Space: Exploration Space: The Solar System
Published

MOXIE experiment reliably produces oxygen on Mars      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The MOXIE experiment has now produced oxygen on Mars. It is the first demonstration of in-situ resource utilization on the Red Planet, and a key step in the goal of sending humans on a Martian mission.

Space: Exploration Space: The Solar System
Published

MAVEN and EMM make first observations of patchy proton aurora at Mars      (via sciencedaily.com) 

NASA's MAVEN and the United Arab Emirates' EMM missions have released joint observations of dynamic proton aurora events at Mars. By combining the observations, scientists determined that what they were seeing was essentially a map of where the solar wind was raining down onto the planet, opening new avenues for understanding the Martian atmosphere.

Space: Exploration
Published

Researchers find spaceflight may be associated with DNA mutations and increased risk of developing heart disease and cancer      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new study could lead to ongoing health monitoring of astronauts to assess possible health risks and prevent disease progression.

Space: Exploration Space: The Solar System
Published

The sands of Mars are green as well as red, rover Perseverance discovers      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The accepted view of Mars is red rocks and craters as far as the eye can see. That's much what scientists expected when they landed the rover Perseverance in the Jezero Crater, a spot chosen partly for the crater's history as a lake and as part of a rich river system, back when Mars had liquid water, air and a magnetic field. What the rover found once on the ground was startling: Rather than the expected sedimentary rocks -- washed in by rivers and accumulated on the lake bottom -- many of the rocks are volcanic in nature. Specifically, they are composed of large grains of olivine, the muddier less-gemlike version of peridot that tints so many of Hawaii's beaches dark green.

Space: Exploration Space: The Solar System
Published

First underground radar images from Mars Perseverance Rover reveal some surprises      (via sciencedaily.com) 

NASA's Perseverance landed on Mars in February 2021 and has been gathering data on the planet's geology and climate and searching for signs of ancient life. The rover's subsurface radar experiment has returned images showing unexpected variations in rock layers beneath the Jezero crater. The variations could indicate past lava flows or possibly a river delta even older than the one currently being explored on the crater floor.

Space: Exploration Space: The Solar System
Published

NASA schedules PUNCH mission to launch in 2025      (via sciencedaily.com) 

More than 60 engineers and scientists are gathering at Southwest Research Institute Aug. 23-24 to kick off the launch vehicle collaboration for NASA's Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) mission. PUNCH, which will study the inception of the solar wind, has secured its ride into Earth orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9, sharing a ride into space with NASA's Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Re-ionization, and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx) mission.

Physics: Acoustics and Ultrasound Space: Exploration Space: The Solar System
Published

Saturn V was loud but didn't melt concrete      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Abundant internet claims about the acoustic power of the Saturn V suggest that it melted concrete and lit grass on fire over a mile away, but such ideas are undeniably false. Researchers used a physics-based model to estimate the rocket's acoustic levels and obtained a value of 203 decibels, which matched the limited data from the 1960s. So, while the Saturn V was extremely loud, that kind of power is nowhere near enough to melt concrete or start grass fires.

Space: Exploration
Published

Seeing universe's most massive known star      (via sciencedaily.com) 

By harnessing the capabilities of the Gemini South telescope in Chile, astronomers have obtained the sharpest image ever of the star R136a1, the most massive known star in the universe. Their research challenges our understanding of the most massive stars and suggests that they may not be as massive as previously thought.

Space: Exploration
Published

Compact QKD system paves the way to cost-effective satellite-based quantum networks      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers report an experimental demonstration of a space-to-ground quantum key distribution (QKD) network using a compact QKD terminal aboard the Chinese Space Lab Tiangong-2 and four ground stations. The demonstration represents an important step toward practical QKD based on constellations of small satellites, a setup considered one of the most promising routes to creating a global quantum communication network.

Space: Exploration Space: The Solar System
Published

Breaking in a new planet      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Impacts affect the porosity and structure of moons and planets more dramatically than scientists suspected, increasing their potential habitability for life. Studying how those impacts affect planetary bodies, asteroids, moons and other rocks in space helps planetary scientists understand extraplanetary geology, especially where to look for precious matter including water, ice and even, potentially, microbial life.

Space: Exploration Space: The Solar System
Published

Mars model provides method for landing humans on Red Planet      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A mathematical model developed by space medicine experts could be used to predict whether an astronaut can safely travel to Mars and fulfill their mission duties upon stepping foot on the Red Planet.

Space: Exploration
Published

Wobbling droplets in space confirm late professor's theory      (via sciencedaily.com) 

At a time when astronomers around the world are reveling in new views of the distant cosmos, an experiment on the International Space Station has given researchers fresh insight into something a little closer to home: water.

Space: Exploration Space: The Solar System
Published

Harvesting resources on Mars with plasmas      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have devised a plasma-based way to produce and separate oxygen within the Martian environment. It's a complementary approach to NASA's Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment and may deliver high rates of molecule production per kilogram of instrumentation sent to space. The team presents the method for harnessing and processing local resources to generate products on Mars.

Space: Exploration
Published

Building on the moon and Mars? You'll need extraterrestrial cement for that      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers are exploring ways to use clay-like topsoil materials from the moon or Mars as the basis for extraterrestrial cement that could be used by astronauts to create building materials for life in outer space. Scientists have converted simulated lunar and Martian soils into geopolymer cement, which is considered a good substitute for conventional cement.

Space: Exploration
Published

Robotic motion in curved space defies standard laws of physics      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have proven that when bodies exist in curved spaces, they can in fact move without pushing against something.

Space: Exploration
Published

As reflective satellites fill the skies, students are making sure astronomers can adapt      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Students have completed a comprehensive brightness study to characterize mega-constellation satellites cluttering the skies.

Space: Exploration
Published

Webb captures stellar gymnastics in the Cartwheel Galaxy      (via sciencedaily.com) 

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has peered into the chaos of the Cartwheel Galaxy, revealing new details about star formation and the galaxy's central black hole.

Space: Exploration
Published

Modeling reveals how dwarf planet Ceres powers unexpected geologic activity      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

For a long time, our view of Ceres was fuzzy, according to a geoscientist. A dwarf planet and the largest body found in the asteroid belt -- the region between Jupiter and Mars speckled with hundreds of thousands of asteroids -- Ceres had no distinguishable surface features in existing telescopic observations from Earth.

Space: Exploration
Published

Space travel: Bone aging in fast forward      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Long periods in space damage bone structure irreparably in some cases and can make parts of the human skeleton age prematurely by up to 10 years, according to new research. Adapted training programs in conjunction with medication could provide better protection for astronauts on future space missions. The research findings also have implications for treating rheumatic conditions in clinical practice.

Space: Exploration Space: The Solar System
Published

Scientists discover places on the moon where it's always 'sweater weather'      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A team led by planetary scientists has discovered shady locations within pits on the moon that always hover around a comfortable 63 degrees Fahrenheit. The pits, and caves to which they may lead, would make safer, more thermally stable base camps for lunar exploration and long-term habitation than the rest of the moon's surface, which heats up to 260 degrees during the day and drops to 280 degrees below zero at night.