Tag

Space Travel

All articles tagged with #space travel

science26 days ago•33 min saved

Asteroid-Plane Shortcut Could Pack Mars Trip Into 153 Days

A new paper in Acta Astronautica proposes a Bell-curve route to Mars that uses the orbital plane of asteroid 2001 CA21 to shave a typical five-to-11-month voyage to roughly 153 days, with 2031 Mars opposition identified as especially favorable. While the concept is promising, practical hurdles—propulsion, fuel, payload mass and life-support concerns—mean feasibility remains uncertain, but the study offers a provocative path toward sub-year crewed missions to the Red Planet.

via Yahoo|

#asteroid-ca21 #mars #mars-opposition-2031

politics26 days ago•11 min saved

Trump Claims He Could Have Been An Astronaut, Bone Spurs and All

During an Oval Office visit with the Artemis II crew, Trump asserted he’s physically fit enough to travel to space, prompting online mockery and discussion; NASA’s administrator said they could work on sending him, while critics highlighted his Vietnam War deferments and bone spurs.

via HuffPost|

#artemis-ii #bone-spurs #nasa

space28 days ago•2 min saved

Laser-Propelled Metajets Point Toward a 20-Year Alpha Centauri Runway

Texas A&M researchers demonstrated laser-driven metajets—ultrathin, patterned devices—that can be steered in three dimensions by transferring photon momentum, with potential to scale to larger craft and, given enough laser power, enable a ~20-year voyage to Alpha Centauri; experiments were conducted in a fluid environment to observe controllable motion and microgravity tests are planned for space readiness.

via Gizmodo|

#alpha-centauri #laser-propulsion #light-propulsion

science1 month ago•6 min saved

Cryogenic Revival of Mouse Brain Tissue Fuels Hibernation Prospects for Space

German researchers revived mouse hippocampal tissue after vitrification at −196°C, showing neurons and synapses could function again after rewarming. While this demonstrates greater tolerance of brain tissue to cryogenic states and fuels discussion of human hibernation for long‑distance space travel, translating the finding to whole bodies or people remains far off and will require larger animal studies, improved cooling/rewarming techniques, and sustained funding; a spin‑off partner is pursuing post‑death neural cryopreservation for research.

via Popular Mechanics|

#brain #cryopreservation #hibernation

science1 month ago•24 min saved

Space Sperm Need Gravity to Find Their Way

Adelaide University researchers tested human, mouse, and pig sperm in a device simulating microgravity, finding that sperm struggled to navigate a maze mimicking the female reproductive tract and showing about a 30% reduction in successful navigation under zero gravity, underscoring gravity as a key factor in early reproductive success during space conditions.

via OutKick|

#reproduction #science #space-travel

science2 months ago•4 min saved

Sperm Lose Direction in Microgravity, Raising Spaceflight Reproduction Concerns

Researchers used a 3D clinostat to simulate microgravity and tested human, pig, and mouse sperm in a channel resembling the female reproductive tract; they found a significant drop in the number of sperm reaching the egg under microgravity, not due to motor changes but impaired direction sensing; fertilization dropped about 30% after four hours of exposure, with longer exposure causing delays and fewer embryos; progesterone could still guide sperm, indicating chemotaxis remains important; the findings, published in Communications Biology, imply spaceflight could affect reproductive outcomes in humans and livestock, highlighting the need for further research.

via ScienceAlert|

#fertilization #microgravity #reproduction

space-travel3 months ago•8 min saved

Space Baby Era Emerges as Private Spaceflight Tests Reproduction

Researchers and startups are exploring space fertility, from microgravity experiments on embryos to plans for private crews on Virgin Galactic’s Delta-class plane, signaling early steps toward space-enabled reproduction and the broader potential of space colonization.

via The Information|

#reproductive-health-in-space #shawna-pandya #space-biology

science5 months ago•0 min saved

Maryland astronaut fulfills childhood dream with space travel

Chris Williams, a Maryland native and astrophysics researcher, fulfilled his childhood dream of traveling to space, having a background in astrophysics, medical physics, and volunteer emergency services.

via The Washington Post|

#astronaut #chris-williams #maryland

science5 months ago•5 min saved

Enhancing Cosmic Ray Shielding for Mars Missions

Cosmic rays pose a significant challenge for human space travel beyond Earth, especially to Mars, due to their damaging effects on living organisms and equipment. Current physical shields are insufficient against high-energy cosmic rays, prompting research into biological protection methods such as antioxidants, hibernation-like states, and leveraging organisms like tardigrades. Advances in simulation and accelerator technology, along with increased research investment, are crucial for developing effective protection strategies to enable safe long-duration space missions.

via Space|

#biological-strategies #cosmic-rays #mars

science5 months ago•1 min saved

First Wheelchair-Using Engineer Visits Space with Blue Origin

German engineer Michaela Benthaus, who has paraplegia, became the first wheelchair user to travel to space on a Blue Origin suborbital flight, experiencing weightlessness and advocating for greater accessibility for people with disabilities.

via dw.com|

#blue-origin #disability-inclusion #michaela-benthaus

science-and-technology5 months ago•3 min saved

First Wheelchair User to Travel to Space

Michaela Benthaus, a German aerospace engineer and wheelchair user, became the first person with a spinal cord injury to travel past the Kármán Line aboard a Blue Origin New Shepard capsule, marking a historic milestone in making space accessible for people with disabilities.

via Yahoo|

#blue-origin #inclusion #science-and-technology

science5 months ago•3 min saved

Paraplegic Engineer Makes History as First Wheelchair User in Space

Michaela Benthaus, a paraplegic engineer from Germany, became the first wheelchair user in space during a Blue Origin flight, highlighting advancements in accessible space travel and inspiring future inclusivity in space exploration.

via AP News|

#accessible-spaceflight #blue-origin #disability-inclusion

science-and-technology5 months ago•3 min saved

First Wheelchair User Launches to Space on Blue Origin Mission

Michaela Benthaus, a German aerospace engineer and wheelchair user, became the first person with a disability to travel past the Kármán Line aboard a Blue Origin New Shepard capsule, experiencing microgravity and inspiring others with her journey.

via CNN|

#blue-origin #microgravity #science-and-technology

science5 months ago•6 min saved

Black Fungus at Chernobyl Evolves to Consume Radiation, Aiding Space Exploration

Scientists studying fungi at Chernobyl found that a black fungus, Cladosporium sphaerospermum, evolved to tolerate and grow toward radiation, leading to experiments on the ISS suggesting it could be used as a living radiation shield for space travel, thanks to its melanin content and water-rich biomass. The study indicates potential for biological radiation protection in future space missions, though further research is needed.

via Earth.com|

#black-fungus #chernobyl #cladosporium-sphaerospermum

science5 months ago•4 min saved

Severe Solar Storms Could Trigger Satellite Catastrophe in Just Days

A new study warns that a single solar storm could disable satellite control systems, leading to catastrophic collisions in space and potentially triggering Kessler syndrome, which could make space inaccessible for humans for decades. The increasing density of satellite mega-constellations like Starlink amplifies this risk, especially since solar storms can damage satellites' navigational systems and increase atmospheric drag, making real-time control crucial to prevent disaster.

via ScienceAlert|

#kessler-syndrome #satellite-mega-constellations #science