space

Its launch is a success and has led to space

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Jesús Calleja has become the third Spaniard in going to space. Or seen otherwise, the first Spanish space tourist. Anyway, the famous adventurer has achieved cross the line of karmthe border of space that only astronauts and a few lucky ones had gone through until the arrival of companies such as Blue Origin. Context. Television presenter Jesús Callej Jeff Bezos Aerospace Company. This has been the tenth tripled flight of the company, which in total has sent 52 people beyond the 100 km of altitude: The official border of spaceaccording to the International Aeronautical Federation (IFA). Calleja has been telling the preparations for this new adventure in a documentary called ‘Calleja in space’that he had already released his first two episodes in Prime Video and in four waiting for the launch. Produced by Amazon and Mediaset, the flight has been broadcast live in Telecinco, in addition to the official Blue Origin channels. The presenter’s point of view will arrive in Prime Video next week. Calleja has crossed a border that two Spaniards had gone through: astronauts Michael López-Elegría de la Nasa and Pedro Duque de la Este, which far from discrediting space tourism flights, participated in the documentary. The preparations. Both in its social networks and on television, Calleja has been telling the details of coexistence and the brief training through which crew members of a New Shepard mission passed before takeoff. The launch platform is in the middle of the desert, so travelers sleep in some bungalós with fair comforts to spend a few days. Half an hour before the hour originally planned for takeoff, the six crew climbed into the space capsule (which had already flown 11 times) at the tip of the rocket, made a final check of their vital support costumes and systems, and they were instructed one last time on emergency procedures and the correct use of seats and harnesses aboard the ship. In addition to Jesús Calleja, They were part of the NS-30 mission The investor and former Technological CEO Lane Bess (which was flying for the second time with Blue Origin), the ELAINE HYDE media businesswoman, the reproductive endocrinologist and founder of the fertility clinics Ivirma Richard Scott, the physicist and researcher of Wall Street Tushar Shah, and a sixth anonymous crew. The flight. After a 20 -minute delay to complete the rocket configuration, Blue Origin’s flight director gave the “go” to take off, which finally occurred at 9:50 in the morning, local time at the company’s facilities to the company West of Texas (16:50 in Spain). The New Shepard rocket ignited its be-3pm hydrogen and liquid oxygen engine and rose for two and a half minutes, accelerating until separating from the capsule. While the propeller returned to land vertically, seven and a half minutes after takeoff, the capsule began a parabolic flight above 100 km of altitude, officially entering the space for about three minutes. Blue Origin does not show images of the interior of the capsule during its live emissions, but what is heard from inside the ship. Between laughs and comments in English, the voice of Calleja was heard making comments on how the sky had become black or its first impressions to see the earth from her window: “My mother, please, but how we have this luck.” Landing In the 8:30 minute of flight, the capsule, already accelerating in free fall to the ground, opened its pilot parachutes and shortly after its three great parachutes. The landing was soft and occurred in the 10:11 minute, with the retrocohetes on the last moment to cushion the impact with the ground, which raised a small dust. Blue origin teams soon arrived in the area to secure the capsule and open the hatch. Where Jesús Calleja and his teammates came from a few minutes later to hug their relatives. Calleja could not contain emotion and tears before saying: “Earth needs protection.” Images | Blue Origin In Xataka | A Spacex flight caused their astronauts to become genetically younger. The intriguing thing is that it lasted only three days

We have been growing lettuce in space for years. Now we have discovered that they are more likely to get sick

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Bad news for astronauts who usually eat healthy. That is, for all astronauts. The crew members ago of the International Space Station consume the vegetables that they themselves cultivate in microgravity: lettuce, peppers, radishes. Some spicy Chile. More recently, vegetables have joined the autoconsumo astronauts of the Chinese Space Stationwhich already has lettuce, cherry tomatoes and chivesalthough it does not carry so much in orbit. The problem is that space salads They are not as safe for consumption as we thought. A team of researchers from the University of Delaware has discovered that lettuce and others Microgravity cultivated vegetables They are more Pollution prone by bacteria such as Salmonella. The study, funded by NASA, shows that under conditions of microgravity, plants tend to open their stomata (the small pores of their leaves and stems) instead of closing them to prevent the invasion of pathogens. To reach this conclusion, the team created a simulated microgravity atmosphere in the laboratory with a device called clinostat, which rotates plants as a chicken in an grill. The results showed that, under these conditions, the salmonella more easily infects the tissue of the leaves. Friendly bacteria also lose their protective effect The researchers explored the use of a friendly bacterium, B. Subtilis, as a solution to the problem. However, bacteria, which on earth helps plants fight pathogens, He failed to protect them in it Simulated microgravity environmentwhich suggests that space changes significantly the interaction between plants and microbes. The finding is important. Not only because he doubts that the salads of the International Space Station are totally safe, but also because it helps to understand the challenges of agriculture in future space colonies. With population growth on earth and the loss of agricultural land, space is an increasingly realistic option for food cultivation. But if they want Avoid an outbreak of salmonellosisthe future farmers of space be worth the future farmers to wash their hands well with soap and water. Image | NASA/Cory Huston In Xataka | The space dream was to spend billions of euros to go to Mars to end eating crickets In Xataka | The food knows very different in space. The reason is more intriguing than it seems: confinement *An earlier version of this article was published in February 2024

Exorbiting the International Space Station in two years

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The International Space Station is, as the name implies, an international project. One of the most important and monumental international projects in history, the result of the collaboration of multiple countries. Now an entrepreneur wants to accelerate his end. In an ideal world, entrepreneurs could not undo what several countries have built. Much less if the reason is accelerate the conquest of Marsfor which the new rocket of said entrepreneur will be needed. But this is not any businessman. He is the richest in the world and has enough political power and influence to take us seriously. Elon Musk’s last idea. “It’s time to start preparations for exorbiting the international space station,” Elon Musk wrote in his X profile during Thursday afternoon. “It has fulfilled its purpose. Its incremental utility is very small. Let’s go to Mars.” When exactly? “The decision depends on the president, but my recommendation is to be done as soon as possible,” The businessman said. “I recommend doing it in two years.” That is, in 2027, two years before the date agreed by the ISS partners. An accelerated ending. At 25, the International Space Station shows signs of aging. Investments in maintenance have been increasing. Structural fatigue begins to be a concern. The risk of impact with space garbage does not stop growing. The plan agreed by the ISS partners was to keep the operating station until 2030 and then tow it with a special ship to a safe place (presumably the Pacific Ocean) for its atmospheric reentry. NASA asked Spacex to develop this vehicle by 2030. By then, hopefully, there will be Commercial Space Stations In the low terrestrial orbit. But by 2027, the year proposed by Musk, the continuous presence of Americans in space would probably be interrupted. The space would continue inhabited, yes, By Chinese astronauts. Can Trump retire the ISS a long time? That is the big question. The International Space Station involves five space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), the European Space Agency (Europe), Jaxa (Japan) and CSA (Canada). Canada operates the Canadarm robotic arm, Europe the robotic arm was and the Columbus laboratory … but in broad strokes, the ISS consists of two main segments that are from the United States and Russia. In the same way that Russia was threatening to decoup down her and leave before 2030, Donald Trump could propose the same. It is hard to imagine a scenario in which the European, Japanese and Canadian partners of NASA agreed with this abrupt ending. What would happen, for example, with European astronauts who were going to fly to ISS before 2030, Like the Spanish Pablo Álvarez? But it is not impossible to occur. “You are delayed.” Musk’s statements, yes, could have been hot written. He published them just a few hours after exploding against the former commander of the International Space Station Andreas Mogensenwho had called him a liar for statements in Fox News. Musk and Trump have been circulating the narrative that Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were abandoned by former president Biden in space after the Fiasco of the Boeing Starliner ship. Actually, NASA ordered a return plan for both during the Biden administration: to reserve two empty seats on the CREW-9 mission, which will return to Earth at the end of March (an exclusive ship for them would have cost dozens of millions). When Mogensen pointed out this in his X profile, Musk replied: “You are a complete mental retardation. Spacex could have brought them back several months ago. I offered this directly to the Biden administration and refused. His return was delayed for political reasons. Stupid.” Image | Elon Musk, Nasa In Xataka | It is not that Elon Musk has managed to introduce its influence on NASA. Is that he has entered sweeping

Human beings are evolving live and direct on the Tibetan plateau. And understand what happens there will be fundamental in space

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It is not easy to breathe on the roof of the world. A few days ago, Kilian Jornet told in the revolt that, while he went down from Everest, He began to suffer hallucinations And convinced that he was dreaming he was about to jump into the void. And it makes sense because, thousands of meters above sea level, there is simply less oxygen in each breath of air. It is, we could say, pure physics. However, for more than 10,000 years, Tibetans have not only survived these dementeial conditions of that environment: they have prospered. But how? It is a question that has intrigued anthropologists for years. And if we think a little, he has his crumb. For decades, it has been said that evolution is slow and that, in general terms, human beings are more or less the same as we were in the Paleolithic. How could it be that Tibetans (who would not cease to be people like us) have prospered all this time If that is so? The answer is very simple: not being. A few months ago, anthropologist Cynthia Beall, from Case Western Reserve University, published PNAS investigation which clarifies all this and reveals “how the physiological features of Tibetan women improve their ability to reproduce in an environment with such a shortage of oxygen.” It is live and live evolution. What did they do? Beall and his team They studied 417 Tibetan women between 46 and 86 years old who lived around 4,000 meters above sea level in Alto Mustang, Nepal; that is, at the southern end of the Tibetan plateau. They collected many data: from their reproductive history to physiological measurements, DNA samples or a wide set of social factors. Its intention was precisely to understand how the characteristics of oxygen supply in high altitude hypoxia conditions influenced the number of living births. Because? Because it is a key measure of the evolutionary aptitude of these women. And so it was. Because what they discovered is that women who had more living children had a “unique set of blood and cardiac characteristics” that helped their bodies to distribute oxygen. Specifically, They discovered That although these women had middle levels of hemoglobin, it was more saturated. It was a fantastic solution because it allowed an efficient distribution without increasing the viscosity of the blood (and, therefore, without forcing the heart more than necessary). What does all this mean? Something really interesting. Because work Not only does it underline “the remarkable resilience of Tibetan women”but they also offer valuable information about the ways in which human beings can adapt to extreme environments. After all, “it is a case of natural selection in progress. Tibetan women have evolved in a way that balances the oxygen needs of the body without overloading the heart,” Beall explained. And, understanding how populations like these are adapted, “it gives us a better understanding of human evolution processes.” Something that, on the other hand, we need. Because in the end, it turns out that the unity of the human species is only sustained by the similar environmental conditions in which we move. But what will happen when we become an “interplanetary species”? And the answer is simple: that We can never go home. The unity of the species will be detrimental to our adaptive success. Image | Will Pagel In Xataka | To what extent are Elon Musk’s plans to settle on Mars? A planetary scientist explains it to us

The new space race has created Boomerang scrap. The probability that clash against a plane has also increased

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We are launching more rockets to space than ever. Between China and Spacex, they occur releases every few days in a new space race with multiple objectives on the horizon. It’s something that is lowering space transportationbut also generates a new problem: the amount of scrap that orbits our planet. And this generates another conflict: with more satellites and rockets in orbit, the risk that a fragment of some of them hit a plane is increasingly high. At the University of British Columbia they have proposed to analyze it and have determined that, to anyone’s surprise, the consequences of the clash would be devastating. The problem. Beyond the test rockets, transport of goods and people, something that is causing more and more launching are the satellites that bring the internet to any corner. There are several players in this segment, but Spacex carries the front with its program Starlink. These satellites are sent in rockets that, when they fulfill their function, lose height and return to the planet. Some partially disintegrate and others, to the re -enter the atmosphere without controlthey fall anywhere. The ocean is usually the main receptacle, it is also possible that they fall in urban areas or that, on their way, they clash against a plane. The probability. First of all, tranquility: the risk that these space debris impact an plane is still low, very low. According to The Aerospace Corporation, in 2021 (when they were thrown, but it was not the current fever), that risk was one between 100,000, or 0.001%. The system predicted, taking into account future releases, which by 2035 would rise to seven out of 10,000, or what is equal to 0.07%. It is, as we say, a low probability, but that is there. In the study From the University of British Columbia they have analyzed how all this depends on air traffic density. Taking as an example the traffic of September 1, 2023, and the United States as a area, we can see that, every year, there is a 99% probability that the resentments of rocket bodies occur in green areas, 75% in the yellow, 26% in oranges and 0.8% in red. Las Rojas are the most activity areas, such as the main airports, oranges are large cities and green and green move away from urban nuclei and, therefore, from the agglomeration of airplanes. Long March 5B. Beyond the direct clash of this space scrap against a plane, something whose probability remains exceptionally low, there is another problem: the danger of happening and leads to the decision to cut the airspace. On November 4, 2022, the body of the Long March 5B rocket, 20 tons of weight, re -entered the atmosphere, falling on the Pacific Ocean. All good, but it might not have been like this: the entrance location was the product of chance, since the body of the rocket was abandoned in the orbit and a planned design was not made for the re -entry of the remains. Consequences. The night before the reentry, different surveillance agencies, as well as the European Air Safety Agency, issued reports in which they encouraged national authorities to restrict airspace “in a corridor of at least 70 kilometers and up to 120 kilometers on each side of the estimated reentry trajectory ”of the rocket. Spanish and French authorities complied with this and They closed part of their airspace. As a result, 645 flights were delayed, with an average of 29 minutes per plane. In addition, some airplanes that were in full flight had to return to the origin airport or take a detour. It was the evidence of a lack of planning, anticipation and control over this space scrap. Interestingly, Portugal, Italy and Greece did not make the decision to close, generating other problems in their airports due to the unexpected increase in air traffic due to deviant flights. In purple, the airspace closed by the Long March 5B. In blue, his career and fall Solutions. Unfortunately, although this is a problem that will go more, controlling the reentry of space debris is not something that has an immediate solution. The researchers propose that those responsible for launching rockets also invest in controllable reentry technologies so that they do not enter the atmosphere unpredictably. These technologies include engines capable of re -effective to partially direct the rocket, but also a better mission planning so that the rocket falls into a remote area of ​​the ocean, far from populations and, evidently, air traffic. The problem is that, although the technology is there, they estimate that less than 35% of the launches perform these controlled inputs and, with 2,300 bodies in orbit with an annual increase of between 30 and 40 bodies, the risks will continue to increase. In 2001, the titanium engine coating of the third stage of a Delta 2, with a weight of approximately 70 kg, landed in Saudi Arabia, about 240 km from the capital Obviously, it is also a huge money expense, so achievements such as catch the Starship propeller and the advances of Spacex engineers so as not to have launch and throw rockets They are so important. And a global protocol is also necessary to manage these resentments and make coordinated decisions, not to delegate everything in an aeronautical industry that is not responsible. In the end, it is much more likely that there are alterations in air traffic due to this space garbage than to the clash of one of these remains with a plane, but whenever this probability is not zero, solutions must be contemplated. Images | Nature, Spacex In Xataka | The capture of the Super Heavy changes everything: Spacex has gone from being 9 years ahead of the industry to not having a rival

In a strange turn of events, Jesús Calleja will be the third Spaniard in history to travel to space

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The television presenter Jesús Calleja will travel to space in a Blue Origin ship, the Jeff Bezos Aerospace Company. Tells it in A new documentary called ‘Calleja in space’which has already released two episodes in Amazon Prime Video waiting for its launch in the New Shepard rocket. The space flight does not yet have an assigned date, but it will be broadcast live in Telecinco. The launch of Jesús Calleja. The famous Spanish adventurer has an assigned seat in a New Shepard mission in Blue Origin. Presumably the NS-30, which although it has not been announced, is the following mission in the calendar. The New Shepard is a 15 -meter high suborbital rocket (18 with the spacecraft in which passengers go). Although he is not able to put the capsule into orbit, it was the first rocket in the world that He managed to demonstrate a propulsive landingwhich has allowed Blue Origin to offer a regular space tourism service for millionaires. How will the flight be. The New Shepard will take off from Texas. Calleja and five other travelers will access the capsule at the top of the rocket along the launch tower stairs. The rocket will take off and accelerate to overcome the Kárman line, the most accepted border between the earth and the outer space, 100 kilometers above sea level. While the rocket returns to the surface to land, the ship separates and makes a parable in space during which travelers experience about three minutes of microgravity and enjoy panoramic views of the earth. Next, the capsule begins its atmospheric reentry and opens the parachutes to land, 11 minutes after takeoff. The third Spanish in space. Once you cross the line of Kárman, Jesús Calleja will become the third Spaniard to have traveled to space. The first two Spaniards to achieve this were: Pedro Duque: As astronaut of ESA in 1998, aboard the discovery space ferry, and 2003, aboard a Soyuz ship Michael López-Elegría: as NASA astronaut in 2000, 2002, 2006 and 2009, and as Axiom private astronaut In 2022 and 2024 Pablo Álvarez, career astronaut in ESA since 2022it has not yet flown to space, but it is planned to do so for a mission of six months before 2030. Sara García, reserve astronaut in ESA of the same promotionit could also be called for a shorter mission, such as those of Axiom. How much has the flight cost. The cost per seat of a New Shepard space tourism mission is confidential and surely varies from customer to customer. That said, there was a specific figure that ended up leaking thanks to a transaction made by crypto. Moundao, an organization to “decentralize access to space”, moved 2.5 million dollars in cryptocurrencies To pay two seats aboard the New Shepard. That is: he paid 1.25 million dollars per seat. The first was used by Coby Cotton, of the YouTube channel ‘Dude Perfect’, on the NS-22 Mission of August 2022. The second, by the cardiologist Eiman Jahangir during the NS-26 mission August 2024. Two points. Most likely, Jesús Calleja has not paid the space flight of his pocket, or ruined along the way to his producer, Zanskar Productions. The documentary is co -produced by Mediaset Spain and It is broadcast in Amazon Prime Video streamingwhere it has other sponsors, such as Generali. Maybe Prime Video has been able to access a lower price than usual for the Calleja seat in exchange for all this advertising, but does not have to. Blue Origin is a private company that is only linked to Amazon for being owned by Jeff Bezos, also the founder of the technological giant. Image | Prime video In Xataka | If the space industry wants to democratize tourism, it must overcome several challenges. Like space smells good

The world’s largest elevator has more space than many floors in Tokyo

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The skyscrapers have obsessed us for centuries. There are plenty of examples like The Italian Manhattan almost 1,000 years ago, Manhattan herselfthe Burred that rose in China or what is erecting in Dubai. Whenever the construction of a new skyscraper is announced, something that comes to mind is: and the elevators … what? They are elements that can go unnoticed, but that is something that does not happen to huge elevator of the Jio World Center tower. Not only is it the largest elevator in the world, but it has the small floor size and capacity for more inhabitants than many PEOPLES OF SPAIN EMPTY. But it is not the only hyperascensor that attracts attention. A bus without wheels. This elevator has no its own name, but, definitely, it deserves it. Created by the Finnish company Kone, the Jio World Center elevator in Mumbai has the capacity to house up to 235 people simultaneously. It is an absolute barbarity that has been designed to offer a transport as comfortable as possible for those who use it. Not only does the decoration attract attention, with large windows and a sophisticated roof with design lamps, but it has its own ventilation system so that the route is as pleasant as possible even at maximum load. The elevator floor also has a very careful pattern and we only miss the occasional sofa to rest. Space is left over, of course. Huge. Because the dimensions are recorded, with its weight of 16 tons and its surface of 25.78 m². It has several access doors to expedite the flow of users and the windows serve to have passengers have a panoramic view of both the convention center in which it is located and its gardens. It only operates on five floors, but that does not make this elevator a real monstrosity. If you are wondering how the security measures, those responsible announced that the system is supported by 18 pulleys and the cabin moves on rails fixed in steel columns. The goal is for transportation to be as comfortable as possible, without accelerons or brakes. And all this is remotely monitored to avoid dislikes. Your building is not far behind. The elevator is colossal, but its building is no less. He Jio World Center It is a space dedicated to great conventions. It is the largest in India and its exterior and interior design has no waste. Is not the only one. Now, one thing must be clarified: that of the Jio World Center is the largest elevator for people in the world both by weight and charging capacity, but there is a set that has nothing to envy: that of the office building UMEDA JANKYU In Osaka, Japan. Installed in 2010, these are five elevators of about 18 square meters with capacity for 80 people each. Built by Mitsubishi, these elevators have more merit by having more work than that of the Indian Convention Center and transporting almost 400 simultaneous people through 15 plants. The Bailong China, of course. But if you suspected that China, With its mega -structuresI would not have a hyperascensor in any of them, you are right. In fact, it has two. One of them, the Bailongan elevator that runs a height of 326 meters outdoors with capacity for 50 people at the same time and a speed of overwhelming three meters per second. There are three double -floor elevators that operate simultaneously and were inaugurated in 2002. Their views are imposing, since they are next to a cliff. And if we go to the industrialists… just as imposing, due to its capacity, it is the ship’s elevator of the three throats, also in China. It is an elevator that facilitates River traffic on the Yangtsé River and has a load capacity of up to 3,000 tons. Its platform is 120 meters long, 18 wide and 3.5 meters deep. It is a demential structure that raises the ships at a height of 113 meters, an operation that has between 30 and 40 minutes and that, although it seems a lot, is much faster than the traditional system of locks to pass ships from one side to another. Images | KoneJio World Center, NYX NO In Xataka | The B face of the New York skyscrapers: more than 600 kilometers of permanent scaffolds that form bonds of terror

Siberia stays in the dark good of winter. In 1988, Russia had an idea to solve it: mirrors in space

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Towards the end of World War II, Some documents in Life magazine They revealed one of the many ideas that Hitler’s Nazi Germany had: a kind of solar projectile through A giant orbital mirror to destroy enemies or even whole cities. Obviously that never happened, but decades later it served as a slight inspiration for a Russian scientist who started from a fascinating idea: how could we extend the hours of the day? Convert the night. The truth is that the background idea is not new. Over the years, Humanity has sought to extend the day (Understood as day and light) with technological tools, from electric light to digital communications. However, in the 1990s, a group of Russian scientists tried to take this concept to the extreme: launch huge space mirrors to reflect sunlight towards the earth and prolong the day. Vladimir Syromyatnikov. The project we are talking about was directed by Vladimir Syromyatnikovone of the most influential space engineers in historyknown by Develop the ship’s coupling mechanism which is still used at the International Space Station. During the 80s, his interest focused on The design of solar candles that could use solar radiation To propel ships through space. However, in postsoviet Russia, obtaining financing for space projects required clear economic justification. Thus, Syromyatnikov reformulated his idea and presented it as One way to illuminate Siberia’s arctic regions during the dark winter monthsincreasing productivity in agriculture and industry. Yeah, I would try to turn on the sun for the polar regions of Russia After the night fell. Image of Znamya Znamya and his brief success. In 1988, Syromyatnikov founded the Space Regata Consortiumwith the support of Roscosmos and several state companies. His motto was very clear: “Diury light all night.” The idea not only promised to reduce electric lighting costs, but also Facilitate rescue in disasters, military operations and night construction projects. The first prototype, Znamya 2, He was sent to space in February 1993 aboard the progress M-15 ship and subsequently deployed from the MIR Space Station. Once in orbit, he began to turn to deploy its reflective surface. The mirror, 20 meters in diameter, achieved the feat of Reflect a beam of light equivalent to that of a full moon, illuminating an area of ​​5 km in diameter while crossing Europe and Russia 8 km per second, even Astronauts in Mir confirmed that they could follow the flash from space. The problem? The reflected light was more diffuse than expected and difficult to controland the weather was not taken into account. Plus: The cloudiness prevented the majority of observers on land to notice. Hours later, The mirror disintegrated by re -entering the atmosphere. ZNeamya 2.5. Despite its short duration, the experiment showed that the concept was viable, which promoted Znamya 2.5 planningwith a larger mirror and the ability to maintain the beam of light on a fixed point. Thus, in 1999 this second version was launched with A 25 meter diameter mirror. This time, when deploying, one of his fine sheets became entangled in an antenna from the Progress ship, tear the structure. The attempts to free her failed and the mirror had to be exorbitantburning in the atmosphere. The next step would be Znamya 3, with a 70 -meter mirror, capable of illuminating entire cities. What happened? That The failure of Znamya 2.5 and the lack of financing buried Syromyatnikov’s project and dream. In addition, the opposition of astronomers and environmentalists grew, arguing that Space mirrors could alter natural cyclesaffect astronomical observation and confuse wildlife. A man and his tireless search for light. Despite the failure, Syromyatnikov continued looking for financing to build a permanent mirro system. We talk about An estimated project of 340 million dollars. His vision was a world where cities would not need artificial light and the days had no nights. However, investors lost interest and the project was abandoned. Syromyatnikov continued his work on coupling systems until his death In 2006, dedicating his days to work without rest, in an ironic parallelism with his obsession with eliminate The night. The legacy. If you want, that was also the end of a space “exploration.” In any case, much less the background idea is over. Today, the idea of ​​taking advantage of sunlight from space has resurfaced In the investigation of orbital solar plantsthe same as They could send energy to Earth through microwave. However, Znamya is still a reminder of the limits of technology and the need to respect natural cycles. Russia’s attempt to convert the night and enlighten Siberia in winter was both a demonstration of human ingenuity and an experiment that, in the end, crashed with the laws of nature and resistance of the modern world. Image | QSI/MIR In Xataka | The Nazi plan to build a huge space mirror with which enemies and the Russian project that (almost) makes it a reality In Xataka | A secret simulator of the Cold War led to the US and Russia to a nuclear war. Since then they know what the red line is

China has built such a huge laser that is seen from space

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Last year, China revealed a budding technology to which They had called Crazy Li. It was an unpublished combat laser capable of cutting metal or causing blindness on the battlefield. What has now discovered an American satellite is completely different from everything known. By size, we are facing an unusual development, so much that it is seen from space. A technological colossus. Apparently, everything indicates that China is developing in the city of Mianyang, Sichuan province, A huge laser fusion research centera technology with the potential to provide clean and unlimited energy. A project that also could also have military applications in the design and modernization of nuclear weapons, According to analysts from two independent intelligence organizations. And how have we learned? Satellite images have revealed A structure with four gigantic arms that will house laser bays directed towards an experimentation center where fusion tests will be performed using hydrogen isotopes. According to analyst Decker Evelethof the CNA Corporation, this installation is at least 50% larger than the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in the United States, which would make it the largest nuclear fusion center in the world. The company would have been monitoring its evolution from space since in 2020 it was just “a land patch.” The project, called Laser Fusion Major Device Laboratoryit had not been previously reported, which has generated concern in the international community about its true purpose. How the laser fusion works: star energy. Nuclear fusion consists of joining hydrogen atoms to generate energyreplicating the process that occurs in the sun and other stars. Unlike the nuclear fission currently used in nuclear plants, Fusion does not generate long -term radioactive waste or pose catastrophic accident risks. In this type of facilities, the powerful lasers shoot on a central chamber that contains hydrogen isotopes, compressing them until they merge and release a huge amount of energy in a process known as ignition. In the case at hand, the design of the Chinese installation presents those four huge arms that They will channel the laser energy towards a central tower where the fusion chamber is located. China vs.euu. Until now, the National Ignition Facity from the United States has led the laser fusion research for decades, achieving in 2022 a historical milestone: The first fusion reaction with net energy gain. The only “but”: the advance did not tell the energy expenditure necessary to feed the lasers, which still leaves the merger far from being viable as a commercial source of electricity. For its part, China, With its aggressive approach in technological developmentcould be shortening the distances. Analysts such as Melanie Windridge, director of Fusion Energy Insights, highlight that the Asian country is advancing with determination and speedwhich could give it a strategic advantage. For Andrew Holland, director of the Fusion Industry Association, if the United States and its allies do not accelerate the investment in nuclear fusion, China could win the race in a short time. Its ability to carry projects from the concept to construction is remarkably faster than that of the West. China East Fusion Reactor Energy or weapons? It is the big doubt after knowing the images. Beyond its application in energy production, these facilities can also perform A crucial role in the development of nuclear weapons. Both China and the United States are signatories of Complete prohibition treaty of nuclear testswhich prevents testing with atomic explosives. The problem? The capacity of these facilities It allows to simulate nuclear explosions without physically detonating themoffering key data to improve the design and performance of nuclear eyes. In this regard, William Alberque, analyst at the Henry L. Stimson Center, He pointed to the CNN that any country with an installation similar to the NIF inevitably will use its ability to improve its nuclear arsenals. Eveleth coincides, suggesting that the Chinese project It could allow the development of more sophisticated weapons, even smaller and more efficient versions. While some experts believe that this advance reduces the need for real nuclear tests, it could also mean a modernization of the Chinese arsenal without the country needing to perform test explosions, thus avoiding international sanctions. And a hybrid reactor? It is the other possibility that is considered, that the installation in Mianyang is not only a conventional laser fusion installation, but A hybrid fusion-fission reactor, which would further raise its strategic potential. The reason? This type of technology combines nuclear fusion with fission to generate energy more efficiently. According to Holland, if China develops this type of reactor, It would be more advanced than any similar installation in the Westwhich would consolidate its leadership in the field of advanced nuclear energy. Geopolitical implications. China’s advance in the construction of this installation points to part of an ambitious energy and military development program, marking a new phase in technological competition with United Statess. As we said, nuclear fusion has been considered The “energy of the future” for its ability to provide clean and unlimited electricitybut also represents a powerful tool in terms of national and geopolitical security. While the United States continues to lead scientific achievements in the field, China accelerates or seems to be demonstrating A much faster construction and scalability capacity. A development that could influence the balance of global power, not only in the energy field, but also in the strategic and military. A fact to consider: China has performed 45 nuclear tests in its historya significantly lower number than The 1,054 of the United States. In other words, its detonation database is more limited, so the use of advanced fusion simulations could be crucial to improve their designs without the need for real evidence. Image | Planet Labs PBC, Chinese Academy of Sciences In Xataka | His name is Crazy Li and is able to cut metal or cause blindness: China has developed an unpublished combat laser In Xataka | This is ‘Orca’, the new Chinese military ship without crew and up to weapons

Elon Musk says he will rescue the two astronauts stranded in the space at Trump. The problem is that

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A incendiary message. “The president of the United States has asked Spacex to bring the two astronauts stranded at the International Space Station as soon as possible,” Elon Musk wrote In his profile of X. “It is terrible that the Biden administration has left them there for so long.” After 20 minutes, more than one million people have seen the message, which Musk apostilled answering “true” to the following answer: “The hatred they had was greater than their desire to rescue those astronauts.” A little context. In June 2024, two astronauts arrived at the International Space Station aboard the Starliner spacecraft, Boeing’s alternative to the Crew Dragon of Spacex. The ship had to spend a week in orbit before returning to Earth, but A failure in the propulsion system During the first leg he made three months undergoing And finally I would go empty. Elon Musk’s X messages about astronauts Elon Musk lies. No one will be surprised at this point that Musk publishes propaganda in his X profile, but the message misrepresent the reality in a particularly fantasy way. While it is true that astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are still in space since June, they are not stranded. SPACEX CREW-9 MISSION took off in September 2024long before Trump assumed the presidency, with two empty seats to bring them back. So why do they continue in the ISS? It was the plan provided by NASA. Wilmore and Williams were reallocated to the CREW-9 mission and became part of the permanent crew of the International Space Station. Williams is, in fact, the commander of expedition 72, and He has just taken a space walk As part of your tasks. That NASA did not ask Spacex to look for them immediately has nothing to do with the hatred of Musk, but that there was no crew dragon to immediately available. The most logical solution was to get two astronauts out of the next round trip (the CREW-9 mission) to leave two free seats. And now what? The return of the CREW-9 mission is scheduled for the end of March 2025. So far, the expected thing was that Wilmore and Williams return along with their mission partners, the American Nick Hague and the Russian Aleksandr Gorbunov, in March or maybe in April. But Musk’s message suggests that perhaps his return goes ahead. As for the Starliner, NASA canceled the flight that had hired Boeing By 2025. The two astronaut rotations of this year will be in charge of Spacex while Boeing continues to analyze what could fail in its first manned flight and how it plans to solve it. Images | Steve Jurvetson (CC By 2.0), NASA In Xataka | The Starliner ship is not only a humiliation for Boeing: it is a moneyless money well that will no longer be able to recover

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