One of the challenges engineers face when developing technologies for use in space is that of different gravities. Mostly, engineers only have access to test beds that reflect either Earth’s normal gravity or, if they’re fortunate, the microgravity of the ISS. Designing and testing systems for the reduced, but not negligible, gravity on the Moon and Mars is much more difficult. But for some systems, it is essential. One such system is electrolysis, the process by which explorers will make oxygen for astronauts to breathe on a permanent Moon or Mars base, as well as critical ingredients like hydrogen for rocket fuel. To help steer the development of systems that will work in those conditions, a team of researchers led by computational physicist Dr. Paul Burke of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory decided to turn to a favorite tool of scientists everywhere: models.
Space News & Blog Articles
SpaceX wins $113 million contract to launch advanced NOAA climate satellite
SpaceX has won a $113 million contract to launch NOAA's JPSS-4 climate and weather satellite. Liftoff is targeted for 2027.
Astro-Challenge: Catching Pluto at Opposition 2024
Why July 2024 is a prime time to see distant Pluto before it fades from view.
Alien weather report: James Webb Space Telescope detects hot, sandy wind on 2 brown dwarfs
The JWST's infrared vision has seen deep into the stormy atmosphere of two brown dwarfs that form the third closest system to the sun.
Scientists waited ages to find a 'missing link' black hole — then stumbled upon 2
A missing link black hole that sits in the mass gap between stellar-mass black holes and supermassive black holes is "parked" right by the Milky Way's central black hole, Sagittarius A*.
How NASA's Nicole Stott taught 'Space Cadet' actors what astronauts 'are really all about' (exclusive)
An interview with NASA astronaut Nicole Stott for her 'Space Cadet' Hollywood advisory work.
SpaceX Starlink satellites made 50,000 collision-avoidance maneuvers in the past 6 months. What does that mean for space safety?
Satellites in SpaceX's Starlink megaconstellation made nearly 50,000 collision-avoidance maneuvers in the last six months, about double the number made in the previous half-year.
Disney 'Dreams That Soar' drone show lights up sky with Star Wars, Marvel and more sci-fi favorites
Disney magic meets drone technology in new nighttime spectacular that includes fan-favorite characters from Star Wars, Marvel and more.
Webb Telescope Sees Morning and Evening on a Hot Saturn
The James Webb Space Telescope has for the first time detected the difference between the morning and evening of a tidally locked gas giant planet.
HBO's 'Wild Wild Space' provides an inside look at the private space race (review)
A review of HBO’s new documentary "Wild Wild Space," which chronicles the private space race via three of its high-profile players.
The Entrance of a Lunar Lava Tube Mapped from Space
Craters are a familiar sight on the lunar surface and indeed on many of the rocky planets in the Solar System. There are other circular features that are picked up on images from orbiters but these pits are thought to be the collapsed roofs of lava tubes. A team of researchers have mapped one of these tubes using radar reflection and created the first 3D map of the tube’s entrance. Places like these could make ideal places to setup research stations, protected from the harsh environment of an alien world.
Moon Dust Could Contaminate Lunar Explorers’ Water Supply
Water purification is a big business on Earth. Companies offer everything from desalination to providing just the right pH level for drinking water. But on the Moon, there won’t be a similar technical infrastructure to support the astronauts attempting to make a permanent base there. And there’s one particular material that will make water purification even harder – Moon dust.
Star-Mapping Mission Gaia Impacted by Micrometeoroid, Solar Storm
Having survived two recent threats — high-velocity space dust and enhanced solar activity — Gaia is now returning better data than ever.
Everything We Know About 'Star Trek: Section 31'
A primer for the upcoming Paramount+ streaming film, 'Star Trek: Section 31"
Sentinel-2C arrives in French Guiana
The Sentinel-2C satellite, the third Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite, has arrived at the European spaceport in French Guiana for liftoff on the final Vega rocket in September. Sentinel-2C, like its predecessors, will continue to provide high-quality data for Copernicus – the Earth observation component of the EU Space Programme.
SpaceX Reveals the Beefed-Up Dragon That Will De-Orbit the ISS
The International Space Station (ISS) has been continuously orbiting Earth for more than 25 years and has been visited by over 270 astronauts, cosmonauts, and commercial astronauts. In January 2031, a special spacecraft designed by SpaceX – aka. The U.S. Deorbit Vehicle – will lower the station’s orbit until it enters our atmosphere and lands in the South Pacific. On July 17th, NASA held a live press conference where it released details about the process, including a first glance at the modified SpaceX Dragon responsible for deorbiting the ISS.
Gaia Hit by a Micrometeoroid AND Caught in a Solar Storm
For over ten years, the ESA’s Gaia Observatory has monitored the proper motion, luminosity, temperature, and composition of over a billion stars throughout our Milky Way galaxy and beyond. This data will be used to construct the largest and most precise 3D map of the cosmos ever made and provide insight into the origins, structure, and evolutionary history of our galaxy. Unfortunately, this sophisticated astrometry telescope is positioned at the Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange Point, far beyond the protection of Earth’s atmosphere and magnetosphere.
