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☆ Sun releases the strongest flare in current cycle from the same region that triggered auroras this weekend
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Kaila Nichols | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —After causing the dazzling waves of aurora borealis this weekend, our Sun isn’t done yet: The strongest solar flare of the current solar cycle occurred Tuesday afternoon, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center. That storm was the most extreme geomagnetic storm since 2003, the center said. Solar flares usually take place in active regions of the Sun that include the presence of strong magnetic fields. “The Sun’s activity waxes and wanes over an 11-year period known as the solar cycle,” the Solar Dynamics Observatory said on X. Researchers have been seeing more intense solar flares as we inch closer to the cycle’s end.

Organizations: CNN, National Oceanic, Prediction, NASA’s Solar Dynamics, NASA, Space, Solar Dynamics

☆ Helium leak delays Boeing’s historic Starliner mission at least another week
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Madeline Holcombe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The world will have to wait at least another week before the highly anticipated first crewed mission of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. Starliner teams traced the leak to a flange on a single reaction control system thruster, where helium is used to allow the thrusters to fire. Both Boeing and NASA are developing tests and solutions for the leak, the release said. Meanwhile, Boeing’s rival under NASA’s commercial crew program — SpaceX — has become the go-to transportation provider for the space agency’s astronauts. The valve has since been replaced, but the new issue with the helium leak on the Boeing spacecraft that sits atop the rocket is causing further delay.

Persons: Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, Williams, Wilmore, NASA’s, Bill Nelson, —, ”, SpaceX — Organizations: CNN, Boeing, NASA, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, International Space, Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, V, Atlas V Locations: Houston, Florida, United States

☆ Beethoven’s hair reveals lead poisoning
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” is one of the first songs I learned to play on the violin. While his doctor’s notes were lost to time, scientists sequenced Beethoven’s genome from locks of his hair last year. Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesA new analysis of Beethoven’s hair has shown the composer experienced lead poisoning toward the end of his life. Tests revealed incredibly elevated levels of lead, as well as arsenic and mercury, in two of his locks, likely from drinking wine that was sweetened with lead. Researchers don’t believe lead poisoning would have been enough to kill him, but it could have contributed to the composer’s well-known gastrointestinal issues and deafness.

Persons: CNN — Ludwig van Beethoven’s, Joy ”, I’ll, Beethoven, Ludwig van Beethoven, don’t, ”, William Meredith, Umm Jirsan, Lady Elliot, Rebecca Wright, Kate Quigley, “ We’re, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Symphony, Hulton, “, Arabia, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Minderoo, Energy, CNN Space, Science Locations: Alabama, Saudi Arabia, Umm Jirsan, Lady, Australia

☆ Why tonight’s massive solar storm could disrupt communications and GPS systems
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

NOAA’s severe space weather watch suggests the storm could trigger numerous effects for life on Earth, possibly affecting the power grid as well as satellite and high frequency radio communications. Moreover, the changes to the ionosphere can block or degrade radio transmissions trying to pass through the atmosphere to reach satellites. And they can also prevent radio transmissions from successfully bouncing off the ionosphere — which some radio operators normally do to increase the range of their signals. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency outlined a similar report in a 2021 presentation on space weather, finding that line-of-sight radio transmissions are generally not affected by space weather except in specific situations. The largest known geomagnetic storm in history, known as the Carrington Event of 1859, caused telegraph stations to spark and catch fire.

Persons: Washington CNN — Buckle, “ SWPC, Ashley Strickland Organizations: Washington CNN, Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Communications, NOAA, Prediction, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Infrastructure Security Agency Locations: Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China, Quebec, Canada, Sweden, South Africa

☆ Solar storms could create rare aurora displays, impact communications on Earth this weekend
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

When the energized particles from coronal mass ejections reach Earth’s magnetic field, they interact with gases in the atmosphere to create different colored light in the sky. The Space Weather Prediction Center tracked multiple strong flares emitting from a large cluster of sunspots on the solar surface since Wednesday. Alex Kormann/Star Tribune/Getty ImagesThe effects of geomagnetic stormsWhen directed at Earth, these ejections can cause geomagnetic storms, or major disturbances of Earth’s magnetic field. So far, researchers have obseverd only three severe geomagnetic storms during the current solar cycle, which began in December 2019, according to the center. The storms also affect flight patterns of commercial airlines, which are instructed to stay away from Earth’s poles during geomagnetic storms due to loss of communication or navigation capabilities.

Persons: Wolf, Alex Kormann Organizations: CNN, National Oceanic, Prediction, National Weather Service, Star Tribune, Getty Locations: Alabama, Northern California, New Mexico , Missouri, North Carolina, California, United States, England, United Kingdom, Cloquet, Minnesota, Sweden, South Africa, Quebec

☆ Opinion: The problem with space junk – and how to solve it
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Opinion Moriba Jah | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

This incident serves as an example of the urgent need for a profound shift toward sustainable space practices. Proponents of a circular space economy advocate for a transformative departure from this wasteful paradigm. Much like embracing reusable materials on Earth, transitioning to a circular space economy means designing space systems with reuse, refurbishment and recyclability in mind. The European Space Agency (ESA) has emerged as a trailblazer in the pursuit of a circular space economy. By leading the charge toward sustainable space practices, NASA can inspire other space agencies and private companies to follow suit.

Persons: Moriba Jah, Otero, Moriba Jah Mark Thiessen, wasn’t, I’m, Artemis Organizations: MacArthur Fellowship, University of Texas, CNN, Space, European Space Agency, ESA, NASA, Space Shuttle, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Austin, Naples , Florida, Naples

☆ Boeing’s Starliner launch delayed for valve replacement
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Ashley Strickland | Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The long-awaited first crewed mission of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft will be delayed for more than a week after engineers identified an issue that halted launch preparations on Monday. Starliner’s next opportunity to lift off on its maiden voyage from NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida is at 6:16 p.m. Veteran NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore had already taken their seats aboard the Starliner capsule when the operations team called for a scrub Monday night about two hours before launch. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore, right, and Suni Williams will remain in quarantine until the launch. Terry Renna/APWilliams and Wilmore have each ventured to space on two previous journeys aboard the NASA space shuttle and Russian Soyuz missions.

Persons: Starliner’s, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, Tory Bruno, Bruno, Williams, Wilmore, SpaceX’s, Terry Renna, Bill Nelson, “, Butch, Suni, Nelson, —, ” Williams Organizations: CNN, NASA Kennedy Space Center, Veteran NASA, United Launch Alliance, Atlas V, NASA, Cape Canaveral Space Force, Kennedy Space Center, Boeing, International Space Station, Russian Soyuz, Mercury, Gemini, Apollo Locations: Florida, Russian, United States

☆ Chris Birch: ‘I absolutely would love to explore off this planet,’ says track cyclist turned NASA astronaut
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“I love realistic space movies … I’m definitely a nerd,” reads Chris Birch’s answer on her profile page. That response proved prescient: shortly after stepping away from her professional cycling career, the Arizona native was selected from more than 12,000 applicants to join NASA’s astronaut class of 2021. The further she progressed with her application to join NASA, the more convinced she became that she had a future in spaceflight. “I really just had a blast,” Birch tells CNN Sport. “I absolutely would love to explore off this planet,” says Birch.

Persons: Christopher Nolan’s, “, Chris Birch’s, sidesteps, Birch, ” It’s, keener, Artemis, Luis Acosta, ”, I’m, ” Birch, that’s, she’s, There’s, “ I’m, I’ll Organizations: CNN, USA Cycling, NASA, CNN Sport, Space, Soyuz, Houston’s, Space Center, Getty, Tokyo, Games, Colorado –, Houston Marathon Locations: Arizona, madison, Peru, AFP, Leadville, Colorado, Montana, California

☆ Elon Musk says there are too many non-technical managers at Boeing
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tesla CEO Elon Musk suggested Boeing has "too many" non-technical managers. AdvertisementElon Musk is chiding Boeing on social media for employing "too many" non-technical managers amid a wave of ongoing layoffs at his own company, Tesla. Too many non-technical managers at Boeing. Advertisement"Too many non-technical managers at Boeing," Musk tweeted. Musk has opined about non-technical managers in the past, writing in a May 2020 tweet that he "strongly" believes "all managers in a technical area much be technically excellent."

Persons: Elon Musk, Boeing's Starliner, Tesla, —, Elon, Musk, bTXWAfxfrh — Elon, Musk's Organizations: Boeing, Service, Tesla, Business, NASA, SpaceX, International Space

☆ China's hype video for its lunar base showed what looked like a NASA Space Shuttle lifting off, which it then realized and tried to fix
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

China's new teaser for its lunar base appeared to show a NASA Space Shuttle taking off. The Space Shuttle was later blurred out in a state media version of the CGI video. AdvertisementA new concept video showcasing China's planned lunar base appeared to feature a NASA Space Shuttle lifting off from the facility — a detail that was then omitted in a later broadcast of the clip. Related storiesIt's unclear if showing a Space Shuttle was intended by China's space administration, but the spacecraft using a Chinese base in 2045 would be nearly impossible. Beijing says it plans for its international lunar base to be built jointly by other countries as a collaborative effort.

Persons: —, CNSA, It's, Artemis Organizations: NASA Space Shuttle, Shuttle, Service, China National Space Administration, Research, American, NASA, Space, Orbiter, Getty, Orion Spacecraft, Elon, SpaceX, International Space, Space Shuttle, Business Insider Locations: China, Beijing

☆ In a high-stakes test, Boeing will launch NASA astronauts to space for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

After years of delays, Boeing is finally set to launch two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station on its Starliner spacecraft. ET, atop an Atlas V rocket at Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita Williams will pilot the Starliner on its inaugural crewed flight — a crucial final test before NASA can authorize Boeing to conduct routine flights to and from the space station for the agency. If successful, the flight will enable Boeing to challenge the dominance held by Elon Musk's SpaceX, which has been ferrying NASA astronauts to and from the orbiting outpost since 2020. At a preflight briefing last week, Wilmore said safety is paramount and that previous Starliner launch attempts — both uncrewed and crewed — were delayed because the capsule simply was not ready until now.

Persons: Astronauts Barry, Butch, Wilmore, Sunita Williams, Elon Musk's Organizations: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, United, Alliance, Boeing's, NASA's Boeing, Cape Canaveral Space Force, Boeing, International, Atlas, Canaveral Space Force, Astronauts, Elon, Elon Musk's SpaceX Locations: Florida

☆ Elon Musk calls out Boeing's historic first crewed spaceflight, saying SpaceX beat them to the punch years ago
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

SpaceX beat Boeing to the punch, flying NASA astronauts to the space station four years ago for cheaper. NASA astronauts Suni Williams (left) and Butch Wilmore (right) conduct suited operations in a Boeing Starliner simulator. AdvertisementThe SpaceX Crew Dragon spaceship that accomplished the feat came from the same NASA initiative that's flying Starliner on Monday. NASA astronauts Bob Behnken (left) and Doug Hurley (right) were the first people to fly aboard a private spaceship, SpaceX's Crew Dragon. SpaceXWith each flight, SpaceX has earned money, while Boeing has been sinking more and more funds into Starliner.

Persons: Elon Musk, —, Boeing's, Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, Robert Markowitz, Bob Behnken, Doug Hurley, bTXWAfxfrh — Elon, Musk, Eric Berger, Cory Huston, Starliner's, Berger, George Nield, Nield, Scrappy SpaceX Organizations: Boeing, SpaceX, NASA, Service, Twitter, International Space Station, ISS, Atlas, Reuters, Department of Defense, Space Transportation Locations: Starliner

☆ Boeing Starliner launch set to kick off long-awaited mission with NASA crew
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Two NASA astronauts have reached the final hours before a long-awaited launch attempt aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule, marking the first crewed mission of the brand-new spacecraft. This mission, dubbed the Crew Flight Test, could be the final major milestone before NASA deems Boeing’s spacecraft ready for routine operations as part of the federal agency’s Commercial Crew Program. NASA astronauts Suni Williams (left) Butch Wilmore pose after they arrived at the Kennedy Space Center on April 25, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, ahead of the Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test. The two will then return home aboard the same Starliner capsule, which is expected to parachute to a landing at one of several designated locations across the southwestern United States. SpaceX ultimately beat Boeing to the launchpad, carrying out its crewed flight test of the Crew Dragon capsule in May 2020.

Persons: SpaceX’s, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, Terry Renna, Bill Nelson, “, Butch, Suni, Williams, Starliner, ”, Mark Nappi, ” Nappi Organizations: CNN, NASA, Cape Canaveral Space Force, International Space, Russian Soyuz, Kennedy Space Center, Boeing, Atlas, SpaceX, International Locations: Florida, United States, Russian, Cape Canaveral , Florida, Starliner

☆ Latest Updates: NASA Astronauts Prepare for First Launch on Boeing Starliner
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Kenneth Chang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are the NASA astronauts set for Boeing’s flight test of the Starliner spacecraft. She was a test pilot in the U.S. Navy and has more than 3,000 hours flying 30 different aircraft. Mr. Wilmore, a native of Tennessee, was also a Navy test pilot, and he flew combat missions over Iraq and Bosnia in the 1990s. After a glitch-filled test flight in December 2019 with no crew aboard, delays shuffled the astronaut assignments. Indeed, none of the astronauts that NASA named in 2018 to fly on the test flight are on the upcoming test flight.

Persons: Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins, Ms, Williams, Wilmore, Mr, ” Organizations: NASA, Boeing, U.S . Navy, Navy, Station Locations: Ohio, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Iraq, Bosnia

☆ ‘China’s Cape Canaveral’ is booming, fueled by moon mission and space program
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Lilit Marcus | Marc Stewart | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The city of Wenchang is home to a rocket launch center – and a tourist industry that caters to a growing interest in space-related tourism. China has made no secret of its desire to develop tourism here, drawing inspiration from Florida’s Cape Canaveral – the launchpad for many famous NASA space missions. From celestial scenes in the corridors to a rocket on the breakfast buffet, the sprawling property is inspired by the nearby Wenchang Launch Center. The growth of China’s space program has fueled more interest in all things aeronautic. “Although it’s my 24th time, maybe, to see the rocket launch, I’m still excited about this,” he told CNN.

Persons: Hilton, Justin Robertson, That’s, Yan Zehua, I’m, ”, Liu Guoxing Organizations: CNN, NASA, Hilton, Getty Locations: Hainan, Hanoi, Beijing, Hawaii, China, Wenchang, Florida’s Cape Canaveral, Hainan’s, United States, Canada, France, New Zealand, Malaysia, Japan

☆ New mission could reveal secrets of the moon’s ‘hidden side’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In one lunar region, Japan’s “Moon Sniper” mission has beaten the odds and survived three long, frigid lunar nights since its sideways landing on January 19. The Tianwen-2 mission will visit the space rock later this decade. But first, China has set its sights on returning to the moon’s “hidden side.”An illustration depicts the far side of the moon, with Earth behind it. Since the Chang’e 4 mission in 2019, China remains the only country to have landed on the moon’s far side, sometimes called the “dark side” of the moon. Scientists hope that returning samples from the far side could solve some of the biggest remaining lunar mysteries, including the moon’s true origin.

Persons: Graziano Ranocchia, Ranocchia, Plato, Emma Pomeroy, “ She’s, ”, Pomeroy, Armas Rakus, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, Kevin Bacon, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Engineers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, NASA, Apollo, Platonic Academy of Athens, University of Pisa, Netflix, University of Cambridge, Norton Disney, Archaeology Group, Roman, International Space, CNN Space, Science Locations: China, Kurdistan, Gunung Leuser, South Aceh, Indonesia, Morocco

☆ While Boeing's passenger planes glitch, NASA is entrusting the company's spaceship with 2 astronauts' lives
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Boeing is about to fly NASA astronauts to the International Space Station for the first time. Still, the FAA, NASA, and other aerospace experts have questioned Boeing's overall safety culture. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams conduct suited operations in the Boeing Starliner simulator at NASA's Johnson Space Center. This Crew Flight Test mission is over a decade in the making. He added that those calculations are for a full 210-day mission, while Whilmore's and Williams's test flight lasts just one week.

Persons: —, NASA's Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, Robert Markowitz They're, jetliner, AeroSystems, Bill Nelson, Kim Shiflett, George Nield, Bjorn Fehrm, Fehrm, KPIs, Doug Loverro, Baz Ratner, Bill Ingalls, Steve Stich, Nield, We've, Wilmore, Starliner, Whitmore, Williams Organizations: Boeing, NASA, International Space Station, FAA, Service, Defense, Boeing's, International Space, Space Center, ISS, Max, NTSB, AP, Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Justice, Atlas, Cape Canaveral Space Force, Space Transportation, New York Times, Leeham, Business, Ethiopian, Ethiopian Airlines, Aerospace, Committee, White, Bill Ingalls NASA, US, Spaceflight Locations: Portland, Florida, It's, New Mexico

☆ What’s on the far side of the moon? Here’s why scientists want to find out
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“The far side of the moon is very different from the near side,” said Li Chunlai, China National Space Administration deputy chief designer. The Yutu-2 lunar rover took an image of the Chang'e-4 lunar probe on the far side of the moon on January 11, 2019. Far side mysteriesDespite years of orbital data and samples collected during six of the Apollo missions, scientists are still trying to answer key questions about the moon. Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty ImagesChang’e-6 is just one mission heading to the moon’s far side as NASA has plans to send robotic missions there as well. Cracking the lunar codeOne of the most fundamental questions that scientists have tried to answer is how the moon formed.

Persons: Von, hasn’t, ”, Li Chunlai, David Trone, Bill Nelson, ” Nelson, “ We’re, Pink Floyd, Renu Malhotra, Louise Foucar, we’ve, Noah Petro, Artemis III, “, ” Petro, Artemis, Malhotra, Brett Denevi, ” Denevi, Hector Retamal, Denevi, Aitken, “ it’s, CNN’s Wayne Chang Organizations: CNN, China National Space Administration, NASA, Louise Foucar Marshall Science Research, Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona, Apollo, Reconnaissance, Artemis, Soviet Union, Johns Hopkins, Getty Locations: China, Tucson, AFP, Hainan Province

☆ Japan’s ‘Moon Sniper’ returns images after third long, lunar night
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Temperatures during the lunar night can plunge to minus 208 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 133 degrees Celsius), according to NASA. And Moon Sniper wasn’t expected to withstand even one lunar night, which is a period of darkness on the moon lasting about two weeks. Riding out the lunar nightThe mission team communicated with Moon Sniper on April 23 after the lander rode out its third lunar night. From JAXAIn addition to surviving the extreme cold of the lunar night, Moon Sniper has also endured the searing temperatures of the lunar day, which can reach 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121 degrees Celsius), according to NASA. On February 29, after seven days of operating, Odie went to sleep because it wasn’t intended to survive the lunar night.

Persons: CNN —, Smart, SLIM, ’, Moon, ”, Odysseus, Odie ”, Odie, “ Odie, Jack Fischer, Fischer, ” Fischer, “, I’m, Vikram, Artemis, Noah Petro, Artemis III, ” Petro Organizations: CNN, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, NASA, JAXA, Reconnaissance, Artemis, Apollo Locations: Japan, Houston, India, China

☆ China’s Chang’e-6 moon probe stands by for launch as space race with US heats up
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Marc Stewart | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

China’s planned 53-day mission would see the Chang’e-6 lander touch down in a gaping crater on the moon’s far side, which never faces Earth. China became the first and only country to land on the moon’s far side during its 2019 Chang’e-4 mission. Ambitious missionThe Chang’e-6 probe will be a key test for China’s space capabilities in its effort to realize leader Xi Jinping’s “eternal dream” of building the country into a space power. This time, to communicate with Earth from the moon’s far side, Chang’e-6 must rely on the Queqiao-2 satellite, launched into lunar orbit in March. This time, China has said the Chang’e-6 mission will carry scientific instruments or payloads from France, Italy, Pakistan and the European Space Agency.

Persons: China’s, “, Ge Ping, Xi Jinping’s, James Head, Luo Yunfei, Bill Nelson, –, ” Nelson Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, China, Space Administration’s, of Lunar Exploration, Space Engineering, Brown University, China News Service, Luna, NASA, European Space Agency Locations: China, Hong Kong, Hainan, United States, Russia, Chang’e, India, Japan, Texas, France, Italy, Pakistan

☆ Ancient DNA pulls back curtain on mysterious empire
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Editor’s note: A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Analysis of ancient DNA recovered from human remains has illuminated the traits and ancestry of historic individuals — be it a mummified iceman, Chinese emperor or legendary composer. The origins of the empire and its people remained obscure until a landmark April 2022 study found they hailed from the Mongolian steppe. Carolyn Kaster/APNaturalists have spotted the first arrivals in this spring’s historic cicada dual emergence. Sign up here to receive in your inbox the next edition of Wonder Theory, brought to you by CNN Space and Science writers Ashley Strickland and Katie Hunt.

Persons: It’s, Loki, Gerald Eichstädt, Thomas Thomopoulos, ”, Scott Bolton, Bolton, George Mallory, Andrew Irvine, Mallory, Ruth, Carolyn Kaster, haven’t, you’re, —, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, of Archaeological Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Múzeum, NASA, Voyager, JPL, Caltech, Southwest Research Institute, Magdalene College , Cambridge, AP Naturalists, — Boeing, — Surgeons, Hubble, CNN Space, Science Locations: Rákóczifalva, Hungary, Central, Eastern Europe, Mount, United Kingdom, Macon , Georgia, South, Midwest

☆ Boeing’s Starliner set for historic astronaut launch after delays for years
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —After years of delays and a dizzying array of setbacks during test flights, Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is finally set to make its inaugural crewed launch. “This is history in the making,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said of the upcoming Starliner mission during a March 22 news conference. Missteps riddled a Starliner test flight the prior year, leaving NASA and Boeing officials scrambling to figure out what went wrong. SpaceX’s Crew Dragon has been flying routine trips ever since, carrying NASA astronauts and even paying customers and tourists. On May’s inaugural crewed flight, Boeing will instead use a “perfectly acceptable mitigation” that should prevent the valves from sticking, Nappi said in March.

Persons: CNN —, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, ”, Mark Nappi, “, we’ve, Ken Bowersox, SpaceX’s, Bill Nelson, “ We’re, Boeing’s Starliner, Bob Behnken, Doug Hurley, Steve Stich, we’re, ” Nappi, Stich, Nappi, — Williams, Wilmore, —, ” Wilmore, Williams Organizations: CNN, NASA, International, Boeing, SpaceX, International Space, Alaska Airlines Locations: Florida, —, Starliner’s

☆ AstroForge: How this startup plans to make asteroid mining a reality.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Amy Gunia | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Now the California-based startup is attempting to make asteroid mining a reality. That makes AstroForge the only company with a refinery that can turn M-type asteroids into PGMs in space, he adds. Some in the scientific community are skeptical that the private sector will be able to afford asteroid mining. Its all-or-nothing, lower-cost approach may help push asteroid mining closer to reality. “I hope if nothing else,” Gialich says, “we’re known as a space company that went for it.”

Persons: Matt Gialich, Gialich, Jose Acain, “, ”, we’re, “ We’re, AstroForge, Edward Carreon, “ that’s, –, Dan Britt, REx, James Cameron, Larry Page, Britt, “ I’m, ” Gialich, NASA's, Aubrey Gemignani, ” Britt, AstroForge’s Organizations: CNN, Virgin, SpaceX, NASA, Companies, Apple, Center, University of Central, JAXA, United, United Arab Emirates ’ Space Agency, UAE Space Agency, AP NASA, Planetary Resources, Titanic, Google, NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Getty Locations: California, University of Central Florida, China, United Arab, United Arab Emirates, Utah, Los Angeles, Florida

☆ NASA flyby reveals lava lake, ‘Steeple Mountain’ on Jupiter’s moon Io
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Close flybys of Io, one of Jupiter’s moons and the most volcanically active world in our solar system, have revealed a lava lake and a towering feature called “Steeple Mountain” on the moon’s alien surface. “We also got some great close-ups and other data on a 200-kilometer-long (127-mile-long) lava lake called Loki Patera. Juno detected the mountain with the help of the sun shining on Io’s surface, which created dramatic shadows that revealed a very sharp peak. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSSAs an outdoors enthusiast, Bolton joked that Io’s Steeple Mountain should be one of the solar system’s skiing and snowboarding destinations. The mission team used Juno’s Microwave Radiometer instrument to create maps of Io’s surface, showing how incredibly smooth it is.

Persons: ”, Scott Bolton, “, Loki Patera, Gerald Eichstädt, Thomas Thomopoulos, ” Bolton, Bolton, Galileo Galilei, Hera Organizations: CNN, Southwest Research Institute, NASA, JPL, Caltech, Bolton, European Geophysical Union General Assembly, Juno, Science, “, Galileo Locations: Vienna, Chile

☆ ‘Cabs to get into space’: How this Indian startup wants to revolutionize satellite space travel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Amy Gunia | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But its private sector has played a limited role in space exploration, acting mostly as suppliers and vendors for its national space agency, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). “Very few companies globally are able to make it to orbit yet.”Pawan Chandana, the co-founder of Skyroot Aerospace Skyroot Aerospace Pvt. As Indian space startups mature over the coming years, he expects the government to become a customer, enabling further growth. Many private space companies source income from governments, including Space X, which has raked in billions of dollars from US government contracts. In November 2022, Skyroot Aerospace launched India's first privately built rocket, Vikram-S. Skyroot Aerospace Pvt.

Persons: Vikram, ” Pawan Chandana, “, Pawan Chandana, Narendra Modi, ”, Susmita Mohanty, Skyroot, Chandana, ridesharing, Kari Bingen, Modi, Mohanty Organizations: CNN, Indian Space Research Organization, ISRO, Elon, SpaceX, Skyroot Aerospace, Skyroot Aerospace Skyroot Aerospace, . Ltd, McKinsey & Company, Economic, ’, LEO —, Vikram Sarabhai, Aerospace Security, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Deloitte, India’s, NASA Locations: India, United States, Hyderabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Singapore

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