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Astronomers Think They’ve Found Examples of the First Stars in the Universe
When the first stars in the Universe formed, the only material available was primordial hydrogen and helium from the Big Bang. Astronomers call these original stars Population Three stars, and they were extremely massive, luminous, and hot stars. They’re gone now, and in fact, their existence is hypothetical.
But if they did exist, they should’ve left their fingerprints on nearby gas, and astrophysicists are looking for it.
The hunt for the Universe’s Population 3 (Pop III) stars is important in astrophysics. They were the first to form astronomical metals, elements heavier than hydrogen and helium. Only once these metals were available could rocky planets form. Their metals also fed into the next generation of stars, leading to the higher metallicity we observe in stars like our Sun.
Since Pop III stars were so massive and hot, they didn’t last long. None would have survived to this day. But the powerful JWST can expand the search for these crucial stars by looking back in time for their ancient light. That’s what the JWST-JADES (James Webb Space Telescope Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey) is all about.
Researchers working with JADES data have found tantalizing evidence of Pop III stars in GN-z11, a high-redshift galaxy that’s one of the furthest galaxies from Earth ever observed. Their findings are in the paper “JWST-JADES. Possible Population III signatures at z=10.6 in the halo of GN-z11.” The lead author is Roberto Maiolino, a professor of Experimental Astrophysics at the Cavendish Laboratory (Department of Physics) and the Kavli Institute for Cosmology at the University of Cambridge. The research will be published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.
“Finding the first generation of stars formed out of pristine gas in the early Universe, known as Population III (Pop III) stars, is one of the most important goals of modern astrophysics,” Maiolino and his colleagues write in their paper. “Recent models have suggested that Pop III stars may form in pockets of pristine gas in the halo of more evolved galaxies.”
GN-z11 is one such galaxy. At a redshift of z = 10.6034, the JWST sees the galaxy as it existed about 13.4 billion years ago, corresponding to about 400 million years after the Big Bang.
Pop III stars were massive and could be as much as 1000 times more massive than the Sun. These massive stars would’ve been exceptionally hot, which can provide a clue to their presence. Astrophysicists think all that heat could’ve doubly ionized nearby helium. So they search for the expected signature of that helium: prominent HeII nebular lines called the HeII?1640 emission line. To indicate the presence of Pop III stars, the HeII lines need to be unaccompanied by any metal lines.
The JWST observed the galaxy with its NIRSpec-IFU (Integrated Field Unit) and found a tentative detection of HeII?1640.
This figure from the research shows the detection of doubly-ionized Helium at 1.903 µm. in the galaxy GN-z11. Image Credit: Maiolino et al. 2024.Detecting the doubly-ionized helium line was only the first step. Pop III stars aren’t the only objects that could’ve ionized the helium. To determine if the ancient stars were responsible, the researchers examined the galaxy and isolated several features.
Along with the HeII?1640, they also found Lyman-alpha emissions and CIII, or doubly-ionized carbon.
This figure from the research shows the detection of different emissions. The red star in the top images indicates the position of the continuum of GN-z11. The bottom row shows the lines mapped onto a JWST NIRCam image. The ‘fewer exposures’ on the top row indicates a lack of exposures in the upper portions of the panels due to a telescope-pointing error. Image Credit: Maiolino et al. 2024.In the images above, the researchers note several features that are clues to the source of the helium ionization.
The HeII emissions show a plume extending to the west of GN-z11. It could be tracing gas photoionized by the galaxy’s active galactic nucleus (AGN.) Since CIII is so weak there, it could indicate very low metallicity gas photoionized by the AGN.
The image also shows a clump of HeII to the northeast of GN-z11. The researchers call this clump the “most intriguing” feature found. They analyzed the clump in the image below.
This figure from the research shows the spectra of the HeII clump. The observed emissions (blue) line up with the expected emissions from a galaxy at redshift z=10.600. Image Credit: Maiolino et al. 2024.So what does this all add up to? Did the researchers find Pop III stars?
The spectral feature in the clump is strong evidence of photoionization by Pop III stars, according to the authors. “This wavelength corresponds to HeII?1640 at z=10.600, and it is fully consistent with the redshift of GN-z11,” they write. The same emission was detected over a larger area to the northeast, possibly with a second, fainter clump.
The authors say that the AGN could’ve photoionized the helium close to the galaxy’s center, but it can’t explain the HeII further away. Pop III stars are the best explanation, according to the authors.
Other evidence for Pop III stars comes from the emissions widths of the HeII lines. The high width suggests photoionization by metal poor Pop III stars rather than by Pop II stars with higher metallicity.
The extent of the ionization also indicates a certain mass for the Pop III stars, and the indicated mass agrees with simulations.
There’s another possibility: a direct collapse black hole (DCBH). “We also considered the alternative possibility of photoionization by a DCBH in the HeII clump,” the authors write. But the emission width should be lower in that scenario, although not by a lot. “Hence, this scenario remains another possible interpretation,” the authors write.
If future observations confirm the presence of Pop III stars in GN-z11, that’s a pretty big deal. But even if we have to wait for that confirmation, this research shows how powerful the JWST is again.
“These results have demonstrated the JWST’s capability to explore the primitive environment around galaxies in the early Universe, revealing fascinating properties,” the researchers conclude.
The post Astronomers Think They’ve Found Examples of the First Stars in the Universe appeared first on Universe Today.
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NASA’s Commitment to Safety Starts with its Culture
5 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Brad Flick, center director at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, amplifies the center’s safety commitment during Safety Day on April 2, 2024, at NASA Armstrong.NASA/Steve Freeman
NASA works on projects that often have never been done, or perhaps the way they are being done has never been tried. Living on the edge of innovation requires a high degree of risk. After organizational silence led to the loss of space shuttle Challenger and its crew in 1986, NASA vowed to change the culture and make safety its priority.
Allowing unimaginable levels of innovation requires a balance with limiting risk that is inherent in exploring the unknown on Earth and beyond. NASA centers promote a culture of safety through a steady drumbeat of messages, trainings, and mechanisms to report unsafe conditions. In a recent demonstration of this culture, NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, hosted a Safety Day on April 4 that featured speakers highlighting NASA safety culture and the need to be vigilant about safety not only at work, but at home.
Kicking off the event was Brad Flick, NASA Armstrong center director. “Safety is our number one core value, and these events exemplify that.” Flick said. “We’re in a job that has risk. The hardest part is balancing the work with the responsibility to all of us and the public to do it safety.”
Organizational culture and climate are key factors in a safe work environment. That’s why NASA Safety Culture seeks to create an environment where everyone works safely, feels comfortable communicating safety issues, feels confident balancing challenges and risks while keeping safety in the forefront, and trusts safety is a priority across the agency.
“Culture is the way work gets done,” said Bob Conway, NASA Safety Center deputy director at the safety event. “Everyone is a leader. No accident occurs in the moment. It is the result of a series of events that may be years in the making.”
Bob Conway, NASA Safety Center deputy director, explains key factors in a safe work environment include organizational culture and climate. He presented during Safety Day on April 4, 2024, at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.NASA/Steve Freeman
Maintaining the culture requires more than just trainings throughout the year. NASA employees are routinely encouraged to report any of their concerns, positive safety behavior is rewarded and often awarded, and they have flexibility in responding to the unexpected. NASA considers this focus on safety part of its DNA.
Conway also recalled the X-31 experimental aircraft that flew at NASA Armstrong in the 1990s. The usual probe that measures key flight data like airspeed, altitude, and outside temperature, was changed to a probe without a heater that would have prevented icing. The change was not communicated well and the result on an unusually cold morning was the sensor froze, causing the flight computers to receive incorrect data. The aircraft became uncontrollable, the pilot was injured while ejecting, and the aircraft was lost.
“It is natural to rationalize shortcuts, engage in group think or be silenced by it, or to choose defensive silence,” Conway said. “We need to reverse that thought process by thinking what the risk is of not speaking up.”
Conway emphasized the need to be present, invite dialogue, encourage group members to think critically and speak up, discuss ideas outside the group, and have a team member play devil’s advocate to identify items others may overlook.
Also important in developing a solid safety environment is managing heavy workloads and recognizing when stress is on the rise. “Several projects had safety standdowns to talk about safety,” said Peggy Hayes, acting NASA Armstrong Safety and Mission Assurance director. “I think we do that well.”
This fiscal year, NASA Armstrong has zero lost-time accidents, or those accidents that require people to miss work. “People feel free to come to us, or call the Safety office,” Hayes said. “I think because we are a small center, where people routinely see leadership, it helps them bring their concerns forward.”
Another element of safety is what happens outside of work. Timothy Risch, a NASA Armstrong technical manager, cautioned people should prepare for and be ready to survive a serious accident. While walking to a store to return a movie, Risch heard a loud bang and saw a car crash into a light pole nearby. The 1,100-pound pole fell on his shoulder, hit his knee, shattered his fibula, ankle, and three bones in his foot. He had a 4-inch cut and a compound fracture.
Timothy Risch, a technical manager at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, cautions people should prepare for and be ready to survive a serious accident. He presented during Safety Day on April 4, 2024, at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.NASA/Steve Freeman
“Prepare mentally and emotionally that you may need help if you are hurt,” he said. “I carried an identification card with me that had my key information on it such as my address, medical conditions, and medications. I had it with my license.”
Safety Day also included Elissa Dawson, NASA Armstrong emergency management specialist, who highlighted emergency response at the center, and Taylor Dirks, a wellness nurse for Blue Cross, Blue Shield California Federal Employee program, who focused on mental health and how resilience provides tools to manage everyday life challenges.
NASA’s dedication to a safety culture was born out of tragedy and the agency has send decades focusing its intensions to ensure employees can push the boundaries of what’s possible without sacrificing their safety. That model doesn’t have to be unique to NASA, it’s a culture that all businesses and industries can benefit from.
Elissa Dawson, an emergency management specialist at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, highlights emergency response at the center. She presented during 4 Safety Day on April 4, 2024, at NASA Armstrong.NASA/Genaro Vavuris Share Details Last Updated Apr 29, 2024 EditorDede DiniusContactJay Levinejay.levine-1@nasa.govLocationArmstrong Flight Research Center Related Terms Explore More 6 min read Innovation that Impacts All NASA Missions: Improving How We Engineer Our Systems Article 1 day ago 4 min read Identification of Noise Sources During Launch Using Phased Array Microphone Systems Article 4 days ago 3 min read Trajectory Reverse Engineering Article 4 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA
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NASA/JAXA’s XRISM Mission Captures Unmatched Data With Just 36 Pixels
3 min read
NASA/JAXA’s XRISM Mission Captures Unmatched Data With Just 36 PixelsAt a time when phone cameras are capable of taking snapshots with millions of pixels, an instrument on the Japan-led XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) satellite captures revolutionary science with just 36 of them.
“That may sound impossible, but it’s actually true,” said Richard Kelley, the U.S. principal investigator for XRISM at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “The Resolve instrument gives us a deeper look at the makeup and motion of X-ray-emitting objects using technology invented and refined at Goddard over the past several decades.”
XRISM (pronounced “crism”) is led by JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) in collaboration with NASA, along with contributions from ESA (European Space Agency). It launched into orbit last September and has been scrutinizing the cosmos ever since. The mission detects “soft” X-rays, which have energies up to 5,000 times greater than visible light. It will probe the universe’s hottest regions, largest structures, and objects with the strongest gravity, like supermassive black holes in the cores of distant galaxies.
XRISM accomplishes this with an instrument named Resolve.
The square structure at the center of this image shows the 6-by-6-pixel microcalorimeter array at the heart of Resolve, an instrument on XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission). The array measures 0.2 inches (5 millimeters) on a side. The device produces a spectrum of X-ray sources between 400 and 12,000 electron volts — up to 5,000 times the energy of visible light — with unprecedented detail. NASA/XRISM/Caroline Kilbourne
“Resolve is more than a camera. Its detector takes the temperature of each X-ray that strikes it,” said Brian Williams, NASA’s XRISM project scientist at Goddard. “We call Resolve a microcalorimeter spectrometer because each of its 36 pixels is measuring tiny amounts of heat delivered by each incoming X-ray, allowing us to see the chemical fingerprints of elements making up the sources in unprecedented detail.”
In order to accomplish this, the entire detector must be chilled to 459.58 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (minus 273.1 degrees Celsius), just a whisker above absolute zero.
The instrument is so precise it can detect the motions of elements within a target, effectively providing a 3D view. Gas moving toward us glows at slightly higher energies than normal, while gas moving away from us emits slightly lower energies. This will, for example, allow scientists to better understand the flow of hot gas within clusters of galaxies and to track the movement of different elements in the debris of supernova explosions.
Resolve is taking astronomers into a new era of cosmic exploration — and with only three-dozen pixels.
XRISM is a collaborative mission between JAXA and NASA, with contributions from over 70 institutions in Japan, the U.S., Canada, and Europe. NASA Goddard developed the Resolve detector and many of the instrument subsystems, together with the two X-ray Mirror Assemblies. Goddard is also responsible for the Science Data Center, which developed analysis software and the data processing pipeline, as well as support for the XRISM General Observer Program.
Download high-resolution video and images from NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio
By Francis Reddy
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
Media Contact:
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NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
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“Then there’s an interesting journey that you have to take from an individual contributor to a leader of people. I enjoy watching people go through this change and helping them make the transition. What you eventually realize is that your success as a leader is not really yours, it’s the team’s. You’re not successful without the team, so it’s your ability to support, motivate, and guide the team that allows us to accomplish amazing things.
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NASA’s Webb Maps Weather on Planet 280 Light-Years Away
NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI)
An international team of researchers has successfully used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to map the weather on the hot gas-giant exoplanet WASP-43 b.
Precise brightness measurements over a broad spectrum of mid-infrared light, combined with 3D climate models and previous observations from other telescopes, suggest the presence of thick, high clouds covering the nightside, clear skies on the dayside, and equatorial winds upwards of 5,000 miles per hour mixing atmospheric gases around the planet.
The investigation is just the latest demonstration of the exoplanet science now possible with Webb’s extraordinary ability to measure temperature variations and detect atmospheric gases trillions of miles away.
Image: Hot Gas-Giant Exoplanet WASP-43 b (Artist’s Concept) This artist’s concept shows what the hot gas-giant exoplanet WASP-43 b could look like. WASP-43 b is a Jupiter-sized planet roughly 280 light-years away, in the constellation Sextans. The planet orbits its star at a distance of about 1.3 million miles, completing one circuit in about 19.5 hours. Because it is so close to its star, WASP-43 b is probably tidally locked: Its rotation rate and orbital period are the same, such that one side faces the star at all times. Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI) Tidally Locked “Hot Jupiter”
WASP-43 b is a “hot Jupiter” type of exoplanet: similar in size to Jupiter, made primarily of hydrogen and helium, and much hotter than any of the giant planets in our own solar system. Although its star is smaller and cooler than the Sun, WASP-43 b orbits at a distance of just 1.3 million miles – less than 1/25th the distance between Mercury and the Sun.
With such a tight orbit, the planet is tidally locked, with one side continuously illuminated and the other in permanent darkness. Although the nightside never receives any direct radiation from the star, strong eastward winds transport heat around from the dayside.
Since its discovery in 2011, WASP-43 b has been observed with numerous telescopes, including NASA’s Hubble and now-retired Spitzer space telescopes.
“With Hubble, we could clearly see that there is water vapor on the dayside. Both Hubble and Spitzer suggested there might be clouds on the nightside,” explained Taylor Bell, researcher from the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute and lead author of a study published today in Nature Astronomy. “But we needed more precise measurements from Webb to really begin mapping the temperature, cloud cover, winds, and more detailed atmospheric composition all the way around the planet.”
Mapping Temperature and Inferring WeatherAlthough WASP-43 b is too small, dim, and close to its star for a telescope to see directly, its short orbital period of just 19.5 hours makes it ideal for phase curve spectroscopy, a technique that involves measuring tiny changes in brightness of the star-planet system as the planet orbits the star.
Since the amount of mid-infrared light given off by an object depends largely on how hot it is, the brightness data captured by Webb can then be used to calculate the planet’s temperature.
Image: Hot Gas-Giant Exoplanet WASP-43 b (MIRI Phase Curve) This phase curve, captured by the MIRI low resolution spectrometer on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, shows the change in brightness of the WASP-43 system over time as the planet orbits its star. The system appears brightest when the hot dayside of the planet is facing the telescope, just before and after it passes behind the star. The system grows dimmer as the planet continues its orbits and the nightside rotates into view. It brightens again after passing in front of the star as the dayside rotates back into view. WASP-43 b is a hot Jupiter roughly 280 light-years away, in the constellation Sextans. Credits: Science: Taylor J. Bell (BAERI); Joanna Barstow (Open University); Michael Roman (University of Leicester) Graphic Design: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI)
The team used Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) to measure light from the WASP-43 system every 10 seconds for more than 24 hours. “By observing over an entire orbit, we were able to calculate the temperature of different sides of the planet as they rotate into view,” explained Bell. “From that, we could construct a rough map of temperature across the planet.”
The measurements show that the dayside has an average temperature of nearly 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit (1,250 degrees Celsius) – hot enough to forge iron. Meanwhile, the nightside is significantly cooler at 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit (600 degrees Celsius). The data also helps locate the hottest spot on the planet (the “hotspot”), which is shifted slightly eastward from the point that receives the most stellar radiation, where the star is highest in the planet’s sky. This shift occurs because of supersonic winds, which move heated air eastward.
“The fact that we can map temperature in this way is a real testament to Webb’s sensitivity and stability,” said Michael Roman, a co-author from the University of Leicester in the U.K.
To interpret the map, the team used complex 3D atmospheric models like those used to understand weather and climate on Earth. The analysis shows that the nightside is probably covered in a thick, high layer of clouds that prevent some of the infrared light from escaping to space. As a result, the nightside – while very hot – looks dimmer and cooler than it would if there were no clouds.
Image: Hot Gas-Giant Exoplanet WASP-43 b (Temperature Maps) This set of maps shows the temperature of the visible side of the hot gas-giant exoplanet WASP-43 b, as it orbits its star. The dayside of the planet is visible just before and after it passes behind the star. The temperatures were calculated based on more than 8,000 brightness measurements of 5- to 12-micron mid-infrared light detected from the star-planet system by MIRI (the Mid-Infrared Instrument) on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. In general, the hotter an object is, the more mid-infrared light it gives off. Credits: Science: Taylor J. Bell (BAERI); Joanna Barstow (Open University); Michael Roman (University of Leicester) Graphic Design: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI) Animation: Hot Gas-Giant Exoplanet WASP-43 b (Temperature Maps)
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Although the planet is far too close to the blinding light of its star to see on its own, it is possible to calculate its brightness by measuring the brightness of the star-planet system as a whole, and then subtracting the amount of light coming from the star (measured when the planet is behind the star).
Webb was able to measure each side of the planet by observing over an entire 19.5-hour orbit. The planet is tidally locked, which means that its rotation rate is the same as its orbital period, so different sides rotate into view as the planet moves around the star.
WASP-43 b has an average temperature of about 2,280°F (1,250°C) on the dayside and 1,115°F (600°C) on the nightside. The temperature map also shows that the nightside is probably covered in thick, high clouds. Clouds prevent some of the infrared energy from escaping to space, making the nightside appear cooler than it would if there were no clouds. Thomas Muller, MPIA Missing Methane and High Winds
The broad spectrum of mid-infrared light captured by Webb also made it possible to measure the amount of water vapor (H2O) and methane (CH4) around the planet. “Webb has given us an opportunity to figure out exactly which molecules we’re seeing and put some limits on the abundances,” said Joanna Barstow, a co-author from the Open University in the U.K.
The spectra show clear signs of water vapor on the nightside as well as the dayside of the planet, providing additional information about how thick the clouds are and how high they extend in the atmosphere.
Surprisingly, the data also shows a distinct lack of methane anywhere in the atmosphere. Although the dayside is too hot for methane to exist (most of the carbon should be in the form of carbon monoxide), methane should be stable and detectable on the cooler nightside.
“The fact that we don’t see methane tells us that WASP-43b must have wind speeds reaching something like 5,000 miles per hour,” explained Barstow. “If winds move gas around from the dayside to the nightside and back again fast enough, there isn’t enough time for the expected chemical reactions to produce detectable amounts of methane on the nightside.”
The team thinks that because of this wind-driven mixing, the atmospheric chemistry is the same all the way around the planet, which wasn’t apparent from past work with Hubble and Spitzer.
The MIRI observation of WASP-43 b was conducted as part of the Webb Early Release Science programs, which are providing researchers with a vast set of robust, open-access data for studying a wide array of cosmic phenomena.The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency.
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The research results can be viewed here. They were published today in the Nature Astronomy.
Laura Betz – laura.e.betz@nasa.gov, Rob Gutro – rob.gutro@nasa.gov
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
Margaret Carruthers mcarruthers@stsci.edu, Christine Pulliam – cpulliam@stsci.edu
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.
More Webb News – https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/latestnews/
More Webb Images – https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/multimedia/images/
Webb Mission Page – https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/
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NASA Challenge Gives Space Thruster Commercial Boost
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Members of Team Miles with the CubeSat developed during the NASA Cube Quest Challenge. From left to right: Alex Wingeier, Don Smith, Wes Faler.Image credit: Team Miles
In its pursuit to develop groundbreaking technologies to explore space and benefit life on Earth, NASA invites the public to contribute ideas to the agency through participatory opportunities, including challenges. The Cube Quest competition – NASA’s first in-space challenge – kicked off in 2015, offering a total prize purse of $5 million.
This challenge asked university and private developer teams to complete objectives in designing, building, and delivering small satellites capable of advanced deep space operations. Throughout two challenge phases, several teams developed and tested technologies to launch small satellites, also known as CubeSats, into orbit.
Team Miles of Tampa, Florida, was the sole team to send its CubeSat aboard 2022’s Artemis I flight test around the Moon. Team Miles was under the leadership of Wesley Faler and found members through Tampa Hackerspace, a community nonprofit workshop. From there, it grew to include software engineering, information technology, radio-frequency engineering, radiation, aerospace engineering, graphic design, and blacksmithing experts.
“I was prototyping a plasma thruster design in my second bedroom workshop,” says Faler. “NASA’s challenge was specifically looking for wild ideas from citizen scientists – not your traditional degree or institution scientists – and that appealed to me.”
Photo collage: Team Miles integrates their CubeSat into a dispenser for the Orion stage adapter. The Orion stage adapter connects the SLS rocket to Orion and had slots built into it for the payloads.Credits: NASA/KSC
During the challenge’s ground test phases, Team Miles developed its Miles CubeSat, a breadbox-sized satellite propelled with a novel water-fueled plasma thruster. The team also created and radiation-tested its Resilient Affordable CubeSat Processor flight computer to communicate in deep space.
In total, NASA awarded $100,000 to Team Miles in the ground phase of the Cube Quest challenge. Despite not winning the in-space phase of the challenge due to a communications failure after launch, Faler emphasizes the value of participation extending beyond monetary awards, showcasing the team’s resilience and determination.
“The challenge generated publicity and public awareness for a wild idea. The fact that NASA looked at the idea and helped us advance it gave us a platform to talk to people. That is huge for these challenges – the opportunity to be heard,” says Faler.
Since the challenge ended, Faler has cofounded and become the CEO of Miles Space, Inc., a company that was born out of the innovative spirit of Team Miles. In January 2024, Miles Space was acquired by RocketStar, Inc., where Faler now serves as chief technology officer. Stemming from iterations of Faler’s original thruster, the company has developed a nuclear fusion propulsion system, a testament to the profound impact of the Cube Quest competition on commercial space technology.
As for words of wisdom for future challenge participants, Faler said, “Whether you place in the challenge or not, you haven’t lost time by participating. Being part of that process forces you to grow.”
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Gateway: Forward Progress on Artemis IV
The Artemis IV mission is taking shape with major hardware for Gateway, humanity’s first space station to orbit the Moon, progressing in Turin, Italy.
NASA will launch HALO (Habitation and Logistics Outpost), center of image in background, along with the Power and Propulsion Element (not pictured) to lunar orbit ahead of the Artemis IV mission as the first elements of Gateway, the first space station to be assembled around the Moon. During that mission, astronauts will launch in the Orion spacecraft with the Lunar I-Hab, pieces of which are shown here in the foreground, and deliver it to Gateway. Lunar I-Hab is provided by ESA (European Space Agency) with significant hardware contributions from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and is one of four Gateway modules that astronauts will live and work inside as they orbit the Moon.
Thales Alenia Space completed major welding on HALO and began initial fabrication of Lunar I-Hab last year. The company is a subcontractor to Northrop Grumman for HALO, and prime contractor to ESA for Lunar I-Hab.
Along with HALO, I-Hab, and the Power and Propulsion Element, two additional Gateway modules provided by ESA and the Mohammad Bin Rashid Space Centre make up the core components of the space station. CSA (Canadian Space Agency) is providing the Canadarm3 advanced external robotic system and fixtures for science instruments.
The international teams of astronauts living, conducting science, and preparing for missions to the lunar South Pole region from Gateway will be the first humans to make their home in deep space.
Gateway’s Lunar I-Hab module under construction at a Thales Alenia Space industrial plant in Turin, Italy. ESA/Stephane Corvaja Gateway’s Lunar I-Hab module under construction at a Thales Alenia Space industrial plant in Turin, Italy. ESA/Stephane CorvajaSmiles all round: Vega-C to launch ESA solar wind mission
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