It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Sunday, May 19, 2024
SPACE
Blue Origin launches 1st crewed spaceflight since August 2022 (video)
The mission, known as NS-25, sent six people on a brief trip to suborbital space today (May 19).
Blue Origin's nearly two-year human spaceflight drought is over.
Jeff Bezos' aerospace company launched its NS-25 mission today (May 19), sending six people — including the United States' first-ever Black astronaut candidate — on a brief trip to suborbital space aboard its New Shepard rocket-capsule combo.
It was Blue Origin's first space tourism launch since August 2022. That previous mission went well, but the company's next flight, an uncrewed research jaunt that launched a month later, did not: New Shepard suffered a serious anomaly, causing the destruction of the first-stage booster. (The capsule landed safely under parachutes.)
New Shepard was grounded for more than a year while Blue Origin investigated the September 2022 accident, which the company eventually traced to a thermo-structural failure in the nozzle of the rocket's single engine. The vehicle returned to action this past December on an uncrewed flight and is now fully back, with another human mission under its belt.
NS-25 — so named because it was the 25th New Shepard launch to date — lifted off from Blue Origin's West Texas site today at 10:37 a.m. EDT (1437 GMT; 9:30 a.m. local Texas time).
Six people were on board, including 90-year-old sculptor and author Ed Dwight. Dwight, a former U.S. Air Force captain, carved his name into the aerospace history books more than six decades ago.
"In 1961, Ed was chosen by President John F. Kennedy to enter training at the Aerospace Research Pilot School (ARPS), an elite U.S. Air Force flight training program known as a pathway for entering the NASA Astronaut Corps," Blue Origin wrote in an description of the NS-25 crew. "In 1963, after successfully completing the ARPS program, Ed was recommended by the U.S. Air Force for the NASA Astronaut Corps but ultimately was not among those selected."
The first Black American to be selected for a space program was Robert Lawrence, who was picked in June 1967 for the U.S. Air Force's Manned Orbiting Laboratory project. The MOL, a planned crewed spy outpost, was never built, and Lawrence died in a supersonic jet crash in December 1967. A Black American didn't reach space until August 1983, when Guion Bluford flew on the STS-8 mission of the space shuttle Challenger. (Sally Ride became the first American woman in space on Challenger's previous mission, STS-7, which launched in June 1983.)
Dwight was joined on today's flight by venture capitalist Mason Angel; French craft-brewing magnate Sylvain Chiron; entrepreneur Kenneth L. Hess; retired accountant Carol Schaller; and pilot and aviator Gopi Thotakura.
The six passengers got to experience a few minutes of weightlessness and see Earth against the blackness of space, from a maximum altitude of around 65.7 miles (105 km). Like all new Shepard jaunts, their trip was quite short, ending with a parachute-aided touchdown in the Texas dust at 10:47 a.m. ET (1447 GMT), just ten minutes after liftoff.
The NS-25 booster beat the mission's capsule back down to the ground, landing seven minutes after takeoff.
The capsule touched down under just two of its three parachutes, but launch commentators on Blue Origin's livestream assured viewers that "there are multiple redundancy factors in this in this system and so landing with two parachutes is perfectly okay."
Blue Origin's NS-25 mission in the Texas desert after its return to Earth. (Image credit: Blue Origin via YouTube)
NS-25 was Blue Origin's seventh crewed spaceflight; the company's other 18 missions have been uncrewed research efforts.
Blue Origin has not revealed its seat price for New Shepard missions. The company's chief competitor in the suborbital tourism industry, Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic, currently charges $450,000 per person for a ride on its VSS Unity space plane.
The piloted Unity is gearing up to fly its seventh commercial mission. Liftoff of that four-passenger flight, known as Galactic 07, is targeted for June 8.
Ed Dwight, America’s first Black astronaut candidate, finally goes to space 60 years later
May 19, 2024 By The Associated Press
VAN HORN, Texas (AP) — Ed Dwight, America’s first Black astronaut candidate, finally rocketed into space 60 years later, flying with Jeff Bezos’ rocket company on Sunday.
Dwight was an Air Force pilot when President John F. Kennedy championed him as a candidate for NASA’s early astronaut corps. But he wasn’t picked for the 1963 class.
Dwight, now 90, went through a few minutes of weightlessness with five other passengers aboard the Blue Origin capsule as it skimmed space on a roughly 10-minute flight. He called it “a life changing experience.
“I thought I really didn’t need this in my life,” Dwight said shortly after exiting the capsule. ”But, now, I need it in my life .... I am ecstatic.”
The brief flight from West Texas made Dwight the new record-holder for oldest person in space — nearly two months older than “Star Trek” actor William Shatner was when he went up in 2021.
It was Blue Origin’s first crew launch in nearly two years. The company was grounded following a 2022 accident in which the booster came crashing down but the capsule full of experiments safely parachuted to the ground. Flights resumed last December, but with no one aboard. This was Blue Origin’s seventh time flying space tourists.
Dwight, a sculptor from Denver, was joined by four business entrepreneurs from the U.S. and France and a retired accountant. Their ticket prices were not disclosed; Dwight’s seat was sponsored in part by the nonprofit Space for Humanity.
Dwight was among the potential astronauts the Air Force recommended to NASA. But he wasn’t chosen for the 1963 class, which included eventual Gemini and Apollo astronauts, including Apollo 11’s Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. NASA didn’t select Black astronauts until 1978, and Guion Bluford became the first African American in space in 1983. Three years earlier, the Soviets launched the first Black astronaut, Arnaldo Tamayo Mendez, a Cuban of African descent.
After leaving the military in 1966, Dwight joined IBM and started a construction company before earning a master’s degree in sculpture in the late 1970s. He’s since dedicated himself to art. His sculptures focus on Black history and include memorials and monuments across the country. Several of his sculptures have flown into space.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
90-Year-Old Man Breaks Space Travel Record: 'Everybody Needs to Do This'
A90-year-old former Air Force captain broke a record when he was launched into space Sunday morning on Blue Origin's first crewed spaceflight in nearly two years.
Ed Dwight, whose Blue Origin bio states he was born in 1933 and raised in Kansas City, Kansas, described Sunday's flight as a "life-changing" experience.
Dwight was one of six people on board, joining Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron, Kenneth L. Hess, Carol Schaller and Gopi Thotakura for the trip. Sunday's launch marked the first time Blue Origin's New Shepard sent humans to space since August 2022.
The rocket took off around 9:35 a.m. Central Time from a site near Van Horn, Texas, and landed back on Earth within 10 minutes, Blue Origin wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, where the space company shared updates and videos of the flight. The cost per person for the spaceflight was unknown at the time of publication.
"Blue Origin successfully completed its seventh human spaceflight and the 25th flight for the New Shepard program," the space company wrote in a statement.
The capsule carrying the passengers landed around 9:45 a.m. While only two of its three parachutes deployed, it did not cause any serious problems for landing.
When the capsule door opened around 10 a.m., Dwight emerged and said he was "ecstatic," according to Blue Origin's video of the launch and landing.
"I thought I didn't need it in my life, but I lied," Dwight said. "This is a life-changing experience. Everybody needs to do this."
Newsweek reached out via email on Sunday to representatives for Dwight and Blue Origin for comment.
Former Air Force Captain Ed Dwight was one of six people on board the Blue Origin spaceflight that launched from Texas on May 19, 2024.
The spaceflight made Dwight, a former Air Force captain turned sculptor, the oldest person to go to space. He surpassed the previous record set by actor William Shatner, who was also 90 when he traveled to space on Blue Origin's New Shepard in 2021.
After Dwight was first chosen for a Blue Origin flight seat, which was sponsored by the nonprofit Space for Humanity and the Jaison and Jamie Robinson Foundation, he discussed the adventure in an interview with The New York Times that was published in April. Dwight said that after waiting decades, his trip "is a natural occurrence that should have happened at some point."
"My whole life has been about getting things done," he said. "This is the culmination."
In 1961, Dwight was selected by President John F. Kennedy to be "the nation's first Black astronaut candidate but never had the opportunity to fly," according to Blue Origin's statement.
Shortly before Dwight returned to Earth, Blue Origin shared a video on social media that highlighted his journey.
"Soon, Ed Dwight will complete a mission that began 63 years ago," Blue Origin wrote on X and YouTube.
In a post on X, Blue Origin shared a video of the passengers inside the capsule amid their spaceflight, writing: "Forever changed."
In a first, Indian pilot Gopi Thotakura takes space tour on Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin flight
Blue Origin space tourism: Gopichand Thotakura, Indian-origin entrepreneur and pilot, is among the six crew members on the Blue Origin New Shepard -25 mission.
Blue Origin's New Shepard took to the skies on Sunday for the first time in two years after pausing its space tourism operations following a rocket mishap in September 2022. This mission marks the seventh human flight for the New Shepard programme and the 25th in its history.Gopichand Thotakura, an Indian-origin entrepreneur and pilot, is part of the Blue Origin New Shepard -25 mission, which embarked on its seventh human flight on Sunday.(Blue Origin)
Among the six crew members selected for Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin New Shepard -25 (NS-25) mission is Gopichand Thotakura, an Indian-origin entrepreneur and pilot. The crew also includes former Air Force Captain Ed Dwight, the first Black astronaut candidate in the United States.
Launched from the Launch Site One base in West Texas, the company announced the flight on social media.
As the spacecraft surpassed the Karman Line, the internationally recognised boundary of space 62 miles (100 km) above sea level, passengers had the opportunity to marvel at Earth's curvature and experience a few minutes of weightlessness, during which they could unbuckle their seats and even perform activities like jumping jacks.
The New Shepard-25 was launched from the Launch Site One base in West Texas on Sunday, the company announced the flight on social media.(Blue Origin)
The programme faced a setback when a New Shepard rocket caught fire shortly after launch on September 12, 2022. However, the uncrewed capsule ejected in time, ensuring the safety of potential astronauts.
Who are all part of New Shepard (Mission NS-25)?
- Gopichand Thotakura, an entrepreneur and pilot of Indian origin, was chosen as one of the six crew members for Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin New Shepard -25 (NS-25) mission.
- Ed Dwight, a former Air Force pilot, who faced rejection from NASA's astronaut corps in the 1960s, is also a part. According to AFP, at 90 years, 8 months, and 10 days, Dwight became the oldest person to venture into space, narrowly surpassing Star Trek actor William Shatner, who was nearly two months younger when he flew with Blue Origin in 2021.
- Mason Angel, the founder of Industrious Ventures, a venture capital firm, is among the crew members.
The six crew members selected for Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin New Shepard -25 (NS-25) mission.(Blue Origin)
- Sylvain Chiron, the founder of Brasserie Mont Blanc, a prominent craft brewery in France, is also part of the crew.
- Kenneth L. Hess, a software engineer and entrepreneur, has been selected as for the mission.
- Carol Schaller, a retired Certified Public Accountant (CPA), completes the roster of crew members for the NS-25 mission. Blue Origin's space tourism
Mission NS-25 marks the seventh human flight for the venture founded by Amazon mogul Jeff Bezos. Bezos envisions short excursions aboard the New Shepard suborbital craft as a precursor to larger aspirations, such as developing a heavy rocket and lunar lander.
To date, Blue Origin has flown 31 individuals aboard New Shepard, a compact, fully reusable rocket system named after Alan Shepard, the first American in space.
Six tourist missions have been launched on New Shepard, boasting notable passengers like William Shatner, Michael Strahan, and Bezos himself. Overall, New Shepard has carried 31 humans beyond the internationally recognized boundary of space.
Blue Origin also aims to send humans to the moon in the coming years in collaboration with NASA.
Named in tribute to Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard, “New Shepard” is a reusable suborbital rocket system designed to transport astronauts and research payloads beyond the Kármán line.
"Whether you are an astronaut travelling alongside Blue Origin or dispatching a payload into space, your brief 11-minute journey aboard New Shepard promises to be an unforgettable adventure,” Blue Origin's official website says.
Boeing Starliner launch delayed to end of May to fix helium leak
A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket with Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft aboard is rolled back to the vertical integration facility to replace a pressure regulation valve on the Atlas V rocket, at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Wednesday, May 8. NASA's first Boeing Crew Flight Test was delayed to May 25 to further assess a helium leak. NASA Photo by Joel Kowsky/UPI | License Photo
May 18 (UPI) -- Boeing's first crewed space mission was delayed again Friday due to a persistent helium leak.
It is the latest in a series of delays for Boeing's Starliner mission, which is supposed to send NASA astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams to the International Space Station.
Starliner teams discovered the leak on Wednesday. While NASA said the leak is stable and wouldn't pose a risk during flight, Boeing is working to develop procedures that ensure the system "retains sufficient performance capability and appropriate redundancy during the flight."
A May 6 launch was scrubbed due to a faulty oxygen tank pressure regulation valve on the ULA Atlas V rocket, which would sent the Starliner into space from NASA's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Wilmore and Williams are quarantined in Houston and are now scheduled to fly back to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida closer to the new launch date, the agency said.
Boeing's first crewed Starliner mission is about four years behind schedule. The first uncrewed mission ended in 2019 after the spacecraft failed to rendezvous with the ISS. Boeing overhauled the program with major software and hardware updates and launched a successful mission in 2022.
The company has an over $4 billion contract with NASA under the agency's Commercial Crew Program, which replaced the Space Shuttle Program after it ended in 2011.
SpaceX, meanwhile, who's contract with NASA is valued at $2.6 billion, has flown 50 people to space in 13 successful missions.
Boeing has far more troubles to deal with on Earth. The company's commercial aviation wing has come under intense scrutiny after a door plug flew off an Alaska Airlines Boeing Max 737 plane in January.
Numerous other issues with the Max 737 were reported since January. The Justice Department said it would open a criminal investigation into the Alaska Airlines incident.
Eyes in the sky: How China's advanced earth observation system shapes global progress
China's Earth Observation (EO) System has seen significant progress, evolving into a sophisticated network of satellites supporting various global applications. This system, vital for sustainable development, promises further advancements with new technologies enhancing its capabilities.
China's EO journey began with the launch of its first satellite, DFH-1, in 1970, followed by the first recoverable remote sensing satellite in 1975. The country has since developed a comprehensive EO system with a focus on peaceful use, scientific innovation, economic contribution, and global sustainable development. The system comprises various satellite series for meteorological, oceanic, and terrestrial observations, utilizing advanced remote sensing technologies.
A comprehensive review (DOI: 10.1080/10095020.2024.2328100) of China's Earth Observation (EO) system, its missions, applications, and future directions has been published in the Geo-spatial Information Sciencejournal. The paper, led by Professor Deren Li from Wuhan University, outlines the significant strides China has made in EO technology since the 1970s, contributing to economic growth and sustainable development.
The paper meticulously traces the evolution of China’s Earth Observation (EO) system, from its nascent stages in the 1970s to its current status as a global leader in remote sensing. Initially focusing on meteorological satellites, the program expanded to include diverse satellite series that cover meteorological, oceanic, and terrestrial observations. The recent integration of over 200 satellites into China’s EO network has solidified its capabilities in real-time global surveillance and data collection. This extensive network utilizes a range of remote sensing technologies such as synthetic-aperture radar, hyperspectral imaging, and infrared sensors to provide invaluable data across various sectors. Significantly, the research highlights the transition from experimental applications to operational services, emphasizing the active role of private enterprises in the commercialization of satellite data. This shift has not only fueled technological advancements but also diversified the applications of the EO system.
Professor Deren Li of Wuhan University notes, "China's EO system is not just a technological achievement but a cornerstone of our commitment to sustainable development and international cooperation in environmental monitoring and disaster management."
The EO system's applications are vast, ranging from improving agricultural practices through precise weather data, aiding disaster response strategies, to enhancing urban planning processes. The system's development has been pivotal in advancing China's capabilities in global environmental monitoring and disaster response.
Geo-spatial Information Science is an open access journal that publishes research on the application and development of surveying and mapping technology. Geo-spatial Information Science was founded by Wuhan University and is now published in partnership with Taylor & Francis. The journal particularly encourages papers on innovative applications and theories in the fields above, or of an interdisciplinary nature. Geo-spatial Information Science’s editorial committee consists of 21 professors and research scientists from different regions and countries, such as America, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and China. All articles are made freely and permanently available online through gold open access publication.
On China’s earth observation system: mission, vision and application
The impact of inter-satellite links on the ECOM model performance for BDS‑3 MEO satellites
AEROSPACE INFORMATION RESEARCH INSTITUTE, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
IMAGE:
SRP ACCELERATION DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE SOLUTION E1 AND E1I FOR C20 IN THE ALONG-TRACK (A), CROSS-TRACK (B), RADIAL (C) AND D (D), Y (E), B (F) DIRECTION
Inter-satellite link (ISL) plays an essential role in current and future Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). This recent study (DOI: 10.1186/s43020-024-00131-y), conducted by Wuhan University's GNSS Research Center and published in Satellite Navigation in May 2024, explored the significant effect of ISL data on the orbital characteristics of the BDS-3 MEO satellites.
From the external quality analysis, ISL significantly enhances the reliability of the orbit of MEO satellites manufactured by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST). Besides, the Sun-elongation angle dependent systematic error in SLR residuals nearly vanishes based on the reduced 5-parameter ECOM (ECOM1) or extended 7-parameter ECOM (ECOM2) with ISL data. This is because the ISL reduces the correlation between state parameters and solar radiation pressure (SRP) parameters as well as those among SRP parameters, leading to a more accurate estimation of both orbit and SRP perturbations, particularly those along B direction. This confirms that the deficiency of the SRP models for BDS-3 CAST satellites can be compensated by using better observation geometry from ISL data. On the other hand, for the satellite manufactured by Shanghai Engineering Center for Microsatellites (SECM), the ISL allows for a more accurate estimation of the Bc1 parameter in the ECOM1 model. This only reduces linear systematic error, possibly because the impact generated by the satellite bus cannot be entirely absorbed by the B-direction parameters.
This study provides a new perspective to view the SRP perturbation. Considering that future GNSS constellations will consist of LEO satellites and optical ISLs will be used, more accurate dynamic models and contribution from better geometry can be expected.
This study is financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41974035, 42030109), Yong Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program by China Association of Science and Technology (2018QNRC001), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2042021kf0065).
Satellite Navigation (E-ISSN: 2662-1363; ISSN: 2662-9291) is the official journal of Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The journal aims to report innovative ideas, new results or progress on the theoretical techniques and applications of satellite navigation. The journal welcomes original articles, reviews and commentaries.
Impacts of inter-satellite links on the ECOM model performance for BDS-3 MEO satellites
ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE
13-May-2024
Astronomers discover new Earth-sized world orbiting an ultra-cool star
UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM
A new, Earth-sized planet orbiting an ultra-cool red dwarf star, has been detected by an international team of astronomers – just 55 light years away.
The planet is only the second of its kind to be discovered around this type of star. Called SPECULOOS-3 b, it takes around 17 hours to complete an orbit of the star which is more than twice as cold as our sun, as well as ten times less massive and a hundred times less luminous.
Days and nights on SPECULOOS-3 b seem to be endless: the planet is likely to be tidally locked, so the same side – the ‘dayside’ – always faces the star in a relationship similar to our moon and Earth.
The discovery, published today (15 May 2024) in Nature Astronomy, was made by the SPECULOOS project, which is led by the University of Liège, in Belgium, in collaboration with the Universities of Birmingham, Cambridge, Bern, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. SPECULOOS (Search for Planets EClipsing ULtra-cOOl Stars) was established to search for exoplanets orbiting ultra-cool dwarf stars using a network of robotic telescopes based around the world.
Ultra-cool dwarf stars are extremely common, making up around 70% of the stars in the Milky Way. But they are also very faint and scattered across the sky, so scientists have to observe data from telescopes over several weeks, monitoring each star individually to detect transiting planets.
“We designed SPECULOOS specifically to observe nearby ultracool dwarf stars in search of rocky planets that lend themselves well to detailed studies," says Michaël Gillon, astronomer at the University of Liège and lead author on the paper. "In 2017, our SPECULOOS prototype using the TRAPPIST telescope discovered the famous TRAPPIST-1 system made up of seven Earth-sized planets, several of them potentially habitable. This was an excellent start!”
Whilst most observations of this discovery were made by SPECULOOS telescopes in the Northern Hemisphere, the University of Birmingham researchers contributed some observations taken at the SPECULOOS South Observatory, located in the Atacama Desert in Chile.
Amaury Triaud, Professor of Exoplanetology at the University of Birmingham said: “The discovery of SPECULOOS-3 shows our worldwide network functions well and is ready to detect yet more rocky worlds orbiting very low mass stars While ultra-cool dwarf stars are cooler and smaller than our sun, their lifespan is over a hundred times longer – around 100 billion years – and they are expected to be the last stars still shining in the Universe.”
This long life span, scientists believe, could offer opportunities for life on orbiting planets to develop.
Whilst most astronomical data is automatically analysed and planetary candidates are often first detected by algorithms before being reviewed by humans, in this case, this did not happen. Members of the SPECULOOS team had taken the habit to quickly glance at the nightly data when they became available, and Dr Georgina Dransfield, a former PhD student at the University of Birmingham and a current postdoctoral researcher in Birmingham noticed the planetary signal and alerted the whole collaboration.
She said: “The small size of ultra-cool dwarfs makes it easier to detect small planets. SPECULOOS-3b is special in that its stellar and planetary properties make it an optimal target for JWST, which is capable to get information about the composition of the rocks that make its surface.”
Next steps for the project could include follow-up observations by the James Webb Space Telescope, which would deliver important insights into the planet’s surface mineralogy, and the potential for an atmosphere.
Detection of an Earth-sized exoplanet orbiting the ultracool dwarf star SPECULOOS-3
The SPECULOOS project has revealed the existence of an Earth-sized planet around SPECULOOS-3, a nearby star similar in size to Jupiter and twice as cold as our Sun.
ARTIST'S VIEW OF EXOPLANET SPECULOOS-3 B ORBITING ITS STAR. THE PLANET IS AS BIG AS THE EARTH, WHILE ITS STAR IS SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN JUPITER, BUT MUCH MORE MASSIVE.
The SPECULOOS project, led by the astronomer Michaël Gillon from the University of Liège, has just discovered a new Earth-sized exoplanet around SPECULOOS-3, an "ultracool dwarf" star as small as Jupiter, twice as cold as our Sun, and located 55 light-years from Earth. After the famous TRAPPIST-1, SPECULOOS 3 is the second planetary system discovered around this type of star.
Ultra-cool dwarf stars are the least massive stars in our Universe, similar in size to Jupiter, more than twice as cold, ten times less massive and a hundred times less luminous than our Sun. Their lifespan is over a hundred times longer than that of our star, and they will be the last stars to shine when the Universe becomes cold and dark. Although they are far more common in the Cosmos than Sun-like stars, ultra-cool dwarf stars are still poorly understood due to their low luminosity. In particular, very little is known about their planets, even though they represent a significant fraction of the planetary population of our Milky Way.
It's against this backdrop that the SPECULOOSconsortium, led by the University of Liège, has just announced the discovery of a new Earth-sized planet orbiting a nearby ultra-cool dwarf star. The SPECULOOS-3 b exoplanet lies around 55 light-years from Earth (which is very close on a cosmic scale! Our galaxy, the Milky Way, stretches over 100,000 light-years). SPECULOOS 3 is only the second planetary system to be discovered around this type of star: "SPECULOOS-3 b is practically the same size as our planet," explains the astronomer Michaël Gillon, first author of the article published in Nature Astronomy. A year, i.e. an orbit around the star, lasts around 17 hours. Days and nights, on the other hand, should never end. We believe that the planet rotates synchronously, so that the same side, called the day side, always faces the star, just like the Moon does for the Earth. On the other hand, the night side hand, would be locked in endless darkness."
The SPECULOOS (Search for Planets EClipsing ULtra-cOOl Stars) project, initiated and led by astronomer Michaël Gillon, has been specially designed to search for exoplanets around the nearest ultra-cold dwarf stars. These stars are scattered across the sky, so you must observe them one by one, over a period of weeks, to have a good chance of detecting transiting planets," continues the researcher. This requires a dedicated network of professional robotic telescopes." This isthe concept behind SPECULOOS, jointly run by the Universities of Liège, Cambridge, Birmingham, Berne, MIT and ETH Zürich.
"We designed SPECULOOS specifically to observe nearby ultra-cool dwarf stars in search of rocky planets that lend themselves well to detailed studies," comments Laetitia Delrez, astronomer at the University of Liège. In 2017, our SPECULOOS prototype using the TRAPPIST telescope discovered the famous TRAPPIST-1 system made up of seven Earth-sized planets, including several potentially habitable ones. This was an excellent start!"
The SPECULOOS-3 star is more than twice as cold as our sun, with an average temperature of around 2,600°C. Due to its hyper-short orbit, the planet receives almost sixteen times more energy per second than the Earth does from the Sun and is therefore literally bombarded with high-energy radiation. "In such an environment, the presence of an atmosphere around the planet is highly unlikely," says Julien de Wit, MIT professor and co-director of the SPECULOOS Northern Observatory and its Artemis telescope, co-developed by the University of Liège and MIT, and the mainstay of this discovery. The fact that this planet has no atmosphere could be a plus in several respects. For example, it could enable us to learn a great deal about ultra-cool dwarf stars, which in turn will make possible more in-depth studies of their potentially habitable planets."
SPECULOOS-3 b is proving to be an excellent target for the JWST space telescope, to be launched in 2021, whose data will revolutionize our vision of the Universe. "With the JWST, we could even study the mineralogy of the planet's surface!" enthuses Elsa Ducrot, a former researcher at the University of Liège now based at Paris Observatory.
"This discovery demonstrates the ability of our SPECULOOS-North observatory to detect Earth-sized exoplanets suitable for detailed study. And this is just the beginning! Thanks to the financial support of the Walloon Region and the University of Liège, two new telescopes, Orion and Apollo, will soon join Artemis on the plateau of the Teide volcano in Tenerife, to speed up the hunt for these fascinating planets" concludes Michaël Gillon.
SPECULOOS-3 b and its star SPECULOOS-
Artist's view of exoplanet SPECULOOS-3 b orbiting its star. The planet is as big as the Earth, while its star is slightly larger than Jupiter, but much more massive
A study published in Nature Astronomyand conducted by Dr. GUO jianheng from the Yunnan Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences increases our understanding of the violent atmospheric escape processes of low-mass exoplanets, specifically a process known as hydrodynamic escape. It reveals various mechanisms driving hydrodynamic escape and proposes a new classification method for understanding these escape processes.
Exoplanets, i.e., planets outside our solar system, are a popular subject in astronomical research. The atmosphere of these planets can leave the planet and enter space for various reasons. One such reason is hydrodynamic escape, which refers to the upper atmosphere leaving the planet as a whole. This process is much more intense than the process of particle escape predicted in our solar system's planets.
Scientists theorize that hydrodynamic atmospheric escape occurred in the early stages of some of our solar system's planets such as Venus and Earth. If Earth had lost its entire atmosphere via this process, it might have become as desolate as Mars. However, this intense escape no longer occurs on planets like Earth. In contrast, space and ground telescopes have observed that hydrodynamic escape still occurs on some exoplanets that are very close to their host stars. This process not only changes the planet’s mass but also affects the planet's climate and habitability.
In this study, Dr. GUO found that the hydrodynamic atmospheric escape from hydrogen-rich low-mass exoplanets could be driven either solely or jointly by the planet's internal energy, the work done by the star's tidal forces, or heating by the star's extreme ultraviolet radiation.
Before this study, researchers had to rely on complex models to figure out which physical mechanism drove hydrodynamic escape on a planet, and the conclusions were often obscure. This study proposes that the basic physical parameters of the star and planet—such as mass, radius, and orbital distance—are sufficient for classifying the mechanisms of hydrodynamic escape from low-mass planets.
On planets with low mass and large radius, sufficient internal energy or high temperature can drive atmospheric escape. This study shows that using the classic Jeans parameter—a ratio of the planet's internal energy to potential energy—can determine whether the aforementioned escape occurs. For planets where internal energy cannot drive atmospheric escape, Dr. GUO defined an upgraded Jeans parameter by introducing tidal forces from stars. With the upgraded Jeans parameter, the roles of the star's tidal forces and extreme ultraviolet radiation in driving atmospheric escape can be easily and accurately distinguished.
In addition, this study reveals that planets with high gravitational potential and low stellar radiation are more likely to experience a slow hydrodynamic atmospheric escape; otherwise, the planet will primarily undergo rapid hydrodynamic escape.
This study helps scientists understand how a planet's atmosphere evolves over time, which is important for exploring the evolution and origin of low-mass planets. In this way, we can better understand the habitability and evolutionary histories of these distant worlds.
Gopichand Thotakura, an Indian-origin entrepreneur and pilot, is part of the Blue Origin New Shepard -25 mission, which embarked on its seventh human flight on Sunday.(Blue Origin)
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