Discover NASA’s Artemis II Moon Mission Astronauts: Meet the Team Leading Our Lunar Exploration

Posted on January 31, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

Three highly skilled NASA astronauts are embarking on an exciting mission into space. Reed Wiseman, a former Navy officer who transitioned to astronaut status in 2009, brings significant experience, having spent six months aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in 2014.

Reed Wiseman and daughters.
Provided by Reid Wiseman

Since the passing of his wife in 2020, Wiseman has taken on the challenging role of raising two children as a single parent. He acknowledges the stress that comes with being an astronaut, noting that the thrill of the mission is often tempered by the sacrifices it demands from their families.

“I’m a dedicated single father to two daughters,” he shared with NBC’s “TODAY” during a candid interview with fellow crew members. “While it might be easier to relax on the couch with a football game, the reality is that we have four individuals ready to undertake extraordinary and groundbreaking explorations in our civilization.”

Wiseman expressed hope that the outcomes of this monumental mission will validate the sacrifices made by the families of the crew.

“We often look toward the moon and proudly state, ‘We’ve been there.’ However, for this generation—both current and future, known as the Artemis generation—they will look at the moon and proudly declare, ‘We are there,'” he emphasized.

A pendant featuring Jeremy Hansen’s family birthstones accompanied by the engraving “Moon and Back”.
Provided by Jeremy Hansen

Each astronaut will carry personal tokens on their historic flights around the moon. Wiseman and Koch will carry letters from their families, while Grover plans to bring a Bible, wedding ring, and a cherished heirloom for his daughters. Hansen will carry a moon pendant featuring his family’s birthstone and the phrase “Moon and Back.” These items serve as meaningful mementos and ways for the astronauts to connect their families to the journey.

Koch, a veteran of profound space missions, holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, having spent a remarkable 328 days on the ISS in 2019. Alongside fellow astronaut Jessica Meir, she made history with NASA’s first all-female spacewalk.

Christina Koch with her husband and dog.
Provided by: Christina Koch

Koch expressed her contentment about not participating in another significant milestone, stating her excitement for her colleagues who are set to leave footprints on the lunar surface.

“I’m genuinely thrilled to see familiar faces taking steps toward walking on the moon. However, if that is not my destiny, I am completely at peace with it,” Koch mentioned, noting NASA has yet to assign a crew for the Artemis III mission.

Victor Glover with his family.
Provided by: Victor Glover

In a similar vein, Grover previously participated in a historic flight, flying the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule to the ISS in 2020. Glover, a former U.S. Navy captain and test pilot, was transitioned from his position in the U.S. Senate when he was selected for NASA’s astronaut program in 2013. Grover and his wife are parents to four children.

Hansen, marking his spaceflight debut, is set to become the first Canadian to explore lunar terrain. A graduate of the Canadian Space Agency’s astronaut program in 2009, he previously served as a fighter pilot and colonel in the Canadian Armed Forces.

With three children, Hansen highlighted the camaraderie that has developed among the crew, remarking that they’ve formed a familial bond through years of intense training together.

Jeremy Hansen with his family.
Provided by Jeremy Hansen

The upcoming Artemis II launch will be only the second deployment of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket paired with the Orion capsule. The inaugural launch, Artemis I, conducted an unmanned mission that circled the moon over three years ago.

Wiseman, Koch, Grover, and Hansen view this mission as a crucial stepping stone towards the Artemis III ambition, which aims to land four astronauts near the moon’s polar regions in 2027. Throughout their mission, the crew will practice docking procedures in Earth orbit, conduct scientific experiments, and evaluate various systems inside the Orion capsule, serving as a trial run for a forthcoming lunar landing.

“To us, achieving success is synonymous with landing on the moon during Artemis III,” Koch stated. “Success is always Artemis 100. Everything we do is centered around that.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Study Reveals How Space Travel Alters Astronauts’ Brain Shape and Position

Posted on January 13, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

A groundbreaking study reveals that astronauts’ brains can experience changes in shape and position during their time in space, presenting significant implications for NASA’s objectives of long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars.

Published on Monday in the Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the research indicates that astronauts’ brains tilted upward after spaceflight, deviating from their normal Earth position and shifting within their skulls. The study identified that areas associated with sensory functions, motion sickness, disorientation, and balance were notably affected.

This research contributes to the evolving field of aerospace medicine, which investigates the physical toll spaceflight and microgravity exert on the human body. Such insights are crucial for planning NASA’s ambitious projects to establish a base on the Moon and conduct crewed missions deeper into the solar system.

“Understanding these changes and their implications is vital for ensuring astronauts’ safety and health, as well as ensuring their longevity in space,” stated Rachel Seidler, a professor at the University of Florida and co-author of the study.

Seidler and her team examined MRI scans of 26 astronauts taken before and after their missions in orbit. The duration of spaceflight varied from a few weeks (for Space Shuttle missions) to about six months (the typical length for International Space Station missions). Some astronauts even spent a year aboard the station.

“Those who spent a year in space exhibited the most significant changes,” Seidler revealed. “We observed noticeable alterations even in astronauts who were in space for just two weeks, indicating that duration is a key factor.”

She added that among astronauts who remained in microgravity for over six months, the upward movement of their brains was “quite widespread,” particularly within the upper brain structures.

“The movement is in the range of a few millimeters. While this might not seem significant, in terms of brain dynamics, it truly is,” she noted.

Seidler pointed out that the observed brain changes often lead to “sensory conflicts” while astronauts are in space, resulting in temporary disorientation and motion sickness. Upon returning to Earth, such changes may also contribute to balance issues as astronauts readjust to the planet’s gravity. However, the study did not report any severe symptoms, like headaches or cognitive impairment, either during or after spaceflight.

“That was a surprise to me,” Seidler remarked.

For a comparative analysis, the research team also examined brain scans of 24 civilian participants who underwent bed rest for up to 60 days with their heads positioned at a 6-degree angle downward, mimicking microgravity conditions. Similar changes in brain position and shape were observed, yet astronauts’ brains displayed a more pronounced upward shift.

Dr. Mark Rosenberg, assistant professor of neurology and director of the Aerospace and Performance Neurology Program at the Medical University of South Carolina, emphasized that while the effects of spaceflight on the brain have been recognized, Seidler’s study is pioneering in documenting how these upward shifts impact astronauts both in space and upon their return to Earth.

“While we knew the brain shifted upward, we needed to explore any operational consequences,” said Rosenberg, who did not participate in the study. “This work helps clarify those relationships.”

The findings prompt additional questions for future studies, including whether brain changes differ between male and female astronauts and whether the age of crew members influences these changes. However, gathering a comprehensive dataset is challenged by the limited number of astronauts launched to the International Space Station each year, a demographic that has predominantly been male.

Further research is essential to establish whether the observed brain changes have long-term repercussions.

Currently, these changes do not appear to be permanent, similar to various physiological changes astronauts experience post-mission, such as bone density loss, muscle atrophy, and fluid redistribution. Once the body readjusts to Earth’s gravity, conditions largely normalize, Rosenberg explained.

However, it remains uncertain whether different gravitational environments might introduce new complications.

“If an astronaut were on Mars, which has one-third of Earth’s gravity, or on the Moon, with one-sixth of Earth’s gravity, how much longer would it take to return to normal?” Rosenberg queried.

Both he and Seidler assert that the current findings shouldn’t deter humans from spending extended periods in space. It is crucial, however, to comprehend any potential long-lasting damage and identify strategies to mitigate it.

“Whether we acknowledge it or not, we are destined to become a spacefaring species,” Rosenberg concluded. “It’s merely a matter of time. These are just some of the essential questions we need to address.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com

NASA Schedules Astronauts’ Early Departure from ISS Amid Medical Concerns

Posted on January 10, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

NASA has announced plans to return four astronauts from the International Space Station (ISS) earlier than initially scheduled due to a crew member’s health issue encountered in orbit.

According to a statement released by NASA late Friday, the undocking from the ISS is set to take place by 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, weather permitting at the designated splashdown site off California’s coast.

This marks the first occasion in the 25-year history of the ISS that a mission has been interrupted due to a medical incident in space.

While NASA confirmed a medical issue arose earlier this week, specific details regarding the crew member’s condition or identity have not been disclosed, citing medical privacy regulations.

During a news conference on Thursday, agency officials reassured that the situation is stable, and the decision for early departure is a precautionary measure rather than an emergency evacuation.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman stated, “After consulting with Chief Medical Officer Dr. J.D. Polk and agency leaders, we concluded that it’s best for the astronauts to return Crew-11 ahead of schedule.”

The returning crew includes NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Finke, Japanese astronaut Kamiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. Crew-11 was initially slated to reach the ISS in early August and remain in the laboratory until late February.

The astronauts will return in the same SpaceX Dragon capsule that transported them to the ISS. If all goes as planned, undocking will occur Wednesday night, with an expected splashdown in the Pacific Ocean around 3:40 a.m. Thursday.

NASA and SpaceX will provide further updates on the precise landing time and location as it gets closer to the undocking.

Post Crew-11’s departure, NASA will maintain one astronaut aboard the ISS to oversee U.S. scientific experiments and operations. Flight engineer Chris Williams launched aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft on November 27th and will be joined by Russian cosmonauts Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikayev.

The next crew is scheduled to launch to the ISS in mid-February, with NASA considering enhancements to this mission, known as Crew-12.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

NASA to Return Space Station Astronauts Early Due to Medical Concerns

Posted on January 9, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

NASA has announced that four astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) will return to Earth over a month early due to medical issues. This unprecedented evacuation marks the first of its kind in the ISS’s 25-year history.

Due to medical privacy regulations, NASA refrained from disclosing specific details, including the identities of the affected astronauts and the nature of their medical conditions. However, officials confirmed that the overall situation remains stable.

Speaking at a recent news conference, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman stated that the astronauts are expected to return home in the coming days. An exact timeline for undocking and landing has not yet been provided.

“After consulting with Medical Officer of Health Dr. J.D. Polk and leadership across the agency, we believe returning Crew-11 early is in the best interest of the astronauts,” Isaacman said in a statement.

Inside the International Space Station.
NASA

Isaacman noted that further updates would be available within the next 48 hours.

The Crew-11 team evacuating the ISS consists of NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Finke, Japanese cosmonaut Kamiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. They had originally arrived in early August with plans to stay until late February.

Dr. Polk reassured the public that the situation is stable, clarifying that the decision to evacuate was made for the well-being of the astronauts, not due to an emergency.

“While the ISS is equipped with sophisticated medical technology, it cannot match the complete resources of a hospital emergency department for thorough patient evaluations,” Polk explained. “In this case, there were multiple medical events which necessitated a careful assessment of the astronauts’ health.”

NASA first made the medical concerns public on Wednesday, when it was revealed that Cardman and Finke were deferring a scheduled spacewalk.

Following the early return of Crew-11, NASA will operate with just one astronaut on the ISS, who will oversee ongoing U.S. scientific operations. Flight engineer Chris Williams launched aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft on November 27, accompanied by Russian cosmonauts Oleg Platonov, Sergei Kud-Sverchkov, and Sergei Mikayev.

The subsequent crew is slated to launch to the ISS in mid-February, but Isaacman indicated that NASA may evaluate enhancements for this upcoming mission, known as Crew-12.

This week’s developments present Isaacman’s first significant challenge since taking office on December 18.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

2026: NASA Astronauts Poised for Historic Return to Lunar Orbit

Posted on December 27, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

According to NASA’s ambitious timeline, 2026 marks the exciting return of astronauts to the moon.

In just a few months, four astronauts will embark on a groundbreaking 10-day lunar mission. This will be the closest humans have ventured toward the moon in over half a century.

The historic flight, dubbed Artemis II, is slated to launch as early as February, signaling a much-anticipated revival of America’s lunar exploration efforts. This mission will serve as a critical test for NASA’s state-of-the-art Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft, both of which have faced numerous delays and budget challenges over the past decade.

Reestablishing a presence on the moon has been a key objective during President Trump’s first term, and the current administration is intensifying its focus on the escalating space race with China, which aims to land its astronauts on the moon by 2030.

Beyond its geopolitical significance, Artemis II represents a pivotal step in space exploration. The mission aims to lay the groundwork for a sustainable lunar base before advancing human exploration to Mars.

“In the next three years, we’ll land American astronauts on the moon again, but this time we’ll build the necessary infrastructure for their extended stay,” stated new NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman in a recent NBC News interview.

For many scientists, the excitement surrounding the moon’s return lies in the chance to uncover long-standing mysteries related to its formation and evolution—topics that were the focus of the Apollo missions in the 1960s and 1970s.

“Moon scientists have had a plethora of questions over the decades,” says Brett Denebi, a planetary scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland.

Addressing these questions may provide crucial insights into the processes that shaped Earth, according to Dennevy.

“Earth is, in some ways, a poor record keeper,” she notes. “Plate tectonics and weather have erased much of its ancient history. In contrast, the moon has preserved landforms that date back approximately 4.5 billion years, waiting for us to explore.”

Although Artemis II will not involve a moon landing, it will assess essential technologies. Docking procedures and life support systems, initially tested in Earth orbit and later in lunar orbit, are crucial for future lunar missions.

In 2022, NASA launched the Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule on a successful uncrewed test flight around the moon, known as the Artemis I mission.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Private Space Flights Conclude with Pacific Splashdown for Astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary

Posted on July 15, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Cape Canaveral, Florida – a Private Space Flight from Poland and Hungary, featuring India’s first astronaut in over 40 years, concluded on Tuesday with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

The SpaceX capsules detached from the International Space Station on Monday and parachuted into waters off Southern California less than 24 hours later.

Hungarian Tibor Kapu emerged from SpaceX capsules in Southern California on Tuesday.
SpaceX via AP

The four-member crew launched nearly three weeks ago on a mission arranged by Axiom Space from Houston.

Axiom’s Peggy Whitson, the most seasoned U.S. astronaut, served as commander. She was joined by Shuvansch Shukla from India, Slouz Uznansky Wysniewsky from Poland, and Tibor Kap from Hungary, with the countries collectively investing over $65 million in the mission.

SpaceX capsules carrying four astronauts parachute into the Pacific Ocean off Southern California on Tuesday.
SpaceX via AP

“Thank you for the wonderful ride and safe journey,” Whitson remarked post-splashdown. Her record now surpasses that of other American astronauts and women, encompassing a total of 695 days in space across five missions.

The visiting astronauts executed numerous experiments in orbit, celebrating their heritage. The last instance of India, Poland, and Hungary sending individuals into space was in collaboration with the Soviet Union during the late 1970s and 1980s. They waved and smiled as they exited the capsule one by one into the dim early morning.

Poland’s Slouz Uznanski Wysniewski made landfall in Southern California on Tuesday.
SpaceX via AP

This marked Axiom’s fourth mission for the orbital forward base since 2022 and is part of NASA’s ongoing efforts to expand access to space for more businesses and individuals. The company is among those developing their own space stations to succeed the current one. NASA plans to retire its space station by 2030 after over 30 years of service.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

NASA Astronauts Venture Outside the Space Station for Fifth All-Female Spacewalk

Posted on May 2, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The astronaut missed during the first all-female spaceship due to a sizing issue with the space suits. Six years later, I finally got my chance on Thursday.

NASA’s Anne McClain ventured out from the International Space Station alongside Nichole Ayers. Both are military officers and pilots who returned instead of going to the Orbit Lab in March with two other astronauts. Now, I’m back home.

Just before floating out, McClain spotted a loose string on the index finger of her right glove. Mission Control briefly postponed the launch to ensure her glove was secure.

During the mission, the duo prepared the space station for a new solar panel and adjusted the antenna at the 260-mile-high complex.

On Wednesday evening, the space station needed to be elevated slightly to avoid debris: remnants of a 20-year-old Chinese rocket.

McClain, an army colonel and helicopter pilot, was originally set to participate in the first all-female spacewalk in 2019, but the medium-sized suit was insufficient. The historic mission was accomplished by Christina Koch and Jessica Meir. This latest outing marks the fifth time a woman has gone outside the spacecraft in a 60-year history.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers prepare for launch at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 14.
Craig Bailey / USA Today Network

Koch is set to become the first woman to fly to the moon. Along with three male astronauts, she will orbit the moon without landing next year as part of NASA’s Artemis program, the successor to Apollo.

Currently, men continue to outnumber women in NASA’s astronaut corps.

Out of NASA’s 47 active astronauts, 20 are women. Among the seven astronauts now aboard the space station, McClain and Ayers are the only females. This marks Ayers’ first mission, while McClain is on her third.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

China sends three astronauts to rotate crews at Tiangong Space Station

Posted on April 25, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

China has successfully launched three astronauts into space as part of the crew replacement mission for China’s Tiangong space station, marking another milestone in the country’s aspirations for manned missions to the moon and Mars.

The Shenzhou 20 spacecraft lifted off as scheduled at 5:17pm (0917 GMT) atop China’s Long March 2F rocket, set to arrive at Tiangong after approximately 6.5 hours.

The rocket launched from a facility near the Gobi Desert in northwestern China, and the spacecraft will remain in space until it returns the current crew back to Earth.

Tiangong, also known as the “Celestial Palace” space station, is a Chinese-built station that positions China as a significant player in space exploration after being excluded from the International Space Station due to US national security concerns. China’s space program is overseen by the People’s Liberation Army, a military branch of the ruling Communist Party.

There are concerns about China’s potential use of technology onboard the space station to interfere with satellites and other spacecraft in times of crisis.

Astronauts Chen Zonglui, Chen Dong and Wang Jie embarked on the delayed space mission at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Thursday.
Andy Wong / AP

Since sending its first astronauts into space in 2003, China has made significant strides in its space program, becoming the third country to do so. It has also landed explorers on Mars and the far side of the moon, with plans to land humans on the moon by 2030.

The Shenzhou 20 mission is led by astronaut Chen Dong, on his third spaceflight, accompanied by fighter pilot Chen Zonglui and engineer Wang Ji. Unlike previous crews, the Shenzhou 20 mission consists entirely of male astronauts.

The incoming crew will replace the current astronauts on board the Chinese space station, staying onboard for approximately six months, like their predecessors.

Scheduled to reach Tianong after 6.5 hours, the spacecraft was launched into space atop the Chinese Long March 2 rocket at 5:17pm on March 2.

The current crew was sent last October and spent 175 days in space. They are set to return on April 29, following a brief overlap with the incoming crew. Tianong, completed in October 2022, has a capacity of up to six people.

During their mission, the astronauts will conduct medical and technological experiments, perform spacewalks for maintenance tasks, and install new equipment, as announced by the Manned Space Agency.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

SpaceX Astronauts Departing from California Coast for Historic Flight

Posted on April 4, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Four civil astronauts concluded their mission on SpaceX vehicles on Friday, landing in waters near Oceanside, California.

This marked the first time the company had brought people back to Earth in the Pacific Ocean after six years of Dragon Capsules splashing down in the Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico.

The FRAM2 mission orbited the Earth for four days in a north-south trajectory, allowing astronauts to witness North and Antarctica directly from space for the first time.

SpaceX relocated its operations to the Pacific Ocean to prevent dragon capsule debris from falling into random parts of the Earth. The vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean and favorable weather along the US West Coast provided a safe and conducive environment for the astronauts’ return.

The first SpaceX Astronaut Mission, a test flight in May 2020, saw Douglas Hurley and NASA’s Robert Behnken launching to the International Space Station. They returned just two months later, splashing down in the Gulf waters off Pensacola, Florida. This mission introduced SpaceX’s upgraded Dragon 2 capsule design.

Subsequently, there were nine NASA-funded flights, five private flights, and ten cargo missions to the International Space Station, all safely landing in Florida.

However, fragments of the spacecraft’s trunk began descending in unexpected locations, such as Australian sheep fields and North Carolina hiking trails. While no injuries or property damage occurred, the continuous rains of space debris pose a risk that needs to be addressed.

SpaceX had initially expected the spacecraft’s trunk to completely burn up during re-entry, but this turned out to be untrue. Therefore, last year, SpaceX announced changes to their Dragon Landing process.

The Dragon Trunk is now abandoned later in the return journey after the spacecraft uses thrusters to deorbit. This ensures targeted debris disposal, with the Pacific Ocean providing a safe area for debris to land without posing a threat to people.

Previously, the Dragon Trunk remained on trajectory for extended periods without a clear prediction of its re-entry location.

The milder Pacific climate also benefits NASA in scheduling missions.

SpaceX’s move partially to the Pacific Ocean for Dragon Landing meets NASA’s requirements for faster processing of scientific experiments returning from space, allowing SpaceX time to prepare for subsequent flights.

The most recent East Coast landing featured a NASA mission returning from the space station with NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore. Due to issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, their stay in orbit extended over nine months. The mission ended with a playful encounter with a pod of dolphins investigating the spacecraft.

In this week’s FRAM2 mission, Chun Wang, an investor in blockchain and cryptocurrency mining, funded a private mission and chose three companions: Norwegian filmmaker Jannicke Mikkelsen, German robot researcher Laveer Lodge, and Australian explorer Eric Phillips.

Mr. Wang named the mission after the Norwegian ship Fram, which explored the Arctic Circle in the 19th century. He provided updates from orbit, including his experience with space sickness and the uniqueness of Pacific Ocean landings.

“Space motion sickness affected us all – we felt nauseous and vomited several times,” wrote Mr. Wang.

Splashdowns in the Pacific Ocean have historical significance in spaceflight, with most of NASA’s Apollo missions landing there. SpaceX’s return to Pacific landings marks a shift from previous missions primarily landing in Florida.

The curiosity of West Coast dolphins remains to be seen, adding a whimsical touch to the return of space missions.

Source: www.nytimes.com

NASA astronauts share their experiences after nine months aboard the ISS

Posted on April 1, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Following an unexpected extended stay at the International Space Station lasting nine and a half months, NASA astronaut Suni Williams is back on Earth, enjoying herself once more.

“I actually went out and ran three miles yesterday,” Williams mentioned during a press conference at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on Monday. “So I’ll give myself a little pat on the back.”

Williams, along with her fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore, expressed their gratitude multiple times. Williams thanked the two astronauts who shared the Dragon Capsules of the SpaceX Crew, NASA, SpaceX, Boeing, and the medical team for helping them readjust to gravity.

These expressions of gratitude, much like many federal workers, were likely well received by individuals in the space agency who have faced uncertainty about their mission, direction, and ongoing employment since President Trump’s inauguration.

Williams and Wilmore embarked on a test flight of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft last June, initially planned as a brief visit to the International Space Station. However, due to issues with the Starliner’s propulsion system, NASA officials decided to bring the Starliner back to Earth, extending Williams and Wilmore’s stay until February.

Upon their return to Earth, they returned to a transitioning NASA, the trajectory of which remains uncertain.

Elon Musk and his government’s focus on efficiency aim to disrupt traditional bureaucratic structures. Meanwhile, SpaceX CEO Musk envisions sending settlers to Mars, sparking speculation about NASA’s current primary focus, the Artemis program, aimed at sending astronauts back to the moon.

In January, Williams and Wilmore found themselves caught in a political quarrel, as Trump and Musk insinuated they were left stranded in space to undermine favorable publicity for Musk, a Trump supporter during the presidential campaign, without providing any concrete details or evidence.

Both astronauts have publicly maintained that they were not abandoned in space for political reasons.

During a press conference at the Johnson Space Center, Williams, Wilmore, and Nick Haag, commanders of the SpaceX Crew Dragon mission that brought them back home, steered clear of political controversy and emphasized the cooperation and shared purpose essential for their astronaut mission.

“When you link with a nation that stands by, cares about human spaceflight programs, and supports us and our endeavors,” Wilmore stated.

Haag noted that much of the turmoil on Earth remains distant:

“When we are working in space, politics fade away,” he remarked. “It’s solely focused on the mission.”

He highlighted Williams’ nearly six-month tenure as commander of the space station.

“The magic of human spaceflight lies in our ability to concentrate on positive elements that unite people together,” Haag concluded.

Wilmore, who led the Starliner Mission, refused to place blame solely on Boeing for the issues with the Starliner capsule that led to their prolonged stay. “I dislike that term,” he commented.

Wilmore stated that both Boeing and NASA share responsibility for the malfunctioning system.

“I won’t point fingers and place blame,” Wilmore mentioned. “I might have posed some questions, and the responses could have altered the outcome.”

NASA officials anticipate the next Starliner flight could take place later this year or the following year. When asked if they would be willing to embark on another such flight, both Williams and Wilmore quickly responded affirmatively.

“Because we will address all the challenges we encountered,” Wilmore affirmed. “We will resolve them. We will make it work. Boeing and NASA are fully committed to this endeavor.

“I concur,” added Williams. “Spacecraft are incredibly capable.”

The International Space Station’s operations are scheduled until 2030, at which point a specially designed SpaceX spacecraft will guide the station out of orbit into the Pacific Ocean. Recently, Musk has suggested that space stations should increase their utility and be discarded sooner, within a few years. However, the astronauts spoke enthusiastically about the research they conducted aboard.

Haag remarked on the significant advancements in complexity of experiments compared to his prior mission six years ago.

“It gives you the sense that we are currently in the golden age of space stations in terms of the return on investment,” Haag concluded.

Source: www.nytimes.com

Boeing Starliner capsule astronauts from NASA set to return home in nine months

Posted on March 17, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

NASA Astronaut Suni Williams and Butch Willmore have finally returned home.

The astronauts, who had initially planned to visit the International Space Station for just a week, ended up staying for over nine months and are now scheduled to leave on Tuesday.

Their journey back to Earth marks the end of a unique chapter in spaceflight history. Williams and Wilmore gained recognition when they embarked on the first crew test flight of Boeing’s Starliner capsule in June. However, issues with the vehicle’s thruster during docking with the space station led to NASA returning the Starliner to Earth without anyone on board.

As a result, Williams and Wilmore had to extend their stay, but they are now set to depart on Tuesday at 1:05am aboard the SpaceX Dragon Capsule. The astronauts are expected to splash down off the Florida coast at 5:57pm ET.

Joining them on the return flight are NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian astronaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.

The timing of their return on Tuesday was determined based on optimal conditions expected for the evening of March 18th, as stated in a NASA statement.

The four-person crew arrived at the space station in September aboard a SpaceX vehicle, carrying Hague, Gorbunov, and two empty seats for their colleagues. Williams and Wilmore stayed behind to allow Hague and Gorbunov to complete their mission.

Despite the challenges they faced, Williams and Wilmore have embraced their extended stay in space and have enjoyed their time orbiting the Earth.

In a recent news briefing, Williams and Wilmore chose to focus on their mission rather than engage in politics. Williams expressed her disagreement with Elon Musk’s suggestion that the US should halt operations on the International Space Station earlier than planned.

“I think we’re thriving right now,” she said. “It’s not the right time to abandon it.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Alternative Space Station Options Welcomed by NASA Astronauts

Posted on March 16, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

SpaceX Crew Capsules finally reached the International Space Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla. more than a day after the explosion. They are there to provide an alternative to NASA’s two occupied astronauts.

The four new arrivals from the US, Japan, and Russia will spend the next few days learning about the space station from Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. They will then secure themselves in their own SpaceX capsule later this week. One of the astronauts has been aboard the station since last year, concluding an unexpected extended mission that began last June.

Originally, Wilmore and Williams expected their space trip on Boeing’s first astronaut flight to only last a week. However, they have now spent nine months in space, waiting for the Starliner capsule while encountering numerous issues.

Upon arrival at the space station, Wilmore opened the hatch and rang the ship’s bells as the new astronauts floated in one by one, greeted with hugs and handshakes.

“It’s been a great day. It’s nice to see our friends arrive,” Williams reported to Mission Control.

Wilmore and Williams arrived in late September with a reduced crew of two, leaving two empty seats reserved on the crew. However, delays occurred when the new capsules needed extensive battery repairs, forcing the old capsules to be replaced and pushing the return home to mid-March.

Assuming the weather permits, the SpaceX capsules carrying Wilmore, Williams, and two other astronauts will detach from the space station before Wednesday and will land off the coast of Florida.

Currently, there are 11 astronauts stationed in the orbital labs, representing the US, Russia, and Japan.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Two NASA astronauts are launched into the space station by a new crew and begin the return process.

Posted on March 15, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Four astronauts were launched into orbit on their way to the International Space Station on Friday evening. The astronauts included NASA’s Anne McLain and Nicole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Onysia, and Russian astronaut Kirill Peskov. They were lifted from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at 7:03 pm and soared into the blue sky over Florida approximately 48 hours after the initial launch.

“This mission is evidence of what humans can achieve when we work together,” Ayers radioed mission control during the smooth countdown.

The Crew 10 mission is part of the regular rotation of NASA crew members to the space station. This particular mission is drawing more attention as it involves the anticipated return of NASA astronauts Snie Williams and Butch Willmore back to Earth.

Crew-10 Mission Roscosmos Cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, NASA ASTRONUTS NICHOLE AYERES and ANNE MCCLAIN and JAXA ASTRONAUT TAKUYA ONISHI on Wednesday.Gregg Newton / AFP / Getty Images

Williams and Wilmore have been in the spotlight for months due to unusual circumstances in orbit. They were initially scheduled for a one-week stay in June as part of a test flight for Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft but encountered vehicle issues that extended their stay at the space station.

The new crew will relieve Williams, Wilmore, and two others for a six-month stint at the space station, including NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian astronaut Alexander Golvnov.

The crew of Crew 10 was launched atop the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The first reusable booster stage successfully returned to Earth about ten minutes after liftoff, landing at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

“Tonight was an honor to fly with you,” said a SpaceX flight director to the crew in orbit. “We will support you on your journey and wish you the best.”

The crew of 10 astronauts will spend over 28 hours in low-Earth orbit traveling to the space station. They are expected to reach the space station on Saturday. The return crew could depart as early as March 19th, according to NASA.

More than 270 people arrived at the space station. NASA astronauts Butch Willmore and Suni Williams arrived on June 6th.NASA

The recent launch attempts added drama to the situation. The countdown was halted on Wednesday with 40 minutes remaining due to a ground system issue at the launch pad. The astronauts were already strapped inside the dragon capsule when the decision was made.

The Crew 10 Group consists of a mix of experienced astronauts and first-timers, all with a background as pilots. McLain and Onisi are visiting the space station for the second time, while Ayers and Peskov are on their first space flight journey.

Arrivals at the space station mark the beginning of a handover period which includes training new crews and catching up on scientific experiments, maintenance work, and other projects.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is being prepared for launch at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday.Craig Bailey/Reuters

Williams, Wilmore, Hague, and Golbunov are expected to return to Earth via the SpaceX Dragon Capsule, where Hague and Golbunov originally flew to the space station. The Starliner spacecraft, which encountered issues, is being brought back to Earth without any crew onboard.

The extended stay of Williams and Wilmore in low-earth orbit has gained political attention, with claims by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and President Donald Trump regarding their return to Earth. However, NASA has planned to use SpaceX vehicles for the return journey since the announcement in August.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Delayed Launch for NASA Astronauts heading to the Space Station

Posted on March 13, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The journey to the International Space Station for the four astronauts has been delayed due to issues with one of the clamp arms holding the SpaceX rocket in place on the launch pad. The mission controller stopped the planned launch on Wednesday, and NASA has not yet announced the new release date and time.

Originally, astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Willmore were expected to stay at the ISS for just a week in June as part of a test flight for Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, but due to vehicle issues, they are now in orbit for nine months.

Astronauts Butch Willmore and Suni Williams will be on the ISS in June.
AP

The launch for Crew 10 was scrubbed with about 43 minutes left on the countdown clock. The lift-off was scheduled for 7:48pm from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a Falcon 9 rocket.

There are additional opportunities for the launch this week on Thursday at 7:26pm and Friday at 7:03pm, pending resolution of clamp arm hydraulic issues.

SpaceX Crew-10 Commander Anne McClain is waving alongside his crew at the Kennedy Space Center on Friday. From left are pilots Nicole Ayers, Japanese astronauts Onish and McClain, and astronaut Kiril Peskov.
Greg Newton / AFP-Getty Images

Once Crew 10 arrives at the space station, they will take over from the current crew, including Williams, Wilmore, and two other members, preparing for the astronauts’ return home.

Williams and Wilmore will return home on the SpaceX Dragon Capsule, which arrived at the space station in September. This will mark the end of their months-long mission on the ISS.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon spaceship is being prepared for launch at the Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday.
Terry Renna / AP

The situation has sparked political discussion, with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and President Donald Trump involved. Trump claimed that the Biden administration returned the astronauts to Earth for political reasons, which has been refuted. Plans for NASA to use SpaceX vehicles for the return journey remain unchanged.

NASA has not yet announced the date of the crew’s closure and landing, which typically occurs after a handover period for exchanging information about ongoing projects at the space station.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Astronauts launching into space in Boeing capsules reduce the number of pairs flying together

Posted on March 12, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

A team of four astronauts is gearing up for launch to the International Space Station on Wednesday. This marks the beginning of the process to bring NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Willmore back to Earth.

Williams and Wilmore have been capturing public interest since their launch in June on a test flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. Initially planned to stay at the space station for a week, they are now set to spend nine months in orbit.

During their journey to the ISS, the Boeing capsule faced various challenges like thruster malfunctions and propellant leaks. Consequently, NASA decided to return the Starliner craft to Earth with only one crew member, leaving the two astronauts aboard the orbiting outpost.

NASA then rearranged crew rotations to free up seats on the SpaceX Dragon Capsule for Williams and Willmore to return home.

On September 29th, the capsule arrived at the space station carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos astronaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. The plan is for Willmore and Williams to hitch a ride back with them at the end of their approximately six-month mission.

As the new crew gets ready to launch, NASA astronauts Anne McLain and Nicole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Onishi, and Russian astronaut Kiril Peskov are set to blast off into space on Wednesday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for the Crew-10 mission.

The liftoff is scheduled for 7:48pm from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The Crew-10 astronauts are expected to dock around 6am on Thursday and reach the space station later that day, taking over from the current crew of four.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

NASA astronauts to extend their stay in space by boarding Boeing spacecraft

Posted on December 18, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

NASA announced on Tuesday that two astronauts have been stranded on the International Space Station since a problem with their Boeing spacecraft in June. Due to delays, they will have to remain there even longer.

The next astronaut launch to the ISS, originally scheduled for February, has been postponed to late March. This is to allow the new SpaceX spacecraft used for the mission more time to complete processing.

The four crew members currently on board the station must wait for the next crew member to arrive before departing in another SpaceX Dragon capsule. Among them are NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who are set to embark on the first test flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.

Originally planned to spend about a week on the space station, Williams and Wilmore have now been living and working in orbit for over nine months, including additional time due to the recent delay.

Typically, new crew members overlap with departing crew members for a short period on the ISS, known as the handover period. During this time, astronauts exchange information about ongoing experiments, maintenance projects, and other protocols.

When Williams and Wilmore finally depart, NASA astronaut Nick Haig and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov will also return home with them.

December 2, 2024, ISS astronaut Suni Williams.
NASA (via Flickr)

According to officials, the new Dragon capsule scheduled for launch in late March should arrive at NASA’s processing facility in Florida in early January. Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager, emphasized the meticulous attention to detail required in manufacturing, assembling, testing, and integrating a new spacecraft.

The capsule, known as Crew 10, will be launched by NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nicole Ayers, Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, and Japanese cosmonaut Takuya Onishi. Until then, the quartet will continue training for the mission at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

NASA delays lunar exploration in order to prioritize landing astronauts before China

Posted on December 5, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

overview

NASA’s next Artemis mission, scheduled to send four astronauts to orbit the moon, has been postponed until 2026, the agency announced.
The delay also postpones the expected schedule for Artemis’ subsequent mission to land astronauts on the moon.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said that under the new schedule, the United States would land astronauts on the moon before China.

NASA announced Thursday that the next Artemis mission that will send four astronauts around the moon will be delayed until 2026. A program already years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget has been delayed further.

NASA announced in January that the Artemis II mission would launch in September 2025 instead of late 2024. Now, NASA says it is targeting an April 2026 launch to give it more time to address issues with its next-generation Orion space capsule. The problem was discovered during an unmanned Artemis test flight in 2022.

The delay will also postpone the Artemis III mission, which aims to land astronauts near the moon’s south pole. That mission is planned for mid-2027, rather than launching in September 2026.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said the adjusted schedule should still put the United States on track to return astronauts to the moon before China lands its own. .

Nelson said the mid-2027 goal is “much earlier than the Chinese government’s stated intention” to land Chinese astronauts on the moon by 2030.

China’s interest in moon exploration has sparked a new space race of sorts, with some U.S. experts and officials saying that if China reaches the moon’s surface before the United States, There are growing concerns that there may be competition for space resources, which are thought to be water ice. They will be trapped in a permanently shadowed crater at the moon’s south pole. It is believed that water on the moon could be used to make rocket fuel to power missions deep into space.

“Landing on the moon’s south pole is critical to avoid ceding part of the moon’s south pole to China,” Nelson said.

NASA officials attributed the need to delay the Artemis mission to a flaw in the Orion spacecraft’s heat shield that was discovered during the capsule’s uncrewed flight. NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy said, for example, that the researchers noticed that the heat shield was worn in places, with some of the outer layers cracking and peeling off due to internal pressure buildup.

Orion’s heat shield covers the bottom of the capsule and plays a key role in protecting the spacecraft and its potential astronauts from extreme temperatures upon re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. .

Extensive testing has determined that the Orion capsule’s unique method of returning to Earth likely eroded its heat shield. The spacecraft is designed to perform what’s called a “skip entry,” in which it enters and exits the atmosphere, dissipating energy and slowing it down.

But Melroy said this reentry caused heat to build up inside the outer layer of the heat shield, eventually causing it to crack and wear out in parts.

The delays for Artemis’ next two flights will give engineers time to address these shielding issues and prepare for what Nelson called a “modified approach trajectory.”

“Astronaut safety is always paramount in our decisions. It is our North Star,” Nelson said. “We will not fly until we are confident that we have made the flight as safe as possible for our passengers.”

With the new administration of Donald Trump set to take over the White House in January, some space industry experts are speculating that parts of the Artemis program may be revisited or even scrapped. There is.

But Melroy said the decision to proceed with the Artemis program was “pretty clear” and should not be delayed during the transition period as the incoming administration establishes its goals and priorities.

“We would like to postpone any decisions about starting or ending the program for as long as possible,” Melroy said. “We had to postpone important decisions for our new team and we haven’t had a chance to explain them to anyone since we haven’t yet accepted a transition team.”

NASA has spent more than $42 billion over more than a decade developing the new Space Launch System mega-rocket and Orion spacecraft aimed at bringing astronauts back to the moon. As part of this effort, NASA envisions launching regular missions to set up base camps on the moon before eventually heading to Mars.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Astronauts find it challenging to think fast while in space.

Posted on November 20, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

There's a lot to keep in mind when working in space

NASA (from Getty Images)

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have shown declines in memory, attention, and processing speed after six months, raising concerns about the impact of cognitive impairment on future space missions to Mars.

The extreme environment of space, including reduced gravity, harsh radiation, and lack of regular sunrises and sunsets, can have dramatic effects on astronauts' health, from muscle loss to increased risk of heart disease. There is a gender. However, the cognitive effects of long-term space travel are less well documented.

now, Sheena Dev Researchers from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, examined the cognitive abilities of 25 astronauts while on the ISS.

The team conducted 10 tests on the astronauts, some on Earth once before and after the mission, and others on the ISS early and late in the mission. These tests measure specific cognitive abilities, such as finding patterns on a grid to test abstract reasoning, or choosing when to stop an inflated balloon before it bursts to test risk-taking. I did.

The researchers found that on the ISS, astronauts took longer to complete tests measuring processing speed, working memory, and attention than on Earth, but the accuracy was the same. Although there were no overall cognitive impairments or lasting effects on the astronauts' abilities, some measures, such as processing speed, took longer to return to normal after returning to Earth.

Having clear data on the cognitive effects of space travel is critical for future human spaceflight. Elisa Raffaella Ferre But before we know the full story, it's important to collect more data both on Earth and in space.

“Mission to Mars is not only long in terms of time, but also in terms of autonomy,” Ferre says. “Human performance is key as people on the ground will have a completely different interaction with ground control due to distance and communication delays and will need to be fully autonomous in making decisions. You wouldn't want an astronaut on Mars who has slow reaction times in terms of attention, memory, and processing speed. ”

Given the unusual environment of space, it's not surprising that there was a certain decline in cognitive performance, he said. Joe Bower at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. “It's not necessarily a huge cause for alarm, but it's useful to know, especially to know your limits when you're in such an extreme environment,” she says.

That awareness could be especially helpful for astronauts on long-duration missions, Bower added. “It’s not just about how well you do on a test, it’s also about how you perceive your abilities,” she says. “For example, when you're sleep deprived, your performance often suffers, but you don't even realize it's happening.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

This Is How Astronauts Vote in Space (and It’s Super Weird)

Posted on November 5, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The first cosmonaut to cast a vote from space was actually a cosmonaut (individuals trained by the Russian Space Agency for space travel) who flew from the Salyut-1 space station to the 24th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1971. I voted.

Subsequently, three more cosmonauts voted in the 1989 Soviet parliamentary elections from the Mir space station, which operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001. Their votes were not confidential, and they communicated their choices to ground controllers instead of using regular communications. This public vote could have been great publicity for those seeking support from space.

However, when it came to democratic voting with secure ballots, there was a challenge. In November 1996, during the United States presidential election featuring candidates Bill Clinton, Bob Dole, and Ross Perot, astronaut John Blaha, a U.S. citizen residing in Texas, wanted to vote. As he was on the Mir space station, NASA facilitated secure communications for his voting process. Yet, the Texas Secretary of State intervened due to the lack of provisions in Texas election law for electronic voting, preventing Mr. Blaha from casting his vote.

This situation led to the signing of a new bill in 1997 by Governor George W. Bush, explicitly allowing voting from space. Astronaut David Wolfe’s first vote took place in a local election in Texas.

Since then, astronauts have been able to vote from space, with most opting to do so. The majority of astronauts relocated to Texas for training, enabling them to vote legally under the new law. There are also provisions for residents of other states to vote through collaboration with NASA.

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So, how do astronauts actually vote from space? Before their launch, all military personnel overseas must register for a federal postcard application. When it’s time to vote, NASA’s Johnson Space Center sends test ballots provided by the relevant county clerk to the astronauts. The astronauts use a training computer to complete the ballot, ensuring it is correctly received on Earth. The authentic ballot, along with credentials from the county clerk, is securely transmitted to the astronaut’s computer for electronic completion, then sent to NASA.

The ballot transmission occurs through NASA’s Tracking Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) to the White Sands Complex in New Mexico, and then via landline to Mission Control at Johnson Space Center. The completed ballot is emailed as a password-protected secure file to the county clerk for formalization.

STS-86 crew member David Wolfe, first American to vote in space – Photo credit: NASA

With the upcoming US presidential election in November 2024, stranded astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore may still be in space, necessitating the need for them to vote from space. Originally scheduled to return in June 2024, delays have extended their stay, with their planned return now set for February 2025 by SpaceX.

The crucial question remains: did they submit the federal postcard application for voting prior to launch? Failure to do so may still prevent them from voting.

Check out our ultimate fun facts More amazing science pages.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

The Future of Advertising: Astronauts Climbing and Spelling Mistakes

Posted on October 31, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

James Blake/Falklands Marine Heritage Trust

Advertisement from hell

Feedback is often confused or intrigued by the tricks advertisers use to try to sell things, but more recent strategies have been tricking them in the wrong direction, such as intentionally weird capitalization or bad grammar. It seems that it is designed to.

While we were fiddling with our smartphones, Feedback kept coming across ads for mobile games that promised “the most difficult levels ever.” We spent several days trying to figure out why it looks that way.

The name of the game in question is Climb! It's a puzzle game in which a group of climbers climbs to the top of a mountain, tangles safety lines, and the player must untie them. So it's essentially the flip side of Feedback TV, except it's gamified and at least somewhat solvable.

Feedback initially wondered if this was a non-English speaking developer skimping on translation costs. There is precedent for this. Dating back to 1991, it's a Japanese space shooter. zero wing It was released in Europe with a notorious translation. As a result, in the introductory cutscene, the alien invaders announced:all your bases are ours” After it was rediscovered in the late 1990s, it became one of the most widely shared internet memes of the time.

However, if you look closely, Climb! It suggests something else is going on. It's made by a company called FOMO Games. Although the company is based in Turkey, its staff clearly have good English skills, as evidenced by the information provided for all of the company's other games. Not to mention, as the company's brilliant corporate text on its website explains, “FOMO stands for Fear Of Missing Out.” This defines our product vision and culture. ”

Rather, the feedback makes me suspect that the poor English is intentionally designed to get our attention. In line with this, the ad also has other strange features that add to its strangeness. What's notable is that the game's title makes no sense at all, as the game's mountaineers have been replaced by spacesuit-clad astronauts floating against a starry sky. It wasn't until I saw the game in the app store that the mountaineering theme was revealed and things became clear.

This seems like a new and devilish way to promote products online. They intentionally create a perfect hash of their ad, hoping that this will pique people's interest and make them click through.

And on some level it worked. Because we are here. But the feedback is not downloading the game. As a general rule, we do not believe in rewarding intentionally incorrect spellings.

monkey in politics

At the time of this writing, the US presidential election is imminent, and the feedback has fallen into a never-ending cycle of news articles reporting polls, experts endlessly reinterpreting that poll, and then doing more polls. I am. This is a very long-winded way of saying, “I don't know what's going to happen.”

Now, our colleague Alexandra Thompson has highlighted an important new contribution to the field of mimetic prediction: a paper titled “Monkey predicts US election”.

Unfortunately, this doesn't require having countless monkeys in the voting booth. Instead, the researchers showed the monkeys pairs of photos of candidates for the Senate and gubernatorial races.

Monkeys spent more time looking at the losers than the winners. This seems like a unique form of torture for politicians. It says that not only did you lose, but the monkey looked at you with critical eyes.

This study extended previous research showing that children can identify election winners and losers purely based on pictures of candidates. Both children and monkeys made choices based on face shape, and a square jawline was a key indicator of increased chances of victory.

Who would do such research? Three of the researchers are affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania, while the fourth is affiliated with a research institution in Portugal. Champalimaud Unknown Center. I don't really know what to make of the feedback.

Unconscious factors seem to influence our voting decisions. It's often said that taller candidates tend to win in American elections, and there appears to be some truth to this.

A 2013 study extracted data on every U.S. presidential election to date and found: tall candidate Although they received more votes in the popular vote, this did not actually make them more likely to be elected. It can only be described as double subject determinism, and one of the authors is a social psychologist. Abraham Bunck.

Readers interested in the outcome of the US election are advised: Whatever you do, don't look up the respective heights of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.

One more for the road

In these stressful times, like many people, your feedback is directed toward comforting alternative realities such as: great british bake off (great british baking showif you live in North America).

There are lots of all kinds of fascinating and delicious things to learn about the ingredient science of bread, cakes and biscuits, but the show's home production of all sample biscuits, tarts and desserts to meet the technical challenges economists are called hattie baker.

Have a story for feedback?

You can email your article to Feedback at feedback@newscientist.com. Please enter your home address. This week's and past feedback can be found on our website

Source: www.newscientist.com

New Images of Comet Gassan-ATLAS Captured by NASA Astronauts and SOHO Spacecraft

Posted on October 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A bright comet from the Oort cloud named C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is passing close to Earth and will be visible until late October 2024.

This image, taken by the ESA/NASA Solar-Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) on October 10, 2024, shows Comet Atlas Gassan and its bright tail streaming from upper left to right. Mercury will be visible as a bright dot on the left. Image credit: ESA/NASA.

Comet Tsuchiyama-ATLAS It was discovered on January 9, 2023 by astronomers from China's Zishan Observatory.

The comet, also known as C/2023 A3, was independently discovered by South Africa's ATLAS on February 22, 2023.

It orbits the Sun in a retrograde orbit and lies at an inclination of 139°.

It reached perihelion on September 27, 2024, at a distance of 0.391 astronomical units. Its closest approach to Earth was on October 12th. It is expected to be 200 AU from the Sun in 2239.

Each day throughout October, the comet rises higher and higher in the western sky as it moves away from the sun. But as it progresses, it gets darker and darker.

October 14th to 24th is the best time to observe it using binoculars or a small telescope.

Eagle-eyed skywatchers may be able to spot the star with their naked eyes for a few days, but then binoculars or a telescope will be needed as it gets darker.

“Comet Tuchinshan-Atlas may have come from the Oort Cloud, a region of space between 2,000 times the distance between Earth and the Sun and one light year.” said Jason Ybarra, director of the WVU Planetarium and Observatory.

“This region is so far away that the gravitational pull from the Sun competes with the gravitational pull from passing stars and the entire Milky Way galaxy.”

NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick took this photo of comet Atlas Tsuchiyama on September 28, 2024. At the time, the comet was about 70.8 million kilometers (44 million miles) from Earth. Image credit: NASA/Matthew Dominick.

“The larger the orbit, the longer it takes for the comet to orbit that orbit,” he added.

“In the case of comets originating from the Oort cloud, their orbits take a very long time, so their orbits may change due to gravitational interactions with other bodies in the solar system, and it is possible to predict the future behavior of comets. It becomes difficult to do so.”

“If it gains enough energy from these interactions, Comet Gassan-ATLAS may never come back. It will have to wait at least another 80,000 years. In any case, it will be a once-in-a-lifetime event. It’s an event.”

Just before sunrise on September 28, NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick took a time-lapse photo of the comet Tuchingshan Atlas orbiting over the South Pacific Ocean southeast of New Zealand from the International Space Station.

From October 7th to October 11th, the comet brightly illuminated the field of view of the onboard LASCO (Large Angle Spectroscopic Coronagraph Experiment) instrument. ESA/NASA Solar Heliosphere Observatory (Soho).

This device uses a disc to block the sun's bright light, making it easier to see details and objects near the sun.

Source: www.sci.news

Astronauts Could Potentially Consume Asteroids in the Future

Posted on October 4, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Samples from asteroid Ryugu

JAXA

Future astronauts may be able to eat a nutritionally complete meal made from bacteria grown on crushed asteroids, creating a type of milkshake or yogurt.

Astronauts on the International Space Station are experimenting with growing salad leaves, but most of the food consumed in space comes from Earth. This will not be possible for more distant and longer duration space missions. joshua pierce and his colleagues at Western University in Ontario, Canada, decided to study the use of bacteria to convert carbon-containing compounds from asteroids into edible food.

Although they have not yet performed this process using real asteroids, Pearce and his team performed a similar experiment using bacteria that breaks down plastic from leftover military ration packets. To do this, they heated the plastic in the absence of oxygen, a process called pyrolysis, and fed this to a mixture of carbon-eating bacteria.

“If you look at the pyrolysis products that bacteria are known to eat and the materials found in asteroids, there's actually a pretty reasonable match,” Pearce said. “So I think this really works.”

The bacterial aggregates end up being “something like a caramel milkshake,” Pearce said, and the team is also experimenting with drying the material to make something like yogurt or powder.

Although it may not be very appetizing, Pearce says this bacteria is highly suited for human needs. “We did a nutritional analysis and found it to be a nearly perfect food,” he says. “We found that the bacterial consortium we were using was more or less allocating a third each to protein, carbohydrates, and fat.”

If this idea is correct, a 500-meter-wide asteroid similar to Bennu, which NASA visited in 2020, could feed between 600 and 17,000 astronauts for a year, Pierce said. say. The exact amount depends on how efficiently the bacteria can digest the asteroid's carbon compounds.

A fully operational asteroid food project would require an “industrial-sized supermachine” in space, but researchers will begin testing the idea on a small scale next year, starting with coal. He says he wants to move on to meteorites next. They are currently working on the proposal. “It's very expensive, so we have to destroy it.” [the meteorites]So when we made these proposals, the stone collectors were not happy,” Pearce says.

“There's definitely potential there, but it's still a very futuristic and exploratory idea,” he says. Annemiek Wargen At the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. “It's good to think about these things, but in terms of technology, there's still quite a bit of development to be done before we can use these methods.”

The success of this process depends on how much of the carbon compounds in the asteroid are suitable food for bacteria, Wagen said. Based on the composition of meteorites on Earth, it's likely somewhere in the middle of the range the researchers calculated, she says.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft will return to Earth without astronauts on Friday

Posted on September 5, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

NASA announced on Wednesday that the troubled Boeing spacecraft will undock from the International Space Station on Friday and attempt to return to Earth without any astronauts on board. The uncrewed liftoff of the Starliner spacecraft is set to take place, assuming the weather is clear at the landing site in New Mexico. The return journey is expected to last about six hours, with the spacecraft scheduled to land at White Sands Spaceport early Saturday morning.

This return flight marks the final phase of a challenging test flight that did not go as planned. The mission was supposed to demonstrate Boeing’s capability to safely transport astronauts to the space station, leading to NASA certification. However, after encountering issues with thrusters and a helium leak from its propulsion system, the mission had to be aborted, leaving astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams stranded on the space station for an extended period of time.

During a press conference, Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager, expressed excitement about Starliner’s return and the lessons learned from this test flight. The spacecraft is set to undock from the space station on Friday evening and land in New Mexico early Saturday morning.

The undocking process will be different without astronauts on board, with precautions taken to protect the space station in case of any malfunctions. After departing from the space station, Starliner will perform a deorbit burn before landing in New Mexico with the help of parachutes and airbags.

A successful return would be significant for Boeing, potentially signaling the safe return of NASA astronauts aboard the spacecraft. However, NASA has requested SpaceX to handle the return flight to minimize risks.

The certification process for Starliner remains uncertain, with NASA and Boeing working together to address issues and improve the spacecraft’s thrusters.

Boeing, along with SpaceX, was awarded a contract under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program to develop spacecraft for transporting astronauts to low Earth orbit. SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft has been successfully ferrying NASA astronauts to the space station since 2020.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Astronauts stranded on ISS after Starliner failure: US space program not in jeopardy

Posted on August 29, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is not scheduled to return astronauts from space this year

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

It’s official: Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams will remain aboard the International Space Station until at least February. While it’s a major setback for Boeing’s Starliner, the plane that carried them there, it doesn’t spell doom for the U.S. space program. Rather, it highlights the success of the transition from the government providing the sole rocket to space to a proliferation of commercial spaceflight options.

This is exactly the contingency that NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which transports astronauts to the ISS using spacecraft built by private companies, was designed to handle. “The Commercial Crew Program deliberately selected two providers for redundancy in preparation for exactly this situation,” he said. Laura Forzigan independent space industry consultant. The two NASA astronauts were originally scheduled to arrive at the ISS aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on June 5 and return to Earth about a week later. However, issues with the spacecraft resulted in them staying for an extended mission before returning home aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft instead of the Starliner.

“If they had only picked one provider, it would have been Boeing because SpaceX was a riskier proposition at the time,” Forczyk said, “so in some sense, this is a win for the Commercial Crew program.”

The mission was Starliner’s first manned test flight, and it was rocky from the start: valve leaks and thruster failures on the journey into space forced NASA and Boeing to reconsider whether the spacecraft could safely return astronauts to Earth. Tests of the thrusters on the ground were inconclusive, and there was still a risk of the thrusters failing during the return journey.

The safest alternative would be for astronauts to remain on the ISS until SpaceX’s proven Crew Dragon spacecraft has room to return, which could happen in early 2025. In the meantime, Starliner will autonomously detach from the ISS in September and return to Earth without a crew member while Boeing engineers continue to troubleshoot.

“This was a test mission, but sometimes testing gives you answers that tell you there are things that need to be fixed,” said former NASA astronaut Michael Fossum. statement“Testing doesn’t necessarily prove that everything worked perfectly.”

At a press conference on August 24, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson Though Boeing has been adamant that Starliner will get another chance to carry crew to the ISS, some aren’t so convinced. Boeing’s contract requires that the vehicle isn’t certified for use in real missions until it completes a successful test flight, which it didn’t this time. If NASA requires Starliner to undergo another test flight, Forchik says, the first operational flight could be delayed until 2026 at the earliest. With the ISS scheduled to close around 2030, keeping Starliner ready for active duty may not be worth it.

Without redundancy in the commercial crew program, the failure of Starliner could have left the U.S. without a launch provider entirely. As it stands, SpaceX will continue to shuttle astronauts to and from the ISS. Although Wilmore and Williams will need to stay aboard the ISS for a little longer, they are veteran astronauts with the experience and equipment to quickly jump into daily life in space before returning safely to Earth.

For Wilmore and Williams, the challenges and inconveniences of a long-term stay may not outweigh the excitement of life in orbit. “I know them really well, and I think in some ways they were a little disappointed to be up there in such a short amount of time,” Fossum said. “They both have been on long-term missions aboard the space station before… and they both enjoyed it.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

NASA reveals astronauts stranded in space will wait for SpaceX spacecraft instead of returning in Boeing capsule.

Posted on August 24, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

NASA announced on Saturday that SpaceX will bring home the two astronauts who have been stranded on the International Space Station since early June due to issues with Boeing’s spacecraft. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will return to Earth aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft instead of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. This decision follows months of uncertainty within the space agency regarding the safe return of the crew members on a mission initially planned to last eight days.

The problems with the Starliner spacecraft have posed a significant setback for Boeing’s space program, which has been struggling to keep up with SpaceX. The Starliner program was already over budget and behind schedule before the launch of Wilmore and Williams in June.

Top NASA officials, led by Administrator Bill Nelson, held a formal review in Houston and based their decision on the results of tests conducted in orbit and on the ground. The announcement to choose SpaceX for the astronauts’ return was made during a press conference at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

Although the return plans have been finalized, Wilmore and Williams will remain on the space station for approximately six more months before coming back in February. NASA revealed that two seats on SpaceX’s next launch, Crew 9, will be left empty to accommodate the astronauts on their return journey.

The Crew 9 mission is scheduled to launch on September 24 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Meanwhile, the troubled Starliner spacecraft will return to Earth without its crew.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

NASA to determine astronauts’ return method on Boeing spacecraft within two weeks

Posted on August 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Should NASA opt to utilize SpaceX for the return journey, Wilmore and Williams would be required to stay aboard the space station for an additional six months.

SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft is set to launch a new crew to the orbital outpost in September on a mission named Crew 9. NASA has announced a change in plans to send only two astronauts instead of the initial four, and could potentially use the available seats to bring back Wilmore and Williams at the conclusion of Crew 9 in February.

Under this scenario, the Starliner spacecraft would return to Earth without one crew member, as stated by NASA.

Bowersox mentioned on Wednesday that no decisions have been made as yet, but NASA must soon finalize a plan to manage the space station’s resources and ensure smooth operations in orbit.

“We’re approaching a point where a decision needs to be made by the end of August, potentially even earlier,” he explained.

The launch of Wilmore and Williams marked the first crewed test flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. This mission was intended to serve as a critical final test before NASA grants approval for Boeing to conduct regular trips to and from the International Space Station.

However, in June, five of Starliner’s thrusters malfunctioned as the spacecraft was nearing the space station, leading to a delay in the rendezvous and docking process. Helium leakage was detected from the capsule’s propulsion system during the flight. Mission managers were already aware of this issue prior to Starliner’s launch into orbit, but stated that it was unlikely to impact the mission or the astronauts’ safety.

Joe Acaba, astronaut office chief at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, stated that astronauts undergo training for potential contingencies, including accidents that could result in an extended stay in space.

While in orbit, Wilmore and Williams utilize their free time to conduct scientific experiments and assist the space station’s crew with maintenance work.

Acaba mentioned that the duo are kept informed about NASA’s decision-making process, but ultimately must rely on the expertise of engineers and mission managers on the ground.

“They will adhere to our directives. That’s their duty as astronauts,” Acaba affirmed.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

NASA is contemplating extending Boeing astronauts’ stay on space station until February

Posted on August 7, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

NASA is considering keeping its two astronauts there until February as they make their way to the International Space Station after the Boeing spacecraft encountered problems during the flight.

NASA said Wednesday it was still considering options for how to return astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams safely to Earth and that no plans had been made yet, but officials acknowledged more openly than before that it may decide to use a SpaceX capsule instead.

“Our first option is to return Butch and Suni aboard Starliner,” Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager, said at a press conference Wednesday. “But we are making the necessary plans to ensure we have other options and are working with SpaceX to ensure we are prepared to respond.”

Wilmore and Williams arrived at the space station on June 6 on the first crewed test flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. The original plan was to stay in space for about a week. But a problem with five of Starliner’s thrusters caused the spacecraft’s propulsion system to leak helium, leaving the astronauts stranded in space for more than two months while engineers on the ground gather data on the problem and attempt to troubleshoot it.

The mission was planned as the final step before Boeing is approved to launch regular crewed flights to the ISS, a process whose fate is now up in the air.

NASA gave no indication of when astronauts might return in the Boeing capsule, but Stich said a final decision would need to be made by mid-August.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore (left) and Suni Williams before boarding the Boeing Starliner spacecraft at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on May 6.
John Laux/AP File

Meanwhile, the launch of one of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, which was scheduled to deliver a new crew of four to the space station later this month, has been postponed to give NASA and Boeing more time to address issues with the Starliner.

SpaceX mission (Crew 9) NASA officials said they could change plans to send just two crew members into space on the spacecraft instead of four, and use the capsule to bring Wilmore and Williams home.

Ken Bowersox, associate administrator for NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, said there had been disagreements over how to bring the astronauts home safely.

“We have to admit that when we have disagreements, it’s not fun,” Bowersox said. “Those discussions can be painful, but that’s what makes us a good organization, and it helps us make good decisions in the future when we get to that point, and I don’t think we’re that far away.”

If Wilmore and Williams were to return to Earth in a separate spacecraft, mission managers could adjust Starliner’s software to detach it from the space station and return to Earth without a crew member, Stich said.

Boeing officials did not attend the briefing, but a company representative said in a statement that “we remain confident in Starliner’s capabilities and flight principles.”

“Should NASA decide to modify the mission, we will take the necessary steps to prepare Starliner for an uncrewed return,” the statement said.

The thruster problem occurred as Starliner approached the space station in June, forcing a delay in the docking process. Meanwhile, the helium leak was already on mission managers’ radar before launch, who said at the time that the leak was unlikely to affect the mission or the safety of astronauts.

NASA and Boeing engineers have been trying to replicate on-orbit conditions with a test engine at NASA’s White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico, and mission managers have also conducted two “hot-fire” tests in space, in which the capsule’s thrusters were briefly fired while docked to the space station.

Stich said Wednesday that tests showed that small Teflon seals expand under high temperatures, possibly contributing to the thruster failure. When the seals expand, they likely block the flow of propellant to the thrusters, he said.

Further testing is needed to understand the cause of the potential blockage and why it went undetected during the recent hot-fire test. Last week, NASA reported that the thrusters used to steer the spacecraft in orbit and guide it into position before re-entering Earth’s atmosphere appeared to be stable.

“This gives us a lot of confidence in the thruster, but we can’t prove with complete certainty that what we’re seeing in orbit is exactly what we’re replicating on the ground,” Stich said.

The recent Starliner debacle has been a blow to Boeing, especially since the program was already years behind schedule and more than $1.5 billion over budget before astronauts even launched.

Boeing and SpaceX developed the space capsule as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, an effort launched more than a decade ago to help private companies build new spacecraft to carry astronauts to low Earth orbit. The program began after NASA retired the Space Shuttle.

SpaceX has been ferrying astronauts to the International Space Station since 2020.

Dennis Chou

Dennis Chou is a science and space reporter for NBC News.

Tom Costello, Jay Blackman and Juliet Arcodia Contributed.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

NASA weighs options: Boeing and SpaceX in contention to bring Starliner astronauts back

Posted on August 2, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

This week, NASA leaders are engaged in deep discussions regarding the return of the agency’s astronauts to their spacecraft. Boeing They are considering either salvaging the unexploded Starliner spacecraft or using a SpaceX spacecraft for the crew’s rescue.

Concerns about Starliner have arisen due to NASA’s inability to determine the root cause of the spacecraft’s failure, which led to thruster failure during docking, according to a source familiar with the matter as told to CNBC.

NASA is contemplating the possibility of returning Starliner empty and utilizing SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft to bring back the astronauts. The decision-makers are currently divided, and the outcome of NASA’s ongoing discussions remains uncertain, given the complexities involved.

Starliner’s Calypso capsule has been in space for over 59 days and counting, with the mission aimed at proving Boeing’s spacecraft safe for long-duration crewed missions to and from the ISS.

Originally scheduled for at least nine days, Boeing’s crewed flight has been extended multiple times for tests to resolve thruster issues, raising concerns about the spacecraft’s safety for astronaut return.

While Boeing expresses confidence in Starliner’s ability to safely return with astronauts, NASA and Boeing executives have differing perspectives on the matter, with NASA considering alternate options like using SpaceX as a backup.

Ars Technical reported mixed reactions from NASA regarding the Starliner situation, with ongoing discussions on whether to rely on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon instead.

Should Starliner return empty, the likely alternative would involve removing astronauts from an upcoming Crew 9 mission to make way for the return of Wilmore and Williams.

Despite ongoing discussions, NASA has yet to make a decision on Starliner’s return, maintaining a focus on exploring all available options.

Trust the thrust

Following a recent test, NASA noted the good condition of Starliner’s thrusters, despite concerns about the root cause of past failures and the potential for additional issues during the return flight.

Boeing continues to investigate the thruster issues and plans to conclusively identify the root cause before proceeding with the return of the spacecraft.

NASA must weigh the risks associated with Starliner’s thruster problems before making a decision on the spacecraft’s return.

Unpredictable results

The lack of consensus within NASA’s Commercial Crew Program Management Board underscores the uncertainty surrounding Starliner’s return, with discussions ongoing to assess the risks involved.

Any disagreements within the board will be escalated until a resolution is reached, indicating the complexity of the decision-making process.

Make a Choice

NASA faces a critical decision regarding the safe return of astronauts aboard Starliner, with implications for Boeing’s participation in the Commercial Crew program.

The choice between backing Boeing or opting for SpaceX’s alternative could have significant consequences for the future of the program and the companies involved.

Ultimately, NASA must carefully consider the risks and implications of their decision to ensure the safety of the astronauts and the success of future missions.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Two NASA astronauts remain in space as testing of Boeing spacecraft continues

Posted on July 31, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Their ambitious mission was initially planned for just one week, but now, after 56 days on the International Space Station, the two NASA astronauts remain in orbit, awaiting a safe return journey in the Boeing spacecraft.

The troubled Starliner capsule is facing issues with its propulsion system, including a leak in its helium and failure of five thrusters. Despite the leak being detected before launch, mission managers believed it wouldn’t impact the safety of the astronauts or the flight.

Over the weekend, NASA and Boeing engineers conducted a crucial “hot fire test” of the Starliner, which is set to carry veteran astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore on its first crewed flight on June 5.

The test involved firing 27 of the capsule’s 28 jets in less than 1.2 seconds while evaluating their performance and checking for helium leaks. Preliminary results from the test were positive.

In a blog post published by NASA on Tuesday, it was stated that all thrusters performed well during the test.

NASA confirmed that the propulsion system of the Starliner remains stable, and the helium leak rate is not significant enough to endanger the return to Earth. The agency plans to recheck the system before the capsule separates from the space station.

A high-temperature burn test was also conducted with astronauts Wilmore and Williams inside the Starliner capsule as part of preparations for the return journey. The thrusters play a vital role in maneuvering the spacecraft during docking and undocking from the space station.

Overall, the progress made during the hot fire test is a positive sign for the upcoming crewed flight of the Starliner and the safe return of the astronauts.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Astronauts are able to drink their own urine thanks to water-recycling space suits

Posted on July 12, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Part of the urine collection system

Luka Bielski

Astronauts on spacewalks may soon be able to drink their own urine, thanks to a water filtration and recycling system that could be ready in time for NASA's upcoming manned missions to the moon.

Urine and sweat wastewater is already recycled on the International Space Station, but the bulky equipment required to do so doesn't fit in a space suit. NASA's current solution is the Maximum Absorbency Garment, which, despite its technical name, is essentially just an adult diaper for collecting urine and feces. At the end of the spacewalk, these diapers are sent to the ISS's waste system and eventually burned in Earth's atmosphere, a frustrating waste of resources.

Chris Mason A researcher from Cornell University in New York says that current solutions are sufficient for spacewalks, which often last only a few hours, but that increased activity in space will require better solutions. He and his colleagues have developed a shoebox-sized, 8-kilogram device that can recycle urine collected through a unisex external catheter through a two-stage osmotic membrane filter with 87 percent efficiency.

The purified water is ready to drink and can be piped to a bag inside the spacesuit, which has the added benefit of providing a steady supply of drinking water. Current NASA spacesuits only provide a little less than a liter of drinking water, which is often not enough for long spacewalks. The remaining 13 percent of the water cannot be extracted and remains in the filter.

“I thought this had already been done, but it hasn't,” Mason said. “People who push the boundaries of humanity often trade discomfort for the opportunity to explore entirely new areas of science and medicine.”

The filtration technology is the same one already used on the ISS; however, unlike ISS wastewater, urine does not contain soap or chemicals, so it is easier to extract water from it, the team says. Extracting water from feces is not yet “fully solved,” but this is not as big a constraint, since astronauts often insist on just holding in their bowels during spacewalks, Mason says.

While many of NASA's current spacesuits have worked so far, change is needed because future astronauts will likely be more diverse in body shapes and sizes than their predecessors, he said. “The democratization of space brings new opportunities, but it also creates new challenges that we must address.”

Currently, the device is a prototype that is only being tested in a lab, but human trials involving collecting urine, recycling it, and drinking the water are expected to begin by November.

The researchers say the device could be incorporated into new versions of spacesuits planned for NASA's upcoming Artemis missions to the moon. NASA has contracted the private company Axiom Space to build the new suits, but the company declined to answer questions. New ScientistWhen asked how the spacecraft would deal with human waste, NASA declined to comment.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Boeing spacecraft faces multiple delays in NASA astronauts’ return

Posted on June 25, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The test flight of Starliner to the International Space Station is aimed at showcasing the spacecraft’s capability to safely transport astronauts to low Earth orbit and assess its various systems in space.

The launch of the capsule was delayed numerous times before finally taking off on June 5, several years behind schedule and significantly over budget.

According to NASA officials, the return date for the astronauts has not yet been determined, but they could potentially return after a spacewalk scheduled for July 2 from the International Space Station.

Officials mentioned that there is no urgency to depart as the space station has adequate supplies to accommodate the visitors. NASA will thoroughly investigate before approving the undocking of the capsule.

Wilmore and Williams are currently residing on the ISS alongside seven other crew members: NASA astronauts Michael Barratt, Matt Dominic, Tracy Dyson, and Janet Epps, as well as Russian cosmonauts Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkhin, and Oleg Kononenko.

During their prolonged stay in space, Wilmore and Williams will assist in the operations of the space station and conduct various tests as part of the certification process for Starliner by NASA.

“Crew feedback has been extremely positive, and they recognize that all the insights gained during crew flight testing will enhance and refine the experience for future crew members,” stated Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager for Boeing’s Starliner program.

Ultimately, Boeing aims to provide scheduled flights to and from the space station for NASA, akin to the commercial services offered by SpaceX with its Crew Dragon spacecraft since 2020.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Medical records of astronauts uncover health risks of space travel

Posted on June 11, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Astronauts Robert L. Curbeam Jr. (left) and Christer Fugelsang aboard the International Space Station

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

How spaceflight affects astronauts' health may be better understood thanks to the creation of the first “space-omics” biobank, a collection of thousands of blood and tissue samples and medical information taken on multiple space missions.

These include missions to the International Space Station as well as SpaceX's Inspiration 4, the first private spaceflight to send four non-government-trained astronauts into space for three days in 2021.

The resource, called the Space Omics and Medical Atlas (SOMA), contains detailed medical data, collectively known as biomarkers, such as DNA damage and changes in people's gene activity and immune system function.

Space flight is known to pose certain health risks. For example, astronauts experience reduced bone density and muscle mass due to weightlessness, and high levels of radiation in space can damage cells and DNA, causing a variety of health effects on the body. Astronauts are more likely to develop heart disease Later years and Some people have experienced a decrease in vision After going into space.

By consistently collecting astronauts' medical data through the SOMA biobank, researchers may be able to better understand these changes and develop ways to mitigate them, the researchers say. Christopher Mason He is a professor at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York and helped establish the biobank.

“Biomarkers don't necessarily translate into anything clinically meaningful, but they're a good way to understand how this unique environment is affecting us.” Damien Bailey The researchers are from the University of South Wales in the UK, but were not involved in the study.

One of the findings from the Inspiration 4 mission was that although astronauts experienced changes in numerous biomarkers, most measurements returned to normal within a few months of returning to Earth.

This suggests that sending private citizens into space poses no greater health risks than sending professional astronauts, Mason said. “Instead of training them for decades, we can start opening up space to more people.”

Results from Inspiration 4, which had two men and two women on board, also suggested that changes in gene activity returned to normal more quickly in women. This may be because women's bodies have to be able to cope with the possibility of pregnancy, Mason says. “Being able to withstand big changes in physiology and fluid dynamics could be great for managing pregnancy, but it could also help manage the stresses of spaceflight.”

Timothy Etheridge A researcher from the University of Exeter in the UK says it would be beneficial to have a common resource that researchers around the world can use. “We need a consistent approach to collecting samples,” he says.

Thomas Smith The researcher, from King's College London, says understanding the health effects of spaceflight will become even more important if longer-term missions take place, such as trips to Mars. “Anything that leads to longer-term missions makes it even more important to know what's going on and, ideally, to be able to address it,” he says.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

NASA astronauts forced to cancel first launch with Boeing again

Posted on June 1, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

NASA and Boeing have had to once again cancel the first crewed launch of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft was set to take off from Cape Canaveral Space Station in Florida at 12:25 p.m. ET on Saturday, carrying NASA astronauts Barry “Batch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams to the International Space Station, marking the spacecraft’s inaugural crewed test flight.

Unfortunately, the launch attempt was aborted with just minutes remaining in the countdown, adding to Boeing’s challenges after years of delays and cost overruns in its Starliner program.

The crewed test flight by Boeing was a crucial milestone to demonstrate the safe transportation of astronauts to the space station with Starliner. A successful mission could lead to Boeing being authorized by NASA to conduct regular flights to the space station, providing NASA with an alternative to SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft.

Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are scheduled to board a Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft for a crewed flight test launch on Saturday from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
NASA via Getty Images

Boeing’s previous launch on May 6 had also been halted with about two hours left in the countdown due to a valve issue on the spacecraft’s Atlas V rocket. Subsequently, a helium leak was found in Starliner’s propulsion system, causing further delays to the crucial test flight.

Although the rocket’s valve was replaced, the helium leak was determined not to pose a risk to the crew or spacecraft. It was not fixed before the scheduled flight on Saturday, as stated by mission controllers in a press conference the previous week.

Both SpaceX and Boeing were involved in NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, launching new spacecraft to transport astronauts to low Earth orbit after the retirement of NASA’s space shuttle fleet more than a decade ago.

However, Boeing has fallen significantly behind SpaceX, which has been conducting crewed missions to the space station for NASA since 2020.

The issue on Saturday was not the first challenge encountered by Starliner. During its initial uncrewed flight in 2019, software problems forced an early termination of the flight before attempting to dock with the space station. Subsequent attempts were delayed due to a fuel valve issue, with a successful uncrewed flight to the space station only achieved in 2022.

This is a developing story, please check back for updates.

Dennis Chou

Denise Chou is an NBC News Science reporter specializing in general science and climate change.

Marissa Parra Contributed.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Study finds that astronauts possess extraordinary skills in orienting themselves and calculating distances while in space

Posted on March 29, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

New research has implications for crew safety in space and could give clues about how aging affects the balance systems of people on Earth.

horges other. We addressed the question of whether body posture influences humans' perception of self-motion and distance. They found that the same amount of optical flow can elicit the sensation of traveling farther when lying on one's back and when sitting upright; that is, optical flow We found evidence that it is more effective in eliciting the sensation of movement. This constitutes evidence that visual and nonvisual cues are at least partially integrated, even when self-movement is presented only visually. However, we found no significant differences in performance in microgravity on Earth and on the ISS, suggesting that vestibular stimulation is not important, if any, in estimating visually presented self-motion.

The study's lead author, Professor Lawrence Harris from the University of York, said: “The perception of gravity has been repeatedly shown to influence perceptual abilities.”

“The most profound way to study the effects of gravity is to remove it. That's why we brought our research into space.”

“We have had a steady presence in space for nearly a quarter of a century, but our efforts in space are ever-increasing as we plan to return to the moon and beyond, ensuring health and safety. It is becoming increasingly important to answer questions about

“Based on our findings, it appears that humans are surprisingly able to use vision to adequately compensate for the lack of Earth's normal environment.

For the study, Professor Harris and his colleagues surveyed more than a dozen astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS), which orbits about 400 kilometers above the Earth's surface.

“Here, Earth's gravity is almost canceled out by the centrifugal force generated by the station's orbit. In the resulting microgravity, the movement of people becomes close to flight,” Professor Harris said.

“People had previously reported anecdotally that they felt like they were traveling faster or farther than they were actually in space, so this actually motivated us to record this.”

The authors compared the performance of 12 astronauts (six men and six women) before, during, and after a year-long mission to the space station and found out how far they traveled. I discovered that my sense of what I had done was almost intact.

Space missions were hectic endeavors, and it took several days for researchers to make contact with the astronauts after arriving at the space station.

“Our study may not have captured early adaptations that may have occurred during the first few days. Because whatever adaptations occur, they occur very quickly. This remains a good news message,” Professor Harris said.

Space missions are not without risks. Because the ISS orbits around the Earth, small objects can occasionally collide with it and enter the ship, where astronauts must move to safety.

“During the experiment, the ISS had to take many evasive maneuvers,” Professor Harris said.

“Astronauts need to be able to get to safety or escape through a hatch on the ISS in an emergency. So to see that they were actually able to do this with great precision was very exciting. I felt relieved.”

“Our research shows that exposure to microgravity mimics the aging process primarily at a physiological level, including bone and muscle wasting, changes in hormonal function, and increased susceptibility to infections. However, this paper found that self-movement was largely unaffected, suggesting a balance problem.''The problem, which often comes from old age, may have nothing to do with the vestibular system. ”

“This suggests that the mechanisms of movement perception in older people should be relatively unaffected, and that the problems associated with falls are probably more to do with this than in terms of perception of distance traveled. How can they translate that into a balance reflex? ”

of study Published in npj magazine microgravity.

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B. Horges other. 2024. Effects of long-term exposure to microgravity and body orientation relative to gravity on perceived distance traveled. NPJ microgravity 10, 28; doi: 10.1038/s41526-024-00376-6

Source: www.sci.news

How do astronauts restore their balance following space travel?

Posted on March 25, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

After spaceflight, astronauts often experience symptoms that affect their sensory systems, such as unsteadiness when walking or standing, blurred vision, and fatigue. These symptoms are called Bilateral vestibular disorder or BVP. Patients on Earth can also experience BVP, but they have different symptoms than astronauts who suffer from BVP. Scientists believe these differences occur in the part of the sensory system responsible for tracking head movement and body orientation in space. This includes the set of nerves in your ear. vestibular nerve.

Astronauts experience lower gravity than on Earth. Under these conditions, the organs in the inner ear that our brains use to sense head movement and spatial orientation don’t work properly. This makes it difficult for astronauts to determine their body’s actual position, movement, and altitude. After returning to Earth’s gravity, astronauts typically need to undergo rehabilitation to correct any resulting balance and coordination problems.

French researchers recently compared the symptoms of BVP experienced by astronauts during readjustment to Earth’s gravity with those of BVP patients on Earth. The team wanted to test strategies to help people on Earth adapt to BVP during rehabilitation, in hopes of establishing or improving rehabilitation strategies for astronauts returning from space.

The researchers recruited 28 astronauts, seven men and 11 women, with an average age of 48, all of whom lived on the spacecraft. international space station For 6 to 11 months. They also recruited 30 patients, including 13 men and 17 women with an average age of 61 years, all of whom had BVP but had never left Earth. They asked each participant to perform his five tests designed to examine mobility and reaction time.

To examine participants’ balance, we measured the time it took them to stand up from a sitting position and establish a stable posture. “Standing test”. They then measured how long it took them to walk around the cone. “Walk around test”. We then asked participants to: from heel to toe This is called the “tandem walk test” and is similar to walking a tightrope with your arms crossed in front of your chest. The researchers recorded each participant repeating this procedure twice and examined each recording to determine the correct number of steps taken during each trial.

The researchers also asked patients to track their progress for one minute while wearing the device. Virtual reality (VR) devices and earphones that mask external noise. The VR device instructed the patient to press the “run” button on the laptop mouse, wait 1 minute, and then press the “stop” button. They used this test, known as the “Duration Judgment Test,” to see how well each participant performed. I felt the passage of time. Finally, the participant who turned on the VR device was asked to respond as quickly as possible to a blue square that was displayed for 50 ms at random intervals.reaction time test. The researchers gave these tests to astronauts about three months before launch, once a month during spaceflight, two hours after returning to Earth, and 24 hours after returning to Earth. A test was conducted.

Researchers found that earthbound BVP patients walked around the cone more slowly than Astronauts did so during and after spaceflight. They also found that BVP patients took fewer correct tightrope steps than astronauts in the 24 hours after returning to Earth. However, the time it took for BVP patients on Earth to calm down during the sit-to-stand test fell between the day the astronauts landed and 24 hours later. Both BVP patients and astronauts who remained on Earth were unable to properly sense the passage of time and were slow to respond to blue squares.

The researchers concluded that problems with balance, sensing the passage of time, and reaction time experienced by astronauts after spaceflight are similar to those experienced by BVP patients on Earth. Therefore, they proposed that these problems, similar to those in earthbound patients, are caused by central nervous system dysfunction that affects the senses. To reduce these post-flight health problems, the researchers recommended that astronauts undergo training designed to improve their vision, hearing, and touch during orbit and after spaceflight.

The researchers cited two limitations of the study: the age difference between the astronauts and the Earth-bound group, and the fact that the BVP subjects on Earth received rehabilitation therapy, while the astronauts did not. I was warned that there was a point. They also were unable to test the astronauts post-flight to properly diagnose central nervous system conditions, so further research is needed to confirm whether the central nervous system is causing these symptoms. He pointed out that.

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Source: sciworthy.com

Future NASA Moon Landings to Feature International Astronauts

Posted on December 21, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

International astronauts will join U.S. astronauts on the moon by the end of this decade under an agreement announced Wednesday by NASA and the White House.

The news came as Vice President Kamala Harris convened a meeting of the National Space Council in Washington, the third such meeting under the Biden administration.

There was no word on who the international moonwalker would be or what country he would represent. A NASA spokesperson later said the crew will be assigned to a location close to the lunar landing mission, and no commitments to other countries have been made yet.

NASA has been sending international astronauts on space trips for decades. Canadian Jeremy Hansen About a year from now, it will fly around the moon with three American astronauts.

Another crew member will actually land. This will be the first landing by astronauts on the moon in more than half a century. According to , it is unlikely to happen before 2027. U.S. Government Accountability Office.

All 12 moon walkers on NASA’s Apollo program in the 1960s and 1970s were U.S. citizens. The space agency’s new moon exploration program is named Artemis, after the mythical twin sister of Apollo.

Including international partners is “not only deeply appreciated, but also urgently needed in today’s world,” Hansen told the board.

NASA has long emphasized the need for global cooperation in space, and in 2020 established the Artemis Accords with the U.S. Department of State to promote responsible behavior not only on the moon but everywhere in space. Representatives from all 33 countries that have signed the agreement so far are expected to attend the Space Council meeting in Washington.

“We know from experience that cooperation in space pays off,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, citing the Webb Space Telescope, an effort between the United States, Europe and Canada, as an example.

Notably absent from the Artemis Accords are Russia and China, the only countries other than the United States that have sent their citizens into orbit. Russia is her NASA partner on the International Space Station, along with Europe, Japan and Canada. Even in the early 1990s, the Russian and U.S. space agencies collaborated on a shuttle program to launch each other’s astronauts to Russia’s former orbiting Mir base.

At Wednesday’s meeting, Harris also announced new policies to ensure the safe use of space as more private companies and nations take to the skies. The problems the United States is trying to solve include the climate crisis and the growing amount of space junk on Earth. Russia’s anti-satellite missile tests in 2021 added more than 1,500 pieces of potentially dangerous orbital debris, prompting Blinken to join other meetings and urge all countries to conduct such destructive tests. I asked them to cancel it.

Source: www.nbcnews.com