Anonymous ID: 1239d7 Jan. 8, 2025, 6:39 a.m. No.22315262   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>5269 >>5328 >>5335 >>5394 >>5738 >>6008

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

January 8, 2025

 

Supernova Remnants Big and Small

 

What happens after a star explodes? A huge fireball of hot gas shoots out in all directions. When this gas slams into the existing interstellar medium, it heats up so much it glows. Two different supernova remnants (SNRs) are visible in the featured image, taken at the Oukaïmeden Observatory in Morocco. The blue soccer ball-looking nebula toward the upper left is SNR G179.0+02.6, which appears to be the smaller one. This supernova, about 11,000 light years distant, detonated about 50,000 years ago. Although composed mostly of hydrogen gas, the blue light is emitted by a trace amount of oxygen. The seemingly larger SNR, dominating the lower right of the frame, is the Spaghetti Nebula, cataloged as Simeis 147 and sh2-240. This supernova, only about 3,000 light years away, exploded about 40,000 years ago. Comparatively, even though they appear different sizes, both supernova remnants are not only roughly the same age, but about the same size, too.

 

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

Anonymous ID: 1239d7 Jan. 8, 2025, 6:44 a.m. No.22315287   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>5328 >>5335 >>5394 >>5738 >>6008

NASA Punts Mars Sample Return Decision

January 8, 2025

 

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said yesterday he would leave two options for the next administration to get scientific samples home from Mars, an over-budget $11B mission that the agency paused in 2023.

 

Use JPL heritage technology to deliver a smaller lander to collect the samples and send them into orbit to rendezvous with a European-built Earth-return spacecraft. Cost: Up to $7.7B

Use an unidentified commercial heavy-lift lander to deliver and perhaps return the samples. Cost: Up to $7.1B

Either option, Nelson said, would require an immediate commitment from lawmakers of $300M to begin launching by 2030 and return thirty Martian rock, soil and atmospheric samples between 2035 and 2039.

 

Downscale: After months of studies, NASA scaled back its plans for the mission, cutting vehicle mass and switching power sources.

Still, MSR would be one of the most expensive NASA science missions ever.

“As proposed, a mission that would cost $7 billion and not return samples until 2036 at the earliest seems to be out of pace with what the incoming administration is looking for,” Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at the Planetary Society, told Payload.

 

Who else? NASA awarded eight companies up to $1.5M to conduct 90-day studies of how to do MSR faster and cheaper, but details remain scarce.

Nelson mentioned both SpaceX and Blue Origin, and Nicola Fox, the head of NASA’s science mission directorate, discussed the agency’s interest in commercial heavy landers generally.

“They dance around, but there’s only really one viable, realistic player, which is SpaceX and Starship,” Dreier said.

 

“The commercial aspect is a prayer that there will be a commercial, viable option, because it just does not exist,” Dreier said.

“The fundamental decision that Bill Nelson has given to the incoming administration is, do you go with something you know, or do you go with something you don’t?”

 

Excuse me: Rocket Lab, the other spacecraft company with a regular launch cadence, pitched its own end-to-end MSR concept to NASA.

Unmentioned in the agency’s briefing, the plan targets a sample return by 2031 at a dramatically lower cost of $4B.

 

Richard French, Rocket Lab’s VP for business development, said that’s possible thanks to vertical integration, ditching ESA’s contribution, and adopting simple concepts of operations that don’t require in-space refueling or vehicles based on expensive human-rated systems.

“We’re hopeful that the new administration wants to lean forward into commercial,” French told Payload.

“There needs to be fair and open competition. Some companies are overextended, they aren’t meeting their obligations as already assigned. We’re not one of those.”

 

Make it work? Let’s not forget incoming President Donald Trump has previously suggested Moon missions are a waste of time, and his advisor Elon Musk is laser-focused on Mars.

Given that, officials could pitch MSR as a risk reduction and tech demo project for a future human spaceflight program targeting the red planet.

 

But if NASA elects to wait for a mission in the 2030s, the current architecture would require the Perseverance rover to return to its landing site and wait for its arrival in order to deliver the cached samples.

“Essentially, this would prematurely end the exploration phase of NASA’s last great science rover, quietly draining its battery and waiting for a mission that might never come,” Dreier said.

 

https://payloadspace.com/nasa-punts-mars-sample-return-decision/

Anonymous ID: 1239d7 Jan. 8, 2025, 6:52 a.m. No.22315339   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>5394 >>5738 >>6008

Sols 4416-4417: New Year, New Clouds

Jan 08, 2025

 

After our marathon holiday plan, we’re easing back into the new year with a standard two-sol plan.

We did arrive today to the news that the drive hadn’t made it as far as we wanted, but luckily the rover planners determined that we were still in a good position to do contact science on two wintry targets — “Snow Creek” and “Winter Creek.”

We also packed in lots of remote science with ChemCam using LIBS on “Grapevine” and “Skull Rock,” and we are doing long-distance imaging of the Texoli and Wilkerson buttes, and Gould Mesa.

 

Mastcam will be imaging a number of targets near and far as well including “Red Box”’ “Point Mugu,” “Stone Canyon,” “Pine Cove,” and “Hummingbird Sage,” which will examine various structures in the bedrock.

We can’t forget about the atmosphere either — we have a couple dust-devil surveys to look for dust lifting, but the real star of the show (at least for me) is the cloud imaging.

 

While we’re just into 2025 here on Earth, we’re also near the start of a new year on Mars!

A Mars year starts at the northern vernal equinox (or the start of autumn in the southern hemisphere, where Curiosity is), and Mars year 38 started on Nov. 12.

 

We’re about a third of the way through autumn on Mars now, and the southern Martian autumn and winter bring one thing — clouds! Near the start of the Martian year we start seeing clouds around sunset.

These are noctilucent (meaning “night illuminated”) clouds. Even though the sun has set in Gale Crater, the clouds are high enough in the atmosphere that the sun still shines on them, making them seem to almost glow in the sky.

You can see this with clouds on Earth, too, around twilight! Mars year 38 will be our fourth year capturing these twilight clouds, and the Navcam images (one of which you can see above) already show it’s shaping up to be another year of spectacular clouds!

 

https://science.nasa.gov/blog/sols-4416-4417-new-year-new-clouds/

Anonymous ID: 1239d7 Jan. 8, 2025, 7 a.m. No.22315403   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>5738 >>6008

NASA to Cover Two Spacewalks, Hold Preview News Conference

Jan 07, 2025

 

Two NASA astronauts will venture outside the International Space Station, conducting U.S. spacewalk 91 on Thursday, Jan. 16, and U.S. spacewalk 92 on Thursday, Jan. 23, to complete station upgrades.

NASA also will discuss the pair of upcoming spacewalks during a news conference at 2 p.m. EST Friday, Jan. 10, on NASA+ from the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.

 

Participants in the news conference from NASA Johnson include:

Bill Spetch, operations integration manager

Nicole McElroy, spacewalk flight director

 

Media interested in participating in person or by phone must contact the NASA Johnson newsroom no later than 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8, at: 281-483-5111 or jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov.

To ask questions, media must dial in no later than 15 minutes before the start of the news conference. A copy of NASA’s media accreditation policy is online.

Questions also may be submitted on social media using #AskNASA.

 

The first spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. on Jan. 16, and last about six and a half hours. NASA will provide live coverage beginning at 5:30 a.m. on NASA+.

 

NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Suni Williams will replace a rate gyro assembly that helps provide orientation control for the station, install patches to cover damaged areas of light filters for an X-ray telescope called NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer), and replace a reflector device used for navigational data on one of the international docking adapters.

Additionally, the pair will check access areas and connector tools that will be used for future maintenance work on the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer.

 

Hague will serve as spacewalk crew member 1 and will wear a suit with red stripes. Williams will serve as spacewalk crew member 2 and will wear an unmarked suit.

This will be the fourth for Hague and the eighth for Williams. It will be the 273rd spacewalk in support of space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.

The second spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. on Jan. 23, and last about six and a half hours. NASA will provide live coverage beginning at 5:30 a.m. on NASA+.

 

Astronauts will remove a radio frequency group antenna assembly from the station’s truss, collect samples of surface material for analysis from the Destiny laboratory and the Quest airlock to see whether microorganisms may exist on the exterior of the orbital complex, and prepare a spare elbow joint for the Canadarm2 robotic arm in the event it is needed for a replacement.

 

Following completion of U.S. spacewalk 91, NASA will name the participating crew members for U.S. spacewalk 92. It will be the 274th spacewalk in support of space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.

 

https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-to-cover-two-spacewalks-hold-preview-news-conference/

Anonymous ID: 1239d7 Jan. 8, 2025, 7:03 a.m. No.22315420   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>5738 >>6008

Astronauts Talk to NASA Leaders

January 8, 2025 1:25 pm

 

Live from aboard the International Space Station, astronauts will join a conversation with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy.

 

https://plus.nasa.gov/scheduled-video/astronauts-talk-to-nasa-leaders/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSs2MLkByNQ

Anonymous ID: 1239d7 Jan. 8, 2025, 7:14 a.m. No.22315456   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>5459

NASA Kicks off Testing Campaign for Remotely Piloted Cargo Flights

Jan 07, 2025

 

NASA recently began a series of flight tests with partners to answer an important aviation question: What will it take to integrate remotely piloted or autonomous planes carrying large packages and cargo safely into the U.S. airspace?

Researchers tested new technologies in Hollister, California, that are helping to investigate what tools and capabilities are needed to make these kinds of flights routine.

 

The commercial industry continues to make advancements in autonomous aircraft systems aimed at making it possible for remotely operated aircraft to fly over communities – transforming the way we will transport people and goods.

As the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) develops standards for this new type of air transportation, NASA is working to ensure these uncrewed flights are safe by creating the required technological tools and infrastructure.

These solutions could be scaled to support many different remotely piloted aircraft – including air taxis and package delivery drones – in a shared airspace with traditional crewed aircraft.

 

“Remotely piloted aircraft systems could eventually deliver cargo and people to rural areas with limited access to commercial transportation and delivery services,” said Shivanjli Sharma, aerospace engineer at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley.

“We’re aiming to create a healthy ecosystem of many different kinds of remotely piloted operations. T

hey will fly in a shared airspace to provide communities with better access to goods and services, like medical supply deliveries and more efficient transportation.”

 

During a flight test in November, Reliable Robotics, a company developing an autonomous flight system, remotely flew its Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft through pre-approved flight paths in Hollister, California.

Although a safety pilot was aboard, a Reliable Robotics remote pilot directed the flight from their control center in Mountain View, more than 50 miles away.

Congressional staffers from the United States House and Senate’s California delegation joined NASA Deputy Associate Administrator for Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, Carol Caroll, Ames Aeronautics Director, Huy Tran, and other Ames leadership at Reliable Robotics Headquarters to view the live remote flight.

 

Researchers evaluated a Collins Aerospace ground-based surveillance system’s ability to detect nearby air traffic and provide the remote pilot with information in order to stay safely separated from other aircraft in the future.

Initial analysis shows the ground-based radar actively surveilled the airspace during the aircraft’s taxi, takeoff, and landing.

The data was transmitted from the radar system to the remote pilot at Reliable Robotics. In the future, this capability could help ensure aircraft remain safely separated across all phases of fight.

 

While current FAA operating rules require pilots to physically see and avoid other aircraft from inside the cockpit, routine remotely piloted aircraft will require a suite of integrated technologies to avoid hazards and coordinate with other aircraft in the airspace.

A radar system for ground-based surveillance offers one method for detecting other traffic in the airspace and at the airport, providing one part of the capability to ensure pilots can avoid collision and accomplish their desired missions.

Data analysis from this testing will help researchers understand if ground-based surveillance radar can be used to satisfy FAA safety rules for remotely piloted flights.

 

NASA will provide analysis and reports of this flight test to the FAA and standards bodies. “This is an exciting time for the remotely piloted aviation community,” Sharma said.

“Among other benefits, remote operations could provide better access to healthcare, bolster natural disaster response efforts, and offer more sustainable and effective transportation to both rural and urban communities.

We’re thrilled to provide valuable data to the industry and the FAA to help make remote operations a reality in the near future.”

 

Over the next year, NASA will work with additional aviation partners on test flights and simulations to test weather services, communications systems, and other autonomous capabilities for remotely piloted flights.

NASA researchers will analyze data from these tests to provide a comprehensive report to the FAA and the community on what minimum technologies and capabilities are needed to enable and scale remotely piloted operations.

 

https://www.nasa.gov/aeronautics/nasa-kicks-off-testing-campaign-for-remotely-piloted-cargo-flights/

https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/armd/aosp/atm-x/

Anonymous ID: 1239d7 Jan. 8, 2025, 7:37 a.m. No.22315561   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>5565 >>5571 >>5738 >>6008

NASA’s 2024 International Space Station Achievements

Jan 08, 2025

 

For more than 24 years, NASA has supported a continuous U.S. human presence aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth for the benefit of humanity.

The space station is a springboard to NASA’s next great leaps in exploration, including future missions to the Moon under Artemis, and ultimately, human exploration of Mars.

Read more about the groundbreaking work conducted in 2024 aboard the station:

 

Robot performs remote simulated surgery

On long-duration missions, crew members may need surgical procedures, whether simple stitches or an emergency appendectomy.

A small robot successfully performed simulated surgical procedures on the space station in early February 2024 for the Robotic Surgery Tech Demo, using two “hands” to grasp and cut rubber bands simulating tissue.

Researchers compare the procedures conducted aboard the station and on Earth to evaluate the effects of microgravity and communication delays between space and ground.

 

3D metal print in space

On May 30,2024, the ESA (European Space Agency) Metal 3D Printer investigation created a small stainless steel s-curve, the first metal 3D print in space.

Crew members on future missions could print metal parts for equipment maintenance, eliminating the need to pack spare parts and tools at launch.

This technology also has the potential to improve additive manufacturing on Earth.

 

Here’s looking at you, Earth

The space station orbits roughly 250 miles above and passes over 90 percent of Earth’s population, providing a unique perspective for photographing the planet.

Astronauts have taken more than 5.3 million images of Earth to monitor the planet’s changing landscape.

The Expedition 71 crew took over 630,000 images, well above the average of roughly 105,000 for a single mission.

 

This year, images included the April solar eclipse and auroras produced as the Sun’s 11-year activity cycle peaks.

Others supported response to over 14 disaster events including hurricanes. In addition, 80,000 images were geolocated using machine learning, improving public search capabilities.

 

Miles of flawless fibers

From mid-February to mid-March of 2024, the Flawless Space Fibers-1 system produced more than seven miles of optical fiber in space.

One draw of more than a half mile of fiber surpassed the prior record of 82 feet for the longest fiber manufactured in space, demonstrating that commercial lengths of fiber can be produced in orbit.

Fibers produced in microgravity can be superior to those produced in Earth’s gravity.

These fibers are made from ZBLAN, a glass alloy with the potential to provide more than 10 times the transmission capacity of traditional silica-based fibers.

 

Tell-tale heart

In May 2024, BFF-Cardiac successfully bioprinted a three-dimensional human heart tissue sample using the Redwire BioFabrication Facility.

Tissues bioprinted in the microgravity of the space station hold their shape without the use of artificial scaffolds.

These bioprinted human heart tissues eventually could be used to create personalized patches for tissue damaged by events such as heart attacks. The tissue sample is undergoing further testing on Earth.

 

Station-tested radiation technology flown on Artemis I

The Orion spacecraft carried 5,600 passive and 34 active radiation detectors on its Artemis I uncrewed mission around the Moon in November 2022.

Some of these devices previously were tested on the space station: HERA (Hybrid Electronic Radiation Assessor), which detects radiation events such as solar flares; the ESA (European Space Agency) Active Dosimeters, a wearable device collecting real-time data on individual radiation doses; and the AstroRad Vest, a garment to protect radiation-sensitive organs and tissues.

 

In 2024, researchers released evaluation of data collected in 2022 by these tools that indicate the Orion spacecraft can protect astronauts on lunar missions from potentially hazardous radiation.

The orbiting laboratory remains a valuable platform for testing technology for missions beyond Earth’s orbit.

 

Record participation in Fifth Robo-Pro Challenge

A record 661 teams and 2,788 applicants from thirteen countries, regions, and organizations participated in the fifth Kibo Robo-Pro Challenge, which wrapped its final round in September.

This educational program from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) has students solve various problems by programming free-flying Astrobee robots aboard the space station.

Participants gain hands-on experience with space robot technology and software programming and interact with others from around the world.

 

https://www.nasa.gov/missions/station/iss-research/nasas-2024-international-space-station-achievements/

Anonymous ID: 1239d7 Jan. 8, 2025, 7:48 a.m. No.22315631   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>5640 >>5738 >>6008

Japan links Chinese hacker MirrorFace to dozens of cyberattacks targeting security and tech data

January 8, 2025

 

Japan on Wednesday linked more than 200 cyberattacks over the past five years targeting the country's national security and high technology data to a Chinese hacking group, MirrorFace, detailing their tactics and calling on government agencies and businesses to reinforce preventive measures.

The National Police Agency said its analysis on the targets, methods and infrastructure of the cyberattacks by MirrorFace from 2019 to 2024 concluded they were systematic attacks linked to China with an aim of stealing data on Japanese national security and advanced technology.

 

The targets of the Chinese government-led cyberattacks included Japan's Foreign and Defense ministries, the country's space agency and individuals including politicians, journalists, private companies and think tanks related to advanced technology, the NPA said.

Experts have repeatedly raised concerns about the vulnerability of Japan’s cybersecurity, especially as the country steps up its defense capabilities and works more closely with the United States and other partners to strengthen cyber defenses. Japan has taken steps but experts say more work is needed.

 

MirrorFace sent emails with attachments containing malware to targeted organizations and individuals to view data saved on computers mainly from December 2019 to July 2023, often from Gmail and Microsoft Outlook addresses using stolen identities, the NPA investigation found.

The emails typically used as subjects key words such as “Japan-U.S. alliance,” “Taiwan Strait,” “Russia-Ukraine war” and “free and open Indo-Pacific," and included an invitation for a study panel, references and a list of panelists, the NPA said.

 

In another tactic, the hackers targeted Japanese organizations in areas of aerospace, semiconductors, information and communications from February to October 2023 by exploiting vulnerabilities in virtual private networks to gain unauthorized access to information.

The attacks included one on the Japan Aerospace and Exploration Agency, or JAXA, which acknowledged in June it had suffered a series of cyberattacks since 2023, though sensitive information related to rockets, satellites and defense was not affected.

It was investigating to take preventive measures.

 

Last year, a cyberattack paralyzed operations at a container terminal at a port in the city of Nagoya for three days.

More recently, Japan Airlines was hit by a cyberattack on Christmas, causing delays and cancellations to more than 20 domestic flights, though the carrier was able to stop the onslaught and restore its systems hours later and there was no impact on flight safety.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/japan-links-chinese-hacker-mirrorface-to-dozens-of-cyberattacks-targeting-security-and-tech-data/ar-AA1xae1j

Anonymous ID: 1239d7 Jan. 8, 2025, 8:01 a.m. No.22315695   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>5752

Rocket scientist V Narayanan named new chief of India's space agency

January 7, 202511:23 PM PST

 

India appointed rocket scientist V. Narayanan as the new head of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the government said on Tuesday, a key role as India works to become a space superpower.

Narayanan takes over from S. Somanath, who became chairman in 2022 and has been credited with making the 54-year-old space agency more approachable and opening it up to engage with the next generation.

 

Former colleagues describe Narayanan, who joined ISRO in 1984, as a mild mannered but "strict" scientist with a track record of getting things done.

"The appointment is a surprise because we were expecting an extension for Somanath, but the choice makes sense, given Narayanan's track record," said a former ISRO scientist and colleague, who did not want to be named because he is not authorised to speak to the media.

 

Narayanan, who has a doctorate in aerospace engineering, will take charge as ISRO sets sights on building its own space station by 2035, and putting an Indian on the moon by 2040.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called on ISRO to make India a profitable space superpower, and the agency has responded by looking to work with the private sector.

The Indian government estimates its share of the market is currently just $8 billion, but it is aiming to increase that to $44 billion over the next decade.

 

The $400 billion global commercial space market is expected to be worth $1 trillion by 2030. Somanath and Narayanan did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Narayanan, who has worked on the key rocket launches such as ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle and led the centre that designs and develops liquid propulsion systems for the agency, will take over on Jan. 14 for a two-year term.

He was also the head of the analysis committee tasked with looking into the failure of Chandrayaan-2, where ISRO lost contact with a spacecraft it was trying to land on the moon.

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-names-rocket-scientist-narayanan-new-space-agency-chief-2025-01-08/

Anonymous ID: 1239d7 Jan. 8, 2025, 8:11 a.m. No.22315748   🗄️.is 🔗kun

Shenzhou-18 crew makes first public appearance after return

Jan 08, 2025 09:31 PM

 

Ye Guangfu, Li Cong and Li Guangsu, the three taikonauts of the Shenzhou-18 manned spaceflight mission crew, made their public debut on Wednesday afternoon, some 60 days after their safe return to Earth.

Astronaut Center of China revealed to the Global Times on Wednesday that the crew has completed various stages of isolation recovery and rehabilitation, and fully entered a recovery observation phase.

 

Currently, the Shenzhou-18 crew members are in good condition, both physically and mentally. All medical checkups have yielded normal results, and their muscle strength, endurance and cardiovascular function have generally returned to pre-flight levels.

After completing the recovery tasks and conducting a health assessment summary, the three taikonauts will transition into regular training, the center disclosed.

 

Ye, the mission commander of the Shenzhou-18, has spent 375 days working and living in orbit during two manned spaceflight missions, with the crew's stay in orbit lasting 192 days, both of which set new records for the longest single-person and crewed stay in space, according to the center.

Ye was a member of the Shenzhou-13 crew from October 2021 to April 2022, and served as the mission commander for Shenzhou-18 mission from April 2024 to November 2024.

 

He described his feelings about returning to his "space home" as three changes: From visiting to coming home, it feels warmer and more reassuring.

From one module to three modules, the environment is more comfortable, and the tasks are more complex. "From taikonaut 03 to commander, my role has changed, and I have greater responsibilities."

 

At the press event, Ye shared that "to continuously maintain an efficient work state, it is essential to have good time management, a healthy lifestyle, and a strong and sustained passion for the tasks at hand."

Taikonaut Li Cong revealed that the support team of the Astronaut Center of China had prepared various mystery boxes and birthday surprises before the mission was launched.

Then, at the beginning of each month, during major holidays, or on birthdays, the ground staff would notify us to go to the cargo ship and search for these surprises. "The process felt like a treasure hunt."

 

These thoughtful arrangements added joy and anticipation to the astronauts' intense and busy work, providing very effective psychological support, Li Cong said thankfully. The mysterious gifts were diverse, according to the taikonaut.

For example, the birthday packages contained longevity noodles, and at the beginning of each month, we would receive highly-rated popular foods like beef sauce, braised ribs and even a whole roast chicken - foods we all loved.

In addition to food, there were also stress-relieving gadgets, he said.

 

The Shenzhou-18 astronauts carried out extravehicular activities or spacewalks twice. Their first spacewalk in May set a new record for the longest single spacewalk by Chinese taikonauts.

During their space adventures, the Shenzhou-18 trio also experienced some special joy brought by the space "aquarium" and "garden" in the Tiangong space station.

 

The three taikonauts created a space "aquarium" using zebrafish and algae to study how the space environment affects their growth and system balance. It was also a breakthrough in the field of raising vertebrates in space.

The taikonauts discovered that zebrafish exhibited abnormal orientation behaviors in microgravity, such as upside-down swimming, spinning and circling.

 

Li Guangsu, the third member of the crew, took great pride in the crew's participating in dozens of space science experiments across all three modules of the space station, involving fluid physics, combustion physics, life sciences, aerospace medicine, materials science, new technologies, and more.

"These experiments were all very interesting. Through these projects, we obtained valuable space science research data, and we feel a great sense of accomplishment."

Li Guangsu said the space fish farming was the most impressive one. "Those adorable zebrafish, in addition to completing their mission tasks, also became our little pets and an important source of emotional comfort."

 

"The first time we saw them was on the day we arrived at the space station. We noticed they were not moving much and were floating in different positions.

A few days later, we saw them becoming more lively and able to swim to where they wanted to go. It seems they also needed time to adapt to the space environment.

Looking back at their 'backstroke' in the early days of the mission, it was as if I saw myself trying to adapt to the weightless environment back then," he said.

The three crew members unanimously described their performance on this mission as "silky smooth."

 

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202501/1326521.shtml

Anonymous ID: 1239d7 Jan. 8, 2025, 8:30 a.m. No.22315859   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>5862 >>6008 >>6032

Space Force's secretive X-37B space plane soars past 1 year in orbit

January 8, 2025

 

That U.S. Space Force X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV-7) has silently slipped past one-year of flight time.

The craft is engaged in performing aerobrake maneuvers, a technique to alter its orbit around Earth, as well as safely dispose of its attached service module.

 

Lofted in December of 2023, the military spaceplane was placed in an orbit higher than any of the earlier space plane missions – into a highly elliptical high Earth orbit.

From that orbit, the United States Space Force, supported by the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, conducted radiation effect experiments and tested Space Domain Awareness technologies.

 

X-37B/OTV-7 is also referred to as United States Space Force-52 (USSF-52). This spaceplane was lofted on Dec. 28, 2023.

The OTV-7 flight marks the first time the U.S. Space Force and the X-37B have attempted to carry out a dynamic aerobraking maneuver.

 

In a statement released last year by Boeing, builder of the X37B "will perform ground-breaking aerobraking maneuvers to take the dynamic spaceplane from one Earth orbit to another while conserving fuel.

Partnered with the United States Space Force, this novel demonstration is the first of its kind."

 

The use of the aerobraking maneuver requires the heat-tiled spacecraft to conduct a series of passes using the drag of Earth's atmosphere.

That technique enables the spacecraft to change orbits while expending minimal fuel.

There are no details as yet on whether the X-37B’s aerobrake maneuvering is complete.

 

If so, the uncrewed vehicle was slated to resume its test and experimentation objectives until they are accomplished.

At that point, the vehicle is to de-orbit and execute a safe return to Earth, likely at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility Runway.

 

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/tech/space-forces-secretive-x-37b-space-plane-soars-past-1-year-in-orbit

Anonymous ID: 1239d7 Jan. 8, 2025, 8:39 a.m. No.22315907   🗄️.is 🔗kun

Watch India attempt its 1st space docking between satellites live online tonight

January 8, 2025

 

India will attempt its first-ever docking in orbit late tonight(Jan. 8), and you'll be able to watch the action live as it happens.

 

Twin satellites, built by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), will try to link up in low Earth orbit on Wednesday night, and the docking is expected to be broadcast on a free livestream that you can watch starting at 9:30 p.m. EST (0230 Jan. 9 GMT).

At the time of this livestream, it will be 8:00 a.m. on Jan. 9 India Standard Time.

 

The Space Docking Experiment, or SpaDeX, satellites launched into space on Dec. 30 and were initially expected to dock on Jan. 6, but ISRO postponed the orbital rendezvous to allow more time for checks.

"The docking process requires further validation through ground simulations based on an abort scenario identified today," ISRO officials wrote in a mission update on the social media site X at the time.

 

India's SpaDeX mission is the country's first demonstration of the automated docking system ISRO will use to link spacecraft in orbit around Earth and the moon.

The company hopes to launch its Chandrayaan-4 sample return mission to the moon's south pole by 2028, then build a space station for astronauts in orbit around the moon by 2040.

 

Both moon projects will require automated docking technology. The Chandrayaan-4 mission must dock a sample return capsule to a craft for the trip back to Earth, while the modules of India's planned Bharatiya Antariksha Station will need docking ports for visiting crews or cargo ships.

Similar technology was developed by NASA, Russia, China, Japan and the European Space Agency for their respective space station and moon missions.

 

SpaDex will use a Chaser and Target spacecraft, each of which weighs 485 pounds (220 kilograms), to test orbital rendezvous and docking while flying 290 miles (467 kilometers) above Earth.

The test "will mark India’s entry into the exclusive league of nations capable of mastering space docking," India's Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh said in a statement before launch.

 

ISRO is also testing other space station technologies on the SpaDeX mission.

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle that launched the twin satellites also carried a suite of other experiments for ISRO, universities and commercial ventures on a platform called POEM-4.

Among them is a small "walking" robotic arm that can crawl across a spacecraft's exterior, much like the Canadarm2 robot arm on the International Space Station.

 

"India's first space robotic arm, is in action onboard POEM-4!" ISRO officials said on Jan. 4. in a X post along with a video of the arm being tested.

 

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/missions/watch-india-first-space-docking-livestream

https://twitter.com/isro/status/1875421219652301144

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCs1UWAo2I0

Anonymous ID: 1239d7 Jan. 8, 2025, 8:47 a.m. No.22315952   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>5954 >>5989 >>6008

https://www.space.com/spooky-action-small-distance-entanglement-quarks-gluons

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6633/ad910b

 

Scientists find 'spooky' quantum entanglement on incredibly tiny scales — within individual protons

January 7, 2025

 

Scientists have used high-energy particle collisions to peer inside protons, the particles that sit inside the nuclei of all atoms.

This has revealed for the first time that quarks and gluons, the building blocks of protons, experience the phenomenon of quantum entanglement.

 

Entanglement is the aspect of quantum physics that says two affected particles can instantaneously influence each other's "state" no matter how widely separated they are — even if they are on opposite sides of the universe.

Albert Einstein founded his theories of relativity on the notion that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light, however, something that should preclude the instantaneous nature of entanglement.

 

As a result, Einstein was so troubled by entanglement he famously described it as "spukhafte Fernwirkung" or "spooky action at a distance."

Yet, despite Einstein's skepticism about entanglement, this "spooky" phenomenon has been verified over and over again.

Many of those verifications have concerned testing increasing distances over which entanglement can be demonstrated.

This new test took the opposite approach, investigating entanglement over a distance of just one quadrillionth of a meter, finding it actually occurs within individual protons.

 

The team found that the sharing of information that defines entanglement occurs across whole groups of fundamental particles called quarks and gluons within a proton.

"Before we did this work, no one had looked at entanglement inside of a proton in experimental high-energy collision data,” team member and Brookhaven Lab physicist Zhoudunming Tu said in a statement.

"For decades, we’ve had a traditional view of the proton as a collection of quarks and gluons, and we’ve been focused on understanding so-called single-particle properties, including how quarks and gluons are distributed inside the proton.

 

"Now, with evidence that quarks and gluons are entangled, this picture has changed. We have a much more complicated, dynamic system."

The team's research, the culmination of six years of work, refines scientists' understanding of how entanglement influences the structure of protons.

 

Entanglement gets messy

To probe the inner structure of protons, scientists looked at high-energy particle collisions that have occurred in facilities like the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).

When particles collide at extremely high speeds, other particles stream away from the collision like wreckage flung away from a crash between two vehicles.

 

This team used a technique developed in 2017 that applies quantum information science to electron-proton collisions to determine how entanglement influences the paths of particles streaming away.

If quarks and gluons are entangled with protons, this technique says that should be revealed by the disorder, or "entropy," seen in the sprays of daughter particles.

 

"Think of a kid’s messy bedroom, with laundry and other things all over the place,” Tu said. "In that disorganized room, the entropy is very high."

The contrast to this is a low-entropy situation which is akin to a neatly tidied and sorted bedroom in which everything is organized in its proper place. A messy room indicates entanglement, if you will.

 

"For a maximally entangled state of quarks and gluons, there is a simple relation that allows us to predict the entropy of particles produced in a high-energy collision," Brookhaven Lab theorist Dmitri Kharzeev said in the statement.

"We tested this relation using experimental data."

 

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Anonymous ID: 1239d7 Jan. 8, 2025, 8:48 a.m. No.22315954   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>6008

>>22315952

To investigate how "messy" particles get after a collision, the team first turned to data generated by proton-proton collisions conducted at the LHC.

Then, in search of "cleaner" data, the researchers looked to electron-proton collisions carried out at the Hadron-Electron Ring Accelerator (HERA) particle collider from 1992 to 2007.

 

This data was delivered by the H1 team and its spokesperson as well as Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) researcher Stefan Schmitt after a three-year search through HERA results.

Comparing HERA data with the entropy calculations, the team's results matched their predictions perfectly, providing strong evidence that quarks and gluons inside protons are maximally entangled.

"Entanglement doesn't only happen between two particles but among all the particles," Kharzeev said. "Maximal entanglement inside the proton emerges as a consequence of strong interactions that produce a large number of quark-antiquark pairs and gluons."

 

The revelation of maximal entanglement of quarks and gluons within protons could help reveal what keeps these fundamental particles bound together with the building blocks of atomic nuclei.

Uncovering details of the entanglement between quarks and gluons could help scientists research deeper problems in nuclear physics, such as how being part of larger atomic nuclei impacts the structure of protons.

For instance, does putting a proton in a very busy nuclear environment surrounded by many interacting protons and neutrons destroy the entanglement, a process called "quantum decoherence," with the individual protons?

 

"To answer this question, we need to collide electrons not just with individual protons but with nuclei,” Tu said.

“It will be very helpful to use the same tools to see the entanglement in a proton embedded in a nucleus — to learn how it is impacted by the nuclear environment.”

 

This will be one of the key investigations undertaken by Brookhaven Lab's forthcoming Electron-Ion Collider (EIC).

As such, these results could be an important part of the roadmap for the EIC, which is set to begin operations in 2030.

"Looking at entanglement in the nuclear environment will definitely tell us more about this quantum behavior — how it stays coherent or becomes decoherent — and learn more about how it connects to the traditional nuclear and particle physics phenomena that we are trying to solve," Tu concluded.

 

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Anonymous ID: 1239d7 Jan. 8, 2025, 8:58 a.m. No.22315992   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>5995 >>5997 >>6009

Starlink Mission

January 8, 2025

 

SpaceX is targeting Wednesday, January 8 for a Falcon 9 launch of 21 Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities, to low-Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Liftoff is targeted for 10:27 a.m. ET, with backup opportunities available until 2:17 p.m. ET. If needed, additional launch opportunities are also available on Thursday, January 9 starting at 9:59 a.m. ET.

 

A live webcast of this mission will begin about five minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the new X TV app.

 

This is the third flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched GOES-U and a Starlink mission.

Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

 

https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=sl-12-11

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwouv6Xdt_M