Members phkrause Posted March 18 Author Members Posted March 18 Firefly’s moon lander ends successful mission Firefly Aerospace — the first private company to manage a fully successful lunar landing — announced Monday it had completed its mission on schedule. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/17/fireflys-moon-lander-ends-successful-mission/? Private lunar lander Blue Ghost falls silent on the moon after a 2-week mission It’s lights out for the first private lunar lander to pull off a fully successful moon mission. Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander fell silent over the weekend, wrapping up two weeks of science experiments for NASA. Read More. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted March 19 Author Members Posted March 19 🧑🚀 "Stuck" astronauts heading home A SpaceX rocket launches from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Friday ahead of Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams' return. Photo: Aubrey Gemignani/NASA via Getty Images NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are expected back on Earth tonight after a weeklong mission turned into a nine-month layover. 🚀 Catch up quick: The pair reached the International Space Station in June 2024 during a crewed test flight of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. Starliner was deemed unfit to return the pair safely after suffering technical glitches. The astronauts were sometimes described as "stuck" on the station — but they took their unexpected adventure in stride, helping with research and other station duties. 🪂 What's next: Williams and Wilmore are expected to splash down aboard a SpaceX craft near Florida just before 6 p.m. ET. Watch their return ... What microgravity does to your body. Boeing Starliner astronauts back on Earth after SpaceX ride home The two Boeing Starliner astronauts left behind on the International Space Station are back on Earth, ending an odyssey that turned a planned eight-day trip into more than 9 1/2 months in space. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/18/watch-live-boeing-starliner-astronauts-set-to-undock-for-spacex-ride-home/? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted March 19 Author Members Posted March 19 🧑🚀 Pic to go: Stuck astronauts return home Photo: Keegan Barber/NASA via AP NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore splashed down off the Gulf Coast of Florida yesterday after unexpectedly spending nine months on the International Space Station. Russia's Aleksandr Gorbunov and NASA's Nick Hague, who arrived at the ISS last fall, were also on the capsule. The two expected to be gone just a week after launching on Boeing's new Starliner crew capsule in June. So many problems cropped up on the way to the space station that NASA eventually sent the Starliner back empty and transferred the test pilots to SpaceX. NASA astronaut Suni Williams is helped out of the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule yesterday. Photo: 🚀 By the numbers: Wilmore and Williams ended up spending 286 days in space — 278 days longer than expected. They circled Earth 4,576 times and traveled 121 million miles by the time of splashdown. Go deeper. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted March 20 Author Members Posted March 20 NASA defends decisions about astronauts, never were ‘stranded’ After the safe return Tuesday of two astronauts left behind for months on the International Space Station, the White House characterized the pair as “stranded” and trumpeted their return as a “rescue.” Those are words that NASA has been resisting for months. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/19/nasa-defends-starliner-decisions-as-trump-spacex-take-victory-lap/? How will the universe end? A changing understanding of dark energy may provide a new answer Scientists are homing in on the nature of a mysterious force called dark energy, and nothing short of the fate of the universe hangs in the balance. The force is enormous — it makes up nearly 70% of the universe. And it is powerful — it is pushing all the stars and galaxies away from each other at an ever faster rate. And now scientists are getting a little closer to understanding how it behaves. Read more. Why this matters: The big question is whether this dark energy is a constant force, which scientists have long thought, or whether the force is weakening, a surprising wrinkle proposed last year. Results presented at a meeting of the American Physical Society Wednesday bolster the case that the force is weakening. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ European telescope studying the dark universe unveils new images of distant galaxies Who else has been stuck in space? A short history of long spaceflights Blue Ghost lander captures stunning sunset shots on the moon before falling silent ps:Interesting? Maybe they should think about reading the Bible to find out?? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted March 23 Author Members Posted March 23 Stellar explosions New research suggests that violent supernovas might have played a role in two of Earth’s largest mass extinctions. The findings highlight how colossal stars can both create and destroy life, the study’s lead author said. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted March 23 Author Members Posted March 23 NASA websites no longer promote ‘first woman’ on the moon for Artemis NASA websites have dropped references to landing the first woman on the moon as part of the goals for its Artemis program. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/21/nasa-websites-no-longer-promoting-first-woman-on-the-moon-for-artemis/? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted March 24 Author Members Posted March 24 SpaceX aims for March 31 liftoff of private astronaut polar orbit mission Fram2 With the drama around the first human spaceflight of the year behind it, SpaceX is back to the business of sending private customers to space. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/23/spacex-targets-end-of-month-for-private-astronaut-polar-orbit-mission-fram2/? SpaceX launches classified NROL-69 mission from Cape Canaveral SpaceX sent up a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office from the Space Coast on Monday afternoon. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/24/spacex-set-to-launch-nrol-69-mission-with-sonic-booms-possible-today/? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted March 26 Author Members Posted March 26 NASA puts biggest rocket pieces together for Artemis II moon mission The slow race of getting NASA’s Space Launch System rocket pieced together for next year’s Artemis II moon mission jumped a big hurdle over the weekend. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/25/nasa-puts-biggest-rocket-pieces-together-for-artemis-ii-moon-mission/? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted March 28 Author Members Posted March 28 After years of delays, Space Force certifies ULA’s Vulcan rocket United Launch Alliance had its new Vulcan rocket certified Wednesday by Space Force so it can begin flying national security missions — nearly three years after it was supposed to debut. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/26/after-years-of-delays-space-force-certifies-ulas-vulcan-rocket/? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted March 28 Author Members Posted March 28 Scientists uncover an ancient insect preserved in amber that snatched its prey An ancient wasp may have zipped among the dinosaurs, with a body like a Venus flytrap to seize and snatch its prey, scientists reported Wednesday. Read More. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted March 31 Author Members Posted March 31 SpaceX scrubs Sunday launch, with try for 2 Monday including next human spaceflight SpaceX has two rockets at two pads set for launch Monday on the Space Coast. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/30/spacex-lines-up-sunday-afternoon-launch-before-mondays-human-spaceflight/? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted April 2 Author Members Posted April 2 Boeing Starliner commander shares blame for spacecraft failure, but would fly on it again NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore put some of the blame on himself when discussing the reasons for Boeing Starliner’s failure on last year’s Crew Flight Test. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/31/boeing-starliner-commander-shares-blame-for-spacecraft-failure-but-would-fly-on-it-again/? SpaceX 2-for-2 on Monday launches including Fram2 human spaceflight SpaceX had two rockets at two pads on the Space Coast on Monday. By Monday night it had none. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/30/spacex-lines-up-sunday-afternoon-launch-before-mondays-human-spaceflight/? Private SpaceX mission launches humans on 1st polar orbit KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — SpaceX chalked up another human spaceflight Monday night, taking four civilians on a path around the Earth that has never beentraveled before. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/31/private-spacex-mission-to-launch-humans-on-1st-polar-orbit/? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted April 3 Author Members Posted April 3 1st day in space filled with nausea for SpaceX’s private polar mission crew The four private space travelers flying around the Earth’s poles this week had a vomit-filled first day in space, according to the man paying for the trip. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/04/02/1st-day-in-space-filled-with-sickness-for-spacexs-private-polar-mission-crew/? ULA, Amazon set 1st launch for SpaceX Starlink competitor Project Kuiper A launch date is set for the first batch of what will be thousands of satellites for Amazon’s Project Kuiper as the company looks to play catchup to SpaceX and its Starlink internet constellation. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/04/02/ula-amazon-set-1st-launch-for-spacex-starlink-competitor-project-kuiper/? Dark energy New hints from one of the most extensive surveys of the cosmos to date suggest that the mysterious force that accelerates the expansion of the universe may be evolving. One contributor to the project called it “mind-blowing,” and it could have big impacts for astronomers. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted April 6 Author Members Posted April 6 SpaceX’s private polar space trip returns to Earth The four crew members of the private Fram2 mission returned to Earth on Friday after spending more than 3½ days circling the planet on the first human spaceflight on a polar orbit. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/04/04/private-polar-space-trip-set-to-return-to-earth-today/? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted April 8 Author Members Posted April 8 SpaceX, ULA, Blue Origin land $13.7 billion in national security launches SpaceX took the biggest piece of the pie, but United Launch Alliance and newcomer Blue Origin will divvy up nearly $13.7 billion in national security launches to be assigned over the next five years, the Space Force announced Friday. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/04/07/spacex-ula-blue-origin-land-13-7-billion-in-national-security-launches/? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted April 8 Author Members Posted April 8 Scientists genetically engineer wolves with white hair and muscular jaws like the extinct dire wolf Three genetically engineered wolves that may resemble extinct dire wolves are trotting, sleeping and howling in an undisclosed secure location in the U.S., according to the company that aims to bring back lost species. Read more. Why this matters: The wolf pups have long white hair, muscular jaws and already weigh in at around 80 pounds — on track to reach 140 pounds at maturity, researchers at Colossal Biosciences reported Monday. Dire wolves, which went extinct more than 10,000 years ago, are much larger than gray wolves, their closest living relatives today. Though the pups may physically resemble young dire wolves, “what they will probably never learn is the finishing move of how to kill a giant elk or a big deer,” because they won’t have opportunities to watch and learn from wild dire wolf parents, said Colossal’s chief animal care expert, Matt James. Colossal has previously announced similar projects to genetically alter cells from living species to create animals resembling extinct woolly mammoths, dodos and others. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ A day at Uranus just got 28 seconds longer A US-Russian crew of 3 arrives at the International Space Station New 3D technology could soon bring surgeons closer to patients in Africa’s most remote regions Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted April 10 Author Members Posted April 10 Scientists map part of a mouse’s brain that’s so complex it looks like a galaxy WASHINGTON (AP) — Thanks to a mouse watching clips from “The Matrix,” scientists have created the largest functional map of a brain to date – a diagram of the wiring connecting 84,000 neurons as they fire off messages. https://apnews.com/article/brain-map-neurons-alzheimers-autism-1a4e9db0a86c082e10da9c154546c592? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted April 10 Author Members Posted April 10 ULA scrubs attempt for 1st launch of year on landmark Amazon satellite mission United Launch Alliance has not had a rocket lift off since last fall, but its first one of 2025 is set to open the gates for dozens planned to proliferate Amazon’s internet satellite constellation Project Kuiper. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/04/09/ula-sets-up-for-1st-launch-of-year-on-landmark-amazon-satellite-mission/? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted April 10 Author Members Posted April 10 ☄️ 1 fun thing: New comet discovery Newly discovered comet SWAN25F streaks through the sky. Photo: Michael Jäger @Komet123Jager on X Early risers may be in store for a celestial treat: A brand-new comet is streaking through our morning sky, Axios Seattle's Christine Clarridge writes. The comet — called SWAN25F — is currently visible through binoculars, low on the horizon just before sunrise. The comet was discovered last month by amateur astronomers using publicly available images from the SWAN camera system aboard NASA's SOHO spacecraft, which monitors solar activity. Keep reading ... Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted Monday at 11:39 PM Author Members Posted Monday at 11:39 PM All-female Blue Origin crew with Bezos’ fiancee, Katy Perry, Gayle King launch to space Jeff Bezos’ fiancee Lauren Sánchez led an all-female crew including pop singer Katy Perry and CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King for a short trip to space Monday morning. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/04/14/watch-live-all-female-blue-origin-crew-with-bezos-fiancee-katy-perry-gayle-king-set-for-launch-today/? Blue Origin launches an all-female celebrity crew with Katy Perry, Gayle King and Lauren Sanchez Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin launched his fiancee Lauren Sanchez into space Monday with an all-female celebrity crew that included Katy Perry and Gayle King. It was the latest wave in space tourism, where more of the rich and famous than ever before — or lucky and well-connected — can enter the zero-gravity realm traditionally dominated by professional astronauts. Read More. Star-studded space mission For the first time since 1963, an all-female flight crew went to space. Pop star Katy Perry and journalist Gayle King were among the six women in Blue Origin’s suborbital space tourism mission that took flight for about 10 minutes. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted Friday at 12:45 AM Author Members Posted Friday at 12:45 AM 🔭 1 for the road: Strongest signs of alien life A rendering that shows a planet like K2-18b orbiting a red dwarf star. Image: A. Smith, N. Madhusudhan/University of Cambridge In a potential landmark discovery, scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope have obtained what they call the strongest signs yet of possible life beyond our solar system. Why it matters: They detected in an alien planet's atmosphere the chemical fingerprints of gases that on Earth are produced only by biological processes, Reuters reports. The two gases involved in Webb's observations of the planet — named K2-18b — are generated on Earth by living organisms, primarily marine algae. This suggests the planet may be teeming with microbial life, the researchers said. Go deeper. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted Friday at 03:59 PM Author Members Posted Friday at 03:59 PM Tatooine-like planet outside the solar system may orbit two failed stars, scientists say NEW YORK (AP) — A new Tatooine-like planet outside the solar system may orbit two failed stars, scientists reported Wednesday. https://apnews.com/article/tatooine-exoplanet-brown-dwarf-star-wars-1013df0268aba0929b0a84ebff6239e4? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted 18 hours ago Author Members Posted 18 hours ago How to catch the shooting stars of spring's first meteor shower The Lyrids have surprised skygazers in the past with as many as 100 meteors per hour, but it’s not predicted to be as active this time around. Read More. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
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