Tianzhou-7 Cargo Spacecraft Night Launch in Hainan | China Space Station

Tianzhou-7 Cargo Spacecraft Night Launch in Hainan | China Space Station

The Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft was launched by the Long March-7 Y8 launch vehicle from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, Hainan Province, China, on January 15, 2024, at 14:27 UTC (22:27 China Standard Time). Tianzhou-7 is the sixth cargo mission to the China Space Station, scheduled to autonomously dock to the Tianhe Core Module.

This was the first launch of China's human spaceflight project in 2024, kicking off four flight missions for this year. Tianzhou-7 is the sixth cargo mission to the China Space Station, scheduled to autonomously dock to the Tianhe Core Module.

The Shenzhou-17 crew aboard China's Tiangong Space Station has been conducting a series of scientific experiments and technology verification objectives, as well as additional extravehicular activities and payload missions.

The taikonauts have been stationed at the space station for over a third of their six-month space mission. They completed the crew rotation with the Shenzhou-16 astronauts and have conducted tasks, including space station maintenance, life and health support, spacesuit inspection and testing, a Tianzhou-6 cargo ship equipment inspection and preparation for upcoming spacewalks, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

Shenzhou-17 is the sixth crew of three astronauts on a mission to the China Space Station. Shenzhou-17 is also the twelfth crewed and seventeenth flight overall of China's Shenzhou spaceflight program. Shenzhou-17 also features the youngest crew of any Chinese space mission to date.

Shenzhou-17 (神舟十七) Crew:

Hongbo Tang (汤洪波) - Commander 

Shengjie Tang (唐胜杰) - Mission Specialist

Xinlin Jiang  (江新林) - Mission Specialist

Video Credit: China National Space Administration (CNSA)/China Central Television (CCTV)

Acknowledgements: SciNews

Duration: 4 minutes, 21 seconds

Release Date: Jan 17, 2024

#NASA #Space #China #中国 #ChinaSpaceStation #CSS #TiangongSpaceStation #中国空间站 #Tianzhou7 #天舟七号 #CargoSpacecraft #LongMarch7Y8Rocket #长征七号遥八运 #Shenzhou17 #神舟十七号 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #HongboTang #ShengjieTang #XinlinJiang #SpaceLaboratory #CMSA #国家航天局 #Science #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Pan: Spiral Galaxy MCG-01-24-014 in Hydra | Hubble Space Telescope

Pan: Spiral Galaxy MCG-01-24-014 in Hydra | Hubble Space Telescope

This whirling image features a bright spiral galaxy known as MCG-01-24-014. It is located about 275 million light-years from Earth. In addition to being a well-defined spiral galaxy, MCG-01-24-014 has an extremely energetic core, known as an active galactic nucleus (AGN), so it is referred to as an active galaxy. Even more specifically, it is categorized as a Type-2 Seyfert galaxy. Seyfert galaxies host one of the most common subclasses of AGN, alongside quasars. While the precise categorization of AGNs is nuanced, Seyfert galaxies tend to be relatively nearby ones where the host galaxy remains plainly detectable alongside its central AGN, while quasars are invariably very distant AGNs whose incredible luminosities outshine their host galaxies.

Image Description: A spiral galaxy. It appears to be almost circular and seen face-on, with two prominent spiral arms winding out from a glowing core. It is centered in the frame as if a portrait. Most of the background is black, with only tiny, distant galaxies, but there are two large bright stars in the foreground, one blue and one red, directly above the galaxy.

There are further subclasses of both Seyfert galaxies and quasars. In the case of Seyfert galaxies, the predominant subcategories are Type-1 and Type-2. These are differentiated from one another by their spectra—the pattern that results when light is split into its constituent wavelengths—where the spectral lines that Type-2 Seyfert galaxies emit are particularly associated with specific so-called ‘forbidden’ emission. To understand why emitted light from a galaxy could be considered forbidden, it helps to understand why spectra exist in the first place. Spectra look the way they do because certain atoms and molecules will absorb and emit light very reliably at very specific wavelengths. The reason for this is quantum physics: electrons (the tiny particles that orbit the nuclei of atoms and molecules) can only exist at very specific energies, and therefore electrons can only lose or gain very specific amounts of energy. These very specific amounts of energy correspond to certain light wavelengths being absorbed or emitted.

Forbidden emission lines, therefore, are spectral emission lines that should not exist according to certain rules of quantum physics. Nevertheless, quantum physics is complex, and the rules adopted to predict it use assumptions that suit laboratory conditions here on Earth. Under those rules, this emission is ‘forbidden’—so improbable that it’s disregarded. However, in space, in the midst of an incredibly energetic galactic core, those assumptions do not hold anymore, and the ‘forbidden’ light gets a chance to shine out towards us.

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)/Hubble & NASA, C. Kilpatrick, N. Bartmann

Duration: 30 seconds

Release Date: Dec. 18, 2023

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #Galaxy #MCG0124014 #SeyfertGalaxy #AGN #Hydra #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Pan: Ring Spoke Season on Planet Saturn | Hubble Space Telescope

Pan: Ring Spoke Season on Planet Saturn | Hubble Space Telescope

This photo of Saturn was taken by the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope on Oct. 22, 2023, when the ringed planet was approximately 1,365 million kilometers from Earth. Hubble's ultra-sharp vision reveals a phenomenon called ring spokes.

Saturn's spokes are transient features that rotate along with the rings. Their ghostly appearance only persists for two or three rotations around Saturn. During active periods, freshly-formed spokes continuously add to the pattern.

In 1981, NASA's Voyager 2 first photographed the ring spokes. Hubble continues observing Saturn annually as the spokes come and go. This cycle has been captured by Hubble's Outer Planets Atmospheres Legacy (OPAL) program that began nearly a decade ago to annually monitor weather changes on all four gas-giant outer planets.

Hubble's crisp images show that the frequency of spoke apparitions is seasonally driven, first appearing in OPAL data in 2021 but only on the morning (left) side of the rings. Long-term monitoring shows that both the number and contrast of the spokes vary with Saturn's seasons. Saturn is tilted on its axis like Earth and has seasons lasting approximately seven years.

This year, these ephemeral structures appear on both sides of the planet simultaneously as they spin around the giant world. Although they look small compared with Saturn, their length and width can stretch longer than Earth's diameter!

The OPAL team notes that the leading theory is that spokes are tied to interactions between Saturn's powerful magnetic field and the sun. Planetary scientists think that electrostatic forces generated from this interaction levitate dust or ice above the ring to form the spokes, though after several decades no theory perfectly predicts the spokes. Continued Hubble observations may eventually help solve the mystery.

Video Credit: NASA, European Space Agency, STScI, A. Simon (NASA-GSFC), N. Bartmann

Duration: 30 seconds

Release Date: Jan. 17, 2023

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Planet #Saturn #Rings #Spokes #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #Voyager2Spacecraft #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #ESA #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

European Astronaut Marcus Wendt of Sweden & Ax-3 Crew | Axiom Space

European Astronaut Marcus Wendt of Sweden & Ax-3 Crew | Axiom Space

European Space Agency project astronaut Marcus Wandt in SpaceX Dragon spacesuit

Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) crew pose together in their SpaceX Crew Dragon spacesuits during training.

From left to right, ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt, Walter Villadei from Italy, Michael López-Alegría, a dual US-Spanish citizen, and Alper Gezeravcı from Türkiye.

From left to right, ESA project astronaut and mission specialist Marcus Wandt, commander Michael López-Alegría, pilot Walter Villadei, and mission specialists Alper Gezeravcı.

Axiom 3 Mission crew next to the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA. From left to right, ESA project astronaut and mission specialist Marcus Wandt, pilot Walter Villadei, commander Michael López-Alegría and mission specialist Alper Gezeravcı.

ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt's first mission to space, Muninn, takes its name from Norse mythology and the two raven accomplices of the god Odin—Muninn and Huginn. Together, the two symbolize the human mind. Huginn is the name of ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen’s Space Station mission.

According to the myth, the ravens serve as messengers and advisors to their god, sharing all they see and hear. Muninn comes from the Old Norse word munr, that can be translated as passion and emotion, linking to Marcus’s enthusiasm for spaceflight.

The Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) patch is shaped as a shield to illustrate strength and courage. The International Space Station (ISS) is centered and angled to be seen as aviator wings, symbolizing four astronauts piloting toward growth in low-Earth orbit (LEO) through the spirit of exploration and collaboration.

The Axiom-3 Mission with European Space Agency (ESA) Project Astronaut Marcus Wendt of Sweden onboard is scheduled to launch no earlier than January 17, 2024, to the International Space Station (ISS) for a 14-day mission from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Marcus will join Andreas Morgensen, ISS commander, marking the first time two Scandinavians are in space together.

Wandt will also become the second ESA astronaut of Swedish nationality to ever go to the International Space Station during the Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3). He will serve as a mission specialist during Ax-3. Moreover, Marcus will be the fifth ESA astronaut to fly on a SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft, and the first of a new generation of Europeans to fly on a commercial spaceflight opportunity with Axiom Space.

Born 1980 in Sweden, Marcus Wandt has over 20 years of aviation experience with the Swedish Air Force as a fighter pilot, squadron commander, wing commander, and chief test pilot. Previously a member of the European Space Agency's astronaut reserve, Wandt is now an ESA project astronaut for the duration of his mission duties.

Throughout his academic and professional career, Wandt received honors and awards for his outstanding performance as a student and pilot. He speaks Swedish and English.

Read official biographies of Wendt on the Axiom Space and ESA websites:

https://www.axiomspace.com/astronaut/marcus-wandt

https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/Marcus_Wandt

Image Credits: SpaceX, Axiom Space

Image Dates: Aug. 2, 2023 to Jan. 16, 2024

#NASA #ESA #Space #ISS #AxiomSpace #Ax3Mission #Astronauts #Astronaut #MarcusWandt #Sweden #Sverige #MuninnMission #AndreasMogensen #HuginnMission #Denmark #Danmark #NordicMythology #Europe #UnitedStates #Science #SpaceResearch #International #STEM #Education

Successful Reusable Rocket Engine Tests for China SpaceX-rival 'Space Pioneer'

Successful Reusable Rocket Engine Tests for China SpaceX-rival 'Space Pioneer'

Private Chinese firm Space Pioneer has taken another key step towards developing reusable rockets: Their Tianlong-3 rocket will be comparable to SpaceX's Falcon 9 in launch capability. The company also has plans to launch an even bigger variant of the Tianlong-3 akin to SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy. 

Recently, Beijing Tianbing Technology Co., also known as Space Pioneer, successfully completed the hot test of the TH-12 liquid oxygen kerosene rocket engine. It was developed for the large-scale liquid carrier rocket, the Tianlong 3. This test fully simulated the product status of the Tianlong 3 rocket during the first flight. The engine remained on the test stand and underwent six consecutive ignitions, with a total test duration exceeding 1,000 seconds. This is over six times the flight time of a single engine.

Recent funding secured by the company is financing the launch of its larger Tianlong-3 rocket with a reusable first stage, rivaling SpaceX. Beijing Tianbing Technology Co. successfully sent its kerosene-oxygen liquid-propellant Tianlong-2 rocket into orbit on April 2, 2023 from the Jiuquan Launch Centre in northwest China, becoming the first private Chinese launch company to send a liquid-propellant rocket into space and taking another step towards developing reusable rockets.

Recent funding secured by Beijing Tianbing is expected to support the launch of the larger Tianlong-3 rocket with a reusable first stage.

Chinese commercial space firms have rushed into the sector since 2014, when private investment in the industry was allowed by the state. Many started making satellites, while others, including Beijing Tianbing, focused on developing reusable rockets that can significantly cut mission costs.

Unlike solid-propellant rockets that cannot adjust their flow of fuel, liquid-propellant rockets have significantly greater control over their flight, with those, such as SpaceX’s Falcon 9, capable of returning to Earth in controlled descents and making vertical landings.

Reusable rockets will help expedite the building of Chinese constellations of commercial satellites that can offer services ranging from high-speed internet for aircraft to tracking coal shipments.

In its latest five-year plan for 2021-2025, the Chinese government has called for an integrated network of satellites for communications, remote sensing and navigation. China currently has over 400 satellites in space, including commercially owned satellites, according to state media.

Video Credit: CNSA Watcher

Duration: 3 minutes, 31 seconds

Release Date: Jan. 15, 2024

#NASA #Space #Satellites #Earth #China #中国 #SpacePioneer #TianbingTechnology #Tianlong3 #TH12RocketEngine #OxygenKerosene #LiquidPropellant #SpaceTechnology #Science #Engineering #CommercialSpace #Spaceport #JiuquanSatelliteLaunchCenter #酒泉卫星发射中心 #InnerMongolia #STEM #Education #HD #Video

A New View of The Orion Nebula

A New View of The Orion Nebula

The Orion Nebula can only be revealed in full with long exposure digital camera imaging and post-processing. Here the cool red giant Betelgeuse takes on a strong orange tint as the brightest star on the upper left. Orion's hot blue stars are numerous, with supergiant Rigel balancing Betelgeuse on the lower right, and Bellatrix at the upper right. 

Lined up in Orion's belt are three stars all about 1,500 light-years away, born from the constellation's well-studied interstellar clouds. Just below Orion's belt is a bright but fuzzy patch that might also look familiar—the stellar nursery known as Orion's Nebula. Finally, just barely visible to the unaided eye but quite striking here is Barnard's Loop—a huge gaseous emission nebula surrounding Orion's Belt and Nebula discovered over 100 years ago by the pioneering Orion photographer E. E. Barnard.

Image Credit & Copyright: Michele Guzzini

Michele's Instagram Page: 

https://www.instagram.com/micheleguzzini/

Release Date: Jan. 16, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Betelgeuse #Bellatrix #StarFormation #Nebulae #Nebula #OrionNebula #BarnardsLoop #Messier42 #M42 #Orion #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #Astrophotography #MicheleGuzzini #Astrophotographer #STEM #Education #APoD

Mars Images: January 2024 | NASA Mars Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Mars Images: January 2024 | NASA Mars Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Mars 2020 - sol 1028

Mars 2020 - sol 1028

MSL - sol 4064

MSL - sol 4064

MSL - sol 4064

MSL - sol 4064

MSL - sol 4064

MSL - sol 4067

Support FriendsofNASA.org

Celebrating 11+ Years on Mars (2012-2024)

Mission Name: Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)

Rover Name: Curiosity

Main Job: To determine if Mars was ever habitable to microbial life. 

Launch: Nov. 6, 2011

Landing Date: Aug. 5, 2012, Gale Crater, Mars

Celebrating 2+ Years on Mars

Mission Name: Mars 2020

Rover Name: Perseverance

Main Job: Seek signs of ancient life and collect samples of rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) for return to Earth.

Mars Helicopter (Ingenuity)

Launch: July 30, 2020    

Landing: Feb. 18, 2021, Jezero Crater, Mars

For more information on NASA's Mars missions, visit: mars.nasa.gov

Image Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS

Processing: Kevin M. Gill

Image Release Dates: Jan. 14-15, 2024

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #RedPlanet #Planet #Astrobiology #Geology #CuriosityRover #MSL #MountSharp #GaleCrater #PerseveranceRover #Mars2020 #JezeroCrater #Robotics #SpaceTechnology #SpaceEngineering #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #CitizenScience #KevinGill #STEM #Education

Surprisingly STEM: Space Food Scientist Xulei Wu | NASA Education

Surprisingly STEM: Space Food Scientist Xulei Wu | NASA Education

NASA space food scientist Xulei Wu dishes on what considerations go into preparing food for the astronauts on the International Space Station. Learn how Wu trains astronauts for dining in space and what solutions she and the other food scientists have cooked up to meet the challenges of eating in a microgravity environment.

Ready to take a bite out of food science? Try this STEM activity!

https://www.nasa.gov/stem-content/food-for-spaceflight-activity/

Dig into Xulei's STEM journey: 

https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/career-journey-space-food-scientist/

NASA STEM resources: stem.nasa.gov 

Deep Space Food Challenge

https://www.deepspacefoodchallenge.org

We’re launching STEM Engagement to new heights with learning resources that connect teachers, students, parents and caregivers to the inspiring work at NASA. Join us as we apply science, technology, engineering and mathematics to explore space, improve aeronautics, examine Earth and strive to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon with the Artemis program. 

Credit: NASA STEM

Duration: 7 minutes, 26 seconds

Release Date: Jan. 16, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #ISS #Moon #ArtemisProgram #HumanSpaceflight #Astronauts #SpaceFood #Microgravity #FoodScientists #XuleiWu #Health #Nutrition #Students #Teachers #UAE #UnitedStates #International #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Planet Mars: "Once Upon a Martian Lake" | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Planet Mars: "Once Upon a Martian Lake" | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

While there was not much by way of science rationale for this observation, Terra Sirenum is a large area of Mars in the Southern Hemisphere and is believed to have once held a lake that eventually drained through Ma’adim Vallis. The THEMIS instrument on the Mars Odyssey orbiter has detected evidence of chloride-based minerals dated well over 3.5 billion years. This image shows some lighter-toned bedrock that may represent these minerals.

This is a non-narrated clip with ambient sound. Enhanced color image is less than 1 km (under 1 mi) across and the spacecraft altitude was 255 km (158 mi).

Technical details:

Latitude (centered)

-31.564°

Longitude (East)

180.965°

Image Acquisition date

July 7, 2022

Spacecraft altitude

254.7 km (158.3 miles)

The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) instrument, that was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colorado. 

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.

“For 17 years, MRO has been revealing Mars to us as no one had seen it before,” said the mission’s project scientist, Rich Zurek of JPL.

Video Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Duration: 4 minutes

Release Date: Jan. 16, 2024

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Mars #Planet #RedPlanet #Science #Geology #Landscape #Terrain #Geoscience #TerraSirenum #SouthernHemisphere #Chloride #Minerals #MartianLake #MaadimVallis #MRO #Orbiter #Spacecraft #HiRISE #Camera #JPL #Caltech #UArizona #BallAerospace #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Tianzhou-7 Cargo Spacecraft Ready for Launch | China Space Station

Tianzhou-7 Cargo Spacecraft Ready for Launch | China Space Station

Preparing for launch! On January 15, 2024, the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft and Long March-7 Y8 carrier rocket combination were transported vertically to the launch area at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in China's southernmost tropical island province of Hainan on Monday morning, Jan. 15, 2024. This marks the first launch of China's human spaceflight project in 2024, kicking off four flight missions for this year. Tianzhou-7 is the sixth cargo mission to the China Space Station, scheduled to autonomously dock to the Tianhe Core Module.

The Shenzhou-17 crew aboard China's Tiangong Space Station has been conducting a series of scientific experiments and technology verification objectives, as well as additional extravehicular activities and payload missions.

The taikonauts have been stationed at the space station for over a third of their six-month space mission. They completed the crew rotation with the Shenzhou-16 astronauts and have conducted tasks, including space station maintenance, life and health support, spacesuit inspection and testing, a Tianzhou-6 cargo ship equipment inspection and preparation for upcoming spacewalks, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

Shenzhou-17 is the sixth crew of three astronauts on a mission to the China Space Station. Shenzhou-17 is also the twelfth crewed and seventeenth flight overall of China's Shenzhou spaceflight program. Shenzhou-17 also features the youngest crew of any Chinese space mission to date.

Shenzhou-17 (神舟十七) Crew:

Hongbo Tang (汤洪波) - Commander 

Shengjie Tang (唐胜杰) - Mission Specialist

Xinlin Jiang  (江新林) - Mission Specialist

Video Credit: China Manned Space Agency (CMSA)/CNSA Watcher

Duration: 1 minute 45 seconds

Release Date: Jan. 15, 2024

#NASA #Space #China #中国 #ChinaSpaceStation #CSS #TiangongSpaceStation #中国空间站 #Tianzhou7 #天舟七号 #CargoSpacecraft #LongMarch7Y8Rocket #长征七号遥八运 #Shenzhou17 #神舟十七号 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #HongboTang #ShengjieTang #XinlinJiang #SpaceLaboratory #CMSA #国家航天局 #Science #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Galaxy UGC 5189A in Leo | Hubble Space Telescope

Galaxy UGC 5189A in Leo | Hubble Space Telescope

This image features a relatively small galaxy known as UGC 5189A. It is located about 150 million light-years away in the constellation Leo. This galaxy was observed by Hubble to study a supernova explosion in 2010 known as SN 2010jl. This particular supernova was notable for having been an exceptionally luminous supernova event. In fact, over a period of three years, SN 2010jl released at least 2.5 billion times more visible energy alone than our Sun emitted over the same timeframe across all wavelengths. 

Even after supernovae have faded to non-observable levels, it can still be of interest to study the environments where they occurred. This can provide astronomers with valuable information. Supernovae can take place for a variety of reasons, and understanding the environments where they took place can help improve our understanding of the conditions necessary for them to be triggered. Furthermore, follow-up studies after supernovae can improve our understanding of the immediate aftermath of such events, from their potent effects on the gas and dust around them, to the stellar remnants they leave behind.

To this end, UGC 5189A has been observed many times by Hubble since 2010. This image is from data collected in three of the latest Hubble studies of UGC 5189A. It also examined several other relatively nearby galaxies that recently hosted supernovae—‘relatively nearby’, in this context, meaning roughly 100 million light years away.

Image Description: A galaxy that is flat and misshapen. Above and on its right it is covered by plumes of shining gas and dust, while its center and left side are more dim and patchy. A trail of dark, dim dust stretches from below the galaxy up and off to the left, where there are three more bright patches. The background around the galaxy is quite dark, with only a few small background galaxies and one star visible.

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)/Hubble & NASA, A. Filippenko

Release Date: Jan. 15, 2024

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #Galaxy #UGC5189A #Supernova #SN2010jl #Leo #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

European Astronaut Marcus Wendt of Sweden | Axiom-3 Mission

European Astronaut Marcus Wendt of Sweden | Axiom-3 Mission

European Space Agency project astronaut Marcus Wandt looks up as he stands next to the SpaceX Dragon capsule that will take him to the International Space Station

Marcus Wandt training inside a SpaceX Dragon vehicle in Hawthorne, California

Marcus Wandt close to the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA

ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt from Sweden - Official portrait

Marcus Wandt Mission Specialist from Sweden - Official Ax-3 portrait

Axiom 3 Mission crew training inside a SpaceX Dragon vehicle in Hawthorne, California. From left to right, ESA project astronaut and mission specialist Marcus Wandt, commander Michael López-Alegría, pilot Walter Villadei, and mission specialist Alper Gezeravcı.

ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt's first mission to space, Muninn, takes its name from Norse mythology and the two raven accomplices of the god Odin—Muninn and Huginn. Together, the two symbolize the human mind. Huginn is the name of ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen’s Space Station mission.

According to the myth, the ravens serve as messengers and advisors to their god, sharing all they see and hear. Muninn comes from the Old Norse word munr, that can be translated as passion and emotion, linking to Marcus’s enthusiasm for spaceflight.

The Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) patch is shaped as a shield to illustrate strength and courage. The International Space Station (ISS) is centered and angled to be seen as aviator wings, symbolizing four astronauts piloting toward growth in low-Earth orbit (LEO) through the spirit of exploration and collaboration.

The Axiom-3 Mission with European Space Agency Project Astronaut Marcus Wendt of Sweden onboard is scheduled to launch no earlier than January 17, 2024, to the International Space Station (ISS) for a 14-day mission from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Marcus will join Andreas Morgensen, ISS commander, marking the first time two Scandinavians are in space together.

Wandt will also become the second ESA astronaut of Swedish nationality to ever go to the International Space Station during the Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3). He will serve as a mission specialist during Ax-3. Moreover, Marcus will be the fifth ESA astronaut to fly on a SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft, and the first of a new generation of Europeans to fly on a commercial spaceflight opportunity with Axiom Space.

Born 1980 in Sweden, Marcus Wandt has over 20 years of aviation experience with the Swedish Air Force as a fighter pilot, squadron commander, wing commander, and chief test pilot. Previously a member of the European Space Agency's astronaut reserve, Wandt is now an ESA project astronaut for the duration of his mission duties.

Throughout his academic and professional career, Wandt received honors and awards for his outstanding performance as a student and pilot. He speaks Swedish and English.

Read official biographies of Wendt on the Axiom Space and ESA websites:

https://www.axiomspace.com/astronaut/marcus-wandt

https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/Marcus_Wandt

Image Credits: European Space Agency (ESA)/SpaceX/Axiom Space

Image Dates: July 26, 2023-Dec. 9, 2023

#NASA #ESA #Space #ISS #AxiomSpace #Ax3Mission #Astronauts #Astronaut #MarcusWandt #Sweden #Sverige #MuninnMission #AndreasMogensen #HuginnMission #Denmark #Danmark #NordicMythology #Europe #UnitedStates #Science #SpaceResearch #International #STEM #Education

A Nordic Warm Welcome from Huginn to Muninn | International Space Station

A Nordic Warm Welcome from Huginn to Muninn | International Space Station

From the International Space Station to Earth, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen talks about what kind of person his fellow Scandinavian and ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt is. The Axiom-3 mission with Marcus onboard is scheduled to launch no earlier than January 17, 2024, to the International Space Station for a 14-day mission, where Marcus will join Andreas, marking the first time two Scandinavians are in space together.

Wandt will also become the second ESA astronaut of Swedish nationality to ever go to the International Space Station during the Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3). He will serve as a mission specialist during Ax-3. Moreover, Marcus will be the fifth ESA astronaut to fly on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, and the first of a new generation of Europeans to fly on a commercial spaceflight opportunity with Axiom Space.

Born 1980 in Sweden, Marcus Wandt has over 20 years of aviation experience with the Swedish Air Force as a fighter pilot, squadron commander, wing commander, and chief test pilot. Previously a member of the European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut reserve, Wandt is now an ESA project astronaut for the duration of his mission duties.

Throughout his academic and professional career, Wandt received various honors and awards for his outstanding performance as a student and pilot. He speaks Swedish and English.

Read official biographies on the Axiom Space and ESA websites:

https://www.axiomspace.com/astronaut/marcus-wandt

https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/Marcus_Wandt

Video Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)

Duration: 2 minutes 30 seconds

Release Date: Jan. 15, 2024

#NASA #ESA #Space #ISS #AxiomSpace #Ax3Mission #Astronauts #Astronaut #MarcusWandt #Sweden #Sverige #MuninnMission #AndreasMogensen #HuginnMission #Denmark #Danmark #NordicMythology #Europe #UnitedStates #Science #SpaceResearch #International #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Vela Supernova Remnant: "Like a Giant Ghostly Bird" | ESO

The Vela Supernova Remnant: "Like a Giant Ghostly Bird" | ESO

The Vela constellation is visible with the naked eye in the southern sky, but you might miss a lot of details hidden there. This is a small patch of the Vela supernova remnant, the intricate leftovers of the explosion of a massive star 11,000 years ago. The Vela supernova remnant is one of the closest known to us. This image is part of a huge and detailed mosaic captured with the VLT Survey Telescope (VST), hosted at the European Southern Observatory’s Paranal Observatory in the Chilean desert.

Pink and orange filamentary clouds swarm around in this picture, resembling the ghostly shadow of a cosmic bird with wide orange wings, a long pink body, and a bright pinkish star as an eye. A myriad of stars are sprinkled all over the image.

At the center of the image, there is a pink network of filaments, elongated from upper-left to lower-right. In the upper part of these filaments, in the opposite direction, from upper-right to lower-left, filamentary orange clouds fill the space. Nearby, dark red filaments and clouds fill the space. There are clouds that have a well-defined filamentary shape, while others are more blurred and cloudy-shaped. Spread all over the picture, bright yellow, blue and reddish stars populate the image. The dark background is almost completely hidden by all these features.

When massive stars reach the end of their life they explode as supernovae, expelling their outer layers. These explosions send out shock waves that move through the surrounding gas, compressing and reshaping it. This is what creates the intricate structure of filaments seen here. They shine brightly because of the energy released during the explosion.

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)/VPHAS+ Team

Acknowledgement: CASU

Release Date: Jan. 15, 2024

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #SupernovaRemnant #Vela #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #VST #OmegaCAM #ParanalObservatory #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education

Watch 'Majestic' Tianzhou-6 Cargo Spacecraft Undocking | China Space Station

Watch 'Majestic' Tianzhou-6 Cargo Spacecraft Undocking | China Space Station

The Tianzhou-6 cargo spacecraft successfully undocked from the rear docking port of the Tianhe Core Module of China's Tiangong Space Station on January 12, 2024, at 08:02 UTC (16:02 China Standard Time), according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA). 

Tianzhou-6 has started an “independent flight stage” that will continue until the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft docks with China's space station.

The Shenzhou-17 crew aboard the station is conducting a series of scientific experiments and technology verification objectives, as well as additional extravehicular activities and payload missions.

The taikonauts have been stationed at the space station for over a third of their six-month space mission. They completed the crew rotation with the Shenzhou-16 astronauts and have conducted tasks, including space station maintenance, life and health support, spacesuit inspection and testing, a Tianzhou-6 cargo ship equipment inspection and preparation for upcoming spacewalks, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

Shenzhou-17 is the sixth crew of three astronauts on a mission to the China Space Station. Shenzhou-17 is also the twelfth crewed and seventeenth flight overall of China's Shenzhou spaceflight program. Shenzhou-17 also features the youngest crew of any Chinese space mission to date.

Shenzhou-17 (神舟十七) Crew:

Hongbo Tang (汤洪波) - Commander 

Shengjie Tang (唐胜杰) - Mission Specialist

Xinlin Jiang  (江新林) - Mission Specialist

Video Credit: China National Space Administration (CNSA)/China Central Television (CCTV)/CNSA Watcher Archives

Release Date: Jan. 14, 2024

Duration: 3 minutes, 39 seconds

#NASA #Space #China #中国 #ChinaSpaceStation #CSS #TiangongSpaceStation #中国空间站 #Tianzhou6 #天舟六号 #CargoSpacecraft #Shenzhou17 #神舟十七号 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #HongboTang #ShengjieTang #XinlinJiang #SpaceLaboratory #CMSA #国家航天局 #Science #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

New View of The Light, Dark & Dusty 'Cave Nebula': Sharpless 2-155 in Cepheus

New View of The Light, Dark & Dusty 'Cave Nebula': Sharpless 2-155 in Cepheus

This colorful skyscape spans about three full moons across nebula rich starfields along the plane of our Milky Way Galaxy toward the royal northern constellation Cepheus. Near the edge of the region's massive molecular cloud some 2,400 light-years away, bright reddish emission region Sharpless (Sh) 2-155 is at the center of the frame, also known as the Cave Nebula. About 10 light-years across the cosmic cave's bright walls of gas are ionized by ultraviolet light from the hot young stars around it. 

Dusty bluish reflection nebulae, like vdB 155 at the left, and dense obscuring clouds of dust also abound on the interstellar canvas. Astronomical explorations have revealed other dramatic signs of star formation, including the bright reddish fleck of Herbig-Haro (HH) 168. At the upper left in the frame, the Herbig-Haro object emission is generated by energetic jets from a newborn star.

Image Credit & Copyright: Gábor Galambos

Gábor's website: https://www.astrobin.com/users/Galamb/

Release Date: Jan. 10, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #Nebula #CaveNebula #Sh2155 #EmissionNebula #vdB155 #Cepheus #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotography #Astrophotographer #GáborGalambos #CitizenScience #Hungary #Magyarország #STEM #Education