Science

Could 2 NASA Astronauts Be Stuck At The Space Station Until Next Year? Here’s What To Know

Published

3 months ago

2024-08-12

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida – NASA is debating how and when to bring two astronauts home from the International Space Station after repeatedly postponing their homecoming aboard Boeing’s problematic capsule.

Do they take a gamble and send them home soon aboard Boeing’s Starliner? Or should they wait and return next year with SpaceX?

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have been up there since early June, with their intended eight-day mission already two months in and potentially longer.

Testing continues, with Boeing claiming confidence in their spacecraft and NASA divided. The ruling is due next week.

WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE BOEING STARLINER?
This is Boeing’s first experience launching people, following a pair of empty Starliners with software and other concerns. Even before Wilmore and Williams blasted off on June 5, their capsule developed a leak in the propulsion system. Boeing and NASA determined that the little helium leak was stable and isolated and proceeded with the test flight. However, as the Starliner approached the space station the following day, four more leaks occurred, and five thrusters also failed.

The capsule docked safely, and four of the thrusters eventually worked. Engineers hurried to conduct thruster test firings on the ground and in space. After two months, there is still no clear cause for the thruster faults. All but one of the 28 thrusters appear to be in working order, but the crew’s safety may be jeopardized if too many fail to function again. At the end of the trip, the thrusters are needed to hold the capsule in the proper position for the vital deorbit burn.

Could 2 NASA Astronauts Be Stuck At The Space Station Until Next Year? Here’s What To Know

ARE THE TWO ASTRONAUTS STRANDED?
NASA rejects claims that Wilmore and Williams are stranded or stuck. From the start, NASA has highlighted that if there is an emergency aboard the space station, such as a fire or decompression, the couple can still use Starliner as a lifeboat to escape. A former NASA leader said Thursday that the astronauts are “kind of stuck,” but not stranded. Scott Hubbard confirmed that they are secure aboard the space station, with plenty of supplies and jobs to do.

If NASA proceeded with a SpaceX return, Starliner would be released first, freeing up one of two parking slots for US capsules. Before that, Wilmore and Williams would create seats for themselves in the SpaceX Dragon capsule, which is now docked at the space station. This is because each station tenant requires a lifeboat at all times. Once the docking port on the Starliner is vacant, SpaceX might launch another Dragon to fill it — the one Wilmore and Williams would ride.

WHY MAY THEY HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR?

SpaceX’s Dragon, like Boeing’s Starliner, is designed to carry four people. To make place for Wilmore and Williams, NASA announced Wednesday that it may push two of the four astronauts scheduled to sail to the space station with SpaceX next month. The empty seats would be designated for Wilmore and Williams, but they would have to stay until February.

This is because station missions are designed to last at least six months. Some have lasted for a year. Two Russians are now in space and will return in September in a three-seat Soyuz capsule with a NASA crewmate to complete a yearlong mission. There is no thought of ordering a special SpaceX Express, and the Dragon at the station will now transport four inhabitants home next month.

This isn’t the first time a US astronaut has had their mission extended. NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and his two Russian crewmates spent a little over a year in space after their parked Soyuz capsule was damaged by space debris and leaked all of its coolant. Last September, an empty Russian capsule was launched to bring them back.

What are the astronauts’ thoughts on all of this?

Wilmore and Williams are retired Navy captains and NASA astronauts with extensive space station experience. Wilmore, 61, and Williams, 58, stated before the test flight that they planned to learn much about the Starliner and its operation.

At their only news conference from space in July, they told reporters that they were keeping busy with repairs and research and that they were confident in all of the Starliner testing that was taking place behind the scenes. There has yet to be any public announcement from them regarding the possibility of an eight-month stay.

Is there enough food, water, and air?
Wilmore and Williams’ luggage was removed from Starliner before liftoff to make place for equipment required for the space station’s urine-to-drinking-water recycling system. So they made do with the clothes they already had up there. A supply ship arrived this week, bringing their clothes and more food and science experiments for the full nine-person crew.

More supplies are expected in a few months. Regarding air, the space station has its own oxygen-generating devices. Despite the fat stores, NASA wants to return to normal quickly. Aside from Wilmore and Williams, four other Americans and three Russians are on board.

WHY DOES NASA STICK WITH STARLINER?
NASA hired two businesses to transport its people to and from the space station, just as it did to carry goods. The space agency viewed it as an insurance policy: if one crew or cargo provider was grounded, the other could carry the burden. ‘You want another option, both in terms of cost and safety. So NASA needs Boeing to succeed,” said Hubbard, who served on the Columbia Accident Investigation Board in 2003.

Despite the new difficulties, NASA insists on continuing to use Boeing Starliners for astronaut rides. The plan is to send up one Dragon and one Starliner per year with crews six months apart until the station is abandoned in 2030. SpaceX has been doing this since 2020.

WHAT IS BOEING SAYING?

Could 2 NASA Astronauts Be Stuck At The Space Station Until Next Year? Here’s What To Know

Boeing claims that its capsule can still safely transport the astronauts home. However, the corporation stated on Wednesday that it would take the required preparations to return the capsule empty if NASA so directed. Last Monday, the corporation issued a list of all the thruster experiments performed since launch.

“We still believe in Starliner’s capability and flight rationale.” the firm stated.

Boeing, a long-time space contractor, has had to deal with numerous Starliner issues over the years. The business had to launch an empty Starliner twice before committing to a crew, repeating the original flight test due to software errors and other challenges. The delays have cost the corporation over $1 billion.

Hubbard asks whether NASA and Boeing should have launched the crew with the original helium leak, which led to more.

“Whatever happens with the Starliner, they need to find out what the problem was and fix it,” he explained. “And give everybody confidence they are still in the aerospace business in a major way.”

SOURCE | AP

Science

Australia Asks Residents to Catch Deadly Funnel Web Spider

Published

5 days ago

2024-11-20

Geoff Brown

As summer approaches in Australia, residents are warned to look out for the funnel web spider, one of the country’s deadliest species.

In addition to advising the public to avoid funnel-web spiders during mating season, the Australian Reptile Park in New South Wales has even asked people to capture live funnel-web spiders so they can “milk” their venom.

Native to eastern Australia, the funnel web spider can kill humans in as little as fifteen minutes if they do not receive medical treatment for its poisonous bite.

There have been thirteen fatalities attributable to this species, but none since the development of antivenom in 1981. The Australian Reptile Park is appealing to the public for assistance capturing and donating spiders, as the serum relies on milking live spiders.

Hunting for the funnel net spider in residential areas is common practice after a particularly wet and warm season. Look for spiders in cool, dark places like pools, garden residue, heaps of dirty clothing, and outside shoes.

Australian Reptile Park spider keeper Emma Teni recently blogged about how they rely on spider donations more than ever, especially now that breeding season has arrived and the temperature is perfect.

“Male funnel-web spiders have short lifespans, and with approximately 150 spiders required to make just one vial of antivenom, we need the public’s help to ensure we have enough venom to meet demand.”

“If you spot an egg sac while collecting a spider, it’s important to safely collect that as well,” said Teni. “It can provide a robust supply of healthy young spiders to aid in our antivenom production.”

The spiders won’t be able to climb plastic or glass, but Teni suggests capturing funnel webs in a wide-mouthed jar with a cover. Then, you can lead the spiders into the container using a long spoon or something similar.

After that, fill the jar with moist soil, screw on the top, and bring it to the designated drop-off spot.

“We depend on the public for spider donations, and we want to make sure everyone stays safe during the collection process, especially with conditions being so favourable this year,” said Teni.

Trudeau Orders Facebook to Block Presser Video from Australia

Trudeau Orders Facebook to Block Australian Presser Video

Science

A Spacecraft Is On Its Way To A Harmless Asteroid Slammed By NASA In A Previous Save-The-Earth Test

Published

2 months ago

2024-10-10

Kiara Grace

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida – A spacecraft launched Monday to probe the site of a cosmic accident.

The European Space Agency’s Hera spacecraft launched on a two-year trip to the little, harmless asteroid slammed by NASA two years ago as a practice run for the day when a murderous space rock threatens Earth. It’s the second phase of a planetary defense experiment that could one day save the globe.

SpaceX’s Falcon rocket vanished with Hera into the late morning clouds. An hour later, cheering erupted in the control center in Germany as the spacecraft split from the rocket’s upper stage and returned home. “It’s an amazing day,” the space agency’s director general, Josef Aschbacher, said later.

The 2022 crash of NASA’s Dart spacecraft reduced Dimorphos’ orbit around its larger companion, indicating that if a harmful rock was heading our way, it might be pushed off course with adequate warning.

nasa

A Spacecraft Is On Its Way To A Harmless Asteroid Slammed By NASA In A Previous Save-The-Earth Test

Scientists are eager to analyze the aftermath of the impact up close to determine how effective Dart was and what improvements may be required to protect Earth in the future.

“The more detail we can glean the better as it may be important for planning a future deflection mission should one be needed,” University of Maryland astronomer Derek Richardson stated before launch.

Researchers want to know if Dart (short for Double Asteroid Redirection Test) created a crater or changed the 500-foot (150-meter) asteroid more dramatically. It seemed to be a flying saucer before Dart’s blow and may now resemble a kidney bean, according to Richardson, who participated in the Dart mission and is assisting Hera.

Dart’s wallop sent rubble and boulders hurtling off Dimorphos, adding to the impact’s momentum. For months, the debris track extended thousands of miles (almost 10,000 kilometers) into space.

According to flight director Ignacio Tanco, some rocks and debris may still be hovering about the asteroid, posing a threat to Hera.

A Spacecraft Is On Its Way To A Harmless Asteroid Slammed By NASA In A Previous Save-The-Earth Test

“We don’t really know very well the environment in which we are going to operate,” Tanco informed me. “But that’s the whole point of the mission is to go there and find out.”

European authorities refer to the $400 million (363 million euros) effort as a “crash scene investigation.”

“Hera is going back to the crime scene and getting all the scientific and technical information,” said project manager Ian Carnelli.

Carrying a dozen science instruments, the compact car-sized Hera must swing past Mars in 2025 for a gravitational boost before landing at Dimorphos by the end of 2026. It’s a moonlet of Didymos, the Greek word for twin, a five-times larger asteroid that spins quickly. At that point, the asteroids will be 120 million miles (195 million kilometers) from Earth.

Hera will attempt to enter orbit around the rocky duo, progressively reducing flyby distances from 18 miles (30 kilometers) to a half-mile (1 kilometer). The spacecraft will examine the moonlet for at least six months to determine its mass, shape, composition, and orbit around Didymos.

Before the crash, Dimorphos circled its larger partner from three-quarters of a mile (1,189 meters) away. Scientists believe the orbit has become tighter and more oval-shaped, and that the moonlet may be tumbling.

Two shoebox-sized Cubesats will launch from Hera for even closer drone-like examinations, with one employing radar to peek beneath the moonlet’s boulder-strewn surface. Scientists believe Dimorphos was produced from particles shed by Didymos. The radar measurements should assist in determining whether Didymos is the small moon’s parent.

A Spacecraft Is On Its Way To A Harmless Asteroid Slammed By NASA In A Previous Save-The-Earth Test

After their survey, the CubeSats will attempt to land on the moonlet. If the moonlet tumbles, the situation will become more complicated. Hera may potentially conclude its mission with a perilous touchdown but on the bigger Didymos.

Neither asteroid poses a threat to Earth, before or after Dart appeared. That is why NASA chose the pair for humanity’s first asteroid-deflecting demonstration.

Asteroids, which are remnants of the solar system’s origin 4.6 billion years ago, circle the sun principally between Mars and Jupiter in what is known as the main asteroid belt, where millions of them live. When they fall from the belt and land in our area, they become near-Earth objects.

NASA now has around 36,000 near-Earth objects, the majority of which are asteroids, although there are also some comets. More than 2,400 of them are deemed potentially dangerous to the Earth.

SOURCE | AP

Science

A Rare Comet Brightens The Night Skies In October

Published

2 months ago

2024-10-09

Kiara Grace

NEW YORK — Prepare to spot a rare and dazzling comet.

The space rock is hurling toward Earth from the far reaches of the solar system and will make its closest approach on Saturday. It should be visible through the end of October, assuming clear skies.

A Rare Comet Brightens The Night Skies In October

Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas should be visible to the naked eye, but binoculars and telescopes will provide a clearer view.

“It’ll be this fuzzy circle with a long tail stretching away from it,” explained Sally Brummel, planetarium manager at the Bell Museum in Minnesota.

What is a comet?
They are frozen remains from billions of years ago when the solar system was formed. They heat up as they swing toward the sun, revealing their distinctive streaming tails.

In 2023, a green one that had last visited Earth 50,000 years ago flew past again. Other significant flybys were Neowise in 2020 and Hale-Bopp and Hyakutake in the mid to late 1990s.

Where did Tsuchinshan-Atlas come from?
Also known as C/2023 A3, was found last year and named after the observatories in China and South Africa that spotted it.

It originated in the Oort Cloud, which extends far beyond Pluto. After making its closest approach to Earth at 44 million miles (71 million kilometers), it will not return for another 80,000 years, provided it survives the journey.

A Rare Comet Brightens The Night Skies In October

Every year, several comets are detected, but many of them burn up near the sun or are too far away to be observed without special equipment, according to Larry Denneau, a key researcher with the Atlas telescope that helped discover it.

How to View

Those seeking to see Tsuchinshan-Atlas should go outside about an hour after sunset on a clear night and look to the west.

The comet should be visible from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

SOURCE | AP