What steps can be taken to reduce the risks of lunar dust for future astronauts? This is what upcoming research funded by the NASA Exoplanet Science Instit | Space
Category: space travel
Antarctic isolation causes temporary gray matter loss with lingering thalamic changes
Brain researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have detailed temporary reductions in gray matter following prolonged isolation in Antarctica. Structural losses were most apparent in regions governing memory and spatial processing. Longer sleep durations and higher sleep efficiency corresponded with smaller changes in brain volume.
Findings may have implications for how astronauts’ brains adapt under the psychological and environmental pressures of deep space missions, where prolonged isolation, limited movement, and disrupted sleep are inherent to the experience.
Chronic stress alters the brain. Not through a single trauma, but through sustained environmental pressures of extreme temperatures, social confinement, monotony, hypoxia, and irregular sleep. Such conditions converge in spaceflight, where astronauts endure prolonged exposure to isolated, confined, and extreme (ICE) environments.
Space systems degrees program meets the challenge of modern engineering
Purdue University is standing at the forefront of expanding space exploration and a future economy with the creation of the first-ever Comprehensive Space Engineering Degrees Program in the country.
The program combines both a new online master’s degree in space systems engineering and a new space engineering undergraduate certificate to the established array of cutting-edge programs in the College of Engineering.
The Comprehensive Space Engineering Degrees Program is the latest learning opportunity at Purdue, reflecting a demand for aerospace engineers around the world. The School of Aeronautics and Astronautics continues to offer a variety of important specializations within the undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
(Online programs 😍)
Purdue has the first-ever Comprehensive Space Engineering Degrees Program with offerings ranging an online master’s degree to undergraduate space certificate.
This aerospike rocket engine designed by generative AI just completed its first hot fire test
The reason these aerospike style engines haven’t been used more in the past is they’re difficult to design and make. While generally thought of as having the potential to be more efficient, they also require intricate cooling channels to help keep the spike cool. CEO and Co-Founder of LEAP 71, Josefine Lissner, credits the company’s computational AI, Noyron, with the ability to make these advancements.
“We were able to extend Noyron’s physics to deal with the unique complexity of this engine type. The spike is cooled by intricate cooling channels flooded by cryogenic oxygen, whereas the outside of the chamber is cooled by the kerosene fuel.” Said Lissner “I am very encouraged by the results of this test, as virtually everything on the engine was novel and untested. It’s a great validation of our physics-driven approach to computational AI.”
Lin Kayser, Co-Founder of LEAP 71, also believes the AI was paramount in achieving the complex design, explaining “Despite their clear advantages, Aerospikes are not used in space access today. We want to change that. Noyron allows us to radically cut the time we need to re-engineer and iterate after a test and enables us to converge rapidly on an optimal design.”
SpaceX officially announced Starship Flight 10 Launch Date after…No More This Month!
🧑🚀 Q: What are the details of the upcoming Crew-11 mission? A: Crew-11 is set to launch on July 31st, 2025, with NASA astronaut Zena Cartman as commander, for a 6-month stay on the ISS.
Technical Improvements.
🔧 Q: What new system has SpaceX installed at Pad A for Starship? A: SpaceX installed a new Ship Quick Disconnect (QD) system at Pad A, which is smaller, temporary, and designed for static fire tests only.
🪂 Q: What upgrades have been made to the Dragon spacecraft Endeavor? A: Endeavor now features the Drogue 3.1 parachute system with reinforced crown material and a new packing system for more controlled deployment.
Program Challenges.
🚁 Q: What issues is Boeing’s Starliner program facing? A: Starliner is experiencing helium leaks and thermal management problems affecting its thrusters, delaying the next mission.
“We Engineered the Perfect Space Food”: US Scientists Unveil Super-Dwarf Plant Designed to Keep Astronauts Alive and Thriving on Years-Long Missions to Mars
IN A NUTSHELL 🌾 The Moon-Rice project is developing “super-dwarf” rice to support long-duration space missions and extreme Earth environments. 🛰️ Led by the Italian Space Agency, the project involves collaboration between three Italian universities specializing in rice genetics, crop physiology, and space crop production. 🔬 The research focuses on using CRISPR-Cas technology to create
Elon Just Made Tesla Unstoppable
Questions to inspire discussion.
🚀 Q: How might Elon Musk’s diverse projects contribute to Tesla’s value? A: Musk’s involvement in AI, energy, transportation, and communication through projects like Tesla, SpaceX, and Neuralink demonstrates his capacity to make progress on multiple fronts, potentially creating significant value for Tesla.
Political Involvement and Economic Strategy.
🏛️ Q: Why is Elon Musk getting involved in politics? A: Musk’s political involvement aims to create a better political system on Earth, addressing the unsustainability of US government spending and debt to avoid a fiscal doom loop.
📊 Q: What is Musk’s strategy to improve the US economy? A: Musk plans to accelerate GDP growth through AI-driven growth, humanoid bots, and reducing government spending and waste, potentially breaking free from the constant 7% growth line of the US stock market.
💰 Q: How could reducing government spending benefit the economy? A: By cutting wasteful spending and implementing a balanced budget requirement, the US could potentially grow its economy faster than its spending, reducing interest costs and freeing up money for other investments.