Space habitat reports – Mar.13.2024

Here is this week’s selection of videos and news items about space habitats, living in space, and space settlement. Starts with NASA’s latest Space to Ground report for the International Space Station:

** Expedition 70 NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 Farewell Remarks, Station Change of Command March 10, 2024NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, Crew-7 which includes NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andy Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Satoshi Furukawa and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov provided farewell remarks on March 10 ahead of their upcoming departure from the space station. Joining Crew-7 for the farewell remarks were NASA astronauts Matthew Dominik, Mike Barrett, Jeanette Epps, and Loral O’Hara as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub. Following the farewell remarks, a change of command ceremony took place in which Mogensen handed over command of the space station to Kononenko as Mogensen prepares to head home with his Crew-7 crewmates. Crew-7 is slated to undock on March TBD and splashdown off the coast of Florida March TBD after completing a six-month mission

** NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 Space Station Hatch Closure March 11, 2024 – NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andy Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov prepared to depart the space station following the closing of the hatch to the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endurance on March 11 ahead of their undocking from the space station. Crew-7 completed a 6-month science mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions as part of NASA’s Moon and Mars exploration approach, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis program.

** NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 Flight Day 4 Highlights – NASA Video

NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov returned to Earth for a parachute-assisted splashdown off the coast of Florida at 5:47 a.m. EDT Tuesday, March 12, completing their six-month mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration flights as part of NASA’s Moon and Mars exploration approach, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis program.

** NASA’s SpaceX CRS-30 Prelaunch Science WebinarISS National Lab

On Friday, March 8, 2024, members of the media attended a science-focused prelaunch webinar for NASA’s SpaceX CRS-30 mission to hear from NASA and ISS National Lab officials as well as researchers who discussed a few of the projects flying on this cargo resupply mission.

** Gravitics

** Gambit sensor platform relocated on ISS – StarlabVoyager Space

—- Making Moves: Gambit Payload Relocates on the Bishop Airlock | Voyager Space – Mar.11.2024

** Other news and articles:

** 40 years since the founding of the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)  program:

—- ARISS Celebration at KSC. Interview with Randy BergerHAM Radio Fun With KO4PDI

Join us as we celebrate the ARISS 40-year event at Kennedy Space Center, featuring an interview with Randy Berger, the ISS HAM radio developer. Learn about the technology behind ISS HAM radio and the impact it has on communication in space. Don’t miss this exclusive interview at the ARISS 40-year Celebration!
Get a look at the actual radio used on the ISS to make contacts and work as a cross-band repeater. The radio, Antennas, and power supply. Randy Berger talks about what it takes to make the contacts we do on the ISS as HAM operators.

—- A school contact with ISS astronauts: #AlcarazISS – ARISS Contact | Contacto con la Estación Espacial Internacional
Studio21 Alcaraz

** Highlight: Aotearoa NZ S to N – Mar 11, 2024 – 16:34 NZDTISS Above

NASA EHDC6 Live views of the Earth from the International Space Station

—- Highlight: Buenos Aires Argentina – Mar 6, 2024 – 18:30 ARTISS Above

** Live Video from the International Space Station (Official NASA Stream) – NASA

Watch live video from the International Space Station, including inside views when the crew aboard the space station is on duty. Views of Earth are also streamed from an external camera located outside of the space station. During periods of signal loss due to handover between communications satellites, a blue screen is displayed.

The space station orbits Earth about 250 miles (425 kilometers) above the surface. An international partnership of five space agencies from 15 countries operates the station, and it has been continuously occupied since November 2000. It’s a microgravity laboratory where science, research, and human innovation make way for new technologies and research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. More: https://go.nasa.gov/3CkVtC8

Did you know you can spot the station without a telescope? It looks like a fast-moving star, but you have to know when to look up. Sign up for text messages or email alerts to let you know when (and where) to spot the station and wave to the crew: https://spotthestation.nasa.gov

====

ISS after undocking of STS-132

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Outpost in Orbit:
A Pictorial & Verbal History of the Space Station

Space habitat reports – Mar.6.2024

Here is this week’s selection of videos and news items about space habitats, living in space, and space settlement. Starts with NASA’s latest Space to Ground report for the International Space Station:

** NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 Flight Day 2 Highlights – NASA Video

NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin arrived at the International Space Station when their Dragon spacecraft autonomously docked to the forward-facing port of the Harmony module at 2:28 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on March 5 following a launch on March 3 on the Endeavour spacecraft aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Following docking, the quartet opened the hatch and floated onboard the orbital outpost before providing welcoming remarks as its mission aboard the space station began. The four crew members will conduct a long-duration science mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions. Such research benefits people on Earth and lays the groundwork for future human exploration through the agency’s Artemis missions, which will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future expeditions to Mars.

See also NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 Launches to International Space Station | Commercial Crew Program/NASA – Mar.4.2024

** Space Station Crew Talks with WUSA-TV, Washington D.C., University of Maryland – March 6, 2024NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 70 Flight Engineers Michael Barratt and Jeanette Epps discussed life and work aboard the orbital outpost during an in-flight interview March 6 with WUSA-TV in Washington, D.C. and the University of Maryland. Barratt and Epps are the midst of long-duration missions living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions. Such research benefits people on Earth and lays the groundwork for future human exploration through the agency’s Artemis missions, which will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future expeditions to Mars.

** Uncovering the Secrets of the International Space Station (Full Episode) | Superstructures – National Geographic

The International Space Station is taken apart to uncover its engineering secrets.

** Expedition 70 Space Station Crew Talks with NPR’s Short Wave Podcast – March 4, 2024 – NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 70 Flight Engineer Loral O’Hara of NASA discussed life and work aboard the orbital outpost during an in-flight interview March with NPR’s “Short Wave” podcast. O’Hara is in the midst of long-duration mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions. Such research benefits people on Earth and lays the groundwork for future human exploration through the agency’s Artemis missions, which will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future expeditions to Mars.

** Virtual Reality for body and mindEuropean Space Agency, ESA

ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen explains how two experiments involving virtual reality makes on International Space Station. The first is Virtual Assistance Mental Balance (VAMB) where Andreas gets to enjoy a calm setting in nature that helps him relax. The second one is VR for Exercise, where he cycles on the Space Station’s exercise bike and through different bike routes in Denmark on the VR headset, which has quickly become a favourite for Andreas.

Timestaps of the video:
00:00 – 00:09 Intro
00:10 – 02:13 First experiment
02:14 – 04:48 Second experiment
04:49 – 05:09 Outro

** Sierra Space:

** Shenzhou-17 Crew Complete 2nd Extravehicular MissionCCTV Video News Agency

The Shenzhou-17 crew members, who are currently on board China’s space station, have completed their second extravehicular mission at 13:32 Beijing time on Saturday, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

** Other news and articles:

** Space settlement

—- Why This Startup is Mining AsteroidsSpiral

Embark on an adventure about the future of space colonization with Joel Sercel, the founder of TransAstra, a startup working on mining asteroids to potentially build cities in space. This film explores the history of homo sapiens, our sustainability troubles here on earth, why we must move to space, and how now is the perfect time to start.

Learn more about TransAstra: https://transastra.com/

** Views from space stations

—-  Highlight: Crew8 on approach – Mar 5 2024 – 06:40 utc –   ISS Above

NASA EHDC6 Live views of the Earth from the International Space Station

—- Highlight: Night – Phoenix AZ – Mar 3, 2024 – 23:26 MST ISS Above

—- Live Video from the International Space Station (Official NASA Stream) – NASA

Watch live video from the International Space Station, including inside views when the crew aboard the space station is on duty. Views of Earth are also streamed from an external camera located outside of the space station. During periods of signal loss due to handover between communications satellites, a blue screen is displayed.

The space station orbits Earth about 250 miles (425 kilometers) above the surface. An international partnership of five space agencies from 15 countries operates the station, and it has been continuously occupied since November 2000. It’s a microgravity laboratory where science, research, and human innovation make way for new technologies and research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. More: https://go.nasa.gov/3CkVtC8

Did you know you can spot the station without a telescope? It looks like a fast-moving star, but you have to know when to look up. Sign up for text messages or email alerts to let you know when (and where) to spot the station and wave to the crew: https://spotthestation.nasa.gov

====

ISS after undocking of STS-132

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====

Outpost in Orbit:
A Pictorial & Verbal History of the Space Station

ESO: Survey of exoplanet star systems sheds light on planet formation

A new report from the European Southern Observatory (ESO):

Groundbreaking survey reveals secrets of planet birth
around dozens of stars

This research brings together observations of more than 80 young stars that might have planets forming around them in spectacular discs. This small selection from the survey shows 10 discs from the three regions of our galaxy observed in the papers. V351 Ori and V1012 Ori are located in the most distant of the three regions, the gas-rich cloud of Orion, some 1600 light-years from Earth. DG Tau, T Tau, HP Tau, MWC758 and GM Aur are located in the Taurus region, while HD 97048, WW Cha and SZ Cha can be found in Chamaeleon I, all of which are about 600 light-years from Earth. The images shown here were captured using the Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch (SPHERE) instrument mounted on ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). SPHERE’s state-of-the-art extreme adaptive optics system corrects for the turbulent effects of Earth’s atmosphere, yielding crisp images of the discs around stars. The stars themselves have been covered with a coronagraph — a circular mask that blocks their intense glare, revealing the faint discs around them. The discs have been scaled to appear roughly the same size in this composition.

In a series of studies, a team of astronomers has shed new light on the fascinating and complex process of planet formation. The stunning images, captured using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT) in Chile, represent one of the largest ever surveys of planet-forming discs. The research brings together observations of more than 80 young stars that might have planets forming around them, providing astronomers with a wealth of data and unique insights into how planets arise in different regions of our galaxy.

This is really a shift in our field of study,”

says Christian Ginski, a lecturer at the University of Galway, Ireland, and lead author of one of three new papers published today in Astronomy & Astrophysics.

We’ve gone from the intense study of individual star systems to this huge overview of entire star-forming regions.

To date more than 5000 planets have been discovered orbiting stars other than the Sun, often within systems markedly different from our own Solar System. To understand where and how this diversity arises, astronomers must observe the dust- and gas-rich discs that envelop young stars — the very cradles of planet formation. These are best found in huge gas clouds where the stars themselves are forming.

Much like mature planetary systems, the new images showcase the extraordinary diversity of planet-forming discs.

Some of these discs show huge spiral arms, presumably driven by the intricate ballet of orbiting planets,

says Ginski.

Others show rings and large cavities carved out by forming planets, while yet others seem smooth and almost dormant among all this bustle of activity,”

adds Antonio Garufi, an astronomer at the Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory, Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), and lead author of one of the papers.

Planet-forming discs around young stars and their location within the gas-rich cloud of Orion, roughly 1600 light-years from Earth. The mesmerising images of the discs were captured using the Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch (SPHERE) instrument mounted on ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). In total, the team observed 23 stars in the Orion region, detecting planet-forming discs around 10 of them. The uneven appearance of some of the discs in this region might suggest that massive planets are embedded within them, since these could cause the discs to warp and become misaligned. The background image shows an infrared view of Orion captured by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite.

The team studied a total of 86 stars across three different star-forming regions of our galaxy: Taurus and Chamaeleon I, both around 600 light-years from Earth, and Orion, a gas-rich cloud about 1600 light-years from us that is known to be the birthplace of several stars more massive than the Sun. The observations were gathered by a large international team, comprising scientists from more than 10 countries.

The team was able to glean several key insights from the dataset. For example, in Orion they found that stars in groups of two or more were less likely to have large planet-forming discs. This is a significant result given that, unlike our Sun, most stars in our galaxy have companions. As well as this, the uneven appearance of the discs in this region suggests the possibility of massive planets embedded within them, which could be causing the discs to warp and become misaligned.

Planet-forming discs around young stars and their location within the gas-rich cloud of Taurus, roughly 600 light-years from Earth. The stunning images of the discs were captured using the Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch (SPHERE) instrument mounted on ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). In total, the team observed 43 stars in the Taurus region, all of which are pictured here (though planet-forming discs were only detected in 39 of these targets). The background image shows an infrared view of Taurus captured by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite.

While planet-forming discs can extend for distances hundreds of times greater than the distance between Earth and the Sun, their location several hundreds of light-years from us makes them appear as tiny pinpricks in the night sky. To observe the discs, the team employed the sophisticated Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch instrument (SPHERE) mounted on ESO’s VLT. SPHERE’s state-of-the-art extreme adaptive optics system corrects for the turbulent effects of Earth’s atmosphere, yielding crisp images of the discs. This meant the team were able to image discs around stars with masses as low as half the mass of the Sun, which are typically too faint for most other instruments available today. Additional data for the survey were obtained using the VLT’s X-shooter instrument, which allowed astronomers to determine how young and how massive the stars are. The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), in which ESO is a partner, on the other hand, helped the team understand more about the amount of dust surrounding some of the stars.

Planet-forming discs around young stars and their location within the gas-rich cloud of Chamaeleon I, roughly 600 light-years from Earth. The stunning images of the discs were captured using the Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch (SPHERE) instrument mounted on ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). In total, the team observed 20 stars in the Chamaeleon I region, detecting discs around 13. The background image shows an infrared view of Chamaeleon I captured by the Herschel Space Observatory.

As technology advances, the team hopes to delve even deeper into the heart of planet-forming systems. The large 39-metre mirror of ESO’s forthcoming Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), for example, will enable the team to study the innermost regions around young stars, where rocky planets like our own might be forming.

For now, these spectacular images provide researchers with a treasure trove of data to help unpick the mysteries of planet formation.

It is almost poetic that the processes that mark the start of the journey towards forming planets and ultimately life in our own Solar System should be so beautiful,”

concludes Per-Gunnar Valegård, a doctoral student at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, who led the Orion study. Valegård, who is also a part-time teacher at the International School Hilversum in the Netherlands, hopes the images will inspire his pupils to become scientists in the future.

This composite image shows the MWC 758 planet-forming disc, located about 500 light-years away in the Taurus region, as seen with two different facilities. The yellow colour represents infrared observations obtained with the Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch (SPHERE) instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). The blue regions on the other hand correspond to observations performed with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), in which ESO is a partner. These facilities allow astronomers to map how dust is distributed around this and other stars in different but complementary ways. SPHERE captures light from the host star that has been scattered by the dust around it, whereas ALMA registers radiation directly emitted by the dust itself. These observations combined help astronomers understand how planets may form in the dusty discs surrounding young stars.

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An Infinity of Worlds:
Cosmic Inflation and the Beginning of the Universe

Night sky highlights for March 2024

Check out the night sky this month, March 2024. Here are videos highlighting the top sights to observe.

** What’s Up: March 2024 Skywatching Tips from NASA – NASA JPL

What are some skywatching highlights in March 2024?
Jupiter plows through the Pleiades on March 14, a chance to spot Mercury at month’s end along with a subtle lunar eclipse, and a comet worth keeping an eye on!

0:00 Intro
0:12 Moon & planet highlights
0:51 Penumbral lunar eclipse
1:47 Comet 12p/Pons-Brooks
1:23 March Moon phases

Additional information about topics covered in this episode of What’s Up, along with still images from the video, and the video transcript, are available at https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/skywatch….

** Tonight’s Sky: March2024 – Space Telescope Science InstituteTonight’s Sky

In March, the stars of spring lie eastward: Look for the constellations Gemini and Cancer to spot interesting celestial features like star clusters M35 and the Beehive Cluster, and NGC 3923, an oblong elliptical galaxy with an interesting ripple pattern. Keep watching for space-based views of the galaxies.

** What to see in the night sky: March 2024BBC Sky at Night Magazine

Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel reveal what’s in the sky this month, including Jupiter, the Moon, Comet C/2021 S3 PANSTARRS and a tour through Coma Berenices and the Bowl of Virgo.

00:00 Intro
00:15 Inner planets
03:56 Jupiter and Saturn
04:40 Uranus and Neptune
05:50 Juno
05:58 The Moon
11:40 Comet C/2021 S3 PANSTARRS
12:05 Constellations
16:00 Leo Triplet
17:50 Coma Berenices
21:05 Bowl of Virgo

** Sky & Telescope’s Sky Tour Podcast – March 2024 | Sirius and the Moon PhasesSky & Telescope Youtube

See also

** What’s in the Night Sky (March 2024) Comet 12P/Pons-BrooksAlyn Wallace

** Night Sky Notebook March 2024Peter Detterline

** See also:

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Stellaris: People of the Stars

ESO: Water vapor observed in planet formation disc

Another report from the European Southern Observatory (ESO):

Astronomers reveal a new link
between water and planet formation

Astronomers have found water vapour in a disc around a young star exactly where planets may be forming. In this image, the new observations from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), in which ESO is a partner, show the water vapour in shades of blue. Near the centre of the disc, where the young star lives, the environment is hotter and the gas brighter. The red-hued rings are previous ALMA observations showing the distribution of dust around the star.

Researchers have found water vapour in the disc around a young star exactly where planets may be forming. Water is a key ingredient for life on Earth, and is also thought to play a significant role in planet formation. Yet, until now, we had never been able to map how water is distributed in a stable, cool disc — the type of disc that offers the most favourable conditions for planets to form around stars. The new findings were made possible thanks to the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), in which the European Southern Observatory (ESO) is a partner.

I had never imagined that we could capture an image of oceans of water vapour in the same region where a planet is likely forming,”

says Stefano Facchini, an astronomer at the University of Milan, Italy, who led the study published today in Nature Astronomy. The observations reveal at least three times as much water as in all of Earth’s oceans in the inner disc of the young Sun-like star HL Tauri, located 450 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Taurus.

It is truly remarkable that we can not only detect but also capture detailed images and spatially resolve water vapour at a distance of 450 light-years from us ,

adds co-author Leonardo Testi, an astronomer at the University of Bologna, Italy. The ‘spatially resolved’ observations with ALMA allow astronomers to determine the distribution of water in different regions of the disc.

Taking part in such an important discovery in the iconic HL Tauri disc was beyond what I had ever expected for my first research experience in astronomy,”

adds Mathieu Vander Donckt from the University of Liège, Belgium, who was a master’s student when he participated in the research.

A significant amount of water was found in the region where a known gap in the HL Tauri disc exists. Ring-shaped gaps are carved out in gas- and dust-rich discs by orbiting young planet-like bodies as they gather up material and grow.

Our recent images reveal a substantial quantity of water vapour at a range of distances from the star that include a gap where a planet could potentially be forming at the present time,”

says Facchini. This suggests that this water vapour could affect the chemical composition of planets forming in those regions.

This is the sharpest image ever taken by ALMA — sharper than is routinely achieved in visible light with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. It shows the protoplanetary disc surrounding the young star HL Tauri. These new ALMA observations reveal substructures within the disc that have never been seen before and even show the possible positions of planets forming in the dark patches within the system.

Observing water with a ground-based telescope is no mean feat as the abundant water vapour in Earth’s atmosphere degrades the astronomical signals. ALMA, operated by ESO together with its international partners, is an array of telescopes in the Chilean Atacama Desert at about 5000 metres elevation that was built in a high and dry environment specifically to minimise this degradation, providing exceptional observing conditions.

“To date, ALMA is the only facility able to spatially resolve water in a cool planet-forming disc,”

says co-author Wouter Vlemmings, a professor at the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden [1].

It is truly exciting to directly witness, in a picture, water molecules being released from icy dust particles,

says Elizabeth Humphreys, an astronomer at ESO who also participated in the study. The dust grains that make up a disc are the seeds of planet formation, colliding and clumping into ever larger bodies orbiting the star. Astronomers believe that where it is cold enough for water to freeze onto dust particles, things stick together more efficiently — an ideal spot for planet formation.

Our results show how the presence of water may influence the development of a planetary system, just like it did some 4.5 billion years ago in our own Solar System,”

Facchini adds.

With upgrades happening at ALMA and ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) coming online within the decade, planet formation and the role water plays in it will become clearer than ever.  In particular METIS, the Mid-infrared ELT Imager and Spectrograph, will give astronomers unrivalled views of the inner regions of planet-forming discs, where planets like Earth form.

Notes

[1] The new observations used the Band 5 and Band 7 receivers on ALMA. Bands 5 and 7 were European developments, at Chalmers/NOVA (Netherlands Research School for Astronomy) and IRAM (Institut de radioastronomie millimétrique), respectively, with involvement of ESO. Band 5 expanded ALMA into a new frequency range specifically for detecting and imaging water in the local Universe. In this study, the team observed three spectral lines of water across the two receiver frequency ranges to map gas at different temperatures within the disc.

Links

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For the Love of Mars:
A Human History of the Red Planet

Everyone can participate in space