This week’s image is one of more than 12,000 from the Artemis II mission recently released by NASA. This particular shot of the crescent Earth is a whole new way to look at our world from afar.
These images are currently available via the Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth website, but they are not easy to locate. NASA also maintains a multimedia website with many images, videos, wallpapers, and more (shown below).
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.
“But for all the Artemis II mission accomplished, how we arrived at it was far from perfect, and the decisions of previous administrations that led to these deficiencies deserves careful reflection. Almost the entirety of [the Space Launch System is repurposed decades-old Space Shuttle hardware. I understand why, the Shuttle program was ending, and it was important to look after the industrial base. I will also say that was at a time when we did not have a geopolitical competitor challenging America in the high ground of space, but perpetuating the past does not help us realize a better future. Even after over $100 billion of taxpayer funding to date, and this most recent and successful Artemis II mission, we would not have launched again until late 2028 with the aim of putting astronauts on the Moon under the previous plan. A plan with no hope of achieving this national imperative. You do not fly rockets like this every three plus years and expect success. Further, you do not make each vehicle a work of art by materially changing the configuration. You also do not build a base in orbit above the Moon, when the scientists, the engineers, the astronauts, and certainly the space-loving community want to be on the surface of the Moon, which is hard enough to achieve.”
-Statement by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman at his hearing before the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, earlier this week. He was justifying his revamping of the Artemis schedule and elimination of the Lunar Gateway. He also defended the White House’s cuts to his budget, though not everyone in the room was convinced. Ranking Member Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) was not happy with the planned cuts to the Science Mission Directorate, stating:
I think everyone in this room knows that without space science, there is no space exploration. Without space science, there is no new planetary discovery. Without space science, there is no NASA
A new audit report from NASA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) expressed some concerns about whether the contractor, Axiom Space, will have spacesuits ready in time for the planned lunar landing.
The audit report, NASA’s Acquisition of Next-Generation Spacesuit Services, states:
NASA faces challenges in ensuring next-generation spacesuits are available to meet the Agency’s current schedules for the Artemis lunar landing mission in 2028 and prior to the ISS’s decommissioning in 2030. NASA’s original schedules to demonstrate the lunar and microgravity spacesuits in 2025 and 2026, respectively, were overly optimistic and ultimately proved unachievable, as evidenced by delays of at least a year and a half for both spacesuits. Based on our analysis, if Axiom experiences design and testing delays in line with the historical average for recent space programs, the Artemis and ISS demonstrations may not occur until 2031.
That is a damning conclusion at a time NASA is struggling with other Artemis timetables. All of the pieces need to come together soon, including the necessary equipment for the lunar surface. It also does not help that NASA is completely reliant on one contractor for these spacesuits. Even the lunar lander has two competing contractors.
NASA Administrator Isaacman has one more item now keeping him awake at night.
Note: Go here for more Earth Day images from NASA.
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