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On March 27, You Won’t Want to Miss the Alignment of 5 Planets

Amateur astronomers and sky watchers alike will have the opportunity to see a planetary parade on the evening of March 27. The planetary parade includes the moon, a well-known star cluster, Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, Mars, and Uranus. This rare spectacle will provide sky enthusiasts with a unique viewing opportunity that will be both challenging and rewarding.

The Messier Marathon is scheduled for March 27, with amateur astronomers taking part. Attempted viewing of all 110 of the deep-sky objects listed by French astronomer Charles Messier is part of this event. During this time, seasoned astronomers will stay up all night to find and catalog as many Messier objects as they can. At events such as the recent International Star Party in Flagstaff, Arizona, it’s possible for organized marathons to take place from time to time. Nonetheless, even for skilled amateur astronomers, this problem poses a major observation obstacle.

The evening of March 27 will bring a new type of challenge. The explanation for this is that you’ll have the opportunity to witness five planets, a prominent star cluster, and the moon. Uranus and Mercury, two of these far-off planets, will be particularly difficult to see. To have the best chance of spotting these planets, one should stake out an observing site with a clean and clear sightline of the western horizon. The line of sight shouldn’t be blocked by any tall objects, like trees or buildings. The ideal option is a wide-open, level shoreline that faces westward. Also, a decent pair of binoculars, such as the 7 x 35 or 7 x 50, will be beneficial for making a sighting. You can purchase world-leading binoculars from TS2 Space (https://ts2.space/en/?s=binoculars).

An overview of the best telescopes and binoculars is advised for anyone expecting to see the planetary parade. If you’re interested in taking pictures of the night sky, you can find information on the best cameras and lenses for astrophotography as well as how to take pictures of the moon on the website of TS2 Space.

The first two planets on the list, Mercury and Jupiter are going to be shining brightly. Mercury is the smallest planet, whereas Jupiter is the largest. As stated above, both planets will shine brilliantly; Mercury will blaze at magnitude -1.4, which is just slightly dimmer than Sirius, a star with the highest brightness in the sky. At magnitude -2.1, twice as bright as Mercury, Jupiter will appear even more brilliant. But, viewing them will be tough due to the intense evening darkness. A gradual sweep down the western horizon with binoculars is the best starting method to locate both planets. Once found, they can be observed without the need for a telescope.

Venus, the third planet on the list, will be the easiest to view. This is because it is getting brighter. In addition, it is the first planet to look for as the sun goes down and is setting at 10:15 p.m. local daylight time. The fourth planet, Mars, will be visible but will not be as noticeable as Venus. It has traveled farther away since blazing brilliantly a few months ago. Its position in relation to Earth was relatively close during that period. On March 27 it will be 131.4 million miles (211.4 million kilometers) from Earth. Uranus, the fifth planet to look out for, can be located by using Venus as a point of reference. It will be only three degrees away from Venus on Monday. 

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The Japanese Lander Has Achieved Its Goal by Successfully Entering the Orbit of The Moon

The orbit of the moon has been successfully entered by ispace’s HAKUTO-R Mission 1 lunar lander. This brings a lunar landing attempt by the end of April closer. The lander reached the moon’s orbit on March 20 after a major engine fire that lasted several minutes. This marked the seventh of ten mission milestones. A definite landing date is anticipated to be announced soon by the firm for the spacecraft’s attempt to land in Atlas Crater. Atlas Crater is found on the edge of Mare Frigoris.

Rashid, a small rover built by the United Arab Emirates, is one of several customer payloads the mission is transporting. After the governments of the former Soviet Union, China, and the United States, ispace would become the first private enterprise to set foot on the moon. Also, it will be just the fourth organization overall with a successful landing.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket deployed the first HAKUTO-R mission in December 2022. The mission traveled 1.4 million kilometers away from Earth before turning around to approach the moon. As part of the ten-milestone mission, the corporation had anticipated orbiting the moon in the second half of March. It all started with launch preparations. Ryo Ujiie, the company’s chief technology officer, said they had already resolved these minor difficulties. This included higher-than-anticipated spacecraft temperatures and a repeatedly rebooted computer.

Similarly to the spacecraft currently in lunar orbit, ispace is also developing a second lunar lander called Mission 2. It is planned to launch in 2024 with a “micro rover” that ispace has created in addition to a new set of customer payloads. Mission 3 will use a bigger lander created by the US division of ispace in collaboration with Draper. This will make it possible to fly payloads to the lunar farside. Draper obtained a NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services award in July.

The business is planning to go public as it gears up for what could be a historic lunar landing. On March 8, ispace stated that it would offer its shares on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market beginning April 12. On April 3, the business will release the share price for those securities. Via several private rounds, it has raised close to $200 million. If the company accomplishes its lunar mission, it may further increase public interest.

A successful landing by ispace’s HAKUTO-R Mission 1 would be a notable accomplishment in private space exploration. It will demonstrate the ability of commercial companies to explore the moon and beyond. It will be intriguing to observe how the company’s lunar initiatives influence the future of space exploration.

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Axiom Unveils Prototype Spacesuit for Future Moon Astronauts

The spacesuit prototype that will be worn by American astronauts on their upcoming voyage to the moon has been presented by Axiom Space. Axiom Space created and produced the new suit. Shortly, it will lease this new suit to NASA as a “rental,” in contrast to the suits worn by Apollo astronauts. As per Mike Suffredini, president and CEO of Axiom Space, the Artemis III spacesuit will make it possible for humans to work safely and productively on the moon. This is despite the difficult conditions of the lunar south pole.

Axiom was given a $228.5 million task order as part of a $1.26 billion deal. The money was for the construction of NASA’s newest spacesuits to enable the Artemis lunar missions in 2022. The new Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit utilizes the xEMU. This is a suit created by NASA’s engineers at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. It provides improved protection against the harsh environment and increased flexibility. In addition, it has specialized equipment to achieve exploration needs and expand scientific potential.

With the cutting-edge technologies of AxEMU, Axiom believes that more of the lunar surface can be explored than ever before. NASA astronauts’ spacesuits will have a white outer covering. The function is to reflect heat and shield the wearer from extremely high temperatures when in direct sunshine. The alternate Apollo history series “For All Mankind” on Apple TV+ brought costume designer Esther Marquis on board to work on the prototype’s unique cover layer.

NASA plans to place the first American woman and the second American to walk on the moon aboard Artemis III. The launch date for this is December 2025. Future Artemis flights will carry astronauts from other partner nations. This does include those from Japan and the European Space Agency member states, as well as the first person of color. The AxEMU was built from the ground up to handle a wide variety of crew members. This was to provide NASA with the commercially produced human systems required. The human systems are required to access, live, and conduct business on and around the moon, 

For the development of the AxEMU, Axiom Space collaborated with a group of business specialists. This included KBR, Sophic Synergistics, Air-Lock, David Clark Company, Arrow Science and Technology, Paragon Space Development Corporation, and A-P-T Research. Axiom has prepared privately funded personnel to launch to and reside on the International Space Station. In addition, it is building its own for profit space station. But this is the first pressurized garment the business has produced for usage in space, let alone on the moon.

“With our team’s expertise, NASA can count on being supplied with the next-generation spacesuit,” said Mark Greeley. Mark is Axiom Space’s extravehicular activity (EVA) program manager. “We carefully evaluated the years’ worth of lessons gained by NASA. Drawing upon that experience, we created a spacesuit for both lunar missions and for our future customers at Axiom Space.” Axiom Space will also train NASA’s systems personnel and assist in real-time operations.

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NASA Conducts Study on the Cost and Benefits of Orbital Debris Removal

A recent NASA study suggests that the costs and dangers associated with orbital debris can be decreased by removing it. Orbital debris is an increasing worry for satellite operators. The research offers a thorough cost-benefit analysis of orbital debris repair. It was released by NASA’s Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy on March 10. The study examined various methods for eliminating both large and tiny debris. In addition, it examined the advantages they gave to satellite operators. This aimed to decrease the need for avoidance maneuvers and prevent satellite losses caused by debris collisions.

Based on the report, some orbital debris removal techniques might pay for themselves in less than ten years. The most efficient methods entailed removing tiny debris between 1 and 10 centimeters in size using ground- and space-based lasers. Both laser technologies would provide benefits that outweigh their expenses within a decade. Other successful strategies included “just-in-time collision avoidance.” This involves deploying rockets or lasers to shove junk away from satellites or other debris in order to prevent collisions. In the worst-case scenario, such methods might only take a few decades to produce net advantages.

According to the report, there could be significant upfront expenses associated with developing and deploying remediation capabilities. Realizing benefits may be delayed. As a result, there may not seem to be enough incentives to take fast action. Larger debris items returning to Earth might reach break-even in as short as 20 to 25 years. Up to a century may be required in the worst possible case. Similar timelines were discovered in the study for a “sweeper” spacecraft that would remove tiny trash.

The impression that such devices could be used as weapons is one issue with employing lasers to clear debris. Nevertheless, the study found that the laser technology for debris-removal lacks sufficient power to be a viable weapon against operational satellites. Perceptions, however, could be more challenging to manage.

Interestingly, the report discovered that today’s costs associated with debris for satellite operators are little. The report’s model, which was restricted to U.S. operators, calculated that these operators’ yearly expenses would be only $58 million, with both military and commercial operational satellites accounting for the majority of this total. The report made the case that remediation strategies like those examined should still be taken into account.

Bhavya Lal, the associate administrator for technology, policy, and strategy at NASA, underlined the importance of evaluating the efficacy of mitigation, tracking, characterization, and remediation in a way that makes it possible to compare risk reduction methods side by side. The most efficient risk reduction portfolio can be understood with the help of such information. Lal stated that prior to beginning a second phase that will enhance the model and integrate even smaller debris, NASA intended to host a roundtable discussion with several stakeholders to seek feedback on the study.

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Discover the Latest Trends in Emerging Technologies with the New ts2.ai Blog

The rapidly-evolving field of emerging technologies can be overwhelming, but the new ts2.ai blog, created by tech enthusiast Marcin Frąckiewicz, provides a comprehensive overview of the latest trends and innovations in various fields, including artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain technology, cloud computing and cloud-native technologies, 5G technology, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), cybersecurity and data protection, quantum computing, edge computing, robotic process automation (RPA), big data analytics, autonomous vehicles, natural language processing (NLP), renewable energy, and human augmentation technologies.

The blog focuses on practical applications and real-world examples to provide readers with a better understanding of these technologies’ potential and how they are transforming the world we live in. From the latest advances in AI and ML to the potential of blockchain technology to revolutionize supply chain management, ts2.ai covers a broad range of topics.

Marcin Frąckiewicz’s vision for the blog is to create a platform that helps people stay informed about the latest developments in emerging technologies. By exploring these technologies in-depth, readers can better understand their potential and harness them to make a positive impact on our society and economy.

The blog has already gained a following among tech enthusiasts and professionals alike, who praise its in-depth analysis and insights. ts2.ai’s comprehensive coverage of emerging technologies has also sparked discussions and debates on the potential impact of these technologies.

Marcin Frąckiewicz is excited about the response to the blog so far and plans to continue exploring these fascinating topics in greater depth. He hopes that the blog will inspire readers to think creatively and explore the possibilities of these technologies for themselves.

To stay up to date on the latest developments in emerging technologies, visit ts2.ai and join the conversation.

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Europe’s Space Mission Backlog is Getting Worse Due to Rocket Problems

Rocket issues are causing a worsening backlog of European space missions. A faulty component made in Ukraine is to blame for the Vega C rocket‘s failure in December 2022. This setback has caused the rocket’s launch to be delayed until at least the remainder of the year. This might make the backlog of missions that need to launch worse. The Vega C is the most recent setback in a string of setbacks. These setbacks have drastically reduced Europe’s launch capabilities since it made its maiden flight only last July.

Ariane 5 is a heavy-lifting rocket that has been in use. It has been phased out of manufacturing. Ariane 6 is set to serve as its replacement. However, it has been delayed and won’t make its first flight until at least late 2023. European nations cancelled contracts for launches using Russian Soyuz rockets. The reason for the rocket shortage in Europe is attributed to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine a year ago, leaving only two Ariane 5 rockets available. One of them will be used to launch the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer for the ESA in April.

The Euclid space telescope is another significant ESA mission. It will launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, rather than the ESA’s Kourou spaceport in French Guyana, in July. The need to use a SpaceX Falcon 9 instead of a Soyuz is responsible for this. The Euclid mission manager at the European Space Agency in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, Giuseppe Racca, says that moving a spacecraft from one launcher to another is not very straightforward, but they managed.

The Vega and Vega C programs are run by ESA and Arianespace. In addition, there is a European team spearheaded by Avio of Colleferro, outside of Rome. The responsibility for constructing both rockets lies with this team. The first stage of the Vega C launched on December 20 and performed flawlessly, according to the independent inquiry into the failed launch. The second stage’s engine, an Avio-designed and -built Zefiro 40 liquid fuel motor, then started up as expected. Unfortunately, 144 seconds into the flight, the pressure in the hoses feeding the nozzle began to decline.

The investigation panel linked the issue to a carbon-carbon composite component made by the Ukrainian firm Yuzhnoye prior to the start of the war. The component that feeds fuel into the nozzle must tolerate significant mechanical loads and thermal gradients. However, it ruptured because its density was not uniform. ESA will therefore reallocate €30 million to substitute the flawed component and carry out a new round of Zefiro 40 ground tests. By September 2023, ESA and Arianespace want to resume Vega launches. In addition, they have a goal for the end of the year to resume Vega C launches.

The Earth-mapping satellite Sentinel 2C and EarthCare, a climate and weather satellite that ESA will operate alongside the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, are among the 15 flights that Vega and Vega C now have on hold. ESA’s director general, Aschbacher, voiced concern and even said that this is a moment when we need to ponder thoroughly how we restore autonomous access to space for Europe.

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Asteroid Experiences 1 million Kilogram Weight Reduction After Impact with DART Spacecraft

Asteroid Dimorphos, which orbits the larger asteroid Didymos, was successfully redirected in September 2022. This was done by NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission. This feat was truly amazing. Dimorphos’ orbit was altered and became 33 minutes quicker. It was a result of the collision with the DART spacecraft, which was roughly the size of a golf cart. The collision served as an important test of planetary defense. This is because it showed that, if a dangerous asteroid was ever seen traveling toward Earth, a mission to crash into it would probably be able to deflect it away from the planet.

To better understand how the DART spacecraft affected Dimorphos, researchers have been examining the collision and its aftermath. Five papers in the journal Nature contain the findings of their research. One team of researchers matched information about the spacecraft’s route with images of the asteroid’s surface right before impact. Scientists discovered that one of the spacecraft’s solar panels was the first component to make contact with Dimorphos. The spacecraft’s solar panels slammed into a 6.5-meter-wide boulder. A few microseconds later, the spacecraft’s main body slammed into the rocky terrain near the boulder and disintegrated.

From the 4.3-billion-kilogram mass of Dimorphos, the impact displaced at least one million kilograms of rock. Tens of thousands of kilometers of debris formed a tail behind the asteroid. Many telescopes observed the tail change and evolve during the ensuing weeks as a result of the Sun’s beams. Even a second tail was seen by the Hubble Space Telescope, but it vanished 18 days after the collision.

Dimorphos is 151 meters wide and poses no threat to Earth. With the DART mission, NASA aimed to adjust Dimorphos’s orbit. The adjustment would be enough for scientists to notice the changes. These changes would be noticed by tracking the pair’s brightness with ground-based telescopes over time. Pictures captured by DART on September 26, 2022, as it neared Dimorphos showed the asteroid to resemble an egg covered with pebbles. It seems to be a loose pile of debris held together by gravity. Also, DART’s impact probably caused its surface to break dramatically.

The DART mission’s accomplishment shows that humans have the technology to steer potentially harmful asteroids away from Earth. This represents a substantial advancement in planetary defense. It also offers useful data for planned asteroid defense missions. Such missions include the Asteroid Impact Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission. This mission will involve cooperation between NASA and the European Space Agency.

The DART mission has been a resounding success overall. Also, the information gathered from the collision with Dimorphos will be crucial for further planetary defense study and development. Although the mission was a test, it has shown the effectiveness of our space technologies. In addition, it has proven our capacity to shield our world from prospective asteroid collisions.

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A Total of 59 New Planets Have Been Discovered in The Neighborhood of Our Planet

For the past few decades, astronomy has focused heavily on the hunt for habitable extrasolar planets. For the past 15 years, an exponential growth in the number of confirmed exoplanets has been observed. This is thanks to committed missions such as Kepler, TESS, and Hubble. The CARMENES Consortium‘s statement that 59 new planets have been found nearby our planet is the most recent advancement in the search for habitable planets. The count of confirmed exoplanets is 5,272 and growing as of this point.

The most advanced planet-hunting tool in the world is the CARMENES instrument. This is an optical and near-infrared spectrograph installed on a 3.5-meter telescope. The device detects light from far-off stars, It does this with spectrometers utilizing the Radial Velocity Method to search for redshift and blueshift traces. These changes in the spectrum can provide precise mass estimations. This will show whether a planet is shifting back and forth because of gravitational forces.

Almost 200 scientists and engineers from 11 German and Spanish institutions are part of the CARMENES Consortium, which created the instrument. Their objective is to search for exoplanets with terrestrial characteristics near neighboring red dwarf stars. The Radial Velocity Method has increased the number of known exoplanets orbiting nearby M-type stars by a factor of two since the instrument’s inception. The most recent data release includes information on 59 new planets and measurements taken from 362 neighboring cold stars. This confirms the presence of candidates that had already been found.

Six Jupiter-like gas giants, 43 Earths and Super-Earths, and ten Neptune-like gas giants are among the 59 exoplanets discovered. The habitable zones surrounding a dozen of these latter planets have been discovered. The Consortium will conduct a survey of approximately 300 M5V stars, which are late-type main-sequence stars known as red dwarf suns, with a mass of approximately 0.162 times that of the Sun. The ultimate objective is to find up to 2 million Earth-like planets around M-type stars in their habitable zones.

It is anticipated that the CARMENES Consortium’s release of this first sizable dataset will inspire additional investigation and learning. Experts are utilizing visible light data from the studied stars too. This is meant to enhance the infrared data processing of CARMENES. Astronomers will have access to yet another big dataset of observations once that information is made available to the public. Meanwhile, the CARMENES Legacy-Plus mission started in 2021 and is scheduled to last until the close of 2023. It is being used by the Consortium to make additional observations of the same stars.

An important advancement in science is the characterization of exoplanets, which entails examining their atmospheres in more detail. Astronomers are able to more precisely constrain habitability thanks to this transition from the discovery method to characterization.

The most recent discovery made by the CARMENES Consortium moves us one step closer to our ultimate objective. The objective is to discover Earth-like planets orbiting nearby stars. This may put an end to the ongoing discussion regarding whether or not life is capable of existing under “crimson skies.”

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AI-Enabled Robotic Arm Teams Up with Artists to Produce Art

The utilization of technology in creative disciplines is not a new occurrence. However, currently, FRIDA, an AI-enabled robotic arm that collaborates with artists to produce original and amusing paintings, has entered the scene. FRIDA was created by the Framework and Robotics Initiative for Developing Arts (FRIDA) project. The product can accept images, human inputs, and even music, and transform them into pieces of art. These pieces of art resemble simple finger paintings.

The capacity of FRIDA to instantly examine its brushwork and make modifications set it apart from other similar AI bots. It can work with artists to set high-level objectives for FRIDA to carry out. In addition, it will produce paintings in accordance with those objectives. FRIDA is not meant to take the place of human artists and does not produce ideas for communication. Instead, it’s intended to foster human creativity. This is by giving people easy means to express themselves through the use of natural language or model representations.

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University developed FRIDA, which they refer to as a tool for fostering creative thinking. One of FRIDA’s main advantages is its capacity to “riff” on errors. This benefit can provide surprising and thrilling outcomes that is beyond the consideration of a human artist. The robot’s artwork has been characterized as whimsical and impressionistic. Its developers intend to give it the ability to sculpt in the future.

The FRIDA team sees the nexus between human and robotic creativity as a fascinating area to investigate. “FRIDA is leveraging the type of AI models that have been developed to perform various tasks. This includes the caption of photographs and deciphering scene content and using it to solve this artistic generative challenge,” said Jim McCann, a member of the university faculty. The goal is to provide human artists with a new tool to employ in their work, not to replace them.

The capacity of FRIDA to work alongside human artists while still retaining its distinctive style has been praised. It is a wonderful illustration of how AI could improve the creative process. Furthermore, it is fascinating to observe the future trajectory of this new technology.The potential for artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted creativity is boundless, and FRIDA is just the start.

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World Records Are Being Set By a Self-Flying Helicopter on Mars

Owing to its sparse atmosphere, the Martian environment is extremely difficult to fly in. Oxygen is present in negligible quantities in the atmosphere, which is made up of 95% carbon dioxide. Only 610 pascals, or 0.006% of Earth’s average atmospheric pressure, are present on the planet. Aircraft rotors and lifting wings are consequently much less efficient. One small helicopter, Ingenuity, has managed to overcome these challenges and set numerous world records.

NASA’s Ingenuity accomplished the first controlled flight on Mars in April of 2021. This was accomplished by ascending to 3 meters, hovering for 30 seconds, then landing. It took 39.1 seconds to complete everything. The helicopter made multiple records with its 25th flight a year later, on April 8, 2022. This contains the most recent, farthest trip across the Jezero crater on Mars, which covered a distance of 704 meters. Additionally, it established new records for flying duration (161.3 seconds) and groundspeed (5.5 meters per second). On December 3, 2022, it ascended to its highest point during a single trip. During this period, it ascended to a height of 14 meters above the surface of Mars, its highest point.

Ingenuity is designed to use two carbon-fiber rotors which spin at about 2,400 rpm to provide lift, unlike helicopters that are located on Earth. A conventional helicopter would take five times longer than this. On Mars, however, this only creates enough thrust to raise an aircraft the size of a flour bag.

Ingenuity’s mass is 1.8 kg, however, in Martian gravity, it only weighs 680 g. Ingenuity is built to fly independently utilizing an onboard computer due to the 5–20 minute communication latency between Earth and Mars. All flight plans are carried out by the onboard computer. Before each flight, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of NASA sent a list of waypoints and landmarks. They are intended to outline the path that Ingenuity must take.

Ingenuity is outfitted with several tools. A navigation camera, a laser range finder, and an inertial measurement unit are among them. These are fed into the onboard computer, enabling it to react to flying conditions in real-time without the need for pre-programmed human input.

Ingenuity’s rotors are susceptible to stopping or losing control because of Mars’s thin air. In order to maintain the stability of the helicopter, the computer must continuously make small control inputs. Software updates and resourceful workarounds were necessary because Ingenuity was initially built to perform brief, straightforward flights over flat terrain. They are intended to protect it because, during its journey, it came across more difficult terrain.

The feasibility of powered flight on Mars was initially a question that dogged the Mars Helicopter project. However, Ingenuity has aced every test, demonstrating that flying through Mars’ thin atmosphere is absolutely possible. The development of future Mars-bound planes will benefit from the lessons learned by Ingenuity, even though it does not include any scientific instruments and cannot reveal much about Mars itself. Its descendants will eventually be able to explore currently inaccessible areas and break even more astounding records.