Despite its immense success in describing the fundamental building blocks of matter and their interactions, the Standard Model of particle physics is known to be incomplete. Experiments around the globe and in space are therefore searching for signs of new physics phenomena that would guide physicists towards a more comprehensive theory.
NASA astronaut Donald Pettit took a photo of stars from the International Space Station in 2003. It’s no longer “possible” to take it now.
In October 2022, astronomers were stunned by what was quickly dubbed the BOAT—the brightest-of-all-time gamma-ray burst (GRB). Now an international science team reports that data from NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope reveals a feature never seen before.
The six-wheeled geologist found a fascinating rock that has some indications it may have hosted microbial life billions of years ago, but further research is needed.
A vein-filled rock is catching the eye of the science team of NASA’s Perseverance rover. Nicknamed “Cheyava Falls” by the team, the arrowhead-shaped rock contains fascinating traits that may bear on the question of whether Mars was home to microscopic life in the distant past.
Analysis by instruments aboard the rover indicates the rock possesses qualities that fit the definition of a possible indicator of ancient life. The rock exhibits chemical signatures and structures that could possibly have been formed by life billions of years ago when the area being explored by the rover contained running water. Other explanations for the observed features are being considered by the science team, and future research steps will be required to determine whether ancient life is a valid explanation.
The new spacesuit urine filtration system by Cornell researchers recycles astronauts’ urine into drinkable water, aiming to improve comfort and efficiency on future Moon and Mars missions.
Currently, astronauts must relieve themselves inside their spacesuits during spacewalks. This is not only uncomfortable and unhygienic, but also wasteful. Unlike the wastewater management system on the International Space Station (ISS), the water from urine during spacewalks is not recycled.
Researchers at Cornell are addressing this issue with a novel urine collection and filtration system inspired by the ‘stillsuits’ from the sci-fi franchise Dune. Like these ‘stillsuits’, their prototype absorbs and purifies urine, and recycles it into drinking water.
Many astronauts who have viewed the earth from space recall experiencing the “overview effect.” This is a profound positive shift in perspective and involves experiencing a sense of awe and a new understanding of the interconnectedness of life on Earth.
Astronauts are often overwhelmed with emotion while taking in the beauty and vastness of our planet from their unique vantage point. They describe a deep sense of wonder and appreciation for the planet and the universe.
From space, astronauts can see Earth as a single, unified ecosystem without borders. This evokes an increased drive to protect our fragile ecosystem and inspires a recognition of the common humanity shared by all people.
A team at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland has streamed 4K video footage from an aircraft to the International Space Station and back for the first time using optical (laser) communications. The feat was part of a series of tests on new technology that could provide live video coverage of astronauts on the moon during the Artemis missions.
Fans of perovskite solar cell technology have been promising the moon, and stakeholders are increasingly confident that it will deliver. Among them is Toyota, which has just tapped its Woven Capital branch to put down a 5.5 billion yen stake in the perovskite solar startup EneCoat Technologies. If you’re thinking the solar-powered electric car of the future is coming, that’s a good guess, because EneCoat lists mobility applications among its areas of focus.
New Solar Cells For The Solar Car Of The Future
The idea of pasting solar cells on an electric vehicle seems reasonable enough. The surface area is relatively small, but a typical car can spend many hours outside, baking in the sun. The advantage would be less reliance on EV charging stations, and more use of free energy from the sun.
A team of scientists from Montana State University has provided the first experimental evidence that two new groups of microbes thriving in thermal features in Yellowstone National Park produce methane—a discovery that could one day contribute to the development of methods to mitigate climate change and provide insight into potential life elsewhere in our solar system.
Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope have discovered one of the oldest and coldest-known exoplanets by directly imaging its host star (see image, below).
It’s the first time JWST has imaged an exoplanet that had not already been imaged using a ground-based telescope.
Exoplanets are planets that orbit a star other than our sun. Almost all of the 5,000 known exoplanets have been discovered indirectly using the transit method, detecting changes in the light of a star as a planet crosses in front of its disk.
