Russia and the United States expect to develop the resources of the Moon in the coming decades
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) plans to begin test mining on the Moon before 2032. At the first stage, the United States expects to extract water and oxygen from the soil, then to develop deposits of iron and rare earth metals on the Earth’s satellite. The Russian road map in 2041–2050 assumes the beginning of the extraction and use of water, as well as oxygen, on the Moon.
NASA demonstrates optical communications for deep space operations
DSOC, an experiment that could change the way spacecraft communicate, has sent data using a laser to and from the Moon for the first time. The transmitted data takes the form of bits (the smallest units of data that a computer can process) encoded in laser photons—quantum particles of light.
Mars has its own aurora
A Mars probe has discovered that the Red Planet’s atmosphere glows green at night. Scientists have observed the night glow of Mars in the visible light spectrum for the first time, the European Space Agency reports.
ARRAKIHS dark matter satellite will be launched in 2030
The mission is planned to study the dark matter halo of 75 different galaxies – a hypothetical component of galaxies that surrounds the galactic disk and extends far beyond the visible part of the galaxy. The mass of the halo is the main component of the total mass of the galaxy, reports the European Space Agency.
The European Space Agency has signed a contract to create its own space station, Starlab
Beginning in 2027, Starlab will maintain a permanent human presence in low Earth orbit, operated by Voyager Space and Airbus.
European Institute for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence uses new radio frequency technologies
The SETI Institute received $200 million to search for evidence of alien life. The new funding will allow the SETI Institute to consolidate and expand the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
Roscosmos extended the operation of the Russian segment of the ISS until 2028
Earlier, Roscosmos General Director Yuri Borisov reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the decision made to withdraw from the ISS project after 2024. Borisov later said that Russia will most likely participate in the project until 2028. Now the decision to extend the ISS until 2030 has been made by the United States and Japan, and the European Space Agency also supported this initiative.
DART mission changed the trajectory of an asteroid using a spacecraft
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope captured a series of photographs of the rapid changes to the asteroid Dimorphos when it was deliberately struck by a 545-kilogram spacecraft on September 26, 2022. The main goal of NASA’s mission, called DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test), is to test the ability to change the trajectory of an asteroid as it orbits its larger companion asteroid.
Roscosmos: nuclear tug “Zeus” will go to explore the natural satellites of Jupiter
Today, the satellites of Jupiter – Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto – attract the closest attention of scientists around the world and are even considered as objects for colonization in the distant future. It has been established that some of them have oceans covered with ice, from under which steam sometimes escapes, and some tectonic activity is observed, which indicates a hot core of the celestial body. Heat and water are necessary conditions for the existence of life. The presence of people on the nuclear tug during the research is not planned at this stage.
Lunar Mission: Polar Moon Craters Become Cold Traps and Capable of Preserving Water Ice
Planetary scientists have found that magnetic anomalies in the region of the Moon’s south pole can protect deposits of water ice in craters from destruction by the solar wind by deflecting ions, according to a report from the 53rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference.
Mars exploration: China gains insights from its first rover
The team of China’s first Mars rover, Zhurong, published the results of an analysis of data collected on Utopia Planitia in the journal Nature Geoscience.
Far-reaching plans – terraforming Mars
The main problem for changing the appearance of Mars is the lack of a strong magnetic field that can protect the atmosphere from solar winds that burn water in it. The magnetic field creates a kind of bubble that protects the planet from the oncoming solar winds. For example, the Earth’s magnetic field prevents most high-energy particles from reaching the planet’s surface.
Planetologists continue to study asteroids
Organic substances have been discovered on the Ryugu asteroid. Another asteroid, 2022 FD1, discovered by astronomers only on the night of March 24-25, flew past the Earth at noon on March 25 at a distance of only about eight thousand kilometers.
The European Space Agency and NASA are developing instruments for lunar exploration
The European Space Agency has selected a team of five European companies to design and build the first experimental payload to extract oxygen from regolith on the lunar surface. In turn, the American company Venturi Astrolab presented a universal lunar rover. It can transport both cargo containers and astronauts.
Roscosmos will produce its own Russian orbital station
The first module of the Russian orbital station could be launched as early as 2026, which will be several times more efficient than the previous ISS, said the head of Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin.
Russia and China signed a number of documents on joint exploration of the Moon
A number of establishing documents were signed: a memorandum, an agreement, an intergovernmental agreement. China, with good financial support, is actively implementing the first stage of the lunar exploration program with automatic stations, said the head of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin. He also added that the next steps are the construction of a base on the Moon.
Roscosmos has stopped cooperation with most European countries
NASA intends to maintain contacts with Roscosmos to ensure the safe operation of the International Space Station and to continue cooperation between Russia and the United States in the field of the civil space program.
The General Director of the Roscosmos State Corporation commented on the situation in connection with possible sanctions
On February 26, 2022, General Director of the Roscosmos State Corporation Dmitry Rogozin took part in the broadcast of the Solovyov Live YouTube channel, during which he explained the corporation’s position and further actions in connection with the new international situation, the Roscosmos press service reports.
Roscosmos continues to establish international cooperation in space
At the Baikonur Cosmodrome, intensive preparations have begun at the Vostok launch complex at site No. 31 for the launch of the next batch of spacecraft from the OneWeb satellite company as part of mission No. 38, the Roscosmos press service reports.
Private astronautics is becoming more and more distinct
Private space flights, the first private spacewalk, infrastructure for the development of private space exploration in Russia and private satellites – new real space startups.
The international satellite system COSPAS-SARSAT has been successfully saving lives for almost 40 years
The Russian Space Systems holding company began creating a network of ground stations for receiving signals from the COSPAS-SARSAT search and rescue equipment on board the medium-orbit navigation satellites GLONASS, GPS, Galileo and Beidou.
Roscosmos launched another 34 OneWeb satellites into orbit from the French cosmodrome
On February 10, 2022, the Soyuz-ST-B launch vehicle was launched from the launch complex of the Guiana Space Center (French Guiana, South America). After 3.5 hours, the Fregat-M upper stage successfully launched another batch of 34 OneWeb satellites into low-Earth orbit, the Roscosmos press service reports.
The Russian Federal Space Program includes the creation of a garbage collector from geostationary orbits
The federal space program, designed in Russia until 2025, provides for the creation of a satellite for cleaning up space debris, RIA Novosti reports.
Wireless power transmission has become a reality
Roscosmos has developed a project for a promising space power station that will transmit solar energy from space to Earth via a laser beam, the Roscosmos press service reports.
China, USA and Russia are the main participants in the “moon race”
All three countries have long-term programs, the ultimate goal of which is the creation of a permanent base on the Earth’s satellite. The potential of the Moon as a raw material base for the Earth is enormous – scientists believe so.
Potentially dangerous asteroids for the Earth do not leave their orbits
In 2029, the asteroid Apophis will fly at a distance of 30 thousand km from the Earth, on February 8, 2022, the asteroid 2007 UY1 will approach the Earth, it will be at a distance of just over five million kilometers from the planet. A potential collision with asteroid d2022 AE is possible on July 4, 2023.
Russian-European orbital module found new evidence of the existence of water on Mars
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has discovered signs and minerals in the craters of Mars that suggest that there was once water there, the Roscosmos press service reports.
The modern landscape on Mars was formed by major floods, and there is still oxygen in the atmosphere
The composition of the rock on Mars indicates volcanic activity, the presence of bodies of water, primitive organisms and a stable environment for the origin of life in the past.
Roscosmos is actively solving the problem of space debris
The sinking of outdated spacecraft and the development of new radar stations will help in the avoidance and elimination of dangerous objects.
The international community is concerned about the possible militarization of space
The state corporation Roscosmos is concerned that the United States and NATO are launching potential weapons carriers into space.
A special NASA mission is testing to change the orbit of an asteroid
On the morning of October 24, 2021, a Falcon 9 launch vehicle with the DRAT space probe launched from a military spaceport in California, which will crash into an asteroid to test technology for protecting the Earth from collisions with space objects.
China conquers Mars
The Chinese Tianwen-1 spacecraft with the Zhuzhong rover carried out a successful soft landing on the surface of Mars, Xinhua news agency reported. The Chinese Mars rover “Zhuzhong” successfully descended from the platform and began exploring Mars.
After a 45-year break, the lunar program is being revived in Russia
At the beginning of October 2021, the Russian automatic station Luna-25 will be launched to search for water ice, a key resource for the construction of a habitable base.
Profession of the future – space welder
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin will instruct Roscosmos and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation to develop a special training program for the Vostochny cosmodrome.
Elon Musk will take part in the conquest of Mars
The head of SpaceX and Tesla did not rule out that the conquest of Mars would require human sacrifice.
Inspiration4 mission with civilians on board launches in September 2021
SpaceX announced the launch of Inspiration4, “the world’s first all-civilian space mission.”
Volcanic activity on Mars prevents water from completely evaporating
Seismic activity on Mars indicates tectonic activity that is similar to that on Earth. The NASA InSight probe detected earthquakes on Mars with an amplitude of up to 4 points.
Venus has attracted special attention from the Russian scientific community
Phosphine, a byproduct of anaerobic biology, was discovered on Venus.
Subglacial water and organic hydrocarbons discovered on Saturn’s moon Titan
On Titan, a moon of Saturn, researchers have detected the presence of hydrocarbons, ice and water in the form of an ocean 100 kilometers below the surface of the moon. In addition, scientists suggest that life may exist on Titan, explaining its occurrence by the mixing of water and organic matter in the crater of a fallen comet.
Scientists are concerned about the problem of space debris
People manage to litter even in space, about 25 thousand large waste equipment and millions of small particles freely rotate in orbit around the Earth, and this threatens collisions with working satellites and stations.
Water evaporating from Mars remains on its surface in the form of hydrated minerals
Water on the surface of Mars is conserved in rocks. The cessation of tectonic activity on the Red Planet stopped the circulation of water from the atmosphere back to the surface.
Evidence of the possibility of extraterrestrial origin of life found on an asteroid
Organic substances have been discovered on a rocky S-class asteroid. It is this class of asteroids that most often falls on Earth.