TYB
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/is-there-life-on-3i-atlas-3dbb31ed13bf
https://medium.com/@davidsereda/i-have-resolved-the-orbits-of-all-the-planets-in-our-solar-system-using-fibonacci-pairs-that-2ac73da48fac
https://x.com/ProfAviLoeb/status/2018119423983288588
https://me.mashable.com/science/66571/the-strange-case-of-3iatlas-where-is-all-that-methane-coming-from
https://www.caberfeidhbar.co.uk/02-164421-interstellar-comet-3i-atlas/
https://x.com/fmfRADIOGROOVE/status/2018202888305270926
https://x.com/Spectromachina/status/2018128154259300770
https://x.com/wretchmattfoley/status/2018086636458741977
https://x.com/harmonicLattice/status/2018345336717402234
Is There Life on 3I/ATLAS?
February 2, 2026
Imagine our civilization being ambitious enough to spread life-as-we-know-it among the stars. Seeding fertile territories with life is not a novel concept, but a prerequisite for long-term survival of any species here on planet Earth.
Throughout history, humans survived by having kids, but they also aspired to build monuments like the pyramids to cement their mark on history.
The exchange of rocks between early Mars and Earth could have led to the transfer of life between these neighboring planets. Mars is smaller body and hence cooled earlier than Earth, because its surface to volume ratio is larger.
As a result, Martian rocks that were lifted off the Martian surface by impacts of asteroids 4.2 billion years ago, could have delivered microbes to Earth and seeded life-as-we-know-it.
The feasibility of this transfer was demonstrated by the Martian rock ALH84001, which was not heated to more than 40 degrees Celsius throughout its journey (as discussed here).
Indeed, the origin of life in the form of our last universal common ancestor (LUCA) lived 4.2 billion years ago, based on the comparison of the genomes of a diverse range of 700 modern microbes.
This is just a few hundred million years after Earth’s formation. For all we know, we might all be Martians.
The natural transfer of life by the delivery of rocks from one planet to another, called panspermia, is an inefficient process because only a tiny fraction of the space rocks reaches a fertile ground without burning up in the atmosphere.
In principle, an interstellar gardener with ambitions to spread life technologically can do it far more effectively. The possibility of “directed panspermia” raises a fundamental question in astrobiology:
Was most life in the Universe seeded naturally or artificially?
Of course, the ambitions of humans should not be dictated by natural practices in our cosmic neighborhood.
We can aspire to send life on interstellar journeys with the hope that it will land on a fertile ground, just as the dandelion flower spreads its seeds in the wind (a concept contemplated by Chris McKay, Paul Davies and Pete Worden here).
By spreading life to blossom in multiple places throughout the Milky-Way galaxy, we would have constructed the longest-lived monuments of our existence, lasting beyond the 7.6 billion years left for the lifespan of the Sun.
1/2
What would be the most economic and technologically feasible technique to accomplish interstellar gardening?
As a matter of fact, the opportunity is currently passing in front of our eyes, in the form of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS.
The latest data from the Webb telescope (reported here) indicates that the plume of gas and dust surrounding 3I/ATLAS contains water (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO) and methane (CH4), which can all be consumed by terrestrial lifeforms.
Consider the following hypothetical scenario. As soon as 3I/ATLAS was discovered on July 1, 2025, our space agencies launch an interceptor spacecraft on a trajectory that is designed to cross the forecasted path of the interstellar object at its closest approach to Earth on December 19, 2025.
The spacecraft crashes into 3I/ATLAS as planned and deposits a capsule containing the seeds of terrestrial life into the belly of 3I/ATLAS.
The delivered capsule contains radioactive material that keeps its environment warm and allows the terrestrial lifeforms to evolve, multiply and establish a stable colony of interstellar lifeforms inside 3I/ATLAS.
Once 3I/ATLAS arrives to the vicinity of a habitable exoplanet after traveling for billions of years at 60 kilometers per second — more than twice as fast as all our spacecraft so far, its surface ice sublimates and released the lifeforms on dust particles like dandelion seeds.
An interstellar seeding mission of this type would be less expensive than the ~4 billion dollars cost of a terrestrial monument like the Freedom Tower (One World Trade Center) in New York City.
It is feasible to accomplish with current technologies and space budgets and its realization is just a matter of priority. Of course, if we can imagine doing that, other civilizations might have done so already.
After all, we are latecomers to the cosmic stage and other space entrepreneurs could have had an earlier start for their seeding ambitions. This leads to my third question:
Are there any lifeforms on the dust shed by 3I/ATLAS?
The latest data from the SPHEREx space observatory includes the detection of organic molecules like CH3OH, H2CO, CH4, and C2H6 with a production rate that is 14% of water molecules (as reported here).
The most notable finding from the latest SPHEREx and Webb data is the robust spectroscopic detection of methane (CH4) production. Methane was only detected after the passage of 3I/ATLAS near the Sun.
Its delayed production raises interesting questions because methane ice is hyper-volatile, with a significantly lower sublimation temperature than carbon dioxide (CO2).
This implies that methane ice near the surface of 3I/ATLAS would have been vigorously sublimating at the time of the first reports of outgassing from 3I/ATLAS before perihelion.
However, neither the Webb spectroscopy nor the SPHEREx spectrophotometry from August 2025, detected methane. This suggests that methane is depleted in the outermost layers of 3I/ATLAS and was exposed to warming by sunlight only close to the Sun.
Within this scenario, the early detection of carbon-monoxide (CO) outgassing on 3I/ATLAS is surprising as carbon monoxide is more volatile than methane and should therefore be depleted from the surface, yet it was detected prior to methane.
Could it be that the detected methane is produce by lifeforms?
These facts lead me to repeat my question once again: Does 3I/ATLAS carry any lifeforms?
2/2
La Señal
@cienciaymist
Today I interviewed Professor Avi Loeb about 3I/Atlas and asked him about his appearance in Jeffrey Epstein's files.
Without hesitation, the Harvard professor publicly showed me his personal calendar and denied ever having met Epstein in person or received any money from him.
In fact, the Black Hole Initiative received funding from the Templeton Foundation.
As always, let's go to the source, and I thank Professor Loeb for his openness and prompt response.
Don't be fooled. The appearance of a name in the context of a meeting doesn't mean anything. Just nonexistent ghosts, as Loeb says.
See the material for yourselves. It's all very clear.
This week I will publish the full interview in English and Spanish on my YouTube channel.
@ProfAviLoeb
@GalileoProject1
@pavelibarrameda
@rosscoulthart
@AlchemyAmerican
@admpubmx
@g_knapp
@UAPReportingCnt
@RedPandaKoala
@GoodTroubleShow
@joerogan
9:49 PM · Feb 1, 2026
https://x.com/cienciaymist/status/2018200063286067608
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOi-SsAT7W0
The Future of Space Travel | #7 | Rockets and Coffee Podcast
Feb 1, 2026
In 1969, it took us four days to reach the Moon, and over 50 years later, we still rely on the same chemical rockets. But what if we could reach Mars in weeks, or journey beyond our solar system in years, not decades? 🚀
In this episode of Rockets and Coffee with Pulsar, we dive into the evolution of space propulsion, from chemical rockets to electric engines, and the exciting potential of fusion propulsion.
We break down how each system works, why reaching Mars is such a massive leap compared to the Moon, and what new technologies could make interplanetary travel a reality.
Mekhi is a Space Industry Executive at Slingshot Aerospace, passionate advocate for space sustainability and domain awareness, and a familiar face in science presenting as @cosmic_mekhi.
With a PhD in Theoretical Astrophysics and a deep commitment to STEM outreach, Mekhi brings a wealth of expertise and energy to every conversation about the future of space.
https://pulsarfusion.com/podcast/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eufThAWTJFo
https://x.com/PulsarFusion
https://x.com/Cosmic_Mekhi
>Tiz funny how 3i/atlas disapeared from radar, to many anomalies
Artemis II Wet Dress Rehearsal Update
February 2, 2026
At approximately 11:25 a.m. EST, the Artemis launch director, in coordination with the mission management team chair, gave the “go” to begin loading cryogenic liquid propellant into the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for wet dress rehearsal.
While teams continue to monitor cold weather that would impact launch day, they are not tracking weather constraints to Monday’s tanking operations.
NASA teams have completed final preparations and closeouts of the umbilicals connecting the mobile launcher to the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft.
The umbilicals provide power, communications, and fuel to different parts of the rocket and spacecraft, while additional accessories provide stabilization.
During launch, each umbilical releases from its connection point, allowing the rocket and spacecraft to lift off safely.
Teams will begin slowly filling cryogenic propellant into the rocket beginning at L-9 hours 25 minutes in the countdown.
Liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen will flow into the rocket’s core stage and interim cryogenic propulsion stage tanks, topped off and replenished as some cryogenic propellant boils off.
The team will also conduct leak checks to ensure loading proceeds as expected.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/artemis/
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/missions/2026/02/02/artemis-ii-wet-dress-rehearsal-go-for-tanking/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zDlM8d4Q7g
NASA’s IMAP Begins Primary Science Mission
February 2, 2026
NASA’s IMAP Begins Primary Science Mission
NASA’s IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe) began its two-year primary science mission on Feb. 1 to explore and map the boundaries of our heliosphere — the protective bubble created by the solar wind that encapsulates our solar system.
The mission, which launched on Sept. 24, 2025, relies on 10 scientific instruments to chart a comprehensive picture of what’s roiling in space, from high-energy particles originating at the Sun, to magnetic fields in interplanetary space, to dust left from exploded stars in interstellar space.
Through studying this vast range of particles and the magnetic fields that guide them, IMAP will investigate two of the most important overarching issues in heliophysics, namely the energization of charged particles from the Sun and the interaction of the solar wind at its boundary with interstellar space.
With the start of its primary science mission, some of IMAP’s data is now being fed into the IMAP Active Link for Real-Time (I-ALiRT) system, which broadcasts near–real-time observations of the space weather conditions, such as the solar wind and energetic particles, headed toward Earth.
This data can be used to inform forecasters, who issue advanced warnings and alerts of potential adverse space weather effects on the health and safety of spacecraft and astronauts.
Principal investigator and Princeton University professor David McComas leads the IMAP mission, which has an international team of 27 partner institutions.
The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, managed the development phase, built the spacecraft, and operates the mission, which is the fifth in NASA’s Solar Terrestrial Probes Program portfolio.
The Explorers and Heliophysics Projects Division at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the Solar Terrestrial Probes Program for the agency’s Heliophysics Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.
https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/imap/2026/02/02/nasas-imap-begins-primary-science-mission/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omv-fxd4EAE
There’s Something Hiding Under Jupiter’s Clouds, Scientists Find
Feb 2, 2026 11:00 AM EST
The enormous storms of impenetrable clouds covering Jupiter’s surface make it nearly impossible for us to get a glimpse of what lies below.
Any spacecraft attempting to get a closer look would be vaporized, melted, or crushed if it attempted to sail through. NASA’s Galileo spacecraft, for instance, went dark almost immediately when it intentionally plunged into Jupiter’s atmosphere back in 2003.
While Jupiter — a giant ball of swirling gases and liquids — isn’t believed to have a true surface, scientists have been trying to get a better sense of its layers.
Now, using data from NASA’s Juno and Galileo missions, a team of scientists at the space agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of Chicago have created a highly detailed computational model of Jupiter’s atmosphere.
And as detailed in a new paper, published in The Planetary Science Journal last month, they found something surprising down there:
Jupiter appears to contain one-and-a-half times as much oxygen as the Sun — far more than previous estimates, which suggested it was only a third as much oxygen.
The findings also support the prevailing theory that Jupiter formed by accreting icy material billions of years ago near or past the “frost line,” as Space.com points out, meaning the distance from the Sun where temperatures are low enough for ammonia, methane, and water ice to form.
(Whether the planet formed in its current orbit or much further away from the Sun before migrating to its current position over billions of years remains a topic of debate.)
Much of the oxygen is tied up in water as well, which changes its behavior drastically depending on temperature, further complicating our efforts to map out Jupiter’s layers.
The researchers’ computational model takes into account both the chemical reactions taking place — from extremely hot metal molecules deep inside the core and much cooler regions in its atmosphere — and the movement of gases, clouds and droplets.
“You need both,” said lead author and UChicago postdoctoral researcher Jeehyun Yang in a statement.
“Chemistry is important but doesn’t include water droplets or cloud behavior. Hydrodynamics alone simplifies the chemistry too much. So, it’s important to bring them together.”
Their model suggests that gases move far more slowly through Jupiter’s atmosphere than previously thought.
“Our model suggests the diffusion would have to be 35 to 40 times slower compared to what the standard assumption has been,” Yang explained.
“Instead of moving through an atmospheric layer in hours, a single molecule might take several weeks.”
It’s only one small part of a much larger mystery surrounding our solar system’s largest planet — and its more-than-intriguing collection of moons. The angry gas giant of swirling gases continues to baffle even top scientists.
“It really shows how much we still have to learn about planets, even in our own solar system,” Yang said.
https://futurism.com/space/something-hiding-jupiter-clouds
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/PSJ/ae28d5
https://hub.jhu.edu/2026/02/02/hopkins-affiliates-join-nasa-astronaut-class/
Two Johns Hopkins affiliates join NASA's astronaut class
February 2, 2026
Rebecca Lawler and Imelda Muller are among 10 individuals selected from a pool of more than 8,000 applicants to train for future space missions with NASA
Rebecca Lawler used to be a hurricane hunter, flying directly into storms to collect crucial data. Imelda Muller was an undersea medical officer, staying at dangerous depths in hyperbaric chambers for days at a time.
Both women have faced some of the most extreme conditions on Earth—why not become astronauts?
The two Hopkins affiliates are among 10 individuals selected from a pool of more than 8,000 applicants for NASA's 2025 astronaut class.
Since September, they've been consumed with astronaut training, a rigorous, two-year program that ensures astronauts are mentally and physically prepared for flight assignments, which could include exploration missions to low Earth orbit, the moon, and even Mars.
The Hub caught up with Lawler, who earned her master's degree in space systems engineering through the Whiting School of Engineering's Engineering for Professionals program in 2018, and Muller, who was completing a residency in anesthesiology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine when she was accepted to NASA, to learn more about what it takes to become an astronaut.
How did your previous work experience inform your decision to become an astronaut?
Muller: I worked as an undersea medical officer as part of a health profession scholarship program through the Navy.
As you're going through your medical training, you can do further training in diving medicine, as well as nuclear medicine, to support our diving teams, our sub[marines], et cetera.
It was an environment where we worked with a lot of multidisciplinary teams. There were a lot of scientific questions we were trying to answer, and that really appealed to me.
I was stationed for the majority of my time at the Navy Experimental Diving Unit, and that location does a lot of scientific research on both manned and unmanned diving—testing equipment, testing different diving profiles—and we have a really robust saturation diving program.
Saturation diving is a special sort of diving where you dive deeper than you would traditionally on a regular scuba regulator. And you stay for longer periods of time on the order of days, sometimes weeks, living out of a hyperbaric chamber.
And I think that environment in some ways is very, pardon my pun, out of this world, and the parallels to space are definitely there.
Lawler: I started out my career as a naval aviator. I went to the United States Naval Academy, also in Maryland, and studied mechanical engineering and was really drawn to serve my country and do it in a way where I could eventually solve technical problems.
I was fortunate enough to be selected for US Naval Test Pilot School, Class 149. That was actually the moment that set me on the idea that test pilots [can] become astronauts.
We had an astronaut come and speak at test pilot school, and he made the connection that every space mission is a test flight. And I was like, I want to be a test pilot. This is incredible.
So I started out my career as a test pilot, in the back of my mind being like, well, what is the next step? Could I possibly be an astronaut? And that was the first time I applied, and the answer was "no" at that point in my career.
1/2
After [I attended] JHU … I applied and was accepted to NOAA, and I got to fly not just during hurricane seasons, but also [work on] coastal mapping and marine fisheries. … I applied to NASA again, and the answer was "no thanks."
A former mentor brought me into United Airlines [to work for] the test team, and that world became even bigger for me. I'm working in the international industry, and we're talking about ways we can use the aircraft to further science.
We're really focused on safety at a global scale. And at that point, I was like, I'm loving this career trajectory. I'm doing all the things I want to do. Do I want to apply to NASA one more time?
And in 2024, I started the application process and in fall of 2025, I was selected. It wasn't a straight trajectory, but I loved it. And as I was telling someone earlier today, at any of those junctures early in my career, if I had been selected, I wouldn't have this full breadth of experience to bring in with me to be a useful member of the crew.
What has training been like so far?
Muller: Our training as a candidate is approximately two years, and we do training in many different disciplines to prepare us for missions on the International Space Station and our future missions to the moon and hopefully beyond. So that involves some training on the logistics of the international space system—the different hardware systems, different electronic systems, just getting familiar with the station itself and the anatomy of the station, if you will, and what it looks like.
We use [a swimming] pool as an analog for practicing our space walks. We go through robotics training. And then we do other things that are really translatable no matter what environment we're in, [like] team dynamics and working with others.
There are also a lot of physiologic changes that go along with being in space for a long period of time. We have an entire group of people here that support us from a physical standpoint and also a mental standpoint on how to prepare for going to space and also how to recover when we come home.
Lawler: Training's been fun. It's a lot of studying, which is great because everything that we study is really interesting.
It involves flying T-38s [supersonic training jets], robotics, Russian language training, and spacewalks—and then I'm sure there's probably a bunch of other things that I'm missing.
For me, I've been flying T-38s and [I'm] at the very beginning of learning how to do a spacewalk, and there's a lot of prep going into that. My first run, which is going to be me in the space suit with a classmate in the neutral buoyancy lab, will be at the end of February.
What happens after training?
Muller: Whatever NASA needs us to do, we do. A large component of our job is not just going to space, but also supporting our fellow astronauts and our astronaut office and integrating with different disciplines here at NASA for the larger support of those missions.
This is a really interesting time in space right now, because while we have a presence in low Earth orbit on the International Space Station, we're also with the Artemis program moving toward moon missions and looking to establish a presence on the moon, which will then help us to develop further technology and give us more of an understanding of how to go even deeper into space, like [to] Mars.
I'm young in my career and hope to see a lot of that throughout my lifetime.
What are you looking forward to most about potentially going into outer space?
Muller: The experience for myself in terms of what it feels like on your body is something I'm very curious about, I think from having a medical background.
I really am looking forward to the moment where you can look outside whatever space vehicle you're in and see Earth from that perspective. I think that's probably a common thing among people who gaze at the sky and who also have had that experience in the past.
And I guess one other thing I'm interested in is I'm always curious what it's like to sleep in space. That sounds like a really odd thing to be excited about, but I felt the same way about saturation diving, and I have that same curiosity for what it'll feel like up there.
Lawler: What I'm looking forward to the most is, whatever mission I get assigned for, seeing that I've built a strong enough foundation [in training] to be a useful member of the team. I'm just really excited to do the work and to be able to contribute in some way.
2/2
Focusing and defocusing light without a lens: First demonstration of the structured Montgomery effect in free space
February 2, 2026
Applied physicists in the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have demonstrated a new way to structure light in custom, repeatable, three-dimensional patterns, all without the use of traditional optical elements like lenses and mirrors.
Their breakthrough provides experimental evidence of a peculiar natural phenomenon that had been confined mostly to theory.
Researchers from the lab of Federico Capasso, the Robert L. Wallace Professor of Applied Physics and Vinton Hayes Senior Research Fellow in Electrical Engineering, report in Optica the first experimental demonstration of the little-known Montgomery effect, in which a coherent beam of light seemingly vanishes, then sharply refocuses itself over and over, in free space, at perfectly placed distances.
This lensless, repeatable patterning of light could lay the groundwork for powerful new tools in many areas including microscopy, sensing, and quantum computing.
This effect had been predicted mathematically in the 1960s but never observed under controlled lab conditions. The new work underscores not only that the effect is real, but that it can be precisely engineered and tuned.
From Talbot to Montgomery effects
The experiments were led by first author Murat Yessenov, a postdoctoral researcher in Capasso's group. He and colleagues were inspired by a closely related phenomenon that is exploited in many optical technologies today.
That related phenomenon, known as the Talbot effect, happens when a narrow beam of light is sent through a device called a grating that is etched with a periodic pattern, like a picket fence. The light produces a perfect, repeated, evenly spaced image of the grating, though no lens is present.
This Talbot effect is harnessed for countless technologies today that employ what's called lensless self-imaging, including high-resolution lithography that requires perfectly spaced micro patterns; metrology and sensing applications; and optical trapping of atoms or gas particles.
But the Talbot effect has a key limitation: it only works when the starting pattern of the diffraction grating is strictly periodic. It also tends to produce unwanted copies of the pattern, as well as background light. This makes it hard to create clean, controlled, tightly focused light in free space.
In the 1960s, physicist W.D. Montgomery theorized that self-imaging should be possible for almost any pattern of light, not just periodic ones. Yet his prediction remained confined to mathematics, with only a few partial experimental demonstrations.
Engineering programmable self-imaging beams
In the study, the team used a device called a spatial light modulator, a programmable optical element similar in spirit to a digital projector, to carefully sculpt the phase of a laser beam so that it could mathematically satisfy the conditions needed for self-imaging.
They created a beam that defocuses as it travels away from the starting plane, refocuses to a sharp spot at a chosen distance, and repeats this cycle multiple times in free space.
They demonstrated that the effect works not just for a single spot, but for a variety of structured beams, including donut-shaped, arrays of multiple spots, and more exotic patterns.
"Our fully programmable self-imaging platform may find application across a broad range of fields, from large-scale neutral atom-based quantum computers, to simultaneous multiplane microscopy," Yessenov said.
Potential across quantum tech and biology
The method is potentially powerful because it can concentrate light into well-defined locations while keeping background intensity low.
In experimental quantum computers today that use neutral atoms as their units of computation, individual atoms are held in place at precise positions by optical tweezers. These atom arrays are typically confined to a single plane.
The Capasso lab's new approach would make it possible to create an array of optical tweezers at several depths, potentially creating 3D architectures of quantum computers while maintaining clean, strong light trapping sites.
The approach could also be used in multi-plane optical imaging of biological samples. Existing methods require scanning down a plane of tissue and suffer from unwanted background light.
The new approach by the Harvard team would allow for sharp excitation planes with minimal light in between, improving the signal-to-noise ratio and reducing damage to samples.
The team's next ambition is to transfer their new, sculpted beams of light onto metasurfaces, ultra-thin nanostructured optical elements that can maintain exquisite control of light and can be fabricated like microchips.
https://phys.org/news/2026-02-focusing-defocusing-lens-montgomery-effect.html
https://opg.optica.org/optica/fulltext.cfm?uri=optica-13-2-195
Space Will Help to Solve the Problem of Antibiotic Resistance
Pis 5, 10 Feb 02, 26
Using the harsh conditions of space as a testing ground for genetic modifications is not a new idea.
A recent article by a group of authors from Srivatsan Raman’s laboratory at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, published in PLOS Biology, provides an example of its practical application: genetic modification of bacteriophages to attack antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
PLOS Biology is a reputable journal published by the non-profit Public Library of Science.
The laboratory selected 1,660 different, pre-modified variants of bacteriophages (viruses that infect host bacteria, and the most common biological particles on Earth, which are highly variable and adaptable for a wide range of applications. – Ed.)
in order to observe which ones would win in the ‘survival of the fittest’ competition in space, in conditions of microgravity and increased radiation. Laboratory staff also maintained the same combination of bacteriophages and bacteria on Earth as a control group.
Rhodium Scientific, a biotechnology company that assists with research on the ISS, manufactured special cryogenic tubes that prevent even the slightest leakage and are designed to maintain a storage temperature of -80 °C during launch.
The experiment showed that space bacteriophages took much longer to destroy their bacterial ‘colleagues.’ Earth bacteriophages dealt with them faster, killing the bacteria in 2–4 hours.
This was probably due to microgravity — there is no convection in space, or movement of the solution under the influence of external forces such as temperature or pressure differences.
To reach their target, the bacteriophages had to rely on diffusion, which is a much slower process. In addition, the targets did not remain stationary.
In space, the E. coli bacteria used in the experiment were under enormous stress. The lack of convection led to the accumulation of waste around the bacterial cells, and nutrients, which are also involved in convection, were not as readily available.
Therefore, the bacteria produced their own mutations — in particular, by modifying the mlaA gene, which resulted in phospholipids moving to their surface. Since it’s on the surface that bacteriophages interact with bacteria, this required a change in their plan of attack as well.
When the mutated bacteriophages were returned to Earth, they proved to be particularly effective at destroying bacteria that cause urinary tract infections, which are among the most common infections in the world and are highly resistant to antibiotics.
It is noteworthy that the variants remaining on Earth were unable to defeat ‘superbugs’ — antibiotic-resistant bacteria that cause urinary tract infections.
Researchers believe that the stress experienced by bacteria in the human urinary tract, such as chemical stress and nutrient limitation, creates an environment somewhat similar to that of their space-faring counterparts.
Therefore, the bacteria developed the same evolutionary advantages and were vulnerable to the same attack plan that bacteriophages developed in space.
However, it is too early to talk about creating a bioreactor in space to produce ‘superphages’ capable of killing antibiotic-resistant bacteria on Earth.
To do this, the authors conclude, a lot of preparatory work will be required — and a facility much larger than the ISS.
https://asgardia.space/en/news/Space-Will-Help-to-Solve-the-Problem-of-Antibiotic-Resistance
https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3003568
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j94CbZiA1j0
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/scientists-solve-mystery-of-puzzling-radio-pulses-from-space-10932505
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-025-02760-y
Scientists Solve Mystery Of Puzzling Radio Pulses From SpaceRadio astronomers are very familiar with pulsars, a type of rapidly rotating neutron star
Feb 02, 2026 18:57 pm IST
Cosmic radio pulses repeating every few minutes or hours, known as long-period transients, have puzzled astronomers since their discovery in 2022. Our new study, published in Nature Astronomy today, might finally add some clarity.
Radio astronomers are very familiar with pulsars, a type of rapidly rotating neutron star. To us watching the skies from Earth, these objects appear to pulse because powerful radio beams from their poles sweep our telescopes – much like a cosmic lighthouse.
The slowest pulsars rotate in just a few seconds – this is known as their period. But in recent years, long-period transients have been discovered as well. These have periods from 18 minutes to more than six hours.
From everything we know about neutron stars, they shouldn't be able to produce radio waves while spinning this slowly. So, is there something wrong with physics?
Well, neutron stars aren't the only compact stellar remnant on the block, so maybe they're not the stars of this story after all. Our new paper presents evidence that the longest-lived long-period transient, GPM J1839-10, is actually a white dwarf star.
It's producing powerful radio beams with the help of a stellar companion, implying others may be doing the same.
Enter white dwarf pulsars
Like neutron stars, white dwarfs are the remnants of dead stars. They're about the size of Earth, but with an entire Sun's-worth of mass packed in.
No isolated white dwarf has been observed to emit radio pulses. But they have the necessary ingredients to do so when paired with an M-type dwarf (a regular star about half the Sun's mass) in a close two-star system known as a binary.
In fact, we know such rapidly spinning “white dwarf pulsars” exist because we've observed them – the first was confirmed in 2016.
Which raises the question: could long-period transients be the slower cousins of white dwarf pulsars?
More than ten long-period transients have been discovered to date, but they're so far away and embedded so deep in our galaxy, it's been difficult to tell what they are.
Only in 2025 were two long-period transients conclusively identified as white dwarf–M-dwarf binaries. This was quite unexpected. However, it left astronomers with more questions.
Even if some long-period transients are white dwarf–M-dwarf binaries, do they radiate in the same way as the faster white dwarf pulsars? And are the long-period transients only visible at radio wavelengths doomed to be a mystery forever?
What we needed is a model that works for both, and a long-period transient with enough high-quality data to test it on.
1/2
A uniquely long-lived example
In 2023 we discovered GPM J1839-10, a long-period transient with a 21-minute period. It was the second-ever such discovery, but unlike its predecessor or those found since, it is uniquely long-lived.
Pulses were found in archival data going back as far as 1988, but only some of the times that they should have been detected.
As it's 15,000 light-years away, we can only see it in radio waves. So we dug deeper into this seemingly random, intermittent signal to learn more.
We watched GPM J1839-10 in a series dubbed “round-the-world” observations.
These used three telescopes, each passing the source to the next as Earth rotated: the Australian SKA Pathfinder or ASKAP, the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa, and the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array in the United States.
The intermittent signal turned out to not be random at all. The pulses arrive in groups of four or five, and the groups come in pairs separated by two hours. The entire pattern repeats every nine hours.
Such a stable pattern strongly implies the signal is coming from a binary system of two bodies orbiting each other every nine hours. And knowing the period also helps us work out their masses, which all adds up to being a white dwarf–M-dwarf binary.
Checking back, not only were the archival detections consistent with the same pattern, but we were able to use the combined data to refine the orbital period to a precision of just 0.2 seconds.
A heartbeat pattern
Radio data alone tells us GPM J1839-10 is definitely a binary system. What's more, the peculiar heartbeat of its pulses gives clues to its nature in a way that's only possible from looking at radio signals.
Inspired by a previous study on a white dwarf pulsar, we modelled GPM J1839-10 as a white dwarf generating a radio beam as its magnetic pole sweeps through its companion's stellar wind.
The varying alignment of the binary bodies with our line-of-sight throughout the orbit accurately predicts the heartbeat pattern.
We can even reconstruct the geometry of the system, such as how far apart the stars must be, and how massive they are.
All told, GPM J1839-10 has the potential to be the missing link between long-period transients and white dwarf pulsars.
Armed with our model, other astronomers have already been able to detect variability at our measured periods in high-precision optical data, despite not being able to distinguish the binary pair.
Research is ongoing on exactly how the emission physics works, and how the broader range of long-period transient properties fit together. However, this is a crucial step towards understanding.The Conversation
2/2
Groundhog Day isn't the halfway point of winter — the real one arrives tomorrow
February 2, 2026
Feb. 2 is upon us once again.
And during the 40+ years that I was a broadcast meteorologist, both on radio and television, I knew that this is the day that everyone looks to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania for a forecast of whether we will see a continuation of winter, or whether we will enjoy an early spring.
That forecast, of course, comes not from a person, but from a groundhog. And as such, Feb. 2 has become known as Groundhog Day.
And yet . . . this day originally was known as Candlemas; the 40th day since Christmas. As the old saying goes:
"If Candlemas be fair and bright, Come, Winter, have another flight. If Candlemas bring clouds and rain, Go, Winter, and come not again."
So how did a groundhog get involved? According to History.com, the first official celebration of Groundhog Day took place on Feb. 2, 1887. This inaugural celebration was the idea of Clymer Freas and took place in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
And today, Bill Murray notwithstanding, should a certain groundhog named Phil see his shadow, we'll see six more weeks of winter (6½ to be more precise). If he doesn't see his shadow, then winter is over.
According to Punxsutawney's Groundhog Club, Phil, after making the prediction, speaks to the Club's top-hatted President in "Groundhogese", which only the current President can understand, and then his prediction is translated for the entire world.
By the way, according to Stormfax.com, as of 2025, Punxsutawney Phil has made 130 predictions, with an early spring (no shadow) having been forecast just a mere 21 times (16.2%).
This site also states (without evidence or corroborative references) that as of 2025, Phil's predictions have proved correct only about 39% of the time.
Halfway through on Tuesday
Although thought of as the "traditional" halfway point of the winter season, in reality, Groundhog Day actually comes up about one day short.
Winter's midpoint will occur this week on Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 9:54 p.m. Eastern Time or 6:54 p.m. Pacific Time.
But although the altitude of the sun has been slowly climbing and the length of daylight has been increasing since the winter solstice on Dec. 21, any changes up to this point have been relatively subtle.
However, from now through early May, the increasing altitude of the midday sun and its corresponding lengthening of the daylight hours will become much more apparent, for at no other time of the year do these two values rise so markedly.
For example, on the first day of winter in Denver, Colorado, sunset occurred at 4:38 p.m. and the length of daylight (from sunrise to sunset) reached a minimum of 9 hours and 21 minutes.
Today, Denver sees the sun set at 5:23 p.m. with a mere 57 additional minutes of daylight having accumulated since Dec. 21.
But by March 20 — the date of the vernal equinox — the length of daylight in Denver will have increased by 110 minutes since Feb. 3.
And because daylight saving time begins on Mar. 15th this year, by March 20, the sun will be setting well after 7 p.m. (7:11 p.m. to be exact) as viewed from The Mile High City.
Temperature-wise, we've bottomed out
Interestingly, for many northern locales, long-term records indicate the first four days of February are the coldest for the winter season.
But average daily temperatures rise rapidly thereafter, so that by the last week of the month, they are higher than any day in January.
Meteorologists, in fact, consider that the winter season is over at the end of February; they consider "meteorological winter" to be defined by the three coldest months of the year: December, January and February.
So, for all those weary winter souls, take heart: we're about to turn the corner.
In the days and weeks to come, you'll more readily be able to sense the greater amounts of daily light and see the more northerly position of the afternoon sunsets on the horizon. And soon the weather will respond as well.
As for the groundhog forecast: To see or not to see . . . the shadow knows!
https://www.space.com/stargazing/groundhog-day-isnt-the-halfway-point-of-winter-the-real-one-arrives-feb-3-2026
February's full moon dazzles skywatchers worldwide with a glistening 'Snow Moon'
February 2, 2026
February's full "Snow Moon" has risen, dazzling stargazers with an incredible performance as it climbed over the eastern horizon below the stars of the constellation Leo to flood the night sky with its icy light.
The Snow Moon turned full in the early hours of Feb. 1, when the lunar disk sat opposite the sun in Earth's sky, fully illuminated by its light.
It arrived as swathes of the U.S. returned to normalcy in the wake of a brutal winter storm — the kind for which the February moon is named — and beamed down on NASA's Artemis 2 moon rocket, as it lay dormant at Pad 39B of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Read on to see a selection of spectacular photos of the Snow Moon captured on the nights surrounding its full moon phase and be sure to look up in the coming nights.
If you feel inspired to try lunar astrophotography out for yourself! The lunar disk will continue to look full over the coming days, so get out there and make use of our expert advice for capturing Earth's natural satellite.
moar moon
https://www.space.com/stargazing/astrophotography/februarys-full-moon-dazzles-skywatchers-worldwide-with-a-glistening-snow-moon
Paul Bate to step down as UK Space Agency CEO
2 February 2026
Paul has led the UK Space Agency for four and a half years. Working closely with ministers, he delivered two successful delegations to the European Space Agency Councils of Ministers, securing record investment levels, UK science leadership and three new UK astronauts.
The UK space sector now has access to a wider range of national space funding than ever before, with flagship initiatives such as the National Space Innovation Programme and Space Clusters Infrastructure Fund catalysing increasing levels of private investment.
Paul has also had a sustained focus on making the Agency a great place to work, increasing staff engagement by six percentage points.
Dr Paul Bate said:
To be trusted to deliver the government’s civil space ambitions, and to lead an Agency of expert professionals who are passionate about their craft, has been the greatest privilege of my career and proof that space is a team sport.
As the UK Space Agency becomes part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), now is the right time to pass the baton on.
Whoever is successful will have one of the best jobs in the civil service, leading the new UK Space Agency, delivering innovation and world class science across space, working closely with Ministers, and combining policy, strategy, delivery and technical expertise to help make the UK a leading space nation.
Space Minister Liz Lloyd said:
It has been a pleasure to work with Paul in his role as CEO of the UK Space Agency.
As minister, I have particularly valued working with him on the European Space Agency Council of Ministers work agreeing £1.7bn of investment on priority ESA programmes supporting jobs, resilience and science across the UK on issues from space weather to science, launch to Europe’s first Mars Rover.
Paul’s work on programmes like Unlocking Space have been crucial to support growth of the UK space industry. I wish Paul every success in whatever he turns his talents to next.
Lord Willetts, Chair of the UK Space Agency, said:
Paul has done an enormous amount not just for the UK Space Agency but more widely for the British space sector as a whole.
He is an excellent leader committed to promoting British science and technology. All of us at the Space Agency wish him well for the future.
Doug Liddle, Chair of the UKspace trade association, said:
On behalf of our members, I want to thank Paul for all he has done to champion space across the country and the world.
I have always appreciated his willingness to engage with companies large and small, to listen to our concerns and to understand the commercial realities of operating in such a fast-moving sector.
I wish him well and look forward to working closely with the new Director of the UK Space Agency, once appointed.
As announced in August 2025, the UK Space Agency will merge with DSIT’s Space Directorate, forming a new single unit within DSIT responsible for civil space policy and delivery.
The new unit will retain the UK Space Agency name and brand identity. Recruitment for a Director is currently underway.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/paul-bate-to-step-down-as-uk-space-agency-ceo
On National Space Technology Day; Iran to unveil new satellite, space facility
Mon, 02/02/2026 - 09:06
TEHRAN, Feb. 02 (MNA) – Iran is set to unveil a new satellite, satellite imagery, and a new space facility on Tuesday, coinciding with the country’s National Space Technology Day, according to the head of the Iran Space Agency.
Iran first entered the space arena on February 2, 2009, with the successful launch of its domestically developed “Omid” (Hope) satellite. The satellite remained operational in orbit for nearly three months before completing its mission.
Following this milestone, Iran’s Supreme Council of Public Culture officially designated the anniversary of the Omid launch as National Space Technology Day.
Despite international sanctions, Iran has emerged as one of the leading space-capable countries in the region, relying on indigenous expertise and domestic technology.
The country has developed a complete satellite lifecycle—from design and manufacturing to launch—an achievement previously limited to roughly 10 countries worldwide.
Space technology now plays a critical role in disaster management, environmental monitoring and various aspects of modern life.
Investment in this sector has proven economically and strategically valuable, prompting even developing nations to pursue space programs as part of long-term national planning.
In this context, Iran is set to unveil new space-related projects, including a satellite, satellite imagery products and a new space base, as part of this year's National Space Technology Day commemorations.
Hassan Salarieh, Head of the Iran Space Agency, told Mehr News Agency that plans are underway to launch satellites and inaugurate new space projects before the end of the current Iranian calendar year.
He said the main prototype of the “Martyr Soleimani” satellite constellation will be unveiled for the first time on National Space Technology Day, adding that Iran is also seeking to conduct satellite launches using domestic launch vehicles, including from the Chabahar space facility.
Salarieh emphasized that satellite launches require extensive technical preparations, including compatibility tests between the satellite and the launch vehicle, delivery procedures, and final pre-launch evaluations.
“These processes are time-consuming but essential,” he said, noting that all technical stages must be completed with precision to ensure a safe and reliable launch.
He added that preparations for conducting launches from the Chabahar space base are ongoing, and once the satellite and launch vehicle are fully ready, the first launch from the site will take place.
Salarieh explained that in the space industry, launch dates are often not announced in advance due to the need for comprehensive testing and strict quality control, aimed at avoiding rushed operations and ensuring mission success.
https://www.oananews.org/node/711909
Singapore Announces Creation Of National Space Agency
February 02, 2026
SINGAPORE—Singapore has announced it will establish a national space agency to help underpin its ambitions in the space economy.
The agency is due to be formally established April 1, said Tan See Leng, the city-state’s minister for science and technology at the Space Summit 2026 on Feb. 2.
The agency “will provide decisive leadership for Singapore to seize opportunities in the expanding space economy and the new possibilities posed by democratized access to outer space,” Tan said on the eve of the Singapore Airshow.
Singapore has been in the space business for 55 years, establishing its first ground station in 1971 and deploying the first satellite in 2011.
More than 30 Singaporean satellites have been launched in the past two decades. The government has spent S$200 million ($157 million) on space research and development since 2022 and plans more.
“We will further invest strategically in emerging areas, including climate and sustainability technologies, particularly satellite remote sensing for carbon monitoring, space sustainability technologies, including space situational awareness and approaches to debris remediation,” Tan said.
The government also is interested in backing microgravity research, particularly in the field of health sciences, he said.
Singapore, not unlike other countries such as the United Arab Emirates, is trying to foster local startups and attract foreign businesses to build up its space industrial capacity.
“We will develop a robust ecosystem of component manufacturers and facilities for assembly, integration and testing to accelerate the development of space grid systems by our local players,” Tan said.
https://aviationweek.com/space/budget-policy-regulation/singapore-announces-creation-national-space-agency
cheers to that
Groundhog Day launch sends SpaceX Starlink satellites into Earth orbit from California
February 2, 2026
In a repeat of many, many (many) days past, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has yet again delivered a batch of Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit.
The launch on Monday (Feb. 2, Groundhog Day) began at Space Launch Complex 4 East from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
Just like Punxsutawney Phil this year, the rocket "saw" its shadow, flying into a sunny blue sky at 10:47 a.m. EDT (1547 GMT or 7:47 a.m. PDT local time).
About nine minutes after leaving the ground (and all groundhogs) behind, the Falcon 9 upper stage reached its preliminary orbit. It was set to deploy the 25 Starlink satellites (known as Group 17-32) about an hour into the flight.
The rocket's first stage, meanwhile, receded back to Earth (much like Phil), landing on the droneship "Of Course I Still Love You" stationed in the Pacific Ocean. The flight was the 31st for the booster, which is designated B1071.
That's just one short of SpaceX's reuse record, which was set by the booster 1067 in December 2025. (By comparison, this was the 110th time that the groundhog has seen his shadow since 1887, according to various sources.)
SpaceX's Starlink service provides broadband internet service to areas around the world where connectivity is sparse or non-existent. The network can be used to look up the winter weather forecast on some airlines and from smart phones on select carriers.
Monday's launch was SpaceX's 14th launch of the year. The Starlink megaconstellation now numbers 9,628 active satellites, according to tracker Jonathan McDowell.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-falcon-9-starlink-launch-group-17-32-vsfb-ocisly
https://www.spacex.com/launches/sl-17-32
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NmN_sH_lE8
Army space professionals share knowledge during forum
Feb. 2, 2026
Nearly 200 Army space professionals convened in Colorado and virtually – tuning in from 23 outstations – to hold discussions and share information during the annual Army Space Operations Training Forum, Jan. 21-23.
Maj. Kyle Furfari, military deputy, Office of the Chief of Space and Missile Defense, Space and Missile Defense Center of Excellence, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, said the overarching theme for this year's forum centered on the evolution of Army space, the advancement of future capabilities development, and the transformation and integration of Army space into future operations.
Participants conducted 22 briefs, to include remarks by Gen. Stephen N. Whiting, commander, U.S. Space Command, Lt. Gen. Sean A. Gainey, commander, SMDC, Lt. Gen. Richard L. Zellmann, deputy commander, USSPACECOM, Timothy F. Bishop, director, SMDCoE, Brig. Gen. Donald K. Brooks, deputy commanding general for Operations, SMDC, and Command Sgt. Maj. John W. Foley, command sergeant major, SMDC.
“Our senior leaders emphasized the growth of Army Space, the transition to an Army Space Branch, the direct impact of Army space on combat power, how the U.S must maintain parity or achieve superiority in space capabilities relative to other countries, and the role of Army space as a vital integrator across warfighting and joint functions,” Furfari said.
Brooks talked about the role of Army space as part of the future and how it is actively defining the present reality of warfare.
“In the complex, contested battlespace of today and tomorrow, victory is simply not achievable without the integration and interdiction of space capabilities,” Brooks said. “Space capabilities are embedded in everything we do on the battlefield.
Our Army's space mission is, and will remain, focused on dominating conflict in the land domain. We are purpose-built to provide scalable, mobile and expeditionary space forces that keep pace with our maneuver elements and deliver effects at the timing and tempo required.
“The demand for these specialized forces has never been more acute,” he continued. “We operate under the unblinking eye of potential adversaries.
To conceal our forces, to enable the long-range precision fires that are the hallmark of our lethality, and to protect our formations from targeting, we must grasp the interdependencies between the land and space domains.”
Brooks said the United States Army is not a passive consumer of space.
“We are an active, essential and increasingly dominant participant in joint space operations,” he said.
“We are transforming our strategic headquarters, fielding new and more mobile capabilities and empowering our forward-deployed Soldiers to ensure the joint force can fight and win in any domain. Business is great in Army space, and we are just getting started.”
The Army Space Operations career field is made up of space professionals who leverage capabilities and effects in and through space to support Army operations across the continuum of conflict and from the tactical up to the strategic levels of warfare.
They integrate space capabilities and effects with terrestrial, air, sea and high-altitude based systems owned and operated by the Department of War, the intelligence community, civil agencies and commercial partners.
Space professionals are integrated into operational and planning positions at all organizational levels and in positions that influence, shape, research and develop, and acquire space related capabilities.
Additional information on Army space operations officers can be found at https://www.smdc.army.mil/RESOURCES/FA40/.
https://www.petersonschriever.spaceforce.mil/Newsroom/News/Display/Article/4394861/army-space-professionals-share-knowledge-during-forum/