Inventions, technology & science

15/05/2023

Using Webb Space Telescope NASA's astronomers have detected water v***r around a comet in the main asteroid belt. As we still do not know where all water on our planet comes from, the discovery might reveal the answer to this question.

For a long time, scientists have theorized that water ice could be preserved in the asteroid belt, located inside Jupiter's orbit. Still, conclusive evidence was lacking until the discovery made by the Webb telescope.

“In the past, we’ve seen objects in the main belt with all the characteristics of comets, but only with this precise spectral data from Webb can we say yes, it’s definitely water ice creating that effect. With Webb’s observations of Comet Read, we can now demonstrate that water ice from the early solar system can be preserved in the asteroid belt” -explained astronomer Michael Kelley of the University of Maryland, lead author of the study.

Gaining insights into water distribution throughout the solar system not only enhances our understanding of Earth's origins but also provides valuable knowledge for comprehending other planetary systems and their potential to support Earth-like planets.

more: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2023/nasa-s-webb-finds-water-and-a-new-mystery-in-rare-main-belt-comet

image: artist’s concept of Comet 238P/Read, source: NASA

11/05/2023

Milky Way over Egyptian Desert
The Western Desert is a picturesque place hosting numerous chalk formations sculpted into surreal structures by a sandy wind.
Source: NASA

06/05/2023

Saturn and its moon Titan
image: NASA.gov

25/04/2023

The Japanese company Ispace attempted the first private moon landing on Tuesday with its spacecraft called M1. The Hakuto-R lander from the company was set to become the first craft from a private firm to touch down safely on the surface of the moon. However, the mission was not successful. The exact cause of the failure is not yet clear, and the company is currently analyzing data to determine what went wrong.

“We already confirmed that we have established communication until the very end of the landing – however, now we have lost the communication, so we have to assume that… we could not complete the landing on the lunar surface,” said Ispace founder and CEO Takeshi Hakamada.

20/04/2023

The most powerful rocket ever developed hasn't successfully completed its maiden launch. The vehicle has launched but stage separation didn't happen.
Despite the result, SpaceX viewed the test as a learning opportunity, as stated in their official comment: "With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s test will help us improve Starship’s reliability as SpaceX seeks to make life multi-planetary."
The rocket, named Starship, has been built by SpaceX, the space exploration company founded by entrepreneur Elon Musk. Standing at almost 120m (400ft) high, the Starship is designed to have nearly double the thrust of any rocket in history. The rocket can be used multiple times and is designed to carry both cargo and crew to various destinations such as Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and other locations in the universe.

The uncrewed demonstration launch took place from Boca Chica, Texas, with the aim of sending the upper-stage of the vehicle eastward to complete almost one circuit of the globe.

It was a highly anticipated event that could mark a significant step forward for space exploration.

11/12/2022

On Sunday, December 11, SpaceX launched ispace’s HAKUTO-R Mission 1 and NASA’s Lunar Flashlight.

Onboard this mission is Lunar Flashlight- a tiny satellite to explore water ice deposits on the Moon for future exploration.
The satellite was developed and managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
It will use near-infrared lakers and a spectrometer to map water ice near the Moon's south pole. The water could be purified as drinking water, converted into breathable oxygen, and used as fuel by astronauts.

Inspace is a Japanese commercial lunar transportation company focused on designing and building lunar landers and rovers.

Source of information: nasa.com

29/08/2022

Today's Artemis Moon rocket launch is cancelled as NASA engineers were unable to cool one of the engines. The launch is postponed for another day, probably September 2 but that depends on whether there is enough time to fix the problem.

The Artemis program's aim is to re-establish a human presence on the Moon for the first time since the Apollo mission.

12/07/2022

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has delivered the deepest and sharpest infrared image of the distant universe so far.
source: NASA

05/04/2022

3D printing used in construction is becoming more and more popular.

There are several advantages of using the technology to print buildings:
- less waste
- fewer accidents
- faster building speed
- cost minimization
- fewer employees are required

But there are also some disadvantages:
- high prices of building materials used in 3D printing in comparison to traditional ones
- lack of qualified staff to support the construction of 3D printers

the photo:
Autor: Alfredo Milano
Project by: WASP: Engineering and 3D printing construction Mario Cucinella Architects.

26/02/2022

The third out of seven phases of mirror alignment of the Webb Telescope is completed. The completion of this process was a key step prior to overlapping the light from all the mirrors so that they can work in unison.

The image below was captured by the near-infrared camera instrument and shows the progress made during the mirror alignment phase. On the left, there is an early Webb alignment image – 18 unfocused copies of a single star. On the right, there is a unified image of the star.

The Near Infrared Camera is Webb's primary imager that will detect light from the earliest stars and galaxies as well as Kuiper Belt objects.
source: NASA

24/02/2022

NASA explains how the Webb Space Telescope will create a simulated universe. One of the aims that Webb can achieve is detecting the earliest galaxies to unlock our universe’s history.

L.Y. Aaron Yung, a postdoc at NASA said:
"To create a simulated universe, we first lay the foundation with dark matter concentrations, or halos, extracted from cosmological simulations. Dark matter accounts for 85% of the matter in the universe and has a dominant effect on the spatial distributions of galaxies across the universe. We then simulate the galaxies forming inside these dark matter halos based on astrophysical processes we learned from past observations."

more: https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/2022/02/24/to-find-the-first-galaxies-webb-pays-attention-to-detail-and-theory/?utm_source=TWITTER&utm_medium=NASAWebb&utm_campaign=NASASocial&linkId=153739683

23/02/2022

Source of the information: Scientific American Vol. 299, No. 2 (August 2008), pp. 80-87.

20/02/2022

The Sun view on Mars. This image of the Sun was taken by Perseverance’s camera on Sol 345 (February 8th, 2022). The camera aimed skyward towards the Sun to measure atmospheric optical density. The Perseverance rover, which explores the surface of Mars, has 23 cameras focused on engineering and scientific observations.

Source of the picture: NASA

18/02/2022

One year on the Red Planet! NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover landed on Mars on Feb. 18, 2021.

18/02/2022

With The Webb Space Telescope scientists will explore the next interstellar objects passing through our solar system. It will give us the opportunity to investigate the chemical composition of these objects. Until now, two interlopers were confirmed – Oumuamua and Borisov, but there are many more. Thanks to the supreme sensitivity and power of Webb we will be able to answer questions: where the next interstellar visitors come from and what are the conditions present in their home systems.
Source: NASA

16/02/2022

A new species of crocodile has been discovered in Australia, and its last meal was a young dinosaur, scientists say.
Confractosuchus sauroktonos lived 95 million years ago in the Cretaceous period. The animal’s fossilized remains found by scientists were a skull and skeleton missing the tail and hind limbs.
Tomography scans revealed there were partly digested remains of a young ornithopod dinosaur inside the crocodile’s stomach.


Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1342937X22000338

16/02/2022

On Feb. 10, Elon Musk provided an update on the Starship program. Here is a summary:

1. For life insurance reasons we should make life multi-planetary. There is always some chance something could happen here on Earth, like a natural disaster or the dying of our Sun. It's not only for humans but for life itself. The other reason is being able to answer crucial questions about existing life in outer space and the meaning of our lives.

2. To reach the above goal, we need to have a reusable rocket system. The company already built Falcon 9 which had 144 successful launches. Now the Starship is under construction. The payload of the rocket is 150 t and the vehicle is covered by a heat shield. Orbital refilling will enable to refill the tanks to get all the way to Mars. The docking technology has been tested while the Dragon capsule was docking with ISS. The Starship will be the largest flying object ever got to orbit.

3. Raptor 2 (a rocket engine used in Starship) was completely redesigned in comparison to Raptor 1. It is more powerful and simplified. The only remaining issue to solve is the melting chamber as engines are so powerful that they can melt themselves.

4. Why SpaceX starbase is located in Boca Chica, South Texas: the place is close to the Equator (the surface of the Earth has higher rotational speed in such areas). The other reason is that the area is clear without any inhabitants. In Boca Chica, there is a Starbase R&D facility where the company can try out new technologies. The main operational launch site will be Cape Kennedy.

5. Upcoming Starship missions: first, there will be an orbital flight, then a human flight mission to the Moon. NASA has picked SpaceX to land humans on the Moon.

6. Phobos and Deimos ocean platforms will be used for the Starship operation as catch towers.

7. The critical thing for the SpaceX Mars program is to create a self-sustainable city.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N7L8Xhkzqo&t=3116s&ab_channel=SpaceX

On Thursday, February 10 SpaceX CEO Elon Musk will provide an update on the design, development, and testing of Starship.You can watch the event live at appr...

15/02/2022

European researchers achieve a fusion energy record!
In the UK-based JET laboratory, scientists have produced 59 megajoules of fusion energy.
Nuclear fusion, a process that powers the Sun and the stars, might be a source of unlimited green energy on Earth.
How does it work? In a fusion process, two lighter atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, while releasing energy in the form of heat. The process is very hard to conduct as it involves high temperatures and uses complex devices called tokamaks (in the picture below). A tokamak is a device that uses a powerful magnetic field to confine plasma in the shape of a torus.

Fusion's potential is huge. It might be a form of sustainable energy because fusion energy is low-carbon, low-radiation and virtually limitless. It uses small amounts of fuel that can be sourced worldwide from inexpensive materials.

Source: iter.org, euro-fusion.org

15/02/2022

Perseverance and Ingenuity celebrate one year on Mars! One year ago (Feb. 18, 2021) NASA's Mars Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter landed on the surface of the Red Planet. The mission aim is to seek signs of ancient life, collect samples of rock for a possible return to Earth and test the first powered flight on Mars.

NASA’s Mars rover has already collected its first pair of rock samples, and scientists are gaining new insights into the region. The rock is basaltic and may be the product of lava flows. The salts found in the rock may have formed when groundwater flowed through and altered the original minerals in the rock, so we know a lake once filled Jezero crater- a place where the mission is located.

Celebration plan: https://mars.nasa.gov/news/9130/one-year-on-mars-celebrate-with-the-perseverance-team/

13/02/2022

SpaceX lost 40 Starlink satellites due to solar geomagnetic storm. They were satellites launched to low Earth orbit on February 3 as a part of Starlink internet constellation.

Geomagnetic storms occur when a solar wind (charged particles from the Sun) reaches Earth's magnetic field and generates changes in Earth's atmosphere.

The solar storm increased the density in Earth's atmosphere, increasing drag on the satellites which kept them from entering orbit. They burned up in the Earth's atmosphere which could be seen in the night sky over Puerto Rico.

Starlink is a satellite internet constellation operated by the SpaceX company providing the satellite Internet connection. At the moment there are around 2,000 satellites in the Earth's orbit and Starlink internet is available to northern latitudes of the US as well as a few other areas. SpaceX plans to launch around 4,400 satellites which will enable Internet access to almost anyone on the planet.

Source: CNN, Starlink

If you have any questions about Starlink satellites, write a comment.

29/01/2022

A genetically modified pig heart was used for a transplant. The patient, a US man, was ineligible for a human transplant because of his very poor health.
Organs from genetically modified pigs could help people waiting for transplantation. Transplant surgeons hope it will be possible to cope with an organ shortage.
Transplanting animal organs into human bodies is known as xenotransplantation and this kind of procedure was taken before, but this time it was a successful heart transplant.

Source: Nature magazine

24/12/2021

One of the most complete dinosaur eggs ever found shows the dino embryo was curled up in a position very similar to todays' unhatched chickens. The discovery gives a greater understanding of the link between dinosaurs and birds. The young dinosaur was ready to hatch out but an unknown event buried the egg just before the creature could see the world.

Source: BBC

24/12/2021

The new Webb Space Telescope is launching on December 25. The aim is to observe the formation of stars, measure the physical and chemical properties of planetary systems and search for galaxies.
If you have any questions about the topic, write a comment.

24/12/2021

Several new technologies were developed during the building of
the Webb telescope, including innovative spinoffs that have already
improved life here on Earth. One example assists surgeons
performing LASIK eye surgery.

24/12/2021

A bunch of facts about the new Webb Space Telescope.
Source: NASA

23/12/2021

The launch of the James Webb Space Telescope is scheduled at 7:20 a.m. EST (12:20 UTC), Dec. 25, 2021, aboard an Ariane 5 rocket. You can watch the launch on NASA's YouTube channel.
Source of image: NASA.

17/12/2021

Indian company Thaley manufactures sustainable sneakers from plastic bottles. The fabric looks and feels like leather and the process doesn't need any chemicals- the company affirms. The production process is designed to be cost-effective, safe and to have the lowest emissions possible.

16/12/2021

Elon Musk tweeted that SpaceX will be launching a new program. Using CO2 as a rocket fuel will be important for future Mars missions. The idea relies on a type of technology called DAC (direct air capture) which is in its early stages of development. Carbon dioxide is the primary greenhouse gas contributing to climate change.

source: Elon Musk's Twitter

15/12/2021

Although the Moon is much closer than Mars, it isn't the best choice for colonization for some reasons:

1. The Moon doesn't have any atmosphere, while the Martian atmosphere is primarily composed of carbon dioxide. It is possible to split CO2 molecules into their component parts, creating oxygen. The experiment has been conducted by NASA's Perseverance rover in 2021.

2. Mars has many more natural resources including iron, titanium, nickel, aluminium, sulfur, chlorine and calcium.

3. The length of Martian day is comparable to Earth's day while on the Moon lasts as long as 29,5 Earth days.

4. The Moon is much smaller than Mars

If you have any questions about the topic, write a comment.

11/12/2021

Everyone heard about Edison's way to become more creative: interrupting sleep. But this method cannot only boost your creativity. It can also help people solve math problems, the new research shows.

To become more creative Edison lied on a bed with a steel ball in his hand. As he started to fall asleep the ball fell, waking him. During the first stage of sleep, just before deep sleep, creativity is boosted.
Now we know that it can help us to solve math problems we were trying to solve before going to sleep.

source: New Scientist