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Arstechnica
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Image Credit: Arstechnica
The Starship program hits another speed bump with second consecutive failure
- SpaceX's Starship launcher experienced a failure after liftoff, adding to setbacks for Elon Musk's rocket program.
- During the test flight, the rocket's Super Heavy booster successfully separated and returned to the Texas coastline using mechanical arms.
- This marks SpaceX's third successful attempt at recovering and reusing boosters.
- The failure comes less than two months after a similar incident during a test flight.
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Guardian
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Image Credit: Guardian
SpaceX’s Starship explodes in second failure for Musk’s Mars program
- SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft exploded on Thursday minutes after lifting off from Texas, dooming an attempt to deploy mock satellites in the second consecutive failure for Elon Musk’s Mars rocket program.
- The failure comes just more than a month after the company’s seventh Starship flight also ended in an explosive failure.
- The 403ft (123-meter) rocket system had lifted off from SpaceX’s Boca Chica, Texas, rocket facilities, but the rocket's upper stage began to spin uncontrollably with its engines cutting off, leading to the loss of contact.
- The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has opened a mishap investigation into the incident, and SpaceX will need the agency's approval before Starship can fly again.
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Knowridge
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Image Credit: Knowridge
This drifting super Jupiter has a surprisingly complex atmosphere
- The object SIMP J013656.5+093347.3 blurs the line between gas giant planets and failed stars, displaying a complex atmosphere without stellar energy influence.
- Despite lacking a nearby star, SIMP has an intricate atmosphere with aurorae and iron particle clouds, observed using JWST instruments.
- JWST data revealed distinct patterns in SIMP's light curves, indicating influences from various atmospheric factors as it rotates rapidly.
- Different wavelengths of light curves provide insights into different atmospheric depths and mechanisms affecting SIMP's atmosphere.
- The complex atmosphere of SIMP is influenced by cloud formations, temperature variations, aurorae, chemical instabilities, and molecular abundances.
- The researchers are still unraveling the chemistry puzzle of SIMP's atmosphere, with indications of varying abundances of molecules like methane and carbon dioxide.
- Observing SIMP rotating helped researchers group similar light curves, indicating shared mechanisms impacting atmospheric variability.
- Monitoring SIMP over longer periods will be crucial for deeper insights into its atmosphere's evolving mechanisms and correlations among different factors.
- JWST's observations of SIMP reveal the rich complexity of its atmosphere and highlight the need for extended monitoring to enhance understanding.
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Spaceflightnow
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Intuitive Machines lunar lander healthy, but apparently on its side
- A commercially built moon lander by Intuitive Machines landed near the moon’s south pole, but telemetry indicated it ended up on its side.
- The lander named Athena, launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, had complex mission objectives including rovers, communication gear, and a bounce hopper.
- Efforts are being made to assess the lander's orientation and capabilities after its sideways landing near the moon's south pole.
- The lander needs to maximize its operations before darkness sets in due to its solar-powered nature.
- Athena is equipped with instruments to search for water ice on the moon's dark craters and conduct various scientific measurements.
- The mission faced challenges with lost contact with NASA's Lunar Trailblazer satellite and issues with another probe, affecting operations.
- The lander's orientation will impact the deployment of instruments like the Grace hopper and rovers for further exploration.
- NASA's support for commercial lunar missions like Athena and Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost is part of the CLPS program encouraging private industry involvement.
- Private companies like Intuitive Machines and Firefly Aerospace are crucial players in NASA's plans to gather data and technology demonstrations on the moon.
- Despite the challenges, ongoing efforts are being made to salvage the mission objectives and make the most of the available resources on the moon's surface.
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Spaceflightnow
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Starship upper stage lost in second mishap in a row
- The Starship upper stage suffered multiple premature engine shutdowns during SpaceX's eighth test flight, leading to a spectacular breakup in mid-air.
- This marked the program's second consecutive upper stage failure, with the vehicle unable to reach its planned sub-orbital altitude.
- The goal of these flight tests is to learn and make progress, as seen in developmental programs like the Starship project.
- The Super Heavy rocket, capable of generating massive thrust, lifted off from the Texas Gulf Coast but faced issues during the launch.
- The upper stage and first stage had separate trajectories, with the first stage successfully returning for capture by mechanical arms on the launch tower.
- However, telemetry showed four out of six engines on the upper stage prematurely shutting down, leading to a loss of control and eventual breakup.
- SpaceX aims for rapid recovery but might face a longer delay in returning to flight status after two consecutive failures.
- The flight plan included various tests, such as the deployment of simulated Starlink satellites and in-space engine restarts, to assess the Starship's capabilities.
- The Starship was expected to land in the Indian Ocean but failed to do so, facing an unexpected breakup during its descent.
- SpaceX and NASA's missions depend on the success of the Super Heavy-Starship system, crucial for lunar missions and crew transportation plans.
- The latest mishap occurred amidst SpaceX's plans for significant facility upgrades at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to support future launches.
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Knowridge
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Image Credit: Knowridge
Webb Telescope reveals mysterious weather on a giant planet-like object
- Scientists use NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to study the atmosphere of SIMP 0136, a Jupiter-sized object drifting freely in space.
- Webb's infrared instruments reveal that the object's changing brightness is caused by a mix of atmospheric factors, including cloud layers, temperature shifts, and changes in carbon chemistry.
- SIMP 0136 has patchy clouds at different heights, hot spots at high altitudes, and shifting carbon chemistry.
- The study helps scientists understand the behavior of gas giants and prepares for future studies of exoplanets.
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Arstechnica
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Image Credit: Arstechnica
Intuitive Machines’ second attempt to land on the Moon also went sideways
- Intuitive Machines' second attempt to land on the Moon with their lander named Athena did not go as planned.
- During the final descent, engineers became worried as the laser-based altimeters on the lander showed some noise in the readings.
- The previous attempt to land on the Moon with their spacecraft Odysseus failed due to problems with the laser rangefinder.
- The engineers hoped that the readings would improve as the lander got nearer to the surface.
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TechCrunch
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Image Credit: TechCrunch
SpaceX Starship spirals out of control in second straight test flight failure
- SpaceX's Starship experienced a failure during its test flight, marking the second consecutive launch failure.
- The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has halted flights into major Florida airports and requested a mishap investigation.
- Starship lost control and spiraled over the ocean, eventually breaking up over the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic.
- This failure follows a previous test flight failure caused by propellant leaks, for which SpaceX performed a mishap investigation.
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Digitaltrends
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Image Credit: Digitaltrends
SpaceX’s Starship rocket blasts off in 8th test — watch the highlights here
- SpaceX successfully launched the Starship rocket for the eighth time.
- The first-stage Super Heavy booster was landed.
- However, the upper-stage Starship spacecraft was lost before reaching its landing point.
- SpaceX aims to improve reliability and learn from the flight test to support future missions.
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Nasa
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Image Credit: Nasa
Sealing the Deal
- NASA's Mars Perseverance rover successfully seals 'Green Gardens' sample tube after multiple attempts.
- The science team opted for a dual-track strategy to keep mission momentum while addressing the sealing challenge.
- Sealing the 'Green Gardens' sample is crucial as it contains serpentine minerals that could provide insights into ancient Mars' potential for life.
- The next step is to analyze the sealed sample in a laboratory on Earth.
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Livescience
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Image Credit: Livescience
'This doesn't appear in computer simulations': Hubble maps chaotic history of Andromeda galaxy, and it's nothing like scientists expected
- The Hubble Space Telescope's new survey provides the first-ever bird's-eye view of dwarf galaxies orbiting Andromeda, revealing chaotic interactions compared to galaxies around the Milky Way.
- The study shows that information about our galaxy may not apply to others, indicating different evolutionary paths for low-mass galaxies.
- Andromeda, the closest major galaxy to the Milky Way, shows a complex ecosystem of smaller galaxies not visible to the naked eye.
- Hubble's two-year survey created a 3D map of Andromeda's dwarf galaxies, studying their evolution over billions of years.
- The asymmetry and perturbations in Andromeda's system suggest a significant recent event, possibly a collision with a large galaxy like Messier 32.
- Unexpectedly, galaxies around Andromeda exhibit unique star-forming patterns not seen around the Milky Way, challenging computer simulations.
- Half of Andromeda's dwarf galaxies orbit in a flat plane in the same direction, a rare configuration not observed around other galaxies.
- The 'Great Plane of Andromeda' lacks distinguishable traits, indicating an enigmatic structure that requires further understanding.
- Researchers highlight the need to explain the diversity of Andromeda's satellite galaxies to unravel the galaxy's complex history.
- The discoveries from the Hubble survey of Andromeda challenge existing knowledge and raise intriguing questions about galaxy evolution.
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Brighter Side of News
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Image Credit: Brighter Side of News
World’s oldest meteorite crater discovered, reshaping Earth’s history
- Researchers discovered the world's oldest known impact crater, dating back 3.5 billion years.
- The impact occurred in the North Pole Dome region of the Pilbara in Western Australia.
- The discovery extends the timeline of confirmed meteorite impact craters on Earth by more than a billion years.
- The impact's force played a role in shaping Earth's crust and possibly the origins of life.
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Nasa
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Image Credit: Nasa
Sols 4473-4474: So Many Rocks, So Many Textures!
- NASA's Curiosity rover captured images of rocks with various textures on sols 4473-4474, showcasing the diversity of the Martian landscape.
- The image displayed a mix of structures, including unusual textures and laminated rocks, raising questions about their origins and formation processes.
- The rover encountered bedrock and float rocks during its traverse, presenting challenges for navigation but offering opportunities for scientific exploration.
- Due to safety concerns with a perched wheel, Curiosity focused on remote science observations, utilizing instruments like Mastcam, ChemCam, and REMS to study distant features and environmental conditions.
- The mission prioritized scientific objectives while deciding on the rover's route, aiming to maximize the data collection during the cold Martian period.
- Research activities included investigating sedimentary textures, concretions, and analyzing atmospheric conditions, radiation levels, and geological compositions.
- The article emphasized the importance of careful planning and decision-making to optimize scientific outcomes and ensure rover safety during exploration on Mars.
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Guardian
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Image Credit: Guardian
Athena spacecraft lands on moon but struggles with undiagnosed problem
- The Athena robotic spacecraft landed on the moon but faced an undiagnosed problem with its orientation on the surface.
- Mission managers were uncertain about the extent of the issue affecting Athena and its payloads after landing on the high mountain Mons Mouton near the moon's south pole.
- The Odysseus spacecraft by Intuitive Machines faced a similar problem earlier when it skidded and tipped over on the lunar surface.
- Athena's landing was off nominal, leading engineers to work with NASA to identify high-priority science objectives with the compromised power generation and communications.
- The Athena probe aimed to deploy NASA's Trident drill to access water-rich areas near the moon's south pole.
- If operational, Athena may witness a lunar eclipse and shut down days later, along with Blue Ghost lander, both positioned to observe the event.
- Nasa's CLPS program seeks private industry involvement for lunar missions, aiming to put the first woman and person of color on the moon by mid-2027 under the Artemis program.
- The Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lander, another CLPS-funded mission, achieved the most successful private landing on the moon in Mare Crisium.
- An upcoming lunar mission includes the first commercial rover, Mapp, to sell a lunar regolith sample to NASA for $1, marking a milestone in space commerce.
- Nasa is set to launch the SPHEREx and Punch spacecraft missions from Vandenberg Space Force Base, focusing on mapping the sun's corona and observing galaxies in the cosmos.
- Amid uncertainties in Nasa's moon missions, there is speculation about the future of its Space Launch System rocket program versus SpaceX's Starship rockets and reported layoffs in the space agency.
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TechCrunch
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Image Credit: TechCrunch
A second Intuitive Machines spacecraft just landed on the moon — and probably tipped over
- Intuitive Machines has landed a second spacecraft on the moon, one year after the first attempt.
- The lunar lander, Athena, likely tipped over upon landing on the moon's surface.
- Athena's exact landing location is still being determined.
- The mission's success is overshadowed by the uncertain status of the payloads on board.
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