Category Archives: Space Exploration

For the first time since 1623, Jupiter and Saturn's alignment created the "Christmas Star," and ASU's scientists livestreamed a telescopic view of it

A screenshot of Jupiter and Saturn through Ted Blank's telescope taken during the livestream by ASU's School of Earth and Space Exploration on Dec. 21, 2020.

An end-of-the-year treat for the naked-eye is something everyone needs to finish 2020.

Planets Jupiter and Saturn aligned with Earth forming the Great Conjunction Monday evening for the first time in hundreds of years.

This planetary alignment occurs every 20 years, but was last visible in the sky in 1623. What makes this sighting so rare is how close the two planets are coming together.

ASU's School of Earth and Space Exploration livestreamed the event to over 700 watchers across the globe Monday evening, where scientists within SESE shared shots of their telescopes and explained the science behind this conjunction's significance.

This planetary alignment occurs every 20 years but was last visible in the sky in 1623. What makes this sighting so rare is how close the two planets are coming together.

"It's like two race cars on a track, and one passes the other," said Robert Alling, manager of SESE's community outreach program.

Just past sunset once the sky darkened, everyone around the world with a clear sky and a southwest view was able to witness Jupiter on the inside lane, approaching Saturn and finally overtaking it for nearly an hour.

Alling said tonight is special as Jupiter and Saturn are meeting at the same "ecliptic longitude," which is what makes two planets appear join together from Earth.

"They happen to be at parts of the orbit of what we call the meeting node, that means they are passing through the plane of the solar system," Alling said. "So they're in line for us together and they are very, very close together."

NASA explained in a post on their website that though the planets will appear to have merged, they will remain hundreds of millions of miles apart in space.

While year marks Earth completing an orbit around the sun, Jupiter's orbit takes 12 years and Saturn's takes 30 years.

While the the Great Conjunction is viewable to the naked eye, 2020's planet alignment marks the first viewing with modern telescopes.

"I think this is a good time for us to kind of just take a step back and really enjoy and appreciate how wonderful the universe is," said Claude Haynes, observatory manager of the East Valley Astronomers club during the livestream. "We can do it with our own naked eye, just like humans have done for thousands and thousands of years.

Its a pretty spectacular universe, and we should celebrate that as often as we can."

Reach the reporter at Lizbet.Flores@asu.edu and follow @florelizbet on Twitter.

Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on Twitter.

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Jupiter and Saturn aligned with Earth to form the 'Great Conjunction' - The State Press

Jan. 4-5

Online Job-Search Survival Workshop:

A free two-part workshop will be held via Zoom. 5:45-8:30 p.m. Registration: https://sugarcreek.net/event/job-search/. Information: E-mail jobhelp@sugarcreek.net or call 281-242-2858, ext. 1083.

Jan. 5

How to Hit the Ground Running in the Current Job Search Market:

Free online class hosted by JS101. 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. Registration: https://www.js101.org/workshops.

Jan. 7

Build a Profitable E-mail List and Turn Subscribers into Customers:

Virtual event hosted by the UH Bauer College SBDC. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Information: http://www.sbdc.uh.edu.

Jan. 9

Online Webinar: How To Start and Run a Business:

SCORE will host a two-part seminar on Jan. 9 and Jan. 16. 9 a.m.-noon. Information and registration: http://www.houston.score.org.

Jan. 26

Greater Houston Partnership 2021 Annual Meeting:

Virtual broadcast. Noon-1 p.m. Incoming Chair Amy Chronis, Deloitte Houston managing partner, outlines how the organizations strategic plan, Houston Next, has been reframed to address the greater Houston regions key challenges. Bob Harvey, president and CEO, will dive deeper into key strategic initiatives designed to build a strong economy. Outgoing Chair Bobby Tudor, chairman, Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. will highlight the organizations 2020 accomplishments. Registration: Houston.org/events.

Feb. 4-6

Space Exploration Educators Conference:

Virtual conference hosted by Space Center Houston. Theme: Perseverance Through Innovation. From Apollo 13 to launching the next Mars Rover, NASA is no stranger to innovating under pressure. To register, visitspacecenter.org/seecor contact SEEC atSEEC@spacecenter.orgor 281-244-2149.

katherine.feser@chron.com

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Business calendar: Upcoming events in the area - Houston Chronicle

HOUSTON, Dec. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Houston Spaceport, the nation's 10th commercially licensed Spaceport, will be home to the world's first commercial space station builder, Axiom Space. The aerospace company announced plans to create a 14-acre headquarters campus to train private astronauts and begin production of its Axiom Station the world's first free-flying, internationally available private space station that will serve as humanity's central hub for research, manufacturing and commerce in low Earth orbit.

"While we have confronted the challenges of a global pandemic this year, our work to move our city forward never stops. Today's announcement is another leap that demonstrates how Houston embraces humankind's boldest challenges and lives-up to every bit of its namesake - The Space City," Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said. "With Axiom Space at the Houston Spaceport, we expect to energize our workforce by adding more than a thousand high-quality jobs and engage our communities that are focused and dedicated to the STEM fields."

The new Axiom Space Headquarters campus will be located in phase one of the 400 acres Houston Spaceport at Ellington Airport, EFD. The first phase, 153 acres, was completed in December and includes vital infrastructure like streets, utilities, robust communications systems. The Houston Spaceport is ideally located minutes from downtown Houston.

"We had a vision of Houston Spaceport bringing together a cluster of aviation and aerospace enterprises that would support the future of commercial spaceflight," Houston Airports Aviation Director Mario Diaz said. "Today, we have an urban center for collaboration and ideation, a place where the brightest minds in the world can work closely together to lead us into the next frontier of space exploration."

Axiom Space's Houston Spaceport headquarters campus will include the construction of approximately 322,000 square feet of facility space to accommodate Axiom Station modules and terminal building space to house private astronauts, operations, engineering and other requirements. The campus will have ease of access to the Ellington airfield.

"Houston Spaceport represents an ideal headquarters location with its infrastructure and benefits as well as its co-location at Ellington Airport," Axiom Space CEO Mike Suffredini said. "The opportunity to build high-bay hangars where we can assemble the Axiom Station while simultaneously training our private astronauts for missions gives us the flexibility we need as we build the future of commercial space."

The development is estimated to bring more than a thousand jobs to Houston, which already has one of the highest concentrations of engineering talent in the nation. Johnson Space Center, which employs more than 11,000 people and utilizes airfields at Ellington Airport, is just minutes from the Houston Spaceport.

"Axiom Space's announcement is a game-changer for Houston as we extend our position as a commercial aerospace leader," President and CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership, the economic development organization serving the Greater Houston area, Bob Harvey said. "Houston is a city built on innovation with a technology-focused workforce, and this move adds to the region's momentum as one of the country's leading next-generation tech hubs."

One of Houston Spaceport's tenants includes Intuitive Machines, a private company that secured a NASA contract to build the NOVA-C Spacecraft, a nearly 13-foot lunar lander that will deliver cargo to the moon in 2021. San Jacinto College has also invested in building its Edge Center, the official education partner for Houston Spaceport that offers aerospace training and career pathways for students.

"The same great environment that produced so many technological advancements in Houston's past is, once again, creating its next successful venture into space Axiom Station the world's first commercial space station," President of the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership Bob Mitchell said. "The synergies now being realized at the Houston Spaceport between Houston's dynamic industry partners, its world class training and academic providers, and its far-sighted community investors are not only benefitting Axiom but will only get stronger over time. We are all in this together and the best is yet to come!"

Read more from the original source:

Houston Spaceport Slated to Become Home to the World's First Commercial Space Station Builder - AviationPros.com

Astronaut Victor Glover has had a busy holiday season.

On Wednesday, December 3, NASA announced 18 astronauts that will part of the Artemis team, working towards a series of missions that will enable human exploration to the Moon and Mars, and Glover made the cut for that historic list. Remarkably, it is only one of many recent accomplishments for the astronaut. Last month, on Sunday, November 15, Glover along with an international crew of astronauts launched on NASAs SpaceX Crew-1 mission, the first NASA-certified commercial human spacecraft system in history. After a successful trip and arrival to the International Space Station (ISS) the following day, he started another milestone as the first Black astronaut to be on an extended stay mission on the ISS. Somehow, during his first week working in microgravity, studying for the next spacewalk, and juggling his many duties as an astronaut, he allocated some time to chat with the Smithsonian about his journey.

In the Air and Space Live Chat from the ISS with Victor Glover, a collaboration with the Smithsonians National Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Glover spoke with students and a global audience about his path to becoming an astronaut and the wonders of living and working in space. While speaking with kids around the country, he took questions on all things space ranging from Why was Baby Yoda on SpaceX Crew-1? to How do you train to be an astronaut?.

We gathered some of the best moments of this unforgettable interaction with a leader in space exploration. Lets explore more with a few of the answers he provided.

Underneath a Spacesuit

NASA astronauts Shannon Walker, left, Victor Glover, second from left, Mike Hopkins, second from right, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi, right, wearing SpaceX spacesuits, stop to pose for a picture as they walk out of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building, to depart for Launch Complex 39A during a dress rehearsal prior to the Crew-1 mission launch. (NASA)

Student Question: What does an astronaut wear underneath a spacesuit?

Spacesuits can be complicated, and they are equipped to handle a range of situations depending on their purpose. A specific type of spacesuit is worn inside a spacecraft while leaving and re-entering Earths atmosphere, and typically astronauts wear long undergarments underneath it. Another, and more famous, type of spacesuit is the kind used for Extra-Vehicular Activity, like a spacewalk. This type of spacesuit is called an extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) and it does a lot! Glover taught us that underneath an EMU, astronauts wear the typical long undergarments with the addition of a special cooling garment made of a stretchy spandex material and water tubes.

When astronauts exit a spacecraft, like the ISS, and enter space, they need all the protection that a spacecraft provides. Necessities include air, pressure, and radiation protection. EMUs provide these and more! In this way, each one is like a miniature spacecraft.

Training for the Incredible

Student Question: How do you train to be an astronaut?

It can take up to two years to become a qualified, space-ready astronaut after selection as a potential candidate. Once selected, candidates begin intensive and varied training that includes a range of activities, from preparing to work in microgravity in the KC-135 to understanding how to be part of a team by flying the NASA T-38 training jets. Glover taught us that for every astronaut, there are a host of teams and individuals that are supporting the training, proving that it takes a village to raise an astronaut!

The ISS normally has six crew members on board (although on Glovers Expedition 64, there are currently seven astronauts). This means with only a half dozen astronauts, a crew must be able to complete science experiments, perform spacewalks, manage the ISS, provide maintenance to items on the station, attend virtual public affairs events, and more, all on their own! To be successful, everyone must be skilled in multiple areas. This is the reason why astronaut training includes more than lessons on the ISS, survival techniques, and medical procedures. It also emphasizes soft skills, like public speaking and cooperation. Throughout the time astronauts spend together in training, they develop an essential skill for success: teamwork. Glover taught us that it is essential that astronauts work together well and that some of the best training comes from veteran astronauts who lived and worked in space previously.

Baby Yoda on a Mission

Student Question: Why was Baby Yoda on SpaceX Crew-1?

When astronauts enter microgravity during a launch, they cant always tell because of the forces they feel while strapped onto their seats as the spacecraft rockets forward. Glover taught us that astronauts and cosmonauts have a long-lasting tradition of bringing an item on each mission to indicate when the spacecraft has reached microgravity (as close to zero gravity as they will get). When the spacecraft enters microgravity, the item will begin to float, letting the crew know that they have reached orbit! SpaceX Crew-1 brought a plush Baby Yoda for this exact purpose. Once it began to float, the crew knew they were in microgravity.

The tradition began with the first human in space, when cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin brought a doll on his Vostok 1 spacecraft. Since then, many entertaining items have been used as zero-gravity indicators. Its an area where crews can express themselves! For example, Crew Dragon Demo-1, the first orbital test of the Dragon 2 spacecraft, included a plush of planet Earth with a surprised-look expression. Smokey the Bear, Angry Bird, Olaf from Frozen, and many other fun characters have also had the honor!

Celestial Buddies plush Earth toy staring out at planet Earth from the International Space Station on its first day aboard the International Space Station.

In 2014, Olaf from Disney's Frozen flew into space on the Soyuz TMA-15M mission.

On May 15, 2012, Smokey the Bear traveled aboard the Soyuz spacecraft with NASA astronaut Joe Acaba and Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Sergei Revin to the International Space Station.

In 2011, a red Angry Bird from the hit video game and film flew to space! Russian cosmonaut Colonel Anton Shkaplerov took the toy on the Soyuz TMA-22 mission. In this image, it floats on board ISS.

These seven individuals composed the first group of astronauts announced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. They were selected in April 1959 for the Mercury program. Each member of Project Mercury was part of the U.S. military.

The crew of SpaceX Crew-1 pose for a picture after answering questions from the media following their arrival at NASAs Kennedy Space Center ahead of SpaceXs Crew-1 mission. Unlike the very first NASA crews to ever explore space, astronauts Shannon Walker and Soichi Noguchi (on the right) do not have a military background. They hold Ph.D.s in STEM-related fields and have additional qualifying expertise.

Student Questions: Do you have to be in the military to be an astronaut?

The military selected the first NASA astronauts in 1959, and the astronauts in the Mercury program were military personnel. But Glover taught us that a military background is not required to be an astronaut. He explained that the crew of SpaceX Crew-1 has diverse backgrounds, with two astronauts having a military career and the other two having backgrounds with higher education. To qualify for the astronaut application process, an applicant must meet a list of qualifications, including holding at least a masters degree in a STEM-related field or similar work experience.

Studying to become an astronaut is never-ending, and Glover said he feels he has been studying for 44 years, as it is the accumulation of lifelong experiences that brought him to this next chapter.

The Human Body in Space

Student Question: Do muscles act differently in space?

Glover taught us that our muscles do the same job in space that they do on Earth, but the movements and outcomes can be wildly different than expected! When we lift a glass of water or push against a wall on Earth, we know what will happen. But in space, the microgravity environment can be disorienting and hinder our capabilities, like hand-eye coordination. Lifting a small object uses less force in space than on Earth, and so, you might lift it too quickly. Pushing against a wall in space will send you floating to the other end of the room!

Living in space changes the body in many ways, and this is largely due to the microgravity environment. But whats that? Since astronauts on the ISS are orbiting the Earth, they are constantly experiencing a falling sensation which creates the feeling of weightlessness. Without gravity working on the body like it would on Earth, an astronaut loses over one percent of their bone mass a year. If they do not follow a rigorous exercise plan and eat accordingly, they would also lose muscle strength and experience cardiovascular deconditioning. Fluids shift upwards, which can cause vision problems and severe congestion. These are just a handful of the many changes astronauts adapt to while in orbit.

What does this mean for an astronaut returning to Earth? It depends on how long an astronaut has been in space. Glover taught us that he should be able to walk and function normally the same day he returns to Earth. He will experience many changes that should be temporary, since he will be in space for roughly six months. But for missions that are longer, like any future mission to Mars, the changes an astronaut feels will be much more severe and permanent. NASA is studying the problems that will occur on longer missions and how we can address these problems. Its a huge priority in space exploration.

Glovers Advice

There is no secret sauce to living and working in space, but Glover has some tips for individuals interested in becoming astronauts. He shared with us three points of advice for finding success in life. First: Be resilient. Dont let things stop you. Even in hard situations, find some positive, some good, some growth. Second: become a life-long learner. Learning does not stop and start in the classroom! Dedicate time to learning from all life experiences. Third: be a good teammate. Throughout the Air and Space Live Chat, Glover focused on the importance of working with others. He taught us that many solutions and achievements are credited to the team.

I believe that the same teamwork used by us at NASA to investigate extreme weather patterns and to help unlock the secrets of the universe can be used to solve our most pressing issues here on Earth. If we hope to solve humanitys most important problems, we must work together. We need each other.

Whether working with classmates or coworkers, family or friends, astronauts or Mission Control, being part of a team is how we will step into the next chapter of space exploration.

Original post:

Five Things We Learned from Victor Glover | National Air and Space Museum - National Air and Space Museum

Three projects intended to increase the reach of broadband internet in Perry County over the next 10 years will include one by Elon Musks SpaceX company, according to the Federal Communications Commission.

The FCC on Dec. 7 announced the $9.2 billion award of money to companies around the country to increase broadband internet connectivity in rural communities. The money comes from fees that telecommunications customers pay. Pennsylvania as a whole is receiving $368.7 million in this round of awards to connect 327,000 rural customers.

In Perry County, three companies received more than $7.7 million to improve broadband to 4,200 homes and businesses, according to the FCCs Pennsylvania news release. The projects are designed to increase internet speeds to at least 100 megabits per second (Mbps) on download and 20 Mbps for uploads in unserved and underserved areas. However, a majority of projects would improve speeds to the gigabit levels, according to the FCC.

There was a strong and unified flow of comments from PA leadership and organizations to the FCC, encouraging the FCC to ensure that the auction process would give priority to unserved areas, instead of seeing the dollars simply flow to boosting speeds in areas that currently have service, said Nils Hagen-Frederiksen, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.

The winning companies and project scopes for Perry County are:

According to the telecom publication LightReading, Connect Everyone is a company attached to the next generation internet firm Starry, based in Boston and New York City.

Virginia Lam Abrams, a Starry spokesperson, confirmed in an email that Connect Everyone is a Starry Internet venture. However, due to FCC rules the company could not comment about the broadband projects at this time. More information could be available after January, she said. According to Starrys website, the company uses fixed wireless technology to expand broadband internet.

Space Exploration Technologies is a division of Musks SpaceX, the same Hawthorne, Calif., company working with NASA on new space-flight rockets. Musk is also the force behind the Tesla brand of electric cars. SpaceXs rural broadband projects are expected to use satellite technology.

Over the past couple years, SpaceX has been launching its Starlink satellites, which will create a network to expand broadband internet anywhere. There will eventually be thousands of satellites to create a seamless internet experience globally, according to SpaceX. The company began testing the new technology in October.

Windstream Services is a division of Windstream, the Little Rock, Ark.-based telecom company. It operates internet and other services in Pennsylvania. The LightReading story pointed to various technologies such as next generation DSL, fiber optic and wireless as potential for Windstreams projects.

Windstream also could not comment about the project due to FCC rules, said Scott Morris, a company spokesman.

Its not known when the projects would start, or what areas of the county would be served by the companies broadband solutions.

Jim T. Ryan can be reached via email at jtryan@perrycountytimes.com

Follow this link:

SpaceX among Perry broadband project awards - pennlive.com

MDA partners with CSA to contribute world-leading Canadian technology and operational expertise to an international space exploration endeavor.

FREMONT, CA: MDA announces that it has been awarded a contract from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to develop Canadarm3, the third generation Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered robotic system destined for Gateway, a lunar-orbiting international space station. The contract has the award of Phase A of the Canadarm3 program, with choices for the follow-on phases.

As MDA's ambitious space exploration project yet, Canadarm3 will function aboard Gateway, a NASA-led deep space outpost that will orbit the Moon beginning in the mid-2020s, helping human and robotic missions to the lunar surface, serving as a science laboratory, and a proving ground for exploration missions into space. Canadarm3 will comprise the full robotics system, comprised of an eXploration Large Arm (XLA), and eXploration Dexterous Arm (XDA), specialized tools for performing maintenance and science tasks, and the ground control systems and AI-powered control and mission planning software.

Because of extremely limited communication with the ground due to the Gateway's location some 400,000 kilometers from Earth, Canadarm3 will be autonomous and will leverage its advanced AI-powered sensors and systems to securely perform operations without oversight and monitoring by the ground or on-board astronauts. The ground planning and control functions for the system will take place exclusively in Canada, in contrast to the last generation Canadarm and Canadarm2, also developed by MDA.

This initial Phase A of the Canadarm3 program will establish the technical demands needed for the future design and manufacturing of the robotic system. This phase will further evolve the concepts developed by MDA in Phase 0 and advance the readiness level of vital technologies. MDA has also committed to producing a 'Value Proposition through the Government of Canada's Industrial and Technological Benefits policy that will streamline economic add ons to Canada from the Canadarm3 investment.

Read more from the original source:

MDA Once Again Partner with the Canadian Space Agency to Develop Canadarm3 - CIOReview

Why is NASAs SpaceX Crew-1 launch significant? What are the other trends in the commercial space sector?

The story so far: Perhaps the most stunning instance of a collaboration between public enterprises and the private sector in recent times is that between NASA and SpaceX. It is stunning because of the sheer extent of the frontier it is trying to breach. With its reusable rockets, large capsules to carry payloads and crew and competitive pricing, SpaceX has revolutionised the space sector. The latest instances of this include the launch of the Crew Dragon spacecraft on November 15, which carried to the International Space Station four astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover and Shannon Walker of NASA and Soichi Noguchi of the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Another recent feat is the launch on November 24 of 60 more Starlink Internet relay satellites into the orbit. These, and thousands more like these, are designed for the purpose of providing broadband services to people anywhere on Earth.

In India too, we have seen the yielding of governmental control over the space industry bit by bit, starting from hiring of vendors and active outsourcing of rocket components to the present idea of allowing external agencies to use ISRO facilities. There has also been a shift from a mandated focus on utilitarian projects to those focused on exploring space and our planetary neighbours, the Moon, the Sun and so on. It is not too much to expect that soon, India may also see the emergence of collaborations like that between SpaceX and NASA.

Also read | ISRO gearing up for launch of small satellite launch vehicles: Sivan

Dr. Mylswamy Annadurai, former director of ISRO Satellite Centre, notes that the collaboration between NASA and SpaceX is remarkable because it has in fact taken the American space programme to a level that had not been possible for NASA to achieve by itself. Having their own rockets to transport astronauts to the International Space Station and back has prevented Americans from spending hugely on the mission, as they were doing earlier. This was possible only because of NASAs active collaboration with SpaceX. Thus, the opening up of the space sector could have many more such advancements in store.

With the November 24 launch of 60 Starlink satellites, the total number of such satellites sent up by the company equals 955. Thousands more will join these, and the aim of this exercise is to provide Internet services that link any point on Earth to any other point. Targeting coverage in northern U.S. and Canada this year, the aim is to have the globe covered by 2021. This will be the new telecom revolution then, in the context of India, reaching out to rural areas as never before.

The cargo version of Dragon-2 spacecraft is the upgraded version of Dragon. It is a reusable spacecraft capable of returning significant cargo to the Earth from the International Space Station. At least in the case of its launch, planned for December 5, it seems that curiosity-driven science would not only survive, but would rather be enhanced. This spacecraft is not just carrying payloads for scientific experiments, but is also sporting a new commercially owned and operated airlock. An airlock is like a doorway, and the new Nanoracks Bishop Airlock Module, built by a Texas-based company, Nanoracks LLC, is an improvement over what was used earlier. This will allow larger payloads to move in and out of the spacecraft, considerably expanding the scope of experiment design and structure.

This mission also carries interesting experiments, one of which is a mixture of meteorite samples and microbes, aimed at seeing how the microbes can be used for biomining on asteroids. Another experiment aims at studying how changes in gravity can affect cardiovascular tissue. So, while there is room for curiosity-driven science, there is also the aspect of utility in the event of more humans travelling to space.

Space tourism could become more common as space travel becomes less expensive. There are companies now, such as Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin and SpaceX, that will offer space flights, albeit for a very high fee. While the first two may allow the customer to experience a few minutes of only microgravity, the last company can, in principle, take space travellers to the International Space Station, where they could spend even weeks. Perhaps this is the stepping-stone to a future colony on the Moon, and should it come through, we will not be without Internet connections there.

Read more:

The Hindu Explains | Would space exploration survive in the era of privatisation? - The Hindu

Motiv Space Systems is designing specialist robotic equipment for the next generation of commercial space exploration, and the extreme off-world environments that astronauts face.

The Mars helicopter weighs just under four pounds and will be strapped to the Perseverance rover's underside during launch and landing.

Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech

In 2023, NASA will embark on an ambitious mission to find out whether it's possible to establish a long-term presence on the moon. Cited as the first step in the next era of human exploration, it is hoped that Project Artemis will lay the foundations for a new generation of commercial spaceflight one that will eventually see astronauts sent to Mars. But alongside those astronauts there are going to be many robots of all shapes and sizes.

Motiv Space Systems is one of the companies that hopes to pave the way for this new era of extraplanetary exploration. Established in 2014, and located just a few miles from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), much of Motiv's staff started their careers at JPL or in other divisions at NASA.

SEE:NASA to build lunar 4G network(TechRepublic)

Despite being a small company, one of Motiv's biggest programmes has involved working with NASA on the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover specifically, designing the robotic arm that will allow the multi-million dollar rover to collect samples from the Martian surface when it touches down in February 2021. From these samples, scientists hope to discover whether life can or has ever existed on the Martian surface.

Work on the Perseverance project was a multi-year activity, with Motiv working side by side with JPL to design and build the robotic arm, perform R&D, analytical elements and testing, and then helping to integrate it into the rover itself.

"Now that's in cruise we're just a few months from landing on Mars and we're really excited about that," Tom McCarthy, VP businesses development at Motiv Space Systems, tells TechRepublic.

"That type of technique has been done for comets and asteroids, but to actually go and land, and pick up samples and then go through all of the trials and tribulates of getting those samples back safely to Earth is quite an undertaking, yet something that's very, very exciting."

Designing robotics for space exploration poses a unique set of challenges for engineers. For one, extreme swings in temperature in outer space and on extraplanetary bodies make material selection a critical design consideration, particularly as many traditional electronics can't operate in cryogenic temperatures.

This has been a primary focus for another of Motiv's work under NASA's Artemis programme, which aims to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon by the end of the decade. Motiv's contributions lie within some of the precursor missions, which will see robotic landers sent to the moon to carry out experiments ahead of any astronauts' arrival.

Specifically, the Pasadena company is developing technology for the lander capable of withstanding the extreme temperature swings on the lunar surface, which range from nearly 130C during the day to as low as minus -180C at night. The technology is called the Cold Operable Lunar Deployable Arm or 'COLDArm' and involves using a mechanical solution for operating without lubricants as well as electronics that work in cryogenic temperatures.

"There are not many space components that can survive, much less operate throughout the cold lunar night," McCarthy explains.

"What makes the design for the COLDArm unique is not just that the robotic arm will be capable of operating at -180C (as compared to standard space component minimum temperatures of -55C), but to do so without energy-consuming heaters typical on space systems.

"There are families of electronics that actually work in cryogenic temperatures. The key is to identify those, and make sure those components make up a system that will be reliable at those extreme temperatures."

For the early Artemis missions, robots will only have to survive a few lunar days and therefore only a few large thermal swings. However, the ambition is for long-term human habitation, which brings its own set of technological requirements for the astronauts heading there in the next 10 years.

SEE:Editorial calendar: IT policies, checklists, toolkits, and research for download(TechRepublic Premium)

"I think robotics will play a huge role ensuring safety and sustainability for human exploration in those destinations," says McCarthy.

"You want to maximize the exploration time of the human, and you want to minimize the burden or maintenance task of the human, and so you have the robots perform those for you."

Robots will also have an important role to play in establishing habitable environments for humans on the moon, as well as seeking out resources such as water ice than can be tapped by human explorers.

"I think that in many cases you'll need to have robots kind of lead the way, to make sure that there's a safe environment for humans who want to maintain a presence there," says McCarthy.

"There will be an infrastructure needing to be built, and I don't think of humans using the picks and shovels to build the infrastructure I think [it will be] robots using them."

Taking materials that can be used for building off-world habitats carries considerable physical and logistical challenges, namely that the larger the payload you want to take into orbit, the larger the rocket required.

This is why scientists are beginning to explore modularity as a way of taking materials into orbit piece by piece and constructing them on arrival.

SEE:Cleaning up space debris around our home planet(TechRepublic)

"There's a lot of attention being paid by a variety of government entities that see that, if you can build systems on orbit, you can bring pieces up as opposed to completely build systems that are folded into a fairing of a rocket," says McCarthy.

Motiv is already actively exploring this area with another of its solutions, the xLink. Created by the same team that developed the arm for the Perseverance Rover, the xLink is a robotic arm that takes a building block-like approach to its design so that it can be customized and scaled according to its use case, from servicing satellites on-orbit and extending their mission life by upgrading them with new capabilities, to collecting samples from rovers traversing new planets.

The xLink is eventually destined for commercial use, although its first planned mission is aboard NASA's OSAM-2 (On-orbit Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing) spacecraft. Expected to launch no earlier than 2022, the OSAM-2 spacecraft will use the xLink to position 3D-printing elements that will manufacture a 60-foot-plus solar array on-orbit, which scientists hope will eventually generate up to five times the power of traditional solar panels on similarly sized spacecraft.

"There is no rocket that, by itself, could launch a solution that could fit that bill. But, if you could take the pieces with you and assemble them in orbit, and in this kind of modular fashion, now you have this system that is expandable," says McCarthy.

"That's an area that xLink can be scaled to meet the need, and become a very powerful tool in the development of those types of systems."

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To the moon and beyond: The robots that are blazing a trail for human space exploration - TechRepublic

Biden, like many people on the left, believes that climate change is the existential crisis of our age. NASA will be drafted to do its part by putting up more Earth observation satellites. The pace of the return to the moon, not to mention expeditions to Mars, will be slowed.

The Biden approach to NASA seemed to be expressed best by Lori Garver, who served as NASAs deputy administrator during the Obama administration. According to the Space Review, she said, If we dont put some really significant resources into allowing humanity to be sustained on this planet, were not going to have the time to leave it. You cant really do one without the other.

That last sentence is truer than, perhaps, Garver realizes. An article in Astronomy Magazine suggests that the ultimate solution to climate change will be to move resource extraction and heavy industry off the planet. The notion seems like science fiction, but some very serious people are looking at the idea of a space-based industrial revolution. Jeff BezosJeffrey (Jeff) Preston BezosElon Musk passes Bill Gates to become world's second-richest person in Bloomberg rankings How space exploration will help to address climate change Bezos makes first donations from billion Earth Fund MORE, who made his billions from Amazon.com and now runs a space launch company called Blue Origin, suggests zoning Earth for residential areas and light industries. Mining and manufacturing, two of the biggest sources of environmental pollution, would move off the planet.

The moon and asteroids are the sources of untold mineral wealth. A single asteroid, 16 Psyche, is said to contain 10,000 quadrillion dollars worth of metals. The quoted figure is somewhat misleading. If one were to bring all the gold on 16 Psyche to Earth, its price would collapse, making it into a cheap, industrial metal.

The point, however, is that only by turning humankind into a space-faring civilization can we avoid environmental catastrophe while maintaining technological progress. The fact further suggests that the Artemis program has an environmental dimension that Team Biden would do well to recognize and to consider when formulating space policy for the incoming administration.

American law already recognizes the right of companies to extract resources from the moon and other celestial bodies, thanks to Title IV of the U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act. The act was passed in 2015 on a bipartisan basis and signed into law by Obama.

Currently, NASA has been attempting to gain international recognition of Earth humans right to extract and own space resources as part of the Artemis Accords. The accords have been signed by nine nations, besides the United States, with more to follow.

The point of all of this, going back to what Garver said, is that climate change and space exploration are inseparably linked. She likely meant that Earth needs to be sustained so that humankind can expand into space. However, the opposite is also true. Humankind must expand into space so that the Earth, the pale blue dot that the late-Carl Sagan once celebrated, can be preserved.

Slowing down Artemis so that NASA will have more money for a few more Earth observation satellites would be counterproductive, if the goal is to find a permanent solution to climate change. If Team Biden is really interested in using NASA as part of the solution to environmental pollution, including greenhouse gas emissions, they would be well advised to speed Artemis up, not slow it down.

Developing a space industrial infrastructure will be the work of some decades. The first astronauts to return to the moon will busy themselves with developing the technology for mining Earths nearest neighbor and turning the extracted resources into useful products. NASAs commercial partners will compete to create a transportation network that will send people and tools into space and bring finished products back to Earth cheaply and reliably.

Team Biden should resist the temptation to go slow on Artemis just because it was started by Donald TrumpDonald John TrumpPennsylvania Supreme Court strikes down GOP bid to stop election certification Biden looks to career officials to restore trust, morale in government agencies Sunday shows preview: US health officials brace for post-holiday COVID-19 surge MORE. Biden should make Artemis his own. In so doing he just might crown a long political career by saving the planet and improving the future.

Mark Whittington, who writes frequently about space and politics, has published a political study of space exploration entitled Why is It So Hard to Go Back to the Moon? as well as The Moon, Mars and Beyond. He blogs at Curmudgeons Corner. He is published in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The Hill, USA Today, the LA Times, and the Washington Post, among other venues.

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How space exploration will help to address climate change | TheHill - The Hill

Now, scientists have gathered the largest set of data about space biology to date based on astronauts including the Kelly twins, mice and insects that have flown on the space station.

The 30 studies, authored by more than 200 researchers from around the world, represent the largest body of information on the risks of space flight to the human body.

The studies identify six key molecular changes that may have a significant impact on astronaut health. Understanding these changes is key for preparing for long-term spaceflight missions to the moon and Mars in the future.

Risks of deep space missions

The six molecular changes that occur during spaceflight include DNA damage, oxidative stress, alterations of telomere length, shifts in the microbiome, mitochondrial dysfunction and gene regulation.

Oxidative stress happens when free radicals overwhelm antioxidants in a cell, encouraged by the space environment. This type of stress was found to be largely connected to the other molecular changes the researchers observed.

These changes on a cellular and molecular level can have a significant impact on astronaut health, both during and after their missions. These impacts have been observed on the cardiovascular, central nervous, musculoskeletal, immune and gastrointestinal systems, as well as causing disruptions to circadian rhythms and changes in vision.

Increased cancer risks have also been associated with these changes.

One of the new studies also identified clonal hematopoiesis, when blood cells carrying mutations spread more quickly than others, as a potential risk among astronauts for cardiovascular disease, lymphoma and leukemia. Clonal hematopoiesis was identified in blood samples from astronauts 20 years before the average age when it is normally detected at age 70, compared to 157 cancer patients.

So far, missions to the space station have not exceeded a year, but deep space missions to Mars could last up to five years.

"Understanding the health implications from the (6) features and developing effective countermeasures and health systems are key steps in enabling humanity to reach the next stage of space exploration," the authors wrote at the conclusion of their study spanning the effects of spaceflight.

DNA damage

Telomeres act like caps at the ends of chromosomes to protect them and they shorten as people age.

During the Twins Study, the telomeres in Scott's white blood cells actually grew longer in space and returned to a normal length after he returned to Earth.

In a new study, the blood samples of 10 astronauts collected before and after spaceflight were studied and compared with the results of the Twins Study.

Although these astronauts were shielded from some space radiation during their six-month stays on the space station since it's in low-Earth orbit, the researchers still spotted evidence of damage to their DNA.

The astronauts' telomeres elongated in space due to chronic oxidative stress sustained during spaceflight. Once they returned to Earth, their telomeres were shorter than before spaceflight.

"We now have a foundation to build on - things we know to look for in future astronauts, including telomere length changes and DNA damage responses," said Susan Bailey, author on three of the studies and Colorado State University professor, said in a statement.

"Going forward, our goal is to get a better idea of underlying mechanisms, of what's going on during long-duration space flight in the human body, and how it varies between people."

Bailey, an expert on radiation damage to DNA and telomeres, was also an investigator for the Twins Study.

While longer telomeres may sound like an advantage of space travel, Bailey suspects this effect could lead to other risks rather than serving as a fountain of youth.

"Extended lifespan, or immortality, of cells that have suffered space radiation-induced DNA damage, such as chromosomal inversions, is a recipe for increased cancer risk," Bailey said. "Telomeres really are reflective of our lifestyles - whether on or off the planet. Our choices do make a difference in how quickly or how well we are aging. It's important to take care of your telomeres."

It's all in the mitochondria

Health issues specific to astronauts include muscle and bone loss, heart and liver problems and immune system dysfunction.

Now, researchers believe these issues are rooted in a broader issue called mitochondrial dysfunction.

Mitochondria are the powerhouses that generate chemical energy required for cells. And when they're exposed to altered gravity or radiation, they essentially malfunction.

"What we found over and over was that something is happening with the mitochondria regulation that throws everything out of whack."

Their study included data from the Twins Study, animal studies and samples from 59 astronauts.

When the mitochondria are suppressed, ripple effects can be observed across the liver, other organs and in the immune system. The researchers believe this dysfunction could also explain the issues astronauts have with disrupted circadian rhythms (body clock) and even cardiovascular issues.

Understanding the root of the problem could help researchers target it.

"There are already many approved drugs for various mitochondrial disorders, which would make it easier to move them toward this application," Beheshti said. "The low-hanging fruit now would be to test some of these drugs with animal and cell models in space."

Heart stress in space

A study using fruit flies born on the space station, which means they spent half of their lives in space, showed that their hearts were smaller and less efficient at pumping blood. And if astronauts live on the moon or the surface of Mars for a lengthy mission, they may experience something similar.

"For the first time, we can see the cellular and molecular changes that may underlie the heart conditions seen in astronaut studies," said Karen Ocorr, co-senior author of the study and assistant professor in the Development, Aging and Regeneration Program at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, in a statement.

"We initiated this study to understand the effects of microgravity on the heart, and now we have a roadmap we can use to start to develop strategies to keep astronaut hearts strong and healthy."

Fruit fly hearts are similar to those of humans when we're in the womb. The flies were returned to Earth and had their heart function tested by seeing how they fared when climbing up the side of a test tube.

"In the normal fly heart, the muscle fibers work like your fingers when they squeeze a tube of toothpaste. In the space flies, the contraction was like trying to get toothpaste out by pressing down instead of squeezing," Ocorr said. "For humans, this could become a big problem."

The benefits of understanding how the human heart functions in space could help those with heart issues on Earth -- and those planning on future space missions.

"As we continue our work to establish a colony on the moon and send the first astronauts to Mars, understanding the effects of extended time in microgravity on the human body is imperative," said Sharmila Bhattacharya, study author and senior scientist at NASA, in a statement.

"Today's results show that microgravity can have dramatic effects on the heart, suggesting that medical intervention may be needed for long-duration space travel, and point to several directions for therapeutic development."

Excerpt from:

Astronauts experience these key changes in space that could impact their health, new research shows - CNN