space

NASA has looked at Torrevieja from space and has seen a huge mass of pink water essential to finding life on Mars

by

From space everything looks different. In fact, distance allows us to distinguish strange shapes, such as the Great Dam of Zimbabwe or the eye of the saharabut also colors that go more unnoticed at ground level. Thus, on June 7, 2021, an Expedition 65 astronaut aboard the International Space Station pointed his camera toward the southeast of Spain and took a photograph that looks like a watercolor: Mediterranean blue, a muted green and an intense pink reminiscent of quartz. The color palette is finished off by the white reflection of the sun. The three colors correspond to bodies of water a few kilometers from each other, in Alicante: the Mediterranean, and the saline lagoons of La Mata and Torrevieja. What seems like an aesthetic coincidence is actually chemistry visible from orbit. Each tone reveals something: the degree of salinity, which microorganisms dominate the water, and in what fragile balance they coexist. The lagoons of La Mata and Torrevieja. The Torrevieja lagoon has been used as a salt mine since the 13th century and today are the largest salt producer in Europe, with an average of 650,000 tons per year, a figure that varies depending on solar radiation, wind and precipitation. It does not function as a natural lagoon, but as an industrial system where water moves according to production needs. The La Mata lagoon acts as a prior concentration chamber: receive sea ​​water through artificial channels and runoff from intermittent streams of the Sierra de San Miguel de Salinas. From there, the water is pumped to the Torrevieja salt mine, where brine from the Pinoso salt diapir through a 55 kilometer pipeline. The result is that the concentration of salt in the Torrevieja lagoon can overcome 260 grams of salt per liter, much more than the 38.5 g/liter Mediterranean that bathes its coast. Two adjacent lagoons but with completely different chemical worlds. Why do they have such different colors?. Each time water of different composition is pumped to produce salt, the chemistry of the system is altered, which determines What organisms can live and in what quantity. Two lagoons a kilometer apart, two different microbial communities and two opposite colors. The pink color of the Torrevieja lagoon is produced by microorganisms. More specifically, in conditions of high salinity and intense solar radiation, the microalgae Dunaliella salina accumulates β-carotene as protection against light. The halophilic archaea that share the lake reinforce that tone: they have red pigments distributed throughout their cell membrane, which makes them visually more decisive in the final color of the water. In La Mata, the lower concentration of salt favors a different microbiota where chlorophyll predominates over carotenoids: that explains the green color. Context. The salinity gradient between both lagoons goes beyond chemistry: it is what allows a different and exceptional biodiversity. The wetland houses up to 400 taxaten species of threatened birds and one of the most important Audouin’s gull breeding colonies in the Mediterranean. Without that difference in salinity, many of those ecological niches would disappear. The NASA image is also more than a photograph: it portrays the fragile balance between industry, microbiology and conservation that climate change is already testing as temperatures rise and salinity fluctuations alter the living conditions of Dunaliella salinaor what is the same, that that striking pink color seen from space could disappear. Why is it important. Dunaliella salina is the organism that supports the base of the food chain in hypersaline lakes around the world. Since 1966 it has been grown commercially to produce β-carotene, which has applications in pharmacology and cosmetics. But it is also an organism that NASA has on the radar because it constitutes a form of life in extreme conditions. It should be remembered that the data from the Perseverance rover indicates that there were hypersaline waters in the Jezero crater of Mars. Studying life in these types of lakes helps understand the potential in these old Martian lakes. What makes Torrevieja pink is the best laboratory we have to know what to look for on another planet. In Xataka | 60 years ago, NASA took a look at the Sahara from space and found a very strange “perfect eye” In Xataka | Europe has been watching Colombia for a decade from space and what it has seen is a tragedy: the death of a glacier Cover | POT

has to dodge space junk and is leaving blind spots on the map

by

Imagine that there was a satellite capable of detect fires shortly after the first spark. Even before calls to emergency services begin. Imagine now that the maps drawn thanks to that satellite suddenly begin to have unexpected gaps. Blind spots where fires can spread freely. It would be tragic, right? Without a doubt, although the truth is that it would not be. It is. This story is totally true and the worst thing is that the reason these blind spots exist is because the satellite has to move over and over again to avoid the space debris that experts have been warning us about for so long. The collateral damage of anti-debris maneuvers. NASA’s Aqua satellite has an instrument called MODIS, which has the ability to detect hot spots and smoke by measuring infrared radiation. These heat and smoke points are minimal, which is why it is used to detect fires from their earliest stages. Since its launch in 2002, NASA has been using it to create fire maps that allow emergency systems to move more quickly and concisely to the places where the fire is located. It’s not even its function; since, as its name indicates, it is a satellite centered on water. However, this side effect has helped save many lives and many acres of land. Unfortunately, every time he moves to avoid incoming space debris he has to let his guard down, with very worrying consequences. One of three. Aqua is one of the three satellites that make up the NASA Earth Observing System (EOS). The other two are Terra and Aura. Their names already give us a clue as to what their function is. Basically, they do a comprehensive survey of the Earth by land, water and air. Terra was first launched in 1999. It is responsible for analyzing the interactions between the atmosphere, land, snow, ice and oceans. It can, for example, detect the progress of deforestation. Then, in 2002, Aqua was launched. Its functions are the analysis of ocean evaporation, atmospheric water vapor, clouds, precipitation, soil moisture, ice and snow. In fact, its MODIS instrument was designed to analyze data related to the water cycle, but it turned out to be an ideal fire detector. Finally, in 2004 Aura was launched, which analyzes the chemistry of the atmosphere, the state of the ozone layer and air quality. The problem comes in 2005. Space debris has been growing in abundance in the last 20 years. Above all, there is a lot of debris in low Earth orbit, since there is a greater gravitational influence there and these are retained. Both Aqua, Terra and Aura are in that same orbit, to be able to carry out their work close to their objectives. Therefore, they are increasingly at risk of being hit by space debris. In fact, since 2005 is calculated who have had to deviate at least 32 times to avoid these impacts. The consequences. These detours prevent them from being able to properly carry out their functions, but they also cost a lot of extra fuel. All of these satellites are having a longer lifespan than expected. However, precisely because of these maneuvers they are using more fuel than expected, so they may stop working next year or the following year. More satellites. Luckily, there are more satellites in space dedicated to detecting fires. NASA itself has several. However, Aqua is one of those that has given the best results. Furthermore, now a call has been made about the risk to the three EOS satellites, but there are many more, from many space agencies and companies, that are in danger from space debris. And the worst thing is that this has only just begun. The European Space Agency (ESA) is following up of more than 50,000 pieces of space debris in orbit, but there are possibly many more. In fact, if we look at smaller objects, between 1 centimeter and 10 centimeters, the figure rises to 1.2 million detected objects. In 2005, 16,000 objects were being tracked, so the numbers have increased greatly. Kessler syndrome. One of the biggest risks from space debris is Kessler syndrome. This is a phenomenon which would occur when fragments of space debris impact satellites, breaking them and releasing more pieces that in turn become more space debris and continue impacting other satellites. It’s kind of like a domino effect. If this happens, the consequences can be many and none of them good. It may take a while for us to be aware of the magnitude of the problem. Therefore, the example of fire hunters is very illustrative. Without them, the planet is in serious danger. The consequences of an impact in space, or even maneuvers to avoid it, also have a full impact here on Earth. You have to do everything possible to avoid it.. Images | NASA/Matt Palmer (Unsplash) In Xataka | If the question is how to protect the mountain from fires, in Soria they have an ancient solution: luck of pines

Without gas stations in space we will not reach Mars. NASA knows this and is finally doing something about it

by

Much of a spacecraft’s fuel is consumed in maneuvers to leave Earth’s orbit. For this reason, as manned missions move further away from our planet, we must begin to think about use space gas stations. These are not fuel pumps floating in space, but satellites, or even ships, capable of transferring fuel to a ship that needs it to travel further. At the moment, this is one of the weak points of many missions, so it is important to start working on technologies that allow it. At NASA they are very aware of this problem, hence this year they are going to launch LOXSATa mission that will test 11 different technologies to guarantee the transfer of propellants. 9 months ahead. LOXSAT is a NASA mission in collaboration with the company Eta Space. The objective of this mission is to test different cryogenic fluid management technologies so that in the future propellant tanks can be created in space. The mission will remain in low Earth orbit for 9 months. Meanwhile, 11 technologies will be tested focused on achieving four objectives: reducing boiling, improving propellant transfer, maintaining stable pressure and measuring propellant levels. The big problem. Cryogenic propellants, such as liquid oxygen at extremely low temperatures, are very efficient, but they have a major disadvantage. And in microgravity conditions, when the transfer between ships is carried out, the temperature cannot be kept low enough, so the fuel boils and suddenly transforms into gas. This causes a huge increase in pressure, which can endanger the ships involved. It seems to be that precisely this problem is the one that is giving SpaceX the most headaches. Like Blue Origin, this company must demonstrate its ability to refuel in space to be part of the Artemis missions, but it is not being easy. This is the reason why with LOXSAT methods will be tested to maintain stable pressure and reduce boiling. Space gas stations. The objective of this mission is to perfect the technology so that in the future there can be fixed propellant tanks in space. In other words, they hope that as we colonize space terrain we have gas stations so as not to run out of fuel. China on the heels. Ideally, in the future, large ships could exchange propellant. No space agency has achieved anything like this. However, China has indeed achieved it with satellites, in their Shijian missions. Plus, they did it in a higher orbit, so they are ahead of NASA in the particular race that has been uniting them for so long. Of course, at the moment, China has not tested cryogenic propellants, but tried hydrazine replenishment. There is still room for improvement. Write down the date. The mission will depart aboard an Electron rocket from Rocket Lab. The launch will be in the summer, no earlier than July 17, from New Zealand. Images | POT In Xataka | Jeff Bezos’ space company has overtaken SpaceX in a key milestone to go to the Moon and Mars: zero evaporation

Star Catcher has raised $88 million to build the first space power grid. Their plan is to recharge satellites with lasers

by

As the pace of space launches increases and missions beyond Earth become more abundant and varied, it is important to look for new ways to obtain energy so that these ships can travel to their destinations. Fuel is not infinite, so there comes a point where it runs out. Therefore, there are three main proposals. One is to resupply the ships directly in orbit. Another option is to resort to nuclear energy. In fact, There are already several agencies working on it. Finally, there is the option of solar energy. Unfortunately, this has some limitations, but the American company Star Catcher wants to solve them through the world’s first energy network located in space. A good economic injection. Star Catcher just announced which has received 65 million dollars in a series A financing round. With what they already had in their coffers, the company has 88 million dollars. Enough to date its first release to the end of this year. Different ways to “squeeze” the Sun. The solar energy we are used to is obtained through plates with photovoltaic cells installed directly on the Earth. However, there are already companies that want to bring it directly from the Sun, even at night. Its goal is to use mirrors that reflect sunlight at will anywhere on Earth, whatever the time and whether the weather is good or not. The problem is that these companies They are being criticized a lot for posing risks such as great light pollution. On the other hand, what Star Catcher wants to do is slightly different. They will also take solar energy directly into space, but they will not direct it to Earth, but to the spacecraft that need it. It will be like a kind of space solar power plant. Optical beaming. Star Catcher will be based on a phenomenon known as optical beaming. This consists of extracting solar energy and using it to power a multispectral optical laser, with which it will be redirected to satellites from which it can be distributed at will to the ships that need it. To do this, they hope to be able to put a constellation of 200 satellites into low Earth orbit. Previous records. Last year, this company broke the world record for wireless electricity transmission by delivering 1.1 kW of power to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Now, they want to transmit directly to space. It also has limitations. Although this company does not have the same limitations as those that want to redirect sunlight to Earth, it involves placing an immense number of satellites in orbit, with the risk that this entails. Many experts warn that, in the same way that could happen with Elon Musk’s Starlink constellation, this type of infrastructure increases the risk of Kessler syndrome. That is, it could happen that one or more fragments of space debris collide with them, deteriorating and launching pieces into space that would become more space debris, which in turn would collide with more satellites or more debris. Thus, a very dangerous domino effect would be generated for satellites, ships and space stations that are in space at that time. Even more risks. On the other hand, the launches of the ships that will place the satellites into orbit are also a great source of pollution. In fact, recently has been published a study that warns of the large amount of polluting substances that these types of launches leave in the upper layers of the atmosphere, where, otherwise, the pollution would be residual. In short, this company will bring us great advances, but it will have to maneuver carefully so as not to bring even more problems. Image | Star Catcher In Xataka | Starlink’s dominance in space begins to move: another company already has permission for a constellation of 4,000 satellites

The joint mission between Europe and China is already in space. The really important thing comes now

by

Finally, despite the postponement last April, SMILE has been launched successfully. The mission that unites China and Europe To study how the solar winds interact with the Earth’s magnetosphere, it departed from the Kurú Space Port, in French Guiana, at 03:52 GMT (05:52, Spanish peninsular time). He has at least 3 years of work ahead of him, but before starting his work he must take some preliminary steps. Journey to final orbit. During the first 25 days of the mission, SMILE You must start your engines 11 times. This will allow it to gradually lengthen its orbit around the Earth’s poles, until reaching 121,000 km above the North Pole and 5,000 km above the South Pole. Once in its final orbit, around June 13, it will be time to tune up all its instruments. The final deployment. Remotely, from Earth, mission engineers will check that all SMILE instruments are working properly. For that, some must change their conformation. Specifically, it will be necessary to deploy the magnetometer arm and open the X-ray camera shutter and the UV camera cover. Each of these points is essential for the proper development of the mission. The first images. Once the experiments have been verified, SMILE will begin its work. The first images will be sent to Earth for analysis three months later. The mission. SMILE will study the interaction of solar activity with the shield that the Earth uses to protect itself from it. Although other missions have carried out similar tasks, it will be the first time that global images of this interaction have been taken, both in X-rays and ultraviolet. This will give us better knowledge than we currently have about solar storms and how they affect our planet. And not only They draw us beautiful auroras in the sky. They can also affect telecommunications, sometimes worryingly. It is important to understand them and know how to predict, as far as possible, the harmful effects they could cause. At least three years. The nominal duration of the mission will be 3 years. This means that it is designed to achieve your main objectives in this time. The economic investment of the European and Chinese space agencies has focused on guaranteeing this duration. However, that does not mean that within three years the ship will be deorbited or that all its instruments will be turned off. If it continues to function properly, its useful life could be greatly extended. The case of Cluster. Cluster it was a mission ESA whose objective was also to measure the Earth’s magnetic environment. In a way, it could be considered a predecessor of SMILE. It was launched in 2000 and remained active until 2024. However, Its nominal duration was initially 2 years. Once the retirement date arrived, it was found that Cluster was completely fit, so it was decided to invest in it for much longer. Maybe something similar will happen with SMILE. For now, we will have to go step by step. To begin with, it must reach its operational orbit. Once there, the magic begins. Or rather: science. Image | THAT In Xataka | The Webb and Hubble telescopes simultaneously observed Jupiter’s auroras. The problem is that they didn’t see the same thing

space as a new factory

by

Two pharmaceutical companies have teamed up to launch an ambitious plan to synthesize drugs in space. It’s not an expensive hobby. It is more than proven that some medications They have added advantages if they crystallize under microgravity conditions. Until now, the few companies that had done so had worked alone or with the sole support of agencies such as NASA, but the fact that two of them are associated without the need for the space agency to intervene marks what could be the beginning of an era. Better to join forces. The two companies in question are Varda Space Industries and United Therapeutics Corporation. The first, founded by former SpaceX employees, has been synthesizing medicines in space since 2023. The second has never traveled beyond Earth, but it is a biotechnology company with enough potential for the union to be much stronger. The initial objective will be the crystallization in microgravity of drugs for rare lung diseases. However, in the future drugs could be produced for many other pathologies. It all started in 2019. In 2019, the companies Merck Sharp & Dome Corp. (MSD), in collaboration with the National Laboratory of the International Space Station (ISS), carried out experiments crystallization with the drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda). It is an anti-cancer drug that, as is common in chemotherapy, is administered by intravenous infusion, in a process that can last hours. By crystallizing it in space, a more stable form was obtained that allowed its administration in a single injection, making the treatment much more comfortable for patients. a matter of time. It has been seen that, when crystallized under microgravity conditions, many molecules assemble more slowly and constantly. The results are much more stable molecules that, once used as a drug, have a wide variety of advantages. For example, they dissolve better, do not require as much cold for storage, cause fewer side effects, and have a longer shelf life. Varda’s experience. The Varda company began its space pharmacology project in 2023. That year it launched the first of a series of unmanned capsules with chemical reactors into space. In these reactors, molecules crystallize and, after a few weeks or months of work, are returned to Earth. That first capsule was the W-1. W-6 is currently carrying out its mission and is expected to launch at least three more this year. Furthermore, after the merger with another pharmaceutical company, Varda is confident of being able to scale to 7 launches in 2027. Also for research. Molecules that crystallize in space give rise to larger crystals. This also makes your research easier. Therefore, with this type of project the aim is not only to obtain drugs. It is also expected to obtain candidate molecules to become medicines, to be analyzed more thoroughly by scientists on Earth. This is just the beginning. In the future, space travel will be much more widespread. The reuse of rockets will allow many more launches in less time, space tourism will become increasingly common and many public and private investigations can be carried out in orbit. If sufficient investment is achieved, the infrastructure to obtain drugs in space will become increasingly simpler. And, of course, the benefits for patients will also increase. Image | Varda/Magnific In Xataka | We knew that Mars has gravity. Now we have just discovered the unexpected effect it has on the Earth’s climate

Europe and China are at risk in the race for the first gravitational wave observatory in space

by

Terrestrial gravitational wave detectors, such as the famous LIGO, have made very interesting discoveries in the last decade. However, there is a great consensus that it would be very useful to detect this cosmic phenomenon directly from space. For this reason, some space agencies are already getting to work to launch their own projects. One of them is the Taiji mission, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, with which, in fact, a great step forward has just been taken. Everything ready for Taiji 2. The Taiji mission consists of three phases. The first was already launched in 2019. For the second, a piece called the full-function interferometer optical core had to be tested. The tests carried out on Earth have gone perfectlyso it is considered that the second phase could be launched as soon as possible. In fact, its launch It was initially scheduled in 2024but it has been suffering delays. Luckily, it seems that now all the pieces are ready. Three ships in total. The Taiji mission is made up of three ships, strategically placed in space millions of kilometers away. They will all be connected to each other through laser interferometry, so that slight changes in these distances that could be associated with gravitational waves can be detected. The first phase of the mission, in which the interferometry system was analyzed, was launched in 2019. It is expected to send the second part as soon as possible, in which the first two ships will be put into space. As for the third, in principle the established calendar places its launch in the 2030s. Better in space than on Earth. Gravitational waves are waves produced in space-time as a result of a catastrophic event. These types of events could be, for example, the merger of neutron stars or the collision of black holes. When this occurs, space-time experiences a disturbance similar to that produced when a stone is thrown into a pond. Those are gravitational waves. The terrestrial observatories, like LIGOthey can detect them, but they have a small limitation. And there could be confusion with seismic noise and other terrestrial interference. In space, that problem disappears. Taiji to the rescue. According to the tests that have been carried out on Earth and the analyzes of the interferometry system that have already been carried out in space with Taiji-1, this mission is capable of greatly reducing interference. Furthermore, the optical core that has just been tested is capable of detecting disturbances on the order of picometers. That is, on Earth you can discern displacements equivalent to one ten-thousandth of the diameter of a human hair. Although those distances would change under spatial conditions, it is still highly accurate. Therefore, it is expected to detect even gravitational waves caused by intermediate mass black holes. Other similar missions. The European Space Agency It also has its own mission aimed at detecting gravitational waves in space. This is LISAa project with which it is planned to do something similar: launch three ships connected by laser interferometry into space. In this case, the launch of all ships is scheduled for 2035, so China could have some advantage. Of course, until the complete triangle is in space, the mission cannot be considered completed. Perhaps Europe will be able to overtake the Asian country. Image | NOIRLab In Xataka | What happens if you fall into a black hole, explained simply in an overwhelming NASA simulation

having babies in space

by

China has just sent a very special shipment to the Tiangong, one that aims to find out the answer to whether humans will be able to reproduce in space. Because the great powers have embarked on adventure to colonize the Moon or Marsbut there is a fundamental question which is whether a human embryo can develop in zero gravity. The Chinese Academy of Sciences hopes the answer “is yes.” And that’s why they have sent a curious ‘Noah’s Ark’ to their space station. In short. This May 11, the State Laboratory of Stem Cells and Reproductive Biology post the ship Tianzhou-10 with a cell with embryos of zebrafish, mice and artificial humans. These human embryos are derived from stem cells that are now on their way to the Chinese Tiangong station. This is a facility that the Asian giant has plans to expand to be the great space laboratory once the International Space Station is dismantled, and this is a first step to see if humans can reproduce and develop in zero gravity. artificial humans. Before entering into the objectives, it is advisable to clarify what “artificial humans” is. As Chinese authorities point out, these human embryos are not complete organisms that can become babies. Simply put, these are structures made from stem cells that mimic the very early phases of human development. What has been sent to the Tiangong corresponds approximately to days 14 to 21 after fertilization, a crucial window because it is during which all organs begin to form and in which any anomaly can have a significant impact on human development. For five days, the station’s astronauts will monitor the status of the embryos. They will then freeze them and send them to Earth for analysis. Aim. It is not the first time that embryos have been sent to space. A few months ago we already said that China had sent a mouse so that it would have babies in the station that would later be analyzed to see if they came with any alteration. Nine were born and six survived, resulting in tremendous success because there were so many things that could go wrong. The goal is to see if we can survive away from the protection of the Earth’s atmosphere, and there are more things outside of zero gravity that could be an evolutionary barrier. For example, cosmic radiation, a shower of high-energy particles passing through us, can cause breaks in DNA, with unexpected and fatal consequences. On Earth, the atmosphere protects us, but without that shield, the exposure is much greater. What was deduced from the mouse research is that the cellular repair mechanisms of mammals are capable of compensating for this damage, at least in short-duration flights. That is why this mission is so special because they will spend a longer time in orbit and, furthermore, it is the first time that such a large sample system has been sent with lower vertebrates up to models of human embryos. Those responsible for the project point out that it is the first attempt in history to answer the question of whether humans can reproduce in space and, thanks to the data, work will be possible to develop technologies that mitigate possible adverse effects. Pawned. China is very focused on studying these effects of microgravity and cosmic radiation on embryonic development and, apart from this experiment or that of the mouse, it already sent 6,000 mouse embryos on the SJ-10 satellite in 2016, demonstrating that mammals can complete the first phases of embryonic development. And in 2023, Japanese scientists They sent frozen mouse embryos to the ISS, where they were thawed and where it was concluded that these conditions did not significantly affect the formation of blastocysts. With foot on board. The Tianzhou-10 carries another load to carry out experiments such as ultra-thin solar cells or greenhouse gas sensors, but evidently the issue of embryos draws much more attention. And what it shows is that China is going full throttle in this new space race. A race in which space is being militarized, but also in which a new playing field is being defined for get unlimited energy that being able to send the Earth through laser ‘cannons’ and even the possibility of turn the moon into a mine space. In Xataka | Europe has grown tired of being NASA’s “supporting actor.” And that is why it is starting to work with China

Two companies have teamed up to put their own space garbage truck into orbit

by

As the space race advancesso does the generation of debris, which includes everything from fragments of parts to discarded phases of rockets or complete ships that lost their orbit. This space debris accumulates, generating more and more risks. It is clear that it must be managed in some way, but all the hypotheses proposed have been left in the air. Now, however, two private companies have proposed the development of a kind of space garbage truck, which can lead the process to become operational and repeatable. Just like that truck that passes by your window every morning, they also hope to achieve frequency and efficiency with their waste removal service. The truck and the garbage can. The two companies that have proposed this service are the American Portal Space System and the Australian Paladin Space. The first has developed Starbust, a maneuverable and resupply ship that works like a garbage truck. The operator or garbage dump would be Paladin’s contribution, a payload called Triton. This is responsible for both obtaining images of space debris and classifying and collecting the debris. While the experimental proposals that have been made so far would collect one or very few objects, this combo would collect many more in a single mission. A regular service. Both companies have assured that they are working at a good pace, so they hope to make a first launch at the end of 2026. If all goes well, they would begin doing more regular missions from 2027. It would be a repeatable and well-organized service, which would try to keep at bay the space debris debris that, logically, will continue to be generated. More and more space junk. It is currently estimated that there are more than 130 million pieces of space debris in low Earth orbit. It is a figure that may possibly increase, due to something known as Kessler syndrome. The term refers to a kind of domino effect whereby, if a piece of space debris hits a satellite, for example, even more debris will be generated, which will continue to collide with each other, increasing in number more and more rapidly. The risks. Space debris is dangerous for many reasons, all of them largely related to impacts. To begin with, they can affect artificial objects that are also in orbit, such as satellites. Furthermore, if the impact occurs on manned facilities, such as the International Space Station, or spacecraft, the lives of the astronauts would be put at risk. And we cannot leave aside the risk posed by space debris when it deorbits and returns to Earth. Normally, most of the pieces disintegrate when crossing the atmosphere and do not even reach the Earth’s surface. However, debris may remain capable of causing material or personal damage. In fact, in 2022 a study was published which pointed out that, in the subsequent 10 years, the risk of a piece of space debris falling on a human being is 10%. It is worth launching as many cosmic garbage trucks into space as possible. We will avoid many problems if they work as expected. Cover image | Paladin Space In Xataka | SpaceX has made sending things to space very cheap. The problem is that now space is full of things

The success of Artemis II has lit China’s space fire. Now, your space station will be twice as big

by

All powers have embarked on the new space race and Artemis II It has been the lighthouse that demonstrates the interest that continues to arouse in sending humans outside our borders. Aside from rockets, in low orbit humanity has one of the most exclusive laboratories in the universe: the International Space Station. While the long-standing facility awaits dismantling, China has just sent a message with its Tiangong space station. Soon, it will be twice as big. Ambition. When China was left out of the International Space Station project, it got to work on its own facility. The Tiangong It began to take shape in the 2000s and launched its central module into low orbit in 2021. Other modules have been added designed for Chinese astronauts to investigate in an environment that, until now, was forbidden to them. Since then, it has become a symbol of the ambition of the Chinese space program. Also of the speed at which they are completing goalswith round trip rocket tests and plans for build, together with Russia, a lunar station. Despite everything, he has a problem. It is considerably smaller than the ISS and has a mass of just 100 tons, a pressurized volume of 340 m3 with the capacity to house a crew of three astronauts. Expanding the Tiangong. The ISS can support a crew of seven astronauts, has triple the pressurized volume capacity and a mass of more than 420 tons. If China wants to get involved in space research, it had to do something, and its response has come in the form of a project to expand the Tiangong. How has informed state television CCTV, the station will go from being a ‘T’-shaped structure with three modules to a cross-shaped one with six modules. Its mass will be approximately 180 tons and, although it will remain smaller than the ISS, it will have the capacity to equal the astronauts on a permanent mission: six. If the plans are fulfilled, the three current modules will be joined by a fourth that will have multiple docking ports that will give rise to future laboratory units, increasing the potential to six modules. At the moment, there is no date for this expansion, but it is estimated that work will begin around 2027 and will be a Long March 5B the rocket that will transport what is necessary. Since its T-shaped module was completed, astronauts have performed more than 260 experiments and 26 spacewalks. Exclusiveness. China spent 2025 launching rockets, culminating in a month of December in which they broke all their launch records in a stress test for your multiple mission points. With plans to expand their space station, they show that they are committed to this new era of research and exploration, being something that arrives just when the International Space Station remains in question. Tiangong has remained an exclusive laboratory for Chinese researchers, but if it suddenly becomes the only station in low orbit, China is the one that has the access key so that foreign astronauts can carry out their work in those special conditions. On April 22, the Chinese Manned Space Flight Agency already commented that two Pakistan Air Force pilots would be trained as reserve astronauts and one would travel to Tiangong. He will be the first non-Chinese astronaut to do so, although there are already other astronauts from Hong Kong and Macau who will perform the same process. It is something that responds to China’s intention to promote cooperation projects with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, but without forgetting that the Tiangong is Chinese and, as we say, they have the keys to the doors… and the right of admission. Scrap. While the Asian giant announces the good news around its station, on the other side of the world a dismantling process of the ISS is still scheduled for 2031. The plan is that NASA use a vehicle exclusive to SpaceX to guide the ISS to a space cemetery somewhere in the Pacific. In recent months there has been a lot of discussion about whether it is a better idea to dismantle it, turn it into scrap metal or use it as a portbut at this point, the plan continues its course and it is possible that, sooner rather than later, Tiangong will remain the only manned space station in low Earth orbit. In Xataka | Europe has grown tired of being NASA’s “supporting actor.” And that is why it is starting to work with China

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.