A NASA study reveals that increased solar activity, particularly during solar maximum, accelerates satellite re-entry due to heightened atmospheric drag. This phenomenon, impacting constellations like Starlink, poses operational challenges and environmental concerns as more satellites burn up, releasing materials into the atmosphere. The situation necessitates improved space traffic management and consideration of space weather in planning.
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Fossils unearthed in New Zealand reveal Kumimanu fordycei, a giant penguin from the Paleocene epoch, weighing around 350 pounds. This discovery, published in the Journal of Paleontology, rewrites the penguin evolution timeline, indicating that penguins developed large body sizes much earlier than previously thought. Competition with marine mammals may have contributed to the extinction of these giant penguins.
Ramdas Hemraj Marbade, hailing from a small village in Maharashtra, transitioned from selling golgappas to becoming an ISRO technician. Overcoming financial constraints, he pursued education through correspondence and gained crucial technical skills at ITI. His perseverance led him to secure a position at ISRO's Space Centre in Sriharikota, where he now contributes to India's space missions.
ISRO Chairman Dr. N. Narayanan declared 2025 as 'Gaganyaan Year,' highlighting India's ambitious human spaceflight program. The uncrewed Gaganyaan mission, featuring the Vyommitra robot, is set for December 2025, paving the way for a manned mission in early 2027. ISRO is also advancing lunar exploration with Chandrayaan-4, aiming to return lunar samples, and Chandrayaan-5, a collaborative mission with Japan.
Researchers at the University of Limerick are pioneering a groundbreaking approach to address male infertility by engineering human sperm from lab-grown testicular tissue. This innovative research aims to provide hope for men facing untreatable infertility, offering an alternative to surgical sperm retrieval and donor sperm.
A large asteroid, 2003 MH4, will pass by Earth on May 24. It is about the size of the Eiffel Tower. The asteroid will travel at 30,060 kilometers per hour. NASA considers this a close encounter. Continuous monitoring of near-Earth objects is important. Even small gravitational changes can alter an asteroid's path.
Rice University scientists discovered bacteria thriving without oxygen by releasing electricity. These microorganisms use extracellular respiration, transferring electrons to external surfaces via naphthoquinones. This groundbreaking finding, confirmed through computer models and lab experiments, holds immense potential for clean energy, bioelectronic sensors, and sustainable technologies, reshaping our understanding of life in extreme environments.
SpaceX's Starlink is poised to launch in India, armed with a Letter of Intent from the Department of Telecommunications. The initial phase targets urban areas with 600-700 Gbps bandwidth, serving 30,000-50,000 customers. Plans may start at $10 per month, offering high-speed internet, especially benefiting underserved regions, with aims to expand to 3 Tbps by 2027.
Astronomers have detected ASKAP J1832-0911, a unique space object 15,000 light-years away, emitting powerful radio and X-ray bursts every 44 minutes. This long-period transient, observed by ASKAP and Chandra, challenges existing stellar evolution models. Scientists believe it could be a magnetar or a binary system with a magnetized white dwarf, potentially revealing new physics.
SpaceX's Starship rocket exploded during a test. The issue was a fuel reaction in an engine. The company made fixes, including better insulation. The Federal Aviation Administration approved the changes. A new test flight is set for May 27. This flight will reuse a Super Heavy booster. SpaceX aims to use Starship for Moon and Mars missions.
NASA and SpaceX have rescheduled the undocking of the Dragon cargo capsule from the ISS to May 23 due to adverse weather. Part of the CRS-32 mission, the Dragon will return scientific experiments and supplies to Earth. The mission delivered 6,700 pounds of cargo to the ISS. NASA will livestream the undocking, but the splashdown will not be webcast.