TYB
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/space-x-dragon-nasa-homecoming-iss-lettuce-to-vitamins-sunita-willams-and-butch-wilmores-experiments-in-space-7950711
Lettuce To Vitamins: Sunita Willams And Butch Wilmore's Experiments In Space
Mar 18, 2025 17:16 pm IST
Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, whose eight-day mission turned into nine months on the International Space Station, are finally heading back to Earth aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
They have undocked from the ISS and are on their way.
They began their journey at 10:35 am on Tuesday and are expected to land around 3:35 am on Wednesday after a 17-hour trip. Follow Sunita Williams Homecoming Live Updates Here
During their time aboard the orbiting laboratory, Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Nick Hague conducted over 900 hours of study in addition to more than 150 unique scientific experiments and technological demonstrations.
Here are some of the experiments Crew 9 performed during their 9-month stay:
Micro-Algae For Generating Oxygen
Nick Hague worked on growing Arthrospira micro-algae on the ISS to help convert carbon dioxide into oxygen.
These tiny algae perform photosynthesis, just like plants on Earth, helping keep the safe-to-breathe oxygen inside the spacecraft.
It can also be treated as food when fresh food is not available during long-duration space missions. This experiment was led by the European Space Agency (ESA).
Improving Astronauts' Health
Butch Wilmore installed the compact workout machine called European Enhanced Exploration Exercise Device (E4D) on ISS for testing.
The modular device combines cycling, rowing, and resistance exercises to help astronauts stay fit during long space missions.
Other than this, it is also designed to prevent bone and muscle loss and improve heart health on future missions.
Red Romaine Lettuce
As part of the Plant Habitat-07 experiment, astronauts on the ISS grew red romaine lettuce in the Advanced Plant Habitat.
The study is about how different moisture levels affect the microbial communities in plants and water. The purpose of the study is to understand how less-than-ideal conditions affect plant growth.
The findings will help scientists create more effective farming systems that would produce nutritious food for astronauts on upcoming space flights.
Packed Bed Reactor Experiment: Water Recovery Series Investigation
Sunita Williams set up an experiment on the ISS to study how liquids and gases flow in space using small packed materials like beads or pellets.
She installed hardware for the Packed Bed Reactor Experiment: Water Recovery Series (PBRE-WRS) investigation that would help scientists better understand water recycling, thermal management and fuel cells for future space missions.
Fire In Space
Astronauts also conducted an experiment called SOFIE-RTDFS to study how fire spreads in space.
They burned the clear acrylic plastic sheet at higher oxygen levels but half the standard pressure of Earth's atmosphere.
This was done to help scientists improve fire safety on future missions.
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Monitoring Microbes In Space
As humans carry microorganisms along with them wherever they go, Butch Wilmore conducted an experiment to find out if tiny life forms escape from the ISS through vents and if they can survive in space.
It will help scientists take steps to limit the spread of bacteria to places like the Moon or Mars during future missions.
Cardiovascular Function In Space
Nick Hague performed his workout while wearing the Bio-Monitor vest and headband on the ISS to check how space affects the human body, especially the heart and blood vessels.
These clothes have tiny sensors that track body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing. This experiment aligns with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) experiment called Vascular Aging.
Medical Equipment For Nerve Damage
Butch Wilmore tested a 3D printer on ISS that can make medical implants to help people recover from peripheral nerve damage, which can cause motor and sensory problems.
This high-quality medical device might function better in microgravity and help scientists on upcoming long-duration missions. It will also improve medical treatment for patients.
Wooden Satellite
A tiny satellite named LignoSat was launched from the International Space Station by Japan's space agency JAXA to see if wood could be utilised in satellites in place of metal.
Scientists had already evaluated several kinds of wood in space and found that magnolia was the best choice. It could lead to eco-friendly satellites in the future.
Vitamins In Space
Sunita Williams conducted research to help astronauts get essential nutrients during long-duration space missions using special microbes like yeast.
Food that has been preserved for an extended period of time might lose vitamins and other nutrients. This technology could help astronauts make fresh supplements whenever needed.
Hold Gadgets In Space
Nick Hague tested the HUNCH Utility Bracket, a student-designed tool to hold and position cameras, tablets, and other equipment that astronauts use daily.
Currently, astronauts on the ISS use Bogen Arms for daily tasks. But these older holders are wearing out due to frequent use.
The new design is set to be more durable and efficient, helping astronauts work more easily in microgravity.
SpaceX Crew-9, the ninth operational crew rotation mission to the ISS under NASA's Commercial Crew Programme, was launched on September 28, 2024, from Florida.
The crew consists of NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.
Originally, the mission was planned to include four crew members, but adjustments were made to accommodate the extended stay of Ms Williams and Mr Wilmore.
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Hundreds gather outside NASA Johnson Space Center amid layoffs from DOGE
Updated: March 17, 2025 at 2:15 PM
HOUSTON – Hundreds of protesters gathered outside NASA Johnson Space Center Monday to protest the dozens of layoffs implemented under executive orders.
This comes a week after NASA announced it would be shutting down three of its offices and layoff several staff members as the company prepares to reduce its workforce under the Trump administration.
Nearly 200 protesters gathered including representatives from the American Federation of Government Employees, NASA, and Democratic Rep. Al Green.
Last week, KPRC 2′s Ninfa Saavedra reached out to the Johnson Space Center to see if any Houston area employees would be impacted by the layoffs.
Here is the statement they gave:
“To optimize our workforce, and in compliance with an Executive Order, NASA is beginning its phased approach to a reduction in force, known as a RIF.
A small number of individuals received notification Monday they are a part of NASA’s RIF.
If they’re eligible, those employees may opt to participate in the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority, or VERA, or complete the RIF process.”
The layoffs are just one example of the tens of thousands announced by different federal agencies including the Department of Education, Veterans Affairs, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2025/03/17/hundreds-gather-outside-nasa-johnson-space-center-amid-layoffs-from-doge/
First space image taken by the SKA-Low telescope exceeds expectations
March 17, 2025
In the red dirt of outback Western Australia, a world-leading radio telescope has captured its first image and scientists say it is a crucial step towards seeing the origins of the known universe.
The image was taken by an early version of the Square Kilometre Array telescope, known as SKA-Low, being built in the Murchison region, 700km north of Perth.
The first image was taken using 1,000 Christmas-tree-like antennas — less than 1 per cent of the total 131,000 planned — and showed 85 of the brightest galaxies in the region.
The Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO) said that when the telescope was finished in 2030, the same frame could show more than 600,000 galaxies.
Set to be the largest low-frequency radio telescope in the world, the SKA-Low is expected to be fully operational by the end of the decade.
A window into the universe's origins
SKA-Low lead commissioning scientist George Heald said the current image quality was beyond what the team had hoped for.
"We can see a lot of galaxies, and we can see the image is looking nice and clean, which gives us lots of confidence about the telescope performance," Dr Heald said.
"With the full telescope, we will have the sensitivity to reveal the faintest and most distant galaxies."
Dr Heald said it was built for a range of scientific uses, including looking to the beginning of the universe.
"What we're really seeing is a time machine," he said. "We can look back through time and see how the universe has shaped around us.
"What we can do is find the impact of those first stars and galaxies on the universe and beyond that we can look at the evolution of galaxies throughout time, over the course of the history of the universe."
This means scientists could explore the first billion years after the so-called dark ages of the universe and test Einstein's theory of general relativity by investigating gravity around black holes.
Dr Heald said the telescope could also be used to search for extra-terrestrial intelligence by scanning for electronic leakage in different star systems.
"We can slice and dice the data in all sorts of different ways to look for unexpected signals," he said.
International value
Dr Heald said the telescope was being built in stages and was set to become the world's largest low-frequency radio telescope within two years.
It will span more than 74 kilometres (as the crow flies) when finished in about 2030.
Data is combined from individual 2-metre-tall antennas, which work together as one big telescope.
Capturing its first image proves the SKA-Low telescope is functioning as planned, SKAO director-general Professor Philip Diamond said.
"This first image is a critical step for [SKAO] and for the astronomy community; we are demonstrating that the system as a whole is working," he said.
"As the telescopes grow, and more stations and dishes come online, we'll see the images improve in leaps and bounds and start to realise the full power of the SKAO."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-18/ska-low-first-image-of-universe-beyond-scientists-expectations/105058286
https://www.skao.int/en/news/621/ska-low-first-glimpse-universe
Military Pilot's First Spaceflight is Mission to Rescue Astronauts
March 17, 2025
Air Force Maj. Nichole Ayers successfully completed her next mission: space.
Ayers, who completed two years of initial astronaut training in 2024, is the pilot for NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 mission to bring back a pair of NASA astronauts who have been on the International Space Station since June 2024.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket propelled the Dragon spacecraft into orbit, March 14, 2025, carrying Ayers, along with Army Col. Anne McClain, who is serving as mission commander.
Also on board is Takuya Onishi, an astronaut with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov.
The spacecraft autonomously docked to the space station March 15, 2025, after approximately 28.5 hours of travel at 17,000 mph in orbit around Earth. The crew will undock and return to Kennedy Space Center in Florida tomorrow.
Ayers has flown missions around the globe, including more than 200 combat hours during Operation Inherent Resolve over Iraq and Syria and more than 1,400 flight hours in the T-38 Talon and F-22 Raptor. This is her first spaceflight.
Previously stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Ayers served as the 3rd Wing, 90th Fighter Squadron assistant director of operations before receiving the call to join NASA four years ago.
She said her military training and experiences have shaped her readiness for this next step.
"Most of my training has been in the operational realm; learning to make split-second decisions under intense pressure is a skill we learn throughout our time as Air Force pilots.
We train for the worst and hope for the best — training to go to the International Space Station is no different," she said.
"We learn about the space station systems and how to react when something doesn't go as planned.
We are well-trained and prepared for any contingency along the way to or from the space station, as well as during our time living there."
Ayers said her Air Force experience taught her the importance of teamwork in high-pressure environments, a lesson she believes will be invaluable during her time aboard the space station.
"Taking care of your teammates in adverse or austere environments is something every airman learns throughout their career. My time in the Air Force prepared me well for this mission," she said.
Representing the Air Force at NASA is an honor she cherishes deeply. Growing up, Ayers was inspired by the space shuttle program and the idea of becoming an astronaut.
"As a child, I always loved flying and space and grew up during the shuttle era. When I learned you could fly the space shuttle, I knew I wanted to be a pilot in the Air Force and pursue my dreams of becoming a NASA astronaut through that path," she said.
"I absolutely loved every minute of my time at the [U.S.] Air Force Academy and throughout my entire flying career in the T-38A and F-22.
Representing those communities and the Air Force as a whole as we embark on our mission to the International Space Station is truly special and one of my greatest honors."
For Ayers, the most meaningful aspect of her career has been the people she's met along the way. She credits the bonds formed during her time in the Air Force with helping her succeed in the toughest moments.
"It is the people who matter the most. Take care of your people, and they will take care of the mission. That lesson is no different in space flight," she said.
"Crew-10 is made up of some of the most intelligent, efficient and caring people I've ever worked with. We make an amazing team because we take care of each other and back each other up on everything, both operationally and personally."
As she embarks on this new chapter, Ayers is focused on the future while honoring the lessons and relationships that have shaped her career.
"If you are a good team player and you're willing to work hard, you'll get anywhere you want in this life," she said.
"Find something you are passionate about, dig in and work hard at it. Take care of others and be a good human along the way, and you'll be unstoppable."
https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/4122690/military-pilots-first-spaceflight-is-mission-to-rescue-astronauts/
Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
I just spoke with the Acting Administrator of NASA, Janet Petro.
She is coordinating our Team of highly respected Scientists, Space Engineers, and various other “geniuses,” who has agreed to let our Astronauts come home long prior to the two week period originally approved by NASA.
Janet was great. She said, “Let’s bring them home NOW, Sir!” — And I thanked her. This began when I asked Elon Musk to go up and get the abandoned Astronauts, because the Biden Administration was incapable of doing so.
They shamefully forgot about the Astronauts, because they considered it to be a very embarrassing event for them – Another thing I inherited from that failed group of incompetents.
Elon and I have taken on the project, sending up the SpaceX Dragon, which has successfully docked and, hopefully, while there is always danger involved in such a mission, they will soon be on their way home — Taking off tomorrow, and landing on Wednesday.
Exact times will be provided to you. Safety always comes first, and maximum standards are being adhered to. But after eight long months for a mission that was supposed to be eight days, IT IS TIME.
I look forward to seeing Butch and Suni, and thank you again to NASA and Janet Petro!
Mar 17, 2025, 11:01 AM
https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114179081339591399
https://www.newsweek.com/chile-reviews-china-space-observatory-project-newsweek-investigation-2045792
https://www.athenalab.org/publicaciones/2025/03/06/analisis-un-problema-en-potencia-para-chile-el-observatorio-chino-que-inquieta-a-ee-uu-por-su-posible-uso-dual/
Chinese Space Project Under Review After Newsweek Investigation
Updated Mar 18, 2025 at 6:30 AM EDT
In a potential setback for China's growing influence in Latin America and its ambitions in space, the Chilean government is reviewing an agreement for a joint astronomical observatory in Chile following a Newsweek investigation of the deal.
"We are aware of it, so we are revising and analyzing it," Benjamin Aguirre Romero, the director of strategic communications of Chile's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Newsweek via email following Chilean media reports that the project between the Chinese government and a Chilean private university had been canceled.
The decision comes amid a deepening geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China that has become clearly evident in Latin America, with the administration of President Donald Trump putting Panama under pressure for a deal to allow an American company to regain control of the Panama Canal from a Chinese company, Hong Kong's Hutchison Ports.
Newsweek reported last December that the observatory at Cerro Ventarrones in Chile's Atacama Desert—a joint project of the Universidad Católica del Norte (UCN) and China's National Astronomic Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC)—would monitor objects orbiting Earth and seek new stars—but that it could also conduct research for China's fast-growing military space program, under an agreement that left Chilean counterparts largely in the dark.
Work had begun on the 10 square-mile Ventarrones Astronomical Park on a rocky plain beneath an 8,600-foot Andean peak.
Romero said that the project had not been canceled but that it was being analyzed by Foreign Ministry lawyers:
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has contacted UCN authorities and the Chinese Embassy in Chile to gather detailed information about the initiative.
Additionally, the legal department of the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs is analyzing the agreement's nature." "We should finalize the analysis before making any pronouncement," Romero said.
On March 6, AthenaLab, a Chilean security research center, published a report that cited Newsweek's investigation and said that such observatories typically track stars, but also "monitor satellites, gather intelligence, and support military space operations."
Chilean media Ex-Ante, quoting unnamed "high-ranking government sources," reported that the project had generated strong concerns in the United States, which were communicated to the Chilean government in January by the former ambassador, Bernadette Meehan.
Representatives of the U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to Newsweek's request for comment.
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"The Biden administration reportedly conveyed that the Cerro Ventarrones project was not simply an academic astronomy project, as had been publicly claimed, but rather an infrastructure capable of tracking satellites in orbit, which could have strategic and defense implications," Ex-Ante said.
In an article in Ex-Ante published on Saturday, China's ambassador, Niu Qingbao, called the project a "legitimate technological cooperation."
The political section of China's embassy in Santiago referred Newsweek to the article when asked to comment.
"This exchange is carried out under the principles of mutual respect and benefit, equality, and friendly voluntariness, in strict compliance with Chilean laws and regulations, and with the support of the governments, universities, and research institutions of both countries," Niu told Ex-Ante.
"The binational astronomical facilities under construction operate with complete transparency in their purposes and operations, lacking any ulterior motives," the Chinese envoy said.
"It is worth highlighting the paradox that certain countries maintain hundreds of military bases abroad with tens of thousands of troops stationed there, while allowing themselves to criticize and interfere in legitimate technological cooperation between other nations.
This attitude represents a typical example of hegemony and power politics, something the Chilean people clearly perceive. Any attempt to interfere with or obstruct legitimate astronomical cooperation between China and Chile will fail," Niu said.
The Universidad Católica del Norte did not respond to a request for comment.
Romero, the Chilean government spokesperson, said: "We are not reviewing any other dimension of our bilateral relationship with China."
In December, Newsweek had reported that Western intelligence sources with direct knowledge of the agreement warned that the Chinese partner could potentially deploy special security measures that could exclude the Chileans from part of the site, which was being built and paid for by the Chinese state. China was initially investing $80 million in building and equipping the site.
Chile has grown increasingly close to China in recent years. Today, 60 percent of its electrical grid is owned by Chinese companies and 40 percent of its exports go to China.
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https://www.space.com/the-universe/new-cosmic-baby-pictures-from-powerful-telescope-in-chile-reveal-our-universe-taking-its-1st-steps
https://act.princeton.edu/
https://lambda.gsfc.nasa.gov/
New cosmic 'baby pictures' reveal our universe taking its 1st steps towards stars and galaxies
Mar 18, 2025
New images of the infant universe captured by the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) are the most precise "baby pictures" to date of the cosmos' "first steps" toward forming the first stars and galaxies.
The images of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), which is a fossil relic of the first light in the universe, reveal what the 13.8 billion-year-old cosmos was like just 380,000 years after the Big Bang.
This incredible achievement from ACT has helped scientists validate the standard model of cosmology, the best description we have of the formation and evolution of the universe.
In addition to showing this model to be incredibly robust, the ACT images show the intensity and polarization of the earliest light with unprecedented clarity.
The new data from ACT revealed the motion of the ancient gases in the universe as they are pulled by gravity.
This shows the formation of ancient clouds of hydrogen and helium that will later collapse to birth the first stars.
Thus, this constitutes the universe taking its first step towards the formation of galaxies.
"We are seeing the first steps towards making the earliest stars and galaxies," director of ACT and Princeton University researcher Suzanne Staggs said in a statement.
"And we're not just seeing light and dark; we're seeing the polarization of light in high resolution. That is a determining factor distinguishing ACT from Planck and other earlier telescopes."
Despite telling scientists a great deal about the conditions in the early universe, these new ACT findings didn't contain clues that could help solve one of the biggest problems with our understanding of cosmic evolution: the so-called "Hubble tension."
Baby's first light
Prior to around 380,000 years after the Big Bang, the universe was a dark place, quite literally.
That is because the cosmos was so hot and dense at this time that it was filled with a sea of plasma packed with unbound electrons that endlessly scattered photons, the particles that comprise light.
This meant that light couldn't travel through the cosmos unimpeded, and thus, the cosmos was opaque like a dense fog.
Once the universe expanded and cooled enough (down to around 3000 Kelvin (approximately 4,900 degrees Fahrenheit or 2,700 degrees Celsius), electrons were able to bind with protons and form the first neutral atoms of hydrogen and helium, the first elements.
This meant that photons suddenly were no longer endlessly scattered and were free to travel. Suddenly, after this event called the "last scattering," the universe was transparent.
This first light is seen today as the CMB. Though it fills the cosmos almost ubiquitously, there are small variations in the CMB, which scientists call "anisotropies," left behind by tiny fluctuations in the density of matter during the last scattering.
The fact that this cosmic fossil light is the furthest back in time astronomers can hope to see with light, and because it has been around since the earliest epoch of the cosmos, the CMB is an excellent way of tracing the evolution of the universe.
From its position high in the Chilean Andes, ACT captured this light, which has been traveling for over 13 billion years. Previous to this ACT data, the most precise and detailed picture of the CMB had come courtesy of the Planck space telescope.
"ACT has five times the resolution of Planck and greater sensitivity," team member and University of Oslo researcher Sigurd Naess said in a statement.
"This means the faint polarization signal is now directly visible. There are other contemporary telescopes measuring the polarization with low noise, but none of them cover as much of the sky as ACT does."
This signature of polarization is important because it reveals how hydrogen and helium gases moved when the universe was in its infancy and filled with only traces of other heavier elements.
"Before, we got to see where things were, and now we also see how they're moving," Staggs said. "Like using tides to infer the presence of the moon, the movement tracked by the light's polarization tells us how strong the pull of gravity was in different parts of space."
With the ACT data, researchers could also see incredibly subtle variations in the density and velocity of the gases that filled the young universe. This includes what appear to be regions of high and low density in this sea of primordial hydrogen and helium.
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These early cosmic hills and valleys extend millions of light years across, and in the billions of years after the ACT snapshot, gravity pulled their denser regions inwards to birth stars that then formed the first galaxies.
"By looking back to that time, when things were much simpler, we can piece together the story of how our universe evolved to the rich and complex place we find ourselves in today," ACT analysis leader and Princeton University researcher Jo Dunkley said.
A trip back in cosmic time
This cosmic trip back in time revealed that the observable universe extends for almost 50 billion light-years in all directions around us.
The universe's mass was calculated to be equivalent to around 2 trillion trillion (2 followed by 36 zeroes) suns, or 1,900 "zetta-suns" (a "zetta" refers to a hypothetical star so huge it has a mass 1021 times that of the sun).
Of this total, just 100 zetta suns are composed of the ordinary matter that we see around us on a day-to-day basis. Three-quarters of this mass is hydrogen, and a quarter of it is helium.
Another 500 zetta suns worth of mass is accounted for by dark matter, while 1,300 zetta suns worth of mass is accounted for by dark energy, the mysterious force driving the acceleration of the expansion of the cosmos.
Tiny chargeless and almost massless "ghost particles" called neutrinos account for around four zetta-suns of mass.
These particles are referred to as the ghosts of the particle zoo because they are so weakly interacting and ubiquitous that around 100 trillion (10 followed by 13 zeroes) neutrinos pass through your body every second, going completely unnoticed.
These amounts agree well with both theoretical models of the cosmos and with observations of galaxies.
The new ACT findings also refined estimates of the age of the universe, conforming to estimates of 13.8 billion years, with an uncertainty of only 0.1%, and the rate at which the cosmos expanded in its earlier eras.
This is possible because matter in the early universe sent out waves through space like ripples spreading out in circles on a pond. These ripples are "frozen into" the cosmic fossil that is the CMB.
"A younger universe would have had to expand more quickly to reach its current size, and the images we measure would appear to be reaching us from closer by," ACT deputy director and University of Pennsylvania researcher Mark Devlin said.
"The apparent extent of ripples in the images would be larger in that case, in the same way that a ruler held closer to your face appears larger than one held at arm's length."
Addressing 'Hubble Trouble'
One of the major problems facing cosmology today is the existence of the "Hubble tension." This is the disparity in the rate at which the universe expands, a value called the Hubble constant, depending upon how this expansion is measured.
Using measurements of the movement of nearby galaxies, scientists calculate that the Hubble constant is as great as 73 to 74 kilometers per second per megaparsec (km/s/Mpc).
That is larger than the value that scientists obtain when using the CMB to obtain the Hubble constant, which is 67 to 68 km/s/Mpc.
Using these high-resolution images of the CMB, as seen by ACT the team obtained new measurements of the Hubble constant.
They found these are in agreement with prior Hubble constant measurements made using the CMB.
One of the major goals for ACT data was to investigate an alternative cosmic model that could account for the Hubble tension.
These alternatives included changing the behavior of neutrinos and adding an additional period of accelerating cosmic expansion in the early universe.
"We wanted to see if we could and a cosmological model that matched our data and also predicted a faster expansion rate," Columbia University researcher Colin Hill, who used the ACT data in new research, said.
"We have used the CMB as a detector for new particles or fields in the early universe, exploring previously uncharted terrain."
Hill added that the ACT data showed no evidence of such new signals, meaning that the standard model of cosmology has passed an extremely precise test of its accuracy.
"It was slightly surprising to us that we didn't find even partial evidence to support the higher value," Staggs said.
"There were a few areas where we thought we might see some partial evidence for explanations of the tension, and they just weren’t there in the data."
ACT completed its observations in 2022 and was decommissioned. Astronomers now turning their attention to the new, more capable Simons Observatory at the same location in Chile.
The new ACT data are shared publicly on NASA’s LAMBDA archive, while the papers spinning out of this ACT data are available on Princeton's Atacama Cosmology Telescope website.
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Private Starlab space station moves into 'full-scale development' ahead of 2028 launch
March 18, 2025
The Starlab commercial space station project is moving toward the production phase, having passed a key development milestone with NASA.
Starlab, a joint project between the U.S. space technology firm Voyager Space and European aerospace conglomerate Airbus, will consist of a service module and a habitat large enough to host four space tourists. Currently, the station is expected to launch in 2028 aboard SpaceX's Starship megarocket.
The recently completed preliminary design review (PDR) marks the beginning of the station's "full-scale" production, the company said in a statement.
During the PDR, an expert panel from NASA and the project partners greenlit the space station's design after reviewing potential safety issues and other concerns.
"Our successful PDR is a testament to the expertise and dedication of our team," Starlab CEO Tim Kopra said in the statement.
"This milestone confirms that our space station design is technically sound and safe for astronaut crewed operations.
Now, with our partners, we shift our focus to the full-scale development of the station, including the manufacturing of critical hardware and software integration."
The 12,000-cubic-foot (340-cubic-meter) Starlab will be fitted with a robotic arm and a set of racks for microgravity experiments to enable companies and researchers to develop new products in space.
Voyager also hopes to seal a contract with NASA to host the agency's astronauts. The project will now move into its detailed design and hardware development phase, which will conclude with a critical design review likely in 2026.
In the coming months, the project partners will develop a high-fidelity mockup for systems testing, which will be assembled at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston this summer.
The teams will also begin assembling the station's avionics and computing systems, test software and novel life support technologies including an Advanced Urine Processor, a more compact and failure-proof version of the water-recovery system currently in use at the International Space Station.
"Starlab's progress underscores our collective commitment to ensuring U.S. leadership in low Earth orbit with investment and partnership from key allied international organizations and agencies," said Dylan Taylor, chairman and CEO of Voyager Technologies, the majority shareholder in Starlab's joint venture.
"We are ready to advance human spaceflight, ensure a continuous human presence in LEO, and build a thriving commercial space ecosystem."
The space station project received $217.5 million from NASA through the Commercial LEO Destinations Phase 1 program and $15 million from the Texas Space Commission, in addition to private funding.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/human-spaceflight/private-starlab-space-station-moves-into-full-scale-development-ahead-of-2028-launch
https://starlab-space.com/press-releases/starlab-advances-to-full-development-after-successfully-completing-key-nasa-milestone/
Feel the burn with this amazing video of a Varda space capsule's plunge through Earth's atmosphere
March 17, 2025
A small space private capsule has captured stunning onboard scenes from its high-velocity atmospheric reentry.
Varda Space's W-2 mission came to a successful and spectacular end on Feb. 27 when the capsule reentered the atmosphere and landed at the Koonibba Test Range in South Australia.
The 265-pound (120 kilograms) capsule spent six weeks in space after launching atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of the Transporter 12 mission.
The company has now released a video capturing dramatic images from its final moments in orbit above the planet and the final, fiery plunge back into Earth's atmosphere.
The final two minutes of the video show things really heating up, as sparks of varying colors and intensities are captured by the camera as the spacecraft interacts with the thick atmosphere at speeds exceeding Mach 25, or 25 times the speed of sound.
The conical capsule landed with the assistance of a parachute and was quickly recovered.
The spacecraft carried a spectrometer from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and a Varda enhanced pharmaceutical reactor for the company's in-orbit manufacturing plans, and collected critical data for developing hypersonic technologies.
Varda aims to become a major player in the nascent in-space manufacturing industry, utilizing the unique environment of microgravity to manufacture products including pharmaceuticals.
The W-2 mission landing follows a year after the company's first mission, W-1, which landed in Utah in February 2024.
The mission saw W-1 in orbit for eight months before delivering to Earth crystals of an antiviral drug that were grown in orbit.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/feel-the-burn-with-this-amazing-video-of-a-varda-space-capsules-plunge-through-earths-atmosphere
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwQ6ib5SkMQ
'Starship Troopers' big-screen reboot coming from 'District 9' director Neill Blomkamp — would you like to know more?
March 17, 2025
After a few false starts over the years, a Starship Troopers reboot is now in active development at Sony's Columbia Pictures with District 9 and Chappie writer-director Neill Blomkamp leading the charge.
Let’s hope it goes better than the invasion of Klendathu.
The Hollywood Reporter shared the exclusive on March 14, stating Blomkamp would write and direct a new adaptation of the classic sci-fi novel by Robert A. Heinlein.
It's been reported it won't stick close to Paul Verhoeven's highly satirical and exaggerated take and will instead "go back to the source material," which received criticism over its glorification of the military and a fascist society, among other things.
Despite the initial confusion and many discussions over whether Verhoeven’s 1997 blockbuster was subverting or doubling down on the source material’s politics, the movie was generally well-received and gained a diehard cult following over the years.
Nowadays, it’s consistently brought up as one of the great sci-fi movies from the ‘90s, with the cutting-edge VFX, set, and animatronic work being highlights that have helped it age remarkably well.
The same can't be said for the four dreadful straight-to-home-market sequels that continued the story.
From a business point of view, it's an interestingly timed move when we consider Sony has just announced a Helldivers movie adaptation. For the unaware: PlayStation's Helldivers 2 became a massive hit last year, partly thanks to its off-beat tone, which landed extremely close to Verhoeven's Starship Troopers. If the powers that be move forward with both projects after the scripts are approved, it'll be interesting to see how the movies are differentiated.
Even putting tonal and political similarities aside, the central premise of the co-op online shooter is roughly the same:
In the future, a not-at-all fascist dictatorship called the Federation of Super Earth launches huge military campaigns against various threats from other worlds to protect humanity's way of life, with big horrible bugs being the most iconic enemy faction to be destroyed with extreme prejudice.
Regardless, we’re excited to see what Blomkamp has in store for us.
While most cinephiles argue that District 9 (his big-screen debut) is far above the filmmaker's following sci-fi efforts, Elysium and Chappie were still relatively successful.
In recent years he made sci-fi horror feature Demonic (2021) and a Gran Turismo adaptation (2023) for Sony, alongside numerous shorts and transmedia collaborations, including video games like EA's Anthem.
Meanwhile, everyone is still wondering if District 10 is happening at any point after a promising update back in 2021.
For now, it appears that Blomkamp really wants to put his stamp on alien-blasting sci-fi action and Starship Troopers seems like an ideal fit.
In recent times, games like Starship Troopers: Extermination and Terran Command have kept fans of the multimedia franchise busy, so perhaps this big-screen reboot has a fighting chance.
https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/starship-troopers-big-screen-reboot-coming-from-district-9-director-neill-blomkamp-would-you-like-to-know-more
The far side of the moon was once a vast magma ocean, Chinese lunar lander confirms
March 18, 2025
Recent findings from samples collected by China's Chang'e 6 mission have provided valuable insights into the history of the moon, particularly its far side.
The Chang'e 6 mission launched in early May 2024, landed in the vast South Pole-Aitken (SPA), and returned to Earth with 4 pounds and 4.29 ounces (1,935.3 grams) of the first-ever samples from the moon's far side in late June.
New research from scientists with the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences and published in the journal Science found that sample analysis backs up an established model of the moon as a global liquid magma ocean in the early days after its formation and likely lasted for tens to hundreds of millions of years.
By analyzing basalt fragments retrieved from this region, the scientists discovered that these rocks share a similar composition to low-titanium basalts previously collected by NASA's Apollo missions to the moon's near side.
This connection helps to build a more complete picture of the moon's volcanic processes.
At the same time, some of the material in the Chang'e 6 samples deviated from those of the Apollo missions in terms of the ratio of certain Uranium and Lead isotopes.
Explaining this, the paper proposes that the gigantic impact which formed the roughly 1,600 mile (2,500 kilometers) wide SPA basin around 4.2 billion years ago modified the chemical and physical properties of the moon's mantle in this region.
Chang'e 6 was China's second lunar sample return mission, following on from the 2020 Chang'e 5 mission to the moon's near side.
Initial analysis of the Chang'e 6 samples suggests a number of differences to nearside samples, including differences in density, structure and concentrations of signature chemicals.
Further analysis could lead to new concepts and theories regarding the origin and evolution of the moon, according to scientists.
https://www.space.com/the-universe/moon/the-far-side-of-the-moon-was-once-a-vast-magma-ocean-chinese-lunar-lander-confirms
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adt3332
Farewell, Blue Ghost! Private moon lander goes dark to end record-breaking commercial lunar mission
March 17, 2025
The historic mission of Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lunar lander is over.
The solar-powered Blue Ghost went dark on Sunday evening (March 16) after the sun set on its lunar locale, bringing an end to a highly successful two weeks of surface operations on the moon.
"We battle-tested every system on the lander and simulated every mission scenario we could think of to get to this point," Blue Ghost Chief Engineer Will Coogan said in a Firefly statement today (March 17) that announced the end of the mission.
"But what really sets this team apart is the passion and commitment to each other," he added.
"Our team may look younger and less experienced than those of many nations and companies that attempted moon landings before us, but the support we have for one another is what fuels the hard work and dedication to finding every solution that made this mission a success."
Blue Ghost's mission, which Firefly called "Ghost Riders in the Sky," was the company's first-ever lunar effort.
The flight was supported by NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, which puts agency science gear on robotic landers to gather a wealth of cost-effective data ahead of the arrival of Artemis astronauts on the moon a few years from now.
Blue Ghost carried 10 NASA payloads, which it successfully delivered to a basaltic plain on the lunar near side called Mare Crisium ("Sea of Crises") on March 2.
The successful touchdown was just the second ever by a private lunar lander, after that of Intuitive Machines' Odysseus vehicle in February 2024.
Odysseus operated for seven Earth days on the lunar surface before going dark.
The mission plan called for Blue Ghost, and those science instruments, to operate for a lunar day — about two Earth weeks.
And that indeed happened, Firefly said today, declaring "Ghost Riders in the Sky" 100% successful.
"After a flawless moon landing, the Firefly team immediately moved into surface operations to ensure all 10 NASA payloads could capture as much science as possible during the lunar day," Firefly CEO Jason Kim said in the same statement.
"We're incredibly proud of the demonstrations Blue Ghost enabled, from tracking GPS signals on the moon for the first time to robotically drilling deeper into the lunar surface than ever before," Kim said.
"We want to extend a huge thank you to the NASA CLPS initiative and the White House administration for serving as the bedrock for this Firefly mission.
It has been an honor to enable science and technology experiments that support future missions to the moon, Mars and beyond."
Blue Ghost was even able to observe the "Blood Worm Moon" total lunar eclipse of March 13-14. But, thanks to its unique vantage point, the lander saw this dramatic event as a solar eclipse, snapping a gorgeous "diamond ring" photo that Firefly shared with the world.
The lander beamed home a total of 119 gigabytes (GB) of data, including 51 GB of science information, before going dark as expected on Sunday at around 7:15 p.m. EDT (2315 GMT), according to Firefly.
Blue Ghost's final hours were productive. It "captured imagery of the lunar sunset on March 16, providing NASA with data on whether lunar dust levitates due to solar influences and creates a lunar horizon glow that was hypothesized and observed by Eugene Cernan on Apollo 17," Firefly wrote in the statement.
"Following the sunset, Blue Ghost operated for 5 hours into the lunar night and continued to capture imagery that measures how dust behavior changes after sunset."
"Ghost Riders in the Sky" was part of a wave of private moon exploration. For instance, Blue Ghost launched on Jan. 15 along with another private lunar lander, Tokyo-based ispace's Resilience, which is expected to make its own touchdown attempt on June 5.
And Intuitive Machines' second lunar lander, called Athena, lifted off on Feb. 26 and landed near the moon's south pole on March 6.
However, Athena, which was also flying a CLPS mission, tipped onto its side just after touchdown and was declared dead on March 7.
That exploration surge will continue in the coming years, if all goes to plan. Firefly is already looking forward to its second moon mission, a CLPS effort that's expected to launch in 2026.
That flight will send Blue Ghost to the lunar far side and also place Firefly's "Elytra Dark" spacecraft in orbit around the moon.
https://www.space.com/the-universe/moon/farewell-blue-ghost-private-moon-lander-goes-dark-to-end-record-breaking-commercial-lunar-mission
https://fireflyspace.com/news/firefly-aerospace-successfully-completes-14-days-of-surface-operations-on-the-moon/
Psionic Achieves Milestone in In-Flight Testing of Space Navigation Doppler Lidar System Aboard NASA F-18
March 18, 2025
Psionic, a leader in advanced navigation and sensing technologies, is proud to announce the successful in-flight testing of its groundbreaking Psionic Space Navigation Doppler Lidar (PSNDL) system aboard a NASA F-18 fighter jet.
This achievement represents a significant step forward in high-precision navigation, with space, aviation, defense, and commercial applications.
The PSNDL system utilizes state-of-the-art lidar technology to measure distance and Doppler shifts of light reflected from the ground, enabling real-time, highly accurate velocity and altitude measurements.
This breakthrough technology ensures reliable navigation, even in GPS-denied or contested environments.
The PSNDL improves upon NASA Navigation Doppler Lidar technology, which was demonstrated in space during a 2024 commercial lunar mission.
It has received funding and development support from the NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate through Small Business Innovative Research contracts and the Tipping Point initiative.
Lidar-based sensors like PSNDL are crucial for achieving precise landings on the Moon, particularly in sunlight-challenged areas such as the south polar, as well on Mars.
In recent test flights at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, the PSNDL system, housed in an instrument pod beneath the F-18’s wing, demonstrated its capability to improve navigation precision across a range of flight conditions, including altitudes up to 30,000 feet and speeds approaching Mach 1.
By utilizing vertical terrain matching algorithms with data from four independent lidar channels, the system successfully captured detailed terrain contours, showcasing its ability to determine accurate position even in challenging conditions.
“The performance of the PSNDL system during our F-18 flight tests is a major milestone for Psionic,” said William Cook, Senior Vice President of Space Operations at Psionic.
“This success underscores the transformative potential of lidar-based navigation systems, enhancing accuracy and reliability for spacecraft, aircraft, and ground vehicles—key factors for space, aviation, defense, and commercial applications.”
https://spacenews.com/psionic-achieves-milestone-in-in-flight-testing-of-space-navigation-doppler-lidar-system-aboard-nasa-f-18/
http://psionicnav.com/
Putin Envoy Dmitriev Says He Will Hold Talks With Musk About Mars Exploration
March 18, 2025
The head of Russia’s Direct Investment Fund announced Tuesday that he plans to meet with billionaire and SpaceX founder Elon Musk “soon.”
“There will certainly be discussions with Musk soon,” Kirill Dmitriev said during the annual congress of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, a major business lobby.
We believe he is a unique leader committed to advancing humanity as a whole.”
Dmitriev said he had discussed potential U.S.-Russian cooperation on Mars exploration with the head of Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos.
“Our vision for cooperation with Musk goes beyond just Mars — it’s about leveraging the strong expertise within Roscosmos and [Russia’s nuclear agency] Rosatom, which could contribute to making a Mars mission more efficient and safer,” he said.
“I believe this dialogue will continue.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, Musk, who also serves as a senior advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump, had not publicly commented on any potential talks with Russian officials.
Last month, Dmitriev took part in the first high-level talks between Russian and U.S. officials since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He has since hinted at renewed U.S.-Russian business cooperation, including in Arctic and energy projects.
President Vladimir Putin later appointed Dmitriev as his special envoy for international economic and investment cooperation, giving him a formal role in Russia’s negotiating team.
Dmitriev’s remarks came just hours before a highly anticipated phone call between Putin and Trump on a U.S.-proposed ceasefire in Ukraine.
“We appreciate his constructive focus and view him as one of the greatest leaders of our time,” Dmitriev said of Musk on Tuesday.
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/03/18/putin-envoy-dmitriev-says-he-will-hold-talks-with-musk-about-mars-exploration-a88400
SpaceX Starlink Mission
March 18, 2025 3:57 p.m. ET
SpaceX is targeting Tuesday, March 18 for a Falcon 9 launch of 23 Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities, to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Liftoff is targeted for 3:57 p.m. ET, with backup opportunities available until 6:00 p.m. ET. If needed, additional launch opportunities are also available on Wednesday, March 19 starting at 3:30 p.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 19th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-5, GPS III Space Vehicle 06, Inmarsat I6-F2, CRS-28, Intelsat G-37, NG-20, TD7, and 11 Starlink missions.
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-12-25
DAF announces Restoring America’s Fighting Force Task Force validation plan
March 17, 2025
Today, the Department of the Air Force announced its validation plan in response to the Restoring America’s Fighting Force Task Force established following the release of the Secretary of Defense guidance memo, “Restoring America’s Fighting Force” on Jan. 29, 2025.
The Task Force requires military departments to validate the execution of all Presidentially directed executive orders related to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Critical Race Theory, and gender ideology with an emphasis on five elements:
Promotion, selection and assignment policy and/or processes that require consideration of sex, race, or ethnicity
Quotas, objectives, and goals
Prohibition on instruction on Critical Race Theory, gender ideology, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Instruction to promote a lethal force
Boards, Councils, or working groups that incorporate Critical Race Theory, gender ideology, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
The validation team, comprised of leaders with expertise in curriculum, promotion boards, and the five assessment elements, will travel to nine locations across the DAF as part of the validation process from March 17 – March 28, 2025.
This process will consist of both qualitative and quantitative elements including in-depth document reviews, comprehensive program and data analyses, interviews, focus groups with military and civilian members representative of the DAF, and classroom audits.
After the validation phase, the DAF will continue to monitor the execution of all Presidentially directed executive orders related to Critical Race Theory, gender ideology, and Diversity Equity, and Inclusion through in-progress reviews.
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4122607/daf-announces-restoring-americas-fighting-force-task-force-validation-plan/
https://www.spaceforce.mil/Portals/2/Documents/SAF%202025/RESTORING_AMERICAS_FIGHTING_FORCE.pdf
Report: Iranian F-14s intercept US MQ-4C spy drone; surveillance aircraft forced to retreat
March 18, 2025
A US MQ-4C surveillance drone retreated after being confronted by Iranian fighter jets near Iran’s airspace on Monday night, according to a report by Fars News Agency.
The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force stated that the American spy drone immediately withdrew upon encountering Iranian F-14 fighter jets and reconnaissance drones.
The armed forces of Iran emphasized their readiness to defend against any aggression and launch decisive strikes against enemy interests in West Asia.
In a statement, Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force Unit warned that Iran will shoot down any enemy aircraft, manned or unmanned, that violates its airspace.
The IRGC cautioned adversaries against any provocations, underscoring Iran’s preparedness to respond to threats.
The MQ-4C drone, a stealthy surveillance aircraft with a length of 14.5 meters and a wingspan of 40 meters, is one of the US military’s advanced radar-evading platforms.
The escalation came as the US has launched relentless attacks on Yemen’s Ansarullah forces for blocking the Red Sea in retaliation for Israeli aggression on Palestine. The US blames Iran for shoring up the Yemeni movement.
https://ifpnews.com/iranian-f-14s-us-mq-4c-spy-drone-surveillance-aircraft-forced/
South Korea suspends drone flights after Heron-1 crash destroys helicopter
March 18, 2025, 14:54 (UTC +3)
The South Korean Army has halted drone flights at the request of the Ground Operations Command after the crash of a Heron reconnaissance drone, military officials confirmed on March 18, 2025.
The IAI Heron-1 drone, which had been operated by the Joint Intelligence Group (JIG), crashed on March 17, 2025, while attempting to land at Yangju Air Base, 25 kilometers (15 miles) from the North Korean border.
According to preliminary reports, the drone suddenly changed direction during landing and collided with a parked KAI KUH-1 Surion transport helicopter.
The collision resulted in a fire that completely destroyed both aircraft. Fire authorities dispatched to the scene managed to extinguish the blaze within 30 minutes. No casualties were reported.
The estimated property damage exceeds 23 billion won ($17 million), with the drone valued at approximately 3 billion won ($2 million) and the helicopter at 20 billion won ($13 million).
Additionally, a second helicopter sustained external damages and will need to undergo repairs. A committee has been formed to investigate the accident to determine the cause and prevent future incidents.
South Korea’s observation capabilities weakened
The IAI Heron-1 is a long-endurance, medium-altitude UAV capable of flying for more than 24 hours with a range of 250 kilometers (155 miles).
In 2016, the South Korean Army introduced three Heron mid-altitude reconnaissance drones along the northwestern frontline to conduct surveillance over the demilitarized zone at the 38th parallel, the northwestern border islands in the Yellow Sea, and inland areas near Seoul.
One crashed in November 2023 due to suspected North Korean GPS jamming, while another has been grounded due to parts maintenance issues, according to Yonhap News.
With the loss of the final operational Heron in this latest incident, disruptions in reconnaissance activities against North Korea are anticipated.
To mitigate potential reconnaissance gaps following the flight suspension, the military has ramped up operations of alternative surveillance assets, including the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) Global Hawk drones, reconnaissance satellites, and joint intelligence assets with the United States.
This incident comes shortly after a serious event involving the Republic of Korea Air Force.
On March 6, 2025, two ROKAF KF-16 fighter jets accidentally dropped bombs outside the designated training area during a joint military exercise with the United States.
A preliminary report attributed the accidental bombing to pilot error. Investigators noted that the pilots had three opportunities to correct the mistake of entering incorrect target coordinates before takeoff.
https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/south-korea-heron-drone-helicopter-crash
Sounds a lot like the voice from the Q videos
Good thing I brought my backpack stenographer