Monthly Archives: January 2021

As part of its project of landing space exploration crews on the moon, China should establish a space station in lunar orbit rather than one orbiting the earth, the father of Chinas lunar mission said Wednesday in a meeting.

Its better to build the space station in moon orbit so the future moon landing would not be as difficult as the former Apollo program, said Ouyang Ziyuan, a Chinese Academy of Sciences academician and first chief scientist of Chinas lunar probe project.

The Apollo program of the American National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) succeeded in landing the first humans on the Moon in 1969. The last U.S. pair of moon walkers was from the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972.

Ouyangs suggestion of building a lunar space station, first proposed in 2018, came before the U.S. disclosed its latest moon landing plan, which includes putting a space station into lunar orbit. His discussion of the idea suggests that Chinas top space scientists are continuing to work out plans for lunar exploration as the countrys space ambitions expand.

China is proceeding with development of the Tiangong Space Station in earth orbit and will finish construction by next year. It will be the only station circling the earth after the service life of the International Space Station (ISS) runs out in 2024. The Long March-5B rocket, Chinas new large-carrier rocket, made its maiden flight in May 2020 to launch space station modules. In 2020, China successfully completed the Change 5 lunar mission, collecting rock samples from the surface of the moon and returning to earth.

The American Artemis Program announced last year by Vice President Mike Pence aims to put the first woman and the next man on the moon through two stages by 2024. Before eventually landing moon walkers, the project would send robotic rovers to the surface of the moon and fly four astronauts around the moon on a 10-day journey.

One feature of NASAs multibillion-dollar program would be the 2024 launch of a Lunar Gateway, which would be a space station orbiting the moon. The gateway would serve as a rendezvous point for two astronauts to board a spacecraft that would transfer them to the surface of the moon.

NASA has set up collaborations with international partners for the Lunar Gateway, including space authorities in Japan, Canada and the European Union. Russias Roscosmos also showed interest in the cooperation.

Ouyang proposed a similar plan more than a year before the announcement of the Artemis Program, urging construction of a space station similar to the Lunar Gateway proposal and skipping an earth-orbiting space station.

There have been decades of space stations operating in earth orbit, such as the Soviet Unions Mir Space Station and the ISS. Ouyang said it would not carry much significance for China to build a new space station now.

Most important space station tasks have been done during the past decades, he said.

If we want to land on the moon, we can simply go down to the surface from a lunar space station, Ouyang said. If we want to go back, astronauts can just return to the space station.

Chinese space authorities didnt initially accept Ouyangs proposal and continued planning to build an earth-orbiting space station.

I think it did not mean we failed to understand the advantages of building the lunar station, Ouyang said. Instead, the problem is the lack of technology.

Wu Yanhua, the deputy head of Chinas National Space Administration, said the country would first focus on technology, and space station construction would be a priority. Further discussion of crewed lunar missions would come after the completion of the earth-orbiting station, he said last year.

Unlike the Cold War-era space race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, China will focus on scientific research value and exploration in future crewed moon missions, Wu said.

Contact editor Bob Simison (bobsimison@caixin.com).

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China Should Build a Space Station Orbiting the Moon, Father of Lunar Mission Says - Caixin Global

Researchers from the Texas A&M College of Medicine will investigate the effect of long-term spaceflight on the eyes.

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At least 60 percent of astronauts who spend at least a month in space experience negative changes to their bodies due to microgravity and other factors like increased radiation exposure. One potential effect is Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (SANS), a condition in the eye that can lead to decreased sharpness of vision and swelling and flattening of structures in the eye.

AsNASAis gearing up for a return to the moon and eventually a mission to Mars (which would require humans to spend 1.5 to 2.5 years in space), solving this issue has become increasingly important. NASA has chosen researchers from theTexas A&M University College of Medicineto conduct an investigation on the effect of long-term spaceflight on the eyes and on the arteries, veins and lymphatic vessels that serve the eye and maintain vision.

NASA is worried about the impact that long-term spaceflight will have on astronauts health and their ability to complete missions, because of the fact that their vision can be significantly impaired, saidDavid C. Zawieja, regents professor at the College of Medicine and lead investigator of the experiment. Their vision can be impaired it can be temporary, it can be permanent, it can be mild, it can be severe, it can be in one eye more than the other. Theres a lot that we dont know, but what we do know is that this is a mission-critical problem.

The project, also known as theRodent Research 23 (RR-23) mission, launched a total of 20 animal models this past December to the International Space Station (ISS) for a duration of about five weeks. This week, the animal models returned to Earth, delivered to NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida and then flown directly to College Station, where experiments are currently being conducted by specialized teams from the College of Medicine and colleagues.

This is the first time in history that live animals brought back from space are being researched at a non-NASA affiliated institution or group, an arrangement that was partly due to the COVID-19 pandemics social distancing measures necessitating more lab space.

Co-investigator teams on this project include those from the labs ofPooneh Bagher, Dr. Anatoliy Gashev, and Travis Hein from the Department of Medical Physiology;andBinu Tharakan from the Department of Surgery at the Morehouse School of Medicine. In addition, Farida Sohrabji and David Earnest from the Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics are also helping their respective teams.

In 2017, Zawieja and his colleagues worked on a similar project, called theRodent Research 9 (RR-9) mission, that studied the effects of long-term microgravity on eyesight. They studied the vascular dynamics in the brain and spinal cord and examined the potential impact of changes in cerebral spinal fluid pressure on animal models they launched to the ISS.

For this RR-23 mission, Zawieja and colleagues are taking a different approach. Instead of studying the micro vessels of the brain, this research focuses on the potential imbalance of the microcirculation in the eye itself, creating local edemaparticularly near the back of the eye.

Since astronauts have been spending more than a few hours or even a day or two in space, there is a very well-defined redistribution of body fluids, Zawieja said. What happens is they kind of get chicken legs and buffalo torsos and a puffy head and neck because the fluids that will normally drain toward your feet and your legs on Earth now dont have gravity pulling them down. A lot of fluids will get redistributed centrally and toward the head and neck which produces a number of issues for the astronauts stuffy nose, puffy face, puffy neck and potentially SANS.

Currently, the teams are dissecting and examining the various structures of the animal models eyes. They also are analyzing the models to see if the vessels are working normally. If they find that the vessels are working abnormally, they will further examine them to see if there is evidence of potential localized edema in the back of the eye that could be compressing the optic nerve and producing the pathology associated with SANS loss of visual acuity. They will also compare the space animal model results to two other control groups that stayed on Earth.

The teams must dissect and examine the flight animal model within a short time frame before the effects of weightlessness start reversing.

The idea is to try to catch whatever changes may have occurred before they start reversing, Zawieja said. The good thing is we know from other data that it takes probably a minimum of three to five days before these effects start reversing and going back to normal because the vessels will eventually adapt to the local environment that theyre in.

The research conducted from RR-23 will allow scientists to better understand the impacts of long-term spaceflight on SANS and in the future, create countermeasures that will prevent astronauts from developing SANS. We suspect that the final analyses from this project will also help determine the future success of longer space missions to destinations like Mars, Zawieja said.

Zawieja anticipates that the final analyses and examinations of the RR-23 mission will conclude at the beginning of 2022.

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How Does Long-Term Spaceflight Affect Vision? - Texas A&M Today - Texas A&M University Today

Gateway is how NASA calls a habitat, about one-sixth the size that of the International Space Station, that will be placed in orbit around to Moon to act as a staging point for acrewed mission that will be sent on the surface of the Moon, and later down the line to Mars.

In its early years, Gateway will comprise at least a power and propulsion element, as well as habitation, logistics, and airlock capabilities, all of which will have to be made here on Earth. And for that, NASA needs help.

The launch of the first Gateway element, the power and propulsion system, is scheduled for 2022; it will be then followed constantly by more and more hardware, made with international assistance, like the Canadian robotic arm to be deployed on the exterior of the Gateway, scheduled for a 2026 departure.

This week, NASA announced it enlisted the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) to handle environmental control and life support system, batteries, thermal control, and imagery components for the International Habitation module. I-Hab, for short, is the place where people going up there will live and work.

The capabilities provided by Japan are critical to enabling the interior environment of the Gateway allowing our crews to live and work for longer durations, said in a statement Dan Hartman, Gateway program manager at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston. With the life support systems from Japan, longer duration missions for the Artemis crews can be accomplished with reduced demands on logistics resupply.

Japan will be making these systems, which then will head over to Europe to be integrated into the habitat by the local agency there.

As a more long term goal, JAXA is also assessing how best to modify its HTV-X cargo spacecraft for constant supply runs to the Gateway once its up and running.

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Japanese Space Agency to Make the Systems for the Lunar Space Station Habitat - autoevolution

In 2012, the Gateway Foundation was founded with the purpose of building the worlds first rotating space station in orbit known as The Gateway. This is no easy task and must be preceded by establishing the necessary infrastructure in orbit and the creation of a series of smaller structures to test the concept. This includes the Voyager Class station, a rotating structure designed to produce varying levels of artificial gravity.

In recent months, the Orbital Assembly Corporation (OAC) founed in 2018 by the Gateway team began working on a crucial component, known as the DSTAR. These and other updates about their Voyager Class station were the subjects of a recent video featuring Foundation and OAC CEO John Blincow. According to Blincow, he and his colleagues will be performing a demonstration and making a big announcement in the coming weeks!

The design for The Gateway was inspired by the Von Braun Wheel, a proposal made by German rocket scientist and space architect Wernher von Braun. This, in turn, was inspired by earlier concepts like the pinwheel space station prosed by Russian scientist and father of astronautics Konstantin Tsiolkovsky. In 1903, he released a treatise titled, Exploration of Outer Space by Means of Rocket Devices.

Among other things (like the famous Rocket Equation), this book contained a description for a space station that would rely on solar energy, a closed-system greenhouse, and would rotate to generate artificial gravity. In 1929, Yugoslav/Slovene aeronautical engineer Herman Potocnik released The Problem of Space Travel the Rocket Motor, which contained a detailed illustration of a circular space station in Earth orbit.

The concept also inspired the space station in the 1968 film, 2001: A Space Odyssey, which was co-written by famed scientist and science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke. All of these concepts involve the use of centripetal force to simulate the sensation of gravity, which would allow for humans to spend extended periods of time in space without having to worry about the long-term effects of microgravity.

For years, economists, analysts, and space exploration enthusiasts have spoken about the commercialization of LEO where everything from space stations and hotels to asteroid mining and space tourism will become a reality. But in order to accomplish this, the costs of launching payloads to space need to reduced (and they are!) and there needs to be a self-sustaining construction industry built in orbit.

Essential to this is the Structure Truss Assembly Robot (STAR), which will be used to rapidly fabricate the frame of the Voyager and Gateway stations. But before that can happen, a smaller prototype needs to be built and tested. That is where the DSTAR comes in, a 0.4 scale ground-based prototype of the STAR robots that will build the frame of their future stations.

In February of 2021, the Foundation will use the DStar to create a football field-sized truss here on Earth in just 90 minutes. This demonstration will validate the design and show that the technology can be used to rapidly assemble structures in orbit. As Blincow explained in the Gateway Foundations latest video:

The DSTAR program will demonstrate Orbital Assembly Corporations ability to build large structures in space quickly. This project will demonstrate basic methods to mate and move structural members inside the full-scale STAR [in] orbit. Engineering of the DSTAR was finished in the Spring of 2020. The shop drawings from the fabricators have been approved and construction is well underway initial testing in the major components for function has begun.

If all goes well, the Foundation will be moving forward with the next step of their plan, which is the deployment of the flight prototype the PSTAR. This will demonstrate the robotic assembler by building a circular truss in orbit. This truss will be the basis of the Gravity Ring Program, which (like the PSTAR) is a 40% scale version of the Voyager stations ring-shaped frame.

OAC plans to use the Gravity Ring to reduce the associated risks with the design and manufacture of the Voyager station. They also hope to demonstrate to investors that they can control the operational dynamics of a rotating frame, the validity of their rapid-construction process, and how it still allows for a high degree of precision.

At the same time, the gravity ring is meant to act as a valuable research tool that will provide vital data to space agencies like NASA, the ESA, JAXA, and others. Private aerospace companies, universities, and research institutes will also be able to use this data, which will explore the benefits of rotating space stations and rotating sections on spacecraft.

As Blincow indicated, it is also hoped that it will convince NASA to pivot from microgravity space stations (like the ISS) to rotating ones:

To be very clear we, do not propose that NASA abandons research in microgravity. More zero-g stations will be built and used for research and production of many new products. But people need gravity to stay healthy, so at the end of their workday in a microgravity lab, they will go to a rotating station to eat, sleep, and get some exercise.

This idea, of rotational space stations and microgravity space stations operating side by side, is what Blincow and his colleagues hope to see in the near future. The benefits of this kind of arrangement go beyond merely ensuring astronaut health and include the kind of research that will assist in deep-space exploration efforts.

For instance, the Voyager Class and The Gateway space stations are designed to provide varying levels of artificial gravity. In the case of the former, this is provided by adjusting the rate of rotation. Meanwhile, The Gateway is composed of concentric rings that are designed to simulate Lunar gravity (inner ring) and Martian gravity (outer ring) 16.5% and 38% that of Earth, respectively.

In addition, Blincow explained how the presence of a rotating station in orbit could create opportunities for astronomers. In particular, he addressed how the recent loss of the Arecibo Observatory was a blow not only to scientific research, but also planetary defense. During its many years of service, Arecibo monitored near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) to determine if any posed a collision risk. Said Blincow:

Rebuilding the facility for modern research needs will be a long and expensive undertaking. But the facility could be built significantly better around the Sun-Earth L2 [Lagrange] point. Arecibo primarys reflector, the dish, could not be steered. So the limited range of celestial latitudes it could examine involved moving the focal platform above its reflector. In space, the shape of the large primary reflector could be far more optimal and could be pointed anywhere.

On top of that, Blincow emphasized how a space-based Arecibo would not be subject to the Earths ionosphere, which blocks low-radio frequencies (lower than 300 kHz). This leaves astronomers blind to this part of the Universe, which is the only part of the electromagnetic spectrum that has never been observed with spatial resolution.

Last, but not least, there are extensive commercial benefits that these stations and a space-based construction industry will allow. In a previous video, Blincow explained how The Gateway will allow for commercial space in orbit (recreation and hotels). The Voyager station presents similar opportunities, as well as the possibility of astronaut training and orbital refueling.

One potential customer that the Foundation and OAC is hoping to work with is SpaceX. Right now, Elon Musk and the company he founded are working towards building a fleet of Starships that will allow for regular missions to the Moon and Mars. Blincow countered this with OAC Director Jeff Greenblatts analysis of Voyager could host a propellant depot that would make the process far more efficient:

SpaceX wants to send a thousand Starships to Mars as soon as it can. To do this will require eight fueler Starships all just to fill the tank of one Mars-bound Starship with enough propellant to make the trip to Mars SpaceX will also need crews with experience in space. Voyager station will generate hundreds of crew per year. Right now, there is no large pool of astronauts with hundreds of astronauts in space.

Another benefit would be the creation of space-based solar arrays, which would be capable of gathering sunlight 24/7 and be unaffected by weather. But perhaps the most important aspect of the Foundation and OACs plan is the way it could assure ascendence for the US in space. This term, Blincow explains, was used to characterize the extraordinary growth of American industry and influence during the 20th century, but not anymore:

The projected growth in all space-related industries is extraordinary. It is much like aviation in the 50s and the 60s. But America still has no national plan to expand into space with settlements We believe that for America to become ascendant again we must make expansion into space not just an under-funded NASA objective, but a well-funded national objective.

To encourage this, OAC even created a roadmap that lays out how the US could start building the necessary transportation infrastructure that would allow for human expansion into the Solar System. In the meantime, their engineers and designers are working to realize the PSTAR, the Gravity Ring, and prepping for the upcoming demonstration of the DSTAR.

Blincow also indicated that OAC will be making a big announcement on Friday, Jan. 29th, 2021. This will be an online event, the details of which will be sent to members of the Gateway Foundation in advance (click here to join). Blincow states that this will be a big moment for Orbital Assembly Corporation and a big moment in history that will be covered by the press and members of the space community. A little ominous, but Im intrigued!

The Gateway project is appropriately named since it will allow humans to colonize Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and expand our presence beyond Earth. As part of Project Artemis, NASA hopes to establish a lunar base camp and the Lunar Gateway, which will facilitate long-duration missions on the lunar surface. Also, the ESA hopes to build an International Moon Village around the southern polar region as a spiritual successor to the ISS.

In order for these plans to work, the long-term effects of low gravity on astronaut health need to be explored. Similarly, there are numerous plans for long-duration missions to Mars, and entrepreneurs like Elon Musk are even hoping to establish a permanent human colony. Here too, the long-term effects on human health are unclear, which is especially true where natal development (aka. having babies).

There are also abundant opportunities to see how plants and livestock fare in low gravity, which will also be needed to ensure food security in space. And of course, making space exploration more cost-effective and accessible is key to it all. By having the permanent infrastructure in place to build, refuel, dock, and transfer in orbit, the costs of going to space will drop markedly.

The cost of setting all of this up is great, but so are the potential rewards. Much like taking a moonshot and building structures to space (like a space elevator), it comes down to feasibility, funding, and the drive to make it happen. Once the first two prerequisites are met, the only thing left to it is to do it!

Further Reading: The Gateway Foundation

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Gateway Foundation Gives a Detailed Update on its Voyager Station Concept - Universe Today

JANUARY 13, 2021 - In case you missed it: it seems that Chris Doohan, son of Star Trek actor James Doohan, rang in the new year by revealing a 12 year old secret. His fathers ashes are in space, safely tucked away on the International Space Station. News of the secret was first published by The Times of London in late December, just in time for 2021.

Back in 2008, entrepreneur and multimillionaire Richard Garriott was preparing for a 12-day mission as one of the first private citizens to go into space, when he was contacted by Chris Doohan. Doohan proposed a plan that would give his father a chance to go into space, just like he had always wanted. "My dad had three passions: space, science and trains, Doohan told The Times, adding, He always wanted to go into space."

Three cards were printed with James Doohans image. Each card was sprinkled with some of the late actors ashes and laminated to seal the ash inside. Garriott admitted to smuggling the ashes aboard the space station, saying, Everything that officially goes on board is logged, inspected and bagged theres a process, but there was no time to put it through that process. According to Garriott, each card made it up to the space station, but one of them never returned to Earth. For more than a decade, that card (and Doohans ashes) have rested under a floor panel of the Columbus module on board the I.S.S. To Garriotts knowledge, nobody has discovered the card and it remains there to this day.

I never knew when or if I would be able to ever say anything, Doohan said. I visit fan conventions all around the world, for years now, and I have been holding on to this secret for 12 years. It was hard not sharing this with fans. I now have a great sense of relief that I can talk about this and share this amazing story as I continue my father's legacy.

Doohan posted on Twitter, linking a video of Garriott on the space station in 2008. In the video, Garriott is seen holding one of the cards and confirming the success of their clandestine mission. In the tweet, Doohan said, Astronaut @RichardGarriott embarked on a final mission for my dad. [Im] glad to share this after 12 years of secrecy. Look up at the sky, and know that Scotty is in space.

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Great Scotty! The ashes of Star Treks James Doohan were smuggled onto the International Space Station - Daily Star Trek News

Twelve bottles of wine that boldly went where no Bordeaux has gone before have returned from the International Space Station, with a tasting planned to see just how near-zero-gravity might have impacted them. The unusual cargo along with 320 vine canes from the French region was aboard SpaceXs Dragon when it splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean this week, having returned from the orbiting research platform.

It wasnt, unfortunately for the astronauts stationed there, a treat for when they were off-duty. Instead, the wines stay was organized by Space Cargo Unlimited, a company aiming to explore how space can coexist with, and potential improve on, sustainable agriculture.

The dozen bottles and the vines half of which were Merlot, and half Cabernet Sauvignon had made the trip up to the ISS at the end of 2019, launching in November. Space Cargo Unlimited kept counterpart samples back on Earth to act as a control. The next step in the process is transporting the space travelers back to France, where theyll be analyzed at the Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin (ISVV), the wine research lab at the University of Bordeaux.

Exactly what might be found is unclear at this stage, but the startup is expecting to find signs of how Low Earth Orbit and microgravity could impact the growth of plants and more. In Low Earth Orbit, cells exposed to near-zero gravity (microgravity) are affected by physical changes that occur in this unique environment, that is impossible to recreate on Earth, the company says. These changes include loss of gravity dependent convection, negligible hydrodynamic shear, increased membrane fluidity, and lack of sedimentation.

The hope is that such factors, properly leveraged on matter from Earth could unlock new developments for both agriculture and healthcare. Dubbed the WISE mission, it aims to explore how factors like gene expression and mutation can shape the success of different crops, among other things.

The wine which spent 438 days and 19 hours on the International Space Station will be tested both scientifically and in the more traditional manner. Space Cargo Unlimited aims to have a private tasting session in March, to see how its stay in microgravity might have impacted flavor.

While the ISS astronauts may not have had a chance to sample the experiment, they were involved in another nutrition-related trial that returned on the SpaceX CRS-21 mission Dragon capsule. Food Acceptability, Menu Fatigue, and Aversion in ISS Missions looked at how the appeal of food changed over time across long-duration missions, testing the theory that whether astronauts actually like their meals could be contributing to loss of body mass and, over time, unfavorable health consequences when faced with a restricted menu.

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Twelve bottles of wine went to space now its almost time to taste them - SlashGear