145 articles from FRIDAY 28.10.2022

From NASA’s Moon Program to Climate Science, Space Agency Adds Big Boost to the Economy

NASA has been asked to do a lot of things in the 64 years it’s been a federal agency, and on the whole, it’s delivered the goods. Beat the Soviet Union to the moon? Check. Build a fleet of reusable space shuttles? Check. Oversee a 15-nation collaboration that built a football-field sized International Space Station? Check. But there’s one thing NASA has never been asked to do,...

Ukraine Has Been Using Elon Musk’s Satellites And Russia Is Not Happy About It

Few people were thinking about a war in Ukraine when SpaceX began launching its constellation of Starlink satellites into space in 2019. The Starlink fleet, which now numbers more than 2,300, is designed to provide broadband connection to underserved parts of the world. Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine last February, the Ukrainian army has been making use of the satellites for battlefield...

NASA's Lunar Flashlight ready to search for the Moon's water ice

It's known that water ice exists below the lunar regolith (broken rock and dust), but scientists don't yet understand whether surface ice frost covers the floors inside these cold craters. To find out, NASA is sending Lunar Flashlight, a small satellite (or SmallSat) no larger than a briefcase. Swooping low over the lunar South Pole, it will use lasers to shed light on these dark craters—much...

Hinode Sees Annular Solar Eclipse from Orbit

Portal origin URL: Hinode Sees Annular Solar Eclipse from OrbitPortal origin nid: 483680Published: Friday, October 28, 2022 - 15:02Featured (stick to top of list): noPortal text teaser: On Oct. 25, the Hinode satellite used its X-ray Telescope to capture three passages of the Moon eclipsing the Sun.Portal image: A triple photo showcasingHinode view of the annular...

NASA Continues Psyche Asteroid Mission

Portal origin URL: NASA Continues Psyche Asteroid MissionPortal origin nid: 483679Published: Friday, October 28, 2022 - 15:00Featured (stick to top of list): noPortal text teaser: NASA announced Friday the agency decided its Psyche mission will go forward, targeting a launch period opening on Oct. 10, 2023.Portal image: NASA's Psyche...

Team develops new method to determine flaws in rubber

A new method to ensure consistency and quality in rubber manufacturing, developed by a research team from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Eastman, is likely to show real-world impact on material sustainability and durability for products such as car tires.

Haunting portrait: Webb reveals dust and structure in pillars of creation

Why does mid-infrared light evoke such a somber, chilling mood in Webb's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) image? Interstellar dust cloaks the scene. And while mid-infrared light specializes in detailing where dust is, the stars aren't bright enough at these wavelengths to appear. Instead, these looming, leaden-hued pillars of gas and dust gleam at their edges, hinting at the activity within.

NASA and ESA agree on next steps to return Mars samples to Earth

The next step in the unprecedented campaign to return scientifically selected samples from Mars was made on Oct. 19 with a formal agreement between NASA and its partner ESA (European Space Agency). The two agencies will proceed with the creation of a sample tube depot on Mars. The sample depot, or cache, will be at "Three Forks," an area located near the base of an ancient river delta in Jezero...

Tracking the pathway to immunity, one cell at a time

Vaccines work their magic by effectively creating immune cells that are long lived, often for over decades. These immune cells create both a protective barrier that can prevent or minimize re-infection and a memory that allows us to recognize an old invader like a virus and to kill it before it causes disease. The antibody in our blood that is the barrier is made by 'long lived plasma cells' and...

Climate crisis study finds heatwaves have cost global economy $16tn

Researchers examining data going back to 1990s find global south has borne brunt despite causing least emissionsHeatwaves brought on by human-caused climate breakdown have cost the global economy about $16tn since the 1990s, according to a study.The research calculates the financial impact of extreme heat on infrastructure, agriculture, productivity, human health and other areas. Continue...

Heat waves driven by climate change have cost global economy trillions since the 1990s

Massive economic losses due to sweltering temperatures brought on by human-caused climate change are not just a problem for the distant future. A study in the journal Science Advances has found that more severe heat waves resulting from global warming have already cost the world economy trillions of dollars since the early 1990s—with the world's poorest and lowest carbon-emitting nations...

Zombie worlds: Five spooky planets orbiting dead stars

All stars, including the sun, have a finite lifetime. Stars shine by the process of nuclear fusion in which lighter atoms, such as hydrogen, fuse together to create heavier ones. This process releases vast quantities of energy which counteracts the ever-present inward pull of the star's gravity. Ultimately, fusion helps stars to resist gravitational collapse.

Study examines how well-timed cover crops can suppress weeds in California orchards

California's commercial orchards are home to nearly 2.5 million acres of almonds, walnuts, stone fruit and similar crops. Growers focus their most intense weed management efforts on establishing a clear crop row so that weeds won't interfere with irrigation lines, compete with crops for water, or impede the use of sweepers and other harvesting equipment.