Space Stories: Biomolecules on Mars, a “Dead” Galaxy, and the Most Distant Galaxies

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Image of Mars captured by the NASA Mars Global Surveyor MOC wide angle cameras. (NASA)

Here are some recent stories of interest.

—Tohoku University: “Biomolecules from Formaldehyde on Ancient Mars“

Organic materials discovered on Mars may have originated from atmospheric formaldehyde, according to new research, marking a step forward in our understanding of the possibility of past life on the Red Planet. Scientists from Tohoku University have investigated whether the early atmospheric conditions on Mars had the potential to foster the formation of biomolecules – organic compounds essential for biological processes. Their findings, published in Scientific Reports, offer intriguing insights into the plausibility of Mars harboring life in its distant past.

—University of Cambridge: “Astronomers Spot Oldest “Dead” Galaxy Yet Observed“

A galaxy that suddenly stopped forming new stars more than 13 billion years ago has been observed by astronomers. Using the James Webb Space Telescope, an international team of astronomers led by the University of Cambridge has spotted a ‘dead’ galaxy when the universe was just 700 million years old, the oldest such galaxy ever observed. This galaxy appears to have lived fast and died young: star formation happened quickly and stopped almost as quickly, which is unexpected for so early in the universe’s evolution. However, it is unclear whether this galaxy’s ‘quenched’ state is temporary or permanent, and what caused it to stop forming new stars.

—Webbtelescope.org: “Webb Unlocks Secrets of One of the Most Distant Galaxies Ever Seen“

Delivering on its promise to transform our understanding of the early universe, the James Webb Space Telescope is probing galaxies near the dawn of time. One of these is the exceptionally luminous galaxy GN-z11, which existed when the universe was just a tiny fraction of its current age. One of the youngest and most distant galaxies ever observed, it is also one of the most enigmatic. Why is it so bright? Webb appears to have found the answer. Scientists using Webb to study GN-z11 have also uncovered some tantalizing evidence for the existence of Population III stars nestled in the outskirts of this remote galaxy. These elusive stars — the first to bring light to the universe — are purely made of hydrogen and helium. No definitive detection of such stars has ever been made, but scientists know they must exist. Now, with Webb, their discovery seems closer than ever before.

Movies: Dune and Denis Villeneuve’s Classy Gesture

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Scene from Dune: Part Two. (Warner Bros.)

It was a classy move by the Canadian filmmaker who gave us of this year’s most anticipated movie, Dune: Part Two.

A dying man in northern Quebec had one last wish before he died – he wanted to see the second installment of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune. Once the request appeared on social media, the film team went into action, even offering to fly the man to the film’s premiere in Montreal. But that was two month’s away, and the man could not wait that long nor was the medical team able to move him to another location.

So the film was flown up to Quebec on Villeneuve’s computer laptop for a private showing. The man watched the film and died a few days later.

Asked about this gesture, Villeneuve’s comment was, ““It’s for him, it’s for that man that we make films.”

As I said, classy.

Podcast: Discussing the XPrize and More

Posted on by onespaceman2000

A recent episode of the StarTalk podcast, “Incentivizing the Future with Peter Diamandis,” provides an interesting tale about Mr. Diamanis’s early efforts to spur space inventions through the XPRIZE Foundation as well as his current efforts to spur innovation in other areas, such as healthcare.

It was a good reminder about the start of Virgin Galactic, which began after Burt Rutan’s experimental spaceplane SpaceShipOne won the Ansari X Prize in 2004. One can quickly forget that some of the big names in new industries were piggybacking on the earlier achievements of others, such as Elon Musk buying a pre-existing Tesla company.

If you go to the XPrize Foundation page, you will see a variety of competitions underway. The latest space-related contest is the $30 million Google Lunar XPRIZE, which was

…created with two goals in mind. To spur affordable access to the moon and give space entrepreneurs a legitimate platform to develop long-term business models around lunar transportation and to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, space explorers and adventurers to enter the STEM fields.

As Mr. Diamandis was encouraged by contests from early last century, let’s hope other innovators and their supporters continue to carry the torch beyond this century to see what human ingenuity can create when challenged.

Another Crew Departing for the ISS

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): The SpaceX Crew-8 (identified below) expected to depart later today. (NASA)

Later today, a SpaceX rocket with carry another crew to the International Space Station (ISS) after a few delays. The crew, shown above, consists of Alexander Grebenkin (Roscosmos), Michael Barratt (NASA), Matthew Dominick (NASA), Jeanette Epps (NASA).

The new crew will be approaching a space station already containing seven crew members as well as a module in need of repair. The Russian components of the space station have sprung a number of leaks over the past several years. The most recent appears to be a recurring oxygen leak.

To date, NASA is playing it cool, though I expect everyone on board would be happy to experience at leakless station as soon as possible. We know the ISS will not last forever, but until the day it is decommissioned it should be a safe vessel for the astronauts and cosmonauts aboard.

Update: The SpaceX launch went off without a hitch Sunday evening. The new crew on the Dragon spacecraft is expected to reach the ISS Tuesday morning.

Space Quote: The End of NASA’s OSAM-1 Project

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Image (Credit): Artist’s rendering of the OSAM-1 project in action. (NASA)

“Following an in-depth, independent project review, NASA has decided to discontinue the On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing 1 (OSAM-1) project due to continued technical, cost, and schedule challenges, and a broader community evolution away from refueling unprepared spacecraft, which has led to a lack of a committed partner. Following Congressional notification processes, project management plans to complete an orderly shutdown, including the disposition of sensitive hardware, pursuing potential partnerships or alternative hardware uses, and licensing of applicable technological developments. NASA leadership also is reviewing how to mitigate the impact of the cancellation on the workforce at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.”

-Statement by NASA in recent communications. The project has been in development since 2015. About 450 NASA employees and contractors working on the OSAM-1 project. In an earlier report by the Government Accountability Office, the auditors noted, “OSAM-1 cost growth and schedule delays are exacerbated by poor contractor performance and continued technical challenges.”