Greek scientists have decoded the DNA of the famous Feta cheese, writes Greek Reporter. Scientists from the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens studied a wide variety of cheeses produced in the country in an attempt to quantify the nutritional characteristics of the popular Greek cheese.
The research of the scientists showed that the product contains 489 different types of protein, making it one of the most protein-rich varieties of cheese in the whole world.
According to EU legislation on the products’ “protected designation of origin”, Feta must be produced using exclusively whole sheep’s milk or a mixture of sheep’s and goat’s milk. Goat’s milk can never be more than thirty percent of the total amount.
Cheese making is an ancient practice in the Mediterranean with the production of goat or sheep milk cheese dating back to the 8th century BC. in Greece. One myth relates that Apollo’s son Aristaeus, raised by nymphs, taught mankind the art of making cheese from milk. The product is also mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey, where the cyclops Polyphemus is described as a shepherd who lives in a cave full of cheese and milk taken from his flock.
Feta is a crumbly, soft, white cheese with a sharp taste. It is created by placing the fermented milk mixture in wooden barrels. The curd mixture is very compact and must be cut to fit into the barrels. The translated name means “piece” and most likely derives from this practice.
Watermelon is one of the preferred and favorite fruits in summer. Curiously, the green-red fruit was first cultivated more than 4,000 years ago in Northeast Africa. Sweet and juicy, watermelon is a suitable option for breakfast or dessert during the warm months, writes puls.bg.
Experts have been able to highlight numerous positive effects of the “giant fruit” on human health, due to the high content of nutrients, including antioxidants and vitamins A and C.
Watermelon helps to keep the body well hydrated
Regulating body temperature, maintaining normal organ function, delivering nutrients to cells are some of the bodily processes that rely on good hydration.
Watermelon contains 92% water, which makes it a suitable assistant in obtaining sufficient fluids for the body. Precisely because of its high water content, it also has a low caloric density. This, in turn, makes it a suitable food for regulating body weight and maintaining the feeling of satiety. The watery fruit contains 46 kcal per 152 gram serving.
Watermelon is full of valuable nutrients
The African fruit contains various nutrients, including potassium, magnesium, and vitamins A and C. It is also a rich source of citrulline, an amino acid that can improve physical performance in athletes.
A study found that regular intake of citrulline for at least 7 days improved aerobic performance by increasing the body’s production of nitric oxide.
This compound helps dilate blood vessels so the heart doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood through the body.
The fruit also contains antioxidants, including vitamin C, carotenoids, lycopene and cucurbitacin E.
Watermelon keeps the heart healthy
Studies show that lycopene can help lower high blood pressure and cholesterol. It may also help prevent oxidative damage caused by high cholesterol levels.
In addition to sports, the citrulline contained in watermelon can increase nitric oxide levels in the body. It, in turn, helps blood vessels to dilate, which lowers blood pressure.
Watermelon also takes care of the eyes
The much-loved fruit can help prevent macular degeneration thanks to its lycopene content.
Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties may help prevent and inhibit macular degeneration. The scientific community emphasizes that further research is needed on this issue.
The levels of Lake Constance, Four Cantons, Lugano and Valens have dropped sharply, here’s why
Water levels in four large Swiss lakes fell to record lows this August after scant rainfall this year, the Federal Environment Service said, as quoted by AFP.
Volumes of water flow from them into the Rhine River, which originates in the Swiss Alps, but none of them had water levels this low in August.
“We have a low water level situation in Switzerland, in particular in the central plateau and south of Ticino” in the Italian-speaking part of the country, Michele Oberhenzli, who is in charge of hydrological data at the Federal Environment Office, said today.
The reason is the lack of rainfall in 2022, she explained to AFP.
The four Great Lakes are not the only ones affected. Lake Maggiore, whose level of 193m is a record low, and Lake Zug “continue to show values well below average”, Oberhenzli said.
With the exception of Lake Jura and Lake Thun, the levels of all of Switzerland’s large lakes are also below average.
The Pacific island nation is making an impact in international climate efforts
The Pacific nation of Vanuatu has launched one of the world’s most ambitious climate policies, pledging to use 100% renewable energy for electricity generation by 2030 and setting ambitious targets for losses and damages, the Guardian reports.
The announcement is yet another example of the small island nation making an impact in international climate efforts.
At last year’s UN climate summit in Glasgow, all countries were called on to “review and strengthen” their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for climate action by the end of 2022. Vanuatu is one of only 12 countries who have done so, and its ambitious goals have been praised by regional experts.
“They really set an example for the rest of the world,” says Tagaloa Cooper-Halo, director of the Climate Change Resilience Program at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP).
“Vanuatu is leading by example in many ways, even though it has negligible emissions. They are taking the lead by presenting their plan. This has been a monumental effort by their government and all stakeholders because it takes a lot of work and coordination to get there announcement.”
Vanuatu is already a carbon-negative country – meaning it absorbs more emissions than it produces – but is committed to going even further by phasing out fossil fuels almost entirely and hopes by 2030 to generate 100 % from renewable sources.
They are also calling for the rapid establishment of a loss and damage financing mechanism to help vulnerable communities.
According to the government, the cost of meeting Vanuatu’s revised commitments is estimated at $1.2 billion by 2030.
“Thirty years ago, Vanuatu was the first nation in the world to call on climate polluters to pay for the permanent losses and irreversible damage caused by their emissions,” said Dr Wesley Morgan, senior researcher at the Climate Council.
“Today, Vanuatu is calling for the creation of a new loss and damage financing mechanism at the UN. To be an effective Pacific ally on climate action, Australia must support the creation of a new loss and damage financing mechanism.”
The move also sets the tone for the Pacific region’s preparations for the COP27 summit to be held in Cairo in November.
Vanuatu, which is rated by the United Nations as the country most at risk of natural disasters, is also currently pushing for the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to issue an advisory opinion on climate-related damage.
“The Government of Vanuatu has been very brave in seeking the opinion of the International Court of Justice and it is all good for the Pacific,” Cooper-Hallow said.
According to Vanuatu’s government, more than 80 countries from around the world support its bid to obtain an advisory opinion from the IC before a vote in the UN General Assembly at its upcoming session.
Tomato juice is great for many reasons: it tastes great, it’s very fresh and it energizes the body. Another good reason to drink tomato juice is that unlike fruit juices, which are cheaper options and usually have lots of preservatives, sweeteners and other additives, tomato juice is diluted with just a little salt. Tomato juice can ensure that your body does not receive useless or dangerous substances with every sip. Tomato juice preserves the integrity of the original state of the tomatoes. Let’s see the benefits of tomato juice and drinking it every day.
Low calorie
Tomato juice has fewer calories than most fruit and vegetable juices because it is not squeezed from fresh fruit and contains sweeteners. One hundred grams of tomato juice has about 20 kcal. Many diets include tomato juice as a component. Tomato juice is useful for diabetics or overweight people, and even better if it is prepared by yourself. Juicing tomatoes is easy without a juicer and can be added to a slimming drink. What will happen if you drink tomato juice every day?
It contains many vitamins
Tomatoes contain a lot of beta-carotene (vitamin A in finished form), C, P and E, as well as iron, copper, manganese, calcium, potassium, chromium, sulphur, nickel, boron, chlorine and fluorine. The body’s problems related to a slow metabolism could be solved by regular intake of tomato juice, along with other minerals and biologically active ingredients. All of them are indispensable for the body, which makes this combination unique. Reducing Cholesterol Levels by Consuming Tomato Juice Tomato juice contains a lot of fiber, which helps the body process digestion. Fiber helps the body remove bad cholesterol, which can block blood vessels and be the beginning of heart disease.
Great benefits of tomatoes
Helps the peristalsis of the intestines Tomato juice helps patients who have constipation. In addition to providing fiber that helps the intestines function, tomato juice contains substances that increase the strength of the intestinal wall, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory ingredients, and chemicals that help with stomach acidity.
Tomato juice is also useful for patients suffering from duodenal diseases. The body eliminates toxins when consuming tomato juice Tomato juice is beneficial for people who have been intoxicated by substances in their body (such as alcohol). The juice is rich in sulfur and chlorine compounds, which favor the work of the liver and kidneys. It can also help people who have kidney or liver disease as it is a mild diuretic and can be used in a mixture with cabbage juice (1 part tomato juice to 1 part cabbage juice). The article is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation or a substitute for professional consultation.
Thirty members of Norway’s prestigious Royal Guards will be dismissed from service for using drugs while on leave, Norway’s armed forces said, as quoted by the Associated Press.
They received information about the use of prohibited substances during a private party this summer. Initially, five people admitted that they had taken drugs, and then another 25 people did the same. All thirty are serving in His Majesty’s Royal Guards, Norwegian TV and newspaper Verdens Gang reported.
A spokesman for the armed forces told Norwegian television that these conscripts would be removed from the army.
They did not specify what kind of drugs they used. In 2015, Norway made military service compulsory for men and women.
“All members of the armed forces are under an obligation to report if they witness or find out that military personnel have taken drugs,” the spokesman added to public television.
The Royal Guard is tasked with protecting the Norwegian royal family. The soldiers from its composition perform the changing of the guard in front of the palace in Oslo every day.
The unit also participates in official ceremonies, such as the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize.
The geomagnetic situation on our planet remains unstable over the weekend. After the strong magnetic storm on August 18, a weak G1 magnetic storm was recorded today after another coronal mass ejection (CME) from the Sun hit our planet’s magnetic field. Even a weak CME strike can cause a G1 storm, so experts advise to keep an eye on updated information, writes SpaceWeather.com. During magnetic storms, experts advise not to expose yourself to unnecessary stress. What is this phenomenon and how does it affect the planet and man? Magnetic storms usually occur on average 5-6 times a year and can last for several days, but recently more “solar attacks” have been recorded on Earth. This is related to the increased activity of the Sun, which is moving towards its peak in the 25th solar cycle. Solar flares are expected to become more frequent until 2025, after which solar activity will begin to decline. When the Sun sends a stream of solar wind or ejects a coronal mass and it hits the Earth’s magnetic field, a geomagnetic storm is registered on our planet. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has divided solar flares as well as geomagnetic storms into 5 categories according to their strength – from G1 to G5, with G1 being the weakest and G5 being extreme. storm, and it could cause serious problems in Earth’s power transmission and radio communication systems, as well as cause damage to orbital satellites and GPS systems. Usually, geomagnetic storms do not pose a serious danger, but they can complicate the lives of those who have health problems. Let us tell you what a magnetic storm is and how you can survive it.
What is a magnetic storm?
Around the Earth there is an invisible shell – the magnetosphere, which protects our planet from solar radiation. From space, it is affected by the flow of the solar wind – that is the name of the ionized particles that are constantly scattered from the Sun at a speed of 400 km/s. Normally, the pressure of the solar wind and the pressure of the Earth’s magnetic envelope are equal. But when eruptions occur on the Sun, the speed of the solar wind increases, the balance of pressure changes, the magnetosphere seems to shrink over the Earth, and the magnitudes of the currents begin to change in it. Scientists call this a geomagnetic storm. The eruptions of some young stars are so powerful that they can destroy the atmospheres of their planets. The activity of the Sun is lower, but it can still affect Earthlings, causing interference in radio communications and malfunctions in the operation of appliances.
Is there a danger to people?
There is no consensus among scientists about how this natural phenomenon affects humans and animals. Research shows that during the period of magnetic storms, the number of deaths from myocardial infarction and stroke increases. But this increase is insignificant (about 20%), moreover, it is only about statistics. It is difficult to assess the impact of a particular geomagnetic event on human health. “In order to conduct a study of the impact of a magnetic storm on human health and condition, it is necessary to have clear criteria that can be measured,” Alexey Struminsky, a leading researcher at the Institute for Space Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told TASS. – Headache or tachycardia is not a criterion, such symptoms can be caused by a number of other reasons, by a change in weather, for example, a change in atmospheric pressure. But a magnetic storm doesn’t affect atmospheric pressure.”
During magnetic storms, people who suffer from hypertension should drink more water and reduce their salt intake, as salt retains fluids in the body and leads to an increase in blood pressure. Hypotonics can take a tonic tincture of Eleutherococcus or lemon grass. These are the advices of general practitioner Elena Tikhomirova. But many doctors have a different opinion. According to some of them, the record solar flares observed in recent days may affect the well-being of weather-sensitive people. According to some scientists, the mechanisms of the impact of electromagnetic interference on people are poorly understood. However, even in those who are not aware of the fact of a solar flare, there is a deterioration in well-being. Several effects of exposure to magnetic field disturbances due to solar flares have been hypothesized: increased blood pressure, reduced work capacity, headaches, increased anxiety, and exacerbation of chronic diseases, including allergies. There is an opinion that a person instinctively perceives fluctuations in the Earth’s magnetic background as a threat to life. And the increase in stress hormones – cortisol and adrenaline – leads to spasm of blood vessels and increased pressure.
The advice of doctors
Although scientists have not yet sufficiently studied how the fluctuations of the magnetic field affect the human body, doctors advise people who do not tolerate pressure spikes to take insurance on days of magnetic storms and follow simple rules. “On such days, we observe that in hypertensives the pressure jumps, and in hypotensives, on the contrary, it drops – explains the therapist Elena Tikhomirova. – To level these problems, hypertensives should drink more water and reduce salt intake during this period, because salt retains fluid in the body and leads to an increase in pressure. And hypotensive patients can take a tonic tincture of eleuterococcus or lemongrass. During magnetic storms, it is also important that weather-sensitive people get enough sleep, avoid increased stress, sports and tiring shopping trips.
MIT researchers have demonstrated a 3D-printed plasma sensor for orbiting spacecraft that works just as well as much more expensive, semiconductor sensors. These durable, precise sensors could be used effectively on inexpensive, lightweight satellites known as CubeSats, which are commonly utilized for environmental monitoring or weather prediction. Credit: Figure courtesy of the researchers and edited by MIT News
Cheap and quick to produce, these digitally manufactured plasma sensors could help scientists predict the weather or study climate change.
Scientists at MIT have created the first completely digitally manufactured plasma sensors for satellites. These plasma sensors, also known as retarding potential analyzers (RPAs), are used by orbiting spacecraft to determine the chemical composition and ion energy distribution of the atmosphere.
The 3D-printed and laser-cut hardware performed as well as state-of-the-art semiconductor plasma sensors. Due to the manufacturing process, which requires a cleanroom, semiconductor plasma sensors are expensive and require weeks of intricate fabrication. By contrast, these 3D-printed sensors can be produced for tens of dollars in a matter of days.
Due to their low cost and speedy production, the new sensors are ideal for CubeSats. These inexpensive, low-power, and lightweight satellites are often used for communication and environmental monitoring in Earth’s upper atmosphere.
The team of researchers developed RPAs using a glass-ceramic material that is more resilient than traditional sensor materials like silicon and thin-film coatings. By using the glass-ceramic in a fabrication process that was developed for 3D printing with plastics, they were able to construct sensors with complex shapes that can withstand the wide temperature swings a spacecraft would encounter in lower Earth orbit.
“Additive manufacturing can make a big difference in the future of space hardware. Some people think that when you 3D-print something, you have to concede less performance. But we’ve shown that is not always the case. Sometimes there is nothing to trade off,” says Luis Fernando Velásquez-García, a principal scientist in MIT’s Microsystems Technology Laboratories (MTL) and senior author of a paper presenting the plasma sensors.
Joining Velásquez-García on the paper are lead author and MTL postdoc Javier Izquierdo-Reyes; graduate student Zoey Bigelow; and postdoc Nicholas K. Lubinsky. The research is published in Additive Manufacturing.
In an RPA, plasma passes through a series of electrically charged meshes dotted with tiny holes. As the plasma passes through each mesh, electrons and other particles are stripped away until only ions remain. This figure shows how the meshes fit inside the RPA housing, which aligns the meshes. Credit: Courtesy of the researchers
Versatile sensors
An RPA was first used in a space mission all the way back in 1959. The sensors detect the energy in ions, or charged particles, that are floating in plasma, which is a superheated mix of molecules present in the Earth’s upper atmosphere. Aboard an orbiting spacecraft like a CubeSat, the versatile instruments measure energy and conduct chemical analyses that can help scientists predict the weather or monitor climate change.
The sensors contain a series of electrically charged meshes dotted with tiny holes. As plasma passes through the holes, electrons and other particles are stripped away until only ions remain. These ions create an electric current that the sensor measures and analyzes.
Key to the success of an RPA is the housing structure that aligns the meshes. It must be electrically insulating while also able to withstand sudden, drastic swings in temperature. The researchers used a printable, glass-ceramic material known as Vitrolite that exhibits these properties.
Pioneered in the early 20th century, Vitrolite was often used in colorful tiles that became a common sight in art deco buildings.
The durable material can also withstand temperatures as high as 800 degrees Celsius (1472 degrees Fahrenheit) without breaking down, whereas polymers used in semiconductor RPAs start to melt at 400 degrees Celsius (752 degrees Fahrenheit).
“When you make this sensor in the cleanroom, you don’t have the same degree of freedom to define materials and structures and how they interact together. What made this possible is the latest developments in additive manufacturing,” Velásquez-García says.
This figure shows an experiment in which the researchers set up their RPA to characterize it as an ion energy distribution sensor. Credit: Courtesy of the researchers
Rethinking fabrication
The 3D printing process for ceramics usually involves ceramic powder that is hit with a laser to fuse it into shapes. However, this process often leaves the material coarse and creates weak points due to the high heat from the lasers.
Instead, the MIT scientists used vat polymerization, a process introduced decades ago for additive manufacturing with polymers or resins. With vat polymerization, a 3D structure is built one layer at a time by submerging it repeatedly into a vat of liquid material, in this case, Vitrolite. Ultraviolet light is used to cure the material after each layer is added, and then the platform is submerged in the vat again. Each layer is only 100 microns thick (roughly the diameter of a human hair), enabling the creation of smooth, pore-free, complex ceramic shapes.
In digital manufacturing, objects described in a design file can be very intricate. This precision allowed the researchers to create laser-cut meshes with unique shapes so the holes lined up perfectly when they were set inside the RPA housing. This enables more ions to pass through, which leads to higher-resolution measurements.
Because the sensors were cheap to produce and could be fabricated so quickly, the team prototyped four unique designs.
While one design was especially effective at capturing and measuring a wide range of plasmas, like those a satellite would encounter in orbit, another was well-suited for sensing extremely dense and cold plasmas, which are typically only measurable using ultraprecise semiconductor devices.
This high precision could enable 3D-printed sensors for applications in fusion energy research or supersonic flight. The rapid prototyping process could even spur more innovation in satellite and spacecraft design, Velásquez-García adds.
“If you want to innovate, you need to be able to fail and afford the risk. Additive manufacturing is a very different way to make space hardware. I can make space hardware and if it fails, it doesn’t matter because I can make a new version very quickly and inexpensively, and really iterate on the design. It is an ideal sandbox for researchers,” he says.
While Velásquez-García is pleased with these sensors, he wants to enhance the fabrication process in the future. Reducing the thickness of layers or pixel size in glass-ceramic vat polymerization could create complex hardware that is even more precise. Furthermore, fully additively manufacturing the sensors would make them compatible with in-space manufacturing. He also wants to explore the use of artificial intelligence to optimize sensor design for specific use cases, such as greatly reducing their mass while ensuring they remain structurally sound.
Reference: “Compact Retarding Potential Analyzers Enabled by Glass-Ceramic Vat Polymerization for CubeSat and Laboratory Plasma Diagnostics” by Javier Izquierdo-Reyes, Zoey Bigelow, Nicholas K. Lubinsky and Luis Fernando Velásquez-García, 13 July 2022, Additive Manufacturing. DOI: 10.1016/j.addma.2022.103034
This work was funded, in part, by MIT, the MIT-Tecnológico de Monterrey Nanotechnology Program, the MIT Portugal Program, and the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology.
The earth is composed of three main layers: the crust, the mantle, and the core.
Lasers pave the path for finding ancient crust.
Curtin University researchers have discovered evidence of an approximately four billion-year-old piece of the Earth’s crust that exists beneath the South-West of Western Australia by using lasers smaller than a human hair to target microscopic grains of a mineral extracted from beach sand.
The Timescales of Mineral Systems Group at Curtin’s School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, led by Ph.D. student Maximilian Droellner, said the lasers were used to vaporize portions of individual grains of the mineral zircon and revealed where the grains were originally eroded from as well as the geological history of the region. This new discovery helps explains how the planet evolved from being uninhabitable to supporting life.
“There is evidence that an up to four billion-year-old piece of crust about the size of Ireland has been influencing the geological evolution of WA for the past few billions of years and is a key ingredient of rocks formed in WA across this time,” Mr. Droellner states.
“This piece of crust has survived multiple mountain-building events between Australia, India, and Antarctica and appears to still exist at tens of kilometers of depth under the South-West corner of WA. When comparing our findings to existing data, it appears many regions around the world experienced a similar timing of early crust formation and preservation. This suggests a significant change in the evolution of the Earth some four billion years ago, as meteorite bombardment waned, crust stabilized and life on Earth began to establish.”
Research supervisor Dr. Milo Barham, also from the Timescales of Mineral Systems Group within Curtin’s School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, said no large-scale study of this region had been done before and the results, when compared with existing data, had revealed exciting new insights.
“The edge of the ancient piece of crust appears to define an important crustal boundary controlling where economically important minerals are found,” Dr. Barham said.
“Recognising these ancient crustal remnants is important for the future of optimized sustainable resource exploration. Studying the early Earth is challenging given the enormity of time that has elapsed, but it has a profound importance for understanding life’s significance on Earth and our quest to find it on other planets.”
Reference: “A persistent Hadean–Eoarchean protocrust in the western Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia” by Maximilian Dröllner, Christopher L. Kirkland, Milo Barham, Noreen J. Evans and Bradley J. McDonald, 17 June 2022, Terra Nova. DOI: 10.1111/ter.12610
Mr. Droellner, Dr. Barham, and research co-supervisor Professor Chris Kirkland are affiliated with The Institute for Geoscience Research (TIGeR). Curtin’s flagship Earth Sciences research institute and the research were funded by the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia.
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop a mobile launcher as it rolls out of the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B, Tuesday, August 16, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s Artemis I mission is the first integrated test of the agency’s deep space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, SLS rocket, and supporting ground systems. Launch of the uncrewed flight test is targeted for no earlier than August 29. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky
Discussing priorities for national space activities …
And cargo and science head home from the space station … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA!
Artemis I Moon Rocket and Spacecraft Moved to the Launch Pad
On the night of August 16, teams at our Kennedy Space Center began the approximately 4-mile move of the Space Launch System or SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B, in preparation for the launch of our uncrewed Artemis I flight test. The rocket and spacecraft arrived at the pad the next morning. Artemis I is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to help us establish a long-term presence on the Moon. The mission also will serve as a stepping stone to sending astronauts to Mars. Artemis I is currently targeted for launch no earlier than August 29.
Vice President Kamala Harris met with the National Space Council Friday, August 12, at the Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland, California, home to the official visitor center for NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley. Harris discussed upcoming priorities for national activities in space, including strengthening public-private partnerships and the benefits of space exploration for all. Credit: NASA / Dominic Hart
Vice President Meets with National Space Council in California
Vice President Kamala Harris recently met with the National Space Council at the Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland, California, the official visitor center for our Ames Research Center. Aerospace companies at the event had the opportunity to display and share their work with the vice president. The vice president – who serves as the chair of the National Space Council – also made a speech, in which she discussed upcoming priorities for national activities in space, including strengthening public-private partnerships and the benefits of space exploration for all.
The SpaceX Dragon cargo craft backs away from the space station moments after undocking from the Harmony module’s forward port during an orbital sunrise. Credit: NASA TV
The SpaceX Dragon cargo craft backs away from the space station moments after undocking from the Harmony module’s forward port during an orbital sunrise. Credit: NASA TV
SpaceX Cargo Dragon Departs from Space Station
On August 19, a SpaceX Dragon cargo resupply spacecraft left the International Space Station and headed back to Earth with more than 4,000 pounds of supplies and scientific experiments for NASA and others. This was SpaceX’s 25th Commercial Resupply Services mission for NASA.
A graphic showing the observed separation of asteroid Polymele from its discovered satellite. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Lucy Team Discovers Moon Around Asteroid Polymele
Another asteroid has been added to the “to visit” list for NASA’s Lucy spacecraft. Lucy’s science team recently discovered that the smallest of the mission’s Trojan asteroid targets, Polymele, has a moon. With this discovery, Lucy is now on track to visit a total of nine asteroids — one main belt asteroid and eight so-called Trojan asteroids, a previously unexplored population of asteroids that lead and follow Jupiter in its orbit around the Sun.
Students watch as their experiments launch aboard a sounding rocket for the RockSat-X program from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on August 11, 2022, at 6:09 p.m. EDT. The Terrier-Improved Malemute rocket carried the experiments to an altitude of 99 miles before descending via a parachute and landing in the Atlantic Ocean. Credit: NASA Wallops/Terry Zaperach
Students watch as their experiments launch aboard a sounding rocket for the RockSat-X program from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on August 11, 2022, at 6:09 p.m. EDT. The Terrier-Improved Malemute rocket carried the experiments to an altitude of 99 miles before descending via a parachute and landing in the Atlantic Ocean. Credit: NASA Wallops/Terry Zaperach
NASA Wallops Launches Student Technology Experiments
Our Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia recently helped teams of U.S. college students launch their technology experiments into space. The experiments were launched on a Terrier-Improved Malemute sounding rocket to an altitude of about 99 miles before descending back to Earth by parachute. The investigations were flown through the RockSat-X program, which gives students the experience of building experiments for spaceflight.
NASA Television programming on the Galaxy 13 domestic satellite is moving from transponder 11 to transponder 15 this month. The move is in line with the Federal Communications Commission’s initiative to free up C-band bandwidth on domestic satellites in support of future 5G terrestrial communications efforts. Currently, both transponders are active. Distribution of NASA TV programming on transponder 11 will end on Monday, August 29. As part of that transition, the modulation format will be changed from DVB-S/QPSK to DVB-S2/8PSK, which reduces the transponder’s required bandwidth.
NASA Television Transponder Change Effective Monday, August 29
A quick note about an upcoming change for NASA Television. NASA TV programming on the Galaxy 13 domestic satellite is moving from transponder 11 to transponder 15. Currently, both transponders are active, but distribution of NASA TV programming on transponder 11 will end on Monday, August 29. For complete details, please visit go.nasa.gov/transponder.
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