ScientistPankaj: In the Milky Way, 3 intruder stars are 'on the run'

Friday, May 17, 2024

In the Milky Way, 3 intruder stars are 'on the run' — in the wrong direction

Blue Origin launching 6 on 1st crewed mission since 2022 | 3 Milky Way intruder stars running in the wrong direction | Japanese-European spacecraft weakened by thruster glitch

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May 17, 2024

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The Launchpad

Blue Origin launching 6 on 1st crewed mission since 2022

(Blue Origin)

Blue Origin is set to break its dry spell of crewed launches this weekend. A crew of six will be aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket-capsule combo on the company's 25th overall launch and seventh space tourism mission, which will lift off from West Texas. The passengers on this flight, known as NS-25, were announced last month; they include retired U.S. Air Force Capt. Ed Dwight, who was selected as the nation's first Black astronaut candidate way back in 1961.

Full Story: Space (5/16)

3 Milky Way intruder stars running in the wrong direction

(Serge Brunier; NASA)

Astronomers have discovered three ancient stars "on the run" in the outskirts of the Milky Way galaxy, racing the wrong way at hundreds of thousands of miles per hour. Despite being spritely for their age, the three stars are so old that they date back to the formation of the first galaxies. That's between one and two billion years after the Big Bang.

Full Story: Space (5/16)

Spaceflight

Japanese-European spacecraft weakened by thruster glitch

(ESA/ATG medialab)

The BepiColombo spacecraft, operated by the European Space Agency (ESA) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), could be feeling the heat even before it reaches its destination: Mercury. Thanks to a glitch, the spacecraft's thrusters are no longer operating at full power. The team has yet to determine how this will impact upcoming maneuvers, like a Mercury flyby set for later this year.

Full Story: Space (5/16)

Science & Astronomy

Juno probe captures high-res images of icy moon Europa

(NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS. Image processing: Björn Jónsson (CC BY 3.0))

When NASA's Juno spacecraft performed its closest approach to Jupiter's moon Europa in September 2022, it captured evidence not only for pockets of briny water connected to the world's deep subsurface ocean, but also for potential scars formed by towering plumes of water vapor - and it caught that evidence on camera

Full Story: Space (5/16)

SpaceX

SpaceX stacks Starship megarocket ahead of 4th test flight

(SpaceX)

Starship stacking is a dramatic and impressive sight. There's a striking juxtaposition of mechanical and natural beauty, for example, as a gleaming silver rocket rises amid shrub-studded seaside dunes. And that 400-foot-tall (122 meters) rocket is bigger and more powerful than any other launch vehicle humanity has ever built.

Full Story: Space (5/16)

Technology

India test-fires new 3D-printed rocket engine (photo)

(ISRO)

India has announced a breakthrough that could boost its efforts to grow as a space-faring nation. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) performed a successful hot-fire test of a liquid-fueled rocket engine that was built using additive manufacturing (colloquially known as 3D printing) technology.

Full Story: Space (5/16)

Search for Life

Could an SLS save NASA's Mars sample return mission?

(NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)

Boeing has put forward its own idea to help NASA get its Mars Sample Return project back on track and on budget. NASA issued a solicitation for new ideas to get scientifically invaluable Martian material to Earth after being told the current plan is too expensive (about $11 billion), while also being too complex and facing scheduling issues.

Full Story: Space (5/17)

Entertainment

Watch the 1st trailer for 'Dune: Prophecy' prequel series

(Max Originals)

Sneaking in seemingly unnoticed into the streaming sphere until just now, avid fans of Frank Herbert's "Dune" universe have immediately had their consciousnesses enlightened like a liberal dose of spice thanks to a new trailer for the upcoming Max Originals, "Dune: Prophecy."

Full Story: Space (5/16)