O:9:"MagpieRSS":24:{s:6:"parser";i:0;s:12:"current_item";a:0:{}s:5:"items";a:10:{i:0;a:11:{s:5:"title";s:34:"This Is Your Brain in Microgravity";s:4:"link";s:60:"https://movs.world/space/this-is-your-brain-in-microgravity/";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:11:"Susan Hally";}s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Tue, 11 Jan 2022 19:48:32 +0000";s:8:"category";s:22:"SpacebrainMicrogravity";s:4:"guid";s:60:"https://movs.world/space/this-is-your-brain-in-microgravity/";s:11:"description";s:583:"Later this month, the Emulate Brain-Chip will be returning to Earth after an extended stay on the International Space Station National Laboratory (ISS-NL). Researchers hope that the organ-on-chip device?s sojourn in space will reveal new information regarding the effects of microgravity on human brain physiology. The results may benefit space travelers as well as Earth-bound ... Read more";s:7:"content";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";s:6041:"
Later this month, the Emulate Brain-Chip will be returning to Earth after an extended stay on the International Space Station National Laboratory (ISS-NL). Researchers hope that the organ-on-chip device?s sojourn in space will reveal new information regarding the effects of microgravity on human brain physiology. The results may benefit space travelers as well as Earth-bound populations.
Emulate Inc.
The Emulate Brain-Chip is designed for neuroscience researchers investigating neuroinflammatory disease and for drug developers seeking to improve drug discovery for neurodegenerative diseases.
The Brain-Chip developed by Boston-based Emulate Inc. is described as the most comprehensive in vitro model of the human neurovascular system, including the blood-brain barrier (BBB), for preclinical research. Chips that are about the size of a USB thumb drive contain two fluidic channels separated by a porous membrane. The vascular channel is lined with brain microvascular endothelial cells, while the brain channel contains cortical neurons, astrocytes, pericytes, and microglia. This allows researchers to study BBB function, the ability of drugs to cross the BBB, and the complex cell-cell interactions involved in brain physiology, disease, and drug response.
The space station payload includes 12 chips in a shoebox-sized piece of instrumentation custom designed for space flight. Automated environmental control, perfusion, fluid sampling, dosing, and fixation are part of the experiment. The research is aligned with the Tissue-Chips in Space initiative sponsored by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the ISS-NL.
Emulate?s implementation partner SpaceTango led development of the instrumentation and is responsible for overseeing the logistics of sending the Brain-Chip to the ISS. SpaceTango has an agreement with NASA allowing it to manufacture and deploy commercial payloads to the space station for microgravity research and development.
Shedding new light on space biology
Commenting to PlasticsToday about the scope of this project, Daniel Levner, PhD, Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of Emulate, noted that the NIH had the foresight to realize that organ-on-chip technology could further scientific understanding of the effects of space travel on human biology and health. ?We are awaiting the chips? return to Earth toward the end of the month. The hope is that the capability of conducting organ-chip experiments in space could shed new light on space biology, and even more so, that some of this understanding can help elucidate biological processes that also apply to life on Earth. Emulate is interested in seeing organ-chip technology employed in various sorts of research and drug-development applications, with space being one interesting example,? said Levner.
By comparing the human Brain-Chip response to an inflammatory stimulus under reduced gravity conditions versus its response back on Earth, researchers will be able to investigate differences in cytokine production, BBB permeability, and morphology, Levner added in a prepared statement. ?Previous studies . . . have shown changes in endothelial cell morphology in 2D cultures in space as well as many changes in astronaut immune function during space flight. Understanding how the immune system interacts with organ biology in microgravity will be important for future research, and we are honored to be a part of this project,? said Levner.
Earlier this year, the Emulate Brain-Chip was named one of the Top 10 Innovations of 2021 by The Scientist.
Overcoming molding and assembly challenges
The organ-chips are produced from a silicone rubber, Levner told PlasticsToday. That material was selected both because of its transparency, which allows the use of microscopy to image cells within the chip, and its flexibility. The latter property enables researchers to apply mechanical forces, ?which we?ve learned is an important biological cue to different cell types,? said Levner.
Organ-on-chip technology was pioneered at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University; molding and manufacturing the chips in sufficient quantities presented unique challenges, said Levner. ?We invested significantly in solving these challenges during Emulate?s early days, since we realized that volume production was required in order for our technology to be suitable for broad adoption through pharma and academia.?
One of Emulate?s breakthroughs involved successful molding of the porous membranes at the heart of the chips. ?It’s important that the pores remain open so that chemicals and cells can pass through them,? explained Levner.
Chip assembly was an equally challenging process, as the different layers must be precisely aligned, and the membrane cannot be allowed to sag. ?We also invested heavily in quality control, as it is important for us to provide robust and effective products,? said Levner.
Founded in 2014, Emulate announced the close of an $82 million Series E financing round led by its investor, Northpond Ventures, in September 2021. To date, it has raised nearly $225 million. That is seen by the company as validation of its belief that organ-on-chip technology will transform drug discovery and development and ultimately eliminate unnecessary animal testing.
";}s:7:"summary";s:583:"Later this month, the Emulate Brain-Chip will be returning to Earth after an extended stay on the International Space Station National Laboratory (ISS-NL). Researchers hope that the organ-on-chip device?s sojourn in space will reveal new information regarding the effects of microgravity on human brain physiology. The results may benefit space travelers as well as Earth-bound ... Read more";s:12:"atom_content";s:6041:"
Later this month, the Emulate Brain-Chip will be returning to Earth after an extended stay on the International Space Station National Laboratory (ISS-NL). Researchers hope that the organ-on-chip device?s sojourn in space will reveal new information regarding the effects of microgravity on human brain physiology. The results may benefit space travelers as well as Earth-bound populations.
Emulate Inc.
The Emulate Brain-Chip is designed for neuroscience researchers investigating neuroinflammatory disease and for drug developers seeking to improve drug discovery for neurodegenerative diseases.
The Brain-Chip developed by Boston-based Emulate Inc. is described as the most comprehensive in vitro model of the human neurovascular system, including the blood-brain barrier (BBB), for preclinical research. Chips that are about the size of a USB thumb drive contain two fluidic channels separated by a porous membrane. The vascular channel is lined with brain microvascular endothelial cells, while the brain channel contains cortical neurons, astrocytes, pericytes, and microglia. This allows researchers to study BBB function, the ability of drugs to cross the BBB, and the complex cell-cell interactions involved in brain physiology, disease, and drug response.
The space station payload includes 12 chips in a shoebox-sized piece of instrumentation custom designed for space flight. Automated environmental control, perfusion, fluid sampling, dosing, and fixation are part of the experiment. The research is aligned with the Tissue-Chips in Space initiative sponsored by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the ISS-NL.
Emulate?s implementation partner SpaceTango led development of the instrumentation and is responsible for overseeing the logistics of sending the Brain-Chip to the ISS. SpaceTango has an agreement with NASA allowing it to manufacture and deploy commercial payloads to the space station for microgravity research and development.
Shedding new light on space biology
Commenting to PlasticsToday about the scope of this project, Daniel Levner, PhD, Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of Emulate, noted that the NIH had the foresight to realize that organ-on-chip technology could further scientific understanding of the effects of space travel on human biology and health. ?We are awaiting the chips? return to Earth toward the end of the month. The hope is that the capability of conducting organ-chip experiments in space could shed new light on space biology, and even more so, that some of this understanding can help elucidate biological processes that also apply to life on Earth. Emulate is interested in seeing organ-chip technology employed in various sorts of research and drug-development applications, with space being one interesting example,? said Levner.
By comparing the human Brain-Chip response to an inflammatory stimulus under reduced gravity conditions versus its response back on Earth, researchers will be able to investigate differences in cytokine production, BBB permeability, and morphology, Levner added in a prepared statement. ?Previous studies . . . have shown changes in endothelial cell morphology in 2D cultures in space as well as many changes in astronaut immune function during space flight. Understanding how the immune system interacts with organ biology in microgravity will be important for future research, and we are honored to be a part of this project,? said Levner.
Earlier this year, the Emulate Brain-Chip was named one of the Top 10 Innovations of 2021 by The Scientist.
Overcoming molding and assembly challenges
The organ-chips are produced from a silicone rubber, Levner told PlasticsToday. That material was selected both because of its transparency, which allows the use of microscopy to image cells within the chip, and its flexibility. The latter property enables researchers to apply mechanical forces, ?which we?ve learned is an important biological cue to different cell types,? said Levner.
Organ-on-chip technology was pioneered at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University; molding and manufacturing the chips in sufficient quantities presented unique challenges, said Levner. ?We invested significantly in solving these challenges during Emulate?s early days, since we realized that volume production was required in order for our technology to be suitable for broad adoption through pharma and academia.?
One of Emulate?s breakthroughs involved successful molding of the porous membranes at the heart of the chips. ?It’s important that the pores remain open so that chemicals and cells can pass through them,? explained Levner.
Chip assembly was an equally challenging process, as the different layers must be precisely aligned, and the membrane cannot be allowed to sag. ?We also invested heavily in quality control, as it is important for us to provide robust and effective products,? said Levner.
Founded in 2014, Emulate announced the close of an $82 million Series E financing round led by its investor, Northpond Ventures, in September 2021. To date, it has raised nearly $225 million. That is seen by the company as validation of its belief that organ-on-chip technology will transform drug discovery and development and ultimately eliminate unnecessary animal testing.
";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1641930512;}i:1;a:11:{s:5:"title";s:80:"SpaceX ?intends? to start launching next-generation Starlink satellites in March";s:4:"link";s:104:"https://movs.world/space/spacex-intends-to-start-launching-next-generation-starlink-satellites-in-march/";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:11:"Susan Hally";}s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Tue, 11 Jan 2022 15:40:25 +0000";s:8:"category";s:69:"SpaceintendsLaunchingMarchNextGenerationsatellitesSpacexStarlinkstart";s:4:"guid";s:104:"https://movs.world/space/spacex-intends-to-start-launching-next-generation-starlink-satellites-in-march/";s:11:"description";s:709:"In a new Q&A with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), SpaceX says it still ?plans? and ?intends? to begin launching the next generation of Starlink satellites as early as March 2022. In August 2021, SpaceX filed an application modification request with the FCC in a bid to change its plans for the next-generation ?Gen2? Starlink ... Read more";s:7:"content";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";s:9349:"
In a new Q&A with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), SpaceX says it still ?plans? and ?intends? to begin launching the next generation of Starlink satellites as early as March 2022.
In August 2021, SpaceX filed an application modification request with the FCC in a bid to change its plans for the next-generation ?Gen2? Starlink constellation, which still aims to drastically improve and expand upon its first few phases. SpaceX filed the first unmodified Gen2 Starlink application with the FCC in May 2020, requesting permission to launch an unprecedented 30,000 satellites. While the size of the proposed constellation is extraordinary, the FCC has also been exceptionally slow to process it. Only five months after SpaceX submitted its Starlink Gen2 modification request and nineteen months after its original Gen2 application did the FCC finally accept it for filing, which means that it has taken more than a year and a half to merely start the official review process.
That extremely slow pace of work could pose problems for SpaceX?s characteristically ambitious deployment schedule.
One of the most daring comments, I should say, is the claim that they intend to be ready for launch of Gen2 with Starship as soon as March 2022. It’s obviously impossible for this to happen but shows how committed they are. The inclinations also indicate they might need the Cape. pic.twitter.com/Rfy8A7h9Ms
? I can’t believe I really made a space-only account (@Alexphysics13) January 8, 2022
In a January 7th, 2022 electronic filing in which SpaceX answered a dozen questions from the FCC, the company didn?t outright criticize the extreme sluggishness with which it was reviewing the application but the sentiment was still just below the surface throughout it. After noting that the FCC continues to ask for far more information from SpaceX than it does from other constellation applications, some of which have recently received licenses in spite of that, SpaceX states that it while it ?filed its Gen2 Application more than nineteen months ago?and its Amendment nearly five months ago, they were accepted for filing only two weeks ago.?
It?s perhaps no coincidence that that inexplicable delay only came to an end two weeks after FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel ? who SpaceX notes recently acknowledged a ?need to speed the processing of applications to keep pace with?innovation? ? was finally confirmed by the US Senate.
Most importantly, though, SpaceX used its extensive Q&A to reveal that it downselected to one of the two similar constellation configurations proposed in its Gen2 application modification. Specifically, SpaceX says it will continue to develop Configuration 1 only, which is designed and organized to take full advantage of the company?s next-generation Starship launch vehicle. That should simplify the licensing process for many Starlink competitors, which have sought to hobble SpaceX?s application with bizarre requests to the FCC and complained ad nauseam about how much of a burden analyzing two potentially constellation layouts was for them. Now they will only have to consider one constellation layout, making SpaceX?s Gen2 constellation a more traditional ? if still massive ? proposal.
Clearly lacking a great deal of self-awareness about the irony of such of a question, the FCC also saw fit to ask SpaceX for ?any updates regarding the expected timing of launches for the Gen2 system.? The timing of Starlink Gen2 launches is obviously unequivocally contingent upon FCC approval more than 19 months after SpaceX first submitted an application for said approval. Nonetheless, SpaceX politely answered the question, revealing that it had ?informed Commission staff before filing its Amendment? in August 2021 that it ?plans to have Gen2 satellites prepared for launch as soon as March 2022? and ?still intends to begin launching [Starlink Gen2 satellites] as early as March 2022.?
Many readers and industry followers interpreted this as an implicit claim that Starship will be ready to launch Starlink Gen2 satellites as early as March 2022 ? just another of the company?s detached-from-reality schedule estimates, in other words. That?s simply not the case, though. While SpaceX does confirm that it?s settling on a Starlink Gen2 configuration that will explicitly depend upon Starship for the full 29,988-satellite constellation?s timely, cost-effective deployment, FCC deployment and operations licensing are almost inherently unconcerned with how the constellation gets into space. For example, the original Gen2 application SpaceX modified last August never mentioned which launch vehicle would be responsible for launching tens of thousands of satellites. So long as the rocket is compliant with FCC regulations and has an active permit for any given launch, which is also the responsibility of a different bureau, the FCC is effectively indifferent about which rockets launch a given constellation.
In other words, while SpaceX has made it clear that Starlink Gen2 Configuration 1 is optimized for Starship, SpaceX will be free to launch Gen2 satellites on any rocket it wants if or when the FCC approves the constellation. Assuming that Starlink Gen2 satellites will still be able to fit inside a 5.2m (17 ft) wide payload fairing, that includes Falcon 9. Further, in early 2018, the FCC allowed SpaceX to launch the first two Starlink satellite prototypes before it had issued the company a license for the full constellation, making it clear that prospective constellation operators can launch and test prototype satellites before their full constellations are approved.
This is to say that there is nothing theoretically preventing SpaceX from again pursuing permission to launch a few prototype Starlink satellites (this time Gen2) before the FCC has finished reviewing and approving the whole constellation. In fact, anything less would actually be surprising and unusual for the company. When SpaceX says in January 2022 that it plans to have Gen2 satellites ready for launch by March 2022, it?s thus not hard to believe that that?s the truth. Perhaps it will take a month or two longer than planned to complete the prototypes, secure temporary FCC approval, and build and license a new E-band ground station, but it?s still believable that SpaceX will be ready and able to launch the first few Starlink Gen2 satellites on Falcon 9 within the next several months. Above all else, unless SpaceX has explicitly designed Starlink Gen2 satellites such that they no longer fit inside a Falcon fairing, nothing is forcing SpaceX to wait for Starship if Gen2 prototypes are ready to launch before the next-gen rocket.
Given that Starship will have to wait until at least March 2022 for its first orbital test flight after FAA review delays, it?s obviously implausible that the rocket will be ready to launch Starlink prototypes by then. Starship S20 ? currently said by CEO Elon Musk to be the first space-bound prototype ? doesn?t even have a payload bay. Unless SpaceX wants to wait several more months after that to kick off the flight-testing phase of Starlink Gen2 development, it?s likely that the first few satellites will launch on Falcon 9 ? either alongside routine Starlink V1.5 launches or on their own.
SpaceX ?intends? to start launching next-generation Starlink satellites in March
";}s:7:"summary";s:709:"In a new Q&A with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), SpaceX says it still ?plans? and ?intends? to begin launching the next generation of Starlink satellites as early as March 2022. In August 2021, SpaceX filed an application modification request with the FCC in a bid to change its plans for the next-generation ?Gen2? Starlink ... Read more";s:12:"atom_content";s:9349:"
In a new Q&A with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), SpaceX says it still ?plans? and ?intends? to begin launching the next generation of Starlink satellites as early as March 2022.
In August 2021, SpaceX filed an application modification request with the FCC in a bid to change its plans for the next-generation ?Gen2? Starlink constellation, which still aims to drastically improve and expand upon its first few phases. SpaceX filed the first unmodified Gen2 Starlink application with the FCC in May 2020, requesting permission to launch an unprecedented 30,000 satellites. While the size of the proposed constellation is extraordinary, the FCC has also been exceptionally slow to process it. Only five months after SpaceX submitted its Starlink Gen2 modification request and nineteen months after its original Gen2 application did the FCC finally accept it for filing, which means that it has taken more than a year and a half to merely start the official review process.
That extremely slow pace of work could pose problems for SpaceX?s characteristically ambitious deployment schedule.
One of the most daring comments, I should say, is the claim that they intend to be ready for launch of Gen2 with Starship as soon as March 2022. It’s obviously impossible for this to happen but shows how committed they are. The inclinations also indicate they might need the Cape. pic.twitter.com/Rfy8A7h9Ms
? I can’t believe I really made a space-only account (@Alexphysics13) January 8, 2022
In a January 7th, 2022 electronic filing in which SpaceX answered a dozen questions from the FCC, the company didn?t outright criticize the extreme sluggishness with which it was reviewing the application but the sentiment was still just below the surface throughout it. After noting that the FCC continues to ask for far more information from SpaceX than it does from other constellation applications, some of which have recently received licenses in spite of that, SpaceX states that it while it ?filed its Gen2 Application more than nineteen months ago?and its Amendment nearly five months ago, they were accepted for filing only two weeks ago.?
It?s perhaps no coincidence that that inexplicable delay only came to an end two weeks after FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel ? who SpaceX notes recently acknowledged a ?need to speed the processing of applications to keep pace with?innovation? ? was finally confirmed by the US Senate.
Most importantly, though, SpaceX used its extensive Q&A to reveal that it downselected to one of the two similar constellation configurations proposed in its Gen2 application modification. Specifically, SpaceX says it will continue to develop Configuration 1 only, which is designed and organized to take full advantage of the company?s next-generation Starship launch vehicle. That should simplify the licensing process for many Starlink competitors, which have sought to hobble SpaceX?s application with bizarre requests to the FCC and complained ad nauseam about how much of a burden analyzing two potentially constellation layouts was for them. Now they will only have to consider one constellation layout, making SpaceX?s Gen2 constellation a more traditional ? if still massive ? proposal.
Clearly lacking a great deal of self-awareness about the irony of such of a question, the FCC also saw fit to ask SpaceX for ?any updates regarding the expected timing of launches for the Gen2 system.? The timing of Starlink Gen2 launches is obviously unequivocally contingent upon FCC approval more than 19 months after SpaceX first submitted an application for said approval. Nonetheless, SpaceX politely answered the question, revealing that it had ?informed Commission staff before filing its Amendment? in August 2021 that it ?plans to have Gen2 satellites prepared for launch as soon as March 2022? and ?still intends to begin launching [Starlink Gen2 satellites] as early as March 2022.?
Many readers and industry followers interpreted this as an implicit claim that Starship will be ready to launch Starlink Gen2 satellites as early as March 2022 ? just another of the company?s detached-from-reality schedule estimates, in other words. That?s simply not the case, though. While SpaceX does confirm that it?s settling on a Starlink Gen2 configuration that will explicitly depend upon Starship for the full 29,988-satellite constellation?s timely, cost-effective deployment, FCC deployment and operations licensing are almost inherently unconcerned with how the constellation gets into space. For example, the original Gen2 application SpaceX modified last August never mentioned which launch vehicle would be responsible for launching tens of thousands of satellites. So long as the rocket is compliant with FCC regulations and has an active permit for any given launch, which is also the responsibility of a different bureau, the FCC is effectively indifferent about which rockets launch a given constellation.
In other words, while SpaceX has made it clear that Starlink Gen2 Configuration 1 is optimized for Starship, SpaceX will be free to launch Gen2 satellites on any rocket it wants if or when the FCC approves the constellation. Assuming that Starlink Gen2 satellites will still be able to fit inside a 5.2m (17 ft) wide payload fairing, that includes Falcon 9. Further, in early 2018, the FCC allowed SpaceX to launch the first two Starlink satellite prototypes before it had issued the company a license for the full constellation, making it clear that prospective constellation operators can launch and test prototype satellites before their full constellations are approved.
This is to say that there is nothing theoretically preventing SpaceX from again pursuing permission to launch a few prototype Starlink satellites (this time Gen2) before the FCC has finished reviewing and approving the whole constellation. In fact, anything less would actually be surprising and unusual for the company. When SpaceX says in January 2022 that it plans to have Gen2 satellites ready for launch by March 2022, it?s thus not hard to believe that that?s the truth. Perhaps it will take a month or two longer than planned to complete the prototypes, secure temporary FCC approval, and build and license a new E-band ground station, but it?s still believable that SpaceX will be ready and able to launch the first few Starlink Gen2 satellites on Falcon 9 within the next several months. Above all else, unless SpaceX has explicitly designed Starlink Gen2 satellites such that they no longer fit inside a Falcon fairing, nothing is forcing SpaceX to wait for Starship if Gen2 prototypes are ready to launch before the next-gen rocket.
Given that Starship will have to wait until at least March 2022 for its first orbital test flight after FAA review delays, it?s obviously implausible that the rocket will be ready to launch Starlink prototypes by then. Starship S20 ? currently said by CEO Elon Musk to be the first space-bound prototype ? doesn?t even have a payload bay. Unless SpaceX wants to wait several more months after that to kick off the flight-testing phase of Starlink Gen2 development, it?s likely that the first few satellites will launch on Falcon 9 ? either alongside routine Starlink V1.5 launches or on their own.
SpaceX ?intends? to start launching next-generation Starlink satellites in March
";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1641915625;}i:2;a:11:{s:5:"title";s:72:"It Looks Like Perseverance Just Found A Mars ?Rainbow? On The Red Planet";s:4:"link";s:96:"https://movs.world/space/it-looks-like-perseverance-just-found-a-mars-rainbow-on-the-red-planet/";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:11:"Susan Hally";}s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Tue, 11 Jan 2022 09:27:27 +0000";s:8:"category";s:37:"SpaceMarsPerseveranceplanetrainbowred";s:4:"guid";s:96:"https://movs.world/space/it-looks-like-perseverance-just-found-a-mars-rainbow-on-the-red-planet/";s:11:"description";s:664:"Perseverance has come across a lot of strange things on Mars. In this latest photo, did it really spot a large rainbow on the Red Planet? NASA’s Perseverance rover has captured many gorgeous sights since arriving on Mars nearly a year ago, and in its latest photo from the Red Planet, Perseverance sets its sights on ... Read more";s:7:"content";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";s:8865:"
Perseverance has come across a lot of strange things on Mars. In this latest photo, did it really spot a large rainbow on the Red Planet?
NASA’s Perseverance rover has captured many gorgeous sights since arriving on Mars nearly a year ago, and in its latest photo from the Red Planet, Perseverance sets its sights on a stunning Martian ‘rainbow.’ While it seems like it was just yesterday that Perseverance landed on Mars, the rover is quickly approaching its first birthday on the alien world. Since its arrival on February 18, 2021, Perseverance has been extremely busy. It’s collected valuable rock samples, explored areas of interest for the team back on Earth, and confirmed important details about the Jezero Crater it’s currently in.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY
Along with its extensive research, Perseverance also spends a good chunk of its time being a photographer. The rover uploads new photos of its journies every day, resulting in over 191,000 images uploaded in the past 11 months. As we’ve come to expect at this point, many of those pictures are nothing short of jaw-dropping. Perseverance has shared photos of Mars’ unique rock formations, large mountains, eerie sunrises, and a whole lot more. It’d be pretty amazing to visit Mars one day, but until then, these photos are the next best thing.
Related: New Perseverance Photo Shows Three Rocks ‘Sunbathing’ On Mars
Just a few days into 2022, Perseverance hasn’t skipped a beat with its regular uploads. The rover’s already shared hundreds of new images worth gawking over, with one being especially noteworthy. The above photo was captured with Perseverance’s Rear Right Hazard Avoidance Camera and acquired by NASA on January 9 (Sol 316) at 14:54. Like so many of Perseverance’s other pictures, this one perfectly encapsulates the alien environment Mars is so iconic for. It reveals the planet’s yellow sky, endless sand, and large dunes in the distance. There’s also something quite peculiar about this photo. Towards the right is what appears to be a rainbow ? starting from the ground below and going up into the sky beyond the camera’s field of view. It’s almost representative of a rainbow you’d see on Earth, but in reality, that’s not what’s really happening.
Why Mars Doesn’t Really Have Rainbows
Photo credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Unfortunately, what you see above isn’t a rainbow. Instead, it’s just a simple lens flare from Perseverance’s camera. This happens every now and then when Perseverance is photographing the Red Planet. It sets up its shot, the Sun reflects its light just right, and a flare like the one above appears. Some of the cameras aboard Perseverance have particularly wide angles, hence the arc-like appearance of the flare.
There’s also the fact that it’s physically impossible for rainbows to appear on Mars. Rainbows are the result of light reflecting off water droplets on the ground. Thanks to the severe lack of water on Mars, the chemistry just isn’t there for a rainbow to work. NASA had to address this very topic last April when Perseverance shared its first ‘rainbow’ photos. Everyone was convinced the rover had spotted a Martian rainbow when all they were really seeing was a generic lens flare.
Regardless of the true nature of this Mars ‘rainbow,’ this photo is another prime example of how well the Perseverance mission is going. 11 months in, and the rover has collected multiple samples, shared endless photos, and gotten more people interested in what it’s up to. 2022 is shaping up to be another exciting year for Perseverance ? and part of it will likely bring a few more ‘rainbow’ sightings before the year is up.
Next: Former Top NASA Scientist Says We Can Terraform Mars For Mankind
Source: NASA
90 Day Fiancé: Stephanie Matto’s Freakishly Large Toe Terrifies Fans
About The Author
Joe Maring (1202 Articles Published)
Joe has been actively writing and talking about consumer tech since 2012. His biggest passion lies with smartphones, but he’s happy to talk your ear off about just about anything with a CPU. He lives in Kalamazoo, MI with his wife, two cats, and pit bull/boxer mix.
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";}s:7:"summary";s:664:"Perseverance has come across a lot of strange things on Mars. In this latest photo, did it really spot a large rainbow on the Red Planet? NASA’s Perseverance rover has captured many gorgeous sights since arriving on Mars nearly a year ago, and in its latest photo from the Red Planet, Perseverance sets its sights on ... Read more";s:12:"atom_content";s:8865:"
Perseverance has come across a lot of strange things on Mars. In this latest photo, did it really spot a large rainbow on the Red Planet?
NASA’s Perseverance rover has captured many gorgeous sights since arriving on Mars nearly a year ago, and in its latest photo from the Red Planet, Perseverance sets its sights on a stunning Martian ‘rainbow.’ While it seems like it was just yesterday that Perseverance landed on Mars, the rover is quickly approaching its first birthday on the alien world. Since its arrival on February 18, 2021, Perseverance has been extremely busy. It’s collected valuable rock samples, explored areas of interest for the team back on Earth, and confirmed important details about the Jezero Crater it’s currently in.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY
Along with its extensive research, Perseverance also spends a good chunk of its time being a photographer. The rover uploads new photos of its journies every day, resulting in over 191,000 images uploaded in the past 11 months. As we’ve come to expect at this point, many of those pictures are nothing short of jaw-dropping. Perseverance has shared photos of Mars’ unique rock formations, large mountains, eerie sunrises, and a whole lot more. It’d be pretty amazing to visit Mars one day, but until then, these photos are the next best thing.
Related: New Perseverance Photo Shows Three Rocks ‘Sunbathing’ On Mars
Just a few days into 2022, Perseverance hasn’t skipped a beat with its regular uploads. The rover’s already shared hundreds of new images worth gawking over, with one being especially noteworthy. The above photo was captured with Perseverance’s Rear Right Hazard Avoidance Camera and acquired by NASA on January 9 (Sol 316) at 14:54. Like so many of Perseverance’s other pictures, this one perfectly encapsulates the alien environment Mars is so iconic for. It reveals the planet’s yellow sky, endless sand, and large dunes in the distance. There’s also something quite peculiar about this photo. Towards the right is what appears to be a rainbow ? starting from the ground below and going up into the sky beyond the camera’s field of view. It’s almost representative of a rainbow you’d see on Earth, but in reality, that’s not what’s really happening.
Why Mars Doesn’t Really Have Rainbows
Photo credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Unfortunately, what you see above isn’t a rainbow. Instead, it’s just a simple lens flare from Perseverance’s camera. This happens every now and then when Perseverance is photographing the Red Planet. It sets up its shot, the Sun reflects its light just right, and a flare like the one above appears. Some of the cameras aboard Perseverance have particularly wide angles, hence the arc-like appearance of the flare.
There’s also the fact that it’s physically impossible for rainbows to appear on Mars. Rainbows are the result of light reflecting off water droplets on the ground. Thanks to the severe lack of water on Mars, the chemistry just isn’t there for a rainbow to work. NASA had to address this very topic last April when Perseverance shared its first ‘rainbow’ photos. Everyone was convinced the rover had spotted a Martian rainbow when all they were really seeing was a generic lens flare.
Regardless of the true nature of this Mars ‘rainbow,’ this photo is another prime example of how well the Perseverance mission is going. 11 months in, and the rover has collected multiple samples, shared endless photos, and gotten more people interested in what it’s up to. 2022 is shaping up to be another exciting year for Perseverance ? and part of it will likely bring a few more ‘rainbow’ sightings before the year is up.
Next: Former Top NASA Scientist Says We Can Terraform Mars For Mankind
Source: NASA
90 Day Fiancé: Stephanie Matto’s Freakishly Large Toe Terrifies Fans
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";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1641893247;}i:3;a:11:{s:5:"title";s:80:"Korea takes one small step for sci-fi, but is it a giant leap for local content?";s:4:"link";s:104:"https://movs.world/space/korea-takes-one-small-step-for-sci-fi-but-is-it-a-giant-leap-for-local-content/";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:11:"Susan Hally";}s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Tue, 11 Jan 2022 08:56:26 +0000";s:8:"category";s:50:"SpacecontentgiantKorealeaplocalscifismallsteptakes";s:4:"guid";s:104:"https://movs.world/space/korea-takes-one-small-step-for-sci-fi-but-is-it-a-giant-leap-for-local-content/";s:11:"description";s:677:"Actor Bae Doo-na as doctor Song Ji-an, an astrobiologist and ethologist who is sent on a 24-hour mission to the moon to acquire a mysterious sample of “lunar water.” [NETFLIX] After the wave of attention that Netflix Korea?s ?Squid Game? brought Korean content, it seemed that the industry could do no wrong. That is, until ... Read more";s:7:"content";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";s:13821:"
Actor Bae Doo-na as doctor Song Ji-an, an astrobiologist and ethologist who is sent on a 24-hour mission to the moon to acquire a mysterious sample of “lunar water.” [NETFLIX]
After the wave of attention that Netflix Korea?s ?Squid Game? brought Korean content, it seemed that the industry could do no wrong.
That is, until Netflix Korea?s ?The Silent Sea? premiered on Dec. 24. The series followed another immensely popular series, director Yeon Sang-ho?s first Netflix project ?Hellbound? ? meaning that it already had a lot to live up to. Apart from its star-studded cast including Bae Doo-na and Gong Yoo and the fact that actor Jung Woo-sung acted as an executive producer, the series was highly anticipated because it was the first-ever Korean sci-fi series to be set in space.
Set in a dystopian future, the Earth?s desertification has led to a depletion of water. The series paints a dismal picture in which class hierarchies determine the quality and quantity of water that people can acquire. When it seems that Earth is slowly but surely drying up, a team of specialists is formed to get a sample of ?lunar water? from an abandoned research facility on the moon which may be the key to saving humanity.
However, the team quickly realizes just how deadly lunar water is, and how even though it might be their last hope, it could also lead to the destruction of humanity. The series has been expanded into eight episodes from director Choi Hang-yong?s 2014 short film ?The Sea of Tranquility.?
The show managed to climb to No. 3 on Netflix?s global daily chart, but unlike previous series which earned heaping praise for the creativity of the narrative and the portrayal of certain social dynamics, ?The Silent Sea? has received mixed feedback. While Forbes called it ?one of Netflix?s best Korean series, and best sci-fi series period,? the South China Morning Post gave it two out of five stars and harshly criticized one scene in particular, calling it ?one of the worst hours of TV this year.? Variety magazine praised the cast?s performance but deducted points for its slow place saying, ?the show?s eight episodes can grow turgid and slow, as if the series is dazzled by its own beauty. We are rushed through the establishment of this world, only to dawdle as time goes by.?
?Despite borrowing elements from all sorts of different sci-fi works, the result is a plodding, derivative saga that?s far less than the sum of its parts,? said Inverse, an online American magazine for science, technology and culture.
?What makes ?The Silent Sea? different from ?Squid Game? is that it?s trying to be countless other stories, and lacks the latter?s narrow vision and scope. Squid Game was about the game and not much else. The Silent Sea is about too many things, and none are allowed to develop fully.?
The show was also heavily criticized for its lack of details and inconsistencies in scientific facts. Regarding that criticism, Jung said during an online interview last week that he personally evaluates the series to be ?somewhere between space opera and space exploration.?
?Although it?s important to establish scientific analogies behind the narrative, we had to eliminate what was less important to us to focus more on unraveling the philosophical questions that the series throws [to the audience],? Jung said.
Director Choi detailed in a written interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily the behind-the-scenes difficulties regarding the scientific errors.
?We did try to receive consultation from experts to the best of our abilities,? he said. ?If the audience felt that the show lacked research, there may be parts that are that way but there were also scenes that were realistically difficult to create due to time and budget restraints. For instance, in our depiction of low gravity ? there were a total of 11 characters walking on the surface of the moon but we were technologically limited to only one person when using the wires [for the scenes]. And it was difficult to find a solution even with the expert?s help. The creation of this series was centered on future technologies that we could only imagine, but experts can only tell us whether such thing is possible based on the current development of science. For instance, when we asked about artificial gravity within Balhae station [the research facility on the moon], the answer we received was that it was impossible within the limits of current technology. In other words, we could only rely on the creator?s imagination to apply factors that was technically impossible to create. Since it was realistically improbable to make everything within the station low-gravity, artificial gravity was crucial to our setting and we thought that the audience would naturally accept it without any struggle as they have in other films in similar genres.?
A scene from “The Silent Sea” [NETFLIX]
In an online press interview on Dec. 30, Bae who previously featured in Hollywood sci-fi productions such as ?Cloud Atlas? (2012), “Jupiter Ascending? (2015) and television series ?Sense8? (2015-18), dubbed Korea as a ?sci-fi wasteland? and for her, ?The Silent Sea? exceeded far beyond her expectations of the local industry?s progress of the genre.
Korea?s content expertise has long been centered on romance, romantic comedies and recently zombie horrors. Apart from recent big-budget sci-fi films ?Space Sweepers? and ?Seobok,? both released last year, there are few examples to name in the genre.?Resurrection of the Little Match Girl? (2002) is commonly regarded as Korea?s first proper attempt at the genre. It failed terribly. The story centers around a video game player who falls in love with the character in the game world. The film sparked public interest as it was at the forefront of a genre that local audiences were unfamiliar with, and also because about 10 billion won ($8.3 million) was invested in the film ? a big budget at the time. The story was harshly judged because despite the financial investment, it lacked consistency, narrative and plausibility. There was also criticism of the cast?s poor performance. Other attempts at the genre include ?Natural City? (2003) ? in which a man falls in love with a cyborg programmed to be turned off in 10 days, and ?Sori: Voice from the Heart? (2016) ? that centers around a father who has been searching for his missing daughter for a decade and discovers a robot that remembers all the sounds in the world. Although the latter received positive reviews regarding its touching narrative, both flopped in terms of commercial success.
From the top, scenes from “Resurrection of the Little Match Girl” (2002), “Natural City” (2003) and “Sori: Voice from the Heart” (2016) [CJ ENTERTAINMENT, TUBE ENTERTAINMENT, LOTTE ENTERTAINMENT]
A problem that is frequently pointed out regarding all Korean content is that it fails to overcome its deeply-rooted narrative of shinpa [a Korean term referring to overly emotional scenes stemming from clichés such as relationships between lovers, friends and family or the sacrifices they make for their loved ones]. Recent films ?Space Sweepers? or ?Seobok? were no exception to this rule: the former revolved around the formation of a familial community and the bonding between a father-like figure and a child, while the latter was about the bond between a human and a clone. In both films, the two people who seemed that they would never get close, learn to care about each other and make sacrifices that they weren?t able to before.
?I don?t think there are any rules regarding when and where shinpa should be utilized,? film critic Lee Yong-chul said. ?It may sound obvious but if the narrative is used accordingly, it can be good for the content, and if not, it can make the story worse. I think ?Space Sweepers? is one representative example of how shinpa has been put to good use. Of course, for the people who don?t like that kind of touchy narrative that turns on the waterworks, the movie won?t hold any appeal, but I personally think that the shinpa element has been naturally mixed into the genre of space opera for ?Space Sweepers.??
Top, a scene from Netflix film “Space Sweepers” (2021) and below a scene from “Seobok” (2021) [NETFLIX, CJ ENM]
Another film critic, Kim Hyung-seok, determined that one of the reasons why ?The Silent Sea? garnered negative reviews was due to its hardcore nature.
?’The Silent Sea? cannot be categorized as space opera,? Kim said. ?This is hardcore sci-fi, and in this kind of genre, it?s crucial for the audiences who watch this kind of content that all the scientific settings make sense and are incorporated correctly into the story. The reason why ?Interstellar? [2014] saw huge success was that although it contained elements of shinpa such as familial love, the production staff did their best to scientifically cover facts such as black holes and time travel. If ?The Silent Sea? tried to verify the scientific theories and details related to space travel, it would have made headlines for those attempts alone.?
Kang Yoo-jung, who is also a film critic, evaluates that the genre is still a weak spot for the local content industry.
?The distinctness that differentiates Korean storytellers [from the rest of the world] is that the stories being told need to be based on reality [in order for the narrative to stand out],? Kang said. ?They need to be about stories based on extremely realistic issues and when creators use their imagination based on such settings, the story holds strength. ?Squid Game? and ?Hellbound? are both fiction but simultaneously hold critical and satirical viewpoints of social dynamics. Sci-fi, on the other hand, starts off from imagination alone and creators need to become more creative to build a story on top of that. So the two narratives that Korea is terrible at are sci-fi and fantasy. The reason why both genres are weak is that when it?s not based on realism, local audiences tend to think that the narrative itself is groundless, and when there?s no demand for it, only a few maniac creators remain within the industry [?] Sci-fi is not suitable for local sentiment.?
In order for the genre to thrive, Kang views that the entire approach to it needs to be changed.
?In the sociocultural context, we have transcended over to empirical science from pure science,? she explained. ?Although the areas of natural sciences and engineering is thriving, those who focus on pure science are still struggling. In the past, about 30 years ago, people used to say that scientists are the future of the world but now everyone wants to enter medical school and become doctors. [?] In order for the sci-fi genre to see the light, we need to become a society that appreciates ideological achievements and the purity of science. The genre itself cannot just begin to thrive when people?s horizons have not been expanded.?
BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]
";}s:7:"summary";s:677:"Actor Bae Doo-na as doctor Song Ji-an, an astrobiologist and ethologist who is sent on a 24-hour mission to the moon to acquire a mysterious sample of “lunar water.” [NETFLIX] After the wave of attention that Netflix Korea?s ?Squid Game? brought Korean content, it seemed that the industry could do no wrong. That is, until ... Read more";s:12:"atom_content";s:13821:"
Actor Bae Doo-na as doctor Song Ji-an, an astrobiologist and ethologist who is sent on a 24-hour mission to the moon to acquire a mysterious sample of “lunar water.” [NETFLIX]
After the wave of attention that Netflix Korea?s ?Squid Game? brought Korean content, it seemed that the industry could do no wrong.
That is, until Netflix Korea?s ?The Silent Sea? premiered on Dec. 24. The series followed another immensely popular series, director Yeon Sang-ho?s first Netflix project ?Hellbound? ? meaning that it already had a lot to live up to. Apart from its star-studded cast including Bae Doo-na and Gong Yoo and the fact that actor Jung Woo-sung acted as an executive producer, the series was highly anticipated because it was the first-ever Korean sci-fi series to be set in space.
Set in a dystopian future, the Earth?s desertification has led to a depletion of water. The series paints a dismal picture in which class hierarchies determine the quality and quantity of water that people can acquire. When it seems that Earth is slowly but surely drying up, a team of specialists is formed to get a sample of ?lunar water? from an abandoned research facility on the moon which may be the key to saving humanity.
However, the team quickly realizes just how deadly lunar water is, and how even though it might be their last hope, it could also lead to the destruction of humanity. The series has been expanded into eight episodes from director Choi Hang-yong?s 2014 short film ?The Sea of Tranquility.?
The show managed to climb to No. 3 on Netflix?s global daily chart, but unlike previous series which earned heaping praise for the creativity of the narrative and the portrayal of certain social dynamics, ?The Silent Sea? has received mixed feedback. While Forbes called it ?one of Netflix?s best Korean series, and best sci-fi series period,? the South China Morning Post gave it two out of five stars and harshly criticized one scene in particular, calling it ?one of the worst hours of TV this year.? Variety magazine praised the cast?s performance but deducted points for its slow place saying, ?the show?s eight episodes can grow turgid and slow, as if the series is dazzled by its own beauty. We are rushed through the establishment of this world, only to dawdle as time goes by.?
?Despite borrowing elements from all sorts of different sci-fi works, the result is a plodding, derivative saga that?s far less than the sum of its parts,? said Inverse, an online American magazine for science, technology and culture.
?What makes ?The Silent Sea? different from ?Squid Game? is that it?s trying to be countless other stories, and lacks the latter?s narrow vision and scope. Squid Game was about the game and not much else. The Silent Sea is about too many things, and none are allowed to develop fully.?
The show was also heavily criticized for its lack of details and inconsistencies in scientific facts. Regarding that criticism, Jung said during an online interview last week that he personally evaluates the series to be ?somewhere between space opera and space exploration.?
?Although it?s important to establish scientific analogies behind the narrative, we had to eliminate what was less important to us to focus more on unraveling the philosophical questions that the series throws [to the audience],? Jung said.
Director Choi detailed in a written interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily the behind-the-scenes difficulties regarding the scientific errors.
?We did try to receive consultation from experts to the best of our abilities,? he said. ?If the audience felt that the show lacked research, there may be parts that are that way but there were also scenes that were realistically difficult to create due to time and budget restraints. For instance, in our depiction of low gravity ? there were a total of 11 characters walking on the surface of the moon but we were technologically limited to only one person when using the wires [for the scenes]. And it was difficult to find a solution even with the expert?s help. The creation of this series was centered on future technologies that we could only imagine, but experts can only tell us whether such thing is possible based on the current development of science. For instance, when we asked about artificial gravity within Balhae station [the research facility on the moon], the answer we received was that it was impossible within the limits of current technology. In other words, we could only rely on the creator?s imagination to apply factors that was technically impossible to create. Since it was realistically improbable to make everything within the station low-gravity, artificial gravity was crucial to our setting and we thought that the audience would naturally accept it without any struggle as they have in other films in similar genres.?
A scene from “The Silent Sea” [NETFLIX]
In an online press interview on Dec. 30, Bae who previously featured in Hollywood sci-fi productions such as ?Cloud Atlas? (2012), “Jupiter Ascending? (2015) and television series ?Sense8? (2015-18), dubbed Korea as a ?sci-fi wasteland? and for her, ?The Silent Sea? exceeded far beyond her expectations of the local industry?s progress of the genre.
Korea?s content expertise has long been centered on romance, romantic comedies and recently zombie horrors. Apart from recent big-budget sci-fi films ?Space Sweepers? and ?Seobok,? both released last year, there are few examples to name in the genre.?Resurrection of the Little Match Girl? (2002) is commonly regarded as Korea?s first proper attempt at the genre. It failed terribly. The story centers around a video game player who falls in love with the character in the game world. The film sparked public interest as it was at the forefront of a genre that local audiences were unfamiliar with, and also because about 10 billion won ($8.3 million) was invested in the film ? a big budget at the time. The story was harshly judged because despite the financial investment, it lacked consistency, narrative and plausibility. There was also criticism of the cast?s poor performance. Other attempts at the genre include ?Natural City? (2003) ? in which a man falls in love with a cyborg programmed to be turned off in 10 days, and ?Sori: Voice from the Heart? (2016) ? that centers around a father who has been searching for his missing daughter for a decade and discovers a robot that remembers all the sounds in the world. Although the latter received positive reviews regarding its touching narrative, both flopped in terms of commercial success.
From the top, scenes from “Resurrection of the Little Match Girl” (2002), “Natural City” (2003) and “Sori: Voice from the Heart” (2016) [CJ ENTERTAINMENT, TUBE ENTERTAINMENT, LOTTE ENTERTAINMENT]
A problem that is frequently pointed out regarding all Korean content is that it fails to overcome its deeply-rooted narrative of shinpa [a Korean term referring to overly emotional scenes stemming from clichés such as relationships between lovers, friends and family or the sacrifices they make for their loved ones]. Recent films ?Space Sweepers? or ?Seobok? were no exception to this rule: the former revolved around the formation of a familial community and the bonding between a father-like figure and a child, while the latter was about the bond between a human and a clone. In both films, the two people who seemed that they would never get close, learn to care about each other and make sacrifices that they weren?t able to before.
?I don?t think there are any rules regarding when and where shinpa should be utilized,? film critic Lee Yong-chul said. ?It may sound obvious but if the narrative is used accordingly, it can be good for the content, and if not, it can make the story worse. I think ?Space Sweepers? is one representative example of how shinpa has been put to good use. Of course, for the people who don?t like that kind of touchy narrative that turns on the waterworks, the movie won?t hold any appeal, but I personally think that the shinpa element has been naturally mixed into the genre of space opera for ?Space Sweepers.??
Top, a scene from Netflix film “Space Sweepers” (2021) and below a scene from “Seobok” (2021) [NETFLIX, CJ ENM]
Another film critic, Kim Hyung-seok, determined that one of the reasons why ?The Silent Sea? garnered negative reviews was due to its hardcore nature.
?’The Silent Sea? cannot be categorized as space opera,? Kim said. ?This is hardcore sci-fi, and in this kind of genre, it?s crucial for the audiences who watch this kind of content that all the scientific settings make sense and are incorporated correctly into the story. The reason why ?Interstellar? [2014] saw huge success was that although it contained elements of shinpa such as familial love, the production staff did their best to scientifically cover facts such as black holes and time travel. If ?The Silent Sea? tried to verify the scientific theories and details related to space travel, it would have made headlines for those attempts alone.?
Kang Yoo-jung, who is also a film critic, evaluates that the genre is still a weak spot for the local content industry.
?The distinctness that differentiates Korean storytellers [from the rest of the world] is that the stories being told need to be based on reality [in order for the narrative to stand out],? Kang said. ?They need to be about stories based on extremely realistic issues and when creators use their imagination based on such settings, the story holds strength. ?Squid Game? and ?Hellbound? are both fiction but simultaneously hold critical and satirical viewpoints of social dynamics. Sci-fi, on the other hand, starts off from imagination alone and creators need to become more creative to build a story on top of that. So the two narratives that Korea is terrible at are sci-fi and fantasy. The reason why both genres are weak is that when it?s not based on realism, local audiences tend to think that the narrative itself is groundless, and when there?s no demand for it, only a few maniac creators remain within the industry [?] Sci-fi is not suitable for local sentiment.?
In order for the genre to thrive, Kang views that the entire approach to it needs to be changed.
?In the sociocultural context, we have transcended over to empirical science from pure science,? she explained. ?Although the areas of natural sciences and engineering is thriving, those who focus on pure science are still struggling. In the past, about 30 years ago, people used to say that scientists are the future of the world but now everyone wants to enter medical school and become doctors. [?] In order for the sci-fi genre to see the light, we need to become a society that appreciates ideological achievements and the purity of science. The genre itself cannot just begin to thrive when people?s horizons have not been expanded.?
BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]
";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1641891386;}i:4;a:11:{s:5:"title";s:42:"NASA Announcement of Opportunity (Updated)";s:4:"link";s:66:"https://movs.world/space/nasa-announcement-of-opportunity-updated/";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:11:"Susan Hally";}s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Tue, 11 Jan 2022 06:20:49 +0000";s:8:"category";s:39:"SpaceAnnouncementNASAopportunityUPDATED";s:4:"guid";s:66:"https://movs.world/space/nasa-announcement-of-opportunity-updated/";s:11:"description";s:655:"NASA Announcement of Opportunity (Updated) – Associate Element Scientist, Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC), Human Research Program (HRP) Status Report From: NASA HQ Posted: Monday, January 10, 2022 Note: Updated portion is highlighted below. Position: Associate Element Scientist, Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC), Human Research Program (HRP) Area of Consideration: Open to all qualified US Citizens, permanent ... Read more";s:7:"content";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";s:19443:"
NASA Announcement of Opportunity (Updated) – Associate Element Scientist, Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC), Human Research Program (HRP)
Status Report
From: NASA HQ Posted: Monday, January 10, 2022
Note: Updated portion is highlighted below.
Position:
Associate Element Scientist, Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC), Human Research Program (HRP)
Area of Consideration:
Open to all qualified US Citizens, permanent residents, or non-residents with a US ?J? Visa
Location:
NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX Human Health & Performance Directorate Space Medicine Operations Division
Term:
Two years with potential for extension.
Application Period:
December 15, 2021 to January 31, 2022
Description
The Human Research Program seeks a candidate to fill the position of Associate Element Scientist for the Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC) Element of the Human Research Program (HRP). This team helps to determine and develop the human health and performance capabilities needed for future human exploration missions.
The Associate Element Scientist will work with the ExMC Element Manager, Element Scientist, Deputy Element Manager, and the Deputy Element Scientist to provide technical leadership to ExMC, advocating for the science, representing this science within NASA, ensuring the development of health risk mitigation strategies in support of space exploration, and handling of domestic and international external interfaces ensuring the effective coordination and execution of research activities. The incumbent will provide support to the HRP by providing medical expertise to inform ExMC priorities, including medical risk assessment and reduction.
This position is anticipated to be filled at 50-80% time (to be negotiated), allowing remaining time for work (clinical or other) at the home institution. The incumbent will not provide direct patient care at NASA as this is a non-operational role. While the incumbent will be affiliated through Johnson Space Center, this position can be performed remotely with periodic travel required.
Major Duties/Responsibilities:
Serves as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for all ExMC risks (Medical, Pharmacy, Renal Stones, Dust) and provides integration of risk reduction work across the entire ExMC portfolio
·Recommends mitigation strategies for assigned risks and supports the Element Science team in development and execution of the scientific strategy for the assigned risks
·Provides scientific recommendations on technical content and scientific direction of research plans associated with Element risks for research tasks and science integration
·Synthesizes the outcomes of research studies to develop deliverables for review as requested by the Element Leadership Team (e.g. NASA Technical Reports, HRP Evidence Reports, conference presentations, Human System Risk Board Risk Reviews, journal manuscripts, etc.)
·Contributes ExMC content to HRP documents and deliverables
·Supports collaborations with other Elements and external organizations as directed by the Element Leadership Team
·Presents scientific material at both internal and external meetings and conferences
·Works in close coordination with the ExMC Leadership Team to contribute to the overall Element success, priorities, and objectives
·Responsible for participating in peer review of technical papers and manuscripts developed within the ExMC element
·Responsible for providing mentorship to students and medical residents rotating with the element
Qualifications:
Required:
·Degree in medicine (Medical Doctor or Doctor of Osteopathy) licensed to practice in the United States
·Knowledge, expertise, and/or experience with spaceflight operations, aerospace medicine, medical care in austere environments, wilderness medicine, military/operational medicine, or diving/hyperbaric medicine
Desired:
·Clinical Board certification or Board eligibility
·Relevant academic and/or research experience related to mitigating and managing the risks associated with human health and performance in space
Candidate Characteristics:
·Expert skills at communicating effectively with professional and non-professional personnel at all technical and managerial levels in both oral and written form
·Independently plan, design, execute, and evaluate projects, programs, studies, or other work
·Uses judgment and ingenuity to interpret HRP and ExMC needs and develop high-quality work on behalf of the Element
·Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to facilitate group decision-making on complex scientific and technical subjects
·Strong ability to create technical partnerships within and outside of HRP
·Uses extensive probing and analysis to determine the nature and scope of problems
Travel expectations:
·Approximately once a quarter (pending alleviation of COVID-19 travel restrictions)
·Travel for badging is permitted (pending alleviation of COVID-19 travel restrictions)
To apply:
Please submit a Curriculum Vita, name/titles/contact information for 3-5 references, and a cover letter explaining your qualifications in a single PDF file to jsc-sd-applications@mail.nasa.gov.
Note: Individuals eligible for an Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) assignment with a federal agency include employees of state and local governments; private and public colleges and universities; Indian Tribal governments; federally funded research and development centers; and qualified non-profit organizations involved in public management organizations where such assignments would be of mutual benefit to the organizations involved. With special NASA flexibilities, the initial IPA appointment may be made for up to two years, with possible extensions for up to two additional two-year periods. An employee of a non-Federal organization must be employed by that organization for at least 90 days in a permanent position before entering into an IPA agreement. While on detail, the individual remains an employee of the home institution, as such remains covered under their permanent employer’s leave and benefit system. Federal Agencies do not offer permanent positions as a part of IPA assignments. NASA will negotiate funding of the detailee?s salary and benefits with the detailee?s home institution.
// end //
More status reports and news releases or top stories.
Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
";}s:7:"summary";s:655:"NASA Announcement of Opportunity (Updated) – Associate Element Scientist, Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC), Human Research Program (HRP) Status Report From: NASA HQ Posted: Monday, January 10, 2022 Note: Updated portion is highlighted below. Position: Associate Element Scientist, Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC), Human Research Program (HRP) Area of Consideration: Open to all qualified US Citizens, permanent ... Read more";s:12:"atom_content";s:19443:"
NASA Announcement of Opportunity (Updated) – Associate Element Scientist, Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC), Human Research Program (HRP)
Status Report
From: NASA HQ Posted: Monday, January 10, 2022
Note: Updated portion is highlighted below.
Position:
Associate Element Scientist, Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC), Human Research Program (HRP)
Area of Consideration:
Open to all qualified US Citizens, permanent residents, or non-residents with a US ?J? Visa
Location:
NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX Human Health & Performance Directorate Space Medicine Operations Division
Term:
Two years with potential for extension.
Application Period:
December 15, 2021 to January 31, 2022
Description
The Human Research Program seeks a candidate to fill the position of Associate Element Scientist for the Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC) Element of the Human Research Program (HRP). This team helps to determine and develop the human health and performance capabilities needed for future human exploration missions.
The Associate Element Scientist will work with the ExMC Element Manager, Element Scientist, Deputy Element Manager, and the Deputy Element Scientist to provide technical leadership to ExMC, advocating for the science, representing this science within NASA, ensuring the development of health risk mitigation strategies in support of space exploration, and handling of domestic and international external interfaces ensuring the effective coordination and execution of research activities. The incumbent will provide support to the HRP by providing medical expertise to inform ExMC priorities, including medical risk assessment and reduction.
This position is anticipated to be filled at 50-80% time (to be negotiated), allowing remaining time for work (clinical or other) at the home institution. The incumbent will not provide direct patient care at NASA as this is a non-operational role. While the incumbent will be affiliated through Johnson Space Center, this position can be performed remotely with periodic travel required.
Major Duties/Responsibilities:
Serves as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for all ExMC risks (Medical, Pharmacy, Renal Stones, Dust) and provides integration of risk reduction work across the entire ExMC portfolio
·Recommends mitigation strategies for assigned risks and supports the Element Science team in development and execution of the scientific strategy for the assigned risks
·Provides scientific recommendations on technical content and scientific direction of research plans associated with Element risks for research tasks and science integration
·Synthesizes the outcomes of research studies to develop deliverables for review as requested by the Element Leadership Team (e.g. NASA Technical Reports, HRP Evidence Reports, conference presentations, Human System Risk Board Risk Reviews, journal manuscripts, etc.)
·Contributes ExMC content to HRP documents and deliverables
·Supports collaborations with other Elements and external organizations as directed by the Element Leadership Team
·Presents scientific material at both internal and external meetings and conferences
·Works in close coordination with the ExMC Leadership Team to contribute to the overall Element success, priorities, and objectives
·Responsible for participating in peer review of technical papers and manuscripts developed within the ExMC element
·Responsible for providing mentorship to students and medical residents rotating with the element
Qualifications:
Required:
·Degree in medicine (Medical Doctor or Doctor of Osteopathy) licensed to practice in the United States
·Knowledge, expertise, and/or experience with spaceflight operations, aerospace medicine, medical care in austere environments, wilderness medicine, military/operational medicine, or diving/hyperbaric medicine
Desired:
·Clinical Board certification or Board eligibility
·Relevant academic and/or research experience related to mitigating and managing the risks associated with human health and performance in space
Candidate Characteristics:
·Expert skills at communicating effectively with professional and non-professional personnel at all technical and managerial levels in both oral and written form
·Independently plan, design, execute, and evaluate projects, programs, studies, or other work
·Uses judgment and ingenuity to interpret HRP and ExMC needs and develop high-quality work on behalf of the Element
·Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to facilitate group decision-making on complex scientific and technical subjects
·Strong ability to create technical partnerships within and outside of HRP
·Uses extensive probing and analysis to determine the nature and scope of problems
Travel expectations:
·Approximately once a quarter (pending alleviation of COVID-19 travel restrictions)
·Travel for badging is permitted (pending alleviation of COVID-19 travel restrictions)
To apply:
Please submit a Curriculum Vita, name/titles/contact information for 3-5 references, and a cover letter explaining your qualifications in a single PDF file to jsc-sd-applications@mail.nasa.gov.
Note: Individuals eligible for an Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) assignment with a federal agency include employees of state and local governments; private and public colleges and universities; Indian Tribal governments; federally funded research and development centers; and qualified non-profit organizations involved in public management organizations where such assignments would be of mutual benefit to the organizations involved. With special NASA flexibilities, the initial IPA appointment may be made for up to two years, with possible extensions for up to two additional two-year periods. An employee of a non-Federal organization must be employed by that organization for at least 90 days in a permanent position before entering into an IPA agreement. While on detail, the individual remains an employee of the home institution, as such remains covered under their permanent employer’s leave and benefit system. Federal Agencies do not offer permanent positions as a part of IPA assignments. NASA will negotiate funding of the detailee?s salary and benefits with the detailee?s home institution.
// end //
More status reports and news releases or top stories.
Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1641882049;}i:5;a:11:{s:5:"title";s:175:"China?s Chang?e-5 Mission Confirms Existence of Water on Moon; Finds First On-Site Evidence of Water on Lunar Surface | The Weather Channel ? Articles from The Weather Channel";s:4:"link";s:194:"https://movs.world/space/chinas-change-5-mission-confirms-existence-of-water-on-moon-finds-first-on-site-evidence-of-water-on-lunar-surface-the-weather-channel-articles-from-the-weather-channel/";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:11:"Susan Hally";}s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Tue, 11 Jan 2022 05:49:20 +0000";s:8:"category";s:104:"SpaceArticlesChange5ChannelChinasconfirmsEvidenceExistencefindslunarmissionMoonOnSiteSurfacewaterweather";s:4:"guid";s:194:"https://movs.world/space/chinas-change-5-mission-confirms-existence-of-water-on-moon-finds-first-on-site-evidence-of-water-on-lunar-surface-the-weather-channel-articles-from-the-weather-channel/";s:11:"description";s:1012:"Representational Image (NASA Ames Research Center/Brian Day) There are as much as 120 parts per million of water (as hydroxyl and H2O) in the lunar regolith, new data from the lander of China’s Chang’e-5 lunar probe has revealed. According to space analysts, this fresh discovery of a critical resource on the Moon is excellent news ... Read more";s:7:"content";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";s:3370:"
Representational Image
(NASA Ames Research Center/Brian Day)
There are as much as 120 parts per million of water (as hydroxyl and H2O) in the lunar regolith, new data from the lander of China’s Chang’e-5 lunar probe has revealed.
According to space analysts, this fresh discovery of a critical resource on the Moon is excellent news for humanity’s endeavour to build and operate research stations and even migration to Mars, the Global Times reported.
A joint research team from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences discovered the presence of lunar water. They made observations of the water signals in reflectance spectral data from the lunar surface collected by the Chang’e-5 lander. Their study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances. In the study, water on the Moon “is mostly attributed to solar wind implantation”, the report said.
Before this, many orbital observations and sample measurements completed over the past decade have found evidence of the presence of water (as hydroxyl and H2O) on the Moon. However, no in-situ measurements were previously conducted on the lunar surface.
The existence of water could support human survival on the Moon and help generate fuel for spacecraft such as rockets, Song Zhongping, a space analyst and TV commentator, was quoted as saying.
By carrying two lunar samples, China’s Chang’e-5 safely landed at a designated site in Siziwang Banner of north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on December 17, 2020. The researcher said that the Chang’e-6 and -7 missions would continue to search for water on the Moon.
China plans to launch the Chang’e-7 probe to the lunar South Pole first, followed by the Chang’e-6 for sampling and return mission from the lunar South Pole. Chang’e-8, the last piece of the fourth phase, will construct a primary form of the International Lunar Research Station, the report said.
**
The above article has been published from a wire source with minimal modifications to the headline and text.
";}s:7:"summary";s:1012:"Representational Image (NASA Ames Research Center/Brian Day) There are as much as 120 parts per million of water (as hydroxyl and H2O) in the lunar regolith, new data from the lander of China’s Chang’e-5 lunar probe has revealed. According to space analysts, this fresh discovery of a critical resource on the Moon is excellent news ... Read more";s:12:"atom_content";s:3370:"
Representational Image
(NASA Ames Research Center/Brian Day)
There are as much as 120 parts per million of water (as hydroxyl and H2O) in the lunar regolith, new data from the lander of China’s Chang’e-5 lunar probe has revealed.
According to space analysts, this fresh discovery of a critical resource on the Moon is excellent news for humanity’s endeavour to build and operate research stations and even migration to Mars, the Global Times reported.
A joint research team from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences discovered the presence of lunar water. They made observations of the water signals in reflectance spectral data from the lunar surface collected by the Chang’e-5 lander. Their study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances. In the study, water on the Moon “is mostly attributed to solar wind implantation”, the report said.
Before this, many orbital observations and sample measurements completed over the past decade have found evidence of the presence of water (as hydroxyl and H2O) on the Moon. However, no in-situ measurements were previously conducted on the lunar surface.
The existence of water could support human survival on the Moon and help generate fuel for spacecraft such as rockets, Song Zhongping, a space analyst and TV commentator, was quoted as saying.
By carrying two lunar samples, China’s Chang’e-5 safely landed at a designated site in Siziwang Banner of north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on December 17, 2020. The researcher said that the Chang’e-6 and -7 missions would continue to search for water on the Moon.
China plans to launch the Chang’e-7 probe to the lunar South Pole first, followed by the Chang’e-6 for sampling and return mission from the lunar South Pole. Chang’e-8, the last piece of the fourth phase, will construct a primary form of the International Lunar Research Station, the report said.
**
The above article has been published from a wire source with minimal modifications to the headline and text.
";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1641880160;}i:6;a:11:{s:5:"title";s:83:"Billionaire space race blazes new paths in commercial spaceflight ? next stop, Mars";s:4:"link";s:106:"https://movs.world/space/billionaire-space-race-blazes-new-paths-in-commercial-spaceflight-next-stop-mars/";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:11:"Susan Hally";}s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Tue, 11 Jan 2022 05:18:18 +0000";s:8:"category";s:60:"SpacebillionaireblazescommercialMarspathsraceSpaceflightstop";s:4:"guid";s:106:"https://movs.world/space/billionaire-space-race-blazes-new-paths-in-commercial-spaceflight-next-stop-mars/";s:11:"description";s:722:"Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin reached space in 2021, and SpaceX sent an all-civilian crew on an orbital journey around the planet. 2021 witnessed milestones in space travel, with three billionaires bolting into space and kickstarting a commercial space race. The billionaires involved include Jeff Bezos, who is behind Blue Origin, Richard Branson, who heads ... Read more";s:7:"content";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";s:6580:"
Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin reached space in 2021, and SpaceX sent an all-civilian crew on an orbital journey around the planet.
2021 witnessed milestones in space travel, with three billionaires bolting into space and kickstarting a commercial space race.
The billionaires involved include Jeff Bezos, who is behind Blue Origin, Richard Branson, who heads Virgin Galactic/Virgin Orbit, and SpaceX founder Elon Musk.
The private industry space race of the 21st century started with rockets sent to the mesosphere and thermosphere, orbital rocket launches and suborbital tourist spaceflights.
Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic are in the same market: suborbital space tourism.
In this article:
In July 2021, Richard Branson became the first non-professional astronaut to complete a suborbital spaceflight.
Jeff Bezos made a short journey to space nine days later, in the first crewed flight of his rocket ship, New Shepard.
Two minutes into the flight, New Shepard?s capsule separated from its rocket and continued upwards towards the Karman Line ? the most widely recognised boundary of space, that lies 100 kilometres from the earth?s surface.
Elon Musk and SpaceX
SpaceX, the first private company to successfully launch, orbit and recover a spacecraft and the first private company to send a spacecraft to the International Space Station, was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk.
The company developed its first orbital launch vehicle, the Falcon 1, in 2005 but its first three launches, between 2006 and 2008, all resulted in failures.
Things started to turn around when the first successful launch was achieved shortly after on the fourth attempt in September 2008.
In 2017, SpaceX achieved a 45% global market share for awarded commercial launch contracts and by March 2018, SpaceX had more than 100 launches on its manifest with about US$12 billion in contract revenue.
Falcon 9 rocket and SpaceX building.
SpaceX, recently valued at US$100 billion, was awarded an exclusive NASA contract in April 2021 to put US astronauts on the Moon for the first time since 1972.
In September 2021, SpaceX executed a three-day orbital mission around the Earth featuring four civilians on Inspiration4.
The Inspiration4 team launched on a capsule from Florida and splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean three days later.
Musk, who was named Time’s Person of the Year, also has big plans for Mars: to build a self-sustaining city with solar-powered hydroponic farms where humans can permanently live, 34 million miles away from Earth.
He told Time that: “The next really big thing is to build a self-sustaining city on Mars and bring the animals and creatures of Earth there.?
Spinoffs from space technology
While there are differing opinions on the benefits of the billionaire space race, space exploration and research has helped develop and advance many spinoff technologies over the years.
Infrared ear thermometers are a derivative of NASA?s technology to measure the temperature of stars and planets using infrared astronomy technology.
Deep space exploration missions use digital image processing technology developed by Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
JPL subsequently adapted this technology to help create modern CAT scanners and radiography.
Modern laptops use technology that originated from Shuttle Portable Onboard Computer (SPOC), which was developed in the early 1980s for NASA?s space shuttle program.
Many other products including wireless headsets, LED lighting, portable cordless vacuums, freeze-dried foods, memory foam and scratch-resistant eyeglass lenses have all benefited from space technology research and development, according to Aldo Spadoni, president of Aerospace Imagineering.
New methods of sustaining human life in space
NASA and other government space agencies continue to focus on solving more difficult problems involving space exploration such as deep space capabilities and improving human life support systems.
Having said that, NASA has placed many of the challenges of commercialising space to the private space industry with the hopes of developing innovations that help improve human living conditions in space.
The billionaire space race and the commercialisation of space in the private sector are expected to lead to reducing flight costs, developing new methods of sustaining human life in space, and may provide the opportunity for more tourists to experience low Earth orbit travel in the future.
Space colonization
The rationale for investment in space exploration has witnessed a dramatic shift since the 20th-century space race.
Space exploration of the late 20th century was driven by competition between the Soviet Union and the US to achieve the first spaceflight and to land a human on the Moon.
Now, the private sector has started investing in space exploration in a major way alongside governments.
The private sector is keen on exploring the potential of space colonisation as a means of ensuring the survival of human civilisation given a planetary disaster.
It can be argued that colonising other planets allows for the dispersal of humans and thus increases the likelihood of survival given a planetary disaster.
Mining in space
The availability of additional resources that can be mined from space could also potentially benefit humans.
These resources can help move high polluting industries to space, reducing the emissions on earth and ultimately lead to finding cleaner energy sources.
NASA has taken some baby steps toward this goal by awarding contracts to four companies to extract small amounts of lunar regolith by 2024, effectively beginning the era of commercial space mining.
";}s:7:"summary";s:722:"Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin reached space in 2021, and SpaceX sent an all-civilian crew on an orbital journey around the planet. 2021 witnessed milestones in space travel, with three billionaires bolting into space and kickstarting a commercial space race. The billionaires involved include Jeff Bezos, who is behind Blue Origin, Richard Branson, who heads ... Read more";s:12:"atom_content";s:6580:"
Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin reached space in 2021, and SpaceX sent an all-civilian crew on an orbital journey around the planet.
2021 witnessed milestones in space travel, with three billionaires bolting into space and kickstarting a commercial space race.
The billionaires involved include Jeff Bezos, who is behind Blue Origin, Richard Branson, who heads Virgin Galactic/Virgin Orbit, and SpaceX founder Elon Musk.
The private industry space race of the 21st century started with rockets sent to the mesosphere and thermosphere, orbital rocket launches and suborbital tourist spaceflights.
Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic are in the same market: suborbital space tourism.
In this article:
In July 2021, Richard Branson became the first non-professional astronaut to complete a suborbital spaceflight.
Jeff Bezos made a short journey to space nine days later, in the first crewed flight of his rocket ship, New Shepard.
Two minutes into the flight, New Shepard?s capsule separated from its rocket and continued upwards towards the Karman Line ? the most widely recognised boundary of space, that lies 100 kilometres from the earth?s surface.
Elon Musk and SpaceX
SpaceX, the first private company to successfully launch, orbit and recover a spacecraft and the first private company to send a spacecraft to the International Space Station, was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk.
The company developed its first orbital launch vehicle, the Falcon 1, in 2005 but its first three launches, between 2006 and 2008, all resulted in failures.
Things started to turn around when the first successful launch was achieved shortly after on the fourth attempt in September 2008.
In 2017, SpaceX achieved a 45% global market share for awarded commercial launch contracts and by March 2018, SpaceX had more than 100 launches on its manifest with about US$12 billion in contract revenue.
Falcon 9 rocket and SpaceX building.
SpaceX, recently valued at US$100 billion, was awarded an exclusive NASA contract in April 2021 to put US astronauts on the Moon for the first time since 1972.
In September 2021, SpaceX executed a three-day orbital mission around the Earth featuring four civilians on Inspiration4.
The Inspiration4 team launched on a capsule from Florida and splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean three days later.
Musk, who was named Time’s Person of the Year, also has big plans for Mars: to build a self-sustaining city with solar-powered hydroponic farms where humans can permanently live, 34 million miles away from Earth.
He told Time that: “The next really big thing is to build a self-sustaining city on Mars and bring the animals and creatures of Earth there.?
Spinoffs from space technology
While there are differing opinions on the benefits of the billionaire space race, space exploration and research has helped develop and advance many spinoff technologies over the years.
Infrared ear thermometers are a derivative of NASA?s technology to measure the temperature of stars and planets using infrared astronomy technology.
Deep space exploration missions use digital image processing technology developed by Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
JPL subsequently adapted this technology to help create modern CAT scanners and radiography.
Modern laptops use technology that originated from Shuttle Portable Onboard Computer (SPOC), which was developed in the early 1980s for NASA?s space shuttle program.
Many other products including wireless headsets, LED lighting, portable cordless vacuums, freeze-dried foods, memory foam and scratch-resistant eyeglass lenses have all benefited from space technology research and development, according to Aldo Spadoni, president of Aerospace Imagineering.
New methods of sustaining human life in space
NASA and other government space agencies continue to focus on solving more difficult problems involving space exploration such as deep space capabilities and improving human life support systems.
Having said that, NASA has placed many of the challenges of commercialising space to the private space industry with the hopes of developing innovations that help improve human living conditions in space.
The billionaire space race and the commercialisation of space in the private sector are expected to lead to reducing flight costs, developing new methods of sustaining human life in space, and may provide the opportunity for more tourists to experience low Earth orbit travel in the future.
Space colonization
The rationale for investment in space exploration has witnessed a dramatic shift since the 20th-century space race.
Space exploration of the late 20th century was driven by competition between the Soviet Union and the US to achieve the first spaceflight and to land a human on the Moon.
Now, the private sector has started investing in space exploration in a major way alongside governments.
The private sector is keen on exploring the potential of space colonisation as a means of ensuring the survival of human civilisation given a planetary disaster.
It can be argued that colonising other planets allows for the dispersal of humans and thus increases the likelihood of survival given a planetary disaster.
Mining in space
The availability of additional resources that can be mined from space could also potentially benefit humans.
These resources can help move high polluting industries to space, reducing the emissions on earth and ultimately lead to finding cleaner energy sources.
NASA has taken some baby steps toward this goal by awarding contracts to four companies to extract small amounts of lunar regolith by 2024, effectively beginning the era of commercial space mining.
";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1641878298;}i:7;a:11:{s:5:"title";s:54:"Legislation seeks to boost Florida for launch business";s:4:"link";s:80:"https://movs.world/space/legislation-seeks-to-boost-florida-for-launch-business/";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:11:"Susan Hally";}s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Tue, 11 Jan 2022 04:47:23 +0000";s:8:"category";s:47:"SpaceBoostbusinessFloridalaunchlegislationseeks";s:4:"guid";s:80:"https://movs.world/space/legislation-seeks-to-boost-florida-for-launch-business/";s:11:"description";s:570:"What if a company could launch a rocket into space from Florida and pay no sales tax on the rocket, its payload, its fuel or even the concrete, steel and equipment needed to create the launch pad? That would be the reality if lawmakers this Session approve legislation from Sen. Tom Wright and Rep. Tyler ... Read more";s:7:"content";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";s:7641:"
What if a company could launch a rocket into space from Florida and pay no sales tax on the rocket, its payload, its fuel or even the concrete, steel and equipment needed to create the launch pad?
That would be the reality if lawmakers this Session approve legislation from Sen. Tom Wright and Rep. Tyler Sirois (SB 1466, HB 65).
?What it looks like the state Legislature is doing is trying to create the most favorable environment possible for capital associated with the space industry, to be competitive with other states,? observed Jared M. Stout, director of congressional and regulatory policy at the Washington firm of Meeks, Butera & Israel. Stout also formerly served as a staffer in the Florida Legislature and Florida?s congressional delegation, with ties to Florida?s Space Coast.
While tax exemptions on anything going into space from Florida might seem like a niche incentive now, with three or four dozen rockets going up each year, the stakes are far greater for the not-too-distant future. So too are the prospects of revenue from any exempted taxes. The commercial space industry is emerging and growing so rapidly that hundreds of launches a year are projected before the end of the decade.
There are a lot of companies that are already space-bound, starting with Boeing, Lockheed Martin Space, SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, Sierra Nevada, Northrop Grumman, Virgin Orbit, Blue Origin and Firefly Aerospace. There are also innumerable startups and others emerging, preparing their own launch vehicles, payloads and space businesses.
Satellites and astronauts are going up. Space tourism began last year. A zero-gravity manufacturing sector is being created, and all sorts of private zero-gravity research is planned in short order. Private companies are developing their own private space stations, and NASA is helping to fund them. Private trips to the moon could be possible soon.
?It?s a fascinating time,? Sirois said. ?You have a lot of things that are going on and my view is we?re very much in this Wright brothers stage of spaceflight. So what I want to do is make Florida the leader, a very competitive place for these companies to set up shop.?
He noted that some members of Congress suggested the federal government might want to tax flights, and Sirois responded, ?I think that is exactly the wrong message to send to the industry at this time.?
Sirois, of Merritt Island, and Wright, of Port Orange, have dubbed their bills ?Zero G, Zero Fee.? The measures would make launches, launch vehicles and their payloads tax exempt for the next 20 years, provided they launch from Florida. The legislation includes a sunset clause so the Legislature can reevaluate lost revenue and the need for incentives again in 2042.
At the same time, Republican Rep. Rene Plasencia of Orlando has introduced HB 9233, which would provide a $10 million appropriation for Florida to build a new multiuser launch pad at Cape Canaveral. Space Florida, the state?s space business development agency, has talked about the need for a launch pad that could be leased on a per-launch basis by companies that don?t have their own launch facilities, as SpaceX, United Launch Alliance and others do.
?We?re running out of usable launch pads,? said Plasencia, whose district includes Titusville on the Space Coast. ?There?s a lot of newly formed rocket companies that are launching rockets and building rockets. And we?re in direct competition with other states, other countries, to get these companies to move their facilities to the state of Florida. And one of the things we can do is to make sure we have enough launch pads.?
Competition for launches is emerging just as fast as the commercial space industry. California, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Alabama, Georgia and Virginia are among other states wanting big pieces of that business, and some are already operating active launch sites. There are also numerous overseas launch sites.
Stout said the United States is leading the world in developing space entrepreneurship. But much of that is happening outside Florida.
?The competition for space companies is very fierce,? Stout said. ?There are a lot of states out there interested in bringing space technology to their state. So if a state is interested in attracting space business over other states, obviously a favorable regulatory environment and a favorable tax environment would certainly be reasons to move to Florida.
?From that perspective, it really is the old adage that capital goes to where it is treated best,? Stout added. ?I?m not sure I?m aware of any other states that are being as aggressive as this (Florida proposal) seems to be.?
Nonetheless, he noted that space companies are also looking for available, well-trained workforces.
?The workforce is a huge factor in some of these decisions. I think one reason so many tech companies end up in California is because of the workforce available in California,? Stout said.
But he also noted that the space business workforce is beginning to build back out again in recent years after a long and difficult drop following the 2011 demise of NASA?s space shuttle program.
Sirois said he is not aware of any other states offering or proposing tax exemptions.
?We would be the first to offer a ?Zero G, Zero Fee? concept, which to me is an exciting statement for Florida to make in terms of the priority we place on this business sector,? Sirois said. ?I want to make Florida the location where you can launch, land, refurbish, prepare payloads, and I want to do it in a way where government is not a hurdle.?
Post Views: 352
";}s:7:"summary";s:570:"What if a company could launch a rocket into space from Florida and pay no sales tax on the rocket, its payload, its fuel or even the concrete, steel and equipment needed to create the launch pad? That would be the reality if lawmakers this Session approve legislation from Sen. Tom Wright and Rep. Tyler ... Read more";s:12:"atom_content";s:7641:"
What if a company could launch a rocket into space from Florida and pay no sales tax on the rocket, its payload, its fuel or even the concrete, steel and equipment needed to create the launch pad?
That would be the reality if lawmakers this Session approve legislation from Sen. Tom Wright and Rep. Tyler Sirois (SB 1466, HB 65).
?What it looks like the state Legislature is doing is trying to create the most favorable environment possible for capital associated with the space industry, to be competitive with other states,? observed Jared M. Stout, director of congressional and regulatory policy at the Washington firm of Meeks, Butera & Israel. Stout also formerly served as a staffer in the Florida Legislature and Florida?s congressional delegation, with ties to Florida?s Space Coast.
While tax exemptions on anything going into space from Florida might seem like a niche incentive now, with three or four dozen rockets going up each year, the stakes are far greater for the not-too-distant future. So too are the prospects of revenue from any exempted taxes. The commercial space industry is emerging and growing so rapidly that hundreds of launches a year are projected before the end of the decade.
There are a lot of companies that are already space-bound, starting with Boeing, Lockheed Martin Space, SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, Sierra Nevada, Northrop Grumman, Virgin Orbit, Blue Origin and Firefly Aerospace. There are also innumerable startups and others emerging, preparing their own launch vehicles, payloads and space businesses.
Satellites and astronauts are going up. Space tourism began last year. A zero-gravity manufacturing sector is being created, and all sorts of private zero-gravity research is planned in short order. Private companies are developing their own private space stations, and NASA is helping to fund them. Private trips to the moon could be possible soon.
?It?s a fascinating time,? Sirois said. ?You have a lot of things that are going on and my view is we?re very much in this Wright brothers stage of spaceflight. So what I want to do is make Florida the leader, a very competitive place for these companies to set up shop.?
He noted that some members of Congress suggested the federal government might want to tax flights, and Sirois responded, ?I think that is exactly the wrong message to send to the industry at this time.?
Sirois, of Merritt Island, and Wright, of Port Orange, have dubbed their bills ?Zero G, Zero Fee.? The measures would make launches, launch vehicles and their payloads tax exempt for the next 20 years, provided they launch from Florida. The legislation includes a sunset clause so the Legislature can reevaluate lost revenue and the need for incentives again in 2042.
At the same time, Republican Rep. Rene Plasencia of Orlando has introduced HB 9233, which would provide a $10 million appropriation for Florida to build a new multiuser launch pad at Cape Canaveral. Space Florida, the state?s space business development agency, has talked about the need for a launch pad that could be leased on a per-launch basis by companies that don?t have their own launch facilities, as SpaceX, United Launch Alliance and others do.
?We?re running out of usable launch pads,? said Plasencia, whose district includes Titusville on the Space Coast. ?There?s a lot of newly formed rocket companies that are launching rockets and building rockets. And we?re in direct competition with other states, other countries, to get these companies to move their facilities to the state of Florida. And one of the things we can do is to make sure we have enough launch pads.?
Competition for launches is emerging just as fast as the commercial space industry. California, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Alabama, Georgia and Virginia are among other states wanting big pieces of that business, and some are already operating active launch sites. There are also numerous overseas launch sites.
Stout said the United States is leading the world in developing space entrepreneurship. But much of that is happening outside Florida.
?The competition for space companies is very fierce,? Stout said. ?There are a lot of states out there interested in bringing space technology to their state. So if a state is interested in attracting space business over other states, obviously a favorable regulatory environment and a favorable tax environment would certainly be reasons to move to Florida.
?From that perspective, it really is the old adage that capital goes to where it is treated best,? Stout added. ?I?m not sure I?m aware of any other states that are being as aggressive as this (Florida proposal) seems to be.?
Nonetheless, he noted that space companies are also looking for available, well-trained workforces.
?The workforce is a huge factor in some of these decisions. I think one reason so many tech companies end up in California is because of the workforce available in California,? Stout said.
But he also noted that the space business workforce is beginning to build back out again in recent years after a long and difficult drop following the 2011 demise of NASA?s space shuttle program.
Sirois said he is not aware of any other states offering or proposing tax exemptions.
?We would be the first to offer a ?Zero G, Zero Fee? concept, which to me is an exciting statement for Florida to make in terms of the priority we place on this business sector,? Sirois said. ?I want to make Florida the location where you can launch, land, refurbish, prepare payloads, and I want to do it in a way where government is not a hurdle.?
Post Views: 352
";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1641876443;}i:8;a:11:{s:5:"title";s:56:"SpaceX to launch in rocket launches in 2022 ? TechCrunch";s:4:"link";s:80:"https://movs.world/space/spacex-to-launch-in-rocket-launches-in-2022-techcrunch/";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:11:"Susan Hally";}s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Tue, 11 Jan 2022 04:16:04 +0000";s:8:"category";s:41:"SpacelaunchlaunchesrocketSpacexTechCrunch";s:4:"guid";s:80:"https://movs.world/space/spacex-to-launch-in-rocket-launches-in-2022-techcrunch/";s:11:"description";s:610:"Welcome to Max Q, the TechCrunch newsletter that covers everything that flies. Or floating. Or I think it’s crashing too. Whatever happens in and on the way into space. We are now in 2022 and people are already launching missiles. Don’t forget to register to receive the free newsletter version of Max Q delivered to ... Read more";s:7:"content";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";s:7804:"
Welcome to Max Q, the TechCrunch newsletter that covers everything that flies. Or floating. Or I think it’s crashing too. Whatever happens in and on the way into space. We are now in 2022 and people are already launching missiles.
Don’t forget to register to receive the free newsletter version of Max Q delivered to your inbox.
SpaceX will fly its first rocket in 2022
Before the end of the first week of the year, Elon Musk launched a Falcon 9 with 49 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral in Florida on January 6, marking its first flight of the year. The company appears to be planning to quickly catch up with the Falcon 9 flights in 2022 as it prepares for a ridesharing mission as early as Jan 13 and has three more missions planned before the end of the month. .
At the same time, it is also preparing for the first orbital test start of its Starship vehicle with a test of its Starting round this week It showed how the tower’s robotic arms would work to lift the spaceship onto the top of the super heavy booster that would give it the power to fly into space. Depending on the approvals, SpaceX may be ready to use this tower for an orbital test around Mars.
Credit: EspaceX
NASA’s new space telescope is ready
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, expected to provide more detailed and distant images of galaxies beyond our own than ever before, has completed its latest round of deployment, which means that all of the pieces will be brought together and installed after launch should have been successful.
The NASA scientists who worked on Webb have to breathe a sigh of relief. The telescope only needs to do a couple of mid-flight engine firings to get it into the correct and intended orbit, then it is ready to take pictures and send them back for study.
Credit: Northrup Grumman
Starlinks Leiden in Als
Starlink ran into regulatory issues in India after setting up its own subsidiary to operate in the country. The company had to refund pre-orders after the government ordered them to stop providing satellite connectivity in the country without a valid license to do so. Elon Musk was once relatively cheeky when he argued that Starlink doesn’t necessarily need a license to operate in certain global markets.
Shortly after the refunds were announced, Starlink India front man Sanjay Bhargava announced his resignation.
More news from TC and beyond
President Biden appointed Vizeadmiral Frank Whitworth as the next director of the National Geospatial Agency.
Dr. Katherine Calvin becomes Chief Scientist and Senior Climate Advisor for NASA.
";}s:7:"summary";s:610:"Welcome to Max Q, the TechCrunch newsletter that covers everything that flies. Or floating. Or I think it’s crashing too. Whatever happens in and on the way into space. We are now in 2022 and people are already launching missiles. Don’t forget to register to receive the free newsletter version of Max Q delivered to ... Read more";s:12:"atom_content";s:7804:"
Welcome to Max Q, the TechCrunch newsletter that covers everything that flies. Or floating. Or I think it’s crashing too. Whatever happens in and on the way into space. We are now in 2022 and people are already launching missiles.
Don’t forget to register to receive the free newsletter version of Max Q delivered to your inbox.
SpaceX will fly its first rocket in 2022
Before the end of the first week of the year, Elon Musk launched a Falcon 9 with 49 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral in Florida on January 6, marking its first flight of the year. The company appears to be planning to quickly catch up with the Falcon 9 flights in 2022 as it prepares for a ridesharing mission as early as Jan 13 and has three more missions planned before the end of the month. .
At the same time, it is also preparing for the first orbital test start of its Starship vehicle with a test of its Starting round this week It showed how the tower’s robotic arms would work to lift the spaceship onto the top of the super heavy booster that would give it the power to fly into space. Depending on the approvals, SpaceX may be ready to use this tower for an orbital test around Mars.
Credit: EspaceX
NASA’s new space telescope is ready
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, expected to provide more detailed and distant images of galaxies beyond our own than ever before, has completed its latest round of deployment, which means that all of the pieces will be brought together and installed after launch should have been successful.
The NASA scientists who worked on Webb have to breathe a sigh of relief. The telescope only needs to do a couple of mid-flight engine firings to get it into the correct and intended orbit, then it is ready to take pictures and send them back for study.
Credit: Northrup Grumman
Starlinks Leiden in Als
Starlink ran into regulatory issues in India after setting up its own subsidiary to operate in the country. The company had to refund pre-orders after the government ordered them to stop providing satellite connectivity in the country without a valid license to do so. Elon Musk was once relatively cheeky when he argued that Starlink doesn’t necessarily need a license to operate in certain global markets.
Shortly after the refunds were announced, Starlink India front man Sanjay Bhargava announced his resignation.
More news from TC and beyond
President Biden appointed Vizeadmiral Frank Whitworth as the next director of the National Geospatial Agency.
Dr. Katherine Calvin becomes Chief Scientist and Senior Climate Advisor for NASA.
";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1641874564;}i:9;a:11:{s:5:"title";s:31:"A New Look at Earth?s Lightning";s:4:"link";s:56:"https://movs.world/space/a-new-look-at-earths-lightning/";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:11:"Susan Hally";}s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Tue, 11 Jan 2022 02:41:27 +0000";s:8:"category";s:20:"SpaceEarthsLightning";s:4:"guid";s:56:"https://movs.world/space/a-new-look-at-earths-lightning/";s:11:"description";s:569:"Since the dawn of humanity, lightning has been a source of both curiosity and awe. Though dozens of flashes are crackling at any moment somewhere on Earth, these brief electrical discharges?typically lasting less 30 microseconds?remain unusually challenging to study. However, satellites have done much to deepen our understanding of lightning in recent decades. Sensors in ... Read more";s:7:"content";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";s:5304:"
Since the dawn of humanity, lightning has been a source of both curiosity and awe. Though dozens of flashes are crackling at any moment somewhere on Earth, these brief electrical discharges?typically lasting less 30 microseconds?remain unusually challenging to study.
However, satellites have done much to deepen our understanding of lightning in recent decades. Sensors in space have provided high-quality observations of lightning flashes since the 1990s, making it possible for atmospheric scientists to quantify and map the global distribution of lightning.
One of the first global maps of lightning activity was published in 2001 with data from the Optical Transient Detector (OTD) on the commercial OrbView-1 satellite and the Lightning Image Sensor (LIS) on NASA?s TRMM satellite. Two decades later, a second LIS mounted on the International Space Station (ISS) is adding to long-term records and making newer, better maps of global lightning activity.
The map above draws on observations from multiple sensors?the ISS LIS, the TRMM LIS, and OTD. The TRMM LIS collected data between 1997 and 2015; OTD was operational between 1995 and 2000; and ISS LIS has been flying since 2017. Scientists from Los Alamos National Laboratory and the University of Alabama-Huntsville published an updated map in March 2021. Researchers from NASA?s Marshall Space Flight Center released a similar map of lightning activity, based on three years of ISS LIS observations, in July 2020.
?What is new and notable about the ISS LIS is that it gives us observations that are significantly farther north and south than we got from TRMM,? explained Patrick Gatlin, an atmospheric scientist at NASA Marshall. ?ISS LIS observations extend to latitudes up to 55 North and 55 South, well into Canada and Patagonia.? Earlier global lightning maps made use of TRMM LIS observations that were limited to the tropics. (Researchers typically use older, lower quality data from OTD to fill gaps in high-latitude areas).
?One of the exciting things about having ISS LIS data is that we?re starting to be able to compare what is happening with lightning now to what we saw in the 1990s with OTD, and with what we saw in the 2000s and 2010s with TRMM LIS,? said Tim Lang, an atmospheric scientist at NASA Marshall. ?The satellites also have a built-in advantage over ground-based networks because we don?t have gaps in the network and we have measurements over the oceans.?
Earlier lightning activity maps assigned lightning flashes a single coordinate on a map. By reprocessing all of the OTD and LIS data, scientists were able to include the horizontal dimensions. ?Our analysis accounts for the fact that lightning bolts can spread horizontally, not just vertically from clouds to the ground,? explained Michael Peterson of Los Alamos National Laboratory. ?One way to think about this new climatology is that it tells us the frequency that an observer can expect lightning to be visible overhead?regardless of where the flash began or ended.?
?Some lightning flashes?we call them megaflashes?actually propagate for incredibly long horizontal distances, sometimes for hundreds of kilometers,? Peterson added. The longest lightning bolt ever recorded spanned 709 kilometers (440 miles) as it crackled through skies over Argentina and Brazil for 11 seconds in 2018.
Though the new approach does change some details of how we understand lightning, the overall patterns remain similar to before. With an average flash rate of 389 per day, Lake Maracaibo in northern Venezuela (shown above) has the highest flash extent density in the world. That region?s unique geography fuels weather patterns that make it a magnet for thunderstorms and lightning. The area along Lake Kivu, on the border of Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo, is a close second with an average of 368 flashes per day.
While researchers are still in the process of harmonizing the various data records, they are optimistic that satellite data will prove useful for identifying trends in lightning activity. They are also hopeful that they will be able to pinpoint whether climate change is affecting lightning. Some scientists anticipate that patterns will change as the world warms and weather fronts and storm tracks adjust. By contributing to the production of nitrogen dioxide, a greenhouse gas, lightning is also a direct contributor to global warming. ?There is added urgency to look at climate change?s effect on lightning because the World Meteorological Agency recently added lightning to its list of essential climate variables,? said Lang.
NASA Earth Observatory image by Lauren Dauphin, using data from Peterson, et al. (2021). Photograph by NASA. Story by Adam Voiland.
";}s:7:"summary";s:569:"Since the dawn of humanity, lightning has been a source of both curiosity and awe. Though dozens of flashes are crackling at any moment somewhere on Earth, these brief electrical discharges?typically lasting less 30 microseconds?remain unusually challenging to study. However, satellites have done much to deepen our understanding of lightning in recent decades. Sensors in ... Read more";s:12:"atom_content";s:5304:"
Since the dawn of humanity, lightning has been a source of both curiosity and awe. Though dozens of flashes are crackling at any moment somewhere on Earth, these brief electrical discharges?typically lasting less 30 microseconds?remain unusually challenging to study.
However, satellites have done much to deepen our understanding of lightning in recent decades. Sensors in space have provided high-quality observations of lightning flashes since the 1990s, making it possible for atmospheric scientists to quantify and map the global distribution of lightning.
One of the first global maps of lightning activity was published in 2001 with data from the Optical Transient Detector (OTD) on the commercial OrbView-1 satellite and the Lightning Image Sensor (LIS) on NASA?s TRMM satellite. Two decades later, a second LIS mounted on the International Space Station (ISS) is adding to long-term records and making newer, better maps of global lightning activity.
The map above draws on observations from multiple sensors?the ISS LIS, the TRMM LIS, and OTD. The TRMM LIS collected data between 1997 and 2015; OTD was operational between 1995 and 2000; and ISS LIS has been flying since 2017. Scientists from Los Alamos National Laboratory and the University of Alabama-Huntsville published an updated map in March 2021. Researchers from NASA?s Marshall Space Flight Center released a similar map of lightning activity, based on three years of ISS LIS observations, in July 2020.
?What is new and notable about the ISS LIS is that it gives us observations that are significantly farther north and south than we got from TRMM,? explained Patrick Gatlin, an atmospheric scientist at NASA Marshall. ?ISS LIS observations extend to latitudes up to 55 North and 55 South, well into Canada and Patagonia.? Earlier global lightning maps made use of TRMM LIS observations that were limited to the tropics. (Researchers typically use older, lower quality data from OTD to fill gaps in high-latitude areas).
?One of the exciting things about having ISS LIS data is that we?re starting to be able to compare what is happening with lightning now to what we saw in the 1990s with OTD, and with what we saw in the 2000s and 2010s with TRMM LIS,? said Tim Lang, an atmospheric scientist at NASA Marshall. ?The satellites also have a built-in advantage over ground-based networks because we don?t have gaps in the network and we have measurements over the oceans.?
Earlier lightning activity maps assigned lightning flashes a single coordinate on a map. By reprocessing all of the OTD and LIS data, scientists were able to include the horizontal dimensions. ?Our analysis accounts for the fact that lightning bolts can spread horizontally, not just vertically from clouds to the ground,? explained Michael Peterson of Los Alamos National Laboratory. ?One way to think about this new climatology is that it tells us the frequency that an observer can expect lightning to be visible overhead?regardless of where the flash began or ended.?
?Some lightning flashes?we call them megaflashes?actually propagate for incredibly long horizontal distances, sometimes for hundreds of kilometers,? Peterson added. The longest lightning bolt ever recorded spanned 709 kilometers (440 miles) as it crackled through skies over Argentina and Brazil for 11 seconds in 2018.
Though the new approach does change some details of how we understand lightning, the overall patterns remain similar to before. With an average flash rate of 389 per day, Lake Maracaibo in northern Venezuela (shown above) has the highest flash extent density in the world. That region?s unique geography fuels weather patterns that make it a magnet for thunderstorms and lightning. The area along Lake Kivu, on the border of Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo, is a close second with an average of 368 flashes per day.
While researchers are still in the process of harmonizing the various data records, they are optimistic that satellite data will prove useful for identifying trends in lightning activity. They are also hopeful that they will be able to pinpoint whether climate change is affecting lightning. Some scientists anticipate that patterns will change as the world warms and weather fronts and storm tracks adjust. By contributing to the production of nitrogen dioxide, a greenhouse gas, lightning is also a direct contributor to global warming. ?There is added urgency to look at climate change?s effect on lightning because the World Meteorological Agency recently added lightning to its list of essential climate variables,? said Lang.
NASA Earth Observatory image by Lauren Dauphin, using data from Peterson, et al. (2021). Photograph by NASA. Story by Adam Voiland.
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