Copernical Team
Modular device for extra-terrestrial experiments
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have developed a modular, self-contained device to cultivate microorganisms, which could enable scientists to carry out biological experiments in outer space.
In a study published in Acta Astronautica, the team showed how the device can be used to activate and track the growth of a bacterium called Sporosarcina pasteurii over several days, with minimal human involvement.
Understanding how such microbes behave in extreme environments could provide valuable insights for human space missions such as "Gaganyaan," India's first crewed spacecraft, set for launch in 2022. In recent years, scientists have been increasingly exploring the use of lab-on-chip platform that combine many analyses into a single integrated chip for such experiments. But there are additional challenges to designing such platforms for outer space, when compared to the lab.
"It has to be completely self-contained," points out Koushik Viswanathan, Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and a senior author of the study. "Besides, you can't simply expect the same operating conditions as you would in a normal laboratory setting … and you can't have something that guzzles 500W, for example.
Science, student payloads fly aboard NASA's scientific balloons during fall campaign
NASA's Scientific Balloon Program's 2021 fall campaign is now underway in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, launching the first three of eight missions in August.
The missions planned for this campaign include an annual student experiment, three missions from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and technology demonstrations for NASA's Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility.
The campaign window opened in mid-August and will run through mid-October.
"After a successful spring campaign, we hope to continue that success into our fall campaign," said Debbie Fairbrother, Scientific Balloon Program Office chief at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. "These flights continue to not only be important to our university and NASA partners, but to the next generation who get a hands-on experience building and flying their experiments aboard a real science platform.
Astronaut geology bound for the Moon
Finding and collecting the best lunar samples will be a major task for the next astronauts on the Moon. ESA’s Pangaea training campaign launches today to equip astronauts with a geologist’s eye on the Moon – humanity’s next space destination to help us understand more about our Solar System.
New wave of electron research
While studying the behavior of electrons in iron-based superconducting materials, researchers at the University of Tokyo observed a strange signal relating to the way electrons are arranged. The signal implies a new arrangement of electrons the researchers call a nematicity wave, and they hope to collaborate with theoretical physicists to better understand it. The nematicity wave could help rese Humanoid robots catch the eye of humans when interacting
Gaze is an extremely powerful and important signal during human-human communication and interaction, conveying intentions and informing about other's decisions. What happens when a robot and a human interact looking at each other? Researchers at IIT-Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Italian Institute of Technology) investigated whether a humanoid robot's gaze influences the way people reason in a Artillerymen must be ready to operate in space degraded, denied environments
The U.S. Space Command provides capability to warfighters, including those in precision fires; leaders involved in fires should also be prepared - and prepare soldiers - to operate without that space capability in case the environment is denied or degraded, the Spacecom commander said.
Spacecom provides, among other things, position navigation and timing, satellite communications, intellig Ingenuity Mars Helicopter set to fly lower for detailed surface imaging
Following Flight 12's scouting images of "South Seitah," which were the most valuable Ingenuity has taken to date, we are taking Winston's advice for Ingenuity's 13th flight. We will again be venturing across into Seitah to scout an area of outcrops glimpsed in Flight 12 imagery - but we're taking these new pictures while looking back, pointing in the opposite direction.
Taking place no ea 'Dune' brings galactic-scale blockbuster to Venice
Giant worms and inter-planetary battles rocked the Venice Film Festival on Friday as "Dune", one of the most hotly anticipated blockbusters in years, was finally set for its world premiere.
It brought a cavalcade of A-listers to the city's glitzy Lido island, along with fans packing the waterfront for the arrival of Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem. Mini CRISPR system promises easier cell engineering, gene therapy
Scientists have developed a more compact CRISPR system that can be more easily delivered to cells.
The technology, described Friday in the journal Molecular Cell, promises to make cell-engineering more effective and efficient.
The world's most popular and powerful gene-editing tool, CRISPR-Cas9, has enabled numerous scientific discoveries. It works by excising specific DNA sequen Independent group formed to advance interoperability in satellite and ground system networks
Leading companies and organizations in the space industry, including two major branches of the U.S. Department of Defense, have come together to form the Digital IF Interoperability (DIFI) Consortium, a non-profit industry group created to advance interoperability among space and ground system networks.
Formed under the auspices of The IEEE Industry Standards and Technology Organization (I