June 2, 2023

The Race Is On to Crack an Artist’s ‘Test’ Signal From Aliens (Source: WIRED)
For decades, a dedicated international band of researchers has searched the skies in the hopes of finding some sign that humanity is not alone in the universe. They’re engaged in SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. So far, the hunt for an alien signal has turned up only false positives. But that hasn’t stopped anyone from speculating about how people might respond to a real communication attempt. Now, Daniela de Paulis, an artist in residence at the SETI Institute, is simulating just such an alien message to see how humans react and whether they can figure out how to decipher it.

Her group’s project, A Sign in Space, began last week by transmitting a mysterious radio signal from the Trace Gas Orbiter, an ESA craft that’s orbiting Mars. Participating astronomers at the Green Bank Observatory in West Virginia, the Allen Telescope Array in California, and the Medicina Radio Astronomical Station in Italy received the signal, removed the telemetry data, and posted the remaining encoded message on the project’s website for anyone to download.

Now it’s up to the people of Earth to crack the code, interpret the message, and—de Paulis hopes—make some art. She and her colleagues are leading a series of online workshops to encourage people to discuss the concept of alien communication, including an event she hosted yesterday at which people shared thoughts and artwork inspired by the project so far. (6/1)

New 'Quasi-Moon' Discovered Near Earth Has Been Travelling Alongside Our Planet Since 100 BC (Source: Live Science)
Scientists recently discovered an asteroid that tags along with Earth during its yearly journey around the sun. Dubbed 2023 FW13, the space rock is considered a "quasi-moon" or "quasi-satellite," meaning it orbits the sun in a similar time frame as Earth does, but is only slightly influenced by our planet’s gravitational pull. It is estimated to be 50 feet in diameter — roughly equivalent to three large SUVs parked bumper to bumper. During its orbit of the sun, 2023 FW13 also circles Earth, coming within 9 million miles of our planet. For comparison, the moon has a diameter of 2,159 miles and comes within 226,000 miles of Earth at the closest point of its orbit, according to NASA. (5/31)

Boeing Finds Two Serious Problems with Starliner Just Weeks Before Launch (Source: Ars Technica)
Boeing said Thursday it was "standing down" from an attempt to launch the Starliner spacecraft on July 21 to focus on recently discovered issues with the vehicle. Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager for Starliner, said two spacecraft problems were discovered before Memorial Day weekend and that the company spent the holiday investigating them. After internal discussions that included Boeing chief executive Dave Calhoun, the company decided to delay the test flight that would carry NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore to the ISS.

The issues seem rather serious to have been discovered weeks before Starliner was due to launch on an Atlas V rocket. The first involves "soft links" in the lines that run from Starliner to its parachutes. Boeing discovered that these were not as strong as previously believed. During a normal flight, these substandard links would not be an issue. But Starliner's parachute system is designed to land a crew safely in case one of the three parachutes fails. However, due to the lower failure load limit with these soft links, if one parachute fails, it's possible the lines between the spacecraft and its remaining two parachutes would snap due to the extra strain.

The second issue involves P-213 glass cloth tape that is wrapped around wiring harnesses throughout the vehicle. These cables run everywhere, and Nappi said there are hundreds of feet of these wiring harnesses. The tape is intended to protect the wiring from nicks. However, during recent tests, it was discovered that under certain circumstances possible in flight, this tape is flammable. Most likely, Starliner will see another significant delay in this test flight. These new problems are likely to ratchet up concerns from outside observers about the safety culture at Boeing. Last week, NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel urged NASA to bring in independent experts to assess the viability of Starliner. (6/1)

Bill Nelson: ‘We Want to Protect the Water on the Moon to Prevent China from Taking it Over’ (Source: El Pais)
Bill Nelson is a former Democratic senator, astronaut, and present Administrator of NASA. The American is visiting Madrid because Spain has just become the 25th signatory of the Artemis agreements, the political framework for cooperation that will lay the groundwork for peaceful exploration of the Moon and other celestial bodies in the coming decades. After meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez at the Moncloa Palace, and signing the document with the Minister of Science Diana Morant, Nelson made these remarks to EL PAÍS and El Mundo at the U.S. Embassy:

"These are common sense principles, such as peaceful uses of space, coming together to help each other in times of danger and having cooperative parts, so that if you had to come to somebody’s rescue, the spacecraft would have compatible docking systems. It also rules out that someone could reach the moon and claim territory and so prevent others from accessing it. And here I’m thinking of China and what it did in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. This territory was in international waters, and China came and claimed it for their own; they started building airstrips. We want to prevent this kind of thing and that is why 25 countries have already signed up and there will probably be many more soon." (5/31)

UCF College of Medicine Joins Partnership to Study Health Impacts of Space Travel (Source: UCF)
As space travel becomes more accessible, the UCF College of Medicine is helping to answer questions about how time spent in space affects the body. The College of Medicine has partnered with the NASA-funded Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) to collect data and biospecimens from commercial spaceflight participants to better understand how space flight impacts health. One of the first missions the College of Medicine is supporting is the Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) to the ISS, which launched on May 21. (5/30)

UCF Alumna, Student Selected for NASA Graduate Research Award (Source: UCF)
Marley Albright ’23 will take her college career to new heights this fall through the NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities (NSTGRO) award. She is one of approximately 60 U.S. college students who have been selected for this honor, which covers the tuition and fees for a graduate-level program and includes a fellowship at a NASA facility.

The NSTGRO is a highly competitive award given to students with the potential to support NASA’s goal of developing new technologies to further the nation’s science, space exploration and economic future. Students who are selected are paired with a NASA scientist or engineer who mentors them as they complete a research project. Albright says she is honored to be selected for this opportunity and is thankful for the people at UCF who helped her attain it. (6/1)

NASA Versus UAP (Source: Quartz)
Theories, including the inevitable alien hypothesis, abound for UAP sightings. For the record: There’s no evidence linking extra-terrestrial life to the UAPs. In Washington, the primary concern is security—are there potentially dangerous things in US airspace we don’t know about? To that end, lawmakers asked the Pentagon, home to the classified data about these sightings, what’s going on. The answer: In a small number of cases, we still don’t know. NASA administrator Bill Nelson put together a panel of outside experts to look into the UAP question using unclassified data.

Tellingly, it started with top NASA officials criticizing harassment of members of the panel and insisting that the agency will be transparent and forthright with its findings. Some UAP enthusiasts want to be taken seriously, right up until they encounter the scientific method. The purpose of this study is to determine ways that NASA can help solve the UAP mystery. The focus is on figuring out how to calibrate sensors; usefully combine different kinds of existing data, from satellite observations to air traffic control radar, for machine learning analysis; and encourage people to relay UAP sightings by reducing the stigma associated with reporting the unexplainable.

The investigators plan to publish a comprehensive report in July. At least one member of the group, Mike Gold, an executive at Redwire Space, sees a long-term role for NASA in this effort, saying after the hearing that tackling these issues seriously requires a permanent office at NASA. (6/1)

SpaceX's Starlink Wins Pentagon Contract for Satellite Services to Ukraine (Source: Reuters)
SpaceX's Starlink, the satellite communications service started by billionaire Elon Musk, now has a Department of Defense contract to buy those satellite services for Ukraine, the Pentagon said. "We continue to work with a range of global partners to ensure Ukraine has the resilient satellite and communication capabilities they need. Satellite communications constitute a vital layer in Ukraine's overall communications network and the department contracts with Starlink for services of this type," the Pentagon said in a statement. (6/1)

Space Force Selects New Leader for Eastern Range (Source: Space News)
The Department of the Air Force selected Brig. Gen. Kristin Panzenhagen as the next commander of Space Launch Delta 45, the Space Force unit that oversees launch operations in the Eastern Range. Panzenhagen will replace Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy who also serves as program executive officer for assured access to space under the Space Systems Command. Purdy, who assumed command of Space Launch Delta 45 at Patrick Space Force Base, Florida, in January 2021, will be moving to the Pentagon to become military deputy to Frank Calvelli, assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition and integration. (6/1)

Space Salads and Salty Waters (Source: Planetary Society)
We’re pleased to announce the second round of winners of our STEP (Science and Technology Empowered by the Public) grant program. For over 40 years, Planetary Society members and donors have crowdfunded science and technology projects that advance space science and exploration. The STEP grant program continues this tradition by funding innovative projects that are chosen through an open, international, competitive process. The first round of STEP grant winners, chosen in 2022, are already doing fascinating work thanks to The Planetary Society’s support.

This year’s winners are a project that will compare different methods of growing edible plants in simulated deep-space exploration conditions, and a project that will study salty lakes on Earth that share characteristics with the past and present oceans of other planets and moons. Click here. (5/31)

Caltech's Space Solar Power Demonstrator Wirelessly Transmits Power in Space (Source: Caltech)
A space solar power prototype that was launched into orbit in January is operational and has demonstrated its ability to wirelessly transmit power in space and to beam detectable power to Earth for the first time. Wireless power transfer was demonstrated by MAPLE, one of three key technologies being tested by the Space Solar Power Demonstrator (SSPD-1), the first space-borne prototype from Caltech's Space Solar Power Project (SSPP). SSPP aims to harvest solar power in space and transmit it to the Earth's surface. (6/1)

BlackSky and SynMax Partner to Monitor US Coal Powerplant Inventory (Source: Space Daily)
BlackSky Technology was competitively selected by energy intelligence company SynMax to monitor more than 100 United States coal powerplants. The partnership will create the world's most timely and accurate energy intelligence assessment and support national energy transition initiatives away from fossil fuels toward alternate, more sustainable energy resources. (5/31)