Want To Take A Relaxing interstellar Vacation? Consider Visiting Kepler-16b, A World In A Binary Star

For more on the Fermi Paradox and why alien life hasn’t found us yet. (Infographic via futurism)

Helix Nebula // NGC 7293

Is Proxima b another Earth? It’s difficult to answer because no one has actually “seen” this distant planet which orbits the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri right in theGoldilocks Zone. Scientists have merely concluded that Proxima b (which is about 4.2 light years away from Earth) is right where it should be, by observing the regular, subtle changes in Proxima Centauri’s color. Proxima b is tidally locked to its star — which means one side of it is always facing Proxima Centauri, and the other side is perpetually dark. With just an 11.2-year revolution, it lies very close to its star, although red-dwarf stars are not as hot as yellow-dwarves (like our Sun).  There is a possibility that water exists on Proxima b, and that it has an atmosphere protecting it from extreme heat, and scattering heat even to its dark side.  How can we be sure? Harvard’s Avi Loeb and astronomer Laura Kreidberg propose that we use NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). UNCERTAINTIES The long-delayed JWST is set to launch by 2018 (originally 2011). Loeb explains that if a rocky planet, like Proxima b, has an atmosphere, it would absorb light from its star and re-emit it as infrared light. Incidentally, the JWST is specifically designed to observe infrared light. The JWST can take photos of infrared light on the surface Proxima b, looking for patterns that would confirm whether or not this exoplanet has water or is covered by an atmosphere. Things aren’t so simple, however. The proposed method may be doable. But there are other factors that have to be considered. For instance, the existence of an atmosphere may not guarantee life, says astrophysicist Ed Turner of Princeton University. Proxima b may be like Venus, with an atmosphere 90 times thicker than ours, and extreme heat. Still, Loeb’s and Kriedberg’s plan is the only option we have for a glimmer of an answer about this “Earth next-door”. References: Business Insider, Scientific American

LIVE LONG AND PROSPER.....

I met her when I was 10 days old, and him in kindergarten. Now they’re married and I’m the happiest maid of honor ever. Congratulations @britmaack and Ben!

Space Station Science: Biological Research

Each month, we highlight a different research topic on the International Space Station. In August, our focus is biological research. Learning how spaceflight affects living organisms will help us understand potential health risks related to humans on long duration missions, including our journey to Mars.

Cells, microbes, animals and plants are affected by microgravity, and studying the processes involved in adaptation to spaceflight increases our fundamental understanding of biological processes on Earth. Results on Earth from biological research in space include the development of new medications, improved agriculture, advancements in tissue engineering and regeneration, and more. 

Take a look at a few of the biological research experiments performed on space station:

Biomolecule Sequencer

Living organisms contain DNA, and sequencing DNA is a powerful way to understand how they respond to changing environments. The Biomolecule Sequencer experiment hopes to demonstrate (for the first time) that DNA sequencing is feasible in an orbiting spacecraft. Why? A space-based DNA sequencer could identify microbes, diagnose diseases and understand crew member health, and potentially help detect DNA- based life elsewhere in the solar system.

Ant-stronauts

Yes, ant-stronauts…as in ants in space. These types of studies provide insights into how ants answer collective search problems. Watching how the colony adapts as a unit in the quest for resources in extreme environments, like space, provides data that can be used to build algorithms with varied applications. Understanding how ants search in different conditions could have applications for robotics.

TAGES

The TAGES experiment (Transgenic Arabidopsis Gene Expression System) looks to see how microgravity impacts the growth of plant roots. Fluorescent markers placed on the plant’s genes allow scientists to study root development of Arabidopsis (a cress plant) grown on the space station. Evidence shows that directional light in microgravity skews root growth to the right, rather than straight down from the light source. Root growth patters on station mimic that of plants grown at at 45% degree angle on Earth. Space flight appears to slow the rate of the plant’s early growth as well.

Heart Cells

Spaceflight can cause a suite of negative health effects, which become more problematic as crew members stay in orbit for long periods of time. Effects of Microgravity on Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomycytes (Heart Cells) studies the human heart, specifically how heart muscle tissue contracts, grows and changes in microgravity. Understanding how heart muscle cells change in space improves efforts for studying disease, screening drugs and conducting cell replacement therapy for future space missions.

Medaka Fish

Chew on these results…Jaw bones of Japanese Medaka fish in microgravity show decreased mineral density and increased volume of osteoclasts, cells that break down bone tissue. Results from this study improve our understanding of the mechanisms behind bone density and organ tissue changes in space.

These experiments, and many others, emphasize the importance of biological research on the space station. Understanding the potential health effects for crew members in microgravity will help us develop preventatives and countermeasures.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com

NASA tested new “eyes” for its next Mars rover mission on a rocket built by Masten Space Systems in Mojave, California, thanks in part to NASA’s Flight Opportunities Program, or FOP.

The agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, is leading development of the Mars 2020 rover and its Lander Vision System, or LVS. In 2014, the prototype vision system launched 1,066 feet (325 meters) into the air aboard Masten’s rocket-powered “Xombie” test platform and helped guide the rocket to a precise landing at a predesignated target. LVS flew as part of a larger system of experimental landing technologies called the Autonomous Descent and Ascent Powered-flight Testbed, or ADAPT.

LVS, a camera-based navigation system, photographs the terrain beneath a descending spacecraft and matches it with onboard maps allowing the craft to detect its location relative to landing hazards, such as boulders and outcroppings.

The system can then direct the craft toward a safe landing at its primary target site or divert touchdown toward better terrain if there are hazards in the approaching target area. Image matching is aided by an inertial measurement unit that monitors orientation.

The Flight Opportunities Program funded the Masten flight tests under the Space Technology Mission Directorate. The program obtains commercial suborbital space launch services to pursue science, technology and engineering to mature technology relevant to NASA’s pursuit of space exploration. The program nurtures the emerging suborbital space industry and allows NASA to focus on deep space.

Andrew Johnson, principal investigator in development of the Lander Vision System development, said the tests built confidence that the vision system will enable Mars 2020 to land safely.

“By providing funding for flight tests, FOP motivated us to build guidance, navigation and control payloads for testing on Xombie,” Johnson said. “In the end we showed a closed loop pinpoint landing demo that eliminated any technical concerns with flying the Lander Vision System on Mars 2020.”

According to “Lander Vision System for Safe and Precise Entry Descent and Landing,” a 2012 abstract co-authored by Johnson for a Mars exploration workshop, LVS enables a broad range of potential landing sites for Mars missions.

Typically, Mars landers have lacked the ability to analyze and react to hazards, the abstract says. To avoid hazards, mission planners selected wide-open landing sites with mostly flat terrain. As a result, landers and rovers were limited to areas with relatively limited geological features, and were unable to access many sites of high scientific interest with more complex and hazardous surface morphology. LVS will enable safe landing at these scientifically compelling Mars landing sites.

An LVS-equipped mission allows for opportunities to land within more challenging environments and pursue new discoveries about Mars. With LVS baselined for inclusion on Mars 2020, the researchers are now focused on building the flight system ahead of its eventual role on the Red Planet.

To learn more about NASA’s flight opportunities program, visit:

https://flightopportunities.nasa.gov/

To read more about NASA’s Mars 2020 rover, visit:

http://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/

We have been expecting you Mr Handle......

Vote for Space at SXSW 2017

We need your help! There are a number of exciting space-related panels proposed for next year’s South by Southwest Interactive Festival in Austin, Texas. SXSW is a community-driven event and voting accounts for 30% of the decision-making process for any given programming slot. The selection process is extremely competitive and the more votes we submit for the space panels, the more likely a panel related to space exploration will be included in the final SXSW program. 

To help you out as you consider what to vote for, we’ve put together a list of all the NASA-related panel proposals. 

These proposals look at ways we explore the solar system and beyond:

New Eyes on our Home System: NASA’s Next Telescope

Dark Energy and Exoplanets: NASA’s WFIRST Mission

Capturing NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope

Lessons from the Fringes of the Solar System

Into the Unknown: The People Behind Webb Telescope

These proposals looks at how we’re using out-of-this-world tech and data to create incredible experiences here on Earth and helping solve challenges through your participation:

Space 360: Experience NASA Missions in VR/AR/video

The Power of Many: Wisdom from the Crowd 

It’s Time to Ask More of Open Data

A little closer to home, this proposal explores our work to study and observe our dynamic home world, Earth:

NASA - Doing Work to Keep it Cool 

We want to send humans on a journey to Mars. How? These proposals would dive into this question and more: 

So you want to go to Mars?

Humans, Robots + Microbes: The Challenge of Mars

“Because They Are Hard”: NASA & Mars

Lastly, we’re proposing a meetup for NASA and the entire space community at SXSW 2017:

Space Meetup

Community voting and commenting for SXSW 2017 is open through September 2, 2016.

We look forward to seeing you in Austin in March at the SXSW Interactive Festival. Thanks!

Nearly two years after a privately built Antares rocket crashed and exploded, the booster's builder Orbital ATK is ready to return to flight. Tonight (Oct. 16), an upgraded version of the Antares rocket will soar into the sky above Virginia's Eastern Shore, a nightttime launch that could be visible to potentially millions of observers up and down the U.S. East Coast, weather permitting. The Antares rocket will launch Orbital ATK's Cygnus spacecraft on a NASA cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station. Liftoff is set for 8:03 p.m. EDT (0003 Oct. 17 GMT) from Pad-0A of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia. You can watch a webcast of the launch herebeginning at 7 p.m. EDT (2300 GMT), courtesy of NASA TV. Advertisemen