Category: Cosmos

The Tether Electrodynamic Propulsion CubeSat Experiment (TEPCE) is bringing back a technology from the 90’s that could be used for star sailboats.
TEPCE consists of two minisatellites connected with a 1km ‘rope’, the experiment will determine how the device responds to Earth’s magnetic field in the ionosphere.
Success of this mission could bring about spacecrafts that don’t require fuel to move around Earth’s orbit.
It could also lead to a new generation of space-cleaning spaceships for getting rid of all the space junk currently floating in Earth’s orbit.

Bulleted by Michał Słupski
on November 8, 2019

eso.org

Astronomers detected strontium, a heavy element found naturally in Earth soil, is created during a neutron star merger.
This is the last piece in the search for the origin of the elements, confirming rapid neutron capture as the process that creates elements heavier than iron.
The discovery confirms that neutron stars are made of neutrons, and that rapid neutron capture occurs during neutron star mergers.

Bulleted by Michał Słupski
on October 25, 2019

First observation of gas filaments, linking a cluster of galaxies 12bn light years away, provides new insights for theories about the formation of our universe.
This finding adds to the theory that, after the big bang, hydrogen gas creates huge threads across space, and galaxies form in clusters of these threads.
The observation proved this, as researchers noticed supermassive black holes and galaxies with active star formation at the intersections of hydrogen threads.

Bulleted by Michał Słupski
on October 4, 2019

AIDA (asteroid impact and deflection assessment) is a global cooperation that aims to test if we could save the Earth from an asteroid aimed at our planet.
It will target a small asteroid orbiting a bigger asteroid, floating 6.8 million miles away from Earth.
NASA will start with DART (double asteroid redirection test), launching a 0,5 ton craft in 2021 to crash into the asteroid 16 months later at 14,700 miles per hour.
It will release a satellite before the collision to take images.
European Space Agency will then launch Hera, which will arrive at the asteroid in 2028 with more tools to perform a detailed study of the asteroid after the impact.

Bulleted by Michał Słupski
on September 20, 2019

For the first time ever, space cement has been successfully mixed on the International Space Station.
On one hand, it seems stronger than Earthly cement because of its surprisingly uniform density, caused by lack of strong gravity.
On the other hand, it may be weaker because it develops large air pockets, making it more porous than Earthly cement.
The material will be tested further.
This research paves the way towards finding out how to create concrete structures on the Moon and Mars.

Bulleted by Michał Słupski
on September 13, 2019

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