Tag: space

Wish to send something to the moon? America’s commercial attempt in 5 decades!

The first country to land on the moon was the Soviet Union in 1966. America was the first country to land humans on the moon in 1969, and ever since, only two countries have achieved a successful landing, including China, which managed three successful landings in the past decade and India, which achieved the feat on its second attempt. America is pushing the private industry of their country to complete space exploration and missions at a fraction of the cost required by a government initiative for the same. Called the Vulcan Centaur, America blasted off an attempt to land on the moon after almost 5 decades from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Vulcan Centaur is a two-stage-to-orbit, heavy-lift launch vehicle developed by United Launch Alliance (ULA). It is principally designed to meet launch demands for the U.S. government’s National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program for use by the United States Space Force and U.S. intelligence agencies for national security satellite launches. It will replace both of ULA’s existing heavy-lift launch systems (Atlas V and Delta IV Heavy) due to their retirement. Vulcan Centaur will also be used for commercial launches, including an order for 38 launches from Kuiper Systems.

Development of the Vulcan rocket started in 2014, largely in response to growing competition from SpaceX and a desire to phase out the Russian RD-180 used on the Atlas V. Initially scheduled for an inaugural flight in 2020, the program was delayed by over three years due to problems with the development of the BE-4 engine and the new Centaur upper stage. Vulcan Centaur launched for the first time on 8 January 2024, successfully carrying Astrobotic Technology’s Peregrine lunar lander, the first mission on NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.

The lander Peregrine is carrying confidential scientific equipment that shall measure the Moon’s radiation and surface composition. The most interesting part is the remaining cargo: the cremated remains and DNA of Star Trek creator, Gene Roddenberry, DNA remains of scientist and author Arthur C. Clarke, a live dog, a physical bitcoin and a small rover built by Carnegie Mellon University! The US has paid only $100 million for the transport to Astrobotic, and in space exploration terms, it’s a good deal on a taxi fare.

Chasing the Sun – Aditya L-1’s Epic Quest for Solar Enlightenment

India’s Aditya L-1 mission has shattered the cosmic silence by unveiling the Sun’s mesmerizing picture in exceptional detail. Through the lens of the Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT), an emissary aboard ISRO’s inaugural solar expedition, the mission has etched the inaugural full-disk images of our radiant star, unveiling its celestial dance in near ultraviolet splendour. The breathtaking visuals, spanning 200 to 400 nm wavelengths, have ushered humanity into uncharted realms, offering a cosmic spectacle never witnessed before.

ISRO, the architect of this cosmic revelation, shared these celestial snapshots on the digital canvas of social media. In their announcement, they heralded these images as gateways to “pioneering insights into the intricate details of the Sun’s photosphere and chromosphere.” The Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope, a luminary among seven payloads on Aditya L-1, stands as a sentinel, capturing the Sun’s ultraviolet essence and scrutinizing the nuances of light energy emissions.

The Solar Wind Ion Spectrometer (SWIS), a maestro within the Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX) payload, commenced its cosmic sonata on December 2. Preceding this, the High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS) unveiled the solar flares’ mystique in a mesmerizing display last month.

Launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on September 2, Aditya L-1 rides the powerful Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), a stalwart among ISRO’s cosmic steeds. Beyond its visual revelations, Aditya L-1 seeks to unravel the Sun’s secrets—its radiance, the ebb and flow of particles, magnetic fields, and their profound influence on our cosmic ballet. As the PSLV sets Aditya L-1 on its orbital dance, humanity eagerly anticipates the unveiling of the solar saga, enriching our cosmic tapestry with newfound wisdom.

Vastness of Space

“I see only two possibilities – one, that we are alone in this vast universe, and second that we are not. Both sound equally terrifying”. I read this on the internet and cannot stop thinking how accurate this is. Scientifically, you can try and explain every single occurrence, but when we put on the poetic lens, the void between the stars and moon begins to expand.  

In the winter of 1995, scientists pointed the Hubble telescope at an area of the sky that was dark and nearly empty. Over ten consecutive days, the telescope took 150 hours of exposure to the same area and what came back was nothing short of spectacular! They saw over 1500 distinct galaxies glimmering in a tiny sliver of the universe. But how large was the image captured? You would wonder. Well, if you were to put a pen and hold it in front of the night’s sky, focusing on its tip. That is what the telescope captured in its first deep field image. Those 3000 galaxies were seen in that speck of the universe. 

To give you a perspective, the distance between the Earth and the Sun is 94 million miles. Again, the nearest star outside our solar system is 4.2 light-years away. But what is a light-year? Or what are the millions of miles we are talking about? It might just be a number for us, but when we talk scientifically, these numbers go beyond our comprehension. 

The universe, if believed, started with a bang. Now, if you see a regular explosion, it starts from nothing to inflating energy and finally deflates after a point. However, scientists have claimed that the universe is expanding or inflating faster than the theories under the Standard Model of Cosmology. This could mean that the standard model needs to be updated and points to an opportunity for discovery. This also puts doubt on the theory that the universe comprises relative amounts of normal matter, dark matter, dark energy and radiation. There can be much more to it. Who knows?

The universe appears to be a time window, and the farther we look, the farther back we go in time. Light moves at a speed of 300 thousand Kms/sec. To use it up for you, suppose you are standing a meter away from your friend. The light from your friend’s face took about 3.336 nanoseconds to reach you. This means you always see your loved ones 3.336 nanoseconds into the past. If you look around, you are not seeing the world as it is, but as it was, the further things are, the further back in time you are looking. 

The idea for this article struck me on my terrace when I looked up at the sky. I wondered what purpose we hold here on this planet which is no bigger than a grain of sand. Like fireflies on a summer night, the dots illuminating the velveteen sky only strengthens my wonderment. When you look at the twinkling stars, you’re looking back in time. You see the stars as they were thousands of years ago, and some might be just dead. Crazy! Isn’t it?

It is not necessary that the vastness of this universe could be captured in numbers. What if it’s eternal? Infinite. The fact that we are living in something so huge yet so tiny that if our planet gets washed up, it won’t make an iota of difference in the universe is scary. 

Saggitarius A* – Supermassive Black Hole Gets Captured

The first image of the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*. May 12th turned out to be a historic day as the astronomers at National Science Foundation (NSF) were successful in getting the first image of the black hole residing at the centre of the Milky Way. Sagittarius A* is located 27,0000 light-years away from the Earth and is 4million times bigger than the sun.

The picture does not show the black hole itself, considering black holes do not permit light to escape from them. Instead, it depicts a darkish central region, known as a shadow, surrounded by a shiny ring-like shape that is sparkling gases across the black hole.

“Our own black hole! Astronomers have just revealed the 1st image of the supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy using the @ehtelescope – a planet-scale array of radio telescopes that emerged from decades of NSF support,” NSF said on its Twitter handle.

EHT

The black hole was captured using an Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). The EHT is a network of radio dishes launched in 2015 and involved 80 astronomy institutes. 4 years after the launch of the EHT, the first-ever image of a black hole, M87*, in our galaxy was revealed.

The EHT is a unique network of antennae spread across the world that makes a virtual telescope. The role of the EHT is to detect the light cast when a matter disappears in the muzzle of a black hole. The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) records the flash of light produced when planets, debris, or something else comes too close — is sucked right into a black hole’s outer boundary, known as an event horizon, which is the point of no return.

 

China Plans To Build A Kilometre-Long Starship

The Cold War space race, which has always involved countries like Russia and America, now have a new competitor. China is looking forward to building a spacecraft spanning nearly a kilometre in length. 

Bill Nelson, President Biden’s new NASA administrator, has cast China as “a very aggressive competitor” that has big ambitions in Space and is challenging America’s leadership.

“Watch the Chinese,” he recently warned.

According to a report by Global Times, China has announced one of the most ambitious projects in human history – to build a kilometre long starship, which is at least ten times the length of the International Space Station (ISS).

As soon as the news came out, it took the Chinese internet by storm, especially among the space sci-fi fans. However, the experts say that there will be many challenges for China along the way, apart from the massive demand for manpower and resources, considering the size and complexity of the spacecraft. 

Notably, this comes at a time when China has been achieving multiple milestones in space science. Earlier this year, China became the second nation to successfully land a rover on Mars and the first to land a mission that consisted of an orbiter, lander and rover. Two years ago, China became the first nation to land a robotic mission on the far side of the moon.

According to a project outline published by the Chinese Foundation, the spacecraft elements will be built on Earth and then launched individually to orbit to be assembled in Space. The spacecraft will be “a major strategic aerospace equipment for the future use of space resources, exploration of the mysteries of the universe and staying in long-term.”

During China’s sixth annual National Space Day, there were already speculations that the country is interested in pursuing a starship-like spacecraft and spaceplanes. Recently, China also announced plans to conduct a crewed mission to Mars by 2023 as a long-term plan to build a permanent base there. 

Whatever the long-term goal might be, it is clear that with the pace that China is moving with its space plans, it can leave NASA and Roscosmos behind to become the world’s leading power in Space. 

Jeff Bezos Offers NASA $2 Billion For Moon Mission Contract

Fresh off his trip to space, Founder and Chairperson of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, offered NASA a discount of at least $2 Billion on Monday. The catch being, the space agency has to agree upon giving his company, Blue Origin, a lucrative human lunar landing system contract.

The contract, which aims to send astronauts to the moon, was offered to his rival Elon Musk’s SpaceX earlier this year. Musk won the $2.9 billion bid to build a spacecraft to bring astronauts to the lunar surface as early as 2024.

Bezos, in his open letter to Bill Nelson, NASA Administrator, said that Blue Origin would waive payments in the government’s current fiscal year and the next ones after that up to $2 billion. The company would accept a firm, fixed-priced contract and cover any system development cost overruns.

“Without competition, NASA’s short-term and long-term lunar ambitions will be delayed, will ultimately cost more, and won’t serve the national interest.”

Bezos added,

“We are convinced that, to America’s future in space, NASA must now quickly and assuredly return to the moon. All NASA needs to do is take advantage of this offer.”

The plea comes a week before the watchdog Government Accountability Office rules a formal protest of NASA’s award to SpaceX that Blue Origin filed earlier this year. Lori Garver, a former Deputy Administrator at NASA, said that the amendment might not be as simple as it sounds.

Lori said that Bezos’ offer is something NASA shouldn’t brush aside, but it might not work out the same way Blue Origin wants it to.

“I see this as a positive sign overall but it should not impact the current awards or strategy,” he said.

Garver thinks it is unlikely that the ‘new offer’ would change NASA’s mind about the current award. She believes tweaking NASA’s decision to award SpaceX could spawn new legal problems for the agency.

“NASA just couldn’t take offers because funding is offered. There’s absolutely nothing to stop Blue from moving forward with their own money to get in a better position to win something in the next round,” Garver adds.

Jeff Bezos and fellow Billionaire Richard Branson are the only two significant players in the space tourism market. Branson’s Virgin Galactic, which completed a crewed flight, has historically sold seats between $200,000. And $250,000 per ticket.

Bezos’ offer comes six days after he completed a trip to the edge of the space along with other crewmates. The company is bidding big to become the key player in the space tourism market.

Jeff Bezos Launch Into Space, Makes History

The richest man in the world, Jeff Bezos, will fly to space this morning (Tuesday) on his company’s suborbital rocket. 

A week after fellow billionaire Richard Brandson flew to the edge of space, it’s time for Bezos to make his attempt. Along with three other crew members, he will be taking a 10-minute flight onboard his Blue Origin New Shepard Rocket, developed by Bezos’s private space company.

Jeff Bezos, who recently stepped down as Amazon’s CEO, announced on Instagram that ‘he can’t wait for the excursion.’

If successful, the Amazon founder will make history for taking part in the first unpiloted suborbital flight with a civilian crew. But Bezos is not the only one who will be touching milestones on this trip. 

Wally Funk, an 82-year old aviation icon, is one of the Mercury 13 women who underwent training in the 1960s to demonstrate that women are fit under NASA standards. With this trip, she will become the oldest person to reach space. 

Another Dutch teenager, Oliver Daemen, will become the youngest astronaut to reach space. This 18-year-old physics student has taken the place of a $28 million auction winner who is now ‘too busy to make the trip. Oliver grabbed the seat for the flight as his dad was one of the runners up in the auction. It is still unclear how much he has paid for the ticket. 

Oliver said, “I am super excited to go to space. I’ve been dreaming about this all my life and I will become the youngest astronaut ever. I am super excited to experience zero gravity. The flight to space will take only 10 minutes but these will be the most special 10 minutes of my life.”

Bezos’s brother Mark will also be travelling along with the crew. Talking about this in an Instagram post, Bezos wrote,

“Ever since I was five years old, I’ve dreamed of traveling to space. On July 20, I will take that journey with my brother. The greatest adventure, with my best friend.”

The New Shepherd will lift off from Van Horn, a remote town in the western desert of Texas. The capsule will not enter into orbit around Earth but instead will reach the edge of space. It will travel at an altitude of around 65 miles, and the crew will get to spend a few minutes in the weightlessness of microgravity and witness the curvature of Earth. 

Other companies such as SpaceX and Virgin Galactic crew heavily trained test pilots to stand ready if things go sideways. But Blue Origin decided to throw Bezos and other paying customers into the mission since the capsule is fully autonomous and requires no inputs from humans during the mission. 

 

Artificial Intelligence Model to Evaluate Universe’s Shape

How to kill Thanos? Time GPS. Who created Time GPS? Tony Stark, with the assistance of Jarvis. Who’s Jarvis? An AI system built by Mr Stark. Imagine what it takes to defeat super planetary devils. Well, AI has the potential to showcase what it can do for you and the entire humanity. Now, AI has just done some more wonders by scrounging the shape of the Universe through different algorithms, computational and astronomical rules. Well, if you are a space tech nerd, you know that it is not easy for artificial intelligence to knock on the doors of heaven and learn from Albert Einstein his Theory of Relativity. This article will help you know how artificial intelligence helped evaluate this Universe’s shape and what it means to us.

What’s the news about this artificial intelligence technique?

The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan devised an AI model through which they calculated and verified the shape of the Universe. This model helped to segregate the shape noise (the one that occurs due to gravitational lensing distortion) that their Subaru Telescope has collected in the past few years. In addition to this, Japanese astronomers took the help of the ATERUI II supercomputer to generate and create catalogs of more than 25000 galaxies. These catalogs were produced after studying the data obtained from the Subaru Telescope. In the end, to evaluate the perfect shape, the scientists and astronomers added the realist shape noise to the data sets. Then, the AI model was trained on the mock data to deliver the visual information related to the Universe’s shape.

Why is this breakthrough essential?

Tackling out the shape of the Universe is not a cup of coffee. You need to accumulate a bulk of data to ensure that you have an ample amount of observations regarding the planetary objects, galaxies, etc. Now, if you think that it’s easy, stop and assess it again. There’s nothing like ideal. Any event in the space may create noise. Due to unscrupulous signals that reach your end that can hamper all the observational facts and figures. Hence, you need to think about realistic options. And, lastly, you need to add all these data into a model. This model can analyze everything before coming out with concrete conclusions. These models should process fastly as the bulky data may give rise to latency. Therefore, you will like to have hi-speed supercomputers that have the capability to hold voluminous data.

Inference

The AI model created the visuals of the foreground of dark matter and other massive objects distributions. The observations clearly helped to understand the Universe’s shape complies with cosmological rules and conventions. Thank God! Einstein calculations have not kept the entire astronomical fraternity in the dark. But, with these details, there are several positives attached to it, one of which is to understand the evolution of the Universe through this. However, it is also important to understand whether the Big Bang or the death of a star to transform into a black hole created any sort of disturbance in shape. Hence, there is more to go even after understanding the shape of the Universe.

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