Category Archives: Space Exploration

Off the Wall: Rice University Public Art CommissionThe 8th Continent by Clarissa TossinDigital loom jacquard tapestries with metallic thread

Opening: Friday, September 24th, 68pmBrochstein Pavilion

The 8th Continent, Rices site-specific commission, is the outcome of the artists interest in the Moon Agreement, adopted by the United Nations in 1979, which states that the environments of the Moon and other celestial bodies should not be disrupted and declares their natural resources the common heritage of mankind, discouraging nations from making individual claims. A 2015 U.S. law skirts this restriction, however, giving private companies the right to mine the Moon and other outer-space territories, and other countries, including China, are drafting claims of their own.

Tossins work repurposes images of the Moon taken by NASA to identify substantial ice deposits, which can potentially be mined and used in the production of rocket fuel. In a nod to medieval and Renaissance tapestries intended to demonstrate wealth and power of colonizing countries, Tossin rendered these lunar images as textiles interwoven with metallic thread. The resulting triptych reframes humanitys drive to explore the Moon within the long shadow of colonial conquest and resource extraction.

The left panel features Shackleton Crater, which is slated to become the first US lunar mining facility. At center, the Moons north and south poles are shown side by side, highlighting permanently shadowed craters that are likely to hold ice deposits that will help enable deep space exploration. On the right, a sweeping view of the southern pole appears together with the Earth at a distance, recalling the iconic photograph taken by astronaut William Anders, titled Earthrise, during the 1968 Apollo 8 mission. The 8th Continent addresses the shift from environmental preservation to industrial exploitation of Earths diminishing resources, and considers how frontier mythologies rationalize discovery and the subsequent stages of development and extraction.

Clarissa Tossin gratefully acknowledges Dr. David Alexander, from the Rice Space Institute, and Dr. David A. Kring, from the Lunar and Planetary Institute, who generously offered guidance for this project.

Off the Wall: Clarissa Tossin is organized by Ylinka Barotto, Associate Curator, Moody Center for the Arts.

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Off the Wall: Rice University Public Art Commission - NASA

Hi folks, its Brad in San Francisco. Next week comes thesequel to Dave Eggerss 2013 novel, The Circle, and a continuation of his satirical examination of how technology is changing humanity,but first

Todays top tech news:

The Circle was a wreck of a movie starring Emma Watson and Tom Hanks. But first, it was abestselling novel that depicted an omnipotent FacebookInc.-like company that pressures people into sharing every aspect of their lives. I enjoyed it! And now, eight years later, Eggers has returned to this all-too-plausible universe. The hero of the first book has become the villainous chief executive officer, and the company has rebranded itself as The Everyafter swallowing its Amazon.com Inc.-like rival, whose founder was only too happy to cash out and devote his time to space exploration with his fourth spouse. I guess regulators were sleeping on the merger review but stilllol.

In the new novelThe Every, a young idealist named Delaney joins the company as a customer service rep with the subversive idea that she can undermine the sprawling monopolist from the inside. She soon hits on a scheme to pitch a product so ridiculously invasive that the public will finally rebel and overthrow its tech overlord. As you can probably tell, the story is more belabored this time around, and if youre familiar with The Circles ending, you may be able to guess how her plans turns out.

Still, you should read Eggerss fictional take on technologys impact, not for the grinding plot machinations but for his disquieting world-building and scathing observations about techs grip on our minds. In Eggerss world, cameras and listening devices are mandated everywhere, conscientious objectors to the corporate-surveillance state are dubbed trogs and shunned, and a global hack known as The Release has exposed everyones email histories and led to a half-million suicides. Butpeople keep blithely clicking. The last vestige of freedomthe ability to move through the natural world unobservedfell away on a Friday, and no one noticed, he writes.

The book is also darn funny. An ultra-woke, environmentalist militancy has run amok, and nowbananas are being banned and people need to sign mutual contact agreements to even shake hands. Toilets are outfitted with a chirpy artificial intelligence, so they know exactly how much water to expend with each use. In the best recurring joke, male employees at The Every all dress like Sergey Brin from his spandex-wearing, midlife-crisis phase, sporting wrestler unitards that showcase their anatomy.

In an interview, Eggers said,I had a lot of fun writing this, and it shows. But his underlying themes are serious. Eggers told me hes enacting and inhabiting all my worst fears of what these companies can do. The target isnt just Silicon Valley but our own loyalty to tech companies and complicity with what he calls the full-panopticon level surveillance society.

I dont think most people necessarily realize just how much an inhibiting species change this isthis overwhelming, constant, unavoidable surveillance, Eggers said. Ive just been thinking for the last 20 years that weve been undergoing this species-level radical evolution, the fastest speciation that we have ever undergone, and we dont quite realize it. And its making us a far less interesting species and far more subservient to technology. No, Eggers doesnt own an Amazon Alexanor does he spend much time onemail. Our interview took place on old-fashioned telephone.

By the way, you wont be able to buy The Every on the everything store for another month or so. McSweeneys Publishing LLC, the nonprofit book and magazine publisher Eggers started in 1998, is giving independent bookstores anexclusive on the hardcover, before Vintage Books, a division of Random House, publishes the paperback, e-book and audiobook more widely in November. Its hard to imagine that Amazon, one target of Eggerss thought-provoking and wickedly dark satire, will mind very much. Brad Stone

An airlift from Afghanistan was funded by Facebook and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman. The evacuation was complicated when the plane became overcrowdedat the 11th hour.

Amazon is working on a bunch of new gadgets, including a wall-mounted screen, TV sound bar, wearable gear and car technology. Amazonis still working on a home robot, which currently doesnt have arms and cant climb stairs.

Tesla started judging driver behavior to determine whichamong its car owners, who paid as much as $10,000 for self-driving capabilities, should get the option first.

Oyo will seek at least $1.2 billion in an IPO,with a filing expected as soon as this week.The Indian hotel company underwent some troubles during the pandemic.

New York Citys office market is on its way back, thanks largely to tech clientele. Roku and Microsoft are among those in talks for new leases in Manhattan.

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The Every Book Author Dave Eggers on His Sequel to The Circle - Bloomberg

Bill Gates, during his recent appearance in an American late night talk show, was asked about his thoughts on billionaires investing in space travel and in response, he said that he has become obsessed with eradicating diseases here on earth rather than with space.

James Corden, the host of the Late Late Show with James Corden, hosted Gates in his show earlier on September 23 to talk about the climate crisis. However, what started as a casual joke, ended with a response from Gates, which the host called the classiest burn.

Corden opened the talk by thanking Gates for being the one billionaire who is not trying to escape planet earth on a spaceship at the moment. When asked about why billionaires were obsessed with space travel at the moment, Gates reply was I dont know. I have become obsessed with things like Malaria and HIV and getting rid of those diseases and I would probably bore people at cocktail parties talking about diseases. Space? You know, we have a lot to do here on earth. During the remainder of the interview, Gates called upon being optimistic and the combined efforts of all people to tackle the climate crisis.

The reference by Corden in his question to Gates is apparently to the recent space flights by billionaires Jeff Bezos, Amazons founder and Richard Branson, Virgin groups founder back in July. Also another billionaire Jared Issacman led the Inspiration4 mission, which has been described as worlds first all-civilian orbital mission to space. The flight was on a Dragon capsule and a SpaceX rocket built by another billionaire Elon Musk. While the contributions of these missions to space exploration has been largely appreciated, it has also received some criticism.

Earlier in the week, United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres during his opening speech at the UN general assembly called out the gap between the rich and the poor with billionaires joyriding to space while millions go hungry on Earth.

However, Bezos and Musk have both defended their decisions and acknowledged the criticism at them. Bezos said that his critics were largely right and said We have to do both. We have lots of problems here and now on Earth and we need to work on those and we also need to look to the future, weve always done that as a species and as a civilization. We have to do both, the Guardian quoted him as saying earlier in July.

Meanwhile, Musk, who is yet to go into space, has said, I think we should spend the vast majority of our resources solving problems on Earth. Like, 99% plus of our economy should be dedicated to solving problems on earth, in a Netflix documentary about Inspiration4. But I think maybe something like 1%, or less than 1%, could be applied to extending life beyond earth, he added.

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Space? We have a lot to do here: Bill Gates explains why he is not trying to escape planet earth in a spaceship - Hindustan Times

UAE space chief Sarah Al Amiri has met Turkey's ambassador to the Emirates to discuss the possibility of collaborating on space exploration and advanced technology.

The meeting between Ms Al Amiri, the Minister of State for Advanced Technology and Chair of the UAE Space Agency, with Tugay Tuncer took place on Tuesday.

Turkey had announced an ambitious 10-year space programme, including Moon missions and sending a Turkish astronaut into space, a day after the UAEs Hope probe entered Mars orbit in February.

Today, I met with HE @Tuncer_Tugay Turkish Ambassador to the UAE to discuss several topics of mutual interest including enhancing bilateral collaboration in fields of space exploration and advanced technology, Ms Al Amiri tweeted.

We look forward to exchanging experiences and transferring knowledge between the two countries across different sectors.

Mr Tugay described the meeting as fruitful and said that it was agreed that the two countries would strengthen bilateral economic co-operation in space exploration and advanced technology.

Huge opportunities for both countries, he wrote on Twitter.

In 2018, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed an executive order to establish a national space agency.

In January, he spoke with SpaceX billionaire Elon Musk about collaborating in space technology.

As part of its space programme, Turkey wants to undertake a Moon-landing mission in 2023 using a hybrid rocket built by Turkish engineers. There are also plans to build a spaceport.

The plan coincides with the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey.

Serdar Huseyin Yildirim, president of the Turkish Space Agency, will be in Dubai next month for the International Astronautical Congress. This will take place from October 25 to October 29 at the World Trade Centre.

This image taken by the Hope probe's ultraviolet spectrometer (one of its three scientific instruments) showssunlight reflecting off the extended cloud of atomic hydrogen gas that surrounds the planet Mars. The sunlight is visible only as a dark disk hidden inside the fog of gas. The Emirates Mars Mission team said that no other mission have made such kind of recordings before.

Updated: September 22nd 2021, 8:56 AM

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UAE and Turkey discuss space exploration - The National

I believe we need to further space exploration in the U.S. because it helps humanity and helps the economy.

Innovations derived from experiments and projects related to space exploration have already resulted in many life-changing inventions for us, such as the laptop, the iPhone, and even the water purification systems we use. Since its inception, NASA has supported the development of solutions in many fields including medicine, agriculture, transportation and public safety.

NASA recruited Invocon Inc. to create sensors to monitor and measure environmental and structural health conditions of the International Space Station. The ensuing commercial product is now used to monitor bridges and tunnels to maintain safe conditions for us.

Each day, about 1,000 Americans suffer sudden cardiac arrest outside the hospital, 95% percent die before reaching the ER. NASA research into blood pressure changes in returning shuttle astronauts supported the development of a CPR enhancing device called ResQPOD. Compared to CPR, ResQPOD doubles the blood flow to the heart and increases blood flow to the brain by 50%. In some cities, ResQPOD has increased the number of patients arriving at the hospital alive by 50%. This is a big jump.

Ethylene is a gas emitted by plants that accelerates the ripening of fruits and the aging of flowers, encouraging decay. To keep space-grown crops fresh, NASA developed an ethylene reduction device for use in space. Now, Akida Holdings, LLC markets this technology, called Airocide. A chemical reaction within the air purifier destroys airborne bacteria, mold, viruses and odors. Airocide systems are used by dental facilities, food distribution centers, medical facilities and other businesses.

NASA engineers have invented a rotating wall bioreactor that mimics microgravity (used for disease research) conditions creating healthier cell cultures that resemble how our body forms tissues. These devices, available from Synthecon Inc., enable research into treatments for widespread diseases such as cancer and diabetes.

SpaceX has started its Starlink project that will make fast internet available in rural and remote areas, helping the people who need internet access.

Space exploration leads to a better economy while creating jobs. SpaceX alone has created tens of thousands of jobs. NASAs activities benefit all 50 states and 43 of them have had an economic impact of $10 million. NASA also has more than 700 active agreements with countries across the globe. In its 63 years of existence NASA has cost [the U.S. government] approximately $1 billion dollars, which is about three and a half years of pizza and tobacco costs, while it has helped in a multitude of scientific discoveries and life-changing inventions for the U.S. In short, space exploration leads to a better economy, while receiving less money than it deserves.

In conclusion, while some people may believe we need to take money away from space exploration to solve global problems, such as world hunger and job growth, I would say enhancing space exploration is one of the best ways to solve these global problems.

Greenville Elementary School

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Why we need to support space exploration | Letters To The Editor | scarsdalenews.com - scarsdalenews.com

For years, astrophysicists have been saying that alien life must exist, but finding out where and in what form has proved elusive. We may be edging closer: a team from the University of Cambridge has discovered a new class of habitable planets they claim will lead to evidence of life in the next three years. Is ET out there? Or is this search, like that for the holy grail, more about us than them? I asked Jacco van Loon, astrophysicist and director of Keele Observatory in Staffordshire, for his opinion.

Hi Jacco! Explain your job as though I were five years old.I study stars, and the space between them. Space is relatively empty, but not completely.

Sounds ominous. Are you saying were not alone?Its highly probable. There are many stars and planets where life could begin, but we dont have evidence. Its strange: we call it the Fermi paradox.

Ive heard of that from Hollywood. Scientist Enrico Fermi was discussing the near certainty of alien life when he asked the defining question: Where is everybody?Yes, we might not have the tech to detect primitive alien life (microorganisms) from here. But advanced life forms like us are loud and bright; we create artificial light. And weve been able to send and receive radio signals across space since the second world war, and heard nothing.

So were being ghosted by the universe.We dont actually send messages much Im talking about listening.

Maybe theyre observing us, too. Maybe they dont like what they hear. War. Hunger. Mumford & Sons.Theres a theory that the reason we dont know of other advanced civilisations is because they dont stick around. A natural outcome is that they become destructive and disappear. Maybe aliens see us and think: They wont last long, and keep away. Or theyre waiting to discover who else is out there before they make themselves known.

I feel seen I also quietly wait to see who else is going before accepting an invitation.Its good to be cautious. We know from Earth exploration that there are risks from aggressive migration, or carrying diseases into new countries.

This article comes from Saturday,the new print magazine from the Guardianwhich combines the best features, culture, lifestyle and travel writing in one beautiful package. Available now in the UK and ROI.

Thank you for your feedback.

What youre talking about there is colonisation. Is that a fair characterisation of what Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson are doing with their plans for commercial space flight?I dont think so. At some point, we are going to have to leave the Earth behind. Climate crisis aside, the sun will eventually become a red giant and engulf Earth. Maybe seeing the Earth from space can move entrepreneurs to save our planet. We do need regulation of commercial space flight to stop us making the same mistakes we did here.

We humans are not exactly known for learning from our mistakes.Perhaps space exploration will help us see ourselves from the outside and work through our problems with objectivity. Poverty, climate crisis they could be solved if we approached them scientifically.

Work through our problems with objectivity you sound like my therapist. Maybe space exploration is just one big therapy session for humankind. Its probably overdue.I hope it happens sooner rather than later. Time is ticking.

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Can we talk to aliens? And should we colonise space? We ask the expert - The Guardian

BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) CU Boulder is about to put a CUTE spin on space exploration. The CUTE Satellite, short for Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment, is no bigger than a box of cereal but will spend 7 months exploring planets outside our solar system.

CUTE will launch on September 27th on the back of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Southern California. The satellite, according to principal mission investigator Kevin France, cost around $4 million and is only about as big as a family-sized box of Cheerios.

Its an experiment that NASA is conducting to see how much science can be done with a small satellite, said France, a professor in the CU Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences. Thats exciting but also a little daunting.

CUTE will then enter orbit around Earth, aiming sensors at a series of exoplanets called hot Jupiters. These planets are large hot gas giants. CUTEs goal is to give scientists better understanding of how these planets form.

This is one in a series of missions spearheaded by the CU Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics. LASP has developed many other CubeSat missions to explore a a gamut of things like solar activity to supernovae in far-off galaxies.

Ultimately CUTE has one major purpose, and that is to study the inflated atmospheres of these really hot, pretty gassy exoplanets, Arika Egan, a LASP graduate student who helped to develop the mission, said. The inflation and escape these exoplanetary atmospheres undergo are on scales just not seen in our own solar system.

When you look up at the sky and see thousands of stars, that is existential on its own, she said. But then you think about the planets weve discovered around those stars, thousands of planets. Weve just barely scratched the surface of characterizing them, of understanding their diversity. How little we know is astounding, and joining the effort to learn more is fulfilling.

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CU Boulder Scientists Will Launch Cereal Box-Sized Satellite Into Space To Examine Planets Outside Our Solar System - CBS Denver

A new exhibit featuring all things moon, Mars and asteroids is coming to the Space Center Houston!

Be the Astronaut, an exhibit launching in October 2021 will share with young and old alike, the experience of what it means to go off on a space mission.

Pilot a space capsule and other simulated machines to know more about the technology working in deep space. Image courtesy: Space Center Houston

At this immersive fall exhibit, visitors can go on a journey of the moon, Mars, asteroids, Jupiter and beyond, learn how astronauts prepare for a mission, drive a rover, use robotic arms and plan missions in two dimensions and fly in three dimensions.

In the interactive exhibit presented by Eureka Exhibits and Repsol, you can actually land on multiple worlds and get a chance to navigate a simulated mission derived from NASAs Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) space probe data.

Whats more, you can take the pilot seat of a space capsule and understand what it feels like to be a real-life astronaut!

The exhibit has been designed with the aim of inspiring children to think and learn more about deep space exploration. Image courtesy: Space Center Houston

The exhibition has been curated especially keeping in mind the innate curiosity that so many kids have about the outer space.

One of the aims of the exhibit is to explore the solar system using interactive technology that inspires the next generation to learn more about space and the science involved in designing and taking off on space missions.

And what could be more fun than learning these concepts through the practical experience of a simulated rocket launch and dabbling in hands-on technologies? Here, children are invited to think about the science behind deep space exploration with simulated and guided interactive models!

When: Saturday, 2 October 2021Where: Space Center Houston, 1601 Nasa Pkwy, Houston, TX 77058How much: Included in general admission

COVID Guidelines: In following the CDC guidelines, masks are required for all guests ages 2 and up. All guests, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear a mask at all times. For more details click here.

To know more about the exhibit, click here.

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Be the Astronaut - New Exhibit at Space Center Houston - Houston On The Cheap

Today, China stands at another historical node, and in doing so faces new opportunities and challenges. The country must have the courage to seize these opportunities, continue to innovate, and make breakthroughs, says Dr. Xiaojun Wang, President of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology.

In 2021, China became the second nation to successfully land and operate an unmanned rover on Mars. Around the 2030s, China plans to become the first nation to send a Sample Return Spacecraft to Mars. These are only two of Chinas milestones in its journey to become a top space nation. It has many more planned. To realize all those plans, Chinas aerospace agencies have been working on innovative technologies for over 60 years. Crucial among these are the transportation systems, specifically, the launch vehicles.

In an article published inSpace: Science & Technology, Dr. Wang explores Chinas recent advances in space transportation systems, future prospects, and the challenges that remain to be met.

Over the past few years, with a new generation of space launch vehicles, China has launched rockets from the sea, sent multiple satellites into space, landed on the Moon and Mars, and conducted human spaceflight, garnering international attention. The latest among these launch vehicles, LM-11 of the Long March series, has a record-low preparation time of less than 24 hours, and is a great step towards meeting the rapid transportation needs that a space station will bring; China has begun the construction of its space station in low-earth orbit in April 2021.

To make its space program more environmentally sustainable, Chinas aerospace agencies are upgrading toxic traditional petroleum-derived rocket propellant-based propulsion systems to liquid-based cryogenic propulsion systemswhich uses cleaner fuels like hydrogen or oxygenor the new high-power electric propulsion systems. Launch vehicles are also being made highly specific in terms of propulsion technology and efficient in terms of the thrust to weight ratios and engines, which could save energy and fuel expenditure and make missions safer. Reusable technology involving the control of landing zones and enabling horizontal take-off and landing are being developed as well, to reduce the junk generated by space missions as well as stay relevant on the global stage. Reusable launch technology will also enable China to stay competitive in the commercial space travel industry, which is rapidly gaining speed.

With deep space missions in mind, scientists are also working on developing lightweight metal composites that can withstand the test of time and improve the energy efficiency of vehicle bodies. This will be necessary for stellar and nuclear-powered crafts, which are the only known kinds of vehicles capable of exploring beyond the solar system.

Furthermore, scientists have combined the power of the latest advances in aerospace engineering with artificial intelligence to develop smart technology that can predict and identify errors during space missions and even take corrective steps as needed. Using big data and cloud computing, platforms that can offer better remote control and improved communications with spacecrafts, are being built. Space vehicle production, testing, launch, flight operation, reconfiguration, and docking are being automated.

With significant monetary investment and specific year-on-year targets for meeting each of these research developmental goals, spanning across the 2020s to the 2040s, China has set its sights on becoming a powerful space nation by the first half of this century. It even plans to set up a manned base station on the moon and a space solar power station to better power its space products.

From single satellite launch vehicles to manned spacecrafts, from near-Earth orbit missions to deep space exploration, Chinas space transportation systems have developed by huge leaps in the last few decades and will continue to do so in the decades to come.

China seeks to intelligently empower aerospace transportation systems, create efficientpropulsion technologies,and develop digital management systems torealize its goal of emerging as a space power nation,China will devote itself in peacefully developing the space and encouraging international cooperation says Dr. Wang.

Space may be where humanitys future lies. And with this acceleration in the development of space technology, China is launching itself to the top of the race to get there.

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Advancements In Transport Technology That Are Launching China To Top Of Space Race - Eurasia Review

Emirates Space Art Programme (ESAP) will serve as a platform to bring together a wide stratum of the creative community into the National Space Programme

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) has launched the Emirates Space Art Programme (ESAP) that aims to uniquely document and share the emotions of the UAEs milestone moves into space through artists and their artworks.

The initiative is in collaboration with Jsoor, a private social enterprise that aligns with the agendas of the public sector to build an integrated sustainable creative industry.

MBRSCs partnership with the culture and creative industries is the foundation of a valuable legacy that future generations and the world can connect with.

Salem AlMarri, deputy director-general, MBRSC, said: With the UAEs rapid growth and achievements in the space sector, now is a great time to explore the artistic representations of our journey through a range of artistic styles, mediums and techniques. This will not only enable us to reach a wider global audience but also speak in a language that is universally recognised and accepted.

He further said: Through the works of artists, we will be able to witness the varied interpretation of our nations growing achievements in space. These artworks can be used to tell a story that will have great value for future generations and will also significantly contribute to the enrichment of Emirati art.

ESAP will serve as a platform to bring together a wide stratum of the creative community into the National Space Programme to present the UAEs journey of space exploration in a new light through artworks and other creative mediums.

This will also lead to increased engagement of the community and the youth with the UAEs space journey, making a significant contribution to the history of Emirati and global art.

Omar Al Shunnar, founder of Jsoor, underlined: We are very honoured and pleased to be working with MBRSC on this first-of-a-kind innovative programme that aims to celebrate the accomplishments of the nation through the culture and creative industries.

To ensure alignment of ESAP with the aspirations of the leadership and the objectives of the UAE and the creative community, we will continually engage key public and private stakeholders within the local culture and creative industries community to ensure that the programme is comprehensive and inclusive in delivering its mandate, added Omar.

By enriching connections between science, art and the community, while celebrating the achievements of the UAE in space, the Emirates Space Art Programme will nurture continued conversation around the National Space Programme.

Nandini Sircar

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UAEs milestone space explorations to come alive with art - Khaleej Times