Archive for the ‘Space News’ Category
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December 18th, 2022
Allen Telescope Array dedicated to astronomical observations and a simultaneous search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI).
Image credit: Seth Shostak/SETI Institute
The well-known Fermi Paradox, “Where are they?” proposes that Earth may be the only civilization, since there is no evidence for extraterrestrial visits.
A research paper offers a new solution to the Fermi Paradox, authored by Amri Wandel of the Racah Institute of Physics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
“Probes or visits from putative alien civilizations have a very low probability until a civilization reaches a certain age (called the Contact Era) after the onset of radio communications,” Wandel explains in the paper: “The Fermi Paradox revisited: Technosignatures and the Contact Era.”
“Where is everybody?” asked physicist Enrico Fermi during a discussion with colleagues in 1950.
Image credit: National Archives
Physical probes
The Contact Era, Wandel adds, is the time since the onset of radio transmissions at which the contact probability becomes of order unity.
“At that time alien probes (or messages) become more likely. Unless civilizations are highly abundant, the Contact Era is shown to be of the order of a few hundred to a few thousand years and may be applied not only to physical probes but also to transmissions (i.e. SETI),” the research paper explains.
“Consequently, it is shown that civilizations are unlikely to be able to inter-communicate unless their communicative lifetime is at least a few thousand years,” Wandel’s research paper observes.
Lack of detection
Wandel notes that, of course, there are many caveats, such as:
- the civilization may not be communicative, or directed signals may have been sent when we were not listening.
- if a civilization sufficiently nearby has sent probes to the Solar System, its eventual communication with the probes would be directed at Earth and may be detected by SETI.
- the probes may be autonomous or communications may be seldom.
The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in northern Chile’s Atacama desert.
Credit: ESO/B. Tafreshi (twanight.org)
The paper, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal, concludes that for directed signals, “the Contact Era may apply not only to physical probes and alien visits but also to alien intended transmissions, and eventually explain the lack of detections by SETI.”
To access the paper — “The Fermi Paradox revisited: Technosignatures and the Contact Era” – go to:
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Shown at Congressional hearing, Video 1 2021 flyby movie showing a purported UAP.
Credit: Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence, and Counterproliferation Subcommittee/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Credit: Breakthrough Listen
The results are in from the first radio technosignature search involving pre-planned observations to synchronize with exoplanets during their transits.
A survey of a dozen exoplanets in the Kepler field has been performed using a Breakthrough Listen search code called “turboSETI” – an analysis tool.
The facility used in the search was the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT), based in West Virginia.
Credit: SETI Post-detection Hub
Thirteen citizen scientists volunteered their time to assist the science team with the further filtering of the turboSETI events.
A large list of “signals-of-interest” was reduced to two. However, these signals do not rise to the level of even “candidate” technosignature signals, the research team reports.
New ground
In the process, the research team hopes that the “new ground” that has been broken in radio technosignature parameter space “will be extended by more synchronized SETI searches in the future, across many more instruments and teams.”
For more information, go to: “Signals of Interest” Turn Up in SETI Search Aided by Citizen Scientists by Micah Hanks in The Intelligence Brief
https://thedebrief.org/signals-of-interest-turn-up-in-seti-search-aided-by-citizen-scientists/
For a detailed look at this search and its results, go to the research paper — “A Green Bank Telescope search for narrowband technosignatures between 1.1 – 1.9 GHz during 12 Kepler planetary transits” — at:
Rochester researchers imagine covering an asteroid in a flexible, mesh bag made of ultralight and high-strength carbon nanofibers as the key to creating human cities in space.
Image credit: University of Rochester illustration/Michael Osadciw)
Researchers have proposed using near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) as a platform for humanity’s expansion into space.
Due to NEA trajectories, a habitat built on an asteroid has implications for interplanetary transport. Manipulating an asteroid’s extensive mass could create shielding from the hazards of space, such as solar radiation.
In recent research paper, what’s being suggested is carefully spinning such a NEA habitat so artificial gravity can be generated for human occupants, ideal for long-term space travel.
For detailed information, go to “Habitat Bennu: Design Concepts for Spinning Habitats Constructed From Rubble Pile Near-Earth Asteroids” at:
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspas.2021.645363/full
Credit: Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies
A Department of Defense media roundtable at the Pentagon on the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) was held December 16th.
GOFAST
Credit: DOD/U.S. Navy/Inside Outer Space screengrab
“Unidentified objects in the skies, sea and space pose potential threats to safety and security, particularly for operational personnel. AARO is leading a focused effort to better characterize, understand and attribute these objects and is employing the highest scientific and analytic standards.” — Sean Kirkpatrick, director of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office.
Go to transcript at:
Image credit: Orbital Assembly
Variable gravity in space has long been discussed; an idea harvested as far back as 1883 by the visionary Russian rocket scientist, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky.
Future space habitats may offer hybrid, variable gravity environments to accommodate both human and commercial needs, according to researchers piecing together a unique and exhaustive literature review of artificial gravity opportunities, challenges, and potential impact on humans in space.
Sponsored by Orbital Assembly, the new work – “Challenges and Benefits to Human Operations in Variable & Partial Gravity Earth Orbiting Habitats” — was conducted by the 100 Year Starship initiative, founded and led by former astronaut Mae Jemison. Joining Jemison in the research was University of California, Irvine professor, Ronke Olabisi.
Mae Jemison and Ronke Olabisi.
Image credit: Orbital Assembly
The researchers call for more studies on artificial gravity in a space environment since virtually all the human research on artificial gravity has been conducted on Earth to date.
Hybrid gravity
“This review provides further justification of the need for hybrid gravity space station design that will offer variable levels of gravity in the very near future,” said Rhonda Stevenson, Chief Executive Officer of Orbital Assembly.
The researchers do report that, although artificial gravity would likely prove to be an effective multisystem preventative against the deleterious impact of microgravity, countermeasures such as exercise, pharmaceuticals, and nutrition have been perceived to be much more cost effective and easier to implement.
Gaps in knowledge
“Rotational artificial gravity structures are being proposed as single countermeasure solutions to long duration and interplanetary space travel. Such capabilities may facilitate better accommodations for everyone—from professional crew to researchers to tourists—to protect health, facilitate operations, and optimize time on orbit,” explains an Orbital Assembly statement.
Time to turn in freefall for variable gravity?
Image credit: NASA
The researchers also note that the reality is that there is little direct human evidence that artificial gravity will protect human health, but animal studies combined with ground-based studies provide important clues.
“Regardless of the gaps in knowledge concerning the benefit of artificial gravity as a countermeasure, there are intuitively obvious benefits to artificial gravity, including establishing a well-defined vertical and horizontal reference frame,” the report explains.
“If artificial gravity does prove to be an effective countermeasure, crew compliance with lengthy and tedious 0-G exercise protocols would become unnecessary,” the report points out.
Go to this informative video, “Space Medicine and Artificial Gravity” – featuring Ronke Olabisi at:
Image credit: CMSA/CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
The Shenzhou-15 trio of taikonauts are settling in aboard China’s Tiangong space station.
Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu were sent into space in late November and are busily at work on the nearly completed three-module orbital outpost.
During their projected six-month mission, the trio will carry out tests related to long-term residence in China’s space station.
Experiment cabinets
As reported by China Central Television (CCTV), they will also unlock, install and test 15 scientific experiment cabinets, and carry out more than 40 experiments and tests in the fields of space science research and application, space medicine and space technology.
Image credit: Shujianyang Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA
Additionally, three to four rounds of extravehicular activities (EVAs) are planned during their stay. On tap is installation of the Mengtian lab module extended pump sets and the exposure payload platform.
Cargo exit tasks
The crew is set to verify the exit mode of the cargo airlock cabin of the Mengtian module, and cooperate with the ground to complete six cargo exit tasks, CCTV reports.
Also on the work list, the Shenzhou-15 crew will perform regular platform testing, maintenance, and space station affairs management. In addition, the crew will carry out in-orbit health protection exercises, training and drills.
Onboard for a projected 6 month period, the astronauts are to kick off the first stage of space station application and development.
The target chamber of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s National Ignition Facility.
Image credit: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
The announcement this week of fusion ignition is a major scientific advance, one that is decades in the making. More energy was produced than the laser energy used to spark the first controlled fusion triumph.
The result: replicating the fusion that powers the sun.
Broad implications
The nuclear fusion feat has broad implications, fueling hopes of clean, limitless energy. As for space exploration, one upshot from the landmark research is attaining the long-held dream of future rockets that are driven by fusion propulsion.
Physicist Fatima Ebrahimi in front of an artistic rendering of a fusion rocket.
Image credit: Elle Starkman, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Office of Communications
But is that prospect still a pipe dream or is it now deemed reachable? If so, how much of a future are we looking at?
For a look at possible answers, go to my new Space.com story — “Nuclear fusion breakthrough: What does it mean for space exploration? – Some scientists say nuclear fusion propulsion is inevitable. But how far away is it, given recent breakthroughs?” – at:
https://www.space.com/nuclear-fusion-breakthrough-spacetravel
TransAstra’s Mini Bee is an in-space capture spacecraft.
Image credit: TransAstra
Innovative technologies for space debris removal and upgrading the ability to detect and track previously unfound moving spacecraft and other objects have been funded.
California-based TransAstra has been awarded contracts to develop critical emerging technologies in removing space junk and in space domain awareness beyond low Earth orbit for planetary defense and space surveillance purposes.
Capture bag
In a Phase 1 award from NASA’s Ignite program, the Small Business Innovation Research funding to TransAstra calls for design development of a deployable, inflatable capture bag which is capable of fully enclosing small spacecraft and debris for repositioning and de-orbiting.
TransAstra’s Mini Bee Capture Bag is initially designed to do away with debris of 10 centimeters diameter or greater. The bag can readily scale to 10 meters diameter or more.
The technology includes a robotic zipper that yields a nearly hermetic seal and prevents micro debris or liquid from leaking into space.
The capture bag also has the potential to arrest spacecraft that are in an uncontrolled orbit — whether due to fuel depletion or other cause — and safely remove the object.
TransAstra’s Sutter telescope system uses specialized Optimized Matched Filter Tracking (OMFT) software.
Image credit: TransAstra
Space surveillance
Under the second award from the Department of Defense, TransAstra will modify its Sutter technology to enable imaging of very small, faint, fast-moving objects in cislunar and deep space with 100 times greater strength and accuracy than standard imaging techniques, at a fraction of the cost.
Sutter technology makes use of TransAstra’s proprietary Optimized Matched Filter Tracking (OMFT) software. While TransAstra is currently operating its Sutter technology in ground-based systems, the Defense Department award will help fund development of an in-space solution.
“This space domain awareness advancement is necessary to report where objects are in space, understand why they are there, and match mounting threats from near-peer adversaries like China and Russia,” said Joel Sercel, CEO of TransAstra.
“Our technology allows the Space Force to find, fix, and track spacecraft and space debris to mitigate any potential threat throughout cislunar space,” Sercel said in a TransAstra statement.
For more information on TransAstra, go to:
Will humankind feel motivated to seed lifeless planets with tough terrestrial organisms or synthetic forms crafted to live long and prosper on a targeted planet?
That question is explored in a new research paper that looks to comets as possible “biological delivery vehicles.”
This intriguing paper – “Directed Panspermia Using Interstellar Comets” – appears in a special issue of the Astrobiology journal dedicated to Interstellar Objects in Our Solar System.
Biochemical signatures
“It may be that habitable planets are common but life is rare. If future advances in telescopes increasingly suggest this is so, humankind might feel motivated to seed lifeless planets with resilient terrestrial organisms or synthetic forms designed to thrive on the target planet,” the paper suggests.
Authored by space specialists, Christopher McKay, Paul Davies and Simon Worden, they note it is conceivable that terrestrial life was deliberately seeded in this matter. That hypothesis could be tested if we found evidence for life on other solar system bodies that displayed common basic biochemical signatures.
Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA
Scenario assessment
In their scenario assessment, the paper adds, “raises a number of ethical and technological challenges that need to be addressed.” Chief among them is whether humans have the right to modify the environments of other astronomical bodies.
If they do, how much control would humankind have over the far downstream impact? “Safeguards that fall under the general category of ‘planetary protection’ need to be carefully assessed and protocols established for any future projects of this sort,” the researchers explain.
“Until recently, the idea that humans could literally sow the seeds of a cosmic transformation having multi-million-year downstream consequences would have been regarded as absurd,” the paper states. “But the discovery of interstellar comets has changed all that.”
Credit: Johns Hopkins/APL
Life suitably constructed
Harnessing comets as biological delivery vehicles is a capability not technically achievable today, but the paper adds that “there is no difficulty in understanding what is needed to do so and in refining the strategy to achieve the goal of seeding the galaxy with life suitably constructed to thrive in a variety of exoplanetary environments.”
The paper concludes: “Whether it is desirable to do so must rest with future generations.”
To access the research paper – “Directed Panspermia Using Interstellar Comets” – go to:
