Category Archives: Space Exploration

Students engaged in integrating a payload into the small satellite on the table.

A new earth and planetary exploration technology (EPET) certificate is preparing students for the Earth and space exploration workforce in their major science or engineering discipline, and the first cohort will graduate in December from the University of Hawaii at Mnoa. The certificate program is provided by the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology (HIGP) and supported by the Hawaii Space Flight Laboratory.

The EPET certificate program is one of the only opportunities for UH students to obtain a formal education in an important growth area of the economy, space exploration and aerospace engineering, said Peter Englert, a professor in HIGP. It is also one of the few programs where science and engineering students will work together on course projects, an enriching experience, and an opportunity.

The EPET certificate program consists of four courses totaling 15 credits that are taught in four consecutive semesters starting in the spring. The courses are cross listed with mechanical engineering and form the core of the concentration in aerospace engineering of the Mechanical Engineering Department. Program goals are to provide science and engineering majors with a comprehensive understanding of scientific and engineering knowledge, in theory and practice, to successfully explore from the deepest oceans to the far reaches of our solar system.

I thoroughly enjoyed the EPET program, said Lynzee Hoegger, who is in the first cohort of the EPET certificate. Its been really great getting to be a part of the bridge between space science and technology. I also enjoyed that we didnt just hear from one professor with one area of expertise but instead many different professors from many different fields would teach us each week.

This certificate is an example of UH Mnoas goal of Enhancing Student Success (PDF), one of four goals identified in the 201525 Strategic Plan (PDF), updated in December 2020.

The EPET curriculum provides a modern learning experience by combining lecture-, laboratory-, field- and project-based approaches with effective interdisciplinary group learning strategies to integrate the nature of planetary materials and landforms with the science and engineering tools. These include sensors and scientific instruments, robotic vehicles as platforms for remote sensing and sampling, spacecraft fundamentals, and mission architecture, planning and operation.

I would recommend the certificate to other students because it gives you a chance to work with people outside of your major and to have to think outside of the box to solve problems that may arise in a space mission, said Hoegger.

The satellite that students are completing in fall 2021 will likely be part of the Pleiades Mission together with Cal Poly Pomona, Portland State Aerospace Society and Stanford University. The payload is a general radiation detector.

It is also fun to work on research projects that design and build space flight sensors, space flight missions, and finally a small functioning spacecraft, said Englert. Some of these spacecrafts will have an opportunity to be launched while students are still in school.

The EPET certificate program is for students enrolled in science and engineering undergraduate degree programs at UH Mnoa, other parts of the UH System, and other universities. The program can also accommodate professionals working in the community who wish to upgrade knowledge and skills.

The next cohort of students for the EPET certification program will begin in spring 2022. For more information, see HIGPs website.

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First space research, exploration certificate cohort graduates | University of Hawaii System News - UH System Current News

image:Saski and postdoctoral research scientist Sonika Kumar in the lab. view more

Credit: Clemson University

Clemson researcher Chris Saski admits sending the Universitys iconic Tiger Paw to space aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is, quite literally, an out-of-this-world experience.

But its the potential for the experiments in the flight hardware to which the Paw is attached that truly excites him.

Saskis cotton regeneration research, adorned with Clemson stickers, intends to take off Dec. 21 from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida bound for the International Space Station (ISS). Upon arrival, Saskis research project titled Unlocking the Cotton Genome to Precision Genetics will be conducted in microgravity with the goal of facilitating the ability to directly edit the genome of elite cotton varieties, quickly adding traits like disease resistance or drought tolerance without the need for the lengthy conventional breeding process that can take over a decade.

Understanding gene function and subsequent genome engineering technology has the potential to change the lives of everyone and everything on the planet, said Chris Saski, associate professor of systems genomics in Clemsons Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences.

With no solution yet in place to satisfy a growing demand for fuel, food and fiber as the global population continues to expand, Saski believes this research is a large step in the right direction toward solving that problem.

Conducting these experiments in microgravity gives us a unique environment to disentangle the genetics ofsomatic embryogenesis regenerating a whole plant from a single cell and we believe we can translate this research into application, he said. This project will lead to new understanding of the genes involved. As we understand it now, this genetic program is encoded in all crop genomes, but it is suppressed. This research could ultimately allow us to switch on this genetic program in other crops and be able to do genome editing and engineering more readily and directly on commercial varieties and eventually provide an accelerated path to food, fuel and fiber for a growing population of people on Earth.

Food for thought or living on another planet

But if potentially addressing issues such as global hunger wasnt enough, the possibilities go far beyond, said Saski, who admitted he never imagined space missions would one day be part of his work.

When I started my position as a researcher here at Clemson, I quickly realized that there really are no boundaries to the questions that one can ask, he said. I just created a vision, worked hard and tried to set the bar high. I envision that translation of this research into application could enable deep space exploration missions, it could allow for plants to be stored as single cells and you could store and supply a diversity of plant species for astronauts that are doing research or even living on another planet.

Broadly, the project seeks to explore the cotton genome and how it reacts in microgravity and normal gravity. It was selected as a winner in theCotton Sustainability Challenge, which was run by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) and funded by Target Corporation, providing researchers and innovators the opportunity to propose solutions to improve crop production on Earth by sending their concepts to the ISS U.S. National Laboratory. CASIS is the organization tasked by NASA to manage the ISS National Lab.

One of Saskis collaborators is Jeremy Schmutz, faculty investigator at HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology since 2008, who said the project aims to understand how callus cells divide and regenerate in space and how this affects the quality of transformed cells.

We have shown that cotton has very little diversity as a species, which greatly limits the possibilities of improving the sustainability of cotton through traditional breeding techniques, Schmutz said. Accelerating the speed at which we can transform cotton opens up the ability to rapidly test genes linked to beneficial traits and also make positive targeted modifications in important cotton lines for U.S. growers and the many industries that depend on high-quality cotton production.

Embryogenesis in microgravity

Conventional breeding process currently takes more than a decade

And why does conducting research in microgravity make a difference?

Microgravity is the condition in which people or objects appear weightless. Plants have evolved at a force of 1g the force of gravity on Earth, responsible for things such as keeping our feet planted firmly on the ground but without that force, or in microgravity, there can be a drastic effect on gene expression.

Studying developmental programs like embryogenesis in microgravity allows us to disentangle what genes are involved by comparing experiments on the ISS and on Earth, according to Saski.

Our experiment is aimed at understanding the genetic architecture and coordination of embryogenesis, he said. Understanding this program could facilitate the ability to directly edit the genome of elite breeding germplasm, adding traits such as disease resistance or drought tolerance without the need for the long conventional breeding process.

Don Jones, director of Breeding, Genetics and Biotechnology at Cotton Incorporated, echoed Saskis sentiment that this understanding could be a direct and immediate benefit of sending the project to space but said the potential for longer-term benefits is also vast.

Past space exploration has resulted in benefits for all of humanity that oftentimes far exceeds the expectations of those who were conducting the initial research. Conventional breeding now takes at least a decade to deliver improved varieties to cotton growers that can withstand drought and disease, both of which will increase with climate change, Jones said. Understanding and improving embryogenesis will allow such varieties to be developed significantly faster, and when the payoff is faster, more companies and institutions become interested in investing real dollars into cotton research with a shortened payoff time horizon.

Low Earth Orbit: Falling around the planet

The effects of microgravity can be seen when astronauts and objects float in space. But the prefix micro- means very small, not nonexistent, so microgravity refers to the condition where gravity seems to be very small.

The ISS operates in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) or about 200 to 250 miles high. At that height, Earths gravity is still very strong, thus a person who weighs 100 pounds on the ground would weigh 90 pounds there.

Earths gravity pulls objects, including the space station, toward its surface. As a result, the ISS is constantly falling toward Earth. But the station also is moving very fast so fast it matches the curve of the Earths surface.

If you throw a baseball, gravity will cause it to curve down; it will hit the ground soon, Saski said. A spacecraft in orbit moves at the right speed so that the curve of its fall matches the curve of Earth. For the space station, that speed is 17,500 miles per hour. The spacecraft keeps falling toward the ground but never hits it. Instead, it falls around the planet. The moon stays in orbit around Earth for this same reason.

For the purposes of this research, however, that difference between 1g gravitational force and microgravity can have a significant effect.

Microgravity is a different environment its different from the Earth, said Saski. Plants, for example, have been adapted in Earths 1g gravitational pull. Now we live in an era when we have unprecedented technological capabilities, and we can study things in adverse environments like microgravity to help understand the genetics underlying certain developmental programs or traits.

Saski and Clemson postdoctoral research scientist Sonika Kumar are studying plant cells analogous to human stem cells; in this case, plants cells that are not de-differentiated not a certain part of the plant allowing for complementary experiments to disentangle the genetic architecture of somatic embryogenesis.

That disentanglement would enable scientists to turn on this programming in other crops and do genome editing and genome engineering more readily. The potential, then, is for growers to feed a growing and expanding population of people on Earth.

Genetic and epigenetic changes control the process of somatic embryogenesis, Kumar said. Discovering the mechanism and genetic factors behind somatic embryogenesis will open new avenues to stimulate the cellular reprogramming of somatic embryogenesis that will be helpful in fast delivery of cotton varieties having a combination of multiple traits like excellent fiber quality, climate resilience and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. This project with the objective of cotton sustainability challenge will improve the social and economic development of growers, stakeholders and industries.

Power of the Paw

As for the Tiger Paw, Saski said the ISS-required custom flight and operations hardware the payload that will be aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft looked largely bare and boring in its original state.

Mission Director Dave Reed and his team at Techshot, a company recently acquired by space infrastructure company Redwire, are converting Saskis experiments into a payload for space travel and designing the operational hardware they are also responsible for putting the Clemson stickers on the flight hardware.

The evolution from scientific proposal to spaceflight is typically referred to as payload development, andthe Redwire payload development team has the challenging task of merging the scientific investigation with the capability of spaceflight hardware and the constraints of resources such as upmass, astronaut time and cold stowage return of harvested material.

On behalf of our whole payload development team, we are proud to be supporting this exciting investigation that promises to yield new discoveries for the benefit of life on Earth, Reed said. Much of our work on ISS is about exploring how microgravity can positively impact industries, people and systems back on Earth, and this investigation supports this mission.

Saskis project represents the first time that a plant tissue culture experiment will be performed on orbit in NASAs Advanced Plant Habitat, which is designed to provide sunlight-strength illumination in order to grow plants such as radishes, peppers and tomatoes.

Plant tissue culture requires very, very low daytime light levels, just enough to maintain a circadian rhythm in the culture and a tiny fraction of what Plant Habitat was designed to produce, Reed said. To provide such a low light level, Redwire engineers developed an elegantly simple sun shade akin to one you would find at a terrestrial plant nursery.

As the team began to work on developing a payload to such specifications, Saski also inquired about the possibility of putting a Tiger Paw sticker on any of the hardward a request Reed said was not trivial.

In spaceflight, labels are serious business. Everything from font size to color to label material is prescribed, Reed said. Our team worked with the label approval team to find a spot where the sticker could be acceptably placed. For Dr. Saski, it was all a part of the great revelation about the intricacies of the spaceflight experience.

Because competition for research space aboard the ISS, which is roughly the size of a football field, is on a global scale, the presence of the Paw is no small feat.

Being able to send the beloved Tiger Paw to space has been an amazing experience, Saski said. Being selected for this opportunity and conducting research and being able to put it out there as far as it could possibly go has been a vision of my research program and aspirations since Ive joined the faculty here at Clemson.

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Unlocking the cotton genome: Space-bound research 'large step' toward feeding Earth's rapidly growing population - EurekAlert

A new executive director has taken over at the helm of Space Park Leicester.

Prof Richard Ambrosi has joined the new 100 million complex on the outskirts of Leicester which was recently opened by the University of Leicester to drive collaboration between the private sector and academic in space science.

It is already home to local, national and international teams, with offices, shared laboratories, teaching facilities and co-working spaces focusing primarily on research, development and applications of space.

Prof Ambrosi is an expert in space instrumentation and space nuclear power systems and will lead the development of the innovative research, enterprise and education cluster.

He joined the University of Leicester in 2000, after completing a PhD in Physics at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Since then he has lent his expertise to a number of international space missions, including the Swift Gamma Ray Burst Mission and ExoMars, and over the past decade, has lead the development of radioisotope power systems for the European Space Agency.

He has also previously chaired the UK Space Agencys Space Exploration Advisory Committee and serves on a number of national and international committees.

He said: I feel honoured to be taking on the role of Space Park Leicester executive director.

Having worked on the project from the beginning, it is very rewarding to have been part of the team that transformed an idea into the state-of-the-art facilities we see today.

I am looking forward to the opportunity of realising the ambition of Space Park Leicester, which ranges from enabling discovery science, to changing the economics of access to space, to transforming how we use data to address global challenges and driving innovation through collaboration with our industry partners.

The University of Leicester has an exceptionally talented team of people working in space research and together we can create new opportunities for Leicester, the UK and the next generation of space scientists and engineers"

As well as bringing together academia and industry, Space Park Leicester acts as the headquarters of the National Centre for Earth Observation.

Prof Sarah Davies, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Leicester, said: Space Park Leicester is a landmark project, not only for our University and region, but for the UK space sector and for our collaborators across the globe.

In Richard, we have appointed an executive director who matches our ambition to advance world-leading excellence in space research, inclusive education and training, and space-enabled industry as we look to consolidate Leicesters role as a space city.

We are hugely proud of our long-standing heritage in space research and exploration expanding to the real-world impacts of space-based technology development and manufacture with downstream application of space-derived data, including tracking and combating climate change.

With Richard at the head of a team of talented scientists, researchers and engineers, Space Park Leicester will play a key role in further developing the crucial links between industry and academia and supporting the skills pipeline required to expand the UKs space ambitions.

Other partners involved in Space Park Leicester include the European Union European Regional Development Fund, Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP), Leicester City Council, The Wolfson Foundation, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).

A recently second phase will provide laboratories and workshops focused on advanced design and manufacturing of space systems, enabling technologies for space exploration, advancing the use of machine learning and automation in the space sector.

It houses one of the largest university-based clean room facilities in the UK.

There are also plans for a further development on the Leicester site, with a commercial Low Cost Access to Space (LoCAS) payload and satellite manufacturing facility for the manufacture of mid-range satellites.

The satellite production line will address the UKs need for facilities to make satellites and payloads for UK space tech companies and lower the barriers to new entrants in the market.

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Space mission specialist Prof Richard Ambrosi appointed as head of Space Park Leicester - Business Live

Cathie Wood-led Ark Invest has nearly cut all its exposure in Boeing Co (NYSE: BA) and now owns just100 shares in the Chicago-based planemaker, data from the popular money managers daily trades reveal.

The St. Petersburg, Florida-based Ark Invest bought shares in the maker of 737 MAX commercial planes in April this year via the then newly launched Ark Space Exploration & Innovation ETF (BATS: ARKX).

No other Ark Invest ETFs own shares in Boeing.

ARKX owned 74,056 shares in Boeing at the end of July this year, as per the investment firms annual report.

Ark Invest in September sharply reduced its exposure in Boeing after the planemaker failed to secure a large order from European budget airline Ryanair Holdings Plc (NASDAQ: RYAAY) due to differences over pricing.

See Also: Amazon, Pfizer, Roku, Boeing And More: These Are Cathie Wood's Key Trades From Tuesday

The beleaguered 737 MAX after two years of a global banwas cleared to fly again by most aviation regulators of countries around the world.

The worlds second-largest planemaker was earlier among the top 15 holdings in the ARKX portfolio, which currently counts Trimble Inc (NASDAQ: TRMB) and The 3D Printing ETF (BATS: PRNT) among its top holdings.

Boeing's Defense, Space, and Security segment is also involved in NASA's Space Launch System, a heavy-lift rocket meant for human space exploration. Boeing, which draws most of its sales from making planes, also builds satellites and software systems for commercial, military, and scientific exploration.

Boeings Space Launch System project has however been mired in delays.

Just last week, Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) CEO Elon Musks SpaceX secured fresh commercial crew flights to the International Space Station as Boeing further delayed certificates for the Starliner spacecraft due to technical issues.

Boeing may now not be able to fly astronauts for NASA until 2023 more than three years behind schedule. The Starliner spaceship is already grounded for the rest of the year due to hardware issues.

See Also: NASA Signs Up SpaceX For 3 More Commercial Flights To ISS Amid Boeing's Starliner Delays

NASA said it still plans to alternate missions between SpaceX and Boeing, once both are operational.

Price Action: Boeing shares closed 0.96% lower at $195.50 a share on Tuesday. The stock is down 16% over the past month.

2021 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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Cathie Wood's Ark Has Nearly Exited Its Boeing Position - Benzinga

Strahan, others take brief flight in space capsule

Football star and TV celebrity Michael Strahan caught a ride to space with Jeff Bezos' rocket-launching company Saturday, sharing the trip with the daughter of America's first astronaut. (Dec. 11)

AP

Ocean Township High School alumnus Lane Besshas boldly gone to space.

It's been three days since heblastedover what's known as the Krmn line and he's trying to put the experience into words for curious minds. So far, he's come up with"tranquil."

"What you see is a beautiful planet that's been here for billions of years and looks so peaceful. And it just really gives you a calming feeling. It brings to your mind the question, 'Why can't the earth be as peaceful on the planet as it seems from up here?'" Bess said.

TheKrmn line isthe internationally recognized boundary of space. It's62 miles, or330,000 feet, from the ground.

He flew on Blue Origin's spacecraft New Shepard. On the flightwashis son Cameron, 23;Laura Shepard Churchley, the daughter of the late astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American to travel into space;former New York Giant and co-host of "Good Morning America"Michael Strahan;Dylan Taylor, chairman & CEO of Voyager Space;and Evan Dick, a venture capitalist and airplane pilot.

Blue Origin was created by Jeff Bezos, the billionaire founder of retailing giant Amazon.

Space tourism: Ocean Township H.S. alum Lane Bess heading to space on Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin

Bess said one of the thingsthey did when they were weightless was tosssmall footballs to each other, courtesy of Strahan.

Blue Origin named theirspace flight "The Original Six," because it was the first of New Shepard's flights to carry a full passenger manifestof sixastronauts. The rocket was controlled from the ground. The flight was the rocket's 19th, though most of thosewere unmanned test launches.

Bess, a 1979 graduate of Ocean Township High School,andhis son Cameronalso made a bit of space history as the first parent/child combo to fly into space.

The flight was scheduledto launch from West Texas last Thursday, but due to strong winds was delayed until Saturday morning. They flew during the day so Bess said they did not see the moon or the stars, just vast darkness out toward space. The earth glowed several hues of blue.

"It was a day launch so you don't really see the stars. You see black. You see darkness, you see every shade of blue from the earth's sky," Bess said

Since they shot up from Texas, Bess said he could make out certain features of the United States, such as theRocky Mountains to theGulf of Mexico. They could see about one eighth of the earth's circumferencefrom their position.

They traveled at a speed of 2,800 mphon departure. They reached space in less than threeminutes. When they returned, the capsule floated down with parachutes and touched down in the soft desert sand, about four miles from the launch pad. The total flight time was about 11 minutes.

Blue Origin said itsvision ismillions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth.

Bess said he already wants to go up again, and said it's very possible that in the future people willcommute to space on short flights such as the one he took. Space exploration and the search for resources have already begun toaccelerate now that private investors are getting involved.

Blue Origin hasn't disclosed the ticket cost for New Shepard, and Bess has said he's not permitted by the company to reveal what he paid.

"These trips aren't about joy rides. It's about improving thetechnology," said Bess, who made his wealth providing venture capital to tech start-ups in the Silicon Valley.

Today, he'sthe principal and founder of Bess Ventures and Advisory, a family fund supporting technology firms, andlives in Miami Beach and Silicon Valley with his wife and three kids. He still has family at the Jersey Shore.

When Jersey Shore native Dan Radel is not reporting the news, you can find him in a college classroom where he is a history professor. Reach him @danielradelapp; 732-643-4072; dradel@gannettnj.com.

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'Every shade of blue': Ocean Township alum reveals what he saw on Blue Origin space flight - Asbury Park Press

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Geologists uncover 'treasure trove' of dinosaur tracks in Poland

Hundreds of dinosaur footprints, so well-preserved that even the scaly skin can be seen, have been found in Poland, giving an insight into a complex ecosystem around 200 million years ago, geologists said. Described by the Polish Geological Institute-National Research Institute as a treasure trove, the fossilised tracks and bones were found in an opencast clay mine in Borkowice, 130 km (80 miles) south of Warsaw.

NASA's Webb telescope promises an 'amazing journey' for astronomy

It was finished years late at a cost far higher than planned, but NASA's James Webb Space Telescope due for launch next week may usher in a new era in astronomy as it gathers information on the universe's earliest stages, star formation, and whether planets beyond our solar system may be suitable for life. The orbiting infrared observatory, designed to be about 100 times more sensitive than its Hubble Space Telescope predecessor, is due to blast off on Dec. 22 on an Ariane 5 rocket from a site in French Guiana on South America's northeastern coast.

Vaccines appear weak at blocking Omicron infection; shots may reduce long COVID burden

The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review. Vaccines appear weak vs Omicron infection, better vs severe disease

U.S. Space Force holds war game to test satellite network under attack

The United States is testing satellite resiliency to threats from China and Russia miles above the earth's surface, just weeks after Russia shot down an aging communications satellite. The computer-aided simulations included potential shooting down of U.S. missile-tracking satellites, satellite jamming, and other electronic warfare "effects" that are possible tactics in space warfare. Actual satellites are not used.

Low staff vaccination tied to nursing home COVID deaths; experimental vaccine targets multiple coronaviruses

The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review. Staff vaccination rates tied to nursing home COVID-19 deaths

Russia hopeful of space rides from NASA to ISS from 2022 - agency head

Moscow expects NASA to start taking cosmonauts to the International Space Station again and is hopeful that cooperation can resume next year, the head of the Russian space agency was quoted as saying on Wednesday. Russia has been the only country capable of delivering people to the ISS since 2011, when the U.S. space agency retired its space shuttle and divert resources towards deeper space exploration.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Science News Roundup: Geologists uncover 'treasure trove' of dinosaur tracks in Poland; NASA's Webb telescope promises an 'amazing journey' for...

Chinas Long March family of rockets has been deployed in most of the countrys space missions since its first flight in 1970. The indigenous rocket recently completed its 400th launch mission.

The mission was conducted by a Long March 4B rocket on the morning of December 10. The rocket carried Shijian 6-05 satellites, according to reports.

From the launch of the Tianlian-2-1 relay satellite by the Long March 3B till the latest mission involving the Long March 4B, it took less than 3 years (33 months), for the rocket family to accomplish the 400th launch mission, thus renewing the fastest record in the countrys aerospace history, Chinas state-owned media outlet Global Times reported.

Since 1970, the Long March carrier rockets have been involved in 92.1 percent of Chinas space launch missions.

According to scientists at the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the first 100 launches were completed in over 37 years. The second 100 launches were accomplished in a span of seven and a half years, the third took four years and three months, and the fourth only took two years and nine months, Xinhua Net reported.

The latest achievement of the Long March family was not easy to accomplish, space industry analysts said.

The primary reason behind the resilience of Chinas Long March family amid the pandemic is that it is equipped with fully domestically-built and controllable technology, Song Zhongping, a space analyst and TV commentator, told the Global Times on December 12.

During the 4th 100 launched period, the Long March rockets fulfilled several key missions they carried Chinas Tianhe space station core module, Shenzhou manned spacecraft, Change-5 lunar probe and the countrys first interplanetary Tianwen-1 Mars exploration mission, according to reports.

The fourth hundred launches are said to be the foundation for Chinas aerospace industry moving from quantitative change to qualitative change, and an important milestone for China to fully start building a space power nation, CASC developers said in a statement.

The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), which is a subsidiary of the CASC and is also the main contractor and designer of the Long March rocket family, said that the academy is currently working on developing two types of heavy-duty carrier rockets.

The new rockets would be stronger than the Long March-5 and are capable of supporting future manned space missions and sending large probes into deep space. Known as the new-generation manned rocket, one of them is going to be a 90-meter-tall, three-stage model with an escape tower on the top.

The rocket will also have a weight-at-launch of 2,000 tons, and will be capable of sending a payload of 25 tons to the lunar transit orbit, or a payload of 70 tons to the new-Earth orbit.

The other new model will be the 100-ton level heavy-lift carrier rocket, which is under the CALT development and is expected to take maiden flight by 2028. It is capable of sending a payload of up to 140 tons to the near-Earth orbit and a payload of up to 50 tons to the lunar transit orbit or maximum of 44 tons to the Mars transit orbit, the academy told Global Times.

According to analysts, the US is hyping Chinas fast progress in the field of space exploration after blocking any scope of cooperation or exchange with Chinas space industry.

During a discussion at the Reagan National Defense Forum, Gen. David Thompson, vice chief of space operations for the US Space Force, said that China is developing its space capabilities at twice the rate of the US, CNN reported.

If we dont start accelerating our development and delivery capabilities, they will exceed us, Thompson said, adding that 2030 is not an unreasonable estimate.

According to Song, the US Space Force and NASA have been overestimating and selling the idea of China-threat in space to serve the purpose of consolidating its dominance in space.

China needs to steadily follow its own planned pace and neglect the US hype in developing its own space strength while heeding not to fall in the trap of space arms race and the US long-pursuit of militarizing the space, he added.

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China Racing Ahead Of US At Twice The Rate In Space Tech; Its Long March Carrier Rocket Conducts 400th Mission - EurAsian Times

The Kilgore Public Library is blasting off into the holiday season with a NASA@ My Library ornament contest and a special Christmas tree at the library has been decorated with hand-painted and personally designed space-themed Christmas ornaments.

The contest was held to celebrate the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, which is planned to succeed the Hubble Space Telescope as NASAs flagship astrophysics mission and is scheduled to be launched on Dec. 22, according to information from NASA.

Library patrons and locals designed and decorated a number of unique ornaments, which can be seen hanging on the space-themed tree at the library. Participants voted for their favorite ornament on Friday.

Library Director Stacey Cole said the tree and ornaments are part of their year-long celebration of NASA and space exploration. Earlier this year, the library was selected through a competitive application process to be part of NASA@ My Library, an education initiative created to increase and enhance STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) learning opportunities for library patrons throughout the nation, including geographic areas and populations currently underrepresented in STEAM education.

As a NASA@ My Library partner, KPL will hold public programs that explore NASA science and technology, specifically around NASAs newest next-generation telescope launch (fall 2021), the first telescope images (spring 2022), and as part of the Collaborative Summer Library Program (summer 2022). More information, including a program schedule, will be available in the at kilgorelibrary.org.

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Blasting off into the Holidays: Kilgore library's tree showcases space theme - Kilgore News Herald

December 9, 2021

Editor's note:This story is part of aseriesof profiles ofnotablefall 2021 graduates.

A passion for science and an interest in procedural crime shows on television led Aubrey Kreutzer to pursue a science major at Arizona State University. Download Full Image

Kreutzer will graduate Dec. 13 with a bachelors degree in forensic science from the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences and honors from Barrett, The Honors College.

I have always been fascinated by science, and one day I started watching a crime show my mom was watching. I was drawn to a few other crime shows, and when I learned about what I could do in the field of forensic science with my passion for science, I was intrigued, and I decided this is what I wanted to study, said Kreutzer, whose hometown is Prescott, Arizona.

After graduation, she will immediately begin work as a laboratory assistant at Exact Sciences, a company specializing in early cancer detection, in downtown Phoenix.

I hope to grow with this company, and I am excited to see where it takes me, she said.

In addition to her studies, Kreutzer kept busy as a member of the Honors Devils, a student group that welcomes prospective honors students to campus, and as a student recruiting assistant for Barrett Honors College at the ASU West campus.

We asked her to look back on her undergraduate experience.

Question: What is an interesting moment or accomplishment in your ASU career? What are you proud of?

Answer: An interesting moment in my ASU career was sort of a bittersweet full circle moment I had when I was part of a club called Honors Devils. While participating in an overnight experience at ASU West my senior year of high school, I stayed in the room of a Barrett student named Abbie, who was in Honors Devils at the time. When I came to ASU West my freshman year, I decided to join the club.The next spring, I was able to host a prospective student named Sydnee for an overnight experience in my dorm. When she came to ASU as a freshman that August, she went on to join Honors Devils as well.

By that time, I was a sophomore and had moved up to being vice president of the club. Two years later, I started my senior year and became president of Honors Devils, and Sydnee became the vice president of public relations. Later that year, when I was getting ready to leave Honors Devils, she was elected to take my place as president. It was bittersweet to have followed in Abbies footsteps to start my journey with Honors Devils, and then to watch Sydnee grow, follow in my footsteps and take over for me when I left.

I am proud of finishing my degree, and in a way much deeper than I ever anticipated.After the pandemic escalated in March 2020 and we isolated for months, I became extremely depressed. I was living alone and I was working remotely, barely interacting with friends or leaving the house. As an extrovert, this wrecked me.I have always been a committed student, but as the end of the fall 2020 semester approached, I was failing one of my classes and I could not bring myself to care about it. Thats when I knew I wasnt OK.

About three weeks before the end of the semester, I decided to confide in a few people close to me who hadnt known what I was going through. After that, I began talking to my thesis director and academic adviser about how to move forward, and I even considered withdrawing the entire semester and finishing my degree later.I had to retake my failed class over this summer and still had to work through a lot of hurdles in my mental health to finish my degree. But it is one year later, and I am still here. It was difficult, but I did it. I finished my thesis. I will graduate.

I will begin a new position downtown. I am incredibly grateful to have made it to where I am today, despite what the last year and a half has brought.

Q: Whats something you learned while at ASU in the classroom or otherwise that surprised you or changed your perspective?

A: While at ASU, I worked as a student recruiter for Barrett. I learned a lot during that time, and something which changed my perspective was seeing the support my supervisor provided to each and every student regardless of their college decision. No matter if they chose to go to ASU, she put her full effort into making sure that student was prepared and had all the resources they needed. It taught me that everyone deserves to pursue their dreams, and we must let them explore where to do so and support them in any way we can.

Q: Why did you choose ASU?

A: I chose ASU for a few reasons. I was originally looking at schools in California, but I couldnt afford to go there. I toured the three major Arizona universities and Grand Canyon University, but I was intrigued by ASU from the beginning. ASU West always felt like home, and I was consistently impressed by all that ASU had to offer. I loved that I could live at the beautiful West campus and still have access to all other campuses and participate in universitywide events.

Q: Which professor taught you the most important lesson while at ASU?

A: My toxicology professor and thesis director, Dr. Shirly Montero, taught me the importance of taking a break and validating your own mental health. She was a huge support for me during my mental health struggles and overcoming those in writing my thesis. She never questioned me. She was real with me. She saw what I was going through and she helped me find ways to focus and work through it.

Q: Whats the best piece of advice youd give to those still in school?

A: Get involved. Try new things. But never lose yourself. Never stop prioritizing yourself. Get to know who you are and how you function. Learn how to fuel and refresh yourself and take time to do that. Your mental health is more important than what you accomplish.

Q: What was your favorite spot on campus, whether for studying, meeting friends or just thinking about life?

A: My favorite spot on the ASU West campus was the Sands Courtyard, with the Barrett Suite coming in close behind it. The Sands Courtyard was usually lined with flowers and a fountain in the middle, making it one of the most peaceful spots on campus. It was a great place to work on homework when it wasnt too hot outside, and I loved to listen to the water of the fountain. The Barrett Suite comes in close second since many of the friends I made in Barrett hung out there, and I could always go there to study or see a familiar face.

Q: If someone gave you$40millionto solve one problem on our planet, what would you tackle?

A: If I had $40 million to only solve one problem, it would be the problem of basic living necessities, including homelessness and people in foreign and third-world countries who do not have enough to eat. There are millions of people in this country and in the world who do not have enough to eat or drink or have a safe place to sleep. Everyone deserves to go to sleep with a full belly and a warm bed.

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School of Earth and Space Exploration Dean's Medalist discovers her passion for research - ASU Now

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Experiencing Space Exploration History With The Bulova Lunar Pilot 50th Anniversary Limited-Edition Watch - aBlogtoWatch