TYB's
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
October 7, 2024
The Long Tails Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS
A bright comet is moving into the evening skies. C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) has brightened and even though it is now easily visible to the unaided eye, it is so near to the Sun that it is still difficult to see. Pictured, Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS was captured just before sunrise from an Andes Mountain in Peru. Braving cold weather, this unusually high perch gave the astrophotographer such a low eastern horizon that the comet was obvious in the pre-dawn sky. Visible in the featured image is not only an impressively long dust tail extending over many degrees, but an impressively long and blue ion tail, too. This month, as the comet moves out from the Sun and passes the Earth, evening observers should be able to see the huge dirty ice ball toward the west just after sunset.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
Mark Sonoda: Leading NASA’s Path to the Commercialization of Space
Oct 07, 2024
With over 34 years of experience in human spaceflight, Mark Sonoda has witnessed some of NASA’s most pivotal moments, from the startup of the International Space Station to the retirement of the space shuttle.
As the acting associate program manager for the Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program (CLDP), he is set to help guide NASA through another monumental period: the commercialization of space.
Sonoda’s new role grants extraordinary opportunities to shape the future of human spaceflight.
While NASA has maintained a leading presence in low Earth orbit since 1961, Sonoda shared how CLDP is “working to establish commercial low Earth orbit destinations owned and operated by private companies, where NASA is just one of many customers.
This shift will open doors to even more advancements and benefits for humanity.”
Sonoda plans to leverage his decades of experience to support the growth of CLDP as it moves from early planning stages into a more operational phase.
Specifically, he will apply his expertise in systems engineering and leadership to helping certify commercial destinations in low Earth orbit.
One of his priorities is ensuring that the program team is set up for success with the right personnel, infrastructure, and resources to be successful as it grows.
Sonoda’s NASA experience has offered him many valuable lessons, the most important of which is the power of teamwork.
He recalls a time when, as a station training lead, he realized that even the most well-prepared plans benefit from team collaboration.
“A good team will always be stronger than an individual,” he shared, noting that the strength of NASA lies in its collective effort.
Looking ahead, Sonoda anticipates exciting opportunities to foster commercial partnerships.
He is particularly optimistic that increased access to space for private companies and individuals will cultivate new innovations and public interest in space exploration.
At the same time, he acknowledges that NASA must adapt to its new role in low Earth orbit, transitioning from being the primary driver of exploration to becoming one of many customers in a thriving commercial ecosystem.
For the Artemis Generation, Sonoda hopes to pass on a legacy of inspiration and resilience.
“I hope to leave behind a future where challenges are seen not as barriers, but as opportunities to make the world a better place.”
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/johnson/mark-sonoda-leading-nasas-path-to-the-commercialization-of-space/
SpaceX Hera Mission
October 7 10:52 a.m. ET
SpaceX is targeting Monday, October 7 for Falcon 9’s launch of the ESA Hera mission to interplanetary transfer orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Liftoff is targeted for 10:52 a.m. ET.
If needed, a backup launch opportunity is available on Tuesday, October 8 at 10:46 a.m. ET.
A live webcast of this mission will begin on X @SpaceX about 15 minutes prior to liftoff. You can also watch the webcast on the new X TV app.
Due to the additional performance required to deliver the payload to an interplanetary transfer orbit, this mission marks the 23rd and final launch for this Falcon 9 first stage booster, which previously launched Crew-1, Crew-2, SXM-8, CRS-23, IXPE, Transporter-4, Transporter-5, Globalstar FM15, ISI EROS C-3, Korea 425, Maxar 1, ASBM, and 10 Starlink missions.
Hera is a planetary defense mission that will study the impact NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission spacecraft had on the Dimorphos asteroid, which Falcon 9 launched in November 2021.
Hera will provide valuable data for future asteroid deflection missions and science to help humanity’s understanding of asteroid geophysics as well as solar system formation and evolutionary processes.
https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=hera
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O13Sp00Ltlw
SpaceX, NASA stand down from Oct. 10 Europa Clipper launch due to Hurricane Milton
October 7, 2024
We'll have to wait a bit longer to see NASA's Europa Clipper probe get off the ground.
The $5 billion Europa Clipper mission had been scheduled to launch on Thursday (Oct. 10) atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC), on Florida's Atlantic Coast.
But Hurricane Milton has nixed that plan.
"NASA and SpaceX are standing down from the Thursday, Oct. 10, launch attempt of the agency's Europa Clipper mission due to anticipated hurricane conditions in the area," NASA officials wrote in an update on Sunday (Oct. 6).
"Hurricane Milton is expected to move from the Gulf of Mexico this week, moving east to the Space Coast," they added.
"High winds and heavy rain are expected in the Cape Canaveral and Merritt Island regions on Florida's east coast."
Launch teams have secured the probe inside SpaceX's hangar at KSC's historic Launch Complex 39A.
The rest of the NASA center has begun preparing for Hurricane Milton's arrival as well, NASA officials said.
"The safety of launch team personnel is our highest priority, and all precautions will be taken to protect the Europa Clipper spacecraft," Tim Dunn, senior launch director at NASA's Launch Services Program, said in the update.
It's too early to predict when Clipper will be able to fly, but the mission has a fair bit of time: Its launch window extends through Nov. 6.
"Once we have the 'all-clear' followed by facility assessment and any recovery actions, we will determine the next launch opportunity for this NASA flagship mission," Dunn said.
If all goes according to plan, Clipper will reach the Jupiter system in 2030.
The probe will orbit the gas giant but study Europa — which is thought to harbor a huge ocean of liquid water beneath its icy shell — up close over dozens of flybys.
Clipper will use its nine science instruments to characterize that ocean, helping to assess Europa's potential to host life was we know it.
The probe's observations will also help scientists identify good potential landing sites for a life-hunting mission to Europa's surface, which NASA aims to launch in the not-too-distant future.
https://www.space.com/spacex-nasa-europa-clipper-launch-delay-hurricane-milton
Einstein’s strangest prediction confirmed: space-time tunnel discovered on our planet
October 6, 2024
The concept of quantum physics goes against our intuition and is very strange to those of us who have no training in this area.
However, its phenomena are very interesting and fascinating. Like this one we bring you in which Einstein’s prediction about the existence of a space-time tunnel could have been confirmed.
The space-time tunnel or quantum entanglement: what is it?
When Einstein discovered quantum entanglement, he could not find an equivalent in classical physics because it simply does not exist.
Basically, it postulates that, in this situation, objects that are far apart are really part of the same system where distance is unimportant.
That is, they are communicated by a space-time tunnel even if they are located in different points of the universe.
Thus, by establishing the physical attributes of one of the objects, we will instantly be conditioning the physical properties of the other particle.
Quite a gibberish, isn’t it?
Confirmation of Einstein’s prediction
So far, the experiments that have been done to test Einstein’s theory of tunneling have been done with particles with a very low energy level.
But a team of researchers and physicists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) has taken this test to the next level.
Working on a project called ATLAS, they have been able to prove Einstein’s prediction in a reliable and more tangible way.
This is because they have been able to observe the phenomenon in a device called Large Hadron Collider (LHC) among the so-called top quarks.
But before we continue, let’s understand what a top quark is. It consists of the heaviest known particle and is the one that defines the energy level of a system.
In this case, it sets the highest amount of energy reached so far. It is 13 teraelectronvolts, which is an extraordinary achievement.
Among other things, because it allows us to learn more about the theory of superposition of states and quantum entanglement.
These are the principles of the nascent quantum computing that promises to far surpass classical computing in data processing speed.
But one of the most important milestones is that with this technology one of the greatest aspirations of scientists will be achieved.
This is that computers can carry out several processes and calculations simultaneously, as opposed to the current ones that do them serially or one after the other.
Now, although it seems surprising, Einstein’s prediction about the space-time tunnel has been convincingly proven empirically.
So the construction of more powerful and versatile quantum computers will be within reach.
Why is this verification with high-energy particles so important?
As we have already said, the observation of quantum entanglement or tunneling in a particle system is truly remarkable.
This discovery paves the way for new and exciting research, opening a very wide field for the exploration of this theoretical phenomenon, as the data increase.
The most immediate consequence of this observation is that it will make it easier for scientists to test the Standard Model in innovative ways.
In parallel, they will be able to search for and determine new signals of the new quantum physics, and its properties, that may lie beyond entanglement or tunneling.
In conclusion, Einstein’s prediction of space-time tunneling has been verified in the cases of particles with high energy levels.
This opens up new research possibilities in the field of physics and quantum computing. So we can only wait for new discoveries.
https://www.eldiario24.com/en/einstein-space-time-tunnel-wormholes/1312/
Scientists discover that sand on Mars and the Moon can be turned into building blocks for space settlements
October 6, 2024 at 11:04 AM
Researchers at Trinity College Dublin have found a way to convert Martian and lunar sand into solid bricks, which should aid in building future settlements on other planets.
The team developed a method to bind regolith - the loose rocks, sand, and dust found on the surface of Mars and the Moon - using carbon nanotubes.
This process requires low temperatures and minimal energy, making it highly efficient for space applications.
Despite their relatively low density, these blocks display strength approaching that of granite.
In fact, the strongest bricks produced by this method have a compressive strength of 100 MPa, which is higher than some of the best terrestrial concretes.
One of the key advantages of these regolith-based bricks is their electrical conductivity.
This allows them to serve as internal sensors, monitoring the structural health of extraterrestrial buildings.
In simple terms, they can detect early warning signs of what was thought to be an airtight structure in space starting to fail.
The implications of this research extend beyond space exploration.
The scientists believe their findings could have practical applications for the construction industry on Earth.
By incorporating a similar nanomaterial called graphene into concrete, its strength could be increased by up to 40 percent.
This could lead to a significant reduction in the quantity of concrete needed for construction, potentially lowering pollution from the concrete manufacturing industry, which currently accounts for about 8 percent of global CO2 emissions.
Previous research has also explored the possibility of using lunar regolith to create bricks for cosmic construction projects.
A few years ago, a team of University of Central Florida researchers found that bricks made of lunar regolith and saltwater could help NASA establish a long-term presence on the Moon by building a base camp that includes a modern lunar cabin, rover and mobile home.
Associate Professor Ranajay Ghosh of UCF's Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, along with his research group, created 3D-printed bricks of lunar regolith that are able to withstand the extreme environments of space.
To create the bricks, Ghosh's team used a combination of 3D printing and binder jet technology (BJT), an additive manufacturing method that forces out a liquid binding agent – in this case saltwater – onto a bed of powder.
"Constructing a semi-permanent base on the moon or Mars will require maximal use of materials found in-situ and minimization of materials and equipment transported from Earth," said Jonathan Coleman, who leads the Trinity College project.
"This will mean a heavy reliance on regolith and water, supplemented by small quantities of additives fabricated on Earth."
https://www.techspot.com/news/105019-scientists-discover-sand-mars-moon-can-turned-building.html
nominal orbital insertion
Phoenix Was Just Ranked #1 City To See A UFO
October 7,2024
Move aside Area 51 and Roswell. Phoenix appears to be the new UFO capital.
Phoenix has been ranked as the top place in America where you will most likely see an unidentified flying object (UFO), also referred to as unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP).
The list was created by BetUS using data from the National UFO Reporting Center tracking the number of sightings by city, state, and date from 2013 to the present.
The Valley of the Sun topped the list with 323 sightings since 2013. Tucson ranked 5th with 244 sightings.
Other U.S. cities topping the list are New York City (313 sightings), Las Vegas (309), Portland (279), Boise (236), Los Angeles (222), San Diego (220), Albuquerque (216), Seattle (209) and Orlando (201).
According to the Pew Research Center, 65% of Americans believe that intelligent life exists on other planets.
https://azmarijuana.com/arizona-medical-marijuana-news/phoenix-was-just-ranked-1-city-to-see-a-ufo/
Watch Blue Origin debut 2nd human-rated New Shepard rocket today
October 7, 2024
Blue Origin will debut a new spacecraft on Monday (Oct. 7), and you can watch the action live.
Jeff Bezos' aerospace company plans to launch its uncrewed NS-27 mission Monday morning, sending its New Shepard rocket-capsule combo on a brief trip to suborbital space.
It will be the first mission for this particular vehicle, according to Blue Origin.
NS-27 will launch from the company's West Texas site during a window that opens at 12:10 p.m. EDT (1610 GMT; 11:10 a.m. local Texas time).
You can watch the action live via Blue Origin and here at Space.com, courtesy of the company.
Coverage will begin at 11:55 a.m. EDT (1555 GMT).
NS-27 will mark the debut of the second human-rated New Shepard vehicle, which consists of a first stage known as Booster 5 and a crew capsule named RSS Kármán Line.
(The Kármán line is the 62-mile-high boundary that many people regard as the start of outer space.)
"The vehicle features technology upgrades to improve the vehicle's performance and reusability, an updated livery and accommodations for payloads on the booster," Blue Origin wrote in a statement today (Oct. 4).
No people will go up on NS-27, but the mission will fly 12 research payloads, five of them on the booster and seven inside the capsule.
This gear includes new navigation systems developed for New Shepard and Blue Origin's huge New Glenn rocket, as well as two LIDAR (light detection and ranging) sensors designed to operate in the lunar environment, according to Blue Origin.
As its name suggests, NS-27 will be the 27th New Shepard mission overall. Eight of the vehicle's 26 flights to date have been crewed, sending up to six people at a time on brief trips to the final frontier.
Those eight crewed flights have all used the same New Shepard vehicle — the Booster 4/RSS First Step combo.
This second human-rated spacecraft will enable "expanded flight capacity to better meet growing customer demand," the company wrote in today's statement.
https://www.space.com/blue-origin-new-shepard-vehicle-debut-ns-27-launch
https://www.blueorigin.com/live
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddSzonJ2W38