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Space News
Universe Today
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Image Credit: Universe Today
Dragonfly is Going to Titan on a Falcon Heavy
- NASA has given SpaceX the contract to launch the Dragonfly mission to Saturn’s moon Titan.
- Dragonfly is an astrobiology mission designed to measure the presence of different chemicals on the frigid moon.
- Titan is the only body besides Earth with liquids on its surface, hydrocarbons, making it an enticing target for understanding prebiotic chemistry.
- Dragonfly will land near a feature on Titan called Shangri-La, explore the region, and analyze the chemistry in the Selk impact structure.
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Nasa
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Image Credit: Nasa
Sols 4732-4735: I’ll Zap You, My Pretty, and Your Pebble Too
- NASA's Curiosity rover continues to explore layers of sulfate-rich rock in Gale Crater on Mars.
- The rover is investigating the dark-toned, platy material found in the rock, aiming to uncover clues about its formation.
- Curiosity will brush away surface dust, capture detailed images, and analyze the chemical composition using various instruments.
- The rover is also monitoring the planet's atmosphere and conducting dust- and cloud-monitoring activities.
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Livescience
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Image Credit: Livescience
12 strange reasons humans haven't found alien life yet
- Scientists have proposed many reasons for the Fermi paradox, which is the question of why humans have not found extraterrestrial life despite the vastness of the universe and its presumed ability to sustain life.
- One theory is that the universe may not be suited to sustaining life, and that Earth is an exception.
- Another theory suggests that searching for life forms on planets may be too narrow and that aliens could potentially live in space without a planet.
- Theorists also suggest that extraterrestrial life may be living in secret oceans on frozen planets or on 'super-Earths,' planets that are significantly larger than Earth and have stronger gravitational pull.
- Some theoretical physicists believe that highly advanced alien societies may have invented artificial intelligence or could be populated by super-intelligent robots.
- Contrarily, a group of psychologists from Spain maintains that the image that people have of extraterrestrial life as appearing humanoid with skull-like features masquerades the fact that aliens probably won’t look like that.
- One of the theories put forward suggests that humans could accidentally obliterate life on extraterrestrial planets or vice versa.
- Astrophysicist Adam Frank, in a report published earlier this year, warned that the way humans are exploiting their planet could be repeated by aliens and that climate change could do for them what it may do for our species.
- Other arcane theories as to why humans have not yet made contact with alien life include notions that the universe is simply too big to traverse, that the aliens are deliberately ignoring our calls, or that growing civilizations are doomed to destroy themselves.
- Lastly, the "panspermia hypothesis" suggests that life forms on Earth came from meteors that carried bacteria from other worlds.
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Nasa
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Image Credit: Nasa
Crew Packs Dragon for Departure This Week
- The crew of Expedition 72 is packing a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft for its departure later this week.
- Commander Suni Williams and Flight Engineer Don Pettit are loading Dragon with return cargo in preparation for undocking on Thursday.
- The astronauts are also conducting space biology research and servicing science equipment.
- Cosmonauts in the Roscosmos segment of the ISS are unloading cargo and servicing hardware.
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Discover more
Nasa
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Image Credit: Nasa
A Mission at Home and at Work: Caregivers at Johnson Navigate Dual Role With Community Supports
- Alicia Baker, a spacesuit project manager at NASA's Johnson Space Center, navigates the dual role of being a caregiver for her late husband while working full-time.
- Baker coordinated schedules and received approval to telework, enabling her to attend her husband's medical appointments and procedures. Her manager's flexibility allowed her to advance in her career despite her caregiving responsibilities.
- Johnson Space Center recognizes the importance of caregivers and provides resources through the Employee Assistance Program and the No Boundaries Employee Resource Group.
- Baker participates in support groups and activities, finding comfort in sharing her story. She remains determined and looks forward to contributing to future lunar missions.
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Nasa
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Image Credit: Nasa
Expedition 71 Astronauts to Discuss Mission in NASA Welcome Home Event
- Four NASA astronauts recently returned from a mission aboard the International Space Station.
- The astronauts will participate in a welcome home ceremony at Space Center Houston.
- During the event, they will share highlights from their mission and recognize key contributors to mission success.
- The crew spent 235 days in space, completed 3,760 orbits around the Earth, and conducted various experiments.
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Nasa
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Image Credit: Nasa
You Are Now Arriving at ‘Pico Turquino’
- NASA's Mars Perseverance rover is investigating a ridge called 'Pico Turquino' in the Jezero crater rim.
- The team plans to study rocks in this region to gather clues about ancient geologic processes and the impact that formed Jezero crater.
- After conducting abrasion activities at Pico Turquino, the rover will move towards its next science stop at 'Witch Hazel Hill.'
- The area is expected to contain layered and light-toned bedrock that can provide insights into the planet's ancient climate.
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Nasa
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Image Credit: Nasa
What’s Up: December 2024 Skywatching Tips from NASA
- December night sky is full of celestial highlights including planets, stars and meteor shower.
- Venus shines brightly as the 'Evening Star' in Southwest after sunset. Mars will be bright from late evening to early morning.
- Mercury is visible very low in the Southeast before sunrise during the second half of the month.
- Jupiter reaches opposition on December 7 making it visible all night and will shine at its brightest. Saturn is visible after sunset.
- The Geminid meteor shower peaks under challenging moonlit skies from December 13th-14th.
- Winter Triangle formed by Sirius, Procyon and Betelgeuse is a prominent feature throughout the season.
- Stars of winter host amazing sights including Orion rising in the east, with Taurus the bull above it and stars of the twins in Gemini on its left.
- Geminids are one of the best meteor showers of the year known for bright meteors, and it’s common to spot their shooting stars up to a week before the peak.
- On December 21, winter solstice marks the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere.
- Venus and the Moon appear very close from December 3 - December 5, and on December 17, Mars getting close to the waning gibbous Moon.
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Guardian
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Image Credit: Guardian
Atmospheric analysis shows Venus never had Earth-like life, scientists say
- Scientists have conducted an atmospheric analysis of Venus and concluded that the planet has never had Earth-like life.
- The study found that the interior of Venus is dry, suggesting it has never had oceans of liquid water necessary for life.
- The research also revealed that volcanic eruptions on Venus are 'dry,' indicating the scarcity of water in the planet's interior.
- The findings challenge the notion that Venus was habitable in the past and highlights the need to search for habitable planets beyond our solar system.
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Universe Today
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Image Credit: Universe Today
A New Reconfigurable Structure Could Be Used to Make Space Habitats
- Researchers have developed a reconfigurable structure called a totimorphic structure that can be used to create megastructures in space.
- The totimorphic structure consists of triangular structures with a beam, a lever, and elastic bands acting as springs.
- The structure can be held at any position, allowing for analog positioning without set points.
- The structure has potential applications in building domed habitats and creating telescopes with adjustable focal lengths.
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Arstechnica
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Image Credit: Arstechnica
Falcon 9 reaches a flight rate 30 times higher than shuttle at 1/100th the cost
- SpaceX achieves notable milestones with Falcon 9 rocket.
- Falcon 9 marks the 400th successful mission and 375th booster recovery.
- Record turnaround time from booster landing to relaunch.
- SpaceX launches additional Starlink and Starshield satellites.
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Universe Today
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Image Credit: Universe Today
What's Inside Uranus and Neptune? A New Way to Find Out
- Uranus and Neptune, the ice giants in our solar system, have been found to have weaker and more chaotic magnetic fields compared to Earth.
- Models of their interior structures suggest the presence of Earth-sized metallic cores, which should generate a similar magnetic field as Earth, but that isn't observed.
- Computer simulations have indicated that the interactions of water, methane, and ammonia in the middle region of these ice giants separate into two unmixable layers, preventing the formation of a strong magnetic field.
- Future lab experiments and proposed missions to Uranus could help confirm or disprove this model.
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Nasa
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Image Credit: Nasa
NASA to Cover its 31st SpaceX Resupply Mission Station Departure
- The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft departs the International Space Station as it orbits 264 miles above the south Pacific Ocean northeast of New Zealand.
- NASA and its international partners are set to receive scientific research samples and hardware as a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft departs the International Space Station on Thursday, Dec. 5, for its return to Earth.
- The Dragon spacecraft will undock from the forward port of the space station’s Harmony module at 11:05 a.m., and fire its thrusters to move a safe distance away from the station after receiving a command from ground controllers at SpaceX.
- Filled with nearly 6,000 pounds of crew supplies, science investigations, and equipment, the spacecraft arrived to the orbiting laboratory Nov. 5 after it launched Nov. 4 on a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the agency’s SpaceX 31st commercial resupply services mission.
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Nasa
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Image Credit: Nasa
Experience the Launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 Mission
- NASA is inviting digital content creators to register to attend the launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission to carry astronauts to the International Space Station for a science expedition mission as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
- A maximum of 50 social media users will be selected to attend this two-day event and will be given exclusive access to Kennedy.
- NASA Social participants will have the opportunity to view a crewed launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft, tour NASA facilities at Kennedy Space Center, meet and interact with Crew-10 subject matter experts, and meet fellow space enthusiasts who are active on social media.
- Registration for this event opens on Monday, Dec. 2, and the deadline to apply is at 10 a.m. EDT on Monday, Dec. 16.
- All social applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- If you do not make the registration list for this NASA Social, you still can attend the launch offsite and participate in the conversation online.
- Kennedy is a government facility. Those who are selected will need to complete an additional registration step to receive clearance to enter the secure areas.
- NASA Social attendees are responsible for any additional costs they incur related to any launch delay.
- If you cannot come to the Kennedy Space Center and attend in person, you should not register for the NASA Social.
- You can watch the launch on NASA+ or plus.nasa.gov.
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Hackaday
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Image Credit: Hackaday
Exploring the Sounds and Sights Of Alien Worlds
- Humans have explored the bitter cold of high altitudes, the crushing pressures in Earth’s oceans and the soundscapes and vistas in Earth’s biosphere.
- The first humans on the moon experienced familiar yet alien sensations, and robotic explorers on Mars provide us with recordings of the planet.
- Mars has a thin atmosphere and sounds are audible but different from Earth due to its 96% CO2 content.
- The speed of sound on the surface of Mars varies depending on the CO2 in the atmosphere and the altitude.
- Venus has a thick atmosphere, making conditions on the surface lethal to humans.
- Europa is a moon of Jupiter that may have liquid water beneath its icy surface and is a potential destination for future exploration.
- The Europa Clipper spacecraft will determine a suitable landing site for the proposed Europa Lander, which could examine and image the surface.
- Mercury is a Sun-blasted rock and Pluto is a darkness-shrouded rock, while gas giants and their moons remain interesting targets.
- Exploring beyond our solar system offers the promise of discovering even more interesting extraterrestrial sights and sounds.
- Sending out faster-than-light spacecraft could reveal billions of star systems to examine and places to experience.
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