Category Archives: Space Exploration

Foreground: Rachel Brachman, public engagement specialist at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. Background: Holden Crater on Mars. (Background photo via NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona)

For a full portrait of Rachel Brachmans passions and proficiencies, dont look at her LinkedIn. Start with her merit badge counselor registration.

Brachman, a public engagement specialist at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, is a counselor for seven merit badges: Art, Astronomy, Canoeing, Disabilities Awareness, Horsemanship, Inventing and Space Exploration.

Each of these badges reflects a different aspect of my life, she says.

As a NASA specialist at the place where scientists built the Mars rover Curiosity and Saturn probe Cassini, Brachman is a natural to serve as a counselor for the Space Exploration merit badge.

Since Ive been working at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory for 17 years, Ive had a front-row seat during significant moments in space exploration history, she says. I love sharing what Ive learned about Saturn and Mars with Scouts who are earning their Space Exploration merit badge.

Brachman has been an active Scouting volunteer since her son became a Tiger in 2011 and a merit badge counselor since 2017. We asked Brachman for her top advice for merit badge counselors, which youll find below. She also shares a lovely free-verse poem about why she takes time to serve in this role. And finally, Brachman tells fellow volunteers about a NASA-sponsored essay contest no space-loving Scout will want to miss.

3 2 1 lets go.

Brachman was born in London, Ontario, and was a member of Girl Guides of Canada. She worked her way up through that program and became a Brownie, Guide and Pathfinder. She even earned the All Round Cord, a since-discontinued award that required girls to complete adventures and earn badges in subjects like astronomy, first aid and citizenship.

Brachman was active in science fairs throughout school and made it to the Canada-Wide Science Fair three times. In sixth grade, she won a silver medal at the fair for an invention that helped nonverbal children use a computer to communicate.

After high school, Brachman studied physics at Brandeis University in Massachusetts and earned a master of space studies degree at the International Space University in France.

She worked at the Canadian Space Agency, NASAs Ames Research Center, The Planetary Society and Caltech before landing a job at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 2003.

In 2011, Brachmans son joined Scouting as a Tiger. Brachman signed up, too, serving first as a volunteer in his Cub Scout pack and then in his Scouts BSA troop. Her current role is advancement chair for Troop 191 of Sherman Oaks, Calif. (Western Los Angeles County Council), where her son is a Life Scout working on his Eagle project.

As a Space Exploration merit badge counselor with the Western Los Angeles County Council, Brachman enjoys sharing her love of space with the Scouts who participate in WLACCs Virtual Merit Badge University.

Ive taught the online Space Exploration merit badge class 16 times since April 2020, with a dozen Scouts in each class from all across the United States, Brachman says. Im a strong believer in paying it forward. So many people have contributed to my education along the way, and its my job to make sure the next generation is inspired and educated, too.

With the Space Exploration merit badge, Brachman knows shes working with a head start. Based on its name alone, the merit badge is one of the coolest-sounding badges on the entire list of 137.

But any merit badge can be memorable and meaningful if delivered in the right way. You just need passion for the subject and a willingness to help Scouts experience something new.

Share what you know about your subject, and make sure Scouts have a chance to share what they know about the subject, too, Brachman says. Be a mentor and a role model for your Scouts. As with all Scouting activities, Be Prepared.

Brachman suggests using technology to help you a PowerPoint presentation, perhaps but warns against turning your merit badge into a lecture. Scouts will have a better experience if they get to interact with the counselor and their fellow Scouts.

Leave lots of time for Scouts to ask questions, Brachman says.

And what if youre planning to teach the Space Exploration merit badge but dont have a job at NASA? Dont sweat it.

NASA has some fantastic resources for teachers that can also be used by merit badge counselors, Brachman says. You can use primary sources photos, videos and lesson plans from NASA to show examples of past and present space missions. I like using NASAs Eyes on the Solar System software to show where all of NASAs spacecraft are at the moment and what theyre exploring.

Brachman shared this free-verse poem about her experience as a merit badge counselor, and I enjoyed it quite a lot. Take a look:

Scout Merit BadgesToday I am teachingArt and Space Exploration.Tomorrow I willbe teaching two Inventing workshops.As a merit badgecounselor, my biography is spelled out in the badges I counsel.Art. Astronomy.Canoeing. Disabilities Awareness. Horsemanship. Inventing. Space Exploration.That sums up mylife pretty nicely.What I do and whatI love and what I care about.It summarizes thedifference I want to make in the world.Making it more beautiful.Learning and wonderingabout the universe.Going on adventureswhile getting stronger and staying healthy.Helping other people.Connecting withnature.Being creative andsolving problems.Making new discoveries.Not a bad life sofar.Im glad to be ableto share what I have learned so farWith Scouts whoare seeing it for the first timeAnd following theirown paths through life.

As part of her role at JPL, Brachman gets to run NASAs 2020-2021 Scientist for a Day essay contest for students in the fifth through 12th grade.

Brachman asked me to share the opportunity with blog readers, believing that the contest is especially appropriate for Scouts.

Scouting is all about adventure and exploration. NASA shares these goals, she says. Many astronauts started off in Scouting, because the life skills learned in Scouting also serve you well at NASA.

The contest, which runs through Feb. 12, 2021, asks participants to study three of Uranus moons, choose one and write about why that moon would be the best place to visit with a spacecraft someday.

NASA wants to know what you think, so dont just repeat facts you find online, Brachman says. Why do you think one moon would be more interesting to explore than another? What do you hope you might find if you explore this moon?

Learn more here and submit your essay here.

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See more here:

NASA specialist on why she's a Space Exploration merit badge counselor - Scouting Magazine

Representational image.  |  Photo Credit: iStock Images

Despite the pandemic raging across hundreds of countries, 2020 did turn out to be quite significant for space exploration. From the stunning images of the Martian surface that NASA's Curiosity rover sent back, to the NASA astronauts being shuttled to the International Space Station aboard a novel SpaceX Crew Dragon rocket, there were some incredible milestones hit over the course of the last year.

But if science ever rested on its laurels, we would never have made it this far. With that in mind, what does 2021 have in store for humanity's pursuit of space exploration?

Well, the answer is quite a lot. To begin with, in the early months ofnext year, three spacecraft on individual Mars exploration missions Mars 2020, Tianwen-1 and Hope are all set to enter the Red Planet's orbit. The United Arab Emirates' Hope orbiter is scheduled to reach by February 9 while NASA's Perseverance rover attempt to touch down on Mars' surface on February 18. The Chinese lander is scheduled to arrive in late April.

The Perseverance mission is particularly unique in that it isn't just martian rock samples that NASA is looking to collect. The rover also houses a tiny helicopter named Ingenuity which, once Persevearance lands, will begin making short test flights into the Martian skies. This will mark the first time a rotorcraft will take flight on an extraterrestrial planet.

Later in May, the astronauts that SpaceX's vessel flew to the ISS will return before a second SpaceX Crew Dragon mission with another four astronauts will make their way to the orbiting station. The second batch of astronauts, like the first one, will also spend six months aboard the ISS.

2020 saw a lot of talk of doomsday asteroids and that may continue in 2021 but for another reason. In July next year, NASA plans to conduct a Double Asteroid Redirection Test the Earth's first-ever planetary defence project. Simply put, it is going to hurl a projectile no larger than a small car at an asteroid moon to make impact in Autumn 2022. Researchers are hoping to study the impact and how effective the mission is in changing the trajectory of the asteroid.

NASA will also launch its James Webb Space Telescope in 2021. The massive telescope is optimised to collect light in the infrared spectrum and the hope is that it will help us peer deep into the early universe to uncover truths about the first galaxies ever created.

But perhaps, the biggest endeavour that NASA will begin prepping for in 2021 is the Artemis 1 mission. Earlier this year, the American space agency revealed its intention to send a manned mission back to the Moon by 2024. However, the first step of this mission will entail launching the SLS rocket-enabled Orion spacecraft around the Moon without a pilot.

Not to be outdone though, Russia is also gearing up to launch its Luna-25 spacecraft next year to land a lunar vehicle on the surface of the moon making it the first Russian moon mission since 1976. Russia's State Space Corporation Roscosmos has also announced that it may begin offering space tours in 2021 commencing with the launch of two tourists into orbit.

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Setting sights on the stars: What does 2021 have in store for space exploration? - Times Now

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. Elton John might have said it best in his iconic song"Rocket Man""Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids."

More than 50 years after we sent humans to the moon the closest celestial body to Earth the plan is still to head to Mars, something many astronauts who have flown in space thought we would have alreadyaccomplished.

"I just assumed by the time I got to be old enough to go into the space program, you know we'd be living on Mars or I'd be working on Mars just as a scientist," Mae Jemison, thefirst African American woman in space,told university students at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in December 2019.

But despite the fact humankind has been unable to send anyone to another place in the universe besides the moon, there are still many with the hopes and expectation that we will become a multi-planetary species in the near future, starting with our red next-door neighbor.

Billionaire entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and aspiring young astronauts like Alyssa Carson, a sophomore studying astrobiology at Florida Tech, hope to one day live on Mars.

"Eventually the sun will run out of fuel to burn … and conditions on Earth are going to be very different from our normal regular life now," Carson told Florida Today, part of the USA TODAY Network. "It's not necessarily saying Mars is the savior here … but Mars is that first step in getting people a bit more accustomed to even thinking about living on other planets and being able to colonize someplace else."

Even Musk's aerospace company, SpaceX, was founded with the "ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets," according to its website.

But how feasible is that?Do we want to settle on a planet where we can't even breathe?

According to NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine, we have the technological capability to go to Mars. The problem is money, or lack thereof.

Under Space Policy Directive 1, President Donald Trump tasked NASA with sending the next man and first woman to the moon by 2024 and then eventually heading on to Mars. But this isn't the first time a president has said we're going back to the moon or we're finally sending humans to the Red Planet.

After John F. Kennedy made his declaration that we would "put a man on the moon," several other presidents have tried to walk in his footsteps. But unlike Kennedy, none have come close to succeeding.

On the 20th anniversary of Apollo 11 in 1989, President George H.W.Bush said we would return to the moon and go on to Mars, but in the end, the priceprovedtoo high.

His sonPresident George W. Bush echoed the same goal.

Under the Constellation program, the plan was to return to the moon by 2020 and then head to Mars, but the project was ultimately scrapped after a series of delays and increasingly high costs.

President Barack Obama also hoped to go to Mars. Instead of proposing returning to the moon, however, Obama said we should send astronauts to an asteroid by 2025 before moving on to Mars. Congressional Republicans rejected the idea, andnothing came to fruition.

NASA Administrator discusses crewed missions to Mars

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine discusses NASA's ability to send humans to Mars

Rachael Joy, Florida Today

Then cameTrump's turn.

After heading back to the moon in the next four years under the Artemis program, the next big milestone would be a trip to Mars.

But again, the problem boils down to spending what's necessary to send astronauts there, Bridenstine said.

"The question isn't whether or not we're technologically capable of doing it, because we are. The question is whether or not we have the political will to do it,"hetold reporters at Kennedy Space Center in July for NASA's Mars Perseverance rover launch.

The Apollo program, Bridenstine pointed out, was driven by the need to beat the Soviet Union to the moon, which is why Congress appropriated vast sums of money to NASA. Today, that's no longer the case.

With no Cold War to encourage federal spending on the program, NASA instead is looking to international partners to help pay for any trip to Mars.

"Today we don't have thatlarge power competition that we had back then, but what we do have is we have international partners, we have commercial partners, we have technological advances that are so far beyond what we had in the 1960s," Bridenstine said. "So the answer is yes, we can do it. The question is: Will we receive the budgetto do it right now?"

It is unclear how much support the incoming Biden administrationis going to give the Artemis program.

Money isalso anissue for SpaceX's Mars plans.

As a private company, SpaceX can't rely solely on taxpayer dollars to send humans there. Instead, the aerospace company is looking for other revenue streams to help pay for a Mars mission, such as its Starlink internet constellation.

Aside from providing internet connection to people living in remote areas around the world, Starlink will also help fund SpaceX's goal of having people live on Mars or at least, that's the plan.

But first, Starlink has to be successful.

Not everyone believes sending people to live on Mars is the right move, however.

Bill Nye, CEO for the Planetary Society and famously known as "Bill Nye the Science Guy" for his TV show that aired in the '90s, is one of those who doesn't believe in setting up camp on Mars.

"I would love to go to space, you guys.But this idea of living on another world where we can't be outside just doesn't sound that appealing," Nye told reporters in 2019 before the launch of the Light Sail 2 project he and other Planetary Society members had worked on.

"You think you want to go to Venus?We'd be vaporized in a second, way less than a second," Nye said. "And then on Mars, there's nothing to breathe. There's nothing to breathe, people. It's not just there's nothing to eat, there's nothing to breathe. So, you know if you live in a dome and you go outside, you're going to put on a spacesuit and you're in another dome, like my good friend Sandy the squirrel," referencing the character from the children's TV show"SpongeBob SquarePants."

And as of now, that's really the only option for humans to live on Mars a dome. It would essentially be like how actor Matt Damon' character lived in the sci-fi film "The Martian."

Even the author of "The Martian," on which the sci-fi film is based, doesn't believe we're close to having a human settlement on Mars.

"Mars is horribly inhospitable," Andy Weir told Florida Today via email. "Though it's an awesome idea living on Mars it would be far easier to colonize Earth's ocean floor. There won't be a significant settlement on Mars until there's an economic reason for a city to exist there. Like Antarctica,the only people there are researchers because there's no reason to be there otherwise."

So like Nye, Weir isn't inclined live on Mars.

Bill Nye doesn't think humans should live on Mars

Bill Nye, CEO of the Planetary Society, talks to FLORIDA TODAY reporters Antonia Jaramillo and Rachael Joy about the idea of humans living on Mars.

Staff, FLORIDA TODAY

"Nope! I write about brave people, but I'm not one of them," Weir said."I like Earth and plan to stay."

Others argue there's another way to live on Mars that doesn't include living in a dome. The only problem is the logistics ofchanging the Martian landscape into one that can support human life.

Called "terraforming," this essentially involves transforming Mars into a more Earth-like habitat. It's what Musk has proposed doing and what astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson believes would be best if humans were to live on Mars.

Elon Musk has a plan. Hes thinking of putting satellites in orbit that have big reflectors that focus sunlight that would otherwise miss the planet. Focus it down on the planet and just add more energy to the planet, heating it up, and if you do it right, you might be able to set sort of a chain reaction in place," deGrasse Tyson said in his podcast, "StarTalk."

"If everything is frozen and it gets warmer, youll evaporate more carbon dioxide, and thatll help trap more heat, and then thatll make it hotter to evaporate even more carbon dioxide," he said. "You get all of that out of the system and into the atmosphere. Then now its warm enough, now youre still mostly greenhouse gases, you still need oxygen to breathe. So now you put microorganisms that eat the CO2 and they release oxygen.

But terraforming Mars isn't going to happen anytime soon. Not only is the technology not available to do so, but the question also becomes, "How long would that take?"

Thats the big problem. Is it a thousand years, is it a million years? Or can you speed it up with some fast-acting microbes? This remains to be established, deGrasse Tyson said. But Im telling you that if were going to be a two-planet species, Im thinking you have to terraform Mars for that to happen.

Yet not everybody agrees with that tactic, especially because that would change the whole geology of Mars.

"Ive never been someone that has been a fan of terra-transforming a planet to make it more Earth-like. I think that the excitement of going to a different planet would be utilizing the in-situ resources that are there," NASA astronaut Christina Koch told deGrasse Tyson on his podcast.

"So, I would see something like a sustainable Mars establishment, to me, would always require some type of resupply, and even if thats just to make it livable and habitable in terms of what humans think of as habitable and livable, I think is the important thing. But using the in-situ resources as well, she said.

In other words, living in that dome-like structure.

Florida Tech professor and plant biochemist Andrew Palmer also believes using in-situ resources to live on Mars is the best plan.

He, along with other researchers at the universityare collaborating on how future Marssettlers can use the resources, namely the soil on Mars to grow their own food.

"So the whole premise of this project, it all falls under something that's called in-situ resource utilization, which is a simple way of just saying using what's already there. So what we want to do is establish how little do you need to bring from Earth in order to be self-sufficient," Palmer told Florida Today."Mars is about six months away. If something goes wrong on Mars and you're unable to get a rocket to Mars to rescue people, they need to have their own food."

By studying various simulated Martian soils, Palmer and his colleagues hope to determine what elseis neededto help grow crops on Mars, especially since the Martian soil may not be able to host plant life.

Florida Tech to find right Mars soil to grow plants on the red planet

Dr. Andrew Palmer , fellow professors and his grad students are working on growing plants in simulated Mars soil for sustainability on Mars.

Malcolm Denemark, FLORIDA TODAY

"IfI go take a sample of soil on Florida Tech campus and then I went out beachside and I took a soil sample there, those are not going to be the same, and the same is true on Mars," Palmer said.

That's problematic for future Mars settlers. What if they get to Mars and all of a sudden they can't grow anything there?

To avoid that, Palmer suggests sending a robotic greenhouse in advance.

"In our mind, one way to do this would be you land robots there six months in advance, and you inflate a tent and you start working on the soil, all remotely, and colonists get there and the soil is ready to grow," Palmer said.

When discussing what crops would be best to grow on Mars and what other nutrients settlers would need, Palmer recommends crops like potatoes, corn, radishes andkale. As for protein, Palmer says, insects are the way to go.

"Trying to grow a cow on Mars, that's a huge amount of resource investment,but growing insects, it's a very cheap investment, relatively speaking," Palmer said.

The other option could be to grow synthetic meats.

Besides just the different eating habits and living arrangements humans would have to get accustomed to if they lived on Mars, life would be very different from Earth, perhaps more environmentally friendly, becausenearly everything would have to be recycled.

But that might not be all that enticing to future colonists.

"In a Martian colony, (the settlers) willhave never not had water that was made fromprevious urine, andtheir entire world will be completely recycled and reused," Palmer said.

But even with a Mars establishment, others don't believe Mars should be the final destination or a "colony" at all.

"I think going to Mars is fineit's not a final place to go. I mean, you know, it's like just going to the moon but it's a little further out," the late Apollo 15 astronaut Al Worden told Florida Today in November 2019.

"When the sun burns out, Mars is going to go too, along with the Earth," Worden said. "We'd be better off solving all the problems we've got here (on Earth) than colonizing Mars. What we need is an Earth-like planet in another solar system somewhere."

But if humans haven't even been able to head back to the moon since 1972, the odds of trying to head to a planet in another solar system isnothingmore thanscience fiction at this point.

Apollo 15 astronaut Al Worden doesn't believe in colonizing Mars

At Florida Tech, Apollo 15 astronaut Al Worden explained why he doesn't believe in colonizing Mars & where we could eventually live (Alpha Centauri)

Rachael Joy, Florida Today

Technological challengesaside, will humans even live long enough to travel and settle on another planet?

"That's my greatest concern," Worden said. "We're not very good to each other here, and we don't seem to care about the things that will sustain this place to live in for a long time. …I think we're doing more damage to ourselves and the planet that it may be of such an extent that we don't have to wait till the sun burns outwe're going to do it ourselves."

He's not the only one who thinks so.

In a July 2019 Pew Research Center study, 63% of Americans said NASA's top priorities should be using space to monitor key parts of Earths climate system. Meanwhile, only 13% believe sending astronauts to the moon should be a top priority. That figure jumps to a mere 18% for a crewed mission to Mars.

Former NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver wrote an op-ed piece for The Washington Postin 2019stating NASA should focus its resources on saving our planet instead of heading to other celestial bodies.

"The public is right about this. Climate change not Russia, much less China is todays existential threat. Data from NASA satellites show that future generations here on Earth will suffer from food and water shortages, increased disease and conflict over diminished resources," Garver said.

Instead of focusing on sending humans to the moon or Mars, Garver said, NASA should create a Climate Corps"in which scientists and engineers spend two years in local communities understanding the unique challenges they face, training local populations and connecting them with the data and science needed to support smart, local decision-making."

"Apollos legacy should not be more meaningless new goals and arbitrary deadlines," Garver said. "Lets not repeat the past. Lets try to save our future. Besides, humanitys intrinsic need to explore is driven by our need to survive."

The coronavirus pandemicleads toanother important question about interplanetary travel:What if we got stuck with another pandemic, only this time while humans were in space?

It's hard enough to live on a planet where you can't breathe, let alone have a highly contagious virus spreading like wildfire.

A key thing we have come to understand from COVID-19 is those with weaker immune systems have a harder time recovering. For the future explorers venturing to live on Mars, they might all end up having weak immune systems.

A study published last yearby NASA scientists revealed astronauts who have endured long space voyages such as the shuttle missions and International Space Station flightswere more vulnerable to diseasessuch as herpes, chickenpox and shingles.

The cause? Pretty much what youd expect from any potentially treacherous space voyage: stress.

So far, 47 out of 89 (53%) astronauts from short-duration space shuttle flights, and 14 out of 23 (61%) from long-duration ISS spaceflight missions shed at least one or more herpes viruses in their saliva or urine samples, the study states.

When astronauts venture out into space, they are faced with several extraterrestrial hazards, including cosmic radiation, microgravity and gravitational forces like acceleration and deceleration.

But those aren't the only stress factors they're exposed to. Throughout an astronaut's space mission, they are forced to endure social separation, confinement, sleep deprivation, circadian rhythm disruption and increased anxiety.

All this exposure contributes to dysregulation in the astronauts immune and endocrine systems.

So what does this mean for potentially longer space exploration missions and the humans embarking on those quests?

Although NASA believes there is no clinical risk to astronauts during orbital spaceflight, there is concern that during deep-space exploration missions there may be clinical risks related to viral shedding, lead study author Satish Mehta at Johnson Space Center told Florida Today via email.

The girl who wants to go to Mars

Alyssa Carson, 18 year old FIT student, has known she wanted to be an astronaut from a very young age and has been working towards that goal since childhood.

Malcolm Denemark, FLORIDA TODAY

Ultimately, the information gleaned from these space studies will shape the way we prepare for and design exploration-class missions, beyond the moon and Mars, where reactivation of latent viruses could result in increased risk for wide-ranging adverse medical events, according to the study.

Aside from the physical ramifications that living in space or other planets like Mars would cause on the human body, there's also a psychological toll that will affect those living far from Earth and their loved ones.

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On a planet where you cannot breathe, is living on Mars the best idea? - USA TODAY

Suzie Dills| Special to The Canton Repository

Although 2020 was a very difficult year for us, it gave us a chance to take time to observe astronomical highlights and night sky delights and view live broadcasts of historic launches. Many of us enjoyed the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn and the surprise visit of Comet NEOWISE. We watched the launch of the next Mars rover, Perseverance in July. History was made with the NASA SpaceX Crew Dragon flight, the first American rocket launch since 2011 and the NASAs Space X Crew 1 Mission.

2021 HIGHLIGHTS

Mars 2020 Perseverance rover is scheduled to land inside the 28-mile Jerezo Crater, on Feb. 18. Perseverance will search for signs of ancient life in Jerezo Crater which harbored a lake and river delta billions of years ago. The rover will collect and store samples for future return to Earth, along with demonstrating technology that could aid in future exploration. A tiny helicopter named, Ingenuity, hitched a ride on the belly of Perseverance. After the rover lands, it will find a place for Ingenuity to conduct test flights. Then Ingenuity will make a few short flights into the Martian skies. This will be the first ever flight by a rotorcraft on a planet beyond Earth.

In May, the NASA SpaceX Crew 1 astronauts will return to Earth. Soon after the NASA SpaceX Crew 2 Mission with four astronauts aboard will head to the International Space Station. The Crew 2 astronauts will spend six months at the ISS.

Boeing Orbital Flight Test2 targeted to launch on March 29. The first crewed mission for Boeings CST-100 Starliner, will be slated for June or later.

The first stage of the Artemis program for the return to the Moon, by humans, will begin with the launch of Artemis I, in November 2021. The mission is designed to test the crew spacecraft Orion and the Space Launch System. Crewed Artemis missions will follow.

The James Webb Telescope is still on track for launch on Oct. 31, 2021. The James Webb Telescope will be the largest and most powerful space telescope ever built and launched into space. With the Webb, we will be able see much closer to the beginning of time, when the first stars and galaxies started to form.

Highlights by date:

March 10 The thin crescent Moon joins Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn in the morning twilight.

April 25 Mercury and Venus will be about a degree apart, low in the western sky after sunset.

April 26 Supermoon. Closest Full Moon of the year.

May 12 Venus and the thin crescent Moon, less than 1 degree apart, low in the west-northwest at dusk.

May 26 Partial lunar eclipse, begins at 5:44 am with the Moon setting at 6:02 am.

June 10 Partial solar eclipse, will be underway with the sunrise at 5:52 am. Maximum at 5:55 am and eclipse will end at 6:35 am.

July 11 The thin crescent Moon will be 5 degrees from Venus and Mars, which will be separated by 1 degree low in the western sky at dusk.

Aug. 22 Seasonal Blue Moon, occurs when we have four Full Moons in one season. The third is called the Blue Moon. This is the original definition of a Blue Moon.

Nov. 19 Near-total lunar eclipse. Partial eclipse begins at 2:18 am, maximum at 4:02 am and eclipse ends at 5:47 am.

Dec. 5 Jupiter, Saturn, Venus and the Moon form a spectacular line in the western sky after sunset.

NIGHT SKY FOR JANUARY

Planets and the Moon:

Jupiter and Saturn start the month low in the southwestern sky, right after sunset. By mid-month, they drop from view, but will return to the morning sky next month. Mercury returns to the evening sky in January and creates a spectacular trio with Jupiter and Saturn, in the southwest, on the 10th, right after sunset. Mercury will continue to climb higher and remains visible through the end of the month. Mercury reaches greatest elongation on Jan. 23, 19 degrees east of the Sun. Mars shines brightly overhead all month but continues to move away from Earth. At the beginning of the month, Mars is 84.3 million miles from Earth, at months end it will be 111 million miles away. Brilliant Venus will be low in the predawn southeastern at the beginning of January but lost in the Suns glare at months end. Jan. 18-22 will be a great time to spot Uranus. Mars will pass north of Uranus, with Jan. 21 as the best night, when Uranus is 1.7-degree due south of Mars. On Jan. 1, Neptune will be 1 degree east of Phi Aquarii in eastern Aquarius. On Jan. 14, the Moon pairs with Mercury, 35 minutes after sunset. Then on Jan. 17 the Moon passes south of Neptune and on Jan. 21 passes south of Mars and Uranus. In the predawn sky, the Moon pairs with Venus on Jan. 11.

Constellations:

East: Great star hopping in this part of the sky! Start with the most magnificent picture in our stars, Orion, the Hunter. Look for the three stars in a line, which make up the belt of Orion. The bright red-orange star up and to the left of the belt is Betelgeuse. The bright blue-white star down and to the right of the belt is Rigel.Draw a line up from the belt to a red, orange star, Aldebaran, which is the eye of Taurus, the Bull. The sideways V shape is the face of Taurus. Above Taurus, the small cluster of stars is the Pleiades or Seven Sisters. Making a counterclockwise loop from the Pleiades, the next bright star is Capella. Continuing down, the two stars you see are Gemini, the Twins.

North: The Big Dipper is beginning to swing up on its handle. Following the two stars at the end of the cup to the next bright star, is Polaris, or the North Star. The constellation Cassiopeia is above and to the left of Polaris and resembles the letter M.

West: There you will see four stars that form the Great Square of Pegasus.

Binocular Highlights: When facing north, locate the M shape of Cassiopeia. From the left point of the M shape, scan slowly up to the left. You will see a fuzzy circular shape. That is the Andromeda Galaxy. It is 2.5 million light years away. From the right point of the M, scan up slightly. You will come upon the Double Cluster in Perseus. High overhead, you will see the small cluster of stars, the Pleiades or the Seven Sisters. The Pleiades is a beautiful open star cluster. Head to Orion, the Hunter. Scan below the three stars of Orions belt. You will see fuzzy area with bright stars. This is the Orion Nebula, a hydrogen gas cloud where new stars are forming.

The peak of the Quadrantid Meteor Shower is Jan.3.

For further night sky details, maps and audio, visit my website http://www.starrytrails.com.

VISIT THE HOOVER PRICE PLANETARIUM Visit http://www.mckinleymuseum.org, for limited show dates and times! Planetarium shows are free with Museum admission. Seating is limited and will be on a first come, first serve basis. The Planetarium is located inside the McKinley Presidential Library & Museum, 800 McKinley Monument Drive, NW, in Canton, Ohio. For more information, please call the museum at 330-455-7043.

Excerpt from:

Sky Shorts: Space exploration and night sky highlights for 2021 - Canton Repository

This illustration shows a concept of how the NASA Mars Ascent Vehicle, carrying tubes containing rock and soil samples, could be launched from the surface of Mars in one step of the Mars sample return mission. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The National Strategy for Planetary Protection reflects the critical importance of planetary protection to the future of space science, exploration, and life on Earth. Planetary protection refers to the policy and practice of protecting future scientific investigations by limiting biological contamination of other planetary bodies through exploration activities and protecting the Earths biosphere by avoiding harmful biological contamination by returning spacecraft.

Mitigating the risk of harmful biological contamination of the Earth (termed backward contamination) and other planetary bodies (termed forward contamination) supports a safe, sustainable, and predictable Earth and space environment. New missions to the Moon, Mars, and other destinations are underway or under consideration by NASA, other national space programs from around the world, and the private sector. While samples from Earths Moon have been deemed non-hazardous and their return to Earth has been unrestricted since 1971, both public and private entities are considering missions that would collect and return samples from other planetary bodies that have not been as thoroughly studied.

By considering the emergence of new efforts to explore and use the solar system, this strategy provides guidance to address the diverse challenges and manage any potential risk of biological contamination associated with space exploration. Accordingly, this strategy balances United States interests in promoting scientific discovery, human exploration, and the growth of private sector space activities, all with due consideration for public safety and applicable obligations. The United States intends to remain a leader in the development of internationally accepted policies and practices addressing planetary protection.

The National Strategy for Planetary Protection is an important implementation step under the 2020 National Space Policy; specifically, the development of national and international planetary protection guidelines, working with scientific and commercial partners, for the appropriate protection of planetary bodies and Earth from harmful biological contamination.Continued implementation of this directive will require updating United States department and agency roles and responsibilities, providing authorization and continuing supervision of private space activities, maintaining international leadership, and encouraging the development of innovative technologies and processes that reduce the costs of planetary protection.

The strategy sets forth three overarching objectives corresponding to forward contamination, backward contamination, and private sector coordination:

Objective 1: Avoid harmful forward contamination by developing and implementing risk assessment and science-based guidelines and updating the interagency payload review process.

Objective 2: Avoid backward contamination by developing a Restricted Return Program to protect against adverse effects on the Earth environment due to the potential return of extraterrestrial life.

Objective 3: Incorporate the perspective and needs of the private sector by soliciting feedback and developing guidelines regarding private sector activities with potential planetary protection implications.

Efforts to meet these objectives and to develop the national planetary protection action plan will be coordinated by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and National Space Council (NSpC) staff, in close cooperation with appropriate Federal departments and agencies, to ensure continued United States leadership in safe and responsible scientific discovery, human exploration, and private sector space activities.

Reference: National Strategy for Planetary Protection by The White House National Space Council, December 2020.PDF

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The White House Releases National Strategy for Planetary Protection - SciTechDaily

The Union cabinet has approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Bhutan on peaceful uses of outer space.

The MoU, which was signed on November 19, shall enable India and Bhutan to pursue cooperation in areas such as remote sensing of the earth, satellite communication and satellite based navigation, space science and planetary exploration, use of spacecraft and space systems and ground system and application of space technology.

A joint working group would be set up, drawing members from the department of space and Indian Space Research Organization and the Bhutan ministry of information and communications, which will work out the plan of action including the time-frame and the means of implementation, the department of space said in a statement.

Also read:SSB jawans seize 290 kg of cannabis along Indo-Bhutan border in Arunachal Pradesh

Cooperation with Bhutan would lead to developing a joint activity in the field of application of space technologies for the benefit of humanity, thus benefitting all sections and regions of the country, it added.

India and Bhutan have been discussing on establishing formal space cooperation.

The Union cabinet has shared a template for inter-governmental MoU for space cooperation with the ministry of external affairs in November 2017 for discussion with Bhutan.

The two countries also discussed the draf along with other cooperative proposals during the bilateral meeting in February this year.

After a few iterations through diplomatic channels, both sides have arrived at a workable draft of the MoU and the same was processed for internal approvals.

After obtaining necessary approvals the two countries signed the MoU on November 19.

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India and Bhutan to collaborate for outer space exploration - Northeast Now

From developing multiple vaccines for a pandemic to retrieving samples from outer worlds2020 was undoubtedly a year of science! Despite unimaginable human suffering, humanity witnessed some unforgettable moments of heroism, innovation and sacrifice this year. And science was not left behind!

In the year 2020despite the widespread lockdowns and restricted movementspace exploration and research continued to proliferate across the globe. While some planned missions were delayed, multiple astronomical triumphs achieved this year demonstrated that nothing in this world can halt scientific ingenuity. The Weather Channel India has compiled some such exciting space discoveries and events that grabbed headlines in the year gone by. In case you missed any of these mind-blowing space stories of 2020, then here is a reckoner!

On September 14, 2020, a paper published in the reputed journal Nature Astronomy, revealed detection of phosphinea colourless, flammable gason the clouds of Venus. According to the study, phosphine could originate from unknown photochemical or geochemical processes on Venus, or it could be a biological product from the presence of life.

Planet Venus

The study kicked off an intense debate over the presence of life on the Earths sister planet. Scientists continue to insist that the detection of phosphine in itself is not enough evidence for microbial life, and it only indicates some unknown geological or chemical process that we havent understood yet, while some scientists have even questioned the detection of phosphine itself.

The surface conditions of the rocky planet Venus is not conducive to life as we know it. However, scientists say that the environment of its upper cloud deckaround 5362 km above the surfacecould be mild enough to support some forms of extremophiles, which are the microbes that can survive in extremely harsh conditions. Read more about this breakthrough research here.

While ISRO took a back seat with stalled missions in 2020, Indian astronomers proved their mantle in furthering space science by conducting breakthrough research. One of the most remarkable contributions was by two students from the Indian Institute of Technology BombayKunal Deshmukh and Kriti Sharmawho spotted the closest asteroid to ever fly past Earth. Back on August 16, a car-sized space rock, named 2020 QG, zipped past our planet and scientists had no clue about it. Its discovery created a lot of buzz around the world as the closest-known asteroid. Find out more about this discovery here.

GMRT in Pune.

On August 24, 2020, scientists from the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune announced the discovery of one of the earliest galaxies in the universe, situated about 9.3 billion light-years away from the Earth. The breakthrough discovery was made using AstroSatthe first multi-wavelength satellite of India. The galaxy, named AUDFs01, is expected to enhance our understanding of the origin of early galaxies and the earliest source of light in the universe. Read more about this study here.

In another breakthrough research, Indian astronomers, using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) based in Pune, successfully measured the atomic hydrogen content of distant galaxies. The study outlines the earliest measurements of the atomic gas till datefrom a young universe seen as it was during eight billion years ago. The study was led by the team of astronomers from the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA-TIFR) in Pune and the Raman Research Institute (RRI) in Bengaluru. For details, click here.

Making use of the Near-Earth Object Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) space telescope, scientists first observed a peculiar comet on March 27, 2020, chasing the Sun. As it travelled to within 44 million kilometres of the Sun, NEOWISEs outermost layers burned-up, causing gas and dust particles to fall off its icy surface and creating a large tail of debris. The comet managed to survive the intense roasting from the Sun as it approached our host star in June.

Comet NEOWISE over Stonehenge.

While most comets of NEOWISEs range do not survive the Suns intense radiation, this survivor emerged from the ordeal brighter than before, startling astronomers around the globe. NEOWISE was the brightest comet for the northern hemisphere in the past several decades and appeared at every dawn or dusk for nearly a monthfrom July 3 to the first week of August. Now it will revisit the future Earthlings only after about 6,800 years. In case you missed it, catch the glimpse here.

The enthusiasm to explore the possibility of life beyond the planet Earth and the curiosity to understand the origin of our solar system continued to drive more missions to Mars in 2020. The red planet is the top contender in the list of possible hosts to establish future human colonies, and the process seems to have got a kick start this year.

Artist's concept shows the Mars Helicopter on the Martian surface.

Between July 20 to 30, three explorer missionsone each from the US, UAE and Chinawere launched towards Mars. This particular time frame was chosen by multiple agencies to embark on the seven-month-long journey since Mars will be closest to Earth during this window. In October 2020, the red planet came closest to the blue planet at just over 62 million kilometres, almost half the average distance of 104 million km.

The three missionsHope by UAE, Perseverance of US, and Tianwen-1 of Chinaare slated to reach the destination somewhere around February 2021. The main aim of the UAE mission is to study the planets thin atmosphere, while both Perseverance and Tianwen-1 will fetch samples of rocks and soil for further analysis. Whichever mission succeeds in revealing scientifically important data, the trio will be a milestone in Mars exploration. Read more about these missions here and here.

On December 6, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) achieved yet another milestone in cosmic exploration by successfully bringing back samples from a distant asteroid named Ryugulocated 300 million kilometres away from the Earth. Asteroids like Ryuguare rubbles from the earliest times of the formation of our solar systems.

Studying these space rocks could provide invaluable insights into the primordial characteristics of our solar system. Through this missionnamed Hayabusa-2the Japanese space agency collected samples of dust and materials from under the surface of asteroid Ryugu. It took six years for the spacecraft to complete the round trip to this celestial body. Read more about Japans mission here.

The year started with the release of the most detailed image of our gigantic Sun. The United States-based National Science Foundations Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope released its first images of the Suns surface on February 2, 2020. The images highlight features that roughly cover an area as small as 30 km on the Sunan unparalleled feat, considering the star has a diameter of about 1.4 million km and is located 149 million km away from Earth.

Solar Orbiter spots campfires on the Sun. Locations of campfires are annotated with white arrows.

Moreover, NASA and ESA released the first images of the Solar Orbiter, including the closest pictures ever taken of the Sun on July 17. These images were captured when the spacecraft completed its first close pass of the Sun in mid-June this year. Launched on February 10, 2020, the Solar Orbiter mission has carried several cutting-edge instruments using which scientists hope to gain an in-depth understanding of the solar wind, and how it releases the stream of charged particles that influence the entire Solar System. Click here and here to know more.

Earths sole natural satellite, the Moon, got its fair share of the spotlight too in 2020 as several breakthrough studies shed light on the lunar mysteries.

One of the studies published in early September comes from Indias historic mission Chandrayaan-1. The data from ISROs mission has revealed that the Moon might be rusting. The study highlights that the Moon is turning slightly red, indicating the formation of a reddish-black mineral form of iron named hematite on its surface, particularly at the poles. Know how the Moon is rusting here.

The nearest celestial body to Earththe Moon.

Another breakthrough discovery by NASA confirmed the presence of water on the Moons sunlit surface for the first time in history. Earlier, astronomers believed that water molecules on the Moon could be limited to cold, shadowed places. The announcement came from the space agency in October this year, it revealed that the discovery was made using Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). The study is considered highly significant as it indicates the possibility of water distribution across the lunar surface. Read about this discovery here.

The year ended with the biggest achievement in the history of Moon exploration by successfully bringing in Moon samples after 44 years. The feat was achieved by China's National Space Administration (CNSA)making it the third space league nation to achieve this milestone. The samples are important to shed light on the origin and geological history of the Moon. Read more on this mission here.

In the last week of April this year, a powerful burst of radio waves passed over Earth, flashing up radio telescopes based in various parts of the globe. The seemingly random flickers were regarded as one of the most mysterious cosmic signals ever recorded by radio telescopes to date. Some theories even suggested that the signal is coming from a distant alien civilization.

Artist's impression of a magnetar in outburst, showing complex magnetic field structure and beamed emission, here imagined as following a crust cracking episode.

But this year in November, a team of astronomers finally decoded its source suggesting that the mysterious signal is coming from magnetars within our Milky Way galaxy. FRBs are the super intense radio waves which last for milliseconds and were first discovered in 2007. The extremely short length and undefined origin had made it impossible to analyse these signals effectively. Know more about this exciting discovery here.

In the early 1920s, renowned astronomer Edwin Hubble discovered that our galaxythe Milky Waywas not the only galaxy in the Universe. In subsequent decades, we realised that there are, in fact, a countless number of galaxies in our universe. In August 2020, for the first time, astronomers reported having spotted a look-alike galaxy of our Milky Way with a very close resemblance.

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile has 66 high-precision antennas.

The newly found galaxy named SPT0418-47 is estimated to be located about 12 billion light-years from our galaxy, meaning it is so far that its light takes nearly 12 billion years to travel and reach us. The newly discovered galaxy was formed when the universe was just 10% of its current ageabout 1.4 billion years old. What makes the galaxy look like ours? Find out here.

A group of astronomers have spotted the biggest explosion ever recorded in the universe. This record-breaking outburst was a result of a black hole exploding in a distant galaxy cluster, named Ophiuchus galaxy cluster, that is located approximately 390 million light-years away from the Earth. Galaxy clusters are essentially the largest structures in the universe, tied together by gravity. They contain thousands of galaxies, along with hot gas and dark matter. Read more about this breakthrough discovery here.

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2020 in Space: Ten Out-of-the-World Happenings That Kept Astronomy Enthusiasts on Their Toes This Year | The Weather Channel - Articles from The...

File photo: ISRO Chief, K Sivan.

The priority for the year 2021 will be to usher in increased space sector reforms by putting in place a permanent Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) and other sectoral policies, said K. Sivan, Secretary, Department of Space (DoS). Sivan is also the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Space Commission.

He said an interim IN-SPACe, which was set up, has received 28 applications from the private sector companiessmall and bigstartups, and academic institutions for various space-related activities.

The IN-SPACe is the regulator for the private sector space industry players in India. It would also provide a level playing field for private companies to use Indian space infrastructure.

"We want to install the IN-SPACe next year. The existing space-related policies are being modified or new one brought in," Sivan added.

As per the current scheme of things, IN-SPACe will have its own directorates for technical, legal, safety and security, monitoring as well as activities promotion for assessing the private sector's needs and coordination of the activities. IN-SPACe would have a board and representatives from industry, academia and the government.

To date, the DoS has also come out with three draft policiesDraft Space-Based Communication Policy of India 2020 (Spacecom Policy-2020), Draft Space-Based Remote Sensing Policy and Revised Technology Transfer Policy Guidelinesto enable the private sector to play a greater role in the space field.

A policy for launch vehicles or rockets, space exploration and also a comprehensive Space Act will also be announced, Sivan had said earlier. According to him the other priority areas for 2021 will be the Gaganyaan mission (India's human space mission), third moon mission-Chandrayaan-3, development of high thrust launcher, advanced satellites, electrical propulsion for satellites, realisation of Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV).

Sivan said the liquid fuel-powered engine for the Gaganyaan rocket was tested. "The crew module design phase is over," he added.

Earlier Sivan had said Team ISRO has a busy schedule ahead for the launch of Aditya L1 satellite, third moon mission Chandrayaan-3, GaganyaaanIndia's human space mission, and realisation of small rocket Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV).

He also said the SSLV will carry EOS-02 (Earth Observation Satellite), and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-F10 (GSLV) carrying EOS-3. The other Indian satellites that are ready for launch are GISAT and Microsat-2A.

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The above article has been published from a wire agency with minimal modifications to the headline and text.

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Ushering More Space Sector Reform on Priority for 2021: ISRO Chief K Sivan | The Weather Channel - Articles from The Weather Channel | weather.com -...

This past summer, NASAs Perseverance rover launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. On February 18th, 2021, it will arrive on Mars and join in the search for evidence for past (and maybe even present) life. A particularly exciting aspect of this mission is the Mars Sample Return (MSR), a multi-mission effort that will send samples of Mars back to Earth for analysis.

This aspect of the Perseverance mission will be assisted by a lander and orbiter developed by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). According to NASA, the MSR recently advanced to the next stage of development (Phase A). If all goes well, Perseverance will have a companion in the coming years that will take its samples and launch them to orbit, where they will be picked up and sent back to Earth.

The ability to collect and cache samples set the Perseverance rover apart from its predecessors, including the Curiosity rover. Like its sister mission, these samples will be obtained with a coring drill mounted to the end of a robotic arm. The samples will be hermetically sealed in a set of collection tubes deposited in a designated location on the Martian surface or stored internally.

This is where the MRS will come into play, which will consist of a Sample Retrieval Lander (SRL) reaching the surface and a Sample Fetch Rover (SFR) picking the tubes and placing them in a sealed sample container. The container will then be transported to a Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) that will carry it to orbit, where the Earth Return Orbiter (ERO) will pick them up.

From here, the samples will be placed inside a Capture/Containment and Return System (CCRS) and begin the trip home, returning to Earth sometime in the early 2030s. Whereas the ESA will provide the orbiter, the rover, and the landers robotic arm, NASA will provide the lander itself, the ascent vehicle, and the return system on the orbiter.

As Thomas Zurbuchen, the associate administrator for science at NASA Headquarters, explained in a recent NASA press statement:

Returning samples of Mars to Earth has been a goal of planetary scientists since the early days of the space age, and the successful completion of this MSR key decision point is an important next step in transforming this goal into reality. MSR is a complex campaign, and it encapsulates the very essence of pioneering space exploration pushing the boundaries of whats capable and, in so doing, furthering our understanding of our place in the universe.

Phase A will consist of developing critical technologies, critical design decisions, and the selection of industry partners to realize the mission concepts. Specifically, NASA and the ESA will be tasked with providing components for the SRL and the ERO missions, which are currently expected to launch sometime after 2025.

Earlier this year, NASA established aMars Sample Return Independent Review Board to evaluate its early concepts for a multi-mission partnership with the ESA. Theboardsreport to NASAs Science Mission Directorate (SMD) (along with NASAs response) was released in October, indicating that it is ready to undertake the campaign.

This was followed about a month later by the MSR Standing Review Board (SRB), a second panel made up of independent experts, recommending that the program move into Phase A. Bobby Braun is the program manager of the MSR program at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which leads the development of the overall effort. As he summed it up:

Beginning the formulation work of Phase A is a momentous step for our team, albeit one of several to come. These reviews strengthened our plan forward and this milestone signals creation of a tangible approach for MSR built upon the extraordinary capabilities of the NASA centers, our ESA partners, and industry.

This will be the first time that samples are launched to Earth from another planet. More importantly, the ability to analyze these samples on Earth will allow for more thorough scientific returns. While Curiosity and other rovers conducted sample-analysis in-situ, in-depth analyses require instruments that are too large and complex to send to another planet.

In addition, having curated samples will allow scientists from all over the world to test new theories and models as they are developed. Consider the rock samples brought back by the Apollo astronauts, which are still providing vital clues about the Moons formation and evolution decades later. The MSR campaign will also require landing spacecraft on the Martian surface that are heavier than any previously sent.

It will also involve launch and orbital rendezvous operations around another planet for the first time. Last but not least, it will advance NASAs efforts to begin sending astronauts to Mars, which is expected to take place sometime in the next decade. As Jeff Gramling, the director of the MSR program at NASA Headquarters, summarized:

MSR will foster significant engineering advances for humanity and advance technologies needed to successfully realize the first round-trip mission to another planet. The scientific advances offered by pristine Martian samples through MSR are unprecedented, and this mission will contribute to NASAs eventual goal of sending humans to Mars.

The 2020s and early 2030s will be an exciting time for NASA. Aside from the first sample-return mission from Mars, NASA will also be sending the first woman and next man to the Moon as part of Project Artemis. By decades end, this will culminate in the creation of an orbiting space station (the Lunar Gateway) and the Artemis Base Camp on the lunar surface. These, in turn, will help prepare the way for crewed missions to Mars and beyond!

Further Reading: NASA

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Plans for a Mars Sample Return Mission Have Moved to the Next Stage - Universe Today

The most interesting work, however, has to do with NASAs next-generation spacesuit for astronauts going to the moonthe eXploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit, or xEMU. It is ostensibly the successor to the spacesuits worn by Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and other Apollo astronauts when they set foot on the lunar surface half a century ago. But it also incorporates what weve learned through the EMUs used in orbit during the space shuttle and ISS eras of human exploration, as well as the hard lessons from Apollo. The goal behind Artemis is to have people living and working on the moon. New spacesuits will be critical to ensuring that the experience is safe and comfortable.

We are so excited about putting people back on the moon, says Richard Rhodes, a spacesuit engineer at NASA whos working on the xEMU. Our main goal is that the crew doesnt even think about us. They put the suit on, and they do their workthe science, the explorationand do not even think twice about how mobile they are or how effectively they can work. Thats a tall order, but were trying to get as close to that as possible. We want to be invisible.

Here are some of the biggest innovations we can expect out of xEMU.

When youre designing a spacesuit, you want it to move freely and efficiently, with the least amount of effort possible, so we can be as near to shirtsleeve mobility as possible, says Rhodes. The goal is to limit the amount of volume in the suit, because the more volume there is, the harder astronauts must to work to bend their joints, and that can quickly grow exhausting.

The solution is to use bearings, since they rotate around a single point and ensure a constant amount of volume. The old Apollo suits used bearings only in the arms, because it was basically a multipurpose suit (used for both launch and entry, as well as lunar exploration). It needed to be light enough to accommodate all these different situations, and too many bearings could have weighed it down.

The xEMU has bearings that are lighter and hew closer to the joints than ones used for previous EMUs. The ones at the shoulders should allow astronauts to reach outward and lift objects more easily while reducing risk of injury to the upper body. There are finally bearings at the waist, hips, thighs, and ankles, creating much greater mobility in the lower body. All of these together allow for very low-torque, low-energy mobility and motion, says Rhodes.

The suits also have a variable pressure system to give astronauts more flexibility when they need it. It should allow them to get ready more quickly in the suit when it's necessary, but also to lift materials or kneel down to study things when the situation calls for it.

NASA

The hip mobility bearings in particular are a big deal for moonwalking (no, notthatkind of moonwalking). Apollo astronauts werent spending a whole lot of time on the surface of the moon during their missions, and the time they did spend was largely to just get to know this new environment. They quickly found it difficult to walk around normally in microgravity, and they were also very careful to avoid any dangers.

With such limited hip mobility, striding just wasnt feasible. So they mostly shuffled; when they got more comfortable and more adventurous, they could manage a more loping gait to move faster. Trying to grab objects on the ground required an awkward lunge.

The xEMU is supposed to encourage normal walking as opposed to hopping, and make it easier to kneel down stably in one motion to work close to the groundwhich wasnt much of an option for Apollo astronauts. No more lunging for objects. This is going to make it much easier for astronauts to conduct worthwhile science on the ground, like examining geological samples or setting up complex instruments.

A huge lesson learned from Apollo was that lunar dust is terrible. The moons surface hasnt been exposed to the kind of weathering Earths geology has faced. As a result, the lunar soil is very coarse and jagged, and it sticks to everything (yeah, I know I soundlike Anakin Skywalker). It contaminates inner layers of the garment and any parts that are supposed to detach, and causes general wear and tear to the exterior of the suits.

So to avoid any exposed gaps, designers minimized components like zippers or wrist disconnects, as well as seams where dust could infiltrate. Were looking at more of a whole garment that goes over the entire assembly, with small features where you can still perform operational checks and disconnect things during a contingency, says Rhodes. Its like a whole shirt and whole pants thats all one piece, without breaks where dust can get inside. And for areas where there are breaks (like bearings), the team is working on developing and incorporating seals that should keep dust out.

NASA

The xEMU helmets offer a wider range of vision than the Apollo helmets, with onboard lights to help illuminate dark places. Theyll have a HUD (heads-up display) for astronauts to access important information on the go. High-definition shoulder cameras will help record journeys as if right from the astronauts own eyes.

The Snoopy caps used for communications are a pretty recognizable part of EMUs, but as most astronauts whove been on spacewalks can attest, they can quickly get drenched in sweat, and their microphones dont always work well after many hours of movement. The xEMU gets rid of the Snoopy cap for an audio system thats embedded into the suit, voice activated to automatically pick up sounds as theyre spoken.

A common complaint among any astronaut whos gone on an EVA is that the gloves are a menace. Their bulky layers mean you lose a lot of dexterity, and you also dont necessarily know how much pressure youre using when you grab something. Lack of circulation and the accumulation of moisture can lead to some nasty side effects, like brittle fingernails and even fungus. Gloves are not a new challenge, says Rhodes. Theres absolutely room for improvement.

The main improvements Rhodes and his team are working on for the xEMU is to make sure astronauts hands are protected from extreme temperature changes and dust, and that they can handle lunar material safely. NASA is also figuring out how to make it easier for them to do simple tasks like grasp tools and operate small equipment.

NASA

Back in 2014, Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano was on a spacewalk when his suit began to leak water, flooding the helmet and nearly drowning him. Engineers later found that contamination had caused water from the cooling system to back uptrouble exacerbated by the fact that the water and cooling loops were in such close contact. So the xEMU now keeps those loops completely separate to avoid another such emergency from happening.

The xEMU also sports a new carbon dioxide scrubbing system that uses two different absorption beds (in this case, small cans made of lithium hydroxide that readily attract and trap carbon dioxide). While one is being used, the other can be exposed to the vacuum of space and emptied outso carbon dioxide is constantly scrubbed without forcing astronauts to come back inside to clean the absorption beds. The oxygen tanks are higher-pressure systems that should deliver oxygen for longer periods of time than Apollo suits did. The only limitation now for how long someone can stay in the suit, theoretically, is battery power.

Meanwhile, the xEMU is retaining some life support and safety features that are tried and true. Theres protection from micrometeorites based on a similar design for the current orbital EMUs. Theres also thermal protection to withstand the sharp temperature changes (from -250 F in the shade to 250 F under the sun).

Back in March 2019, NASA canceled plans for the first all-woman spacewalkbecause there werent enough correctly sized spacesuitsonly larger ones were available.

It was a tough lesson about the need to make sure that suits are designed properly to accommodate people of all sizes. The agency has decided that with the xEMU, theyre leaving nothing to chance. Each suit will be custom fitted to the height, size, and comfort of the individual astronaut and will aim to provide the broadest range of motion for activities on the moon. If a moonwalk is canceled this time, it wont be because the suits dont fit.Spacesuit design is still a work in progress, though. Theres not a lot of data on operation on the lunar surface, says Rhodes. Any kind of feedback will be fantastic. NASA intends to incorporate what it learns from the first few Artemis missions to improve the xEMU over and over againwith an eye toward making something that will work on Mars one day.

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Current spacesuits wont cut it on the moon. So NASA made new ones. - MIT Technology Review