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And one of those companies just ","_key":"5b793ef5213e0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["4483d94e7db0"],"text":"announced","_key":"5b793ef5213e1"},{"marks":[],"text":" a pretty impressive update.","_key":"5b793ef5213e2","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"bc0d42d66054"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"What is Stoke Space?","_key":"7a4124b49c550"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f2184f2740c6"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"If you haven’t heard of this company, you’re not alone. It’s a relatively small space launch firm based in Moses Lake, Washington. But what it lacks in name recognition, it makes up for in moxy.","_key":"4747ab21c0c00","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"572eaba6df46"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"This week, Stoke Space confirmed that it conducted its ","_key":"5c55a26806cf0"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"first rocket engine test fire","_key":"eec4134976ae","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" just days earlier, touting the outcome as a resounding success.","_key":"32b524c46c0d"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"e59f065d8c56"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"While that alone might be enough to pop a bottle of champagne, the achievement becomes even more impressive when you consider the unique type of rocket engine Stoke Space is using. We’re talking about a far more efficient form of fuel than almost any other design, involving so-called stage combustion that enters the chamber in the form of a gas.","_key":"f3d1f4d7f9e00","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"48b13cad64e3"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f78e83ca02b6","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"SpaceX is the only other company with such a launch under its belt — and for a company with","_key":"f1b5c0734ca50"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" just 125 employees","_key":"f5e4b456d249"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", Stoke Space is proving it can hang with the big boys.","_key":"f481f9403ee9"}]},{"_key":"371a38471427","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"What happens next?","_key":"13561151aba40"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"869d8e344acf","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"The company isn’t satisfied with just proving it can develop and test these engines. Now it’s focused on connecting seven of them to power Nova, a rocket Stoke Space has developed.","_key":"83f6ecbd78350","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"7435dc0ddc4a","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"And more ambitious yet, the rocket is designed to be","_key":"00e22794b4010"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" fully reusable","_key":"5f09636a052d"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":".","_key":"66040868e454"}]},{"_key":"60e80fe187ec","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"So far, the company has remained tight-lipped about a possible launch date, but current estimates from industry experts say the level of success Stoke Space has exhibited thus far could result in liftoff sometime in 2026.","_key":"c7dffab553e20"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"}],"publishDate":"2024-06-13"},{"_type":"story","body":[{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/30/science/lunar-time-zone-scale-nasa-artemis-scn/index.html","_key":"81b6f3a61406"}],"children":[{"_key":"ba9ea153c3170","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As the modern-day space race continues to heat up, there are a bunch of details that experts are rushing to figure out. And near the top of the list, at least for the Biden administration and NASA, is "},{"_key":"ba9ea153c3171","_type":"span","marks":["81b6f3a61406"],"text":"establishing"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" a standard lunar time zone.","_key":"ba9ea153c3172"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6aee6a71a828"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Why it’s important","_key":"2bd3eeacc13f0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"a88ee801858a"},{"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Our home planet is littered in time zones due to the Earth’s rotation on its axis, so we all have a pretty standard experience of morning, midday, and night. When it comes to other celestial bodies, however, we","_key":"36594df269970","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" don’t really have a reliable way","_key":"6b6cabddd237"},{"_key":"6472275f078b","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" to tell time."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"4aa002c16070","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"aea80dcd7e86","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"That hasn’t been a big deal in the past, but as a flurry of new moon missions are set to get underway in the near future, it’s an issue that needs to be addressed. And the White House wants to establish a lunar time zone by the end of 2026.","_key":"2b41c7144b110"}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"cbbc4bc38203","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"8c3d968ecc370","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Although that might sound like a long time, this process is"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" a lot more complicated ","_key":"3dfe9b416718"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"than simply declaring it noon on the moon. As any scientist would tell you, time moves differently based on a number of external factors. And what we know about time on the moon reveals just how tricky it’s going to be to get it right.","_key":"8f63cde5af6e"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Everything is relative","_key":"3a8d323caa120"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"11f1f0eab721","markDefs":[]},{"_key":"15b1d01fa979","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"This massive project will involve sending a bunch of super-accurate clocks to the moon and gauging the results. There’s still a lot of work to do, but","_key":"b8cdba9196250"},{"_key":"5d253ab58943","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" we already know quite a bit"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" about it thanks to the work of Albert Einstein.","_key":"ba0e171cd74c"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“Darn that Einstein guy,” said Planetary Society chief scientist Dr. Bruce Betts. “He came up with general relativity, and many strange things come out of it. One of them is that gravity slows time down.”","_key":"9e5fe40febe60"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"da70fd3e17bc"},{"_key":"a088ddc276f1","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As a result, a day is roughly","_key":"1d8f9ac687cf0"},{"_key":"3ae13d909da6","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" 56 microseconds shorter"},{"_key":"6c019bc8501e","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" on the moon than on Earth."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"}],"category":"space","_updatedAt":"2024-05-30T22:10:55Z","author":{"_type":"reference","_ref":"phCNL32Gn"},"title":"What Time Is It On The Moon? NASA Really Wants To Find Out.","_rev":"Km6HaFf45nKVF5C1jMP3Zm","_id":"ace40dc4-7165-4655-b378-ccf95a7df14e","id":"SRS8ZIns","summary":"It's an important project that will be more complicated than you might think. 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","_updatedAt":"2024-05-27T22:08:52Z","visibility":"true","body":[{"style":"normal","_key":"f95b37983a5c","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Elon Musk and other leaders in the private space exploration industry have been prioritizing the concept of sending humans to Mars for many years … but the process hasn’t really moved beyond the speculative phase as of yet.","_key":"ca9bd38fb0da0"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Therefore, the ","_key":"e60cde0e022e0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["22ad0ee1b37f"],"text":"question","_key":"e60cde0e022e1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" remains: will people ever make it to the red planet or is it a fool’s errand to even try?","_key":"e60cde0e022e2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ba6efc23be00","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.businessinsider.com/why-havent-we-been-to-mars-yet-2024-5","_key":"22ad0ee1b37f"}]},{"_key":"67b93c73d404","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Why NASA wants to go","_key":"e1d82e255e320"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_key":"6569e4eda1bf","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/humans-to-mars/","_key":"1c7ca0707c7a"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"It’s not just companies like SpaceX that are interested in establishing a human presence on Mars. 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Plus, getting humans there would be a massive step toward even more audacious manned space exploration projects.","_key":"e27c1a3a0aca0","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"660b0d127a9f"},{"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Of course, this will take a ton of planning, and NASA is focused on ","_key":"f56c72b6409a0","_type":"span"},{"_key":"5ba774941d7b","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"a range of complex issues"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" standing in the way of such a flight — including reliable sources of oxygen, food, water, power, communication, and protection from the elements.","_key":"46f289d809d3"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"1e8713d93faf","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"But even with all of this planning, experts say there are a handful of hurdles that humanity might never clear.","_key":"c5744d4325540","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"a92b0764fe6b"},{"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"An astounding distance","_key":"869e19c530020"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":": Even at its closest point, Mars is 34 million miles away. 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nearest star will literally provide the wind in its sails.","visibility":"true","_updatedAt":"2024-04-13T03:38:46Z","title":"NASA Harnesses Solar Energy To Power Its Next-Generation Spacecraft","body":[{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"36aad386b74b","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.universetoday.com/166594/nasas-next-solar-sail-is-about-to-go-to-space/","_key":"529f23bf56bc"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Since the dawn of the space age, propelling any craft through the cosmos generally relied on heavy and inefficient fuels. But that has been changing in recent years, and NASA is leading the way with a new class of so-called “","_key":"8c1cd43214f60"},{"_type":"span","marks":["529f23bf56bc"],"text":"solar sails","_key":"8c1cd43214f61"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":".”","_key":"8c1cd43214f62"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"A boost from the sun","_key":"eadea4a7946b0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"80821936814a"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Although creating this type of craft requires some serious know-how, the operational basics are fairly straightforward. Essentially, a solar sail makes use of the wind originating from the sun that permeates the entire solar system (although it becomes weaker over long distances).","_key":"7253a7588eb40"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"de1ebdf58294"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"b93571255134","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The technology isn’t brand new — ","_key":"80e7b5a0092c0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Japan launched the first solar sail","_key":"defd24e8807d"},{"_key":"03bde20f3b0a","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" in 2010 — but the tests currently underway by NASA could revolutionize how effective and efficient it can be in future space missions."}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"8edd3dccb600","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Experts say there are a few important characteristics that make solar sails more attractive options than traditional options:","_key":"5fb02a2cc9fe0"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"e1b2cdc997f4","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Propulsion via solar winds allows for ","_key":"ae95cfce9c3d0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"more lightweight spacecraft","_key":"e9d795d076dc"}],"level":1},{"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"80d04b76cad4","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"The ","_key":"b184de5a19a60","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"fuel supply is unlimited","_key":"3e93d420590f","_type":"span"},{"marks":[],"text":", supporting much longer missions","_key":"1f98fd62041c","_type":"span"}]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Launching a solar sail mission is","_key":"b2a2921393d00"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" considerably less expensive","_key":"c27fe25c17bc"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"9927d0aa5475","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"82ecf2198a6b","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"089fcb224f520","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"But that doesn’t mean we’re ready to replace those familiar rockets just yet."}]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Here comes the boom","_key":"f25e8449018f0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"cab261f6feb6","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"There’s one nagging issue that has prevented the solar sail model from taking off (no pun intended) as quickly as proponents might have hoped. 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The engines’ design meant that liquid hydrogen poured out first, rising alongside the body of the rocket and","_key":"20cad92413670"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":" igniting in a spectacular display","_key":"6b37ec9b4d0c","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" during each launch, giving onlookers an experience they won’t soon forget.","_key":"48f8460f0d1b"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f10792b6256f"},{"_key":"a3135c57c83c","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"And in the 13 years since NASA decommissioned its space shuttle, Delta IV Heavy has been the undisputed heavyweight champ of the rocket world.","_key":"2cddcb65a2cc0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"But alas, things have changed a lot since its debut. “","_key":"c1214588e15d0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Distributed launch","_key":"cd2ffd8ec711"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"” is now the norm, with less waste and lower costs. And companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin are ushering in the next leg of a journey that Delta started.","_key":"31a94cdeca6e"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ae8755138e20"}],"category":"space","_updatedAt":"2024-04-10T21:03:40Z","summary":"The spacecraft's final launch took place this week.","publishDate":"2024-04-11"},{"_id":"fbd620fe-7646-4b68-8ca7-82d3ebf728e1","_createdAt":"2024-04-04T23:33:59Z","_updatedAt":"2024-04-04T23:33:59Z","_type":"story","_rev":"Ageu6TTgJ7vZkt7g9VeubN","id":"yGlE9wFe","category":"space","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"summary":"It's a lot more impressive than just four minutes of darkness.","body":[{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6b22aba22b13","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Folks across much of North America will have an opportunity to witness","_key":"9fd23b1278000"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" a total eclipse of the sun","_key":"370003059899"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" on Monday … but there’s a lot more to this event than just a few minutes of daytime darkness.","_key":"7bc81c479b65"}]},{"_key":"b78bf4fa98fb","markDefs":[{"href":"https://www.businessinsider.com/reasons-to-see-total-eclipse-convince-boss-miss-work-2024-4","_key":"893fbaa46ec8","_type":"link"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"So if you’re thinking about","_key":"0987be89a0870"},{"_key":"a7ae95b7cdae","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" taking a personal day "},{"_key":"feaf9e163127","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"in order to get a glimpse of this rare sight, here’s a quick "},{"_key":"0987be89a0871","_type":"span","marks":["893fbaa46ec8"],"text":"rundown"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" of why it’s going to be such a significant experience.","_key":"0987be89a0872"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"fc61c3f214a1","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":["strong"],"text":"The next chance is decades away","_key":"d607a2ce6a6e0","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":": While eclipses aren’t all that uncommon around the world, the United States isn’t scheduled to be in the path of a total solar eclipse until 2044.","_key":"f11dee835fdf"}],"level":1},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"71a98c2febcb","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"This is an opportunity of a lifetime","_key":"86876788ff100"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":": Even when Americans do have a chance to see such eclipses, they’re rarely this long. The darkness is set to last 4+ minutes, which is longer than any U.S. eclipse in a century.","_key":"db9bff6be254"}],"level":1},{"style":"normal","_key":"98f2fac79161","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"There’s more to see than you think","_key":"08a1799895810"},{"text":": While (properly protected) eyes will be looking for the eclipse, two planets — Jupiter and Venus — as well as the so-called “Devil comet,” which only shows up every 71 years, will also be visible.","_key":"a7c731423351","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"level":1,"_type":"block"},{"_key":"fc7edc4da7f6","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"The sun will be having its own show","_key":"d0cc2842475f0"},{"marks":[],"text":": Although the moon might be the star of the show, there are also major eruptions, known as solar maximum, taking place on the surface of the 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best."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"fb2173dc1367"},{"style":"normal","_key":"4e12903c1710","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"They’re trying out increasingly daring commands, not knowing whether the next one will be effective or detrimental.","_key":"0cbdb4ca1b990"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"But even if all is lost, Dodd said it’s “remarkable” that Voyager 1 has remained communicative this long.","_key":"2e4c982238e00"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"8995cd714043"}],"_type":"story","category":"space","publishDate":"2024-03-07","_id":"294dc504-6bc2-42e6-b92b-e45a88d80682","title":"Why Is The Aging Voyager 1 Probe Sending Back Incoherent Communications?","_rev":"D25I4efnAE4dWOWasi7vqN","visibility":"true","_updatedAt":"2024-03-07T02:45:24Z","summary":"It's been speaking gibberish for a few months and officials are 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As more and more private industries become involved in the industry, however, we’ve already seen some ordinary (albeit generally very rich) folks take off in rockets just for the fun of it.","_key":"713ee93bc4e00","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ff14a650aff3"},{"_key":"6ae3d81bb12f","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://techcrunch.com/2024/02/20/forget-rockets-space-perspective-wants-to-take-you-to-ultra-high-altitudes-using-balloons/?guccounter=1","_key":"874ffd2fee43"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Pretty soon, you might just have the ","_key":"9a50d9472f020"},{"text":"chance","_key":"9a50d9472f021","_type":"span","marks":["874ffd2fee43"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" to look down on your home planet from orbit.","_key":"9a50d9472f022"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_key":"03a8b11fb352","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"d8a5c2bb03f10","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Introducing Space Perspective"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Jane Poynter and Taber MacCallum have a unique story that brought them to where they are today. After taking part in Biosphere 2 — a program that involved living for","_key":"d127fd706df80"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" two years under a glass dome","_key":"b9ffb0869224"},{"marks":[],"text":" in the desert — in the early 1990s, they got married and started a company called World View.","_key":"d615bfe599ab","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"166879ff0321"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"5c5352ababd4","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The purpose of that venture was to use stratospheric balloons to collect data from high elevations, but that wasn’t the extent of their interest in balloons.","_key":"02d3faf36c710"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"7a7744b42a19","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"f496342131c50","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In 2019, they founded Space Perspective, which is positioning itself as"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" a unique 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That can be quite a sight to behold for astronomers, Charbonneau explained.","_key":"9618ae4b47f50"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"“When the magnetic energy content of the sun is a lot larger, that’s when you tend to get more solar flares, more mass ejections, ","_key":"f3be0b86c33f0","_type":"span"},{"_key":"6382032fd6f4","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"more fun stuff"},{"marks":[],"text":",” he said.","_key":"05a3ddae1bf4","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"227a79f5c871"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"But there’s also a risk of serious technological disruptions. 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might think of Taco Bell as a spot to meet your late-night cravings without breaking the bank, but this ubiquitous fast food chain is impacting more than the taste buds here on Earth.","_key":"4b1ea1bb504f0","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"4dec11212326"},{"markDefs":[{"_key":"b9d4f67dabf9","_type":"link","href":"https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/taco-bell-tortillas-made-impact-164509328.html"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"According to NASA, Taco Bell was able to ","_key":"2a792978de0d0"},{"text":"accomplish","_key":"2a792978de0d1","_type":"span","marks":["b9d4f67dabf9"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" something that space experts had","_key":"2a792978de0d2"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" not been able to figure out","_key":"47ea5ef5ee92"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":": namely, how to create a tortilla that would remain fresh throughout a lengthy 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In the ‘90s, Taco Bell made a breakthrough that ultimately accomplished the goal."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"a93472a6dc1c"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Its new variety of tortillas could remain not only safe to eat but also tasty for as long as a year, and NASA realized that they could seamlessly introduce this product into the existing menu available to astronauts blasting off for long periods of time in space.","_key":"0405f7ed581f0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d3d2947c3cba"},{"style":"normal","_key":"789f5bc56c4a","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"And it’s not just the long shelf life that makes these tortillas more well-suited to space travel than other types of bread. If you’ve ever gotten crumbs in","_key":"6c5c1d71fcbf0","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"marks":["strong"],"text":" hard-to-reach places","_key":"80f02ca610be","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" before, just imagine how catastrophic that could be in zero-gravity situations where little bits of bread could end up floating into important pieces of equipment.","_key":"842a9564a4b9"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"An unusual diet","_key":"ee624181cb060"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"bfc5269e4c30"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"1c4318d01c0c","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.thedailymeal.com/news/eat/did-astronauts-actually-eat-astronaut-ice-cream/021716/","_key":"8e5e974aa70d"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Although it’s notable that shelf-stable tortillas went straight from Taco Bell’s inventory onto NASA spacecraft, at least it’s a food astronauts can immediately recognize. 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Specifically, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren expressed opposition to a “memorial” program that will include leaving human remains behind.","_key":"6c0a2ca5a9260"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"e596d121084e","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"b01d6e22604a0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"He sent a complaint to NASA and the Transportation Department asserting that “the moon"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" holds a sacred position","_key":"0dbdc7db92e6"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" in many Indigenous cultures” and leaving behind materials that “could be perceived as discards in any other location … is tantamount to desecration of this sacred space.”","_key":"a424f5319b96"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"9056aa8abc00","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Clearing the air","_key":"a2bd4bccefc50"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"NASA program manager Chris Culbert issued a statement explaining that the agency has no authority to dictate what private companies carry aboard their ships.","_key":"56c7dc56589c0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"39a953275fe2"},{"style":"normal","_key":"ff743449926c","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“We don’t have the framework for telling them what they can and can’t fly,” he said. “The approval process","_key":"c0b81ad297f70"},{"text":" doesn’t run through NASA","_key":"735ec3740248","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" for commercial missions.”","_key":"34f345b5854a"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"437ee8960053","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Joel Kearns, another NASA administrator, admitted that “these new opportunities and new ways of doing business” contain inherent challenges and could spark even more discord among various groups in the future.\n“And those 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NASA explained that the capability of transmitting data quickly and across vast distances is pivotal as the agency ","_key":"e443ab481dc70"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"works toward manned missions","_key":"0278a02d7522","_type":"span"},{"text":" outside of our home planet’s orbit.","_key":"d349c6780fd3","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"And if you want to get a sense of just how impressive the feat actually was, here are some stats:","_key":"aa27750cf3400"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f8141f71f220","markDefs":[]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c868061190bc","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"64f84f2512390","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The laser communication came from a distance"},{"text":" 80 times greater","_key":"0dd5e95b434d","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_key":"844b3c364be0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" than the span between Earth and the moon."}],"level":1},{"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"8f7962a10091","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"It took","_key":"2faed120ee8d0","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_key":"12e27eef1b00","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" 101 seconds"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" for the information to reach Earth at a speed of 267 megabits per second.","_key":"b94a20e79abb"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"cd861b7a9c74","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The transmission rate is as much as","_key":"2713f091f8690"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" 100 times faster","_key":"40763feb31f0"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" than the radio frequency communications currently in use.","_key":"14f99ae97b40"}],"level":1,"_type":"block"}],"summary":"NASA says this represents a major step toward manned missions to Mars.","_id":"fe1e1a48-865c-4e7b-96f1-9b777b74309f","slug":"/story/2023/12/how-taters-the-cat-changed-the-course-of-deepspace-communication","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"_createdAt":"2023-12-19T20:58:34Z","_rev":"m0kd2z7be8Dsm3U2uyKd6g","category":"space"},{"publishDate":"2023-11-13","id":"wHeYjv5N","image":{"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"uploadId":"xXxSrzlN5e2BpupHCAPiyBmCx5ROTbky","_rev":"W9Y77iLTLvMZQV8NpjMPc4","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/3c462138e61c38423b9f5f34d0fdd60b40ef92ab-480x270.gif","_updatedAt":"2023-11-13T00:31:58Z","extension":"gif","metadata":{"_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"vibrant":{"population":6.8,"background":"#5a7eb2","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"dominant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":6.8,"background":"#5a7eb2"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":5.54,"background":"#444554","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"muted":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":5.16,"background":"#4874a7","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"lightVibrant":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.06,"background":"#98b7e0","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"darkVibrant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":1.11,"background":"#0b3d74","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"lightMuted":{"background":"#beb9c7","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":6.78}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480,"aspectRatio":1.7777777777777777,"height":270},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"MEAUL7Km?dI9%M5E%MD%xaWCH;jEs,tRRj"},"url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/3c462138e61c38423b9f5f34d0fdd60b40ef92ab-480x270.gif","originalFilename":"5b6344ac-669b-4905-9960-6960c350dc4b.gif","mimeType":"image/gif","sha1hash":"3c462138e61c38423b9f5f34d0fdd60b40ef92ab","assetId":"3c462138e61c38423b9f5f34d0fdd60b40ef92ab","_createdAt":"2023-11-13T00:31:58Z","_id":"image-3c462138e61c38423b9f5f34d0fdd60b40ef92ab-480x270-gif","source":{"name":"Space Rocket GIF by New Scientist","id":"BdajLoS0PoQdgVHw1W","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/spacex-rocket-launch-axiom-BdajLoS0PoQdgVHw1W"},"size":1628463}},"slug":"/story/2023/11/anxious-to-book-your-deepspace-getaway-consider-these-factors-first","title":"Anxious To Book Your Deep-Space Getaway? Consider These Factors First.","summary":"It might not be the vacation of your dreams after all.","_type":"story","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"category":"space","_rev":"W9Y77iLTLvMZQV8NpjMhhM","_createdAt":"2023-11-13T00:33:19Z","visibility":"true","_updatedAt":"2023-11-13T00:33:19Z","body":[{"_key":"49caf4a24705","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"The rise of private-sector space exploration in recent years has led to an increased demand for so-called “space tourism” … and some firms are already developing plans they hope will result in the installation of","_key":"22000d45240c0","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" hotels and other vacation amenities","_key":"73c26579765a"},{"marks":[],"text":" beyond our home planet’s atmosphere.","_key":"5406b38c67d9","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/12/magazine/space-living.html","_key":"e2c1e2a261f3"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"But aside from the generally prohibitive cost of such travel, there’s an even more important ","_key":"c52f53146acc0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["e2c1e2a261f3"],"text":"question","_key":"c52f53146acc1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" that remains unanswered: Is it safe?","_key":"c52f53146acc2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"670d7bddaab5"},{"_key":"60fd33149352","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"We need more data","_key":"4f73cccd83210"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"94cfabd498ae","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"So far, all we know about the effects of prolonged exposure to space comes from studying the relatively few astronauts who have spent extended periods away from Earth.","_key":"39035983001e0"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"And the thought of sending ordinary folks out into the notoriously inhospitable reaches of space adds ","_key":"866c297f4ca20","_type":"span"},{"_key":"ca3185ee2139","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"a new layer of danger"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":".","_key":"cd864f6bfb06"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"1129425e3321"},{"style":"normal","_key":"3815fa2432a9","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Of course, the possibility of making tons of money from the space tourism market is sure to keep companies (and to a lesser extent, government entities like NASA) focused on building the infrastructure necessary to make it happen. 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But that’s not the only celestial body in our solar system that seems to be ","_key":"5709fd0575830"},{"_type":"span","marks":["682a70c117e7"],"text":"looking","_key":"5709fd0575831"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" back at us.","_key":"5709fd0575832"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"1d025b6440f3"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"f82acf5f93920","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Jupiter’s frown"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"8f5c92f93774"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As NASA’s Juno mission sends back stunning images of the largest planet rotating around our sun, there’s one view that has ","_key":"0e0e691595c60"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"created quite a buzz","_key":"d1c8add6268a"},{"marks":[],"text":".","_key":"72caf8e37e02","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"41133022af3a"},{"_key":"730bf5904d6b","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"A huge region of the planet includes features that look a lot like a face … and not a happy one.","_key":"f17c9636b7550","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Its “mouth” is turned into a frown that could be interpreted as either sadness or disapproval. 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Instead, the gaseous atmosphere is always shifting and it just happens to be in this familiar form for the moment.","_key":"9fbb2fd2324c0"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"That means by the next time Juno flies by, it might send back ","_key":"c4a41b98c37c"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"a more cheerful visage","_key":"93d33604cf3b","_type":"span"},{"_key":"85b2dd6dbc39","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" or some other pattern altogether."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d203f2997d21"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"All in your mind","_key":"763102adec200"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"0606ca912003","markDefs":[]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"We can’t blame Jupiter or its atmosphere for tricking us into seeing a face. Scientists have long known that the human brain is hard-wired to see eyes, a nose, and a mouth in a variety of places.","_key":"405d0d9181a50"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ee7b75c9833f","markDefs":[]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"b6e34ead6249","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"You’ve probably seen a “face” in everyday objects — from a handbag to a piece of fruit to the front end of a car.","_key":"a78016781b8b0"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"3e04a4807db2","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"82ca3bc316c60","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"And if you want to appear even smarter at your next social gathering, there’s a word you should know: "},{"text":"pareidolia","_key":"759a453f5d1e","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". It refers to the penchant for our minds to see faces (and other familiar patterns) in places where they don’t necessarily belong.","_key":"e553d8d8f233"}],"_type":"block"}],"_updatedAt":"2023-10-27T20:14:40Z","visibility":"true","title":"Something’s Going On With Jupiter’s ‘Face’","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"}},{"summary":"This spacecraft is headed for a destination we don't know much about.","_type":"story","_id":"f4dcc71b-2a18-4dec-8820-eee99a7c0d03","image":{"attribution":"Shutterstock","asset":{"uploadId":"y8zGaucLsRNBh6JY5l6FPMpqxgIinnm6","_rev":"1fCgvIQGT4wBZY9PVan2MV","assetId":"b2beab98ab8308b2e564e51367974dbcf76cda6c","metadata":{"_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":2.98,"background":"#3c3b4b","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"muted":{"background":"#747b8c","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":8.35},"lightVibrant":{"population":8.64,"background":"#dfc0aa","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"darkVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0,"background":"#603d24"},"lightMuted":{"background":"#b1acbc","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.01},"vibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0,"background":"#b97545"},"dominant":{"title":"#fff","population":8.64,"background":"#dfc0aa","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000"}},"hasAlpha":false,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAANABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFwAAAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQFAv/EACEQAAICAgEEAwAAAAAAAAAAAAECAAMEEQUGEyExQUJy/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgP/xAAZEQEAAwEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAAIRAyH/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AFl7Z+spU8StuDZkjQVCAV+fMgZfPiumtxhVb/Rj3EdX3UJfrDpYWr6YkgalOlnNqRU5m4sw9CBj7hImbz2QclyEQb86EIh8gaM//9k=","dimensions":{"aspectRatio":1.4992503748125936,"height":3335,"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":5000},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"VDFrq@I]9b~AIqAJs,s.Ip$$Di%1%1M|S4?GRkR+xZRk"},"sha1hash":"b2beab98ab8308b2e564e51367974dbcf76cda6c","creditLine":"CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock","_id":"image-b2beab98ab8308b2e564e51367974dbcf76cda6c-5000x3335-jpg","description":"A Space X Falcon Heavy rocket with NASA's Psyche spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA, 13 October 2023. 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Although not much is known about the distant rock, experts hope it will be able to shed some light on a variety of galactic mysteries, most notably regarding how planets like Earth were originally formed.","_key":"4764f270d7c80"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Psyche (the spacecraft) weighs in at about three tons and Psyche (the asteroid) is believed to be about the size of Massachusetts. Here’s a brief overview of the mission:","_key":"4b7983eeec550"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"0da1b13ad270","markDefs":[]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"5238e4ab015a","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"17b0ec5505de0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The craft will travel "},{"_key":"15e165243f44","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"2.2 billion miles"},{"_key":"ffb3a960d3d6","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" to reach the asteroid."}],"level":1},{"style":"normal","_key":"cde3ce214104","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"It is expected to arrive around ","_key":"d6d6ea36d50b0"},{"text":"August 2029","_key":"f3c67b4525f0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"marks":[],"text":".","_key":"e1b7787d120e","_type":"span"}],"level":1,"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"777ff1e396d8","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The rendezvous is set to last ","_key":"501e56d5b9200"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"well over two years","_key":"59cabef5e2c7"},{"marks":[],"text":".","_key":"1d7856dbce2c","_type":"span"}],"level":1},{"_key":"ad475f9ecc4d","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In order to gain enough momentum to enter the asteroid belt, Psyche will swing around Mars sometime in 2026 and continue its six-year journey to its namesake rock.","_key":"b84ee380d7a60"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_key":"fc40fbd83f1f","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"A deep-space mystery","_key":"6ff5264863a70"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"text":"This distant asteroid appears to be nothing more than a fuzzy dot using the telescopes currently available. 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