Chinese Spying: The Moon Race Just Got Ugly

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Credit: Image by Vicki Hamilton from Pixabay.

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has reported that the Chinese have been hacking into US government agencies since as early as 2018. One of the targets of the Chinese hacker group, known as QTFY, was NASA.

A DOJ press release from earlier today, titled Justice Department and FBI Seize Platforms Operated and Used by China State-Sponsored Hackers to Target U.S. Critical Infrastructure, stated:

Among the victims of QTFY computer intrusion activity are the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Federal Reserve, Department of Energy, Department of Justice, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Senate.

At this time, the nature of what was taken from NASA and other government agencies was not provided. However, given the importance of the Artemis mission for both national and commercial purposes, it is not hard to believe that Artemis information was part of the hack.

It may be to NASA’s advantage that it has been operating by the seat of its pants for more than a year now. There was no Artemis strategy to steal. In addition, much of NASA’s work is in the hands of the private sector, so that extra layer of protection may have helped.

It is worth noting that many federal agencies were spending last year fighting off internal hackers from the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which did great damage across the federal government.

The Chinese efforts have been detected and ended. I am not sure you can say the same thing about DOGE.

Space Quote: SpaceX Expanding into Louisiana

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): The Dragon capsule on the launchpad at Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (SpaceX)

“Today is a pivotal moment for Louisiana. This announcement pushes our state beyond $250 billion in new investment and puts us at the center of the next great frontier…We have the people and talent to build what the world once thought impossible, creating jobs on land, across the Gulf and through space. Our job creation knows no bounds. This is America First. This is Louisiana First. I want to thank Elon Musk and the entire SpaceX team for choosing Louisiana.”

–Statement by Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry regarding SpaceX’s announcement to build its fourth space port in the state. The $100 billion investment by SpaceX is expected to create 3,000 new direct jobs as well as 8,100 new indirect jobs. The first launch from the planned site is not expected until 2029.

Space Stories: A Far Side Satellite, Congressional Space Medals, and the Scrubbing of a Chinese Moon Mission

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Artist’s rendering of the Cosmocube satellite on the far side of the Moon. (Cosmocube)

Here are some recent space-related stories of interest.

—Universe Today: “The CosmoCube Satellite Will Listen to the Early Universe From the Far Side of the Moon”

Multiple space agencies are gearing up to send missions to the Moon in the near future…For one thing, the far side of the Moon is “radio-quiet,” meaning that it is not subject to radio interference from terrestrial sources. This makes the environment the perfect place to conduct radio astronomy research, including the new CosmoCube satellite currently under development at the University of Cambridge. Using the Moon as a natural shield, this satellite will listen for faint whispers (the 21-centimeter line) emitted by hydrogen atoms that existed between the Big Bang and the period known as “Cosmic Dawn.”

—Science Daily: “Trump to Award Congressional Space Medal of Honor to Artemis II Astronauts“

President Donald J. Trump will present the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to each member of NASA’s Artemis II crew during a ceremony at Johnson Space Center in Houston. The event is scheduled for 11 a.m. EDT on Friday, Aug. 28. The medal is one of the highest honors associated with human spaceflight in the United States. It recognizes astronauts whose achievements have made an exceptional contribution to the nation’s space program.

—Scientific American: “China Delays Ambitious Chang’e 7 Moon Mission until 2027“

China’s lunar ambitions took a hit after the country called off the launch of a spacecraft that it has aimed to make the first to ever land on the moon’s south pole. Chang’e 7 was supposed to launch onboard a Long March 5 rocket on August 24, but the launch was scrubbed on Sunday evening, China’s Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said in a statement. Poor weather conditions linked to Typhoon Narra were likely a factor. As a result, the mission will be put on ice until at least 2027.

Note: No podcast will be available this week. The program was finicky and difficult to edit.

A Day in Astronomy: India Lands a Spacecraft on the Moon

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Artist’s rendering of the Chandrayaan-3 lander named Vickram and rover names Pragyan on the lunar surface. (NASA)

On this day in 2023, India became the fourth nation to land a spacecraft on the Moon (following the Soviet Union, the U.S., and China). India’s Chandrayaan-3 probe landed at the lunar South Pole, the first spacecraft to land in that region. Chandrayaan-2 had crashed on the Moon’s surface back in 2019, whereas Chandrayaan-1 was a lunar orbiter in 2008.

The mission objectives for the Chandrayaan-3 included:

  • Testing the elemental composition of lunar soil.
  • Measuring the near surface plasma density and how it changes over time.
  • Measuring the thermal properties of the lunar surface near polar regions.
  • Measuring the seismic activity around the landing site to deduce the internal structure of the lunar crust and mantle.

As with the US space program, the boost to Indian pride following this successful mission was immeasurable. As one proud Indian noted:

The success of Chandrayaan-3 reverberated through classrooms and homes across India, with countless young eyes glued to screens, witnessing a historic moment. The mission’s success, though grand, is symbolic of more profound implications. With a burgeoning youth population, India stands on the precipice of a new era of innovation. The world’s largest youth demographic resides here, and Chandrayaan-3 has offered them more than just a scientific marvel; it has provided them with a vision of what’s achievable.

WiCOR Discovers a Mega-Earth

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Credit: WiCOR.

The Wisconsin Center for Origins Research (WiCOR) at the University of Wisconsin has two questions as part of its mission:

  • How do habitable planets form?
  • How does life emerge on habitable planets?

And now, the center has discovered its first exoplanet that brings up an unexpected question – Why is the newly discovered exoplanet GJ 523b a Mega-Earth rather than a gas giant like Saturn or Jupiter?

This new exoplanet, located about 87 light-years away, is 2.5 times the size of our Earth and 23 times its mass. To date, it was understood that something this large would become the core of a gas giant and not just a rocky planet like Earth. So what is the story here?

The results will appear shortly in a new paper, which will include some theories as to how this happened. You can read more about the discovery and at least one theory at the WiCOR site now.