Space Stories: Advertising in Space, Israeli Astronaut, and Mysterious Deep Space Signals

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Credit: BrandinginAsia.com

Here are some recent stories of interest.

—Space News: “Astronomers Seek Global Ban on Space Advertising“

Astronomers are calling on nations to ban advertising in space that can be seen from the ground, calling it the latest threat to the dark and quiet sky. At a briefing during the 245th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society earlier this month, the organization rolled out a statement calling for bans on “obtrusive space advertising” because of the interference it could cause for groundbased astronomy. Obtrusive space advertising is defined in U.S. federal law as “advertising in outer space that is capable of being recognized by a human being on the surface of the Earth without the aid of a telescope or other technological device.” Such advertising is banned in federal law through prohibitions on granting launch licenses for missions carrying payloads to carry out space advertising.

—Jewish News Syndicate: “Israeli Female Astronaut Will Go to Space with NASA“

Israel has reached an agreement with NASA to send the first Israeli woman astronaut into space, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology Gila Gamliel said on Monday. The remarks come as Israel is expanding cooperation in space technology with longtime allies such as the U.S., Italy and Azerbaijan, as well as with regional parties to the landmark 2020 Abraham Accords such as the United Arab Emirates.

—Anexartiti: “20 Mysterious Signals Discovered! What Could They Mean for Astronomy?“

A team of researchers from Australia has made a remarkable discovery by identifying over 20 intriguing signals from deep space. This achievement has been compared to the daunting task of finding a single grain of sand on a vast beach. Utilizing innovative technology pioneered by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), these findings have been documented in the Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia.

Space Stories: Farewell to Bill Nelson, an Unpredictable Universe, and Ponds and Lakes on Mars

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Image (Credit): Bill Nelson appearing before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on April 21, 2021 as the nominee to be the 14th administrator of NASA. (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Here are some recent stories of interest.

—WESH.com: “NASA Administrator Bill Nelson Writes Letter to Next Leader, Reflects on Legacy and Future of Space Exploration“

In a heartfelt letter addressed to the 15th Administrator of NASA, Bill Nelson expressed his admiration for the agency’s workforce and the immense honor of leading the organization dedicated to space exploration. Nelson, who has a rich history with NASA, having flown on the Space Shuttle Columbia and served as a U.S. Senator from Florida, emphasized the exceptional nature of the NASA team. He noted that the agency embodies a “can-do spirit” that exemplifies American ingenuity and leadership in space.

—Duke University: “Dan Scolnic Shows that the Universe Is Still Full of Surprises“

The Universe really seems to be expanding fast. Too fast, even. A new measurement confirms what previous — and highly debated — results had shown: The Universe is expanding faster than predicted by theoretical models, and faster than can be explained by our current understanding of physics. This discrepancy between model and data became known as the Hubble tension. Now, results published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters provide even stronger support to the faster rate of expansion. “The tension now turns into a crisis,” said Dan Scolnic, who led the research team.

—Caltech: “Signatures of Ice-Free Ancient Ponds and Lakes Found on Mars“

Researchers have discovered two sets of ancient wave ripples on Mars, signatures of long-dried bodies of water preserved in the rock record. Wave ripples are small undulations in the sandy shores of lakebeds, created as wind-driven water laps back and forth. The two sets of ripples indicate the former presence of shallow water that was open to the Martian air, not covered by ice as some climate models would require.

Space Stories: The Disappearance of Dark Skies in Chile, Subaru Telescope Gets New Eye, and Roman Telescope Previews

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Image (Credit): The four large Unit Telescopes and the four smaller Auxiliary Telescopes that make up the European Southern Observatory’s (USO) Very Large Telescope. (USO)

Here are some recent stories related to astronomy telescopes.

—Sky & Telescope: “Industrial Project Threatens Dark Chilean Skies“

When a study in 2023 crowned Cerro Paranal the darkest observatory site in the world, astronomers must have felt reassured to have chosen the right spot. The 2,635-meter (8,645-foot) mountain in Chile’s Atacama Desert is home to the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) Very Large Telescope, one of the most advanced and prolific astronomical facilities. But now, if a company named AES Andes (a subsidiary of the U.S. power company AES Corporation) gets its way, Paranal’s observational prowess might soon be history: Light pollution emitted by a proposed industrial “megaproject” could do away with the dark skies over this observatory.

—National Astronomical Observatory of Japan: “Prime Focus Spectrograph on the Subaru Telescope to Begin Science Operations in February“

Researchers have finished equipping the Subaru Telescope with a new special “compound eye,” culminating several years of effort. This new eye is an instrument featuring approximately 2,400 prisms scattered across the extremely wide field of view available at the Subaru Telescope’s primary focus, allowing for simultaneous spectroscopic observation of thousands of celestial objects. This unrivaled capability will help researchers precisely understand the formation and evolution of galaxies and the Universe. Among 8-meter-class telescopes, the Subaru Telescope is the most competitive with the largest survey capability in the world. This instrument, the Prime Focus Spectrograph (PFS), will be ready to begin scientific operations in February 2025.

—NASA: “Simulated Universe Previews Panoramas from NASA’s Roman Telescope“

Astronomers have released a set of more than a million simulated images showcasing the cosmos as NASA’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will see it. This preview will help scientists explore Roman’s myriad science goals. “We used a supercomputer to create a synthetic universe and simulated billions of years of evolution, tracing every photon’s path all the way from each cosmic object to Roman’s detectors,” said Michael Troxel, an associate professor of physics at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, who led the simulation campaign. “This is the largest, deepest, most realistic synthetic survey of a mock universe available today.”

Space Stories: Aliens Using Black Holes, Fire Approaches JPL, and New Approaches for the Mars Sample

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Credit: Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Here are some recent stories of interest.

—Universe Today: “Scientists Propose New Method to Detect Alien Civilizations via Black Holes“

A new paper looks at another way we might be able to detect advanced civilizations, and at its center is the need for energy. The more advanced a civilization becomes, the greater their need for energy and one of the most efficient ways, according to current theories, is to harness the energy from an actively feeding black hole. The paper suggests a civilization feeding matter into a black hole could harvest energy from it; more excitingly perhaps, the process could be detectable within 17,000 light years.

—LA Times: “Firefighters Battle to Protect NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Mt. Wilson“

Officials said they are making progress in protecting two key institutions from the Eaton fire. Don Fregulia, an operations section chief for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, which has joined in the Eaton fire response, said that efforts to protect Mt. Wilson had proved successful and he expected that to remain the case. “We’re actively engaged there, and so far, no loss to any values at risk at Mt. Wilson,” Fregulia said. “We’re feeling good about what we have to do up there tonight to keep that site secure.” He said the fire had also spread close to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, but he said that’s a priority and crews were “making good progress there as well.”

—NASA: “NASA to Explore Two Landing Options for Returning Samples from Mars“

To maximize chances of successfully bringing the first Martian rock and sediment samples to Earth for the benefit of humanity, NASA announced Tuesday a new approach to its Mars Sample Return Program. The agency will simultaneously pursue two landing architectures, or strategic plans, during formulation, encouraging competition and innovation, as well as cost and schedule savings. NASA plans to later select a single path forward for the program, which aims to better understand the mysteries of the universe, and to help determine whether the Red Planet ever hosted life. NASA is expected to confirm the program – and its design – in the second half of 2026.

Space Stories: Support for the Near Space Network, Another Interesting Exoplanet, and Firefly Gets Fourth Lunar Contract

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Image (Credit): Part of NASA’s Near Space Network. (NASA)

Here are some recent stories of interest.

—Satnews: “NASA Selects Four Commercial Companies to Support Near Space Network“

NASA has selected multiple companies to expand the agency’s Near Space Network’s commercial, direct-to-Earth capabilities services, which is a mission-critical communication capability that allows spacecraft to transmit data directly to ground stations on Earth. The work will be awarded under new Near Space Network services contracts that are firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts. Project timelines span from February 2025 to September 2029, with an additional five-year option period that could extend a contract through Sept. 30, 2034. The cumulative maximum value of all Near Space Network Services contracts is $4.82 billion.

—Daily Galaxy: “NASA Discovers Massive Planet Bigger Than Earth with Gas Tied Exclusively to Living Organisms“

Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery on a planet over eight times the mass of Earth, located 120 light-years away. Using advanced technology, researchers detected a gas in its atmosphere that, on Earth, is only produced by living organisms. Could this be the first real hint of life beyond our planet? While the findings are intriguing, they come with questions that still need answering.

—Express News: “Texas-based Firefly Aerospace Gets Another NASA Moon Mission, a $179.6M Deal That’s Part of Artemis“

NASA gave Texas-based Firefly Aerospace a Christmas present of sorts — a $179.6 million deal to deliver six scientific instruments to the lunar surface as part of the Artemis program, which is intended to put astronauts back on the moon. Awarded a week before the holiday, the contract is the fourth for the Cedar Park company under the space agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative. The $2.6 billion program aims to create a lunar economy while learning more about the moon in preparation for the first crewed flights to the lunar surface in more than 50 years.