TYB
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
June 28, 2025
Tidally locked in synchronous rotation, the Moon always presents its familiar nearside to denizens of planet Earth. From lunar orbit, the Moon's farside can become familiar, though. In fact this sharp picture, a mosaic from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's wide angle camera, is centered on the lunar farside. Part of a global mosaic of over 15,000 images acquired between November 2009 and February 2011, the highest resolution version shows features at a scale of 100 meters per pixel. Surprisingly, the rough and battered surface of the farside looks very different from the nearside covered with smooth dark lunar maria. A likely explanation is that the farside crust is thicker, making it harder for molten material from the interior to flow to the surface and form dark, smooth maria.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
Lunar Farside
NASA Study Gave Illegal Drugs To Spiders And Watched What Happened To Their Webs
June 27, 2025
US space agency NASA has a pretty great reputation around the world for its various missions exploring the Solar System.
But it can conduct some pretty unusual research too, highlighted by the time they got spiders high on street drugs and watched what happened to their webs.
In 1948, Swiss pharmacologist Peter N. Witt began attempting to investigate the effect that drugs have on spiders.
Keeping them in a temperature- and light-controlled room, he fed the spiders amphetamines, mescaline, caffeine, and LSD, as well as dosing them with carbon monoxide.
Then, he watched the effect that these drugs had on the spiders' web-making abilities.
Spiders know how to build their webs instinctively, not learning how to do so from other spiders.
"The first thing an orb-weaving spider needs to be able to do is to have one thread that is going across space," Dr Beth Mortimer from the University of Oxford explains in a video for the BBC.
"They'll then need to make a Y-shape. So they'll go to the middle, attach another silk fiber, and pull it all down into a Y-shape."
They then build mooring and structural threads around the outside of the web, before bringing some silk into the middle and attaching it to the web's center.
"They'll bring some silk into the middle and attach it into the center. They'll then spend the majority of their web-building time slowly laying down this capture spiral."
The spiders travel slowly around, building up their web into a fly-catching net. At least, that's what they do when they aren't off their cephalothorax on LSD.
LSD in high doses was, you probably won't be shocked to hear, very disruptive to the spiders' task, with some of the spiders abandoning their webs altogether.
But at lower doses, they produced complex, three-dimensional webs. While pretty, and described as "strikingly psychedelic", the webs would be fairly ineffective at catching prey.
Spiders that ingested mescaline, a natural psychedelic produced by certain cacti, actually produced slightly larger webs.
While you might think that we've learned all we need to from feeding spiders illegal drugs, people working at NASA in the 1990s disagreed.
In 1995, scientists from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Arizona repeated the experiments with cannabis, amphetamine, caffeine, and sedative chloral hydrate, and analyzed the webs.
The team had good reasons for doing so; wanting to determine the toxicity of chemicals without testing on "higher animals". They got similar results to Witt, including particularly messed up webs when the spiders were exposed to caffeine.
"The changes in webs reflect the degree of toxicity of a substance. The more toxic the chemical, the more deformed a web looks in comparison with a normal web.
Inasmuch as the shape of a spider web resembles that of a crystal lattice in some respects, techniques of statistical crystallography are applied to obtain several quantitative measures of toxicity as manifested in the differences between photographs of webs spun under toxic and normal conditions," the team writes in their study.
"The images of the cells are digitized and processed by an image-data-analysis program that computes various measures of the cellular structures of the webs, including numbers of cells and average areas, perimeters, and radii of cells.
It appears that one of the most telling measures of toxicity is a decrease, in comparison with a normal web, of the numbers of completed sides in the cells: the greater the toxicity, the more sides the spider fails to complete."
While other drugs have a stronger effect on humans, it is perhaps unsurprising that caffeine may have evolved for its toxicity to insects.
"The results suggest that, despite its prevalence in our daily lives," a review of the topic from Atlantic International University explains, "caffeine may have more potent effects on the nervous system than we often realize."
https://www.iflscience.com/nasa-study-gave-illegal-drugs-to-spiders-and-watched-what-happened-to-their-webs-79774
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNtSAQHNONo
https://web.archive.org/web/20210327150247/https://arachnidlady.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/nasa-tech-brief.pdf
Ax-4 Meets Expedition 73 and Begins Space Research
June 27, 2025
Eleven residents are living and working aboard the International Space Station following the docking of Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) at 6:31 a.m. EDT on Thursday.
The seven Expedition 73 crew members welcomed the four Ax-4 astronauts and are now helping them familiarize themselves with orbital lab systems and prepare for approximately two weeks of microgravity research.
Veteran astronaut and Ax-4 Commander Peggy Whitson was the first to enter the space station after the hatch opened at 8:14 a.m. on Thursday between the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and the Harmony module’s space-facing port.
She was followed shortly afterward by Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, and Mission Specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski and Tibor Kapu.
After welcoming remarks, the Ax-4 crew was briefed on standard orbital safety procedures and the location of station emergency equipment.
On Friday, Ax-4 quickly got to work unloading sample-packed hardware and portable science freezers from inside Dragon for installation in station incubators and research refrigerators ahead of upcoming experiments.
Station safety hardware was also temporarily transferred inside Dragon as is customary for visiting spacecraft.
The private astronaut quartet later joined the Expedition 73 crew for more safety reviews to learn their roles and responsibilities and communication protocols with mission controllers in the unlikely event of an emergency on the orbital outpost.
Meanwhile, Expedition 73 kept up its daily research schedule with a space exercise study, eye exams, and lunar photography. Cargo transfers and life support maintenance rounded out crew’s day.
NASA Flight Engineer Nichole Ayers set up the Destiny laboratory module’s exercise cycle for NASA Flight Engineer Jonny Kim and the sensors he wore measuring his aerobic output as he pedaled during a workout session.
Researchers will use the data to help keep astronauts fit in space preparing them for strenuous activities such as spacewalks and the return to Earth’s gravity environment.
Kim earlier pointed a camera toward the Moon and photographed the reflection of Earth’s light shining on the lunar surface.
Ayers also joined Roscosmos Flight Engineer Sergey Ryzhikov and operated medical imaging gear while scanning the eyes of Kim and cosmonaut Kirill Peskov.
Doctors on the ground monitored in real time the examination for potential space-caused eye structure and vision issues.
Station Commander Takuya Onishi from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) set up a microscope in the Destiny lab then moved to the Kibo laboratory module and tested spacecraft communications hardware in coordination with mission controllers in Japan.
NASA Flight Engineer Anne McClain spent her day assisting the Ax-4 crewmates with their station familiarization duties and cargo transfers.
Peskov partnered with Roscosmos Flight Engineer Alexey Zubritskiy and packed trash and discarded gear inside the Progress 90 resupply ship before its departure on July 1.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/06/27/ax-4-meets-expedition-73-and-begins-space-research/
https://nasawatch.com/ask-the-administrator/janet-petros-embrace-the-challenge-update-27-june-2025-voluntary-workforce-shaping/
https://executivegov.com/article/janet-petro-nasa-reorganization-top-level-structure-center-centric
Janet Petro’s Embrace The Challenge Update 27 June 2025: “Voluntary Workforce Shaping”
June 27, 2025
Thank you to everyone who tuned in for this week’s agency town hall. More than 32,000 of you watched through townhall.nasa.gov – and that doesn’t include those who gathered in auditoriums and conference rooms to watch together.
A big thanks to our Office of the Chief Information Officer for putting key measures in place to ensure we stayed online and uninterrupted from start to finish.
Keith’s note: here is the audio from the Town hall event – note that although the topic of RIF was frequently asked, Janet Petro makes zero mention of that word or statements that she and her staff made in this sanitized version of the event. Instead it is all about “voluntary workforce shaping”.
We covered a lot of ground and tackled some tough topics. I want to reiterate a few key points here:
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Reorganizations are a process – and will take time. I expect to decide on the top-level structure and begin engaging our stakeholders in the coming weeks. That structure will only go down to the center level initially.
What happens below that will take shape over time, and I ask for your patience as this reshaping effort takes place – it will take time before we know how this impacts individuals.
We are reorganizing to become the most efficient and effective organization we can be – aligned to the mission we are charged with and the resources we expect to receive.
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We are offering a limited window of voluntary workforce shaping tools to avoid any involuntary separations.
For civil servants, the opt-in period for the Deferred Resignation Program (DRP), Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA), and Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP) is open through July 25. We do not plan to offer these programs again.
With our budget trending downward and reorganization ahead, these voluntary options offer an off-ramp for those who want to take it.
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The President’s FY 2026 Budget Request for NASA is NASA’s budget request – and while it’s still working through Congress, we have to begin preparing to align our workforce and resources now to meet the mission priorities it outlines.
I know many of you are facing deeply personal decisions in the weeks ahead – and I understand how heavy that can feel. Those feelings are valid. It’s also understandable to want more clarity.
The information that’s available now – whether it’s the proposed budget or the resources through the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer – is the information we have.
Sometimes, we’re asked to make decisions without the full data set, and I encourage you to lean on your support system, talk things through, and make the best choice for you.
Even in the midst of this, we have a mission to carry out, and I continue to be impressed by what this team gets done. A few recent highlights:
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NASA and Roscosmos recently agreed to lower the pressure in the transfer tunnel of the International Space Station’s Zvezda service module following repair work, enabling us to proceed with Axiom Mission 4.
The mission launched early Wednesday, carrying former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson alongside astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary.
This milestone reflects the strength of NASA’s international partnerships and commercial capabilities, with U.S. industry helping expand opportunity and access to space on a global scale.
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NASA’s System-Wide Safety project is working with aviation safety company ResilienX, which recently demonstrated how NASA-developed tools that assess risk – like those predicting navigation performance and airspace congestion – are being integrated into their commercial systems.
This collaboration already is leading to direct tech transfer to ResilienX and indirect benefits for partners, such as the U.S. Air Force, advancing safety in future airspace operations.
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Teams at Kennedy Space Center continued fueling the Orion spacecraft for Artemis II inside the Multi-Payload Processing Facility, and the Artemis II astronauts recently joined the launch team for a variety of launch-day scenarios.
These integrated exercises help ensure both crew and ground teams are fully prepared for their mission around the Moon.
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Technicians have installed and integrated two critical instruments, CoDICE and SWAPI, onto our IMAP spacecraft as of June 23, ahead of its targeted fall launch.
IMAP will monitor space weather and map the heliosphere from a vantage point near L1, providing nearrealtime data to map the entire heliosphere, as well as study the physics of how particles gain energy.
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NASA’s TechLeap Prize selected teams from industry and academia to develop solutions for critical NASA and commercial space industry needs in the Space Technology Payload Challenge, such as producing consumables from Martian regolith (University of Texas, San Antonio) and in-space biomanufacturing systems for long-duration human spaceflight (Ambrosia Space).
With the opportunity for flight testing with commercial providers, the challenge enables quicker paths to the flight heritage needed for future space missions, achieving efficient and impactful technology advancements.
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NASA’s Office of Communications received an Emmy Award this week at the 46th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards for Outstanding Live News Special – recognizing our broadcast coverage of the 2024 total solar eclipse.
This honor reflects the incredible talent and coordination behind the scenes: twelve telescope feeds, 11 correspondents across 2,000 miles, nine watch parties, and live video from the International Space Station, a high-altitude research aircraft, and Wallops Flight Facility – all routed through multiple NASA control rooms and brought together at our broadcast hub at Glenn Research Center.
It was a remarkable feat of engineering and storytelling and a proud moment for the entire agency.
Finally, I’ve asked officials in charge to implement a “quiet week” for civil servants starting Monday, June 30.
While mission-critical work will continue, I’m encouraging teams to scale back on meetings where possible, provided it doesn’t disrupt operational or organizational priorities.
If you’re considering taking leave, please coordinate with your supervisor.
Thank you for all that you do, and have a great weekend.
Embrace the Challenge,
Janet
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https://gizmodo.com/rubin-observatorys-stunning-result-proves-its-a-game-changer-for-spotting-dangerous-asteroids-2000621581
Rubin Observatory’s Stunning Result Proves It’s a ‘Game Changer’ for Spotting Dangerous Asteroids
June 28, 2025
Astronomers usually keep their eyes on the sky, but on Monday, June 23, the community turned its attention toward Washington, D.C., as scientists from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory unveiled the telescope’s first images.
Many have waited more than 20 years to see Rubin in action, and its initial findings did not disappoint.
Rubin, a joint initiative of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science, recently conducted its first 10 hours of test observations.
In just that short period, the observatory produced dazzling images and discovered more than 2,000 previously unknown asteroids, including seven near-Earth asteroids.
None of them pose a threat to our planet, but through this wealth of new data, the observatory has already proved to be a game changer for asteroid hunters working on planetary defense.
By conducting unprecedentedly fast and detailed surveys of the entire southern sky, Rubin will allow scientists to find and track more space rocks than ever before.
“As this camera system was being designed, we all knew it was going to be breathtaking in what it delivered, but this has exceeded all our expectations,” Richard Binzel, a professor of planetary sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and inventor of the Torino Scale—a tool for categorizing potential Earth impact events—told Gizmodo.
Data on those 2,000 new asteroids went directly to the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center (MPC), the globally recognized organization responsible for cataloging and disseminating data on asteroids, comets, and other small celestial bodies.
It plays an essential role in the early detection and monitoring of asteroids that threaten Earth. The MPC has spent years preparing for the deluge of data from Rubin, ramping up its software to process massive amounts of observations.
When the first round officially came flooding in on Monday, it was “nerve-racking and exciting simultaneously,” Matthew Payne, MPC director, told Gizmodo.
This was just a taste of what’s to come. In a few months, Rubin will begin the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), a decade-long, near-continuous survey of the southern sky.
This will produce an ultrawide, ultra-high-definition time-lapse record of the universe. In terms of asteroids, that means the MPC will receive about 250 million observations per year from LSST, according to Payne.
“For us, that’s a game changer in the total amount of data that we’re getting, because at the moment we get somewhere in the region of 50 to 60 million a year,” he said.
How does Rubin do it?
Rubin’s remarkable abilities stem from its remarkable instruments.
Equipped with a unique three-mirror telescope design and the largest digital camera ever built, this observatory can conduct all-sky surveys while still detecting very faint objects like asteroids.
This bridges a key gap between existing technologies, Payne explained.
When hunting space rocks, “you need to go as deep as possible,” Peter Veres, an MPC astrophysicist, told Gizmodo. “That’s what the LSST does, and none of the survey telescopes in the world that aim at planetary defense do that.”
During this 10-year survey, Rubin will observe the cosmos on an automated schedule using its 27.6-foot (8.4-meter) Simonyi Survey telescope. Each 30-second exposure will cover an area about 45 times the size of the full Moon.
Then, the enormous LSST camera will capture wide-field images and stitch them together to create a complete view of the southern sky every three nights.
The combination of Rubin’s huge field of view, short exposure time, and its ability to rapidly sweep the sky will yield an avalanche of asteroid discoveries, Veres explained.
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In 2005, Congress ordered NASA to build a near-Earth object (NEO) survey program to detect, track, catalogue, and characterize the physical characteristics of all near-Earth asteroids and comets at least 328 feet (100 meters) in diameter.
If one of these objects struck our planet, it would cause mass destruction that would decimate life on a continental scale, Payne said. The goal was to find 90% of them by 2020, but current estimates show NASA has only found about 40%, he explained.
LSST could help NASA pick up the pace. “It’s just going to start revolutionizing our understanding of this population of things,” Payne said.
Binzel agrees. “Those objects are out there, whether we see them or not,” he said. “Now we’re going to see them, and we’ll be able to determine that most—if not all of them—are going to safely pass by the Earth in the coming decades.
But the best news is if an object has our name on it already, we will be able to find it most likely many, many years—if not decades—before it would come toward Earth.”
In theory, that would give NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDOC) time to launch a mission to intercept the asteroid.
PDOC is still developing this capability, but in 2022, it launched the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, which sent a spacecraft on a 10-month-long journey to collide with the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos.
The collision successfully changed Dimorphos’ orbital path, demonstrating NASA’s ability to deflect a large asteroid away from Earth if given enough time.
NASA not impressed?
Given Rubin’s clear potential to revolutionize planetary defense efforts—and the global attention it has received—one would expect NASA to be singing its praises.
That has not been the case. The agency has kept strangely quiet about the observatory’s launch—and in fact, it appears to be ignoring Rubin’s first discoveries altogether.
“It’s a warp drive version of finding asteroids,” Keith Cowing, an astrobiologist and former NASA employee who now serves as editor of NASA Watch, told Gizmodo. “You’d think that the planetary defense people would be in the front row cheering it on, saying, ‘send me the data!’”
NASA did not share any public information about Monday’s event and has not promoted the observatory’s findings. When Gizmodo reached out for comment on Rubin’s contributions to planetary science and defense, NASA declined and recommended reaching out to the observatory instead.
On Tuesday, June 24, the agency’s Office of the Inspector General published a report on the implementation and management of NASA’s planetary defense strategy.
The report only briefly mentions Rubin alongside NASA’s forthcoming NEO Surveyor, a space telescope designed to find asteroids that could hit Earth.
“These new observatories are expected to find and track significantly more NEOs than current capabilities, which will likely mean a substantial increase in necessary follow-up observations,” the report states.
NASA’s PDCO and its planetary science program will undoubtedly use data gathered by the LSST, so what’s with the cold shoulder? Cowing thinks it’s a symptom of the agency’s inner turmoil.
“They’re jittery at NASA,” he said. “Their budgets are being cut from all sides—they don’t know what the final budget will be, but the White House wants to slash it—and they’re having to react to this with whatever is at hand.”
Indeed, President Donald Trump’s 2026 budget proposal would cut NASA’s science funding by a whopping 47%, potentially killing more than 40 missions, according to The Planetary Society. “The only good news is what didn’t get shot,” Cowing said.
He suspects that most NASA employees—including planetary defense personnel—are in survival mode. “What do you do when you simply don’t know if you’ll have a job, if the person next to you will have a job, or if you’re gonna need to compete for the same job?”
Cowing asked. “That’s what’s at the heart of this. It’s just this general malaise and fear, and people are simply not doing the routine, professional, collaborative, collegial work that they would do across agencies and countries.”
As NASA science crumbles, it’s unclear whether the agency will have the resources and personnel to take full advantage of Rubin’s data.
Though the PDCO currently leads the world’s planetary defense efforts, that could soon change. Binzel, however, is optimistic. “Great nations do great science,” he said. “I continue to have faith that our nation will continue to do great science.
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'Shubh-aarambh' of new era: PM Modi interacts with Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla
Jun 28, 2025 07:36 PM IST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who is aboard the International Space Station, via video conferencing.
Shukla, along with three other astronauts, jetted off to the ISS on board SpaceX's Dragon capsule from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre, as part of the Axiom-4 mission, on June 25.
Shubhanshu Shukla also became the first Indian astronaut to head to space in over 40 years, marking a historic milestone for the nation.
The Prime Minister's Office posted on its official X handle, a picture of the duo's interaction, “PM @narendramodi interacted with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who is aboard the International Space Station.”
PM Modi also posted a video of his interaction with Shukla on X and wrote, "I had a wonderful conversation with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as he shared his experiences from the International Space Station."
PM Modi speaks to Shubhanshu Shukla
In his interaction with the Indian astronaut, PM Modi told Shukla, "You are farthest from India but closest to Indians' heart."
Citing that his name itself has "Shubh" (auspicious) in it, the Prime Minister said that the Group Captain's successful journey to space marks the "shubh-aarambh" (auspicious beginning) of a new era for the youth of the nation.
PM Modi conveyed his wishes, along with that of the 1.4 billion Indians, to Shukla.
The duo also shared a laughter over the 'gajar ka halwa' (carrot dessert) that Shukla has taken with him to the Space Station.
“Did you and the other astronauts eat gajar ka halwa there?” the PM asked, with Shukla responding that they ate the dessert, along with the other sweet dishes that he carried with himself.
Additionally, the Prime Minister asked Shukla about what India looks like from space, to which the Group Captain said, "India looks grand and bigger from space than it does on the map".
Shubhanshu Shukla also emphasized on the importance of mindfulness and said that it plays a crucial role. "We face many stressful situations, but mindfulness helps us to stay calm.
If you stay calm, then you can take good decisions," he added.
Finally, in his message to those listening, the Indian astronaut said, "If you try and build your future properly, then the nation's future will also be good. And keep this one thing in your heart: 'Sky is never the limit', neither for you, nor me, nor for India."
After Axiom-4's successful launch, PM Modi had congratulated and wished success to Shukla, the mission pilot, and other crew members: Mission commander Peggy Whitson, and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.
The Prime Minister had highlighted that Shukla, who was on his way to become the first Indian astronaut aboard the ISS, carried with him the "wishes, hopes and aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians".
Axiom-4 mission
The Axiom-4 mission's Dragon spacecraft successfully completed docking on Thursday, marking the official beginning of its crew's two-week stay on the Space Station.
During their stay, the mission crew will carry out scientific experiments, technology demonstrations, and education outreach activities in a microgravity environment.
Shubhanshu Shukla will lead seven of the 60 experiments the mission crew will perform on board the ISS.
Axiom-4 mission marks the successful collaboration between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), fulfilling a commitment made by US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to send the first Indian astronaut to the Space Station.
Meanwhile, Shukla, in his first message from the ISS, expressed gratitude and said, "It is a privilege to be here". He added that the two weeks of stay at the station are going to be amazing.
"Whatever expectations I had of coming here were surpassed by the view, of course, that is a big part of it, but also by you guys," the Indian astronaut said.
“I think this is fantastic, this is wonderful and I am very confident that the next 14 days are going to be amazing, advancing science and research, and working together,” he added.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/pm-narendra-modi-interacts-with-shubhanshu-shukla-iss-axiom-4-mission-group-captain-101751113295274.html
https://twitter.com/PMOIndia/status/1938935165482606641
https://www.youtube.com/live/3wO8qQtq-d4?si=EAdtsvqZmwg9IciV
https://www.earth.com/news/quipu-new-largest-structure-in-universe-weighs-staggering-200-quadrillion-solar-masses/
https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.19236
Stretching across 7.6 sextillion miles of space, astronomers crown it the new 'largest structure in the universe'
06-27-2025
Move over, Shapley Superstructure; there’s a new champion in town. Astronomers have identified a cosmic filament of matter so vast that it stretches about 1.3 billion light-years – approximately 7.6 sextillion miles – from end to end.
They call it Quipu, and its sheer scale forces a rethink of how cosmic geography shapes everything from galaxy motions to the afterglow of the Big Bang.
Quipu isn’t just long, it’s very, very hefty. Weighing in at around 200 quadrillion times the mass of the Sun, this structure corrals galaxies, hot gas, and dark matter into one elongated zone.
Such bulk, concentrated in one place, can tilt measurements of cosmic expansion and subtly tweak the cosmic microwave background (CMB).
Quipu and the cosmic web
Cosmologists describe large-scale space as a web, with galaxies residing where filaments intersect. Quipu is a prime strand in that network.
It lies about 400 million to 800 million light-years from Earth – close enough to exert measurable tugs on its surroundings.
Simulations based on the popular ΛCDM model have long predicted titanic filaments, and Quipu validates those forecasts by matching their size and mass
Only after the discovery team had mapped its outline did they realize how dominant such giants are.
The five biggest superstructures – Quipu plus Shapley, Serpens-Corona Borealis, Hercules, and Sculptor–Pegasus – host nearly half the nearby galaxy clusters, a third of all galaxies, and an eighth of the cosmic volume.
Far from being oddities, they anchor the visible sky.
Following the x-ray signposts
Finding Quipu required a clever shortcut. Galaxy clusters glow in X-rays when gas inside them reaches tens of millions of degrees.
By plotting 68 x-ray-bright clusters in one swath of the heavens, researchers saw them line up like beads on a cosmic cord.
The clusters mark the densest knots of matter; trace those knots, and the filament’s spine emerges.
The effort relied on the CLASSIX survey, which stitches together data from satellite observatories to reveal the hottest, most massive clusters.
Once the spine was mapped, gravitational models filled in the unseen dark matter that threads between the bright signposts.
Quipu has a massive footprint
Quipu’s ridiculous size of 200 quadrillion solar masses means it contains roughly one-quarter of all matter in its neighborhood.
That heft produces gentle streaming motions in neighboring galaxies, nudging them off the simple Hubble flow that astronomers use to gauge cosmic expansion.
Ignore the effect, and the celebrated Hubble constant – already contentious – can slide a few percent in either direction.
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Quipu also leaves fingerprints on the CMB through the Integrated Sachs–Wolfe effect. As CMB photons cross the filament’s growing gravitational well, they pick up a minuscule energy boost.
The Planck satellite captured a faint temperature bump matching predictions, hinting that future, sharper-eyed missions could nail down the signal.
Galaxies inside Quipu
Life inside a superstructure is crowded. Denser gas, hotter surroundings, and stronger gravitational tides mean galaxies burn through fuel differently than their isolated cousins.
Surveys show that clusters embedded in mammoth filaments often tip the scales at higher masses and boast richer mixes of galaxy types.
Over time, mergers within the filament can jolt gas, spark fresh waves of star formation, or, conversely, quench it by stripping fuel away.
Simulations suggest that these environmental pressures speed up galactic aging.
By comparing field galaxies with those parked along Quipu’s spine, astronomers hope to tease out exactly how crowd dynamics steer stellar birth and death.
Mapping a cosmic monster
Quipu’s elongated profile even complicates gravitational lensing. Its mass bends background light and can seed subtle distortions into sky maps.
Surveys designed to chart dark energy must correct for such lensing artifacts to avoid mistaking them for genuine features.
A single misread lens could skew catalogs of distant supernovae or galaxies used to track cosmic acceleration.
The structure might also bridge the Zone of Avoidance – a dust-filled slice of the Milky Way that hides much of the universe behind it – to the partly hidden Vela supercluster.
Upcoming radio and X-ray projects aim to peer through that dust and test whether the two colossal regions connect, potentially revealing an even larger network.
Where does Quipu go from here?
After carefully assembling the evidence, Hans Böhringer of the Max-Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) and colleagues concluded that Quipu is unlikely to remain one piece forever.
Simulations hint that its segments will drift apart over billions of years, each becoming a self-contained arena of galaxies and dark matter. For now, though, it offers a living laboratory for studying how gravity knits the cosmos.
“They are thus transient configurations. They are special physical entities with characteristic properties and special cosmic environments deserving special attention,” wrote Böhringer.
That attention is coming. New sky surveys – both ground-based and orbital – plan to chart filaments with finer detail, fold their influence into precision measurements of the CMB, and track how galaxies age inside these grand structures.
Quipu may be the latest trophy of large-scale astronomy, but more surprises surely lurk in the corridors it illuminates. Stay tuned.
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MDA SPACE REOPENS OPERATIONS AT DAVID FLORIDA LABORATORY
Jun 27, 2025, 4:58 PM ET
MDA Space Ltd. (TSX: MDA), a trusted mission partner to the rapidly expanding global space industry, today announced it has taken over operation of the David Florida Laboratory (DFL) in Ottawa, ensuring this world-class testing facility remains open to industry and under sovereign Canadian control.
The facility houses essential infrastructure that enables the assembly, integration and testing of entire spacecraft and satellite systems and subsystems to ensure their ability to operate in the harsh conditions of space.
No other facility of its kind is commercially available in Canada.
Owned and operated by the Canadian Government since the 1970s, DFL has been a strategic national asset and integral part of Canada's national and industrial end-to-end space capability for decades, supporting the development of space technology and critical missions for both the government and private sector.
The facility has played a pivotal role in establishing Canada's world-leading national and industrial space capabilities including critical components of the James Webb Space Telescope, all Canadarm space robotics, the RADARSAT family of Earth observation satellites, and multiple generations of essential communications satellites that support every aspect of the daily lives of Canadians.
MDA's stewardship of the facility underscores its commitment to advancing the nation's space ambitions while ensuring Canadian companies have the resources they need to succeed in a growing and commercializing global space industry.
"The David Florida Laboratory is an irreplaceable national asset and the operational transfer to industry at a time of rapid commercialization of the global and domestic space industry is a natural evolution," said Mike Greenley, CEO of MDA Space.
"We are honoured to take on this responsibility to ensure DFL remains open to all industry for the long term, preserving Canada's sovereign space capabilities and helping to foster innovation and growth across the Canadian space sector."
The David Florida Laboratory will continue to support a range of assembly, integration and test (AI&T) requirements including Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC), thermal vacuum, antenna and vibration test services.
MDA Space is committed to providing fair and equitable access to all industry partners to test and validate their advanced technologies on a competitive fee-for-services basis.
https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/business/press-releases/cision/20250627TO20641/mda-space-reopens-operations-at-david-florida-laboratory/
https://mda.space/
Daphne-AT: US unveils new AI assistant to help astronauts tackle space emergencies
Updated: Jun 28, 2025 07:56 AM EST
Virtual assistants are known to boost performance, reduce mental workload, and improve situational awareness during complex tasks, but few studies have explored how they can help astronauts quickly and safely resolve problems during long-duration space missions.
Researchers from Texas A&M University, led by Dr. Daniel Selva, have published a paper in The Journal of Aerospace Information Systems describing how their virtual assistant, Daphne-AT, can help solve spacecraft anomalies.
The system combines logic and data-driven decision-making to support astronauts in diagnosing problems. By using real-time spacecraft data, Daphne-AT detects anomalies, identifies possible causes, and provides astronauts with guidance to resolve issues efficiently.
Virtual assistant that solves spacecraft problems
The virtual assistant will keep a constant watch on a spacecraft’s life support and environmental systems. Daphne-AT will ensure that critical levels like oxygen, carbon dioxide, and trace contaminants stay within safe ranges.
If any value moves outside the normal limits, such as a sudden drop in oxygen concentration, the system alerts astronauts and gives them guidance to fix the problem efficiently.
Daphne-AT works by pulling information from multiple data sources to diagnose problems and then providing astronauts with clear operational procedures to resolve issues quickly and calmly.
As Selva further explains, the virtual assistant uses real-time spacecraft data to detect anomalies, identify possible causes, and provide astronauts with guidance on how to resolve problems efficiently.
To see how well Daphne-AT performs, researchers tested it using a virtual reality simulation of NASA’s Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) facility, with the study involving Texas A&M University graduate students with different levels of aerospace engineering knowledge and flight experience.
Speeds up problem-solving without affecting situational awareness
Results from the test showed that participants resolved spacecraft anomalies more quickly and handled more issues when using Daphne-AT compared to working without it. The study also assessed mental workload and situational awareness during simulations.
While the virtual assistant helped reduce mental workload, participants’ situational awareness remained largely unchanged regardless of whether they had assistance.
Further testing took place at NASA’s HERA facility, involving crews composed of engineers, pilots, and other specialists. Eight teams of four participants each spent 45 days inside HERA conducting a range of scientific experiments.
Unlike earlier laboratory results, this study found that using Daphne-AT did not significantly change the time it took participants to resolve anomalies.
“There are only so many anomalies we can present to participants, and the trained professionals had more time with the VA and more opportunities to resolve different anomalies,” Selva noted, adding that part of the difference in results is likely due to variations in the training and experience levels of the participants.
Beyond space missions, Daphne-AT and similar virtual assistants could also support professionals like firefighters and emergency responders by offering timely information to aid decision-making and problem-solving in critical situations.
https://interestingengineering.com/space/us-ai-helper-astronauts-space-missions
https://engineering.tamu.edu/news/2025/06/hey-siri-fix-my-spacecraft.html
Rocket Lab launches 'Symphony of the Stars' mission
June 28, 2025
Rocket Lab launched a mysterious satellite early Saturday morning (June 28).
An Electron rocket topped with a single spacecraft lifted off from Rocket Lab's New Zealand site on Saturday at 3:08 a.m. EDT (0708 GMT; 7:08 p.m. local New Zealand time).
"MISSION SUCCESS and payload deployment confirmed! Music to our ears for the 'Symphony In The Stars' mission and Electron's 68th launch," Rocket Lab officials wrote on social media.
The mission, which Rocket Lab called "Symphony in the Stars," sent the satellite to a circular orbit 650 kilometers (404 miles) above Earth.
"Symphony in the Stars" is the first of two missions for "a confidential commercial customer," Rocket Lab wrote in a mission description. The second of those flights is expected to launch this year as well.
And that's pretty much all of the information the company has revealed about Saturday's mission; for example, we don't know what the satellite will do once it reaches orbit.
"Symphony in the Stars" was the tenth mission of 2025 and 68th liftoff overall for Electron, a 59-foot-tall (18-meter-tall) rocket that gives small satellites dedicated rides to orbit.
Rocket Lab is also developing a larger, partially reusable rocket called Neutron, which is expected to debut sometime this year.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/watch-rocket-lab-launch-secret-satellite-to-orbit-today
https://x.com/RocketLab/status/1938873041930330430
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewgd5BPw4tc
https://rocketlabcorp.com/
Blue Origin to launch 6 people to suborbital space June 29 after weather delay
June 28, 2025
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin plans to launch six people to suborbital space Sunday, after a round of weather delays last weekend.
The mission — known as NS-33, because it will be the 33rd overall flight of the company's New Shepard vehicle — was originally scheduled to lift off from Blue Origin's West Texas site on Saturday (June 21) morning.
But Mother Nature didn't cooperate; high winds forced a scrub. The launch was then targeted for Sunday at 8:30 a.m. EDT (1230 GMT; 7:30 a.m. local Texas time). But the weather didn't cooperate again.
Now, Blue Origin has set a new liftoff target for Sunday, June 29, at 8:30 a.m. EDT (1230 GMT; 7:30 a.m. local Texas time).
New Shepard is an autonomous, fully reusable vehicle that consists of a first-stage booster and a crew capsule.
Its flights last 10 to 12 minutes from liftoff to capsule touchdown; passengers get to experience a few minutes of weightlessness and see Earth against the blackness of space.
The people going up on the NS-33 mission are Allie and Carl Kuehner, a husband and wife who are both into conservation and exploration; philanthropist and beekeeper Leland Larson; entrepreneur Freddie Rescigno, Jr.; lawyer and author Owolabi Salis; and retired attorney Jim Sitkin.
You can learn more about each of them in our NS-33 crew reveal story.
NS-33 will be Blue Origin's 13th human spaceflight mission overall and its fourth of 2025 so far. (Most of the company's flights have been uncrewed research missions.)
The company first launched people to the final frontier on July 20, 2021, the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.
Bezos and his brother Mark went up on that landmark New Shepard flight, along with aviation pioneer Wally Funk and Dutch student Oliver Daemen.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/watch-blue-origin-launch-6-people-to-suborbital-space-on-june-21
https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1938740129268421012
https://www.blueorigin.com/news/new-shepard-ns-33-mission
https://www.youtube.com/@blueorigin
Japan targeting June 28 for launch of GOSAT-GW on 50th and final liftoff of the H-2A rocket
June 28, 2025
Japan is poised to launch a dual-purpose satellite to monitor sea temperature and greenhouse gases.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is targeting Saturday (June 28) for the 50th and final launch of its H-2A rocket, which will take the GOSAT-GW dual-purpose satellite to space.
The mission will lift off from Yoshinobu Launch Complex (LP-1) at the Tenegashima Space Center in Japan during a 20-minute launch window beginning at 12:33 p.m. EDT (1633 GMT; 1:33 a.m. June 29, local time in Japan).
JAXA will livestream the launch from its mission website as well as on YouTube. Space.com will also carry the broadcast at the top of this page.
The Greenhouse Gas and Water Cycle Observation Satellite (GOSAT-GW) is the latest in Japan's efforts to observe changes in water cycles and greenhouse gases.
GOSAT-GW will join its predecessors in Earth orbit: GCOM-W2, which launcher in 12 and is known as "SHIZUKU," and GOSAT-1, which launched in 2009 and is known as "IBUKI."
GOSAT-GW is equipped with two main instruments.
The first is known as the Advanced Microwave Radiometer (AMSR), and will measure water cycles and fluctuations in sea surface temperatures.
The second is the Greenhouse Gases Observation Sensor (TANSO), and will monitor components such as carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere to measure climate change.
Japan's H-2A rocket, built for JAXA by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, is capable of launching payloads into a geostationary orbit around Earth and to orbit around the moon.
It also launched the Akatsuki spacecraft to study Venus in 2010, though the spacecraft failed to properly enter Venusian orbit.
H-2A first launched in 2001. During its nearly 25 years in operation, the rocket has experienced only a single launch failure, giving the vehicle a 98% success rate.
After 50 missions, the launch vehicle is being retired to make way for Japan's H3 rocket, which offers comparable performance at a lower cost.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/japan-launching-of-gosat-gw-on-50th-and-final-liftoff-of-the-h-2a-rocket
https://fanfun.jaxa.jp/countdown/gosat-gw_h2af50/live-public_viewing.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tRdzj_7OwQ
SpaceX Starlink Mission
June 28, 2025
SpaceX is targeting Saturday, June 28 for a Falcon 9 launch of 26 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
Liftoff is targeted for 10:13 a.m. PT, with backup opportunities available until 10:46 a.m. PT. If needed, additional launch opportunities are also available on Sunday, June 29 starting at 9:47 a.m. PT.
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 will be the eighth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched NROL-126, Transporter-12, SPHEREx, NROL-57 and three Starlink missions.
Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean.
There is the possibility that residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may hear one or more sonic booms during the launch, but what residents experience will depend on weather and other conditions.
https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=sl-15-7
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-starlink-10-34-b1092-ccsfs-asog
Vandenberg SFB and NASA Collaborate on Historic Patching Ceremony
June 27, 2025
VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. – U.S. Space Force Col. Mark Shoemaker, Space Launch Delta 30 commander, addresses Team Vandenberg personnel during a patching ceremony celebrating Vandenberg’s 27-year partnership with NASA, at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., June 26, 2025.
NASA donated 42 mission patches to recognize each of their critical launch operations that occurred at Vandenberg. (U.S. Space Force photo by Malcolm Summers)
https://www.vandenberg.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4228963/vandenberg-sfb-and-nasa-collaborate-on-historic-patching-ceremony/
Space Systems Command Set to Strengthen Operational Environment with Enhanced Global Weather Sensing
June 27, 2025
Summary: Space Systems Command sets the stage to enhance global weather sensing and prediction model performance, along with research, development, and prototyping capabilities through award of latest National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1 task order.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) laid the groundwork for enhanced weather, research, development, and prototyping capabilities with the USSF-178 National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1 task order awarded today.
The $81,613,951 multi-manifest mission awarded to SpaceX makes use of available launch vehicle capacity to efficiently deliver capability to orbit.
This award leverages industry advancements to streamline integration and condense timelines, providing responsive launch options to meet emergent operational needs, including the rapid integration of spacecraft within three months of launch.
The USSF-178 mission will include SSC’s Weather System Follow-on – Microwave Space Vehicle 2 (WSF-M2), which will provide global sensing to increase prediction model performance.
It will also include BLAZE-2, a launch opportunity for operational, research, development, and prototype small satellites from across the DoD. The mission is expected to launch in the first half of Fiscal Year 2027.
“We deliver assured access to space and maximize value for the American taxpayer, a commitment reflected in this USSF-178 launch service award,” explained USSF Col. Matthew Flahive, chief, Launch Mission Solutions Delta, Space Systems Command.
“It is a strategic advantage when we can flexibly manifest small satellites on our launch vehicles with additional capacity to support emergent operational requirements and the research and development community.”
USSF-178 is the third Task Order issued under Phase 3 Lane 1. SSC intends to award more missions later this year for our valued mission partners, NRO and SDA.
Space Systems Command is the U.S. Space Force field command responsible for acquiring, developing, and delivering resilient capabilities to outpace emerging threats and protect our Nation’s strategic advantage in, from, and to space.
SSC manages a $15.6 billion annual space acquisition budget for the Department of Defense, working with joint forces, industry partners, government agencies, academia, and allied nations.
For more information, visit ssc.spaceforce.mil and follow @USSF-SSC on LinkedIn.
https://www.ssc.spaceforce.mil/Newsroom/Article/4229218/space-systems-command-set-to-strengthen-operational-environment-with-enhanced-g
Ukrainian drone strike on Crimea air base destroys 3 Russian helicopters, SBU claims
June 28, 2025 3:37 pm
Editor's note: The previously published footage, provided by an SBU source, was allegedly related to a different operation and was deleted after the mistake was identified.
Drones operated by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) struck the Kirovske military airfield in occupied Crimea overnight on June 28, the SBU told the Kyiv Independent.
The attack destroyed Mi-8, Mi-26 and Mi-28 attack helicopters, and a Pantsyr-S1 self-propelled anti-aircraft missile and gun system, the SBU claimed.
According to the SBU, Ukraine targeted Russian aviation, air defense systems, as well as ammunition, reconnaissance and attack drones storage facilities.
Secondary explosions were heard at the airfield during the night.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims.
As Russia intensifies aerial attacks on Ukraine and the civilian death toll climbs, Ukraine has stepped up its drone attacks on Russian territory too.
Earlier on June 27, Ukrainian drones struck four Su-34 fighter jets at the Marinovka airfield in Russia's Volgograd Oblast, according to the military.
Preliminary reports indicate that two Russian fighter jets were destroyed in the June 27 attack, and the other two were damaged. Russia uses the aircraft to bomb Ukraine.
Since the start of its full-scale war in February 2022, Russia has lost 420 airplanes and 337 helicopters, Ukraine's General Staff said in its latest update on June 28. The Kyiv Independent could not verify these figures.
https://kyivindependent.com/ukraines-drone-strike-on-military-air-base-in-crimea-destroys-3-russian-helicopters-sbu-claims-06-2025/
Drone attack on Odesa: two dead, casualty toll up to 14
28.06.2025 10:30
In Odesa, the number of injured as a result of a night drone attack that also claimed two lives has risen to 14.
This was reported by the regional administration chief, Oleh Kiper, Ukrinform saw.
"Fourteen people, three of them children, injured in an overnight drone strike in Odesa," the report says.
The police noted that the attack damaged residential buildings, where apartments caught fire, an administrative building, other civil infrastructure, and vehicles. All fires have been put out.
The police and emergency services are working at the scene.
Law enforcers are documenting the consequences of the attack, collecting evidence, interviewing residents, providing psychological assistance, and ensuring law and order. Sixty-six police officers have been deployed.
As Ukrinform reported earlier, Ukraine’s air defense forces neutralized 22 of 23 drones launched by the Russians since last evening.
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4009240-drone-attack-on-odesa-two-dead-casualty-toll-up-to-nine.html
HUR Drones Batter Military Arsenal in Russia to Celebrate Ukrainian Constitution Day
June 28, 2025, 2:56 pm
As part of continuing campaign against arms depots and military infrastructure, Ukrainian forces blasted a military installation in Russia’s Bryansk Oblast.
Ukrainian military intelligence forces launched drone strikes against Russian military installations in the Bryansk Oblast on Saturday morning, marking Ukraine’s Constitution Day with what officials described as continued “demilitarization” operations.
According to Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR), strike drones targeted facilities belonging to the 120th arsenal of Russia’s Main Missile and Artillery Directorate. The attack occurred on June 28, coinciding with Ukraine’s Constitution Day celebrations.
Local residents in Bryansk reported hearing heavy gunfire and multiple explosions throughout the morning. Social media posts from the area described the sounds of unidentified unmanned aerial vehicles followed by loud detonations.
“Oh, how terrifying it was twice! They specifically targeted us,” read messages on local public forums from residents who witnessed the aerial activity and explosions.
Russian local authorities declined to provide official comment on the explosions, instead issuing reminders about prohibitions on filming or sharing videos of what they termed “consequences of air defense work.”
The Ukrainian intelligence service said that information regarding the full extent of damage from Saturday’s strike is still being assessed. Intelligence sources characterized the operation as part of ongoing efforts to target Russian military infrastructure.
This latest attack follows a similar strike just two days earlier, when HUR drones hit fuel storage facilities at the 1061st Material and Technical Support Center of the Russian Armed Forces in Bryansk on the evening of June 26.
That facility housed rocket fuel and other petroleum products used by Russian military forces.
The strikes are part of Ukraine’s continued strategy of targeting Russian military logistics and supply infrastructure deep within Russian territory, using long-range drone capabilities to disrupt military operations supporting the ongoing conflict.
Russian authorities have not released casualty figures or detailed damage assessments from either attack. The Ukrainian military typically does not provide specific details about weapons systems or operational planning for such strikes.
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/55358
https://twitter.com/igorsushko/status/1938335175735427265
Were they cloning them with that kind of money?