Extra: Check out some of the Star Wars fan films that indicate the big corporations are not the only ones with ideas. Star Wars is for everyone.
Happy Star Wars Day!
Space Stories: Russia Sticks with ISS, Czechs Join Artemis Accords, and China Plans for Sample Return from Far Side of Moon
Here are some recent stories of interest.
—Phys.org: “Russia Will Use International Space Station ‘Until 2028’”
Russia said Wednesday it planned to use the International Space Station until 2028, an apparent reversal of an earlier announcement to quit the orbiting laboratory after 2024. On Wednesday, the head of Russian space agency Roscosmos, Yuri Borisov, said Moscow’s participation in the international space project had been extended. “By the decision of the government, the operation of the International Space Station has been extended until 2028,” Borisov told President Vladimir Putin during a televised meeting, referring to the Russian segment.
—SpaceNews.com: “Czech Republic signs Artemis Accords”
The Czech Republic became the 24th country to sign the Artemis Accords May 3, growing Europe’s presence in the U.S.-led agreement. In a brief ceremony at NASA Headquarters, Jan Lipavský, minister of foreign affairs for the Czech Republic, formally signed the accords in the presence of officials from NASA and the U.S. State Department. Representatives of several other countries who previously signed the Artemis Accords also attended…Neither U.S. nor Czech officials announced specific plans to cooperate on the Artemis lunar exploration campaign as a result of signing the accords, but suggested the signing opened the door for future discussions.
—Space.com: “China to Launch 1st-ever Sample Return Mission to Moon’s Far Side in 2024”
China will attempt to collect the first samples from the far side of the moon next year with its Chang’e 6 mission. The complex, four-spacecraft mission will launch on a Long March 5 rocket from Wenchang in May 2024, according to Wu Yanhua, chief designer of China’s Deep Space Exploration Major Project, speaking at a deep-space exploration conference on April 25 in the Chinese city of Hefei.
Evening Skies: First Satellites, and Now Wind Turbines
Earth-bound astronomers have another force to contend with these days – wind turbines. Yes, the efforts to reduce carbon emissions is increase light emissions around the globe. Why can’t anything be easy?
The Wall Street Journal recently noted that the lights added to wind turbines to make them visible to airplanes is causing light pollution for local residents and astronomers alike. In the article, “Lawmakers Crack Down on Wind-Turbine Lights That Flash All Night,” we learn that a simple fix may save the night sky. Lawmakers in some states are requiring that the warning lights remain off until an aircraft approaches.
Of course, this is a costly solution to the wind turbine operators or they would have done it already. The article states:
Aircraft-detection technology approved by the Federal Aviation Administration has been on the market for a half-dozen years. The systems are estimated to cost $1 million to $2 million to install with additional operating expenses each year.
That said, it seems to be a fair compromise to allow local citizens to enjoy their evenings. I am not sure if anyone is planning to require the same from cell towers and other commercial structures, but it’s a start.
Space Quote: A Human-Made Sandstorm
“The debris is really just basically sand and rock, so it’s not toxic at all or anything…It’s just like a sandstorm, essentially. Basically a human-made sandstorm. But we don’t want to do that again.”
–Statement by SpaceX’s Elon Musk last Saturday regarding the April 20th launch of the Starship and the debris it scattered for miles around the launch site. Mr. Musk now says he should have waited until a “flame trench” water system had been installed to absorb the heat from the launch. Instead, the launch acted like a blowtorch on the concrete, destroying the pad and flinging debris as far as 6.5 miles from the launch site. Mr. Musk has many new ideas, such as reusable rockets, that make a lot of sense. But ignoring the knowledge gained from past missions, such as the need for a flame trench, was not very smart on his part.
Movie: Dune, Part Two Trailer Available
If you are a fan of Frank Herbert’s series Dune, as well as the 2021 film version of the first book directed by Denis Villeneuve, then you will be pleased to see the latest trailer for the second part of the film. It does not give too much away to those who do not already know the story, but it demonstrates that we can expect the same quality of film later this year.
It would be nice if the other books in the series get picked up by Warner Bros. in the way the Lord of the Rings led to increased interest in the tales as well as more movies. It is a tricky balance that can be abused, as we have seen with too many series, but carefully done it would be amazing to see.
You can read more about the upcoming film in a cover story by Vanity Fair. It also has plenty of photos from the new film (such as the one below).
Dune, Part Two should be in theaters by November of this year.
Our Awesome Universe 