Feed aggregator

More Mayan sites have been found in the last 10 years than in the preceding 150. Here's how space technology is helping archaeologists uncover ancient ruins.

Before you read the rest of this article know there are no known threats to life on Earth! We shouldn’t sit complacently on this tiny rock in space though so NASA have been working on ways to neutralise potential asteroid threats should they arise. The DART mission proved it was possible to alter the trajectory of an asteroid in space. Direct impact though where a probe smashes into the rock is one way but potentially not the best. A team of researchers have now been exploring ways that a nuclear explosion near an asteroid may send a blast of X-rays sufficiently powerful to vaporise material generating thrust to redirect the asteroid. 

Statistically the risks of an asteroid are low but the ‘impact’ of such an event could be catastrophic. The majority of asteroids that enter our atmosphere burn up giving us the stunning sight of a ‘shooting star’  but those over 1km wide could cause widespread damage and devastation. The likelihood is rare and might occur once every several hundred thousand years but smaller objects hit more often. They can also create significant localised damage. Take the Chelyabinsk event in Russia in 2013 when an asteroid exploded in mid air sending shockwaves across hundreds of kilometres. 

This image of a vapor trail was captured about 125 miles (200 kilometers) from the Chelyabinsk meteor event, about one minute after the house-sized asteroid entered Earth’s atmosphere. Credits: Alex Alishevskikh

Whilst the risk is low we must put in place a plan to deal with such threats when they arise. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test mission that NASA launched back in 2021 sent a probe to the binary asteroid system Didymos with its tiny moon Dimorphos. The probe hit Dimorphos in September 2022 and very slightly altered the orbit proving it is possible to effect change in an asteroid trajectory. Whilst the approach worked, the scope of such an approach is limited since colliding a spacecraft may not be so effective on large asteroids. Coupled with the liklihood of not getting much notice and an alternative, more, effective approach is needed. 

The asteroid Dimorphos was captured by NASA’s DART mission just two seconds before the spacecraft struck its surface on Sept. 26, 2022. Observations of the asteroid before and after impact suggest it is a loosely packed “rubble pile” object. Credit: NASA/JHUAPL

Other approaches have been explored from deployment of fusion engines to the target rock, focussing laser beams on them, neutron bursts and of course nuclear blasts that generate X-ray radiation. Analysis of these options reveals that only the latter, nuclear blasts has been deemed as a suitable approach for the neutralisation of the threat of a large asteroid impact when only limited time is available. 

A team of researchers led by Nathan W Moore has shown through simulations that a nuclear bomb could indeed deflect an incoming asteroid. Much of the energy release from a nuclear explosion is in the form of X-rays. the team showed that the X-ray emission would be sufficiently powerful to be able to vaporise the surface of an asteroid causing the results vapour to slowly propel the asteroid in the opposite direction. You can think of this as a very basic rocket engine with the vapour producing thrust. In simulations, the test asteroid reached speeds of 250 kilometres per hour! 

The results showed for the first time that X-rays could work and may provide sufficient protection against an incoming asteroid up to 4 km wide assuming of course, we have sufficient notice! There in lies the challenge, asteroids are typically dark and finding them against the blackness of space can be a challenge. The more time we have, then the greater chance we have of deflection being a viable proposition. 

The next step is for actual tests however, nuclear explosions come with high costs, high risks and a whole bunch of international legal restrictions. Careful planning is now needed with perhaps a little more research before this approach can be put on the shelf to be used should the need arise! 

Source : Simulation of asteroid deflection with a megajoule-class X-ray pulse

The post Nuclear Detonations Could Deflect Dangerous Asteroids Away from Earth appeared first on Universe Today.

“Fake news”-style misinformation is only a fraction of what deceives voters. Fighting misinformation will require holding political elites and mainstream media accountable

China has kicked off of a second phase of construction to enhance the capabilities of FAST, which is already the world's largest single-dish radio telescope.

Here’s how misinformation and distrust in science are impacting global well-being. Plus, we present our regular roundup of this week’s science news.

Image: Nearing Hera era in space

A beam of radioactive carbon ions has been used to destroy cancer cells in mice, demonstrating a therapy that may cause less collateral damage than current techniques

A beam of radioactive carbon ions has been used to destroy cancer cells in mice, demonstrating a therapy that may cause less collateral damage than current techniques

The latest edition of ESA Impact is here

Your interactive gateway to the most captivating stories and stunning visuals from ESA

I don’t think it’s something I have ever really thought of! Robotic explorers can travel around the Solar System visiting our neighbouring planets but when they arrive, sometimes a scientific package must be deployed to the surface. Never occurred to me just how that’s achieved! With a number of landers scheduled to visit the Moon, NASA are testing a new robotic arm called the Lightweight Surface Manipulation System AutoNomy capabilities Development for Surface Operations or LANDO for short! It will lift payloads off the lander and pop them down gently on the surface of the Moon. 

The Moon has always held a special place in our hearts. Since the first humans saw it as they gazed up at the sky, their descendents continued the fascination with our nearest neighbour. Artists, musicians, poets and writers are among just a few of the members of our society that have reflected on its beauty. It was only natural that it would be the first target for human exploration at the dawn of space flight. The Apollo missions saw the first human visitors to the Moon and now we wait with bated breath as Artemis looks set to take us back again very soon. 

Aldrin on the Moon. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin walks on the surface of the moon near the leg of the lunar module Eagle during the Apollo 11 mission. Mission commander Neil Armstrong took this photograph with a 70mm lunar surface camera. While astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin explored the Sea of Tranquility region of the moon, astronaut Michael Collins remained with the command and service modules in lunar orbit. Image Credit: NASA

Even with human explorers it’s likely only to be a few at a time so mission planners are turning to robotic helpers for the more mundane work. A team of researchers at the Langley Research Centre in Virginia have been working upon a piece of robotic hardware with new software that can operate autonomously to move objects around on the surface! The team, led by Dr Julia Cline from NASA demonstrated the LANDO system and it performed perfectly.

Looking like a movie set, the team established the arena to look like the Moon, complete with boulders that Hollywood would be proud of. The team undertook their first demo by lifting a payload off a tall black pedestal and onto the floor. They then upped the challenge and tried the same manouver but with a small rover instead. Both tests were succesful.

Closeup of lunar surface (Credit NASA)

Pivotal to the system is a series of sensors on the camera and encoders affixed to the side of the package. Once the system was ready the camera scanned the area looking for the payload which was outlined with the encoders (somewhat like a QR code.) Once it identified the item the robotic arm gently swung over the object and carefully manoeuvred its hook to snare the package. With a destination already defined using a graphical interface of the scene, the robotic arm moved around and dropped the placed the package just where the team commanded it too. 

After a succesful delivery the hook slowly disengaged, returned to its home position and paused, ready for the next command. The testing nicely demonstrated the reliability of the system setting the scene for further more advanced tests. Now the team are looking to develop a larger more robust version that can be tested ahead of its first lunar mission.

The use of robotic arms like LANDO are of immense benefit, helping us to explore the Moon. Not only will they help with repetitive tasks but they can perform more precise scientific studies even in the relatively hostile environment of the lunar surface. Their high levels of dexterity and reliability mean they are an ideal tool for further development with lunar ready versions already being worked upon.

Source : Robotic Moving ‘Crew’ Preps for Work on Moon

The post Unloading Cargo on the Moon appeared first on Universe Today.

Curiosity Navigation

• Curiosity Home
• Science
• News and Features
• Multimedia
• Mars Missions
• The Solar System

2 min read

Sols 4318-4320: One Last Weekend in the Channel This image from NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity shows the bright-toned rocks of the “Sheep Creek” target location, intriguing because of their resemblance to previous targets that contained unexpectedly high levels of elemental sulfur. The Left Navigation Camera aboard Curiosity captured this image on Sol 4316 — Martian day 4,316 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission — on Sept. 26, 2024, at 21:10:13 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech

Earth planning date: Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 

We’re wrapping up our time in the channel with the highly anticipated examination of the “Sheep Creek” white stones. Last plan’s reposition was a success, so we are able to go ahead with contact science on them this weekend. MAHLI and APXS picked three targets to investigate: “Cloud Canyon,” “Moonlight Lake,” and “Angora Mountain,” all of which sound so lovely and soft, and are quite evocative of these pale stones, which stand out so much against the background. ChemCam is also examining another of the white stones, “Pee Wee Lake.”

Since this is looking like it will be our last weekend in the channel, we’re packing the plan with all the other last-chance targets before we leave them behind. Mastcam is making a large survey of some other light-toned rocks in the middle distance dubbed “Orchid Lake,” as well as getting a bit more context for an old target, “Marble Falls,” which we first imaged almost two weeks ago. A bit closer to the rover, it will examine a target we’re calling “Brown Bear Pass,” to study the surface properties of the soil. Mastcam will also be looking backwards at our tracks to see if we turned up anything interesting in our travels. And ChemCam has a couple of long-distance observations of another familiar target, “Buckeye Ridge.”

After all that, it’s time for us to turn back around and head toward the edge of the channel with a drive of 55 meters (about 180 feet) back to our exit point. Even then, our weekend still isn’t over. We have a ChemCam-filled third sol, using AEGIS to autonomously select a target, and then getting a passive sky observation to keep an eye on the amount of different gases like oxygen and water vapor in the atmosphere. Speaking of the atmosphere, here on the environmental side we’re kept busy this weekend looking for dust devils and clouds, and keeping an eye on the amount of dust in the air around us. We’ll wrap up the weekend as we often do — with an early morning dedicated environmental science block.

Written by Alex Innanen, Atmospheric Scientist at York University

Share

• 
  
  
• 
  
  
• 
  
  
• 
  
  

Details

Last Updated

Sep 29, 2024

Related Terms

• Blogs

Explore More

4 min read Sols 4316-4317: Hunting for Sulfur

Article


3 days ago

3 min read Sols 4314-4315: Wait, What Was That Back There?

Article


5 days ago

3 min read A Striped Surprise

Last week, team scientists and the internet alike were amazed when Perseverance spotted a black-and-white…

Article


6 days ago

Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA

Mars

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, and the seventh largest. It’s the only planet we know of inhabited…

All Mars Resources

Explore this collection of Mars images, videos, resources, PDFs, and toolkits. Discover valuable content designed to inform, educate, and inspire,…

Rover Basics

Each robotic explorer sent to the Red Planet has its own unique capabilities driven by science. Many attributes of a…

Mars Exploration: Science Goals

The key to understanding the past, present or future potential for life on Mars can be found in NASA’s four…

What will happen as this already bright comet approaches?

On Oct. 2 an annular solar eclipse will sweep across the Southern Hemisphere but just how will it travel?

Eiman Jahangir narrowly missed out on being a NASA astronaut — twice. But he made it to space anyway, thanks to persistence and some luck.

SpaceX's two-person Crew-9 mission arrived at the International Space Station today (Sept. 29) after a one-day orbital chase.

The best Sony cameras for photos, videos, astrophotography and more — we've rounded up the best models for all skill levels and budgets.

A rare nova explosion will soon bring a "new star" to the night sky, and scientists are excited.

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket experienced an issue during the Crew-9 astronaut launch on Sept. 28, and the company will stand down from liftoffs while figuring out what happened.

A tradition borrowed from the Russian space program has physically crossed over to an U.S. spacecraft. The "zero-g indicator" that launched on SpaceX's Crew-9 previously flew on two Russian Soyuz.