomorrow's lunar inhabitants?
Carting up large amounts of raw materials from Earth is prohibitively expensive. And the only resources on the surface are regolith—lunar dust—and water.
Fortunately, that's all mushrooms need, leading to NASA exploring fungi as the future of lunar construction.
A far out idea, but the agency's Mycotecture Off Planet project recently received additional funding to continue.
Not only does "mycomaterial" exhibit extraordinary strength, it can also be an effective shield against radiation even more effectively than regolith.
NASA is partnering with Cleveland-based architecture firm redhouse on the effort.
Mycotecture – the use of fungal-based materials for constructive purposes – has been a growing trend in recent years, and has been used in everything from art to building to "biocycling" waste.
[Chris] Maurer's firm has already been applying it to confront challenges here on Earth.
In Namibia, for example, redhouse runs a programme that uses mycomaterial to build housing for climate refugees while simultaneously growing edible mushrooms to address food scarcity issues[…]
https://boingboing.net/2024/10/01/nasa-plans-to-grow-mushroom-houses-on-the-moon.html
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/ames/could-future-homes-on-the-moon-and-mars-be-made-of-fungi/
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS wows skywatchers around the world and astronauts in space
October 1, 2024
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is putting on a delightful early-morning display for those fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of the spectacle before it's lost in the glare of the rising sun.
But it's not just the early birds with good seats to the show: astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) are also enjoying the spectacle.
Here we take a look at some of the best photos of Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS as it soars through Earth's skies, for the first time in about 80,000 years.
It's still not too late to see the comet, as it will continue to be visible until Oct. 2 just before sunrise and then again between Oct. 12 and Oct. 30.
It's even possible that the best is yet to come, as the comet will make its closest approach to Earth on Oct. 13.
For a detailed account of the comet's location and whether it is visible from your location, check out these resources from The Sky Live.
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS was initially discovered on Jan. 9, 2023, at the Purple Mountain Observatory (Tsuchinshan) in China, and was first thought to be an asteroid.
However, on Feb. 22, 2023, the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) search program in South Africa confirmed it to be a comet.
cont.
https://www.space.com/comet-Tsuchinshan-atlas-photos-from-ground-and-space
https://www.space.com/james-webb-space-telescope-pluto-icy-moon-charon
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-51826-4
James Webb Space Telescope deciphers the origins of Pluto's icy moon Charon
October 1, 2024
Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers have detected carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide on the frozen surface of Pluto's largest moon, Charon.
Detecting these molecules could tell scientists how Charon and other icy bodies at the solar system's edge were born.
Since its discovery in 1978, Charon has been extensively studied — but previous research has been limited in terms of what wavelengths of light could be explored during these analyses.
That left gaps in our understanding of the surface composition of this moon of Pluto.
As a result, though scientists have detected water ice, ammonia-bearing species and organic compounds on Charon, carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide have evaded detection. Until now, that is.
The team, led by Silvia Protopapa of the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), filled in these gaps by studying Charon with the JWST's Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) instrument.
"Our research reveals that Charon’s surface preserves evidence of its
formation through the presence of carbon dioxide, as well as signs of irradiation processes, indicated by the presence of hydrogen peroxide," Protopapa told Space.com.
"These discoveries expand Charon's known compositional inventory, which includes water ice, ammonia-bearing species and organic materials responsible for its gray and red coloration."
Charon is a midsized body roughly 750 miles (1,207 kilometers) wide and located in the Kuiper Belt, a ring of icy debris, comets and dwarf planets, also referred to as trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs), at the solar system's edge.
Unlike many of the larger objects in the Kuiper Belt, Charon's surface is not obscured by volatile ices like methane, meaning it offers scientists valuable insights into the effects of sunlight exposure and cratering on these distant bodies.
Additionally, Charon is the only mid-sized TNO for which geologic mapping is available.
This is thanks to data gathered by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, which visited the Pluto system around a decade ago.
"Overall, these factors make Charon an invaluable target from which we can learn extensively," Protopapa said.
"Our findings provide valuable insights into how processes such as sunlight exposure and cratering shape the surface of Charon and, by extension, other mid-sized icy bodies beyond Neptune's orbit."
Cool suprises on Charon
The composition of stars, planets and moons can be determined from the light they emit or reflect from their surface.
This is possible because elements absorb and emit light at specific wavelengths.
Thus, looking at a celestial body's spectra via a technique called "spectroscopy" reveals the "fingerprints" of elements and chemical compounds.
Protopapa and colleagues reached their findings by comparing JWST spectroscopic observations with lab-based measurements and detailed spectral models of the surface of Charon.
This led them to conclude that carbon dioxide is primarily present as a surface veneer on a water-ice-rich subsurface.
"The surface of Charon, as revealed by the New Horizons mission, features numerous craters surrounded by bright ejecta blankets that are rich in water ice and ammonia-bearing compounds," Protopapa explained.
"These geologic features suggest that materials from beneath the surface have been exposed by impact events, providing a window into the moon's subsurface composition.
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"Our preferred interpretation is that the upper layer of carbon dioxide originates from the interior and has been exposed to the surface through cratering events."
She added that carbon dioxide was also expected because the compound is known to be present in regions of the protoplanetary disk from which the Pluto system formed.
The fact that carbon dioxide wasn't spotted by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft when it visited Pluto and captured images of Charon in 2015 has been troubling scientists for some time.
"The detection of carbon dioxide was a satisfying confirmation of our expectations," Protopapa continued.
What was not expected by the team was the detection of hydrogen peroxide.
"The detection of hydrogen peroxide on Charon came as a surprise. I honestly did not expect to find evidence of it on the surface," Protopapa said.
"Hydrogen peroxide has been known to be present on Jupiter's moon Europa’s surface since the 2000s.
I never imagined I would be writing a paper comparing these icy satellites, Charon and Europa, given how different their environments are."
The surprise presence of hydrogen peroxide on Charon suggested to the team that the water-ice-rich surface of Pluto's largest moon is being actively altered by ultraviolet light from the sun, energetic particles from the solar wind, and streams of charged particles from beyond the solar system called "galactic cosmic rays."
"Hydrogen peroxide forms from the combination of neighboring hydroxide ion radicals, which originate from the breakup of water molecules due to incoming ions, electrons, or photons," Protopapa continued.
"Our team conducted new laboratory measurements to confirm that it is possible to generate hydrogen peroxide even when carbon dioxide is present."
The team hasn't finished with Pluto's largest moon yet. The JWST will continue to study Charon, and scientists will use the resulting data to better understand icy TNOs as a whole.
"Future JWST observations targeting the spectral gaps, not covered in the current data, could lead to new Charon discoveries and further expand its chemical inventory, possibly revealing other mechanisms at play," Protopapa said.
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Companies seek more opportunities to send private astronaut missions to ISS
October 2, 2024
Companies developing commercial space stations want NASA to offer more opportunities to fly precursor missions to the International Space Station to help them gain experience and stimulate customer interest.
As part of a NASA policy in 2019 to promote commercialization of the ISS, the agency said it would allow up to two private astronaut missions, or PAMs, to visit the station each year.
NASA subsequently issued a series of requests for proposals for individual PAM opportunities.
Three such PAMs have flown to date, all by Axiom Space. A fourth PAM, also by Axiom, is currently scheduled to fly to the station in the spring of 2025.
The pace of those missions, though, has been slower than expected, with just one mission per year so far. Axiom’s Ax-1 mission launched in April 2022, followed by Ax-2 in May 2023 and Ax-3 in January 2024.
The upcoming Ax-4 mission was, at one point, scheduled for the fall of 2024 but was postponed to the spring after the crew was announced in August.
NASA has yet to issue any RFPs for subsequent PAMs, raising doubts that a fifth mission could fly before the end of 2025.
Companies like Axiom say they are still interested in flying such missions even as they work on commercial stations that may one day succeed the ISS.
“We have this asset currently in LEO that we need to take full advantage of. Part of that is continuing to do private astronaut missions as long as we can,” said Jared Stout, vice president of government and external relations at Axiom Space, during a panel discussion at the Space Capitol Forum 2024 event Sept. 24.
Axiom won its four missions with little or no competition.
That is expected to change for future PAM opportunities, as Vast Space announced earlier this year its intent to compete for such missions to gain experience for its Haven-1 space station, slated to launch in late 2025.
“If there is an RFP out on the street for it, we would certainly compete,” Richard Leshner, vice president of government affairs at Vast, said on the panel.
“We are all hopeful that NASA continues to move forward.”
He said constrained budgets for NASA’s overall program to support development of commercial space stations may be restricting its ability to support additional PAMs.
“I think it’s perfectly ok to anticipate that another one would come out,” he said of an RFP for the next mission, “but we have some reasonable concerns that they might not be able to execute it on the pace that they have in the past.”
Leshner said the PAMs are part of the overall transition from the ISS to commercial stations. “It would be a shame if there was some sort of pullback from that purpose,” he said.
“If anything, there really should be more of them in advance.”
Stout noted that that missions Axiom has flown revealed strong interest from governments. Axiom’s first mission flew three private individuals, but both Ax-3 and Ax-4 feature crews comprised of government astronauts.
“Countries all over the world that haven’t had the opportunity want to send their national astronauts to space,” he said.
“That’s the lesson that we’re learning through this, that human spaceflight has this ability to catalyze your entire nation’s industries and population to have an interest in what’s going on space.”
“We see this as a continuing demonstration of growing interest in having these sorts of national human spaceflight programs that are capable of probably doing more than what the market currently has available,” he said.
“I think it’s entirely possible we could end up having multiple of these types of missions going on from multiple countries every year.”
https://spacenews.com/companies-seek-more-opportunities-to-send-private-astronaut-missions-to-iss/
DoD seeks innovations in small-satellite propulsion
October 1, 2024
The Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit published a call for industry proposals on advanced spacecraft propulsion technology, specifically focusing on electrospray thrusters.
Electrospray thrusters, which generate thrust by accelerating charged particles, promise high fuel efficiency and precise control.
The DoD’s interest in electrospray thrusters reflects the need for more versatile and fuel-efficient spacecraft, especially as the U.S. military increasingly relies on smaller satellites for communications and intelligence purposes.
Traditional propulsion systems using liquid or gaseous propellants can be limiting, as fuel must be carefully conserved for critical maneuvers.
Electrospray technology could change this dynamic by enabling spacecraft to perform more frequent and precise adjustments without fear of depleting fuel reserves.
“The Department of Defense is seeking proposals for advanced electrospray propulsion technology that demonstrates superior performance in both thrust and specific impulse,” DIU said.
“These solutions should deliver a high-performance, low-cost system capable of supporting a wide range of space missions.”
DIU is a DoD organization dedicated to accelerating the adoption of commercial technology for national security purposes, It awards prototype contracts to companies with promising technologies that address specific DoD needs.
Several commercial companies are already working on electrospray thruster technology, including Boston-based Revolution Space (previously known as Accion Systems), Spanish small satellite propulsion developer Ienai Space, and Ion-X of France.
https://spacenews.com/dod-seeks-innovations-in-small-satellite-propulsion/
https://www.diu.mil/work-with-us/submit-solution/PROJ00486