Lifeboat Foundation

Rubio surpassed the U.S. space endurance record of 355 days on Monday at the International Space Station. He arrived at the outpost last September with two Russians for a routine six months. But their stay was doubled after their Soyuz capsule developed a coolant leak while parked at the space station.

The trio will return to Earth on Sept. 27 in a replacement capsule that was sent up empty for the ride home. By then, Rubio will have spent 371 days in space, more than two weeks longer than Mark Vande Hei, the previous U.S. record holder for a single spaceflight. Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov holds the world record of 437 days, set in the mid-1990s.

India’s Chandrayaan-3 moon lander, which is currently hibernating, showed up in fresh images taken by the nation’s Chandrayaan-2 lunar orbiter.

There are quirks at the far edge of our solar system, in the form of disturbed objects in the Kuiper belt. One explanation: Planet Nine.

Carbon-based molecules, such as methane and carbon dioxide, have been detected in the atmosphere of a possibly ocean-bearing exoplanet.

Carbon-based molecules have been discovered in the atmosphere of a possibly ocean-bearing exoplanet by the cutting-edge James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

The exoplanet K2-18b is found in the habitable zone of the red dwarf star K2-18, around 120 light-years distant from Earth in the constellation Leo.

Astronomers have been observing and studying Mars for centuries, but the systematic mapping of Mars began in the 19th century.

Maps have played an essential role in helping us better comprehend our home planet. These tools visually represent the Earth’s surface features, allowing us to navigate, study geography, monitor changes, and conduct scientific studies.

As space organizations prepare to make humanity an interplanetary species, it is critical to sketch and construct a Mars map for better exploration and possible habitation.

Rubio has spent more than 355 days aboard the ISS and will spend more than a year aboard the space station before returning to Earth.

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio now holds the record for the American who has flown the longest space mission in US history.

Continue reading “New single spaceflight record holder: NASA’s Frank Rubio” »

On Earth, only living things make dimethyl sulfide molecules. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope just found hints of it in another world.

Space probes that have been launched from Earth currently cannot self-determine their locations in space. To know where they are, they first need to receive signals from Earth which they then bounce back. The signals are then received back on Earth and specially designed clocks then compute the time taken for the signals to travel back. Based on the calculated time, the location of the probe is determined and then communicated back to the probe.

NASA’s Perseverance rover has successfully completed an experiment designed to create oxygen on Mars, using a technique that could one day provide astronauts with breathable air, and be used as a key ingredient in rocket fuel for a return journey home.

Humanity is looking to expand deeper into the solar system, first by establishing a permanent base on the Moon, before finally placing human boots on Mars for the first time in our species’ short history. For this to be a reality, both NASA and its partners need to develop new technologies that will make use of the natural resources of those distant worlds to ensure that future missions are as self reliant as possible.

One major problem faced by astronauts visiting Mars is ensuring they have a ready supply of breathable air. Oxygen on Earth is relatively abundant, making up roughly 21 percent of our planet’s atmosphere. However, the gasseous shell enveloping Mars is composed of less than one percent oxygen, and 96 percent carbon dioxide, with nitrogen, argon, and other myriad trace gases making up the remainder.