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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:dc="https://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"> <channel> <atom:link href="https://www.space.com/home/feed/site.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <title><![CDATA[ Space ]]></title> <link>https://www.space.com</link> <description><![CDATA[ ]]></description> <lastBuildDate>Fri, 19 Apr 2024 22:25:41 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en</language> <item> <title><![CDATA[ NASA's Juno probe captures amazing views of Jupiter's volcanic moon Io (video) ]]></title> <dc:content><![CDATA[ <div class='jwplayer__widthsetter'><div class='jwplayer__wrapper'><div id='futr_botr_wiBHl2wJ_bQHItauA_div' class='future__jwplayer'><div id='botr_wiBHl2wJ_bQHItauA_div'></div></div></div></div><p>The four biggest moons of Jupiter aren't just blurry smudges in Galileo's telescope anymore.</p><p>The Italian astronomer <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15589-galileo-galilei.html"><u>Galileo Galilei</u></a> discovered Ganymede, Callisto, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15498-europa-sdcmp.html"><u>Europa</u></a> and Io back in 1610, which explains why they're called the Galilean moons. We've learned a lot about these exotic bodies in the past 400 years thanks to ever-improving telescope views and close-up imagery snapped by voyaging spacecraft like NASA's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/32742-juno-spacecraft.html"><u>Juno</u></a> Jupiter orbiter.</p><p>Indeed, Juno recently conducted two close flybys of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16419-io-facts-about-jupiters-volcanic-moon.html"><u>Io</u></a>, the most volcanically active body in the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16080-solar-system-planets.html">solar system</a>, and data from the encounters is wowing scientists. </p><p><strong>Related:</strong> <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/io-jupiter-moon-nasa-juno-photos">NASA's Juno probe sees active volcanic eruptions on Jupiter's volcanic moon Io (images)</a></p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1743px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.22%;"><img id="B4584BseyzkpmhYgit7wkZ" name="1713552629.jpg" alt="a close-up view of jupiter's volcanic moon io against the blackness of space" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/B4584BseyzkpmhYgit7wkZ.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1743" height="980" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The JunoCam instrument on NASA’s Juno captured this view of Jupiter’s moon Io — with the first-ever image of its south polar region — during the spacecraft’s 60th flyby of Jupiter on April 9. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS. Image processing: Gerald Eichstädt/Thomas Thomopoulos (CC BY))</span></figcaption></figure><p>"Io is simply littered with volcanoes, and we caught a few of them in action," Scott Bolton, Juno's principal investigator, said in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-juno-gives-aerial-views-of-mountain-lava-lake-on-io" target="_blank"><u>NASA statement</u></a> on Thursday (April 18).</p><p>"We also got some great close-ups and other data on a 200-kilometer-long (127-mile-long) lava lake called Loki Patera," Bolton added. "There is amazing detail showing these crazy islands embedded in the middle of a potentially magma lake rimmed with hot lava. The specular reflection our instruments recorded of the lake suggests parts of Io's surface are as smooth as glass, reminiscent of volcanically created obsidian glass on Earth."</p><p>Juno came within about 930 miles (1,500 kilometers) of Io's roiling surface during the two flybys, which occurred in December 2023 and February 2024. Mission team members processed the encounter data into a flyover animation, which provides a dazzling view of the moon.</p><p>Maps created with Juno data recently also have shown that Io's surface is smoother than those of the other <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/21182-galilean-moons-jupiter-countdown.html">Galilean moons</a>, and that Io's poles are colder than its mid-latitude regions, mission team members said.</p><h2 id="jupiter-too-2">Jupiter, too</h2><p>Juno has also collected intriguing information about the poles of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/7-jupiter-largest-planet-solar-system.html">Jupiter</a> recently using its Microwave Radiometer (MWR) instrument, including differences among the gas giant's intriguing north polar cyclones.</p><p>"Perhaps [the] most striking example of this disparity can be found with the central cyclone at Jupiter's north pole," Steve Levin, Juno's project scientist at NASA's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16952-nasa-jet-propulsion-laboratory.html">Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> in Southern California, said in the same statement. </p><p>"It is clearly visible in both infrared and visible light images, but its microwave signature is nowhere near as strong as other nearby storms," Levin added. "This tells us that its subsurface structure must be very different from these other cyclones."</p><p>The Juno team is also learning more about Jupiter's water abundance. The scientists aren't looking for flowing lakes and rivers — Jupiter has no discernible surface, after all — but rather for oxygen and hydrogen molecules in its thick atmosphere. Such work follows on from that done by NASA's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18632-galileo-spacecraft.html">Galileo Jupiter orbiter</a>, which ended its mission with an intentional death dive into Jupiter's atmosphere in 1995.</p><div class='jwplayer__widthsetter'><div class='jwplayer__wrapper'><div id='futr_botr_2ArAjkeP_bQHItauA_div' class='future__jwplayer'><div id='botr_2ArAjkeP_bQHItauA_div'></div></div></div></div><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/io-jupiter-moon-massive-volcanic-eruption">Massive, months-long volcanic eruption roils Jupiter's moon Io</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/nasa-juno-jupiter-io-volcanic-moon-images">See Jupiter's volcanic moon Io glow red-hot in incredible images from NASA's Juno probe</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/32742-juno-spacecraft.html">Juno: Taking a Long Look at Jupiter</a></p></div></div><p>Galileo "did amazing science, but its data was so far afield from our models of Jupiter's water abundance that we considered whether the location it sampled could be an outlier. But before Juno, we couldn't confirm," Bolton said. "Now, with recent results made with MWR data, we have nailed down that the water abundance near Jupiter's equator is roughly three to four times the solar abundance when compared to hydrogen. This definitively demonstrates that the Galileo probe's entry site was an anomalously dry, desert-like region."</p><p>While there are still many questions surrounding how Jupiter formed, scientists continue to rely on data coming in from Juno's extended mission. The probe's next close flyby of Jupiter — its 61st overall — will be on May 12.</p> ]]></dc:content> <link>https://www.space.com/jupiter-moon-io-juno-flyover-video-2024</link> <description> <![CDATA[ NASA's Juno probe continues to give us more insight into Jupiter and the giant planet's moons, including Io, the most volcanically active object in the solar system. ]]> </description> <guid isPermaLink="false">mmZmaeGgbABqJKTzEpmNpE</guid> <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/B4584BseyzkpmhYgit7wkZ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="0"></enclosure> <pubDate>Fri, 19 Apr 2024 21:00:26 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Jupiter]]></category> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/B4584BseyzkpmhYgit7wkZ.jpg"> <media:credit><![CDATA[NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS. Image processing: Gerald Eichstädt/Thomas Thomopoulos (CC BY)]]></media:credit> <media:text><![CDATA[The JunoCam instrument on NASA’s Juno captured this view of Jupiter’s moon Io — with the first-ever image of its south polar region — during the spacecraft’s 60th flyby of Jupiter on April 9. ]]></media:text> <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[The JunoCam instrument on NASA’s Juno captured this view of Jupiter’s moon Io — with the first-ever image of its south polar region — during the spacecraft’s 60th flyby of Jupiter on April 9. ]]></media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title><![CDATA[ NASA's Artemis 3 astronauts will put a moonquake detector on lunar surface ]]></title> <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>The Lunar Environment Monitoring Station (LEMS) is one of the first three potential payloads NASA selected for the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/artemis-program.html"><u>Artemis 3 mission</u></a>, which will land humans on the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/55-earths-moon-formation-composition-and-orbit.html"><u>moon</u></a> in 2026 for the first time in more than 50 years.</p><p>The compact, autonomous seismometer is designed to withstand the long, cold lunar night and operate during the day, continuously monitoring ground motion from moonquakes in the region around the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/nasa-moon-landing-2024-needs-lunar-lander-funding"><u>lunar south pole</u></a>, where Artemis 3 astronauts will land. LEMS is expected to operate on the lunar surface for at least three months and up to two years, demonstrating its capability to measure the moon's geophysical activity unassisted over long periods of time, according to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/goddard/nasa-goddard-to-build-quake-detector-for-artemis-iii-moon-landing/" target="_blank"><u>a statement</u></a> from NASA. </p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/artemis-3-moon-landing-mission"><u>NASA's Artemis 3 mission: Landing humans on the moon</u></a></p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2000px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="jCaEPB5poKMgice7tJ7gzm" name="1713548445.jpg" alt="two people in a lab adjust the settings on a piece of scientific equipment during a test" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jCaEPB5poKMgice7tJ7gzm.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="2000" height="1125" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Richard Mills (left) and Mitchell Hamann prepare to place the LEMS Engineering Unit into a thermal vacuum chamber. During the test, the LEMS prototype was subjected to the harsh temperature and vacuum conditions that mimic the surface of the Moon to demonstrate the station can sustain itself and operate unassisted for long durations. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NASA/Mehdi Benna)</span></figcaption></figure><p>"Moonquakes were first observed after <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/apollo-program-overview.html"><u>Apollo astronauts</u></a> placed seismometers on the lunar surface during their missions between 1969 and 1972," NASA officials said in the statement. </p><p>However, the Apollo seismic data was collected on the Earth-facing side of the moon near the lunar equator, so there's no seismic data available on tremors at the lunar south pole, which is important for establishing a long-term presence in this region on the moon.</p><p>The researchers, led by planetary scientist Mehdi Benna of the University of Maryland Baltimore County, began developing a small, self-sustaining station that operates almost like a buoy in the ocean. The team received funding from NASA's Development and Advancement of Lunar Instrumentation program in 2018 to develop LEMS to flight readiness, according to the statement. </p><div class='jwplayer__widthsetter'><div class='jwplayer__wrapper'><div id='futr_botr_9d2w10Yx_bQHItauA_div' class='future__jwplayer'><div id='botr_9d2w10Yx_bQHItauA_div'></div></div></div></div><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/new-moonquakes-traced-to-apollo-17-lander">Mysterious moonquake traced to Apollo 17 lunar lander base</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/moon-moonquake-seismic-station-mission-funding">Moonquake-hunting 'SPIDER' probes could detect lunar temblors on NASA Artemis missions</a> </p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/artemis-program.html">NASA's Artemis program: Everything you need to know</a></p></div></div><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/moon-moonquake-seismic-station-mission-funding"><u>Moonquakes</u></a> are primarily driven by the gravitational pull between the moon and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/54-earth-history-composition-and-atmosphere.html"><u>Earth</u></a>, along with temperature changes on the lunar surface, which vary from 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121 degrees Celsius) during the day to minus 208 degrees F (minus 133 C) at night. These extreme temperature variations cause the moon to expand when it's hot and contract when it's cold, making it tremble like a house creaking in response to fluctuating weather on Earth.</p><p>Therefore, studying moonquakes will not only aid in planning Artemis landings but also help scientists better understand what goes on beneath the lunar surface. This information, in turn, will shed light on how the moon formed, given that <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/moonquakes-moon-is-shrinking-apollo-data.html"><u>seismic waves</u></a> travel through different material at different speeds. </p> ]]></dc:content> <link>https://www.space.com/moonquake-detector-nasa-artemis-3-mission</link> <description> <![CDATA[ NASA is building a moonquake detector for its upcoming Artemis 3 mission, in hopes of learning more about lunar tremors and the internal structure of the moon. ]]> </description> <guid isPermaLink="false">xWJXXP5k2mFR2kJosWTdGD</guid> <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ksbUMxe3ECEDqxYYZNgwAC.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="0"></enclosure> <pubDate>Fri, 19 Apr 2024 20:00:01 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Artemis]]></category> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ksbUMxe3ECEDqxYYZNgwAC.jpg"> <media:credit><![CDATA[NASA]]></media:credit> <media:text><![CDATA[illustration of two astronauts on the surface of the moon]]></media:text> <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[illustration of two astronauts on the surface of the moon]]></media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title><![CDATA[ Ingenuity's travels: New NASA video tracks Mars helicopter's 72 flights ]]></title> <dc:content><![CDATA[ <div class='jwplayer__widthsetter'><div class='jwplayer__wrapper'><div id='futr_botr_4L8DNITM_bQHItauA_div' class='future__jwplayer'><div id='botr_4L8DNITM_bQHItauA_div'></div></div></div></div><p>NASA's history-making Ingenuity helicopter covered a lot of ground on Mars over the past three years, as a new video shows.</p><p>The video, which was released on Thursday (April 18) by NASA's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16952-nasa-jet-propulsion-laboratory.html">Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> (JPL), shows where <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/ingenuity-mars-helicopter-perseverance-rover">Ingenuity</a> went on each of its 72 Red Planet sorties, linking each flight line together in an otherworldly Etch a Sketch creation.</p><p>This work of art throws Ingenuity's epic achievements into stark relief, showing the tough terrain the 4-pound (1.8 kilograms) chopper negotiated and the impressive distance it traveled — 10.5 miles (17.0 kilometers) in total, about 14 times farther than it was originally expected to fly.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/mars-helicopter-ingenuity-team-says-goodbye">Ingenuity team says goodbye to pioneering Mars helicopter</a></p><div class='jwplayer__widthsetter'><div class='jwplayer__wrapper'><div id='futr_botr_DyubBGq1_bQHItauA_div' class='future__jwplayer'><div id='botr_DyubBGq1_bQHItauA_div'></div></div></div></div><p>Ingenuity touched down with NASA's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/perseverance-rover-mars-2020-mission">Perseverance rover</a> inside Mars' Jezero Crater in February 2021. The rotorcraft was designed to be a technology demonstrator; its main task was to show that aerial exploration is possible on Mars despite the planet's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16903-mars-atmosphere-climate-weather.html">thin atmosphere</a>, which is just 1% as dense as that of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/54-earth-history-composition-and-atmosphere.html">Earth</a> at sea level.</p><p>Ingenuity aced that prime mission over the course of five flights in the spring of 2021, then embarked upon an extended mission during which it served as a scout for the life-hunting, sample-caching Perseverance.</p><p>That extended mission lasted far longer than Ingenuity's handlers could have imagined — 67 sorties over nearly three years. The helicopter's flying days finally came to an end on Jan. 18, when <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/nasa-ingenuity-mars-helicopter-mission-ends">its rotors were damaged</a> during a rough landing.</p><p>Ingenuity may now be stationary, but it's not dead: The rotorcraft is now operating as a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/mars-helicopter-ingenuity-team-says-goodbye">weather station and technology testbed</a>, gathering data that could aid future Mars explorers. </p><p>Getting ahold of that data will soon require a physical meetup on the Red Planet, however: Ingenuity relays all of its communications via Perseverance, and the car-sized rover will soon disappear over the Martian horizon, leaving its little partner all alone.</p><div class='jwplayer__widthsetter'><div class='jwplayer__wrapper'><div id='futr_botr_41su70YU_bQHItauA_div' class='future__jwplayer'><div id='botr_41su70YU_bQHItauA_div'></div></div></div></div><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/mars-rotor-system-test-nears-supersonic-speeds-ingenuity-flies-coincides">The Mars helicopter Ingenuity is an amazing success. NASA's already testing tech for the next generation (video)</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/mars-ingenuity-helicopter-perseverance-rover-photo-red-planet-surface">NASA Ingenuity Mars helicopter, broken and alone, spotted by Perseverance rover on Martian dune (photo, video)</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/mars-helicopter-ingenuity-distance-record-december-2023">NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter sets new distance record on the Red Planet</a></p></div></div><p>Ingenuity's success could pave the way for more extensive aerial exploration of Mars down the road. Mission team members are already working on designs for <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/nasa-designing-future-mars-helicopters">larger, more capable rotorcraft</a> that could collect a variety of science data on the Red Planet, for example.</p><p>And Mars isn't the only drone target: In 2028, NASA plans to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/nasa-dragonfly-mission-launch-2028-saturn-moon-titan">launch Dragonfly</a>, a $3.3 billion mission to Saturn's huge moon Titan, which hosts lakes, seas and rivers of liquid hydrocarbons on its frigid surface. The 1,000-pound (450 kg) Dragonfly will hop from spot to spot on <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15257-titan-saturn-largest-moon-facts-discovery-sdcmp.html">Titan</a>, characterizing the moon's various environments and assessing its habitability.</p> ]]></dc:content> <link>https://www.space.com/ingenuity-mars-helicopter-flight-map-video-2024</link> <description> <![CDATA[ NASA's history-making Ingenuity helicopter covered a lot of ground on Mars over the past three years, as a new video shows. ]]> </description> <guid isPermaLink="false">GwNoXshwve24G7TToVr5tN</guid> <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BMQHYViBGN6TWWBN4tnjEH.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="0"></enclosure> <pubDate>Fri, 19 Apr 2024 18:00:01 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Mars]]></category> <author><![CDATA[ mwall@space.com (Mike Wall) ]]></author> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BMQHYViBGN6TWWBN4tnjEH.jpg"> <media:credit><![CDATA[NASA/JPL-Caltech]]></media:credit> <media:text><![CDATA[flight map for nasa's ingenuity mars helicopter, showing white and green lines superimposed over a landscape of sand dunes and other rough terrain]]></media:text> <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[flight map for nasa's ingenuity mars helicopter, showing white and green lines superimposed over a landscape of sand dunes and other rough terrain]]></media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title><![CDATA[ Private space-junk probe to conduct up-close inspection of spent rocket stage ]]></title> <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>A space-junk removal satellite launched for Japanese company Astroscale has completed rendezvous maneuvers with its target and is commencing a proximity operations phase in which it will approach the other spacecraft.</p><p>The Active Debris Removal by Astroscale-Japan (ADRAS-J) satellite <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/rocket-lab-launch-astroscale-space-junk-inspection-mission"><u>launched </u></a>on a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/rocket-lab.html"><u>Rocket Lab</u></a> <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/electron-rocket.html"><u>Electron rocket</u></a> on Feb. 18. It aims to get up close and analyze a Japanese H-2A rocket upper stage that launched the GOSAT Earth observation satellite in 2009, and in doing so, test technologies and operations for approaching and monitoring debris objects</p><p>ADRAS-J is now within several hundred kilometers of its target and has started using Angles-Only Navigation, a navigation method to estimate relative position and velocity through the spacecraft on-board cameras.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/rocket-lab-launch-astroscale-space-junk-inspection-mission">Rocket Lab launches ADRAS-J space junk inspection satellite for Astroscale (video)</a></p><div class='jwplayer__widthsetter'><div class='jwplayer__wrapper'><div id='futr_botr_aJdpeqxI_bQHItauA_div' class='future__jwplayer'><div id='botr_aJdpeqxI_bQHItauA_div'></div></div></div></div><p>The company states that the test is a major milestone in the mission objective of demonstrating rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO).</p><p>"Starting Angles Only Navigation is a huge milestone for the ADRAS-J mission, highlighting the expertise and teamwork among Astroscale teams in Japan, the UK, and the U.S.," said Eijiro Atarashi, ADRAS-J Project Manager at Astroscale Japan, in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://astroscale.com/astroscales-adras-j-completes-successful-rendezvous-and-initiates-proximity-approach/" target="_blank"><u>statement</u></a>. </p><p>"This brings us one step closer to further advancing our RPO capabilities and our understanding of space debris, reinforcing our commitment to the sustainable development of space."</p><p>ADRAS-J is currently in a 347 x 383 miles (558 x 617 kilometers) orbit. Following the proximity approach phase, ADRAS-J will attempt to execute a fly-around of the 11 meters long and four meters in diameter [36 by 13 feet] upper stage, capturing crucial images and data to assess the rocket body's movement and condition of the structure, according to Astroscale.</p><p>The 330-pound (150 kilograms) spacecraft is part of an <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16518-space-junk.html"><u>orbital debris</u></a> removal program backed by the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/22672-japan-aerospace-exploration-agency.html"><u>Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency</u></a> (JAXA) for Phase I of its Commercial Removal of Debris Demonstration program.</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title"></div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astroscale-grant-inspect-large-dead-satellite">Astroscale gets up to $80 million for space junk inspection mission</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/fcc-space-bureau-orbital-debris">Space debris problem spurs a bold change in US government regulations</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/fallen-space-junk-help-fight-orbital-debris">How fallen space junk could aid the fight against orbital debris</a></p></div></div><p>The data and operations experience from ADRAS-J aims to assist the later removal of spunk junk, an issue that threatens the sustainable use of orbital <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/24870-what-is-space.html"><u>space</u></a> above the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/54-earth-history-composition-and-atmosphere.html"><u>Earth</u></a>.</p><p>Astroscale was founded in 2013 and has subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, the United States, France and Israel. Its future plans include launching its End of Life Services by Astroscale-Multiple (<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-junk-astroscale-elsa-m-spacecraft-video"><u>ELSA-M</u></a>) vehicle to dock with a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/24839-satellites.html"><u>satellite</u></a> and remove it from orbit.</p> ]]></dc:content> <link>https://www.space.com/astroscale-satellite-space-junk-inspection-rendezous-proximity-operation</link> <description> <![CDATA[ The mission aims to assist the later removal of spunk junk, an issue that threatens the sustainable use of orbital space above the Earth. ]]> </description> <guid isPermaLink="false">UhQ3YjTUbc2MSJ59YWxKXf</guid> <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8jAiYEerzFne8VyvGrExzJ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="0"></enclosure> <pubDate>Fri, 19 Apr 2024 17:00:02 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Satellites]]></category> <author><![CDATA[ andrew.w.jones@protonmail.com (Andrew Jones) ]]></author> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8jAiYEerzFne8VyvGrExzJ.jpg"> <media:credit><![CDATA[Astroscale]]></media:credit> <media:text><![CDATA[a cube shaped satellite moves toward a spacecraft hovering above some snowy mountains on earth.]]></media:text> <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a cube shaped satellite moves toward a spacecraft hovering above some snowy mountains on earth.]]></media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title><![CDATA[ Watch 'Devil Comet' approach the sun during explosive coronal mass ejection (video) ]]></title> <dc:content><![CDATA[ <div class='jwplayer__widthsetter'><div class='jwplayer__wrapper'><div id='futr_botr_Bc2rombw_bQHItauA_div' class='future__jwplayer'><div id='botr_Bc2rombw_bQHItauA_div'></div></div></div></div><p>NASA's space-based solar observatory STEREO-A is keeping a close eye on 'Devil Comet' 12P/Pons-Brooks as it prepares to make its closest approach to the sun — known as perihelion — on April 21.<br><br>In this footage, the comet is passing by <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/7-jupiter-largest-planet-solar-system.html">Jupiter</a> from the observatory's perspective, just as a coronal mass ejection (CME), a large expulsion of plasma and magnetic field from the sun, launches into space. </p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/coronal-mass-ejections-cme">CMEs</a> form in a similar fashion to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/solar-flares-effects-classification-formation">solar flares</a>: They're the result of the twisting and realignment of the sun's magnetic field, known as <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/phenomena/coronal-mass-ejections#:~:text=Coronal%20Mass%20Ejections%20(CMEs)%20are,magnetic%20field%20(IMF)%20strength."><u>magnetic reconnection</u></a>. When these magnetic field lines 'tangle' they produce strong localized magnetic fields which can break through the sun's surface and release CMEs. </p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/will-devil-comet-12p-pons-brooks-survive-close-encounter-sun"><u>'Devil Comet' 12P/Pons-Brooks is heading for the sun. Will it survive?</u></a></p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:800px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="xxA2wgwWGRt6gJHompWrPB" name="QQr8Gwgz-278185521-ezgif.com-video-to-gif-converter.gif" alt="gif animation showing comet 12P/Pons-Brooks shining brightly near Jupiter in the video when a large cme eruption is released from the sun." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xxA2wgwWGRt6gJHompWrPB.gif" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="800" height="450" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">An animation showing comet 12P/Pons-Brooks shining brightly near Jupiter when a large CME is released from the sun on April 12, 2024. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NASA STEREO/Edited by Steve Spaleta)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">TOP TELESCOPE PICK:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' ><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="cbAPCR7Y6HkbgamUsCtVj5" name="celestron top telescope.jpg" caption="" alt="A Celestron telescope on a white background" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cbAPCR7Y6HkbgamUsCtVj5.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="" height="" attribution="" endorsement="" class="pinterest-pin-exclude"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Celestron)</span></figcaption></figure><p class="fancy-box__body-text">Want to see comet 12P/Pons-Brooks for yourself? We recommend the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=72128&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.com%2Fdp%2FB01L0EQLTI%3Ftag%3Dhawk-future-20%26ascsubtag%3Dspace-us-3732192609347427931-20" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Celestron Astro Fi 102</a> as the top pick in our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/31229-best-beginner-telescopes.html">best beginner's telescope guide</a>. </p></div></div><p>In this NASA video, you can see a kink in the tail of comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, created during a 'disconnection event' triggered by a CME or strong gust of solar wind, according to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=19&month=04&year=2024" target="_blank"><u>Spaceweather.com</u></a>. During a disconnection event, these solar outbursts can <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-18712-0" target="_blank">uproot a comet's tail</a> and force it away from the comet.</p><p>The same kink is visible in this incredible image below captured by <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="http://www.schursastrophotography.com/" target="_blank">Chris Schur</a> on April 9.</p><p>"The comet is a spectacular sight both in binoculars and with the camera from our northern Arizona location," Schur told Space.com.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1400px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:66.93%;"><img id="eEBWVoceMrmAxZWucLA3WX" name="CometPonsBrooks-RASA-040924-Schur-1400 (2) (1).jpg" alt="devil comet appears as a green nucleus and long blue tail with a kink." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eEBWVoceMrmAxZWucLA3WX.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1400" height="937" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, also known as the Devil Comet. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Chris Schur)</span></figcaption></figure><p>"This image is our best shot yet at this wonder, the beautiful kinked blue gas tail follows the dusty amber-tinted coma shaped like a parabola as it heads for its coming perihelion" Schur continued.</p><p>On April 21, comet 12P/Pons-Brooks will pass within about 72.6 million miles (116.8 million km), of the sun, this is equivalent to three-quarters the Earth's distance from the sun. </p><p>The comet has gained much media attention in recent years due to its sudden glare ups in brightness and changing appearance. </p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Related stories:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/comet-12p-pons-brooks-march-2024">Here's how to see 'horned' comet 12P/Pons-Brooks at its brightest this week (video)</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/soho-sun-observatory-5000-comet-discovery">Solar spacecraft 'SOHO' discovers its 5,000th comet</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/comets-bouncing-seed-life-on-exoplanets">Comets that 'bounce' from planet to planet could spread life across the universe</a></p></div></div><p>Though the exact cause of these flares is unknown, Richard Miles of the British Astronomical Association thinks comet 12P/Pons Brooks may be one of 10 to 20 known comets that contain active ice volcanoes. </p><p>The 'magma' of these volcanoes is a cold mixture of liquid hydrocarbons and dissolved gasses, all trapped beneath a surface that has the consistency of wax, skywatching columnist and meteorologist Joe Rao <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/comet-12p-pons-brooks-march-2024"><u>previously reported</u></a>. "These bottled-up volatiles can explode when sunlight opens a fissure," Rao explained. </p><p>Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks gained the moniker 'Devil Comet' when a large outburst on July 20, 2023, caused a shell of expanding gas surrounding the nucleus, known as the coma, to resemble some a horseshoe shape. After this, comet 12P/Pons-Brooks has been likened to a horseshoe crab, the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars and yes, you guessed it, the 'Devil Comet'. </p> ]]></dc:content> <link>https://www.space.com/watch-devil-comet-12p-pons-brooks-approach-sun-during-explosive-cme-eruption</link> <description> <![CDATA[ This NASA space-based observatory video shows 'Devil Comet' 12P/Pons-Brooks passing past bright Jupiter while the sun explodes in the distance. ]]> </description> <guid isPermaLink="false">Z9Wk64naRSx3CTxoTGZDRi</guid> <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xxA2wgwWGRt6gJHompWrPB.gif" type="image/gif" length="0"></enclosure> <pubDate>Fri, 19 Apr 2024 16:29:19 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Comets]]></category> <media:content type="image/gif" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xxA2wgwWGRt6gJHompWrPB.gif"> <media:credit><![CDATA[NASA STEREO/Edited by Steve Spaleta]]></media:credit> <media:text><![CDATA[gif animation showing comet 12P/Pons-Brooks shining brightly near Jupiter in the video when a large cme eruption is released from the sun.]]></media:text> <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[gif animation showing comet 12P/Pons-Brooks shining brightly near Jupiter in the video when a large cme eruption is released from the sun.]]></media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title><![CDATA[ Japanese satellite will beam solar power to Earth in 2025 ]]></title> <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>LONDON — Japan is on track to beam solar power from <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/24870-what-is-space.html"><u>space</u></a> to Earth next year, two years after a similar feat was achieved by U.S. engineers. The development marks an important step toward a possible space-based solar power station that could help wean the world off fossil fuels amid the intensifying battle against <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/what-is-climate-change-explained"><u>climate change</u></a>. </p><p>Speaking at the International Conference on Energy from Space, held here this week, Koichi Ijichi, an adviser at the Japanese research institute Japan Space Systems, outlined Japan's road map toward an orbital demonstration of a miniature space-based solar power plant that will wirelessly transmit energy from <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/low-earth-orbit"><u>low Earth orbit</u></a> to Earth.</p><p>"It will be a small satellite, about 180 kilograms [400 pounds], that will transmit about 1 kilowatt of power from the altitude of 400 kilometers [250 miles]," Ijichi said at the conference. </p><p><strong>Related:</strong> <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-based-solar-power-technology-demonstration">Space-based solar power may be one step closer to reality, thanks to this key test (video)</a></p><div class='jwplayer__widthsetter'><div class='jwplayer__wrapper'><div id='futr_botr_2eznAGk8_bQHItauA_div' class='future__jwplayer'><div id='botr_2eznAGk8_bQHItauA_div'></div></div></div></div><p>One kilowatt is about the amount of power needed to run a household appliance, such as a small dishwasher, for about an hour, depending on its size. Therefore, the demonstration is nowhere near the scale required for commercial use.</p><p>The spacecraft will use a 22-square-foot (2 square meters) onboard photovoltaic panel to charge a battery. The accumulated energy will then be transformed into microwaves and beamed toward a receiving antenna on <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/54-earth-history-composition-and-atmosphere.html"><u>Earth</u></a>. Because the spacecraft travels very fast — around 17,400 mph (28,000 km/h) — antenna elements will have to be spread over a distance of about 25 miles (40 km), spaced 3 miles (5 km) apart, to allow enough energy to be transmitted.</p><p>"The transmission will take only a few minutes," Ijichi said. "But once the battery is empty, it will take several days to recharge."</p><p>The mission, part of a project called OHISAMA (Japanese for "sun"), is on track for launch in 2025. The researchers have already demonstrated wireless transmission of solar power on the ground from a stationary source, and they plan to conduct a transmission from an aircraft in December. The aircraft will be fitted with an identical photovoltaic panel as will be flown on the spacecraft and will beam down power over a distance of 3 to 4 miles (5 to 7 km), according to Ijichi.</p><h2 id="from-concept-to-reality-xa0-2">From concept to reality </h2><p>Space-based solar power generation, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/26175-peter-glaser-solar-power-satellite-obituary.html"><u>first described in 1968 by former Apollo engineer</u></a></p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/26175-peter-glaser-solar-power-satellite-obituary.html"><u>Peter Glaser</u></a>, has been considered science fiction. Although theoretically feasible, the technology has been seen as impractical and too costly, as it requires enormous structures to be assembled in orbit to produce the required power output. </p><p>But according to the experts speaking at the conference, that situation has changed as a result of recent technological advances and the urgency to decarbonize the world's power supply to thwart climate change.</p><p>Unlike most renewable power generation technologies used on Earth, including solar power and wind energy, space-based solar power could be available constantly, as it would not depend on weather and the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/time-how-it-works"><u>time</u></a> of the day. Currently, nuclear power plants or gas- and coal-fired power stations are used to cover demand when the wind stops blowing or after sunset. Improvements in technology could help partially solve the problem in the future. But some pieces of the puzzle are still missing to secure a seamless carbon-neutral power supply by the middle of this century as stipulated in international climate change agreements.</p><p>Developments in robotic technologies, improvements in the efficiency of wireless power transmission and, most importantly, the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-launch-plans-2024"><u>arrival of SpaceX's giant rocket Starship</u></a> could allow space-based solar power to become a reality, the experts said at the conference. </p><p>Last year, a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/24839-satellites.html"><u>satellite</u></a> built by Caltech engineers as part of the Space Solar Power Demonstrator mission <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-solar-power-satellite-beams-energy-1st-time"><u>beamed solar power from space for the first time</u></a>. The mission, which concluded in January, was celebrated as a major milestone. </p><p>Many more space-based solar power demonstration projects are in the pipeline. The technology is studied by space and research agencies all over the world, including the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/22562-european-space-agency.html"><u>European Space Agency</u></a>, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the U.S. Air Force. Commercial companies and startups are also developing concepts, harnessing the availability of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-super-heavy.html"><u>Starship</u></a> and the emergence of advanced space robotics.</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Related Stories:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-solar-power-pros-cons">Can space-based solar power really work? Here are the pros and cons.</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-based-solar-power-plant-2035">A solar power plant in space? The UK wants to build one by 2035.</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/airbus-space-solar-power-test">Space-based solar power could really work, experiment shows</a> </p></div></div><p>However, not everyone is enthusiastic about the potential of space-based solar power. In January, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/38700-nasa-history.html"><u>NASA</u></a> released a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/otps-sbsp-report-final-tagged-approved-1-8-24-tagged-v2.pdf?emrc=744da1" target="_blank"><u>report questioning the feasibility of the technology</u></a>. The difficulty and amount of energy required to build, launch and assemble orbital power stations mean the energy they produce would be too expensive — 61 cents per kilowatt-hour, compared with as little as 5 cents per kilowatt-hour for Earth-based solar or wind energy. </p><p>In addition, the overall carbon footprint of the power production and the amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated by rockets taking those assemblies into orbit make space-based solar power much less climate-friendly than technologies used on Earth. For example, a gigawatt-scale spaceborne solar power station, such as the CASSIOPeiA concept plant proposed by the U.K. firm Space Solar, would need 68 Starships to get to space. </p> ]]></dc:content> <link>https://www.space.com/japan-space-based-solar-power-demonstration-2025</link> <description> <![CDATA[ Japan will test solar power transmission from space in 2025 with a miniature space-based photoelectric plant that will wirelessly transmit energy from low Earth orbit to Earth. ]]> </description> <guid isPermaLink="false">82VajgVnxLiVXiWwGmECBY</guid> <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hip8kUApxWbD2BT9h3pLh9.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="0"></enclosure> <pubDate>Fri, 19 Apr 2024 16:00:02 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Satellites]]></category> <author><![CDATA[ tereza.pultarova@futurenet.com (Tereza Pultarova) ]]></author> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hip8kUApxWbD2BT9h3pLh9.jpg"> <media:credit><![CDATA[Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)]]></media:credit> <media:text><![CDATA[A depiction of the Space Solar Power Incremental and Demonstrations Research (SSPIDR) project, which aims to beam solar power from space to Earth. SSPIDR consists of several small-scale flight experiments that will mature technology needed to build a prototype solar power distribution system.]]></media:text> <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A depiction of the Space Solar Power Incremental and Demonstrations Research (SSPIDR) project, which aims to beam solar power from space to Earth. SSPIDR consists of several small-scale flight experiments that will mature technology needed to build a prototype solar power distribution system.]]></media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title><![CDATA[ China's experimental moon satellites beam back lunar imagery (video, photo) ]]></title> <dc:content><![CDATA[ <div class='jwplayer__widthsetter'><div class='jwplayer__wrapper'><div id='futr_botr_sGYahTHl_bQHItauA_div' class='future__jwplayer'><div id='botr_sGYahTHl_bQHItauA_div'></div></div></div></div><p>A pair of small experimental satellites have begun tests related to future lunar communication and navigation services for China's moon ambitions.</p><p>The Tiandu-1 and Tiandu-2 satellites <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/china-moon-relay-satellite-launches"><u>launched</u></a> toward the moon along with the Queqiao-2 lunar communications relay satellite on a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/china-new-long-march-rockets-2024"><u>Long March 8</u></a> rocket on March 19. The latter spacecraft will support a major mission — the upcoming <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/china-moon-mission-change-6-may-2024-launch"><u>Chang'e 6</u></a> lunar <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/moon-far-side-radio-quiet-telescope-project"><u>far side</u></a> sample return effort, which could launch as soon as next month —but the former are intended as a pathfinder for future lunar infrastructure.</p><p>China's Deep Space Exploration Lab (DSEL) <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/us4uFRaWGL6wlbbjF1583A" target="_blank"><u>stated</u></a> on April 13 that Tiandu-1 and Tiandu-2 had carried out tests of high-reliability transmission and routing between Earth and the lunar surface. </p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/china-moon-far-side-sample-return-mission-2024">China to launch 1st-ever sample return mission to moon's far side in 2024</a></p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2112px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="L2LeLVJG4YXrAEyHFTu6KY" name="1713461133.jpg" alt="black and white image of the moon's cratered surface, with a blurry and distant earth in the background" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/L2LeLVJG4YXrAEyHFTu6KY.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="2112" height="1188" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">China’s Tiandu-2 experimental lunar satellite took this far-infrared image of the moon and Earth (bottom center) on April 8, 2024. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: CNSA/DSEL)</span></figcaption></figure><p>One of the pair also transmitted an infrared image showing the heavily cratered far side of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/55-earths-moon-formation-composition-and-orbit.html"><u>the moon</u></a>, including a view of a distant planet Earth.</p><p>The Tiandu pair entered lunar orbit on April 3 and are flying in formation around 124 miles (200 kilometers) apart. Tiandu-1 weighs 134 pounds (61 kilograms) and is equipped with a Ka-band dual-frequency communicator, a laser retroreflector and a space router. Tiandu-2 weighs 33 lbs (15 kg) and carries communication and navigation devices.</p><div class='jwplayer__widthsetter'><div class='jwplayer__wrapper'><div id='futr_botr_A2YGjX2h_bQHItauA_div' class='future__jwplayer'><div id='botr_A2YGjX2h_bQHItauA_div'></div></div></div></div><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/china-astronauts-moon-landing-2030-plan">How China will land astronauts on the moon by 2030</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/china-names-spacecraft-astronaut-moon-missions">China names the spacecraft that will put its astronauts on the moon (video)</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/china-new-moon-rover-change-7-mission">China working on new moon rover for 2026 mission to lunar south pole</a></p></div></div><p>DSEL stated that the test satellites will conduct further lunar communication and navigation technology experiments. The results will guide the design and construction of the planned International Lunar Research Station (<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/china-russia-moon-base-ilrs"><u>ILRS</u></a>) and a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://spacenews.com/china-wants-a-lunar-satellite-constellation-to-support-deep-space-missions/" target="_blank"><u>Queqiao satellite constellation</u></a> for lunar communication, navigation and remote sensing.</p> ]]></dc:content> <link>https://www.space.com/china-experimental-moon-satellites-tiandu-imagery</link> <description> <![CDATA[ A pair of small experimental satellites have begun tests related to future lunar communication and navigation services for China's moon ambitions. ]]> </description> <guid isPermaLink="false">5z35jm2JXEepG5MB4GVcYM</guid> <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/L2LeLVJG4YXrAEyHFTu6KY.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="0"></enclosure> <pubDate>Fri, 19 Apr 2024 15:00:16 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[The moon]]></category> <author><![CDATA[ andrew.w.jones@protonmail.com (Andrew Jones) ]]></author> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/L2LeLVJG4YXrAEyHFTu6KY.jpg"> <media:credit><![CDATA[CNSA/DSEL]]></media:credit> <media:text><![CDATA[black and white image of the moon's cratered surface, with a blurry and distant earth in the background]]></media:text> <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[black and white image of the moon's cratered surface, with a blurry and distant earth in the background]]></media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title><![CDATA[ Are we prepared for Chinese preeminence on the moon and Mars? (op-ed) ]]></title> <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p><em>Chris Carberry is CEO of Explore Mars, Inc. and author of "The Music of Space" and "Alcohol in Space." Joe Cassady is Director, Civil Space at L3Harris as well as Executive VP of Explore Mars, Inc. They contributed this article to Space.com's </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/tag/expert-voices"><em>Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights</em></a><em>.</em></p><p>The United States appears to be entering the golden age of space exploration. Over the past few years, the nation has conducted an unprecedented number of launches, countless space hardware developments, and notched innumerable other milestones. Nevertheless, despite these accomplishments, the United States could lose its decades-old leadership in space exploration and technology to China. </p><p>The People's Republic of China (PRC) is making steady drives forward in all aspects of human and robotics capabilities. China's space accomplishments over the past few years include the success of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/china-long-march-5b-rocket-falls-into-pacific-ocean"><u>Long March 5B</u></a> heavy-lift vehicle and the construction of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/tiangong-space-station"><u>Tiangong space station</u></a>. In 2019, China became the first nation to successfully "soft-land" a vehicle, the robotic <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/40715-change-4-mission.html"><u>Chang'e 4</u></a> rover-lander duo, on the far side of the moon. Then, a year later, the Chang'e 5 mission successfully accomplished a sample-return mission from the moon. </p><p><strong>Related:</strong> <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/china-space-progress-breathtaking-speed-space-force"><u>China moving at 'breathtaking speed' in final frontier, Space Force says</u></a></p><div class='jwplayer__widthsetter'><div class='jwplayer__wrapper'><div id='futr_botr_hCiGFUAG_bQHItauA_div' class='future__jwplayer'><div id='botr_hCiGFUAG_bQHItauA_div'></div></div></div></div><p>More recently, on March 20, 2024, China launched its relay satellite, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/china-moon-relay-satellite-launches">Queqiao-2</a>. This accomplishment will enable the Chinese to conduct operations on the far side of the moon, and lays the groundwork for the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/china-moon-mission-change-6-may-2024-launch">Chang'e 6</a> lunar far side sample return mission later this year, to be followed by the Chang'e 7 lander and rover in 2026 and the Chang'e 8 mission in 2028, which will include a lunar In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) demonstration. China has also announced a goal for surface missions by Chinese taikonauts, possibly by 2030. And, as the United States and its partners continue to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/nasa-revamp-mars-sample-return-plan">struggle with achieving a Mars Sample Return mission</a>, China has announced its goal to conduct such a mission <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://spacenews.com/china-targets-2030-for-mars-sample-return-mission-potential-landing-areas-revealed/">in 2030</a>.</p><p>While these accomplishments still pale by comparison to those of the United States over the past 60 years, the rate at which the Chinese have been catching up is alarming. According to a 2022 Pentagon report, the U.S. could lose its lead in space technology <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2022/08/china-could-overtake-us-space-without-urgent-action-report/376261/"><u>as soon as 2045</u></a>. The report notes that, while U.S. industrial capacity is expanding, "the upward trajectory of the People's Republic of China…is even steeper, with a significant rate of overtake, requiring urgent action." The report added that "the U.S. lacks a clear and cohesive long-term vision, a grand strategy for space that sustains economic, technological, environmental, social and military (defense) leadership for the next half century and beyond."</p><p>Why is this important? Investment in space exploration and development capabilities is an investment in the country. These endeavors bolster innovation and new markets, as well as national standing, diplomacy and national security, while at the same time assure that the United States remains the undisputed leader in scientific discovery, inspiration and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education. And while NASA is a civilian space agency, we can't ignore the broader implications of surrendering our lead in space. According to the U.S-China Economic and Security Review Commission's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.uscc.gov/annual-report/2019-annual-report-congress" target="_blank"><u>report to Congress</u></a>, "Beijing has specific plans not merely to explore space, but to industrially dominate the space within the moon's orbit of Earth. China has invested significant resources in exploring the national security and economic value of this area, including its potential for space-based manufacturing, resource extraction, and power generation, although experts differ on the feasibility of some of these activities."</p><p>The good news is that the United States still has a clear advantage in this competition. Over the past several years, we have seen the successful launch of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/artemis-1-going-back-to-the-moon"><u>Artemis 1</u></a> mission, with Artemis 2 and 3 scheduled to occur by the end of 2027. Meanwhile, commercial entities are launching at an unprecedented rate, significantly expanding our overall national capacity to reach space. In short, this is our race to lose.</p><p><strong>Related:</strong> <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/artemis-program.html"><u>NASA's Artemis program: Everything you need to know</u></a></p><div class='jwplayer__widthsetter'><div class='jwplayer__wrapper'><div id='futr_botr_EiVmophn_bQHItauA_div' class='future__jwplayer'><div id='botr_EiVmophn_bQHItauA_div'></div></div></div></div><p>Given the progress that the United States has made in developing space infrastructure and capabilities in recent years, why are we at risk of being surpassed? Dean Cheng of the U.S. Institute of Peace told us thatpart of the problem is, “while people are interested in space, it is not as in the public imagination and concern as it was during the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-race.html"><u>Space Race of the 1960s</u></a>, when there were space launches every few weeks. Ironically, because space has become more routinized, there is less concern about competition.” With so many other major national issues that hold center stage, the Administration and Congress also do not appear to be appropriately focused and motivated in what truly constitutes the new Space Race. Stable bipartisan support remains, but we seem to lack a sense of national urgency.</p><p>Nevertheless, unlike most domestic programs, our plan to send humans to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/55-earths-moon-formation-composition-and-orbit.html"><u>the moon</u></a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/47-mars-the-red-planet-fourth-planet-from-the-sun.html"><u>Mars</u></a> is something of a "unicorn" in our divisive political environment. It represents a program and an objective that has had strong bipartisan support for over a decade. This rare example of political solidarity should not be ignored. It should be embraced as evidence that our elected officials can unite on some issues — and in so doing, help to solidify our national standing for decades to come.</p><p>However, we must not repeat the policy mistakes of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/apollo-program-overview.html"><u>Apollo program</u></a> of the 1960s and early 1970s. While Apollo successfully landed crews on the moon by the end of the 1960s, it was not a sustainable program from a budgetary or political perspective. Upwards of 4%of the annual federal budget was committed to Apollo (as compared to NASA's current budget of less than 0.5% of the federal budget). The program also only had one significant political objective — to beat the Soviet Union to the moon. It succeeded spectacularly in this regard. It was unquestionably a major milestone in human history. But after its success and the realization that the Soviet Union was abandoning its lunar aspirations, there remained little political motivation to continue the program, and it was abruptly halted.</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/nasa-bill-nelson-china-space-race-moon">'We're in a space race:' NASA chief says US 'better watch out' for China</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/china-moon-landing-before-2030">China plans to put astronauts on the moon before 2030</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/us-win-moon-race-china-congress-artemis-hearing">US must beat China back to the moon, Congress tells NASA</a></p></div></div><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/nasa-white-house-2025-budget-request"><u>NASA's current budget</u></a> is unlikely to increase dramatically in the near future, but the United States can nevertheless still build a sustainable program that ensures that we retain our hard-earned status as the preeminent space nation. Rather than the military-like campaign of the Apollo program, we have a chance to prevail by harnessing the ingenuity and capabilities of our U.S. commercial industry and our international partners. By doing so, we simultaneously advance a vital national interest but also stimulate innovative new markets and strengthen our international alliances. </p><p>Are there risks? Of course. Virtually every great human accomplishment has required innumerable forms of risk. However, by accepting these risks, we will give ourselves a very real chance that the rest of the 21st century will not only be an American century but one where we have nurtured major new markets and created stronger international relations.</p><p><em><strong>Note:</strong></em><em> An expert panel will be discussing this topic at the 2024 Humans to Mars Summit taking place on May 7-8, 2024 at the Jack Morton Auditorium, at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C.</em></p> ]]></dc:content> <link>https://www.space.com/chinese-preeminence-moon-mars-op-ed</link> <description> <![CDATA[ The U.S. could lose its decades-old leadership in space exploration and technology to China. ]]> </description> <guid isPermaLink="false">3oqKT2vmp4nvq6ug8Y24xT</guid> <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wieXfhDBcrB3zZvua9LZpJ.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="0"></enclosure> <pubDate>Fri, 19 Apr 2024 14:00:39 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[The moon]]></category> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wieXfhDBcrB3zZvua9LZpJ.jpg"> <media:credit><![CDATA[gremlin/Getty Images]]></media:credit> <media:text><![CDATA[an illustration of a Chinese moon base]]></media:text> <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[an illustration of a Chinese moon base]]></media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title><![CDATA[ 'Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver' is a knockout punch of pure sci-fi cinema (review) ]]></title> <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>One of Zack Snyder's favorite films is John Boorman's 1981 medieval masterpiece 'Excalibur," a retelling of the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table adapted from Sir Thomas Malory's 15th century work, "Le Morte d'Arthur." </p><p>Snyder even inserted this film’s title on the marquee of the movie theater from which young Bruce Wayne and his parents exit prior to that fateful moment in Crime Alley in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice."</p><p>After my first fulfilling viewing of "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/everything-we-know-about-rebel-moon">Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver</a>," a scene from "Excalibur's" ending immediately came to mind. The great Nigel Terry, playing a world-weary King Arthur, sips from the holy grail offered to him by his quest knight, Perceval. Instantly revived and invigorated, he declares, "I didn’t know how empty was my soul, until it was filled." And the irony struck me, like a sharp blow from a magical sword, that Snyder’s passion project, which began as a failed "Star Wars" pitch, becomes an emblem of what fans have yearned for in the "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/tag/star-wars">Star Wars</a>" realm.</p><p><strong>Related:</strong> <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/everything-we-know-about-rebel-moon-netflix">Everything we know about 'Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver'</a></p> <figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1588px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:44.96%;"><img id="cNs5wRK5MAYiZZ6Y46VcQ7" name="veldt6.jpg" alt="explosions erupt with spaceships parked on a planet" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cNs5wRK5MAYiZZ6Y46VcQ7.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1588" height="714" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Battle of Veldt begins in "Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver." </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Netflix)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Operating from a screenplay by Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad, and Shay Hatten, "Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver" picks up sometime after the Battle of Gondival. It continues "the epic saga of Kora and the surviving warriors as they prepare to sacrifice everything, fighting alongside the brave people of Veldt, to defend a once peaceful village, a newfound homeland for those who have lost their own in the fight against the Motherworld," according to the official description. </p><p>"On the eve of their battle, the warriors must face the truths of their own pasts, each revealing why they fight. As the full force of the Realm bears down on the burgeoning rebellion, unbreakable bonds are forged, heroes emerge, and legends are made."</p><p>Sure, it's a simple enough premise upon cursory examination, born from a verisimilitude of storylines repeated over the decades in literature, film, and TV. The most obvious influence is director Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" with its honorable warriors recruited to help protect a humble village, but "Rebel Moon's" <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronaut-spaceflight-cancer-dna-mutations-study">DNA</a> is also rooted in the longstanding tradition of classic Hollywood westerns with settlers protecting their crops, cattle and cool water from greedy intruders.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1444px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:48.89%;"><img id="sT6apZaukVZvrYjSYsQvCU" name="jimmy1.jpg" alt="A robot wields a futuristic weapon in a sci-fi firefight." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/sT6apZaukVZvrYjSYsQvCU.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1444" height="706" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Anthony Hopkins breathes life into Jimmy the royal robot. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Netflix)</span></figcaption></figure><p>But to sell "Rebel Moon" off as just another "Star Wars" knockoff of familiar "Hero's Journey" fare is to ignore the artful presentation and technical prowess on display in "Part Two: The Scargiver." Take a closer look into Snyder's magician's hat and you'll discover a wealth of filmmaking tricks and visionary prestidigitation that can wring a grin out of even the most callous critics.</p><p>The performances here are fully invested, especially Sofia Boutella's Kora and Michiel Huisman's Gunnar. Ed Skrein gnaws on the scenery in a complex portrayal of the primary villain, the treacherous Imperium enforcer Admiral Noble, and the showdown buildup lets itself settle down slightly to offer up some tender interludes and unexpected emotion. We're also given much more of the haggard war <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/38460-humanoid-robots-for-space-exploration.html">robot</a> Jimmy, which features Sir Anthony Hopkins' heartfelt vocal work. </p><p>Backstories are fleshed out just enough to avoid tedium, and the film provides solid moments with Doona Bae's Nemesis, Star Nair's Tarak, and Djimon Hounsou's General Titus before we're thrust into a non-stop avalanche of beautifully choreographed battlezone scenes that satiate the senses.</p><p><strong>Related:</strong> <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/rebel-moon-part-two-the-scargiver-trailer">Watch rockin' new trailer for Zack Snyder's 'Rebel Moon Part Two: The Scargiver' (video)</a></p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2090px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:63.16%;"><img id="DXopjc75BEmHi4LPqreVL6" name="titus.jpg" alt="a man in gladiator-like armor stands ready to fight, with a chaotic scene in the background" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/DXopjc75BEmHi4LPqreVL6.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="2090" height="1320" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Djimon Hounsou as General Titus in "Rebel Moon." </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Netflix)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Since both halves of "Rebel Moon" were filmed concurrently, it's not fair to compare one segment to another, but since Snyder convinced Netflix to allow it, that's what we've been given to debate. I was admittedly a bit harsh in my initial review of "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/netflix-rebel-moon-part-one-zack-snyder-review">Part One: A Child of Fire</a>" back in December; I wasn't prepared for its cold tone of brutality. Perhaps it was all the holiday cheer, eggnog, and jingle bells that distracted me when it arrived a few days before Christmas, but upon a recent second screening right before watching "Part Two," I noticed the sophisticated nuances of color, the interplay of light, superb shot framing and Tom Holkenborg's dish-rattling score.</p><p>Without burdening readers with a scene-by-scene recounting of "The Scargiver," I can offer some sweeping impressions of the visual splendor on display, with its compositional nods to artists Boris Vallejo and Frank Frazetta and the sci-fi fantasy magazine "Heavy Metal." Where modern genre films might have living humans behind the curtain, few present the type of personal bravado and mastery of craft seen in the vibrant core of Snyder's sequel. This is Snyder at his very best, unrestrained yet fully focused in his filmmaking environment with a crystalline motivation to entertain with an old-fashioned story of good versus evil in a far-off <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15680-galaxies.html">galaxy</a>.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1616px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:52.97%;"><img id="e5DeEGLARrjc8DrKZZaz6M" name="veldt7.jpg" alt="a spaceship zooms past as explosions burst in the distance" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/e5DeEGLARrjc8DrKZZaz6M.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1616" height="856" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Imperium spaceships attack in "Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver." </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Netflix)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/zack-snyder-netflix-rebel-moon-interview">Zack Snyder on sticking the landing for the 2nd half of Netflix's 'Rebel Moon' (exclusive)</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-netflix-sci-fi-movies-shows.html">The best sci-fi movies and TV shows to stream on Netflix in April</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space/articles/tjcDfCTPNA2P6bQ9gsJvyc">Zack Snyder's 'Rebel Moon' space opera scores prequel series from Titan Comics, 'House of the Bloodaxe'</a></p></div></div><p>In between the balletic orgy of full-throttle sci-fi combat during the Battle of Veldt, which spans nearly the full final hour, freeze-frame on any moment and you might find yourself transported to a pop-up gallery of Old Masters paintings. Sift through waves of acrid smoke and linger on a beam of coherent light deflecting off the surface of a stream. Watch splatters of molten orange slag glitter as fiery blades clash. Heat haze and black fumes billow from armored assault ships. Cinema verite-style tracking shots in the trenches intercut with crawling spider tanks erupting in blooms of purging red fire, and Jimmy going scorched <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/54-earth-history-composition-and-atmosphere.html">Earth</a> in a moment of revelation!</p><p>It's all heady stuff, and to witness Snyder operating in pedal-to-the-metal madman mode within his true element is surely a spectacle to behold. It might not be perfection, but "Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver" delivers the jumbo-sized box of Cracker Jacks, packed with a bonanza of extra peanuts!</p> ]]></dc:content> <link>https://www.space.com/rebel-moon-part-two-scargiver-netflix-review</link> <description> <![CDATA[ A review of Zack Snyder's "Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver." ]]> </description> <guid isPermaLink="false">YgtEazkCdUsAMMYTrwiEnZ</guid> <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Y7E8TBhBj4Q28mxkgccteg.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="0"></enclosure> <pubDate>Fri, 19 Apr 2024 13:01:58 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category> <author><![CDATA[ stingrayghost@gmail.com (Jeff Spry) ]]></author> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Y7E8TBhBj4Q28mxkgccteg.jpg"> <media:credit><![CDATA[Netflix]]></media:credit> <media:text><![CDATA[A tough woman in a tank top prepares to fire two space pistols]]></media:text> <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A tough woman in a tank top prepares to fire two space pistols]]></media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title><![CDATA[ 'Astrobiodefense:' Thinktank calls for defending Earth from space bugs ]]></title> <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>NASA is set to offer its response to that hard-hitting report issued last September by the Mars Sample Return Independent Review Board, including the rolling out of next steps for the program.</p><p>On Monday (April 15), <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/38700-nasa-history.html"><u>NASA</u></a> shared the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/nasa-revamp-mars-sample-return-plan">agency's recommendations</a> regarding a path forward for the costly <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/mars-sample-return-whats-ahead">Mars Sample Return</a> initiative, but within a balanced overall science program. Indeed, such an enterprise has long been a major goal of international planetary exploration for the past two decades.</p><p>The quest to bring samples back to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/54-earth-history-composition-and-atmosphere.html">Earth</a> from <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/47-mars-the-red-planet-fourth-planet-from-the-sun.html">Mars</a> has been met with controversy in some quarters as the threat that ecologically-hungry Martian microbes might pose to our biosphere continues to be a topic of concern.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/nasa-revamp-mars-sample-return-plan">NASA's Mars sample return plan is getting a major overhaul: 'The bottom line is $11 billion is too expensive'</a></p><div class='jwplayer__widthsetter'><div class='jwplayer__wrapper'><div id='futr_botr_kEldHpjf_bQHItauA_div' class='future__jwplayer'><div id='botr_kEldHpjf_bQHItauA_div'></div></div></div></div><h2 id="space-bugs-xa0-2">Space bugs </h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:759px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:71.15%;"><img id="oZGLBZGmb4NC6qmEigc489" name="MSR.jpg" alt="grey-scale image with a man asleep in a chair at a desk against the wall in the background, as two haz-mat suited men handle some sort of circular mechanical equipment." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oZGLBZGmb4NC6qmEigc489.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="759" height="540" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Andromeda Strain – the 1971 movie, but how real for a 21st century return to Earth of Mars samples? </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Universal Pictures)</span></figcaption></figure><p>The Houston Chronicle published an opinion piece on April 11 titled "Is the U.S. ready for extraterrestrials? Not if they're microbes. How to defend Earth from space bugs."</p><p>Under the rubric of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, former Democratic Congresswoman Donna Shalala and Susan Brooks, a former U.S. Attorney and Republican Congresswoman. Together they serve on the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense. </p><p>Donna Shalala served as Secretary for Health and Human Services in the Clinton Administration. Brooks served parts of Indiana.</p><p>The Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense is a privately funded entity established in 2014, set up to evaluate the status of U.S. biodefense efforts and issues recommendations to produce meaningful change.</p><h2 id="unforeseen-dangers-xa0-2">Unforeseen dangers </h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:960px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:61.98%;"><img id="rLGKufe9iAZGCVYZcNxAnK" name="earth-mask.jpg" alt="the earth hangs in space with a giant medical facemask draped across its lower half." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rLGKufe9iAZGCVYZcNxAnK.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="960" height="595" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">An illustration of Earth wearing a medical facemask. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense)</span></figcaption></figure><p>"Space exploration provides some of the greatest challenges and opportunities of our time. But as we venture further into the unknown, we also expose ourselves to new and previously unforeseen dangers," Shalala and Brooks wrote in the op-ed.</p><p>While many debate the possibility of advanced, intelligent life elsewhere, few consider the probability of non-intelligent alien microorganisms. These life forms could exist on other planets or moons, hitchhike on spacecraft, or move through <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/52-the-expanding-universe-from-the-big-bang-to-today.html"><u>the universe</u></a> in the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/51-asteroids-formation-discovery-and-exploration.html"><u>asteroids</u></a> they inhabit. </p><p>They could also be Earth microbes that mutate or evolve in response to the stress of spaceflight, becoming more virulent, resistant, or invasive. Either would seriously threaten the public health, safety, and security of humans, animals, and plants operating in <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/24870-what-is-space.html"><u>space</u></a> or living on Earth," they noted.</p><p>Labeling it "Astrobiodefense," as they term it, is an expression anchored in the defense against biological threats in space and on Earth that result from space exploration.</p><h2 id="neither-hypothetical-nor-fictional-xa0-2">Neither hypothetical nor fictional </h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:800px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="B5pwkqvXZxfsUJxCbn3t7Z" name="earth-mask.jpg" alt="a split image with the bottom of a Saturn V rocket on the left, its five engines up close, paired with a rotating microscope magnifying lens and a blue gloved hand on the right." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/B5pwkqvXZxfsUJxCbn3t7Z.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="800" height="450" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">A split image with the bottom of a Saturn V rocket on the left, its five engines up close, paired with a rotating microscope magnifying lens and a blue gloved hand on the right. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense)</span></figcaption></figure><p>There are two goals, Shalala and Brooks point out: to prevent the contamination of extraterrestrial environments with Earth organisms; and to prevent extraterrestrial or mutated terrestrial microbes from harming Earth’s inhabitants.</p><p>"As fantastical as it may sound, astrobiodefense is neither hypothetical nor fictional," they observe, calling for urgent attention and action.</p><p>"For the United States, NASA has already started programs to prevent forward and backward contamination, ensure the health and safety of astronauts, and identify and control biological hazards. The FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] is also responsible for monitoring the payloads of commercial spaceflight and how they might affect public health."</p><p>But now, they write, given more missions into space, the potential dangers are mounting.</p><h2 id="wanted-coordination-and-collaboration-2">Wanted: coordination and collaboration</h2><p>"Recent missions, for example, brought specimens back from <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/39958-asteroid-bennu.html"><u>asteroid Bennu</u></a> and aimed to drop human remains on <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/55-earths-moon-formation-composition-and-orbit.html"><u>the moon</u></a>. We need to do more and soon," they add.</p><p>Shalala and Brooks state that the U.S. needs to invest in research and development of new technologies and medical countermeasures to detect, diagnose, treat, and prevent diseases in space and on Earth.</p><p>Furthermore, there is need to enhance our bio-surveillance and symptom monitoring to track and analyze space-related biological threats in real <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/time-how-it-works"><u>time</u></a>.</p><p>“We need to strengthen our coordination and collaboration between agencies and partners, both nationally and internationally," they continue, "to share information and resources without compromising the kinds of competition that result in scientific advances and economic gains."</p><h2 id="perils-of-the-unknown-xa0-2">Perils of the unknown </h2><p>Additionally, they observe, there is need for more than modest, and fluctuating, budgets, a wing, and a prayer. "More policymakers and decision-makers in Washington need to understand the importance and benefits of astrobiodefense in particular and the space program in general."</p><p>In closing, Brooks and Shalala state in our pursuit of promise, "we have a duty to protect ourselves and our planet from the perils of the unknown, and to preserve and respect the integrity and diversity of life in the universe."</p><p>By investing in and strengthening astrobiodefense, they conclude, "we can ensure that our quest for discovery does not jeopardize our security and survival. Let's get ahead of this problem, before we are 'go' to launch."</p><p>For more information, visit the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://biodefensecommission.org/" target="_blank">Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense website</a> or <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://biodefensecommission.org/is-the-u-s-ready-for-extraterrestrials-not-if-theyre-microbes-opinion-2/" target="_blank">read the op-ed</a> in its entirety.</p> ]]></dc:content> <link>https://www.space.com/mars-sample-return-op-ed-astrobiodefense</link> <description> <![CDATA[ The quest to bring samples back to Earth from Mars has been met with controversy in some quarters as the threat that ecologically-hungry Martian microbes might pose to our biosphere continues to be a topic of concern. ]]> </description> <guid isPermaLink="false">KHUxoxNCFkYb6huPs5spfZ</guid> <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/FYWTsJniSMxUdXqWXRfmNV.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="0"></enclosure> <pubDate>Fri, 19 Apr 2024 12:00:18 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Search for Life]]></category> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/FYWTsJniSMxUdXqWXRfmNV.jpg"> <media:credit><![CDATA[NASA/JPL-Caltech]]></media:credit> <media:text><![CDATA[An artist's depiction of a Mars sample-return mission.]]></media:text> <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[An artist's depiction of a Mars sample-return mission.]]></media:title> </media:content> </item> </channel></rss>If you would like to create a banner that links to this page (i.e. this validation result), do the following:
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