Mars secret revealed: The Red Planet's cracked skin may be hiding an ancient truth
NASA's Curiosity rover has captured the first-ever close-up images of spiderweb-like 'boxwork' formations on Mars, revealing new clues about the planet's ancient water systems. These intricate mineral ridges, buried for eons then revealed by Martian wind, suggest Mars once had underground liquid water. Found uniquely on Mount Sharp, they've stunned scientists and sparked new questions about the Red Planet's past climate—and whether it could once have supported microbial life in salt-rich, subsurface habitats.
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The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
When a U.S. shuttle docked with a Russian space station
Former foes cooperate Fuelled by the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, the space race saw the two nations compete to achieve superior spaceflight capability. The end of the Cold War, however, saw the Soviet Union collapse and form independent nations, including Russia, which had been at its core. Less than five years after the end of the Cold War came about a historic moment of cooperation between space programmes that had been rivals not long ago. Daniel Goldin, who was NASA's chief at the time, called it the beginning of 'a new era of friendship and cooperation' between the two nations. This cooperation enabled the U.S. space shuttle Atlantis to dock with Russian space station Mir to form what was then the largest human-made object ever to orbit the Earth. And if that weren't enough, the STS-71 mission was also the 100th human space mission in American history. Launching and docking The primary objectives of the STS-71 mission were to rendezvous and perform the first docking between the space shuttle and the Russian space station. Originally planned for May 1995, the launch was pushed to June in order to make room for Russian space programme activities to facilitate the first space shuttle, space station docking. This was done through a series of spacewalks that reconfigured Mir for docking. The launch, which was then set for June 23, had to be pushed again due to inclement weather. Rainy weather and lightning prevented the loading of the external tank on the day. The stormy weather persisted the following day, and along with a short 10-minute launch window, the attempt on June 24 was scrapped at the T-9 mark. The launch was further moved to June 27, when it took place without incident. Smooth docking Compared to the launch, the docking was much more straightforward, even though it was the first time ever that these two were coming together. The entire process took two hours, but it was completed at 1 p.m. GMT on June 29, just two seconds off the targeted arrival time! The docking was accomplished using the R-Bar or Earth radius vector approach as it allows natural forces to brake the orbiter's approach better than the standard approach directly in front of the space station. Additionally, this method helps minimise the number of orbiter jet firings needed for approach. As a result, Atlantis closed in on Mir from directly below, with the manual phase of the docking beginning when the shuttle was about 800 m below Mir. The commander of STS-71, Robert L. Gibson, also held the delicate task of manoeuvring the shuttle towards the space station. When the shuttle was just 250 feet from Mir, stationkeeping was performed, seeking approvals from U.S. and Russian flight directors before proceeding further. Once Gibson moved the shuttle to just about 30 feet from Mir, the final phase of the docking began. For this final stage, Gibson had to move the Atlantis at a targeted speed of 0.1 feet per second – that's a rate of no more than a foot every 10 seconds! The closing velocity was approximately 0.107 feet per second at contact and the interface contact was nearly flawless as the lateral misalignment was less than an inch and the angular misalignment was less than 0.5-degrees per axis. The docking had been successfully achieved at a distance of 400 km (216 nautical miles) above Lake Baykal region of the Russian Federation. What after docking? With the primary objective turning out to be a splendid success, the astronauts and cosmonauts involved quickly turned their attention to other matters without further ado. Linked together and orbiting some 400 km above Earth, Mir and Atlantis – weighing nearly 225 tonnes – formed the largest spacecraft ever in orbit. When the hatches on both sides were opened, STS-71 crew members passed into Mir for the welcoming ceremony. After greeting each other and clasping hands to mark the moment, gifts were exchanged formally. While the astronauts from Atlantis offered chocolates, fruits, and flowers, the Mir cosmonauts welcomed with bread and salt – traditional Russian welcoming gifts. On that day itself, the first shuttle changeout of a Mir crew took place as Mir 18 crew transferred responsibility for the space station to Mir 19 crew. The two crews switched spacecraft once the transfer was officially complete. Scientific investigations Over the next 100 hours, the U.S. and Russia jointly conducted nearly 15 biomedical and scientific investigations in the docked shuttle-station, in addition to transferring equipment to and from Mir. The experiments conducted covered seven different disciplines: cardiovascular and pulmonary functions; human metabolism; neuroscience; hygiene, sanitation and radiation; behavioural performance and biology; fundamental biology; and microgravity research. Three three Mir 18 crew members, meanwhile, followed an intensive programme of exercises. These were to help them prepare to re-enter an environment with gravity after over three months in space. Among the things transferred from Mir to Atlantis were also all the samples from the Mir 18 crew members, including urine and saliva samples, blood samples, surface samples, air samples, water samples, and even breath samples. After a farewell ceremony on July 3, the hatches on both the space shuttle and the space station were closed 16 minutes within each other. Prior to undocking on July 4, Mir 19 crew briefly abandoned the space station in order to fly away in their Soyuz spacecraft and record images of the Atlantis and Mir separating from each other. Commander Gibson likened the separation sequence to a 'cosmic ballet.' The returning crew of eight landed safely at the Kennedy Space Center on July 7. The STS-71 mission had lasted just 9 days, 19 hours, 22 minutes, 17 seconds, but enough was achieved to talk about it even 30 years later.
Economic Times
5 hours ago
- Economic Times
Shared gajar ka halwa, aam ras with fellow astronauts: Shukla tells PM Modi
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel India's Shubhanshu Shukla and other astronauts on the International Space Station relished delicacies such as ' gajar ka halwa ', 'moong dal halwa' and ' aam ras ' as they began their 14-day stay on the orbital shared these details in an 18-minute interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday from the International Space Station that is orbiting the earth at an altitude of 400 km."Yes, I brought 'gajar ka halwa', 'moong dal ka halwa' and 'aam ras'. I wanted everyone who has joined me from other countries to enjoy the rich Indian cuisine. All of us had it together and everyone liked it," Shukla told the prime asked Shukla whether he had shared any Indian delicacies with his fellow reached the International Space Station on Thursday along with three other astronauts as part of the commercial Axiom-4 mission for a 14-day stay during which the crew will be part of a series of science reaching the orbital lab on Thursday, Shukla and the three astronauts spent the day settling in and setting up their sleeping Peggy Whitson is located in the Airlock, Shukla in Dragon, Slawosz "Suave" Uznanski-Wisniewski in Columbus, and Tibor Kapu in the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM).They completed handover activities with the Expedition 73 crew and began acclimating to life in operational tasks were also completed, including unpacking cargo in Dragon and reviewing emergency the interaction, Shukla briefed the prime minister about various experiments being done in to how space differs from Earth, Shukla explained that everything in space feels different from the training on the ground. He added that his feet were tied while speaking to Prime Minister Modi; otherwise, he would start said simple acts like drinking water or sleeping become significant challenges in space. Shukla explained that one can sleep on the ceiling, on the walls, or wherever, since orientation becomes fluid."Adjusting to this altered environment takes a day or two, but the experience is a beautiful harmony of science and wonder," he said.
Economic Times
5 hours ago
- Economic Times
blue origin rocket: Blue Origin Spaceflight launch live: When and where to watch
Launch Rescheduled Due to Weather Conditions Watch the Launch Live Online About Blue Origin and the New Shepard System Live Events NS-33 Crew Roster: Diverse Backgrounds on Board Allie Kuehner – Environmental advocate and board member of "Nature is Nonpartisan". Carl Kuehner – Real estate executive and chairman of Building and Land Technology. Leland Larson – Former transportation CEO and philanthropist from Oregon. Freddie Rescigno Jr. – CEO of electrical firm Commodity Cables. Owolabi Salis – Legal and financial consultant. Jim Sitkin – Retired lawyer from California. The Flight Experience: From Supersonic to Soft Landing Blue Origin's Expanding Horizons FAQs What is Blue Origin's NS-33 mission? When is the NS-33 rocket launch scheduled? (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Private aerospace firm Blue Origin is preparing for another ambitious leap into suborbital space with its next human mission scheduled for Sunday, June 29. Dubbed NS-33, this will be the 13th crewed flight by the Jeff Bezos-founded company, continuing its journey in space tourism and commercial space operations, as per a report by USA slated for June 21, the Blue Origin rocket launch was delayed multiple times owing to 'persistent high winds' in West Texas. The new targeted liftoff time for NS-33 is 8:30 AM ET on June 29, with backup windows available for Monday, June 30, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, as mentioned in a report by USA launch will take place at Blue Origin's Launch Site One, a private facility located over 140 miles east of El Paso, near the U.S.-Mexico and space watchers can witness the event live through Blue Origin's official website. The webcast is expected to begin approximately 30 minutes before the scheduled launch, offering real-time coverage of the countdown, liftoff, and capsule by Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin has become a significant player in the private spaceflight sector, competing with Elon Musk's SpaceX. The New Shepard rocket, named after pioneering American astronaut Alan Shepard, is a reusable 60-foot-tall spacecraft designed for brief suborbital himself was part of the first crewed New Shepard flight in July 2021, a milestone that launched the company's space tourism arm. Since then, over 60 individuals have flown aboard New Shepard across various rocket operates autonomously, with no pilots onboard. The total flight duration is about 11 minutes, including a few minutes of weightlessness for the crew, just above the internationally recognized boundary of space, known as the Kármán Line (approximately 62 miles or 100 km above Earth).The six-person team selected for NS-33 includes a mix of entrepreneurs, environmentalists, and professionals:The mission begins with a vertical liftoff, where the New Shepard rocket reaches over 2,000 mph. After the booster detaches, the capsule coasts into space, allowing passengers to experience microgravity. The booster autonomously returns and lands upright using fins and reverse the crew capsule floats back under three large parachutes, landing gently in the desert of West space tourism, Blue Origin is also advancing its orbital program with the massive New Glenn rocket, which completed its inaugural test from Cape Canaveral earlier this year. As the private space race accelerates, Blue Origin's dual-track focus on suborbital flights and orbital ambitions continues to position it as a major industry is Blue Origin's 13th human spaceflight mission, part of its New Shepard program focused on suborbital tourism and commercial space launch is set for Sunday, June 29, at 8:30 AM ET, with a backup window available for Monday, June 30, depending on weather conditions.
