Science, Space, & Robotics - Page 90

A study posing an answer titled "Asymptotic burnout and homeostatic awakening: a possible solution to the Fermi paradox?" has been published in the Journal of The Royal Society Interface.

Astrobiologists Michael Wong and Stuart Bartlett have proposed a new hypothesis to answer the Fermi Paradox, named after the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Enrico Fermi, who noted the apparent contradiction between the age and size of the universe, which would suggest that alien life should be readily visible, and the lack of any evidence for alien life.

The researchers hypothesize that any other-worldly civilizations would meet one of two fates, one being collapse as their energy demand outpaces their rate of technological innovation to harness more energy. The other scenario would allow them to stave off collapse by focusing on maintaining equilibrium at a certain point, sacrificing the ability to expand further throughout the universe. They based their conclusions on the typical growth seen in cities concerning population and energy consumption.

The Twitter user @StarshipGazer has snapped a photo of SpaceX's Starship with an odd-looking payload door.

The photo is of Ship 24, a prototype build of SpaceX's Starship rocket, which SpaceX hopes to send to Mars eventually. A hatch on the ship's side, possibly a payload door, potentially for deploying Starlink satellites, was spotted sitting ajar, perhaps simply in the process of opening or closing or potentially even broken.

Last month, a part of Booster 7 was shown to be damaged in a leaked photo, which was developed for use with Starship. If the hatch captured recently is also damaged, the timeline for Starship's upcoming orbital test flight may be delayed even further. The previous Starship prototype, Ship 23, has allegedly been scrapped, with parts going toward Ship 24's development, and Ship 25 and Ship 26 are also currently under construction.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has taken to its website to showcase new images of Mars and its network of long grooves in its surface.

Posted to the ESA website on April 28, 2022, the space agency explains that the features seen in the above image are involved in a large fault system that is called Tantalus Fossae. The Tantalus Fossae was formed when the nearby Alba Mons volcano rose out of the ground.

The indents on Mars' surface are called "grabens" and are also present on the other side of the volcano. These grabens stretch as far as 621 miles, and can be up to 6 miles wide and 1,100 feet deep. Below is a topographical view of the region, which displays a legend that indicates the depth of the terrain in meters. Red terrain is far lower than the terrain in the northern right-hand corner of the image.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has programs to create hypersonic missiles, and programs to destroy them.

DARPA has completed Phase 1 of its Glide Breaker program, which aims to develop an "interceptor for hypersonic threats." Phase 1 was dedicated to developing and demonstrating a divert and attitude control system (DACS) that would enable an intercepting kill vehicle to destroy a hypersonic weapon threat during its glide phase. Phase 1 saw the fabrication and demonstration of two DACS prototypes that could meet the desired performance objectives.

The agency is now seeking proposals for Phase 2 of the program with a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA). Phase 2 will involve "wind tunnel and flight testing of jet interaction effects." This testing will allow models to be validated and inform future designs. DARPA noted that Phase 1 participation is not a prerequisite for proposals submitted for Phase 2.

Europe's largest floating solar farm will be stationed in Portugal and will begin producing power in July of this year.

The array houses 12,000 solar panels and covers an area the size of four soccer pitches. It was built by Energias de Portugal (EDP) and towed by two tugboats to its mooring on Western Europe's largest artificial lake, the Alqueva reservoir in Portugal. The development is part of Portugal's plan to shift away from imported fossil fuels, particularly those from Russia, the price of which has surged since Russia invaded Ukraine.

According to Miguel Patena, the EDP group director in charge of the solar project, electricity from the panels will cost a third of that from gas-fired plants. The panels will be used to generate hydropower, producing 7.5 gigawatt/hours (GWh) of electricity a year, and will be accompanied by lithium batteries with the capacity to store 2 GWh.

A new image published by the European Space Agency (ESA) has showcased, once again, the capabilities of a famous NASA telescope.

The image published to the European Space Agency (ESA) website details spiral galaxy M99, which is located approximately 43 million light-years from Earth within the constellation Coma Berenices. The galaxy is described as a "grand design" spiral galaxy, which speaks to M99's "well-defined, prominent spiral arms". Notably, the above image was snapped by Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 on two separate occasions.

Furthermore, only 10% of spiral galaxies are "grand design" spiral galaxies, and the first set of observations conducted by Hubble concentrated on stellar explosions called novas. The second set of observations focused on establishing a connection between young stars and clouds of cold gas where they form. Researchers aim to develop a deeper understanding of star formation through taking photographs of spiral galaxies such as M99.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has released a new climate update with a warning regarding the world's current trajectory.

Currently, the WMO says there is a 50:50 chance that the annual average global temperature will reach 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels for at least one year out of the next five. In 2015, the chance of temporarily exceeding a 1.5°C increase was near zero percent, rising to 10% between 2017 and 2021, and which now sits at almost 50% for the 2022 to 2026 period.

There is a 93% likelihood that one of the years from 2022 through 2026 will become the warmest on record, surpassing the current record holder, 2016. The five-year average temperatures for 2022-2026 is also projected to have a 93% chance of being higher than those from the previous five-year period of 2017-2021.

Ketamine has been the subject of research in recent years, highlighting its potential to treat and cure depression.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized Kernel, a neurotech company that makes brain-scanning helmets, to work with Cybin, a startup investigating psychedelic-based therapeutics, on a ketamine pilot study in October 2021. As part of the tests, Bryan Johnson, the founder of Kernel, wore one of its devices after being administered ketamine.

Johnson received 57.75 milligrams of ketamine via intramuscular injection and wore the helmet to collect brain scans during his "trip." He also wore the helmet during the days leading up to and following his trip for comparison.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is seeking proposals for nuclear thermal rocket (NTR) engines.

The proposals are for the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) program, covering the design, development, fabrication, and assembly of the engines. The program's goal is to execute a flight demonstration using nuclear thermal propulsion in space in the fiscal year 2026.

Phase 1 of the program focused on preliminary designs for the rocket engine reactor and a conceptual in-orbit demonstration system, and proposals are being sought for Phases 2 and 3. Phase 2 will see the completion of designs for a demonstration system and the validation of an NTR flight engine, while Phase 3 will see the demonstration system built to handle a full-power, on-orbit flight test and the execution of that test.

The European Southern Observatory has taken to its website and social channels to share a new image snapped by the Very Large Telescope.

The Very Large Telescope (VLT) located in Chile has pointed its very impressive instruments at the spiral galaxy called NGC 3627, which is also called Messier 66. The spiral galaxy is located approximately 31 million light years from Earth and resides within the constellation Leo. Notably, the above image was taken using the VLT's Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE), and is a result of multiple observations in different wavelengths of light.

Furthermore, the European Southern Observatory explains that instead of the typical stars that are seen in numerous spiral galaxy images, the above image of Messier 66 instead shows gas ionized by newly-born stars. Additionally, the ESO points out that hydrogen can be seen in red, oxygen in blue, and sulfur in orange. If you are interested in learning more about this image or more like it, check out the European Space Observatory website here.

The US House Intelligence Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence, and Counterproliferation Subcommittee will be holding an open hearing on UFOs... or the politically correct term "unidentified aerial phenomena".

US House Intelligence Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence, and Counterproliferation Subcommittee chairmen Congressman Andre Carson (D-Ind) will be an open hearing at first, before turning to a "closed, classified briefing". Chairman Carson explained: "The American people expect and deserve their leaders in government and intelligence to seriously evaluate and respond to any potential national security risks -- especially those we do not fully understand".

Chairman Carson continued: "Since coming to Congress, I've been focused on the issue of unidentified aerial phenomena as both a national security threat and an interest of great importance to the American people. And I'm pleased to chair the first open Intelligence Committee hearing on these events. It will give the American people an opportunity to learn what there is to know about these incidents. And I look forward to hearing from our witnesses on this critical matter".

A study on the magnetic reversal titled "A radio, optical, UV and X-ray view of the enigmatic changing look Active Galactic Nucleus 1ES~1927+654 from its pre- to post-flare states" has been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal.

Researchers observed a rare, enigmatic outburst from the 1ES 1927+654 galaxy 236 million light-years away. The unusual characteristics of the eruption indicate that it may have been produced as a result of a magnetic reversal, where the magnetic field surrounding the central black hole of the galaxy spontaneously flips.

The eruption began near the end of 2017 and, by March 2018, had caused the galaxy's visible light to brighten by nearly 100 times. NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory noticed UV emissions were 12 times higher than normal in May 2018 and declining, indicating an earlier, unobserved peak. In June 2018, higher-energy X-ray emissions disappeared from the galaxy.

Rangers from the National Parks Service (NPS) have received reports of human remains found in Nevada's Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

An ongoing drought has resulted in all-time low water levels, resulting in human remains turning up on two separate occasions in the last two weeks. On May 1st, a body was found inside a barrel that appeared as the lake dried up. On May 7th, around 2 p.m. EST, a second body was found, potentially the victim of a Las Vegas mob murder.

The now 17-year-old Benjamin Choi began working on the project in 2020 as a tenth-grader at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With lots of free time owing to the pandemic and inspiration from a 60 Minutes documentary on mind-controlled prostheses he watched in third grade, Choi set to work on a less-invasive version of a prosthetic arm than he had originally seen.

SpinLaunch has completed another test on April 22nd, 2022, of its unconventional alternative to traditional rocket launches.

New footage from the company's eighth flight test shows an optical camera payload being launched from its Suborbital Accelerator Launch System at over 1,000 (1,609 kilometers) miles per hour. The payload is a 3-meter (9.8 feet) long flight test vehicle, equipped for the first time with an onboard camera to provide a unique perspective.

The Suborbital Accelerator Launch System contains a large, rotating carbon fiber arm within a steel vacuum chamber 300 feet (91.4 meters) in diameter. The arm is used to accelerate the payload-carrying launch vehicle to up to 5,000 miles (8046 kilometers) per hour, faster than six times the speed of sound (Mach 6).

A team of marine scientists have discovered fascinating geological formations while diving at Lili uokalani ridge in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument (PMNM) in the Pacific Ocean.

The team of researchers was studying seamounts, underwater mountains, or geologic landforms that were formed by extinct volcanoes rising abruptly. The team was inspecting the summit of Nootka Seamount with the Exploration Vessel (E/V) Nautilus and discovered a "dried lake bed" formation that featured hyaloclastite rock.

The geological formation was described as a "yellow brick road" that leads to the mythical city of Atlantis and is a prime example of ancient volcanic geology. The 90-degree brick-like fractures were likely caused by sharp heating and cooling stress from multiple eruptions. The PNMM is located north of the Hawaiian islands and spans a whopping 583,000 square miles of ocean, making it one of the largest marine conversation areas on Earth.

NASA's asteroid detection system recorded an asteroid making its closest approach to Earth on Monday, May 9.

Data from the Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory detailed the asteroid named 2006 JF42, which passed safely by Earth at a distance of 3.5 million miles, or about 14 times the distance between the Earth and the moon. The asteroid is estimated to have a diameter of 1,247 feet to 2,822 feet, and poses no future threat to Earth, according to current measurements of its orbit.

NASA has previously stated that while many asteroids are categorized as "potentially hazardous," it doesn't necessarily mean that Earth is in danger by them. Two factors determine an asteroid being categorized as potentially dangerous; its diameter and if its orbit comes within a certain distance of Earth. Previously NASA researchers have stated that the agency doesn't know of any asteroid 500+ feet in diameter that has a chance of impacting Earth within the next 100 years.

NASA has taken to its blog to announce that there was a communications dropout between its Ingenuity helicopter and the Perseverance Mars rover.

On NASA's website, the space agency states that the Mars helicopter named Ingenuity missed planned communications with the Perseverance rover. Ingenuity uses Perseverance as a base station to receive new commands from Earth. Alerted to the drop in communications, NASA began to perform tests to see what had gone wrong.

According to the space agency, Ingenuity failed to communicate with the rover on May 3, which was due to the helicopter entering a "low-power state" that NASA says may be due to the "seasonal increase in the amount of dust in the Martian atmosphere and lower temperatures as winter approaches". Essentially, the increase in martian dust is reducing the amount of sunlight Ingenuity's solar array can acquire, limiting the total amount of charge the helicopter can contain.

Just like Earth, Mars gets smacked with a nice selection of meteors that vary in size and contents. Some of these space rocks make it to the surface.

With images and data acquired by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), researchers believe they have discovered a new crater on the martian surface. The above image was taken by MRO on July 24, 2020, and when compared to an image of the same location taken in 2018, the crater isn't there, meaning an impact happened sometime between 2018 and 2020.

The MRO launched in 2005 and has been in operation since 2006, gathering data on Mars. Over this extensive period of data collection, researchers have been able to estimate that Mars gets smacked by about 200 meteors every year. The HiRISE camera used to snap these images has injected the image with "false" color that allows researchers to more easily distinguish between different materials and textures within the image. The crater would look very different if the human viewing it was standing next to it.

Elon Musk has copped some criticism online over a short private jet trip that took him just 31 miles, or nine minutes of flight time.

The outrage was sparked when the ElonJet Twitter bot account, which Musk has attempted to bribe to be shut down in the past over people using it to meet him at his landing locations, published a post that revealed Musk's jet took off from San Joe, California, US and landed in San Francisco. Many Twitter users were quick to point to the carbon emissions caused by Musk's private jet flight and his overall public message of reducing the reliance on fossil fuels.

Notably, text messages between Musk and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates revealed that Gates holds a $500 million short position against Tesla. Gates was attempting to meet with Musk to discuss climate philanthropy prospects. Musk replied by saying, "Sorry, but I cannot take your philanthropy on climate change seriously when you have a massive short position against Tesla, the company doing the most to solve climate change."