Astronomy, cosmology and space thread

[pharvey]

As a reminder, for detailed information and live streaming of up and coming launches: -

https://everydayastronaut.com/

[Ratsima]

Another article here: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-vo ... r-strategy

Explains what they did to get an extra three years:

"To help keep those instruments operating despite a diminishing power supply, the aging spacecraft has begun using a small reservoir of backup power set aside as part of an onboard safety mechanism. The move will enable the mission to postpone shutting down a science instrument until 2026, rather than this year."

[STEVE G]

Another article here: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-vo ... r-strategy

Explains what they did to get an extra three years:

"To help keep those instruments operating despite a diminishing power supply, the aging spacecraft has begun using a small reservoir of backup power set aside as part of an onboard safety mechanism. The move will enable the mission to postpone shutting down a science instrument until 2026, rather than this year."

I've been reading about the Voyager space probes and one interesting fact is that the radio that they use to communicate back to earth is only 23 watts, which is about the same power as the radio in a taxi or police car.
The reason the signal can go so far is because there is nothing in the way in deep space and it beams to a large dish and very sensitive receiver on earth.

[Nereus]

Pollution out of this world

Sacrificing the stars

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-01/ ... /102208436

For millennia humans have gazed up at the wonder of the night sky, but what we can see is rapidly changing because of our quest to be connected.

“In 66 years, we’ve sent up about 11,000 objects in space,” says international law expert Steven Freeland.

“In the next 10 years, we will see somewhere between 100,000 and 500,000 more objects, so you are making an increasingly hazardous area even more hazardous by having so many more objects in space.

“The fact remains that space is becoming ever more crowded, particularly in areas that we know is low-Earth orbit — somewhere between 500 kilometres to about 1,000 kilometres or so above the Earth.

“That’s where many of these satellites will go.”

long article with photos and video at the link..................................

[Nereus]

Southern lights events expected to increase over next two years as sun reaches solar maximum

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-30/ ... /102281398

One of nature's most magnificent shows, the southern lights, is likely to be stronger and more frequent over the next two years as the sun's magnetic cycle kicks into overdrive.

Known as the aurora australis, the night-sky light display has captured the attention of onlookers across southern Australia in recent months, with the fluorescent ribbons of light witnessed as far north as Dubbo in New South Wales and Geraldton in Western Australia.

They have also been particularly vivid, with last week's display in Tasmania described by some seasoned southern lights watchers as the best display they had ever seen.

The light display is created by atoms and molecules in the atmosphere interacting with particles blasted out from the sun.(Supplied: Patrick James)

southern lights.jpg (81.52 KiB) Viewed 1364 times

Perth Observatory tour administrator Matt Woods said the recent burst of bright and far-reaching events, typically only seen by people in Tasmania and along the far south coast of mainland Australia, was no coincidence.

He said the sun cycle was coming up to its solar maximum – the period when solar activity is highest and sunspots are most abundant.

Generally, the more sunspot activity there is, the higher the chances of an aurora occurring.

"Solar maximum is when the magnetic field is at its most intense, its most disordered and its most dynamic," he said.

"So the sun is going to get a lot more active.

"It could be teasing us ... but the way it's tracking, there is going to be a lot more activity over the next two years."

The sun rotates through a full cycle about every 11 years, with NASA predicting it will reach its peak in July 2025.

"Originally they thought it would be slightly below average, but it's really starting to peak so it might be a good one considering the 2012-14 peak was very disappointing," Mr Woods said.

long article with some brilliant photos and video at the link..................

[pharvey]

Pollution out of this world

Sacrificing the stars

And more some groups say.....

Environmental Groups Sue FAA Over SpaceX Starship Rocket

"A coalition of environmental groups is suing the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), claiming the agency didn't fully analyze the environmental damage that SpaceX's huge Starship vehicle could cause to sensitive lands.

The FAA cleared SpaceX to conduct 20 launches of Starship each year for the next five years, notes the lawsuit, which was filed today (May 1) in federal district court in Washington, D.C.

The first of those permitted launches occurred on April 20 from Starbase, SpaceX's site on South Texas' Gulf Coast near Boca Chica Beach. The 394-foot-tall (120 meters) Starship — the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built — performed well on the test flight initially and managed to reach a maximum altitude of 24 miles (39 kilometers). But the giant spacecraft suffered several issues that forced SpaceX to command the vehicle's destruction high over the Gulf of Mexico.

The explosive test mission sent particulate matter raining down on the surrounding area, notes the lawsuit, which was filed by the Center for Biological Diversity, the American Bird Conservancy, the Surfrider Foundation, Save RGV and the Carrizo/Comecrudo Nation of Texas.

That's less than ideal, given the environmental importance of the area, the organizations stress.

"SpaceX's Boca Chica launch site is surrounded by state parks, National Wildlife Refuge lands and important habitat for imperiled wildlife, including piping plovers, northern aplomado falcons, Gulf Coast jaguarundi, ocelots and critically endangered sea turtles," the Center for Biological Diversity wrote in a statement today(opens in new tab).

"Rocket launches and explosions cause significant harm through increased vehicle traffic and the intense heat, noise, and light pollution from construction and launch activities," the Arizona-based nonprofit added. "Rocket explosions spread debris across surrounding habitat and have caused brush fires."

The FAA is investigating the launch mishap with SpaceX."

More @ https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-r ... SmartBrief

[STEVE G]

^If Space X are planning that many launches from there, they need to build something like pad 39A at Cape Canaveral with blast deflectors and water dousing to reduce the impact of such powerful rockets.

[pharvey]

^If Space X are planning that many launches from there, they need to build something like pad 39A at Cape Canaveral with blast deflectors and water dousing to reduce the impact of such powerful rockets.

Yes, I found it incredible that there was no water dousing. From SpaceX's side it avoided unwanted delays, but how it gained FAA approval....?

[STEVE G]

^ The only other site that's been built to launch rockets that big was the launch pad for the failed Russian N1 at Baikonur and that had three massive concrete blast deflector ducts.

[dtaai-maai]

Yes, I found it incredible that there was no water dousing.

water.jpg (5.12 KiB) Viewed 1309 times

[pharvey]

^ Ahem..... On to other things

This could be interesting - especially the concept/experimentation of "Artificial Gravity"

Vast Space to Launch 1st Private Station on SpaceX Rocket in 2025

"The first-ever private space station could launch to Earth orbit a little over two years from now.

California-based startup Vast Space plans to loft its Haven-1 outpost aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket no earlier than August 2025, the companies announced today (May 10).

That initial mission will be followed in quick succession by Vast-1, a four-person jaunt to the new station that could last up to 30 days. Vast-1 will also launch atop a Falcon 9, and its astronauts will ride on a SpaceX Dragon capsule.

"Vast is thrilled to embark on this journey of launching the world's first commercial space station, Haven-1, and its first crew, Vast-1," Vast CEO Jed McCaleb said in a press release today(opens in new tab). "We are grateful to SpaceX for this exciting partnership that represents the first steps in Vast's long-term vision of launching much larger, artificial gravity space stations in Earth orbit and beyond.""

Video and more @ https://www.space.com/vast-space-privat ... SmartBrief

[pharvey]

Strange Sounds Recorded High in Earth's Atmosphere Have Scientists Baffled

Scientists have detected sounds high in Earth's atmosphere that can't be identified.

"A solar-powered balloon mission launched by researchers from Sandia National Laboratories carried a microphone to a region of Earth's atmosphere found around 31 miles (50 km) above the planet called the stratosphere. This region is relatively calm and free of storms, turbulence and commercial air traffic, meaning microphones in this layer of the atmosphere can eavesdrop on the sounds of our planet, both natural and human-made.

However, the microphone in this particular study also heard strange sounds that repeat a few times per hour. Their source has yet to be identified. The sounds were recorded in the infrasound range, meaning they were at frequencies of 20 hertz (Hz) and lower, well below the range of the human ear. "There are mysterious infrasound signals that occur a few times per hour on some flights, but the source of these is completely unknown," Daniel Bowman of Sandia National Laboratories said in a statement.(opens in new tab)."

Full Article @ https://www.space.com/strange-sounds-st ... SmartBrief

[Lost]

On the subject of 'sounds' I always find these interesting. These aren't actual sounds to us in the sense we know (no sound in space) but sonification or radio signals I believe.

* Sonification is the use of non-speech audio to convey information or perceptualize data.

[pharvey]

He's phoned home!

Mars helicopter Ingenuity phones home, breaking 63-day silence...

"The Ingenuity Mars helicopter's two-month silent stretch is over.

Ingenuity got in touch with its handlers on June 28 via its robotic parter, the Perseverance rover, NASA officials announced today (June 30). It was the first such communication since April 26, when the 4-pound (1.8 kilograms) chopper went dark toward the end of its 52nd flight on the floor of Mars' Jezero Crater.

"The portion of Jezero Crater the rover and helicopter are currently exploring has a lot of rugged terrain, which makes communications dropouts more likely," Ingenuity team lead Josh Anderson, of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, said in a statement today.

"The team’s goal is to keep Ingenuity ahead of Perseverance, which occasionally involves temporarily pushing beyond communication limits," Anderson added. "We're excited to be back in communications range with Ingenuity and receive confirmation of Flight 52."

Ingenuity covered 1,191 feet (363 meters) of ground on the 139-second-long Flight 52. The main goals of the sortie were to reposition the chopper and snap photos for Perseverance's science team, NASA officials said.

The newly received flight data suggest that Ingenuity remains in good health. If further checkouts confirm that, the chopper could fly again within the next few weeks, team members said."

https://www.space.com/mars-helicopter-i ... SmartBrief

[Dannie Boy]

Very interesting article regarding the Aeolus weather satellite system.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-66326153