Category Archives: Space Station

It is pretty widely agreed that things moving in space move rather quickly, but a video showing how fast the International Space Station (ISS) moves has been stunning viewers.

The video, that has been viewed more than 700,000 times since being posted on YouTube in 2022, begins by showing a simulation of the ISS in space.

The space station moves at an average speed of 17,150mi/h (27,600km/h) as it orbits the planet. This is an estimated equivalent of going at Mach 22.3. For context, the speed of sound travels at Mach 1.

Now, the most interesting part of the video is seeing how fast the station would be moving if it were at ground level. The owner of the video, YouTube channel Airplane Mode, said this simulation was done using Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020.

The video shows a first-person view of what it would be like to move at Mach 22 speeds through New York City. Zipping past the large body of water to reach the city in just over a second.

The ISS would be able to blitz through the entirety of New York city in under three seconds, illustrating the unbelievable speeds the station is moving at in space.

The simulation also shows how quickly the station would be moving over mountain ranges across the globe.

For added context, the clip also shows comparatively how slow something moving at the speed of sound would travel at through the city.

This really puts into perspective how slow sound actually is, this is crazy stuff, one YouTuber commented.

I think it's crazy that we as humans made an object go that fast. I bet Newton would be pretty shocked to hear we actually went fast enough to orbit Earth like he theorized back when the fastest vehicles were sailing ships, another remarked.

Manhattan came and went in less than two seconds. Ha, thats insane, one user wrote.

I have seen the ISS fly over on many late night dog walks and have often wondered how fast it would be going for us. Well, now we know. Awesome video man!

This really emphasizes the fact that all an orbit is is going so fast that by the time you start to fall towards the planet, the floor just curves and you're back where you started, another amazed YouTuber wrote.

Despite the rapid speed the ISS is moving at, it still takes the station 90-93 minutes to orbit the Earth, highlighting just how massive our blue planet is.

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Unbelievable video demonstrating speed of the ISS is blowing people's minds - UNILAD

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Credit: Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the development of Russias new orbital station after a special meeting at Energia Corp. on Oct. 26. The development program, worth 609 billion rubles (about $6.5 billion), will allow the new station to deploy by 2032, the head of Energias parent Roscosmos...

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The 29th SpaceX commercial resupply services (CRS) mission for NASA carries scientific experiments and technology demonstrations, including studies of enhanced optical communications and measurement of atmospheric waves. The uncrewed SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station from the agencys Kennedy Space Center in Florida no earlier than Nov. 5.

Download high-resolution photos and videos of the research mentioned in this article.

Here are details on some of the research launching to the orbiting lab:

NASAs ILLUMA-T investigation tests technology to provide enhanced data communication capabilities on the space station. A terminal mounted on the stations exterior uses laser or optical communications to send high-resolution information to the agencys Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) system, which is in geosynchronous orbit around Earth. LCRD then beams the data to optical ground stations in Haleakala, Hawaii, and Table Mountain, California. The system uses invisible infrared light and can send and receive information at higher data rates than traditional radio frequency systems, making it possible to send more images and videos to and from the space station in a single transmission. The ILLUMA-T demonstration also paves the way for placing laser communications terminals on spacecraft orbiting the Moon or Mars.

ILLUMA-T and LCRD create NASAs first two-way laser communications relay system. Laser communications can supplement the radio frequency systems that most space-based missions currently use to send data to and from Earth. According to acting ILLUMA-T project manager Glenn Jackson at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, laser systems are smaller, more lightweight, and use less power than radio systems. The smaller size frees up more room for science instruments, the lighter weight reduces launch costs, and lower power use results in less drain on spacecraft batteries.

Managed by NASA Goddard in partnership with NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory, ILLUMA-T is funded by the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

NASAs Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) uses an infrared imaging instrument to measure the characteristics, distribution, and movement of atmospheric gravity waves (AGWs). These waves roll through Earths atmosphere when air is disturbed much like waves created by dropping a stone into water.

Atmospheric gravity waves are one mechanism for transporting energy and momentum within the climate system and they play a role in defining the climate and its evolution, says co-investigator Jeff Forbes of the University of Colorado Boulder. He explains that these waves are relatively small at the source but amplified at altitudes, and potentially indicate climate changes not readily observable at lower altitudes. This investigations long-term observations of physical processes in atmospheric circulation could increase insight into AGWs and improve understanding of Earths atmosphere, weather, and climate.

Researchers also are looking at how AGWs contribute to space weather, which refers to the varying conditions within the Solar System, including solar wind. Space weather affects space- and ground-based communications, navigation, and tracking systems. Scientists know little about exactly how AGWs influence space weather and this investigation could help fill in these knowledge gaps. Results could support development of ways to mitigate the effects of space weather.

The space station provides an ideal platform for the investigation given its altitude and geographic and time coverage.

AWE is pioneering research, making the first global measurements of gravity waves at the edge of space, Forbes says. This is an important step forward in understanding waves in the atmosphere and their contributions to near-Earth space weather.

The Atmospheric Waves Experiment is managed by Goddard for NASAs Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters.

Space Flight Induced Ovarian and Estrogen Signaling Dysfunction, Adaptation, and Recovery is a fundamental science investigation sponsored by NASAs Biological and Physical Sciences Division. It advances previous microgravity studies that seek to better understand the combined effects of spaceflight, nutritional, and environmental stresses on control of ovulation and resulting effects on the skeleton. Results of this study could help identify and treat the effects of stress on ovulation and improve bone health on Earth.

Aquamembrane-3, an investigation from ESA (European Space Agency), continues evaluation of replacing the multi-filtration beds used for water recovery on the space station with a type of membrane known as an Aquaporin Inside Membrane (AIM). These are membranes that incorporate proteins found in biological cells, known as aquaporins, to filter water faster while using less energy. Initial testing of AIM technology in 2015 showed that water filtration by membranes is possible in microgravity, and this follow-up testing could demonstrate how effectively the membranes eliminate contaminants in space station wastewater. Results could advance development of a complete and full-scale membrane-based water recovery system, improving water reclamation and reducing the amount of material that needs to be launched to the space station. This water filtration technology also could have applications in extreme environments on Earth, such as military and emergency settings, and for decentralized water systems in remote locations.

Gaucho Lung, sponsored by the ISS National Lab, studies how mucus lining the respiratory system affects delivery of drugs carried in a small amount of injected liquid, known as a liquid plug. Conducting this research in microgravity makes it possible to isolate the factors involved, including capillary or wicking forces, mucus characteristics, and gravity. Understanding the role of these factors could inform the development and optimization of targeted respiratory treatments. In addition, the work could contribute to new strategies to control contamination in tubing for liquids used in the health care and food industries.

Search this database of scientific experiments to learn more about those mentioned above.

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NASA's SpaceX CRS-29 Mission Flies Research to the Space Station - NASA

NASA and Boeing are working to complete the agencys verification and validation activities ahead of Starliners first flight with astronauts to the International Space Station. While Boeing is targeting March to have the spacecraft ready for flight, teams decided during a launch manifest evaluation that a launch in April will better accommodate upcoming crew rotations and cargo resupply missions this spring.

Once the spacecraft meets the agencys safety requirements, NASAs Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test (CFT) will see astronautsButch WilmoreandSuni Williamsperform the first crewed mission of the spacecraft designed to take astronauts to and from the orbital laboratory.

Ahead of CFT, Boeing has completed P213 tape removal in the upper dome of the Starliner crew compartment and work is underway to remove or remediate the tape in the lower dome of the spacecraft. These hardware remediation efforts inside the Starliner production facility at NASA Kennedy are expected to be completed during the next several weeks. After the P213 tape remediation efforts conclude, engineers will conduct final assessments to ensure acceptable risk of any remaining tape.

A set of parachutes is on track to be delivered and installed on the CFT spacecraft by the end of this year to support the current target launch date. Separately, the team also is planning a drop test of Starliners updated drogue and main parachutes. The parachutes will incorporate a planned strengthening of main canopy suspension lines and the recent design of the drogue and main parachute soft-link joints, which will increase the safety factor for the system. The drop test is planned for early 2024 based on the current parachute delivery schedule.

Boeing and NASA also are planning modifications to the active thermal control system valves to improve long-term functionality following a radiator bypass valve issue discovered during ground operations earlier this year. As discussed during a Starlinermedia teleconferencein June, teams have modified the spacecraft hardware and identified forward work to prevent a similar issue in the future. Options include a system purge to prevent stiction, component upgrades and operational mitigations.

Additionally, about 98% of the certification products required for the flight test are complete, and NASA and Boeing anticipate closure on remaining CFT certification products early next year. Meanwhile, NASA and Boeing have made significant progress on requirement closures related to manual crew control of the spacecraft and abort system analysis.

The latest version of Starliners CFT flight software completed qualification testing and is undergoing standard hardware and software integration testing inside Boeings Avionics and Software Integration Lab. Starliners crew and service modules remain mated and await continuation of standard preflight processing.

The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket also is in Florida at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station awaiting integration with the spacecraft.

The NASA astronauts who will fly aboard CFT continue to train for their roughly eight-day mission to the orbiting laboratory, which includes working with operations and mission support teams to participate in various simulations across all phases of flight.

Starliner completed two uncrewed flight tests, including Orbital Flight Test-2, which docked to the space station on May 21, 2022, following a launch two days prior from Kennedy. The spacecraft remained docked to space station for four days before successfully landing at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

Follow NASAs commercial crew blog orCFT mission blogfor the latest information on progress. Details about NASAs Commercial Crew Program can be found by following thecommercial crew blog,@commercial_crewon X, andcommercial crewon Facebook.

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Progress Continues Toward NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test to Station - NASA

The speed of the International Space Station has been shown through amazing animation.

Space is usually where you will see this craft, but sometimes you can see it and even track it in low altitudes on Earth.

The International Space Station routinely conducts a flyby all over the world as it orbits us.

But what does it look like up close?

A video posted to YouTube might give you a good idea.

The channel Airplane Mode released animated footage of the ISS flyby and its incredible to see.

From this video, you can see exactly what the station sees, and its a wonderful view.

Commenters were just as taken aback, writing their thoughts on the ISS.

One person typed jokingly, making light of the speed: We should all be thankful for the bravery of the astronauts who daringly flew the ISS at such a low altitude just to give us this amazing footage.

Another was amazed at the speed: If you can spot it at night, it's really amazing how quickly it goes from horizon to horizon.

It also sparked some philosophical thoughts about humanity and the universe.

Someone wrote: This only makes me appreciate the size of the Earth even more. The fact that mountains are only in frame for a fraction of a second and it would take an hour and a half version of this video to complete one circle is crazy to me. We are so tiny.

While another added: Next you're gonna tell me the Sun actually is a happy baby's face and our true overlords are the Teletubbies.

If you havent seen the ISS before, another person had some tips to share, writing: For anyone unaware, you can see the iss every now and then at night near ur location. You just need to look up iss fly bys then type in (near ur location) two days in a row I got lucky seeing a satellite and the iss 2 minutes apart. There are also lives on yt of astronauts speaking in the iss they sometimes say hello to you. Honestly its so great.

Forgot to mention it happened a third time with the iss flying over with a satellite about a month later and we started seeing a bunch of random stars moving, turns out there was a meteor shower at the same time and about 3 more satellites flew by (Im sure to avoid being hit with a meteor).

But really, the video would make a fantastic bedtime watch, as a user pointed out: I'd really watch a 3 hour version where the iss goes around the earth twice with some chill ambient music.

Original post:
Mind-blowing animation shows the speed of the International Space ... - UNILAD

The Shenzhou-17 manned spacecraft docks with the China Space Station, October 26, 2023. /China Manned Space Agency

The Shenzhou-17 manned spacecraft docks with the China Space Station, October 26, 2023. /China Manned Space Agency

The Shezhou-17 manned spacecraft was sent to the China Space Station from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Thursday. Besides the three-member crew, the spacecraft also carried 29 biological samples to the space station.

The project, named "Space Protein Molecular Assembly and Application Research," is led by Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

The 29 samples cover five categories: proteins, polypeptides, nucleic acids, biological materials, and pharmaceutical materials. Samples include insulin, protein complexes for cancer treatment, nucleic acid polymerase, key proteins in plant photosynthesis and collagen polypeptide.

According CAS, the microgravity environment in space can eliminate or weaken the convection and sedimentation under normal gravity field, and provide a more stable environment for the growth of high-quality protein crystals.

In addition, the fine structure of protein molecules can be obtained by X-ray diffraction to reveal their biological functions more accurately, including the relationship between normal physiological effects, pathogenic mechanisms, pharmacodynamics, side effects and molecular structure. It has a direct effect on molecular drug design and is of great significance to biomimetic biotechnology, said CAS.

The Shenzhou-17 crew is expected to stay in orbit for nearly six months, carrying out several extravehicular activities, and conducting a large number of experiments and tests in areas of basic physics in a microgravity environment, materials science, life science, space medicine and space technology.

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China sends 29 biological samples to its space station onboard ... - CGTN

Herta Space Station, a once familiar beacon in the vast cosmos, redefines itself as the third Victory Zone in Honkai Star Rails 'Aetherium Wars' questline. This place where you once ignited your trailblazing journey now veils itself in new mysteries. Treasure chests waiting to be unlocked, Aether Spirits lurking around corners, and formidable Challengers lie in ambush.

Related: Honkai: Star Rail - Complete Aetherium Wars Event Guide

As you journey deeper into the Victory Zone, you're confronted with a myriad of tasks, from deciphering cryptic treasure maps to decoding bizarre hints in unlikely places like a circle of toilets. It's a test of wit, observation, and perseverance and one that will culminate in an exciting encounter with a familiar sassy character.

Before embarking on 'Battle of Wits! Herta Space Station!' ensure you have successfully completed all preceding quests in the 'Aetherium Wars' event, specifically the 'Onward! Cloudford!' quest. Only then will this new challenge be unlocked.

After initiating the quest, a quest marker will direct you to Herta Space Station, unlocking access to the Herta Space Station Victory Zone.

Upon arriving at the Herta Space Station Victory Zone, you're immediately greeted by Giovanni. After some dialogue, Herta tasks you with retrieving Treasure Maps from various service robots across the space station, hinting they're essential to the next phase of the quest. March 7th swiftly spots a potential service robot, nudging you both to pursue the quest's next step.

During your journey through the Herta Space Station Victory Zone, you are tasked with locating the elusive Wubbaboos concealed in seriously crafty spots. To locate each one, you'll need to solve Treasure Map puzzles provided to you by various service robots in the vicinity.

While the Treasure Maps will picture the Wubbaboos' exact locations, getting to these spots won't be straightforward.

Most of the Aether Spirits youll encounter in this Victory Zone will be Abherrant Type (purple). Youll benefit from including Mechanical Types (blue) on your team. Try adding in the Spirits you recruited from the Cloudford Victory Zone, such as the Aurumaton Gatekeeper and Entranced Ingenium: Illumination Dragonfish.

Navigate to the eastern portion of the map. There, in the distance, you'll spot a Voidranger: Reaver Aether Spirit in a kneeling posture. To reach this foe, you're tasked with solving a floor tile puzzle called the lucent passageway.

Move left into the teleportation black hole, which will transport you to the other side. Once there, activate the tiles in a 'U' formation.

Keep in mind that this puzzle boasts multiple solutions, so feel free to plot your own course.

After reaching the other side and defeating the Aether Spirit, continue in the room right next to you, where youll find the first Wubbaboo. Talk to the Wubbaboo to acquire the Elevator Encryption Key, which is what youll need to find the rest of the Wubbaboos (located on the next floor).

After reaching the Storage Zone First Floor with the Elevator Encryption Key, talk to the floating service robot positioned in front of you. Upon interaction, it bestows upon you Treasure Map No. 1. Revealing its contents, you're presented with a peculiar clue: a circle of toilets.

Follow the quest marker which will lead you on a winding path towards the west side of the map, where youll also have the opportunity to take on and recruit a new Aether Spirit, the Voidranger: Eliminator.

After duking it out in a few battles (including one with a Drowsy Player), youll find yourself in a room with a circle of toilets in the middle. Referring back to the Treasure Map, sit on the toilet thats directly on the left side of the open tablet screen.

After a brief black screen, youll be whisked away to a new location, greeted by a friendly Wubbaboo wholl offer you your first Championship Contender Pass, along with Treasure Map No. 2.

The second Treasure Map will depict a Wubbaboo surrounded by floating paper cranes.

Starting from where you obtained Treasure Map No. 2, there are rooms flanking each side. Walk into the room on the right (which will lead you to the east side of the Space Station. Activate the controller to materialize a transparent bridge thatll let you proceed, and keep walking straight.

Pass by the room with the toilets and the Drowsy Player, and eventually youll reach the area depicted in the second Treasure Map: a room with a formation of paper cranes.

One corner will be conspicuously empty, requiring you to locate the missing piece. The missing paper crane is deeper in the same room, on the other end of a lucent passageway, similar to the one you did at the start for the Elevator Encryption Key. While this puzzle offers a tad more challenge, it remains navigable.

Step on the first tile, move one tile right and forward, then turn and walk straight for three tiles. Next to the teleportation void, enter to emerge on the pathway's opposite end. Traverse the tiles in a wide 'U' pattern to activate them, and voil.

Now that youre on the other side, pursue the lone paper crane. Itll begin teleporting in the direction of the other floating paper cranes, and once it settles in the correct position with the rest of its paper brethren, another Wubbaboo will present itself, giving you your second Championship Contender Pass, and Treasure Map No. 3.

The third and final Treasure Map depicts a dimly lit room filled with artifacts, relics and a Wubbaboo! If youre keen-eyed, youll realize your next destination lies in the northeast of the Victory Zone map, in the room where Herta stores all her mysterious curios.

Start heading back in the direction you came, but make a slight turn into a command room. Go through it, and exit through the left door and keep running, sticking towards the left side when it comes to split paths. On the way youll encounter several Voidranger Aether Spirits - either run past them or clear them out.

Keep running until you come across a staircase and a large entranceway with another Aether Spirit in plain view. Walk up the stairs, get past the Aether Spirit, and go left until you enter the room depicted in Treasure Map No. 3.

The key to solving this Treasure Map Puzzle will be to shift the items between the pedestals until the arrangement matches that shown in the Treasure Map. Take the Crackup Conch and move it to the display at the end of the room, then take Total Eclipse of the Heart and place it at the Crackup Conchs previous spot.

Once completed, yet another Wubbaboo will grace your presence, triggering a cutscene and presenting you with last Championship Contender Pass you needed.

After securing all three Championship Contender Passes, return to the stairway entrance and head in the opposite direction from before. Use your passes to unlock the door, leading you straight to the 'Demon Lord,' Herta.

Equip your Aurumaton Gatekeeper with the Saturated Activation Chip. This will regenerate 3 Energy for your Gatekeeper at the start of each battle, letting it activate its trump card Sanction Mode immediately. This will greatly increase its stats and also summon 2 Entranced Ingenium: Illumination Dragonfish (super effective against the majority of Hertas Aether Spirits).

After your successful battle in the Victory Zone, Herta graciously hands over the Mastery Mark. This symbolizes the conclusion of the Victory Zone challenge, but there's more to be done.

To truly mark the challenge as completed, a formidable foe awaits: the Voidranger: Trampler Overlord Aether Spirit, located on the initial floor. Defeating and recruiting this spirit is essential if youre looking to complete your metaphorical Aether Spirit Pokdex.

Before finishing 'Battle of Wits! Herta Space Station!' you'll make one last stop at the Goethe Hotel for a meeting with Wilder. After some backstory, March 7th and the Aether Spirit prompts Wilder to suggest you continue your journey with the spirit.

Next: Honkai: Star Rail - How To Unlock Every Aether Spirit

Continued here:
How To Solve All Herta Space Station Puzzles In Aetherium Wars Of ... - TheGamer

After watching the early trailers and beta gameplay, one of the main reasons for many players to get into Honkai: Star Rail was its lore. The game's set in Honkai Impact 3rd's alternate universe, which explains the existence of similar characters like Himeko, Bronya, Seele, Welt, and many more.

RELATED: Honkai: Star Rail - How To Reroll

As you start playing the game, you'll first go through the story of the Herta Space Station. The Antimatter Legion will be your main enemy in this area, and you'll also get to meet the Astral Express crew for the first time. Eventually, you'll join the express and leave the planet to get to the next one.

Once you make an account and enter the game, you'll be greeted by a scene of the Antimatter Legion invading the Herta Space Station. There'll be a lady playing an invisible violin while the guards on the station try to fend off the enemies and get everyone to safety. After the cutscene ends, you'll learn that this lady is called Kafka.

Someone on the screen will tell Kafka that Antimatter Legion invaded the station, but "Elio" didn't mention it, so it's not important. Kafka will also mention their goal of placing the target before you start your first battle against the Antimatter Legion. You'll play this battle as Kafka herself, but don't get your hopes up, as she's not the main character.

After the fight, you'll have a little talk about Herta, a member of the genius society. She's essentially the leader of Herta Space Station.

When you're about to get into the next room, the monitor person from before will mention a Doomsday Beast also being present at the station. You'll get introduced to Silver Wolf after finishing the battle in this room, and you'll learn that she's the hacker who's been talking to you and also the person who attracted the Antimatter Legion to slow down the Astral Express crew.

Silver Wolf will mention that she was looking at the collection of "Herta's Toys" and a special gun that can score characters. This is where the Stellaron will be mentioned for the first time, and your next destination will be a room where you can find the location of the said Stellaron. You'll fight another wave of Antimatter Legion until you reach the room.

Here, you have to interact with a few items until Silver Wolf hacks all the monitors and opens a secret passage directly into the Stellaron room. Kafka will interact with the glowing sphere, and you'll get to choose the main character of this game between Stelle and Caelus. This choice doesn't change anything in the rest of the game.

There'll be a cutscene of Kafka placing the Stellaron in the heart of the Trailblazer you choose, and then they'll have a short dialogue when the main character wakes up. Kafka and Silver Wolf will then depart, and you'll be woken up by March 7th and Dan Heng. After some introductions, you'll learn that they're the members of the Astral Express crew mentioned earlier.

When you wake up for the first time, Kafka will mention that there will come a time when you have to make an important choice.

She suggests that you make the right choice, and all the confusion will come to an end.

After fighting a couple of Antimatter Legion enemies, you'll meet up with Dan Heng and Arlan. He'll accompany you to the elevator, and you'll find your first Light Cone in the next room. These are Garden of Recollection technology and can enhance your character's abilities by giving them special powers.

As you're about to reach the elevator, you'll go against the first mini-boss in the game called Voidranger: Trampler. Once you successfully defeat the enemies, a cutscene will play out where March, Dan Heng, and Trailblazer will get overwhelmed by the sheer number of Antimatter Legion enemies.

Although, before they can lay a hand on you or your friends, Himeko's drone will show up and defeat them all in one sweep. This will lead to you getting introduced to the character in the Master Control Zone. Arlan departs from the scene after a short dialogue and Himeko introduces herself as the navigator of the Astral Express, the third Express member that you meet.

You'll also get to tell her if March has been any trouble to you. While your choice here doesn't matter much, it does lead to some funny dialogues. You'll then be asked to talk to Asta, who's at the main station giving out orders to defend against the Legion's attack. She's the Lead Researcher at Herta Space Station.

This will lead to a small quest where you have to talk to different members of the Space Station to lift their spirits. While talking to Hinkel, you can simply select the last option to continue the quest. Once you're done talking to everyone, a cutscene of the Doomsday Beast breaching the Station's shield will play out.

At the end of this cutscene, Asta will ask Himeko to take the Astra Express and get out of the Space Station. After deliberation, Himeko will decide to take up Asta's offer. During the dialogue outside, Dan Heng will mention that Doomsday Beast can rip off the defense shield like its paper, and the Station can't defend against it.

He'll also mention that the Legion has the blessing of an Aeon called Nanook (Destruction). Himeko will still suggest that the Express has to leave with the Trailblazer, which will prompt Dan Heng to ask if we're that important. Himeko mentions that the Trailblazer might be what helps turn the tides in their favor.

As you get to the railway station and try to leave, your path will be blocked by the Doomsday Beast. It turns out that you'll have to defeat it after all. The beast will have two phases and three areas to attack. You'll have to deplete its head and both its arms' health to zero, and then constantly attack its body to finish each phase.

This is going to be a hard battle, so it's recommended to pay attention to all the turn-based mechanics introduced in the tutorial.

Once the beast is defeated, a cutscene will play out showing you facing Nanook himself. Welt will save you from getting destroyed in this process, and he'll be introduced as the fourth member of the Astral Express.

When you wake up, you'll talk to Himeko and also be introduced to Herta. She'll mention that she wants to perform some tests on you.

Once you finish the first beta test of the Simulated Universe with Herta, you'll be asked to talk to Himeko whenever you're ready to leave Herta Space Station and board the Express. After talking to her, a beautiful cutscene will play with heartwarming music, which marks the beginning of your story as the Trailblazer.

Before talking to Himeko, you can also talk to Herta and tell her that you don't want to leave with the Astral Express.

This will start a different quest where you'll be allowed to stay at the Space Station, but eventually, Herta will lose interest in you, and you'll just be a regular researcher.

Executing this side quest will take you back to the login screen, and you can log back in to have the quest to talk to Himeko again. This will give more meaning to your story. Herta Space Station is essentially a tutorial stage in Honkai: Star Rail and it'll already hook you to the story and make you want to keep playing.

You'll also meet Pom-Pom, the conductor of the Astral Express. She'll mention that you might be special, but everyone on the Express has their secrets. You'll then learn what the next stop of your journey is.

NEXT: Honkai: Star Rail - All Chest Locations On Herta Space Station

Original post:
Honkai Star Rail: The Complete Story of Herta Space Station ... - TheGamer

The sun produced over 160 sunspots in June, the highest monthly number in more than two decades.

The data confirm that the current solar cycle, the 25th since records began, is picking up intensity at a much quicker pace than NASA and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasted, sparking concerns of severe space weather events in the months and years to come.

While the space agencies predicted a maximum monthly number of sunspots during the 25th solar cycle's maximum to reach a modest 125, the star is now on a trajectory to peak at just under 200 monthly sunspots, and some scientists think this peak may arrive in just one year.

"Highest monthly average sunspot number since September 2002!" solar physicist Keith Strong shared on Twitter on Sunday. "The June 2023 [sunspot number] was 163.4, the highest value for over 20 years."

Related: NASA mission to 'ignorosphere' could improve space weather forecasts

On Sunday (July 2), one of these sunspots, the darker, cooler areas on the star's surface that feature dense, strong magnetic fields, produced a powerful solar flare, an energetic flash of light, that caused a temporary radio blackout in the western U.S. and over the Pacific Ocean, according to Spaceweather.com. Such events might become more common in the near future as the solar cycle approaches its maximum.

And contrary to the original NASA and NOAA forecast, this maximum might get rather fiery. More sunspots means not only more solar flares but also more coronal mass ejections, powerful eruptions of charged particles that make up solar wind. And that can mean bad space weather on Earth. Intense bursts of solar wind can penetrate Earth's magnetic field and supercharge particle's in Earth's atmosphere, which triggers mesmerizing aurora displays but also causes serious problems to power grids and satellites in Earth's orbit.

Tom Berger, a solar physicist and director of the Space Weather Technology Center at the University of Colorado, Boulder, told Space.com in an earlier interview that after a major solar storm that hit Earth in October 2003, satellite operators lost track of hundreds of spacecraft for several days. This happened due to the increase in gas density in the highest layers of the atmosphere that correspond with the low Earth orbit region where many satellites, as well as the International Space Station, reside.

As the otherwise thin gas in this region interacts with the solar wind, the atmosphere swells up, causing satellites to suddenly face much more drag, or resistance, than they do in calm space weather.

"In the largest storms, the errors in the orbital trajectories become so large that, essentially, the catalog of orbital objects is invalidated," Berger told Space.com. "The objects can be tens of kilometers away from the positions last located by radar. They are essentially lost, and the only solution is to find them again with radar."

Experts worry that due to the growth in the number of satellites and space debris fragments that the low Earth orbit experienced since the last serious solar storm, such a situation might result in orbital chaos that could last for weeks. During this period, the risk of dangerous collisions with space debris fragments would be exceptionally high, creating further risk to satellite operators.

Various operators have already experienced early space weather trouble, including SpaceX, which lost a batch of 40 new Starlink satellites after launching them into what they thought was just a mild solar storm. The mishap that took place in February 2022 saw the brand new spacecraft burn-up in Earth's atmosphere when they couldn't raise their orbits after launch due to the unexpected drag. The European Space Agency (ESA) also reported problems last year after its three Swarm satellites, which study the planet's magnetic field, started losing altitude at a rate never seen before. Operators had to use the spacecrafts' thrusters to prevent them from falling to Earth in the denser gas.

During extreme events, charged solar particles can even damage spacecraft electronics, disrupt GPS signals and knock out power grids on Earth. During the most intense solar storm in history, the Carrington Event of 1859, telegraph clerks reported sparks flying off their machines, setting documents ablaze. The disruption to telegraph services in Europe and North America lasted for several days.

NASA solar physics research scientist Robert Leamon told Space.com in an earlier interview that the worst solar storms tend to arrive during the declining phase of odd solar cycles. Some challenging years might therefore lie ahead for spacecraft operators.

"Since Cycle 25 is odd, we might expect the most effective events to happen after the maximum, in 2025 and 2026," Leamon said. "This is because how the poles of the sun flip every 11 years. You want the pole of the sun in the same orientation compared to the poles of Earth so that then causes the most damage and the best coupling from the solar wind through Earth's magnetic field."

In the meantime, space weather forecasters continue to monitor the sunspot that sparked yesterday's flare as well as several other sunspots that are brewing on the sun's face. The forecasters warn that more solar fireworks are possible in the week ahead. So far, no coronal mass ejection is heading our way but auroras may get a boost from high speed solar wind streaming from a hole in the sun's magnetic field, the U.K. space weather forecaster Met Office said in a statement.

Link:
Sun breaks out with highest number of sunspots since in more than ... - Space.com

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have long used the seeming weightlessness of space to have a bit of fun chasing their dinner through the air, playing tug-of-war and mimicking superheroes. But is there a traditional "up" and "down" in space? Based on the astronauts' experiences, it's easy to think that the usual designations we use to define our positions, such as up and down or North and South, no longer apply once we leave Earth.

That's true in some ways, but it's still possible to use human perceptions of space and time to orient ourselves among the stars.

Just as on Earth, astronauts aboard the ISS experience gravity, one of the four fundamental forces in the universe. According to Sanjana Curtis, a nuclear astrophysicist at the University of Chicago, the prevailing thinking among physicists is that "down" is simply the direction in which gravity is pulling you, and "up" is the opposite direction. The astronauts' weightlessness stems from the fact that the ISS and the people inside it are free-falling toward the center of the Earth, drawn "down" by the planet's gravitational force. The station remains aloft because the velocity of the station and the resulting centrifugal force it generates push it "up," or away from Earth, at a speed roughly equal to gravity's pull. This balance is called a stable orbit.

"That's one of the most exciting things about physics, that we have a framework to describe and make sense of things that are unintuitive or that we are unable to perceive," Curtis told Live Science. "Up and down may be vague terms, but in physics, you can always come up with a definition that works."

Related: What happens in intergalactic space?

Albert Einstein described gravity as a warping of the fabric of space-time, and to illustrate this theory, scientists often use the simplified analogy of a bedsheet held taut. If you place a bowling ball onto the sheet, its mass causes the sheet to dimple downward at its center. If you then add a marble, it will roll toward the bottom of that dimple, drawn in by gravity.

Every object that has mass curves the space-time continuum. As such, it's unlikely that there's any place in the universe that isn't subject to gravity, Jessica Esquivel, a particle physicist at Fermilab in Illinois, told Live Science. If you plop another marble onto the map even on the outskirts it will be pulled from many directions. "Anywhere in space, you're going to feel that warping of the sheet, and that's gravity that's causing that," she said.

Generally speaking, the more massive an object, the deeper the warp and the stronger the pull, but your proximity also matters. For this reason, the planet you're standing on whether Earth or Mars will always exert the strongest gravitational force on you. At the same time, the planets in our solar system are being drawn toward the center of the sun. Even farther out, the massive black hole at the center of our galaxy is tugging the entire solar system closer. Outside the galaxy, the greatest pull is toward the nearest cluster of galaxies.

"You can zoom out and out and out and see the different depths of that space-time fabric," Esquivel said.

While gravity is a fundamental force, there remains much we don't understand about it. Scientists don't include gravity in the Standard Model of particle physics, for example, because the leading theory of gravity Einsteins general theory of relativity has thus far proven incompatible with the Standard Model . While designations such as "up" or "down" help us make sense of the universe, Esquivel said they can also sometimes hinder our understanding of fundamental physics.

"One of the hardest things about my job is trying to think outside of those binaries, to imagine a space where there's no up or down or forward or backward or past or present," she said. "There's this beautiful fluidity that we have to engage with, and it's really difficult but also one of the funnest parts of the job."

Read more:
Is there an 'up' and a 'down' in space? - Livescience.com