Space Stories: New Bacterial Species at NASA, Geologic Life on Venus, and Water Found in Distant Solar System

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Venus captured by NASA’s Mariner 10 spacecraft. (NASA/JPL-Caltech)

Here are some recent space-related stories of interest.

—SciTechDaily: “NASA Just Found New Signs of Life Inside Venus – Geologic Life, That Is“

Vast, circular features on the surface of Venus may be signs that the planet is still geologically active. That’s according to new research based on data collected over 30 years ago by NASA’s Magellan spacecraft. Unlike Earth, where giant plates of crust shift and recycle through a process called plate tectonics, Venus doesn’t have these moving plates. But its surface is still being reshaped—likely by molten rock rising from deep within the planet.

—USAToday: “NASA ‘Cleanrooms’ Found Crawling with 26 New Bacterial Species“

 A new study reports 26 new bacterial species were found growing inside cleanrooms associated with NASA space missions. Specifically, scientists looked in the cleanrooms used to prepare the Phoenix Mars lander for its launch in August 2007. In the study, scientists analyzed microorganisms growing in the NASA cleanrooms and discovered many of the new species had genes that made them resilient to decontamination and radiation.

—NASA: “Another First: NASA Webb Identifies Frozen Water in Young Star System“

Is frozen water scattered in systems around other stars? Astronomers have long expected it is, partially based on previous detections of its gaseous form, water vapor, and its presence in our own solar system. Now there is definitive evidence: Researchers confirmed the presence of crystalline water ice in a dusty debris disk that orbits a Sun-like star 155 light-years away using detailed data known as spectra from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. (The term water ice specifies its makeup, since many other frozen molecules are also observed in space, such as carbon dioxide ice, or “dry ice.”)

NASA Advisory Groups Share Concerns About Budget Cuts

Posted on by onespaceman2000

NASA Watch published a letter from representatives of the agency’s advisory groups, including:

The letter highlights the importance of science initiatives at NASA at a time when drastic budget cuts are being considered, and quotes Carl Sagan:

Cutting off fundamental, curiosity-driven science is like eating the seed corn. We may have a little more to eat next winter but what will we plant so we and our children will have enough to get through the winters to come?

It’s a much needed yet bold approach at this time when the White House is eliminating all opposition to its wild cuts and erratic attack on diversity. The White House is actively shutting down advisory committees through the federal government, including NASA.

We can only hope the public listens to the wiser voices from these advisory committees. Someday all of this will need to be rebuilt, including our space program, but for now we need to save as much as we can from random cuts from parties that do not seem to understand the important role of science in our economy and our future.

One More Nation Signs the Artemis Accords

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Image (Credit): Signatories of the Artemis Accords. (NASA)

With the recent addition of Norway, 55 nations have now signed the Artemis Accords.

And what do the Artemis Accords ask of nations? Here is the purpose of the agreement, which started back in 2020:

The purpose of these Accords is to establish a common vision via a practical set of principles, guidelines, and best practices to enhance the governance of the civil exploration and use of outer space with the intention of advancing the Artemis Program. Adherence to a practical set of principles, guidelines, and best practices in carrying out activities in outer space is intended to increase the safety of operations, reduce uncertainty, and promote the sustainable and beneficial use of space for all humankind. The Accords represent a political commitment to the principles described herein, many of which provide for operational implementation of important obligations contained in the Outer Space Treaty and other instruments.

This includes the sharing of scientific findings and related material, such as China’s recent sharing of lunar samples. Specifically, Section 8, Item 2 of the Accords states:

The Signatories are committed to the open sharing of scientific data. The Signatories plan to make the scientific results obtained from cooperative activities under these Accords available to the public and the international scientific community, as appropriate, in a timely manner.

While the validity of international trade treaties have come into question under this US president, let’s hope the scientific promises are honored. Heck, even Russia knows how to behave with the scientific community on the International Space Station and elsewhere.

Follow DIU Rather Than DOGE at NASA

Posted on by onespaceman2000

Years ago the Department of Defense (DOD) established the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to use the full force of private sector innovation to address DOD needs. This has been a successful initiative that has lowered costs while improving DOD efficiency. Whether it is working to create better batteries or micro-reactors for the military, it represents the best efforts to do more with less.

Compare that to the now ill-fated Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) that only demonstrates that the government will need to do less because it destroys rather than creates. NASA deserves better, and it is possible Elon Musk and friends could have done much better if they first learned about government programs and then redesigned them to be more efficient. That ship has sailed and DOGE only means Destroying Our Government’s Effectiveness.

It is not too late to bring a DIU equivalent into NASA to work around the giant space companies and look for simpler solutions to big problems. It will need a new name to erase the stain of DOGE, but it is something the taxpayers deserve – the most efficient and effective space program.

Note: You can find the FY 2023 DIU annual report here with many of its accomplishments listed.

Pic of the Week: Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 5335

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Image (Credit): Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 5335 (NASA, ESA, STScI)

This week’s image looks like something ginned up by AI, but it is from the Hubble Space Telescope. Just the number of stray galaxies in the image is amazing.

Here is the description of the image from the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Hubble page:

Barred spiral galaxy NGC 5335 observed by the Hubble Space Telescope takes up the majority of the view. At its center is a milky yellow, flattened oval that extends bottom left to top. Within the oval is a bright central region that looks circular, with the very center the brightest. In the bright central region is what looks like a bar, extending from top left to bottom right. Around this is a thick swath of blue stars speckled with white regions. Multiple arms wrap up and around in a counterclockwise direction, becoming fainter the farther out they are. Both the white core and the spiral arms are intertwined with dark streaks of dust. The background of space is black. Thousands of distant galaxies in an array of colors are speckled throughout.