Space Stories: New Artemis II Photos, JWST Studies Exoplanet Surface, and Japanese Space Sake for Sale

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): One of the new photo from the Artemis II mission recently released by NASA. (NASA)

Here are some recent space-related stories.

—ABC News: “NASA Releases More Than 12,000 Images from Historic Artemis II Moon Mission“

Over the weekend, NASA made public more than 12,000 photos from the historic Artemis II lunar mission…Over the course of the mission, NASA released dozens of images of the astronauts, Earth, the moon and even a total solar eclipse. However, the new trove reveals some never-before-seen photos as well as new angles of objects in space, primarily using Nikon cameras and iPhone 17s.

—ZME Science: “Astronomers Determine the Surface of a Rocky Planet Beyond Our Solar System for the First Time“

A rocky planet nearly 50 light-years away appears to be airless, dark, and covered in volcanic or weathered rock, according to new observations from the James Webb Space Telescope. This is the first time that astronomers have obtained details about the surface of a rocky planet outside our solar system. The planet, LHS 3844 b, is not habitable. It is about 30 percent larger than Earth, orbits its star every 11 hours, and has one side permanently pointing towards the Sun, baked at about 725°C.

—The Korean Times: “Space-fermented Sake by Japanese Brewer Dassai Sells for $700,000“

Japanese brewer Dassai has sold a 100-milliliter bottle of sake fermented on the International Space Station for 110 million yen ($700,000). Dassai partnered with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to ferment sake ingredients in space, the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported Monday. Using the space-fermented mash, or moromi, the brewery finished brewing the sake on Earth, yielding 116 milliliters. Dassai sold a 100-milliliter bottle of the final product to an unnamed Japanese buyer. The company plans to donate the proceeds to Japan’s space program.