Volunteers Needed for Mars Study

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): A picture of the 1,700-square-foot CHAPEA habitat, which contains individual living quarters for four volunteer crew members. (NASA/Bill Stafford)

Are you a motivated U.S. citizen or permanent resident who is a non-smoker, 30-55 years old, and proficient in English for effective communication between crewmates and mission control? Are you interested in helping NASA with its Mars program? If so, you have until April 2nd to contact NASA and volunteer for its second Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) mission, which is set to begin in spring 2025.

And what does this mission entail? You will live in a 3D-printed habitat (the Mars Dune Alpha) with three other crew members for about a year. The mission includes simulated spacewalks, physical and behavioral health and performance challenges, and more.

NASA goals for the CHAPEA mission is as follows:

To obtain the most accurate data during the analog, the analog mission will be as Mars-realistic as feasible, which may include environmental stressors such as resource limitations, isolation, equipment failure, and significant workloads. The major crew activities during the analog may consist of simulated spacewalks including virtual reality, communications, crop growth, meal preparation and consumption, exercise, hygiene activities, maintenance work, personal time, science work, and sleep.

It may sound like a return to the time of Covid, but this time the results will be recorded and used by scientists for future space programs.

If this sounds like something you might like to do, you should consider sending in an application.

What is Musk Up to in Ukraine?

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): A starlink satellite dish. (Visitukraine.today)

Last year we learned that Elon Musk denied the Ukrainians access to Starlink when operating in the occupied portions of their country. He stated he did not want to be “complicit in a major act of war and conflict escalation.” And yet now we learn that Russia may be using Starlink in this same territory to illegally attack Ukraine, and Mr. Musk seems flustered and cannot seem to believe it is even possible.

It is unlikely that SpaceX is unable to determine where its equipment is being operated and whether it is being used by an invading party to suppress a sovereign nation. Mr. Musk has done a lot of good for Ukraine, yet his statements about Ukraine’s need to give up territory and now this kerfuffle seem to be part of his improper straying into world affairs that are not his affairs. Maybe it is time for the U.S. government to get involved if he is allowing an enemy to use his equipment to destroy a U.S. ally.

When asked about this Russian misuse issue, SpaceX stated:

If SpaceX obtains knowledge that a Starlink terminal is being used by a sanctioned or unauthorized party, we investigate the claim and take actions to deactivate the terminal if confirmed.

Let’s hope this is the case. It may not be an easy task to sort out the users if both Ukranian and Russian troops are operating in the same area, but it may be critical to the survival of Ukranian forces at a time that Washington is sitting on its hands and incapable of assisting Ukraine nor its NATO partners depending on such assistance.

These are bleak times for Ukraine. It would be unfortunate if all the good will Starlink has acquired is erased with this misdirection of company assets.

Note: Former Congressman Adam Kinzinger tweeted, “Why is @elonmusk shilling for Russia now> Why is he still a US govt contractor?” None of this is good for Musk, SpaceX, or America.

Update: Now we read that Elon Musk may be blocking Taiwan’s use of Starlink. I thought the US government was running Starlink under a separate program called Starshield. Mr. Musk really needs to be taken out of the equation.

Television: Constellation on Apple TV+

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Noomi Rapace in episode 1 of Constellation. (Apple TV+)

Apple TV+ has a new space station-related drama called Constellation premiering February 21. It sounds pretty eery, but at least this trauma is more at the personal level rather than the planetary level, compared to other recent space station stories.

Here’s the basic story from Apple TV+:

Constellation” stars Noomi Rapace as Jo — an astronaut who returns to Earth after a disaster in space — only to discover that key pieces of her life seem to be missing. The action-packed space adventure is an exploration of the dark edges of human psychology, and one woman’s desperate quest to expose the truth about the hidden history of space travel and recover all that she has lost.

You may remember Ms. Rapace from the film Prometheus, which was its own dark warning about the risks of leaving Earth. This may be just as dark. Watch the trailer as well and then decide for yourself.

It certainly is not a recruitment film for NASA, and space travel seems to be more of a device than the main plot, but I have been happy with Apple TV+ series in the past. So I will be watching this one.

Note: The Roger Ebert site has a lot more detail on the plot if you are interested. The site concludes:

Fans of the many quality science-fiction offerings on Apple TV+ will likely be satisfied by “Constellation.” It’s an interesting space drama with standout performances from its cast…But despite these moving performances, “Constellation” spends too much time floating aimlessly. The show likes to believe it’s clever, but the reality is that it often falls flat.

Space Quote: A New Threat to Astronauts

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): The DSS-53 antenna at NASA’s Deep Space Network Madrid facility. (NASA/JPL-Caltech)

“And so, any capability that could disrupt that and that could therefore have some impact on services here on Earth and across the world should be of concern to anybody, I think. And including the fact that we have astronauts in — oftentimes in — in low orbit that — that could be at risk from an anti-satellite capability. So, you’re talking about potential human lives here too.”

-Statement during a press briefing by White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby regarding reports of a Russian nuclear anti-satellite weapon. Earlier in the week, Ohio Republican Rep. Mike Turner, who serves as the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, shared sensitive information about this weapon with all Members of Congress.

Pic of the Week: The Launch of the IM-1 Mission

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Today’s launch of the Intuitive Machines IM-1 mission from the Kennedy Space Center. (Malcolm Denemark/Florida Today)

This week’s image shows the early morning launch of Intuitive Machines’ IM-1 mission via a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The rocket carries the Nova-C robotic lander, also called “Odysseus,” that includes both NASA and commercial payloads. If all goes well, the lander will be on the surface of the moon next week.

This image from Florida Today is unique in that it is a time exposure showing both the launch from the Kennedy Space Center as well as the booster landing shortly afterward.

Credit: Intuitive Machines