Space Stories: More Water on Mars, Senators Want Mars Sample Returned to Earth, and the ESA Considers Mission to Enceladus

Posted on by onespaceman2000

Here are some recent stories of interest.

—Euronews: “Photos from NASA’s Curiosity Rover Suggest Mars had More Water for Longer Than Previously Thought“

Scientists say Mars may have had more water and stayed wet for longer than they had previously estimated based on photos from NASA’s Curiosity rover. An international team of researchers led by Imperial College London recently found unusual formations in rock and sediment in unexpected places in the crater. The rocks allow scientists to compare the evolving geology of Mars with Earth.

—U.S. Senate: “Padilla, Butler Urge NASA to Fully Fund Mars Sample Return Program“

Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler (both D-Calif.) wrote to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson urging him to allocate the full $650 million necessary to fund the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission in NASA’s FY24 spending plan. The Senators are issuing the letter following the passage of the FY 2024 appropriations package, which reiterated Congress’ strong commitment to the MSR mission.

—European Space Agency: “Saturn’s Moon Enceladus Top Target for ESA“

A fresh, icy crust hides a deep, enigmatic ocean. Plumes of water burst through cracks in the ice, shooting into space. An intrepid lander collects samples and analyses them for hints of life. ESA has started to turn this scene into a reality, devising a mission to investigate an ocean world around either Jupiter or Saturn. But which moon should we choose? What should the mission do exactly? A team of expert scientists has delivered their findings...Aiming for transformational science, considering the characteristics of each moon and future planned missions to Jupiter and Saturn’s ocean worlds, the scientists identified Saturn’s moon Enceladus as the most compelling target, followed by Saturn’s moon Titan and then Jupiter’s moon Europa.

Another Safe Docking to the International Space Station

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): The approach of the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft as seen from the ISS. (NASA TV)

Earlier today, the two cosmonauts and one astronaut that launched on the Russian Soyuz MS-25 mission over the weekend safely attached themselves to the International Space Station. The station is now hosting a crew of 10.

Both cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and cosmonaut Marina Vasilevskaya (of Belarus) from this latest mission will return to Earth in the Soyuz MS-24 capsule in about 12 days along with NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara, who will have spent a total of 204 days on the station.

It’s a game of musical spacecraft, but it seems the routine is working and, other than the occasional leak, all is well with the station and its crew.

New Crew Heads to the International Space Station

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Members of the Soyuz MS-25 crew – commander Oleg Novitskiy (bottom), NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson (middle), and Belarus guest cosmonaut Marina Vasilevskaya (top). (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Earlier today, a Russian Soyuz rocket launched into space to bring three new crew members to the International Space Station (ISS).

The passengers on today’s delayed flight are cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Marina Vasilevskaya as well as NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson. They are expected to board the ISS on Monday.

Astronaut Dyson, who plans to stay on the station for six months, will assist her fellow astronauts on the ISS with a variety of experiments, including “…[s]tudies of neurological organoids, plant growth, and shifts in body fluids,”

Two Japanese Commercial Missions, Only One Reaching Space

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket successfully deploying a fourth synthetic aperture radar satellite to Synspective’s Earth-observation constellation. (Rocket Lab)

Earlier this week, Japanese cargo was launched towards space by two commercial companies. Unfortunately, only of the rockets made it into space.

On March 13, US company Rocket Lab launched a payload for Japan’s Synspective, an Earth-imaging company, from its launch site in New Zealand. The launch was successful and the StriX-3 satellite was placed into Earth orbit.

The second launch on the same day by Japan’s Space One, which would have been the first commercial launch by a Japanese firm, ended quickly when the rocket burst into flames just a few seconds after liftoff. The rocket was carrying a mock-up of a government spy satellite.

Space One President Masakazu Toyoda stated, “We will find out the cause as soon as possible and clarify our measures to prevent a recurrence.”

Getting it right may take time, as we are seeing with SpaceX’s Starship. Japan wants to maintain strong launch capabilities in both the public and private sectors, and this is just part of the process to make that happen.

Image (Credit): Photos showing the launch and midair explosion of Space One’s Kairos rocket. (KYODO)

Last Chance to Get Your Name on the Moon

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): An artist’s rending of NASA’s VIPER at the Moon’s south pole. (NASA/Daniel Rutter)

You have until midnight today to submit your name to NASA and be part of the Agency’s first robotic Moon rover, called Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER). Go to this link and provide your name and PIN code to ensure your name goes to the Moon (and you also get your boarding pass as a virtual souvenir).

VIPER is expected to head to the Moon in late 2024 as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative. Once on the lunar surface, it will spend 100 days on the Moon’s south pole to sample the soil and locate frozen water.

If you missed the chance to have your name aboard the Europa Clipper, you still have a chance to be part of this local moon mission.