Four astronauts launch to space station after extended delay
Axiom Space Mission 4 launched four astronauts from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The flight comes after an extended delay triggered by tests related to leaks plaguing the International Space Station. The group is expected to be in space for two weeks to help carry out about 60 experiments before returning home.
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Engadget
an hour ago
- Engadget
NASA'S James Webb Space Telescope has captured its first direct image of an exoplanet
NASA'S James Webb Space Telescope has captured direct images of a planet outside of our solar system, which is the first time it has accomplished such a feat. This is a very big deal because exoplanets don't put out much light, so researchers typically discover new planets through indirect methods like keeping track of shadows as they pass across a host star. Webb, however, didn't have to do all that. It has directly captured images of a planet called TWA 7 b . Scientists believe the planet is around the mass of Saturn and is located 100 light years away from Earth. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. — NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb) June 25, 2025 The planet is much further away from its star than Earth, so it has a wider orbital period that lasts several hundred years. The planetary system is thought to be around 6 million years old, so we are really getting a snapshot into the early stages of its development. Our sun is considered to be middle-aged and is around 4.6 billion years old. TWA 7 b is ten times smaller than any previous exoplanet to be directly observed with a telescope, according to The Guardian . Typically, planets of this size can't be seen by telescopes, as the light from the host star masks direct observation. The research team, led by Dr. Anne-Marie Lagrange, got around this by making a telescopic attachment that mimicked the results of a solar eclipse. This reduced much of the light emanating from the star to make it easier to observe surrounding objects. The process allowed the team to spot the planet, which appears as a bright source of light with a narrow ring of debris. Lagrange and her team do note that there's still a "very small chance" the images show a background galaxy, but the evidence "strongly points" to the source being a previously undiscovered planet. The first exoplanet was first discovered in 1992. Since that time, nearly 6,000 more have been spotted. Again, the vast majority of these have not been captured with direct imaging. This is just the latest stunning discovery by our good friend James Webb. It recently captured a cosmic phenomenon called an "Einstein Ring," which is when light from one galaxy is bent around the mass of another. Last year, the telescope found the most distant galaxy ever observed . If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Inhaling Moon Dust Is Somehow Less Toxic Than Urban Air Pollution
During the Apollo missions, NASA operated out of an abundance of caution to ensure that astronauts didn't track back by planet-threatening microorganisms from the Moon. However, the conditions on Earth might be more dangerous to human life in one specific way. A study by the University of Technology Sydney published last month found that moon dust was far less toxic to our pulmonary system than the air pollution someone would encounter in a city. The study suggests that inhaling moon dust won't cause long-term damage to our airways. Tests showed lunar material didn't trigger significant oxidative stress to lung cells, dissuading the fears provoked by the uncomfortable experiences of Apollo astronauts and other NASA personnel after the missions from a half-century ago. Now, if you're in the exclusive club of scientists with access to powdered lunar regolith, I wouldn't whip out your I.D. badge to start snorting lines of moon dust for a laugh. Michaela B. Smith, lead researcher and Ph.D student, said: "Any dust, if you inhale it, you'll sneeze, cough, and have some physical irritation. But it's not highly toxic like silica, where you end up with silicosis from being on a construction site for 10 years. It's not going to be something like that." Read more: These Should Be The Next Mail Trucks When The Post Office Gets Privatized The researchers emphasized the critical difference between mechanical damage and toxicity. Moon dust is still infamously abrasive. The study noted the irregular shape and rough edges of the dust. According to statically-charged lunar dust would stick to space suits during Apollo's moon walks. This became a serious issue when astronauts returned to the Lunar Module. Once inside, the dust would sting the crew's eyes, cause a sore throat and sneezing. The same thing would happen once the flight surgeon unpaced the suit back on Earth. This new research will be used for Artemis III, NASA's first crewed return to the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. The mission is still scheduled for 2027 after numerous delays caused by development issues. However, the entire program has been jeopardized by the Trump administration's funding cuts and cancellation of the SLS rocket program. If Artemis continues, there are plans for a permanent human presence on the surface. Without the looming threats of long-term health issues, NASA could use moon dust to build its base on the surface. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Wall Street Journal
an hour ago
- Wall Street Journal
Out On the Streets, It's Every Food Robot for Itself
The future of human-robot relations is playing out on city streets and college campuses, and it's looking a bit scary—for the robots. Tasked with delivering late-night pizza and snacks to the couchbound, robots are getting stuck in snow piles or flipped on their backs, and sometimes relying on the kindness of human strangers to get back on track.
