Innovation
NASA Spacecraft Launched To Mysterious And Rare Metal Asteroid In First Mission Of Its Kind
Cape Canaveral, Florida — On Friday, the Psyche spacecraft departed on a six-year mission to a rare metal-coated asteroid.
Most asteroids are typically icy or stony; this is the first investigation into a metal world. It may cast light on the inaccessible cores of Earth and other rocky planets, as scientists speculate it may be the tattered remnants of an early planet’s core.
SpaceX launched the spacecraft from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre into an overcast midmorning sky. Devoted to the asteroid it is tracking, Psyche is projected to arrive at the enormous, potato-shaped object in 2029.
Scientist Laurie Leshin, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory director at NASA, exclaimed, “It’s so exciting!” As a member of the Psyche crew, Jim Bell of Arizona State University remarked, “What an incredible journey thus far!”
Following an hour, the spacecraft effectively detached from the rocket’s upper stage and began to float away, eliciting jubilation from controllers on the ground.
After decades of exploring planets composed of rock, ice, and gas, NASA is excited to pursue a metallic world. Psyche is the largest of the approximately nine metal-rich asteroids identified to date. It is situated in the outer region of the main asteroid belt, between Mars and Jupiter, in the company of millions of other space rocks. It is in orbit around the planet. It was identified in 1852 and bestowed with the name of an alluring deity of the soul from Greek mythology.
Exploring the Earth’s metal interior has been a long-held human ambition. Lead scientist Lindy Elkins-Tanton of Arizona State University stated before the launch, “I mean, ask Jules Verne.”
“Excessive pressure is present.” The temperature is excessively elevated. “It is technologically impossible,” she declared. “However, one possible approach to observe a metal core within our solar system is by setting foot on this particular asteroid.”
On Friday, the Psyche spacecraft departed NASA on a six-year mission to a rare metal-coated asteroid.
Based on radar and other observations, astronomers have determined that the asteroid is sizable, measuring approximately 173 miles (280 kilometers) in length and 144 miles (232 kilometers) at its broadest point. They believe it is brimming with iron, nickel, and other metals and silicates and that its dull, predominantly grey surface is likely covered with fine metal granules from cosmic impacts.
Aside from that, it is a mere pinpoint in the night sky, shrouded in mystery until the spacecraft, which has traveled over 2 billion miles (3.6 billion kilometers), arrives at it.
According to Elkins-Tanton, scientists’ predictions—spiky metal craters, enormous metal cliffs, and greenish-yellow eroded lava flows encrusted with metals and derived from sulfur—are “virtually certain to be completely false.” She added that iron-loving elements such as iridium, gold, silver, platinum, or platinum could potentially decompose in the asteroid’s nickel and iron.
“She expressed her deepest hope that it will be beyond our wildest imaginations, as there is a high probability of that occurring.”
Elkins-Tanton asserts that the asteroid, thought to have originated as a component of the solar system 4.5 billion years ago, can provide insights into fundamental inquiries such as the origins of life on Earth and the factors that contribute to the habitability of our planet.
The iron nucleus of the Earth generates the magnetic field that protects our atmosphere and supports life.
On Friday, the Psyche spacecraft departed on a six-year mission to a rare metal-coated asteroid.
Under the direction of Arizona State University on behalf of NASA, the $1.2 billion mission will reach the asteroid via a diversion. In 2026, the van-sized spacecraft equipped with tennis-court-sized solar panels will descend past Mars to generate gravity. It will endeavor to enter orbit around the asteroid three years later, traveling a maximum of 440 miles (700 kilometers) in altitude and a minimum of 47 miles (75 kilometers) in proximity until at least 2031.
The spacecraft is propelled by solar electricity through xenon gas-fed thrusters, which emit soft blue-glowing pulses. An experimental communication system is also present, which enhances data transmission from Earth to outer space by substituting radio waves with lasers. NASA anticipates the test to produce over ten times the quantity of data, which would eventually be sufficient to transmit recordings from the moon or Mars.
The spacecraft ought to have been in free fall a year ago, but flight software testing delays due to inadequate management and other complications prevented that. The itinerary change resulted in additional travel time. Thus, as opposed to its initially scheduled arrival at the asteroid in 2026, the spacecraft will not reach it until 2029.
In the same year, an additional NASA spacecraft recently returned asteroid fragments to the Utah desert will land on an unidentified space rock while orbiting the Earth.
SOURCE – (AP)
The location is Cape Canaveral, Florida. On Thursday, the two NASA astronauts designated for Boeing’s inaugural manned space mission arrived at the launch site approximately one week before their planned departure.
Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have been selected as test pilots for Boeing’s Starliner capsule, marking its inaugural crewed mission following significant delays. On Thursday, they traveled by air from Houston to Kennedy Space Center.
AP – VOR News Image
NASA Astronauts Arrive For Boeing’s First Human Spaceflight
Scheduled for launch on May 6 using an Atlas rocket, the Starliner spacecraft will go to the International Space Station for a week-long test mission. Boeing is endeavoring to close the gap with SpaceX, which has been conducting manned space missions for NASA since 2020.
Boeing’s two earlier Starliner test flights were unmanned. The initial launch in 2019 was unsuccessful in reaching the space station due to software malfunctions and other technical issues. Boeing replicated the demonstration in 2022. In more recent times, the capsule encountered problems with its parachutes and had to address the issue of flammable tape that needed to be eliminated.
Wilmore emphasized that this is a test flight intended to uncover any anomalies.
AP – VOR News Image
NASA Astronauts Arrive For Boeing’s First Human Spaceflight
Do we anticipate flawless execution? “This is the inaugural manned voyage of the spacecraft,” he informed the press. “I am confident that we will discover information.” This is the reason why we engage in this activity.
NASA enlisted the services of SpaceX and Boeing ten years ago, allocating billions of dollars to facilitate the transportation of personnel to and from the space station. Despite the space station’s planned closure by 2030, the space agency remains enthusiastic about procuring capsules from two rival businesses to transport its astronauts.
“That is of utmost importance,” Wilmore remarked.
AP – VOR News Image
NASA Astronauts Arrive For Boeing’s First Human Spaceflight
Wilmore and Williams are set to become the inaugural astronauts to embark aboard an Atlas rocket since NASA’s Project Mercury in the early 1960s.
SOURCE – (AP)
World
China Launches 3-Member Crew To Its Space Station As It Seeks To Put Astronauts On The Moon By 2030
The location is Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China. On Thursday, China successfully deployed a three-member crew to its orbiting space station as part of its ambitious initiative to send astronauts to the moon by 2030.
The Shenzhou-18 spacecraft launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, located on the periphery of the Gobi Desert in northern China. It was propelled by a Long March 2-F rocket at precisely 8:59 p.m. (1259 GMT).
AP – VOR News Image
China Launches 3-Member Crew To Its Space Station As It Seeks To Put Astronauts On The Moon By 2030
The spacecraft’s three-member crew will replace the Shenzhou-17 team, which has been working aboard China’s Tiangong space station since October last year.
The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) organized a send-off ceremony for the Shenzhou-18 crew on Thursday. The ceremony included flag-waving youngsters and patriotic music. The three astronauts were getting ready to board the spacecraft.
The trio consists of Commander Ye Guangfu, a seasoned astronaut who participated in the Shenzhou-13 mission in 2021, and two novice spaceflight pilots, Li Cong and Li Guangsu, who are 34 and 36 years old.
Their arrival at the space station is anticipated approximately six-and-a-half hours after the launch.
China constructed its own space station after being denied participation in the International Space Station, primarily due to the United States’ apprehensions regarding the Chinese military’s role in the project. For the current year, the Chinese space station has planned two missions for cargo ships and two for manned spaceflights.
AP – VOR News Image
China Launches 3-Member Crew To Its Space Station As It Seeks To Put Astronauts On The Moon By 2030
The Shenzhou-18 mission will last approximately six months on the space station. According to Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the CMSA, the crew will conduct scientific testing, install equipment to protect against space debris, undertake payload experiments, and promote science education, among other activities.
In addition, Lin stated that China is actively striving to eventually grant foreign astronauts and space tourists access to its space station.
“During a press conference on Wednesday, he stated that we will expedite the research and promotion of involving foreign astronauts and space tourists in flights on China’s space station.”
The nation is strategizing a mission to retrieve samples from Mars by approximately 2030, along with three lunar probe missions in the upcoming four years. Additionally, it aims to deploy astronauts on the moon by 2030.
In 2003, China successfully carried out its inaugural crewed space mission, making it the third nation, following the former Soviet Union and the United States, to independently send an astronaut into space.
AP – VOR News Image
China Launches 3-Member Crew To Its Space Station As It Seeks To Put Astronauts On The Moon By 2030
Due to its expenditures, supply networks, and capabilities, the U.S. space program will likely maintain a substantial advantage over China’s. Nevertheless, China has made significant advancements in space exploration by successfully retrieving lunar samples after several decades and landing a rover on the relatively unexplored far side of the moon.
The United States has set a goal to return a crew to the moon’s surface by the conclusion of 2025 due to a renewed dedication to manned missions. Private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin will support this endeavor.
SOURCE – (AP)
Tesla reduced the pricing of three of its five models in the United States by $2,000 late Friday, highlighting the issues facing the electric vehicle firm run by billionaire Elon Musk.
The business reduced the costs of the Model Y, a small SUV that is Tesla’s most popular model and the best-selling electric vehicle in the United States, as well as the versions X and S, which are older and more expensive versions. Prices for the Model 3 car and Cybertruck remained unchanged.
AP – VOR News Image
Tesla cuts US prices for 3 of its electric vehicle models after a difficult week
The reductions dropped the starting price for a Model Y to $42,990, $72,990 for a Model S, and $77,990 for a Model X.
The decision comes a day after Tesla’s shares fell below $150 per share, wiping out all gains earned over the previous year. The Austin, Texas-based company’s stock price has fallen almost 40% this year due to declining sales and growing competition. Discounted sticker prices are intended to entice more car purchasers.
Musk announced early Saturday on X, the social media site that was previously known as Twitter, that the cost of an entry-level Tesla could be as low as $29,490 after accounting for a federal tax credit and gas savings.
Industry observers have been waiting for Tesla to unveil the Model 2, a tiny electric vehicle for approximately $25,000. This month’s media rumors that Musk intended to cancel the project added to uncertainty about the company’s direction, but Musk denied the reports.
AP – VOR News Image
Tesla cuts US prices for 3 of its electric vehicle models after a difficult week
The price drops marked the end of a long workweek for Tesla, which said on Monday that it would be laying off 10% of its global workforce, or approximately 14,000 employees. The company also announced the recall of roughly 4,000 of its 2024 Cybertrucks after discovering that the accelerator pedal could become stuck, enabling the vehicle to accelerate accidentally and increasing the danger of a crash.
Musk stated on Saturday that he has postponed a planned weekend travel to India to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi due to “very heavy Tesla obligations.” He expressed on X that he was looking forward to rescheduling the visit for later this year.
Tesla is slated to report first-quarter profits on Tuesday.
reuters – VOR News Image
Le Auto – VOR News Image
Tesla cuts US prices for 3 of its electric vehicle models after a difficult week
The business stated earlier this month that its global sales declined substantially from January to March as competition grew, electric car sales growth stagnated, and previous price cuts failed to attract additional buyers.
Tesla’s quarterly sales fell year on year for the first time in nearly four years.
SOURCE – (AP)
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