Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Faster space communication with record-sensitive receiver

Chalmers University of Technology

In space exploration, long-distance optical links can now be used to transmit images, films and data from space probes to Earth using light. But in order for the signals to reach all the way and not be disturbed along the way, hypersensitive receivers and noise-free amplifiers are required. Now, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, in Sweden, have created a system that, with a silent amplifier and record-sensitive receiver, paves the way for faster and improved space communication.

Space communication systems are increasingly based on optical laser beams rather than radio waves, as the signal loss has been shown to be less when light is used to carry information over very long distances. But even information carried by light loses its power during the journey, and optical systems for space communication therefore require extremely sensitive receivers capable of sensing signals that have been greatly weakened before they finally reach Earth. The Chalmers researchers' concept for optical space communication opens up new communication opportunities – and discoveries – in space.

"We can demonstrate a new system for optical communication with a receiver that is more sensitive than has been demonstrated previously at high data rates. This means that you can get a faster and more error-free transfer of information over very long distances, for example when you want to send high-resolution images or videos from the Moon or Mars to Earth," says Peter Andrekson, Professor of Photonics at Chalmers and one of the lead authors of the study, which was recently published in the scientific journal Optica.

Silent amplifier with simplified transmitter improves communication

The researchers' communication system uses an optical amplifier in the receiver that amplifies the signal with the least possible noise so that its information can be recycled. Just like the glow of a flashlight, the light from the transmitter widens and weakens with distance. Without amplification, the signal is so weak after the space flight that it is drowned out by the electronic noise of the receiver. After twenty years of struggling with disturbing noise that impaired the signals, the research team at Chalmers was able to demonstrate a noise-free optical amplifier a few years ago. But until now, the silent amplifier has not been able to be used practically in optical communication links, as it has placed completely new, significantly more complex, demands on both transmitter and receiver.

Due to the limited resources and minimal space on board a space probe, it is important that the transmitter is as simple as possible. By allowing the receiver on Earth to generate two of the three light frequencies needed for noise-free amplification, and at the same time allowing the transmitter to generate only one frequency, the Chalmers researchers were able to implement the noise-free amplifier in an optical communication system for the first time. The results show an outstanding sensitivity, while complexity at the transmitter is modest.

"This phase-sensitive optical amplifier does not, in principle, generate any extra noise, which contributes to a more sensitive receiver and that error-free data transmission is achieved even when the power of the signal is lower. By generating two extra waves of different frequencies in the receiver, rather than as previously done in the transmitter, a conventional laser transmitter with one wave can now be used to implement the amplifier. Our simplification of the transmitter means that already existing optical transmitters on board satellites and probes could be used together with the noise-free amplifier in a receiver on Earth," says Rasmus Larsson, Postdoctoral Researcher in Photonics at Chalmers and one of the lead authors of the study.

Can solve problematic bottleneck

The progress means that the researchers' silent amplifiers can eventually be used in practice in communication links between space and Earth. The system is thus poised to contribute in solving a well-known bottleneck problem among space agencies today.

NASA talks about 'the science return bottleneck', and here the speed of the collection of scientific data from space to Earth is a factor that constitutes an obstacle in the chain. We believe that our system is an important step forward towards a practical solution that can resolve this bottleneck," says Peter Andrekson.

The next step for the researchers is to test the optical communication system with the implemented amplifier during field studies on Earth, and later also in communication links between a satellite and Earth.

For more information, please contact:

Rasmus Larsson, Postdoctoral Researcher, Division of Photonics, Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, Chalmers University of Technology
rasmus.larsson@chalmers.se

Peter Andrekson, Professor, Division of Photonics, Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, Chalmers University of Technology
peter.andrekson@chalmers.se, +46 31 772 16 06

The contact persons both speak English and Swedish. They are available for live and pre-recorded interviews. At Chalmers, we have podcast studios and broadcast filming equipment on site and would be able to assist a request for a television, radio or podcast interview.

Illustration caption: In the new communication system from researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, in Sweden, a weak optical signal (red) from the spacecraft's transmitter can be amplified noise-free when it encounters two so-called pump waves (blue and green) of different frequencies in a receiver on Earth. Thanks to the researchers' noise-free amplifiers in the receiver, the signal is kept undisturbed and the reception on Earth becomes record-sensitive, which in turn paves the way for a more error-free and faster data transmission in space in the future.

Illustration credit: Chalmers University of Technology | Rasmus Larsson

Journal

Optica

DOI

10.1364/OPTICA.539544

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Ultralow-noise preamplified optical receiver using conventional single-wavelength transmission

Article Publication Date

28-Oct-2024

COI Statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

As Musk seeks to launch tens of thousands of Starlink satellites, space researchers urge caution

Noah Haggerty
Tue, October 29, 2024

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 21 Starlink satellites launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base in January. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

More than 100 space researchers signed a letter urging the federal government to perform an environmental review before allowing SpaceX to continue launching thousands of satellites for its internet service, Starlink.

The Federal Communications Commission has licensed Elon Musk's company to launch nearly 12,000 satellites into space — more than double the number of non-SpaceX satellites orbiting Earth. SpaceX is asking the FCC to allow it to launch over 20,000 more.

While the FCC evaluates the potential harms of satellite constellations, it currently exempts almost all telecommunications projects — including satellites — from facing formal environmental reviews. The researchers' letter, released on Thursday, argues that much has changed since the rule was created almost four decades ago.

"This is a new technology," said Lucas Gutterman, the director of the Designed to Last Campaign at Public Interest Research Groups, or PIRG, which organized the letter. "It could have benefits for the public and that's great, but the benefits need to be weighed against the potential harms, and the way you do that is with an environmental review."

Read more: Scientists long urged NASA to search for signs of life near Jupiter. Now it's happening

Gutterman said PIRG has heard back from the FCC and is excited to meet with the agency to discuss the group's concerns.

The Starlink constellation provides internet coverage across the globe, especially to rural communities and countries without reliable cell tower service. The service has provided internet access to Ukrainian soldiers, hurricane victims and commercial flight passengers.

SpaceX's satellites are designed to have a roughly five-year lifespan, after which SpaceX ground controllers will deorbit the satellites, let them burn up in Earth's atmosphere and launch replacements. This injection of metals and other compounds into the upper atmosphere from the incineration of the spent satellites has the potential to disturb the delicate balance of elements and molecules in the air, the letter argues.

"The industry has moved faster than regulators can act and faster than the public has really been aware," Gutterman said. "The results aren't in — we just don't actually have the data on what effects this new technology could have."

In a 2022 report, the Government Accountability Office — a nonpartisan federal agency tasked with saving taxpayer money and increasing government efficiency — recommended the FCC review whether the satellite constellations normally have significant environmental impacts. The FCC agreed with the findings.

The space researchers who signed the letter not only study the effects of satellites and rocket launches on the atmosphere but also rely on clear skies for their observations.

As satellites whiz past the field of view of telescopes, they leave streaks in astronomers' images. To compensate, scientists have had to frequently retake images and develop more sophisticated computer programs to remove the streaks.

"Picture an open book. Then picture a big marker streak across the page," said David Jewitt, a distinguished professor of astronomy at UCLA who signed the letter. "That's what they do."

Read more: A star is about to explode. Here's how to watch it

Jewitt first heard about the letter while dealing with satellite streaks on his observations from a telescope in Spain.

"It was so obvious that the number of satellite trails is just way, way up since I started doing astronomy," he said. "People want to use space for good purposes. Communication is a good purpose. ... So, there has to be some moderation between the effective use of space and its effects on our view of the night sky."

Environmental review of satellite mega-constellations would be a first step along a path of much-needed space policy reform, Gutterman said.

Currently, there is limited international cooperation in regulation of satellite constellations, and within the United States, oversight of different aspects of their life cycles — from launch to orbit to decommissioning — is handled by separate agencies.

Setting clear international standards and streamlining the process in the U.S. would be a win-win for concerned scientists and the space industry, Gutterman said.

It's not the first time Starlink has run into pushback from the public and government officials. After the first few batches of satellites were launched in 2019, astronomers around the world raised concerns about the satellites' reflectivity. In response, SpaceX began applying a coating to the satellites to make them less shiny.

And earlier this month, the California Coastal Commission rejected a SpaceX plan to increase the number of rocket launches from Vandenburg Space Force Base to 50 a year, on the grounds that SpaceX was increasingly using the launches for its Starlink satellites instead of for military missions.

SpaceX subsequently sued.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

NASA Backs Proposal to Orbit Starlink Satellites Closer to Earth

PC Mag
Tue, October 29, 2024

SpaceX has received support from NASA in its proposal to orbit satellites about 200 kilometers closer to Earth.

SpaceX wants permission to orbit its cellular Starlink satellites 340 to 360 kilometers around Earth, the benefits of reduced latency for an upcoming direct-to-cell Starlink service. The issue is that SpaceX wants to potentially orbit thousands of Starlink satellites below the International Space Station, which circles the Earth between altitudes of 360 to 470 km.

In 2022, NASA the proliferation of Starlink satellites as a potential obstacle to sending missions to the International Space Station. But in a Tuesday letter to the FCC, the space agency said it has been working with SpaceX on a "visiting vehicle study" to assess whether low-orbiting satellites can operate below the space station in 300km orbits.

"Given the progress made and the continued positive collaboration between SpaceX and NASA, NASA supports FCC action that would allow SpaceX to initially operate 400 satellites continuously in the 300 km orbital shells,” the agency added. “This support reflects the ongoing cooperation between both parties to ensure safe and effective satellite operations.”

But for now, it looks like NASA only wants to let SpaceX orbit the satellites closer to Earth on a trial basis. Its letter alludes to granting the company a “Special Temporary Authority” to orbit the cellular Starlink satellites in the 300km orbits for 60 days, which SpaceX requested in May.

“Upon completion of the visiting vehicle study, NASA will coordinate any change on the number of satellites it endorses in the 300 km orbital shells,” the space agency added in the letter.

Still, the NASA letter is a win in SpaceX’s efforts to upgrade the Starlink network by lowering the satellites' orbits, which could raise opposition from rival companies, in addition to . Earlier this month, the company also made a with the FCC to operate nearly 30,000 second-generation Starlink satellites, including in the 340-360km orbit range.

SpaceX launching 20 Starlink internet satellites from California on Oct. 30
Mike Wall
Mon, October 28, 2024

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 22 Starlink satellites to orbit from Florida on June 23, 2024. | Credit: SpaceX

SpaceX plans to launch another batch of its Starlink internet satellites from California early on Wednesday (Oct. 30).

A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 20 Starlink spacecraft, including 13 with direct-to-cell (DTC) capability, is scheduled to lift off from Vandenberg Space Force Base today, during a nearly hour-long window that opens at 7:07 a.m. ET (1207 GMT; 4:07 a.m. local California time).

SpaceX will stream the launch live via X, beginning about five minutes before liftoff.

If all goes according to plan, the Falcon 9's first stage will come back to Earth about eight minutes after liftoff. It will touch down on the drone ship "Of Course I Still Love You," which will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

It will be the 14th launch and landing for this particular booster and its 11th Starlink mission overall, according to a SpaceX mission description.

The Falcon 9's upper stage will haul the Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit (LEO), where they'll be deployed about an hour after liftoff.

SpaceX has already launched more than 100 Falcon 9 missions in 2024, about two-thirds of them devoted to building out the Starlink megaconstellation.

The company currently operates more than 6,400 Starlink spacecraft in LEO, according to astrophysicist and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell. About 250 of them are DTC satellites.

Editor's note: This post was updated on Oct. 29 to reflect the most current launch window provided by SpaceX.

Let There Be Broadband: SpaceX Lights Up Starlink in US National Radio Quiet Zone

PC Mag
Mon, October 28, 2024

SpaceX's Starlink is now rolling out to thousands of residents living in the "National Radio Quiet Zone" in Virginia and West Virginia, where wireless signals are restricted.

The access arrives following a three-year effort between SpaceX and US scientists to prevent Starlink from disrupting local radio telescopes, which is why the quiet zone exists.

"Based on these results, SpaceX will begin a one-year assessment period to offer residential satellite internet service to 99.5% of residents within the NRQZ starting October 25,” the Green Bank Observatory said on Friday.

The radio quiet zone around the observatory restricts cellular and Wi-Fi signals, although many residents do have Wi-Fi and fiber-based broadband.

The quiet zone is needed to help radio telescopes detect the faintest signals from deep space. SpaceX has refrained from beaming Starlink internet to the area because the radio signals from its satellites could disrupt or even damage the “eye” of the radio telescopes.

In August, SpaceX said it was ready to start rolling out Starlink access to users in the radio quiet zones around the Green Bank Observatory and another telescope in New Mexico. To prevent interference, the company developed a system that can quickly steer satellite beams away from the radio telescopes as they pass overhead

As a result, Starlink is now live in 42 of the 46 cell areas around the Green Bank Observatory’s telescopes; previously, the satellite internet access was unavailable across all 46 sites.

“This collaboration will allow residents to access high-quality, high-speed internet, and also expand opportunities for improved communication, like those needed by emergency services and first responders,” says Green Bank Observatory Director Jim Jackson. During the one-year-period, SpaceX and the observatory will monitor and try to resolve any interference issues.

A growing number of counties in the area have called for the dissolution of the National Radio Quiet Zone, citing the danger of people not having access to emergency services.

"This is still keeping a portion of Pendleton and Pocahontas Counties in the dark ages of communications systems,” Pendleton County Emergency Services Coordinator Rick Gillespie told West Virginia's WOWK-TV.

In an email, Gillespie also told PCMag that the Roam version of Starlink had actually been available across 100% of the quiet zone for the past two years. But after SpaceX announced its agreement with the Green Bank Observatory, about 0.5% of the quiet zone has lost the Starlink access, he said.

"This means that a large section of southeastern Pendleton County and an even larger section of northern Pocahontas will NOT be able to utilize Starlink," he added in a statement. "Those areas ARE the 0.5% exclusion zone. In many cases, Starlink was the only Internet provider option residents and emergency responders had. This is unacceptable."

In response, Gillespie has been urging representatives of the National Radio Quiet Zone to loosen the radio restrictions, enabling wireless communications for local public safety services. "Throughout this process, any adjustments to the NRQZ regulations have been made without our involvement. These restrictions continue to escalate without our input, which must cease," he added.

We've reached out to the Green Bank Observatory and SpaceX for comment, and we'll update the story if we hear back.

Florida's Space Coast breaks record for most launches in a year

Matt Trezza
Mon, October 28, 2024

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With the launch of a SpaceX rocket on Saturday, the Space Coast hit a major milestone, with 73 launches this year.

The Falcon Nine carried 22 Starlink satellites into orbit. At Jetty Park, Mary Harris said her son works for Blue Origin, and she never gets tired of watching the rockets go up.

"I still like to catch the night ones, because they're really nice, I like them."

Saturday’s record-breaking mission capped off a very busy week in space news. NASA’s crew of eight members returned to Earth on Friday, after a nearly eight-month mission. The SpaceX Dragon capsule splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico just before 3:30 a.m., EST. The three NASA astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut spent 235 days in space, the longest of any human SpaceX mission.

"It wasn’t that long ago when we were happy to have 20 launches a year. We’re doing four to five times that now. It’s almost surreal now," said Don Platt, Associate Professor of Space Systems at Florida Tech.

On Wednesday, SpaceX launched another Falcon Nine mission that carried 23 Starlink satellites into orbit. KSC officials said that after some infrastructure upgrades, they aimed to host five commercial human space flight companies on-site by next year.

"It is the vision that we laid out back in 2014 with the Kennedy Space Center master plan," said Tom Engler, Center Planning & Development Director for the Kennedy Space Center.

With two more months to go in the year, there are still plenty more launches expected. Launch 74 is set for Wednesday. Jerry Eller, a Merritt Island resident, said the space industry has the potential to bring more people together.

Artemis 2 astronauts train for emergencies with Orion spacecraft ahead of 2025 moon launch (photos)

Elizabeth Howell
Mon, October 28, 2024

Artemis 2 astronaut Christina Koch, of NASA, poses at the opening of an Orion spacecraft mockup. | Credit: Lockheed Martin

In case of emergency on Earth, open the spacecraft door.

The four Artemis 2 astronauts recently practiced a key contingency operation as they continue to prepare for their moon mission: opening the side hatch of their Orion spacecraft.

If all goes well during Artemis 2's planned September 2025 launch and round-the-moon mission, of course, the astronauts will keep all doors firmly shut. Conducting the first human lunar mission since Apollo 17 in 1972, however, requires a strict focus on safety — just in case.

The Artemis 2 astronauts are NASA commander Reid Wiseman, NASA pilot Victor Glover (who will become the first Black person to leave low Earth orbit, or LEO), NASA mission specialist Christina Koch (the first woman to do so) and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) mission specialist Jeremy Hansen (the first non-American).

Related: Artemis 2 astronauts simulated a day in the life on their moon mission. Here's what they learned (exclusive)

victor glover facing an open spacecraft hatch and using a tool on the door

NASA and the CSA announced the four astronauts in April 2023 for what was then supposed to be a December 2024 liftoff. The mission was delayed in January 2024 due to several critical engineering issues, particularly longstanding examinations of irregularities in the heat shield.

two people peering at an open spacecraft door that has a lot of gears and mechanics on it

But the mission is a developmental one, the crew continues to emphasize, meaning that getting the hardware and crew safely ready must override any expectation of a firm schedule.

If all goes well with the launch, the astronauts will not touch the hatches, as the ground systems team at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center will secure the crew inside, NASA officials said in a statement on Wednesday (Oct. 23). During splashdown, recovery teams in the Pacific Ocean (including folks from both NASA and the U.S. Navy) will open the hatch.

jeremy hansen standing at an open spacecraft door while two people stand nearby him

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The side hatch mockup — which crew members trained on with Orion spacecraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado — normally swings open using manual gearboxes. But in an emergency, the release mechanism has pyrotechnic (explosive) devices that "release the latch pins on the hatch instantaneously, allowing the hatch to open quickly," NASA stated.

Artemis 2 is the first crewed mission of NASA's Artemis program, which aims to establish a permanent human presence on and around the moon in the next decade or so. An uncrewed mission, Artemis 1, flew to lunar orbit and back in 2022. Humans will first land on the moon again with Artemis 3, which will fly in 2026 or so using SpaceX's Starship spacecraft to touch down.

NASA provides an update on Artemis III moon mission

Mel Holt,Brittany Caldwell
Mon, October 28, 2024

NASA wants to land astronauts near an unexplored region of the moon.

The agency believes the lunar South Pole may hold valuable resources, like water.

These potential landing sites are still subject to change based on science potential, launch window availability, and even lighting conditions. Still, the target location will remain in the South Pole region.

At the Kennedy Space Center, teams continue to work toward a 2025 Artemis III Mission.

Read: NASA announces delays for Artemis missions

NASA’s first crewed mission around the moon in more than five decades.

The agency’s SLS rocket will launch NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Kristina Koch along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen on a roughly 10-day mission aboard an Orion spacecraft.

NASA just released this updated map with nine potential landing regions near the lunar South Pole for the Artemis II Mission.

Read: To boldly go: NASA reveals new spacesuits for planned Moon landing mission

“They’ve never sent any astronauts before to the South Pole,” said Dr. Ken Kremer of Space Up Close. “So this (is) brand new going to bring us just tremendous science on the state of the moon today and the history of the solar system, as well as being able to live off the land because we don’t have to bring all those supplies from the Earth, which is very expensive.”

NASA identifies nine possible landing regions for Artemis III moon mission

Mon, October 28, 2024

Nine candidate lunar landing regions, which NASA revealed Monday in a photo of the moon, include Peak near Cabeus B; Haworth; Malapert Massif; Mons Mouton Plateau; Mons Mouton; Nobile Rim 1; Nobile Rim 2; de Gerlache Rim 2 and Slater Plain. Image courtesy of NASA

Oct. 28 (UPI) -- NASA has identified nine possible landing sites for its Artemis III mission in 2026 that will return astronauts to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years, the space agency announced Monday.

"Artemis will return humanity to the moon and visit unexplored areas. NASA's selection of these regions shows our commitment to landing crew safely near the lunar south pole, where they will help uncover new scientific discoveries and learn to live on the lunar surface," said Lakiesha Hawkins, assistant deputy associate administrator, Moon to Mars Program.

The nine landing regions, which NASA released in a photo Monday and were assessed for their "science value and mission availability" near the moon's south pole, include Peak near Cabeus B; Haworth; Malapert Massif; Mons Mouton Plateau; Mons Mouton; Nobile Rim 1; Nobile Rim 2; de Gerlache Rim 2 and Slater Plain.

Scientists and engineers analyzed the nine regions -- using data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter -- to determine terrain, lighting and communication capabilities with Earth.

NASA's Artemis III mission is targeting a crewed landing in September 2026 near the moon's south pole, which NASA Administrator Bill Nelson called a "different moon" from the 1969 Apollo mission with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.

Scientists and engineers analyzed the nine regions for a possible future moon landing by using data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. NASA's Artemis III mission is targeting a crewed landing in September 2026 near the moon's south pole. File Photo by Tannen Maury/UPIMore

"The south pole is pockmarked with deep craters and because of the angle of the sun coming in -- most of those craters are in total darkness. It lessens the amount of area we can land on and utilize," Nelson said last year.

The lunar south pole has never been explored by a crewed mission and contains permanently shadowed areas that could preserve resources, including water, according to NASA.

"The moon's south pole is a completely different environment than where we landed during the Apollo missions," said Sarah Noble, Artemis lunar science lead at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

"It offers access to some of the moon's oldest terrain, as well as cold, shadowed regions that may contain water and other compounds. Any of these landing regions will enable us to do amazing science and make new discoveries," Noble added.

NASA will work to narrow down its lunar landing site choices for Artemis III, once it identifies the mission's target launch dates. Those dates will determine orbital paths and surface environment conditions, according to Jacob Bleacher, NASA's chief exploration scientist.

"Finding the right locations for this historic moment begins with identifying safe places for this first landing," Bleacher said, "and then trying to match that with opportunities for science from this new place on the moon."

NASA identifies 9 possible landing spots for 2026 mission returning humans to the moon

Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY
Updated Tue, October 29, 2024

NASA plans to bring humankind back to the moon, but it first needs to figure out exactly where to land.

The space agency has outlined nine potential lunar landing sites for its Artemis III mission, the agency's first planned return to the moon in over five decades. The mission, set for 2026, intends to land near the lunar south pole, where astronauts will visit unexplored areas, according to NASA.

The nine regions selected are areas where crew can safely land to help uncover new discoveries and better grasp how to live on the lunar surface, according to NASA. The agency has not determined a priority ranking for the selected regions.

For the selection process, experts considered terrain suitability, launch window availability, lighting conditions, science potential and communication capabilities with Earth, among other factors. NASA officials also considered the combined trajectory capabilities of its Space Launch System rocket, the Orion spacecraft and Starship Human Landing System.

"The Moon’s South Pole is a completely different environment than where we landed during the Apollo missions," Artemis lunar science lead Sarah Noble said in a statement. "It offers access to some of the Moon’s oldest terrain, as well as cold, shadowed regions that may contain water and other compounds. Any of these landing regions will enable us to do amazing science and make new discoveries."
What are the 9 lunar landing spots?

NASA has selected nine potential landing regions, each with its diverse geological characteristics and flexibility for mission landing. Each spot is in the lunar South Pole, which has never been explored in a crewed mission and features permanently shadowed areas that can preserve resources like water.

The following lunar sites have been considered:

The moon is pictured in this image on Dec. 6, 2006.

Peak near Cabeus B

Haworth

Malapert Massif

Mons Mouton Plateau

Mons Mouton

Nobile Rim 1

Nobile Rim 2

de Gerlache Rim 2

Slater Plain
When was the last human visit to the moon?

The last human to land on the moon was on Dec. 19, 1972, during NASA's Apollo 17 mission.

The astronauts on that mission were the last to visit the moon and the last to travel more than 400 miles from the Earth, according to the National Space Air and Space Museum.

Humankind first touched down on the moon on July 20, 1969, on the Apollo 11 mission, in which Neil Armstrong became the first man to step foot on the moon.

Artemis III, which will send two astronauts to the surface of the moon, is scheduled for September 2026. Artemis II, which will send astronauts around the moon, is slated for September 2025.

China wants to make its Tiangong space station bigger and better

Andrew Jones
Mon, October 28, 2024 at 4:00 AM MDT

Tiangong is China's operational space station located in low Earth orbit. . | Credit: Alejomiranda via Getty Images

China has been operating its completed Tiangong orbital outpost for almost two years now — and is looking to expand its capabilities with new modules and spacecraft.

The three-module, T-shaped Tiangong space station was fully assembled in November 2022, with the arrival of the Mengtian science module. The station seems set to grow again, however.

"In the future, we will try to upgrade our facilities," said Li Ming, chairman of the science and technology committee of the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), speaking during a plenary session on human spaceflight at the International Astronautical Congress in Milan, Italy, on Oct. 17. CAST designed and manufactured the modules for Tiangong.

The upgrades to Tiangong will come in a number of steps, according to Li. The first would be to update the Chinese space station's Tianhe core module to be able to accept further modules.

Related: China's space station, Tiangong: A complete guide

"With this purpose, we try to upgrade the space station from the T shape. Presently it is the T shape, to the future cross shape, or you may also call it the Double-T shape," Li said. He added that this would allow China to send more space science experiment racks and large extravehicular experiments, and overall extend the scale of operations aboard Tiangong.

"Another upgrade is developing the renewable spaceship," said Li. The versatile spacecraft, named Mengzhou, will come in two variants: one for sending crew to the moon and another for Tiangong.

"With this spaceship, we can support three astronauts for the lunar missions and also the seven astronauts for the new space station missions," said Li.

China conducted a boilerplate test flight of the spacecraft — that is, a flight without life support and other systems — in 2020. Its full debut flight is expected around 2027, and it will fly on a low Earth orbit (LEO) variant of the in-development Long March 10 rocket. The new spacecraft will also be partially reusable.

The Long March 10, like the spacecraft, will have two variants: one for LEO and one for the moon. Both the Long March 10 and the new spacecraft are integral parts of China's plan to put astronauts on the moon by 2030.

China currently sends its astronauts to LEO in its Shenzhou spacecraft, which is similar to, but larger than, Russia's Soyuz spacecraft. The next Shenzhou mission to Tiangong is scheduled to launch on Oct. 30.

a large telescope with two wing-like solar panels in orbit above Earth

The final upgrade will be a huge addition to global astronomy efforts.

"The last one [upgrade] is a CSST, Chinese Space Station Telescope, which has really large optical cameras, featuring both a large field of view and high image qualities," Li said. "It is also open for international communities, especially on data analysis."

Also named Xuntian, the CSST is a Hubble-class space telescope that will share an orbit with Tiangong. It will be able to dock with the space station for maintenance, repairs and even upgrades.

The bus-sized Xuntian will feature a 2-meter (6.6 feet) diameter primary mirror, slightly smaller than that of Hubble. Its field of view will, however, be around 300 times larger, meaning it will be able to conduct broad surveys. Xuntian will scan and map around 40% of the heavens during its planned 10-year lifetime using its 2.5-billion-pixel camera.

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Li said that China aims to expand international cooperation related to Tiangong, both in terms of science experiments and also crewmembers.

"Now we are ready to welcome international astronauts to join the Chinese space station program, based on the principle of mutual respect, mutual benefit, inclusiveness and equality," Li said.

China aims to keep Tiangong — which is around 20% as massive as the International Space Station — occupied and operational for at least 10 years. Tiangong could thus be the only space station in orbit, once the ISS reaches the end of its long life in 2030 or thereabouts.

China's new crew has arrived at space station in sign of growing influence in space field

NG HAN GUAN
Updated Tue, October 29, 2024

JIUQUAN, China (AP) — A Chinese space ship carrying a three-person crew docked with its orbiting space station Tuesday as the country seeks to expand its exploration of outer space in competition with the United States, even as it looks for cooperation from other nations.

The team of two men and one woman will replace the astronauts who have lived on the Tiangong space station for the last six months, conducting a variety of experiments and maintaining the structure.

They are expected to stay until April or May of next year. The new mission commander, Cai Xuzhe, went to space in the Shenzhou-14 mission in 2022, while the the other two, Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze, are first-time space travelers. Song and Wang were born in the 1990s and are graduates of the third wave of Chinese astronaut recruitment, having undergone a rigorous testing and training process taking years.

Early Wednesday morning, China declared the launch and entry into outerspace a “complete success.”

The Shenzhou-19 spaceship carrying the trio blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 4:27 a.m. local time atop a Long March-2F rocket, the backbone of China’s crewed space missions.

“The crew condition is good and the launch has been successful,” the state broadcaster China Central Television announced.

China built its own space station after being excluded from the International Space Station, mainly because of U.S. concerns over the People’s Liberation Army, the Chinese Communist Party’s military arm’s overall control over the space program. China’s moon program is part of a growing rivalry with the U.S. and others, including Japan and India.

The new team will replace the astronauts who have lived on the Tiangong space station for the last six months and will overlap with them for a couple of days or more. They are expected to stay until April or May of next year.

The new mission commander, Cai Xuzhe, went to space in the Shenzhou-14 mission in 2022, while the other two, Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze, are first-time space travelers, born in the 1990s.

Song was an air force pilot and Wang an engineer with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. Wang will be the crew’s payload specialist and the third Chinese woman aboard a crewed mission.

Besides putting a space station into orbit, the Chinese space agency has landed an explorer on Mars. It aims to put a person on the moon before 2030, which would make China the second nation after the United States to do so. It also plans to build a research station on the moon and has already transferred rock and soil samples from the moon in a first for any nation in decades, and placed a rover on the little-explored far side of the moon in a global first.

The U.S. still leads in space exploration and plans to land astronauts on the moon for the first time in more than 50 years, though NASA pushed the target date back to 2026 earlier this year.

The new Chinese crew will perform spacewalks and install new equipment to protect the station from space debris, some of which was created by China.

According to NASA, large pieces of debris have been created by “satellite explosions and collisions.” China’s firing of a rocket to destroy a redundant weather satellite in 2007 and the “accidental collision of American and Russian communications satellites in 2009 greatly increased the amount of large debris in orbit,” it said.

China’s space authorities say they have measures in place in case their astronauts have to return to Earth earlier.

China launched its first crewed mission in 2003, becoming only the third nation to do so after the former Soviet Union and the United States. The space program is a source of enormous national pride and a hallmark of China’s technological advances over the past two decades.

___

Associated Press producer Caroline Chen contributed to this report.

Three-person crew blasts off for China's Tiangong space station

Michael ZHANG
Tue, October 29, 2024

Astronauts Cai Xuzhe (R), Song Lingdong (C) and Wang Haoze (L) wave to the crowd during a departure ceremony ahead of the launch of the Shenzhou-19 space mission (ADEK BERRY)ADEK BERRY/AFP/AFPMore

Three Chinese astronauts including the country's only woman spaceflight engineer blasted off on a "dream" mission to the Tiangong space station in the early hours of Wednesday.

The new Tiangong team will carry out experiments with an eye to the space programme's ambitious goal of placing astronauts on the Moon by 2030 and eventually constructing a lunar base.

The Shenzhou-19 mission took off with its trio of space explorers from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, state news agency Xinhua and state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Among the crew is Wang Haoze, 34, who is China's only female spaceflight engineer, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). She is the third Chinese woman to take part in a crewed mission.

"Like everyone else, I dream of going to the space station to have a look," Wang told a media gathering Tuesday alongside her fellow crew members, lined up behind podiums and tall panes of glass to seal them off from the public.

"I want to meticulously complete each task and protect our home in space," she said.

"I also want to travel in deep space and wave at the stars."

Headed by Cai Xuzhe, the team will return to Earth in late April or early May next year, CMSA Deputy Director Lin Xiqiang said at a separate press event confirming the launch.

Cai, a 48-year-old former air force pilot, brings experience from a previous stint aboard Tiangong as part of the Shenzhou-14 mission in 2022.

"Having been selected for the new crew, taking on a new role, facing new tasks and new challenges, I feel the honour of my mission with a great responsibility," said Cai.

The aerospace veteran added that the crew was now "fully prepared mentally, technically, physically and psychologically" for the mission ahead

Completing the astronaut lineup is 34-year-old man Song Lingdong.

The crew currently aboard the Tiangong space station is scheduled to return to Earth on November 4 after completing handover procedures with the incoming astronauts, Lin said.

- 'Space dream' -

China has ramped up plans to achieve its "space dream" under President Xi Jinping.

Its space programme was the third to put humans in orbit and has also landed robotic rovers on Mars and the Moon.

Crewed by teams of three astronauts that are rotated every six months, the Tiangong space station is the programme's crown jewel.

Beijing says it is on track to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030, where it intends to construct a base on the lunar surface.

The Shenzhou-19 crew's time aboard Tiangong will see them carry out various experiments, including some involving "bricks" made from components imitating lunar soil, CCTV reported.

These items -- to be delivered to Tiangong by the Tianzhou-8 cargo ship in November -- will be tested to see how they fare in extreme radiation, gravity, temperature and other conditions.

Due to the high cost of transporting materials into space, Chinese scientists hope to be able to use lunar soil for the construction of the future base, CCTV reported.

The Shenzhou-19 mission is primarily about "accumulating additional experience", Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in the United States, told AFP.

While this particular swap of astronaut crews and upcoming six-month stint aboard Tiangong may not witness major breakthroughs or feats, it is still "very valuable to do", said McDowell.

China has in recent decades injected billions of dollars into developing an advanced space programme on par with the United States and Europe.

In 2019, China successfully landed its Chang'e-4 probe on the far side of the moon -- the first spacecraft ever to do so. In 2021, it landed a small robot on Mars.

Tiangong, whose core module launched in 2021, is planned to be used for about 10 years.

bur-je/sst

China's only woman spaceflight engineer in crew for 'dream' mission

Michael ZHANG
Mon, October 28, 2024

China has ramped up plans to achieve its 'space dream' under President Xi Jinping

(ADEK BERRY)ADEK BERRY/AFP/AFP

China's only woman spaceflight engineer will be among a crew of three astronauts blasting off on a "dream" mission to the Tiangong space station this week, Beijing announced Tuesday.

The new Tiangong team will carry out experiments with an eye to the space programme's ambitious goal of placing astronauts on the Moon by 2030 and eventually constructing a lunar base.

The Shenzhou-19 mission is scheduled to take off with its trio of space explorers at 4:27 am Wednesday (2027 GMT Tuesday) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said.

Among the crew is Wang Haoze, 34, who is China's only female spaceflight engineer, according to the agency. She will become the third Chinese woman to take part in a crewed mission.

"Like everyone else, I dream of going to the space station to have a look," Wang told a media gathering Tuesday alongside her fellow crew members, lined up behind podiums and tall panes of glass to seal them off from the public.

"I want to meticulously complete each task and protect our home in space," she said.

"I also want to travel in deep space and wave at the stars."

Headed by Cai Xuzhe, the team will return to Earth in "late April or early May next year", CMSA Deputy Director Lin Xiqiang said at a separate press event confirming the launch.

Cai, a 48-year-old former air force pilot, brings experience from a previous stint aboard Tiangong as part of the Shenzhou-14 mission in 2022.

"Having been selected for the new crew, taking on a new role, facing new tasks and new challenges, I feel the honour of my mission with a great responsibility," said Cai.

The aerospace veteran added that the crew was now "fully prepared mentally, technically, physically and psychologically" for the mission ahead.

Completing the astronaut lineup is 34-year-old man Song Lingdong.

The crew currently aboard the Tiangong space station is scheduled to return to Earth on November 4 after completing handover procedures with the incoming astronauts, Lin said.

- 'Space dream' -

China has ramped up plans to achieve its "space dream" under President Xi Jinping.

The country's space programme was the third to put humans in orbit and has also landed robotic rovers on Mars and the Moon.

Crewed by teams of three astronauts that are exchanged every six months, the Tiangong space station is the programme's crown jewel.

Beijing says it is on track to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030, where it intends to construct a base on the lunar surface.

The Shenzhou-19 crew's time aboard Tiangong will see them carry out various experiments, including some involving "bricks" made from components imitating lunar soil, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

These items -- to be delivered to Tiangong by the Tianzhou-8 cargo ship in November -- will be tested to see how they fare in extreme radiation, gravity, temperature and other conditions.

Due to the high cost of transporting materials into space, Chinese scientists hope to be able to use lunar soil for the construction of the future base, CCTV reported.

The Shenzhou-19 mission is primarily about "accumulating additional experience", Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in the United States, told AFP.

While this particular swap of astronaut crews and upcoming six-month stint aboard Tiangong may not witness major breakthroughs or feats, it is still "very valuable to do", said McDowell.

China has in recent decades injected billions of dollars into developing an advanced space programme on par with the United States and Europe.

In 2019, China successfully landed its Chang'e-4 probe on the far side of the moon -- the first spacecraft ever to do so. In 2021, it landed a small robot on Mars.

Tiangong, whose core module launched in 2021, is planned to be used for about 10 years.

Chinese astronauts to conduct experiments in space, including lunar bricks

Florence Lo and Eduardo Baptista
Tue, October 29, 2024

See-off ceremony before the Shenzhou-19 spaceflight mission at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center

See-off ceremony before the Shenzhou-19 spaceflight mission at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center

See-off ceremony before the Shenzhou-19 spaceflight mission at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center

By Florence Lo and Eduardo Baptista

JIUQUAN, China (Reuters) - China sent three astronauts on Wednesday to its permanently inhabited space station, where they will conduct dozens of scientific experiments, some related to the construction of human habitats.

The spacecraft Shenzhou-19 and its three crew lifted off atop a Long March-2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China at 4:27 a.m. (2027 GMT), according to state media.

"During the Shenzhou-19 flight ... 86 space sci-tech experiments will be carried out in the fields of space life sciences, microgravity physics, materials, medicine, new technologies," Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), said in a press conference on Tuesday.

One of these experiments is expected to involve exposing bricks made from simulated lunar soil to conditions in space.

Should the tests prove successful, the bricks could be a key material used in the construction of a permanent lunar research station, which China hopes to complete by 2035, as it would in theory be more convenient than transporting building materials from Earth.

The bricks will be sent in a separate uncrewed cargo spaceflight to the Shenzhou-19 crew next month.

The Shenzhou crewed spaceflights have been a regular fixture of China's space program for the past two decades and have increased in frequency in recent years as China built and began operating its "Tiangong" space station, officially completed in November 2022.

The fast development of China's manned and unmanned space program has alarmed the United States, which has encountered issues with its own crewed spaceflights.

Two NASA astronauts brought to the International Space Station by Boeing's Starliner capsule in June have been stranded there since due to unforeseen issues with the spacecraft's propulsion system. They are expected to return in February 2025 on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.

CMSA's Lin on Tuesday said that in order to avoid similar issues, the emergency response plan has been "continuously optimized" so that astronauts have more time to deal with scenarios such as damage to the Shenzhou-19 caused by space debris.

Lin added that Shenzhou-20 and its carrier rocket were on standby and ready to perform an emergency rescue mission if necessary.

LOOKING TO THE MOON

Since the launch of Shenzhou-14 in June 2022, Shenzhou missions have involved trios of astronauts and six-month stays in space, with an overlap period of several days where the departing crew hands over the station to the newly arrived group. The Shenzhou-19 crew is expected to return to Earth next year in April or May.

Lin highlighted that two of the three astronauts crewing the Shenzhou-19 were born in 1990 and conducting their first spaceflight, with Wang Haoze also being the third female Chinese national sent into space

The leader of the crew, 48-year-old Cai Yuzhe, was part of the Shenzhou-14 crew that completed Tiangong's construction. Outside the mission, all three crew members are part of the Chinese military's air force.

As Tiangong approaches its second anniversary, China's focus has now turned to the goal of achieving a manned landing on the moon by 2030. In May, China's Chang'e-6 lunar probe was launched from the island province of Hainan and successfully returned a month later.

While the mission was uncrewed, its completion made China the first country to retrieve samples from the moon's far side.

The two younger Shenzhou-19 crew members were part of the third batch of astronauts selected to train for future spaceflights. The fourth batch, announced in 2022, will for the first time be more focused on moon landings, rather than just flights to the Tiangong space station, according to Lin.
"(The training content of the fourth batch) will extend the astronauts' abilities, from controlling spacecraft to driving lunar rovers, from celestial body identification to geological exploration, from weightless floating in space to carrying heavy loads on the moon," the CMSA official said.

(Reporting by Florence Lo in Jiuquan and Eduardo Baptista in Beijing; Editing by Sandra Maler)

Chinese astronauts Wang Haoze, from left, Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong wave as they attend the see-off ceremony for the Shenzhou-19 mission at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China, in the early hours of Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)ASSOCIATED PRESS

Chinese astronauts Wang Haoze, from left, Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong wave as they prepare to depart on the Shenzhou-19 mission at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China, in the early hours of Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)ASSOCIATED PRESS

Chinese astronauts Wang Haoze, from left, Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong salute as they attend the see-off ceremony for the Shenzhou-19 mission at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China, in the early hours of Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)ASSOCIATED PRESS

Chinese astronauts Wang Haoze, from left, Song Lingdong and Cai Xuzhe wave during the see-off ceremony for the Shenzhou-19 mission at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China, in the early hours of Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)ASSOCIATED PRESS

Watch Astronauts Give a Rare Tour of China's Luxurious Space Station

Victor Tangermann
Mon, October 28, 2024

Space Cribs

Chinese astronauts on board the country's Tiangong space station have given us a rare glimpse into what life is like roughly 260 miles above the surface.

As seen in an almost seven-minute-long video shared by Chinese state-owned news agency CCTV, members of the current Shenzhou-18 crew gave an extensive tour of their temporary abode.

Crew members show off the station's kitchen, from a small heater that dispenses water into small pouches to a modified microwave. Astronauts also showed off the surprisingly roomy beds that each feature a sizable porthole, with unparalleled views of the Earth below.

We even got a glimpse of the two orbital lab segments, including several cherry tomato and lettuce plants growing in the station's greenhouse.

In short, it's an uncommon and surprisingly detailed peek behind the curtain of an otherwise secretive space program that has historically held its cards close to its chest.
Open Hatch Day

In less than two years, China assembled three modules of its space station, which can accommodate a crew of up to three astronauts.

While the country was excluded by the US from participating on board the International Space Station, its space program has made tremendous advancements in a matter of years and is hoping to send astronauts to the surface of the Moon as soon as 2030.

In April, the country sent its latest crew to the orbital lab. Existing members are currently preparing to make their return to Earth after having spent close to half a year on board the station.

During their stay, they've observed how zebrafish adapt to their unusual microgravity environment, among several other scientific experiments.

Meanwhile, NASA is getting ready to deorbit the ISS by the end of the decade — and the station's successor is still largely stuck in the early planning stages.

Step Inside China’s Secretive New Space Station
Owen Bellwood
Tue, October 29, 2024

The Tiangong Space Station has been in orbit for three years.

- Photo: Liu Fang/Xinhua (Getty Images)

China has had astronauts in space since June 2012, when the Shenzhou 10 mission docked with the Tiangong-1 prototype space station for the first time. Since then, the country’s presence in orbit has grown and now it operates a station that’s roughly a fifth of the size of the International Space Station.

The new, larger station is called the Tiangong Space Station and while it’s been in operation around 240 miles above the Earth’s surface for more than three years now, its makeup has remained pretty mysterious to space fans, until now.

In a new video shared by China’s state-run broadcaster CCTV, the current crew of the TSS offers a rare tour of the facilities they’re working with in orbit, reports Futurism. The tour shows off the station’s kitchen, sleeping areas and views of Earth, as the site explains:

Crew members show off the station’s kitchen, from a small heater that dispenses water into small pouches to a modified microwave. Astronauts also showed off the surprisingly roomy beds that each feature a sizable porthole, with unparalleled views of the Earth below.

We even got a glimpse of the two orbital lab segments, including several cherry tomato and lettuce plants growing in the station’s greenhouse.

In short, it’s an uncommon and surprisingly detailed peek behind the curtain of an otherwise secretive space program that has historically held its cards close to its chest.

You can watch the tour for yourself below, and it really is fascinating to see how far China’s space station has come in just a handful of years. The first module of the Tiangong Space Station launched into orbit in April 2021 and was soon followed by two other pieces.

Each of the three modules that make up the station were fully assembled on Earth, before launching into space on China’s Changzheng 5 rockets. Because the components were completed on the ground, construction in space was minimal and the station became operational at a rapid rate. In fact, it’s first astronauts docked with the station less than three months after the first module was in orbit.

While onboard the station, Chinese astronauts have carried out the same kinds of experiments that NASA carries out on the ISS. So far, they’ve studied how zebra fish adapt to microgravity and researchers looked at whether early forms of life could be capable of surviving in the cosmos.

A Long March rocket with a Shenzhou-19 spacecraft atop takes off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Jiuquan, northwestern China in the early hours of Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)ASSOCIATED PRESS

Shenzhou-19 spacecraft sitting atop a Long March rocket takes off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Jiuquan, northwestern China in the early hours of Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)ASSOCIATED PRESS

Shenzhou-19 spacecraft sitting atop a Long March rocket takes off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Jiuquan, northwestern China in the early hours, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)ASSOCIATED PRESS

In this image taken with a long exposure, a Long March rocket with a Shenzhou-19 spacecraft atop takes off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Jiuquan, northwestern China in the early hours of Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)ASSOCIATED PRESS

Shenzhou-19 spacecraft atop a Long March rocket takes off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China in the early hours of Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)ASSOCIATED PRESS

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