Perhaps one of the most spectacular developments over recent years and 2024 saw this demonstrated beautifully, spacecraft landing back successfully under rocket control. SpaceX have been driving this technology forward at pace firstly with the landing of their Falcon rockets on drone ships but last year saw a real milestone. 

October saw the 5th test flight of the SpaceX Starship launch vehicle. Its the tallest launch vehicle to have flown, beating the Apollo Saturn V rocket by 11 metres. After its launch on 13 October and the upper stage being delivered into a suborbital trajectory (reached space but didn’t complete an orbit before returning) the booster returned! It didn’t just disintegrate or flat down attached to parachutes, it used the powerful Raptor engines to return to the launch pad. After descent, it slowed, almost hovering in mid air, before manoeuvring sideways to line up with launch pad before touching back down. As it returned to the arms of the launch tower, the arms grabbed the rocket and the engines shut down! 

It is no doubt that 2024 saw some amazing developments in rocket flight including but not limited to the SpaceX booster landings. What of 2025? What can we look forward to in the year ahead? Well I’m not sure we are going to see any pure rocket launch landmarks this year but there are some exciting missions ahead; NASA launching SPHEREx (new space observatory to map the sky in optical and near-infrared,) SpaceX launching to missions to surface of Moon (Texas built Blue Ghost and a Japanese lander,) a new commercial space station called Haven-1 and if all goes to plan we may finally see the return to Earth of Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore who have been stuck on the ISS since June after their planned 1 week mission!

Source : 

• Space Stats

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

04-01-2025 om 16:09 geschreven door peter  

Mars experiences dust storms regularly, which often begin as smaller storms that form around the polar regions, usually during the second half of the Martian year. These storms can grow rapidly as they move towards the equator until they cover millions of square kilometers. While these dust storms are not very powerful due to Mars’ thin atmosphere (roughly 0.5% as dense as Earth’s), they can still pose a significant hazard. In fact, global dust storms were responsible for the loss of the Opportunity rover in 2018 and the InSight lander last year.

“Dust storms have a significant effect on rovers and landers on Mars, not to mention what will happen during future crewed missions to Mars. This dust is very light and sticks to everything,” said Pieris in a recent NASA press release. “Even though the wind pressure may not be enough to knock over equipment, these dust grains can build up a lot of speed and pelt astronauts and their equipment,” added Hayne. “We need to understand what causes some of the smaller or regional storms to grow into global-scale storms. We don’t even fully understand the basic physics of how dust storms start at the surface.”

For their study, Pieris and Hayne focused on “A” and “C” storms, two weather patterns that tend to occur every year on Mars. This consisted of analyzing data gathered by the Mars Climate Sounder instrument aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) over the course of 15 years (eight Mars years). Specifically, they searched for periods of unusual warmth, when more sunlight filtered through Mars’ thin atmosphere to heat the planet’s surface. They discovered that roughly 68% of major storms on the planet were preceded by a sharp rise in temperatures at the surface, which led to dust being kicked up.

While these results don’t definitively prove that warmer conditions cause dust storms, they indicate that the same phenomena that trigger storms on Earth may be at work on Mars. During hot summers in dry regions, warm air near the surface can rise through the atmosphere, leading to large gray clouds that signal rain. Said Pieris:

“When you heat up the surface, the layer of atmosphere right above it becomes buoyant, and it can rise, taking dust with it. This study is not the end all be all of predicting storms on Mars. But we hope it’s a step in the right direction.”

Two 2001 images from the Mars Orbiter Camera on NASA’s Mars Global Surveyor orbiter show a dramatic change in the planet’s appearance when haze raised by dust-storm activity in the south became globally distributed (Figure 1). At left, an image from late June 2001 shows clear conditions over much of the planet, with regional dust-storm activity occurring in the Hellas basin (bright oval feature) near the edge of the south polar cap. At right, a July 2001 image from the same perspective shows the planet almost completely enveloped. Dust extends to altitudes of more than 60 kilometers (37 miles) during global-scale storms. 

NASA Larger image

This close-up image of a dust storm on Mars was acquired by the Mars Color Imager instrument on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on Nov. 7, 2007, around 3 p.m. local time on Mars. Scientists working with NASA’s Curiosity rover, which is set to land on Mars on Aug. 5 PDT (Aug. 6 EDT), are monitoring Mars each day for similar small storms that could either drift over the landing site or stir up dust that moves as haze over the site.

NASA (larger image)

Pieris and Hayne are now gathering more recent observations of Mars to continue investigating these explosive weather patterns. Eventually, they hope that scientists will be able to predict weather patterns on Mars based on live data from the planet.

Further Reading: 

• UC Boulder, 
• AGU24

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

04-01-2025 om 16:00 geschreven door peter  

One of the classic ways to distinguish a star from a planet in the night sky is that stars twinkle, but planets don’t. The light of both passes through the atmosphere, but since planets appear as a small disk of light, we don’t see them flicker. Stars appear as points of light, so we can see the flicker. The apparent size of a light source is the key factor.

In the same way, by looking at the scintillation of the FRB, the team was able to determine the size and location of the FRB light source. In this case, they found that FRB 20221022A had to have happened within 10,000 kilometers of a highly magnetic pulsar. This means the FRB must have originated within the magnetosphere of the pulsar, which confirms magnetars as the source of this particular FRB.

This study not only confirms magnetars as the source of FRBs; it proves that it is specifically an effect of their intense magnetic fields. Further observations such as this should allow us to understand how these magnetic fields can generate such intense radio light so quickly.

Reference: 

• Nimmo, Kenzie, et al. “Magnetospheric origin of a fast radio burst constrained using scintillation.” Nature 637.8044 (2025): 48-51.

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

04-01-2025 om 15:44 geschreven door peter  

Het jaar begint meteen spannend: Wetenschappers ontrafelen de oorsprong van een snelle radioflits

Vivian Lammerse

Het vluchtige ‘kosmische vuurwerk’ lijkt te zijn ontstoken in de woelige magnetosfeer van een verre neutronenster.

Snelle radioflitsen zijn korte, heldere explosies van radiogolven. Sinds de ontdekking van de eerste snelle radioflits in 2007 hebben astronomen duizenden van deze mysterieuze flitsen opgemerkt, sommige in onze eigen Melkweg, andere tot wel 8 miljard lichtjaar verderop. Hoe dit ‘kosmische vuurwerk’ precies ontstaat, is echter nog steeds een mysterie. Maar nu hebben MIT-astronomen eindelijk de oorsprong van één van deze flitsen ontrafeld.

Snelle radioflitsen
De laatste jaren is de detectie van snelle radioflitsen enorm toegenomen. Dat is mede te danken aan het Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME). Deze radiotelescoop, met vier grote, stationaire ontvangers in de vorm van een halve pijp, is bijzonder gevoelig voor snelle radioflitsen. Sinds 2020 heeft CHIME al duizenden van deze kosmische flitsen uit het hele universum vastgelegd. Hoewel wetenschappers het erover eens zijn dat snelle radioflitsen afkomstig zijn van extreem compacte objecten, blijft de exacte fysica erachter een raadsel. Sommige modellen voorspellen dat snelle radioflitsen ontstaan in de chaotische magnetosfeer rondom zo’n compact object, terwijl andere aangeven dat de flitsen verder weg ontstaan, als onderdeel van een schokgolf die zich van het centrale object af beweegt.

FRB 20221022A
In een nieuwe studie, gepubliceerd in Nature, concentreerden de wetenschappers zich op FRB 20221022A. Dit is een eerder ontdekte snelle radioflits uit een sterrenstelsel op zo’n 200 miljoen lichtjaar afstand. Het team vond de precieze locatie van het radiosignaal door de zogenaamde ‘scintillatie’ ervan te bestuderen, vergelijkbaar met het fonkelen van sterren aan de nachtelijke hemel. Dit effect treedt op wanneer het licht van een kleine, heldere bron, zoals een ster, door een medium zoals gas in een sterrenstelsel heen dringt. Hoe kleiner of verder weg een object is, hoe meer het lijkt te fonkelen. Het team ontdekte op deze manier dat FRB 20221022A waarschijnlijk afkomstig is uit de directe nabijheid van de bron.

Neutronenster
Het team schat dat FRB 20221022A ontstond binnen slechts 10.000 kilometer van een draaiende neutronenster. Voor je beeldvorming, dat is korter dan de afstand tussen Amsterdam en Kaapstad. Van zo’n korte afstand is het waarschijnlijk dat de flits tot leven kwam in de magnetosfeer van de neutronenster, een krachtig magnetisch gebied rondom deze compacte ster. De bevindingen van het team zijn interessant. Het betekent namelijk dat onderzoekers nu voor het eerst onmiskenbaar bewijs hebben gevonden dat een snelle radioflits kan ontstaan in de magnetosfeer.

Klein gebied
Onderzoekers vermoeden al langer dat snelle radioflitsen worden veroorzaakt door sterk gemagnetiseerde neutronensterren, ook wel magnetars genoemd. En nu blijkt dat FRB 20221022A ook nog eens uit een extreem klein gebied afkomstig was, van slechts 10.000 kilometer groot. De resultaten sluiten uit dat FRB 20221022A uit de buitenste regio van een compact object kwam. In plaats daarvan tonen de bevindingen aan dat snelle radioflitsen zeer dicht bij neutronensterren kunnen ontstaan, in de turbulente magnetische omgevingen die hen omgeven. Het betekent dat onderzoekers de precieze oorsprong van snelle radioflitsen nu steeds beter beginnen te doorgronden.

Halverwege het universum
“In de buurt van neutronensterren zijn de magnetische velden zo intens dat ze de grenzen van het mogelijke in het universum opzoeken”, zegt hoofdauteur van de studie Kenzie Nimmo. “Er is veel gedebatteerd of deze felle radio-emissies überhaupt kunnen ontsnappen uit dat extreme plasma.” Maar nu lijken de onderzoekers dat toch te hebben bewezen. “Bij deze extreem magnetische neutronensterren kunnen atomen niet eens bestaan – ze zouden simpelweg worden verscheurd door de kracht van de magnetische velden”, zegt Kiyoshi Masui, onderzoeker en hoogleraar natuurkunde aan de MIT. “Het spannende is dat we ontdekken hoe de energie in deze velden, dicht bij de bron, zich zo verdraait en herschikt dat het vrijkomt als radiogolven die we zelfs tot halverwege het universum kunnen zien.”

De onderzoekers zijn van plan om dezelfde techniek die ze in deze studie hebben toegepast in de toekomst ook in te zetten om de oorsprong van andere snelle radioflitsen te ontrafelen. Dit zou de onderliggende fysica verder kunnen verduidelijken. Hiermee wordt dan ook een cruciale stap gezet in het ontcijferen van de complexe processen die zich afspelen in enkele van de meest extreme omgevingen in het universum.

Bronmateriaal

• "MIT scientists pin down the origins of a fast radio burst" - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  
• Afbeelding bovenaan dit artikel: Daniel Liévano, edited by MIT News

GERELATEERDE INFO

the birth of a magnetar.

In an ejection that would have caused its rotation to slow, a magnetar is depicted losing material into space in this artist’s concept.

{ https://scientias.nl/ }

03-01-2025 om 22:26 geschreven door peter  

Asteroid Collision Shocked NASA Scientists, They Can't Explain Why This Happened

{ https://www.youtube.com/ }

03-01-2025 om 22:08 geschreven door peter  

Mars is often considered to be the planet most similar to the Earth. Earth however, is capable of supporting life, Mars on the other hand could not. There was once a time when it was warmer and wetter and could support life. Exploring life on Earth shows us that bacteria known as extremophiles can live in the most harsh conditions on Earth, it may just be possible that there are places on Mars that could also support these hardy forms of life. A new paper explores that possibility by studying the most extreme Earth-based bacteria that could survive under ground on Mars. 

Mars, often referred to as the “Red Planet” because of its reddish appearance. It’s the fourth planet from the Sun orbiting at an average distance of 228 million kilometres. It has a thin atmosphere, made up mostly of carbon dioxide with surface temperatures from about -125°C to 20°C. Mars has some fascinating geological features including the largest volcano in the solar system; Olympus Mons, and a vast canyon system; Valles Marineris. Unlike Earth, Mars has two moons Phobos and Deimos which are thought to be captured asteroids. 

The atmosphere of Mars is thin and, whilst carbon dioxide is the main component, there is also methane in small amounts, around 0.00003% of the whole. It’s origins in the Martian atmosphere are not fully understood and it may be that it is there as a result of biological processes such as the metabolism of microbes. It could also be there due to geological processes such as volcanic eruptions. The presence of methane has also excited researchers who have been exploring whether Mars could in anyway support more extreme forms of primitive life. 

In a paper recently authored by Butturini A from the University of Barcelona and team, they explore the Martian environment and its suitability to support extremophiles known as methanogens (from the Methanobacteriaceae family.) These primitive forms of bacteria are found in some of the most inhospitable regions of Earth. They have been found thriving in the hot groundwater of Lidy Hot Springs in Idaho, and are based upon methane biology. It raises an interesting possibility that areas of Mars could provide a habitat for them. 

The conditions on the surface of Mars are well understood. With high energy radiation from cosmic rays and solar radiation, along with dry and cold conditions and a high temperature differential between day and night, the surface is not conducive to any known forms of life. Look a little deeper however and the conditions seem a little more favourable. Lower levels on Mars however may be more habitable than the surface. A few metres underground and the surface material offers protection from the incoming radiation. Temperatures lower down would be higher and less variable too giving the possibility that liquid water may be present. It has already been seen that subsurface water has in some areas of Mars found its way to the surface only to evaporate when met with the surface conditions. With the presence of salt too the subsurface water can be present as liquid at a lower temperature. 

The team conclude that methanogens seem to be thriving in hostile environments on Earth which are analogous to some areas of Mars. They identify the southern area of Acidalia Planitia as somewhere to search due to the high levels of radiogenic heat producing elements which suggest subsurface water may be present. It raises the interesting possibility that, theoretically at least, primitive life could exist on Mars, even today, we just need to find it!

Source:  

• Potential habitability of present-day Mars subsurface for terrestrial-like methanogens

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

03-01-2025 om 15:15 geschreven door peter  

Scientists SOLVE the mystery of 'alien' signal received from outer space

• READ MORE:  Dark energy mystery is finally SOLVED by radical new theory 

By WILIAM HUNTER

Scientists have finally discovered the mysterious origins of an 'alien' signal received from outer space.

In 2022, a radio telescope detected a burst of energy coming from a galaxy about 200 million light-years from Earth.

Although the burst only lasted milliseconds, it contained enough energy to outshine entire galaxies and was theorised to have been a signal from an advanced alien civilisation. 

Now, scientists from MIT have discovered that this 'fast radio burst' (FRB) originated from a small area extremely close to a rotating neutron star, the ultra-dense remains of a dead sun.

The researchers argue that the burst must have come from the layer of powerful magnetic fields surrounding the star known as the magnetosphere.

Although thousands of FRBs have been detected, this is the first time that astronomers have been able to pin down the origin of one of these mysterious signals.

Co-author Professor Kiyoshi Masui says: 'Around these highly magnetic neutron stars, also known as magnetars, atoms can't exist — they would just get torn apart by the magnetic fields.

'The exciting thing here is, we find that the energy stored in those magnetic fields, close to the source, is twisting and reconfiguring such that it can be released as radio waves that we can see halfway across the universe.'

Scientists have revealed the origin of a mysterious 'fast radio burst' signal (illustrated) which arrived from space in 2022. Although the signal only lasted two milliseconds it briefly outshone some galaxies 

Neutron stars are formed when a star about seven to 19 times the size of our sun explodes in a violent supernova, leaving behind a dense core of compressed matter.

Although they are only a few miles wide, these alien stars contain up to twice as much matter as the sun.

These stellar cores are so dense that a sugar cube-sized chunk of neutron star material would weigh one billion tonnes on Earth - making them the densest objects we can directly observe.

Surrounding these strange worlds are violent magnetic fields which can be trillions of times stronger than those surrounding the Earth.

Since the first FRB was spotted in 2007, researchers have detected thousands of these brief but intense bursts everywhere from our own galaxy to 8 billion light-years away.

Although these bursts don't contain enough energy to be dangerous, they have presented scientists with a perplexing mystery.  

Some scientists have suggested that these could be created by the powerful magnetic fields surrounding distant neutron stars - but not all astronomers agree.

Lead researcher Dr Kenzie Nimmo says: 'In these environments of neutron stars, the magnetic fields are really at the limits of what the universe can produce.

Researchers believe this powerful signal originated from within the magnetic fields surrounding a neutron star, the ultra-dense remains of a dead star. As this burst passed through gases in another galaxy it split into multiple paths (illustrated) causing the signal to flicker in brightness

The signal was detected by the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (pictured). By looking at how the signal flickered, researchers calculated that it must have emerged from a region no larger than 10,000 km (6,200 miles) across 

'There's been a lot of debate about whether this bright radio emission could even escape from that extreme plasma.'

Some models suggest that the bursts of energy are formed in the turbulent magnetosphere while others argue that they originate from much farther out as part of a shockwave coming from the star itself.

In their study, published in Nature, the researchers focused on a radio pulse spotted in 2022 by the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME).

Using four large radio receivers shaped like half pipes, scientists detected a two-millisecond pulse which was named FRB 20221022A.

Based on the highly polarised light that the FRB produced, the researchers worked out that its source is very likely to be rotating - something that has been seen in fast-spinning neutron stars called pulsars.

But to figure out exactly where FRB 20221022A originated, Dr Nimmo and her co-authors looked at a property called 'scintillation'.

If you see a star in the night sky from Earth, it appears to twinkle or 'scintillate' because the light from the star is filtered through gasses in the atmosphere.

Yet this effect doesn't just affect stargazers since light from any small, bright source will be bent as it passes through an obstruction like the gasses surrounding a galaxy.

The researchers argue that the burst would have come from the magnetic fields within hundreds of thousands of kilometres of a neutron star. This is the first evidence that a neutron star's magnetosphere (illustrated) is capable of releasing a fast radio burst.

The smaller and farther away the source of light is the more it scintillates, which is why planets like Jupiter and Mars don't appear to twinkle when you see them.

If the FRB originated from a shockwave tens of millions of kilometres from the neutron star the area of origin would be so large that researchers wouldn't expect to see any scintillation at all.

But when Dr Nimmo and her colleagues analysed the energy from FRB 20221022A they saw that the mysterious flash was twinkling like a star in the sky. 

Dr Nimmo says: 'This means that the FRB is probably within hundreds of thousands of kilometres from the source.'

By identifying the gas cloud that the flash must have passed through, the researchers were able to zoom in on its origin within unprecedented accuracy.

Although the FRB emerged from a galaxy more than ten times the distance to our nearest neighbouring galaxy, the researchers found that its source was an area just 10,000km (6,200 miles) wide.

For comparison, that is equivalent to the distance from Edinburgh to Cape Town, South Africa.

Professor Masui says: 'Zooming in to a 10,000-kilometer region, from a distance of 200 million light years, is like being able to measure the width of a DNA helix, which is about 2 nanometers wide, on the surface of the moon.'

FAST RADIO BURSTS ARE BRIEF RADIO EMISSIONS FROM SPACE WHOSE ORIGIN IS UNKNOWN

Fast radio bursts, or FRBs, are radio emissions that appear temporarily and randomly, making them not only hard to find, but also hard to study.

The mystery stems from the fact it is not known what could produce such a short and sharp burst.

This has led some to speculate they could be anything from stars colliding to artificially created messages.

Scientists searching for fast radio bursts (FRBs) that some believe may be signals sent from aliens may be happening every second. The blue points in this artist's impression of the filamentary structure of galaxies are signals from FRBs

The first FRB was spotted, or rather 'heard' by radio telescopes, back in 2001 but wasn't discovered until 2007 when scientists were analysing archival data.

But it was so temporary and seemingly random that it took years for astronomers to agree it wasn't a glitch in one of the telescope's instruments. 

Researchers from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics point out that FRBs can be used to study the structure and evolution of the universe whether or not their origin is fully understood.

A large population of faraway FRBs could act as probes of material across gigantic distances. 

This intervening material blurs the signal from the cosmic microwave background (CMB), the left over radiation from the Big Bang. 

A careful study of this intervening material should give an improved understanding of basic cosmic constituents, such as the relative amounts of ordinary matter, dark matter and dark energy, which affect how rapidly the universe is expanding.

FRBs can also be used to trace what broke down the 'fog' of hydrogen atoms that pervaded the early universe into free electrons and protons, when temperatures cooled down after the Big Bang. 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

02-01-2025 om 18:34 geschreven door peter  

Mars from 2020.

Credit: Andrew Symes

The atmosphere of Mars is thin and made up mostly of carbon dioxide (about 95%.) There are traces of nitrogen, argon, and oxygen too. This sparse atmosphere is only about 1% the density of Earth’s and is unable to support human life without significant technological aid. Despite its thinness, the Martian atmosphere is active, and one of its most fascinating phenomena is the occurrence of dust devils. These swirling columns of dust and air are similar to tornadoes on Earth.

Dust devils are created when the surface heats up and causes warm air to rise rapidly, drawing in dust particles into a rotating column. They can range in size from small, harmless whirlwinds to massive, kilometer-wide spirals that can last for hours. Dust devils on Mars are important for scientists because they help to redistribute dust across the planet’s surface, driving its weather patterns and even the Martian climate. 

A fascinating phenomenon but a friend and foe to machines on the surface of the red planet; they can both deposit and clear particles of dust from solar panels and other instruments. The swirling nature of these vortex weather events can lift up the fine dust particles, carry them across the Martian surface and over time, they can accumulate on surfaces. When depositing on solar panels, the effect can reduce the efficiency by blocking sunlight, and reduce power output. Their strong winds though can act as cleaners by scrubbing the panels clean. 

An image recently released by NASA JPL shows dust devils tracking across the surface of Mars. Teams of astronomers are studying their fading tracks to calculate the rate of deposition of dust over time. Gaining a better ujnderstanding of this helps to safeguard future space misssions. 

Source : 

• The Art of Dust Devils

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

02-01-2025 om 18:05 geschreven door peter  

This idea is supported by the fact that there is a correlation between the spectral category of TNOs and their orbital types. For example, cold classical TNOs with orbits at the outer edge of the planetary disk are mostly cliff-type TNOs.

The team was also able to connect TNOs to another type of planetoid known as centaurs, which orbit the Sun between Jupiter and Saturn. While the spectra of centaurs differ significantly from those of TNOs, there are enough similar features to identify many centaurs as part of a particular TNO type. The centaur Thereus matches the bowl-type category, for example. On the other hand, some centaurs, such as Okyrhoe don’t fall into any TNO category. This supports the idea that many centaur planetoids were TNOs that migrated inward over time, while others are likely comets that became centaurs after a close approach with Jupiter or Saturn.

In the future, the team would like to gather even more detailed spectra of TNOs. This could tell us the specific histories of each TNO category and how they connect to the early evolution of our solar system.

Reference: 

• Pinilla-Alonso, Noemí, et al. “A JWST/DiSCo-TNOs portrait of the primordial Solar System through its trans-Neptunian objects.” Nature Astronomy (2024): 1-15.

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

02-01-2025 om 17:41 geschreven door peter  

Dark energy is central to our modern understanding of cosmology. In the standard model, dark energy is what drives the expansion of the Universe. In general relativity, it’s described by a cosmological constant, making dark energy part of the structure of space and time. But as we’ve gathered more observational evidence, there are a few problems with our model. For one, the rate of cosmic expansion we observe depends on the observational method we use, known as the Hubble tension problem. For another, while we assume dark energy is uniform throughout the cosmos, there are some hints suggesting that might not be true. Now a new study argues we’ve got the whole thing wrong. Dark energy, the authors argue, doesn’t exist.

Let’s start with what we know. When we look out across the billions of light-years of cosmic space, we see that matter is clumped into galaxies, and those galaxies are groups into clusters so that the Universe has clumps of matter separated by great voids. On a small scale, this means that the distribution of matter is uneven. But as we go to larger scales, say a billion light-years or so, the average distribution of matter evens out. On a large scale, the cosmos is homogeneous and not biased in a particular direction. This means we can broadly describe the Universe as the same everywhere. This is known as the principle of homogeneity. By applying this principle to cosmic expansion, we can model the Universe by the Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker (FLRW) metric, where dark energy is a cosmological constant.

Opponents of the standard model argue that the principle can’t be applied to cosmic expansion. Some even argue that the basic principles of general relativity can’t be applied on cosmic scales. In one such model, known as the Timescape model, it’s argued that dark energy would violate the principle of equivalence. Since the principle equates inertial energy and gravitational energy, there is no way to distinguish cosmic expansion as a real effect. Furthermore, since we know that gravitational fields affect the rate of time, the Timescape model argues that the Universe can’t be homogeneous in time. Basically, the model argues that within the gravitational well of a galactic cluster, clocks would run more slowly than they would within the vast empty cosmic voids. Over the billions of years of cosmic history, this difference would build up, creating a variance of time throughout the Universe. It is this time divergence that would give the appearance of cosmic expansion.

In this latest study, the authors use the Pantheon+ dataset of Type Ia supernovae to see if it better fits the standard cosmological model or the Timescape model. The main difference between the two models is that cosmic expansion must be uniform in the standard model, while in the Timescape model, cosmic expansion can’t be uniform. What the team found was that while the Pantheon+ supports both models, the data is a slightly better fit to the Timescape model. In other words, the best fit of the data suggests that dark energy is an illusion, but the fit is not strong enough to disprove the standard model.

If future observations continue to support the Timescape model, it would revolutionize our understanding of the Universe. But there are reasons to be cautious. To begin with, the Timescape model is only one of many proposed alternatives to the standard model, which this study doesn’t address. The Timescape model also has some internal issues of its own that would need to be resolved to become the new cosmological model. But it is clear now that we can’t ignore the fact that the standard model may be wrong. We are entering an exciting period of astronomy where our knowledge of the Universe will increase significantly in the near future.

Reference: 

• Seifert, Antonia, et al. “Supernovae evidence for foundational change to cosmological models.” Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters 537.1 (2025): L55-L60.

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What is Dark Energy?

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{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

02-01-2025 om 17:20 geschreven door peter  

This location has advantages and disadvantages – the Moon’s disk is much smaller than the Earth’s, so LUMIO could capture the entire hemisphere and watch for any impacts on the lunar surface. It’s important to note that most of the impacts would indeed be on the surface itself, since the lunar atmosphere is negligible in terms of providing energy for a micrometeoroid to burn up before impact. That is why the Moon is pockmarked with so many craters.

LUMIO CubeSat operative orbit.

Credits: ASI/LUMIO Collaboration

Overview of LUMIO mission.

Credits: LUMIO collaboration

LUMIO mission upgraded roadmap. Last week the European Space Agency approved the next stage of the Lunar Meteoroid Impacts Observer (LUMIO) CubeSat mission, which means it could be ready for launch as early as 2027.

Credits: ASI/LUMIO Collaboration

Also, while it’s commonly referred to as the “dark side” of the Moon, the far side is lit up half the time – and fully lit when we down on the planet experience a “new Moon.” But, when it is dark on the lunar surface, it is genuinely dark – there aren’t any lights that could be misconstrued as an asteroid strike. The L2 point has the added advantage of not suffering from “Earthshine” – reflected light from Earth that could diminish the effectiveness of the LUMIO-cam when trying to detect faint light streaks.

Difficulties abound with the placement, though, including a lack of a direct line of communication and the necessity of an automated navigation and control system. Since the Moon is literally between the CubeSat and any ground receiver that could send commands or receive data, it must be bounced off a relay satellite in order to do so.

LUMIO will also capture a large amount of data, not all of which will be useful. Since the flashes it’s looking for are very fast, LUMIO-Cam will capture about 15 frames per second. Then, onboard processing will use an algorithm to sort through the image to see if there are any flashes visible in it. Those interesting images will then be the ones sent back to Earth. 

Estimates put the number of micrometeoroids striking the Moon’s surface at as high as 23,000 times per year for micrometeoroids as small as 30 grams. Even if LUMIO only watches half of that area, it will observe impacts multiple times every day. Each is a little look into the types of debris that still exist in our local part of the solar system and maybe into what asteroids and comets they were initially a part of.

There’s a good chance the LUMIO team will be able to capture that data as well – the mission was accepted as a finalist to ESA’s Lunar CubeSat for Exploration (LUCE) SYSNOVA Competition and is currently planned for launch in 2027. Once it reaches its stable orbit, expect to see some brilliant flashes on the Lunar surface popping up new reports regularly.

Learn More:

• ESA – LUMIO – New CubeSat Illuminating Lunar Impacts
• Topputo et al. – LUMIO: A CubeSat at Earth-Moon L2
• UT – Astronomers are Working to Put a Radio Telescope on the Far Side of the Moon by 2025
• UT – Finally, an Explanation for the Moon’s Radically Different Hemispheres

Lead Image:

• Depiction of LUMIO’s orbital path to the L2 Earth-Moon point.
  Credit – ESA

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

02-01-2025 om 16:22 geschreven door peter  

NASA Discovers Massive Planet Bigger Than Earth with Gas Tied Exclusively to Living Organisms

Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery on a planet over eight times the mass of Earth, located 120 light-years away. Using advanced technology, researchers detected a gas in its atmosphere that, on Earth, is only produced by living organisms. Could this be the first real hint of life beyond our planet? While the findings are intriguing, they come with questions that still need answering.

Arezki Amiri

NASA Discovers Massive Planet Bigger Than Earth with Gas Tied Exclusively to Living Organisms

The Daily Galaxy --Great Discoveries Channel

Breaking  astronomical news: NASA‘s James Webb Space Telescope has unveiled a groundbreaking find—an exoplanet not only significantly larger than Earth, but also with signs of a gas only produced by living organisms on our planet. Could this be the closest we’ve come to proving life exists beyond Earth?

K2-18 B: A Colossal Planet with Life-like Gas

Named K2-18 b, this intriguing exoplanet is located 120 light-years away in the constellation Leo, orbiting a red dwarf star known as K2-18. This star is significantly smaller and cooler than our Sun, creating a potentially habitable environment for planets within its orbit. K2-18 b is a sub-Neptune-class exoplanet, a type absent from our solar system, with 2.6 times Earth’s radius and 8.6 times its mass.

First identified by NASA‘s K2 mission in 2015, the planet has become a focal point of atmospheric studies due to its unique size and position in the habitable zone. Recent investigations using the James Webb Space Telescope have provided groundbreaking insights into its atmosphere.

Atmospheric composition highlights:

• Methane and Carbon Dioxide: Strong evidence of carbon-bearing molecules, indicative of active processes.
• Potential Dimethyl Sulfide (DMS): On Earth, this molecule is produced exclusively by marine life, making its potential detection on K2-18 b particularly exciting.

Is K2-18 B a Hycean World?

The presence of methane, carbon dioxide, and a potential absence of ammonia support the hypothesis that K2-18 b could be a Hycean exoplanet. These planets are defined by their hydrogen-rich atmospheres and possible water-covered surfaces, making them promising candidates in the search for extraterrestrial life.

Lead researcher Nikku Madhusudhan emphasized, “Traditionally, the search for life on exoplanets has focused on smaller rocky planets, but larger Hycean worlds are significantly more conducive to atmospheric observations.”

However, the planet’s size suggests challenges. It likely has a mantle of high-pressure ice beneath its hydrogen-rich atmosphere and ocean, which could be too hot to sustain life as we know it.

Key characteristics of K2-18 b:

Groundbreaking Observations with the James Webb Telescope

The advanced capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope have been instrumental in characterizing K2-18 b’s atmosphere. By analyzing light as it passes through the planet’s atmosphere during transits, scientists identified its molecular composition with unprecedented detail.

Comparison to previous observations:

• Webb’s two transits yielded insights equivalent to eight years of Hubble data.
• Observations revealed robust spectral features, marking a milestone in atmospheric analysis.

The telescope’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) will be used in future observations to confirm the presence of DMS and provide further data on the planet’s environment. “This result was only possible because of the extended wavelength range and unprecedented sensitivity of Webb,” noted Madhusudhan.

Potential Habitability and the Search for Life

Despite its position in the habitable zone, K2-18 b’s habitability remains uncertain. Its massive size and dense atmosphere might create conditions too extreme for life as we know it. However, the detection of DMS, if validated, would be a significant step in the quest to identify life-supporting environments.

stronomer Savvas Constantinou explained, “Our work here is but an early demonstration of what Webb can observe in habitable-zone exoplanets.”

The Road Ahead

NASA’s continuing exploration of Hycean worlds like K2-18 b is revolutionizing our understanding of exoplanetary environments. Future observations will seek to confirm the presence of DMS and further investigate K2-18 b’s potential to host life.

As Madhusudhan stated, “Our ultimate goal is the identification of life on a habitable exoplanet, which would transform our understanding of our place in the universe.”

This discovery brings us closer to answering humanity’s profound question: Are we alone in the cosmos? With K2-18 b as a beacon of possibility, the universe has never seemed more full of potential.

RELATED VIDEOS

{ https://dailygalaxy.com/category/space/ }

01-01-2025 om 17:19 geschreven door peter  

New Space Equation Unveils Hidden Asteroids That Could Be Heading for Earth

01-01-2025 om 16:59 geschreven door peter  

If you're a fan of stargazing, make sure you keep an eye on the skies over the next few weeks. 

You'll soon have a rare opportunity to watch as a new star is born in the heavens. 

The 'blaze star' T Coronae Borealis is set to flare into life any day now, going from invisible to as bright as the North Star overnight in a spectacular nova. 

Once the nova appears, it will be visible to the naked eye for a couple of days before disappearing for another 80 years. 

Dr Rebekah Hounsell, a NASA expert on nova, said: 'There are a few recurrent novae with very short cycles, but typically, we don't often see a repeated outburst in a human lifetime, and rarely one so relatively close to our own system.'

Dr Hounsell adds that this is 'a once-in-a-lifetime' opportunity to get front-row seats to a truly special cosmic event. 

Unfortunately, astronomers have been unable to pinpoint exactly when it will spring into view. 

However, Lord Martin Rees, the current Astronomer Royal and former president of the Royal Society and a fellow of Trinity College at Cambridge University, told The Telegraph that it could be any day now, addding that it is perhaps 'slightly overdue'. 

If you're a fan of stargazing, make sure you keep an eye on the skies over the next few weeks. You'll soon have a rare opportunity to watch as a new star is born in the heavens

Stargazers will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the birth of a new star as the 'Blaze Star' T Coronae Borealis flares into life (artist's impression) 

To spot this unique phenomenon, all you need to do is to head out on a dark, clear night and look to the North East.

The blaze star will appear in a faint constellation called the Northern Crown, or Corona Borealis, between the constellations of Boötes and Hercules.

But if this is a bit tricky to spot, there is a method to help narrow down your search using some brighter stars in the sky. 

First, look for the Big Dipper, sometimes called the Saucepan or Plough, and follow the curve of the 'handle' till you find a bright reddish star above the eastern horizon.

From that star, which is called Arcturus, look to the North East on the same level and you should spot another bright star called Vega.

Halfway between these two, you will be able to find a faint curl of seven stars - this is the Northern Crown where the Blaze Star will appear.

Of course, it will be a lot easier to find the star constellation once the blaze star has appeared as it should be one of the brightest in the sky.  

For the best viewing conditions make sure to get far away from any sources of light that could ruin your view.

To find the start look for the constellation of Corona Borealis which is between Hercules and Bootes in the North East 

That might mean getting away from city lights where possible and avoiding using your torch while your eyes adjust to the darkness.

The star will be visible to the naked eye but you will be able to see more if you use a pair of binoculars or a small telescope.

There is no way of knowing exactly when the star will come to life, and even scientists are eagerly waiting for any signs of activity. 

It is predicted that T Coronae Borealis should appear sometime between now and September, but that could happen any day.  

Although the term 'nova' comes from the Latin for 'new star' it will actually only appear that a new star has been created.

In reality, what we will see is the moment that a very faint star 3,000 light years from Earth suddenly becomes brighter.

T Coronae Borealis is a binary system nestled in the Northern Crown constellation, which means that it consists of two stars locked in orbit around each other.

One of those stars is a vast but cool red giant, while the other is a white dwarf - a hot, dense remnant of a dead star about the size of the Earth but containing the same mass as our Sun.

To find the star follow the handle of the big dipper (shown here from the Northern Hemisphere) and look for a reddish star named Arcturus. The blaze star should appear halfway between this star and another bright star to the North East called Vega 

T Coronae Borealis is a binary system, meaning that is actually made up of two stars locked in orbit with one another (artist's impression) 

As these stars orbit, the white dwarf is slowly devouring its neighbour, stripping the hydrogen from its atmosphere. 

As this hydrogen piles up around the white dwarf it builds up massive pressure and heat.

When enough matter falls into the star at once, it triggers an enormous thermonuclear explosion so bright we can see it from Earth, blasting away the built-up material. 

But, unlike a supernova which happens as a star dies, the white dwarf is left intact so that the process can begin again.  

Because this build-up takes about 80 years, T Coronae Borealis flares on a regular cycle, making it a recurrent nova. 

The first time the star was spotted was more than 800 years ago in 1217 when a man named Burchard, abbot of Ursberg, Germany, spotted 'a faint star that for a time shone with great light.'

This is also how scientists know that the star is set to blaze again since it is following the same pattern as it did in 1866 and 1947. 

In those cases, the star first grew brighter before suddenly fading away in anticipation of the big bang. 

Scientists have been watching T Coronae Borealis grow brighter again since 2015 until it suddenly dimmed in March last year.

When it finally blows, it could grow up to 600 times brighter based on these previous flares.  

Since T Coronae Borealis is quite close to Earth and flares regularly, it is also a great chance for scientists to learn more about novae.

The nova will be watched carefully by scientists all around the world using the James Webb Space Telescope, the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, and many others.  

Dr Elizabeth Hays, chief of the particle physics laboratory at NASA Goddard, says this means the help of amateur stargazers will be vital to catch the first moments of the explosion. 

'We'll observe the nova event at its peak and through its decline, as the visible energy of the outburst fades,' she said.

'But it's equally critical to obtain data during the early rise to eruption – so the data collected by those avid citizen scientists on the lookout now for the nova will contribute dramatically to our findings.'

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

01-01-2025 om 01:28 geschreven door peter  

What would happen minute-by-minute if a SUPERFLARE with the force of billions of atomic bombs hit Earth

• READ MORE: Earth is 'overdue' a devastating solar SUPERFLARE scientists warn

By WILIAM HUNTER

While it might look like a tranquil yellow ball from here, the sun is actually a raging inferno of intense magnetic forces and violent explosions.

So, although all life on Earth depends on the Sun to survive, it may one day be the thing that destroys us.

Scientists have recently warned that Earth is well overdue for a solar 'superflare' - a stellar explosion containing the energy of billions of atomic bombs. 

When this happens, power grids will be damaged, satellites will fall from orbit, and the destruction of undersea cables could trigger an 'internet apocalypse'.

From the superflare's eruption from the sun, Earth will have just eight minutes before the first wave of radiation slams into the atmosphere.

However, the worst will still be yet to come as a vast wave of plasma and magnetic fields follows close behind, causing havoc for the planet's electrical system. 

The last time Earth was hit by a blast on this scale was during the 1859 Carrington Event, which was strong enough to give electric shocks to telegraph operators and set sheets of paper alight.

But experts now say that the planet could soon be hit by a solar flare more than 100 times more powerful and far more devastating.

What is a superflare?

A solar flare is a huge explosion on the sun's surface which releases a huge amount of stored energy in a very short time.

These occur when magnetic fields become 'twisted' above cool patches of the sun's surface called sunspots.

Within minutes these tangled fields heat material to many millions of degrees before snapping into a burst of radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum, from radio waves to X-rays and gamma rays.

However, that burst of energy is only part of the problem, since large solar flares are often accompanied by events called coronal mass ejections.

Professor Sean Elvidge, an expert on space weather from the University of Birmingham, told MailOnline: 'Coronal mass ejections (CMEs), on the other hand, are huge clouds of charged solar plasma and magnetic fields hurled into space.

'They move more slowly often taking one to three days to reach Earth, but can cause significant geomagnetic disturbances once they interact with our planet’s magnetic field.'

A so-called superflare is simply a particularly large solar flare capable of releasing one octillion joules of energy - that is one followed by 27 zeros.

Earth is overdue for a devastating superflare which could wipe out communication systems and knock satellites out of orbit, scientists have warned (stock image) 

Previously, scientists had estimated that Earth would only experience one of these once every thousand to ten thousand years.

However, a recent study suggested that these events may occur as often as once every century.

Given that a superflare hasn't hit Earth since 775 AD, we are well overdue for a run-in with one of these dangerous explosions.

So, if a superflare were to explode on the sun's surface, here's what would happen minute by minute. 

Eight minutes since the superflare

Since electromagnetic radiation moves at the speed of light, we would only have eight minutes from the moment the flare bursts until we experience the first effects.

Dr Erika Palmerio, a research scientist at Predictive Science, told MailOnline: 'From the flare we get radiation and solar energetic particles and those are the first things that are coming to us because they are the fastest.'

As this initial wave of X-rays and intense ultraviolet radiation arrives, it creates a build-up of electrons in a layer of the atmosphere called the ionosphere.

A superflare would release the energy of several billion atomic bombs and transmit one octillion joules of energy, one followed by 27 zeros. The first wave of X-ray radiation would hit Earth in eight minutes, causing widespread radio blackouts (stock imiage)

Those electrons interfere with radio signals moving around the planet, scrambling and decaying any messages humans might be trying to send.

That means the first sign a superflare had hit would be a sudden and total radio blackout on the sunlit side of Earth.

Dr Palmerio says: 'That can be problematic if there is a disaster back on Earth, for example, a hurricane, since all those rescue teams communicate through radio.'

However, that lack of communication will become particularly dangerous when we consider what is still to come. 

30 minutes since the superflare 

Travelling just behind the solar flare's first flash of radiation, the next thing to arrive would be a cloud of ionising high-energy particles.

Dr Palmerio says: 'We have these solar particles which are launched by the flare and then accelerated as the CME moves through the lower atmosphere of the sun.

'They're not as fast as X-rays, but these particles are very energetic so within tens of minutes we can have a solar radiation storm.'

30 minutes after the superflare a radiation storm would hit Earth, exposing astronauts on the International Space Station (pictured) to a deadly dose of radiation 

Down on the ground, we're unlikely to see any impact from this radiation storm since the charged particles will be directed away by the Earth's magnetic field.

However, passengers or crew on commercial flights are very likely to receive a substantially increased dose of radiation.

This would be especially dangerous for anyone flying near the poles where the charged particles would be most concentrated.

But the biggest risks of all would be faced by astronauts out beyond the protection of the atmosphere.

Anyone on the International Space Station (ISS) would be in real danger of receiving a deadly dose of ionising radiation as the radiation storm batters the planet.

Nor is this threat hypothetical since NASA astronauts have very nearly been killed by solar flares in the past.

In August 1972, Earth was hit by one of the worst solar storms in recorded history, knocking out long-distance communications across some US states.

Dr Palmerio says: 'In that year we had the Apollo 16 mission in April and then Apollo 17 in December.

With radio blackouts on Earth, astronauts might not have time to receive a warning. But if they can, they would have about 30 minutes to either evacuate or shelter in a shielded area of the station

'It's been estimated that had that storm happened during one of those two launches, it would have been life-threatening for the astronauts.'

Additionally, since NASA uses radio frequencies to communicate with the ISS, astronauts might have no warning at all before receiving a deadly dose of radiation. 

16 hours since the superflare 

So far, most of the superflare's effects have been limited to the upper atmosphere.

But now as the wave of charged plasma and magnetic fields which make up the CME roll towards Earth, things are about to become significantly worse.

Professor Elvidge says: 'A strong CME usually takes between one and three days to reach Earth.

'The exact timing depends on its initial speed and the conditions of the interplanetary environment, but travel times of around 36 to 48 hours are often typical for significant events.'

However, this is no typical event and in the case of a superflare we may have far less time to prepare.

Solar flares can release large amounts of stellar material in events called Coronal Mass Ejections (pictured). The fastest CMEs can hit Earth just 15-16 hours after the solar flare erupts 

'The fastest we have seen travel around 3,000 km/s and can reach the Earth in less than a day,' says Professor Elvidge.

The fastest CME on record, the August 1972 event, took just 14.6 hours to reach Earth after leaving the sun.

Leaving a generous window, we might have only 16 hours between realising a flare has happened and the CME hitting.

When it does arrive, it is this part of the superflare that is likely to cause the most long-lasting damage.

Professor Elvidge says: 'As a CME arrives, its interaction with Earth’s magnetic field can generate geomagnetic storms.'

These vast fluctuations in the magnetic field induce strong electrical currents in any long piece of metal on Earth including the wires in the power grids.

These power fluctuations can trip safety systems leading to regional outages or cascade failures and even set fire to the insulation surrounding electrical transformers.

As the CME hits the Earth's magnetic field it creates a charge which induces a strong current in power grids on the ground. These surges could cause widespread blackouts around the world 

What is the solar cycle?

The solar cycle is the cycle that the sun's magnetic field goes through about every 11 years.

The beginning of a solar cycle is a solar minimum, or when the Sun has the least sunspots.

The middle of the solar cycle is the solar maximum, or when the Sun has the most sunspots.

The current solar cycle, numbered 25, started in 2019 and is expected to continue until about 2030, but the solar maximum is now expected in early 2024.  

One study estimates that a flare on the scale of the 1859 Carrington Event could leave 20 to 40 million people in the US without power for up to two years. 

On the scale of a superflare, that could mean blackouts and power failures around the entire world lasting for years to come.  

But the problems won't be limited to the power grid, since some researchers also believe that a superflare could lead to an 'internet apocalypse'.

While local internet connections have largely shifted over to non-conductive fibre optic cables, the subsea internet cables which join up the world are still made of copper.

These cables are equipped with repeaters every 30 to 90 miles (50-150km) to boost the signal over long distances which are very vulnerable to the effects of a solar flare.

If just one of these repeaters fails, the entire cable is rendered useless until it can be repaired.

That means that a failure rate of just one per cent would mean almost 15 per cent of subsea cables would be rendered useless.

This could cut entire parts of the globe off from the internet and take years to repair.

A recent study suggests that a solar storm could damage the undersea cables which provide the backbone of the internet. This could lead to entire parts of the world losing connection  

17 hours since the superflare 

Unfortunately for everyone on Earth, global power failures and the destruction of the internet are really just the start of the problems.

One of the biggest risks of a solar flare hitting Earth is that it will have a devastating effect on the network of satellites we use to communicate, navigate, and monitor the Earth.

Outside the protection of the atmosphere, satellites will be buffeted by all of the worst impacts of the solar Tsunami.

Professor Elvidge says: 'Satellites might be affected almost as soon as the storming begins.

'Increased radiation can disrupt onboard electronics, degrade solar panel efficiency, and interfere with communication and navigation signals.'

With an exceptionally large storm like a superflare, this could cause serious damage to systems we are extremely reliant on.

However, the real problems will begin about an hour later as the CME causes the atmosphere to warm and expand.

If a solar flare hits it will cause serious damage to our orbiting communications and GPS satellites. An hour after the CME arrives, satellites will begin to experience increased atmospheric drag and slip from their orbits 

This plunges satellites in low-Earth orbit into a denser region of the atmosphere than they are used to moving through.

That increased drag slows down a satellite and deteriorates its orbit, slowly pulling it back down to Earth.

'Depending on the CME’s intensity and a satellite’s resilience, these disruptions can last from a few hours to several days,' says Professor Elvidge.

While most satellites won't necessarily plummet to Earth, even small issues can lead to big problems since sensitive navigation systems are set to work at a certain altitude. 

And with every satellite around Earth simultaneously falling towards the ground, significant disruption is almost inevitable.

Months and years afterwards   

Depending on the alignment of the CME's magnetic fields, the worst of the geomagnetic storm should subside between 10 and 24 hours after it began.

However, the lingering effects of the superflare could take months or years to fade.

Scientists demonstrate how observations of the rate of decrease of the Sun’s dipole magnetic field can be usefully combined with sunspot observations to predict when the ongoing cycle would peak. Their analysis suggests that the maximum of solar cycle 25 is most likely to occur in early 2024 

Geomagnetic storms can cause dazzling aurora displays to appear at unusually low latitudes (pictured) but they can also damage sensitive computer equipment around the world, creating disruption that could take years to repair

Professor Alan Woodward, a computer security expert from the University of Surrey, told MailOnline: 'You could get effects in the national grid but, probably more importantly, you'd also get them in delicate electronics like computers.

'As a result, you'd have a lot of equipment that suddenly wouldn't work properly.'

In the case of a superflare, Professor Woodward says this wouldn't just be big things like your laptop but all the devices which make our modern world possible.

Professor Woodward says: 'Think of your phone or the industrial control systems that are controlling traffic lights and heating systems, anything that uses computing could be damaged and cause a massive amount of disruption.

'When you start looking at it, you suddenly realise how unbelievably dependent we are on modern communication. 

'Commerce, personal life, certain ways of working, certain ways of living; that would literally disappear.'

For humanity to recover, this would mean replacing all the damaged computer components while dealing with the fallout of massive power failures and the potential collapse of the internet.

And with every nation on Earth simultaneously competing for the same computer parts, that process could take months or years to complete.

SOLAR STORMS PRESENT A CLEAR DANGER TO ASTRONAUTS AND CAN DAMAGE SATELLITES

Solar storms, or solar activity, can be divided into four main components that can have impacts on Earth:  

• Solar flares: A large explosion in the sun's atmosphere. These flares are made of photons that travel out directly from the flare site. Solar flares impact Earth only when they occur on the side of the sun facing Earth.  
• Coronal Mass Ejections (CME's): Large clouds of plasma and magnetic field that erupt from the sun. These clouds can erupt in any direction, and then continue on in that direction, plowing through solar wind. These clouds only cause impacts to Earth when they're aimed at Earth. 
• High-speed solar wind streams: These come from coronal holes on the sun, which form anywhere on the sun and usually only when they are closer to the solar equator do the winds impact Earth. 
• Solar energetic particles: High-energy charged particles thought to be released primarily by shocks formed at the front of coronal mass ejections and solar flares. When a CME cloud plows through solar wind, solar energetic particles can be produced and because they are charged, they follow the magnetic field lines between the Sun and Earth. Only charged particles that follow magnetic field lines that intersect Earth will have an impact. 

While these may seem dangerous, astronauts are not in immediate danger of these phenomena because of the relatively low orbit of manned missions.

However, they do have to be concerned about cumulative exposure during space walks.

This photo shows the sun's coronal holes in an x-ray image. The outer solar atmosphere, the corona, is structured by strong magnetic fields, which when closed can cause the atmosphere to suddenly and violently release bubbles or tongues of gas and magnetic fields called coronal mass ejections

The damage caused by solar storms 

Solar flares can damage satellites and have an enormous financial cost.

The charged particles can also threaten airlines by disturbing Earth's magnetic field.

Very large flares can even create currents within electricity grids and knock out energy supplies.

When Coronal Mass Ejections strike Earth they cause geomagnetic storms and enhanced aurora.

They can disrupt radio waves, GPS coordinates and overload electrical systems.

A large influx of energy could flow into high voltage power grids and permanently damage transformers.

This could shut off businesses and homes around the world. 

Source: NASA - Solar Storm and Space Weather 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

31-12-2024 om 17:57 geschreven door peter  

New Study Advances Understanding of Habitability of Ocean Worlds within Solar System and Beyond

In a new paper, planetary researchers from Texas A&M University and the University of Washington introduce a new thermodynamic concept called the centotectic and investigate the stability of liquids in extreme conditions — critical information for determining the habitability of icy moons and ocean exoplanets.

The surface of Europa looms large in this newly-reprocessed color view; image scale is 1.6 km per pixel; north on Europa is at right.

Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / SETI Institute.

The exploration of icy ocean worlds represents a new frontier in planetary science, focusing on understanding the potential for these environments to support life.

The new research addresses a fundamental question in this field: under what conditions can liquid water remain stable on these distant, frozen bodies?

By defining and measuring the cenotectic, the absolute lowest temperature at which a liquid remains stable under varying pressures and concentrations, the authors provide a critical framework for interpreting data from planetary exploration efforts.

The study combines their expertise in cryobiology, with the expertise in planetary science and high-pressure water-ice systems.

Together, they developed a framework that bridges disciplines to tackle one of the most fascinating challenges in planetary science.

A 2016 artist’s concept of the Europa Clipper spacecraft. The design is changing as the spacecraft is developed.

Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech.

“With the launch of NASA’s Europa Clipper, the largest planetary exploration mission ever launched, we are entering a multi-decade era of exploration of cold and icy ocean worlds,” said Dr. Baptiste Journaux, a planetary scientist at the University of Washington.

“Measurements from this and other missions will tell us how deep the ocean is and its composition.”

“Laboratory measurements of liquid stability, and notably the lowest temperature possible (the newly-defined cenotectic), combined with mission results, will allow us to fully constrain how habitable the cold and deep oceans of our Solar System are, and also what their final fate will be when the moons or planets have cooled down entirely.”

“The study of icy worlds is a particular priority for both NASA and ESA, as evidenced by the flurry of recent and upcoming spacecraft launches,” said Dr. Matt Powell-Palm, a plaentary scientist at Texas A&M University.

“We hope that Texas A&M will help to provide intellectual leadership in this space.”

• The paper was published on December 18, 2024 in the journal Nature Communications.
  
• A. Zarriz et al. 2024. On the equilibrium limit of liquid stability in pressurized aqueous systems. Nat Commun 15; doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-54625-z

{ https://www.sci.news/ }

31-12-2024 om 15:56 geschreven door peter  

Artikel door thedailydigest.com

Een fascinerende planeet

NASA heeft onlangs nieuwe beelden van Jupiter vrijgegeven, die door de Juno-sonde naar de aarde zijn verzonden. Deze ruimtesonde, die sinds juli 2016 in een baan om de grote bal van gas draait, helpt onderzoekers de planeet beter te begrijpen en heeft onze kennis van de 'gasreus' verdiept.

Afbeelding: NASA / SwRI / MSSS / R. Ethington

Gelegen op 1,7 miljard kilometer van de aarde

NASA lanceerde de Juno-sonde in 2011. Na vijf jaar reizen en 1,7 miljard kilometer afgelegd te hebben, bereikte de sonde zijn bestemming en kon zijn verkenningsmissie beginnen.

Afbeelding: NASA

Een grote gasreusplaneet
Omdat Jupiter een gasplaneet is, is hij voortdurend in beweging, met hevige winden die voortdurend van uiterlijk veranderen. Deze eigenschap biedt wetenschappers en astronomieliefhebbers elke dag nieuwe beelden.

Afbeelding: NASA

Verbazingwekkende afmetingen
Jupiter is de grootste planeet in het zonnestelsel, met een indrukwekkende diameter van 139.822 km, elf keer de diameter van de aarde. De massa van de planeet bedraagt 1,9 × 10²⁷ kg, wat gelijkstaat aan 318 keer de massa van de aarde, volgens de Canadian Space Agency. Deze afmetingen zijn des te verbazingwekkender, aangezien Jupiter een gasplaneet is.

Afbeelding: NASA / JPL / SwRI / MSSS / Gerald Eichstädt

De samenstelling van Jupiter
Volgens de Canadian Space Agency is Jupiter een planeet die voornamelijk uit gas bestaat. De atmosfeer bestaat uit moleculair waterstof, helium en methaan. Daarnaast geloven wetenschappers dat Jupiter een rotsachtige kern zou kunnen hebben, ter grootte van de aarde, maar ze hebben dit nog niet kunnen bewijzen.

Afbeelding: Katie Jolly CSUMB

Een compleet beeld van Jupiter
Dankzij de Juno-sonde hebben wetenschappers nu een compleet beeld van Jupiter en kunnen ze de planeet vanuit elke hoek observeren. "Vanaf de allereerste baan, die zich uitstrekt over 53 dagen van de wolkentoppen van Jupiter tot de grenzen van het magnetische veld. Juno heeft onze kijk op de gasreus en zijn omgeving op zijn kop gezet," merkte NASA op op zijn website over de gasreus.

Afbeelding: NASA / SwRI / MSSS / Jackie Branc

Duizenden afbeeldingen
Sinds de start van de missie in juli 2016 heeft de Juno-sonde duizenden high-definition afbeeldingen verzonden. Deze stellen ons in staat om Jupiter met ongekende precisie te observeren, zoals deze afbeeldingen laten zien.

Afbeelding: NASA / JPL-Caltech / SwRI / MSSS / Björn Jónsson

Beeldverwerking
Het Juno-missieteam maakt zijn afbeeldingen beschikbaar voor het grote publiek, inclusief burgerwetenschappers. Deze enthousiastelingen analyseren elke afbeelding en bewerken ze tot creatievere en artistiekere versies.

Afbeelding: NASA / SwRI / MSSS / Jackie Branc

Sterke wind
De beelden van de Juno-sonde laten met name uitzonderlijk sterke winden en stormen zien, meteorologische verschijnselen die kenmerkend zijn voor Jupiter.

Winden bij de Grote Rode Vlek van Jupiter
Bij de Grote Rode Vlek, een gigantische anticycloon in de atmosfeer van de planeet, kunnen winden oplopen tot 700 km/u. Op de polen zijn dankzij het Alma-radiotelescoopnetwerk, onder leiding van de Europese Zuidelijke Sterrenwacht (ESO), echter nog krachtigere winden gedetecteerd van wel 1.450 km/u.

Afbeelding: NASA / JPL / SwRI / MSSS / Gerald Eichstädt / Thomas Thomopoulos

Belangrijke ontdekkingen
Volgens NASA heeft het Juno-ruimtevaartuig grote ontdekkingen gedaan, waaronder “nog nooit eerder geziene netwerken van enorme stormen die rond de polen van Jupiter wervelen”, evenals actieve vulkanen en lavameren op de gasreusmaan Io.

Afbeeldingen: NASA / JPL / SwRI / MSSS / Gerald Eichstädt (links) // NASA / JPL / SwRI / MSSS / Gerald Eichstädt (rechts)

Juno's missie eindigt in september 2025
De Juno-sonde bevindt zich nu in de laatste fase van zijn missie, die in september 2025 zal eindigen. Tot die tijd kijken we ernaar uit om nieuwe fascinerende beelden van Jupiter te ontdekken!

Jupiter’s 3D Atmosphere Revealed by NASA’s Juno Spacecraft (Media Briefing)

Jupiter seen in ‘remarkable’ detail in new images from Nasa’s James Webb Telescope

{ https://www.msn.com/nl-nl/ }

31-12-2024 om 15:29 geschreven door peter  

• READ MORE:  Sex in space is the new frontier as scientists call for research  

By ELLYN LAPOINTE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Scientists have discovered that the 'weak spot' in Earth's magnetic field is growing, allowing harmful radiation to come closer to our planet's surface.

The region, known as the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA), spans more than more than 4.3 million square miles over parts of Africa and South America and is moving westward.

The 'dent' allows harmful radiation particles from the sun to seep through the weak area of our planet's magnetic field, which NASA has warned 'can knock out onboard computers and interfere with the data collection of satellites that pass through it.'

The SAA has increased by seven percent and moved 12 miles to the west since experts first sounded the alarm in 2020. 

While scientists believe that the SAA's weakening magnetic intensity is still within the range of normal variation, recent studies have shown that it is starting to split from a single blob into two distinct regions of minimal magnetic field strength.

Models predicting changes in the SAA suggest this division will continue from 2025 onward, and scientists believe this could create additional challenges for satellite missions.

Researchers have speculated that the weakening is a sign that Earth is heading to a pole reversal that happens when the north and south poles switch places — and the last time this occurred was 780,000 years ago.

They said that if the poles are in the process of reversing, it will happen over several thousand years and it is unlikely the field will disappear completely. 

NASA has been monitoring the South Atlantic Anomaly, a weak-spot in Earth's magnetic field sitting 40,000 miles above the planet's surface between South America and southwest Africa

Scientists first sounded the alarm about the weak spot in 2020, but new data shows it has increased by another seven percent over the past four years

The cause of SAA sits deep within Earth's surface. 

'The magnetic field is actually a superposition of fields from many current sources,' geophysicist Terry Sabaka from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre in Greenbelt, Maryland explained in a 2020 statement.

While regions outside of Earth contribute to the observed magnetic field, the primary source stems from inside the planet.   

The outer layer of Earth's core is made of molten iron and nickel located 1,800 miles below the surface. 

These churning metals act like a massive generator called the 'geodynamo,' creating electric currents that produce the magnetic field. 

But this motion isn't constant. It fluctuates over time, and as a result, Earth's magnetic field fluctuates too. 

This, coupled with the tilt of the planet's magnetic axis, is what produces the SAA, according to NASA.

But scientists have also suggested the SAA could be linked to a huge reservoir of dense rock known as the African Large Low Shear Velocity Province (LLSVP). The area of the anomaly appears to correspond to that of this geologic region. 

The magnetic field surrounding our planet works as a shield, trapping and repelling particles of radiation from the sun. But the SAA allows radiation to come closer to Earth's surface

These researchers believe that the African LLSVP changes the flow of molten metal in the outer core underneath, which in turn changes the way the magnetic field behaves above this region, they explained in a 2017 article for the Conversation.

While much remains unknown about how the SAA came to be, recent studies have shed new light on how it is changing. 

Tracking conducted by small satellites known as CubeSats confirmed that the SAA does not remain fixed in one place, but rather drifts around.

Researchers have also discovered that the anomalous region is splitting into two, with each representing distinct centers of minimum magnetic intensity within the greater SAA.

And another study suggested that this phenomenon is actually a recurrent event that may have affected Earth up to 11 million years ago. 

If that proves true, this would contradict the idea that the SAA is a precursor to Earth's magnetic field flipping. 

This vast, developing weak spot is a point of intrigue and concern for scientists, especially those at NASA whose satellites and orbital spacecraft can be significantly damaged by the SAA — including the International Space Station. 

When these orbiters pass through the anomaly, it can cause satellites and spacecraft to experience short-circuits and malfunctions. 

That's because the reduced strength of Earth's magnetic field allows the orbiters to be pummeled by incoming solar radiation that disrupts technological systems.

Typically, this only causes low-level glitches. But in extreme cases, it can permanently damage critical hardware inside an orbiter. 

To avoid such damage, operators regularly shut down spacecraft and satellite systems before they enter the SAA.

The weakened field has been on the radar of experts for years — they know that it has lost nine percent of its intensity over the last 200 years.

It also appears to influence the strength of the southern aurora, a natural light display that occurs in the skies over the high-latitude regions of the southern hemisphere.

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A study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters in February found a 'substantial weakening' of magnetic fluctuations in the southern aurora where it overlaps with the SAA.

This weakening is even visible to the naked eye, the study's authors told Live Science. 

They believe the weakened magnetic force of the anomaly reduces the amount of energy solar particles can put into Earth's atmosphere — which is what causes aurora — even through more of these particles are coming close to the surface.

To further understand how the SAA impacts orbiting satellites and spacecraft, and how it influences geophysical phenomena like the southern aurora, NASA scientists have been monitoring it for years.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

30-12-2024 om 23:32 geschreven door peter  

• READ MORE: As NASA delays its moon landing yet AGAIN, conspiracies reignite

By JONATHAN CHADWICK FOR MAILONLINE 

From NASA's mission to study Jupiter’s icy moon Europa to Elon Musk's SpaceX catching its Starship rocket mid-air, there's no doubt 2024 saw some incredible space feats. 

'In 2024, NASA made leap after giant leap to explore, discover, and inspire – all while bringing real, tangible, and substantial benefits to the American people and to all of humanity,' said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. 

And 2025 is set to be an even more remarkable year for space agencies and companies around the world, who have an assortment of exciting missions lined up. 

Among them are NASA, which is sending two twin spacecraft to Mars – although its upcoming return to the moon has been delayed yet again. 

There's also the European Space Agency, which is set to launch its futuristic 'Space Rider' spaceplane – described as a 'robotic laboratory the size of two minivans'.

Meanwhile, private companies are readying a probe to Venus and a luxury commercial space station for the first time. 

Meanwhile, Elon Musk's SpaceX could go one step further in 2025 with its 395-foot Starship vessel as it prepares for a trip beyond Earth orbit. 

Here, MailOnline takes a look at the incredible space missions set to take off in 2025 that you won't want to miss. 

MailOnline takes a look at the incredible space missions set to take off in 2025, from the first private mission to Venus to China's ambitious asteroid mission 

TIANWEN-2 

Surely one of the most ambitious trips of the year will be China's Tianwen-2, which is set for launch in May 2025. 

Tianwen-2 is an asteroid sample return mission with near-Earth asteroid Kamoʻoalewa (2016 HO3) as its destination. 

The asteroid is roughly the size of a Ferris wheel – between 150 and 190 feet in diameter – and gets as close as about 9 million miles from Earth. 

Tianwen-2 will conduct remote sensing observations in orbit, before landing on the asteroid to collect about 100g (3.5 oz) of dusty surface rock ('regolith'). 

It will then return to Earth to drop off a return capsule containing the sample before a gravity assist maneuver will propel it toward a comet called 311P/PANSTARRS. 

Kamo'oalewa has been considered for use as a space station for Earth-to-Mars travel, but samples from the asteroid could also reveal more about the solar system's formation and evolution 

While the launch from Xichang is planned for May, Tianwen-2 won't reach Kamoʻoalewa (2016 HO3) until 2026 and 311P/PANSTARRS until 2034. 

Image from China National Space Administration shows the Tianwen-1 probe en route to Mars. The follow-up, Tianwen-2, has a distant asteroid in its sights 

It follows the Tianwen-1 mission, which launched a robotic spacecraft towards Mars in 2020 and reached the planet the following year. 

Why did NASA push back its moon mission? 

VENUS LIFE FINDER 

No definitive evidence has been found of past or present life on Venus – but an upcoming mission to the solar system's second planet could change that. 

Venus Life Finder – the first private mission to Venus – will launch an uncrewed 17 kg (37 lb) spacecraft from New Zealand sometime in January. 

If all goes to plan, the craft will arrive at Venus in May and drop a small probe into Venusian atmosphere that will scan for organic molecules, which could be a possible sign of life. 

Launch vehicle company Rocket Lab is partnering with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for the mission, which was originally planned for 2023. 

Venus is known as Earth's 'evil twin' because its also rocky and about the same size, but its average surface temperature is a blistering 870°F (465°C). 

The rocky sphere is not only inhospitable but also sterile – with a surface hot enough to melt lead and toxic clouds of sulfuric acid. 

Launch vehicle company Rocket Lab is partnering with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to send the first private mission to Venus as soon as January 2025. Pictured, artist's impression of the Venus Life Finder craft in space

Venus is known as Earth's 'evil twin' because its also rocky and about the same size, but its average surface temperature is a blistering 870°F (465°C). Pictured, the surface of Venus, as interpreted by the Magellan spacecraft

What is Dream Chaser? 

DREAM CHASER 

After more than a decade in development, Sierra Space's 'Dream Chaser' – which can land horizontally on a runway like a traditional aircraft – is ready to fly. 

The craft will make its maiden trip to the International Space Station (ISS) in low Earth-orbit no earlier than May 2025, carrying over 7,800 pounds (3,540kg) of cargo. 

Dream Chaser will remain at the space station for about 45 days before it makes the journey back down to Earth. 

Although this first flight will be an unmanned mission, it will eventually carry astronauts to the space station, much like SpaceX's Crew Dragon. 

Along with SpaceX and Boeing, Sierra Space is one of the companies contracted by NASA a decade ago to send people and equipment to the ISS – but so far only SpaceX has been successful. 

Sierra Space revealed in May 2024 that the ship had completed testing and was shipped to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of an imminent launch – but it was pushed it back to 2025. 

Although the project is geared towards delivering professional astronauts to space, the company hasn't ruled out using Dream Chaser for tourist trips later in the future. 

It will make its maiden trip to the International Space Station (ISS) in low Earth-orbit, after more than a decade in development

Pictured, artist's impression of the Dream Chaser spacecraft during its descent back towards Earth

SPACE RIDER 

Space Rider, a 26-foot uncrewed robotic laboratory, will be the European Space Agency's first re-usable space vehicle. 

About the size of two minivans, Space Rider is scheduled for its maiden flight during the third quarter of 2025 – so between June and August. 

After launch on the Vega-C single-body rocket from Guiana Space Centre, Space Rider will stay in low orbit for about two months. 

On-board robotic experiments will benefit research in pharmaceutics, biomedicine, biology and physical science, says the agency. 

At the end of its mission, Space Rider will return to Earth with its payloads and land on a runway to be unloaded and refurbished for another flight. 

It's akin to the much larger Space Shuttle, NASA's legendary low Earth orbital spacecraft operated 1981 and 2011. 

ESA says: 'Space Rider provides a range of possibilities and benefits to potential customers who want to use the advantages of microgravity and exposure to the space environment.' 

Space Rider is an uncrewed robotic laboratory about the size of two minivans. After launch on Vega-C it will stay in low orbit for about two months

It's akin to the much larger Space Shuttle, NASA's legendary low Earth orbital spacecraft operated 1981 and 2011 (pictured)

ESCAPADE 

NASA's upcoming 'ESCAPADE' project is the first ever mission to send two identical spacecraft to the Martian atmosphere. 

For the mission, Rocket Lab has designed and built twin spacecraft, called Blue and Gold, which will launch from Cape Canaveral no sooner than spring 2025.

Following an 11-month, 230 million mile journey, together they will measure plasma and magnetic fields around the Red Planet. 

It's hoped the data will reveal more about the processes that strip away atoms from Mars' magnetosphere and upper atmosphere, driving Martian climate change. 

'This mission can help us study the atmosphere at Mars – key information as we explore farther and farther into our solar system and need to protect astronauts and spacecraft from space weather,' said Nicky Fox, NASA's science administrator.  

In August, NASA said the twin spacecraft had arrived in Florida in preparation for launch on Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket.

Launch was due to occur in October, however this was pushed back to spring 2025 amid ongoing issues with New Glenn. 

ESCAPADE will use two identical spacecraft to investigate how the solar wind interacts with Mars' magnetic environment (artist's impression) 

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket, depicted in space in this artist's impression, will send the ESCAPADE craft into space 

HAVEN-1 

Haven-1 is another big milestone for the private space industry – where companies launch spacecraft rather than government-backed agencies. 

It's an ambitious new space station, just 33 feet in length – a fraction of the International Space Station's 356 feet. 

Despite its humble size, Haven-1 will offer a luxury space for four astronauts, with queen-size beds, a state-of-the-art gym, maple wood interiors and a huge window to observe the Earth as it floats in orbit. 

Haven-1 will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center no earlier than August 2025. 

Shortly after, the as-yet-unknown crew will travel to the station, which has been designed by California-based space firm Vast. 

The seats will go to individuals who are involved in scientific or philanthropic projects at an unknown price – but potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

While the cost to build Haven-1 has not been disclosed, Vast says it will have invested about $1 billion by the time the station launches. 

Haven-1 is an ambitious new space station, just 33 feet in length – a fraction of the International Space Station's 356 feet - launching in August 

Haven-1 will offer a luxury space for four astronauts, with queen-size beds, a state-of-the-art gym, maple wood interiors and a huge window to observe the Earth as it floats in orbit 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

30-12-2024 om 23:13 geschreven door peter  

• READ MORE: As NASA delays its moon landing yet AGAIN, conspiracies reignite

By JONATHAN CHADWICK FOR MAILONLINE 

From NASA's mission to study Jupiter’s icy moon Europa to Elon Musk's SpaceX catching its Starship rocket mid-air, there's no doubt 2024 saw some incredible space feats. 

'In 2024, NASA made leap after giant leap to explore, discover, and inspire – all while bringing real, tangible, and substantial benefits to the American people and to all of humanity,' said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. 

And 2025 is set to be an even more remarkable year for space agencies and companies around the world, who have an assortment of exciting missions lined up. 

Among them are NASA, which is sending two twin spacecraft to Mars – although its upcoming return to the moon has been delayed yet again. 

There's also the European Space Agency, which is set to launch its futuristic 'Space Rider' spaceplane – described as a 'robotic laboratory the size of two minivans'.

Meanwhile, private companies are readying a probe to Venus and a luxury commercial space station for the first time. 

Meanwhile, Elon Musk's SpaceX could go one step further in 2025 with its 395-foot Starship vessel as it prepares for a trip beyond Earth orbit. 

Here, MailOnline takes a look at the incredible space missions set to take off in 2025 that you won't want to miss. 

MailOnline takes a look at the incredible space missions set to take off in 2025, from the first private mission to Venus to China's ambitious asteroid mission 

GAGANYAAN

Compared with 2023 when it sent its budget rover to the moon, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has had a quiet 2024.

However, 2025 is set to be a bumper year for India's space agency, with an anticipated three missions set to take place as part of its Gaganyaan programme.

Gaganyaan I, II and III, all scheduled throughout 2025, will send an uncrewed spacecraft into orbit from Satish Dhawan Space Centre. 

Should all go to plan, Gaganyaan IV – scheduled for 2026 – will carry a three-member crew into an orbit of 400 km (250 miles) for three days, before splashing down in the Indian Ocean. 

On-board the crewed and uncrewed flights will also be Vyommitra, a humanoid robot specially designed for Gaganyaan. 

India's space agency, ISRO, has said it will explore ways to achieve a sustained human presence in space once Gaganyaan is completed. 

In 2023, India sent its Chandrayaan-3 rover to the moon's south pole – marking the first time a human object had landed on this part of our lunar neighbour.

Gaganyaan is a crewed spacecraft being developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the country's space agency

India's space programme has grown considerably in size and momentum since it first sent a probe to orbit the Moon in 2008

The first set of launches in India's Gaganyaan programme were intended to go ahead in 2024, building on momentum set by Chandrayaan-3. 

However, ISRO pushed this back a year to ensure more time for essential safety checks and astronaut training. 

STARSHIP

Last but by no means least is Elon Musk's company SpaceX, which is edging closer and closer to its ultimate goal of sending its Starship to other worlds. 

In October, SpaceX completed possibly its most impressive feat yet, by catching the 'booster' section of the Starship system with metal 'chopsticks'.

This advanced mechanism is key to Starship not only landing safely, but being able to quickly refuel before another launch. 

And although it's unclear exactly what feat Starship – the most powerful rocket in the world – will attempt in 2025, it's bound to be just as audacious. 

It's possible SpaceX could capture both parts of the ship – the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage; MailOnline has contacted the firm for comment. 

In October, SpaceX completed possibly its most impressive feat yet – it managed to catch the 'booster' section of the Starship system with metal 'chopsticks' so it could be reused 

SpaceX pulled off its boldest test flight yet of the enormous Starship rocket in October, catching the returning booster back at the launch pad with metal 'chopsticks' - marking another milestone on Elon Musk's quest to get humanity to Mars 

Musk's firm SpaceX is responsible for the most powerful rocket ever built on Earth - the Starship. The multi-billion-dollar, stainless-steel, 395-foot vessel has been designed to transport crew and cargo to Earth's orbit and the moon. But Musk thinks 'Earth to Earth' travel on Starship is also a possibility 

SpaceX intends to launch Starship 25 times in 2025, the company recently revealed, and is seriously intending to ramp up production of the rocket. 

Eventually, Elon Musk wants to launch Starships on a daily basis.

Musk predicts Starship will go to Mars in 2026, although it will be an uncrewed mission. 

Two years after that in 2028, Starship will transport people to Mars for the first time – which would mark the first time humans have ever walked on another planet.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

30-12-2024 om 23:12 geschreven door peter