Pandemic to cost NASA up to $3 billion

WASHINGTON — A NASA audit concluded that costs imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic on the agency could reach $3 billion, with several major science and exploration programs announcing for much of that cost.

A March 31 report by the NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) stated that the agency expects that the pandemic’s effects on the agency, ranging from closed facilities to disrupted supply chains, to be nearly $3 billion. Of that, about $1.6 billion came from 30 major programs and projects, defined by NASA as those with a total cost of at least $250 million.

“Although NASA managers include schedule margin in program and project plans to address unforeseen circumstances, in many instances the margins were not sufficient to absorb the impact of the pandemic,” the OIG report stated. It added the full cost accounting of the pandemic won’t be possible “until after the COVID-19 emergency has subsided.”

The project with the largest cost increase in the report is the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, formerly known as the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST). It reported $3 million in costs because of the pandemic in fiscal year 2020, but estimates nearly $400 million in additional impacts in future years. The mission has a lifecycle cost of $3.9 billion.

“Subcontractors working on the Roman Space Telescope have been significantly impacted, resulting in fewer bids on proposed work, longer delivery times, and parts delays to complete assemblies,” the report stated. “This, in turn, has impacted contractors and affected the schedule for higher assembly and testing.”

NASA officials previously said Roman was particularly hard hit because the pandemic came at the peak of its projected spending, just as it passed its Key Decision Point C review in early March 2020. That review approved plans to move into full-scale development of the space telescope.

“COVID has had a measurable impact on the Roman Space Telescope,” said Paul Hertz, director of NASA’s astrophysics division, said at a March 25 meeting of the Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics of the National Academies’ Space Studies Board. “COVID hit at exactly the worst possible time for a mission.”

Hertz didn’t quantify the cost and schedule effects of the pandemic on Roman, although he previously said the launch would likely slip six months, a delay also noted in the OIG report. Once those impacts were independently verified, “we will be going through a process of resetting the Roman schedule and the cost that goes with that reset.”

The OIG report stated that, given the known effects of the pandemic, “officials already anticipate needing additional funding for [fiscal year] 2022” for Roman.

The Space Launch System had the second-highest cost increase in terms of overall dollars, at $363 million, of which $8 million was in fiscal year 2020 and $355 million in fiscal years 2021 through 2023. A three-month delay in the first SLS mission, Artemis 1, along with “rephrasing production” each accounted for about one-third of the costs. The rest came from “surge costs” to compress schedules as well as the costs of facility shutdowns.

The Orion spacecraft suffered $146 million in costs, including $5 million in fiscal year 2020 and $66 million in fiscal year 2021. Because the Orion spacecraft for the Artemis 1 mission was nearly complete at the time the pandemic hit, the largest effects were on the Orion spacecraft for the Artemis 2 and 3 missions, both still in production. Those problems extended to Europe, with delays in the production of the European Service Module for the Artemis 2 Orion.

The James Webb Space Telescope will see its cost increase by $100 million because of the delay in its launch from March to October of this year. That increase, though, will be contained within the $8.8 billion cost cap for the mission using existing budget reserves.

Two other science missions in development, Europa Clipper and the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud and ocean Ecosystem (PACE), reported costs increases of $97 million and $89.2 million, respectively. PACE, whose cost increases account for about 10% of its estimated total cost, will also see its launch slip by nine months.

Many other major projects and programs, though, saw far lower cost increases. The commercial crew program experienced $2.2 million in cost increases in 2020 and $2.3 million projected for future years. The 2020 increase came from the use of NASA aircraft for mission-essential travel during the pandemic and “socially distanced lodging” for astronauts and other personnel ahead of the Demo-2 and Crew-1 launches in May and November of 2020, respectively.

How NASA will cover those costs is not certain. The agency received just $60 million in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in March 2020, which the agency is using for pandemic-related costs ranging from enhanced information technology infrastructure to personal protective equipment. Hertz, in recent presentations, noted that overruns in one part of NASA’s astrophysics portfolio, such as the flagship missions JWST and Roman, would not be paid out money in other parts of the portfolio, like smaller missions or research funding.

The costs estimates included in the report, OIG added, are unlikely to be final figures. “Due to the continued uncertainties around the COVID-19 pandemic, NASA will likely continue to experience impacts to its major programs and projects.”

#Space | https://sciencespies.com/space/pandemic-to-cost-nasa-up-to-3-billion/

An enormous 'radio jellyfish' just rose from the dead in the night sky

Galaxy clusters are the largest structures in the Universe bound together by gravity. They can contain thousands of galaxies, enormous oceans of hot gas, invisible islands of dark matter and – sometimes – the glowing ghost of a jellyfish or two.

In the galaxy cluster Abell 2877, located in the southern sky about 300 million light-years from Earth, astronomers have discovered one such jellyfish.

Visible only in a narrow band of radio light, the cosmic jelly is more than 1 million light-years wide and includes a large lobe of supercharged plasma, dripping with tentacles of hot gas.

The structure's jelly-like appearance is both "ghostly" and "uncanny," according to the authors of a new paper published March 17 in the Astrophysical Journal.

However, even more astonishing than the space jelly's shape is how quickly the structure vanishes from view, the authors said.

Related: 12 Trippy objects hidden in the Zodiac

"This radio jellyfish holds a world record of sorts," lead study author Torrance Hodgson, of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) in Perth, Australia, said in a statement.

"Whilst it's bright at regular FM radio frequencies, at 200 megahertz the emission all but disappears. No other extragalactic emission like this has been observed to disappear anywhere near so rapidly."

The ghost of jellyfish past

The Universe is swimming with energetic structures that are only visible in radio wavelengths, like the mysterious X-shaped galaxies cartwheeling through space, or the twin blobs at the center of the Milky Way.

However, no structure this large has ever been observed in such a narrow band of the radio spectrum.

According to the researchers, that likely means this cosmic jellyfish is actually an odd bird known as a "radio phoenix." 

Like the mythical bird that died in flame and rose again from the ashes, a radio phoenix is a cosmic structure that's born from a high-energy explosion (like a black hole outburst), fades over millions of years as the structure expands and its electrons lose energy, then finally gets reenergized by another cosmic cataclysm (such as the collision of two galaxies).

To create a radio phoenix, that last cosmic event must be powerful enough to send shockwaves surging through the dormant cloud of electrons, causing the cloud to compress and the electrons to spark with energy again.

According to the study authors, that could cause a structure like the jellyfish cluster to glow brightly in certain radio wavelengths, but dim rapidly in others.

"Our working theory is that around 2 billion years ago, a handful of supermassive black holes from multiple galaxies spewed out powerful jets of plasma," Hodgson said.

That plasma's energy faded over millions of years, until "quite recently, two things happened – the plasma started mixing at the same time as very gentle shock waves passed through the system," Hodgson said.

"This has briefly reignited the plasma, lighting up the jellyfish and its tentacles for us to see."

The researchers used a computer simulation to show that this explanation is a plausible origin story for that big jellyfish in the sky, though several big questions – such as where the "gentle shockwaves" came from – remain unanswered.

The team hopes to take a closer look at the jellyfish in the future, following the completion of the Square Kilometre Array – a network of hundreds of radio telescope antennas planned for construction in the Australian outback.

Related content:

The 15 weirdest galaxies in our Universe

#Space | https://sciencespies.com/space/an-enormous-radio-jellyfish-just-rose-from-the-dead-in-the-night-sky/

Carbon-neutral 'biofuel' from lakes

Lakes store huge amounts of methane. In a new study, environmental scientists at the University of Basel offer suggestions for how it can be extracted and used as an energy source in the form of methanol.

Discussion about the current climate crisis usually focuses on carbon dioxide (CO₂). The greenhouse gas methane is less well known, but although it is much rarer in the atmosphere, its global warming potential is 80 to 100 times greater per unit.

More than half the methane caused by human activities comes from oil production and agricultural fertilizers. But the gas is also created by the natural decomposition of biomass by microbes, for example in lakes. In their most recent publication, researchers at the University of Basel in Switzerland outline the potential and theoretical possibilities for using methane from lakes and other freshwater bodies for sustainable energy production.

Methane from lakes and water reservoirs makes up about 20% of global natural methane missions. "That would theoretically be enough to meet the world's energy needs," says Maciej Bartosiewicz, a postdoc in the Department of Environmental Sciences of the University of Basel. Lakes continuously absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere through the growth of phytoplankton. Microbes convert the carbon, fixed by photosynthesis, into methane when they process biomass. That way, carbon bound in the methane remains within the natural cycle during combustion. Fossil fuels could be partially replaced by "natural" renewable methane. Methane gas is already burned in gas-fired power plants for electricity production and used as a fuel in the form of liquid methanol.

Lakes as huge energy stores

The idea described in the article isn't completely new: since 2016, methane in Lake Kivu between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo has been extracted from a depth of 260 meters, cleaned and used for energy supply directly via generators. "Methane occurs in high concentrations in large quantities on the lake bed there," explains Bartosiewicz. "The methane concentration is about 100 times higher than in ordinary lakes." Low concentrations made extracting methane from conventional lakes seem too technically difficult until a few years ago. But new microporous membranes made of polymeric materials now allow the gas to be separated from the water much more efficiently.

The researchers have made the first concrete proposals in this regard: using a hydrophobic gas-liquid membrane contactor, a methane-containing gas mixture can be separated from water and the methane concentrated. Zeolite minerals are particularly suitable for enrichment, since hydrophobic crystalline substances can adsorb and release gases.

Potential positive effects on ecosystems

"With our idea, we wanted to start a broad discussion about the potential, feasibility and risks of a technology like this," says Bartosiewicz. "Until now, no studies have addressed the effects of methane removal on lake ecosystem functioning, but no immediate negative effects can be foreseen with our current understanding." However, removing excess carbon could even help curb excessive phytoplankton bloom formation and reduce natural greenhouse gas emissions from lakes. More work is needed before any practical implementation of this initial theoretical idea, says Bartosiewicz. But he's convinced: "This concept could one day make an important contribution to reaching our climate goals."

Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Basel. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

#Nature | https://sciencespies.com/nature/carbon-neutral-biofuel-from-lakes/

Space industry relieved to see National Space Council retained

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration’s decision to continue the National Space Council has won approval, and relief, from the space industry, who see it as the latest sign that the White House is not contemplating major changes to space policy.

A National Security Council spokesman said March 29 that the council would continue in the new administration. The details of how the council will operate have yet to be worked out, but the spokesman said it will focus on space-related priorities of the administration, from addressing climate change to developing norms of responsible behavior in space.

Asked about the council at a March 30 briefing, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that President Biden believed the council “provides an opportunity to generate national space policy strategies, synchronize on America’s space activities, at a time of unprecedented activity.”

Many in the space community had lobbied the administration to retain the council, which the Trump administration reestablished in 2017 after a hiatus of nearly a quarter century. They cited the benefits of having an interagency organization in place to coordinate policy on issues that don’t neatly fit into the purview of a single agency.

The council’s future had been in doubt after a Feb. 4 memo by the National Security Council that suggested it would take over space policy development. That memo stated that “national security memorandums” would replace the space policy directives that the National Space Council issues in the Trump administration. It also hinted that the Office of Science and Technology Policy would play a bigger role in civil space policy development.

Industry groups backed the administration’s decision to retain the council. “A whole-of-government approach through a body such as the space council, with clear objectives stemming from the White House and informed by the broader community, will provide the necessary forum to ensure the continued coordination of space policy,” said Andrew Allen, acting president and chief executive of the Coalition for Deep Space Exploration, in a March 30 statement.

“We believe a White House-level focus on space is crucial to provide stability and continuity to U.S. space endeavors, enabling historic exploration and scientific achievement, continued U.S. space industry global leadership, and enhanced national security,” said Dan Dumbacher, executive director of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, in a March 30 statement.

He also recommended the continuation of the council’s Users’ Advisory Group, which he said “brings critical stakeholder input to the council.” Industry sources say they do expect, if the council is continued, that there will be some turnover in its membership.

The decision to retain the National Space Council is the latest sign that the Biden administration will provide continuity, at least at the highest level, in national space policy. In the weeks after taking office in January, the administration gave its support for both retaining the U.S. Space Force and continuing NASA’s Artemis lunar exploration program, both established during the Trump administration.

Asked at the White House briefing if this meant space was the rare issue where President Biden agreed with his predecessor, Psaki concurred. “That sounds accurate to me,” she said. “I think it’s fair to say he agrees with the past administration’s maintaining the program.”

When he served as NASA administrator in the Trump administration, Jim Bridenstine often referred to political risk, including changes to programs from one president to the next, as the biggest risk facing Artemis. That is no longer the case, he now says.

“That risk is likely largely mitigated at this point, which, by the way, is not the standard for the last 30 years,” he said during a March 30 NewSpace investor event by Canaccord Genuity.

Bridenstine again endorsed the White House’s nomination of former senator Bill Nelson as the agency’s next administrator. “I fully support him because he does know how the Senate works, he has great relationships on both sides of the aisle, and he’s going to be able to advocate strongly for the president’s agenda,” he said of Nelson. “I think he’s a good pick.”

“To see this transition happened the way it has happened makes me very, very happy,” he said.

#Space | https://sciencespies.com/space/space-industry-relieved-to-see-national-space-council-retained/

Physicists just crushed a new record for slowing down antimatter

In a mirror Universe where time runs backwards, swapping matter for antimatter should simply bring us full circle and reproduce the reality we're all familiar with. Our Universe and the bizarro antimatter Mirrorverse would look identical.

But what if it didn't? As unlikely as that would be in today's physics, the possibility might open a whole new landscape for researchers to explore, making it a question worth our time pursuing.

Unfortunately antimatter isn't the easiest thing to study. It's a pain to produce, prone to vanishing in a puff of gamma rays when it meets ordinary matter, and even when you collect enough to examine, it's zooming around at breakneck speeds.

For some studies, this isn't necessarily a huge problem. But if you want to, say, measure gravity's soft pull on its tiny particles, it really ought to be sitting as still as possible.

The ALPHA experiment at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) has been working on a way to slam the brakes on antimatter particles for a few years now through a clever application of carefully tuned lasers.

Those experiments have finally borne fruit, successfully slowing antihydrogen particles (the antimatter counterpart to hydrogen, the lightest of all elements) from the speed of a Formula 1 racer to the pace of a car cruising down a suburban street.

We've already managed to bring ordinary matter to a virtual standstill by mixing and matching a variety of methods that funnel energy out of their immediate environment. Slowing antimatter is more of a challenge, demanding methods that don't include it bumping into particles of matter, since this would result in it immediately disintegrating into a flash of radiation.

Decelerator technology has already managed to slow whole atoms of antimatter from near light speed to something more manageable in recent decades. It's enough to allow physicists to conduct at least a few tests, such as teasing apart the spectrum of antihydrogen.

So far results from these studies have shown hydrogen and antihydrogen are more or less identical, aside from their flipped charges. Which is a bit disappointing really – any difference might tell us why one form of matter has persisted over the other to create the Universe we've all come to know and love.

Still, there's a distant chance that in spite of having the same masses, gravity might love one a bit more than the other. Or perhaps some other force has a subtle influence over antimatter in ways we're not yet clued in on.

To get a good measure on these things, we need to slow antimatter down further: ALPHA's process slows the anti-atoms down by pelting them with photons in a way that doesn't inadvertently stir them up at the same time.

Just like ordinary atoms of hydrogen, antihydrogen atoms can absorb and scatter photons to lose or gain momentum. This effect only occurs if the light is at the right frequency. Too high or too low, the light waves will pass right on by.

The researchers tuned the lasers just right to take into account the speed of antihydrogen rushing towards the source, ensuring the photons are at the perfect frequency as they meet. After around a dozen collisions, a particle moving at around 300 kilometers (just over 180 miles) per hour can be slowed to below 50 kilometers (about 30 miles) an hour.

Conversely, particles rushing away from the laser are invisible to its relative frequency, avoiding an accelerating kick in the bum.

"With this technique, we can address long-standing mysteries like: 'How does antimatter respond to gravity? Can antimatter help us understand symmetries in physics?'" says Takamasa Momose, a physicist from the University of British Columbia and one of ALPHA's Canadian team.

"These answers may fundamentally alter our understanding of our Universe."

We'll need to wait a little longer before we see the results of such experiments, and prepare ourselves for the possibility that even at a leisurely stroll, antimatter's secrets will be hard to see.

But maybe, just maybe, this is how we get a glimpse into that mirrored, time-flipped, anti-Universe that looks far more alien than our best theories currently imagine.

This research was published in Nature.

#Physics | https://sciencespies.com/physics/physicists-just-crushed-a-new-record-for-slowing-down-antimatter/

A Pacific storm cloud has smashed the records for coldest temperature ever

A severe thunderstorm cloud that formed over the Pacific Ocean in 2018 reached the coldest temperatures ever recorded, according to a new study.

The very top of the storm cloud reached a bone-chilling minus 167.8 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 111 degrees Celsius), colder than any storm cloud measured before.

Thunderstorms and tropical cyclones, a circular low-pressure storm, can reach very high altitudes - up to 11 miles (18 kilometers) from the ground - where the air is much cooler, according to a statement from the UK's National Center for Earth Observation.

But this new temperature is on another level. The top of the storm cloud was about  86 F (30 C) colder than typical storm clouds, according to the statement.

(National Centre for Earth Observation)

Above: Storms near Nauru on 29 Dec 2018 captured in infrared by an orbiting satellite. The cold parts of the clouds are in purple and the warm Pacific Ocean is in orange.

The beast of a storm loomed about 249 miles (400 km) south of Nauru in the Southwest Pacific on 29 December 2018, and its clouds' temperature was picked up by an infrared sensor aboard the US's NOAA-20 satellite orbiting the planet.

Related: 10 science records broken in 2020

Storms typically spread out into an anvil-like shape when they reach the top of the troposphere, the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere. But if a storm has a lot of energy, it will shoot into the next layer, the stratosphere.

This phenomenon, known as an 'overshooting top', pushes storm clouds to very high altitudes, where it's bitterly cold.

Overshooting tops are "reasonably common", lead author Simon Proud, a research fellow at the National Centre for Earth Observation and at Oxford University told the BBC. Typically, an overshooting top cools by about 12.6 F (7 C) for every kilometer it rises in the stratosphere, he said. 

But this storm was particularly extreme. "This storm achieved an unprecedented temperature that pushes the limits of what current satellite sensors are capable of measuring," Proud said in the statement.

"We found that these really cold temperatures seem to be becoming more common."

(Proud & Bachmeier, Geophys. Res. Lett., 2021)

Above: VIIRS I5 brightness temperatures (BTs) for 13:38 UTC on December 29, 2018. The cluster of particularly cold BTs is slightly to the left of the image center. VIIRS, Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite.

In the last three years, scientists have logged the same number of extremely cold temperatures in clouds as they did in the 13 years before that, he added. "This is important, as thunderstorms with colder clouds tend to be more extreme, and more hazardous to people on the ground due to hail, lightning and wind."

This particular storm may have been energized by a combination of very warm water in the region and eastward-moving wind, according to the BBC. However, it's not clear why these colder temperatures in storm clouds are becoming more common. 

"We now need to understand if this increase is due to our changing climate or whether it is due to a 'perfect storm' of weather conditions producing outbreaks of extreme thunderstorms in the last few years," Proud said.

The findings were published March 22 in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

Related content:

50 interesting facts about planet Earth

2 stunning photos catch monster thunderstorm's approach

Tropical storms and hurricanes of 2016 (Photos)

This article was originally published by Live Science. Read the original article here.

#Nature | https://sciencespies.com/nature/a-pacific-storm-cloud-has-smashed-the-records-for-coldest-temperature-ever/

Mysterious living monuments

Giant trees in tropical forests, witnesses to centuries of civilization, may be trapped in a dangerous feedback loop according to a new report in Nature Plants from researchers at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama and the University of Birmingham, U.K. The biggest trees store half of the carbon in mature tropical forests, but they could be at risk of death as a result of climate change -- releasing massive amounts of carbon back into the atmosphere.

Evan Gora, STRI Tupper postdoctoral fellow, studies the role of lightning in tropical forests. Adriane Esquivel-Muelbert, lecturer at the University of Birmingham, studies the effects of climate change in the Amazon. The two teamed up to find out what kills big tropical trees. But as they sleuthed through hundreds of papers, they discovered that nearly nothing is known about the biggest trees and how they die because they are extremely rare in field surveys.

"Big trees are hard to measure," said Esquivel-Muelbert. "They are the pain in a field campaign because we always have to go back with a ladder to climb up to find a place to measure the circumference above the buttresses. It takes a long time. Studies focusing on the reasons trees die don't have enough information for the biggest trees and often end up excluding them from their analysis."

"Because we generally lack the data necessary to tell us what kills trees that are above approximately 50 centimeters in diameter, that leaves out half of the forest biomass in most forests," Gora said.

Only about 1% of trees in mature tropical forests make it to this size. Others wait their turn in the shade below.

The other thing that makes tropical forests so special -- high biodiversity -- also makes it difficult to study big trees: There are so many different species, and many of them are extremely rare.

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"Because only 1-2% of big trees in a forest die every year, researchers need to sample hundreds of individuals of a given species to understand why they are dying," Gora said. "That may involve looking for trees across a huge area."

Imagine a study of blood pressure in people who have lived to be 103. One would have to locate and test seniors from cities and towns around the world: a time-consuming, logistically complex and expensive proposition.

A large body of evidence shows that trees are dying faster in tropical forests than ever before. This is affecting the ability of forests to function and in particular, to capture and store carbon dioxide.

"We know the deaths of largest and oldest trees are more consequential than the death of smaller trees," Gora said. "Big trees may be at particular risk because the factors that kill them appear to be increasing more rapidly than the factors that seem to be important for smaller-tree mortality."

In large parts of the tropics, climate change is resulting in more severe storms and more frequent and intense droughts. Because big trees tower above the rest, they may be more likely to be hit by lightning, or damaged by wind. Because they have to pull ground water higher than other trees, they are most likely to be affected by drought.

Hoping to better understand what is happening to big trees, Gora and Esquivel-Muelbert identified three glaring knowledge gaps. First, almost nothing is known about disease, insects and other biological causes of death in big trees. Second, because big trees are often left out of analyses, the relationship between cause of death and size is not clear. And, finally, almost all of the detailed studies of big tropical trees are from a few locations like Manaus in Brazil and Barro Colorado Island in Panama.

To understand how big trees die, there is a trade-off between putting effort into measuring large numbers of trees and measuring them often enough to identify the cause of death. Gora and Esquivel-Muelbert agree that a combination of drone technology and satellite views of the forest will help to find out how these big trees die, but this approach will only work if it is combined with intense, standardized, on-the-ground observations, such as those used by the Smithsonian's international ForestGEO network of study sites.

Esquivel-Muelbert hopes that the impetus for this research will come from a shared appreciation for these mysterious living monuments:

"I think they are fascinating to everyone," she said. "When you see one of those giants in the forest, they are so big. My colleague and Amazonian researcher, Carolina Levis, says that they are the monuments we have in the Amazon where we don't have big pyramids or old buildings....That is the feeling, that they have been through so much. They are fascinating, not just in the scientific sense but also in another way. It moves you somehow."

#Nature | https://sciencespies.com/nature/mysterious-living-monuments/

Inspiration4 announces crew for private SpaceX Crew Dragon mission

WASHINGTON — The private venture that purchased a SpaceX Crew Dragon flight to low Earth orbit has finalized the crew for that mission, scheduled to launch as soon as September.

The Inspiration4 mission, which describes itself as the “world’s first all-civilian mission to space,” revealed the crew that will accompany its sponsor, entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, during a March 30 event at the Kennedy Space Center. Isaacman announced the mission Feb. 1, starting a pair of contests to select two people who would fly with him.

One of those people is Sian Proctor, a scientist and educator who has participated in a number of terrestrial “analog astronaut” missions. She won the seat called “Prosperity” by establishing an online store through Isaacman’s company, Shift4 Payments, and submitting a video judged by an independent panel.

The second is Chris Sembroski, a Lockheed Martin employee in the Seattle area. He won the “Generosity” seat by participating in a sweepstakes that raised money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The fourth member of the crew, previously announced, is Hayley Arceneaux, a physician assistant at St. Jude who, as a child, was treated for bone cancer there. At 29, Arceneaux would be the youngest American in space.

“We promised a crew representing some of the best of humanitarian qualities, exemplifying our mission ideals of leadership, hope, prosperity and generosity,” Isaacman said. “I’m pleased to report that we’ve accomplished that goal.”

The four will start training as a group immediately, he said. That training includes time in Crew Dragon simulators, going through all aspects of the mission, as well as centrifuges to simulate the accelerations of launch and reentry and “other forms of stress testing.”

In addition to announcing the crew, Isaacman and SpaceX outlined the details of the mission itself. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than Sept. 15, slightly earlier than the original announcement of the fourth quarter of this year. The spacecraft will remain in orbit for three days, flying in an orbit at the same inclination as the International Space Station — 51.6 degrees — but in an orbit as high as 540 kilometers, more than 100 kilometers above the station.

That particular orbit, Isaacman said, will be the highest people have been above the Earth’s surface since the final shuttle servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope in 2009. “It should send a message,” he said, one of going beyond the ISS. “We’re ready to go back to the moon, and we’re ready to go beyond the moon to Mars. Extending out a little bit farther than where we’ve been for some time right now is a good step in the right direction.”

The three-day mission duration, he added, “is a good balance between the capabilities of the Dragon spacecraft and how much time you want to spend in a relatively small space for a couple days together.”

Benji Reed, senior director of human spaceflight programs at SpaceX, said the company moved up the mission slightly to September to accommodate the Crew-3 launch for NASA later in the fall. “This crew, with training, we believe will be ready by September, as well as the Dragon,” he said. “It works out very well with our manifest.”

The Inspiration4 mission will use the same Dragon spacecraft, called Resilience, currently docked at the ISS for the Crew-1 mission. That spacecraft is currently scheduled to return to Earth April 28, assuming the Crew-2 mission launches to the station on schedule April 22. “We feel very good about the timeframe we’re working in” to refurbish the spacecraft for Inspiration4.

An illustration of the Crew Dragon spacecraft outfitted with a cupola in place of the docking adapter used for space station missions. Credit: SpaceX

Besides refurbishing the spacecraft, SpaceX will install an additional window on the spacecraft, a viewing port modeled on the space station’s cupola that will replace the docking adapter under the spacecraft’s nose cone. Since the Inspiration4 mission will not dock with the station, that adapter is not needed.

“It’s awesome,” Reed said of the cupola. Qualification and testing of the cupola is in progress, and Reed said SpaceX will ensure that its installation doesn’t preclude using the spacecraft for later missions, such as those to the station that will require the reinstallation of the docking adapter.

Inspiration4 will be the first Crew Dragon mission for a customer other than NASA, but it is not the only one on its manifest. Axiom Space will fly four people to the ISS on its Ax-1 mission in early 2022. Space Adventures previously announced a Crew Dragon mission that would fly well above the station, but that space tourism company has not provided any updates on its schedule for that mission.

“We’re trying to deliver an awful lot of messages with this mission,” Isaacman said. “When this mission is complete, people are going to look at it and say this was the first time that everyday people could go to space.”

However, Inspiration4 may have overestimated the interest in the mission. Proctor was one of only about 200 people who participated in the Prosperity competition, which required no expense beyond the time setting up an online store and producing a video. Sembroski was selected from nearly 72,000 entries, which could be purchased at the rate of 10 entries per dollar, up to 10,000 entries per person.

That limited interest has hurt Inspiration4’s efforts to raise money for St. Jude. The mission has raised a little less than $13 million for the hospital as of March 30, most of which was raised when the sweepstakes was open in February. That’s well short of the goal of $100 million set when Inspiration4 was announced Feb. 1.

“We’ve helped drive a significant amount of donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,” Isaacman said. “This fundraising effort is really far from over. We’ll be continuing throughout the year.” He didn’t elaborate on those future fundraising plans.

#Space | https://sciencespies.com/space/inspiration4-announces-crew-for-private-spacex-crew-dragon-mission/

We finally have synthetic mucus. Here's why that matters

The day has finally come. Scientists have finally created synthetic mucus molecules that exhibit the structure and function of the real deal.

Far from being a slime crime, though, it's a discovery that could help scientists devise new treatments for infectious diseases, according to the research team behind the breakthrough.

Slippery, slimy, and oozy, mucus does seem pretty gross. However, as disagreeable as we may find it, the stuff is biologically useful: It acts as a barrier protecting and moisturizing delicate tissues, trapping microbes (for which it's also loaded with antimicrobial enzymes), and contaminants, and helping the body expel them.

Our bodies produce between 1.5 and 2 liters (1.5 to 2 quarts) of mucus every day in the respiratory tract alone; it coats our airways, lungs, and gastrointestinal tracts - we're practically walking bags of miracle goo.

If we could replicate its properties, that could provide us an important tool in the fight against diseases, and this new research is an important step. Scientists led by chemist Austin Kruger of MIT have synthesized mucins, the protein building blocks of mucus.

Mucins consist of a long protein spine bristling with strands of carbohydrate polymers called glycans (much like a fuzzy pipe cleaner); it's unclear how the polymers contribute to the various properties of mucus. Previous research found that they hinder bacteria's ability to communicate with each other, attach to surfaces, and secrete toxins.

The team's synthetic mucins, built around a polymer spine, could help figure it out - not only are they structured just like the real thing, they even replicate some of its functions.

"We would really like to understand what features of mucins are important for their activities, and mimic those features so that you could block virulence pathways in microbes," said chemist Laura Kiessling of MIT.

The difficulty is that mucins are complicated. The protein spine consists of thousands of different amino acids, the scientists said, and there are many different types of glycans that can make up the bristles.

The team started with carbon ring molecules, and used a process that opened them out into a straight line. The resulting molecules, each containing a carbon-carbon double bond, were then joined together to form the polymer spine of the synthetic mucin.

Each carbon atom in the bond is usually bonded to another chemical group, and the polymer can take different forms depending on where they are attached. In the cis form, the two groups - the carbon and the other one, whatever it may be - are on the same side; in the trans form, they are on opposite sides.

The team created both forms in their attempt to synthesize mucins and put them to the test.

The trans polymers turned into weird little blobs that didn't look a lot like mucins. Nor were they particularly effective at capturing the toxins secreted by the Vibrio cholerae bacterium.

The cis polymers, however, remained elongated; and, when exposed to V. cholerae, not only did they capture the toxins effectively, they performed even better than real mucins.

There's still more to be done - the team's work didn't include the glycan bristles - but already it shows great promise. The team neatly demonstrated that the elongated shape of the spine plays an important role in the way mucins functions.

In addition, the team found that the cis polymers were water soluble - more so than natural mucin - which means they have potential for inclusion in topical creams and gels, and maybe even eyedrops.

"Our findings," they wrote in their paper, "outline a critical design principle for synthetic mucin mimics that will guide future studies of mucin's role in microbial symbiosis and pathogenesis and serve as a blueprint for generating mucin mimics that act as lubricants or control microbiome composition and infectious disease."

The research has been published in ACS Central Science.

#Humans | https://sciencespies.com/humans/we-finally-have-synthetic-mucus-heres-why-that-matters/

Scientists discover a hidden law behind the pointy bits on all living things

Scientists have identified a new rule of growth that shapes the form and development of pointy or sharp biological structures in animals and plants, such as teeth, horns, claws, beaks, and thorns.

Describing the newly found pattern as a previously unknown law of nature, the researchers call their discovery the "power cascade" – a mathematical power law found throughout nature, determining the growth and evolution of a family of shapes called power cones.

"The diversity of animals, and even plants, that follow this rule is staggering," says evolutionary biologist Alistair Evans from Monash University in Australia.

"We were quite shocked that we found it almost everywhere we looked across the kingdoms of life – in living animals, and those extinct for millions of years."

The focus of much of Evans' work is the morphological evolution and functioning of their body parts. Sometimes that focus is trained on the remarkable features of individual creatures; at other times, a similar pattern can be discerned among many organisms.

Hundreds of years ago, another scientist had the same preoccupations. Sir Christopher Wren, the famed English architect and polymath, proposed the shapes of snail shells were determined by the mathematics of logarithmic spirals, where one side of a structure grows faster than another.

Centuries later, Evans had a similar realization, but struck upon a new rule of growth beyond Wren's thinking – based upon a new shape, the power cone, which is generated when the radial power growth rate is unequal to the length power growth rate.

The power cascade generates a family of shapes that we call 'power cones', which vary from a straight-sided cone to a blunt tip. pic.twitter.com/cVYdjtcQWL

— Alistair Evans (@DrTeethAl) March 30, 2021

"For many years I have searched for a pattern in how teeth grow," Evans explains in The Conversation. "By looking at hundreds of teeth and measuring how they get wider as they get longer, my team and I identified a simple mathematical formula that underpins tooth shape."

This formula, the power cascade, isn't only observed in the shape of natural teeth, horns, fangs, and prickles; the power cascade model can also simulate the growth of these structures, the researchers say.

The new discovery means we may be able to gauge the age of animals by simply knowing the shape of their teeth, as reconstructions of the shape could indicate the necessary growing time.

Another application could be anticipating future evolutionary processes, the team thinks.

"These shapes may be considered the default family of shapes for pointed structures, meaning they are more likely to independently evolve multiple times and will be a likely source of homoplasy in evolution," the researchers write in their study.

"Due to the huge breadth of structures and taxa in which this pattern is found, it appears that the power cascade is a fundamental pattern of growth in myriad organisms."

The findings are reported in BMC Biology.

#Nature | https://sciencespies.com/nature/scientists-discover-a-hidden-law-behind-the-pointy-bits-on-all-living-things/

Amazon Web Services launches space accelerator program for startups

Startups at all stages of maturity working with space technology or space data are eligible to apply

WASHINGTON — Amazon Web Services is launching a space accelerator program for startups, the company announced March 30. 

AWS is teaming up with the U.K.-based venture investment firm Seraphim Capital to select the first 10 startups for the four-week mentoring program scheduled to begin in June. The program will be modeled after Seraphim’s “space camp” accelerator. 

The space accelerator is another step in AWS’s expansion into the space sector. Amazon Web Services in 2019 introduced AWS Ground Station, a cloud-based system for controlling satellites, and for downloading and analyzing data. The company in 2020 stood up the AWS Aerospace and Satellite business to work with government agencies and the space industry and figure out new ways to use the cloud. Startups have become a huge part of the AWS space business customer base.

Applications for the space accelerator program are due April 21.

“AWS and Seraphim will select a cohort of space startups to participate in an intensive, four-week program with AWS cloud and technical training to help them accelerate research, development and growth,” Sandy Carter, vice president of programs for AWS worldwide public sector, said in a blogpost. 

Startups at all stages of maturity working with space technology or space data are eligible to apply, Carter said. Selection criteria include: the innovative and unique nature of the project, the overall value the solution will bring to the industry, the creative application of AWS to solve problems and the team’s ability to deliver on an identified opportunity.

The 10 selected startups will receive mentoring and up to $100,000 in AWS technical services offered under the AWS Activate program.

#Space | https://sciencespies.com/space/amazon-web-services-launches-space-accelerator-program-for-startups/

A Spectacular ‘Super Pink Moon,’ ‘Shooting Stars’ And A Galaxy-Rise: Your Stargazing Guide To April 2021

April is here and finally it’s warm enough in the northern hemisphere to contemplate longer stargazing sessions in relative comfort. 

This month’s night skies are awash with constellations, with Leo, the Lion, and Ursa Major, the Great Bear, especially dominant. This month also sees our satellite, the Moon, go into conjunction with Jupiter and Saturn, a spectacular “Super Pink Moon” and—perhaps most impressively of all—the rise of the arc of the Milky Way. 

Here’s what happening above our heads in April 2021: 

A crescent moon (L) is seen with Saturn (upper right) and Jupiter (lower right).

Getty Images

1. Crescent Moon, Jupiter and Saturn

When: Just before sunrise on April 6 and 7, 2021

Where to look: southeastern sky

With Jupiter and Saturn having emerged in the pre-dawn skies, you can watch a 31%-lit crescent Moon pass the gas giants on successive mornings if you have a view low to the southeastern horizon.

It will pass 4° from Saturn on 6 April followed by 4.4° from Jupiter on 7 April, with the former close pass taking place in darker skies. 

A Lyrid Meteor Shower captured on April 22, 2016 in Starina, Slovakia. Lyrid shower occurs every ... [+] April when the Earth passes through the moving dust and debris left behind by the comet Thatcher (also known as comet C/1861 G1), as this icy body travels around the sun on its 415-year orbit. PHOTOGRAPH BY Robert Nemeti / Barcroft Media UK Office, London. T +44 845 370 2233 W www.barcroftmedia.com USA Office, New York City. T +1 212 796 2458 W www.barcroftusa.com Indian Office, Delhi. T +91 11 4053 2429 W www.barcroftindia.com (Photo credit should read Robert Nemeti / Barcroft Media / Barcroft Media via Getty Images)

Barcroft Media via Getty Images

2. Lyrid meteor shower

When: Just before sunrise on April 21/22, 2021

Where to look: all sky

Though active between April 16-25, 2021, the Lyrid meteor shower will this year take place under the watch of a 70%-lit waxing gibbous Moon. That’s not ideal, and means you’ll only see the very brightest “shooting stars” from the expected 10 to 15 meteors per hour.

However, since the chief attraction of the Lyrids is the possibility of a super-bright “fireball,” that’s perhaps not a killer blow. Go out stargazing when it’s really dark—around midnight—and you might see one. Besides, the best chance of seeing “shooting stars” is in the hour before dawn, when the Moon will have set in the west. 

A "Blood Moon" shining beside the Beehive star cluster, Messier 44, in Cancer. (Photo by: Alan ... [+] Dyer/VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

3. Beehive Cluster

When: February to May

Where: highest around midnight  

An open cluster of stars about 520 light-years distant in the constellation of Cancer, the Beehive Cluster is one of the nearest and best-looking open clusters of stars to the Solar System.

Also known as both Praesepe and M44, it appears as around 60 stars in a pair of binoculars, though a dozen or so stand out. 

Crowds look on as the super moon rises behind the Fremantle War Memorial at Monument Hill on ... [+] November 14, 2016 in Fremantle, Australia. A super moon occurs when a full moon passes closes to earth than usual, with the November 14th moon expected to be closer than it has been in over 70 years. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Getty Images

4. A ‘Super Pink Moon’ 

When: Moonrise on April 26, 2021

Where to look: low the eastern horizon

A full Moon that coincides (or thereabouts) with the Moon’s perigee—the closest point in the Moon’s monthly orbit that it comes to Earth—is often called a “supermoon.” It’s a result of the Moon’s orbit being slightly elliptical, which make the full Moon sometimes looks slightly larger.

That’s exactly what’s happening tonight, and it will be best viewed at moonrise where you are. 

A waxing crescent moon shines over the Bow River, accompanied by Saturn (just right of centre) and ... [+] the pairing of Mars (at left, top) and Antares, the rival of Mars in Scorpius (at left, bottom). Other stars in the head of Scorpius lie just to the left of the moon. Photographed from the grounds of Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park, south of Cluny, Alberta on the Siksika First Nations reserve.

getty

5. Antares and the Moon

When: Just before sunrise on Thursday, April 1, 2021 and on Thursday, April 29, 2021

Where to look: southeastern sky

Look to the southeast horizon before sunrise on these two mornings and you’ll see a waning gibbous Moon about 5° Antares, the brightest star in the constellation of Scorpius, the Scorpion.

Antares is a red supergiant star that will one day explode as a supernova. It’s around 555 light-years distant. 

The arch of the northern spring Milky Way across the eastern sky, as seen on a beautifully clear and ... [+] mild spring night at Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta on May 14, 2018 The galactic centre in Sagittarius is at right to the south Jupiter is the bright object in the southwest at far right; above it Arcturus The Summer Triangle stars are rising in the east at centre, including bright blue-white Vega at top centre The Big Dipper is at far left Due north and the North Star are at left toward the faint yellow-green and magenta glow of aurora on the horizon Little of the aurora was visible to the eye Bands of green and red airglow colour the sky at centre and at right to the south The distinct and sharp-edged band of airglow was present all through the shooting session This is a stitch of 21 segments, in 3 tiers of 7 each, taken with the Syrp Genie Mini controller in panorama mode, but with the camera manually raised from 0 to 30 to 60 altitude for each of the three tiers The Mini did the azimuth panning and shutter control automatically All exposures were 30 seconds at f/28 with the Sigma 20mm Art lens and Nikon D750 at ISO 6400 Stitching was with PTGui which did the job fast and seamlessly. (Photo by: VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Universal Images Group via Getty Images

6. The core of the Milky Way

When: April-September

Where: southern night sky

The bright centre of our galaxy is a seasonal event and it helps to know when it's up. It emerges from the horizon in April, rising around midnight, by mid-June it rises right after sunset, and by July it’s already up after dark.

The further south you travel, the more of our galaxy’s bright core becomes visible. 

Times and dates given apply to mid-northern latitudes. For the most accurate location-specific information consult online planetariums like Stellarium and The Sky Live. Check planet-rise/planet-set, sunrise/sunset and moonrise/moonset times for where you are. 

Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes. 

#News | https://sciencespies.com/news/a-spectacular-super-pink-moon-shooting-stars-and-a-galaxy-rise-your-stargazing-guide-to-april-2021/

Guess what just happened to the latest SpaceX Starship prototype

SpaceX chief Elon Musk confirmed on Twitter Tuesday that the latest prototype of the company's Starship rocket series had crashed, after the video feed of its test flight cut out.

"At least the crater is in the right place!" he joked, in acknowledging the fourth failed test of the prototype.

"Something significant happened shortly after landing burn start. Should know what it was once we can examine the bits later today," he added.

The rocket, SN11, launched from the company's south Texas facility around 1300 GMT and began its ascent to 10 kilometers (six miles), experiencing some video glitches.

It was descending to the surface when the feed was lost once again.

Live feed of Starship SN11 flight test → https://t.co/Hs5C53qBxb https://t.co/Dl0iss2aPZ

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 30, 2021

"We lost the clock at T plus five minutes, 49 seconds," said announcer John Insprucker, meaning the amount of time that had passed after lift-off.

"Looks like we've had another exciting test of Starship Number 11," he added, dryly.

SN11 is the 11th prototype of Starship, which SpaceX hopes will one day be able to fly crewed missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond.

It was the fourth to conduct a test flight attempting to return to the ground for a soft vertical landing.

SN8 and SN9, which launched in December and February respectively, crash landed and exploded, while SN10 successfully landed then blew up a few minutes later during its test on March 3.

Headphone warning!

Our last views of #Starship #SN11's flight, now with sound!

That's a big boom.

More on the @NASASpaceflight livestream: https://t.co/PbgTUl6KGY pic.twitter.com/3BZD3uOpIc

— Brady Kenniston (@TheFavoritist) March 30, 2021

Despite the previous failures, analysts say SpaceX is gathering valuable data that will help it to accelerate its development timeline.

Eventually, SpaceX plans to combine the Starship spaceship with a Super Heavy rocket, creating a fully reusable system.

This final version will stand 394 feet (120 meters) tall and will be able to carry 100 metric tonnes into Earth orbit - the most powerful launch vehicle ever developed.

© Agence France-Presse

#Space | https://sciencespies.com/space/guess-what-just-happened-to-the-latest-spacex-starship-prototype/

Air pollution and physical exercise: When to do more or less

Physical activity is important in preventing heart and blood vessel disease in young people so long as they don't undertake very strenuous activity on days when air pollution levels are high, according to a nationwide study of nearly 1.5 million people published today (Tuesday) in the European Heart Journal.

Until now, little has been known about the trade-offs between the health benefits of physical activity taking place outdoors and the potentially harmful effects of air pollution. Previous research by the authors of the current study had investigated the question in middle-aged people at a single point in time, but this is the first time that it has been investigated in people aged between 20-39 years over a period of several years. In addition, the researchers wanted to see what happens when people increase or decrease their physical activity over time.

The researchers from Seoul National University College of Medicine (South Korea), led by Professor Sang Min Park, looked at information from the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) in South Korea for 1,469,972 young Koreans living in cities, who underwent two consecutive health examinations during two screening periods: 2009-2010 and 2011-2012. They followed up the participants from January 2013 to December 2018.

At each health check-up the participants completed a questionnaire asking about their physical activity in the past seven days and this information was converted into units of metabolic equivalent task (MET) minutes per week (MET-mins/week). The participants were divided into four groups: 0, 1-499, 500-999 and 1000 or more MET-mins/week. European Society of Cardiology guidelines recommend people should try to do 500-999 MET-mins/week and this can be achieved by, for example, running, cycling or hiking for 15-30 minutes five times a week, or brisk walking, doubles tennis or slow cycling for 30-60 minutes five times a week. [1]

The researchers used data from the National Ambient Air Monitoring System in South Korea to calculate annual average levels of air pollution, in particular the levels of small particulate matter that are less than or equal to 10 or 2.5 microns in diameter, known as PM10 and PM2.5 [2]. The amount of exposure to air pollution was categorised at two levels: low to moderate (less than 49.92 and 26.43 micrograms per cubic metre, μm/m3, for PM10 and PM2.5 respectively), and high (49.92 and 26.46 μm/m3 or more, respectively). [2]

Dr Seong Rae Kim, first author of the paper, said: "We found that in young adults aged 20-39 years old, the risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as stroke and heart attack, increased as the amount of physical activity decreased between the two screening periods in the group with low levels of exposure to air pollution.

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"However, in the group with high levels of exposure to air pollution, increasing the amount of physical activity to more than 1000 MET-min/week, which is more than internationally recommended levels for physical activity, could adversely affect cardiovascular health. This is an important result suggesting that, unlike middle-aged people over 40, excessive physical activity may not always be beneficial for cardiovascular health in younger adults when they are exposed to high concentrations of air pollution."

He continued: "Ultimately, it is imperative that air pollution is improved at the national level in order to maximise the health benefits of exercising in young adults. These are people who tend to engage in physical activity more than other age groups while their physical ability is at its best. If air quality is not improved, this could result in the incidence of cardiovascular diseases actually increasing despite the health benefits gained from exercise."

The researchers adjusted their results to take account of factors that could affect them, such as age, sex, household income, body mass index, smoking and alcohol consumption. During the follow-up period there were 8706 cardiovascular events. Among people exposed to high levels of PM2.5 air pollution, those who increased their exercise from 0 to 1000 MET-min/week or more between the two screening periods had a 33% increased risk of cardiovascular disease during the follow-up period compared to those who were physically inactive and did not increase their exercise, although this result was slightly weaker than that needed to achieve statistical significance. This means an extra 108 people per 10,000 might develop cardiovascular disease during the follow-up period.

Among people exposed to low to moderate levels of PM2.5, those who increased their physical activity from none to 1000 MET-min/week or more had a 27% reduced risk of developing cardiovascular disease compared to those who remained inactive, although this result was also not quite statistically significant. This means 49 fewer people per 10,000 might develop cardiovascular disease during the follow-up period.

Dr Kim said: "These results are very close to statistical significance. In fact, a further analysis ... of our paper shows that statistical significance was achieved for increasing and decreasing amounts of physical activity."

For low to moderate levels of PM10 air pollution, there was a statistically significant 38% or 22% increased risk of cardiovascular disease among people who started off doing 1000 MET-min/week or more and then reduced their activity to none or to 1-499 MET min/week, respectively, compared to people who maintained the same high level of activity. These results were statistically significant and mean that 74 and 66 extra people per 10,000 respectively would develop cardiovascular problems during the follow-up period.

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Professor Sang Min Park, who led the research, said: "Overall, our results show that physical activity, particularly at the level recommended by European Society of Cardiology guidelines, is associated with a lower risk of developing heart and blood vessel disease among young adults. However, when air pollution levels are high, exercising beyond the recommended amount may offset or even reverse the beneficial effects."

The study cannot show that air pollution causes the increased cardiovascular risk, only that it is associated with it. Other limitations are that there was no information on whether or not the exercise took place indoors or outdoors; participants may not have remembered correctly the amount of exercise they took in the seven days before they attended their screening interview, although this is unlikely; PM2.5 data were only measured in three major cities; and the researchers did not investigate the short-term effects of exposure to air pollution.

Notes:

[1] Examples of activity for each of the MET-min/week categories: 0 MET-min/week: No physical activity at all; 1-499 MET-min/week: Running, bicycling, hiking etc. less than 15 minutes a day and less than 5 times a week / Brisk walking, doubles tennis, slow cycling, etc., less than 30 minutes a day and less than 5 times a week; 500-999 MET-min/week: Running, bicycling, hiking etc. 15-30 minutes a day and about 5 times a week / Brisk walking, doubles tennis, slow cycling, etc., 30-60 minutes a day and about 5 times a week; More than 1000 MET-min/week: Running, bicycling, hiking etc. more than 30 minutes a day and about 5 times a week / Brisk walking, doubles tennis, slow cycling, etc., more than 60 minutes a day and about 5 times a week

[2] A micron is one millionth of a metre.

#Environment | https://sciencespies.com/environment/air-pollution-and-physical-exercise-when-to-do-more-or-less/

Hanwha Systems to launch 2,000 LEO communications satellites by 2030

SEOUL, South Korea — Hanwha Systems, the South Korean conglomerate that added a bankrupt phased-array antenna maker to its growing portfolio last year, is planning to build and deploy a constellation of 2,000 satellites in low Earth orbit by 2030 to provide connectivity to urban cargo-delivery drones and passenger airplanes.  

To that end, the defense and information technology arm of Hanwha Group will invest 500 billion South Korean won ($440 million) by 2023 in developing LEO communications satellites, ultrathin electronically steerable antennas and satellite control systems.

The company unveiled this project March 29, while presenting a plan to raise 1.2 trillion won by issuing new stock for “preemptive investment” in its future businesses. 

“The global competition is heating up over LEO satellite-based communications market, which has huge growth potential,” Choi Jae-woo, a senior executive responsible for Hanwha’s satellite communications business, said during an online presentation. “With ample technology and expertise built upon 20 years of engagement in military communications business, we will try to become one of the leading players in the market.”

Under its business road map, Hanwha will invest:

• 190 billion won in “developing communications technologies and satellite launch”


• 120 billion won in “acquiring technological assets needed to launch satellite communications services” 


• 110 billion won in “building manufacturing facilities” 


• 80 billion won in “satellite communications technologies”

Choi said trial services will begin in 2023, shortly after the first batch of satellites is launched. Regular services will be available in 2025 with the goal of recording 5 trillion won in annual sales by 2030, according to the executive. 

“Between 2023 and 2025, the scope of communications will be limited to land and sea. It will be expanded to airplanes and Urban Air Mobility in 2025-2030, and to 6G internet by 2030,” he said.

A Hanwha spokesperson said while the company will rely on foreign launch vehicles to put its satellites into orbit, the development of satellites, antennas and supporting systems will be done mainly with internal resources.

Phased array antennas

Choi said Hanwha Phasor — a division created when Hanwha bought British antenna maker Phasor Solutions out of bankrupty in June 2020 — will play a leading role in developing ultrathin electronically steerable antennas that enable high-speed communications in-flight, at sea, or on land. Phasor’s proprietary technologies include flat-antenna-beam steering and semiconductor chip-design technology required for transmission and reception, accding to Hanwha.

Satrec Initiative (SI) is another Hanwha affiliate expected to play an important role in the project. SI — merged into Hanwha Aerospace in January — is the developer of South Korea’s first satellite, KITSAT-1, which launched in 1992. The company possesses core technologies needed to produce small and medium-size Earth-observation satellites, ground systems and electrooptical payloads.

U.S. satellite communications company Kymeta would be a key industry partner for pushing the project forward. In December, Hanwha Systems formed a strategic partnership with Kymeta that calls for investing $30 million to back the development of Kymeta’s next-generation solutions in return for gaining a foothold in the growing LEO antenna market.

“We are talking with other advanced players overseas to ensure the project’s smooth progress,” Choi said. 

Urban cargo-delivery drones

On top of this, Hanwha Systems said it will invest 450 billion won in the unmanned urban air cargo business — 250 billion won in companies with related technologies or services and 200 billion won in making flying vehicles, ground facilities and other infrastructure.

The company has two types of vehicles under consideration — an unmanned urban air cargo vehicle that can fly 150-650 kilometers carrying up to 500 kilograms of payload, and a smaller cargo drone that can fly up to 50 kilometers carrying up to 3 kilograms of payload. The main driver of this project would be Overair, a U.S. personal electric air vehicle developer owned 30 percent by Hanwha Systems. 

“LEO satellite communications system and cargo air vehicles are interconnected, creating synergy for each other,” Choi said. “That’s why we decided to make inroads into the two areas at the same time.”

#Space | https://sciencespies.com/space/hanwha-systems-to-launch-2000-leo-communications-satellites-by-2030/

This interstellar object could be the first truly pristine comet we've ever seen

In our limited experience, comet 2I/Borisov is one of a kind.

It was discovered in August 2019, on a trajectory that could only mean one thing - the object had come from outside of our Solar System. It was the first known comet to visit from interstellar space, and represented a unique opportunity to study exocomet formation.

New analyses have now proven that 2I/Borisov is even more special than we thought. Based on a close examination of the comet's dust, scientists have determined that it's likely the most pristine comet we've ever seen.

This suggests the comet has never been close to a star - the closest it's been was when it flew by our Sun in 2019 - which means it's essentially unchanged since it formed from the cloud of dust it was born in.

"2I/Borisov could represent the first truly pristine comet ever observed," said astronomer Stefano Bagnulo of the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium in Northern Ireland.

The new analyses are detailed in two papers that studied the comet's dust coma - the cloud of dust that appears around a comet when it draws close to the Sun. The proximity heats the comet, causing its ices to sublimate.

As the gases rise up from the comet (the gas coma), they bring dust particles with them, creating the dust coma. (Solar radiation pressure and solar wind then push the gas and dust away, forming the comet's tails - that's why a comet's tails always stream away from the Sun.)

An artist's impression of 2I/Borisov. (ESO/M. Kormesser)

In the first paper, Bagnulo and his colleagues made a careful study of the light scattered off the dust grains in the coma. In particular, they studied the polarization of this light.

As a particle of light travels through space, its oscillations are oriented in a certain direction. If it is scattered by, for example, dust in the interstellar medium, or rotated by a magnetic field, its orientation can change; we call that change polarization, and it can tell us about the environment that it came from. Recently, it revealed the shape of a magnetic field around a supermassive black hole. With comets, it reveals properties of the dust coma.

Many comets have been studied using polarimetry, and Bagnulo and his team were able to compare their 2I/Borisov data against Solar System comets. They found that the light from our interstellar interloper was significantly more highly polarized than the light scattered off Solar System comets.

This higher polarization, according to previous studies, is associated with more plentiful, and smaller, dust grains - suggesting, in turn, that the comet has not yet had its dust blown away by radiation pressure and the solar wind.

The only Solar System comet with a similar polarization profile to 2I/Borisov is Hale-Bopp, which is thought to only have passed the Sun once before its most recent close approach in 1997, and has therefore only been minimally affected by the wind and radiation. Still, 2I/Borisov is different - its polarized light is uniform, which means that it could be more pristine even than Hale-Bopp.

"The fact that the two comets are remarkably similar suggests that the environment in which 2I/Borisov originated is not so different in composition from the environment in the early Solar System," said astronomer Alberto Cellino of the National Institute for Astrophysics in Italy.

The second paper, led by astronomer Bin Yang of the European Southern Observatory, a team of scientists took a closer look at the dust grains themselves, as well as the gas coma.

The dust coma, they found, consists of compact "pebbles" with radii greater than 1 millimeter - quite different from the loose aggregates normally found around Solar System comets. The compaction, they said, seems to be the result of mutual impacts arising from collisions in the protoplanetary disc in which the comet formed - indicating that the comet was born from rocks colliding and sticking together.

The gases they detected as 2I/Borisov neared and sped away from the Sun, however, told a really interesting story. Both carbon monoxide and water were present in the gas coma - a lot of carbon monoxide, actually - but the relative proportions in the coma changed dramatically during and after its closest approach to the Sun.

This indicates that the distribution of materials in the cometary nucleus is uneven. According to the team, this could happen if the comet's distance to its home star changed as it was forming, perturbed by the gravitational influences of baby gas giants. Under these perturbations, the forming comet could have moved to different locations beyond the frost line (the point at which volatiles freeze into ice grains) with different chemical abundances.

This mixing, the team said, is similar to processes thought to have taken place in the early Solar System, too. But rather than ending up on a long orbit around its own star, 2I/Borisov got punted out into interstellar space. There, it finally had a close flyby of a different star - our Sun - offering astronomers an amazing opportunity to learn about the planetary formation conditions in another system, far from home.

"Imagine how lucky we were that a comet from a system light-years away simply took a trip to our doorstep by chance," Yang said.

The research has been published in Nature Communications and Nature Astronomy.

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Congress raises concerns about FAA’s handling of Starship launch license violation

WASHINGTON — As SpaceX gears up for another test flight of a Starship prototype, the Federal Aviation Administration is facing new scrutiny from Congress for how it handled SpaceX’s violation of its launch license on an earlier test flight.

SpaceX had planned to launch its SN11 Starship vehicle March 29 from its Boca Chica, Texas, test site. That flight will be similar to those of previous Starship prototypes, going to an altitude of 10 kilometers before landing on a nearby pad.

However, SpaceX called off the March 29 launch attempt because an FAA inspector could not arrive to observe the flight during a five-hour window. “FAA inspector unable to reach Starbase in time for launch today,” tweeted Elon Musk, chief executive of SpaceX, using the proposed new name for the Boca Chica site. “Postponed to no earlier than tomorrow.”

The requirement for an FAA presence on site at the test site is new for the SN11 launch. The latest version of SpaceX’s FAA launch license for the Starship suborbital test flight program, issued March 12, allows those test flights to take place “only when an FAA Safety Inspector is present at SpaceX’s Boca Chica launch and landing site.”

The change stemmed from an investigation into SpaceX’s violation of that launch license during the SN8 test flight in December. SpaceX proceeded with the flight despite the FAA determining that the flight profile exceeded the maximum allowed risk to the uninvolved public for “far field blast overpressure” in the event of an explosion. While the SN8 vehicle exploded upon landing, there were no reports of damage outside of the SpaceX test site.

FAA directed SpaceX to investigate the incident, delaying the flight of the next Starship prototype, SN9. That investigation included “a comprehensive review of the company’s safety culture, operational decision-making and process discipline,” the FAA said in a Feb. 2 statement.

The FAA cleared SpaceX to proceed with launches, with SN9 and SN10 launching and landing — and both exploding upon or shortly after landing — on Feb. 2 and March 3, respectively. Neither caused any damage outside of the SpaceX test site.

The FAA’s response to SpaceX’s launch license violation, including the lack of any penalties beyond the investigation, prompted criticism from two key members of Congress. In a March 25 letter to FAA Administrator Steve Dickson, Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) sought to “register our concerns” with the incident. DeFazio is chair of the House Transportation Committee and Larsen the chair of its aviation subcommittee.

“Given the high-risk nature of the industry, we are disappointed that the FAA declined to conduct an independent review of the event and, to the best of our knowledge, has not pursued any form of enforcement action,” they wrote after summarizing the incident and investigation.

In the letter, DeFazio and Larsen called on the FAA to “resist any potential undue influence on launch safety decision-making” by taking “all the time and actions necessary” to evaluate proposed launches. They also urged the FAA to implement “a strict policy to deal with violations of FAA launch and reentry licenses” that includes civil penalties, and to evaluate its current approach to safety oversight and enforcement for commercial space activities.

“While the commercial space transportation sector is crucial to our Nation’s future, at no point should a commercial space launch jeopardize public safety,” they wrote.

The FAA, asked March 29 about the letter, said only that the agency “is in receipt of the letter and will respond directly to the committee.”

While the House Transportation Committee’s oversight includes the FAA, traditionally that has excluded the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation, which is in the jurisdiction of the House Science Committee. The transportation committee, though, has shown a growing interest in commercial space transportation, including several hearings in recent years that have examined the industry, including how the growing number of launches and spaceports affects commercial aviation.

In a speech at the March 23 meeting of the FAA’s Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC), Dickson indirectly referred to the SN8 incident. “We can’t take all the dangers out of commercial space transportation, but I also know that we have to make it as safe as humanly possible,” he said. “Sometimes, that means we have to set the parking brake and make sure that we’re all aligned.”

Dickson said there have been six commercial launch mishaps since the beginning of the 2021 fiscal year. That includes the three Starship test flights that ended in explosion upon or shortly after landing, as well as a failed Falcon 9 landing at sea during an otherwise successful launch Feb. 15. The other two are the launch of Astra’s Rocket 3.2 in December that just missed reaching orbit and an aborted test flight of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceplane, also in December.

“When mishaps do happen, which is not uncommon in a fast-moving new field, they should be successful failures, meaning that the failure was consistent with, in this case, the FAA’s analysis that showed that the public would be kept safe,” Dickson said.

“So far, there have been six mishaps this fiscal year, some that ended in spectacular fireballs and went viral on social media,” he said, “but all six of these were successful failures, because we were able to protect public safety.”

#Space | https://sciencespies.com/space/congress-raises-concerns-about-faas-handling-of-starship-launch-license-violation/