Lifeboat Foundation

Such a cool idea: a 1 km diameter exoplanet telescope lens built from self-assembling subunits could image other worlds with incredible detail.

With the recent SpaceX Starship orbital flight tests, it is time to commit to building the largest physically possible space telescope. Such a telescope would peer deeper into the universe than any before it, answering fundamental questions: are we alone? What do Earth-like exoplanets around other stars look like? How did we get here? What weird stuff awaits discovery? Where is the limit on human ambition to know what is in our universe? The Monster Scope answers these questions. Monster, because of its enormous scale, grotesque in its ambition. Monster, from the Latin root meaning a revealed thing. And monster, because through it we may be able to study not just the rocks and land masses but possibly lifeforms, both monstrous and marvelous, on distant planets.

Continue reading “It’s Time to Build the Exoplanet Telescope” »

Spacedock delves into relativity and the mean of reaching other stars without an FTL drive.

Initiative for Interstellar Studies art by Macrebisz for Project Hyperion:
https://linktr.ee/macrebisz.
https://www.projecthyperion.org/

Continue reading “Slower Than Light Interstellar Travel” »

Gamma radiation converts methane into glycine and other complex molecules. Gamma radiation can convert methane into a wide variety of products at room temperature, including hydrocarbons, oxygen-containing molecules, and amino acids, reports a research team in the journal Angewandte Chemie. This type of reaction probably plays an important role in the formation of complex organic molecules in the universe — and possibly in the origin of life. They also open up new strategies for the industrial conversion of methane into high value-added products under mild conditions.

With these research results, the team led by Weixin Huang at the University of Science and Technology of China (Hefei) has contributed to our fundamental understanding of the early development of molecules in the universe.

“Gamma rays, high-energy photons commonly existing in cosmic rays and unstable isotope decay, provide external energy to drive chemical reactions of simple molecules in the icy mantles of interstellar dust and ice grains,” states Huang.

The mission aims to help NASA determine whether Titan’s conditions could be suitable for supporting life.

This was the first time ULA’s Vulcan rocket was eligible to compete for a major NASA contract.

Side view of Starship Comparison. 🚀🚀🚀 📷 / artstation.com/dtrford #SpaceX #Starship #Starshiplaunch #Space #CountdownToLaunch #countdown

Graphic / 3D Design.

The LTV program involves companies taking responsibility for delivering lunar rovers to the Moon, with the possibility of commercial use outside of NASA’s requirements.

Lunar Outpost Executive Director Justin Cyrus said that the choice of Starship was due to SpaceX’s high level of technological advancement, the rapid pace of their work, and the quality of the organization. It’s a vehicle that we think will be able to provide reliable landing on the lunar surface, and we know that they can get it done on the timelines we need, Cyrus emphasized.

The Lunar Outpost Eagle rover is designed to be compatible with a variety of landing systems, but Starship is the prioritized choice. The company strives to remain flexible in its choice of technical solutions by evaluating the progress of the industry over time.

BREMEN, Germany — Lunar Outpost has selected SpaceX’s Starship vehicle to deliver to the moon the Artemis lunar rover it is developing for potential use by NASA.

The Colorado company announced Nov. 21 that it signed an agreement for SpaceX to use Starship to transport the company’s Lunar Outpost Eagle rover to the moon. The companies did not disclose a schedule for the launch or other terms of the deal.

Lunar Outpost is one of three companies that won NASA contracts in April for the first phase of the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) program to support the development of a rover that can be used by future Artemis missions. Each company received a one-year contract to mature the design of their rovers through a preliminary design review (PDR), and the agency will later select at least one of the companies to develop the rover.

‘Space Gal’ is about to take on a much more literal meaning.