NASA Delays Moon Landing to 2025, Blames Jeff Bezos and Congress

In what is a surprise to absolutely no one, NASA won’t be sending astronauts to the lunar surface in 2024. Blaming everyone but the kitchen sink for the delay, the space agency now intends to send a crew, including a woman and a person of color, to the Moon in 2025.

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Source: https://gizmodo.com/nasa-delays-moon-landing-to-2025-blames-jeff-bezos-and-1848026410
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The Article Was Written/Published By: George Dvorsky

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NASA records a massive solar flare

The NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) spacecraft recorded a significant solar flare on October 28, 2021, at 11:35 AM EDT. The SDO constantly watches the sun, and it recorded images of the solar flare as it happened. A solar flare is a burst of radiation that emanates from the sun. If they are intense enough, they can interrupt communications between … Continue reading

Source: https://www.slashgear.com/nasa-records-a-massive-solar-flare-29697497/
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The Article Was Written/Published By: Shane McGlaun

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Nasa announces uncrewed flights around the Moon to begin in February 2022

The Orion capsule will be launched on the Space Launch System, paving the way for the resumption of people to walk on Earth’s satellite again

Nasa has announced plans to launch an uncrewed flight around the Moon in February 2022, paving the way for astronauts to once again set foot on Earth’s satellite.

The US space agency said on Friday that it was in the final phase of testing to send its Orion capsule on an orbit around the Moon on its Space Launch System rocket.

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Source: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/oct/23/nasa-announces-uncrewed-flights-around-the-moon-to-begin-in-february-2022
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The Article Was Written/Published By: Guardian staff

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Rocket Report: Virgin Galactic stands down, SpaceX faces environmental lawsuit

Enlarge / Blue Origin’s New Shepard launches its second human spaceflight on Wednesday. (credit: Blue Origin)

Welcome to Edition 4.20 of the Rocket Report! If this is edition 4.20 of the newsletter, you know we’re going to bring extra smoke. So let’s get to it.

As always, we welcome reader submissions, and if you don’t want to miss an issue, please subscribe using the box below (the form will not appear on AMP-enabled versions of the site). Each report will include information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets as well as a quick look ahead at the next three launches on the calendar.

Virgin Galactic substantially delays next mission. The space tourism company announced Thursday afternoon that it will delay a planned human flight for the Italian Air Force, Unity 23, and begin a “planned enhancement program” for its VMS Eve carrier aircraft and VSS Unity spacecraft. Effectively, this means that the vehicles will be taken out of service for the next eight months for repairs and upgrades. As one reason for this decision, the company cited a recent test that “flagged a possible reduction in the strength margins of certain materials used to modify specific joints, and this requires further physical inspection.”

Read 30 remaining paragraphs | Comments

Source: https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/10/rocket-report-virgin-galactic-stands-down-spacex-faces-environmental-lawsuit/
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The Article Was Written/Published By: Eric Berger

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Dog saves owner from meteorite

From the CBC:

Ruth Hamilton had been asleep for hours in her Golden, B.C., home when she awoke to the sound of her dog barking, giving her a moment’s notice before a rock from outer space hurtled into her bedroom.

“The next thing was just a huge explosion and debris all over my face,” Hamilton recalled in an interview Tuesday.

— Read the rest

Source: https://boingboing.net/2021/10/15/dog-saves-owner-from-meteorite.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dog-saves-owner-from-meteorite
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The Article Was Written/Published By: Thom Dunn

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Lucy in the sky: Spacecraft will visit record 8 asteroids

NASA is set to launch a series of spacecraft to visit and even bash some of the solar system’s most enticing space rocks.

Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/lucy-spacecraft-will-visit-record-8-asteroids-rcna3075
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The Article Was Written/Published By: The Associated Press

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The first Arab mission to Mars is delivering some interesting science

Enlarge / New whole-hemisphere image of Mars captured by the UAE “Hope” probe. (credit: Emirates Mars Mission)

Since arriving at Mars eight months ago, the Emirates Mars Mission has quietly begun to deliver some intriguing scientific data about the Martian atmosphere and its weather patterns.

Named “Hope,” the probe is in a relatively high orbit, varying in altitude above Mars from 20,000 to 43,000 km. This vantage point allows the spacecraft to see an entire hemisphere at a time. For much of this year, then, the Hope probe has been training its multi-band imager, infrared spectrometer, and ultraviolet spectrometer on Mars to collect data about the planet’s atmosphere and resulting weather conditions.

The project was financed by the United Arab Emirates, and the spacecraft was built in conjunction with several US-based universities, including the University of Colorado Boulder. The goal was to inspire young Emiratis to pursue an education in math and science and train some of them through the resulting collaborations. The probe launched in July 2020 on a Japanese rocket.

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Source: https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/10/the-first-arab-mission-to-mars-is-delivering-some-interesting-science/
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The Article Was Written/Published By: Eric Berger

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Exoplanet WASP-76b may be more hellish than we thought

In 2016, scientists discovered an exoplanet called WASP-76b. The exoplanet is considered an ultra-hot Jupiter. The planet is so hot that iron is vaporized on the dayside, condenses on the nightside, and falls like rain in the atmosphere. However, new data suggests that WASP-76b may be even hotter than scientists originally believed. An international team of researchers, including scientists from … Continue reading

Source: https://www.slashgear.com/exoplanet-wasp-76b-may-be-more-hellish-than-we-thought-07694260/
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The Article Was Written/Published By: Shane McGlaun

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What we lose when spaceflight goes private

Listen to the new season of Axios’ How it Happened: The Next Astronauts here.

The new era of private spaceflight — heralded by the all-civilian Inspiration4 crew — is at risk of lacking the transparency of missions led by NASA and other space agencies.

Why it matters: Companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin are trying to woo more customers in the coming years to help bring about their vision for humanity in space. Bringing in new customers hinges on those people having a clear picture of the risks of space travel.

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Catch up quick: The Inspiration4 crew returned to Earth on Sept. 18 after launching to orbit three days earlier.

• Sian Proctor, Chris Sembroski, Jared Isaacman and Hayley Arceneaux told Axios they all had incredible, even life-changing, experiences flying and training with SpaceX.
• “Every day has been the best day of my life, and it’s only getting better,” Proctor told Axios just ahead of launch.
• The crew represents a shift in who is able to access space, expanding the definition of “astronaut” to more kinds of people than NASA has historically included.

Yes, but: The public didn’t have much access to the crew and their experiences while they were in orbit.

• Much of this was logistical, according to Isaacman. Because of its purely commercial nature, Inspiration4 couldn’t use the full network of technology used for government missions.
• “We had no ground station coverage,” Isaacman told me after landing. “This was not a government mission.”

Background: Historically, access to information about space and human spaceflight has been governed by NASA and other space agencies that are largely committed to communicating with the public.

• The act that established NASA in 1958 required the agency to “provide for the widest practicable and appropriate dissemination of information concerning its activities and the results thereof,” and that openness has remained through today.
• NASA also brings that openness to missions it flies through contracts with SpaceX. The company does air livestreams of NASA crews in orbit during flights to the International Space Station.

The big picture: Private companies like SpaceX are increasingly being tasked with building our future in space.

• SpaceX hopes to one day build a city on Mars. Jeff Bezos dreams of creating large space stations in orbit. And NASA is hoping to use partnerships with private companies like these to fly astronauts to various destinations in space.
• Inspiration4 has shown that these private companies can create a future where more people from a variety of backgrounds can go to space.
• But these companies don’t necessarily have the same commitment to transparency as NASA does, and that could create a situation where important information isn’t shared readily.

Virgin Galactic’s flight with its founder Richard Branson in July, for example, violated rules set out by the Federal Aviation Administration around where its spaceplane could fly.

• That error didn’t come out until a New Yorker story revealed the mishap. The live webcast of the launch — featuring flashy guest stars — never suggested anything was amiss.
• SpaceX also has a history of flouting FAA regulations in order to launch its own test rockets in Texas.

What to watch… whether future private missions with SpaceX will find ways to communicate with the public while in orbit as the company continues to launch private missions to space.

The bottom line: A future in space supported by private companies may not be as transparent for members of the public as the previous era in space driven by governments.

Source: https://www.axios.com/private-spaceflight-limitations-spacex-inspiration4-74ff6c1c-51c7-4d34-b836-b61d6fdabd02.html
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The Article Was Written/Published By: Miriam Kramer

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California wildfires threaten SETI radio telescope array

This summer has been a terrible wildfire season around the United States. Perhaps the hardest-hit state of all has been California, where drought and extremely dry conditions along with high winds have stoked wildfires that have destroyed homes and businesses all around the state. SETI Institute is well known for using a radio telescope array to search the galaxy for … Continue reading

Source: https://www.slashgear.com/california-wildfires-threaten-seti-radio-telescope-array-12690537/
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The Article Was Written/Published By: Shane McGlaun

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When Will There Be a New Solar Superstorm?

Just shy of 162 years ago—on the morning of September 1st, 1859—a hobbyist astronomer named Richard Carrington peered through his telescope and noted, in the sky, “two patches of intensely bright and white light.” Beyond Carrington’s country estate, telegraphs were failing all over the world. In American cities that…

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Source: https://gizmodo.com/when-will-there-be-a-new-solar-superstorm-1847616173
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The Article Was Written/Published By: Daniel Kolitz

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Astronomers Find a New Type of Planet That Could Be Habitable

ESO/M. Kornmesser

Scientists say aliens could be looking at us as we search for them, and now, astronomers have identified a new type of planet that could potentially be habitable to aliens or some form of life. However, these “Hycean” planets look nothing like Earth.

Research recently published in The Astrophysical Journal talks about a completely new class of planets found far outside our reach. And while we don’t have any in our solar system, they’re actually all over the Galaxy. One of the researchers named these planets “Hycean Worlds” due to being large, warm, having atmospheres full of hydrogen, and they’re covered in giant ocean bodies of water.

Similar to how NASA found evidence of water on a Jupiter moon, which sparked a lot of debate, these Hycean planets could be habitable due to the vast amounts of water on the surface. In addition, the research paper has a theory that these Hycean planets likely have microbial life or potentially more sophisticated alien forms, again thanks to the vast oceans on each planet.

The researchers, led by Nikku Madhusudhan from Cambridge’s Institute of Astronomy, focused on finding Hycean worlds roughly 1.6-times larger than Earth. In the paper, Madhusudhan went as far as to suggest a set of biosignatures that scientists and astronomers can look for if they choose to study any of these planets.

Special telescopes with spectroscopic capabilities could potentially investigate these Hycean planets and look for the biosignatures laid out in the study. If they find anything noteworthy, it’ll be fascinating.

via Gizmodo

Source: https://www.reviewgeek.com/96245/astronomers-find-a-new-type-of-planet-that-could-be-habitable/
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The Article Was Written/Published By: Cory Gunther

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Blazing fast asteroid orbits the sun in 113 days

Astronomers have discovered what they say is the fastest orbiting asteroid in the solar system. The asteroid orbits the sun in 113 days, giving it the shortest known orbital period for an asteroid and the second shortest orbital period for any object in the solar system. The only object in the solar system with a faster orbital period than the … Continue reading

Source: https://www.slashgear.com/blazing-fast-asteroid-orbits-the-sun-in-113-days-24688240/
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The Article Was Written/Published By: Shane McGlaun

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NASA highlights the changing Martian environment Curiosity is exploring

It may be a surprise to learn that NASA’s Curiosity rover has been exploring the Red Planet for nine years. Over the years, as the rover has been exploring Mars, it has encountered a vastly changing landscape. Curiosity is currently exploring Mount Sharp, a mountain standing five miles high inside the Gale Crater basin. Curiosity’s Mast Camera took the image … Continue reading

Source: https://www.slashgear.com/nasa-highlights-the-changing-martian-environment-curiosity-is-exploring-18687440/
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The Article Was Written/Published By: Shane McGlaun

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Ripples in Saturn’s Rings Reveal Planet’s Core Is Big and Jiggly

A team of astrophysicists looking at data from the Cassini spacecraft’s tour of Saturn have estimated a new size for the planet’s core. Studying gravitational effects on the icy rings, the team determined that Saturn’s core is a combination of ice, rock, hydrogen, and helium about 50 times as massive as Earth, making…

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Source: https://gizmodo.com/ripples-in-saturn-s-rings-reveal-planet-s-core-is-big-a-1847493203
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The Article Was Written/Published By: Isaac Schultz

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Indian Rocket Carrying Earth-Monitoring Satellite Fails to Reach Orbit

India’s space agency says an unknown technical glitch prevented the upper stage of its GSLV-F10 rocket from igniting, in what is a frustrating setback for the burgeoning space power.

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Source: https://gizmodo.com/indian-rocket-carrying-earth-monitoring-satellite-fails-1847476318
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The Article Was Written/Published By: George Dvorsky

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NASA Refines Threat Posed by Potentially Hazardous Asteroid Bennu

Data gathered during the years NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spent zipping around asteroid Bennu has allowed scientists to update the risk posed by this potentially hazardous near-Earth object.

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Source: https://gizmodo.com/nasa-refines-threat-posed-by-potentially-hazardous-aste-1847468761
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The Article Was Written/Published By: George Dvorsky

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This tiny exoplanet 35 light-years away is half the mass of Venus

Of the roughly 4,200 exoplanets discovered thus far, most are larger than Earth. But the recently identified planet L 98-59b is just half the mass of Venus.

Source: https://www.digitaltrends.com/news/tiny-exoplanet-vlt/
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The Article Was Written/Published By: Georgina Torbet

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Boeing and NASA delay Starliner launch due to unexpected valve problem

Boeing will have to wait yet again to prove the worth of its Starliner spacecraft. The company and NASA had planned to launch the capsule on Tuesday on top of an Atlas V rocket at 1:20PM ET, but that’s not happening anymore. 

“We’re standing down from today’s #Starliner Orbital Flight Test-2 launch,” Boeing said on Twitter. The company attributed the delay to “unexpected valve position indications in the propulsion system” engineers spotted during pre-launch preparations. It’s currently unclear if the issue is related to Starliner or the Atlas V rocket that was supposed to carry the vessel to space. Boeing and NASA said they will provide an update on the situation on Wednesday, August 4th.     

We’re standing down from today’s #Starliner Orbital Flight Test-2 launch.

During pre-launch preparations, our engineers detected unexpected valve position indications in the propulsion system.

Read the full statement: https://t.co/uQBjvq8ObUpic.twitter.com/4X2INbZj7Q

— Boeing Space (@BoeingSpace) August 3, 2021

“We’re disappointed with today’s outcome and the need to reschedule our Starliner launch,” John Vollmer, vice president and program manager for Boeing’s Commercial Crew Program, said. “Human spaceflight is a complex, precise and unforgiving endeavor, and Boeing and NASA teams will take the time they need to ensure the safety and integrity of the spacecraft and the achievement of our mission objectives.”

After its first test flight went awry, Starliner was supposed to return to space on July 30th. However, NASA delayed the flight after the new Russian ISS Nauka module unexpectedly fired its thrusters, tiling the station outside of its typical orientation.

Source: https://www.engadget.com/boeing-starliner-launch-delay-unexpected-valve-problem-165253898.html?src=rss
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The Article Was Written/Published By: Igor Bonifacic

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This Spacecraft Accidentally Flew Through a Comet’s Tail and Took a Crazy Photo

Sometimes, when you’re in the wrong place at just the right time, something magical can happen. At least that’s what happened when the European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter accidentally passed through a comet’s tail and snapped the jaw-dropping photo up above.

Read This Article on Review Geek ›

Source: https://www.reviewgeek.com/93733/this-spacecraft-accidentally-flew-through-a-comets-tail-and-took-a-crazy-photo/
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The Article Was Written/Published By: Suzanne Humphries

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