Space Stories: English Observatory Closing, an Early Warning System for Astronomers, and Accessing Europa’s Ocean

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): The Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire, England. (Jodrell Bank)

Here are some recent space-related stories of interest.

—The Guardian: “Jodrell Bank Observatory Facing Closure After Major Funder Cuts Support“

Jodrell Bank Observatory, the hub of a world-leading network of radio telescopes, is facing closure after government funding for the facility was slashed. Scientists say decision is blow to UK astronomy as deep space observatory is home to world-leading facilities. The deep space observatory includes the Grade I-listed Lovell telescope and is prized by astronomers who study galaxies, black holes, star formation, planets beyond the solar system and the afterglow of the big bang.

—ZME Science: “Astronomers Are Building an ‘Artificial Retina’ to Protect Telescope Images From Satellites“

A telescope can spend hours collecting the faint light of a distant galaxy. A fast-moving satellite needs only a few seconds to cross its field of view, leaving a bright streak that contaminates (and sometimes ruins) the long exposure. As the number of satellites around Earth grows, astronomers increasingly need ways to predict and avoid these crossings. Researchers at the University of Warwick are now developing an early-warning system that could spot an approaching satellite and alert a telescope before it enters the image.

—Rutgers: “Why Europa’s Hidden Ocean May Be More Difficult to Reach Than Scientists Thought“

Europa, one of Jupiter’s icy moons, long has fascinated scientists because of what may lie beneath its frozen shell: a global ocean of liquid water. That hidden ocean has made Europa one of the most compelling places in the solar system to study the conditions that might support life. But new research led by Rutgers scientist Lujendra Ojha suggests one of the most promising shortcuts to Europa’s ocean may be far more complicated than previously thought.

Note: Here is the podcast version of this post.

Astronomy Question: The Durability of Apollo Remains

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): A close-up view of an astronaut’s bootprint in the lunar soil during the Apollo 11 mission. (NASA/Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin)

Multiple Choice: For how long will signs of the the earlier Apollo missions (e.g., footprints, equipment, flag, etc.) be visible on the Moon’s surface?

A. 1-10 million years
B. 10-100 million years
C. 100-500 million years
D. More than 500 million years

Take a guess and then check your answer by going to the “Astronomy Question Answer Sheet” page.

Starship’s 13th Test a Needed Success

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Credit: SpaceX

After some delays, SpaceX’s Starship rocket is back in testing mode, with yesterday’s 13th launch a success. The rocket met the milestones set for the mission, and even launched a batch of satellites. This should give SpaceX and NASA some breathing room, as well as the new investors in SpaceX.

Mr. Musk had a bad week with both Tesla and SpaceX stock struggling. While SpaceX stock fell approximately 7 percent during the five days preceding the launch, the market should be somewhat more confident on Monday morning following the successful test.

Reuters reported last week that short sellers betting against SpaceX are making a fortune to the tune of about $8.7 billion. Mr. Musk may not like this, but if you want to be part of the marketplace then you need to understand how the market works.

In stocks, what goes up can often come down, and it can be painful to watch. As a rocket man, Mr. Musk should be familiar with this.

Maybe his success with Starship on Friday will turn some of that around.

Deep Space Network Threatened by Fires

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Location of the DSN facilities as the Earth rotates (in this image, it is daytime in Asia and Australia). (NASA)

The Deep Space Network (DSN) is critical to NASA’s communications with space missions throughout the solar system, and even those that have left the solar system. It will also be critical to the upcoming Artemis mission to the Moon.

The radio telescopes that make up this system are located in three spots to ensure communications cannot disappear because of the Earth’s rotation – Madrid, Spain; Barstow, California; and Canberra, Australia. The image above shows you the spread of those locations.

One of the California DSN radio telescopes was damaged last year due to human error and is undergoing repairs until approximately 2028. Even so, the US facility is still able to perform its duties. And now the DSN facility in Spain is being threatened by wildfires. As a result, the facility has been evacuated for now.

As with the ongoing fires on this side of the Atlantic, as well as past fires threatening NASA sites, the world is a dangerous place and putting hardware anywhere has its risks. To stay in the game, we rely on the redundancy of these hardware sites, the resilience of space programs, and realistic budgeting to rebuild after such losses.

NASA has shown its ability to bounce back in the past, so whatever happens in Spain should not be a long-term blow to present and future space missions. Even so, we do not need to continually test the system with climate change, the weakening of the NASA program through continual cuts, and more budget threats on the horizon.

As C.S. Lewis said, “the doors of hell are locked on the inside.”

Note: Although C.S. Lewis is remembered primarily as a religious writer, he was also a science fiction writer with stories of space travel. Hence, I think I can creatively use his quote here.

Pic of the Week: Psyche Spacecraft Approaching Mars

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): This composite of images shows how Mars appeared as a thin crescent as the Psyche spacecraft approached the planet. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU)

This week’s image is from NASA’s Psyche spacecraft, which was doing a flyby of Mars last month for a gravity assist on it way to asteroid Psyche in 2029. What you are seeing is a composite photo of the crescent of the planet as the Psyche spacecraft approached it. NASA shared the photo on July 17, 2026.

You can see much more related to this flyby at this NASA link.