2024-03-10
-
 The month is off to a running start when it comes to space, with a fresh crew launched to the International Space Station, some new astronomical insights, and the promise of a third SpaceX Starship test flight. Click through above for the week’s coolest space imagery. [_A version of this article originally appeared on Gizmodo_](https://gizmodo.com/spacex-photobombs-the-moon-and-more-of-the-weeks-best-s-1851315956).   Astronomers with the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope shared a visual treat this week, unveiling [fascinating images](https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2405/) that displayed the complexities of planet-forming discs around young stars. These detailed observations reveal the early stages of planet formation, illustrating the varied and intricate environments in which new planets are born, and offering new insights into the processes that shape planetary systems in our galaxy.  SpaceX’s _Endeavour_ Crew Dragon is seen here approaching the International Space Station on March 5, with four Crew-8 members on board; the crew consists of NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin. The photo was taken while the ISS was 269 miles (433 kilometers) above the Indian Ocean southwest of Australia.  This stirring image of UGC 11105, captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, [shows](https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasamarshall/53565640815/) the distant, almost comically perfect, spiral galaxy, which is located approximately 110 million light-years away from Earth in the Hercules constellation.  Blue Origin, founded by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, has been [running tanking tests](https://x.com/blueorigin/status/1760482488940474821?s=20) of its upcoming New Glenn launch vehicle, seen here at the company’s integration facility in Florida. Should all go as planned, this 322-foot-tall (98-meter) rocket could launch in a few months.  This newly released [Hubble image](https://esahubble.org/images/potw2410a/) shows NGC 4423, a galaxy located some 55 million light-years away in the Virgo constellation. It bears the appearance of a nebulous blob, but it’s actually a spiral galaxy, similar to Andromeda or our Milky Way. It’s just that we’re seeing it from a side perspective. And in fact, you can make out the denser central bulge and its more sparsely populated surrounding disc, which includes the spiral arms.  On March 6, NASA successfully [completed a full-duration RS-25 engine hot fire](https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/nasa-continues-artemis-moon-rocket-engine-test-series/), advancing the final certification phase for producing new engines for the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket—the designated launch vehicle for the space agency’s upcoming Artemis Moon missions. NASA ran the test at the Fred Haise Test Stand earlier this week at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, and it was the ninth of a [planned 12-test series](https://gizmodo.com/nasa-sls-megarocket-rs-25-upgraded-engine-tests-1850898656).  SpaceX’s launch of NASA’s Crew-8 mission on March 4, via a Falcon 9 rocket, left this colorful wake in the Florida skies.   The Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellite captured this stunning view of Ireland in January. The island, made up of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, remains green even in winter, “owing to the influence of the Atlantic Ocean and the presence of the Gulf Stream,” and due to southwesterly winds from the Atlantic, which “tend to bring a lot of rain in the northwest, west and southwest of the country,” [according](https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2024/03/Earth_from_Space_Ireland) to ESA. As an aside, I visited Northern Ireland last summer, and was surprised to see palm trees in ornamental gardens.  Hubble’s greatness is on display again with this image, showing ESO 185-IG012, a luminous blue compact galaxy. Known as BCGs they’re “nearby galaxies that show an intense burst of star formation,” NASA [says](https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasamarshall/53562117158/). And they’re “unusually blue in visible light, which sets them apart from other high-starburst galaxies that emit more infrared light.” Astrophysicists study BCGs because they offer insights into early galaxies, helping them to better understand galaxy formation and evolution from billions of years ago.  Crew-7, consisting of (from left to right) Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov, ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen of Denmark, NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, and JAXA astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, are [shown](https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasa2explore/53573426271/) posing in their pressure suits. The crew, which arrived at the ISS on August 27, 2023, will don these suits again later this month when they return to Earth aboard the SpaceX Dragon _Endurance_.  Behold, a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, carrying the X-37B spaceplane into orbit, photobombs the Moon, with shockwaves from the rocket causing a ripple effect across our natural satellite. Photographer Pascal Fouquet captured this breathtaking image on December 28, 2023 from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, for which he was recently awarded [top prize](https://alphauniverse.com/stories/pascal-fouquet-named-united-states-national-award-winner-in-sony-world-photography-awards-2024/#:~:text=Photography%20Awards%202024-,Pascal%20Fouquet%20Named%20United%20States%27%20National%20Award%20Winner%20In%20Sony,Reading%20Time%201%20min.&text=The%20World%20Photography%20Organisation%20and,Sony%20World%20Photography%20Awards%202024.) in Sony’s World Photography Awards 2024.  Italy’s Virtual Telescope Project 2.0 captured this [amazing 120-second exposure of Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks](https://www.virtualtelescope.eu/2024/03/06/multiscale-imaging-of-comet-12p-pons-brooks-pictures-and-time-lapse-5-mar-2024/), with the Andromeda galaxy in the background. The comet is currently heading towards the Sun, and maybe, possibly could be visible to the unaided eye in the coming months.  Two groups of researchers, leveraging the Webb Space Telescope, recently conducted studies on the extremely bright galaxy GN-z11, which came into existence approximately 430 million years after the formation of our universe, which is now 13.8 billion years old. It’s [among the most distant galaxies](https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/webb-unlocks-secrets-of-one-of-the-most-distant-galaxies-ever-seen/) known to astronomers. We may earn a commission from links on this page.
2024-03-12
-
### [Space](https://www.npr.org/sections/space/)   The four members of NASA's Crew-7 mission pose for a portrait inside their crew quarters on the International Space Station. Clockwise from bottom are, astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli, Andreas Mogensen, Satoshi Furukawa, and Loral O'Hara. The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule splashed down at 5:48 a.m. ET on Tuesday, March 12, 2024 to end a six-month mission. NASA Four people of [NASA's Crew-7 mission](https://www.nasa.gov/mission/spacex-crew-7/) streaked across the Midwest and Southern U.S. [in the pre-dawn hours](https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1767307011362799679) Tuesday with a successful and fiery return to Earth. The SpaceX Crew Dragon [capsule could be seen by people](https://twitter.com/davidalancrow/status/1767486908697858107) who looked up and watched it zip across the darkened sky. Over the course of an hour, the capsule went from 17,500 mph in orbit and plunged through the atmosphere to bleed off speed. It came to [a gentle splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico](https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1767489129225625943) under a canopy of parachutes off Pensacola, Fla. capping six months aboard the International Space Station. The crew was made up of mission commander and NASA astronaut [Jasmin Moghbeli](https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/moghbeli-j_0.pdf?emrc=d8545b), the European Space Agency's [Andreas Mogensen](https://blogs.esa.int/exploration/category/astronauts/andreas-mogensen/), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's [Satoshi Furukawa](https://humans-in-space.jaxa.jp/en/astronaut/furukawa-satoshi/) and Russian cosmonaut [Konstantin Borisov](https://www.gctc.ru/main.php?id=5160). It was the first trip to space for Moghbeli and Borisov. Furukawa and Mogensen completed their second spaceflights. The crew on the science and research mission conducted more than 200 experiments. [According to NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasas-spacex-crew-7-return-to-earth-to-air-live-on-nasa-platforms/), these included studying blood samples that, for the first time, allowed researchers to monitor the impact of spaceflight on immune function during the flight. Previously, this could only be studied before and after a mission. The crew also spent time testing special membranes designed to eliminate contaminants from wastewater. As NASA and others plan to send humans deeper into space, having a way to filter and reuse water is critical to the success of long-range missions. They were relieved by members of [the Crew-8 mission](https://www.nasa.gov/mission/nasas-spacex-crew-8/) which [launched on a SpaceX rocket to the I.S.S. last week](https://www.npr.org/2024/03/03/1232525293/nasa-spacex-crew-8-mission-lifts-off-launch-international-space-station-iss). The Crew-8 team will spend the next half-year aboard the orbital outpost. The rotation is part of NASA's [Commercial Crew program](https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/commercial-space/commercial-crew-program/). After the shuttle fleet retired in 2011, the [agency pays commercial companies to fly people to and from the space station](https://www.npr.org/2011/01/28/133308080/nasa-prepares-for-risks-in-private-space-travel). The next NASA mission to the I.S.S. is scheduled to be the first human flight of [Boeing's long-delayed Starliner capsule](https://www.npr.org/2023/06/01/1179571776/boeing-delays-starliner-nasa). It's scheduled for [a two-week test mission](https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-to-host-boeing-crew-flight-test-preview-news-conferences/) with a pair of astronauts aboard in May. * [Crew-7](https://www.npr.org/tags/1195668427/crew-7) * [International Space Station](https://www.npr.org/tags/132092780/international-space-station) * [SpaceX](https://www.npr.org/tags/131967187/spacex) * [NASA](https://www.npr.org/tags/126925728/nasa)
2024-05-08
-
 Following a scrub on Monday, Boeing is getting ready to [launch its first crew of astronauts](https://gizmodo.com/watch-live-boeings-nail-biting-first-crewed-launch-att-1851455237) to the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday, May 10, as part of a $4.3 billion contract with NASA. Perhaps surprisingly, this is only the sixth vehicle owned or funded by NASA to be used throughout the agency’s storied history. The space agency has been around since 1958, yet only a select few spacecraft have transported NASA astronauts to space. Boeing’s Starliner could join a rather exclusive list should it succeed in docking with the ISS and delivering its precious human cargo. We’ve put together a list of all the spacecraft that have flown, or will soon be flown, with NASA crews on board.  On May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard became the first U.S. astronaut to go to space on board the Mercury space capsule. The 15-minute suborbital flight was NASA’s first dipping of its toes into the celestial waters, with the main objectives being to assess human capabilities in a space environment and safely return astronauts to Earth. [Project Mercury](https://www.nasa.gov/project-mercury/), the first American human spaceflight program, ran from 1958 through 1963. In the photo above, Project Mercury astronaut John H. Glenn, Jr. is seen entering his Mercury Friendship 7 capsule before launch on February 20, 1962. Glenn became the first U.S. astronaut to orbit Earth during his nearly 5-hour flight. Glenn’s flight was [cut short by a faulty signal indicating a problem with the heat shield](https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/myth-john-glenns-seven-orbit-mission#:~:text=Glenn%27s%20heroic%20flight%20ended%20with,caused%20by%20a%20faulty%20sensor.), but he returned to Earth safely after three orbits.  After astronauts got a taste of orbital space, it was time to train them for the Moon. Project Gemini served as a bridge between Mercury and Apollo. With the Gemini missions, NASA achieved the [first rendezvous of two human spacecraft in orbit](https://www.nasa.gov/missions/gemini/dual-gemini-flights-achieved-crucial-spaceflight-milestones/#:~:text=On%20Dec.,(257%20km)%20above%20Earth.). In this photo taken on December 15, 1965, the Gemini VI spacecraft can be seen through the hatch window of Gemini VII at an altitude of 160 miles (258 kilometers) above Earth. Unlike the Mercury spacecraft, which was just barely big enough to fit one astronaut, the [Gemini capsule](https://www.nasa.gov/missions/gemini/gemini-pioneered-the-technology-driving-todays-exploration/#:~:text=Looking%20back%20across%20a%20half,and%20docking%20with%20other%20spacecraft.) carried two astronauts on board. Through their missions, the astronauts could change the capsule’s orbit, work outside of the spacecraft, and remain in space for at least two weeks.  On July 20, 1969, NASA astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin Jr. became the first to land on the surface of the Moon. The Apollo 11 crew rode on board the [Apollo Command and Service Module (CSM)](https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/command-module-apollo-11/nasm_A19700102000), named _Columbia_, which transported them to lunar orbit. From there, the pair hopped on the [Lunar Module](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1969-059C), which they used to touchdown on the Moon’s surface, while pilot Michael Collins remained on board the CSM spacecraft in orbit. The Lunar Module (LM) took off from the Moon on July 21, and the crew returned to Earth three days later. So in this sense, NASA utilized two crew-rated spacecraft for the mission: CSM and LM, though the latter could only return astronauts back to space from the lunar surface. The photo above was taken on December 14, 1972, revealing a view of the CSM, which was piloted by Apollo 17 astronaut Ronald Evans, from the Lunar Module, which has astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt on board.  NASA’s iconic Space Shuttle era spanned across 30 years, operating from 1981 to 2011. The partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft flew a total of 135 missions, carrying astronauts to orbit, repairing hardware in space, and even helping to build the largest structure in Earth’s orbit, the ISS. The Space Shuttle not only increased NASA’s access to space, but it also inspired a new era in spaceflight. In the above photo, the Space Shuttle _Discovery_ is seen from the ISS after the two spacecraft had separated on March 7, 2011.  Following the retirement of the Space Shuttle, [NASA relied heavily](https://www.vox.com/2014/5/5/5674744/how-nasa-became-utterly-dependent-on-russia-for-space-travel) on [Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft](https://www.nasa.gov/international-partner-rockets-and-spacecraft/) to transport its astronauts to the ISS. Soyuz was [designed](https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Launch_vehicles/The_Russian_Soyuz_spacecraft) for the Soviet space program and has been operational since the 1960s. Unlike its orbital counterparts on this list, this spacecraft was not developed by, or with the help of, NASA but it still deserves an honorable mention. The spacecraft launches from Kazakhstan and takes about six hours to arrive at the ISS. A [seat swap arrangement with the Russian space agency Roscosmos](https://gizmodo.com/nasa-roscosmos-seat-swap-agreement-space-station-1849189842) occasionally sees NASA astronauts still riding aboard the Soyuz.  NASA needed to stop relying so heavily on Soyuz for rides to the ISS, and so it forged partnerships with private companies to help launch its astronauts to space. At the time SpaceX was awarded its NASA contract, it was the [less expensive proposal at $2.6 billion](https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-chooses-american-companies-to-transport-u-s-astronauts-to-international-space-station/). Boeing was seen as a more reliable company with a better track record. It’s safe to say things have drastically changed since then, with [SpaceX launching its eighth crew to the ISS](https://www.nasa.gov/mission/nasas-spacex-crew-8/#:~:text=Crew%2D8%20is%20the%20eighth,Sunday%2C%20March%203%2C%202024.) in March 2024 while its counterpart lags terribly behind. SpaceX’s [Dragon spacecraft](https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/dragon/) is capable of carrying up to seven passengers to and from Earth orbit, and measures at 26.7 feet tall (8 meters). It’s equipped with two drogue parachutes to stabilize the spacecraft after it reenters through Earth’s atmosphere, plus four main parachutes to decelerate it prior to an ocean landing.  It’s been a rocky road for Boeing’s $4.2 billion Starliner. And though it’s ready to host a pair of NASA astronauts for the upcoming crewed demo, it’s still not a crew-rated spacecraft. The [CST-100 Starliner](https://www.boeing.com/space/starliner) was first conceived in 2010, built on a long legacy of designing and building spacecraft for Apollo. The spacecraft measures 14.8 feet (4.5 meters) across and can fit up to seven astronauts, and is around the same size as the Dragon crew capsule. Unlike SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, however, Starliner has [traditional hand controls and switches](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-boeing-is-on-the-verge-of-launching-astronauts-aboard-new-capsule-the/), as well as touchscreens. The [Crewed Flight Test](https://gizmodo.com/boeing-starliner-astronaut-flight-flammable-tape-nasa-1851359764) (CFT) will carry NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on board Starliner. 
2024-05-17
-
It’s raining space junk. Just one month after NASA admitted that a piece of trash tossed from the International Space Station (ISS) crash-landed through a home in Florida, a massive piece of space debris ended up on a farm in Canada. A farmer in Saskatchewan, Canada discovered an 88-pound (40 kilograms) heavy piece of charred metal in his fields, and suspected it was space debris from the multiple layers of burned composite fibres and webbing, CBC [reported](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/space-debris-farm-field-1.7204312). “But I had no idea. I don’t build spaceships for a living. I farm,” Barry Sawchuk told CBC. Local reports of the possible space junk reached a group of astronomy professors, who traced the burned fragments to the reentry of a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft in February. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft undocked from the ISS over the Pacific Ocean, west of Ecuador on February 7, and returned a crew of astronauts to Earth following a splashdown off the coast of Daytona, Florida, on February 9. The spacecraft is made up of a reusable crew capsule and an expendable trunk module, which is jettisoned prior to Dragon’s reentry through Earth’s atmosphere and is left to reenter on its own. The trunk module that was discarded prior to the February reentry of the Axiom-3 mission crew may be what landed on the Canadian farm. This isn’t the first time suspected SpaceX debris ends up in a populated place. In July 2022, another charred piece of metal [ended up on farmland in Australia](https://gizmodo.com/newly-fallen-space-junk-in-australia-likely-belongs-to-1849361034), and it was also suspected to have come from SpaceX’s Dragon trunk module. As the space industry continues to grow, so do the risks of getting hit by a crashing piece of spacecraft. On average, 200 to 400 human-built objects reenter through Earth’s atmosphere every year, and space agencies commonly accept a 1 in 10,000 probability threshold for the casualty risk of a single uncontrolled reentry, according to [ESA](https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Space_Debris/Reentry_and_collision_avoidance#:~:text=Only%20a%20few%20very%20large,ever%20launched%20have%20already%20reentered.). Earlier in April, NASA admitted that a piece from a pallet containing old batteries that was tossed from the ISS in March 2021 [crashed through a Florida home](https://gizmodo.com/piece-of-iss-battery-pallet-crashed-through-florida-hom-1851412968). The space agency confiscated the cylinder-shaped piece for analysis, but it’s not clear whether SpaceX will step up to do the same for [fear of liability](https://gizmodo.com/space-junk-florida-iss-damage-protocols-liability-1851385397). Canadian farmer Sawchuk doesn’t seem too concerned about it. He plans on selling the piece of space junk and donating some of the profit to help build a hockey rink in Saskatchewan, Sawchuk told CBC. That’s one way to deal with it. [_A version of this article originally appeared on Gizmodo_](https://gizmodo.com/space-junk-debris-canadian-farm-spacex-crew-dragon-1851482651).
2024-05-24
-
Using the Euclid space telescope, astronomers have discovered dozens of rogue planets [drifting without stars in the Orion nebula](https://www.theguardian.com/science/article/2024/may/23/euclid-telescope-rogue-planets-floating-free-milky-way). The Guardian reports: _The European Space Agency (Esa) launched the $1 billion observatory last summer on a [six-year mission](https://science.slashdot.org/story/23/07/01/1721241/spacex-launches-esas-euclid-space-telescope-to-study-dark-energys-effect-on-the-universe) to create a 3D map of the cosmos. Armed with its images, scientists hope to understand more about the mysterious 95% of the universe that is unexplained. The first wave of scientific results come from only 24 hours of observations, which revealed 11m objects in visible light and 5m in infrared. Along with the rogue planets, the researchers describe new star clusters, dwarf galaxies and very distant, bright galaxies from the first billion years of the universe. A flurry of [new images](https://euclid.caltech.edu/images) from the same observations are the largest ever taken in space and demonstrate the stunning wide-field views that astronomers can expect from Euclid in the coming years. Among those released on Thursday is a breathtaking image of Messier 78, a vibrant star nursery shrouded in interstellar dust, that reveals complex filaments of gas and dust in unprecedented detail. One of the newly released images shows Abell 2390, a giant conglomeration of more than 50,000 Milky Way-like galaxies. Such galaxy clusters contain up to 10 trillion times as much mass as the sun, much of which is believed to be elusive dark matter. Another image of the Abell 2764 galaxy cluster reveals hundreds of galaxies orbiting within a halo of dark matter. Other images capture NGC 6744, one of the largest spiral galaxies in the nearby universe, and the Dorado group of galaxies, where evolving and merging galaxies produce shell-like structures and vast, curving tidal tails. The rogue planets spotted by Euclid are about 3m years old, making them youngsters on the cosmic scale. They are at least four times as big as Jupiter and were detected thanks to the warmth they emit. Astronomers know they are free-floating because they are so far away from the nearest stars. The celestial strays are destined to drift through the galaxy unless they encounter a star that pulls them into orbit. _
2024-05-28
-
1 hour ago Jonathan Amos,Science correspondent, @BBCAmos Esa Artwork: It's taken fully 20 years to get Earthcare into space A sophisticated joint European-Japanese satellite has launched to measure how clouds influence the climate. Some low-level clouds are known to cool the planet, others at high altitude will act as a blanket. The Earthcare mission will use a laser and a radar to probe the atmosphere to see precisely where the balance lies. It's one of the great uncertainties in the computer models used to forecast how the climate will respond to increasing levels of greenhouse gases. "Many of our models suggest cloud cover will go down in the future and that means that clouds will reflect less sunlight back to space, more will be absorbed at the surface and that will act as an amplifier to the warming we would get from carbon dioxide," Dr Robin Hogan, from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, told BBC News. The 2.3-tonne satellite was sent up from California on a SpaceX rocket. The project is led by the European Space Agency (Esa), which has described it as the organisation's most complex Earth observation venture to date. Certainly, the technical challenge in getting the instruments to work as intended has been immense. It's taken fully 20 years to go from mission approval to launch. Eumetsat Clouds play an integral part in the balance of energy at the Earth's surface Earthcare will circle the Earth at a height of about 400km (250 miles). It's actually got four instruments in total that will work in unison to get at the information sought by climate scientists. The simplest is an imager - a camera that will take pictures of the scene passing below the spacecraft to give context to the measurements made by the other three instruments. Earthcare's European ultraviolet laser will see the thin, high clouds and the tops of clouds lower down. It will also detect the small particles and droplets (aerosols) in the atmosphere that influence the formation and behaviour of clouds. The Japanese radar will look into the clouds, to determine how much water they are carrying and how that's precipitating as rain, hail and snow. And a radiometer will sense how much of the energy falling on to Earth from the Sun is being reflected or radiated back into space. Airbus Earthcare is about 2.5m wide and 3.5m deep. Its solar array (not pictured) is 11m long "The balance between this outgoing total amount of radiation and the amount coming in from the Sun is what fundamentally drives our climate," said Dr Helen Brindley from the UK's National Centre for Earth Observation. "If we change that balance, for example by increasing greenhouse gas concentrations, we reduce the amount of outgoing energy compared to what's coming in and we heat the climate." As well as the long-term climate perspective, Earthcare's data will be used in the here and now to improve weather forecasts. For example, how a storm develops will be influenced by the initial state of its clouds as they were observed by the satellite days earlier. Esa Earthcare's observations of clouds will also help current weather forecasts The original science concept for Earthcare was put forward by Prof Anthony Illingworth, from Reading University, and colleagues in 1993. He said it was a dream come true to see the satellite finally fly: "It's been a long and challenging journey with an amazing team of dedicated scientists and engineers from the UK and abroad. Together, we've created something truly remarkable that will change the way we understand our planet." One of the key technical struggles was the space laser, or lidar. Developer Airbus-France had a torrid time arriving at a design that would reliably work in the vacuum of space. A fundamental re-configuration of the instrument was needed, which not only resulted in delay but added significantly to the eventual cost of the mission, which today is valued at some €850m (£725m). Nasa Saharan dust: The laser will study how small particles will influence cloud formation "These aren't missions that you put up to be cheap and quick, to solve small problems; this is complex. The reason Earthcare has taken so long is because we want the gold standard," said Dr Beth Greenaway, the head of Earth observation at the UK Space Agency. Earthcare won't have long to gather its data. Flying at 400km means it will feel the drag of the residual atmosphere at that altitude. This will work to pull the satellite down. "It's got fuel for three years with the reserve of another year. It's basically lifetime-limited by its low orbit and the drag there," said Esa's Dr Michael Eisinger. The industrial development of Earthcare was led by Airbus-Germany, with the basic chassis, or structure, of the spacecraft built in the UK. Britain also supplied the radiometer, from Thales Alenia Space UK, and the imager, from Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. GMV-UK has prepared the ground systems that will process all the data. Esa The Japanese space agency has nicknamed the mission "Hakuryu" or "White Dragon" The Japanese space agency (Jaxa), because of its strong interest in the mission, will follow its usual practice of giving the spacecraft a nickname - "Hakuryu" or "White Dragon". In Japanese mythology, dragons are ancient and divine creatures that govern water and fly in the sky. This year, 2024, also happens to be the Japanese Year of the Dragon, known as "tatsu-doshi". There's a connection in the appearance of the satellite, too, which is covered in white insulation and has a long, trailing solar panel, resembling a tail. "Earthcare, like a dragon rising into space, will become an entity that envisions the future for us," said Jaxa project manager Eiichi Tomita.
2024-05-29
-
An anonymous reader quotes a report from the BBC: _A sophisticated joint European-Japanese satellite has [launched to measure how clouds influence the climate](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyddezqrlmvo). Some low-level clouds are known to cool the planet, others at high altitude will act as a blanket. The [Earthcare mission](https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/FutureEO/EarthCARE) will use a laser and a radar to probe the atmosphere to see precisely where the balance lies. It's one of the great uncertainties in the computer models used to forecast how the climate will respond to increasing levels of greenhouse gases. "Many of our models suggest cloud cover will go down in the future and that means that clouds will reflect less sunlight back to space, more will be absorbed at the surface and that will act as an amplifier to the warming we would get from carbon dioxide," Dr Robin Hogan, from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, told BBC News. The 2.3-tonne satellite was sent up from California on a SpaceX rocket. The project is led by the European Space Agency (ESA), which has described it as the organization's most complex Earth observation venture to date. Certainly, the technical challenge in getting the instruments to work as intended has been immense. It's taken fully 20 years to go from mission approval to launch. Earthcare will circle the Earth at a height of about 400km (250 miles). It's actually got four instruments in total that will work in unison to get at the information sought by climate scientists._ _The simplest is an imager -- a camera that will take pictures of the scene passing below the spacecraft to give context to the measurements made by the other three instruments. Earthcare's European ultraviolet laser will see the thin, high clouds and the tops of clouds lower down. It will also detect the small particles and droplets (aerosols) in the atmosphere that influence the formation and behavior of clouds. The Japanese radar will look into the clouds, to determine how much water they are carrying and how that's precipitating as rain, hail and snow. And a radiometer will sense how much of the energy falling on to Earth from the Sun is being reflected or radiated back into space._
2024-07-17
-
[Kat Friedrich, Ars Technica](https://www.wired.com/author/kat-friedrich-ars-technica/) Jul 17, 2024 8:00 AM Once a sci-fi staple, the ability to beam solar power from space now seems closer than ever—but a lot of work remains.  Photograph: OsakaWayne Studios/Getty Images Is space-based solar power a costly, risky pipe dream? Or is it a viable way to combat climate change? Although [beaming solar power from space to Earth](https://www.wired.com/story/a-bold-plan-to-beam-solar-energy-down-from-space/) could ultimately involve transmitting gigawatts, the process could be made surprisingly safe and cost-effective, according to experts from Space Solar, the European Space Agency, and the University of Glasgow. But we’re going to need to move well beyond [demonstration hardware](https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/01/headed-to-space-today-test-hardware-for-a-solar-power-plant/) and solve a number of engineering challenges if we want to develop that potential. Designing Space-Based Solar --------------------------- Beaming solar energy from space is not new; telecommunications satellites have been sending microwave signals generated by solar power back to Earth since the 1960s. But sending useful amounts of power is a different matter entirely. “The idea \[has\] been around for just over a century,” said Nicol Caplin, deep space exploration scientist at the ESA, on a [Physics World podcast](https://physicsworld.com/a/green-and-novel-the-future-of-energy-generation/). “The original concepts were indeed sci-fi. It’s sort of rooted in science fiction, but then, since then, there’s been a trend of interest coming and going.” Researchers are scoping out multiple designs for space-based solar power. Matteo Ceriotti, senior lecturer in space systems engineering at the University of Glasgow, [wrote in The Conversation](https://theconversation.com/we-could-soon-be-getting-energy-from-solar-power-harvested-in-space-210203) that many designs have been proposed. This story originally appeared on [Ars Technica](https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/07/will-space-based-solar-power-ever-make-sense/), a trusted source for technology news, tech policy analysis, reviews, and more. Ars is owned by WIRED's parent company, Condé Nast. The Solaris initiative is exploring two possible technologies, according to Sanjay Vijendran, lead for the Solaris initiative at the ESA: one that involves beaming microwaves from a station in geostationary orbit down to a receiver on Earth and another that involves using immense mirrors in a lower orbit to reflect sunlight down onto solar farms. He said he thinks that both of these solutions are potentially valuable. Microwave technology has [drawn wider interest](https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/08/where-the-sun-always-shines-putting-solar-in-space/) and was the main focus of these interviews. It has enormous potential, although high-frequency radio waves can also be used. “You really have a source of 24/7 clean power from space,” Vijendran said. The power can be transmitted regardless of weather conditions because of the frequency of the microwaves. “A 1-gigawatt power plant in space would be comparable to the top five solar farms on earth. A power plant with a capacity of 1 gigawatt could power around 875,000 households for one year,” said Andrew Glester, host of the Physics World podcast. But we’re not ready to deploy anything like this. “It will be a big engineering challenge,” Caplin said. There are a number of physical hurdles involved in successfully building a solar power station in space. Using microwave technology, the solar array for an orbiting power station that generates a gigawatt of power would have to be more than 1 square kilometer in size, according to a [Nature article](https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-00279-8) by senior reporter Elizabeth Gibney. “That’s more than 100 times the size of the International Space Station, which took a decade to build.” It would also need to be assembled robotically, since the orbiting facility would be uncrewed. The solar cells would need to be resilient to space radiation and debris. They would also need to be efficient and lightweight, with a power-to-weight ratio 50 times more than the typical silicon solar cell, Gibney wrote. Keeping the cost of these cells down is another factor that engineers have to take into consideration. Reducing the losses during power transmission is another challenge, Gibney wrote. The energy conversion rate needs to be improved to 10 to 15 percent, according to the ESA. This would require technical advances. Space Solar is working on a satellite design called CASSIOPeiA, which Physics World [describes](https://physicsworld.com/a/space-based-solar-power-could-beaming-sunlight-back-to-earth-meet-our-energy-needs/) as looking “like a spiral staircase, with the photovoltaic panels being the ‘treads’ and the microwave transmitters—rod-shaped dipoles—being the ‘risers.’” It has a helical shape with no moving parts. “Our system's comprised of hundreds of thousands of the same dinner-plate-sized power modules. Each module has the PV which converts the sun's energy into DC electricity,” said Sam Adlen, CEO of Space Solar. “That DC power then drives electronics to transmit the power… down toward Earth from dipole antennas. That power up in space is converted to \[microwaves\] and beamed down in a coherent beam down to the Earth where it's received by a rectifying antenna, reconverted into electricity, and input to the grid.” Adlen said that robotics technologies for space applications, such as in-orbit assembly, are advancing rapidly. Ceriotti wrote that SPS-ALPHA, another design, has a large solar-collector structure that includes many heliostats, which are modular small reflectors that can be moved individually. These [concentrate](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268573928_SPS-ALPHA_The_First_Practical_Solar_Power_Satellite_via_Arbitrarily_Large_Phased_Array_A_2011-2012_NIAC_Project) sunlight onto separate power-generating modules, after which it’s transmitted back to Earth by yet another module. Space-Based Safety ------------------ These plans involve large fluxes of microwave or radio radiation. But space-based solar power is relatively safe. For microwave radiation from a space-based solar power installation, “the only known effect of those frequencies on humans or living things is tissue heating,” Vijendran said. “If you were to stand in such a beam at that power level, it would be like standing in the … evening sun.” Still, Caplin said that more research is needed to study the effects of these microwaves on humans, animals, plants, satellites, infrastructure, and the ionosphere. Getting that across to the public may remain a challenge, however. “There’s still a public perception issue to work through, and it’s going to need strong engagement to bring this to market successfully,” Adlen said. Military attacks using space-based solar power might also raise concerns. But even if a space-based solar power station were hijacked for military reasons, the hardware would limit the beam to a safe intensity so that it could not be used to harm people or ecosystems on Earth, Ceriotti said. Beyond the environmental issues, there are additional concerns that will need to be sorted out before deployment. Interference with communications signals is another potential risk, although Gibney wrote that the beam’s frequency would not disrupt aircraft communication. Some other physical risks are important to take into account. Orbiting debris such as meteorites or space junk could strike the station and damage it, Vijendran said. If the impacts on the solar power station generate debris, that could cause problems as well. Plus the hardware itself will have to be deorbited when it reaches end-of-life. “ESA has a Clean Space Initiative. Anything that we’re sending to space, we have to think about the whole lifecycle, cradle to grave,” Caplin said. Finally, the project would still have an environmental impact. Putting the solar power station hardware in orbit, constructing it, and controlling it would generate pollution and use a substantial amount of fuel, Ceriotti wrote. Hundreds of launches might be required. Launch Economics ---------------- Beyond their environmental impact, those launches will cost money. Cost has usually been the main barrier to building a space solar power station so far, Caplin said. “As that landscape is changing and things are generally becoming cheaper to send to space, we can put it on the table again. Money talks. We have the advice of two independent studies on cost-benefit analyses, and they both determined that this could be viable.” The expense of space-based solar power would include manufacturing costs, maintenance costs, and launch costs, Ceriotti said. “We expect \[the\] cost to fall in future,” Vijendran said. “We can start with a power that is competitive with what we pay for nuclear today … between $100 and $200 per megawatt-hour … which is higher than intermittent renewables like solar and wind, but has a role to play because it is reliable and available 24/7.” Vijendran said he expects the cost of space-based solar power will eventually fall to a point where it is competitive with solar and wind power on Earth, which is below $50 per megawatt-hour. According to the Energy Information Administration’s 2022 [publication](https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/aeo/pdf/electricity_generation.pdf) on this subject, both solar power and onshore wind cost around $20 to $45 per megawatt-hour in 2021. Adlen’s cost estimate is much lower—around a quarter of the cost of nuclear power. SpaceX and Blue Origin are designing launch vehicles that can handle heavy lifts, Ceriotti wrote. These vehicles’ parts can be reused, and their high capacity and reusability can drop the cost of some aspects of construction by 90 percent. Looking toward the future, what are the next steps in the development of space-based solar power? The ESA plans to make a decision next year about its goals in developing an uncrewed space station, Vijendran said. The process has been slowed by a shortage of financial support from some European countries. “The first major decision point would be to implement a … small-scale in-space demo mission for launch sometime around 2030,” Vijendran said. Outside of the ESA, Caltech has [demonstrated a lightweight prototype](https://www.spacesolar.caltech.edu/) that converts sunlight to radio-frequency electrical power and transmits it as a beam. The university has been researching modular, foldable, ultralight space-based solar power equipment. “My view is that much like the world of connectivity went from wired to wireless, so we're going to see the world of power move in a similar direction,” Adlen said. International cooperation will be key to creating space-based solar power stations if projects like these move forward. _This story originally appeared on_ _[Ars Technica](https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/07/will-space-based-solar-power-ever-make-sense/)._
2024-08-13
-
* [Jalopnik](https://jalopnik.com/) * [Kotaku](https://kotaku.com/) * [Quartz](https://qz.com/) * [The Root](https://theroot.com/) * [The Inventory](https://theinventory.com/) By We may earn a commission from links on this page.  [SpaceX is](https://jalopnik.com/spacex-finally-gets-starship-into-space-without-explodi-1851335831), for all intents and purposes, [the current state of American space flight](https://jalopnik.com/spacex-employees-are-getting-hurt-in-alarming-numbers-1851442642). Sure, there’s [that Boeing rocket](https://jalopnik.com/boeing-focused-so-hard-on-making-money-that-it-got-clob-1851457983), but [we’ve all seen](https://jalopnik.com/boeing-s-abandoned-astronauts-may-be-stuck-in-space-unt-1851617665) [how that’s going](https://jalopnik.com/boeing-starliner-could-brick-iss-docking-port-if-crew-a-1851615463) — SpaceX is now [how NASA gets shit done](https://jalopnik.com/nasa-director-says-he-trusts-spacex-because-elon-musk-i-1851459790). It’s also, according to reports from two separate regulatory bodies, a massive polluter of Texan waters. Both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality have issued reports this year slamming SpaceX for violating pollution laws. The reports, [as seen by CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2024/08/12/spacex-repeatedly-polluted-waters-in-texas-tceq-epa-found.html), concern the Starship rocket’s deluge system: > TCEQ said its agency’s office in the South Texas city of Harlingen, near Starbase in Boca Chica, received a complaint on Aug. 6, 2023, alleging that SpaceX “was discharging deluge water without TCEQ authorization.” > > “In total, the Harlingen region received 14 complaints alleging environmental impacts from the Facility’s deluge system,” the regulator said in the document. > > Aerospace companies, including SpaceX, generally need to be in compliance with state and federal laws to gain approval from the Federal Aviation Administration for future launches. SpaceX was seeking permission to conduct up to 25 annual launches and landings of its Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket at its Boca Chica facility. Notices of violation could delay those approvals and result in civil monetary penalties for SpaceX, further probes and criminal charges. The [deluge system](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmjQxtFJfdY) is exactly what it sounds like: A torrent of water released beneath the Starship, which [disrupts both the heat and the acoustic waves from the engines](https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2021/05/Ariane_6_launch_pad_water_deluge_system_test) before they can reach the launch pad. Deluge systems aren’t some new SpaceX innovation — [they’ve been in use since at least the 1950s](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=59577.0) — but SpaceX appears to be dumping its water back into the local environment, where it can contaminate its surroundings. SpaceX has claimed CNBC’s reporting is “[factually inaccurate](https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1823080774012481862),” and says that it’s been granted permission to continue operating while all the necessary paperwork is processing. Whether the company is correct or not, however, the reports from the EPA and TCEQ do exist — and they show that SpaceX’s missions come with an environmental cost. [_A version of this article originally appeared on Jalopnik._](https://jalopnik.com/spacex-has-been-polluting-texas-water-for-years-1851621029) Our free, fast, and fun briefing on the global economy, delivered every weekday morning.
-
The final point of many space missions is an extremely isolated spot in the [South Pacific Ocean,](https://jalopnik.com/elon-musk-will-crash-the-international-space-station-in-1851564347) where spacecraft are splashed down and never seen again. Much of the focus on the upcoming [SpaceX Crew-9](https://jalopnik.com/a-problem-with-the-toilet-in-spacexs-dragon-capsule-mea-1847998167) mission has been on a potential delay and whether or not two seats will be left empty for Boeing [(BA)](https://qz.com/quote/BA) Starliner’s stranded crew. When SpaceX’s Dragon [returns to Earth in 2025,](https://jalopnik.com/boeing-s-abandoned-astronauts-may-be-stuck-in-space-unt-1851617665) its unoccupied trunk will be jettisoned into this spacecraft cemetery. SpaceX, a champion for reusable rockets, is [adopting the cemetery splashdown](https://www.spacex.com/updates/) process for this and future missions after its engineers discovered that Dragon trunks [don’t fully burn up during re-entry.](https://jalopnik.com/falling-space-junk-is-a-growing-problem-that-is-only-go-1851572144) Obviously, no one wants the public to be harmed by space debris. No one’s likely to get hurt when [the Dragon](https://jalopnik.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-crew-dragon-spacexs-1833074719) segment comes down in the spacecraft cemetery. The area is centered around Point Nemo, 1,670 miles away from land. Point Nemo has been a dumping ground for spacecraft since the early 1970s. While NASA, ESA and JAXA splashed down craft in the cemetery, the Russian space program has dropped the most out of anyone with 200 spacecraft put down there. [Through the Soviet era](https://jalopnik.com/did-the-soviets-build-a-better-shuttle-than-we-did-1713379466) into the establishment of Roscosmos, the program sent six Salyut stations, hundreds of unmanned Mir resupply craft and the Mir space station itself to a watery demise there. The conditions that make Point Nemo the perfect place to ditch spacecraft could make it a treasure trove for archaeologists in the distant future, like how sunken sailing ships from prior centuries are valued today. [According to the BBC:](https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20231006-the-soviet-spacecraft-cemetery-in-the-pacific) > “The waters around Point Nemo are thought to be among the most lifeless on Earth for the same reason they’re a good spacecraft cemetery: they’re far from land, which tends to leach nutrients into the oceans. This, combined with the natural lack of oxygen in the deep ocean, the freezing temperatures and total lack of sunlight, make for ideal conditions – decreasing the rate of chemical processes such as rusting.” SpaceX is slated to splash down [the International Space Station](https://jalopnik.com/international-space-station-should-be-saved-by-spacex-1851596570) in the cemetery in 2030. Experts believe that large chunks of Mir, the size of a small car, survived its 2001 deorbit. Mir weighed 143 tons before re-entry. The ISS weighs 495 tons so it’s likely that massive pieces of the station will be sitting in the Pacific Ocean for future discovery. [_A version of this article originally appeared on Jalopnik._](https://jalopnik.com/iss-will-join-another-260-spacecraft-in-desolate-ocean-1851619830)
-
The final point of many space missions is an extremely isolated spot in the [South Pacific Ocean,](https://jalopnik.com/elon-musk-will-crash-the-international-space-station-in-1851564347) where spacecraft are splashed down and never seen again. Much of the focus on the upcoming [SpaceX Crew-9](https://jalopnik.com/a-problem-with-the-toilet-in-spacexs-dragon-capsule-mea-1847998167) mission has been on a potential delay and whether or not two seats will be left empty for Boeing [(BA)](https://qz.com/quote/BA) Starliner’s stranded crew. When SpaceX’s Dragon [returns to Earth in 2025,](https://jalopnik.com/boeing-s-abandoned-astronauts-may-be-stuck-in-space-unt-1851617665) its unoccupied trunk will be jettisoned into this spacecraft cemetery. SpaceX, a champion for reusable rockets, is [adopting the cemetery splashdown](https://www.spacex.com/updates/) process for this and future missions after its engineers discovered that Dragon trunks [don’t fully burn up during re-entry.](https://jalopnik.com/falling-space-junk-is-a-growing-problem-that-is-only-go-1851572144) Obviously, no one wants the public to be harmed by space debris. No one’s likely to get hurt when [the Dragon](https://jalopnik.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-crew-dragon-spacexs-1833074719) segment comes down in the spacecraft cemetery. The area is centered around Point Nemo, 1,670 miles away from land. Point Nemo has been a dumping ground for spacecraft since the early 1970s. While NASA, ESA and JAXA splashed down craft in the cemetery, the Russian space program has dropped the most out of anyone with 200 spacecraft put down there. [Through the Soviet era](https://jalopnik.com/did-the-soviets-build-a-better-shuttle-than-we-did-1713379466) into the establishment of Roscosmos, the program sent six Salyut stations, hundreds of unmanned Mir resupply craft and the Mir space station itself to a watery demise there. The conditions that make Point Nemo the perfect place to ditch spacecraft could make it a treasure trove for archaeologists in the distant future, like how sunken sailing ships from prior centuries are valued today. [According to the BBC:](https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20231006-the-soviet-spacecraft-cemetery-in-the-pacific) > “The waters around Point Nemo are thought to be among the most lifeless on Earth for the same reason they’re a good spacecraft cemetery: they’re far from land, which tends to leach nutrients into the oceans. This, combined with the natural lack of oxygen in the deep ocean, the freezing temperatures and total lack of sunlight, make for ideal conditions – decreasing the rate of chemical processes such as rusting.” SpaceX is slated to splash down [the International Space Station](https://jalopnik.com/international-space-station-should-be-saved-by-spacex-1851596570) in the cemetery in 2030. Experts believe that large chunks of Mir, the size of a small car, survived its 2001 deorbit. Mir weighed 143 tons before re-entry. The ISS weighs 495 tons so it’s likely that massive pieces of the station will be sitting in the Pacific Ocean for future discovery. [_A version of this article originally appeared on Jalopnik_](https://jalopnik.com/iss-will-join-another-260-spacecraft-in-desolate-ocean-1851619830).
2024-08-29
-
Aug 29, 2024 2:21 PM A few hours before the opening ceremony, we spoke with the former sprinter, who today is the European Space Agency’s first para-astronaut.  John McFall, the ESA’s first para-astronaut, during his sprinting career.Andrew Wang/Getty Images _This story originally appeared on [WIRED Italia](https://www.wired.it/article/paralimpiadi-2024-portabandiera-john-mc-fall-storia-incidente-astronauta-esa/) and has been translated from Italian._ John McFall’s sporting record alone would be enough to justify him being the flag bearer for the 2024 Paralympics. He won silver in the 100 meters (T42) and bronze in the 200 meters at the 2006 IPC World Championships; was world champion in the 100 and 200 meters at the 2007 IWAS World Games; won the 2007 Paralympic World Cup in the 200 meters as well as picking up silver in the 100 meters; and was a bronze medalist in the 100 meters at the 2008 Paralympic Games. But on top of his sporting achievements, McFall—who has retired from athletics—today has the distinction of being the first para-astronaut to work with a space agency, the [European Space Agency](https://www.wired.com/tag/european-space-agency/). And so at yesterday’s opening ceremony for the Paris Games, McFall was selected to represent not just one of the 168 participating delegations—in his case Great Britain and Northern Ireland—but the Paralympics _as a whole_. Since November 2022, McFall has been a reserve in the ESA’s astronaut corps, as well as a key player in the agency’s Fly! feasibility study, which aims to “understand and challenge the limitations posed by physical disabilities to human spaceflight.” It is hard to imagine a more ambitious goal than trying to extend the opportunity for space exploration to all. Born in 1981, McFall had his right leg amputated above the knee after a motorcycle accident when he was 19. He went on to pursue a career in athletics and to study exercise science and medicine, completing core surgical training in general surgery, urology, trauma, and orthopedics in 2018. Since June 2023, McFall has participated in core familiarization courses and activities at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, to investigate the challenges his disability might pose during a long stay in space. This research has found, among other things, that McFall would be able to evacuate the [International Space Station](https://www.wired.com/tag/international-space-station/) in an emergency, and to use exercise equipment on the space station, such as treadmills or exercise bikes, to counteract the muscle-wasting effects of weightlessness. WIRED spoke with McFall, just hours before he paraded in Paris, about what his selection as flag bearer represents. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. McFall at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paralympic Games. Fiona Goodall/Getty Images **WIRED: John, why is it important that you are the flag bearer for the Paralympics?** **John McFall:** It is, first of all, personal: As a former runner, being in the place where the athletes will stay for the next 10 days brings with it many memories. I am equally honored to have been chosen to represent all the athletes of these Games and also all the past ones, because I consider myself the fruit of the Paralympic movement. In addition, I believe that what the ESA is doing with the feasibility study, and what we are trying to do so that an individual with physical disabilities can travel in space, can help give wide visibility and change the perception of disability. The Paralympics play a central role in this awareness process. **Talking about resilience today is almost rhetorical. How does one deal with trauma like that which you experienced?** I don’t think I ever consciously decided to deal with it; it was a natural process. It’s not like one fine day I found myself thinking, “OK, now I have to deal with my trauma.” I’m more inclined to believe that people who go through and overcome something like mine do so by embracing their new situation, in a process that, at least for me, was driven by a desire to do things that I was passionate about, that I was interested in. Simply by doing them, I felt rewarded and gained a new sense of identity, with my new life, with disability. At least for me, the most important reaction was to find something that could give me joy. Science, academia and, in particular, sports did that. McFall in training, during the Fly! feasibility study. ESA/M. Cowan **Speaking of science and training, can you describe the Fly! feasibility study and its results?** The ESA is the first space agency in the world to ask whether physical disability is compatible with the activities of a professional astronaut. Fly! tried to answer that by focusing on my specific case. The study considered the requirements of a long stay in space and analyzed them systematically. At first we studied how my disabilities and prosthesis might affect my ability to meet the requirements in-flight. At a later stage we went into detail, to the point of figuring out, for example, whether I should compulsorily use my prosthesis in space, since legs are hardly used there. In summary, I can say that although I would need the prosthesis at some stages, disabilities like mine fully meet the needs of space travel. I am very happy to say that we have not identified any hiccups capable of precluding a person with disabilities like mine from a long-duration space mission. This has an incredible positive outcome. **Why is it important that people with disabilities can also operate in space? And what specific disabilities are we talking about?** I’ll start with the second question. Fly! looked at a specific group of disabilities, those in the lower limbs. From the results I think we can extrapolate different variables in that group that are compatible with long-duration space missions. We need to progress step by step, starting with the basics, and I am sure that starting to study lower limb disabilities was a good choice. I hope we can soon focus on other disabilities, which allows me to answer the first part of the question: Why is it important? The ESA recognizes that talented people can boast different histories and backgrounds—meaning gender, sex, ethnicity, physical abilities. Everywhere in the world there are those who could make valuable contributions to human space exploration. Of course, this involves becoming astronauts. And the experience and knowledge of people with physical disabilities can bring new and valuable ideas, different ways of thinking, motivation, inspiration. For this to happen, everyone needs to have fair representation among the staff, with appropriate professional positions and roles. This is a goal, and the ESA is working to achieve it. **In September, the Polaris Dawn mission is expected to take off from Cape Canaveral, and will feature the first spacewalk by nonprofessional astronauts. What do you think?** They are inspiring and no less important in the landscape of human exploration of the cosmos, because every time these missions become a reality, they help enrich the knowledge we have as a community. Polaris Dawn is doing new science; it’s testing new technologies. That’s why I have great respect for private astronauts and their missions—they [make a major contribution](https://www.wired.it/article/axiom-3-missione-iss-spacex-villadei-esperimenti/) to the advancement of our space activities. McFall and other ESA astronauts in a weightlessness simulation. ESA/A. Conigli **When are you going into space?** I would love to travel beyond the atmosphere. I hope to have the opportunity, but what I hope most is that sooner or later someone with physical disabilities will be able to do it, fully integrated into the activities on the International Space Station. About the timing, I hope that at the end of this decade it can happen. As for me, if I ever have the opportunity to fly in space, it will not be before 2027. But nothing is confirmed, and I am keeping my fingers crossed at the moment.
2024-09-12
-
Two astronauts have completed the first commercial spacewalk and tested slimmed-down spacesuits designed by [SpaceX](https://www.theguardian.com/science/spacex), in one of the boldest attempts yet to push the boundaries of privately funded spaceflight. Hundreds of miles above Earth and orbiting at close to 30,000km/h (18,600mph), the billionaire Jared Isaacman, 41, who chartered the Polaris Dawn mission, exited the space capsule at 11.52am BST on Thursday. “Back at home we all have a lot of work to do, but from here Earth sure looks like a perfect world,” said the 41-year-old space enthusiast as he stood on a ladder looking down at Earth’s surface. Isaacman was followed by Sarah Gillis, a senior engineer at [SpaceX](https://www.theguardian.com/science/spacex) who has spent years working on missions from the ground. Gillis, 30, conducted movement tests to assess how the new SpaceX suit – a much less bulky equivalent of the Nasa equipment – operates in the vacuum of space. To prepare for the test, conducted at an altitude of 435 miles (700km), the Crew Dragon capsule was completely depressurised, meaning the whole crew – including the two who remained inside – relied on their spacesuits for oxygen and pressure. [](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/sep/12/polaris-dawn-astronauts-complete-first-commercial-spacewalk-spacex#img-1) An illustration of the SpaceX suit (left) and the bulkier older design. Composite: SpaceX; ESA Only well-funded government agencies had so far managed to carry out spacewalks, known as EVAs (extravehicular activities), and they are a notoriously difficult feat. Most have been done from the International [Space](https://www.theguardian.com/science/space) Station (ISS) and the Chinese Tiangong space station. Private companies are gradually taking the lead in spaceflight as governments, in particular the US government, seek to spend tax revenues elsewhere. Nasa has [contracted SpaceX](https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-awards-spacex-second-contract-option-for-artemis-moon-landing-0) to land astronauts, including the first woman, on the moon this decade. The Nasa chief, Bill Nelson, said Thursday’s successful EVA represented “a giant leap forward for the commercial space industry and Nasa’s long-term goal to build a vibrant US space economy”. The Polaris Dawn mission is the second that Isaacman has funded. He has declined to give the price but the missions are estimated to cost hundreds of millions of dollars. In 2021 the private pilot and now trained astronaut, who made millions from his electronic payment company Shift4, flew on the [Inspiration4 mission](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/sep/15/spacex-launch-amateur-astronauts-passengers), the first orbital spaceflight by an all-civilian crew. That mission included a cancer survivor as well as a data engineer who won his seat in a raffle draw. Elon Musk’s SpaceX has operated both missions and sees them as major milestones in making access to space easier and cheaper. Musk plans to take astronauts back to the moon and eventually to Mars. His company is developing the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, [called Starship](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/mar/14/spacex-launches-third-starship-test-flight), and has carried out four test flights of the 120-metre-tall system. The next is due in November. Ian Whittaker, a space physics expert at Nottingham Trent University, said the success of the “first non-space agency astronaut spacewalk” was “extremely exciting for the private space industry as it is the first step on a longer road towards space tourism”. “The high cost will mean that only the ultra-rich get to experience this for now but putting this cost in the hands of businesses means that taxpayer money can be used for other purposes,” he said. The spacewalk lasted about 30 minutes, and Isaacman and Gillis always remained on the ladder. While walking is impossible in microgravity, Nasa defines a spacewalk as “any time an astronaut gets out of a vehicle while in space”. The first person to “walk” in space, the Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, spent 12 minutes outside his spacecraft on 18 March 1965. His mission showed some of the risks associate with designing spacesuits: by the end of the spacewalk, [Leonov’s suit had inflated](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/may/09/alexei-leonov-first-man-to-walk-in-space-soviet-cosmonaut) in the vacuum of space to the point where he could no longer fit back in the airlock. He had to manually release air to get inside. Tim Peake, the last British astronaut to go into space, said on X that it would be very interesting to hear the crew’s full feedback on the new EVA suit mobility, something he said was “incredibly important yet hard to achieve – especially fingertip fidelity”. He added: “Elbow mobility looks great though.” Peake, 52, has announced he has been chosen to lead a planned first [all-British crewed mission into space](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/oct/25/tim-peake-quit-retirement-to-lead-uk-first-astronaut-mission). The UK Space Agency is undertaking it in a deal with Axiom, an American company that organises visits to the ISS. During their five-day mission, the Polaris Dawn’s crew will act as test subjects for future deep space travel by travelling through portions of the Van Allen radiation belt and then analysing the effects of space radiation on their bodies. The mission also includes a retired US air force lieutenant colonel, Scott Poteet, 50, and another SpaceX engineer, Anna Menon, 38. Polaris Dawn’s spacewalk happened at the same time as a record 19 astronauts orbited Earth, after Russia’s Soyuz rocket ferried two cosmonauts and a US astronaut to the ISS.
2024-10-05
-
Final preparations are under way to send a European spacecraft to an asteroid to discover what happened when a [Nasa](https://www.theguardian.com/science/nasa) probe deliberately slammed into the space rock two years ago. The European Space Agency’s Hera mission will survey the impact site and make detailed measurements of the battered rock, Dimorphos, to help researchers hone their strategies for defending Earth should a wayward asteroid ever threaten the planet in the future. Hera is due to launch on Monday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida at 10.52am local time (3.52pm BST). All being well, the probe will swoop past Mars in March next year and reach the asteroid more than 110m miles (177m km) from Earth in December 2026. “It’s a series of breathtaking moments,” Paolo Martino, the lead engineer and deputy project manager said of the mission from ESA’s base in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. “The first one is surviving the launch.” Beyond the routine risks of poor weather and technical problems that can keep missions on the launchpad, there have been uncertainties over whether the SpaceX rocket will be allowed to fly. Last week, the Falcon 9 was grounded by the US Federal Aviation Administration for the third time in three months after it experienced an upper stage malfunction as it fell back to Earth. Named after the Greek goddess of marriage, women and family, Hera will report back on the state of Dimorphos, a 150-metre-wide asteroid that orbits a larger, 780-metre-wide parent body called Didymos. In September 2022, Nasa’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (Dart) probe [crashed into Dimorphos](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/sep/26/nasa-spacecraft-asteroid-crash-planetary-defense-test) at 14,000 miles per hour, showering millions of tonnes of rock into space and altering the asteroid’s orbit. As a first test of Earth’s planetary defences, the Dart mission was declared a success. But scientists need more information about the impact and Dimorphos itself to ensure the lessons learned can be used to deflect asteroids of different sizes and structures that might one day threaten Earth. “Dart managed to change the orbit of Dimorphos very efficiently, even beyond expectations, and now the scientists need to know in detail what happened and what kind of effects the impact had on the asteroid,” Martino said. When Dart thumped into Dimorphos, the momentum of the probe and the force from debris ejected from the asteroid knocked 33 minutes off its orbital period around Didymos. The collision [reshaped the asteroid](https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/PSJ/ad26e7) and sent a plume of dust and rock thousands of miles into space. Hera’s instruments will record the precise size, shape, mass and orbit of Dimorphos so researchers can work out how efficiently momentum was transferred from the Dart probe to the space rock and what state the asteroid was left in. For a closer look at Dimorphos, Hera will release two shoebox-sized probes called cubesats. These will map the surface in fine detail, measure any dust around the body, and deploy a ground-penetrating radar to assess the asteroid’s internal structure. The cubesats will then attempt to land on the asteroid and take further measurements. [skip past newsletter promotion](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/oct/05/european-space-mission-hera-examine-nasa-dimorphos-asteroid-impact-site#EmailSignup-skip-link-11) Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters **Privacy Notice:** Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our [Privacy Policy](https://www.theguardian.com/help/privacy-policy). We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google [Privacy Policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy) and [Terms of Service](https://policies.google.com/terms) apply. after newsletter promotion “The Dart mission was a spectacular success as a demonstration of asteroid deflection technology, but as a science experiment it generated as many questions as it provided answers,” said Prof Gareth Collins, a member of the Hera science team at Imperial College London. “Our hope is that Hera will answer those questions and more.” One mystery is how Dart changed Dimorphos’s orbit so much. Scientists expected the Nasa probe to punch a 20-metre crater in the asteroid and shave little more than a minute off its orbital period. The more substantial shift in orbit suggests the impact completely reshaped the asteroid. “We think this might be because Dimorphos has a rubble-pile internal structure, but we only have a few close-up images of its surface to work with,” said Collins. Of more than 1,600 near-Earth asteroids on [ESA’s risk list](https://neo.ssa.esa.int/risk-list), none are gigantic planet-killers that could destroy Earth in the next century. More concerning are the smaller and far more numerous space rocks that have the potential to take out cities, countries and continents. If one of these were spotted years in advance, scientists would aim to launch a reconnaissance mission to confirm its trajectory, composition and mass, and if it posed a real danger, launch another mission to knock it off course. Armed with data from the Hera mission, researchers will work out the range of asteroids that can be deflected with colliding spacecraft and which space rocks might require more [dramatic interventions](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/sep/23/nuclear-blast-could-save-earth-from-large-asteroid). “If we ever have a real threat in the future, we’ll be in a position to choose the best technique,” said Martino.
2024-10-07
-
欧洲航天局(ESA)即将启动一项任务,以评估人类在保护地球免受小行星撞击方面的有效性。这项名为“赫拉”的任务将访问一颗在2022年被美国航空航天局(NASA)航天器撞击的小行星,以分析使其偏转的效果 ...  “赫拉”任务及其立方体卫星将研究小行星Dimorphos和Didymos(艺术图)。图片来源:ESA “看起来我们撞击得足够猛烈,改变了它的形状。”“赫拉”团队成员、法国蔚蓝海岸天文台(OCA)行星科学家Harrison Agrusa说
-
 A European spacecraft is heading to study an asteroid after NASA purposely knocked it off its course more than two years ago. The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Hera spacecraft lifted off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 10:52 a.m. ET on Monday. It's scheduled to conduct a "crash scene investigation," researchers said. Hera’s mission will focus on the asteroid Dimorphos, where a golf cart-sized spacecraft crashed on Sept. 26, 2022. That mission, called the [Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART)](https://www.npr.org/2022/10/11/1128132956/nasa-dart-success-asteroid-dimorphos), shortened Dimorphos' orbit around Didymos, a bigger asteroid, by 33 minutes, researchers said. The successful mission was only a test of the concept — to see, if an asteroid one day threatens to hit Earth, whether it could be pushed out of harm's way. On a series of flybys, Hera will survey Dimorphos' mineral makeup and the dust surrounding it, the agency said. Its mission will also help scientists understand how big the crater is that was created during the DART mission, which they say could help in future asteroid deflections. Hera will also enable researchers to get a more accurate estimate of Dimorphos' mass. The top ESA official called Monday's mission a "bold step" in ramping up the European agency's role in defending the planet. “Planetary defence is an inherently international endeavour, and I am really happy to see ESA’s Hera spacecraft at the forefront of Europe’s efforts to help protect Earth,” ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher said in a statement. While in space, Hera will also conduct experiments and try "self-driving" navigation around both asteroids, the agency also said. The asteroids are part of a binary asteroid system in which Dimorphos, at about 530 feet across, orbits Didymos, about half a mile across. The two asteroids are not a threat to Earth, [according to NASA](https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/asteroids/didymos/). Both came within roughly 6 million miles of Earth in 2022, [according to the ESA](https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Hera/Target_asteroid2). Hera’s mission will also include "the first detailed survey" of Didymos. The spacecraft is set to reach the asteroids in the fall of 2026, according to the ESA.
2024-10-09
-
[](/search?tid=102) [Wilson](/~Wilson) (42865)发表于 2024年10月09日 15时39分 星期三 [新浪微博分享](//service.weibo.com/share/share.php?url=//www.solidot.org/story?sid=79438&appkey=1370085986&title=ESA%20%E5%8F%91%E5%B0%84%E8%B5%AB%E6%8B%89%E6%8E%A2%E6%B5%8B%E5%99%A8%E8%B0%83%E6%9F%A5%E8%A2%AB%20NASA%20%E9%A3%9E%E8%88%B9%E6%92%9E%E5%87%BB%E7%9A%84%E5%B0%8F%E8%A1%8C%E6%98%9F) [](javascript:void(0);) **来自开普罗纳的魔法师** ESA 使用 SpaceX Falcon 9 火箭从佛罗里达卡纳维拉尔角太空军基地发射了探测器赫拉(Hera),飞往 Didymos 和 Dimorphos 双小行星系统,验证世界首次行星防御技术演示任务。NASA 执行双小行星重定向测试(DART)任务的飞船于 2022 年 9 月 26 日撞击了该小行星系统,这是世界首次行星防御技术演示,撞击成功偏转了小行星轨道,还释放出了数百万吨的岩石。赫拉探测器将于 2026 年 12 月前后抵达该小行星系统,对其进行观测确认撞击效果 ... https://www.esa.int/Space\_Safety/Hera/Planetary\_defence\_mission\_Hera\_heading\_for\_deflected\_asteroid
2024-10-19
-
“Since the start of the space age, we’ve had a throwaway culture – a bit like plastics in the ocean,” says Nick Shave, managing director of Astroscale UK, an in-orbit servicing company headquartered in Japan. Getting a satellite into orbit around the Earth used to be a big deal. From the launch of the first, Sputnik, in 1957, as it became easier and cheaper to put satellites into space, the numbers have boomed. In 2022, there were about 6,000 and by 2030, [one estimate suggests](https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-22-105166.pdf) there will be nearly 60,000 satellites in orbit around our planet. Look up on a clear night now and [you may well see a bright train of dots](https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/news/future-megaconstellations) traversing the sky. These are part of SpaceX’s “megaconstellation” of satellites, Starlink, which offers increased access to broadband communication across the world. But regulations on how people behave in space are piecemeal and the main international law, the UN’s 1967 Outer [Space](https://www.theguardian.com/science/space) treaty, is more than 50 years old. There’s now a huge amount of junk, or space debris, in orbit. Almost 37,000 objects more than 10cm in size are being tracked by space surveillance networks, according to the [European Space Agency (Esa) figures for September](https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Space_Debris/Space_debris_by_the_numbers). “That stuff’s dangerous, don’t get me wrong,” says John Janka, global government affairs and regulatory chief officer at the communications company [Viasat](https://www.viasat.com/), who is based in Washington DC. “But there’s also – according to Esa, more than 1m pieces of debris between 1cm and 10cm that are lethal and non-trackable. What does that mean? It means you can’t see it, you can’t avoid it, and today you can’t shield your satellite against it.” > The bigger satellite, the more cross-sectional area, the greater chance of being hit by debris Viasat paper, 2022 But the concern over debris is about more than it damaging an individual satellite or craft. Space operators are acutely aware of a danger known as the Kessler effect or syndrome, named after the Nasa scientist Donald J Kessler, who in 1978 along with Burton G Cour-Palais, [published a theory](https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/JA083iA06p02637) that as the number of satellites increased, so would the probability of collisions. As collisions increase, the more debris is produced, and the greater the risk of more collisions. At a critical mass, one collision could trigger an unstoppable cascade of collisions, such that an entire orbit could be rendered useless. A 2022 overview paper by Viasat paints [an almost apocalyptic picture](https://www.viasat.com/content/dam/us-site/corporate/documents/Viasat%20White%20Paper-Managing%20Mega-Constellation%20Risks%20in%20LEO%20(Updated%20Nov%2022)%20(A4).pdf): “If a tipping point is reached, all of humanity would watch helplessly as space junk multiplies uncontrollably. Without timely intervention, we risk bringing the space age to an inglorious end, and trapping humanity on Earth under a layer of its own trash for centuries, or even millennia.” It continues: “Not only an abrupt end to space exploration, but also the loss of all the benefits of space technology – including navigation, weather forecasting, climate measurements, and even satellite broadband (the intended purpose of the megaconstellations being deployed).” As well as numbers, Janka points out, size is an issue. “We’re putting up tens of thousands of satellites, and we’re putting up increasingly bigger satellites into low Earth orbit – bigger in terms of cross-sectional area and mass – we’re finding that we’re having perhaps some unanticipated impact on things like collision risk.” He compares it to a bigger sail on a boat catching more wind. “The bigger satellite, the more cross-sectional area, the greater chance of being hit by debris.” And bigger satellites create more debris when they are hit. So what’s the solution? Tracking and manoeuvring satellites to avoid collisions is one way to manage risk. Elon Musk’s SpaceX manages its Starlink satellites in this way, and de-orbits those deemed “[at an elevated risk of becoming non-manoeuvrable](https://api.starlink.com/public-files/Commitment%20to%20Space%20Sustainability.pdf)”. Many agree manoeuvrability is important. Shave describes it as “critical in orbit”. However, it may not ultimately be a failsafe solution because of the sheer number of satellites due to fill the skies in the years to come. “Collision avoidance is a complete misnomer,” says Hugh Lewis, professor of astronautics at the University of Southampton, “because you can’t avoid a collision when you don’t know whether a collision is actually going to happen or not.” [](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/oct/19/humanity-would-watch-helplessly-as-space-junk-multiplies-uncontrollably-has-the-number-of-satellite-launches-reached-a-tipping-point#img-2) A Soviet technician works on Sputnik 1, the first artifical Earth satellite, 1957. Photograph: Sovfoto/UIG/Getty Images But a manoeuvre to avoid a future collision does reduce the probability, he explains, so while the risk “never goes away”, it gets smaller. “Now multiply that \[small risk\] by 10,000 satellites,” he says. Lewis, also a technical adviser to the [Earth Space Sustainability Initiative](https://www.essi.org/#what-ESSI-does) (Essi), talks about “[the law of truly large numbers](https://www.imperial.ac.uk/be-inspired/magazine/issue-41/improbable-probability/#:~:text=The%20second%20law%20of%20the,to%20form%20your%20birth%20date.)”. “You can have really rare events and if you give enough opportunity for that event to occur, then it generally does, which is why we tend to see these big catastrophes that happen even though they are really quite rare. The same thing is true with spacecraft \[collisions\].” Satellites [may be put into different orbits](https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Types_of_orbits#LEO) depending on what their function is. For example, those put into low Earth orbit (LEO) are relatively close to Earth, 160-200km above the surface, and are good for Earth observation. Others [put into high Earth orbit](https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/OrbitsCatalog), 36,000km above Earth, may be useful for weather monitoring. Satellites also use different frequencies or [parts of the electromagnetic spectrum](https://news.viasat.com/blog/scn/radio-waves-and-how-satellites-use-them) to communicate and – just as with radio frequencies on Earth – operators need to apply for this limited resource through the UN’s International Telecommunication Union. And as companies and nations vie for this finite resource – with early entrants able to hog orbits and bandwidths, this raises questions of how we divide up the sky equitably, sharing access to its benefits globally. Ian Christensen, a senior director at the [Secure World Foundation](https://swfound.org/about-us/who-we-are/), a US-based nonprofit, says that “in general constellation operators are doing well” on manoeuvring their craft out of harm’s way. For example, he says Starlink has a “higher threshold for collision avoidance than is typical” and its automated collision-avoidance system is “risk averse”. “The concern comes from how different constellations will interact with one another … so as Chinese systems start to deploy, as Amazon Kuiper starts to deploy, as others come in, how do we ensure that they are coordinated, that operators are exchanging positional data, so that other operators know where they are?” He says the concern is over how to build this coordination in the absence of a global system. Coming together globally is “inevitable” according to some, who argue that the space community should work together sooner rather than later, learning from the evolution of other technological gamechangers such as mobile phone networks and the internet. “We’re hoping we can skip to the end. Let’s not go through the 10, 20, 30 years doing it incorrectly,” says Michael Cheng, an advisory member of Essi and member of the [Outernet Council](https://www.outernetcouncil.org/about). These nonprofits are lobbying the space industry to develop “interoperable” systems. That is, that different operators agree on and use standardised hardware, software and network connectivity so that their satellites and space systems can “talk to one another”. > Megaconstellation satellites could produce over 360 tonnes of aluminium oxide annually as they burn up in the atmosphere “We would like to see more efficient use of communications technologies and communications networks,” says Cheng, who is also chief product officer at the communications company [Aalyria](https://www.aalyria.com/), a Google spinout. To help build resilience into communications systems, the firm has developed a “network orchestration tool” or software called [Spacetime](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63e03a88bb9f184ceb4ab190/65f4a624e382f6096dd2cb0c_Aalyria%20Spacetime%20101.pdf) that monitors moving antennae and can find the best routes or connection options between moving satellites. It may also help operators exchange network capacity with one another once licences are in place, says Cheng. He compares the current communications network in space to the early days of mobile phone networks on Earth where leaving the jurisdiction of one operator meant “exorbitant” roaming charges for the customer, while now different mobile phone operators have protocols and standards in place making the system easier for everyone. Sharing and standardising systems across space would make things more efficient and therefore more sustainable – for instance, by reducing the amount of hardware that needs to be launched. [](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/oct/19/humanity-would-watch-helplessly-as-space-junk-multiplies-uncontrollably-has-the-number-of-satellite-launches-reached-a-tipping-point#img-3) Spectators watch as a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island, Florida, 4 May 2021. Photograph: SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images “We are betting on our ability to technologically outpace – or use technology to leverage our way out of whatever horrible things are happening,” says Cheng, who argues that only by working together can we keep space sustainable. He cites one big success story for humanity – the banning of CFCs to help close the hole in the ozone layer. “Humanity managed to collaborate and do a good thing there with making that hole smaller and smaller.” Cheng also notes, however, that the ozone layer may be under threat once more – this time from spent satellites. A study published earlier this year in [Geophysical Research Letters](https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1029/2024GL109280) suggested that in future the used satellites from megaconstellations could produce over 360 tonnes of aluminium oxide particles annually as they burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere. These can linger for decades and lead to “significant ozone depletion”. Most agree the idea of interoperable systems makes sense, although Janka cautions that it doesn’t stop the “overconsumption problem”. “I think having a level of standardisation in the right areas to help enable space sustainability is critical,” says Shave. He says the CEO of Astroscale, Nobu Okada, likens the situation in space now to having more cars on the roads in the early 20th century. “You didn’t stop cars going on the road,” he says. “You managed them better.” His company [won a £1.95m contract](https://astroscale.com/astroscale-awarded-contract-for-next-phase-of-a-uk-national-active-debris-removal-mission/) with the UK Space Agency last month for the next stage of its Cleaning Outer Space Mission through Innovative Capture (Cosmic) spacecraft project, which aims to pluck inactive British satellites from space using a robotic arm. If all goes to plan, it hopes to launch Cosmic in 2027-28. The mission’s goal of “active debris removal” may provide another avenue for keeping orbits sustainable. “It’s imperative we do that,” says Lewis. “We are having to deal with the legacy of derelict objects abandoned over decades.” With the threats to sustainability in space, some might argue we should stop launching satellites altogether. But, argues Lewis, space services are now “part of our economy”. He asks instead: “How do we grow our use in a sustainable way?” Janka’s firm wants to see the satellite industry modelling how different scenarios and solutions might work. He also calls for better regulation, adding that over the past year, the industry has recognised this with an umbrella group, the [Global Satellite Operators Association](https://gsoasatellite.com/), agreeing on the importance of working with regulators. “We need to regulate, because we’re dealing with what’s potentially a ‘[tragedy of the commons](https://www.britannica.com/science/tragedy-of-the-commons)’. And unfortunately, with human behaviour being what it is, we can’t work on the assumption that everybody’s going to do the right thing,” he warns. Whether it’s interoperable systems, technological fixes, or better rules for how we use space, the issue of how we keep our activities in space sustainable is for everyone. “What happens in space very much affects what happens on the ground,” says Cheng. “It’s not just about us. It’s about tomorrow… it’s about next century,” says Lewis, “and being able to leave a legacy that enables other generations to use space in the way we’re enjoying.”
2024-10-24
-
The European Space Agency is in talks with SpaceX about the possibility of Elon Musk’s space venture joining an international charter designed to reduce a growing [swarm of debris in space](https://www.fastcompany.com/90982629/outer-space-is-full-of-human-trash-now-we-have-to-get-rid-of-it), Director General Josef Aschbacher told Reuters. The 22-nation agency is spearheading one of several efforts to roll back the [mass of space junk swirling round the planet](https://www.fastcompany.com/91116902/space-is-full-of-trash-nasa-is-finally-hiring-someone-to-clean-it-up) from past missions that poses a risk to active satellites. Aschbacher said 110 countries or entities have joined ESA’s Zero Debris charter, which aims to stop any new orbital garbage being generated by 2030. Asked whether SpaceX, whose satellites now make up some two thirds of spacecraft active in low Earth orbit, had signed up, Aschbacher said: “Not yet, but we are in discussion with them… This is a charter that keeps evolving and . . . we will keep raising the topics because they are so fundamental.” SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Of the roughly 10,300 active satellites in orbit, roughly 6,300 are part of SpaceX’s fast-growing Starlink constellation, according to the U.S. Space Force. China has begun to launch constellations of its own to compete with Starlink, as has Amazon, which expects to launch over 3,000 satellites for its Kuiper constellation this decade. Expand to continue reading ↓
2024-10-25
-
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: _The European Space Agency is in talks with SpaceX about the possibility of Elon Musk's space venture [joining an international charter designed to reduce a growing swarm of debris in space](https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/europe-agency-says-it-is-talks-with-spacex-tackling-space-junk-2024-10-24/), Director General Josef Aschbacher told Reuters. The 22-nation agency is spearheading one of several efforts to roll back the mass of space junk swirling round the planet from past missions that poses a risk to active satellites. Aschbacher said 110 countries or entities have joined ESA's Zero Debris charter, which aims to stop any new orbital garbage being generated by 2030._ _Asked whether SpaceX, whose satellites now make up some two thirds of spacecraft active in low Earth orbit, had signed up, Aschbacher said: "Not yet, but we are in discussion with them... This is a charter that keeps evolving and... we will keep raising the topics because they are so fundamental." \[...\] There are currently 18,897 pieces of trackable space junk in orbit, according to Jonathan McDowell, a Harvard astronomer who tracks such objects. Space debris and junk are often used interchangeably, but some consider space junk to include inactive payloads and rocket bodies as well as debris, or errant shards of broken satellites. There are no international laws on debris, but countries and space agencies have begun in recent years to devise proposals and national rules for tackling the problem._
2025-01-13
-
Last month, people in a small village in Kenya looked to the sky and saw a red glowing ring slowly descending. The half-tonne piece of metal crashed into a nearby thicket with a loud bang, leaving them shaken and perplexed. [What was the mysterious object](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/02/world/africa/kenya-space-debris-rocket.html)? Was it an alien spacecraft? Sadly, the truth of the matter was much more prosaic: it was a piece of space junk. The Kenya [Space](https://www.theguardian.com/science/space) Agency identified the object as a separation ring from a launch rocket. Such objects are usually designed to burn up as they re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere or to fall over unpopulated areas, leading the agency to declare this as “an isolated case”. However, this was not a one-off incident. Last year alone, we saw a large fragment from a Chinese space mission [fall over southern California](https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/chinese-space-junk-falls-to-earth-over-southern-california-creating-spectacular-fireball); a piece of space junk fell through [a two-storey home in Florida](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/apr/17/nasa-space-junk-florida-iss), confirmed by Nasa to have originated from the International Space Station; and several sizeable fragments of a SpaceX capsule were [found on a Canadian farm](https://www.space.com/spacex-crew-dragon-trunk-space-debris-canada). The Florida family is now [suing Nasa for damages](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jun/22/florida-family-sues-nasa-space-debris) in a case that could set a legal precedent for who is responsible. Even more concerning than large space detritus crashing to Earth – if this is possible –is the accumulation of small debris in the lower orbit that could collide with larger objects such as satellites. Over the past 60 years of space activities, more than [6,050 space launches](https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Space_Debris/About_space_debris) have resulted in roughly 56,450 tracked objects in orbit. Only 8% of these objects are active satellites, the rest is junk. The [Kessler syndrome](https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frspt.2023.1309940/full) (named after former Nasa scientist Donald J Kessler) describes a scenario in which the volume of debris in Earth’s orbit reaches a critical threshold, triggering a cascade effect where collisions generate even more debris, which causes even more collisions. More than 560 in-orbit fragmentation events have been recorded since 1961, according to the European Space Agency, and the risks are intensifying. In June 2024, a [defunct Russian satellite](https://www.theguardian.com/science/article/2024/jun/27/russian-satellite-debris-international-space-station) broke up into almost 200 pieces of debris, forcing astronauts on the International Space Station to take cover and prepare to evacuate in their spacecraft. Should the Earth’s orbit become unusable, this would threaten our ability to monitor weather, climate and other environmental changes, and to receive vital early disaster warnings on extreme weather events. The [Interconnected Disaster Risk](https://interconnectedrisks.org/tipping-points/space-debris) report published in 2024 by the United Nations University identified space debris and collisions as at a tipping point. Projections staggeringly estimate more than 100,000 new spacecraft will be launched by 2030, increasing the risk of collisions. The report also highlights that there currently are no binding international rules for managing space debris. The [Outer Space Treaty (OST)](https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/spacelaw/treaties/introouterspacetreaty.html), established in 1967 and serving as the bedrock of space law since, is showing its limitations. As space activities have evolved from state-dominated explorations to include extensive commercial operations by non-state actors, such as the mega constellations deployed by companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin, the treaty falls short. It lacks, for example, specific guidelines for commercial activities, space mining, and crucially, mandates for debris mitigation and removal. [Space debris must be cleared, warn European experts](https://www.theguardian.com/science/video/2013/apr/22/space-debris-cleared-video) Guardian There are thankfully several solutions. Space-faring nations as well as regional organisations, such as the European Union, are funding specialised companies to remove active objects from orbit. Large debris requires effective management to minimise potential harm and the European Space Agency’s [ClearSpace-1 mission](https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/ClearSpace-1) showcases debris removal, while the Japanese company [Astroscale](https://astroscale.com/) is offering to remove operators’ redundant space hardware from orbit. These are all welcome approaches but may not be sustainable in the long term as space becomes more congested. Moreover, active debris removal solutions are an “end-of-pipe” approach, focused on managing the problem rather than solving it. Future solutions also need to address the core of the issue: how to design future space technology with zero-waste principles. To this end, the European Space Agency recently launched the idea of creating a “[circular space economy](https://blogs.esa.int/cleanspace/2024/01/11/circular-economy-enabling-a-space-circular-economy-by-2050-esas-vision/)” by 2050. Circular solutions include reuse, repair, recycling, eco-design, sustainable supply and responsible consumption. Many circular economy technologies are already being used in space programmes, including design for durability, closed-loop water and nutrient cycling in the International Space Station and 3D printing applications for repair and upgrades. New satellite innovations such as the world’s first wooden satellite, [LignoSat](https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/worlds-first-wooden-satellite-developed-japan-heads-space-2024-11-05/), developed by Japanese researchers and launched into space in November 2024, show the way for the use of biomaterials in future lunar and Mars exploration. Biomaterials have lower density, so in case of collisions there is less kinetic impact and on re-entry, they would also more easily burn up. When it comes to the economic viability of a circular space economy, there is also a strong case. The reuse value of space debris has been estimated to be in the order of [$600bn to $1.2tn](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956053X22005104). Legal measures that have proved effective in environmental governance and policy on Earth to control hazardous waste and pollution could also be applied. The “polluter pays” principle would place legal and financial responsibility on space operators and technology producers (this is particularly relevant to regulate the rapidly increasing number of private operators). A rare example of enforcement action was taken by the US Federal Communications Commission in October 2023, [fining the operator Dish Network](https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-397412A1.pdf) $150,000 for failing to properly retire one of its satellites. Getting a UN-led agreement on space debris governance would require cooperation of all major stakeholders – but is vital to transcend geopolitical tensions, and protect space and those of us on Earth looking up at the sky. * Dr Patrick Schröder is a senior research fellow in the Environment and Society programme, Chatham House, with an expertise in the global transition to an inclusive circular economy
2025-02-01
-
Feb 1, 2025 8:00 AM Continuing the Artemis program and using its planned lunar space station as a staging post would be a more energy efficient but slower way to reach Mars, and it’s unlikely to be Elon Musk’s preference.  A mosaic of the Schiaparelli Hemisphere of the planet Mars, showing the Schiaparelli Crater, circa 1980.Photograph: Getty Images _THIS ARTICLE IS republished from_ [_The Conversation_](https://theconversation.com/will-the-us-get-to-mars-quicker-if-it-drops-or-delays-plans-to-visit-the-moon-248046) _under a_ _[Creative Commons license](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/deed.en)._ The [Artemis](https://www.wired.com/tag/artemis/) program has been [NASA’s](https://www.wired.com/tag/nasa/) best chance to get “[boots on the moon](https://bpr.studentorg.berkeley.edu/2020/11/05/boots-on-the-moon-weighing-the-pros-and-cons-of-the-space-force/)” again. But with the new US administration taking guidance from tech entrepreneur [Elon Musk](https://www.wired.com/tag/elon-musk/), who is focused on [Mars](https://www.wired.com/tag/mars/) colonization, will they end up abandoning or pushing back lunar missions? For example, there’s been speculation that returning US president [Donald Trump](https://www.wired.com/tag/donald-trump/) may [cancel](https://theconversation.com/trump-may-cancel-nasas-powerful-sls-moon-rocket-heres-what-that-would-mean-for-elon-musk-and-the-future-of-space-travel-244762) the Space Launch System rocket, which NASA intended to use [to get from the moon to Mars](https://theconversation.com/spacex-vs-nasa-who-will-get-us-to-the-moon-first-heres-how-their-latest-rockets-compare-154199). But is this approach likely to help them get to Mars quicker? The last human presence on the lunar surface was Apollo 17 in 1972. So you may imagine that it should be easy for the US to return. However there have been plans to once again [send people there since 2004](https://www.planetary.org/space-missions/artemis), which have changed name with each incoming president, until its current incarnation as the Artemis program. The 2022 [Artemis-1 test flight](https://www.wired.com/story/artemis-1-nasa-moon-mission-launch-sls-rocket-orion/) was successful in its mission to send an unmanned satellite around the lunar orbit and return using the new SLS rocket system. But Artemis-2, which will carry crew, is not [scheduled for launch until 2026](https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/). When we consider private companies and other nations, this is comparatively slow progress. The plan for the Artemis mission. Courtesy of NASA The first successful landing of a spacecraft on the [moon](https://www.wired.com/tag/moon/) by the Indian Space Agency, Isro, took place in 2023 with [Chaandrayan-3](https://theconversation.com/chandrayaan-3-india-hopes-to-land-a-rover-on-the-moon-for-the-first-time-211707), which was an amazing achievement with a low budget. China landed in 2013 with [Chang'e 3](https://www.space.com/china-change-3-moon-lander-lasts-7-years), and [Chang'e 4](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/china-change-4-historic-landing-moon-far-side-explained) in 2019 on the dark side. Russia has previously had landers on the moon. Its more recent attempt at a [lunar landing with Luna-25 was unsuccessful, though](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66562629). There are also future lander missions planned by the European Space Agency with [Argonaut](https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Exploration/Argonaut), a private [Israeli company](https://www.spaceil.com/), and other [private companies](https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/14/science/lunar-landers-moon-missions-2025/index.html). Clearly, there is no shortage of potential competitors that could eventually develop to send humans too. Implications for Mars --------------------- So would turning to Martian exploration be a sensible move instead of heading for the moon? It would likely mean abandoning the [Lunar Gateway project](https://www.nasa.gov/mission/gateway/), a space station in orbit around the moon where astronauts could live. But as this is not planned until 2027 at the earliest, this would seem acceptable. However the difference between going to the moon and going to Mars is like the difference between walking to the end of your road versus walking to another country. Besides the incredible difference in distance (the distance to travel to Mars is 833 times greater than that of the distance to the moon), the time taken to get there is far longer as well. The optimal lunar launch conditions repeat once a month. And you could still launch at times that are not ideal. The optimal fuel route for Mars involves arriving when the two planets are roughly on [opposite sides of the sun](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWrQk7UBcj0&t=3s). This launch window repeats every 18 months, and the journey time of nine months means any problems onboard will need to be fixed by the crew, with no rescue option. Faster routes can be achieved (roughly six months) but this then becomes very energy-intensive. This is why the Lunar Gateway would come in handy, allowing astronauts to take off from the moon, away from the Earth’s immense gravity, and head to Mars from there. Of course the material for the gateway would need to be sent to the Lunar Gateway first. But by splitting the energy requirements up it means [slower but more efficient propulsion methods](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/dawn/technology/ion-propulsion/) can be used for part of the Mars journey. There is no doubt that, with some work, [SpaceX](https://www.wired.com/tag/spacex/) will be able to make a [landing on Mars](https://www.spacex.com/humanspaceflight/mars/). But will they be able to safely take people there and get them back? As a company the idea of profit will be a strong factor, along with astronaut safety. We only have to look at some of the more [recent Boeing problems](https://www.wired.com/tag/boeing/) (astronauts have been stuck on the International Space Station for seven months at time of writing) to see that private companies may want to slow down a bit when it comes to transporting people. This is unlikely to happen though, with the [considerable influence of Musk](https://news.sky.com/story/elon-musks-starring-role-in-donald-trumps-government-confirmed-by-inauguration-proceedings-and-pledge-to-go-to-mars-13293344) on the White House administration, and the suggestion of fellow billionaire Jared Isaacman ([a private astronaut](https://www.wired.com/story/polaris-dawn-private-spacewalk-crew-dragon-spacex/)) [as the new head of NASA](https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2024/12/04/who-is-jared-isaacman-what-to-know-about-the-billionaire-trump-picked-to-lead-nasa/). Critical Decisions ------------------ So there are two options for NASA to choose from: Either keep going with its Artemis program and the Lunar Gateway, or aim for Mars and be primarily dependent on Musk. Funding both options would likely mean that neither ever happens. Of course, the Mars mission would be easier if the [gateway was already present at the moon](https://www.nasa.gov/gateway-frequently-asked-questions/). The timelines involved here are important. SpaceX states that it will send five uncrewed Starships to Mars next year with an [aim to send humans to Mars in 2028](https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-mars-launches-2026-elon-musk). This seems ambitious, particularly as it involves refueling in orbit, but if additional funds and material are put toward the project, it could potentially be sooner than this. As the Lunar Gateway would be built at the earliest in 2027, then it’d be unlikely to be operational in 2028 anyway. So prioritizing Mars exploration over the Lunar Gateway may indeed get us to Mars quicker—but it will be risky. If the US pulls out of plans to explore the moon, other nations can expand their presence in those areas more easily—with the potential to have an easier route to launch to Mars. These are likely to be on much longer timescales though, but if Musk fails to get humans to Mars in the next few years, these countries may have an edge. The conditions on Mars are slightly more [favorable for human presence](https://theconversation.com/human-settlement-of-mars-isnt-as-far-off-as-you-might-think-245705), with at least some atmospheric pressure and the potential for [mining water](https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/news/water-on-mars-the-story-so-far/). But as many studies have shown, it has [no potential for terraforming](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-018-0529-6), the process of altering a planet to make it more habitable for humans. The increased distance from the sun also means that solar panels are slightly less effective, and Mars is not rich in [deposited solar helium-3](https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Preparing_for_the_Future/Space_for_Earth/Energy/Helium-3_mining_on_the_lunar_surface), which can be used as a fuel for nuclear fusion. Of course the challenge is what excites many people, and it may be a risk worth taking. But this decision should be left with the experts in the field, rather than politicians and billionaires.