Science
SpaceX just test fired the Falcon 9 rocket for its astronaut launch for NASA – Space.com
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX just fired up the rocket that will ferry it’s next crew of astronauts to the International Space Station this weekend.
The private spaceflight company conducted a static-fire test on Wednesday (Nov. 11) of its Falcon 9 rocket at Pad 39A here at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The test is one of the last major milestones ahead of a planned launch on Saturday (Nov. 14).
The routine preflight test kicked off the countdown to the highly-anticipated flight of the company’s first operational mission of its Dragon crew capsule, called Crew-1. The spacecraft is bound for the International Space Station, carrying with it three NASA astronauts and one Japanese spaceflyer.
The test, which was originally scheduled for Tuesday evening (Nov. 10), was pushed back 24 hours so SpaceX could test and replace a purge valve in the rocket’s second stage.
Live updates: SpaceX’s Crew-1 astronaut launch for NASA
In photos: SpaceX’s Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station
On Wednesday afternoon, the Falcon 9 rocket roared to life, as smoke billowed from its engines during the preflight test. The brief ignition, known as a static-fire test, is a standard part of prelaunch procedures and one of the last major milestones before liftoff.
During the test, the Falcon 9 is held down on the pad while its nine first-stage engines are briefly fired. This allows crews to ensure that all systems are working properly and that the rocket is ready to fly. Shortly after the test, SpaceX tweeted that the static-fire test was a success and that the company planned to launch on Saturday at 7:49 p.m. EST (0049 GMT on Sunday Nov. 15).
The flight marks SpaceX’s 21st mission of the year and the 1st long-duration mission to launch from Florida. The rocket’s first stage is expected to land back at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station approximately 9 minutes after liftoff. If everything goes according to plan, the crew capsule will spend just 8.5-hours trailing the space station before arriving at the orbital outpost early Sunday (Nov. 15).
Both the Dragon capsule and its launcher are brand new for this mission. Following the success of the Demo-2 mission, which launched two NASA astronauts to the space station in May for a two-month stay, NASA has given SpaceX permission to reuse both the crew capsule and the rocket on future missions. In fact, the Crew-2 mission set to launch next year will reuse the Dragon capsule from Demo-2 and the booster from the Crew-1 mission.
Keeping with the precedent set by the Demo-2 mission, the rocket’s shiny first stage exterior has been adorned with NASA’s iconic worm logo.
With the Dragon capsule perched atop the rocket, the duo rolled out of the hangar and onto the launch pad at complex 39A on Monday evening (Nov. 9). Standing 256.3 feet (78.1 meters) tall, the pair were lifted upright overnight.
Related: SpaceX’s Crew Dragon space capsule explained (infographic)
Secured to the launch pad, teams loaded the rocket with super-chilled propellants — kerosene and liquid oxygen — and then briefly ignited the first stage’s nine Merlin 1D engines.
The engines briefly fired at 3:52 p.m. EST (2052 GMT), generating 1.7 million pounds of thrust while the booster remained firmly on the ground. Engineers reviewed the data before deciding to proceed with the Falcon 9’s planned launch attempt Saturday evening.
“Static fire of Falcon 9 complete — targeting Saturday, November 14 at 7:49 p.m. EST for launch of Crew Dragon’s first operational mission to the space station with four astronauts on board,” SpaceX tweeted shortly after the test.
The company also said that teams will continue to monitor weather conditions for liftoff and along the flight path closely leading up to launch.
Static fire of Falcon 9 complete – targeting Saturday, November 14 at 7:49 p.m. EST for launch of Crew Dragon’s first operational mission to the @space_station with four astronauts on board. Teams will continue monitoring weather conditions for liftoff and along the flight pathNovember 11, 2020
The static fire test comes on the heels of a hardware swap. Originally slated for Oct. 31, the Crew-1 flight was pushed back two weeks to allow SpaceX time to replace one of the booster’s nine Merlin 1D engines on its first stage.
Last month, SpaceX attempted to launch an upgraded GPS satellite when it noticed an engine anomaly. The rocket’s on board computer triggered an abort and the mission was indefinitely postponed while teams worked to troubleshoot the issue.
A thorough investigation revealed that residual masking lacquer leftover from the manufacturing process prevented the engines from performing as expected. SpaceX changed out two engines on that rocket and the GPS mission was able to get off the ground on Nov. 5.
SpaceX also took the time to examine two other boosters and determined that the same traces of lacquer were detected in engines on two other Falcon 9 first stages — one on the rocket that will launch the Sentinel-6 Earth-observation satellite and one on the Crew-1 booster. SpaceX then swapped out the affected engines.
With a successful static fire test now under its belt, the rocket is ready to fly. Following the launch on Saturday night, SpaceX plans to land its first-stage booster on one of its two massive drone ships, “Just Read the Instructions,” which is stationed out in the Atlantic. If successful, this would mark the 65th booster recovery.
Follow Amy Thompson on Twitter @astrogingersnap. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.
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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