NASA has postponed its plans to send humans to the moon after delays hit its hugely ambitious Artemis programme, which aims to get spaceboots bouncing again on the lunar surface for the first time in half a century.
From a report: The US space agency has announced the Artemis III mission to land four astronauts near the lunar south pole will be delayed a year until September 2026. Artemis II, a 10-day expedition to send a crew around the moon and back to test life support systems, will also be pushed back to September 2025.
NASA said the delays would allow its teams to work through development challenges associated with the programme, which partners with private companies including Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Lockheed Martin and uses some largely untested spacecraft and technology.
We are returning to the moon in a way we never have before, and the safety of our astronauts is Nasa’s top priority as we prepare for future Artemis missions,” said the Nasa administrator Bill Nelson.
Washington wants to establish a long-term human presence outside Earth’s orbit, including construction of a lunar base camp as well as a space station that circles the moon. Its ultimate plans are to send people to Mars, but it has decided to return to the moon first to learn more about deep space before embarking on what would be a months-long voyage to the red planet.
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AceBreakingNews – If you’re a fan of astronomy, it will be worth turning your eyes to the skies this evening.
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Ace Press News From Cutting Room Floor: Published: Jun.29: 2024: NASA Space News Report & ABC News Report: TELEGRAM Ace Daily News LinkΒ https://t.me/YouMeUs2Β
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Two large asteroids are safely passing Earth this week. (Artist’s impression by ESA: P Carril)normal
In an astronomical coincidence, two asteroids are passing by Earth and will both be most visible for Australians today.
Here’s a breakdown on what’s happening and how you can watch.
What’s happening?
Two large asteroids are safely passing Earth this week. They are:
2011 UL21
2024 MK
The occurrence is especially notable for astronomers because 2024 MK was only discovered on June 16.
It also happens to come days before World Asteroid Day on June 30.
How close will they get?
2011 UL21 was closest to Earth earlier this morning, with a distance of 6,634,279 kilometres.
That’s about 17 times further than the Moon, according to the European Space Agency.
This is the asteroid’s closest orbit since it was first discovered in October 2011.
Meanwhile, 2024 MK will approach Earth at a distance of about 290,000 kilometres late Saturday.
At that stage, it will be pass nearer to Earth than the Moon.Loading…
How big are the asteroids?
Headlines have described 2011 UL21 as ‘mountain-sized’ and a ‘planet killer’.
That’s because the space rock is 2.3 kilometres wide, which makes it larger than most near-Earth objects.
2024 MK is a fair bit smaller.
Its diameter is believed to be betweenΒ 122 and 256 metres.
While that sounds quite little in comparison to 2011 UL21, both would have the capacity to do quite a lot of damage if they were ever to strike Earth.
A smaller meteor caused widespread damage when it struck a Russian city in 2013. (Reuters: OOO Spetszakaz)
For comparison, the meteor that struck Chelyabinsk in Russia on February 13, 2013 was just 18 metres in diameter but injured more than 1,600 people, according to NASA.
On the other end of the spectrum, the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs is estimated to have been between 10 and 15 kilometres.
But it’s important to note there’s no danger of either 2011 UL21 or 2024 MK colliding with Earth.
You can check where to look for UL21 in the night sky via In-The-Sky.org, an astronomy project run by European Space Agency data scientist Dominic Ford.
Meanwhile, The Sky Live is tracking 2024 MK, so you can find guides on where to look there.
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AceBreakingNews – A Florida family whose home was hit by space debris earlier this year is seeking compensation from US space agency Nasa for property damage and mental anguish.Β
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Ace Press News From Cutting Room Floor: Published: Jun.26: 2024: BBC USA News Report: TELEGRAM Ace Daily News LinkΒ https://t.me/YouMeUs2Β
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The 1.6lb (0.7kg) metal object punched a hole in the roof through two layers of ceiling in Alejandro Otero’s home in Naples, this past March.
Nasa had said the object was part of some 5,800lbs of hardware that was dumped by the International Space Station after it had new lithium-ion batteries installed. Mr Otero said his son was nearly injured by the impact.
A press release from the law firm Cranfill Summer lists damages including non-insured property damage loss, business interruption, emotional/mental anguish and the costs for assistance from third parties.
Attorney Mica Nguyen Worthy said space debris “is a real serious issue because of the increase in space traffic in recent years”.
“My clients are seeking adequate compensation to account for the stress and impact that this event had on their lives,” she said in a statement.
Mr Otero told CBS affiliate Wink-TV that the device created a “tremendous sound” as it blasted into his home.
“I was shaking. I was completely in disbelief. What are the chances of something landing on my house with such force to cause so much damage,” Mr Otero said.
The debris was determined to be part of a stanchion used to mount batteries on a cargo pallet.
“The hardware was expected to fully burn up during entry through Earth’s atmosphere on March 8, 2024. However, a piece of hardware survived and impacted a home in Naples, Florida,” the agency said.
The ISS will “perform a detailed investigation” on how the debris survived burn-up, according to Nasa.
The agency has six months to respond to the Otero’s claims.
Space junk has been a growing a problem. In April, sky watchers in California spotted mysterious golden streaks moving through the space.
US officials later determined that the light show was caused by burning debris from a Chinese rocket re-entering earth’s orbit.
In February, a Chinese satellite known as “Object K” burned up as it re-entered the atmosphere over Hawaii.
Last year, a barnacle-covered giant metal dome found on a Western Australian beach was identified as a component of an Indian rocket. There are plans to display it alongside chunks of Nasa’s Skylab, which crashed in Australia in 1979.
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Ace News Desk – From now through much of next year, the moon will periodically rise and set at its most extreme points, thanks to a rare celestial phenomenon that only occurs every 18.6 years
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Ace Press News From Cutting Room Floor: Published: Jun.24: 2024Β Smithsonian Magazine By Sarah Kuta June 20, 2024: TELEGRAM Ace Daily News LinkΒ https://t.me/YouMeUs2
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During a major lunar standstill, the northernmost and southernmost moonrise and moonset are at their farthest apart. Pexels
During a major lunar standstill, the northernmost and southernmost moonrise and moonset are at their farthest apart. Pexels
If youβre still daydreaming about the April 8 total solar eclipse, dazzling auroras or last monthβs Eta Aquarid meteor shower, youβre in luck: Another rare celestial spectacle is happening now.
Called a βmajor lunar standstill,β this natural phenomenon only occurs every 18.6 years. The standstill is not just one day, but a period of about two years when the moon rises and sets at more northerly and southerly spots along the horizon than normal.In addition, from our perspective on Earth, the moon will appear to reach its highest and lowest altitudes during this time.
The major lunar standstill will peak in January 2025. But it can be seen through the middle of next year.
βThroughout the roughly two-year standstill βseason,β the moon will rise at the northernmost and southernmost extreme every 27 days,β Fabio Silva, an archaeologist at Bournemouth University in England, tells Smithsonian magazine in an email. βBut this will occur at different phases of the moon, not all of which will be visible or dramatic. It is on or very close to the solstices that this will coincide with a full moon, making for very dramatic displays.β
On Friday, just one day after the solstice, the full moon offered some of the most extremeviews of the lunar phenomenonβit will rise and set at its southernmost points, and it will travel very low across the sky.
βIn locations with high hills/mountains in the south, the moon may not be visible at all, appear only for a brief period of time or, if the conditions are right, the moon may appear to be rolling across the hills (simply due to the fact that it will be very low in the sky),β Silva adds.
If youβd rather stay indoors, you can watch a live stream of the southernmost moonrise at Stonehenge, whichβprovided the weather holds outβshould be a stunning sight. Researchers in England are spending the next year studying whether the major lunar standstill may have influenced the design of the monument.
What is a major lunar standstill?
Every day, the moon rises in the east and sets in the west. But the location of the moonrise and moonset on the horizon changes, moving from north to south to north again over the course of a month. Throughout the 18.6-year lunar cycle, the northernmost and southernmost extremes also change.
During a major lunar standstill, the northernmost and southernmost moonrise and moonset are at their farthest distance apart. As such, this affects how long the moon appears to stay in the sky.
This phenomenon occurs because of the tilt of the Earth on its axis as it orbits the sun, as well as the tilt of the moonβs orbit around the Earth. The moon can rise and set within a 57-degree range over the course of a month, while the sun rises and sets within a 47-degree range over the course of the year. This means that at times, the moon can appear to rise and set at more northerly and southerly spots along the horizon compared to the sun.
The moon in archaeology
To the casual observer, the northern and southern fluctuations of the moonrise and moonset may be hard to notice. But for individuals who watch the sky closelyβincluding many ancient culturesβitβs more obvious. During times when the moon rises and sets outside the sunβs range in the sky, ancient people may have noticedβand imbued those periods with meaning.
βA moon-watcher would have seen the moon start to rise or set outside of these limits, moving farther and farther out of bounds as the major lunar standstill approached,β says Erica Ellingson, an emeritus astrophysicist at the University of Colorado Boulder who is studying a possible connection between the major lunar standstill and Chimney Rock in Colorado, to CNNβs Katie Hunt.
It seems that four boulders around Stonehenge, known as Station Stones, are aligned with the moonβs northernmost and southernmost rises and sets.A full moon sets behind Stonehenge on April 27, 2021. Finnbarr Webster / Getty Images
The researchers have been observing the moonβs extremes from Stonehenge this year, but according to Silva, the weather has often gotten in the way. Fridayβs full moon offers the next major opportunity for the project.
βWeβve had opportunities twice [a] month since February, but weβve only managed to observe it three times because of the weather,β Silva says. βIf we do manage to observe it [on Friday], we are interested in recoding where and when it will first appear, how it will be framed by the stone circle as it moves across the sky and assess whether the alignment of Station Stones and major standstill moon was intentional or merely a coincidence.β
When the full moon rose on Friday, it appeared very low in the sky. This could make it look huge to Earth-bound observers, thanks to whatβs known as the βmoon illusion.β In places at high latitudes, the moon will be so low it may not even be visible above the horizon, according to theΒ Farmerβs Almanac. The moon may also take on an orangish-pinkish hue, because of the wayΒ light passes throughΒ Earthβs atmosphere.
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AceBreakingNews – A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeingβs Starliner spacecraft aboard launches from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Wednesday, June 5, 2024, in Florida. NASAβs Boeing Crew Flight Test is the first launch with astronauts of the Boeing spacecraft and United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agencyβs Commercial Crew Program
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Ace Press News From Cutting Room Floor: Published: Jun.06: 2024: NASA News Report: TELEGRAM Ace Daily News Link https://t.me/YouMeUs2
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Editorβs note: This release was updated on June 5, 2024, to include instructions on attending the post-docking briefing on Thursday, June 6.
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NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are safely in orbit on the first crewed flight test aboard Boeingβs Starliner spacecraft bound for the International Space Station.
As part of NASAβs Boeing Crew Flight Test, the astronauts lifted off at 10:52 a.m. EDT Wednesday on a ULA (United Launch Alliance) Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on an end-to-end test of the Starliner system.
βTwo bold NASA astronauts are well on their way on this historic first test flight of a brand-new spacecraft,β said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. βBoeingβs Starliner marks a new chapter of American exploration. Human spaceflight is a daring task β but thatβs why itβs worth doing. Itβs an exciting time for NASA, our commercial partners, and the future of exploration. Go Starliner, Go Butch and Suni!β
As part of NASAβs Commercial Crew Program, the flight test will help validate the transportation system, launch pad, rocket, spacecraft, in-orbit operations capabilities, and return to Earth with astronauts aboard as the agency prepares to certify Starliner for rotational missions to the space station. Starliner previously flew two uncrewed orbital flights, including a test to and from the space station, along with a pad abort demonstration.
βWith Starlinerβs launch, separation from the rocket, and arrival on orbit, Boeingβs Crew Flight Test is right on track,β said Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager of Boeingβs Commercial Crew Program. βEveryone is focused on giving Suni and Butch a safe, comfortable, ride and performing a successful test mission from start to finish.β
During Starlinerβs flight, Boeing will monitor a series of automatic spacecraft maneuvers from its mission control center in Houston. NASA teams will monitor space station operations throughout the flight from the Mission Control Center at the agencyβs Johnson Space Center in Houston.
βFlying crew on Starliner represents over a decade of work by the Commercial Crew Program and our partners at Boeing and ULA,β said Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, at NASAβs Johnson Space Center in Houston. βFor many of us, this is a career-defining moment bringing on a new crew transportation capability for our agency and our nation. We are going to take it one step at a time, putting Starliner through its paces, and remaining vigilant until Butch and Suni safely touch down back on Earth at the conclusion of this test flight.β
Starliner will autonomously dock to the forward-facing port of the stationβs Harmony module at approximately 12:15 p.m. Thursday, June 6, and remain at the orbital laboratory for about a week.
Wilmore and Williams will help verify the spacecraft is performing as intended by testing the environmental control system, the displays and control system, and by maneuvering the thrusters, among other tests during flight.
After a safe arrival at the space station, Wilmore and Williams will join the Expedition 71 crew of NASA astronauts Michael Barratt, Matt Dominick, Tracy C. Dyson, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin, and Oleg Kononenko.
NASAβs arrival and in-flight event coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):
Mission coverage will continue on NASA Television channels throughout Starlinerβs flight and resume on NASA+ prior to docking.
Thursday, June 6 9:30 a.m. β Arrival coverage begins on NASA+, the NASA app, and YouTube, and continues on NASA Television and the agencyβswebsite.
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12:15 p.m. β Targeted docking
2 p.m. β Hatch opening
2:20 p.m. β Welcome remarks
3:30 p.m. β Post-docking news conference at NASA Johnson with the following participants:
NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free
Steve Stich, manager, NASAβs Commercial Crew Program
Jeff Arend, manager for systems engineering and integration, NASAβs International Space Station Office
Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager, Commercial Crew Program, Boeing
To attend the post-docking briefing, U.S. media must contact the NASA Johnson newsroom at: jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov or 281-483-5111 by 1 p.m. Thursday, June 6. To join by phone, media must contact the NASA Johnson newsroom by 3 p.m. Thursday, June 6.
5:50 p.m. β NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, Associate Administrator Jim Free, Associate Administrator for Space Operations Ken Bowersox, and Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche will speak with Wilmore and Williams about their launch aboard the Starliner spacecraft.
Wilmore is the commander for the mission. A veteran of two spaceflights, Wilmore has 178 days in space under his belt. In 2009, he served as a pilot aboard space shuttle Atlantis for the STS-129 mission. Additionally, Wilmore served as a flight engineer for Expedition 41 until November 2014, when he assumed command of the space station after arrival of the Expedition 42 crew. He returned to Earth the following March. Prior to his selection by NASA in 2000, the father of two obtained both his bachelorβs degree and masterβs degree in Electrical Engineering from Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, before graduating with another masterβs degree in Aviation Systems from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He is also a graduate of the United States Naval Test Pilot School, Patuxent River, Maryland, and has completed four operational deployments during his tenure as a fleet naval officer and aviator.
Williams is the spacecraft pilot for the flight test. Williams has spent 322 days in space across two missions: Expedition 14/15 in 2006 through 2007, and Expedition 32/33 in 2012. The Massachusetts native also conducted seven spacewalks, totaling 50 hours and 40 minutes. Before her career began with NASA in 1998, Williams graduated with her bachelorβs degree in Physical Science from the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, before obtaining her masterβs degree in Engineering Management from the Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne. In total, she has logged more than 3,000 flight hours in over 30 different aircraft.
NASAβs Commercial Crew Program has delivered on its goal of safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station from the United States through a partnership with American private industry. This partnership is changing the arc of human spaceflight history by opening access to low Earth orbit and the space station to more people, science, and commercial opportunities. The space station remains the springboard to NASAβs next great leap in space exploration, including future missions to the Moon under Artemis and, eventually, Mars.
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AceBreakingNews – China lands spacecraft on the far side of Moon: China’s official Xinhua News Agency said the landing module touched down on Sunday morning, local time, in a huge crater known as the South Pole-Aitken Basin.
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Ace Press News From Cutting Room Floor: Published: Jun.02: 2024: NASA & AP News Agency Report: TELEGRAM Ace Daily News LinkΒ https://t.me/YouMeUs2Β
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The Chang’e 6 spacecraft was launched in May.(Reuters: Eduardo Baptista)normal
The mission is the sixth in the Chang’e Moon exploration program, named after a Chinese moon goddess.Β
It is the second designed to bring back samples, following the Chang’e 5, which did so from the near side in 2020.
The Moon program is part of a growing rivalry with the US and other countries, including Japan and India, to explore space. China has put its own space station in orbit and regularly sends crews there.
Beijing aims to put a person on the Moon before 2030, which would make it the second nation after the United States to do so.Β
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The US is planning to land astronauts on the Moon again β for the first time in more than 50 years β though NASA pushed the target date back to 2026 earlier this year.
In China’s current mission, the lander will use a mechanical arm and a drill to gather up to 2 kilograms of surface and underground material to send back in a capsule currently orbiting the Moon.
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An ascender atop the lander will take the samples back to the orbiter in a metal vacuum container. The container will be transferred to a re-entry capsule that is due to return to Earth in the deserts of China’s Inner Mongolia region about June 25.
Missions to the far side of the Moon are more difficult because it does not face the Earth, requiring a relay satellite to maintain communications.
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AceBreakingNews -Astronomers have identified a new planet that’s bigger than Jupiter β the largest in our solar system β yet they say it’s as fluffy and light as fairy floss.
A NASA illustration of the giant planet WASP-193b and its star.(Supplied: NASA/ESA/CSA)normal
The exoplanet named WASP-193b has an exceedingly low density for its size, the international team of researchers reported in theΒ Nature AstronomyΒ journal on Tuesday.
The gas giants in our solar system like Jupiter and Saturn are much denser in comparison.
The lead author of the published study, Khalid Barkaoui, said WASP-193b is the second-lightest planet among the more than 5,400 planets discovered to date.
“The planet is basically super fluffy,” the post-doctoral researcher from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) said.
“The reason why it’s close to cotton candy (fairy floss) is because both are mostly made of light gases rather than solids.”
The researchers suspect the planet, which is located some 1,200 light-years away, is made mostly from hydrogen and helium.
A NASA illustration of planet WASP-193b which is more than 1,200 light-years away.(Supplied: NASA)
β To find these giant objects with such a small density is really, really rare,β Dr Barkaoui said.
“There’s a class of planets called puffy Jupiters, and it’s been a mystery for 15 years now as to what they are. And this is an extreme case of that class.”
Scientists say an outlier like WASP-193b is ideal for studying unconventional planetary formation and evolution.
The discovery of the planet was confirmed last year, but it took extra time and work to determine its consistency based on observations by ground telescopes.
“We don’t know where to put this planet in all the formation theories we have right now, because it’s an outlier of all of them,” co-lead author Francisco Pozuelos said.
“We cannot explain how this planet was formed, based on classical evolution models. Looking more closely at its atmosphere will allow us to obtain an evolutionary path of this planet.”
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