Category: Solar System

Our solar system

China unveils spacesuit for moonwalking astronauts (video)

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China has strutted out its moon-landing spacesuit, unveiling its design in a ceremony Saturday (Sept. 28) in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality. A technician put the spacesuit — which China aims to start using on crewed moon missions by 2030 — through its paces, showcasing various movements and gestures, including climbing the rungs of a ladder.  The overall design of the moon-landing suit is inspired by traditional Chinese armor, underscoring the suit’s rugged and resolute appearance. It also features ribbons, which have always been an important element in the design of Chinese…

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The Milky Way’s 2 biggest satellite galaxies are oddly lonely, study finds

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The Milky Way’s system of small, orbiting satellite galaxies is quite unusual, a new 12-year study of other galaxies in the local universe has found.  The Satellites Around Galactic Analogs (SAGA) survey is being conducted by a small group of astronomers to learn how the Milky Way and its little retinue of dwarf satellite galaxies compares to other galaxy systems. “The Milky Way’s satellite population is a unique combination of small satellites containing only older stars, and its two largest satellites, which are actively forming new stars,” says Marla Geha,…

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Heart tissues beat half as strongly on the ISS as they do on Earth

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What effects does spaceflight have on an astronaut’s heart? This is exactly the question that prompted scientists from Johns Hopkins University to send 48 bioengineered heart tissue samples to the International Space Station, where they were monitored for 30 days and compared to identical samples on Earth. The team examined how low gravity impacts things like the cells’ strength of contraction, known as twitch forces, and any irregular beating patterns.  The results were concerning — the scientists found that heart cells “really don’t fare well in space,” beating with about…

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Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’ surprisingly adheres to the laws of physics, scientists find

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Vincent van Gogh’s “The Starry Night” is undoubtedly one of the most famous paintings in the world, instantly recognizable for its vibrant colors and dramatic brushstrokes that create what appears to be a sky in motion. But did you know that its night sky depiction actually follows the real laws of physics?  While the scene does take liberty in terms of what our eyes witness in the sky — we don’t necessarily see eddies dancing between the stars — scientists have determined those eddies indeed adhere to the laws of turbulent flow.…

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How fast will the annular solar eclipse on Oct. 2 travel?

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On Oct. 2, an annular solar eclipse will be visible from the Southern Hemisphere. During this event, the moon doesn’t completely cover the sun from our perspective on Earth, so it leaves a “ring of fire” around the moon. The moon’s shadow will appear to travel at vastly different speeds depending on your location. In some places, it will move faster than 6 million mph (10 million km/h); in others, it will travel as slow as 1,278 mph (2,057 km/h), or about the speed of a fighter jet. During the…

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Lucky ticket to space: How a Tennessee cardiologist made it to the final frontier

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How can someone fly to space without becoming an astronaut, having millions of dollars or being a celebrity? On Aug. 29, Blue Origin successfully completed its eighth human spaceflight and the 26th mission of its New Shepard suborbital program overall. Onboard this flight was Eiman Jahangir, a Tennessee cardiologist who earned his seat not just by chance, but through unwavering dedication to his dream. Space.com spoke with Jahangir both before and after his spaceflight, capturing the excitement of the day at the Blue Origin launch site to tell the full…

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SpaceX’s Crew-9 astronaut mission arrives at the ISS (video)

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SpaceX’s two-person Crew-9 mission arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) today (Sept. 29) after a one-day orbital chase. Crew-9’s Crew Dragon capsule, named Freedom, docked with the ISS today at 5:30 p.m. EDT (2130 GMT).  The hatches between the two spacecraft are expected to open around 7:15 p.m. EDT (2315 GMT), and ISS astronauts will deliver welcoming remarks about 25 minutes later. You can watch those milestones live via NASA and here at Space.com, if the agency makes its stream available. SpaceX’s Crew-9 astronaut mission approaches the International Space…

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‘Aurora’ the baby falcon plush toy takes flight again as SpaceX Crew-9 zero-g indicator

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A tradition borrowed from the Russian space program has now physically crossed over to an American spacecraft for the first time. The “zero-g [gravity] indicator” that launched aboard SpaceX‘s Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station on Saturday (Sept. 28), previously flew on two Russian Soyuz capsules, including one that survived an emergency in-flight abort. “I’ve got a little Falcon here,” said NASA astronaut and Crew-9 commander Nick Hague, as he revealed the small plush baby falcon in the crew cabin of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft “Freedom.” Hague and mission specialist…

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SpaceX launches Crew-9 astronauts from upgraded Florida pad to return Boeing Starliner crew home

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A unique SpaceX mission is underway. A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex-40 (SLC-40) at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station today (Sept. 28) at 1:17 p.m. EDT (1717 GMT), kicking off the Crew-9 astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA.  “That was a sweet ride,” NASA astronaut Nick Hague, Crew-9’s commander, radioed SpaceX’s launch control after reaching orbit with crewmate Alexandr Gorbunov of Russia. The astronauts are will arrive at the ISS on Sunday, Sept. 29. You can follow the mission with our…

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This Week In Space podcast: Episode 130 —Dogs on Mars, Snakes on the Moon

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Dogs on Mars, Snakes on the Moon – Mars Sample Return and VIPER – YouTube Watch On On Episode 130 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik talk with Dr. Jim Bell about the Mars Sample Return program and VIPER mission to the moon. NASA’s planetary exploration program is in trouble. The Mars Sample Return program is verging on cancellation, and the VIPER mission to the moon already has been. Both are critical precursors to human exploration of these places, as Dr. Jim Bell of Arizona State…

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