In Today’s Deep Space Extra… Experts in the U.S. and Europe plan for deep space human settlements. Hollywood finds new drama in the journey to distant worlds.
Human Deep Space Exploration
‘Mars Ice Home’: Team chips away at off-Earth house’s design
Space.com (12/21): Recently discovered underground ice deposits on Mars could offer a valuable resource for future human explorers. Extracted as part of a habitat, the frozen water could serve as an effective shield against space radiation, which is considered a potential health threat. The proposed Mars Ice Home would use an inflatable structure pressurized to sea level on Earth. Carbon dioxide gas from Mars would serve as insulation and the water ice as shielding.
Europe’s bold plan for a Moon base is coming together
Popular Mechanics (12/20): As a global community, we’ve reached Space 4.0, according to European Space Agency Director General Jan Woerner. In Europe, that means transitioning from the International Space Station to a global village on the moon for exploration, science and new commerce.
Interstellar blues and the pitfalls of long-duration spaceflight
Scientific America (12/21): Passengers, a science-fiction drama that opened in theaters Wednesday, takes the actual science of space travel more seriously, following an emerging trend. Two passengers hibernating aboard a spacecraft on a long journey to a new home on a distant planet awaken many years too soon.
Where ‘Passengers’ future meets NASA’s past; Director, Writer describe
Space.com/Collectspace.com (12/21): Passengers was inspired in-part by the experiences of NASA astronaut Michael Collins, who circled the moon alone on Columbia, the Apollo 11 command module, while mission commander Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to descend to the lunar surface. There’s more about NASA’s current day reflected in the interstellar voyage of the movie’s Starship Avalon.
Space Science
NASA dominated space and social media in 2016
Endgadget (12/21): The U.S. space agency counts 123.7 million followers across all of its social media accounts as 2016 draws to a close, which is an increase of 36 million from last year. Popular topics include the astronauts aboard the International Space Station and views of the Earth from orbit. NASA’s involvement with commercial space activities is helping accelerate social media interest as well. It all began with Phoenix, a 2008 NASA Mars lander mission.
PANIC lander could revolutionize asteroid research
Spaceflight Insider (12/21): Less than 14 inches long and weighing less than 27 pounds, the U.S. and German proposed Pico Autonomous Near-Earth Asteroid In Situ Characterizer (PANIC), would be equipped to land on an asteroid and hop around to characterize its surroundings.
Spaceweather.com (12/21): The longest night of the year, also known as the first day of winter in the northern hemisphere, arrived Wednesday with solid auroral activity around the Arctic Circle in response to a high-velocity solar wind striking the Earth’s magnetic field. More solar activity is headed Earth’s way.
Low Earth Orbit
Op-ed | DARPA, NASA seek industry help setting satellite-servicing standards
Space News (12/21): NASA’s Deputy Administrator Dava Newman and Pam Melroy, of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and a former NASA astronaut, urge a wide reach by government and industry to set standards for future satellite servicing activities, including re-fueling. They point to a need that fills the wide gap between outright mission success and failure that can be filled with new satellite servicing capabilities.
China Focus: China launches satellite to monitor global carbon emissions
Xinhuanet, of China (12/22): China’s TanSat, launched early Thursday, will enable it to join the U.S. and Japan in monitoring global greenhouse gases in the atmosphere from space. The 1,360 pound satellite was launched atop a Long March 2-D rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 3:22 a.m., local time.
Commercial to Low Earth Orbit
Ariane 5 soars into the sky with Star One D1 and JCSAT-15
Spaceflight Insider (12/21): Arianespace’s latest Ariane 5 launch placed multi-purpose Japanese and Brazilian communications satellites in orbit on Wednesday. Liftoff from Kourou, French Guiana occurred at 3:30 p.m., EST.