Zohar and Helga Go to the Moon

Early on Wednesday, NASA finally launched Artemis 1, a mission to put two fembots, Helga and Zohar, into lunar orbit. The mission is an effort to prepare for eventual lunar landings by actual female American astronauts. A third, male, humanoid figure, Commander Moonikin Campos, is named after a heroic NASA electrical engineer.

More:

“NASA Is Sending Artificial Female Bodies to the Moo n to Study Radiation Risks,” Passant Rabie, Gizmodo

“Orion ‘Passengers’ on Artemis I to Test Radiation Vest for Deep Space Missions,” NASA press release

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Watching Plastic Pollution From Space

ESA, the European Space Agency, is tracking plastic pollution in the ocean by satellite. Animation by Rui Braz.

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Solar Panels In Space

“Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) was widely mocked and criticized for having suggested Jewish-run space lasers might be responsible for California’s wildfires. But it turns out the technology she flagged — orbiting panels that beam solar energy to Earth — does exist, at least in prototype form, CNN reports. Only instead of the Rothschilds, the Pentagon controls the technology, and instead of destroying California’s forests and homes, Photovoltaic Radiofrequency Antenna Modules (PRAMs) could provide emergency power during natural disasters.”

— “U.S. scientists have shown it’s plausible to power the Earth from solar panels in space,” Peter Weber, The Week

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Astronauts Must Sleep in Used Vehicle

On Saturday, four new astronauts arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) in a used SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, a recyled capsule used in a previous mission. The four new arrivals join the seven already on the ISS, which only has nine beds. That means two astronauts will have to sleep in the used SpaceX vehicle in their “I Went through NASA Training for THIS?” PJ’s.

More:

“With 11 people on space station, astronauts get crafty with sleeping spots,” Doris Elin Urrutia, Space

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Found: Hidden Water on Mars

“Vast amounts of ancient Martian water may have been buried beneath its surface instead of escaping into space, scientists report in the journal Science. The findings, published Tuesday, may help untangle a clash of theories seeking to explain the disappearance of Mars’ water, a resource that was abundant on the planet’s surface billions of years ago.

Through modeling and data from Mars probes, rovers, and meteorites, researchers at the California Institute of Technology found that a broad range — between 30 to 99 percent — of the Red Planet’s earliest amounts of water could have vanished from the surface through a geological process called crustal hydration, where water was locked away in the rocks of Mars.”

— “Mars might be hiding most of its old water underground, scientists say,” Joey Roulette, The Verge

More:

“Mars: Vast amount of water may be locked up on planet,” Paul Rincon, BBC News

“Oceans’ Worth of Water May Live in Minerals Beneath Mars’ Surface,” Brad Bergan, Interesting Engineering

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The Moon Is Awash In Water

Two new studies indocate that there are “cold traps” on the moon full of water. NASA spied on Luna from a high-flying jet named SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) and found the unique signature of water all over the place on sunlit portions of the moon. A secord study finds that frozen water could be hiding in lunar shadows on 15,444 square miles of the moon’s real estate. Astronauts are probably planning lakeside chateaus as you read this.

U.S. Troops in Space!

Space Force: Enlist and Blast Off Today!

Military troops in the Space Force will someday deploy to orbit, one of the service’s top operations officials said Sept. 29.

‘At some point, yes, we will be putting humans into space,’ Maj. Gen. John E. Shaw, head of the Space Force’s Space Operations Command and part of U.S. Space Command leadership, said during a conference organized by the AFWERX innovation group. ‘They may be operating command centers somewhere in the lunar environment or someplace else.’

Space Force officials, wary of being confused with NASA, usually shy away from questions about whether military personnel will go to the Final Frontier themselves. Experts have split on whether a Space Force astronaut corps is a good idea in the next couple of decades, if at all.

— “Space Force Will Eventually Put Troops in Orbit, Ops Boss Says,” Rachel S. Cohen, Air Force Magazine

Note: Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond is among the senior U.S. military leaders in self-quarantine due to COVID-19 exposure at the White House.

Related:

“Space Force Fears COVID Loss Of Commercial Startups: Gen. Thompson,” Theresa Hitchens, Breaking Defense

Update:

“U.S. Space Force unveils lapel pins for U.S. Air Force uniforms,” Ed Adamczyk, UPI

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Space Toilet: A Giant Flush for Womankind

Friday night, while you were watching Donald Trump’s helicopter touch down at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, an Antares rocket lifted off from Wallops Island carrying a $23 million titanium toilet to the International Space Station. The new low-gravity space potty, known as the Universal Waste Management System (UWMS), sports a smaller footprint and improved efficiency, and is equally adapted to the needs of male and female astronauts. As NASA astronauts say, “you go, girl!”

More:

“Finally, a Space Toilet for Ladies,” Amanda Arnold, The Cut

“NASA’s new $30M space toilet is smaller, better smelling and more female-friendly,” CBC Radio

“State-of-the-art space toilet successfully launched into space,” Mark Kaufman, Mashable

“Antares rocket launches new astronaut toilet and more to space station for NASA,” Chelsea Gohd, Space.com

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Space Junk

Rubbish is clogging space, and some of the trash is moving at 15,500mph. Some of the satellites we depend on for navigation and communication risk collision. The Guardian‘s Ian Anderson explores.

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Space Junk

Humans trashed space. Here’s how to fix the problem. A Guardian video.

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