Astronauts on ISS can face muscle loss in microgravity – a new ESA experiment may help

NeRD

On Aug. 27, Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen scripted history when he became the first European to pilot the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS). Over the next six months, Mogensen will carry out over 30 research activities including 3-D printing in space, supporting astronauts’ mental health with soothing virtual reality videos and clicking pictures of thunder clouds on Earth to better understand the phenomena. One experiment, however, is captivating scientists because of its potential to provide better healthcare not just for astronauts but also for humans on…

Read More

Chandrayaan-3 rover and lander in sleep mode but might wake up later this month

NeRD

India’s Chandrayaan-3 lunar rover and lander have completed their primary mission goals and are now preparing for the upcoming two-week lunar night. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) hopes the two iconic vehicles might wake up when the sun rises again above the moon’s south pole. The Chandrayaan-3 mission, India’s first successful attempt to land on the moon and the world’s first successful landing in the southern lunar region, spent a little under two weeks exploring the promising area where deposits of frozen water might exist trapped inside permanently shadowed…

Read More

India’s Chandrayaan-3 landed on the south pole of the moon − a space policy expert explains what this means for India and the global race to the moon

NeRD

India made history as the first country to land near the south pole of the moon with its Chandrayaan-3 lander on Aug. 23, 2023. This also makes it the first country to land on the moon since China in 2020. India is one of several countries — including the U.S. with its Artemis program — endeavoring to land on the moon. The south pole of the moon is of particular interest, as its surface, marked by craters, trenches and pockets of ancient ice, hasn’t been visited until now. The Conversation U.S. asked international affairs expert Mariel…

Read More

Did ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” second season overdo the gimmicks?

NeRD

There’s no shortage of reasons why “Star Trek” – like fellow genre veteran “Doctor Who” – has lasted for nearly six decades. Beyond their timeless formats, memorable characters and plenty of the coolest spaceships, the biggest factor in their longevity is arguably their ability to shapeshift into a different form every week. Their respective adventures may be populated with familiar faces, and have a tendency to begin and end in the same place. But all the bits in between have the potential to explore infinite – or thereabouts – storytelling…

Read More

Taking out the trash: Here’s how private companies could be vital for space debris removal

NeRD

There’s no doubt about it. Earth orbit is a messy place.  But is there a business in removing space junk from Earth orbit? Around the world, private companies and national space agencies alike are coming up with concepts on grappling with worrisome debris. However, estimates of how much troublesome litter is actually in orbit — from huge chunks of space scrap to tiny paint chips and even radioactive particles — are daunting and tricky to make. When a satellite receives a come-to-blows punch by leftover litter or an explosion occurs…

Read More

Watch SpaceX’s Crew-6 Dragon depart ISS with 4 astronauts aboard on Sept. 3 after delay

NeRD

A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying four astronauts will head back to Earth no earlier than Sunday morning (Sept. 3) after a one-day weather delay to wrap up NASA’s Crew-6 mission, and you can watch the action live online for free.  The hatches between the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, named Endeavour, and the International Space Station (ISS) are currently scheduled to close on Sunday around 5 a.m. EDT (0900 GMT). Endeavour will undock from the orbiting lab shortly thereafter, around 7:05 a.m. EDT (1105 GMT).  You can watch these Crew-6 mission…

Read More

NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter flies on Mars for the 56th time

NeRD

NASA’s Ingenuity Mars helicopter keeps adding to its tally of off-Earth flights. The 4-pound (1.8 kilograms) Ingenuity flew for the 56th time on Aug. 26, staying aloft for nearly 2.5 minutes on the Mars sortie. “The #MarsHelicopter completed Flight 56, traveling 1,334 ft (410 m) across the Martian surface at a maximum altitude of ~39 ft (12 m). The goal of this flight was to reposition the helicopter,” NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California, which manages the little rotorcraft’s mission, wrote via X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday (Aug.…

Read More

India tests parachutes for Gaganyaan crew capsule using a rocket sled (video)

NeRD

India is making strides toward independently launching astronauts to space. While the attention is currently on India’s Chandrayaan-3 Vikram lander and Pragyan rover on the moon, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is also making progress toward other lofty goals. India’s Gaganyaan mission envisions sending three astronauts to low Earth orbit, requiring the development of a spacecraft that can get crew into space and safely back to the ground. Related: India tests recovery of spacecraft for Gaganyaan astronaut mission (photos) The parachute system for India’s Gaganyaan crew capsule gets tested…

Read More