Videos: “Space to Ground” & other space habitat reports – Feb.25.2022

Here is the latest episode in NASA’s Space to Ground weekly report on activities related to the International Space Station:

** Expedition 66 Northrop Grumman Cygnus Cargo Craft Arrives at Space Station – Feb. 21, 2022NASA Video

Loaded with food, fuel, and supplies, the unpiloted Northrop Grumman CRS-17 Cygnus cargo craft arrived to the International Space Station February 21 where it was installed to the nadir port of the Unity module. Dubbed the “SS Piers Sellers” for the late NASA astronaut for his contributions as a climate scientist and his assistance in assembling the International Space Station, Cygnus launched from the Wallops Flight Facility on February 19 atop an Antares rocket and will remain docked to the space station for approximately two months.

** Expedition 66 Northrop Grumman Cygnus Cargo Craft Space Station Installation – Feb. 21, 2022NASA Video

** ISS National Lab Research Overview – Northrop Grumman CRS-17ISS National Lab – YouTube

Northrop Grumman will launch a variety of critical research and supplies on its upcoming 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The launch, which take place at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, is scheduled for no earlier than February 19 at 12:40 p.m. ET. The ISS National Laboratory is sponsoring more than 15 research and technology development payloads as part of this mission. These payloads, which represent diverse fields of study, intend to bring value to our nation through space-based research and enable a robust and sustainable market in low Earth orbit. This video highlights some of the ISS National Lab-sponsored investigations launching on Northrop Grumman CRS-17.

** Watch an astronaut degas a water bag in spaceVideoFromSpace

Prior to being added to the International Space Station’s storage system, water bags are degassed to reduce clogging.

** John Glenn’s historic 1962 spaceflight honored by space station crewVideoFromSpace

NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station talk about John Glenn’s historic launch to become the first American to orbit Earth.

** Columbus, Kibo and a Dragon | Cosmic Kiss 360°European Space Agency, ESA on Youtube

Join ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer on a 360° fly-through of Europe’s Columbus laboratory, @JAXA | 宇宙航空研究開発機構‘s Kibo Module and the Crew Dragon capsule on the International Space Station. Matthias has been living and working on the International Space Station for around 100 days, following the launch of Crew-3 from @NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on 11 November 2021. He will spend approximately six months in orbit for his Cosmic Kiss mission. Much of this time is being spent inside the Columbus lab supporting European and international science. Columbus is ESA’s single largest contribution to the International Space Station and was also the first permanent European research facility in space. In this video you can see the different experiment racks in the module as he flies through, including NASA’s Veggie greenhouses omitting a pink light. Follow Matthias: https://bit.ly/ESACosmicKiss

** Health, food, and climate | We explore. You benefit.European Space Agency, ESA on Youtube

ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet shows how space technologies and research onboard the International Space Station are used for the benefit of people on Earth. Thomas explains how space research is relevant to three of the United Nation’s goals: Health (SDG3), Zero hunger and food security (SDG2), and Climate action (SDG13). The Sustainable Development Goals are the world’s to-do list for people and the planet by 2030.

Learn more about the European space laboratory, the Columbus module, and four examples of how space exploration supports sustainable development in Europe and in Africa. This video is Part 2 of a 2-part series that describes how space exploration supports the sustainable development on Earth today. Here’s part 1: https://youtu.be/LItgF_o0kbc

Read more about benefits of European space exploration: http://youbenefit.spaceflight.esa.int

** The Next Big Upgrade to the Chinese Space Station? – Dongfang Hour

** ISS Live video stream – IBM/ISS HD Earth Viewing Experiment

Currently, live views from the ISS are streaming from an external camera mounted on the ISS module called Node 2. Node 2 is located on the forward part of the ISS. The camera is looking forward at an angle so that the International Docking Adapter 2 (IDA2) is visible. If the Node 2 camera is not available due to operational considerations for a longer period of time, a continuous loop of recorded HDEV imagery will be displayed. The loop will have “Previously Recorded” on the image to distinguish it from the live stream from the Node 2 camera. After HDEV stopped sending any data on July 18, 2019, it was declared, on August 22, 2019, to have reached its end of life. Thank You to all who shared in experiencing and using the HDEV views of Earth from the ISS to make HDEV so much more than a Technology Demonstration Payload!

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Rothblatt/NSS Space Settlement in Our Lifetime competition renewed for 2022

An announcement from the National Space Society (NSS):

NSS and Martine Rothblatt Renew the
Space Settlement in Our Lifetime Business Plan Competition
for 2022

Second Annual Business Plan Contest Doubles Prize Money

The National Space Society is pleased to announce that Dr. Martine Rothblatt has renewed her challenge to the space community to develop compelling business plans to enable space settlement in our lifetimes. The annual Rothblatt Space Settlement in Our Lifetime competition consists of three awards of $16,000, $10,000, and $6,000 USD for the best business plans that reflect Dr. Rothblatt’s vision for space settlement.

Dr. Rothblatt has been a pioneer in satellite communications, founding the Sirius XM radio network in 1990. She later became the chairwoman and CEO of United Therapeutics, a biotechnology company devoted to prolonging human life. Her trailblazing work in organ replacement has saved countless lives and will be a key technology in creating sustainable communities in space. Her vision for space settlement is vast, encompassing the next century of human migration into space.

“Dr. Rothblatt’s vision for space settlement explores every facet of our ultimate journey beyond Earth,” said Michelle Hanlon, the president of the National Space Society. “She foresees not just the migration of human beings to free-floating space habitats, but the preservation of individual human identities via digital ‘mindfiles’ that can be integrated into new bodies. This kind of thinking really pushes the boundaries of human creativity and innovation. We are confident that her Space Settlement in our Lifetime business plan competition will continue to push the same boundaries.”

The first Rothblatt business plan competition selected three prize winners at the NSS’s Space Settlement Summit in Beverly Hills, California in November 2021. For 2022, winners will be announced at the society’s annual International Space Development Conference in Arlington, Virginia which runs from May 27-29. One representative from each winning team will have their travel expenses covered to attend the conference.

The Space Settlement in our Lifetime competition is open to anyone, of any age, anywhere on Earth (local laws and restrictions may apply). Those wishing to enter must create a compelling business plan that will help to enable some aspect or increment of space settlement. See more at spacebizplan.nss.org. Two informative presentations by Dr. Rothblatt can be viewed there. The deadline for submissions is March 15, 2021. All business plan submissions should be made in PDF format.

“We hope to see some remarkable new business plans, just as we did in 2021,” said Rod Pyle, Editor-in-Chief of Ad Astra magazine, NSS’s official publication. “Martine is an incredible person—one of a small number I can call a true visionary—and her concepts for the future of humanity are truly inspiring. Writing about competition for Ad Astra each year fills me with a sense of hope for our future in space. Thanks again to Martine for supporting this endeavor, and I encourage anyone with a profound idea for a business that will, in some way, support the future of human communities in space to enter the competition!”

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The Space Show this week – Feb.21.2022

The guests and topics of discussion on The Space Show this week:

1. Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022; 7 pm PST (9 pm CST, 10 pm EST): We welcome Dr. Angie Bukley and Dr. Karen Jones to discuss the value of space and how LEO assets are critical to our understanding of climate and much more.

2. Hotel Mars – Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2022; 1:00 pm PST (3:00 pm CST, 4:00 pm EST): Anatoly Zak of the Russian Space Web will update John Batchelor and Dr. David Livingston on current Russian space news in light of Ukraine.

3. Friday, Feb. 25, 2022; 9:30-11 am PST (11:30 am-1 pm CST, 12:30-2 pm EST): We welcome back Dylan Taylor of Voyager Space Holdings for a wide ranging discussion on space assets, investments, his recent ride to space with Blue Origin and much more.

4. Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022; 12-1:30 pm PST (2-3:30 pm CST, 3-4:30 pm EST): OPEN LINES. All space, science, tech and related subjects are welcome. Call using our toll free number, 1-866, 687-7223. All call welcome. We want to hear from you.

Some recent shows:

** Sunday, Feb.20.2022Dr. Abraham (Avi) Loeb discussed “his Project Galileo program designed to used telescopes to collect more scientific data regarding UAP and other aerial objects in the search for ET“.

** Friday, Feb.18.2022Greg Klerkxreturned after 18 years for a then and now look at NASA and commercial space. His famous book was titled  Lost In Space: The Fall of NASA And The Dream Of The New Space Age [Amazon commission link]. Check out his first appearance on TSS on Feb. 24, 2004.

** Hotel Mars – Wednesday, Feb.16.2022Douglas Messier of Parabolic Arc spoke with John Batchelor and Dr. David Livingston about

the recent presentation made by Elon Musk regarding Starship, plus we discussed the FAA environmental investigation into Starship launches at Boca Chica which may cause delays for SpaceX and Starship. Also talked about were the SpaceX plans to use their pads at the Cape as a backup for launching Starship if they are seriously delayed or prevented from doing so at the Boca Chica site. Doug had much to say about all of these issues and crammed in lots of good information into this one segment Hotel Mars program.

** Tuesday, Feb.15.2022 – An Open Lines program included “Ft. Worth John call re Christopher Mellon, UAP info and the Air Force, Tic Tac, Avi Loeb’s Galileo Project, the Wally Schirra Golden Oldie Space Show program, Polaris missions using Dragon, SpaceX EVA suits, Apollo training at Griffith Observatory, Space Show upcoming programming and more“.

** See also:
* The Space Show Archives
* The Space Show Newsletter
* The Space Show Shop

The Space Show is a project of the One Giant Leap Foundation.

The Space Show - David Livingston
The Space Show – Dr. David Livingston

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Videos: “Space to Ground” & other space habitat reports – Feb.18.2022

Here is the latest episode in NASA’s Space to Ground weekly report on activities related to the International Space Station:

** STEMonstrations: Vestibular System NASA Johnson

NASA Astronauts Mark Vande Hei and Shane Kimbrough demonstrate the effects of the weightless-simulated environment on their perception of motion, spatial orientation, and balance aboard the International Space Station. Watch as NASA astronaut Megan McArthur and JAXA astronaut Aki Hoshide discuss the vestibular system and learn how the human body relies on external cues to provide us with important information about our environment. Be sure to check out https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstrations for more videos like this, along with their corresponding Classroom Connection lesson plans.

** ISS National Lab Research Overview – Northrop Grumman CRS-17 ISS National Lab – YouTube

Northrop Grumman will launch a variety of critical research and supplies on its upcoming 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The launch, which take place at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, is scheduled for no earlier than February 19 at 12:40 p.m. ET. The ISS National Laboratory is sponsoring more than 15 research and technology development payloads as part of this mission. These payloads, which represent diverse fields of study, intend to bring value to our nation through space-based research and enable a robust and sustainable market in low Earth orbit. This video highlights some of the ISS National Lab-sponsored investigations launching on Northrop Grumman CRS-17.

** Expedition 66 Astronaut Mark Vande Hei Talks with KARE 11, KNSI Radio, Minnesota – Feb. 17, 2022NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 66 Flight Engineer Mark Vande Hei of NASA discussed life and work aboard the orbital outpost during an in-flight event February 17 with KARE-TV in Minneapolis, Minnesota and KNSI Radio in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Vande Hei is in the midst of a long duration mission in which he will break the record for longest single spaceflight by an American astronaut living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory. The goal of his mission is to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions as part of NASA’s Moon and Mars exploration approach, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis program.

** Russia launches 80th Space Station cargo run atop Soyuz rocketVideoFromSpace

The Progress MS-19 cargo spacecraft was launched to the International Space Station atop a Soyuz 2.1a rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Feb. 14, 2022 (Feb. 15 local time).

** Expedition 66 Progress 80 Cargo Ship Docks to International Space Station – Feb. 17, 2022NASA Video

Loaded with supplies and cargo, the uncrewed Russian ISS Progress 80 cargo vehicle docked to the Poisk docking compartment of the International Space Station February 17 two days after launching from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on a Soyuz booster. The resupply vehicle will remain docked to the space station until early next year.

** See the Chinese space station’s robotic arm in action VideoFromSpace

The Chinese space station’s 10.2-meter-long mechanical arm on the Tianhe core module was recently used to grab a docking port. See footage of the activity. Full Story: https://www.space.com/china-space-sta… Credit: China Central Television (CCTV)

** Chinese astronaut Wang Yaping plays the guzheng in spaceVideoFromSpace

Watch astronaut Wang Yaping play the Chinese folk song “Jasmine Flower” on the guzheng for the China Media Group Lantern Festival Gala. Yaping is currently aboard the Tiangong space station Credit: Space.com | footage courtesy: China Central Television (CCTV)

** 100 days of Cosmic KissEuropean Space Agency, ESA on Youtube

On 11 November 2021, ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer was launched to the International Space Station for his first mission, Cosmic Kiss. Around 100 days later, we reflect on some highlights from space. Matthias flew to the Station on a @SpaceX Crew Dragon alongside @NASA astronauts and fellow first-time fliers Kayla Barron and Raja Chari, and NASA spaceflight veteran Tom Marshburn. Collectively known as Crew-3, they were welcomed as members of Expedition 66 by Commander Anton Shkaplerov, cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov and NASA’s Mark Vande Hei. While in orbit, Matthias is supporting over 35 European and many more international experiments. The outcomes of these experiments will advance our knowledge in areas ranging from human health to materials science, physics, Earth observation, technology development and more. Matthias is expected to spend approximately six months in orbit and there are many more highlights to come.

** Space stowage in 360° | Cosmic KissEuropean Space Agency, ESA on Youtube

Tour the Italian-built Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) of the International Space Station in 360° with ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer. Attached to Node 3, PMM is a large, reusable, pressurised element that was originally used to ferry cargo to and from the Station. It can hold up to 16 racks of equipment, experiments and supplies and has an end-cone with additional storage space for cargo bags, trash and other items. The only thing PMM has no room for is a fear of enclosed spaces. Watch as Matthias maneuvers between the boxes and bags in this vital module in orbit. Matthias is currently living and working aboard the International Space Station for his first mission, Cosmic Kiss. Find out more about Matthias and his ESA mission on the Cosmic Kiss mission webpage. Follow Matthias: https://bit.ly/ESACosmicKiss

** ISS Live video stream – IBM/ISS HD Earth Viewing Experiment

Currently, live views from the ISS are streaming from an external camera mounted on the ISS module called Node 2. Node 2 is located on the forward part of the ISS. The camera is looking forward at an angle so that the International Docking Adapter 2 (IDA2) is visible. If the Node 2 camera is not available due to operational considerations for a longer period of time, a continuous loop of recorded HDEV imagery will be displayed. The loop will have “Previously Recorded” on the image to distinguish it from the live stream from the Node 2 camera. After HDEV stopped sending any data on July 18, 2019, it was declared, on August 22, 2019, to have reached its end of life. Thank You to all who shared in experiencing and using the HDEV views of Earth from the ISS to make HDEV so much more than a Technology Demonstration Payload!

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ESO: Supermassive black hole feeds on dust cloud at galaxy’s center

The latest report from the European Southern Observatory (ESO):

Supermassive black hole caught hiding in a ring of cosmic dust

The left panel of this image shows a dazzling view of the active galaxy Messier 77 captured with the FOcal Reducer and low dispersion Spectrograph 2 (FORS2) instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope. The right panel shows a blow-up view of the very inner region of this galaxy, its active galactic nucleus, as seen with the MATISSE instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope Interferometer.

The European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope Interferometer (ESO’s VLTI) has observed a cloud of cosmic dust at the centre of the galaxy Messier 77 that is hiding a supermassive black hole. The findings have confirmed predictions made around 30 years ago and are giving astronomers new insight into “active galactic nuclei”, some of the brightest and most enigmatic objects in the universe.

Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are extremely energetic sources powered by supermassive black holes and found at the centre of some galaxies. These black holes feed on large volumes of cosmic dust and gas. Before it is eaten up, this material spirals towards the black hole and huge amounts of energy are released in the process, often outshining all the stars in the galaxy.

Astronomers have been curious about AGNs ever since they first spotted these bright objects in the 1950s. Now, thanks to ESO’s VLTI, a team of researchers, led by Violeta Gámez Rosas from Leiden University in the Netherlands, have taken a key step towards understanding how they work and what they look like up close. The results are published today in Nature.

By making extraordinarily detailed observations of the centre of the galaxy Messier 77, also known as NGC 1068, Gámez Rosas and her team detected a thick ring of cosmic dust and gas hiding a supermassive black hole. This discovery provides vital evidence to support a 30-year-old theory known as the Unified Model of AGNs.

Astronomers know there are different types of AGN. For example, some release bursts of radio waves while others don’t; certain AGNs shine brightly in visible light, while others, like Messier 77, are more subdued. The Unified Model states that despite their differences, all AGNs have the same basic structure: a supermassive black hole surrounded by a thick ring of dust.

This illustration shows what the core of Messier 77 might look like. As other active galactic nuclei, the central region of Messier 77 is powered by a black hole that is surrounded by a thin accretion disc, which itself is surrounded by a thick ring or torus of gas and dust. In the case of Messier 77, this thick ring completely obscures our view of the supermassive black hole.   
This active galactic nucleus is also believed to have jets, as well as dusty winds, that flow out of the region around the black hole perpendicularly to the accretion disc around it.

According to this model, any difference in appearance between AGNs results from the orientation at which we view the black hole and its thick ring from Earth. The type of AGN we see depends on how much the ring obscures the black hole from our view point, completely hiding it in some cases.

Astronomers had found some evidence to support the Unified Model before, including spotting warm dust at the centre of Messier 77. However, doubts remained about whether this dust could completely hide a black hole and hence explain why this AGN shines less brightly in visible light than others.

“The real nature of the dust clouds and their role in both feeding the black hole and determining how it looks when viewed from Earth have been central questions in AGN studies over the last three decades,” explains Gámez Rosas. “Whilst no single result will settle all the questions we have, we have taken a major step in understanding how AGNs work.”

The observations were made possible thanks to the Multi AperTure mid-Infrared SpectroScopic Experiment (MATISSE) mounted on ESO’s VLTI, located in Chile’s Atacama Desert. MATISSE combined infrared light collected by all four 8.2-metre telescopes of ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) using a technique called interferometry. The team used MATISSE to scan the centre of Messier 77, located 47 million light-years away in the constellation Cetus.

“MATISSE can see a broad range of infrared wavelengths, which lets us see through the dust and accurately measure temperatures. Because the VLTI is in fact a very large interferometer, we have the resolution to see what’s going on even in galaxies as far away as Messier 77. The images we obtained detail the changes in temperature and absorption of the dust clouds around the black hole,”

says co-author Walter Jaffe, a professor at Leiden University.

This image, captured with the MATISSE instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope Interferometer, shows the very inner region of the active galaxy Messier 77. Active galactic nuclei are extremely energetic sources powered by supermassive black holes. By making extraordinarily detailed observations of the active centre of this galaxy, a team of astronomers detected a thick ring of cosmic dust and gas hiding a supermassive black hole. The black dot shows the most probable position of the black hole, while the two ellipses show the extent, seen in projection, of the thick inner dust ring (dashed) and extended dust disc.

Combining the changes in dust temperature (from around room temperature to about 1200 °C) caused by the intense radiation from the black hole with the absorption maps, the team built up a detailed picture of the dust and pinpointed where the black hole must lie. The dust — in a thick inner ring and a more extended disc — with the black hole positioned at its centre supports the Unified Model. The team also used data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, co-owned by ESO, and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory’s Very Long Baseline Array to construct their picture.

“Our results should lead to a better understanding of the inner workings of AGNs,” concludes Gámez Rosas. “They could also help us better understand the history of the Milky Way, which harbours a supermassive black hole at its centre that may have been active in the past.”

The researchers are now looking to use ESO’s VLTI to find more supporting evidence of the Unified Model of AGNs by considering a larger sample of galaxies.

Team member Bruno Lopez, the MATISSE Principal Investigator at the Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur in Nice, France, says:

“Messier 77 is an important prototype AGN and a wonderful motivation to expand our observing programme and to optimise MATISSE to tackle a wider sample of AGNs.”

ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), set to begin observing later this decade, will also aid the search, providing results that will complement the team’s findings and allow them to explore the interaction between AGNs and galaxies.

ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) has captured a magnificent face-on view of the barred spiral galaxy Messier 77. The image does justice to the galaxy’s beauty, showcasing its glittering arms criss-crossed with dust lanes — but it fails to betray Messier 77’s turbulent nature.

Links

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