Space Stories: Detailed Views of Mars, Plummeting ISS Space Junk, and Time Zones on the Moon

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Recent high-altitude view of Mars taken by Mars Express’s High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC). ( ESA)

Here are some recent stories of interest.

—Astrobiology: “Mars Express Celebrates 25,000 Orbits“

ESA’s Mars Express recently looped around Mars for the 25,000th time – and the orbiter has captured yet another spectacular view of the Red Planet to mark the occasion. The new high-altitude view was taken by Mars Express’s High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC). It features many of Mars’s towering volcanoes and even includes a surprise appearance from the planet’s largest moon, Phobos.

—Daily Mail: “Piece of 5,800lb Battery Pallet Tossed from NASA’s ISS Crashes Through Florida Home – and Nearly Kills Homeowner’s Son“

A piece of metal came crashing through a home in Florida that is believed to be from a 5,800-pound battery pallet discarded by the International Space Station (ISS). Naples homeowner Alejandro Otero was on vacation when he received a call from his son, saying he heard a ‘tremendous sound’ and there were gaping holes in the ceiling and floor – while explaining whatever fell almost hit him. The two-pound, cylinder object has since been recovered by NASA to determine its origin and if found to be space junk, the agency could be liable for damages.

—Reuters: “White House Directs NASA to Create Time Standard for the Moon“

The White House on Tuesday directed NASA to establish a unified standard of time for the moon and other celestial bodies, as the United States aims to set international norms in space amid a growing lunar race among nations and private companies. The head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), according to a memo seen by Reuters, instructed the space agency to work with other parts of the U.S. government to devise a plan by the end of 2026 for setting what it called a Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC).