All posts tagged: astronauts

We’re In Utter Disbelief About the Photos the Moon Astronauts Just Sent Back

Sign up to see the future, today Can’t-miss innovations from the bleeding edge of science and tech On Monday, the four crew members of NASA’s Artemis 2 mission made history, officially breaking the record for the farthest any human has ever traveled from Earth, at an astonishing 252,752 miles from home. At the time, the crew’s capsule was swinging around the Moon before starting its multi-day return journey, offering the astronauts some truly astonishing views. The team spent many hours using both professional-grade photography equipment — as well as their iPhones — to capture the exceedingly rare moment, from a dazzling “Earthset” to a total solar eclipse that lasted nearly an entire hour. The team was extensively coached on how to take these pictures and what to look out for as they gazed at the rugged surface of the Moon through Orion’s windows. It was a highly organized “seven-hour lunar observation period,” as NASA notes, with the crew dividing into pairs. Two crew members observed for 55 to 85 minutes at a time, “while the …

Artemis II astronauts troubleshoot onboard toilet

Published by Sam Flores

IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Why the NCAA is calling for changes to gambling laws 01:41 Pope Leo marks Good Friday with cross procession at Colosseum 00:24 Trump says downing of U.S. jet won’t impact Iran negotiations 00:45 NASA shares photos of Earth taken by Artemis II crew 00:25 Firings in Trump 1.0 vs Trump 2.0 01:33 Could Lee Zeldin be the next attorney general? 00:40 Tourists walk hanging Eiffel Tower bridge 00:29 Now Playing Artemis II astronauts troubleshoot onboard toilet 00:57 UP NEXT One pilot has been rescued by U.S. military 00:37 Iran offering reward for the capture of U.S. aircrew 00:51 U.S. fighter jet goes down over Iran 01:03 U.S. economy added 178,000 jobs in March 01:16 Attack on Iran’s B1 bridge kills at least eight people 00:24 Astronauts describe space as they rocket toward the moon 00:55 ‘Bob’s Burgers’ actor Eugene Mirman injured in car crash 00:20 Pete Hegseth forces out Army’s top officer 00:41 Husband charged with murder in death of …

NASA astronauts prove that sending an email really is rocket science

Published by Miika Tikkanen

Before the Orion spacecraft even launched on Wednesday, NASA’s Artemis II moon mission — the first in 50 years — had already weathered a storm of complex challenges, like hydrogen and helium leaks, a faulty heat shield, and technical issues with its safety system. Now in space, these four brave astronauts face their most formidable obstacle yet: Microsoft Outlook. In the first of their 10 planned days in space, Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman was having trouble using Microsoft Outlook, so he contacted Mission Control for tech support, according to the livestream of launch communications. At first, Wiseman was having issues related to Optimus software, but then he flagged a more pedestrian concern: There were two instances of Outlook running on his personal computing device, or PCD — a Microsoft Surface Pro, per NASA. “I also see that I have two Microsoft Outlooks, and neither one of those are working. If you want to remote in and check Optimus and those two Outlooks, that would be awesome,” Wiseman said. Soon after Wiseman reported the issue, …

How hibernating hamsters could help astronauts

Published by Jenni Sidey

Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. With the freezing temperatures that have recently pummeled parts of the northeastern United States, the idea of curling up for the winter and snoozing until spring sounds very appealing. There’s just one problem for our species—well, actually, there would be many. As far as the science of hibernation goes, a long period of cold and inactivity usually isn’t good for human muscle tissue and muscle stem cells, or the cells that carry out the repair and maintenance of muscle tissues. This problem exists for most animals, but not the ones that hibernate and let winter pass them by. Within this context, researchers investigated how the muscles of hibernating animals are safeguarded throughout extended stretches of inactivity and dramatic cold. In a study recently published in The FASEB Journal, scientists discovered that in these situations, the muscle stem cells remain alive, essentially putting their activity on hold. In other words, when faced with acutely low temperatures, the cells in question don’t …

Giving astronauts tardigrade toughness will be harder than we hoped

Published by Miika Tikkanen

How can we protect space explorers from cosmic radiation without encasing spaceships in massive layers of lead? Some have suggested dosing them with the DNA-protecting protein from tardigrades – but it’s not going to be that easy. Corey Nislow and his colleagues at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver have shown that a tardigrade-produced protein called Dsup, short for damage suppressor, can protect against an even wider range of mutation-inducing chemicals than we knew, in addition to radiation. But it also has a trade-off: it reduces the fitness of cells and can even kill them. “There’s a cost for every benefit that we’ve seen,” says Nislow. Tardigrades are tiny animals famed for their ability to survive stresses, including being exposed to extreme temperatures, dried out, blasted with radiation, and even exposed to the vacuum of space. In 2016, it was shown that Dsup is one of the keys to their toughness. When human cells were genetically engineered to produce Dsup, they became more resistant to radiation without any reported downsides. This led to the …

Astronauts’ Brains Are Being Displaced

Published by José Betancourt

Scientists are still learning how spending prolonged periods of time in the microgravity of space can affect astronauts’ health. The environment has been shown to accelerate bone density loss and the destruction of blood cells, put pressure on the eyes that can cause vision problems, andcause many more health conditions — an especially pertinent topic as NASA is in the process of evacuating an astronaut from the International Space Station due to an unspecified health crisis. The human brain, which is suspended in clear cerebrospinal fluid inside the skull, can also be impacted by the effects of microgravity — in a surprisingly tangible way. As detailed in a new study published by an international team of researchers in the journal PNAS, the brain “shifts upward and backward within the skull following spaceflight, with sensory and motor regions exhibiting the largest shifts.” They also found that the brain’s shape deforms in measurable ways, changes that only sometimes revert within six months after returning back to Earth. It’s a notable new finding, once again highlighting the long-term …

Astronauts Suit Up for Their Journey to the Moon

Published by José Betancourt

If all goes according to plan, four astronauts are set to become the first humans to travel past the confines of our planet’s gravity well to the Moon in over half a century. NASA is hoping to launch its Artemis 2 mission a mere two months from now — two months earlier than originally planned — by launching the four individuals on board an Orion spacecraft mounted to its enormous Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The goal isn’t to touch down on the lunar surface just yet, a goal NASA has reserved for its follow-up Artemis 3 mission, which is tentatively scheduled for 2027. But it’s nonetheless a daring feat. The Artemis 2 crew will be flying around the Moon and back in an enormous arc, likely reaching the farthest point from Earth that any human has traveled before, including NASA’s Apollo missions. And though drama has plagued the Artemis program, this next mission is starting to really come into focus. Over the weekend, for instance, NASA conducted a dress rehearsal for its scheduled February …

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