The Space Race - Weekly Roundup July 16th

Author

Juan Fernández
July 16, 2024

Hi, space fans! 

Welcome to this week’s edition of The Space Race Weekly Roundup, your go-to newsletter for all things space and astronomy. Buckle up as we take you on a journey through the latest rocket launches, discoveries, and projects that are pushing the boundaries of our cosmic knowledge.

🌕 ESA's Juice to Perform Groundbreaking Lunar-Earth Flyby

ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) will execute a pioneering lunar-Earth flyby on 19-20 August to gain a gravitational boost toward Jupiter. This complex maneuver will slow Juice down for its next flyby of Venus in August 2025. The mission aims to explore Jupiter’s icy moons and requires precise navigation. During the flyby, Juice's instruments will be tested and calibrated, potentially yielding unexpected scientific discoveries.

🌌 Webb Telescope Reveals Dancing Galaxies

The James Webb Space Telescope captured a detailed image of interacting galaxies Arp 142, known as the Penguin and the Egg, to mark its second science anniversary. The galaxies' interaction, which began 25-75 million years ago, has led to significant structural changes, particularly in the Penguin galaxy. Webb’s infrared capabilities reveal intricate details of star formation and dust distribution, providing deeper insights into galactic evolution and interaction.

🕳️ Hubble Detects Potential Black Hole in Omega Centauri

Using over 500 Hubble Space Telescope images, astronomers found seven fast-moving stars in Omega Centauri, suggesting the presence of an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH). Omega Centauri, the largest globular cluster in the sky, has unique characteristics and a high star density. The discovery adds crucial evidence to the elusive IMBH category, providing insights into black hole evolution and the dynamics within dense star clusters.

💼 Axiom Space and Gravitics Sign Major Contract

Gravitics has signed a $125 million contract with Axiom Space to develop spacecraft modules for Axiom's commercial space station. The collaboration will enhance space tourism, microgravity research, and in-space manufacturing. Gravitics focuses on large space structures, with ongoing projects like the StarMax module. This partnership is part of a broader industry push toward commercializing low Earth orbit and creating advanced space habitats.

🧊 New Study Indicates Mars Was Once Cold and Icy

A study by the Desert Research Institute found that Mars likely had a cold and icy past, similar to subarctic climates on Earth. By comparing Mars’ Gale Crater soils with those in Newfoundland, the study concluded that Mars' climate during the time when life first appeared on Earth was frigid. This finding challenges previous warm and wet theories, suggesting that Martian water was present under cold conditions, affecting the planet’s habitability.

⚠️ Delay Looms for NASA's Europa Clipper Mission

NASA’s Europa Clipper mission, set to launch in October, faces delays due to radiation vulnerability in its transistors. The mission aims to explore Jupiter's moon Europa, but recent tests revealed that the spacecraft's transistors might not withstand Jupiter's harsh radiation environment. NASA is evaluating the risks and potential need for part replacements, which could delay the mission and increase costs significantly.

🌱 Chinese Space Breeding Program Develops New Thorn Pear Varieties

Chinese scientists have developed new varieties of Rosa roxburghii, or thorn pear, using seeds that spent 186 days in space aboard the Shenzhou XV spacecraft. The space-bred plantlets show unique characteristics, including thorn-free varieties. This advancement enhances the germplasm bank for thorn pears and could accelerate breeding processes, highlighting the potential of space breeding in agricultural innovation.

👨‍🚀 Shenzhou XVIII Astronauts Complete Second Spacewalk

The Shenzhou XVIII crew aboard China's Tiangong space station completed their second spacewalk, performing tasks such as installing protective devices against space debris and conducting extravehicular inspections. The mission, which lasted approximately 6.5 hours, marks significant progress in their planned journey. The crew will continue with numerous scientific experiments and technological tests, contributing to China's growing presence in space exploration.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket experienced an anomaly during a Starlink satellite mission, leading to potential loss of the satellites. After a successful first stage landing, the upper stage encountered issues during restart, resulting in a failure to raise the orbit of some satellites. SpaceX and the FAA are investigating the incident to determine the root cause and necessary corrective actions, highlighting the challenges in satellite deployment missions.

🌙 Lunar Spacecraft Collision Alerts on the Rise

Lunar orbiting spacecraft, including those from KARI, NASA, and ISRO, have received 40 collision warnings in 18 months. These warnings, involving spacecraft in similar low lunar orbits, underscore the need for better coordination and formal protocols to manage collision risks. Voluntary information-sharing platforms like NASA's MADCAP are used currently, but the growing number of missions around the moon necessitates more robust mechanisms for space traffic management.

📹 Our latest videos

In case you missed them, here are the latest videos we've published on our YouTube channel

🚀 Upcoming Rocket Launches

Mark your calendars! Here are the upcoming rocket launches:

  • Friday, July 19, 2024: Long March 4B (CAST, China) - Unknown Payload

  • Saturday, July 20, 2024: Electron (Rocket Lab, New Zealand) - A Sky Full of SARs (Capella Acadia 3)

And that’s all for this week! Stay tuned for more updates and keep looking up.

Juan from The Space Race team