Daily Archives: June 1, 2024

by Kayla Bell

One of humanitys most exciting and ambitious endeavors is space exploration. It entails traveling beyond Earth to learn more about the cosmos and how we fit into it. Teninterestingfacts regarding space travel are listed below.

1. First Human in Space

As the first person to enter space, Soviet astronaut Yuri Gagarin created history on April 12, 1961. After the Vostok 1 spacecraft completed one orbit around the Earth, he became well-known worldwide and a symbol of Soviet space achievements.

2. First Moon Landing

NASAs Apollo 11 missionmade a successful landing ofpeople on the Moon on July 20, 1969.Michael Collins circled above in the command module as NeilArmstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first and second people to set foot on themoon.

3. The Hubble Space Telescope

Since its deployment in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope hascaptured some of the finest detailed images of space in human history. It orbits the Earth about 547 kilometers (340 miles) above sea level and has helped scientists make groundbreaking discoveries.

4. Mars Rovers

NASA has sent out robotic rovers to explore Mars, including Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity, and Perseverance. These rovers have recovered invaluable information on the climate, geology, and potential for extraterrestrial life.

5. International Space Station (ISS)

As a living laboratory for microgravity, the International Space Station (ISS) is a man-made satellite in orbit above the Earth. Launched in 1998, it is a collaborative effort between NASA, Roscosmos, JAXA, ESA, and CSA. Months at a time, international astronauts reside and operate on the International Space Station (ISS).

6. Voyager Probes

NASAs longest-serving spacecraft are Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, launched in 1977. They have left the heliosphere and ventured into interstellar space, returning knowledge about the outer planets and the periphery of our solar system.

7. Reusable Rockets

SpaceXs creation of reusable rockets transformed space exploration. The 2010 launch of the Falcon 9 rocket, which can land back on Earth after launching a payload into orbit, dramatically lowers the price of space missions.

8. Women in Space

On June 16, 1963, Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova made history by becoming the first female astronaut. She was later followed by many other women, the most notable of whom being NASA astronauts Sally Ride and Peggy Whitson, who presently hold the record for the longest tenure of any American in space.

9. Private Space Tourism

Space tourism is beginning to gain traction thanks to companies like Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin offering public suborbital rides. In 2021, Blue Origins New Shepardcarried Jeff Bezos and three other passengers to the edge of space,marking a significant milestone in commercial spaceflight history.

10. Future Missions

To establish a permanent presence and use theMoonas a launching pad for future expeditions to Mars, NASAs Artemis program aims to return humans to theMoonby 2024. This massive effort aims to pave the way for future space exploration.

Exploration of space continues to push thelimits of human potential. These interesting facts only scratch the surface of the amazing turning points and fascinating projects ahead of us in our quest to comprehend the universe.

Reference Links

Yuri Gagarin and Vostok 1

Space Tourism

Women In Space

Voyager Probe

ISS

Mars Rovers

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10 Fun Facts of the Day: Space Exploration - - BladenOnline.com

This week, two more nations signed the Artemis Accords.

NASA held a ceremony at its headquarters in Washington, D.C. on Thursday (May 30) to host representatives from both Slovakia and Peru. During the event, both countries signed the agency's Artemis Accords, a set of principles that aims to lay out a framework for peaceful cooperation in space and on the moon.

The addition of these two nations brings the total of signing countries to 42. The Artemis Accords were first launched and signed in October 2020 by eight nations, including the United States.

Related: Artemis Accords: What are they & which countries are involved?

NASA chief Bill Nelson lauded the addition of both countries in two separate agency statements.

"The United States and Slovakia share a deep understanding of the power of exploration. Through this new chapter in our nations' partnership, we will further this global coalition to explore the cosmos openly, responsibly, in peace, Nelson said of Slovakia's participation. The country's Minister of Education, Research, Development and Youth, Tom Drucker, signed the Accords on behalf of Slovakia.

Similarly, the NASA administrator said in a separate statement that the "giant leap forward" for Peru and the United States is the "result of decades of work Peru has done to further its reach in the cosmos." Javier Gonzlez-Olaechea, Peru's foreign minister, signed the Accords on behalf of the nation.

Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!

While the Artemis Accords seek to establish a set of norms for space exploration in general, they have a strong focus on the moon, hence why they share a name with NASA's Artemis program of human moon exploration missions.

Through the Artemis program, NASA and its international partners aim to establish a permanent and sustainable human presence on the moon by around the end of the decade. The campaign has launched one mission thus far, Artemis 1, which sent the uncrewed Orion spacecraft around the moon and back in late 2022.

Developing the infrastructure needed to sustain a human presence on the moon will be a much more ambitious undertaking, and NASA will need to cooperate with international partners to make it all happen, the agency has stressed.

Some nations that have signed on to the Accords are already well-established in space, such as France, Germany, India, Israel, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom.

China is also eyeing its own permanent presence on the moon, and aims to develop theInternational Lunar Research Stationin the 2030s alongside its partners such as Russia, Ethiopia, Kenya and Azerbaijan.

Link:

Peru and Slovakia sign the Artemis Accords for peaceful moon exploration - Space.com

A Chinese spacecraft landed on the far side of the moon to collect soil and rock samples that could provide insights into differences between the less-explored region and the better-known near side.

The landing module touched down on Sunday at 6.23am Beijing time (8.23am AEST) in a huge crater known as the South Pole-Aitken Basin, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said.

The mission is the sixth in the Chang'e moon exploration program, which is named after a Chinese moon goddess. It is the second designed to bring back samples, following the Chang'e 5, which did so from the near side in 2020.

"The Chang'e-6 mission is the first human sampling and return mission from the far side of the moon. It involves many engineering innovations, high risks and great difficulty," CNSA said.

"The payloads carried by the Chang'e-6 lander will work as planned and carry out scientific exploration missions."

The successful mission is China's second on the far side of the moon, a region no country has landed on before.

The moon program is part of a growing rivalry with the US still the leader in space exploration and others, including Japan and India. China has put its own space station in orbit and regularly sends crews there.

The emerging global power aims to put a person on the moon before 2030, which would make it the second nation after the US to do so.

America is planning to land astronauts on the moon again for the first time in more than 50 years though NASA pushed the target date back to 2026 earlier this year.

US efforts to use private sector rockets to launch spacecraft have been repeatedly delayed. Last-minute computer trouble nixed the planned launch of Boeing's first astronaut flight from Florida on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, a Japanese billionaire called off his plan to orbit the moon because of uncertainty over the development of a mega-rocket by SpaceX. NASA is planning to use the rocket to send its astronauts to the moon.

In China's current mission, the lander is to use a mechanical arm and a drill to gather up to 2kg of surface and underground material for about two days.

An ascender atop the lander will then take the samples in a metal vacuum container back to another module that is orbiting the moon.

The container will be transferred to a re-entry capsule that is due to return to earth in the deserts of China's inner Mongolia region about June 25.

Missions to the moon's far side are more difficult because it doesn't face the earth, requiring a relay satellite to maintain communications. The terrain is also more rugged, with fewer flat areas to land.

With Reuters

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China lands uncrewed spacecraft on far side of the moon - Yahoo News Australia

Europe is well on the way to providing its booming satellite market with a cost-effective, highly efficient low-energy electric propulsion system. The result will strengthen Europes space sector and open up new opportunities in Earth observation, telecommunications, on-orbit servicing and space exploration.

Over the last decade, advances in microelectronics and reduced launch costs have led to an increase in the number of satellites being put into orbit. Tens of thousands of satellites are now planned for launch in the coming years with the aim of improving Earth observation, navigation and communications. There are currently more than 5 000 satellites in low-Earth orbit (LEO), circling our planet at altitudes ranging from 200 to 1 600 km. However, LEO satellites are subject to orbital decay, where their distance from Earth gradually decreases, requiring an efficient low-thrust propulsion system for orbital station keeping. Electric propulsion (EP) is a revolutionary lightweight and highly efficient technology that is uniquely qualified to keep LEO satellites traversing above the globe. This class of space propulsion makes use of electrical power to accelerate a propellant through different possible electrical and/or magnetic means. The use of electrical power enhances the performance of satellite thrusters compared to conventional chemical thrusters. Unlike chemical systems, EP requires very little mass to accelerate a spacecraft. The propellant is ejected up to 20 times faster than from a classical chemical thruster and therefore the overall system is many times more efficient. This fact is of particular importance for spacecraft intended for in-orbit servicing and transportation missions. High-power EP systems could also contribute to missions to the moon, Mars and the asteroid belt as their higher power translates into higher thrust values, compared to chemical propellants or solar energy from onboard panels. EP is a key enabling and strategic technology for the EU Future Space Ecosystem and for ensuring European global leadership in the areas of in-space operations and transportation. Its development will also reduce Europes dependency on foreign suppliers of critical space technologies, ensuring its independent access to space. This new CORDIS Results Pack highlights the main achievements of 12 EC-funded Horizon research projects within the Strategic Research Cluster (SRC) on Electric Propulsion. The SRC strengthened European EP research along two complementary technology development lines. The first focused on incremental technologies like Hall-effect thrusters, gridded ion engines and high-efficiency multi-stage plasma thrusters. The second featured other promising and potentially disruptive technologies in the field of EP, including innovative thruster concepts and new supportive technologies. The EPIC2 project identified activities that address research challenges and assessed projects activities and results. CHEOPS LOW POWER, CHEOPS MEDIUM POWER and ASPIRE developed EP systems using the Hall-effect technology, which efficiently accelerates ions to produce high thrust. GIESEPP-MP demonstrated the first European plug-and-play gridded ion engine standardised EP platform. HEMPT-NG2 developed an ion propulsion technology based on the use of permanent magnets for plasma confinement. Other promising and potentially disruptive concepts in the field of EP included innovative thruster concepts and new supporting technologies. HIPATIA tested an electromagnetic plasma propulsion system for use in non-geostationary satellites and other small spacecrafts. NEMESIS developed an electride-based cathode technology with superior properties to conventional ceramics. Meanwhile, iFACT investigated the use of iodine as a propellant for EP to help reduce fuel costs and volume. PJP developed a pulsed electrical thruster based on vacuum arc physics that uses a solid metal propellant. EDDA tested how onboard solar arrays deliver electric power to thrusters without the need for a power converter. AETHER focused on air-breathing technology, using residual gases of the upper atmosphere as a propellant instead of on-board propellant, allowing satellites in Very Low-Earth Orbit (VLEO) to remain in service for longer and become more cost-effective.

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In-space electric propulsion: powering the future EU space ecosystem - Cordis News

Space exploration involves human bravery and ingenuity but it comes with risks, with the line between triumph and disaster in missions being terrifyingly thin.

Throughout the history of space travel, astronauts and cosmonauts have faced dire situations that required quick thinking to ensure survival and mission success.

From the infamous Apollo 13 incident in 1970 to more recent emergencies on the International Space Station, each incident has been a valuable lesson to space agencies and companies to improve safety protocols and advance technology.

With many critical moments in space exploration, The National lists some of the most harrowing near-misses that have shaped the course of mission safety and innovation.

Before Neil Armstrong and David Scott became famous for walking on the Moon, they had to test technology that would be used for the Apollo programme.

They were rookie astronauts when they were assigned to the Gemini VIII mission in 1966 the first mission to carry out a successful docking in space.

Even though the feat was achieved, moments after docking their spacecraft started rolling unexpectedly.

Mr Scott turned off the thrusters of docking vehicle, the Agena, while his colleague reactivated the Geminis to regain control of the spacecraft.

It solved the problem temporarily but then the vehicle started to tumble even faster, with the fuel down to 30 per cent.

We have serious problems here. Were tumbling end over end, Mr Scott said to mission control in Houston.

To regain control, the astronauts shut down the main thruster system and activated the re-entry system.

This decision, while it resulted in the mission being cut short, potentially saved their lives and the spacecraft.

Both crew members went on to have stellar careers as astronauts, with Mr Armstrong becoming the first man to step foot on the Moon only three years later.

The Apollo 13 mission, known as a "successful failure", demonstrated remarkable crisis management in space.

After an oxygen tank explosion crippled their spacecraft en route to the Moon, the crew, with mission control's help, repurposed the lunar module as a makeshift survival pod.

The module, however, was not equipped to support three people for an extended period and soon filled with dangerous levels of carbon dioxide.

To combat this, the astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise and Jack Swigert cleverly adapted square carbon dioxide scrubbers from the main spacecraft to fit the round receptacles in the lunar module using plastic bags and duct tape.

They also conserved energy by shutting off non-essential systems, ensuring they had enough power for a safe return.

The crew spent 87 hours in this lifeboat set-up before safely landing back on Earth, cutting their planned eight-day mission short.

The Soyuz T-10-1 mission in 1983 faced disaster on the launch pad when a fuel spill led to a massive fire.

With two Soviet astronauts on board, the fully fuelled rocket was soon engulfed in flames, with the situation looking grim.

But the automated launch-escape system worked, activating only seconds before a large explosion.

The system detected the fire and the impending risk of a blast, rapidly propelling the capsule away from the rocket to a safe distance where it could then descend back to the ground via parachute.

The event showed how important these systems were and as such they have since become standard in crew safety protocols.

This incident also caused extensive reviews of Soviet launch protocol, leading to improved safety checks.

With past disasters becoming a lesson for space agencies, astronauts have been better equipped to handle tough situations in the modern space era, thanks to improved safety technology embedded into rocket systems.

In 2018, the Soyuz MS-10 mission experienced critical failure when the rockets side boosters failed to separate.

The incident took place about two minutes into the flight, at an altitude of about 50km, with a Nasa astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut on board the spacecraft.

The spacecraft's emergency escape system was immediately activated, propelling the capsule about 1.5km from the troubled rocket.

The crew then experienced a high-G ballistic descent, reaching forces of up to 6.7Gs, before landing safely about 400km from the launch site.

This harrowing event led to a temporary suspension of Soyuz flights for about two months as the Russian space agency investigated the problem.

It also cast uncertainty over the UAE's inaugural mission to the International Space Station, postponing the flight of Hazza Al Mansouri, the nation's first astronaut.

He was eventually blasted off into in September 2019, following a delay from the originally scheduled February 2019 departure.

While this problem in space was not life-threatening, it still created a messy situation for four astronauts to handle.

The toilet aboard the SpaceX Dragon capsule that was bringing home four astronauts from the ISS sprang a leak and Nasa's Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, French astronaut Thomas Pesquet and Japan's Akihiko Hoshide had to resort to maximum absorbency garments or astronaut nappies as backup.

A tube used to funnel urine into a storage tank became detached, creating a leaky mess hidden on the floor of the capsule.

Once the spacecraft was back on Earth, SpaceX had to work quickly to resolve the problem, because tourists who paid millions of dollars for their tickets would soon be flying next in the capsule.

Updated: June 01, 2024, 10:40 AM

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Narrow escapes: When space missions almost ended in disaster - The National

Space exploration continues to lead to numerous scientific advancements and benefits for the Earth. Technologies developed for space missions contribute to climate change research, natural disaster monitoring, light pollution studies and improvements in human health, among other areas.

The first installment of this blog series explored how space innovation can drive sustainability on Earth. However, despite the promising future of space exploration, we face growing challenges due to the exponential increase in orbital usage, which threatens the sustainability of space itself.

The surge in the number of satellites in orbit poses sustainability challenges and, throughout the past six decades, the space above Earth has grown more congested, littered with over six thousand tons of human-generated objects as a result of progressive space exploration by both government and the private sector.

Environmental consequences on Earth, such as atmospheric pollution arising from rocket launches and space-based tech being resource-intensive to produce are also noticeable, fueling concerns about the sustainability of current outer space activities.

According to NASA, the low Earth orbit (LEO) is currently known as the world's largest garbage dump, carrying millions of space junk debris such as pieces of space crafts sometimes deliberately destructed or resulting from accidental collisions, rocket parts and nonfunctional satellites, which can reach speeds seven times faster than a bullet.

Due to the rate and high speed of debris in LEO, current and future space-based services, explorations and operations are at greater risk of collision, as the debris has the potential to damage spacecraft or operating satellites. This issue poses a safety risk to people and property not only in space, but also on Earth.

What was once seen as an innovative solution for Earths garbage de-cluttering, polluting the space above us now poses a threat to humankind itself, as we begin to venture into space in search of new perspectives and opportunities to understand our planet and the solar system.

As there is yet no firm understanding of the capacity of space to cope with such increased exploitation, the unquestionable cultural, scientific, engineering and economic benefits to humankind must be balanced against the inevitable impact of its usage.

Rather than abandoning space as a potential solution, ensuring that space tech and space exploration are developed sustainably and that measures are put in place to mitigate the issues created by the space industry is paramount.

Current landscape

At present, there are no international space laws regulating countries responsibility to clean up orbital debris and, not unexpectedly, astronomical costs are involved.

Despite the international complexities involved in combatting space-related sustainability challenges, it presents an opportunity to preserve the space environment for future generations and continue to support space exploration missions and the development of the space sector.

Multiple global initiatives have been launched for tech developed specifically to clean up LEO, such as electrodynamic tethers (developed by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency) and ultra-thin nets designed to catch space debris by dragging it into lower orbit (as part of a research project funded by NASAs Innovative Advanced Concepts program); ground-based Laser brooms that strategically heat one side of a piece of space debris, changing its orbit so that it re-enters Earths atmosphere sooner; and drag sails, which are deployed once satellites are no longer useful or attached to existing space junk, and that would help guide debris back to Earth to name only a few.

The private sector is also joining efforts, as multinational corporations are pioneering sustainable aerospace by getting involved in task forces aimed at better managing space traffic flow to minimise the risk of collisions, in addition to developing debris monitoring and removal technology. Others are defining the economics of on-orbit servicing and working with multiple stakeholders to develop norms, regulations and incentives for the responsible use of space.

In the public sphere, the UK Space Agency (UKSA) joined efforts by announcing a new 3.5m funding package to prolong the life of satellites, showing its commitment to re-fuel space sustainability.

An additional 1.5m is being directed to feasibility studies working to tacklethe space debris crisis, which contributes to the UK governments new Plan for Space Sustainability, aiming to make the UK a world leader in driving sustainability in space, whilst establishing a new Space Sustainability Standard, encourages companies to adopt best practice in space sustainability and recognise those who take steps to minimise their footprint on the Earths orbit.

Mobility challenges

One of the main challenges to sustainability in the space industry is a shortage of skilled labour. The rapid growth of the sector has created mid-career gaps, necessitating the recruitment of qualified talent from abroad. This labour shortage threatens the expansion of the space sector and risks overworking current staff, impacting their mental health and the quality of production. Addressing this issue by hiring the right people can also help businesses avoid extra costs.

The question of how to bring skilled talent in is simple: turning to immigration to address skills gaps is an imperative step for all stakeholders in the sector to focus on. Recruitment at an early career stage by retaining apprentices, interns and graduates who are in the UK already may be beneficial in the long run, but an immediate strategy is also needed for the space industry to maintain its economic growth.

In the UK, both sponsored and unsponsored visa routes are available for the space sector to rely on in recruiting overseas skilled talent. A case-by-case review of the business needs and candidates backgrounds will determine the best course of action.

Looking ahead

In the face of the complexities of the UK immigration system, the space sector industry will soon have the opportunity to take part in the UKs Migration Advisory Committee (MAC)s wider stakeholder review of the recently implemented Immigration Salary List.

This will allow businesses impacted by the rise in salary thresholds and facing skills shortages to put forward their thoughts for a balanced immigration system that supports its sectors needs, to help boost the UK economy by encouraging the further development of the space sector.

Need to know more?

For more information or questions on navigating the UK immigration system and the space sector, please contact Fragomens Space Industry Team. Please look out for part three in this blog series to be published in the coming weeks.

This blog was published on 29 May 2024, and due to the circumstances, there are frequent changes. To keep up to date with all the latest updates on global immigration, please subscribe to ouralertsand follow us onLinkedIn,X,FacebookandInstagram.

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Space & Sustainability Part 2: The Role of Mobility in Ensuring the Space Industry's Growth - Fragomen

BEIJING (AP) A Chinese spacecraft landed on the far side of the moon Sunday to collect soil and rock samples that could provide insights into differences between the less-explored region and the better-known near side.

The landing module touched down at 6:23 a.m. Beijing time in a huge crater known as the South Pole-Aitken Basin, the China National Space Administration said.

The mission is the sixth in the Change moon exploration program, which is named after a Chinese moon goddess. It is the second designed to bring back samples, following the Change 5, which did so from the near side in 2020.

The moon program is part of a growing rivalry with the U.S. still the leader in space exploration and others, including Japan and India. China has put its own space station in orbit and regularly sends crews there.

The emerging global power aims to put a person on the moon before 2030, which would make it the second nation after the United States to do so. America is planning to land astronauts on the moon again for the first time in more than 50 years though NASA pushed the target date back to 2026 earlier this year.

U.S. efforts to use private sector rockets to launch spacecraft have been repeatedly delayed. Last-minute computer trouble nixed the planned launch of Boeing's first astronaut flight Saturday.

Earlier Saturday, a Japanese billionaire called off his plan to orbit the moon because of uncertainty over the development of a mega rocket by SpaceX. NASA is planning to use the rocket to send its astronauts to the moon.

In Chinas current mission, the lander is to use a mechanical arm and a drill to gather up to 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of surface and underground material for about two days.

An ascender atop the lander will then take the samples in a metal vacuum container back to another module that is orbiting the moon. The container will be transferred to a re-entry capsule that is due to return to Earth in the deserts of Chinas Inner Mongolia region about June 25.

Missions to the moons far side are more difficult because it doesnt face the Earth, requiring a relay satellite to maintain communications. The terrain is also more rugged, with fewer flat areas to land.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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A Chinese spacecraft lands on moon's far side to collect rocks in growing space rivalry with US - pentictonherald.ca

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Wipro 3D have successfully manufactured a 3D-printed rocket engine, the PS4, set to power the fourth stage of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). This groundbreaking achievement, lauded by Dr. V. Narayanan, Director of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) at ISRO, marks a paradigm shift in space manufacturing, ushering in the era of additive manufacturing for space exploration.

The PSLV, ISRO's workhorse launch vehicle for earth observation and scientific satellites, relies on its fourth stage, the PS4, for precise orbital placement. This stage is crucial for missions related to remote sensing, oceanography, cartography, and disaster warning, among others. The successful integration of the 3D-printed PS4 engine signifies a transformative step in enhancing the PSLV's capabilities.

Traditionally crafted through conventional machining and welding, the PS4 engine underwent a radical redesign using Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) and Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) technology. This collaborative effort between Wipro 3D and ISRO resulted in the consolidation of multiple intricate components into a single, unified production unit, thereby boosting production efficiency and structural integrity.

"Wipro 3D's expertise in Additive Manufacturing has been instrumental in realising our vision for sustainable space exploration," stated Dr. Narayanan during his visit to Wipro 3D's facility. "The successful integration of the 3D-printed PS4 engine into our mission marks a significant milestone for ISRO and sets new standards of advanced manufacturing in the space industry."

Yathiraj Kasal, GM & Business Head, Wipro 3D, expressed his enthusiasm about the collaboration: "We're honoured to collaborate with ISRO on this pioneering project, highlighting the potential of advanced manufacturing in Space. This partnership not only advances ISRO's 'Make in India' initiative but also promotes domestic innovation and manufacturing."

The 3D-printed PS4 engine boasts integrated complex cooling channels, embodying a commitment to sustainability and efficiency. Rigorous testing at ISRO Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri confirmed its exceptional performance, meeting all design safety and efficiency standards.

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ISRO and Wipro 3D partner for space exploration with 3D-printed rocket engine - Business Today

It is truly wonderful to see so many nations aspiring to space exploration and trips to the Moon. Earlier this week on the 27th May, South Korea innaugurated its new space agency, the Korea AeroSpace Administration otherwise known as KASA. The group is headed up by former professor of aerospace engineering Yoon Young-bin. Whilst the group has yet to announce detailed plans for their upcoming missions Young-bin has stated they hope to land on the Moon by 2032 and to get to Mars by 2045.

The President of Korea, Yoon Suk-yeol, had confirmed that the government was committed to the space sector. To that end, they intend to secure investments of billions of dollars to fund the project. In March this year Korean Space Agency was formed in a ceremony that took place in March this year. Suk-yeol pleduged to facilitate 1,000 space companies and he hoped that 10 of the companies would become top-tier space firms. They would work hard to increase Koreas share of the space market, aiming to hit 10% instead of the existing 1%. and create over 100,000 jobs.

The Korean goverment has for sometime been keen to expand the space industry, Young-bin also prioritised support for the private sector. The establishment of KASA will be an important stepping stone that guides the way for Korea to become a powerhouse in space economy by setting up the private-led space ecosystem, Young-bin said.

Young-bin is no stranger to space exploration since he had been researching space propulsion at the time of his appointment. His research chiefly focuses on liquid rocket engine. He has also been a serving director of the Institute of Advanced Aerospace Technology.

Mid to long term goals and visions for space development are important next steps along the journey. To achieve those, KASA are striving for active cooperation from public, private and academic sectors. All of this is of course subject to securing the necessary funding.

The framework for operations of KASA have been established and will be implemented with a maximum of 293 employees. Currenly only 110 are in place which includes a number of officials who were originally part of the Science Ministry in Korea. With the establishment of KASA, the Ministry of Science and ICT have been reorganised to align to their reduced scope of work but to find the remaining employees KASA will continue to search at home and abroad for the right people.

Along with their plans to explore the Moon and Mars, KASA is also planning to explore the Lagrangian Point known as L4. These regions in space lie along the Earths orbit and usually a little ahead or a litle behind but at these points, the gravitational force of the Earth and that of the Sun balance out against each other making for a highly efficient location for a probe. No country has acehived this yet so it will really put KASA on the international space exploration map.

They also plan to restore the Apophis mission which had been scrapped some years ago. The asteroid will pass close by Earth in 2029. The plan is for this to become an international mission, calling upon international co-operation. Other projects include participation in the Event Horizon Telescope and black hole imaging from one of NASAs solar coronagraph.

Source : Korea ushers in new space era with KASA launch

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South Korea is Planning to Send a Mission to Mars by 2045 - Universe Today

WASHINGTON Peru and Slovakia signed the Artemis Accords outlining best practices for responsible space exploration, bringing the number of countries who have signed to 42.

In separate ceremonies at NASA Headquarters May 30, Perus foreign minster, Javier Gonzlez-Olaechea, and Tom Drucker, Slovakias minister of education, research, development and youth, signed the Artemis Accords alongside NASA and U.S. State Department officials.

Peru, a country with limited space capabilities, emphasized how signing the Artemis Accords could open doors for the country. This opportunity will allow to Peru to participate in activities related to the exploration and sustainable use of space resources as well as to promote scientific and aerospace development in our country, Gonzlez-Olaechea said at the signing ceremony.

Peru signaled its intent to sign the Accords at a U.S.-Peru High-Level Dialogue meeting May 9, according to a State Department statement, which also noted that Peru committed not to conduct direct-ascent anti-satellite missile tests. Peru has not expressed any interest in, or ability to conduct, such tests.

Drucker discussed the interest Slovakia, a member of the European Union and an associate member of the European Space Agency, has in space sustainability, which is a key aspect of the Artemis Accords. Slovakia is one of a dozen European countries that signed the ESA-led Zero Debris Charter on limiting the creation of orbital debris May 22.

In todays rapidly expanding space activities, it is very important to set rules for long-term safety of outer space, he said. These rules should ensure that space activities are safe, clean and sustainable, benefiting all nations. By fostering commercial and public private partnerships and hastening international cooperation, we can achieve these goals together.

At the heart of the Artemis Accords are two truths, and the first is that space presents challenges that no nation, no matter how determined, can solve alone. And therefore we do not go alone, we go together, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said at the Slovakia signing ceremony. The second truth is that space is an engine for partnership. Space unites nations in a way that few other things can.

Peru and Slovakia are the eighth and ninth nations, respectively, to sign the Artemis Accords this year, bringing the total number of nations who have signed on to 42. At the Meridian Space Diplomacy Forum in April, officials with NASA and the State Department, which jointly administer the Accords, said they were seeing growing interest in the Accords.

The increasingly rapid growth the Artemis Accords demonstrates a global belief in a better future for humanity in space, Mike Gold, chief growth officer of Redwire and a former NASA official who led development of the Artemis Accords, told SpaceNews. During a time when we see so much conflict and pain in the world, Artemis provides a light that can show us a path toward a future full of wonder.

The signing ceremonies took place a week after 24 of the then-40 nations who signed the Accords met at the headquarters of the Canadian Space Agency outside Montreal for a second annual workshop. The participants discussed topics such as non-interference and interoperability, two elements of the Accords, and also conducted a tabletop exercise on those issues.

Representatives of Artemis Accords nations are scheduled to meet again in person during the International Astronautical Congress in Milan, Italy, in October.

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Peru and Slovakia sign the Artemis Accords - SpaceNews