November 2022 – Page 7 – NeRDs Moonbase

Missing astronomer found dead in Chile after 2-month search

November 18, 2022 NeRD

A British astronomer who went missing while visiting the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) La Silla site in Chile was found dead after nearly two months of searching. Professor Tom Marsh, an expert in binary stars at the University of Warwick in the U.K., disappeared two days after he arrived in Chile on Sept. 14. A search coordinated by Chilean police found a body, now identified as the missing astronomer, last Thursday (Nov. 10). A week later, on Thursday (Nov. 17), the University of Warwick, where Marsh had worked for nearly…

NASA Awards Extension for Space, Earth Science Data Analysis Contract

November 18, 2022 NeRD

NASA has awarded a six-month extension to ADNET Systems Inc. of Bethesda, Maryland, for the Space and Earth Science Data Analysis (SESDA IV) contract.

Xbox Series S holiday price drop: save $50 and get ready for Starfield

November 18, 2022 NeRD

Black Friday is upon us and Microsoft are lowering the price of their Xbox Series S console by $50, which is perfect for both the holidays and the release of Starfield, early next year. The $50 discount means the Xbox Series S console is now $249.99 (opens in new tab) and therefore at it’s lowest ever price to date. We think the timing on this deal couldn’t be better, not just because it’s in time for the holidays, but the release of Starfield, which is due early next year. If…

Space Station Science Highlights: Week of November 14, 2022

November 18, 2022 NeRD

Crew members aboard the International Space Station conducted scientific investigations during the week of Nov.14 that included testing nanoparticles as a way to protect neuronal cells from oxidative stress, examining ways to identify beneficial microbes, and evaluating the composition of mudflows created by post-wildfire rains.

Maryland, Oklahoma Students to Hear from Space Station Astronauts

November 18, 2022 NeRD

Students from Maryland and Oklahoma will have the opportunity next week to hear from astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

Hubble Views a Billowing Cosmic Cloud

November 18, 2022 NeRD

A small, dense cloud of gas and dust called CB 130-3 blots out the center of this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.

Follow Orion’s trip to the moon with NASA Artemis 1 tracking website

November 17, 2022 NeRD

Ride along with NASA’s latest moon mission on a tracking website just launched by the agency. Artemis 1, the first flight of the Artemis program, launched early in Wednesday morning (Nov. 16). A Space Launch System rocket, on its first-ever mission, successfully sent an uncrewed Orion spacecraft toward the moon. Though the launch is over, you can keep following along with the nearly month-long mission in real time on this NASA website (opens in new tab). And, if you want, you can download the trajectory data to create your own applications, the agency has said.…

NASA to Provide Update on Orion Ahead of Powered Outbound Moon Flyby

November 17, 2022 NeRD

NASA will host a news conference at 5 p.m. EST Friday, Nov. 18, from the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to preview Orion’s entry into the Moon’s sphere of influence and the pair of maneuvers that will propel the spacecraft into a distant retrograde lunar orbit.

NASA, Japan Announce Gateway Contributions, Space Station Extension

November 17, 2022 NeRD

NASA and the Government of Japan on Thursday announced further contributions by Japan to Gateway, a key component of the agency’s Artemis missions for long-term lunar exploration.

ABL Space Systems’ RS1 rocket aborts 1st-ever launch try

November 17, 2022 NeRD

ABL Space Systems fired up its new rocket on Thursday (Nov. 17), but the vehicle didn’t get off the ground. ABL attempted to launch its first-ever orbital mission on Thursday from Alaska’s Pacific Spaceport Complex, and very nearly did so: The company’s RS1 rocket started to ignite its first-stage engines at 5:55 p.m. EST (2255 GMT; 1:55 p.m. local time in Alaska), but they quickly shut down. “RS1 aborted terminal count during ignition. The vehicle is healthy, and the team is setting up to offload propellant for today. More information…