Science
Commerce Department moves ahead on space traffic management work despite limited budget – SpaceNews
WASHINGTON — The head of the Commerce Department office with the mandate, but not the money, for civil space traffic management says he hopes the recent near-miss involving two satellites will help provide more attention to the issue.
In an on-stage interview at the 23rd Annual Commercial Space Transportation Conference here Jan. 30, Kevin O’Connell, director of the Office of Space Commerce, says he will press ahead with planning to eventually take over the civil space traffic management (STM) responsibilities currently held by the Defense Department despite receiving only a fraction of his requested budget in fiscal year 2020.
O’Connell’s appearance came less than 24 hours after two defunct satellites nearly collided in low Earth orbit. LeoLabs, a company that operates a network of ground-based radars to track objects in low Earth orbit, predicted at one point a 1-in-20 chance that the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) and the Gravity Gradient Stabilization Experiment (GGSE) 4 satellite would collide in LEO. Observations by LeoLabs and the Defense Department after the predicted conjunction at 6:39 p.m. Eastern Jan. 29 confirmed both satellites were intact.
It was, however, a very close call. LeoLabs, in a Jan. 31 statement, said the two spacecraft had a predicted miss distance of 18 meters. “Taking into account the objects’ unique sizes and dimensions, it is reasonable to estimate that these satellites may have come within just a few meters of actually hitting each other,” the company concluded.
That close approach, while unusual given the size and relative velocities of the spacecraft involved, is not unique given the growing population of active satellites and debris. “We had a very close approach last night,” O’Connell said. “I think the silver lining in that story is that people are starting to realize that these near-misses are taking place much more frequently. They are not a once-in-a-year occurrence.”
Under the administration’s Space Policy Directive 3 in June 2018, the Commerce Department will take over civil STM work, including providing collision warnings to satellite operators. The department, through the Office of Space Traffic Management, has slowly started to work on planning for that effort.
That work has been hampered by a lack of funding. The Commerce Department, in its fiscal year 2020 budget proposal, proposed to merge the Office of Space Commerce with the Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory Affairs office. The two offices each received $1.8 million in 2019 but the department sought $10 million for the combined office, with much of the additional funding going to STM planning.
The final fiscal year 2020 spending bill, though, rejected the combination and provided only $500,000 in additional funding for the Office of Space Commerce. Moreover, the bill directed the office to use that additional $500,000 for an independent study by the National Academy of Public Administration on which organization should have civil STM responsibilities and related funding and regulatory issues.
O’Connell said his office will continue STM planning with its limited budget. “It’s no secret that we did not get the budget that we requested for 2020,” he said. “At the macro level for this year, we’ll continue to do a lot of good work within the interagency, with our government colleagues, and we’ll be able to do some work with our allies.” That’s included ongoing discussions with NASA and with Air Force officials. His office, he added, will also be at the February meeting of the scientific and technical subcommittee of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space in Vienna.
Work with the private sector, though, will be affected. “What we’re less able to do is spend money in the market,” he said, by testing the capabilities of potential commercial data and analysis providers. However, he said his office will still get insights into commercial STM capabilities through partnerships those companies have with other agencies.
Any effective STM system, he said, will have to leverage the “incredible innovation” in the commercial sector, along with the development of norms and best practices and the creation of a “state-of-the-art” information system that combined the existing Defense Department catalog with additional data and improved analysis and warning systems from companies.
O’Connell said he’s been encouraged by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to continue pursuing civil STM work, noting that Ross discussed the topic at the recent World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland. “I think you all know his enthusiasm for space,” he said of Ross. “His message to me was, ‘Don’t slow down, Kevin. Do as much as you possibly can.’”
Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press
Published Wednesday, April 24, 2024 7:27PM EDT
Last Updated Wednesday, April 24, 2024 7:27PM EDT
The artwork and publicity materials showcasing a giant salmon that lived five million years ago were ready to go to promote a new exhibit, when the discovery of two fossilized skulls immediately changed what researchers knew about the fish.
Initial fossil discoveries of the 2.7-metre-long salmon in Oregon in the 1970s were incomplete and had led researchers to mistakenly suggest the fish had fang-like teeth.
It was dubbed the “sabre-toothed salmon” and became a kind of mascot for the Museum of Natural and Cultural History at the University of Oregon, says researcher Edward Davis.
But then came discovery of two skulls in 2014.
Davis, a member of the team that found the skulls, says it wasn’t until they got back to the lab that he realized the significance of the discovery that has led to the renaming of the fish in a new, peer-reviewed study.
“There were these two skulls staring at me with sideways teeth,” says Davis, an associate professor in the department of earth sciences at the university.
In that position, the tusk-like teeth could not have been used for biting, he says.
“That was definitely a surprising moment,” says Davis, who serves as director of the Condon Fossil Collection at the university’s Museum of Natural and Cultural History.
“I realized that all of the artwork and all of the publicity materials and bumper stickers and buttons and T-shirts we had just made two months prior, for the new exhibit, were all out of date,” he says with a laugh.
Davis is co-author of the new study in the journal PLOS One, which renames the giant fish the “spike-toothed salmon.”
It says the salmon used the tusk-like spikes for building nests to spawn, and as defence mechanisms against predators and other salmon.
The salmon lived about five million years ago at a time when Earth was transitioning from warmer to relatively cooler conditions, Davis says.
It’s hard to know exactly why the relatives of today’s sockeye went extinct, but Davis says the cooler conditions would have affected the productivity of the Pacific Ocean and the amount of rain feeding rivers that served as their spawning areas.
Another co-author, Brian Sidlauskas, says a fish the size of the spike-toothed salmon must have been targeted by predators such as killer whales or sharks.
“I like to think … it’s almost like a sledgehammer, these salmon swinging their head back and forth in order to fend off things that might want to feast on them,” he says.
Sidlauskas says analysis by the lead author of the paper, Kerin Claeson, found both male and female salmon had the “multi-functional” spike-tooth feature.
“That’s part of our reason for hypothesizing that this tooth is multi-functional … It could easily be for digging out nests,” he says.
“Think about how big the (nest) would have to be for an animal of this size, and then carving it out in what’s probably pretty shallow water; and so having an extra digging tool attached to your head could be really useful.”
Sidlauskas says the giant salmon help researchers understand the boundaries of what’s possible with the evolution of salmon, but they also capture the human imagination and a sense of wonder about what’s possible on Earth.
“I think it helps us value a little more what we do still have, or I hope that it does. That animal is no longer with us, but it is a product of the same biosphere that sustains us.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 24, 2024.
Science
Nasa's Hubble marks 34th anniversary with stunning view of Little Dumbbell Nebula – The Times of India
In celebration of its 34th anniversary, Nasa‘s Hubble Space Telescope has once again wowed astronomers and space enthusiasts alike by capturing an extraordinary image of the Little Dumbbell Nebula. This latest image offers a vivid glimpse into the complexities of a planetary nebula, demonstrating Hubble’s enduring capabilities in its extended mission.
The Little Dumbbell Nebula, also known as Messier 76, is one of the faintest objects in the Messier catalog and has intrigued astronomers for its intricate structure and dual-lobed shape. This planetary nebula, located approximately 2,500 light-years away in the constellation Perseus, represents a brief stage in the life cycle of a moderate-sized star like our sun.
Dr. Jennifer Wiseman, a senior scientist at Nasa’s Goddard Space Flight Center, expressed her admiration for the new imagery: “This beautiful nebula is what remains after a star like our own sun has exhausted the bulk of its nuclear fuel and shed its outer layers. The vibrant colors and intricate structures visible in the nebula are a telescope’s way of painting the portrait of the final stages of stellar evolution.”
The Little Dumbbell Nebula, despite its faintness, shines brightly in the detailed images provided by Hubble, allowing scientists to study aspects of the nebula that are rarely visible. The images highlight the dense, glowing gas and complex layers of material expelled from the dying star at the center of the nebula.
According to Dr. Wiseman, “Hubble’s high-resolution capabilities allow us to examine the fine details within the nebula, helping us understand how stars expel their material and the dynamics of this expulsion process. This image is more than just a picture; it’s a deep dive into the life of stars.”
Since its launch on April 24, 1990, Hubble has revolutionized our understanding of the universe, from the dynamics of galaxies to the atmospheres of exoplanets and the distribution of dark matter. Its contributions continue to support and complement data gathered by newer space observatories.
As Hubble continues its journey in space, the scientific community remains enthusiastic about the ongoing contributions it will bring to our understanding of the cosmos. Dr. Wiseman remarked, “Every image from Hubble is a new lesson in our cosmic curriculum.”
These observations not only contribute significantly to our knowledge of the life cycle of stars but also continue to highlight the critical role of Hubble in the exploration and understanding of our universe. As Hubble enters another year in orbit, its legacy of discoveries promises to keep inspiring both the scientific community and the public.
SpaceX sent up the 30th launch from the Space Coast for the year on the evening of April 23, a mission that also featured the company’s 300th successful booster recovery.
A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 23 of SpaceX’s Starlink internet satellites blasted off at 6:17 p.m. Eastern time from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40.
The first-stage booster set a milestone of the 300th time a Falcon 9 or Falcon Heavy booster made a successful recovery landing, and the 270th time SpaceX has reflown a booster.
This particular booster made its ninth trip to space, a resume that includes one human spaceflight, Crew-6. It made its latest recovery landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean.
The company’s first successful booster recovery came in December 2015, and it has not had a failed booster landing since February 2021.
The current record holder for flights flew 11 days ago making its 20th trip off the launch pad.
SpaceX has been responsible for all but two of the launches this year from either Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral with United Launch Alliance having launched the other two.
SpaceX could knock out more launches before the end of the month, putting the Space Coast on pace to hit more than 90 by the end of the year, but the rate of launches by SpaceX is also set to pick up for the remainder of the year with some turnaround times at the Cape’s SLC-40 coming in less than three days.
That could amp up frequency so the Space Coast could surpass 100 launches before the end of the year, with the majority coming from SpaceX. It hosted 72 launches in 2023.
More launches from ULA are on tap as well, though, including the May 6 launch atop an Atlas V rocket of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner with a pair of NASA astronauts to the International Space Station.
ULA is also preparing for the second launch ever of its new Vulcan Centaur rocket, which recently received its second Blue Origin BE-4 engine and is just waiting on the payload, Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spacecraft, to make its way to the Space Coast.
Blue Origin has its own rocket it wants to launch this year as well, with New Glenn making its debut as early as September, according to SLD 45’s range manifest.
2024 Orlando Sentinel. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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SpaceX launch marks 300th successful booster landing (2024, April 24)
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