Monthly Archives: July 2024

NASA held a ceremony over the weekend to welcome four brave astronauts back to Earth after spending a year living and working on Mars. To survive, the crew had to grow their own food to supplement their rations, deal with half-hour long communication delays with Earth, and learn to live and work together in somewhat tight quarters.

But unlike most previous NASA missions, where capsules splashed down in the ocean or shuttles landed on long runways, to recover these astronauts, Deputy Director of the Johnson Space Center Steve Koerner simply opened up the door to the habitat and welcomed the crew back to Earth.

The mission was all part of NASAs Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog or CHAPEA program, which is designed to test how long people can live, work and survive on other planets. The CHAPEA environment is completely simulated, and is comprised of a 1,700 square-foot habitat divided into both living quarters for the crew and working spaces, like laboratories and utility areas.

The entire facility for the program was 3D printed, which may be how NASA will construct future buildings on Mars that could house human explorers. Everything about the mission was conducted to simulate an actual Martian environment, including having the four astronauts stay in the habitat for a year. They were also only able to talk to Mission Control using standard communications methods, with a long delay imposed on them to simulate the distance between Earth and Mars.

The four astronauts were allowed outside their habitat on occasion, but only when wearing environmental suits equipped with virtual reality headsets that simulated Mars. We got to see what those VR missions looked like last year during the MarsXR challenge, a competition where the public can compete to design virtual Mars missions to be used for training future explorers.

Some of the winning entries for the MarsXR challenge demonstrated just how realistic those VR training simulations have become in recent years. For example, one of the winning entries from Team Savchenko involved collecting rock samples on Mars, while another from MarsXR Odyssey simulated an emergency where one astronauts EV suit malfunctioned.

While there were no emergencies during the first CHAPEA mission, collecting rocks and other samples outside of the habitat in a simulated environment was a big part of the activities that the participants undertook. As both the realism and user interfaces of the simulations continue to improve, the hope is that they can be incorporated directly into future missions to make CHAPEA and other training activities even more realistic.

The mission began on June 25, 2023, with four crew members. They included Commander Kelly Haston, Science Officer Anca Selariu, Flight Engineer Ross Brockwell and Medical Officer Nathan Jones. It ended 378 days later, on July 6, 2024.

The four crew members looked pretty excited to be exiting the habitat, which had become their home for over a year. Their contributions were not just technical helping NASA scientists to learn what works and what needs improvement before the agency can seriously consider actually sending people to Mars but also added to the field of behavioral science. NASA was able to observe what it would be like when four strangers are forced to live together with no ability to leave the situation. Thankfully, it seems like the first four CHAPEA astronauts got along very well.

During this mission, these people have given an incredible richness of shared experiences and conversations, Haston said, I am humbled that being away on a one year Mars analog mission brought me closer to those I was with and also those who I left back at home.

Brockwell also enjoyed the experience and commented on some of the many lessons learned.

Im grateful for the chance to live out the idea that we must utilize resources no faster than they can be replenished, and produce waste no faster than it can be processed back into resources, he said. We cannot live, dream, create or explore for any significant time frame if we dont live these principles. But if we do, we can achieve and sustain amazing and inspiring things like exploring other worlds.

While the first CHAPEA mission has finished, and NASA scientists have a lot of work to do in analyzing over a years worth of collected data and observations, the program is far from over. A second mission is already in the works, and NASA is actively recruiting brave and enterprising people for a third. Those with the required skills who would like to spend a year or more living and working within a pretty close approximation to a Martian habitat are encouraged to apply to become a pioneer who can help advance both science and the future of space travel.

John Breeden II is an award-winning journalist and reviewer with over 20 years of experience covering technology. He is the CEO of the Tech Writers Bureau, a group that creates technological thought leadership content for organizations of all sizes. Twitter: @LabGuys

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NASAs astronauts return after a year living on simulated Mars - Nextgov/FCW

NASA and its international partners are making significant strides in the development of Gateway, humanity's first space station around the Moon.

Gateway will serve as a crucial outpost for astronauts conducting scientific research and preparing for missions to the lunar South Pole and beyond.

The Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO), built by NASA commercial partner Northrop Grumman, is one of the four primary modules of Gateway.

Currently undergoing testing in Turin, Italy, HALO will provide living and working space for international teams of astronauts. This module features multiple docking ports, including one for a cargo spacecraft and the European Space Agency's (ESA) Lunar View module.

Other docking ports will accommodate the SpaceX Starship and Blue Origin's Blue Moon Human Landing Systems during the Artemis IV and V missions.

In addition to HALO, Gateway will initially launch into lunar orbit with the Power and Propulsion Element, provided by Maxar Space Systems. This component is crucial for the space station's mobility and power generation. The station will later expand with ESA's Lunar I-Hab and Lunar View modules, the Crew and Science Airlock from the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, advanced external robotics from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and critical hardware from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). NASA stated, "Gateway will launch to lunar orbit with the Power and Propulsion Element, provided by Maxar Space Systems, and later expand with ESA's Lunar I-Hab and Lunar View modules."

Gateway is central to NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the lunar surface for scientific discovery and to pave the way for future missions to Mars. The space station will enable astronauts to explore the scientific mysteries of deep space and conduct experiments in a unique environment.

The presence of advanced laboratories and research facilities will allow for groundbreaking studies in lunar geology, biology, and space medicine. These experiments are essential for understanding the effects of long-duration space travel on the human body and developing technologies for sustained human presence on the Moon and Mars.

Moreover, Gateway will serve as a staging point for missions to the lunar South Pole, a region of high scientific interest due to the presence of water ice. This water ice could be used to produce oxygen and fuel, making it a vital resource for future lunar explorers.

The construction and operation of Gateway involve collaboration between multiple international space agencies and commercial partners. This cooperative effort underscores the global commitment to exploring space and expanding human presence beyond Earth. By combining resources and expertise, these partnerships will ensure the success of Gateway and the missions it supports. The participation of international partners like ESA, CSA, JAXA, and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre brings diverse technological innovations and critical support to the project.

The international collaboration extends to the integration of advanced technologies, such as external robotics provided by CSA, which will enhance the station's capabilities for maintenance and scientific research. The Crew and Science Airlock, developed by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, will facilitate spacewalks and the transfer of scientific instruments. This comprehensive approach to development and operation highlights the importance of international cooperation in achieving ambitious space exploration goals.

Gateway represents a significant milestone in human space exploration. As the first lunar space station, it will provide a platform for scientific research, technological advancements, and international cooperation. This station will enable sustained human presence on the Moon, supporting long-duration missions and serving as a testbed for the technologies needed for future Mars exploration. The ability to conduct continuous research and development in lunar orbit will accelerate our understanding of space environments and the challenges associated with deep space missions.

In conclusion, Gateway is poised to transform our approach to space exploration. It will be a pivotal outpost for missions to the Moon and Mars, fostering scientific discovery and technological innovation. As NASA and its partners prepare for the Artemis missions, Gateway will play an essential role in ensuring the success and sustainability of human space exploration efforts.

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NASAs Gateway Project: Building the Future of Lunar Exploration - The Daily Galaxy --Great Discoveries Channel

Elon Musks SpaceX is once again pushing the boundaries of space exploration, seeking approval to ramp up the frequency of Starship launches from its Boca Chica facility to 25 per year. The request also includes an equal number of landings for both the Starship spacecraft and the Super Heavy booster.

SpaceXs latest proposal is aimed at accelerating the development and operational readiness of its Starship spacecraft. Previously, the company has managed a handful of launches and landings, but increasing this number to 25 annually represents a new milestone. CEO Elon Musk has consistently emphasized the need for frequent flights to make space travel more routine and affordable.

Achieving this ambitious target is no small feat. SpaceX must first secure the necessary regulatory approvals from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The increased activity at Boca Chica has raised concerns among local residents and environmentalists, prompting calls for more comprehensive impact assessments.

Critics argue that the frequent launches could have adverse effects on the local wildlife and ecosystem. However, SpaceX has assured that it is committed to mitigating any potential harm through extensive environmental monitoring and protective measures.

The Starship spacecraft, along with its Super Heavy booster, is considered a pinnacle of engineering innovation. Designed to be fully reusable, both components aim to lower the cost of access to space significantly. Each launch and landing will provide valuable data to refine the technology further.

Reusable spacecraft have the potential to revolutionize the aerospace industry by offering more cost-effective solutions for satellite deployment, space tourism, and even interplanetary missions. The Super Heavy booster, in particular, is designed to propel the Starship into orbit, and its successful landing is crucial for the sustainability of frequent missions.

The move to increase launch frequencies could also have significant economic benefits for the local community in Boca Chica. Increased activity at the site could lead to job creation and boost local businesses. Furthermore, the success of such an initiative will likely enhance the United States standing in global space exploration.

However, the increase in space activity could bring about sociocultural changes for local residents. The influx of SpaceX employees and the anticipated increase in tourism may transform the small coastal town into a bustling hub of aerospace activity.

As SpaceX continues to push the envelope with its ambitious plans, the future of space exploration looks promising. The ability to conduct 25 Starship launches and landings annually would mark a significant step forward in making space travel more routine and accessible. With missions potentially extending to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, the groundwork being laid today could very well define the next era of human space exploration.

While there are undoubtedly challenges to overcome, both regulatory and environmental, the potential rewards are too significant to ignore. The world will be watching closely as SpaceX seeks to transform its bold vision into reality.

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SpaceX Amplifies Ambitions: 25 Starship Launches Annually from Boca Chica - Tesla Magazine

William E. Burrows, who as a journalist and author explored the promise and perils posed by outer space including the proliferation of weapons and spy satellites and the threat of potentially earth-shattering asteroids died on June 29 in Bridgeport, Conn. He was 87.

His death, in a hospital, was confirmed by his former wife, Joelle Hodgson, who said the cause was kidney failure.

Presaging his career by crash-landing model airplanes in his familys living room in Queens, near Idlewild Airport (now Kennedy International Airport), and surreptitiously taking flying lessons in a Piper Cub as a teenager, Mr. Burrows covered air travel, space technology, government secrecy and other subjects for The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal.

He wrote 14 books and established a graduate program in science writing at New York University, where he taught journalism.

Given the growing militarization of space and the challenges posed by environmental hazards and by weapons of mass destruction, Mr. Burrows believed that investing in space exploration was crucial, if for no other reason than to potentially save the human race one day by colonizing other planets.

The question to ask is whether the risk of traveling to space is worth the benefit, he wrote in The Journal in 2003. The answer is an unequivocal yes, but not only for the reasons that are usually touted by the space community: the need to explore, the scientific return, and the possibility of commercial profit.

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William E. Burrows, Historian of the Space Age, Is Dead at 87 - The New York Times

There is a global push in space exploration these days, but one has to admit that America steals the headlines most of the time in this field. That goes for anything from new rocket designs to daring missions to other worlds, and it is caused by the fact that the U.S. invests and does the most to advance our species beyond the borders of our planet. But, from time to time, something great happens elsewhere, and we can't help ourselves from taking a closer look.

Yet ESA has its own agenda, and from time to time it involves developing hardware capable of leaving our world. By that I mean rockets, obviously, and ESA's most recent one, the Ariane 6, just took flight for the first time. A perfect opportunity for us, then, to have a proper look at a rocket that is not made by Elon Musk or NASA, yet works just as well.

First, a thing or two about how the rocket came to be. Although not as visible as its American counterpart, Europe has been at it launching stuff into space for a while now. It has done this mostly by using a family of rockets called Ariane, named after Ariadne, the daughter ofKing Minos ofCrete in Greek mythology.

This family of rockets was born in the late 1970s with the Ariane 1. Since then, it has constantly grown to comprise a total of five versions. Europe's higher-ups decided to build Ariane 6 back in 2014, and a year later they tasked a company named ArianeGroup with making it.

The goal of Ariane 6 was to allow Europe to take point "in the fast-changing commercial launch service market." The task was too big for a single company, so ArianeGroup enlisted the help of hundreds of companies in 13 European countries. ESA handles the process of procurement and dictates the architecture of the overall launch system.

Photo: ESA

The rocket was built as a three-stage contraption: the first stage is made up of solid rocket boosters (either two or four of them, depending on the version), then comes the core stage, and finally, the upper stage.

The boosters and the core stage take care of the rocket's flight in the first phase of each mission. The boosters are of the P120C variety, the same ones used to power the first stage of the Vega-C rocket of the European Space Agency.

The core is pushed up by a liquid-fuelled Vulcain 2.1 engine, a derivation of the powerplant used on the previous Ariane 5. Combined with the power of the boosters, it should generate some 135 tons of thrust in the first ten minutes of flight.

Finally, the upper stage, the one that actually reaches space, gets its kick from a Vinci engine that burns cryogenic liquid oxygen and hydrogen. The powerplant can be ignited multiple times, moving payloads to where they need to be in orbit.

On top of the rocket there is the fairing that contains the payloads. It comes in two sizes, depending on the mission: a smaller one measuring 46 feet (14 meters) and a larger one standing at 66 feet (20 meters). Both are made of carbon fiber-polymer composite and have a diameter of 18 feet (5.4 meters).

Photo: ESA

The larger, four-booster version called Ariane 64 is used to send 11.5tons into geostationary transfer orbit and 21.6 tons into low Earth orbit.

We're talking about the Ariane 6 now because the rocket just had its first flight earlier this week. On July 9 it departed the specially constructed launch pad in French Guiana on a mission officially called VA262.

This was a demo flight, but it doesn't mean it was all just for show. The rocket took up with it "a varied selection of experiments, satellites, payload deployers and reentry demonstrations" supplied by people and organizations from all across the continent.

The Ariane 6 is the precursor rocket to an even more daring project. Come the next decade, Europe will have at its disposal something called the Ariane Next, a two-stage solution that should open up even more opportunities for ESA's space exploration efforts.

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Europe Has a New Space Rocket, Ariane 6 Makes Successful First Flight - autoevolution

HOUSTONFour volunteers with astronaut-like credentials have concluded the first of NASAs three planned yearlong Earth-based missions on a simulated Martian surface, the agency says.

Each exercise is intended to reveal the challenges and stresses facing those who will live and work on the red planet as well as support staff on Earth as the agency forges ahead with plans for human deep space exploration.

On July 5, NASA administrative personnel opened the door to the Johnson Space Centers Mars Dune Alpha. It is a 1,700-ft.2, 3D-printed habitat with an adjoining 1,200-ft.2 simulated Mars landscape.

Out strolled Kelly Haston, the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) commander and biomedical research scientist; Ross Brockwell, the flight engineer and a structural engineer; Nathan Jones, the medical officer and an emergency medicine physician; and Anca Selariu, the science officer and U.S. Navy microbiologist.

Their exercise of 378 Earth days, or one Mars year, consisted of a number of elements. They included the maintenance of their modest habitat, growing and harvesting fresh vegetables to nutritionally supplement their stored food provisions, and spacewalks in their Mars Yard to simulate scientific exploration. The activities also superficially imposed lengthy communications delays of up to 22 min. each way with mission support and research teams back on Earth.

CHAPEA enabled us to collect thousands of data points, yielding a unique and valuable data set in a Mars realistic simulation, declared Grace Douglas, the Mars simulations principal investigator. Douglas spoke as the Mars Dune Alpha crew emerged for a 22-min. ceremony that NASA shared virtually. That data will give us unprecedented insight into how we can best work together to achieve mission objectives, while maintaining health and performance for the success of future human missions to Mars.

NASA currently plans two more CHAPEA Mars mission simulations. The second is set to begin in spring 2025 and the third in 2027. The volunteer application period for the second session closed on April 2. Professionally proficient volunteers must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents ages 30 to 55, nonsmokers, proficient in English and adventuresome.

The 378-day length of the Mars surface missions matches the estimated two- to three-year duration of a roundtrip to Mars using current space propulsion technologies. NASA is working to develop nuclear propulsion to significantly reduce the travel time.

Whether it was Mars walks or robotic operations, habitat maintenance, planned and unplanned, the analogs are really so important to our understanding of what its going to takeour insights into how our assumptions of how our architectures are really going to workwhen the plans meet reality, Julie Kramer White, CHAPEAs director of engineering, told the small gathering.

The Earth-based simulations are intended to lower the risks associated with the complex technologies that will be required to reach and return from Mars, White said. We still have a lot left to learn.

CHAPEA I has been a unique experience with great challenges, joys and sorrows. A lot of hard work, but a fair bit of fun thrown in as well, Haston told the gathering.

Wow. That went by very quickly, said Jones, who was perhaps the most emotional of the CHAPEA crew while joking about the experience. I hope I dont cry standing up here in front of all of you.

Im grateful for the chance to live the idea that we must utilize resources no faster than they can be replenished and produce wastes no faster than they be processed back into resources, added Brockwell. We cannot live, dream, create or explore in any significant time frame if we dont live these principles. But if we do, we can achieve amazing and inspiring things like exploring other worlds. And we can do these things together. We can use our senses of wonder and purpose to achieve peace and prosperity and to unlock knowledge and joy for the benefit of everyone and every part of planet Earth.

Ive been asked many times, Why go to Mars? Selariu said. Because its possible space can unite and bring out the best in us. Because its one defining step that Earthlings will take to light the way into the next centuries.

Excerpt from:

Yearlong Simulation Gives Insights Into Astronaut Life On Mars - Aviation Week

The first cohort of the Pathways to Space program, a new educational initiative arranged by the Future African Space Explorers STEM Academy (FASESA) and Boeing [NYSE:BA], celebrated their graduation on July 10, 2024, in Ethiopia.

After five months of immersive learning, 312 students, including 50% girls, from 63 schools in Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Tanzania have developed a keen interest in the space industry, shaping their career aspirations.

Pascal Chidozi, a 16-year-old graduate of the program in Nigeria, said: Participating in the Pathways to Space program has been a life-changing experience for me. Building payloads, testing them, and learning about satellite operations has not only deepened my passion for STEM but has also opened my eyes to the limitless possibilities in space exploration. The most memorable moment for me was launching a high-altitude balloon, which provided me with a hands-on understanding of the principles of flight. This program has inspired me to pursue a career in aerospace engineering, equipping me with the confidence and knowledge to chase my dreams.

The program culminated in the satellite prototype testing day, where students tested their prototypes in real-world conditions. This comprehensive experience developed their engineering skills, passion for space exploration, and prepared them for future education and careers.

FASESA and Boeing have set their sights on expanding the Pathways to Space program to other countries in Africa in the years to come. Starting next year, the program will offer both in-person and online participation, creating opportunities for more students across the African continent.

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Boeing Graduates 300 students from the Pathways to Space program in Africa - Airspace Africa