Universe Today
• Laurence Tognetti
NASA’s systems engineering team has detailed the mission architecture for the Habitable Worlds Observatory, a planned effort aimed at finding Earth-like worlds beyond the solar system. The work comes as exoplanet research has advanced substantially since the first exoplanet was discovered in 1995.
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NASA’s systems engineering team has detailed the mission architecture for the Habitable Worlds Observatory, a planned effort aimed at finding Earth-like worlds beyond the solar system. The work comes as exoplanet research has advanced substantially since the first exoplanet was discovered in 1995.
Four volunteers who spent more than a year living and working in a simulated Mars mission are due to leave their habitat on Saturday, Oct. Separately, analog astronaut Michaela Musilova led low-visibility underwater “spacewalks” to test astronaut safety and communications protocols—using terrestrial simulations to examine challenges crews may face during space missions.
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NASA launched the first test flight of its Saturn I rocket on Oct. 27, 1961. The successful flight marked an early milestone in the development of the launch vehicles that would ultimately enable the United States’ crewed lunar program, including the Saturn V.
NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will use gravitational microlensing to study dark matter, but its wide-field survey design cannot perform every observation needed for the work. The Hubble Space Telescope will assist, using its complementary capabilities to help extend Roman’s scientific reach.
EraDrive has received clearance to test autonomous maneuvering software aboard NASA’s Starling satellites. The trial advances onboard navigation and control capabilities, putting spacecraft maneuver decisions closer to the vehicle rather than relying solely on ground-based direction.
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NASA said the designs and flight plans for its two commercial crewed Moon landers have changed as the agency works toward a 2028 landing. The agency will decide which provider lands astronauts first, according to a report, making the revised plans relevant to both providers’ development schedules.
New observations from Parker Solar Probe reveal twisted magnetic braids within the solar wind, part of the Sun’s complex magnetic environment. Together with data from Solar Orbiter, the findings are helping researchers map the structure of magnetic fields and charged-particle flows around the Sun.
NASA is changing how it selects and develops science missions, aiming to reduce costs, simplify competition and speed missions’ path to space. The overhaul is intended to increase mission cadence, though the available report does not specify the revised process, schedule or programs affected.
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