TYB
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
October 21, 2024
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS over California
The tails of Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS were a sight to behold. Pictured, C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) was captured near peak impressiveness last week over the Eastern Sierra Mountains in California, USA. The comet not only showed a bright tail, but a distinct anti-tail pointing in nearly the opposite direction. The globular star cluster M5 can be seen on the right, far in the distance. As it approached, it was unclear if this crumbling iceberg would disintegrate completely as it warmed in the bright sunlight. In reality, the comet survived to become brighter than any star in the night (magnitude -4.9), but unfortunately was then so nearly in front of the Sun that it was hard for many casual observers to locate. Whether Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas becomes known as the Great Comet of 2024 now depends, in part, on how impressive incoming comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) becomes over the next two weeks.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
>>21799812 PB #26692
>Global Disclosure Day
Something happened with the Youtube broadcast but the X broadcast is still available.
https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1lPKqOZgzEYJb
NASA Ranks Dystopian Thriller As The Most Accurate Sci-Fi Movie Ever Made
October 20, 2024
Usually, there’s no fiction involved in NASA’s science, but they got into the sci-fi game by naming the most accurate science fiction movie ever made, calling the future dystopian Gattaca a realistic depiction of a future society.
The film centers on a humanity so obsessed with perfection that they edit their offspring’s genes to give them near-perfect abilities.
At the time it was made, gene editing was still a fictional concept, but since then, processes like CRISPR have made it a very real possibility.
Gattaca was filmed way back in 1997 when the idea of genetic engineering was still yet to be realized.
However, genetic engineering is possible now, and scientists continue to hold it up as an example of science fiction coming to life.
The ethical questions involved in manipulating human genes are at the center of the story of Gattaca, and the same is true for real-life gene editing.
While giving children the best possible start in life by enhancing their desirable characteristics and deleting some of their changing traits might sound like a good plan, there are also a lot of moral glitches that Gattaca raises.
One of the film’s main points is that those without the engineered advantages of the rest of society could have non-engineered traits like tenacity that can’t necessarily be intentionally written into the genetic code.
Another consideration that Gattaca brings to the forefront is of course about how the decisions concerning what is considered a “good” vs. a “bad” genetic trait and who gets to decide that.
In addition to accurately describing a future technology, Gattaca also predicts the pitfalls of the technology, making it more accurate than some other, more rosy science fiction illustrations of science concepts.
Questioning society’s role in using science either for the betterment of humanity or for the enrichment of a few elites makes Gattaca a classic that is revisited frequently by fans as well as scientists.
Its enduring popularity is based partly on Gattaca’s central theme, which gains weight with each advance in gene editing science.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory came out with their science fiction ranking for most and least accurate depictions of science back in 2011, ranking Gattaca the most accurate, with Contact and Metropolis in the next two slots.
They gave the least accurate rankings to 2012, The Core, and Armageddon.
Notably, all of the least scientifically accurate films according to NASA involve sending human beings to drill into either Earth’s core or another large object to do a job that could be done by robots.
Director Andrew Niccol made Gattaca at a time when the Human Genome Project was still mapping animal genomes in the run-up to mapping out the human genome.
The success of the project and the speed at which the science was advancing put forward the ethical questions raised in the film, and Niccol was drawing on these developing social quandaries when he came up with the concept for the film.
Part of the reason for its lasting impact is that it built on real science and drew in elements from past human experience to tell its story.
https://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/ent/nasa-most-accurate-movie.html
Doritos' 1st ad filmed in space features special 'zero-g' chips
October 21, 2024
It is not a sound often heard in Earth orbit, but in the newly released footage of snack and space history being made, it is clearly there.
Crunch.
Doritos on Monday (Oct. 21) is releasing its first ad filmed in space, and it is filled with the sound of astronauts "crunching" down on the brand's first-ever chips to leave the planet.
As exclusively first shared by collectSPACE.com, the online video spot shows Polaris Dawn crewmates Jared Isaacman, Scott "Kidd" Poteet, Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon each snacking on one of the "Zero Gravity Cool Ranch" Doritos chips as they floated weightless aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule last month.
The limited edition, safe-for-space version of Doritos was launched on the recent mission as part of an effort to raise funds for pediatric cancer research being conducted at St. Jude's Children's Hospital.
"Hey, thanks Doritos! Thanks for supporting St. Jude's. We appreciate this snack," Isaacman said, as captured in a behind-the-scenes clip.
The four private astronauts filmed the commercial just before embarking on the first spacewalk conducted by a non-government crew.
"We had already done our pre-breathe — really reduced our cabin pressure and increased the oxygen concentration to ready our bodies — for the spacewalk and then, as one of our last meals beforehand, we got to enjoy the Doritos," Menon, Polaris Dawn mission specialist and medical officer, said in an interview with collectSPACE.
Menon, along with her crewmates, added the Doritos distinction to their list of firsts achieved on the five-day mission, including the EVA (extravehicular activity or spacewalk) and breaking an orbital distance record set in 1966.
Menon also read from her book, "Kisses from Space," while in orbit, sharing a personal project she created to stay connected with her children during the mission.
"It was awesome!" said Menon, describing the Doritos, which were individually wrapped and packaged in individual tins. "They held up incredibly well."
For the first 60 years of human spaceflight, Doritos and most other types of chips were on the no-fly list because the crumbs they create posed a risk of floating away in the microgravity environment of space.
These flakes could then become hazards to the crew, being accidentally inhaled or getting into their eyes, or lodging themselves behind electrical panels and interfering with the operation of the spacecraft's systems.
There were some exceptions, but the workarounds sometimes altered the chips' taste or made the snacks more time consuming to eat.
The easiest solution was to leave them on Earth and pick alternate, less crumb-prone foods.
"They did do some really creative things to package them for space," said Menon, recounting how Frito-Lay (a subsidiary of PepsiCo) made sure the chips would arrive in orbit intact.
"They flew individual canisters with several chips inside each to keep them protected, because there are a lot of G [gravity] loads, vibrations, etc. — a really dynamic environment that everything that is in the vehicle has to go through — to get to outer space.
So they had some protection around them to keep them safe."
The chips were of the Doritos "Minis" size, which the brand markets on Earth (in larger cardboard tubes) as "perfect for on-the-go snacking" but turned out to be also good for eating in space because they are bite-size.
The food scientists at Frito-Lay also made one other change: they used oil-based flavoring in place of "Doritos dust."
"They were very, very clean," said Menon, confirming that she and her crewmates didn't have to lick or wipe off their fingers after their snack.
Frito-Lay based the new space chips on its herb-flavored Doritos, rather than the "original" nacho cheese.
"They did taste like Doritos, but they also had a really cool flavor. It was 'Zero Gravity Cool Ranch,'" said Menon.
"It was super neat to taste that unique flavor that was made for space, but they were also very reminiscent of Doritos on Earth, so it was nice to have that taste of home up there."
cont.
https://www.space.com/doritos-ad-filmed-space-polaris-dawn-video
http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-102124a-doritos-first-look-space-exclusive.html
Argotec inaugurates new satellite factory
October 21, 2024
Italian smallsat manufacturer Argotec formally opened a new manufacturing facility that will allow it to increase its production rate while it looks at new business opportunities in Europe and the United States.
The company held an event here Oct. 18 to open its new SpacePark headquarters and manufacturing facility, attended by regional and national officials, including Adolfo Urso, minister for enterprises in the Italian government, and Teodoro Valente, president of the Italian space agency ASI.
The building has 11,500 square meters of space, including 1,000 square meters of clean rooms.
While SpacePark is new for Argotec, the building itself is not new.
The unique building, whose round shape gives it the feel of an old sci-fi spaceship, was designed more than four decades ago for a paper company by Oscar Niemeyer, the famed Brazilian architect best known for designing many of the key government buildings in Brasilia.
David Avino, chief executive of Argotec, said in an interview that he had considered building a new facility on a greenfield site, but wanted to avoid the environmental impact of cutting down trees and pouring concrete.
“Then I came here and saw, you know, a spaceship,” he said. “And I said that I want to come here. I want to have the company here.”
Argotec spent 25 million euros ($27 million) renovating the building, adding clean rooms and mission control centers.
That required some work to deal with the building’s unusual design. “Everything had to be restructured into a circular shape,” he said.
“But the final idea was to have one of the most advanced space factories in Europe.”
The company has set aside 1,200 square meters of the building for SpacePark HUB, which Avino described as an accelerator for startups developing technologies that Argotec could use for its spacecraft.
“They have to have something already at technology readiness level six or seven,” he said of companies that would then spend one or two years in SpacePark HUB.
"We’re working together, enhancing the capabilities of their products and then flying in space with a more stable product.”
SpacePark is designed to produce up to one satellite a week.
That capacity will initially support projects like IRIDE, an Earth observation constellation funded by the Italian government.
Argotec was originally under contract to build 10 satellites and signed a contract Oct. 16 for 15 additional satellites.
In addition to SpacePark, Argotec has two facilities in the United States, in Largo, Maryland and Melbourne, Florida.
That allows the company to tap into interest from U.S. government customers for small satellites.
Argotec has 15 employees in the United States, compared to 200 at SpacePark, but Avino said his company is expanding in America.
Despite the investment in building out SpacePark, he said the company remains profitable.
He added the company may seek to raise funding in the coming years to support its U.S. expansion and for research and development towards a goal of having 80% of its satellite subsystems built in-house.
He added the company may consider an initial public offering of shares in three to five years.
Argotec doesn’t expect to need to invest much in expansion of SpacePark, though, as the building is able to accommodate up to 600 employees. “We have room to grow.”
https://spacenews.com/argotec-inaugurates-new-satellite-factory/
Northrop Grumman unveils flying data center for military intelligence
October 21, 2024
Defense contractor Northrop Grumman has demonstrated new technology that turns aircraft into a flying data center, processing real-time intelligence from satellites and drones to aid military operations.
The system, called Deep Sensing and Targeting (DSAT), was showcased at a U.S. Army exercise last month, the company said Oct. 21.
“We’re providing intelligence collection from space-based sensors to the airborne platform and delivering it to operators in real time,” said Brent Swift, director of the DSAT program at Northrop Grumman’s Colorado-based intelligence unit.
The technology could help solve a persistent military challenge: getting precise targeting data quickly enough to guide long-range missiles and artillery in fast-moving combat situations, he said.
The demonstration took place during Vanguard 24, a two-week Army exercise in Fort Huachuca, Arizona, designed to test advanced military sensors and surveillance systems.
The DSAT system showed it could process multiple types of intelligence data aboard a commercial aircraft, drawing information from both commercial and military satellites.
The setup uses tactical radios to communicate with forces both within and beyond direct line of sight.
This airborne approach helps overcome limitations of traditional fixed ground stations, which can lose direct contact with satellites due to terrain or distance constraints.
The Army is already investing in ground-based intelligence systems, including the TITAN (Tactical Intelligence Targeting Access Node) station made by Palantir Technologies.
Swift said Northrop Grumman’s airborne system builds on an earlier TITAN prototype the company developed in 2022.
This development comes as the Army modernizes its intelligence capabilities.
In a separate $1 billion program, defense contractor Sierra Nevada Corp. recently won a contract to build HADES (High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System), a specialized intelligence aircraft.
That award is currently being challenged by competitor L3Harris Technologies.
https://spacenews.com/northrop-grumman-unveils-flying-data-center-for-military-intelligence/
Fatal crash reported at Las Cruces Air and Space Expo
Updated 10:10 p.m. on Oct. 20.
The second annual Las Cruces Air and Space Expo came to an abrupt end on Sunday afternoon as a plane crashed during an aerobatic performance over the city's municipal airport west of town.
In the immediate aftermath of the crash, the city released few details: At approximately 2:30 p.m., a single plane went down.
The pilot was not identified as family members were being notified.
Later, the Las Cruces Sun-News reported that New Mexico State Police, handing the initial investigation, confirmed that a person was killed.
The Las Cruces Bulletin was not able to independently confirm the death Sunday night, but tributes began appearing on the Facebook page of stunt pilot and flight instructor Chuck Coleman.
The event, scheduled to end at 4 p.m. Sunday, was immediately canceled.
A live stream of Sunday's air show appeared to show the crash occurred at about 2:32 p.m. during a solo aerobatic performance by Coleman.
Spectator Terre Blevins, who attended both days of the expo, captured Coleman's thrilling display on her mobile phone.
For four minutes, Coleman executed loops, rolls and cuban manuevers, frequently pulling straight upward and soaring over the runways with a stream of white paraffin smoke trailing behind the plane. Then, suddenly, the plane appeared to tumble awkwardly before heading nose-first to the ground, disappearing behind a layer of desert brush at a distance from the spectators.
"It was this big puff of dirt," Blevins recalled, "and then I looked at the security guard next to me. I'm like, 'Did he crash?' And she just took off running."
Blevins said she brought her 87-year-old father, an air show enthusiast, with her, and that they briefly met Coleman before his performance.
She said they were both in shock after witnessing the crash.
"He died doing what he loved," she said. "I feel bad for his family."
The live stream's audio captures the sounds of spectators exclaiming in horror, and the announcer asking them to remain in their seats while first responders rush to the crash site.
The live stream abruptly ends just after a fire department vehicle can be scene racing down the runway.
Blevins said that after first responders arrived at the scene, spectators were instructed to leave the airport calmly, and to refrain from posting about the crash on social media until more information was available.
According to his website, Coleman is an aerospace engineer, air show stunt pilot and flight instructor who flew in hundreds of air shows piloting an Extra Flugzeugbau 300L two-seat plane.
This was the plane he flew on Sunday, according to his appearance at a media event at the airport on Oct. 18, when he pointed out the plane on the tarmac behind him.
Coleman also has appeared in movies and television, and trained actors in the film, "Top Gun: Maverick."
Neither the city nor state police reported any passenger on Coleman's flight.
A phone number associated with Coleman went straight to voice mail Sunday evening, as commenters on his Facebook page reported witnessing his plane crash.
Coleman had flown during the inaugural air and space expo last year as well.
https://www.lascrucesbulletin.com/stories/fatal-crash-at-las-cruces-air-and-space-expo,97100
'Lunar soil bricks' to be sent to China's space station for experiment
Updated: Oct 20, 2024 11:35 PM
Bricks made from simulated lunar soil, a potential building material for future habitats on the moon, are scheduled to be sent to China's space station for exposure experiments, with the first brick anticipated to return to Earth by the end of 2025.
The bricks made from simulated lunar soil have a density comparable to that of ordinary bricks, but their compressive strength exceeds that of standard red bricks and concrete bricks by more than three times, with one square centimeter able to support over one ton of weight, according to China Central Television (CCTV).
The combination of these durable bricks employs mortise and tenon techniques, making them more suited for the structural design of future lunar bases, said Zhou Cheng, a professor from National Center of Technology Innovation for Digital Construction, as reported by CCTV.
However, building a house on the lunar surface could face challenges due to drastic temperature changes on the moon, with temperatures exceeding 180 C during lunar days and reaching -190 C at lunar night.
As the moon rotates and orbits, day and night occur on different parts of its surface, with lunar day and night each about two Earth weeks long.
Without atmospheric protection, significant levels of cosmic radiation and many micrometeorites would also hit the surface of the moon, and there is frequent moonquake activity.
All of these will place demanding requirements on the mechanical, thermal and radiation resistance properties of lunar surface construction materials.
As these bricks are set to travel to the Tiangong Space Station aboard the Tianzhou-8 cargo craft to test their suitability for building habitats on the moon, Zhou outlined three key properties of the bricks that will be verified, including the potential degradation of their mechanical properties, their heat preservation and insulation effectiveness, and their ability to withstand cosmic radiation on the moon.
The whole process of making such bricks by vacuum hot pressing and sintering is divided into three steps, Zhou explained. Researchers need to weigh the simulated lunar soil and then place it in the mould according to its weight.
They have to press it into the mould container as the lunar soil is very loose.
The researcher will then put it into the vacuum hot-pressing furnace. After locking the whole vacuum experimental device, it can be heated up and sintered, Zhou introduced.
The lunar soil material that the researchers modeled in the lab is similar to the Earth's soil, which is dispersed. To process it, researchers must subject it to high temperatures.
Zhou noted that the process does not involve any additional material additives, making it a highly promising construction method for future lunar base development, allowing the use of in-situ resources on the moon, such as lunar soil, solar energy, minerals to build a house, eliminating the need to transport prefabricated building components from the Earth.
Such an approach could greatly reduce the cost of lunar surface construction.
These simulated bricks will be exposed to experiments in space to accumulate scientific data for building houses on the moon in the future, so as to optimize the actual scheme, according to CCTV.
Whether for scientific research or construction on the moon, transporting materials from Earth is impractical, Wang Yanan, chief editor of Beijing-based Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times on Sunday.
Given the current capacity of rockets, the valuable room of each launch should be reserved for personnel, essential equipment, and supplies.
Therefore, lunar soil is an abundant and easily accessible building material, which solves the problem of obtaining raw materials in situ on the moon, Wang noted.
The total planned exposure period for the bricks is three years, so every year researchers will return one sample panel exposed on the space station to Earth and conduct related experiments, Zhou said.
The research team also designed the bricks in two shapes: columnar and flaky. The pillar-shaped lunar soil bricks are primarily intended for mechanical testing, while the larger-exposed flakes are used to assess thermal and radiation effects, according to CCTV.
In addition to their various forms, these bricks are made from five simulated compositions of lunar soil and undergo three distinct sintering processes, providing more accurate scientific data for the construction of future lunar bases.
China's lunar exploration program will carry out two more launch missions to lay the groundwork for the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), with the first launch expected to take place as early as 2026, announced the China National Space Administration in September.
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202410/1321536.shtml