I am with Elon Musk and his dream to move to Mars. I have always had a feeling that we’re not alone.

For decades, scientists searching for extraterrestrial intelligence have focused on one specific type of radio signal, extremely narrow spikes in frequency. These “narrowband” signals are considered strong candidates for technological transmissions because natural astrophysical processes rarely produce them. However, new research from the alien-hunting organization, the SETI Institute, suggests alien signals might be harder to detect than previously thought, not because they do not exist, but because they may become distorted before leaving their home star systems.

The study, published in The Astrophysical Journal, explores how stellar “space weather” could blur radio transmissions from distant civilizations. Turbulent plasma near stars, including charged particles carried by stellar winds and eruptions such as coronal mass ejections, can interfere with radio waves as they travel outward from a transmitting planet. Even if a civilization sends a perfectly narrow signal, the plasma surrounding its star could spread the signal’s energy across a wider range of frequencies.

This process weakens the signal’s peak strength and makes it more difficult for traditional SETI detection systems to identify. Many current search pipelines are optimized to detect ultra-sharp signals, meaning broadened transmissions could slip below detection thresholds.

“SETI searches are often optimized for extremely narrow signals,” said Dr. Vishal Gajjar, astronomer at the SETI Institute and lead author of the study. “If a signal gets broadened by its own star’s environment, it can slip below our detection thresholds, even if it’s there, potentially helping explain some of the radio silence we’ve seen in technosignature searches.”

To understand how strong this effect might be, researchers studied radio transmissions from spacecraft within our own solar system. By measuring how solar plasma affects these signals, the team developed models that estimate how stellar turbulence might distort transmissions in other planetary systems.

Their findings suggest the effect could be particularly strong around M-dwarf stars, small and active stars that make up roughly 75% of the Milky Way’s stellar population. Because these stars often produce intense stellar activity, signals from planets orbiting them could become significantly broadened before escaping the system.

The research suggests future SETI searches may need to expand their approach, developing detection systems capable of identifying signals that have been smeared or broadened by stellar environments, not just perfectly narrow ones. By accounting for how stellar activity reshapes radio transmissions, scientists hope to design searches that are better matched to what actually arrives at Earth, potentially revealing signals that have so far remained hidden.

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In the skies above Britain and across the Asia-Pacific, a green revolution is accelerating—not in the fields, but in the jet streams. Two major international moves this month signal that Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is no longer a niche technology but a critical pillar of the future of flight. And as Earth-bound aircraft start to go green, a tantalizing question arises: can space travel do the same?

The United Kingdom has taken a decisive step in accelerating SAF adoption by raising its co-processing blend limit from 5% to 30%. Endorsed by the UK Ministry of Defence and enshrined in Defence Standard 91-091, this regulatory leap allows waste oils and renewable feedstocks to be refined alongside fossil fuels—without requiring massive infrastructure overhauls.

Industry players like BP and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have applauded the move, highlighting that SAF produced under these standards meets rigorous global aviation fuel benchmarks such as ASTM D1655. This isn’t a backdoor greenwashing scheme. It’s vetted, safe, and compatible with existing jet engines.

The UK’s action sends a powerful signal to the global market: SAF isn’t tomorrow’s promise—it’s today’s policy.

Meanwhile, Singapore’s GenZero, in partnership with the World Economic Forum, has launched the Green Fuel Forward Initiative, aiming to scale SAF across the Asia-Pacific region. This initiative unites airlines, aerospace manufacturers, and financiers to create a self-sustaining SAF market—one that can meet the demand of one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation hubs.

Where the UK is setting standards, GenZero is building ecosystems. Together, these initiatives create a transcontinental roadmap for clean flight.

Despite the momentum, experts caution against declaring SAF a silver bullet. While SAF can reduce lifecycle emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional jet fuel, this is contingent on the sustainability of feedstocks, regional production capabilities, and carbon accounting accuracy. Feedstock availability, economic viability, and infrastructure bottlenecks all remain significant hurdles.

In short: cleaner skies are coming—but we’re not off the hook yet.

Companies like Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, and SpaceX are pushing commercial spaceflight into the mainstream. But their environmental footprint is enormous. One rocket launch can emit hundreds of tons of CO₂ and black carbon, which lingers in the stratosphere, disrupting climate systems more than emissions at lower altitudes.

Some progress is being made. Blue Origin uses liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen—fuels that, when combusted, emit only water vapor. But hydrogen’s production is often energy-intensive, and other space companies still rely on kerosene-based propellants.

Startups and research labs are quietly experimenting with green rocket fuels made from bioethanol, renewable methane, or even algae-based feedstocks. But these remain in early stages, with limited commercial uptake.

Could SAF tech inspire the next leap? Perhaps. SAF producers like Gevo, Neste, and Velocys are already investing in Fischer-Tropsch and gasification technologies that could be adapted for high-energy rocket fuel equivalents.

For investors with one eye on Earth and the other on the stars, SAF is emerging as one of the most promising clean tech sectors. Here are a few companies at the forefront:

Neste (Finland): The world’s largest SAF producer, partnering with airports and airlines globally.

Gevo (NASDAQ: GEVO): A US-based innovator turning agricultural waste into renewable jet fuel.

Velocys (UK): Converts municipal and forest waste into aviation-grade hydrocarbons.

XCF Global (NASDAQ: XCF): Set to become the only pure-play SAF producer on the US public market after acquiring New Rise Renewables.

SkyNRG (Netherlands): A pioneer in SAF deployment, collaborating with airports and corporate clients.

Shell and World Energy: Though fossil giants, both are investing heavily in SAF R&D and infrastructure.

Flying sustainably is no longer science fiction. But guilt-free air travel—let alone guilt-free space tourism—isn’t as simple as swapping fuels. It requires layered transformation: regulatory reform, feedstock innovation, public-private collaboration, and bold investment.

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China and Russia have unveiled plans to construct a joint lunar base equipped with a nuclear power plant, marking a significant development in international space exploration. China wants to moonmine and we reported on that last year. They will include Pakistan as part of the plan to become the first Moonians. This initiative, known as the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), aims to establish a permanent presence on the Moon’s south pole by 2035.

The ILRS is a collaborative project between China and Russia, designed to support long-term scientific research and exploration on the Moon. According to Chinese space official Pei Zhaoyu, the base will utilize both solar arrays and a nuclear power plant to provide the necessary energy for sustained operations. The inclusion of nuclear power is intended to ensure a reliable energy source, especially during the lunar night when solar power is unavailable.​

International Reactions and Legal Considerations

The United States has expressed concerns regarding the safety and transparency of deploying nuclear technology on the Moon. A State Department spokesperson emphasized the need for a “rigorous, risk-informed safety analysis” for any space nuclear systems and highlighted the importance of transparency in such endeavors. What if it exploded? Would the moon be sent off course?

The deployment of a nuclear power plant on the Moon raises questions about the legal frameworks governing space activities. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty, signed by over 100 countries including China, Russia, and the United States, stipulates that celestial bodies are not subject to national appropriation and must be used exclusively for peaceful purposes.

While the treaty prohibits the placement of nuclear weapons in space, it does not explicitly ban the use of nuclear power for peaceful purposes, leaving room for interpretation regarding projects like the ILRS.​

The Role of Nuclear Power in Sustainable Space Exploration

Nuclear power is considered a viable solution for providing consistent energy in space, particularly for missions in environments where solar power is insufficient. Companies like Rolls-Royce are developing micro nuclear reactors intended for use in space missions, highlighting the growing interest in nuclear technology for space exploration. Companies like Frequency Electronics uses nuclear energy for clocks used in space. 

The ILRS’s planned nuclear power plant represents a significant step in utilizing nuclear energy to support long-term human activities on the Moon. 

The China-Russia collaboration on the ILRS signifies a new chapter in lunar exploration, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation and the potential of nuclear power in sustaining long-term space missions. As nations continue to explore the possibilities of space, adherence to international treaties and transparent practices will be crucial in ensuring peaceful and sustainable development beyond Earth.​

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CubeSats have emerged as a university project, and, originally, this tech was used for educational missions – primarily because of its affordability. Today, with the rapid private space sector development, these compact, easily scalable mini-satellites are actively used for a wide range of commercial purposes and are steadily securing their positions in missions from international space agencies.

Thanks to advances in private-made CubeSat components, such as these https://dragonflyaerospace.com/components/, CubeSats are becoming increasingly more advanced and versatile. At the same time, they retain their uniform design, measuring 10x10x10 cm per unit (1U) while increasing scalability. Modern CubeSats can measure up to 27U, but that is still very compact compared to previous-generation space tech!

Below, we will explain the main CubeSat structures and mechanisms that make these satellites work, explaining the importance of CubeSat components in modern satellite missions. But first, we need to understand what today’s space missions are usually about, so let’s start with that. 

What are the objectives of the CubeSat mission?   

Right now, every launched CubeSat focuses on its own mission, but the range of applications has evolved far beyond education. Currently, the most common CubeSat missions include:

• Earth Observation: EO is an extremely vast industry segment – in fact, most spacecraft in our planet’s orbit are EO tech, and many of those satellites are CubeSat. Depending on the components they carry, actual applications may include environment monitoring of pollution levels in waters or air; urban planning; tracking illegal mining, fishing, or poaching activities, etc.
• Cosmic research: advances in CubeSat components, especially in imagers they carry, have made it possible to apply them in deep space exploration missions. For example, NASA’s HaloSat recently surveyed the Milky Way’s circumgalactic medium.
• Technology demonstration: most new space tech is tested and demonstrated with CubeSats because, if something goes wrong, the cost of losing a CubeSat is lesser than it could have been with a larger satellite. But that does not mean CubeSat technology is unreliable. In fact, these satellites successfully coped with most demonstration missions – including testing for NASA’s upcoming Mars landing.
• Internet of Things: most IoT devices remotely controlled from our smartphones are backed up by CubeSat constellations, so every time you turn up home heating while still at work, you can thank advances in CubeSat components.

Clearly, such a range of applications requires a series of advanced equipment to carry out designated missions. So, let’s take a better look at the CubeSat component’s functions and variations.

What are the main components of a CubeSat?  

Even though the actual CubeSat components list may vary slightly depending on mission goals, some components are an absolute must-have for a CubeSat to operate:

• Structure is a component that holds all other pieces together; it is normally made of highly durable materials to withstand harsh space environments;
• Power component supplies electricity to all other CubeSat components – usually through built-in batteries or by generating power via solar panels;
• Communication component is a series of antennae and receivers that transmit data back to Earth and receive new commands from ground stations;
• Computer component is exactly what you may think – a powerful processor that oversees all CubeSat operations;
• Attitude Determination and Control System, or ADCS component, is a complex mix of sensors that measure CubeSat position in space and make sure it is pointing in the right direction, i.e., to take images of designated areas of interest – on Earth or in deep space.
• Payload may be one of the most important CubeSat components because it is the equipment a CubeSat needs to carry out its mission goals. Obviously, that’s where the differences begin because satellites are made for different missions, so the equipment necessary to fulfil them will also be different!

Besides, there have been major advances in CubeSat propulsion systems  – normally, this component was reserved for pricier space tech. In a nutshell, propulsion is a series of thrusters and engines allowing satellites to adjust their position in orbit or even move to entirely new orbital destinations when initial mission objectives are complete, and it’s time to move on to a new stage.

Today, many CubeSats can do the same, but those aren’t the only impressive advances in CubeSat components and applications. So, let’s see what space agencies have in mind.

Space agency missions: what is the importance of CubeSat? 

Even though most CubeSats, along with their components, are manufactured by private companies, NASA and other space agencies understand the amazing potential of this tech.  For example, mini-satellites play a huge part in NASA’s upcoming lunar mission, Artemis. Its first phase, which began in 2022, launched ten CubeSats that provided a wealth of information on our Moon, including its ice layer composition.

ESA also holds CubeSat components and their potential in high regard. Its upcoming Hera mission should study the Didymos asteroid system and check how NASA’s DART mission went – that’s when the US agency crashed its impactor tech into the asteroid to see if we could deflect asteroids from their course to avoid future collisions with our planet. So, heads up for HERA because it finally looks like our space tech is on its way to helping the planet – and advances in CubeSat components will prove useful in this process.

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Today, no one doubts the existence of black holes, but until 2019, they remained pure hypothetical speculation – even though the term itself, and logically, the accompanying hypothesis, dates back to the mid-20th century. Well, now that the Event Horizon Telescope has officially confirmed the factual existence of such holes, astronomers have been discovering more and more of them, which raises a pretty relevant question – what is the closest black hole to Earth and should we be anxious about the neighbour?

Not to bury such a dramatic lead, let’s just say that we’re safe for now – actually, we should remain safe for a very long time. And now, in the comfort of our newly confirmed safety, let’s learn a few curious facts about the closest black hole to Earth 2024 astronomical facts we know so far. 

Closest Black Hole to Earth: Gaia BH1

In 2022, the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission, originally set to create a three-dimensional map of our galaxy, discovered a black hole, which, logically enough, was dubbed Gaia. The object is situated in the constellation Ophiuchus and is part of a binary stellar system – that is, a system that consists of two gravitationally tied objects. One of those objects is a star very similar to our Sun, and it’s thanks to the gravitational interconnections that ESA scientists could determine there is a black hole. The thing is, these holes are still tricky to spot with our optics, so the first thing that caught the astronomers’ attention was the slightly unorthodox star behaviour, indicating a strong pull from another object, which turned out to be Gaia.

Another peculiarity that initially made Gaia tricky to spot is its dormant state. Unlike most of its rapidly-feeding and growing ‘sisters,’ Gaia is relatively quiet. But just how quiet and, more importantly, how close? Currently, the closest black hole to Earth distance is estimated at 1,560 light-years from our planet.

On a cosmic scale, that is not too far but consider for a second that our entire solar system stretches only a few light DAYS across. In contrast, the nearest star system, Alpha Centauri, is about 4.37 light-years away — a fraction compared to 1,560 – but still incredibly far. Right, the fastest travelling object humanity has made, the Parker Solar Probe, is heading towards the Sun at 635,266 km/h. But to reach Gaia, it would need 2,650,358 terrestrial years!

Now that you know what’s the closest black hole near Earth? And more importantly, that it’s not that close, we can exhale once again and learn a few more facts about these mysterious matter-devouring objects.

Biggest Black Hole Ever Discovered

While Gaia BH1 is the closest black hole to Earth, it is by no means the largest – not even close!  These holes vary dramatically in mass, from a few times the mass of our Sun to millions or even billions of solar masses. In this regard, Gaia is about ten masses of our Sun. And the biggest title belongs to a quasar TON 618, weighing a staggering 66 billion solar masses! How far is this monster, then? Fortunately, way too far – 18.2 billion light-years!

What Happens if a Black Hole is Near Earth?

Black holes have a scary reputation for devouring everything in their path, but even this process, quick as it may be on a cosmic scale, is incredibly long from our human perspective. Assuming a hole, the mass of our Sun replaced our star at the centre of the solar system (just hypothetically, of course), the solar system planets would keep orbiting as if nothing had changed. We would lose our source of light and energy and freeze to death, but that’s an entirely different hypothesis.

Back to the subject of black holes, one of these would need to venture into the inner solar system to cause immediate trouble for Earth. The thing is, relative to their huge mass, the holes are very small. So, to exert any kind of immediate damage, a planet would really need to be in the hole’s vicinity. And our home system is relatively well-studied, so we can safely state no black holes are lurking around the corner.

Takeaway: Should We Worry about Black Holes?

As you have probably guessed already, the answer to that is a definite no. Even the closest black hole to Earth is incredibly far away on the scale of our solar system. Besides, the gravitational pull of the cosmic monster diminishes with distance – that, as we already explained, needs to be a close one to cause immediate damage. Of course, our telescopes keep developing, and we may discover new cosmic holes soon enough – some of them might even rob Gaia of its closest title. Still, there is every reason to believe our home system and our planet is safe. 

Author: Emma Thorpe

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NASA’s Europa Clipper yesterday began its voyage to investigate a vast ocean buried under the icy crust of Jupiter’s moon Europa. If Europa is found to have the ingredients for life, that discovery would drastically expand the chances of finding life on icy worlds in other solar systems, according to Nature.

The spacecraft will make crucial manoeuvres in space, such as deploying radar antennas, to prepare for its arrival in 2030. “We’re watching through our fingers with excitement,” says planetary scientist Kathleen Craft. “Everything needs to go right.”

Technicians encapsulated NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft inside payload fairings on Wednesday, Oct. 2, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The fairings will protect the spacecraft during launch as it begins its journey to explore Jupiter’s icy moon Europa. Credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

But, of course, before any of that can happen, the spacecraft has to leave Earth behind. The orbiter’s solar arrays are folded and stowed for launch. Testing is complete on the spacecraft’s various systems and its payload of nine science instruments and a gravity science investigation. Loaded with over 6,060 pounds (2,750 kilograms) of the propellant that will get Europa Clipper to Jupiter, the spacecraft has been encapsulated in the protective nose cone, or payload fairing, atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, which is poised for takeoff from historic Launch Complex 39A.

Launch Sequences

The Falcon Heavy has two stages and two side boosters. After the side boosters separate, the core stage will be expended into the Atlantic Ocean. Then the second stage of the rocket, which will help Europa Clipper escape Earth’s gravity, will fire its engine.

Related: learn how to make a Jupiter cake

This artist’s concept depicts NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft in orbit at Jupiter as it passes over the gas giant’s icy moon Europa (lower right). Scheduled to arrive at Jupiter in April 2030, the mission will be the first to specifically target Europa for detailed science investigation. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

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A space elevator, also called a space bridge, star ladder, or orbital lift, is a proposed type of planet-to-space transportation system, often depicted in science fiction. The main component of a space elevator would be a cable anchored to the surface and extending into space.

Futuristic Japan is planning one for the year 2050. Obayashi Corporation aims to connect Earth to space with an 80,000 mile cable made from carbon nanotubes (CNTs) allowing 30 passengers to be launched into space at about 150mph, getting them to a space station in about a week.

The discovery of CNTs by a Japanese engineer in 1991 has pushed this vision forward, with potential launches of the construction project to begin as early as next year. Japan is not the first to come up with the idea of a space elevator.

In 1895, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky proposed to build a space elevator that could reach from Earth into space; it never got off the ground, but in 1957 another Russian – Yuri Artsutanov – came up with a more plausible idea. It wasn’t built either, but he had a chance to judge a team of Israeli students who were tackling the concept anew.

In Japan, the the space elevator construction would be multi-stage process with materials transported via rocket to low Earth orbit where a spaceship will use electric propulsion to ascend to geostationary Earth orbit.

One of the significant advantages of the space elevator, says the Obayashi Corporation is its cost-effectiveness and sustainability. Traditional rocket launches are expensive and polluting. Each launch could cost just a few thousand dollars, making space access more affordable and frequent. This project aligns with Japan’s goals for carbon neutrality by 2050, providing a greener alternative to current space travel technologies​.

Maybe they can figure out a way to get space junk out of orbit at the same time.

Obayashi Corporation is one of five major Japanese construction companies along with Shimizu Corporation, Takenaka Corporation, Kajima Corporation, and Taisei Corporation. It is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and is one of the Nikkei 225 corporations. Its headquarters are in Minato, Tokyo.

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Ever since I had a startup in machine learning and AI (an agtech robot) I’ve been challenged by how we can use new tools to sift through data and help us create new products and developments without the painstaking process of reaching out to individuals. While I love and cherish my one-on-time with people I love, and nothing beats the creative process with someone smarter than you, sometimes we want to let our imagination soar. I held an event in Tel Aviv about 6 years ago Mars Farm (and this event on future farming where I was invited) which made us think of solutions for growing food with existing Martian minerals and nutrients. The EU-funded event asked how we could create closed loop systems for farms aboard a spaceship and when we land on Mars. How would our farms look, our diet? Would there be medical cannabis?

You could ask that about any part of life, and I love to spend potting in my backyard studio. So my mind wanders: What would my pottery studio look on Mars? Surely everything would be red? Would the material move differently? Would working on the wheel be easier or harder? What about ceramic casting?

We’d probably have to make as much as we can on Mars since raw materials are heavy and wouldn’t be easily transported. Martian soil is expected to be high in iron and given what we know and maybe with a dash of what we don’t, artificial intelligence created a glaze recipe for Mars potters.

Anyone willing to try it out, and throw in a dash of what you can find local to you as the Martian Regolith (Simulated)?

Creating a glaze recipe for ceramics that can work with the minerals found on Mars involves some speculation since the exact composition of Martian minerals is not fully known. However, we can make an educated guess based on the information available about Martian soil and rocks.

Ingredients for Martian Mirth Magma glaze

1. Red Iron Oxide: Mars is famously known for its reddish appearance, which is due to the presence of iron oxide (rust). Incorporating red iron oxide into your glaze can help mimic the Martian color.
2. Silica: Silica is a common component in glazes and can be found on Mars. It helps with the melting process and contributes to the overall texture of the glaze.
3. Aluminum Oxide: This compound can add stability to the glaze and affect its color. It is also likely to be present in Martian soil.
4. Magnesium Oxide: Magnesium is known to be present on Mars, and including magnesium oxide in your glaze can provide interesting effects.
5. Calcium Oxide: Calcium is another element found in Martian soil, and adding calcium oxide can enhance the stability and durability of the glaze.
6. Martian Regolith (Simulated): If available, you may consider using a simulated Martian regolith, which is a mixture of various minerals found on Mars. This can provide a more authentic touch to your glaze.
7. Boron (optional): Depending on the specific mineral composition you’re aiming for, you might consider adding boron to adjust the glaze’s melting point and improve its durability.

Basic Glaze Recipe – Martian Mirth Magma:

• 30% Red Iron Oxide
• 30% Silica
• 15% Aluminum Oxide
• 10% Magnesium Oxide
• 10% Calcium Oxide
• 5% Martian Regolith (simulated)

Instructions:

1. Mix the dry ingredients thoroughly in a well-ventilated area to avoid inhaling fine particles.
2. Gradually add the dry mix to water until it is absorbed and the add water until the right density is achieved. Feedback on that?
3. Stir and strain glaze.
4. Apply the glaze to your ceramics using your preferred method (dipping, brushing, spraying).
5. Fire the ceramics in a kiln according to standard ceramic firing procedures. Experiment with different firing temperatures to achieve the desired results. This is currently unknown how we will do this on Mars.

Keep in mind that this is a speculative recipe, and the actual mineral composition on Mars may vary. It’s also essential to conduct tests on a small scale before applying the glaze to a larger project. Have you tried out the recipe? Are you will to provide feedback? If yes, let us know mars@greenprophet.com

Possible names for this glaze? ChatGTP came up with a few:

1. Martian Mirth Magma
2. Red Planet Razzle-Dazzle
3. Alien Tease Glaze
4. Cosmic Chuckle Coating
5. Extraterrestrial Euphoria EnameLol
6. Red Dust Delight
7. Mars Mockery Mix
8. Laughing Lava Glint
9. Interplanetary Jest Glaze
10. Quirk of the Cosmos Coating

Sketches of pottery studios on Mars

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Can plants grow in a barren landscape such as the surface of the moon? If so, what types of plants will grow on the moon. Can we eat them? Could enough plants grow to support a future colony on the moon? Maybe these plants could grow on Mars too? Emiratis plan on living on Mars as much as Elon Musk. NASA has already shown that plants can grow on simulated moon soil. What’s the next step? The moon itself.

An Israeli and Australian team are going to launch a hydroponic system to the moon, called Lunariums, to see if plants will grow under controlled conditions on the moon’s surface. They will launch 2025 via an Israeli probe that will be going to the moon.

These are the ambitious questions the Lunaria One consortium has set out to answer. An experiment proposed by Lunaria One, known as Aleph, was selected by SpaceIL, an Israeli non-profit aerospace organization, to be included as one of the payloads on board their Beresheet2 lander. Beresheet means Genesis in Hebrew. Aleph is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. 

We covered SpaceIL more than 10 years ago when they first started dreaming about lunar research.

The Beresheet2 mission, planned to launch in mid-2025, will consist of two landers alighting on each side of the moon and an orbiter that will continue to orbit the moon for up to 5 years.

Aleph will consist of a tray of seeds and dehydrated plants, a way to rehydrate and water them (a form of hydroponics), heaters, and cameras to monitor the plants. Israelis are specialists in hydroponic farming since most of their greenhouse crops in effect grow this way using a sand/soil medium, nutrients and irrigation.

Prof. Simon Barak at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, is coordinating all the plant biologists and imaging specialists.

Space food – growing food on the moon

Shimon Sarid, SpaceIL CEO says: “The chosen experiment has enormous value both for our life here on Earth and for humanity’s progress in space exploration. Examining plant growth under extreme conditions will help us as far as food security is concerned. Plant growth in extreme conditions will help humanity in the long-term.”

Growing plants on the moon means overcoming several challenges such as massive temperature swings on the way to the moon, a water supply for the plants, and high temperatures when growing the plants. The plant types will need to be those that can germinate and grow to an appropriate size for imaging within 72 hours of deployment.

In the meantime, they expect their plant selections to be relevant for vertical farming, regenerative farming, and resource challenged landscapes here on Earth. Growing plants and food in the desert under our climate crisis is a growing global concern.

“The motivation for this mission comes from humanity’s passion to explore and see life thrive in barren landscapes,” explains Prof. Barak. “We see the Aleph payload as an important step towards our eventual goal of providing plants for food, medicine, oxygen production, CO2-scrubbing and general wellbeing for future astronauts inhabiting the moon and beyond.”

“The central value guiding this project is that space exploration is for everyone; we don’t want a future where only autonomous and remote-controlled machines inhabit realms beyond earth, but where humans can live and thrive. The key to this is to get humans involved and to give them a say in how we get there. The ALEPH project aims to open up the science and engineering behind growing life on the Moon so that anyone can be involved,” explains Lunaria One Director Lauren Fell.

The project also has a strong citizen science component. Parallel science experiments will be carried out by amateurs (for example, high school students) and professionals to compare growth to that on the Moon.

Additional universities participating in Lunaria One include: QUT, RMIT, and ANU in Australia and The University of Cape Town in South Africa.

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Exploding stars happen more often that you might think. Turns out you just need to know how to look for them. New research on “stars” gives us insight into looking for a new career, a romantic partner or friend, or even happiness in general. Read on.

In the not-so-distant past, the discovery of a supernova – an exploding star – was considered a rare occasion. When Avishay Gal-Yam was a doctoral student, for example, he located seven of them over the course of four years.

Today, advanced measuring instruments and analysis methods make it possible to detect fifty such explosions on a daily basis. On the one hand, the improved means used by present-day astrophysicists to spot supernovae may have made these celestial events less of an attraction over the years.

On the other hand, the greater number of observations of them has also increased the probability that researchers would be able to spot rarer types of explosions that have so far existed only as theoretical constructs.

Gal-Yam and colleagues recently discovered a rare-type supernova that has never been observed before. Their findings are published in Nature.

The core of every star is fueled by nuclear fusion, wherein the nuclei of lighter elements fuse together to form heavier elements. The fusion of four hydrogen nuclei results in the formation of a helium atom, while several helium nuclei combined result in the formation of carbon, oxygen, and so on.

The last element that will naturally form through nuclear fusion is iron, which is the most stable atomic nucleus. In normal circumstances, the energy produced at the star’s core maintains extremely high temperatures that cause its gaseous matter to expand, thus preserving the fine balance with the force of gravity, drawing the star’s mass toward its center.

Once the star runs out of elements to fuse and stops producing energy, this balance is disrupted, leading either to a gaping black hole that tears open at the heart of the star, causing it to collapse in on itself, or to the star’s explosion, which releases the heavy elements, fused during its evolution, into the universe. 

The entire process is naturally very lengthy. The life spans of massive stars – the kind that Gal-Yam, dean of the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Physics Faculty in Israel, studies ­– are considered relatively short, a few million years at most.

The Sun, in comparison, has a life expectancy of about 10 billion years. The subsequent processes of nuclear fusion at the core of massive stars lead to their stratification, in which the heavy elements are concentrated at the core, and gradually lighter elements compose the outer layers. Wolf-Rayet stars are particularly massive stars that are missing one or more of the external layers that are made up of lighter elements. In this way, instead of hydrogen – the lightest element – the star’s surface is characterized by the presence of helium, or even carbon and heavier elements.

One possible explanation for this phenomenon is that strong winds blowing due to high pressure at the star’s envelope, disperse its outermost layer, thus causing the star to lose one layer after the other over several hundred thousand years. When these stars are observed without the presence of the lighter elements in their envelope, it is akin to a still photograph capturing a moment in time during a long-winded process. Nonetheless, despite their relatively short life spans and their state of progressive disintegration, the supernova explosion of a Wolf-Rayet star has yet to have been definitely observed.

Analysis of the ever-growing number of supernova discoveries has led to the hypothesis that Wolf-Rayet stars simply don’t explode – they just quietly collapse into black holes – otherwise, we would have been able to observe one by now. This hypothesis, however, has just been shattered owing to the discovery, made by the Weizmann group and their international team of collaborators, of a supernova originating from this type of star. Spectroscopic analysis of the light emitted from the explosion – the electromagnetic wavelengths of light emitted from the blast – led to the discovery of spectral signatures that are associated with specific elements. In this way, the researchers were able to show that the explosion contained carbon, oxygen and neon atoms, the latter an element that has not yet been observed in this manner in any supernova to date.

Moreover, the researchers identified that the matter spouting cosmic radiation did not in itself participate in the blast but rather originated from the space surrounding the volatile star. This, in turn, strengthened their hypothesis in favor of strong winds that took part in stripping the star of its outer envelope.

Since this observation is the first of its kind, Gal-Yam states that it may be too early to unequivocally determine the fate of all such stars. “We can’t say at this stage whether all Wolf-Rayet stars end their lives with a bang or not. It might be that some of them do collapse quietly into a black hole,” he says. “We estimate that the mass that dispersed during the explosion is probably equal to that of the Sun or a slightly smaller star; the star that exploded was significantly heavier – having a mass at least ten times greater than that of the Sun.

“So where did the majority of mass end up?” Gal-Yam suggests a midway scenario, in which both possible fates are fulfilled at the same time: once nuclear fusion is exhausted at the star’s core, an explosion takes place that blasts some of the mass into space, while the remaining mass collapses in on itself, forming a black hole. “One thing’s certain,” says Gal-Yam, “This is not the ‘silent’ collapse often referred to in the past. It is worth mentioning that since this discovery was first made, another similar explosion of a Wolf-Rayet star has been observed, implying that this phenomenon is indeed not a single occurrence. It is possible that the better our detection and measurement instruments become, the more this type of explosion – today considered rare and exotic – will become a common sight.”

Supernovae may seem like colossal events happening far, far away that they have no direct impact on our lives. But, truth be told, they are at the heart of life itself. These cosmic explosions launch the elements that were forged at the star’s core to the far reaches of the galaxy, where they serve as the bedrock for the birth of new stars.

Planet Earth and all its various and diverse lifeforms (including us Homo sapiens) are the result of such an occurrence. “We study the origins of all matter, including that found on Earth, and search for explanations of many of the physical phenomena we tend to take for granted,” says Gal-Yam. “This is what I am personally interested in – where did all of this come from – and I want to be able to answer this question as best and as accurately as I can.”

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