Monthly Archives: May 2022

The future of vision may be out of this world.

LambdaVision is developing a synthetic retinal implant that could help restore sight to humans with degenerative eye diseases, and the companys founders and principal researchers believe the microgravity environment on the International Space Station may be the key to their project.

Right now the way that we manufacture the artificial retina is through a process called layer by layer deposition, said Nicole Wagner, a molecular and cell biologist and LambdaVision president and CEO, and company co-founder with chemist Jordan Greco.

Thats kind of a fancy word for dipping a substrate in multiple solutions and building a number of layers of thin film.

Connecticut-based LambdaVision uses bacteriorhodopsin, a light-reactive protein, to replace the function of photoreceptors in the retina, the layer of the eye responsible for converting light into nerve impulses for interpretation by the brain.

Its a process that involves moving a piece of gauze between multiple beakers hundreds of times, and sedimentation, evaporation, convection, and other factors influence how well those thin films can form. But in a microgravity environment, you remove a lot of those, Dr Wagner said.

An experimental, miniaturised version of LambdaVisions synthetic retina manufacture process was aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft Nasas Crew-4 mission rode to the ISS on 27 April and was just one of a wide array of experiments the Crew-4 astronauts will set up or conduct over the next six months.

The Crew-4 team Nasa astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Robert Hines, and Jessica Watkins, along with European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti will participate in a study of how microgravity affects the human nervous system when reaching for and grasping objects, and wear smart shirts lined with sensors monitoring their hearts and blood pressure, the latter an experiment from the German Space Agency called Ballistocardiography for Extraterrestrial Applications and long-Term missions, or Beat.

The astronauts will also grow plants using hydroponic and aeroponic technologies as part of the exposed Root On-Orbit Test System (xroots) experiment, and test how well off-the-shelf terrestrial technologies identify disease-related biomarkers in liquid samples in microgravity in the rhealth one Microgravity Demonstration.

The results of the rhealth experiment could have implications for future deep space missions, such as Nasas journey to Mars in the late 2030s or early 2040s, where astronauts will need to carry all the medical support they might require for an entry two-year mission with them.

But for the LambdaVision experiment, according to Dr Wagner, staying in low Earth orbit, rather than going to Mars, is the goal. The goal would be eventually to continue to manufacture on the International Space Station, she said, or on future commercial space stations. This is a way to sort of realize what could be the potential for a low Earth orbit economy.

If manufacturing in microgravity helps create the thin layers of the protein necessary to build a functional retinal implant, LambdaVision could build in space synthetic tissues that could restore sight to people with conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa or macular degeneration on Earth.

Were still about three years out from a clinical trial, even with the work that were doing on the International Space Station, Dr Wagner said, but the ultimate goal is to get these into patients as soon as possible.

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Astronauts to help build artificial retinas on Space Station - The Independent

By European Space Agency (ESA)May 8, 2022

Video clip of ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer and his Expedition 66 crewmates experiencing a reboost of the International Space Station. While the video at the bottom of this article is sped up by 8 times, this GIF is sped up by 32 times.

Get in line with ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer and his Expedition 66 crewmates to experience an orbital reboost of the International Space Station (ISS) from the inside. This video is sped up 8 times faster than real-time.

The International Space Station flies around Earth at around 400 km (250 miles). It is reboosted periodically to maintain its orbit and overcome the effects of atmospheric drag created by molecules of the atmosphere, which causes the Station to lose about 100 m of altitude per day.

A Space Station orbital reboost maneuver also optimizes phasing for future visiting vehicles arriving at the station. In March 2022 the ISS performed an orbital reboost using Russias ISS Progress 79 cargo craft. By firing its engines for several minutes, the station was put at the proper altitude for a crew ship orbit rendezvous and landing operations.

During the maneuver, the astronauts inside the station keep flying at the same speed and direction. While it seems like the astronauts are moving inside the station, it is in fact the ISS that gets the boost and is moving around them.

Credit: ESA/NASA

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See What Happens on the Space Station During an Orbital Reboost Maneuver - SciTechDaily

FormerNavy submariner Kayla Barron and three other astronauts splashed down offthe Florida Coast on Friday following about a half a yearof conducting experiments and performing repairs aboardthe International Space Station.

Barron, a Washington native who served aboard the Bangor-based USS Maine, returned to Earth along withfellow NASA Astronauts Tom Marshburn andRaja ChariandEuropean Space AgencyastronautMatthias Maurer. The fourpiled in the SpaceX Dragon Endurance spacecraft Thursday for a trip back to Earth.

Barron and the others splashed down safely early Friday, local time, off the coast of Tampa.

"Living and working aboard the International Space Station has been a transformative experience and an extraordinary privilege," Barron said on social media before departing the station."Part of me is ready to come home I miss my loved ones dearly, and wouldnt mind sipping coffee out of a cup instead of through a straw but part of me is having a hard time letting go."

Related: Pioneering female Navy submariner on the International Space Station has her eye on the moon next

After launching to the station Nov. 10, Barron, 34, conducted two spacewalks, one to repair a damaged antenna and the other to install a roll-out solar array kit. She also helped perform and monitormany scientific experiments, many helping to advance the knowledge of growing food and plantsin space. And she humanized her first experience in space through social media, demonstrating the basics of life in microgravity to include a how-to video of washing her own hair.

She also never tired of photographing her home planet, admiring its cloud formations often.

I hope you arent tired of seeing photos of clouds from space because Im not tired of taking them yet," she wrote in April.

Raised in the Tri-Cities of Eastern Washington, Barron graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2010. The Navy lieutenant commander was one of the first women to serve aboard Navy submarines. Barron was a nuclear reactor officer aboard the USS Maine, a "boomer," orballistic missile sub, from 2013 to 2015.

It was while working as a flag aide to Vice Adm. Walter "Ted" Carter Jr., the superintendent of the Naval Academy, that she got an opportunity to meet Space Shuttle program veteran astronaut Kathryn "Kaye" Hire. Talking to Hire about space travel reminded her of her service on submarines.

Barron was selected in 2017to be an astronaut from NASA's largest applicant pool ever, atmore than 18,300.

Barron's time as an astronaut could be far from over. As part of NASA's Artemis program, the 34-year-old could even be the first woman to walk on the Moon. Success in the program will inform NASA's next goal: landing humans on Mars.

Josh Farley is a reporter coveringthe military and Bremerton for the Kitsap Sun. He can be reached at 360-792-9227,josh.farley@kitsapsun.comor on Twitter at@joshfarley.

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NASA SpaceX astronaut, Washington native returns from space station - Kitsap Sun

Pioneer, the newest station concept, can accommodate 28 people and is scheduled to open in 2025. Orbital Assembly

Booking your next vacation to space with out-of-this-world views could soon be a reality.

Orbital Assembly Corporationannounced two new station concepts designed with space tourism accommodations. One of the stations, dubbed Pioneer, could orbit Earth as early as 2025.

The Gateway Foundation circulated ideasfor a space hotel in 2019. The goal of the stations is to run a space business park that can serve as a home away from home with room for offices and tourists, reports Francesca Street forCNN.

The proposed Pioneer station can accommodate 28 people, reports Stephanie Wenger forPeople. The second station, Voyager, scheduled to open in 2027, can hold up to 400 people. Previously announced in 2019, the Voyager Station was known as the Von Braun Station but was later rebranded.

"The goal has always been to make it possible for large amounts of people to live, work and thrive in space," Orbital Assembly's CEO Tim Alatorretells CNN.

A smaller station like Pioneer allows people to start experiencing space on a larger, faster scale, Alatorre explains CNN. Pioneer will also have research facilities available to rent.

Both stations resemble awheel and will feature artificial gravity that allows guests to move comfortably on each station. Artificial gravity technology is not available on space stations currently,Peoplereports. Pioneer features five modules built around the rotating "Gravity Ring" architecture design.

Facilities on both the Pioneer and Voyager stations will have hybrid microgravity and variable gravity levels up to .57-G, reports Sean Cudahy forThe Points Guy. Tourists may still feel some weightlessness but will also be able to drink out of a cup and won't have to be strapped to a bed to sleep. The gravity works similar to how a spinning bucket pushes the water out to the sides of the bucket and stays in place, Alatorre explains to CNN in a previous interview. Near the middle of the station, there will be no artificial gravity, but gravity gradually increasesfurther away from the center.

While the Pioneer station will be smaller than Voyager, guests can still shower, eat and drink sitting down in areas with gravity. Each station is furnished like luxury hotels on Earth. Renderings of what Voyager may look like feature a restaurant and suites with views of Earth.

The ethics of space tourism and associated costs are currently an ongoing conversation as billionaires Jeff Bezos with Blue Origin and Elon Musk with SpaceX plan missions into outer space.

However, Wendy Whitman Cobb, an Air Force political scientist, tells the Shira Ovide for theNew York Timesthat rocketing non-astronauts to space opens the door up for advancing technologies, generates enthusiasm about space travel, and tests the safety parameters of traveling to and from space.

Another significant barrier to space travel is the cost. However, Orbital expects tourists to seek a trek into space as space travel eventually becomes less expensive, perThe Points Guy.

"We envision our Pioneer and Voyager space stations as the ultimate ecotourism destinations. Once people get to space, it will change their perspective about Earth," Alatorre tellsPeople. "Space travel is still in its infancy, and we're excited to do our part to push it forward to help improve life on Earth."

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Space Hotel Slated to Welcome Earthlings in 2025 | Smart News - Smithsonian Magazine

IF you're partial to a glass of wine or a can of beer, being an astronaut probably isn't for you.

Alcohol is banned on the International Space Station for numerous practical and safety reasons.

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This doesn't mean alcohol has never been consumed in space.

In the 1990s, photos of Russian cosmonauts enjoying a 'cognac party' onboard the Mir Space Station were revealed.

The cosmonauts were said to have hid the alcohol in their space suits because they didn't want to go without it during their mission.

Even the first liquid that was drank on the Moon was wine.

Buzz Aldrin revealed that he took a small sip of alcohol while taking communion on the lunar surface.

Although, we know humans can drink alcohol in space, Nasa doesn't seem to think they should.

According to a BBC report, Daniel G Huot, a spokesperson for Nasas Johnson Space Center, said: "Alcohol is not permitted onboard the International Space Station for consumption.

"Use of alcohol and other volatile compounds are controlled on ISS due to impacts their compounds can have on the stations water recovery system."

The main reason for the sober space lifestyle seems to be due to concerns that alcohol would negatively effect equipment and the water system on the ISS.

Astronauts don't even use things like mouthwash or perfume because these products contain alcohol.

Ethanol is a key ingredient in wine, beer and spirits and it also happens to be highly volatile and flammable.

That makes it a risk to even take to space, let alone consume.

A drunk astronaut would also pose a danger to missions as everything in space has be controlled precisely.

The ISS also uses a water recovery system to recycle urine and provide clean water for astronauts to drink.

Alcohol poses a risk to this toilet system.

If astronauts went against the rules and did drink alcohol, they may not have the most comfortable experience.

According to New Scientist, drinking beer in space may result in wet or soggy burps because the gases would be drawn to the top of their stomachs.

That's also why astronauts steer away from carbonated drinks.

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Why alcohol is banned on the International Space Station from soggy burps to ruining toilets... - The US Sun

Out in the desert in Arizona, "analog astronauts" gathered this weekend for an annual conference in a giant, futuristic habitat called Biosphere 2.

The event, called the Analog Astronaut Conference, is an annual meetup showcasing the work of "analog astronauts," or researchers who have completed simulated space missions, living and working in habitats on Earth that mimic expected living conditions in destinations like Mars or the moon.

The event took place from May 6 to May 8 at Biosphere 2, an immense research facility in Oracle, Arizona that, in the early 1990s, housed an experiment in which a team of "Biospherians" lived in the habitat for two years.

Video: 'Spaceship Earth' tells story of 8 'visionaries' in Biosphere 2 - Trailer

But don't worry the conference didn't lock the participants in for two years. Instead, those in attendance got a peek into what the habitat is really like; Biosphere 2 houses a number of human-created biomes including a rainforest, a coral reef, manufactured ocean and more.

The speakers for the event included astronaut (as well as analog astronaut) Sian Proctor, who flew with SpaceX's private Inspiration4 orbital mission; architect Leszek Orzechowski, who created the LunAres Research Station, an analog habitat in Poland; space engineer Sahba El-Shawa; exploratory space artist Richelle Gribble; filmmaker and researcher Kai Staats and more.

The event's keynote speaker was author Frank White, who is best known for his 1987 book "The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution." White coined the term "the overview effect," which is used to describe the psychological shift that humans experience when viewing Earth from space.

Explore a full list of speakers here.

In addition to panels and speakers, the event also included art and music at the event as well as stargazing with Proctor.The event also included a screening of the Space.com documentary about senior writer Chelsea Gohd's adventures as an analog astronaut titled: "Chelsea Goes to Mars."

Disclosure: Author Chelsea Gohd participated in the planning of the Analog Astronaut Conference and is an analog astronaut, having completed an analog Mars mission in 2020 alongside other team members who helped to plan this event. Gohd is listed as a speaker for the event but, having contracted COVID-19, she was not a speaker.

Email Chelsea Gohd at cgohd@space.com or follow her on Twitter @chelsea_gohd. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

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'Analog astronauts' assemble in Biosphere 2 bubble to talk simulated space missions - Space.com

Space Coast residents had a chance to wake up Thursday to the 18th orbital launch of the year from Cape Canaveral, as a SpaceX Falcon 9 topped with 53 Starlink internet satellites lifted off just before sunrise.

With at least five more launches expected this month, Space Florida President and CEO Frank DiBello said Wednesday that local launch facilities might handle more than 40 additional launches before the end of 2022 from private companies, NASA and U.S. Space Force.

We're likely to see 60, 61, 62 launches this year, DiBello said during a conference call with the Space Florida Board of Directors.

That, to me, is really significant in terms of the investments that we've made over time, thanks to the board and to our partnership with (the Florida Department of Transportation) and to the support that we've had from the Legislature to investing in infrastructure that supports the increased capability that we have, DiBello added.

Hours before Thursdays launch, SpaceXs Dragon Endurance spacecraft, carrying three NASA astronauts and a European Space Agency mission specialist, splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico off Tampa Bay. The Dragons return wrapped up a 176-day expedition to the International Space Station that began with one of the 31 rockets that reached orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASAs neighboring Kennedy Space Center in 2021.

Since the start of 2022, launches from licensed sites tied to Space Florida, the states aerospace-arm, have put about 250 tons of equipment and supplies into space. Last year, Space Florida facilities accounted for about 370 tons of materials put into space, including 1,730 satellites.

We could conceivably in the first four months of this year --- having done 250 (tons) --- we could easily see 550 to 600 tons to orbit this year, which is a big boost in our lift capacity, DiBello said.

Meanwhile, with nearly 700 satellites launched so far this year, including the 53 that went up Thursday, DiBello said the cape is ahead of the 2021 pace, which ended 30 percent higher than in 2020.

We see a decade where between (50,000) and 100,000 satellites are going to be launched by 2030, DiBello said. And we want to try to capture a lion's share of those out of Florida. Again, what's driving the growth in the industry is our insatiable demand for bandwidth that all of us have. We feed that market regardless of the device that we're using.

Space Florida is also looking to focus on capturing a piece of an emerging market that services the space economy, by developing the capabilities to send robots and people into space to extend satellite life, move crews, conduct research and manufacturing and undertake the removal of space debris.

We're really looking at this industry, DiBello said. Forecasts are for this to be between $15 (billion) and $20 billion (in economic impact) by the end of the decade. And that's not insignificant.

Among the more-anticipated launches this year is the uncrewed Artemis I, now expected in August, which would mark the first integrated test of NASAs deep-space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System rocket and the ground systems at Kennedy Space Center. Orion is planned to travel 280,000 miles from Earth, beyond the orbit of the Moon.

Also in August, the Psyche asteroid explorer is expected to be sent to a region between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.

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Cape Canaveral is gearing up for a busy year of space launches - WUSF News

Dmitry Rogozin is the head of Russia's space agency Roscosmos.Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images

Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin claimed NATO countries could be quickly destroyed in a nuclear war.

The space agency leader said Russia could destroy the countries in "half an hour."

In the same Telegram post, he urged his country not to wage a nuclear war, however.

The head of Russian space agency Roscomos has claimed his country could quickly destroy NATO countries if a nuclear war took place.

Dmitry Rogozin, who has made many outlandish and provocative comments in recent months, shared the message in Russian on his Telegram channel on Sunday.

Rogozin claimed that the destruction could happen in 30 minutes, "but we must not allow it, since the consequences of an exchange of nuclear strikes will affect the state of our Earth," he added.

Rogozin also wrote in his Telegram post: "NATO is waging war against us. It has not declared it, but it doesn't change anything. Now it's obvious to everyone."

His comments do not align with the stance of NATO, which posted a statement on its website in April, saying that the organization "condemns in the strongest possible terms Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine which is an independent, peaceful and democratic country, and a close NATO partner."

It continued: "The Alliance calls on President Putin to stop this war immediately, withdraw all his forces from Ukraine without conditions and engage in genuine diplomacy."

In February, Russian president Vladimir Putin put Russia's nuclear deterrent forces on high alert amid the sweeping sanctions the US and EU have imposed on it.

Rogozin has previously said Roscosmos would leave the International Space Station and that the decision had already been affirmed. He also criticized the litany of Western economic sanctions imposed on Russia.

"I believe that the restoration of normal relations between partners in the International Space Station and other joint projects is possible only with the complete and unconditional lifting of illegal sanctions," he tweeted in April.

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Since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, the US along with the European Union and the UK have ramped up sanctions against Moscow, Putin, and many individuals in the leader's inner circle.

Rogozin added in his Telegram message that the war, which Putin called a "special military operation," had gone "far beyond its original meaning and geography," and called it "a war for the truth and the right of Russia to exist as a single and independent state."

Scholars, however, have debunked Russia's many attempts at justifying the war, including Putin's claim that he aimed to "denazify" Ukraine.

They told NPR that Putin's language was offensive and factually wrong. One of the experts, Laura Jockusch, said: "There is no 'genocide,' not even an 'ethnic cleansing' perpetrated by the Ukraine against ethnic Russians and Russian-speakers in the Ukraine. It is a fiction that is used by Putin to justify his war of aggression on the Ukraine."

Jockush added in her email to NPR that using the word "denazification" was also "a reminder that the term 'Nazi' has become a generic term for 'absolute evil' that is completely disconnected from its original historical meaning and context."

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Russia's space agency chief claimed his nation could destroy NATO countries in 'half an hour' during a nuclear war - Yahoo News