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Space Stories: Rocket Lab Launched Japanese Satellites, Progress 95 Cargo Arrives at ISS, and Interstellar Comet Contains Surprises
Here are some recent space-related stories. —Rocket Lab: “Rocket Lab Completes Second Dedicated Launch for Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)“ The “Kakushin Rising” mission lifted off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand at 3:09 p.m. NZT to successfully deploy eight spacecraft for JAXA’s Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration Program that included educational small sats,…
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Study Findings: A Second Visit to Eps Ind Ab with JWST: New Photometry Confirms Ammonia and Suggests Thick Clouds in the Exoplanet Atmosphere of the Closest Super-Jupiter
The Astrophysical Journal Letters abstract of study findings: With JWST, we are directly imaging cold (∼200–300 K) solar-age giant exoplanets for the first time. At these temperatures, many molecular features appear, and water-ice clouds may condense and affect the emission spectrum; early photometric measurements of cold giant planets are already showing some tension with the predictions of…
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Audit Report: Will the Artemis Astronauts Have Spacesuits?
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…
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Sci-Fi Quote: To Titan and Beyond
“I think the promise of the show was always that we were going to go beyond just the moon and Mars. I think that’s kind of what I think Titan represents. It’s one of those steps we’ve been looking to make from the very beginning. I will say you’ll see more of it. I don’t…
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Pic of the Week: Hubble and the Crab Nebula
This week’s image is from the Hubble Space Telescope. It is an image of the Crab Nebula taken 25 years after the Hubble’s first image of the nebula. If you want to learn more about this history, a paper titled The Crab Nebula Revisited Using HST/WFC3 can be found in The Astrophysical Journal. Here is…
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Happy Earth Day!
Note: Go here for more Earth Day images from NASA.
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De-orbit is a Polite Word for the End of Bluebird 7
Sunday’s failed satellite launch by Blue Origin will have a number of repercussions. Rocket Company Issues: Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket will be grounded while the Federal Aviation Administration investigates the matter. Satellite Company Issues: AST, the owner of the Bluebird 7 satellite placed in the wrong orbit, will now need to “de-orbit” its satellite.…
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Space Quote: Voyager 1 Still Going, but with One Less Instrument
“While shutting down a science instrument is not anybody’s preference, it is the best option available…Voyager 1 still has two remaining operating science instruments — one that listens to plasma waves and one that measures magnetic fields. They are still working great, sending back data from a region of space no other human-made craft has…
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House Report: Budget Issues at NASA
A new released minority staff report from the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, titled MISSION ABORTED: How NASA Illegally Implemented the President’s Budget Request Without Congressional Approval, has a few issues with the budget process at NASA. Here is the main point from the report’s executive summary: In 2025, NASA implemented the President’s…
