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Implications of Trump’s Space Strategy for Future Mars Missions

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Since January 2025, when Donald Trump returned to the White House, his administration has enacted severe funding cuts across various federal agencies, including NASA. The proposed 2026 Budget plans to decrease NASA’s institutional funding by as much as 24.3%.

This translates to a financial drop from $24.8 billion (£18.4 billion) allocated by Congress in 2025, to $18.8 billion (£13.9 billion) in 2026.

The president’s proposals are not law until they pass through Congress, where they will be scrutinized, debated, and revised in the coming months.

Nonetheless, this situation focuses attention on some key priorities Trump has outlined during his two terms in office.

Focus on Human Spaceflight

During Trump’s first term from 2017 to 2021, NASA’s budget increased from $19.5 billion (£15.5 billion) to $23.3 billion (£18.5 billion), which constitutes about 0.48% of federal spending.

Trump has reinstated the National Space Council, shaping US space policies with the US Space Force consolidating national security assets in the latest military setup.

His administration emphasizes human spaceflight, launching NASA’s Artemis program aimed at returning humans to the moon by 2024.

Although this timeline appears overly ambitious, Artemis II is still scheduled for a crewed mission around the moon in 2026. If all goes well, Artemis III may land on the lunar surface a few years later.

Near the close of his first term, Trump formalized the National Space Policy, committing to lunar exploration and future missions to Mars. This policy streamlined regulatory frameworks, increasing accessibility for the private sector.

Support for human spaceflight and exploration carried on into his second term.

In April, when announcing the NASA Budget, the White House asserted its intention to return American astronauts to the moon “before China,” which has ambitious plans for a lunar base by the 2030s.

“The proposal includes investments to pursue lunar and Mars exploration simultaneously but prioritizes vital science and technology research,” stated NASA Administrator Janet Petro, reinforcing that the agency would “continue to progress towards achieving the impossible.”

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Risk Projects Due to Budget Cuts

However, the budget cuts may hinder NASA’s ability to meet its goals, as it calls for “rationalizing the institutional workforce” while cutting many support services, including IT and maintenance.

The budget suggests cancelling the costly and delayed Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion Crew Capsule, both essential for long-range space missions like Artemis.

Instead, it proposes replacing them with “a more cost-effective commercial system” to facilitate subsequent missions.

According to the White House, SLS is operating at 140% over budget, costing $4 billion (£3.2 billion) per launch.

The SLS rocket completed an unmanned Artemis I mission in 2022, but as Trump’s budget advances, Artemis II will send astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen around the moon in 2026, with plans for lunar landings to follow.

Eliminating SLS and Orion, referred to as the “Legacy Human Exploration System” in Trump’s budget, could save $879 million (£698.5 million).

Artemis I’s Space Launch System Rocket Launch – Photo Credit: NASA

However, US lawmakers have expressed concerns about terminating the program, despite its notable expenses, as it has taken a decade to prepare for the flight, and cancellation could grant China a competitive advantage.

This sentiment was echoed by Texas Senator Ted Cruz: “It’s hard to think of more devastating mistakes,” he remarked during an April Senate hearing.

Another project earmarked for termination is the Lunar Gateway, a new space station intended to orbit the moon. Key hardware for this initiative has already been constructed in the US, Europe, Canada, and Japan.

While some missions might be salvaged, these cancellations risk alienating international partners that NASA has built relations with over decades.

Is There No More NASA Science?

The budget also threatens significant cuts to NASA’s Earth and Space Science Programs, with funding for the former at £1.16 billion (£921.7 million) and the latter at £2.655 billion (£2.1 billion).

“Are Mars and Venus habitable? How many Earth-like planets exist? We’re opting not to find out; such questions will remain unanswered,” the critique suggests.

The budget aims to terminate “multiple, affordable missions,” including long-term endeavors like the Mars Sample Return (MSR), which was deemed unsustainable.

This mission aims to uncover significant information about Mars’ past by analyzing rock and soil samples already collected by rovers currently exploring the planet.

Nonetheless, NASA acknowledged last year that the estimated cost of the MSR mission ballooned from $7 billion (£5.6 billion) to $11 billion (£8.7 billion), with its timeline pushed back from 2033 to 2040.

The proposed budget suggests that MSR goals may be achieved through crewed missions to Mars, aligning with Trump’s promise to “send American astronauts to plant the stars and stripes on Mars.”

However, China’s plans for a Mars sample return mission remain robust, with aspirations for execution in 2028, potentially prompting Congressional pushback against the MSR budget cancellation.

In Earth Sciences, the budget proposes cuts to various Earth monitoring satellites, many vital for tracking climate change.

Ground crews assist 19 astronauts as they return to Earth in April after a successful six-month mission aboard China’s Tiango Space Station – Photo Credit: Getty Images

The future of NASA’s Landsat Next is in question, which includes a trio of satellites set to launch in 2031 for monitoring Earth’s dynamic landscapes.

Meanwhile, several climate satellites and instruments currently operational, such as orbital carbon observatories and deep-sea climate stations, face closures even though they remain fully functional.

Another mission facing uncertainty is the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, scheduled for launch between 2026 and 2027, aimed at planetary exploration and investigating cosmic evolution.

This initiative is expected to be pivotal in understanding dark matter, dark energy, and answering fundamental questions about the universe.

Though Roman’s costs have escalated from an initial $2 billion (£1.6 billion) to over $3.2 billion (£2.5 billion), with 90% of the projected expenditure already incurred, the budget proposes reducing its development funding by $244 million (£133.9 million).

Ultimately, it remains unclear how the budget will be finalized as it awaits Congressional approval. Will these cuts devastate scientific progress, or usher in a new era of human exploration?

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Moon Missions May Introduce Harmful Earth Microbes to the Lunar Surface

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Satellite images of the moon’s Antarctic region and Schrödinger Basin

NASA/Science Photo Library

The moon might endure far longer than previously thought, raising the concern of contaminating its surface before future lunar missions take place.

Space missions are required to follow the “Planetary Protection” policy, ensuring that microorganisms from Earth do not contaminate other celestial bodies.

Unlike Earth, where protective measures such as the atmosphere and magnetic fields exist, the moon’s surface faces intense high-energy particles from space, extreme temperatures, and harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun, making it a harsh habitat for surviving organisms.

As a result, many astronomers classify the moon’s surface as inherently barren. The Space Research Committee ranks it in the second lowest category of planetary protection, alongside Venus and comets, indicating that “spacecraft-mediated contamination could compromise investigations.”

Nonetheless, new findings from Stefano Bertone of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and colleagues indicate that in certain areas near the moon’s poles, which are set to be visited by NASA’s upcoming Artemis Mission, life might survive for several days, possibly over a week. This heightens the risk of contaminating these zones and generating misleading results in the search for extraterrestrial life.

“We’re returning to the moon, leaving traces behind. We need to study what kinds of traces we’re leaving and how to minimize them,” Bertone remarked at the Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) in Helsinki, Finland, on September 12th.

Bertone and his team discovered five microbial species that show resilience to harsh environments, including black mold (Aspergillus niger) and bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. They assessed how much ultraviolet radiation these organisms could withstand in their laboratory. They compiled data concerning UV levels on the moon’s surface, sunlight exposure, and temperature fluctuations, which allowed them to create a map indicating where these five organisms could survive for at least one day.

All living organisms can endure well-lit areas outside the permanently shadowed regions where sunlight and ultraviolet rays are absent, making these bright zones prime candidates for lunar exploration. The black mold exhibited the highest resilience, surviving in extensive areas for up to seven days.

“This is a significant study that clearly shows if there’s a risk of contamination, then certain actions need to be taken. However, we must also recognize that these actions have economic implications,” stated Stas Barabash from the Swedish Institute of Astrophysics. For instance, space agencies might decide that equipment requires more thorough sterilization, which could increase mission costs.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Astrophysicists Suggest Interstellar Missions to Explore Black Holes

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In a new paper published in the journal Iscience, astrophysicists at the University of Fudan have explored the potential for sending nanocrafts from Earth to black holes located 20-25 light years away. This mission aims to investigate the properties of strong gravitational fields and the fundamental aspects of physics.

Black holes represent the strongest gravitational fields known in the universe and serve as ideal laboratories for testing Einstein’s general theory of relativity under extreme conditions. Professor Bambi discusses the speculative nature and challenges of launching small spacecraft to the nearest black hole, yet emphasizes that it remains a plausible endeavor. Image credit: Cosimo Bambi, doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2025.113142.

“While we lack the necessary technology today, it may be feasible in 20 or 30 years,” stated Professor Cosimo Bambi, an astrophysicist and black hole specialist at the University of Fudan.

“Two significant challenges lie ahead: identifying a nearby black hole and developing a probe that can survive the journey.”

Currently, the closest recognized black hole to Earth is Gaia BH1, which was discovered in September 2022 and is located 1,560 light-years away.

However, it is anticipated that many undiscovered black holes may exist closer to Earth.

Simple estimations suggest that, despite significant uncertainties, the closest black hole could potentially be within only 20-25 light years.

“Our understanding of stellar evolution implies that black holes might be hidden just 20 to 25 light years from Earth, but detecting them is not straightforward,” noted Professor Bambi.

“Since black holes do not emit or reflect light, they are nearly invisible to telescopes.”

“Scientists typically rely on observing nearby stars and their interactions with light to identify and study these elusive objects.”

“New methods have been developed for detecting black holes, and I believe it is reasonable to expect the discovery of something nearby within the next decade.”

Once a target is located, the subsequent challenge will be reaching it.

Traditional spacecraft powered by chemical fuels lack the efficiency needed for such long journeys.

Professor Bambi suggests nanocraft as a promising solution—tiny probes consisting of microchips and light sails.

Lasers from Earth would propel the sails using photons, accelerating the craft to one-third the speed of light.

“At that speed, a craft could arrive at a black hole 20 to 25 light years away within about 70 years,” he explained.

“The data collected would then take roughly another 20 years to return to Earth, leading to a total mission duration of approximately 80-100 years.”

“When the craft nears a black hole, researchers could conduct experiments to answer some of the most pivotal questions in physics.”

“Does a black hole truly possess an event horizon? Can light escape the gravitational pull beyond that point?”

“Do the laws of physics alter in proximity to black holes?”

“Is Einstein’s general theory of relativity upheld in the universe’s most extreme conditions?”

“The laser system alone could cost 1 trillion euros, and currently, we lack the technology to fabricate nanocrafts,” Professor Bambi stated.

“Nevertheless, in 30 years, those costs might decrease, and technological advancements could align with these ambitious concepts.”

“While it may sound quite outlandish and resembles science fiction, past disbeliefs—like the detection of weak gravitational waves or imaging black hole shadows—have been proven wrong over time.”

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Cosimo Bambi. Interstellar missions to test astrophysical black holes. Iscience. Published online on August 7th, 2025. doi:10.1016/j.isci.2025.113142

Source: www.sci.news

Tianwen-2: China’s Upcoming Missions to Two Rocky Bodies in the Solar System

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Artist impressions of Earth’s semi-satellite Kamo`oalewa, designated as the initial target for the Tianwen-2 mission

Addy Graham/University of Arizona

China is making final preparations to launch a spacecraft aimed at exploring asteroids and comets, seeking to gain insights into these celestial bodies in our solar system.

The Tianwen-2 mission, orchestrated by the China National Space Agency (CNSA), plans to collect 100 grams of samples from the asteroid Chuan West and return them to Earth. Following the sample retrieval, the probe will utilize Earth’s gravity to propel itself towards the comet 311P/Panstarrs, which will be observed remotely.

The mission is set for launch from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province on May 29th. While NASA’s Osiris-Rex and JAXA’s Hayabusa missions have previously returned asteroid samples, this marks China’s inaugural asteroid mission, including the return of rock samples, and potentially the first mission aimed at a unique type of celestial body known as quasi-satellites.

Quasi-satellites, like Kamo`oalewa, do not orbit the Earth in a traditional manner; instead, they follow orbits around the Sun that are similar to Earth’s, creating an oval path relative to our planet. This intriguing scenario has led scientists to theorize that this may be a remnant lunar mass ejected by an asteroid impact millions of years ago.

In contrast, 311P/Panstarrs has an asteroid-like orbit, encircling the Sun within the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, yet possesses a tail that gives it a comet-like appearance. This is believed to be composed of dust and debris shed from its nucleus.

The CNSA has previously indicated that 311P/Panstarrs is a “living fossil,” crucial for studying the early material composition, formation processes, and evolutionary history of the solar system. Tianwen-2 aims to enhance our understanding of both Kamo`oalewa and 311P/Panstarrs. However, the findings will not be available immediately, as the spacecraft is expected to reach 311P/Panstarrs by 2034, and the Kamo`oalewa samples are anticipated to return to Earth in the latter half of 2027.

It remains uncertain what extent the CNSA will share these findings. Leah-Nani Alconcel from the University of Birmingham, UK, mentions that the mission outline is known but lacks detailed information. One of the objectives may involve examining the differences between asteroids and comets to gain better insights into the diverse bodies of our solar system; however, specific details remain elusive.

In her previous experience with CNSA’s Double Star Satellite, Alconcel expressed concerns about the institution’s ability to provide substantial scientific data. She states, “It was incredibly challenging to negotiate with [the CNSA]. There is no public repository for this data.”

She describes the mission as ambitious, noting that Kamo`oalewa is in a rotating behavior. Navigation algorithms may require powerful computing resources to process images and sensor data sent back to Earth for calculations. “If we always opt for favorable and stable objects, we won’t gain much knowledge,” she warns. “There are numerous potential challenges ahead.”

The CNSA has not responded to requests for comment from New Scientist.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Hobble Office’s Doge Cuts Funding for NASA and SpaceX Mars Missions

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The office situated on the ambiguous corner of the federal government, where NASA relies on to safely land astronauts on the moon, is facing pressure to cut at least 20% of the close team of experts for Mars’ robotic probes, according to two individuals familiar with the directive.

Staff reductions have reportedly already commenced at the Astro Geography Science Center in Flagstaff, Arizona, with more employees expected to be terminated following a recent call for early retirement and resignations on April 4th. The office, which is part of the US Geological Survey under the Department of the Home Office, is the target of cost-cutting efforts initiated in January with a substantial email sent to the federal government by Musk’s team.

Representatives from the Department of Home Affairs, USGS, and the Astro Geography Center did not respond to requests for comment regarding the staff reductions or potential impacts.

The cuts could potentially impact the mission of sending a crew to Mars in the future, a significant objective for Musk, who is the founder of SpaceX. He envisions a company that can make human life multiplanetary.

Matthew Golombek, a geophysicist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, has been involved in selecting multiple probe landing sites on Mars and described the precise mapping at the Astro Geographic Science Center as the “gold standard used by essentially everyone in the community.”

At the beginning of this year, the office had 53 employees, with eight already set to depart and more encouraged to consider the latest offers.

Dr. Golombek emphasized the importance of the center’s experts for mapping excellence and site selection for almost every landing. He expressed concern about losing the highly experienced and knowledgeable executives from the center.

The repercussions of reducing the team of interplanetary mapmakers in the office are significant, as Jared Isaacman, the NASA-backed presidential candidate under President Trump, proposed a “parallel” effort to send astronauts to Mars during a Senate committee meeting.

One researcher at the Flagstaff Office voiced concerns that amid shifting budget priorities, personnel cuts could be detrimental to mapping and critical projects in planetary science, crucial for human exploration.

“I can’t fathom randomly cutting 40% of the remaining staff without canceling the entire project,” the researcher stated.

The researchers added that even the departure of just five workers could significantly impact the office, depending on seniority and field of expertise.

Two employees, who requested anonymity to protect their government careers, were aware of the recent call for volunteers for the “deferred resignation/retirement program” at a recent staff meeting. Essential layoffs known in the federal government if insufficient employees volunteer.

The field of astronomy is interdisciplinary, with experts in terrestrial fields like mineralogy, volcanology, and geography that are valuable for space exploration. The USGS Astrogeology Center, though part of an internal division, closely collaborates with NASA and is largely funded by the agency.

For decades, the Center’s experts have been pivotal in creating detailed topographic maps of various celestial bodies, strategic planning, and scientific goals for NASA missions.

The scientist also provided lunar geology crash courses to Apollo astronauts like Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong, which enhanced their knowledge of rock sample collection. This training has been revived for NASA’s Artemis program, aiming to return astronauts to the moon’s surface in 2027.

Office geology experts played a crucial role in finding new landing sites for historic Viking Mars landers after the original site was deemed unsafe in 1976. In 2021, a rover safely landed on Mars and was guided autonomously using maps and software from the Center.

Companies in the commercial space sector also rely on the expertise of the Astro Geographic Science Center.

“SpaceX has consulted the USGS in the past, and the USGS team was enthusiastic,” said David SF Portree, a former archivist and public relations manager at the Astrology Science Center, a semi-self-historist and science writer in Arizona.

SpaceX did not respond to requests for comments regarding their work at the Astrogeology Center or the impact on their Mars program.

Mr. Porterie expressed concerns about the long-term effects of NASA’s 50-year plan for the crew’s mission to Mars and the executive order for a government-wide employment freeze, which affected student contractors at the office.

Dr. Edwards from Northern Arizona raised concerns about the mass recruitment of probationary workers, stating that it could lead to the dismissal of subject experts.

He emphasized the importance of maintaining experienced staff to ensure the continuity of specialized expertise in the field.

“That’s concerning to me,” he added.

Source: www.nytimes.com

NASA might have to cancel significant space missions in order to reduce expenditures

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NASA headquarters in Washington, DC

John M. Chase/Getty Images

NASA is preparing for substantial budget cuts that could force cancellations of ongoing and upcoming missions across the solar system, and experts warn that it is facing a “brutal” future.

The space agency has already launched several layoffs as part of a broad restructuring of the US federal agency by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an independent task force led by Elon Musk. Earlier this week it announced it would close its offices for technology, policy and strategy. Chief scientist’s office. The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Branch, located in Washington, DC’s Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity, represents a total of 23 employment for its agents.

“This magnitude change is by no means easy, but our strength comes from our mission and our shared commitment to each other,” NASA’s acting administrator, Janet Petro, emailed staff members. “We encourage each other to support us as we move forward.”

One employee in the Technology, Policy and Strategy office who learned they were fired this week and given anonymity for fear of retaliation says that their office is a “easy target” as it was set up under Joe Biden’s control. “Some people thought this might come,” they say.

The role of NASA’s Chief Technologist and Chief Economist is within the office, and “supported strategic planning across the agency,” the employee says. This includes managing recent increases in recent lunar missions when planning lunar-based landing sites and operations and “preventing these missions from interfering with each other.”

“There’s a lot of interest in the Antarctic of the Moon, and there’s concern that it works close to each other,” they said. “I don’t think we’ll address these issues moving forward.”

These losses are expected to be just the beginning of NASA’s much larger ull. Casey Drier American Space Exploration Advocacy Group says there are rumours that in his upcoming budget request, President Donald Trump will direct NASA’s overall scientific budget to be cut by 50%. This is a blow to NASA’s office of Science Mission Directors, and “everything that isn’t pretty much everything NASA does is not a space flight mission,” says Dreier. Currently, we have a budget of around $7 billion from NASA’s total annual budget of $25 billion.

Scientists familiar with NASA policy-making say they spoke anonymously for fear of retaliation and say that the cuts requested by the president must be approved by Congress. “NASA is really loved on a bipartisan basis,” they say. But if the cut goes on, they add that they “essentially end to NASA science.” “The mission is not safe.”

Throwing the budget by half “will be a very brutal outcome, symbolizing the nation’s return to space,” Dreyer said, and would result in the cancellation of many missions. Like James Webb’s Space Telescope, some of their Prime missions will likely survive, but the most at risk are early planning or later missions. These include the climate satellite, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the Voyager Mission, where patience and curiosity on Mars was the first spacecraft to leave the solar system.

The impact on NASA may be permanent. “If you completely destroy a people’s pipeline, you’ll have serious, long-term consequences,” says Dreier. “It’s an extinction level event.”

In this week’s letter to Peter, California’s Zoe Lofgren, a top Democrat on the House of Representatives’ Science and Space Technology Committee, urged NASA to cut and fight back. “Doge is trying to reduce and burn NASA’s core capabilities,” she wrote. “It’s essential to stand up to NASA’s important work.”

I’ll talk New ScientistLofgren warned that the situation could have international consequences. “Destroying NASA’s highly skilled workforce will be a major leap for the US and a major leap for China,” she said. “Meanwhile-less reductions will undermine cutting edge innovation, curious science, and institutional ability to maintain leadership in human exploration.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Upcoming Space Launches and Missions Set for 2025

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overview

  • The coming year is expected to be filled with ambitious space missions.
  • Multiple robotic landers are expected to be launched to the moon in the coming weeks or months.
  • China and India also each hope to achieve new milestones in space later this year.

From robotic expeditions to the moon to new observatories in space and rendezvous with asteroids, 2025 promises to be full of ambitious space exploration.

NASA and U.S. commercial space companies aren’t the only ones busy. Launch plans planned for this year include potential milestones in China, Japan and India.

Here are some of the biggest upcoming space missions.

Moon fever continues

In 2025, the moon will once again be in the spotlight.

Later this month, SpaceX rockets are scheduled to launch two new missions to the moon. One, a lander called Blue Ghost developed by Texas-based company Firefly Aerospace, is intended to spend about two weeks collecting scientific data on the moon. The second is a privately built Japanese lunar lander with an attached small rover.

The Blue Ghost attempts to land on a region of the moon known as the Moon. Mare Crisium is thought to be the site of an ancient asteroid impact.

The mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services Initiative. The space agency has signed contracts with three private companies, including Firefly Aerospace, to transport scientific experiments, technology and other cargo to the moon’s surface. The effort is part of NASA’s larger Artemis mission, which aims to eventually return humans to the moon. The Blue Ghost mission will carry out 10 NASA science and technology experiments.

Riding into orbit on the same rocket booster will be a resilient lander developed by a Japanese company called ispace and the Tenacious “micro rover.” It aims to take a longer route to the moon, consuming less energy than the Blue Ghost, and land on the lunar surface approximately four to five months after launch.

The touchdown target is located in the far north of the moon, in an area called Mare Frigoris.

iSpace’s bid to become the first private company to land a spacecraft on the moon ended in disappointment last year. The company’s lander, Hakuto, accelerated unexpectedly during its descent and crashed onto the lunar surface.

A third lunar launch by the company, which was the first to land a privately built ship on the moon, could also take place this month.

Texas-based Intuitive Machines also won a contract under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. Last year, the company’s lander became the first American vehicle to land on the moon in more than 50 years. The company aims to send its next-generation lander to the moon’s south pole on another SpaceX rocket in the coming weeks.

The mission will include a drill to extract lunar soil and a robot that will hop into nearby craters to take images and perform scientific experiments.

Exploring the origin of the universe

NASA aims to launch the SPHEREx mission, a space observatory designed to map the entire sky in optical and near-infrared light, in late February.

The SPHEREx observatory is shown in a horizontal position, showing its telescope and three-layer photon shield.BAE Systems / NASA

The spacecraft will observe more than 100 million stars in the Milky Way and collect data on more than 450 million other galaxies.

As part of its planned two-year mission, the observatory will also search for signs of life as we know it, such as water and organic molecules, in the Milky Way. Experts hope the expedition will provide insight into how galaxies form and how the universe came into being.

Two NASA astronauts finally return home

Two NASA astronauts stranded on the International Space Station since a problem aboard their Boeing spacecraft in June are finally scheduled to return home in March.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on the International Space Station.NASA

Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were launched to the ISS on the first manned flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. The original plan was for the two to spend about a week on the space station, then return to Earth on the Starliner. However, the capsule encountered fuel leaks and thruster problems, so NASA opted to leave Williams and Wilmore in orbit and return the spacecraft unmanned.

They will have spent more than nine months in space before returning to Earth in a SpaceX capsule with two other space station crew members.

India’s spaceflight ambitions

India is poised to make major strides in its human spaceflight program this year.

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) astronaut Shubhansh Shukla will fly to the International Space Station on a commercial mission run by Texas-based startup Axiom Space.

The launch, expected by spring at the earliest, will include government-backed crew members from Poland and Hungary. The crew will spend up to 14 days on the ISS.

Meanwhile, India is also working on developing its own manned spacecraft, aiming to launch its first one in 2026.

A new private space station?

California-based startup Vast plans to launch its first commercial space station into orbit this year. The civilian outpost, called Haven-1, is scheduled to launch by August on a SpaceX rocket.

Haven-1 is designed to accommodate four astronauts on missions of up to 30 days. The space station will initially function as an independent outpost, but Vasto plans to eventually connect it to a larger module in development.

In partnership with SpaceX, Vast intends to someday launch a crewed mission to the Haven-1 outpost, but the company has not yet announced a target date for that launch.

China encounters an asteroid

China’s space exploration shows no signs of slowing down even in 2025.

This spring, the country plans to launch a mission to collect asteroid samples, the first such expedition.

The plan calls for a spacecraft called Tenbun-2 to rendezvous with a near-Earth asteroid called Kamoorewa, which some scientists have suggested. maybe part of the moon It was ejected during an ancient collision.

The mission aims to collect debris from the asteroid, release a capsule containing samples, and return to Earth in 2026. After that, the Tenbun-2 probe is expected to orbit around the Earth and fly using the Earth’s gravity as a slingshot. Heading toward the comet known as 311P/Panstars. The spacecraft is expected to arrive at the comet in the mid-2030s.

If China’s asteroid sampling mission is successful, it would be a major accomplishment for the country’s space agency. This would be an achievement that follows several recent milestones. China has already become the first company to collect and return samples from the far side of the moon, landed a rover on Mars and completed construction of its own Tiangong space station.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

SpaceX and Boeing gear up for risky space missions

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Rivals Boeing and SpaceX are preparing for a busy week with upcoming key test flights of their rockets and spacecraft.

Boeing is set to launch two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station aboard its Starliner spacecraft for the third time on Wednesday. The liftoff is scheduled for 10:52 a.m. ET from Cape Canaveral Space Command Station in Florida.

The following day, SpaceX will conduct the fourth uncrewed test flight of its Starship megarocket. The launch will take place from SpaceX’s Starbase test site in Boca Chica, Texas, with a targeted liftoff time of 8 a.m. ET.

Despite being spaceflight competitors, this week’s launch serves a unique purpose: Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, developed in collaboration with NASA, will transport astronauts to the space station – a service SpaceX has been providing commercially for NASA since 2020.

Boeing’s third attempt to launch astronauts into space

Should Boeing’s initial crewed test flight succeed, it could pave the way for regular flights of its Starliner spacecraft to the space station for NASA, challenging SpaceX’s current dominance.

The Starliner will carry NASA astronauts Barry “Batch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who will spend approximately a week aboard the space station before returning to Earth and landing at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

Butch Wilmore (left) and Suni Williams put on their Boeing space suits at the Kennedy Space Center on Saturday.
Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/AFP – Getty Images

Starliner’s most recent launch attempt was halted on Saturday with less than four minutes to go due to an automatic abort triggered by a computer controlling the Atlas V rocket, created by United Launch Alliance, a collaboration between Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

SpaceX’s Starship test flight on Thursday aims to demonstrate technologies critical for future moon missions.

Starship, the most powerful rocket ever developed and designed to be fully reusable, is expected to play a vital role in NASA’s plans to send astronauts back to the Moon. Additionally, SpaceX intends to use Starship for eventual missions to Mars.

NASA is also working on its own Space Launch System megarocket and Orion spacecraft for moon missions, part of the Artemis program which envisions establishing a base camp on the moon’s surface before exploring Mars.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

The mysteries of the Moon may remain unsolved as new lunar missions approach

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There is a new space race underway, with missions to the moon increasing at a significant pace. Recently, a spacecraft built by Intuitive Machines became the first U.S. mission to land on the moon since 1972’s Apollo mission.

China is preparing to launch Chang’e 6, furthering their lunar exploration program with plans to bring back lunar rocks from the far side of the moon. A NASA study suggests that 22 international missions could reach the moon by the end of 2026, potentially leading to astronauts leaving footprints on the moon once again.

Despite the exciting progress, researchers like Dr. Alanna Krolikowski and martin elvis warn of dangers overlooked in the rush of exploration. They emphasize the need to protect Sites of Extremely Scientific Significance (SESI) on the moon, similar to protecting special sites on Earth.

Krolikowski stresses the urgency of implementing SESI protections to avoid irreversible harm to these important areas. Two key locations on the moon, its backside shielded from Earth’s radio noise and its poles with valuable volatiles like water ice, require preservation for scientific research and exploration.

“The problem is urgent,” says Krolikowski. “We are facing a rapidly closing window in which SESI protections can be implemented to avoid the worst possible irreversible harm.”

Special attention is drawn to the moon’s poles with areas of eternal darkness that trap important volatiles. These regions hold valuable information about the history of the solar system, particularly in studying the early universe.

Researchers advocate for careful management of activities on the moon to avoid contaminating these special areas and preserving their natural state for exploration.

Proposals for protecting lunar SESIs include identifying and characterizing these areas, establishing rules in national and international space policies, and initiating negotiations under the United Nations for effective international cooperation.

Despite the challenges, experts like Krolikowski, Elvis, and Crawford stress the importance of getting it right to preserve the moon’s unique habitats and secrets. With increasing lunar activities, taking action now is crucial.

About our experts

Dr. Alanna Krolikowski is an assistant professor of political science at the Missouri Institute of Technology, specializing in space policy research published in academic journals like space policy and global policy.

martin elvis is an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics focusing on space economics, law, and ethics, with research published in Nature and other journals.

Professor Ian Crawford is a planetary scientist at Birkbeck University, known for his lunar science and exploration research published in various scientific journals.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

What can we expect in 2024 from moon missions to COP29?

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As we end 2023, what does 2024 have in store for us? As a wise person new scientist As our readers know, the division of time into years is fairly arbitrary, and only tells us that the Earth has gone around the sun once (yes, I get it. 0.256363004 days is fine. (No, please pipe up in the back). So many of this year's big topics, such as the rise of artificial intelligence and the growing dangers of climate change, will remain big topics next year.

But we can't help but give new meaning to the new year.

Source: www.newscientist.com