Monthly Archives: April 2021

BEIJING (AP) China will launch its next robot lunar lander in 2024, and it will carry equipment from France, Sweden, Russia and Italy, the official news agency reported.

Plans call for Change 6 to land near the lunar south pole and collect samples for return to Earth, the programs chief designer, Hu Hao, said at a conference Saturday, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

The Change landers are part of Chinese space exploration efforts that also include a probe that is preparing to land a robot rover on Mars. There are also plans for a crewed orbital station, landing a human on the moon and retrieving soil from an asteroid.

In December, the previous moon probe, Change 5, returned lunar rocks to Earth for the first time since the 1970s.

Change 6 is to collect lunar samples automatically for comprehensive analysis and research, Hu was quoted as saying at the conference in the eastern city of Nanjing.

The lander is expected to carry instruments developed by scientists from France, Sweden, Italy and Russia, Hu said. He gave no details of what they will do.

The announcement reflects growing interaction between Chinas secretive, military-linked space program and other countries.

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Official: China's moon probe will carry French, Russian gear - The Associated Press

April 23, 2021

Editor's note:This story is part of a series of profiles ofnotable spring 2021 graduates.

Vishaal Singh will graduate this May with a PhD in Geological Sciences from ASUsSchool of Earth and Space Exploration. Singh received his undergraduate degree from the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur, India. Vishaal Singh. Download Full Image

In 2016, when Singh spent a year investigating the surface of the moon for his masters thesis, he started looking at PhD programs with a focus on planetary science and exploration. Recognizing the School of Earth and Space Explorations interdisciplinary program as one of the highest ranked in the country, with involvement in space missions like the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and the Mars rover Curiosity, Singh applied to the ASU graduate program with a goal of working on instrument development for future missions.

Early on, Singh enrolled in an Exploration Systems Engineering graduate course with Professors Mark Robinson and Paul Scowen. Apart from the lectures, the course included field visits to NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Orbital ATK, which provided insight into how satellites and instruments for commercial and scientific purposes are built. During the semesterlong project, the class designed a planetary mission to the moon, which was invaluable in learning about the mission life cycle, from formulation to closeout.

It helped contextualize the development of missions like Psyche and Europa Clipper, and personally motivated me to develop instrumentation for enabling future exploration a major goal of my dissertation, said Singh.

Discussions with his adviser, Professor Alyssa Rhoden,shaped Singhs interest in ocean worlds like Europa and motivated his research. It was, however, lessons outside the classroom that shaped his outlook on life.

In my second year as a PhD student at ASU, my adviser left to take on a position at another research institute, Singh said. During that period of uncertainty, I was pleasantly surprised by the support from the community of graduate students and the selflessness of my professors. My adviser continued to serve as a mentor to me despite no obligation to do so, while Professor Steve Desch stepped up to take on the role of adviser. I ended up with a network of researchers (and friends) who have encouraged me at every step of this journey it is an ideal I intend to follow in my own interactions with other researchers.

Desch quickly discovered Singhs incredible work ethic, his diverse range of interests, his excellence at self-direction and his innate talent.

Vishaal is the embodiment of the SESE spirit, Desch said. Tackling a problem from multiple angles: studying Europa ice from the standpoint of spectroscopy and laboratory experiments, to spacecraft data, even to lab testing of communication tethers for future exploration by landers! It's been a pleasure and a reward to work with Vishaal, and I look forward to many future collaborations with him.

Singh shared more about his experiences at the School of Earth and Space Exploration.

Questions: What was your aha moment when you realized you wanted to study the field you majored in?

Answer:There was no single aha moment, but rather a series of experiences that set me on this path. Nearly two decades ago, my first notion of space exploration revolved around saving the Earth from an asteroid impact, courtesy of Bruce Willis and the film "Armageddon." With time, I came to realize that this work did not mean saving the world on a daily basis, but it remained a source of fascination. It wasnt until my sophomore year in undergrad that it finally clicked. I was given the choice of spending three months either on a beach in Goa, or in a small room mapping craters on the moon, and I chose the latter. Those three months led me to select planetary science not just for my major, but for my research career.

Q: Whats the best piece of advice youd give to those still in school?

A:With the pandemic, its been hard to find the motivation to get out of bed, much less spend days staring at pixelated faces on endless Zoom calls, or getting any writing done. It is hard to feel like you are making any progress, and I spent months where I got very little done. As I got closer to finishing, one of the things which helped was setting weekly goals, and meeting virtually with advisers and peers to hold myself accountable. It was OK if I did not get everything done but having a timeline that established when this project would end was invaluable for me.

Q: What was your favorite spot on campus, whether for studying, meeting friends or just thinking about life?

A:I had an unusual dissertation journey in that I spent more time away from ASU, working for the past three years in research labs across the country. While on the Tempe campus, I have fond memories of meeting up with friends at ISTB4 Crater Carpet, the Hayden Lawn, and of group lunches at Thai Basil. Outside of it, after exhausting weeks on lab running or failing to run experiments, I spent many weekends biking on the Glendora Ridge Road and the foothills of Mt. Baldy in Pasadena (California) to clear my head.

Q: What are your plans after graduation?

A:I was lucky enough to get involved in NASA-funded projects with several researchers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Columbia University we are independently (1) developing techniques for understanding the surface of icy worlds and how they evolve over time, and (2) building instruments for communicating through the ice and exploring the oceans of Europa, to search for life. As a postdoctoral researcher in planetary science, I intend to continue this work, and eventually achieve my goal of becoming an instrument scientist on missions to the outer solar system.

Q: If someone gave you $40 million to solve one problem on our planet, what would you tackle?

A:After five years of graduate school with a singular focus on space exploration, my views towards tackling the problems on Earth are colored by my understanding of the trickle-down effects of exploration and their socioeconomic benefit to society. From advances in space-related industries to spurring innovation in technology/life-saving capabilities and creating employment, space exploration with NASA at the forefront has transformed our lives. The driving force behind this transformation has been the people working on these projects.

Vishaal Singh in the lab.

For less than 0.00001% of the federal budget, we can continue to tackle some of the greatest challenges in science and technology by creating a new science-literate and globally inclusive workforce. With a diversity of experiences, perspectives and scientific expertise, we can increase national interest in science and continue to inspire people across the world. I would pursue this goal by training the next generation of scientists and engineers.

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Space missions to icy worlds in the outer solar system on the horizon for geological sciences graduate - ASU Now

TORONTO With the new sci-fi film "Stowaway," Toronto-raised star Shamier Anderson says he's checked a major role off his acting bucket list: astronaut.

TORONTO With the new sci-fi film "Stowaway," Toronto-raised star Shamier Anderson says he's checked a major role off his acting bucket list: astronaut.

So, what other career goals does he have?

"Marvel or DC, one of the two," Anderson, brother of fellow acclaimed actor Stephan James, said in an interview.

"Me and my brother have this ongoing joke, like, 'Man, the next movie has to be in tights,' because every superhero wears tights. It's like we're in tights season now. Simu Liu, he's wearing tights in 'Shang-Chi' at Marvel, he's a superstar.... But Marvel or DC (Comics), that's next on the bucket list. That'd be incredible."

Liu is among several Canadians enjoying "tights season" with major roles in upcoming superhero projects at Marvel. Others include Tatiana Maslany with "She-Hulk" and Iman Vellani in "Captain Marvel 2."

Anderson and Liu are also a part of the new Seek More campaign from the organization Made/Nous, which encourages Canadians to discover more diverse content and creators.

"Stowaway," which hit Amazon Prime Video Canada on Thursday, is a good example of the kind of programming the campaign wants viewers to look for, said Anderson.

The 29-year-old plays Michael, a space launch support engineer and unintended stowaway on a mission to Mars.

Anna Kendrick, Toni Collette and Daniel Dae Kim play the other astronauts onboard the spaceship, who have to make hard decisions after discovering Michael and realizing there's only enough oxygen for three people.

The film's director and co-writer is Joe Penna, who helmed the 2018 Mads Mikkelsen survival drama "Arctic."

"I love space, I love space exploration, I love planets, I love astronomy," said Anderson, who is also a producer and writer and co-founded The Black Academy with James to help combat systemic racism and celebrate Black talent.

"It's the idea of the sky not being a limit and just defying the odds. My mom was always very esoteric and spiritual, saying, 'You definitely are a star and you're going to go to space,' metaphorically, just letting us know that it was possible. I think that had a subconscious effect, the idea of going beyond the clouds and reaching for the sky."

Anderson has indeed seen his star soar in recent years, with other credits including Halle Berrys directorial debut "Bruised," the series "Wynonna Earp," and "X-Men" producer Simon Kinberg's upcoming "Invasion" sci-fi series for Apple TV Plus.

He shot "Stowaway" over two months in 2019 in a studio in Germany. The entire story takes place in a spaceship that Anderson said was hand-made to look as real as possible.

"There's no green screen outside of the solar system," he said.

Viewers don't see any of the action on Earth, so Michael's backstory comes solely from the script and little touches Anderson added to flesh out his character. For instance, the "bond bracelet" his character wears as a nod to his younger sister was Anderson's idea. He wanted himself and the audience to have something tangible to understand their connection.

Ultimately the story is about sacrifice, compassion and "humans going through a series of unfortunate events" rather than extraterrestrial elements, said Anderson.

"I know there are diverse people in this film, but it's not about their race or their ethnicity, and we don't make mention of that, because it's irrelevant. It's about the human experience. And it's about fear."

The film isn't specifically about "this Black man going through a Black experience, which is important," Anderson said.

But it does show a character "we don't get to see much in cinema Black individuals who are in this arena, who are in space exploration, who are astronauts, who study that craft," he added.

"For Michael, I feel like his biggest inspiration was Guion Bluford, the first African American astronaut to go to space," he said. "And if I could redo anything, I wish there was a small reference to that, just to show that this man is astute, he knows what he's doing, he loves what he's doing."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 22, 2021.

Victoria Ahearn, The Canadian Press

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From space to superhero? Canadian 'Stowaway' star Shamier Anderson on his next goal - Powell River Peak