NASA is prepared to launch Psyche, a groundbreaking mission to investigate the metal-rich asteroid 16 Psyche. Launch day for the mission is set for this Thursday, October 12.

NASA set to launch spacecraft to a metal-rich asteroid

NASA spacecraft is all set for an extraordinary mission, this will be the first four humankind mission. Scientists believe that this mission could provide some unanswered questions regarding our solar systems history.

NASA set to launch spacecraft to a metal rich asteroid on October 12 | Word News | WION

<p>NASA has reportedly requested for "lunar freezer" designs to ensure the secure storage of materials gathered from the moon during the upcoming Artemis missions, Space.com reported. The primary purpose of this freezer is to facilitate the safe transportation of scientific and geological samples collected during the Artemis programme.&nbsp;Additionally, NASA envisions the lunar freezer as a space for "human biological/physiological samples" acquired during these missions. This could allow for the study of the impact of lunar spaceflight on astronauts, the outlet reported&nbsp;quoting a request for information (RFI) posted to the federal contracting website SAM.gov.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Artemis 5 mission by 2027</strong></h2>

<p>NASA has set a target date of the end of 2027 for the completion of the lunar freezer, intending to launch it as part of the Artemis 5 mission. To facilitate its journey back to Earth from the lunar surface, the lunar freezer must be compatible with various vehicles, facilities, and spacecraft used by Artemis astronauts.</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/chandrayaan-3-lander-rover-sleep-forever-ex-isro-chief-says-no-hope-of-reviving-643520">Chandrayaan-3 lander, rover sleep forever? Ex-ISRO chief says 'no hope of reviving'</a></p>

<p>These include the lunar rover, moon habitats, the Human Landing System (HLS), the Orion crew module, and the Gateway lunar outpost, a planned space station orbiting the moon.</p>

<h2><strong>Robust design</strong></h2>

<p>The lunar freezer design must be capable of withstanding the physical forces encountered during launch and landing, including vibrations and shocks. There are also specifications in terms of size, weight, and temperature. The internal volume of the lunar freezer should be a minimum of 10x10x26 inches (25x25x66 centimeters), with the entire system weighing less than 121 pounds (55 kilograms).</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/ozone-hole-over-antarctica-is-one-of-the-biggest-on-record-643483">Ozone hole over Antarctica is one of the biggest on record</a></p>

<p>It also must maintain a temperature of minus 121 Fahrenheit (minus 85 Celsius) for at least 30 days to preserve the stored samples.</p>

<h2><strong>Advanced features</strong>&nbsp;</h2>

<p>NASA requires the lunar freezer to include an onboard display for monitoring and control by Artemis crews. It should also have both wireless and wired internet connectivity to transmit telemetry to Artemis vehicles and ground stations on Earth.</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/tracking-rupees-journey-since-1947-643588">Tracking Rupee's journey since 1947</a></strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/tracking-rupees-journey-since-1947-643588/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Furthermore, the freezer should be capable of recording data related to its temperature, overall health, and status of its door (When and for how long the freezer's door is opened).</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


NASA has reportedly requested for "lunar freezer" designs to ensure the secure storage of materials gathered from the moon during the upcoming Artemis missions, Space.

NASA has reportedly requested for "lunar freezer" designs to ensure the secure storage of materials gathered from the moon during the upcoming Artemis missions, Space.com reported. The primary purpose of this freezer is to facilitate the safe transportation of scientific and geological samples collected during the Artemis programme. Additionally, NASA envisions the lunar freezer as a space for "human biological/physiological samples" acquired during these missions. This could allow for the study of the impact of lunar spaceflight on astronauts, the outlet reported quoting a request for information (RFI) posted to the federal contracting website SAM.gov. Artemis 5 mission by 2027 NASA has set a target date of the end of 2027 for the completion of the lunar freezer, intending to launch it as part of the Artemis 5 mission. To facilitate its journey back to Earth from the lunar surface, the lunar freezer must be compatible with various vehicles, facilities, and spacecraft used by Artemis astronauts. Also Read | Chandrayaan-3 lander, rover sleep forever? Ex-ISRO chief says 'no hope of reviving' These include the lunar rover, moon habitats, the Human Landing System (HLS), the Orion crew module, and the Gateway lunar outpost, a planned space station orbiting the moon. Robust design The lunar freezer design must be capable of withstanding the physical forces encountered during launch and landing, including vibrations and shocks. There are also specifications in terms of size, weight, and temperature. The internal volume of the lunar freezer should be a minimum of 10x10x26 inches (25x25x66 centimeters), with the entire system weighing less than 121 pounds (55 kilograms). Also Read | Ozone hole over Antarctica is one of the biggest on record It also must maintain a temperature of minus 121 Fahrenheit (minus 85 Celsius) for at least 30 days to preserve the stored samples. Advanced features NASA requires the lunar freezer to include an onboard display for monitoring and control by Artemis crews. It should also have both wireless and wired internet connectivity to transmit telemetry to Artemis vehicles and ground stations on Earth. Watch | Tracking Rupee's journey since 1947 × Furthermore, the freezer should be capable of recording data related to its temperature, overall health, and status of its door (When and for how long the freezer's door is opened). WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

NASA seeks designs for 'lunar freezer' to safeguard moon mission samples

<p>China has been planning to expand its space station from three to six modules in coming years and is touting it as an alternative to the NASA-led International Space Station's (ISS) for near-Earth missions to astronauts from other countries. The space station is being expanded by China as the ISS nears the end of its lifespan.</p>

<p>The Chinese space station's operational lifetime will be more than 15 years, said the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), a unit of the main space contractor of China, during the 74th International Astronautical Congress in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Wednesday (Oct 4).&nbsp;</p>

<p>The lifetime announced is 10 years more than announced previously.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-vying-to-control-pakistani-media-with-the-help-of-proposed-nerve-centre-us-report-642774">China vying to control Pakistani media with the help of proposed 'nerve centre': US report</a></p>

<p>The self-built space station of China, which is known as Tiangong or Celestial Palace in Chinese, has been fully operational since late 2022 and hosted three astronauts at an orbital altitude of up to 450 km (280 miles).&nbsp;</p>

<p>After the expansion to six modules, Tiangong at 180 metric tonnes is still only 40 per cent of the mass of the ISS, which can manage to keep only seven astronauts.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>ISS to be decommissioned after 2030</strong></h2>

<p>However, the ISS, which has been in orbit for more than two decades, is likely to be decommissioned after 2030, around the same time China has stated that it aims to become "a major space power".</p>

<p>Last year, Chinese state media said that as Tiangong became fully operational, the country would be no "slouch" as the ISS moved towards retirement, adding that "several countries" had requested to accommodate their astronauts on the Chinese station.</p>

<p>But in a blow to aspirations of China for space diplomacy, the European Space Agency (ESA) stated that it did not have the budgetary or "political" green light this year to participate in Tiangong, dropping a years-long plan of a visit by European astronauts.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Gravitas: 55 Chinese soldiers allegedly died after getting ensnared in a Chinese trap</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-55-chinese-soldiers-allegedly-died-after-getting-ensnared-in-a-chinese-trap-642664/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>"Giving up cooperation with China in the manned space domain is clearly short-sighted, which reveals that the U.S.-led camp confrontation has led to a new space race," wrote the Global Times, a nationalist Chinese tabloid, at the time.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Tiangong is a symbol of the growing confidence of China in its space endeavours and has emerged as a challenger to the United States in the domain after it was isolated from the ISS.&nbsp;</p>

<p>You can&nbsp;<strong>now write for&nbsp;wionews.com</strong>&nbsp;and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


China has been planning to expand its space station from three to six modules in coming years and is touting it as an alternative to the NASA-led International Space Station's (ISS) for near-Earth missions to astronauts from other countries.

China has been planning to expand its space station from three to six modules in coming years and is touting it as an alternative to the NASA-led International Space Station's (ISS) for near-Earth missions to astronauts from other countries. The space station is being expanded by China as the ISS nears the end of its lifespan. The Chinese space station's operational lifetime will be more than 15 years, said the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), a unit of the main space contractor of China, during the 74th International Astronautical Congress in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Wednesday (Oct 4). The lifetime announced is 10 years more than announced previously. ALSO READ | China vying to control Pakistani media with the help of proposed 'nerve centre': US report The self-built space station of China, which is known as Tiangong or Celestial Palace in Chinese, has been fully operational since late 2022 and hosted three astronauts at an orbital altitude of up to 450 km (280 miles). After the expansion to six modules, Tiangong at 180 metric tonnes is still only 40 per cent of the mass of the ISS, which can manage to keep only seven astronauts. ISS to be decommissioned after 2030 However, the ISS, which has been in orbit for more than two decades, is likely to be decommissioned after 2030, around the same time China has stated that it aims to become "a major space power". Last year, Chinese state media said that as Tiangong became fully operational, the country would be no "slouch" as the ISS moved towards retirement, adding that "several countries" had requested to accommodate their astronauts on the Chinese station. But in a blow to aspirations of China for space diplomacy, the European Space Agency (ESA) stated that it did not have the budgetary or "political" green light this year to participate in Tiangong, dropping a years-long plan of a visit by European astronauts. WATCH | Gravitas: 55 Chinese soldiers allegedly died after getting ensnared in a Chinese trap "Giving up cooperation with China in the manned space domain is clearly short-sighted, which reveals that the U.S.-led camp confrontation has led to a new space race," wrote the Global Times, a nationalist Chinese tabloid, at the time. Tiangong is a symbol of the growing confidence of China in its space endeavours and has emerged as a challenger to the United States in the domain after it was isolated from the ISS. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

China's space plans include a massive space station to replace NASA's ageing ISS

<p>NASA astronauts will soon fly to space in style, as luxury fashion brand Prada joins the United States space agency. Prada will design the space suits for NASA's 2025 Moon Mission, alongside another private company Axiom Space.</p>

<h2><strong>Fashion in space</strong></h2>

<p>Axiom Space in a press release said that the Italian fashion house would bring in expertise with "raw materials, manufacturing techniques, and innovative design concepts."&nbsp;</p>

<p>It further said that Prada "will bring advanced technologies instrumental in ensuring not only the comfort of astronauts on the lunar surface but also the much-needed human factors considerations absent from legacy spacesuits." &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/psyche-mission-nasas-mission-to-study-metal-rich-asteroid-to-launch-on-oct-12-all-you-need-to-know-643219">Psyche mission: NASA's mission to study metal-rich asteroid to launch on Oct 12 | All you need to know</a></strong></p>

<p>The companies, as per BBC, said that they would make use of "innovative technologies and design" to allow "greater exploration of the lunar surface than ever before".</p>

<p>"The development of these next-generation spacesuits is a significant milestone in furthering space exploration, and enabling a deeper understanding of the Moon, the solar system, and beyond," it added.</p>

<h2><strong>How can a fashion brand design space suit?</strong></h2>

<p>Talking to BBC, an astronaut said that they believe Prada was up to the challenge due to their vast design experience, which is not merely limited to the catwalks of Milan. The fashion brand also boasts of experience with the America's Cup sailing competition.</p>

<p>"Prada has considerable experience with various types of composite fabrics and may actually be able to make some real technical contributions to the outer layers of the new space suit," said Professor Jeffrey Hoffman.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-to-launch-rockets-this-month-into-annular-solar-eclipses-shadow-to-study-atmosphere-643208">NASA to launch rockets this month into annular solar eclipse's shadow to study atmosphere</a></strong></p>

<p>Hoffman has been part of five NASA missions. He has also carried out four spacewalks.</p>

<p>The NASA astronaut, however, said that despite Prada's involvement, people should not expect astronauts in "paisley spacesuits or any fancy patterns like that." as "maintaining a good thermal environment is really the critical thing".</p>

<p>"A spacesuit is really like a miniature spacecraft. It has to provide pressure, oxygen, keep you at a reasonable temperature," he noted.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


NASA astronauts will soon fly to space in style, as luxury fashion brand Prada joins the United States space agency. Prada will design the space suits for NASA's 2025 Moon Mission, alongside another private company Axiom Space.

NASA astronauts will soon fly to space in style, as luxury fashion brand Prada joins the United States space agency. Prada will design the space suits for NASA's 2025 Moon Mission, alongside another private company Axiom Space. Fashion in space Axiom Space in a press release said that the Italian fashion house would bring in expertise with "raw materials, manufacturing techniques, and innovative design concepts." It further said that Prada "will bring advanced technologies instrumental in ensuring not only the comfort of astronauts on the lunar surface but also the much-needed human factors considerations absent from legacy spacesuits." Also read | Psyche mission: NASA's mission to study metal-rich asteroid to launch on Oct 12 | All you need to know The companies, as per BBC, said that they would make use of "innovative technologies and design" to allow "greater exploration of the lunar surface than ever before". "The development of these next-generation spacesuits is a significant milestone in furthering space exploration, and enabling a deeper understanding of the Moon, the solar system, and beyond," it added. How can a fashion brand design space suit? Talking to BBC, an astronaut said that they believe Prada was up to the challenge due to their vast design experience, which is not merely limited to the catwalks of Milan. The fashion brand also boasts of experience with the America's Cup sailing competition. "Prada has considerable experience with various types of composite fabrics and may actually be able to make some real technical contributions to the outer layers of the new space suit," said Professor Jeffrey Hoffman. Also read | NASA to launch rockets this month into annular solar eclipse's shadow to study atmosphere Hoffman has been part of five NASA missions. He has also carried out four spacewalks. The NASA astronaut, however, said that despite Prada's involvement, people should not expect astronauts in "paisley spacesuits or any fancy patterns like that." as "maintaining a good thermal environment is really the critical thing". "A spacesuit is really like a miniature spacecraft. It has to provide pressure, oxygen, keep you at a reasonable temperature," he noted. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Astronauts will don Prada spacesuits for the 2025 Artemis Moon Mission

<p>The American space agency, NASA is planning to send a high-tech spacecraft called Psyche to an asteroid of the same name, 16 Psyche. It will be a first-of-its-kind mission to study a metal-rich asteroid, which aims to help scientists learn more about the formation of rocky bodies in our solar system.</p>

<p>The launch of the mission will take place on Thursday (Oct 12) when NASA’s Psyche spacecraft will take off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and travel 2.2 billion miles.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/dead-star-vela-pulsar-emits-highest-energy-gamma-rays-643195">Dead star Vela Pulsar emits highest-energy gamma rays</a></p>

<p>Here is everything to know about NASA’s Psyche asteroid mission:</p>

<h2><strong>Aim of NASA’s Psyche asteroid mission</strong></h2>

<p>As per the data obtained from Earth-based radar and optical telescopes, scientists concluded that the asteroid Psyche could be part of the metal-rich interior of a planetesimal, a building block of a rocky planet that never formed. The rock might have collided with other large bodies during its early formation and lost its outer rocky shell.&nbsp;</p>

<p>So exploring Psyche could provide information into the history of violent collisions and accumulation of matter that created planets.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Psyche mission is a team effort of NASA and Arizona State University</strong></h2>

<p>The Psyche asteroid mission is a collaboration of NASA and Arizona State University (ASU). The principal investigator of the mission, Lindy Elkins Tanton, is based at ASU.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/chinese-europeans-creating-incredibly-sensitive-space-telescope-for-monitoring-cosmic-explosions-643135">China's 'incredibly sensitive' space telescope will monitor universe's most violent explosions</a></p>

<p>NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California is managing&nbsp;the mission for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, JPL is also responsible for system engineering, integration and test, and mission operations.</p>

<p>NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center is managing launch operations and has procured&nbsp;the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.</p>

<h2><strong>How to watch the launch of NASA’s Psyche asteroid mission?</strong></h2>

<p>The mission websites nasa.gov/psyche and psyche.asu.edu will post official news about the spacecraft’s journey. NASA and ASU will also post regular social media updates on Facebook, Instagram, and X. To watch the launch live, follow the link below-</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/npIDMxrzm_o?si=g1l_xln1MjWt6z8T" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<h2><strong>How Psyche’s study will be&nbsp;different from other objects&nbsp;in the solar system?</strong></h2>

<p>Other solar system bodies like Mars, Venus, and Earth are comprised of iron oxides but Psyche’s surface doesn’t seem to feature much of these chemical compounds. This suggests that the asteroid’s history differs from standard stories of planetary formation.</p>

<p>If the asteroid proves to be leftover core material from a planetary building block, scientists will learn how its history resembles and diverges from that of the rocky planets. And if scientists discover that Psyche is not an exposed core, it may prove to be a never-before-seen kind of primordial solar system object.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The American space agency, NASA is planning to send a high-tech spacecraft called Psyche to an asteroid of the same name, 16 Psyche. It will be a first-of-its-kind mission to study a metal-rich asteroid, which aims to help scientists learn more about the formation of rocky bodies in our solar system.

The American space agency, NASA is planning to send a high-tech spacecraft called Psyche to an asteroid of the same name, 16 Psyche. It will be a first-of-its-kind mission to study a metal-rich asteroid, which aims to help scientists learn more about the formation of rocky bodies in our solar system. The launch of the mission will take place on Thursday (Oct 12) when NASA’s Psyche spacecraft will take off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and travel 2.2 billion miles. Also Read | Dead star Vela Pulsar emits highest-energy gamma rays Here is everything to know about NASA’s Psyche asteroid mission: Aim of NASA’s Psyche asteroid mission As per the data obtained from Earth-based radar and optical telescopes, scientists concluded that the asteroid Psyche could be part of the metal-rich interior of a planetesimal, a building block of a rocky planet that never formed. The rock might have collided with other large bodies during its early formation and lost its outer rocky shell. So exploring Psyche could provide information into the history of violent collisions and accumulation of matter that created planets. Psyche mission is a team effort of NASA and Arizona State University The Psyche asteroid mission is a collaboration of NASA and Arizona State University (ASU). The principal investigator of the mission, Lindy Elkins Tanton, is based at ASU. Also Read | China's 'incredibly sensitive' space telescope will monitor universe's most violent explosions NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California is managing the mission for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, JPL is also responsible for system engineering, integration and test, and mission operations. NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center is managing launch operations and has procured the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. How to watch the launch of NASA’s Psyche asteroid mission? The mission websites nasa.gov/psyche and psyche.asu.edu will post official news about the spacecraft’s journey. NASA and ASU will also post regular social media updates on Facebook, Instagram, and X. To watch the launch live, follow the link below- × How Psyche’s study will be different from other objects in the solar system? Other solar system bodies like Mars, Venus, and Earth are comprised of iron oxides but Psyche’s surface doesn’t seem to feature much of these chemical compounds. This suggests that the asteroid’s history differs from standard stories of planetary formation. If the asteroid proves to be leftover core material from a planetary building block, scientists will learn how its history resembles and diverges from that of the rocky planets. And if scientists discover that Psyche is not an exposed core, it may prove to be a never-before-seen kind of primordial solar system object. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Psyche: NASA's mission to study metal-rich asteroid to launch on Oct 12 | All you need to know

<p>NASA scientists will be at work on Oct 14, the day&nbsp;the annular solar eclipse or the Ring of Fire solar eclipse occurs.&nbsp;While skywatchers and eclipse chasers in America will watch the sun dim&nbsp;to 10% of its normal brightness, NASA will be busy firing rockets as part of the mission.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University engineering physics professor, Aroh Barjatya is in charge of a NASA mission that will launch three rockets to study how the sudden drop in sunlight affects the atmosphere during the eclipse.</p>

<p>The mission is known as Atmospheric Perturbations around the Eclipse Path or APEP.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/dead-star-vela-pulsar-emits-highest-energy-gamma-rays-643195"><b>A</b></a><b><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/dead-star-vela-pulsar-emits-highest-energy-gamma-rays-643195">lso read:&nbsp;Dead star Vela Pulsar emits highest-energy gamma rays</a></b></p>

<p>The rockets will launch from the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico and will be directed particularly at the ionosphere. The ionosphere's temperature and density will decrease during the eclipse, producing a wave-like effect that may interfere with GPS and other satellite communications.</p>

<p>“If you think of the ionosphere as a pond with some gentle ripples on it, the eclipse is like a motorboat that suddenly rips through the water,” Barjatya said in a statement.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/chinese-europeans-creating-incredibly-sensitive-space-telescope-for-monitoring-cosmic-explosions-643135"><strong>Also read:&nbsp;China's 'incredibly sensitive' space telescope will monitor universe's most violent explosions</strong></a></p>

<p>“It creates a wake immediately underneath and behind it, and then the water level momentarily goes up as it rushes back in," he added. &nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Three rockets to be launched in succession</strong></h2>

<p>APEP team will launch three rockets in quick succession— one 35 minutes before the local peak eclipse, one during the eclipse, and one 35 minutes later.</p>

<h2><strong>APEP future projects</strong></h2>

<p>This is not the only launch for the APEP. On April 8, 2024, when a total solar eclipse will sweep the United States from Texas to Maine, the APEP rockets that were launched in New Mexico will be recovered and then launched once more from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Although the April launches will provide a chance to gauge how far-reaching an eclipse's effects are, they will be farther from the eclipse path than the October annular eclipse.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


NASA scientists will be at work on Oct 14, the day the annular solar eclipse or the Ring of Fire solar eclipse occurs. While skywatchers and eclipse chasers in America will watch the sun dim to 10% of its normal brightness, NASA will be busy firing rockets as part of the mission.

NASA scientists will be at work on Oct 14, the day the annular solar eclipse or the Ring of Fire solar eclipse occurs. While skywatchers and eclipse chasers in America will watch the sun dim to 10% of its normal brightness, NASA will be busy firing rockets as part of the mission. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University engineering physics professor, Aroh Barjatya is in charge of a NASA mission that will launch three rockets to study how the sudden drop in sunlight affects the atmosphere during the eclipse. The mission is known as Atmospheric Perturbations around the Eclipse Path or APEP. Also read: Dead star Vela Pulsar emits highest-energy gamma rays The rockets will launch from the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico and will be directed particularly at the ionosphere. The ionosphere's temperature and density will decrease during the eclipse, producing a wave-like effect that may interfere with GPS and other satellite communications. “If you think of the ionosphere as a pond with some gentle ripples on it, the eclipse is like a motorboat that suddenly rips through the water,” Barjatya said in a statement. Also read: China's 'incredibly sensitive' space telescope will monitor universe's most violent explosions “It creates a wake immediately underneath and behind it, and then the water level momentarily goes up as it rushes back in," he added. Three rockets to be launched in succession APEP team will launch three rockets in quick succession— one 35 minutes before the local peak eclipse, one during the eclipse, and one 35 minutes later. APEP future projects This is not the only launch for the APEP. On April 8, 2024, when a total solar eclipse will sweep the United States from Texas to Maine, the APEP rockets that were launched in New Mexico will be recovered and then launched once more from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Although the April launches will provide a chance to gauge how far-reaching an eclipse's effects are, they will be farther from the eclipse path than the October annular eclipse. (With inputs from agencies) ×

Why is NASA launching rockets into the 'ring of fire' eclipse?

India's Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission: More than a month ago the mission was put to sleep with some hope of reawakening. Watch this report to know more.

Chandrayaan-3 successfully completed fortnight-long mission

Well, it's an interesting thing to hear and say the moon may soon be open for business. Right now the geopolitical race for a piece of the moon is heating up this as China, the US and India all are vying for dominance. Our next report will get you all the details.

NASA aims to build moon homes for humans by 2040

Check the story to know how NASA, is planning to build houses on the moon by 2040 - and Mars could be next. The U.S. Space Agency recently granted a pioneering construction firm $60 million to build a house on the moon. These lunar homes can be used not just by astronauts but by ordinary civilians as well.

Homes for humans on the moon by 2040

NASA aims to build moon homes by 2040

<p>The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently unveiled how it is planning to retire International Space Station (ISS), which is a unique space station currently in lower Earth orbit. The space station facilitates collaborative projects involving five participating space agencies: NASA, Roscosmos, JAXA, ESA and CSA.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The ISS is often visible to the naked eye from Earth's surface as it is the largest artificial object in space and the largest satellite in low Earth orbit.&nbsp;</p>

<p>NASA disclosed the $1 billion plan to carry out the re-entry of ISS back to Earth as it said that it aims to develop a new orbital vehicle that will be vital in the process.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On September 20, NASA released an industry solicitation for a platform the agency is calling the US Deorbit Vehicle (USDV), which will be a catalyst in the safe return of the ISS.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/massive-earthquake-rocked-seattle-area-1100-years-ago-it-may-again-again-640621">Massive earthquake rocked Seattle area 1,100 years ago, it may happen again</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Calling it a 'space tug', NASA has invited companies to develop a specialised vehicle which would manoeuvre ISS from its position 175 miles above Earth to approximately 75 miles. This would start the process.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The primary objective of this contract is to procure a safe, reliable and cost-effective de-orbit vehicle to meet NASA’s ISS end-of-life de-orbit mission requirements,"&nbsp;NASA said as quoted by Flight Global.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As quoted by Earth.com, Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at Harvard University, said: "This has been done before, notably with the Mir space station. Many tons of material will hit the ocean relatively intact, and there will definitely be a warning to clear the airspace (we get about one of these a month for disposal of much smaller spacecraft like ISS cargo ships)."&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Here's what's tricky. You can fly the ISS safely down to an altitude of about 250 km. After that, you need this special USDV ship to take over the steering – it's like driving down a motorway with a lot of wind gusts – you need a lot of muscle power to stay on the road. If you ever lose control and the ISS starts tumbling, you're in trouble because then you can't reliably point the rocket engines in a particular direction," McDowell added.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/einstein-is-right-again-scientists-observe-falling-antimatter-640529">Einstein proven right again, scientists find antimatter ‘falling’, not defying gravity</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Einstein proven right again! Humans are one step closer to understanding antimatter&nbsp;</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/einstein-proven-right-again-humans-are-one-step-closer-to-understanding-antimatter-640653/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>The ISS emerged as an extraordinary platform for space scientists to analyse and understand the gazillion aspects of the universe. It is an orbital microgravity research platform for research and development.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Scientists and researchers have used the ISS for more than 20 years to research biological, physical, biomedicine, materials and Earth and space science on the 444,615kg gigantic structure.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>The crew at the space station is an integral part of the experiment and has been a critical part. They volunteer as test subjects for research into human adaptation to living and working in microgravity.&nbsp;</p>

<p>During their long stays, they perform various experiments besides doing their own work like cooking, cleaning, etc. &nbsp;Without these long-duration experiments, human exploration of the solar system will not be possible.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently unveiled how it is planning to retire International Space Station (ISS), which is a unique space station currently in lower Earth orbit.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently unveiled how it is planning to retire International Space Station (ISS), which is a unique space station currently in lower Earth orbit. The space station facilitates collaborative projects involving five participating space agencies: NASA, Roscosmos, JAXA, ESA and CSA. The ISS is often visible to the naked eye from Earth's surface as it is the largest artificial object in space and the largest satellite in low Earth orbit. NASA disclosed the $1 billion plan to carry out the re-entry of ISS back to Earth as it said that it aims to develop a new orbital vehicle that will be vital in the process. On September 20, NASA released an industry solicitation for a platform the agency is calling the US Deorbit Vehicle (USDV), which will be a catalyst in the safe return of the ISS. Also read: Massive earthquake rocked Seattle area 1,100 years ago, it may happen again Calling it a 'space tug', NASA has invited companies to develop a specialised vehicle which would manoeuvre ISS from its position 175 miles above Earth to approximately 75 miles. This would start the process. "The primary objective of this contract is to procure a safe, reliable and cost-effective de-orbit vehicle to meet NASA’s ISS end-of-life de-orbit mission requirements," NASA said as quoted by Flight Global. As quoted by Earth.com, Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at Harvard University, said: "This has been done before, notably with the Mir space station. Many tons of material will hit the ocean relatively intact, and there will definitely be a warning to clear the airspace (we get about one of these a month for disposal of much smaller spacecraft like ISS cargo ships)." "Here's what's tricky. You can fly the ISS safely down to an altitude of about 250 km. After that, you need this special USDV ship to take over the steering – it's like driving down a motorway with a lot of wind gusts – you need a lot of muscle power to stay on the road. If you ever lose control and the ISS starts tumbling, you're in trouble because then you can't reliably point the rocket engines in a particular direction," McDowell added. Also read: Einstein proven right again, scientists find antimatter ‘falling’, not defying gravity Watch: Einstein proven right again! Humans are one step closer to understanding antimatter × The ISS emerged as an extraordinary platform for space scientists to analyse and understand the gazillion aspects of the universe. It is an orbital microgravity research platform for research and development. Scientists and researchers have used the ISS for more than 20 years to research biological, physical, biomedicine, materials and Earth and space science on the 444,615kg gigantic structure. The crew at the space station is an integral part of the experiment and has been a critical part. They volunteer as test subjects for research into human adaptation to living and working in microgravity. During their long stays, they perform various experiments besides doing their own work like cooking, cleaning, etc. Without these long-duration experiments, human exploration of the solar system will not be possible. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

International Space Station will retire and return to Earth in 2031

<p>NASA was the first agency to take humans to the Moon, but after the shuttering of the Apollo programme in the year 1972, it hasn't made a significant foray into the Earth's only satellite. Yes, there have been crafts that have orbited the Moon and have come back, but NASA didn't focus on taking astronauts to the Moon. Things are different now, as the space agency is not only taking its astronauts to the Moon one more time but is also making ambitious plans to create human settlements there by 2040. And these settlements won't only be for astronauts, but also for civilians.</p>

<p>The agency believes that by 2040, the first American sub-division on the Moon will be a reality.</p>

<p>The plans, as reported by The New York Times, involve blasting off a 3-D printer to the Moon and creating structures there using resources available on the Moon. 3-D printers are already making structures on Earth using resources available at the time of printing, so it is, in theory, possible on the Moon as well.</p>

<p>The timeline may seem ambitious. After all, the 2040s are just 17 years away, a relatively small period considering the immense effort that goes into space endeavours. But scientists interviewed by the NYT said that the goal is achievable if NASA keeps up the good work of hitting the benchmarks.</p>

<p>“We’re at a pivotal moment, and in some ways, it feels like a dream sequence,” said Niki Werkheiser, NASA’s director of technology maturation. “In other ways, it feels like it was inevitable that we would get here.”</p>

<p>“We’ve got all the right people together at the right time with a common goal, which is why I think we’ll get there,” she said. “Everyone is ready to take this step together, so if we get our core capabilities developed, there’s no reason it’s not possible.”</p>

<p>Werkheiser was quoted by The New York Times.</p>

<p>NASA will not be doing this alone. It is likely to team up with private companies and take extensive help from academics and industry leaders.</p>

<p>You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form"><strong>here</strong></a>.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


NASA was the first agency to take humans to the Moon, but after the shuttering of the Apollo programme in the year 1972, it hasn't made a significant foray into the Earth's only satellite.

NASA was the first agency to take humans to the Moon, but after the shuttering of the Apollo programme in the year 1972, it hasn't made a significant foray into the Earth's only satellite. Yes, there have been crafts that have orbited the Moon and have come back, but NASA didn't focus on taking astronauts to the Moon. Things are different now, as the space agency is not only taking its astronauts to the Moon one more time but is also making ambitious plans to create human settlements there by 2040. And these settlements won't only be for astronauts, but also for civilians. The agency believes that by 2040, the first American sub-division on the Moon will be a reality. The plans, as reported by The New York Times, involve blasting off a 3-D printer to the Moon and creating structures there using resources available on the Moon. 3-D printers are already making structures on Earth using resources available at the time of printing, so it is, in theory, possible on the Moon as well. The timeline may seem ambitious. After all, the 2040s are just 17 years away, a relatively small period considering the immense effort that goes into space endeavours. But scientists interviewed by the NYT said that the goal is achievable if NASA keeps up the good work of hitting the benchmarks. “We’re at a pivotal moment, and in some ways, it feels like a dream sequence,” said Niki Werkheiser, NASA’s director of technology maturation. “In other ways, it feels like it was inevitable that we would get here.” “We’ve got all the right people together at the right time with a common goal, which is why I think we’ll get there,” she said. “Everyone is ready to take this step together, so if we get our core capabilities developed, there’s no reason it’s not possible.” Werkheiser was quoted by The New York Times. NASA will not be doing this alone. It is likely to team up with private companies and take extensive help from academics and industry leaders. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

NASA's moonshot plans involve making human settlements by 2040

<p>New York,&nbsp;one of the most populous cities in the US known for its bustling skyscrapers, is sinking under its own weight, a study done by NASA has warned.</p>

<p>The research conducted by scientists&nbsp;from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Rutgers University has pinpointed various locations in the city which are sinking at varying rates than the whole city.</p>

<p>The scientists said the sinking rate in these locations is faster than the average 1.6 millimetres per year experienced by the rest of NYC.</p>

<p>Among the areas which have been observed to be sinking faster are LaGuardia Airport, Arthur Ashe Stadium and Coney Island.</p>

<h2><strong>A city sitting atop ancient glacier that is now retreating </strong></h2>

<p>The researchers found that from 2016 to 2023, LaGuardia’s runways and Arthur Ashe Stadium was sinking at 3.7 and 4.6 millimetres per year, respectively.</p>

<p>While the whole city is sinking under the weight of skyscrapers, the newly identified hotspots are dipping because they sit atop an ancient glacier that is retreating.</p>

<p>And this is happening because of dual factors—natural and human, the study noted.</p>

<p>The ancient glacier covered most of New England about 24,000 years ago, and a wall of ice more than a mile high covered what is today Albany in upstate New York.</p>

<h2><strong>Some areas are getting uplifted </strong></h2>

<p>Interestingly, the team also found areas which are moving up.</p>

<p>East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and Woodside, Queens areas were found to be rising by about 1.6 mm and 6.9 mm per year respectively.</p>

<p>The study’s co-author Robert Kopp of Rutgers University believe that groundwater pumping and injection wells used to treat polluted water may have played a role in the uplift of these areas, but added that further investigation is needed.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/watch-pakistan-leaders-engage-in-fistfight-on-live-tv-during-heated-debate-640657">Watch | Pakistan leaders engage in fistfight on live TV during heated debate</a></p>

<p>The study was done by a team of NASA scientists and researchers at Rutgers University in New Jersey to analyse the 302.6-square-mile city of five boroughs: Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Staten Island.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-us-secretary-of-state-antony-blinken-wows-audience-with-his-legit-singing-640641">Watch: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken wows audience with his singing</a></p>

<p>They measured the upward and downward vertical land motion, or the uplift and subsidence, in New York City from 2016 to 2023.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The work involved using an interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) remote sensing technique, which combines two or more 3D observations of the same region to reveal surface motion or topography.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


New York, one of the most populous cities in the US known for its bustling skyscrapers, is sinking under its own weight, a study done by NASA has warned. The research conducted by scientists from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Rutgers University has pinpointed various locations in the city which are sinking at varying rates than the whole city.

New York, one of the most populous cities in the US known for its bustling skyscrapers, is sinking under its own weight, a study done by NASA has warned. The research conducted by scientists from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Rutgers University has pinpointed various locations in the city which are sinking at varying rates than the whole city. The scientists said the sinking rate in these locations is faster than the average 1.6 millimetres per year experienced by the rest of NYC. Among the areas which have been observed to be sinking faster are LaGuardia Airport, Arthur Ashe Stadium and Coney Island. A city sitting atop ancient glacier that is now retreating The researchers found that from 2016 to 2023, LaGuardia’s runways and Arthur Ashe Stadium was sinking at 3.7 and 4.6 millimetres per year, respectively. While the whole city is sinking under the weight of skyscrapers, the newly identified hotspots are dipping because they sit atop an ancient glacier that is retreating. And this is happening because of dual factors—natural and human, the study noted. The ancient glacier covered most of New England about 24,000 years ago, and a wall of ice more than a mile high covered what is today Albany in upstate New York. Some areas are getting uplifted Interestingly, the team also found areas which are moving up. East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and Woodside, Queens areas were found to be rising by about 1.6 mm and 6.9 mm per year respectively. The study’s co-author Robert Kopp of Rutgers University believe that groundwater pumping and injection wells used to treat polluted water may have played a role in the uplift of these areas, but added that further investigation is needed. Also read | Watch | Pakistan leaders engage in fistfight on live TV during heated debate The study was done by a team of NASA scientists and researchers at Rutgers University in New Jersey to analyse the 302.6-square-mile city of five boroughs: Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Staten Island. Also read | Watch: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken wows audience with his singing They measured the upward and downward vertical land motion, or the uplift and subsidence, in New York City from 2016 to 2023. The work involved using an interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) remote sensing technique, which combines two or more 3D observations of the same region to reveal surface motion or topography. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Some areas in New York sinking faster than whole city, says NASA

<p>The latest observations of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope have hinted at the presence of a building block of life – carbon – inside the global ocean on Europa, one of the icy moons of Jupiter.<br />
<br />
The James Webb Space Telescope was used by two independent teams of astronomers to observe the frozen surface of Europa. Each analysis of the detections of the space observatory revealed the presence of abundant carbon dioxide within a specific area of the frigid terrain.</p>

<p>The two studies described the findings which were published in the journal Science on September 21.<br />
<br />
“On Earth, life likes chemical diversity — the more diversity, the better. We’re carbon-based life. Understanding the chemistry of Europa’s ocean will help us determine whether it’s hostile to life as we know it, or if it might be a good place for life,” stated Geronimo Villanueva, lead author of the first study and planetary scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre in Greenbelt, Maryland, in a statement.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/amateur-japanese-astronomer-captures-bright-flash-in-jupiters-atmosphere-636502">Amateur Japanese astronomer captures bright flash in Jupiter's atmosphere</a></p>

<p>Apart from Earth, Europa is among the several ocean worlds present in our solar system where scientists feel life could exist.<br />
<br />
Europa has a thick ice shell beneath which a subsurface global ocean exists, which may contain twice the amount of water present on the oceans of the planet.<br />
<br />
However environments, which are suitable for the existence of life, require more than water: an energy source and a supply of organic molecules, according to NASA.<br />
<br />
After Webb's data revealed that carbon is present on Europa’s surface, an analysis was conducted by the researchers to understand if it was delivered by meteorites, or if it originated from the internal ocean.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Gravitas: A chunk of asteroid is coming to earth</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-a-chunk-of-asteroid-is-coming-to-earth-638712/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>In the observations, carbon dioxide was seen concentrated in a region of “chaos terrain” on Europa known as Tara Regio. The geologically young area is filled with ice which has been resurfaced and disrupted, which further suggests that the material was exchanged between the surface and the ocean.</p>

<h2><strong>Carbon dioxide is not stable on Europa's surface</strong></h2>

<p>Carbon dioxide is not stable on the surface of Europa, which further led the two teams to the same conclusion, that it originated from the ocean.<br />
<br />
“We now think that we have observational evidence that the carbon we see on Europa’s surface came from the ocean. That’s not a trivial thing. Carbon is a biologically essential element,” stated Samantha Trumbo, lead author of the second study and a 51 Pegasi B Fellow at Cornell University, in a statement.<br />
<br />
The Hubble Space Telescope had earlier spotted ocean-derived salt in the same region. “We think this implies that the carbon probably has its ultimate origin in the internal ocean,” said Trumbo.</p>

<p>You can&nbsp;<strong>now write for&nbsp;wionews.com</strong>&nbsp;and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


The latest observations of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope have hinted at the presence of a building block of life – carbon – inside the global ocean on Europa, one of the icy moons of Jupiter.

The latest observations of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope have hinted at the presence of a building block of life – carbon – inside the global ocean on Europa, one of the icy moons of Jupiter. The James Webb Space Telescope was used by two independent teams of astronomers to observe the frozen surface of Europa. Each analysis of the detections of the space observatory revealed the presence of abundant carbon dioxide within a specific area of the frigid terrain. The two studies described the findings which were published in the journal Science on September 21. “On Earth, life likes chemical diversity — the more diversity, the better. We’re carbon-based life. Understanding the chemistry of Europa’s ocean will help us determine whether it’s hostile to life as we know it, or if it might be a good place for life,” stated Geronimo Villanueva, lead author of the first study and planetary scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre in Greenbelt, Maryland, in a statement. ALSO READ | Amateur Japanese astronomer captures bright flash in Jupiter's atmosphere Apart from Earth, Europa is among the several ocean worlds present in our solar system where scientists feel life could exist. Europa has a thick ice shell beneath which a subsurface global ocean exists, which may contain twice the amount of water present on the oceans of the planet. However environments, which are suitable for the existence of life, require more than water: an energy source and a supply of organic molecules, according to NASA. After Webb's data revealed that carbon is present on Europa’s surface, an analysis was conducted by the researchers to understand if it was delivered by meteorites, or if it originated from the internal ocean. WATCH | Gravitas: A chunk of asteroid is coming to earth In the observations, carbon dioxide was seen concentrated in a region of “chaos terrain” on Europa known as Tara Regio. The geologically young area is filled with ice which has been resurfaced and disrupted, which further suggests that the material was exchanged between the surface and the ocean. Carbon dioxide is not stable on Europa's surface Carbon dioxide is not stable on the surface of Europa, which further led the two teams to the same conclusion, that it originated from the ocean. “We now think that we have observational evidence that the carbon we see on Europa’s surface came from the ocean. That’s not a trivial thing. Carbon is a biologically essential element,” stated Samantha Trumbo, lead author of the second study and a 51 Pegasi B Fellow at Cornell University, in a statement. The Hubble Space Telescope had earlier spotted ocean-derived salt in the same region. “We think this implies that the carbon probably has its ultimate origin in the internal ocean,” said Trumbo. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Life on Jupiter's moon? NASA's James Webb spots a building blocks on Europa

<p>In the vast expanse of space, astronauts aboard the Russian space station Mir in 1988 encountered an unexpected and curious visitor.</p>

<p>Cosmonauts aboard the space station realised that something, maybe an alien intruder, was blanketing a station window from the outside.</p>

<p>This intruder turned to be fungi, something that is anything but alien to us, yet in space it was an unwanted stowaway that had hitched a ride to the cosmos. Its vehicle of choice: the cosmonauts themselves.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here's why scientists don't hate this piggyback passenger:</p>

<h2><strong>Adaptation and survival</strong></h2>

<p>The fungi managed to adapt to the harsh space environment so well that not only did it survive, but it thrived on windows, control panels, air conditioners, and cable insulators.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It even managed to infiltrate the crew's food and water supply.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-discover-rare-stunning-electric-blue-coloured-tarantula-species-in-thailands-lush-jungles-640279">Scientists discover rare, stunning electric blue coloured Tarantula species in Thailand's lush jungles</a></strong></p>

<p>While this incident marked the first time fungi were found causing significant damage to a space station, it wouldn't be the last.</p>

<p>As insidious as it may sound, in the grand cosmic journey, space travellers are never truly alone. Rather than fear this reality, scientists are embracing it.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A team affiliated with the European Space Agency (ESA) has, as per Space.com, now embarked on hypergravity experiments with fungi. They want to unlock the secrets of fungi's survival in space's unforgiving conditions.</p>

<h2><strong>Why are scientists excited about fungi?</strong></h2>

<p>Understanding how fungi thrived in harsh space environments could pave the way for using it in the construction of off-world settlements and potentially incorporating them into space medications.</p>

<p>As per the report, spacefaring fungal species are like interstellar sleuths, lying dormant during launch and space travel before they "activate" to form thick, living mats in various regions of the space station.&nbsp;</p>

<p>These mats pose threats to astronaut health and jeopardise vital station components, including electronics and plumbing.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/isro-to-work-with-nasa-and-manage-traffic-around-aditya-l1s-destination-640261">ISRO to work with NASA and manage traffic around Aditya-L1's destination&nbsp;</a></strong></p>

<p>Even though since the 1988 incident, diligent efforts have been made to establish robust cleaning routines for eradicating fungi from station walls and equipment before they wreak havoc, it survives.</p>

<p>Scientists realised that studying fungal growth and behaviour in microgravity, particularly their adaptability in repairing DNA damage caused by space radiation, can actually be really helpful for long-term space missions.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As André Antunes, a researcher at Macau University of Science and Technology in China, noted, "We are never going to be able to get rid of fungi entirely as we venture into space, so we need to understand them."&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Research with fungi</strong></h2>

<p>In 2016, researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory conducted research by launching fungi, specifically Aspergillus nidulans, to the International Space Station (ISS).&nbsp;The experiment aimed to investigate how the ISS environment induced the fungus to produce molecules not typically found on Earth.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Similar investigations into fungal behaviour are currently underway on Earth, with the ESA studying fungal colony growth in "hypergravity" conditions, where artificially created gravity up to 20 times Earth's force was employed.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This two-week research effort, conducted at ESA's space technology and development centre in the Netherlands, sought to understand how fully grown fungal species respond to stress-inducing conditions.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


In the vast expanse of space, astronauts aboard the Russian space station Mir in 1988 encountered an unexpected and curious visitor. Cosmonauts aboard the space station realised that something, maybe an alien intruder, was blanketing a station window from the outside.

In the vast expanse of space, astronauts aboard the Russian space station Mir in 1988 encountered an unexpected and curious visitor. Cosmonauts aboard the space station realised that something, maybe an alien intruder, was blanketing a station window from the outside. This intruder turned to be fungi, something that is anything but alien to us, yet in space it was an unwanted stowaway that had hitched a ride to the cosmos. Its vehicle of choice: the cosmonauts themselves. Here's why scientists don't hate this piggyback passenger: Adaptation and survival The fungi managed to adapt to the harsh space environment so well that not only did it survive, but it thrived on windows, control panels, air conditioners, and cable insulators. It even managed to infiltrate the crew's food and water supply. Also read | Scientists discover rare, stunning electric blue coloured Tarantula species in Thailand's lush jungles While this incident marked the first time fungi were found causing significant damage to a space station, it wouldn't be the last. As insidious as it may sound, in the grand cosmic journey, space travellers are never truly alone. Rather than fear this reality, scientists are embracing it. A team affiliated with the European Space Agency (ESA) has, as per Space.com, now embarked on hypergravity experiments with fungi. They want to unlock the secrets of fungi's survival in space's unforgiving conditions. Why are scientists excited about fungi? Understanding how fungi thrived in harsh space environments could pave the way for using it in the construction of off-world settlements and potentially incorporating them into space medications. As per the report, spacefaring fungal species are like interstellar sleuths, lying dormant during launch and space travel before they "activate" to form thick, living mats in various regions of the space station. These mats pose threats to astronaut health and jeopardise vital station components, including electronics and plumbing. Also read | ISRO to work with NASA and manage traffic around Aditya-L1's destination Even though since the 1988 incident, diligent efforts have been made to establish robust cleaning routines for eradicating fungi from station walls and equipment before they wreak havoc, it survives. Scientists realised that studying fungal growth and behaviour in microgravity, particularly their adaptability in repairing DNA damage caused by space radiation, can actually be really helpful for long-term space missions. As André Antunes, a researcher at Macau University of Science and Technology in China, noted, "We are never going to be able to get rid of fungi entirely as we venture into space, so we need to understand them." Research with fungi In 2016, researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory conducted research by launching fungi, specifically Aspergillus nidulans, to the International Space Station (ISS). The experiment aimed to investigate how the ISS environment induced the fungus to produce molecules not typically found on Earth. Similar investigations into fungal behaviour are currently underway on Earth, with the ESA studying fungal colony growth in "hypergravity" conditions, where artificially created gravity up to 20 times Earth's force was employed. This two-week research effort, conducted at ESA's space technology and development centre in the Netherlands, sought to understand how fully grown fungal species respond to stress-inducing conditions. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Fungi's cosmic journey: From unwanted space stowaway to scientific fascination for its resilience

<p>NASA shared the image of a celestial body on its Instagram page and asked netizens to guess its name. The image shared showed a white celestial body with a broad ring around it, giving it the appearance of a&nbsp;dumpling or ravioli.&nbsp;</p>

<p>NASA’s official Instagram page captioned it, “Ravioli, pierogi, empanada...What do you see? No wrong answers.”</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxoWBD_pFhM/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:16px;">
<div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 19% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxoWBD_pFhM/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div>

<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxoWBD_pFhM/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxoWBD_pFhM/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by NASA (@nasa)</a></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Turns out, the object shown in the picture is the innermost moon of Saturn called Pan. The image of Pan was captured by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/alien-life-unlike-humans-may-not-be-carbon-based-suggests-new-study-639916">Alien life, unlike humans, may not be carbon-based, suggests new study</a></p>

<p>The American space agency further wrote in the caption, “Pan, the innermost of Saturn’s known moons, orbits the planet from inside a gap in one of Saturn's rings.”</p>

<h2><strong>Pan: Saturn’s innermost moon</strong></h2>

<p>The planet Saturn has many moons and&nbsp;a whopping 145 of them are known and named. Pan is one of those moons, and not just that, it is the innermost moon of the ringed planet. Pan is a small, walnut-shaped moon approximately 35 km and 23 km wide that orbits the Encke Gap, a part of Saturn’s A Ring. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Pan is responsible for keeping the Encke Gap free of ring particles. It is sometimes described as having the appearance of ravioli, the reason why NASA captioned it as ‘ravioli’</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/dangerous-rat-borne-disease-threatens-southeastern-us-warn-scientists-639873">Dangerous rat-borne disease threatens southeastern US, warn scientists</a></p>

<h2><strong>Netizens react with witty comments</strong></h2>

<p>NASA added that the moon was first discovered by MR Showalter in 1990 using the images taken by Voyager 2 spacecraft.⁣ These recent images of Pan were captured by the Cassini spacecraft while passing within 15,300 miles (24,600 km) of the moon. It is also the spacecraft's closest encounter with Pan.</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/not-dyson-sphere-search-other-technosignatures-to-search-for-aliens-study-639804">Not Dyson Sphere, search other technosignatures to find aliens: Study</a></p>

<p>NASA said that the two images shared of Pan were taken from different perspectives - one from above the moon and the other from below the moon. The moon appears to have a flat ridge around its midpoint, and lines that look like they were scraped across its surface, wrote NASA.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Netizens&nbsp;were not only fascinated by the images but also spun some seriously funny puns.</p>

<p>One user wrote, “Ravioli can be cooked on Pans right?” Another user described it as “cabbage.”</p>

<p>One user called it the “Strangest moon ever! It's looks like a hat from upper view”.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


NASA shared the image of a celestial body on its Instagram page and asked netizens to guess its name. The image shared showed a white celestial body with a broad ring around it, giving it the appearance of a dumpling or ravioli.

NASA shared the image of a celestial body on its Instagram page and asked netizens to guess its name. The image shared showed a white celestial body with a broad ring around it, giving it the appearance of a dumpling or ravioli. NASA’s official Instagram page captioned it, “Ravioli, pierogi, empanada...What do you see? No wrong answers.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by NASA (@nasa) × Turns out, the object shown in the picture is the innermost moon of Saturn called Pan. The image of Pan was captured by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft. Also Read | Alien life, unlike humans, may not be carbon-based, suggests new study The American space agency further wrote in the caption, “Pan, the innermost of Saturn’s known moons, orbits the planet from inside a gap in one of Saturn's rings.” Pan: Saturn’s innermost moon The planet Saturn has many moons and a whopping 145 of them are known and named. Pan is one of those moons, and not just that, it is the innermost moon of the ringed planet. Pan is a small, walnut-shaped moon approximately 35 km and 23 km wide that orbits the Encke Gap, a part of Saturn’s A Ring. Pan is responsible for keeping the Encke Gap free of ring particles. It is sometimes described as having the appearance of ravioli, the reason why NASA captioned it as ‘ravioli’ Also Read | Dangerous rat-borne disease threatens southeastern US, warn scientists Netizens react with witty comments NASA added that the moon was first discovered by MR Showalter in 1990 using the images taken by Voyager 2 spacecraft.⁣ These recent images of Pan were captured by the Cassini spacecraft while passing within 15,300 miles (24,600 km) of the moon. It is also the spacecraft's closest encounter with Pan. Also Read | Not Dyson Sphere, search other technosignatures to find aliens: Study NASA said that the two images shared of Pan were taken from different perspectives - one from above the moon and the other from below the moon. The moon appears to have a flat ridge around its midpoint, and lines that look like they were scraped across its surface, wrote NASA. Netizens were not only fascinated by the images but also spun some seriously funny puns. One user wrote, “Ravioli can be cooked on Pans right?” Another user described it as “cabbage.” One user called it the “Strangest moon ever! It's looks like a hat from upper view”. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

A cabbage? Ravioli? Walnut? A weird celestial body has left netizens intrigued

<p>Before heading on out a long drive, don't we assess the traffic situation and look at the possible bottlenecks on an app? Likewise, space agencies constantly monitor what is known as 'Space Situational Awareness' (SSA). Simply put, SSA is like the traffic data for a particular region in space - it mentions the number of spacecraft or crewed crafts operating in orbit and also helps predict the risk of them coming within the vicinity of each other and even colliding.</p>

<p>Based on such data and resultant calculations, each space agency draws its own conclusion and decides to manoeuvre its spacecraft and prevent danger, while also sharing information with the other concerned parties (nations or private firms) who operate spacecraft in the region.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Launched into Earth's orbit on Sep 2, India's Aditya-L1 craft had been circling the Earth and gradually pushing itself further away from Earth&nbsp;for a little more than two weeks. On Sep 18, the craft slingshot itself totally out of Earth's orbit and commenced a journey that would take it to its destination- the Earth-Sun Lagrangian Point 1, which is 1.5 million kilometres away from Earth.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/web-stories/india-news/business-economy/adityal1-what-you-should-know-about-indias-sun-mission-1691567967035"><strong>Also read:&nbsp;Aditya-L1: What You Should Know about India's Sun Mission</strong></a></p>

<p>L1 is a significant vantage point because it is situated between the Sun and Earth, making it an ideal location for spacecraft, as this spot allows continuous observation of the Sun. From the L1 point, spacecraft can continuously communicate with the ground stations on Earth and have an unobstructed view of celestial bodies. These orbits are well-suited for scientific missions like Aditya which will act like a solar observatory around L1.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the past, various missions have stayed put at the Sun-Earth L1 point, including the International Sun-Earth Explorer (ISEE-3), the Genesis mission, ESA's LISA Pathfinder, China's Chang'e 5 lunar orbiter, and NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Recovery (GRAIL) mission. These missions have contributed to mankind's understanding of space and the ability to monitor space weather events.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;India sun mission Aditya-L1 begins collecting data from distance of 50,000 km&nbsp;</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-sun-mission-aditya-l1-begins-collecting-data-from-distance-of-50000-kms-world-dna-637371/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>At present, four operational spacecraft are stationed at the Sun-Earth L1 point. They provide vital early warnings on adverse space weather events that help protect orbiting space assets and ground-based infrastructure. The four crafts are- NASA WIND(to observe the unperturbed solar wind before reaching the magnetosphere of Earth), NASA-ESA SOHO(Solar and Heliospheric Observatory- to study the sun and Heliosphere) NASA ACE(Advanced Composition Explorer - observe particles of the solar wind, and of galactic origins) and NASA DSCOVER (Deep Space Climate Observatory to Monitor space weather and climate, deep space Earth observation).&nbsp;</p>

<p>While there are only four crafts that are far apart circling the L1 point, and India's Aditya expected to join them as the fifth in January 2024, it is still necessary to assess the traffic and possible collision risk. "Despite the extremely sparse population in L1 point and the vast separation between them, close approach assessment for an operational spacecraft at Lagrange Point Orbit (LPO) is desirable because of the large positional uncertainty and sensitivity to other perturbative forces," ISRO said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Generally, to determine the orbit of crafts circling Lagrangian Point 1, tracking data collected over a few days is required. The accuracy of the orbit so calculated might not be very accurate. Therefore, ISRO said that they plan to carry out such analysis periodically to ensure safety and avoid any possibility of close approaches with other neighbouring spacecraft, with the support from NASA-JPL.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It is common for space agencies to predict the path and orbit of their satellites. In case a close approach or risk of collision with another nation's satellite is predicted, then both involved parties take a decision to manoeuvre one or both of their crafts. For example, India's Chandrayaan 2 orbiter which circles the moon, had to avoid collision with foreign satellites on many instances, over the last four years.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Before heading on out a long drive, don't we assess the traffic situation and look at the possible bottlenecks on an app? Likewise, space agencies constantly monitor what is known as 'Space Situational Awareness' (SSA).

Before heading on out a long drive, don't we assess the traffic situation and look at the possible bottlenecks on an app? Likewise, space agencies constantly monitor what is known as 'Space Situational Awareness' (SSA). Simply put, SSA is like the traffic data for a particular region in space - it mentions the number of spacecraft or crewed crafts operating in orbit and also helps predict the risk of them coming within the vicinity of each other and even colliding. Based on such data and resultant calculations, each space agency draws its own conclusion and decides to manoeuvre its spacecraft and prevent danger, while also sharing information with the other concerned parties (nations or private firms) who operate spacecraft in the region. Launched into Earth's orbit on Sep 2, India's Aditya-L1 craft had been circling the Earth and gradually pushing itself further away from Earth for a little more than two weeks. On Sep 18, the craft slingshot itself totally out of Earth's orbit and commenced a journey that would take it to its destination- the Earth-Sun Lagrangian Point 1, which is 1.5 million kilometres away from Earth. Also read: Aditya-L1: What You Should Know about India's Sun Mission L1 is a significant vantage point because it is situated between the Sun and Earth, making it an ideal location for spacecraft, as this spot allows continuous observation of the Sun. From the L1 point, spacecraft can continuously communicate with the ground stations on Earth and have an unobstructed view of celestial bodies. These orbits are well-suited for scientific missions like Aditya which will act like a solar observatory around L1. In the past, various missions have stayed put at the Sun-Earth L1 point, including the International Sun-Earth Explorer (ISEE-3), the Genesis mission, ESA's LISA Pathfinder, China's Chang'e 5 lunar orbiter, and NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Recovery (GRAIL) mission. These missions have contributed to mankind's understanding of space and the ability to monitor space weather events. Watch: India sun mission Aditya-L1 begins collecting data from distance of 50,000 km × At present, four operational spacecraft are stationed at the Sun-Earth L1 point. They provide vital early warnings on adverse space weather events that help protect orbiting space assets and ground-based infrastructure. The four crafts are- NASA WIND(to observe the unperturbed solar wind before reaching the magnetosphere of Earth), NASA-ESA SOHO(Solar and Heliospheric Observatory- to study the sun and Heliosphere) NASA ACE(Advanced Composition Explorer - observe particles of the solar wind, and of galactic origins) and NASA DSCOVER (Deep Space Climate Observatory to Monitor space weather and climate, deep space Earth observation). While there are only four crafts that are far apart circling the L1 point, and India's Aditya expected to join them as the fifth in January 2024, it is still necessary to assess the traffic and possible collision risk. "Despite the extremely sparse population in L1 point and the vast separation between them, close approach assessment for an operational spacecraft at Lagrange Point Orbit (LPO) is desirable because of the large positional uncertainty and sensitivity to other perturbative forces," ISRO said. Generally, to determine the orbit of crafts circling Lagrangian Point 1, tracking data collected over a few days is required. The accuracy of the orbit so calculated might not be very accurate. Therefore, ISRO said that they plan to carry out such analysis periodically to ensure safety and avoid any possibility of close approaches with other neighbouring spacecraft, with the support from NASA-JPL. It is common for space agencies to predict the path and orbit of their satellites. In case a close approach or risk of collision with another nation's satellite is predicted, then both involved parties take a decision to manoeuvre one or both of their crafts. For example, India's Chandrayaan 2 orbiter which circles the moon, had to avoid collision with foreign satellites on many instances, over the last four years. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

ISRO to work with NASA and manage traffic around Aditya-L1's destination 

<p>Astronaut Lt. Col. Frank Rubio, M.D., from the US&nbsp;Army and NASA, is concluding his historic stint in space this Wednesday (Sept&nbsp;27). He will be departing from the International Space Station (ISS) alongside two Russian cosmonauts aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, scheduled to undock at 3:55 am,&nbsp;Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on Wednesday and head back to Earth.</p>

<p>NASA TV will provide live coverage of the deorbit burn and landing, starting at 6:00 am&nbsp;EDT, with the spacecraft expected to touch down in Kazakhstan at 7:17 am&nbsp;EDT. Following the landing, Rubio will make his way to Houston, Texas.</p>

<h2><strong>Rubio's milestone&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Rubio's mission on the ISS has lasted an impressive 371 days, surpassing NASA's previous record for the longest spaceflight by an American astronaut, previously held by Mark Vande Hei with 355 days.</p>

<p><strong>Also read | </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/explained-nasa-fetches-celestial-cargo-to-earth-heres-why-bennu-asteroid-samples-matter-639472">Explained | NASA sends Bennu asteroid samples to Earth. Here's why the celestial cargo matters</a></p>

<p>Rubio, an active-duty Army physician and NASA astronaut, is part of the US&nbsp;Army Space and Missile Defence Command's Army Astronaut Detachment.</p>

<p>He was one of the ten people&nbsp;selected out of a pool of over 18,000 applicants for the 2017 Astronaut Candidate Class.</p>

<p>Originally slated for a six-month mission on the ISS, Rubio's stay was extended due to the discovery and subsequent investigation of a coolant leak on the spacecraft.</p>

<p>He recently spoke with the media about his groundbreaking mission while aboard the International Space Station.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">NASA Astronaut Frank Rubio returns to Earth tomorrow after 371 days in space.<br />
<br />
Watch live coverage on <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASA</a> TV at 12 a.m. ET, landing targeted for 7:17 am. ET Sept. 27. <a href="https://t.co/MicojH1bxf">https://t.co/MicojH1bxf</a> <a href="https://t.co/vYI96f9kNE">pic.twitter.com/vYI96f9kNE</a></p>
— NASA's Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA_Johnson/status/1706683731786846371?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 26, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<h2><strong>Journey to space</strong></h2>

<p>Rubio's journey to the space station occurred through a collaborative arrangement between NASA and Roscosmos, which was established in the summer of 2022 as part of a crew-exchange agreement.</p>

<p>Under this agreement, NASA assigned Rubio to travel aboard the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft, while Roscosmos placed cosmonaut Anna Kikina on a SpaceX Crew Dragon mission that launched in October 2022 and returned on March 11.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;NASA's spacecraft lands successfully | First-ever poetry written by AI</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/nasas-spacecraft-lands-successfully-first-ever-poetry-written-by-ai-trending-on-wion-639357/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>Despite the escalating geopolitical tensions between the United States and Russia due to the conflict in Ukraine, NASA has consistently emphasised the critical importance of its partnership with Roscosmos for the continued operation of the space station and the valuable scientific research conducted on board.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:</strong></p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></p>


Astronaut Lt. Col. Frank Rubio, M.D., from the US Army and NASA, is concluding his historic stint in space this Wednesday (Sept 27). He will be departing from the International Space Station (ISS) alongside two Russian cosmonauts aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, scheduled to undock at 3:55 am, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on Wednesday and head back to Earth.

Astronaut Lt. Col. Frank Rubio, M.D., from the US Army and NASA, is concluding his historic stint in space this Wednesday (Sept 27). He will be departing from the International Space Station (ISS) alongside two Russian cosmonauts aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, scheduled to undock at 3:55 am, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on Wednesday and head back to Earth. NASA TV will provide live coverage of the deorbit burn and landing, starting at 6:00 am EDT, with the spacecraft expected to touch down in Kazakhstan at 7:17 am EDT. Following the landing, Rubio will make his way to Houston, Texas. Rubio's milestone Rubio's mission on the ISS has lasted an impressive 371 days, surpassing NASA's previous record for the longest spaceflight by an American astronaut, previously held by Mark Vande Hei with 355 days. Also read | Explained | NASA sends Bennu asteroid samples to Earth. Here's why the celestial cargo matters Rubio, an active-duty Army physician and NASA astronaut, is part of the US Army Space and Missile Defence Command's Army Astronaut Detachment. He was one of the ten people selected out of a pool of over 18,000 applicants for the 2017 Astronaut Candidate Class. Originally slated for a six-month mission on the ISS, Rubio's stay was extended due to the discovery and subsequent investigation of a coolant leak on the spacecraft. He recently spoke with the media about his groundbreaking mission while aboard the International Space Station. NASA Astronaut Frank Rubio returns to Earth tomorrow after 371 days in space. Watch live coverage on @NASA TV at 12 a.m. ET, landing targeted for 7:17 am. ET Sept. 27. https://t.co/MicojH1bxf pic.twitter.com/vYI96f9kNE — NASA's Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) September 26, 2023 × Journey to space Rubio's journey to the space station occurred through a collaborative arrangement between NASA and Roscosmos, which was established in the summer of 2022 as part of a crew-exchange agreement. Under this agreement, NASA assigned Rubio to travel aboard the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft, while Roscosmos placed cosmonaut Anna Kikina on a SpaceX Crew Dragon mission that launched in October 2022 and returned on March 11. Also watch | NASA's spacecraft lands successfully | First-ever poetry written by AI Despite the escalating geopolitical tensions between the United States and Russia due to the conflict in Ukraine, NASA has consistently emphasised the critical importance of its partnership with Roscosmos for the continued operation of the space station and the valuable scientific research conducted on board. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Astronaut returns to Earth after a record-breaking stay in space. Watch LIVE!

Here, we bring you the news that is trending across WION's social media platforms - NASA's spacecraft lands successfully with largest sample collected from asteroid, European Space Agency releases photo of Earth split in day and night, first-ever poetry written by AI sounds too 'disturbing', Another Coronavirus on the way? This is what China's top virologist 'Batwoman' thinks.

NASA's spacecraft lands successfully | First-ever poetry written by AI | Trending on WION

It has been 7 years since NASA launched its mission to collect samples from asteroids. The long wait for NASA capsule carrying the largest soil sample from an asteroid.

NASA's first asteroid sample reaches earth

NASA spacecraft carrying asteroid sample touches down in Utah

<p>After seven years, a space voyage came to its climactic end on Sunday (September 24) as a NASA capsule made a safe landing in the Utah desert of the United States, carrying the largest sample ever collected from an asteroid in space.<br />
<br />
The capsule made a fiery final descent through the atmosphere of the Earth as expected with the samples collected from asteroid Bennu and parachuted into the&nbsp;Utah desert of the United States.<br />
<br />
"Touchdown of the Osiris-Rex sample return capsule. A journey of a billion miles to asteroid Bennu and back has come to an end," said a commentator on NASA's live video webcast of the landing.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/an-asteroid-will-make-a-close-encounter-with-earth-on-september-21-nasa-predicts-638611">Asteroid to make its first-ever close approach to Earth! NASA predicts</a></p>

<p>The sample, which was collected from asteroid Bennu in 2020, is estimated to contain some 250 grams (nine ounces) of material by the US space agency, which is more than two previous asteroid specimens which were brought back to the Earth by Japanese missions.<br />
<br />
Sharing the video of the landing, NASA wrote on X, “TOUCHDOWN! The #OSIRISREx sample capsule landed at the Utah Test and Training Range at 10:52am ET (1452 UTC) after a 3.86-billion mile journey. This marks the US's first sample return mission of its kind and will open a time capsule to the beginnings of our solar system.”</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">TOUCHDOWN! The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OSIRISREx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OSIRISREx</a> sample capsule landed at the Utah Test and Training Range at 10:52am ET (1452 UTC) after a 3.86-billion mile journey. This marks the US's first sample return mission of its kind and will open a time capsule to the beginnings of our solar system. <a href="https://t.co/N8fun14Plt">pic.twitter.com/N8fun14Plt</a></p>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1705959691287761289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Scientists have been hopeful about the sample and have said that it is likely to provide them with more information about the solar system and how Earth turned into a habitable place.<br />
<br />
The probe, which was launched in 2016, landed on the asteroid Bennu after four years and was able to collect around nine ounces (250 grams) of dust from the asteroid's rocky surface.<br />
<br />
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said that even the small amount of sample should "help us better understand the types of asteroids that could threaten Earth" and cast light "on the earliest history of our solar system.”<br />
<br />
"This sample return is really historic. This is going to be the biggest sample we've brought back since the Apollo moon rocks were returned to Earth,” said NASA scientist Amy Simon, while speaking to AFP.</p>

<h2><strong>NASA to announce results of the test on October 11</strong></h2>

<p>The capsule was released by Osiris-Rex early on Sunday, from an altitude of more than 67,000 miles (108,000 kilometres), around four hours before its landing.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Asteroid dust on its way to Utah</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/asteroid-dust-on-its-way-to-utah-638989/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>After the tire-sized capsule touched down in Utah, it was placed in a net by a team in protective masks and gloves from where it was airlifted by helicopter to a temporary "clean room" nearby.</p>

<p>The sample will be sent to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston on Monday. The box will be opened by the specialists in another "clean room."</p>

<p>The first results of the sample testing will be announced by NASA in a news conference on October 11.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p>You can&nbsp;<strong>now write for&nbsp;wionews.com</strong>&nbsp;and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


After seven years, a space voyage came to its climactic end on Sunday (September 24) as a NASA capsule made a safe landing in the Utah desert of the United States, carrying the largest sample ever collected from an asteroid in space.

After seven years, a space voyage came to its climactic end on Sunday (September 24) as a NASA capsule made a safe landing in the Utah desert of the United States, carrying the largest sample ever collected from an asteroid in space. The capsule made a fiery final descent through the atmosphere of the Earth as expected with the samples collected from asteroid Bennu and parachuted into the Utah desert of the United States. "Touchdown of the Osiris-Rex sample return capsule. A journey of a billion miles to asteroid Bennu and back has come to an end," said a commentator on NASA's live video webcast of the landing. ALSO READ | Asteroid to make its first-ever close approach to Earth! NASA predicts The sample, which was collected from asteroid Bennu in 2020, is estimated to contain some 250 grams (nine ounces) of material by the US space agency, which is more than two previous asteroid specimens which were brought back to the Earth by Japanese missions. Sharing the video of the landing, NASA wrote on X, “TOUCHDOWN! The #OSIRISREx sample capsule landed at the Utah Test and Training Range at 10:52am ET (1452 UTC) after a 3.86-billion mile journey. This marks the US's first sample return mission of its kind and will open a time capsule to the beginnings of our solar system.” TOUCHDOWN! The #OSIRISREx sample capsule landed at the Utah Test and Training Range at 10:52am ET (1452 UTC) after a 3.86-billion mile journey. This marks the US's first sample return mission of its kind and will open a time capsule to the beginnings of our solar system. pic.twitter.com/N8fun14Plt — NASA (@NASA) September 24, 2023 × Scientists have been hopeful about the sample and have said that it is likely to provide them with more information about the solar system and how Earth turned into a habitable place. The probe, which was launched in 2016, landed on the asteroid Bennu after four years and was able to collect around nine ounces (250 grams) of dust from the asteroid's rocky surface. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said that even the small amount of sample should "help us better understand the types of asteroids that could threaten Earth" and cast light "on the earliest history of our solar system.” "This sample return is really historic. This is going to be the biggest sample we've brought back since the Apollo moon rocks were returned to Earth,” said NASA scientist Amy Simon, while speaking to AFP. NASA to announce results of the test on October 11 The capsule was released by Osiris-Rex early on Sunday, from an altitude of more than 67,000 miles (108,000 kilometres), around four hours before its landing. WATCH | Asteroid dust on its way to Utah After the tire-sized capsule touched down in Utah, it was placed in a net by a team in protective masks and gloves from where it was airlifted by helicopter to a temporary "clean room" nearby. The sample will be sent to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston on Monday. The box will be opened by the specialists in another "clean room." The first results of the sample testing will be announced by NASA in a news conference on October 11. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Watch | NASA spacecraft lands successfully in Utah with largest sample collected from asteroid Bennu

In the latest updates from the Chandrayaan-3 mission, ISRO tried to reach out to the Vikram Lander and Pragyan Rover.

Chandrayaan-3 reawakening attempt follows long gap

In India, the 10-day-long festival marking the birth of the Hindu deity Lord Ganesha is being celebrated with a lot of pomp and splendour across the country.

Worshipper creates Chandrayaan-3 themed prayer set-up

<p>After a seven-year, seven-billion-km round trip to asteroid Bennu, NASA’s Osiris-Rex capsule will enter Earth’s atmosphere on Sunday (Sept 24).</p>

<p>The capsule is carrying precious dust from the asteroid, which scientists are eager to analyse to find whether or not life evolved on young Earth only after the bombardment of asteroids.</p>

<p>It will also help us find whether the water present on Bennu matches with that present on Earth, thus further solidifying the theory that the bombardment was necessary to provide volume for our oceans.</p>

<p>"When we get the 250g (9oz) of asteroid Bennu back on Earth, we'll be looking at material that existed before our planet, maybe even some grains that existed before our Solar System," Prof Dante Lauretta, the principal investigator on the mission, was quoted as saying by BBC.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;'Rock' music: Queen guitarist Brian May to co-author 3D 'asteroid atlas'</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/rock-music-queen-guitarist-brian-may-to-co-author-3d-asteroid-atlas-619198/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>"We're trying to piece together our beginnings. How did the Earth form and why is it a habitable world? Where did the oceans get their water; where did the air in our atmosphere come from; and most importantly, what is the source of the organic molecules that make up all life on Earth?," he said.</p>

<h2><strong>How the probe started?</strong></h2>

<p>The mission began in 2016 when NASA fired the Osiris-Rex capsule towards the asteroid. Almost four years after this, the probe scooped up a soil sample from Bennu in 2020.</p>

<p>Now, three years down the line, we are just hours away from getting our hands on the precious dust.</p>

<p>Dr Ashley King from London's Natural History Museum (NHM) is a part of the team tasked with conducting an initial analysis of the dust.</p>

<p>"Bringing back samples from an asteroid - we don't do that very often. So you want to do those first measurements, and you want to do them really well," he said, adding "It's incredibly exciting."</p>

<h2><strong>Origin of life</strong></h2>

<p>Prof Sara Russell of NHM was quoted by BBC as saying that the initial analyses on the soil sample will include “an inventory of all of the carbon-based molecules that it contains.”</p>

<p>"We know from looking at meteorites that asteroids are likely to contain a zoo of different organic molecules. But in meteorites, they're often very contaminated, and so this sample return gives us a chance to really find out what the pristine organic components of Bennu are," Russell added.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-plans-armageddon-style-mission-to-avert-possible-asteroid-collision-with-earth-637060"><strong>Also read:&nbsp;An asteroid might collide with Earth in the year 2182, and scientists are working to avoid it</strong></a></p>

<p>"We've actually never looked for the amino acids that are used in proteins in meteorites because of this contamination issue. So we think we're really going to advance our understanding of what we call the exogenous delivery hypothesis, the idea that these asteroids were the source of the building blocks of life," said another professor Lauretta.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


After a seven-year, seven-billion-km round trip to asteroid Bennu, NASA’s Osiris-Rex capsule will enter Earth’s atmosphere on Sunday (Sept 24). The capsule is carrying precious dust from the asteroid, which scientists are eager to analyse to find whether or not life evolved on young Earth only after the bombardment of asteroids.

After a seven-year, seven-billion-km round trip to asteroid Bennu, NASA’s Osiris-Rex capsule will enter Earth’s atmosphere on Sunday (Sept 24). The capsule is carrying precious dust from the asteroid, which scientists are eager to analyse to find whether or not life evolved on young Earth only after the bombardment of asteroids. It will also help us find whether the water present on Bennu matches with that present on Earth, thus further solidifying the theory that the bombardment was necessary to provide volume for our oceans. "When we get the 250g (9oz) of asteroid Bennu back on Earth, we'll be looking at material that existed before our planet, maybe even some grains that existed before our Solar System," Prof Dante Lauretta, the principal investigator on the mission, was quoted as saying by BBC. Watch: 'Rock' music: Queen guitarist Brian May to co-author 3D 'asteroid atlas' × "We're trying to piece together our beginnings. How did the Earth form and why is it a habitable world? Where did the oceans get their water; where did the air in our atmosphere come from; and most importantly, what is the source of the organic molecules that make up all life on Earth?," he said. How the probe started? The mission began in 2016 when NASA fired the Osiris-Rex capsule towards the asteroid. Almost four years after this, the probe scooped up a soil sample from Bennu in 2020. Now, three years down the line, we are just hours away from getting our hands on the precious dust. Dr Ashley King from London's Natural History Museum (NHM) is a part of the team tasked with conducting an initial analysis of the dust. "Bringing back samples from an asteroid - we don't do that very often. So you want to do those first measurements, and you want to do them really well," he said, adding "It's incredibly exciting." Origin of life Prof Sara Russell of NHM was quoted by BBC as saying that the initial analyses on the soil sample will include “an inventory of all of the carbon-based molecules that it contains.” "We know from looking at meteorites that asteroids are likely to contain a zoo of different organic molecules. But in meteorites, they're often very contaminated, and so this sample return gives us a chance to really find out what the pristine organic components of Bennu are," Russell added. Also read: An asteroid might collide with Earth in the year 2182, and scientists are working to avoid it "We've actually never looked for the amino acids that are used in proteins in meteorites because of this contamination issue. So we think we're really going to advance our understanding of what we call the exogenous delivery hypothesis, the idea that these asteroids were the source of the building blocks of life," said another professor Lauretta. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

NASA’s probe carrying dust from asteroid Bennu set to enter Earth’s orbit 

<p>As humanity ventures out to the vast cosmos outside our planet, the space-junk we leave behind is growing.</p>

<p>Satellites, spacecraft and other launches all leave behind some junk littering the Earth's orbit, increasing the risk of collisions. To lighten this space-junk load, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed a rule.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Shedding the space-junk</strong></h2>

<p>The FAA has proposed that the amount of time a private rocket's upper stages stay in orbit should be limited.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/as-race-to-space-shoots-up-junk-in-earths-orbit-us-space-command-releases-responsible-space-behaviours-568413">As space race zooms junk in Earth’s orbit, US Space Command shares ‘responsible space behaviours’</a></strong></p>

<p>In a draft form released on Wednesday (September 20), the FAA, via its proposed rule, seeks "to limit the growth of new orbital debris and reduce the potential for collisions with spacecraft and satellites to promote a sustainable space environment."</p>

<h2><strong>Why is this important?</strong></h2>

<p>This junk can put space missions and satellite launches at significant risk. Upon launch, the space vehicles can potentially collide with the junk that is crowding the planet's orbit.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a statement, the FAA said "If left unchecked, the accumulation of orbital debris will increase the risk of collisions and clutter orbits used for human spaceflight and for satellites providing communications, weather and global positioning system services."&nbsp;</p>

<p>As per the FAA, as of July 2023, the Earth's orbit contains over 23,000 orbital objects of sizes 10 cm and above. Furthermore, there are around one-half million objects sized between 1 and 10 cm, over 100 million larger than 1mm.</p>

<h2><strong>How will FAA achieve this junk shedding?</strong></h2>

<p>The proposed rule provides commercial space operators with five options to choose from. These options relate to the disposal of the upper stages of launch vehicles.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As per the FAA website, these include: conducting a controlled re-entry; moving the upper stage to a less congested storage or graveyard orbit; sending the upper stage to an Earth-escape orbit; the retrieval of the upper stage (called active debris removal) within five years; or performing an uncontrolled atmospheric disposal.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-perseverance-rovers-pictures-raise-question-can-humanity-be-trusted-with-other-planets-488883">NASA Perseverance rover's pictures raise question: Can humanity be trusted with other planets?</a></strong></p>

<p>Strictly limiting the uncontrolled reentry of the upper stages can take away the uncertainty of where it might land. This will help mitigate the risk to people on the ground and in flight, says FAA.</p>

<p>"Shortening the removal deadline would decrease the risk of orbital debris causing damage to spacecraft, which could create more debris, shorten another spacecraft’s mission or endanger the lives of human spaceflight participants," states the proposed rule, as reported by space.com.</p>

<p>"Given that the entire mission lifetime of upper stages and their components is quite short, and spent upper stages pose a significant risk of debris propagation the longer they are in orbit, it may be appropriate to have a shorter disposal timeline of 5 years or another time period less than 25 years," it notes.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


As humanity ventures out to the vast cosmos outside our planet, the space-junk we leave behind is growing. Satellites, spacecraft and other launches all leave behind some junk littering the Earth's orbit, increasing the risk of collisions.

As humanity ventures out to the vast cosmos outside our planet, the space-junk we leave behind is growing. Satellites, spacecraft and other launches all leave behind some junk littering the Earth's orbit, increasing the risk of collisions. To lighten this space-junk load, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed a rule. Shedding the space-junk The FAA has proposed that the amount of time a private rocket's upper stages stay in orbit should be limited. Also read | As space race zooms junk in Earth’s orbit, US Space Command shares ‘responsible space behaviours’ In a draft form released on Wednesday (September 20), the FAA, via its proposed rule, seeks "to limit the growth of new orbital debris and reduce the potential for collisions with spacecraft and satellites to promote a sustainable space environment." Why is this important? This junk can put space missions and satellite launches at significant risk. Upon launch, the space vehicles can potentially collide with the junk that is crowding the planet's orbit. In a statement, the FAA said "If left unchecked, the accumulation of orbital debris will increase the risk of collisions and clutter orbits used for human spaceflight and for satellites providing communications, weather and global positioning system services." As per the FAA, as of July 2023, the Earth's orbit contains over 23,000 orbital objects of sizes 10 cm and above. Furthermore, there are around one-half million objects sized between 1 and 10 cm, over 100 million larger than 1mm. How will FAA achieve this junk shedding? The proposed rule provides commercial space operators with five options to choose from. These options relate to the disposal of the upper stages of launch vehicles. As per the FAA website, these include: conducting a controlled re-entry; moving the upper stage to a less congested storage or graveyard orbit; sending the upper stage to an Earth-escape orbit; the retrieval of the upper stage (called active debris removal) within five years; or performing an uncontrolled atmospheric disposal. Also read | NASA Perseverance rover's pictures raise question: Can humanity be trusted with other planets? Strictly limiting the uncontrolled reentry of the upper stages can take away the uncertainty of where it might land. This will help mitigate the risk to people on the ground and in flight, says FAA. "Shortening the removal deadline would decrease the risk of orbital debris causing damage to spacecraft, which could create more debris, shorten another spacecraft’s mission or endanger the lives of human spaceflight participants," states the proposed rule, as reported by space.com. "Given that the entire mission lifetime of upper stages and their components is quite short, and spent upper stages pose a significant risk of debris propagation the longer they are in orbit, it may be appropriate to have a shorter disposal timeline of 5 years or another time period less than 25 years," it notes. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

US Federal Aviation Administration proposes revolutionary way to limit human litter in Earth's orbit

<p><meta name="uuid" content="uuidWbL8NhNaMa7B" /><meta charset="utf-8" /></p>

<p><meta name="uuid" content="uuidWbL8NhNaMa7B" /><meta charset="utf-8" /></p>

<p>NASA has revealed that an asteroid will pass Earth at an extremely close distance on Friday, September 22. According to the details by NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), Asteroid 2023 RQ6 will make its first-ever approach to Earth on Friday.</p>

<p>Its orbit will bring the asteroid as close as 6.4 million kilometres near Earth. Although this distance might seem like a lot, it is short in astronomical sense. NASA has estimated its travelling speed as 33,912 kilometres per hour.&nbsp;</p>

<p>NASA has not classified the Asteroid 2023 RQ6 as a Potentially Hazardous Object because it will not impact Earth's surface despite a close call. The asteroid is approximately 75 feet wide. Thus, it is not huge enough to be classified as a Potentially Hazardous Object. It is as big as an aircraft in terms of size.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-find-new-virus-at-depths-of-pacific-ocean-638411" target="_blank">Scientists find new virus at depths of Pacific Ocean</a></p>

<p>Asteroid 2023 RQ6 belongs to the Apollo group of Near-Earth Asteroids, named after the giant 1862 Apollo asteroid, discovered by German astronomer Kerl Reinmuth in the 1930s. They are Earth-crossing space rocks with semi-major axes bigger than Earth's.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Most asteroids found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter can be observed with the help of advanced ground and space-based telescopes. However, scientists at NASA have recently observed three elusive asteroids hiding behind the glare of the Sun.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong><a href="http://www.wionews.com/trending/whats-the-source-of-co2-on-jupiters-moon-europa-scientists-finally-have-answers-638377" target="_blank"><strong>&nbsp;</strong>What's the source of CO2 on Jupiter's moon Europa? Scientists finally have answers</a></p>

<p>According to the latest discovery made by NASA, one of these asteroids is a large object which can be potentially hazardous to Earth. A team used the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) mounted on Victor M. Blanco's 4-metre telescope in Chile to find and observe these asteroids. It is challenging to locate celestial objects in the region around the Sun, as astronomers have to deal with the Sun's glaze.</p>

<p>Besides Asteroid 2023 RQ6, Asteroid 2023 SJ made its closest approach to Earth on September 21. It has a width between 52 feet and 118 feet.</p>

<p>According to a recent report by the OSIRIS-REx science team, Bennu, a near-Earth asteroid, could drift into the planet's orbit and hit the planet by September 2182. NASA has been tracking Bennu, first discovered in 1999, for 25 years. Bennu passes near Earth every six years and has had three close encounters with Earth in 1999, 2005, and 2011.</p>

<p><em>(With input from agencies)</em><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


NASA has revealed that an asteroid will pass Earth at an extremely close distance on Friday, September 22. According to the details by NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), Asteroid 2023 RQ6 will make its first-ever approach to Earth on Friday.

NASA has revealed that an asteroid will pass Earth at an extremely close distance on Friday, September 22. According to the details by NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), Asteroid 2023 RQ6 will make its first-ever approach to Earth on Friday. Its orbit will bring the asteroid as close as 6.4 million kilometres near Earth. Although this distance might seem like a lot, it is short in astronomical sense. NASA has estimated its travelling speed as 33,912 kilometres per hour. NASA has not classified the Asteroid 2023 RQ6 as a Potentially Hazardous Object because it will not impact Earth's surface despite a close call. The asteroid is approximately 75 feet wide. Thus, it is not huge enough to be classified as a Potentially Hazardous Object. It is as big as an aircraft in terms of size. ALSO READ | Scientists find new virus at depths of Pacific Ocean Asteroid 2023 RQ6 belongs to the Apollo group of Near-Earth Asteroids, named after the giant 1862 Apollo asteroid, discovered by German astronomer Kerl Reinmuth in the 1930s. They are Earth-crossing space rocks with semi-major axes bigger than Earth's. Most asteroids found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter can be observed with the help of advanced ground and space-based telescopes. However, scientists at NASA have recently observed three elusive asteroids hiding behind the glare of the Sun. ALSO READ | What's the source of CO2 on Jupiter's moon Europa? Scientists finally have answers According to the latest discovery made by NASA, one of these asteroids is a large object which can be potentially hazardous to Earth. A team used the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) mounted on Victor M. Blanco's 4-metre telescope in Chile to find and observe these asteroids. It is challenging to locate celestial objects in the region around the Sun, as astronomers have to deal with the Sun's glaze. Besides Asteroid 2023 RQ6, Asteroid 2023 SJ made its closest approach to Earth on September 21. It has a width between 52 feet and 118 feet. According to a recent report by the OSIRIS-REx science team, Bennu, a near-Earth asteroid, could drift into the planet's orbit and hit the planet by September 2182. NASA has been tracking Bennu, first discovered in 1999, for 25 years. Bennu passes near Earth every six years and has had three close encounters with Earth in 1999, 2005, and 2011. (With input from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Asteroid to make its first-ever close approach to Earth! NASA predicts

<p><meta name="uuid" content="uuidBnrUfjfL2RYq" /><meta charset="utf-8" /></p>

<p>After three failed attempts, NASA's Curiosity rover has reached a ridge on Mars, believed to have been partly formed by a muddy landslide which occurred three billion years ago.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A ridge is a narrow, long and elevated structural feature surrounded by steep sides. The Martian&nbsp;Ridge holds significance because it might contain some of the earliest evidence of liquid water on the red planet, as it was one of the last geographic features created in the area.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"It's a thrill to be able to reach out and touch rocks, transported from places high up on Mount Sharp that we'll never be able to visit with Curiosity," said Ashwin Vasavada, Curosity's project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Curiosity rover took a month to climb the Gediz Vallis Ridge. It completed its most challenging climb yet after navigating through a sharp 23-degree incline, slippery sand and rocks around the size of its wheels.</p>

<p>After reaching the ridge in August, the rover spent 11 days capturing the rocks in the area, some of which were as large as cars.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="http://www.wionews.com/trending/once-extinct-scientists-one-step-closer-to-resurrecting-tasmanian-tiger-637805" target="_blank">Scientists one step closer to resurrecting Tasmanian tiger that went extinct 100 years ago</a></p>

<p>On August 19, the Curiosity rover clicked 136 pictures of the broader landscape on the ridge and stitched them into a 360-degree mosaic.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Curiosity also captured a separate image in which the upper region of Mount Sharp is visible at a distance behind a prominent butte (flat-topped mountain) in the forepart.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The ridge lies in Curiosity rover's way through the foothills of Mount Sharp, a sharp 3-mile-tall mountain once covered in lakes and streams.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Researchers who studied the composition of many dark rocks and boulders on the ridge found that these rocks originated somewhere on the mountain and skated down with the debris flow. These rocks might enable scientists to study higher mountain regions that Curiosity cannot reach.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Curiosity rover marked its 11th year on the Red Planet in August 2023. On its journey, Curiosity has been to incredible locations, like Gale Crater, an impact divot with a layered mountain at its centre.<br />
<br />
In the upcoming mission, it will attempt to search for a path up a channel above the ridge. Researchers might be able to understand how and where the water flowed down the mountains with its next task.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Although NASA's Curiosity and Perseverance rovers have not found evidence that the red planet once supported life, they have helped disclose Mars' more hospital past.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


After three failed attempts, NASA's Curiosity rover has reached a ridge on Mars, believed to have been partly formed by a muddy landslide which occurred three billion years ago.

After three failed attempts, NASA's Curiosity rover has reached a ridge on Mars, believed to have been partly formed by a muddy landslide which occurred three billion years ago. A ridge is a narrow, long and elevated structural feature surrounded by steep sides. The Martian Ridge holds significance because it might contain some of the earliest evidence of liquid water on the red planet, as it was one of the last geographic features created in the area. "It's a thrill to be able to reach out and touch rocks, transported from places high up on Mount Sharp that we'll never be able to visit with Curiosity," said Ashwin Vasavada, Curosity's project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The Curiosity rover took a month to climb the Gediz Vallis Ridge. It completed its most challenging climb yet after navigating through a sharp 23-degree incline, slippery sand and rocks around the size of its wheels. After reaching the ridge in August, the rover spent 11 days capturing the rocks in the area, some of which were as large as cars. ALSO READ | Scientists one step closer to resurrecting Tasmanian tiger that went extinct 100 years ago On August 19, the Curiosity rover clicked 136 pictures of the broader landscape on the ridge and stitched them into a 360-degree mosaic. Curiosity also captured a separate image in which the upper region of Mount Sharp is visible at a distance behind a prominent butte (flat-topped mountain) in the forepart. The ridge lies in Curiosity rover's way through the foothills of Mount Sharp, a sharp 3-mile-tall mountain once covered in lakes and streams. Researchers who studied the composition of many dark rocks and boulders on the ridge found that these rocks originated somewhere on the mountain and skated down with the debris flow. These rocks might enable scientists to study higher mountain regions that Curiosity cannot reach. The Curiosity rover marked its 11th year on the Red Planet in August 2023. On its journey, Curiosity has been to incredible locations, like Gale Crater, an impact divot with a layered mountain at its centre. In the upcoming mission, it will attempt to search for a path up a channel above the ridge. Researchers might be able to understand how and where the water flowed down the mountains with its next task. Although NASA's Curiosity and Perseverance rovers have not found evidence that the red planet once supported life, they have helped disclose Mars' more hospital past. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

NASA's Curiosity rover reaches Mars ridge to study red planet's watery past

<p>NASA's Parker Solar Probe has marked a historic milestone by becoming the first spacecraft to fly through a&nbsp;coronal mass ejection (CME) directly from the sun — a colossal eruption which expels billions of tonnes of plasma.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>'Closest to the sun'</strong></h2>

<p>The audacious probe that was launched in August 2018 now holds the distinction of being the closest human-made craft to the sun.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As per a Forbes report, NASA's Parker Solar Probe spent two days at a mere 5.7 million miles (9.2 million kilometres) from the sun's scorching surface.</p>

<p>To&nbsp;better understand the accomplishment, let's put it into context. Mercury, the nearest planet to the sun, is located roughly 23 million miles (37 million kilometres) from the blazing star. Our planet, Earth, is at a more comfortable distance, a staggering 93 million miles (150 million kilometres).</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/high-five-for-isros-slingshot-technique-as-aditya-l1-leaves-earth-orbit-for-its-destination-637459">High-five for ISRO's 'slingshot technique' as Aditya-L1 leaves Earth's orbit for its destination</a></strong></p>

<p>On 22 September 2022, the Solar Parker probe passed right through the CME. This feat was revealed in a paper published in the Astrophysical Journal.</p>

<p>You can watch the fascinating video of its journey here:</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Another first! Our Parker Solar Probe flew through an eruption from the Sun, and saw it “vacuuming up” space dust left over from the formation of the solar system. It's giving <a href="https://twitter.com/NASASun?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASASun</a> scientists a better look at space weather and its potential effects on Earth.… <a href="https://t.co/AcwLXOlI6m">pic.twitter.com/AcwLXOlI6m</a></p>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1703898589842313300?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>As per Nour Raouafu, a Parker Solar Probe project scientist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, "This is the closest to the sun we’ve ever observed a CME."</p>

<p>"We've never seen an event of this magnitude at this distance," he added.</p>

<h2><strong>What exactly is a CME?</strong></h2>

<p>Coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, are huge expulsions of plasma and magnetic fields from the sun. These are often formed in the wake of solar flares.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Both phenomena, as per Forbes, trace their origins to "the twisting and realignment" of the sun's magnetic field.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/experiments-on-astronaut-mice-prove-humanity-has-a-chance-to-land-on-mars-637493">Experiments on astronaut mice prove humanity has a chance to land on Mars</a></strong></p>

<p>When directed toward Earth, a CME can induce geomagnetic storms capable of reshaping our planet's magnetic field, and can create mesmerising auroras.</p>

<p>However, severe CMEs also have the potential to jeopardise satellites, disrupt communication systems, and unleash widespread power blackouts.</p>

<h2><strong>What did the Parker probe observe during its perilous journey?</strong></h2>

<p>During this momentous journey, the Parker probe detected particles hurtling at speeds of up to 840 miles (1,350 kilometres) per second, akin to the ferocity of the most potent solar storm ever recorded—the Carrington Event in 1859.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Fortuitously, the CME that the Parker Solar Probe travelled through was on the sun's far side and not directed toward Earth. If it was directed at our planet, it would've caused quite a few potential disruptions that could incur economic losses, estimated at over $41.5 billion per day in the United States alone.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


NASA's Parker Solar Probe has marked a historic milestone by becoming the first spacecraft to fly through a coronal mass ejection (CME) directly from the sun — a colossal eruption which expels billions of tonnes of plasma.

NASA's Parker Solar Probe has marked a historic milestone by becoming the first spacecraft to fly through a coronal mass ejection (CME) directly from the sun — a colossal eruption which expels billions of tonnes of plasma. 'Closest to the sun' The audacious probe that was launched in August 2018 now holds the distinction of being the closest human-made craft to the sun. As per a Forbes report, NASA's Parker Solar Probe spent two days at a mere 5.7 million miles (9.2 million kilometres) from the sun's scorching surface. To better understand the accomplishment, let's put it into context. Mercury, the nearest planet to the sun, is located roughly 23 million miles (37 million kilometres) from the blazing star. Our planet, Earth, is at a more comfortable distance, a staggering 93 million miles (150 million kilometres). Also read | High-five for ISRO's 'slingshot technique' as Aditya-L1 leaves Earth's orbit for its destination On 22 September 2022, the Solar Parker probe passed right through the CME. This feat was revealed in a paper published in the Astrophysical Journal. You can watch the fascinating video of its journey here: Another first! Our Parker Solar Probe flew through an eruption from the Sun, and saw it “vacuuming up” space dust left over from the formation of the solar system. It's giving @NASASun scientists a better look at space weather and its potential effects on Earth.… pic.twitter.com/AcwLXOlI6m — NASA (@NASA) September 18, 2023 × As per Nour Raouafu, a Parker Solar Probe project scientist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, "This is the closest to the sun we’ve ever observed a CME." "We've never seen an event of this magnitude at this distance," he added. What exactly is a CME? Coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, are huge expulsions of plasma and magnetic fields from the sun. These are often formed in the wake of solar flares. Both phenomena, as per Forbes, trace their origins to "the twisting and realignment" of the sun's magnetic field. Also read | Experiments on astronaut mice prove humanity has a chance to land on Mars When directed toward Earth, a CME can induce geomagnetic storms capable of reshaping our planet's magnetic field, and can create mesmerising auroras. However, severe CMEs also have the potential to jeopardise satellites, disrupt communication systems, and unleash widespread power blackouts. What did the Parker probe observe during its perilous journey? During this momentous journey, the Parker probe detected particles hurtling at speeds of up to 840 miles (1,350 kilometres) per second, akin to the ferocity of the most potent solar storm ever recorded—the Carrington Event in 1859. Fortuitously, the CME that the Parker Solar Probe travelled through was on the sun's far side and not directed toward Earth. If it was directed at our planet, it would've caused quite a few potential disruptions that could incur economic losses, estimated at over $41.5 billion per day in the United States alone. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NASA's Parker Solar Probe gets 'closest' to Sun, spends two days in solar storm. Watch

<p>A recent study has suggested that a mysterious hidden force is generating water on the Moon. The study published in the journal <em>Nature</em> on September 14 says that waves of electrons, arriving indirectly from Earth and the Sun are contributing to the formation of frozen water on the lunar surface. These electrons hit the Moon as it passes in and out of Earth's magnetotail, which the planet leaves behind as it rushes through space.</p>

<p>"We find that the water abundance at lunar mid-latitudes substantially increases in the dusk and dawn magnetosheath when the solar wind flux increases, yet remains nearly constant across the central magnetotail," the study said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It added that within the magnetotail is a plasma sheet made up of highly charged electrons and ions, pulled from Earth's atmosphere and solar wind radiation from the Sun.</p>

<p>"We suggest that although we have confirmed the importance of the solar wind as a major source of fast water production on the Moon, hitherto unobserved properties of the plasma sheet properties may also play an important role," the study added.</p>

<p>According to a report by <em>Science Alert</em>, planetary scientist Shuai Li from the University of Hawai'i said that when the Moon is outside of the magnetotail, the lunar surface is bombarded with solar wind.</p>

<p>"Inside the magnetotail, there are almost no solar wind protons and water formation was expected to drop to nearly zero," Professor Li added.</p>

<p>However, citing analysis, the report said that this was not the case. Earlier studies pointed towards hydrogen ions from solar winds generating water on the Moon, but it seems this water is still forming when the lunar surface is protected from solar winds, inside the magnetotail.</p>

<p>"In the magnetotail, there may be additional formation processes or new sources of water not directly associated with the implantation of solar wind protons," Li further said.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


A recent study has suggested that a mysterious hidden force is generating water on the Moon. The study published in the journal Nature on September 14 says that waves of electrons, arriving indirectly from Earth and the Sun are contributing to the formation of frozen water on the lunar surface.

A recent study has suggested that a mysterious hidden force is generating water on the Moon. The study published in the journal Nature on September 14 says that waves of electrons, arriving indirectly from Earth and the Sun are contributing to the formation of frozen water on the lunar surface. These electrons hit the Moon as it passes in and out of Earth's magnetotail, which the planet leaves behind as it rushes through space. "We find that the water abundance at lunar mid-latitudes substantially increases in the dusk and dawn magnetosheath when the solar wind flux increases, yet remains nearly constant across the central magnetotail," the study said. It added that within the magnetotail is a plasma sheet made up of highly charged electrons and ions, pulled from Earth's atmosphere and solar wind radiation from the Sun. "We suggest that although we have confirmed the importance of the solar wind as a major source of fast water production on the Moon, hitherto unobserved properties of the plasma sheet properties may also play an important role," the study added. According to a report by Science Alert, planetary scientist Shuai Li from the University of Hawai'i said that when the Moon is outside of the magnetotail, the lunar surface is bombarded with solar wind. "Inside the magnetotail, there are almost no solar wind protons and water formation was expected to drop to nearly zero," Professor Li added. However, citing analysis, the report said that this was not the case. Earlier studies pointed towards hydrogen ions from solar winds generating water on the Moon, but it seems this water is still forming when the lunar surface is protected from solar winds, inside the magnetotail. "In the magnetotail, there may be additional formation processes or new sources of water not directly associated with the implantation of solar wind protons," Li further said. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

There's frozen water on the Moon and a mysterious hidden force is likely the reason

nasa

Nasa, News on Nasa, stories on Nasa, articles on Nasa, Nasa stories at Wion, Nasa news, Nasa latest news