Daily Archives: September 1, 2021

26-Aug-2021

Cleaning | Design and Build | Hi Tech Manufacturing

The success of newcomer companies such as SpaceX shows one thing above all: there is a spirit of optimism in commercial space travel and there is one sector that will benefit from the growth of the aerospace market: cleanroom technology. Gernod Dittel and Berthold Vogt from Dittel Engineering talk about how the sectors works together

Not only private companies, but also state space agencies have set themselves ambitious goals. According to forecasts by management consultants, the global market for space technology will increase tenfold in the next 20 years to 2,700 billion euros (2040).

Many scientists, engineers, suppliers and service providers will benefit from this growth - and cleanroom technicians. Because almost all those involved in space travel have one thing in common: a cleanroom.

In space travel, it is the small things that make big projects fail. When an Ariane 4 was launched in 1990, it was a cleaning rag in a pipeline that caused the crash. In 1994 there were two false starts because dirt had paralysed a turbo pump. This happens not only to the European Space Agency (ESA). NASA needed five repair missions to iron out a manufacturing defect in the Hubble telescope. The primary mirror was ground a few micrometers too flat. This was found out too late, namely only at the top.

The examples show the special nature of technical requirements in space travel: Aggregates and satellites must be and remain 100% functional when they arrive at the site of operation and are to be operational in orbit for several decades. Once in space, repair and cleaning are usually impossible.

Even small particles are capable of endangering missions. Smeared optics, dirty solder joints, unclean bearings are weak points that must be prevented. The engineers have learned this in a painful and costly way, through error analysis after accidents.

Automation offers no way out; satellite integration remains a manual task

The most important consequence of this learning curve is the continuously developed cleanroom. Even its creation is closely connected with space travel.

In order to further develop the German V2 rocket, the Americans built one of the first technical cleanrooms for the assembly of gyroscopic devices. Because the control and monitoring functions of airplanes and rockets were to become more and more precise, the need for precision in production also increased.

Thus the further development of cleanroom technology supported the aerospace industry, just as it set trends for the cleanroom guild with its requirements and budgets. Maximising reliability, i.e. reducing the failure rate for launchers and payloads, is the essential contribution of today's cleanrooms to space travel. Satellites are created along a long cleanroom chain. This ranges from component production and integration to transport to the launch site and into space.

Apart from technology, the critical factor is always the human. He is the main source of contamination in the cleanroom, as he releases one to 30 million particles of the size >0.3 m per minute. Therefore the personnel active in the clean area carries special protective suits. These protect the product rather than the personnel - unlike suits for space travellers.

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The highest demands on purity are made by missiles that are to land on other celestial bodies. They must have neither particles nor germs on board. If spores or bacilli were to travel with them, they would falsify the measurements in the search for extraterrestrial life. They would also violate part of the Outer Space Treaty, signed in 1967 in the run-up to the Viking missions to Mars.

At that time, the US and the Soviet Union agreed to exercise caution, at least on the other side of the world. No foreign planet should be influenced in its development by the entry of terrestrial flora and fauna.

Meanwhile, 110 space travelling nations have joined this principle. Because such missions only rarely take place, existing cleanrooms are converted for their integration.

During work breaks UV lamps kill germs in the air. Assemblies are radioactively irradiated, gassed with chlorine or heated above 140C. Sterilisation measures are applied until a lower limit for the number of germs is reached. Completely germ-free integration is not possible. For this reason, comprehensive sterilisation is unavoidable for landing units.

At the other end of the spectrum of cleanliness requirements is the category "Visible Clean". This lowest of all classes does not exist in any set of regulations of other industries, only in the space standard ECSS-Q-ST-70-01C (European Cooperation for Space Standardization - ECSS).

Visible Clean is a standard for development labs, not for integration. The personnel constantly change between laboratory and office, there is no airlock. A pressure control is also missing and the air flow in the room is not defined. Only direct contamination by street clothes is prevented. Rooms of this lowest permissible level can also be described as ISO class 9 or as a basically controlled area.

All higher-class cleanrooms are air-conditioned. Their temperature is usually 22C (+/-3C) and their relative humidity is 55 % (+/-10 %). Controlled humidity protects electronic components: Dry air can cause electrical flashovers. ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) floors also prevent flashovers. ESD equipment includes dissipative clothing, shoes and gloves, all suitable for preventing voltages above 100 volts.

Other equipment features include specially equipped cranes with encapsulated drive units and coated belts. This is because impellers generate abrasion while lubricated suspension ropes outgas.

Satellites that only have electronic components such as radar or communication systems on board have medium requirements. Most satellites originate from cleanrooms of ISO Class 7 and 8, but their sensitive components deserve more attention. These satellites are also equipped with star sensors for autonomous (self-sufficient) positioning, and with attitude control systems that operate with liquid or gas. The valves must be tight. Leakage shortens the service life. These components are usually covered during integration.

Missions to other celestial bodies are rare so existing cleanrooms are converted for their integration

In ISO Class 8, an air exchange with conditioned filtered air takes place up to 40 times per hour. There is an overpressure of 20 to 30 Pascal in the room. Laser particle sensors monitor that no more than 3,520,000 particles of size 0.5 m and 29,300 particles of size 5 m per minute per m3; are in the air. ISO Class 7 shows 352,000 particles of size 0.5 m and 2,930 particles of size 5 m.

The cleanroom itself has requalification and calibration once a year.

Cleanroom gowns or overalls, cleanroom shoes and headgear are mandatory, as is a beard bandage for beard wearers. Anyone handling the aircraft must wear gloves. Components only enter and leave the aircraft through airlocks. Although it is a cleanroom, the room is not dust-free and must be cleaned according to plan and regulations. Contaminants are deposited in quiet zones on the ground or on surfaces. Once a day a mop and distilled water is used to wipe the room.

Satellites with extremely sensitive optical systems, such as reconnaissance satellites, are integrated in a Class 5 cleanroom. Particles on optical surfaces increase the scattered light component, while molecular impurities cause spectral interference. Cleaning with a soft brush is time-consuming and can scratch the coating. After washing, streaks may remain. Priority is therefore given to trying to avoid all contamination. Thus, no silicone should be used in the cleanroom. Silicone evaporates in >20 years, thus releasing molecules.

Vapours during operation must be eliminated via the ventilation system. A vertical low-turbulence displacement flow from the ceiling to the floor is ideal.

Another possibility is a horizontal flow. The discharge surface consists of a grille with many Filter Fan Units with fan and terminal filter. Surfaces of workbenches/worktables are usually perforated to allow the air to flow through without creating disturbing turbulences. Employees enter the ISO 5 cleanroom via an airlock system of cleanroom classes ISO 7/8, where they adjust their clothing to the higher requirements.

When looking into the future of cleanrooms for space travel, the higher requirements and costs stand out. The integration of a satellite with a length of about 5 m requires an area of about 300 sqm. The price per sqm is based on a usage fee of several 100 euros per day. This means that the cleanroom costs alone already swallow up millions.

When dealing with these costs, it can be seen in commercial projects that tenants tend to choose a cheaper, i.e. too low cleanroom class or reduce the useful life. Automation offers no way out; satellite integration remains a manual task.

Especially optical systems increase the requirements for cleanrooms. They should look further and further into space or take more detailed pictures of the earth. Humans currently see only a fraction of the estimated 10 billion trillion stars. A deeper look into space requires more precise technologies.

One example of this is the ESA project ATHENA, an X-ray telescope with a mirror construction made of millions of micrometre-sized silicon wafers. Miniature satellites with edge lengths of just 10 cm also require higher cleanroom quality.

The more miniaturised the systems are, the more sensitive they are to dust. In the future, such satellites will have to be integrated in rooms of class ISO 5 or higher. This can be achieved in a cost-conscious manner by establishing a higher class only for a limited area.

Even this will not be enough for satellites with sophisticated optical systems. They no longer focus on particles alone, but on molecules (AMC - Airborne Molecular Contamination), especially organic components in the air.

If an employee even breathes on a solar panel, there is a measurable reduction in performance. This is permanent, and cleaning does not change this. Molecules can be filtered out with non-specific activated carbon filters for supply and circulating air. A standard that will soon be available in every cleanroom of ISO class 5. Stricter standards must also be applied to the measurement technology. Up to now, after several days of exposure to a sampler, only a subsequent analysis can be performed. In order to eliminate sources immediately, it would be necessary to measure in real time.

Satellite integration requires many transports. The weakest link in the chain determines the final quality. Therefore, the conditions for transport must be the same as for integration. The transport container is in principle a robust mobile cleanroom of Class 8 including climate control.

It is often flooded with dry nitrogen and pressurised under slight overpressure. Before the satellite fuselage enters from above or from the side, the roughly pre-cleaned transport container is finely cleaned in an air lock.

The container only meets the satellite in the main airlock. Bulky attachments like solar collector and antennas travel separately. When transporting with a flatbed truck, shocks may only be transmitted in a damped manner. For this purpose, the container and the satellite's supporting structure are decoupled by spring elements.

The satellite is put through its paces in test centres with large ISO Class 7 and 8 cleanrooms, which are not available at every integration site. Access to the test facilities, in which space conditions such as negative pressure, temperature scenarios and vibrations are simulated, is from a central cleanroom.

Satellite integration requires many transports

On the "shaker", the satellite is shaken in the same way as during launch. If components break off in the process, the mountings can be reinforced or redesigned and dimensioned in good time. In order not to unnecessarily increase the quality requirements for the cleanroom, sensitive subsystems are covered. After successful tests, the satellites are brought directly to the launch site, usually by cargo plane. A transport container for air transport must meet the requirements of the IATA (International Air Transport Association). These include a bursting disk that ensures pressure equalisation when the cabin pressure drops.

Cleanroom quality must also be maintained at the launch site. Either the satellite is assembled in a cleanroom in a separate closed payload capsule. The advantage of the spatial separation of integration room and rocket is bought with an additional adapter. Another possibility is to mount the satellite directly on the carrier. In this case, the interface level of the carrier to the payload extends into a cleanroom where the satellite is placed and connected with a clamping ring. Before the outer hull (fairing) is closed, a check is made to see whether stowaways have crept in.

But not only these are responsible for contamination, the atmosphere itself is also responsible. In Internet forums, technicians report on geckos and spider webs that had to be prevented from travelling, whether by nitrogen flooding or with the help of a vacuum cleaner. When the outer shell is blown off at an altitude of 100 km, the atmosphere is so thin that there is no longer any risk of contamination from stowaways.

As hard as humanity is trying to send up its sky messengers in a clean state, it is negligent with its satellites at the other end of the life cycle.

At the end of March 2020, 2,700 functional satellites were orbiting the earth, 1,300 of them from the US.

However, they are in the company of around 17,000 satellites that are either broken or no longer needed. The ESA model MASTER-2005 assumes that there are more than 600,000 objects with a diameter of more than 10 mm in orbits around the Earth. Other simulations estimate 150 million objects in mm size. The US Space Surveillance System continuously keeps track of objects larger than 50 mm. When approaching, evasive manoeuvres are required and the ISS space station is also forced to make course corrections from time to time.

The ideas for a cleaning crew range from space vacuum cleaners to the shooting of space debris.

Whichever cleaning method is used, there is a lot of work waiting for the space nations if they want to clean up in Earth orbit. If they succeed in sweeping up in front of their doorstep, this would prove the effort of mankind to settle down in the solar system in the long run - in order to set off from here perhaps later to new worlds.

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No space exploration without cleanrooms: What makes them so special? - Cleanroom Technology

Published: Mon 30 Aug 2021, 5:47 PM

Last updated: Wed 1 Sep 2021, 5:14 AM

One of Ireland's leading science communicators is set to host a very interesting talk on space exploration in Birr Theatre and Arts Centre next week.

Dr. Niamh Shaw is an engineer, scientist, writer and performer and one the leading STEAM specialists (merging science, technology, engineering and matchs" and she will be in Birr on Wednesday, September 8 nect, at 7.30pm for a public talk titled "Space Exploration - do we care?"

Dr. Shaw will speak about the relevance of space in society, what the perspective of space can show us, and why space exploration is important to us and our futures.

Weve all looked up at the night sky and seen the moon, the stars and perhaps more. Space has inspired so many: it inspires artists, philosophers & cosmologists to consider the big questions about our existence and who we are in the vastness of our Universe. It inspires space agencies and now private companies to seek what lies beyond. And at this time, its given great comfort to many of us, reminding us that we are part of something bigger, and that this pandemic will pass. Niamh, who believes in dreaming big, and is on a mission to get to space, will take us on a journey to understand how far we have come since humans landed on the Moon in 1969, and why she believes that we need to keep exploring the cosmos.

As part of the 'Exploring Birr Skies' community project which is inspired by Birr's astronomy heritage from the time of William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse (1800 - 1867) to I-LOFAR's astrophysical observing facility within Birr Castle Demesne, Niamh will be in Birr throughout September hosting a range of additional activities including:

* a walking tour of I-LOFAR on Wed Sept 15 at 6pm with Dr. ine Flood from the Education Centre at Birr Castle Demesne,

* A Night Sky Stargazing event in association with Midlands Astronomy Club on Culture Night, Fri Sept 17, from 8.30pm at Birr Castle Demesne, and

* On Thurs Sept 23 at Birr Theatre, the screening of 'Contact', a 1997 American science fiction film directed by Robert Zemeckis, based on the 1985 novel by astronomer and planetary scientist Carl Sagan, about a SETI scientist who finds evidence of extraterrestrial life and is chosen to make first contact. For

Full information on the upcoming programme of events and getting involved in the accompanying stitching project, go to http://www.birrtheatre.com

To book your place for 'Space exploration - do we care?' with Dr. Niamh Shaw on Wed Sept 8, 7.30pm, go to http://www.birrtheatre.com or ring 057 9122911 (Mon- Fri: 2 5pm). As places are limited booking is essential. All events will take place in line with current government guidelines. See website for future details.

'Exploring Birr Skies' is a community project in collaboration with Birr Theatre & Arts Centre, Birr Tidy Towns, Birr Castle Demesne and AstroLands with I-LOFAR, led by Trinity College Dublin. Supported by the Creative Ireland Programme (2017 -2022) in partnership with Offaly County Council.

Published: Mon 30 Aug 2021, 5:47 PM

Last updated: Wed 1 Sep 2021, 5:14 AM

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Birr Theatre to host public talk on space exploration - Offaly Independent

What You Need to Know

Space may be the final frontier, but is it a good investment, or even an accessible one?

The rise of companies like Jeff Bezos Blue Origin, Elon Musks SpaceX andRichard Bransons Virgin Galactic has piqued investors interest. But investors who choose to explore this theme through ETFs should know what theyre really buying.

There are about a half-dozen ETFs that focus on public companies involved in space exploration and aerospace. None of them include shares of Blue Origin or SpaceX, which are privately held.

Richard Bransons Virgin Galactic is publicly traded, under the SPCE ticker, but its not currently among the top 15 holdings of any of the space-linked ETFs described below (Cathie Woods Ark Space Exploration and Innovation ETF sold its shares of SPCE earlier this year).

Also, SPCE has gained just 7% year to date, about one-third of the appreciation of the S&P 500 and one-half the gains of the Russell 2000 index.

Another consideration for investors is how space-linked ETFs define their universe, and therefore their investments. The second largest holding in Woods Space Exploration and Innovation ETF (ARKX), for example, is the firms own 3D Printing ETF, and the fund also includes companies like Netflix and Deere, known for the tractors it manufactures.

Asked about these last two holdings on CNBC in May, Wood said the real money-making opportunity is not space tourism [but] mobile connectivity, which uses satellites from companies like SpaceX to connect the unconnected masses to the internet, enabling them to access Netflix.

Deere will benefit from drones and weather satellites that make farming more efficient, said Wood.

ARKX holds many companies not specifically tied to space/defense, said Todd Rosenbluth, head of ETF and mutual fund research at CFRA.

Weve compiled a list of space-linked ETFs, including those that fall under the label of aerospace and defense because of the overlap between the two investment areas, and include some vital information for investors.

Most of the funds are non-diversified. The performance data is based on the market close on Aug. 26, and the fund descriptions are largely based on Morningstars fund analyses.

Assets under management: $672 million

Expenses: 0.75%

Inception date: March 30, 2021

Actively managed

Performance: +0.7% since inception

Top holdings: Trimble, Ark 3D Printing ETF, Kratos Defense & Security

The fund invests at least 80% of its assets in domestic and foreign equity securities of companies engaged in space exploration and innovation, including companies that lead, enable or benefit from technologically enabled products and/or services that occur beyond the surface of the earth.

These include satellite and launch vehicle companies; companies involved in 3D printing, artificial intelligence and robotics; and companies that benefit from aerospace activities including agriculture, global positioning systems and drone manufacturers.

Assets under management: $124.5 million

Expenses: 0.75%

Inception date: April 11, 2019

Index: tracks the S-Network Space Index

Performance: +17.16% year-to-date

Top holdings: Garmin Ltd., Trimble, DISH Network Corp., Class A

The fund invests at least 80% of net assets in companies of the underlying index that receive at least 50% of their revenues or profits from space-related businesses. The index is an equity benchmark for a globally traded portfolio of companies engaged in space-related businesses such as satellite technology.

Communication services and technology are the top two sectors for investments.

Assets under management: $21.4 million

Expenses: 0.45%

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6 Space ETFs to Explore: ARKX, UFO, ITA and More - ThinkAdvisor

FRANKFURT, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MV Index Solutions GmbH (MVIS) announced today the launch of the MVIS Global Space Industry Index (ticker: MVSPC).

The MVIS Global Space Industry Index (ticker: MVSPC) tracks the performance of the largest and most liquid companies in the global space segment. The index includes companies that generate at least 50% of their revenue from operating segments that comprise of space-related products and services in the following areas: Space Exploration, Rockets and Propulsion Systems, Satellite Equipment and Communications Solutions, and Other Satellite Equipment. This launch also marks a momentous occasion, as it is the first MVIS index to follow ESG criteria. With more and more space-related companies becoming ESG-conscious, the segment will attract an increase of ESG investors.

The MVIS Global Space Industry Index (ticker: MVSPC) is weighted by free-float market capitalisation and is reviewed on a quarterly basis. It is calculated in USD as a price index and total return net index. Detailed information about the indices, including methodology details and index data are available on the MV Index Solutions website.

Key Index FeaturesMVIS Global Space Industry Index (ticker: MVSPC) Number of Components: 25Base Date: 31 December 2019Base Value: 1000

Note to Editors:

About MV Index Solutions - http://www.mvis-indices.com

MV Index Solutions (MVIS) develops, monitors and licenses the MVIS Indices and BlueStar Indexes, a selection of focused, investable and diversified benchmark indices. The indices are especially designed to underlie financial products. MVIS Indices cover several asset classes, including equity, fixed income markets and digital assets and are licensed to serve as underlying indices for financial products. Approximately USD 31.57 billion in assets under management (as of 31 August 2021) are currently invested in financial products based on MVIS/BlueStar Indices. MVIS is a VanEck company.

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MVIS Launches the MVIS Global Space Industry Index - Business Wire

The planet Venus was a double overflow target recently made by two space explorers, one belonging to NASA and the other belonging to Jaxa / ESA, as a result, revelations about the planet continue to appear. In particular, in the videos in this article, you will find new data collected by the Pepicolombo space probe from JAXA / ESA, which flies over the planet Venus on its way to Mercury, where it will spend many years of observations.

During this flyover, Venus recorded a number of data that could help space agencies better understand what is happening near the cosmic body during this period. In the video above, as NASAs Solar Orbiter accelerometer approaches Venus, you place data near the planet that sounds like a person listening to them at that time.

The planet Venus has a high gravitational force, and space exploration uses a special system that does not get caught in it, and the accelerometer works hard to keep the ship in its orbit by recording the moment it operates. This is the first scene for the planet Venus, as it is the first time that gravitational forces applied to space exploration have been recorded by someones instruments.

The Italian Spring Accelerometer (ISA) instrument in the BepiColombo MPO module collected data on the acceleration of high-sensitivity spacecraft. This is the first time that an accelerometer has recorded the effects of wave forces on a spacecraft on another planet.

The second video clip shows how the solar wind interacts with the planets atmosphere and precisely protects the surface with its magnetic field. BabyColombo, ESA / JAXA space explorer, recorded the connection between the solar wind and the magnetic field on the planet Venus at the point where the two meet, and the researchers translated the event into sounds heard by human ears.

The planet Venus is at the center of incredible revelations, thanks to the extra spacecraft made by two space probes, so we are talking about the most important data for mankind.

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Planet Venus: Incredible new discoveries and great premiere - The Press Stories

NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) sits at the end of Oak Grove Drive in Pasadena, California. In the summer of 1990, a young electrical engineer named MiMi Aung drove up the tree-lined boulevard for a job interview.

I thought to myself, Oh my god, Im on Oak Grove Drive. I am driving up to JPL. I couldnt believe it, she says.

Thirty years later, Aung led the team that proved an aircraft could be flown on Mars.

When the helicopter Ingenuity lifted off the red planets surface in April, the media spotlight landed on Aung. She was the programmes project manager and the driving force who had kept the endeavour on track through years of research and development.

Her family hails from Myanmar, but Aung was born in Illinois while her parents pursued their PhDs in the USA. Her mother is a mathematician, and her father a chemist. And from an early age MiMi was surrounded by science and a love of learning.

When she was two, the family returned to Myanmar, and then later moved to Malaysia, where her parents were professors. Educated at international schools, Aung chose to return to the USA for her own higher education.

When the time came to choose a career path, it was clear she would follow her parents into the sciences.

My masters degree was focused on signal processing and communications, and a professor said the NASA Deep Space Network would be an exciting place, because they are tracking tiny, tiny, tiny signals from spacecraft millions and millions of miles away, Aung says. I thought, they probably have good signal processing communications challenges for me.

She had been drawn to space exploration as a child, but never believed she would have an opportunity to work in the field. Then all of a sudden, you think, Hey, I may actually have a chance at this, she says.

Aung got the job at JPL and spent the ensuing decades working her way through the organisation, choosing ever-more-complex projects and taking on increasing responsibilities.

After about 15 years, I really became passionate about autonomous space-based systems, she says. Theres so much room to be more autonomous and more capable. Our systems are state-of-the-art, but I think its still early days, and theres still plenty of room for advancement.

So I really became obsessed and passionate about just increasing the capabilities of autonomous space exploration systems, she says.

The Mars helicopter, Ingenuity, was a nearly nine-year labour of love. The idea was born in 2012, when JPL revisited research that had been done decades earlier but abandoned. Back then, the necessary technology did not exist. Today, it does.

Ingenuity arrived on Mars in the belly of the rover Perseverance on 18 February. Both had been launched from Earth seven months earlier, on 30 July 2020.

Perseverance deployed Ingenuity in April, and over the following weeks the sophisticated robotic helicopter a 1.8kg (4lb) craft with dual 1.2m (4ft) rotors began its flight test campaign.

On 19 April, Ingenuity lifted off the surface of Mars for the first time, climbed to an altitude of 3ft, turned 96 and landed gently after a 39s flight. The milestone marked humankinds first powered, controlled flight of an aircraft on a planet other than Earth.

It was an unbelievable feeling. We could finally breathe. Over the years the team had bonded in an unusual way. We were under so much pressure, and something could have gone wrong at every milestone, she says.

Were a technology demonstration, so Perseverance didnt really need us. They could have gone to Mars without us. There were so many moments through the years I felt like I wanted to cheer but got this glare from the rest of the team.

Celebration of those early milestones were premature, her colleagues told her.

But that was the moment when we could all say, Its okay. Weve done it.

By the end of July, Ingenuity had completed 10 flights five more than planned. The longest lasted 2min 46s and covered a distance of 625m (2,051ft), with the drone reaching an altitude of about 33ft. At that time, Ingenuity had survived more than 100 sols (Martian days, which last about 24h 40min) four times longer than its expected lifespan.Just how long it will keep flying remains unknown, but the team will continue operating the craft as long as possible.

Aung will go down in history as the engineer who led the 150-person team that proved humans could fly an aircraft on Mars a remarkable feat.

But she is not done yet.

I will continue to pursue more capable, more autonomous space systems. Its where my heart is, she says.

Toward that end, Aung left NASA in July, taking a job with Amazons Project Kuiper, an initiative to build a low-Earth-orbit satellite constellation. Through the project, Amazon aims to provide reliable, affordable broadband service to underserved communities worldwide.

Aungs career led her to the opposite side of the planet from Myanmar, where she sat on her bed as a child, dreaming of space.

Her advice to her 11-year-old self and to kids everywhere?

If you are really good at something, and you like something, be very attentive to that, because its a really important signal, she says. When I was 11, I didnt know which country Id go to next. I just really loved math. I didnt know where I would be going. But I also didnt let go of what I really liked learning.

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NASA's MiMi Aung's out of this world Ingenuity - Flightglobal

For years, we have wondered whether life can sustain beyond the earth. We have scoured to find evidence that proves life can be supported on other planets. Technological advancements and scientific developments have assisted humankinds quest of space exploration. Organizations such as Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, (founder of Amazon), Virgin Galactic founded by Sir Richard Branson, and SpaceX founded by Elon Musk have been working on capsules to give people in general a chance at experiencing space while space agencies such as NASA, ISRO, Roscosmos have flown various missions in outer space to explore other worlds and see if there is life beyond earth.

Space exploration in its widest sense has revealed our place in space and time. According to a report by CNBC in 2021, private investment in space companies last year set a new annual record with $8.9 billion invested in this sector. This is a massive number considering the current situation which only means that scientists and other entities are searching for possibilities of life outside the earth.

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The MARS Ladakh project:

With the aim to obtain answers about life in the universe, Amity University Mumbai is establishing Indias first Planetary Science, Education and Experience Station in the Ladakh region to run several programs for Astrobiology, Space Biology research and the Earth and Space Exploration Program. This will allow students, researchers, and enthusiasts to undertake mentorship and hands-on training from the worlds best space scientists for Mars Exploration and Climate Change studies. Apart from these programs, the station will also encourage students to pursue STEM education and amplify awareness about Space in the country.

The station will start with testing robotic platforms to autonomously identify soil, rock and water-based microbes and train cameras, sensor suites and navigation systems in Mars-like terrain. Eventually, the Centre will establish a Mars Research Station to enable long duration studies by scientists and research students. Several researchers from NASA, ISRO, Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Earth Sciences (MOES), European Space Agency, Mars Society Australia among others are involved in various projects that will be conducted from the station.

To add to the above, Amity University Mumbai created their MASCOT Rover (Mars Amity Surface Characterization and Operations Trainer), Indias first rover to be tested at the worlds highest Mars analogue site. Ladakh has sites like Tso Kar basin and Puga Hot Springs which are ideal analogues for training for Mars exploration. These pristine sites mimic ancient Martian conditions where proof of past life could be preserved in hot, cold, or salty conditions in low-Oxygen environments. The objective of the rover is to access difficult terrains to determine the potential site of interest, check the habitability parameters of the soil and collect samples for off-board analysis using sophisticated instruments. The rover will be capable of traversing through uneven terrains, backup power generation using solar panels, real-time video and sensor data feed at the base station, drilling soil up to 10cm and aseptic sample collection, continual operation at temperatures below 0, and can also be controlled from a Line-of-Sight distance of 5 km.

Commenting on the initiative, Dr Aseem Chauhan, Chairman and Chancellor of Amity University said, We are very honoured to be Indias first university to introduce the MARS exploration program. The Earth and Space Exploration Program, ESEP-2021, is in collaboration with Cosmic Adventures Pvt Ltd and Ladakh Science Foundation. It is a huge step for Indian Space Studies as it gives our youth a real chance to experience outer space and not be constrained to just written knowledge. We at Amity believe in providing actual life experiences to foster better learning that can be implemented in the real world. The program will be joined by various researchers and students across India. The Amity Centre for Excellence in Astrobiology has also partnered with the Berkeley SETI Research Centre of University of California, Berkeley, USA for a dedicated search for advanced life in the Universe, a first of its kind being carried out by India.

Amity University and UC Berkeley SETI

With a view to expand research and provide young students and researchers with an ability to explore outer space, the Amity Centre of Excellence in Astrobiology(ACoeA) at Amity University, Mumbai is involved in several research projects studying life in space via various experiments. The centre has partnered with the Berkeley SETI Research Centre of University of California, Berkeley, USA for a dedicated search for advanced life in the Universe. UC Berkeley Astronomy Department is ranked 2nd best in the world in QS rankings 2020.

Moreover, to help search for signs of activities of advanced extraterrestrial life, the university plans to utilize the advances made in graphics processing units and artificial intelligence. The government, ISRO, and private players have indeed come together to further develop Indias space efforts.

Life Science Experiment with ISRO:

Earth's climate is changing drastically and would be irreversible after a few years if we don't change our attitude and actions toward our planet. This very thought has motivated scientists to look for life beyond earth and find out ways to survive there. Amity Space Biology team with ISRO is involved in studying the impact of reduced gravity on growth and health of high-yielding plant crops and bacteria strains. The team has designed and developed in partnership with Paras Defence and Space Technologies Limited, the Amity Space Biology Experiment-1 (ASBE-1) and Autonomous Life Growth Experiment (ALGE-1) which have been selected for flight on the ISRO PSLV PS-4 orbital platform. This might help determine the possibilities of farming on Mars and whether colonies could begin there in the coming future.

Continued here:

Catalysing space research with Education: Amity University Mumbai leading the way - Times of India

Space exploration has been until recently something of a spectacle, a show put on by the great powers of the world to show the others how capable they are. Over the past decade, that however has changed, and humanity is now actively pursuing an expansion into the solar system as a means to ensure both our survival and our evolution.

This decade, Earth will be sending its finest representatives to the Moon, a return to the planets natural satellite meant not just as a visit, but as colonization. Space stations and surface bases are planned for the mid-term future, meant to transform the rock into a staging area for even greater leaps.

Leaps that will probably be impossible to make without something called in-situ resource utilization, or ISRU. That essentially means finding ways of using materials available at the destination for the next steps of space exploration, rather than having them all sent up from Earth.

As far as we know, all of the places of interest in our solar system have most of the materials we need right there. The trick is coming up with the technology that would allow us to harness them all.

But wait, is there oxygen on Mars?

Of course, loads of it. By analyzing the samples brought back from the Moon by previous missions, we now know the lunar regolith is made up of 40 to 45 percent oxygen by weight, its single most abundant element according to ESA.

The problem is the element is not free, and not even easily obtainable. Bound up as oxides in the form of minerals or glass, it would require some fancy piece of equipment to set it free.

And this is where the four companies come in. ESA asked them all to create a demonstrator a hardware that could be scaled into a fully blown oxygen manufacturing facility on the Moon.

The systems included in the hardware should allow it to extract 50-100 grams of oxygen over a period of ten Earth days. Separately, it should also have the means to measure oxygen and metals production, and prove that more than 70 percent of the oxygen in a lunar rock can extracted.

If it works, the system should open the door for oxygen production on the Moon, significantly reducing the cost and size of subsequent missions to be launched to the satellite. It could be used for anything from allowing astronauts there to breathe, to acting as propellant for spacecraft.

ESA says it will select a winner for the competition next month. Once that is out of the way, the respective company will be tasked with making a detailed design that would eventually mature into an actual payload to be sent to the Moon.

The mission, probably using the EL3, is expected to be approved by the ESA higher-ups over the course of next year. And it should make one thing clear: not all astronauts will go up there to be explorers - some will have to be miners.

Link:

Dust to Dust, and Moondust to Oxygen We're Going to Space to Be Miners - autoevolution

American aviation behemoth Boeing is training its ambition beyond the earthly skies, announcing a large investment into Virgin Orbits $3.2 billion SPAC listing. The company says it is putting $100 millioninto Richard Bransons satellite launch startup, a spinoff of the space tourism venture Virgin Galactic that made its maiden launch this past month with Branson in tow. (Virgin Orbits first voyage into space came in January, when it successfully delivered ten NASA satellites to orbit after a failed attempt in 2020.) The space race is becoming more crowded by the day, as evidenced by Virgin Orbit competitors Firefly and Rocket Lab, the latter of which is valued at $4.4 billion.

For its part, Virgin Orbit says it has $4 billion in opportunities in the pipeline, with $300 million in backlogs across contract and launch service deals, and a $35 million contract with the U.S. Space Force for three missions. With the technological advances made by firms like Elon Musks Space Exploration Technologies Corp.whose innovations have lowered the cost of missions by reusing rockets and other advancementsVirgin Orbit is using a customized Boeing 747 jumbo jet to launch its reusable rockets at about 35,000 feet above sea level. Though the landscape changes by the day, one thing is certain: the age of commercialized outer space has officially arrived.

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Boeing Joins the Space Race - Surface Magazine