Russia is preparing for its Lunar Mission “Luna 25” to reach Moon’s South Pole before India. The launch is scheduled from Russia’s Vostochny cosmodrome on Friday. Luna 25 is expected to land on 21/22 August before Chandrayaan-3.

Roscosmos has said the two missions would not get in each other’s way because they have different landing areas planned.

New Delhi: Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft was successfully injected into the lunar orbit on Saturday. Indian Space Research Organization in a tweet said, a retro-burning at the Perilune was commanded from the Mission Operations Complex (MOX), ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru. The next operation- reduction of orbit- is scheduled to take place on Sunday around 11 PM Indian Standard Time.

After lunar orbit injection, Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is slated to orbit the Moon multiple times, gradually approaching the Moon. Once it reaches a 100 km orbit above the lunar surface, the lander and rover will be detached and manoeuvred to soft-land on the surface of the moon. The spacecraft is expected to complete a 40-day journey to make a soft landing near the Moon’s south pole around August 23rd. India will be the fourth country to achieve this feat and the first to land softly near the lunar south pole. Chandrayaan 3 was launched on July 14 by GSLV Mark III launcher.

During a ceremony at the Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires on Thursday, July 27, Argentina became the 28th country to sign the Artemis Accords. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson participated in the signing ceremony for the agency, and Daniel Filmus, Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, signed on behalf of Argentina.

Argentine President Alberto Fernández and Marc Stanley, the U.S. Ambassador to Argentina, also were in attendance.

The Artemis Accords establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations, including those participating in NASA’s Artemis program.

“As the United States and Argentina mark two centuries of diplomatic relations this year, we know our partnership over the next century will be deepened by discoveries made together in space,” said Administrator Bill Nelson. “Along with our fellow Artemis Accords signatories, the United States and Argentina are setting a standard for 21st century exploration and use of space. As we explore together, we will explore peacefully, safely, and transparently.”

NASA, in coordination with the U.S. Department of State, established the Artemis Accords in 2020 together with seven other founding member nations.

“We are convinced that the Artemis Accords constitute a contribution to the development of space activities with peaceful purposes at a global level and that they will increase international cooperation with Argentina,” said Filmus.

The Artemis Accords reinforce and implement key obligations in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. They also reinforce the commitment by the United States and signatory nations to the Registration Convention, the Rescue and Return Agreement, as well as best practices and norms of responsible behavior that NASA and its partners have supported, including the public release of scientific data.

“It is very important we take this step as it is key that we move forward in the field of space development. We are convinced that it must be a state policy,” said Fernández. “We have done a lot to retain our scientists, we have always been interested in science and technology, we believe that this is the way to go.”

Additional countries will sign the Artemis Accords in the months and years ahead, as NASA continues to work with its international partners to establish a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space. Working with both new and existing partners will add new energy and capabilities to ensure the entire world can benefit from our journey of exploration and discovery.

Users can access the early, in-progress preview of the beta website now and are encouraged to visit and submit feedback at:

https://beta.nasa.gov/

“Our vision is to inspire humanity through a unified, world-class NASA web experience,” said Jeff Seaton, chief information officer at the agency’s headquarters in Washington. “NASA’s legacy footprint presents an opportunity to dramatically improve the user experience for the public we serve. Modernizing our main websites from a technology standpoint and streamlining how the public engages with our content online are critical first steps in making our agency’s information more accessible, discoverable, and secure.”

Credits: NASA

This new web experience will serve as an ever-expanding yet consolidated homebase for information about the agency’s missions and research, climate data, Artemis updates, and more. The updated nasa.gov and science.nasa.gov websites will provide a connected, topic-driven experience, with a common search engine, integrated navigation, and optimized publishing capabilities in a modernized and secure set of web tools.

NASA will continue to update and improve the beta site on a rolling-basis as it receives feedback from website visitors. Once fully launched, the online content from a selection of popular agency websites will be included within this new experience to ensure easier, integrated access to NASA information currently found across the agency’s many websites.

Later this year, NASA also will launch its new streaming platform, NASA+., and upgrade the NASA app. Through the ad-free, no cost, and family-friendly streaming service, users will gain access to the agency’s Emmy Award-winning live coverage and views into NASA’s missions through collections of original video series, including a handful of new series launching with the streaming service.

“We’re putting space on demand and at your fingertips with NASA’s new streaming platform,” said Marc Etkind, associate administrator, Office of Communications, NASA Headquarters. “Transforming our digital presence will help us better tell the stories of how NASA explores the unknown in air and space, inspires through discovery, and innovates for the benefit of humanity.”

NASA+ will be available on most major platforms via the NASA App on iOS and Android mobile and tablet devices; streaming media players such as, Roku, Apple TV, and Fire TV; and on the web across desktop and mobile devices.

Following the launch of all new digital platforms, NASA will continue to connect additional agency websites and multimedia libraries into this new experience to continually streamline all the information shared across its centers, missions, and programs. With an enhanced digital presence, NASA will share science, research, exploration, and innovation with the world through cohesive platforms.

“From exoplanet research to better understanding Earth’s climate and the influence of the Sun on our planet along with exploration of the solar system, our new science and flagship websites, as well as forthcoming NASA+ videos, showcases our discovery programs in an interdisciplinary and crosscutting way, ultimately building stronger connections with our visitors and viewers,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters.

NASA is investing more than $14 million in 19 U.S. colleges and universities to grow their STEM capacity to participate in critical spaceflight research and prepare a new generation of diverse students for careers in the nation’s science, technology, engineering, and math workforce.

“These awards help NASA reach students and institutions that traditionally have had fewer opportunities in cutting-edge spaceflight research,” said Shahra Lambert, NASA’s senior advisor for engagement. “We want the Artemis Generation to feel excited and prepared to join us in tackling the scientific and technological challenges of space exploration.”

The new MUREP (Minority University Research and Education Project) Curriculum Award was established this year to help Minority-Serving Institutions strengthen their STEM academic offerings.

“Current research shows that developing new curricular pathways or adding to an existing STEM curriculum can help these colleges and universities attract more diverse groups of students to the kinds of research that align with NASA’s needs,” said Torry Johnson, the project’s manager.

NASA awarded five institutions a total of nearly $6 million to implement their curriculum-boosting projects. The selected institutions and their proposed projects are:

• Passaic County Community College, Paterson, New Jersey

PCCC Urban Climate Change Initiative

• Prince George’s Community College, Upper Marlboro, Maryland

Establishing STEM Majors at Prince George’s Community College

• University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Enhancing IDEAS at a Minority- and Hispanic-Serving Institution through research and education for underserved students in partnership with NASA

• The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, Texas

Remote-sensing and Analytics for Integrating Science Education with NASA SMD to Strengthen Student Research Capacity at MSI (RAISE)

• University of the District of Columbia, Washington

Developing NASA-infused Curriculum and Experiential Research for Student Success in Space Technology

The MUREP Space Technology Artemis Research opportunity supports NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) by fostering and increasing MSI participation in research and technology development concepts that algin with the agency’s needs for upcoming Artemis missions to the Moon. The agency chose nine institutions, awarding a total of more than $8 million to carry out their projects.

“When we return humans to the Moon, it will be thanks to the creativity and dedication of researchers across the nation,” said Walt Engelund, deputy associate administrator for programs in STMD. “We’re proud to partner with OSTEM to foster the future of technology development and create opportunities for these institutions to contribute to NASA’s Artemis missions.”

The selected institutions and their proposed projects are:

• Cal Poly Pomona Foundation, Pomona, California

CubeSat Technology Exploration Program (CubeSTEP)

• California State University, Los Angeles

Additive Manufacturing on the Moon: Exploring the Potential of Laser Wire Directed Energy Deposition for Metallic Component Fabrication

• Cankdeska Cikana Community College, Fort Totten, North Dakota

The Research and Development of Extravehicular Activity Gait Assist Device

• Delaware State University, Dover

Constraining Exospheric Water Using Mid-IR Sensing and LIBS for Lunar Rover Missions

• College of the Desert, Palm Desert, California

A Penetrolyzer for Extracting Oxygen and Hydrogen from Mars Regolith

• Morgan State University, Baltimore

Muscular Atrophy Effects of Long Duration Human Exploration Mission on Vocal Fold Adduction for Airway Protection

• University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne

DREAM: Developing Robotic Exploration with Agrobots and Moonbots

• University of North Texas, Denton

Protective Thermal Electro-Chromic Coatings (ProTECC) for Lunar Exploration

• The University of Texas at Arlington

Rotating Detonation Rocket Engines for In-Space Propulsion: Integrating Technology Development with STEM Engagement

The International Space Station Flight Opportunity provides a ride to low Earth orbit for mature, flight-ready research projects that align with NASA’s science and technology priorities. This opportunity entails cooperation with NASA’s International Space Station Research Office, mission directorates, and field centers.

“These awards offer researchers a valuable opportunity to leverage the unique microgravity environment of the International Space Station as a platform or testbed, allowing them to conduct authentic spaceflight demonstrations based on their preliminary ground-based research,” said Dr. Kathleen Loftin, EPSCoR (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) project manager. “By utilizing the space station as a proving ground, we accelerate the readiness of these technologies, bringing them one step closer to practical implementation.”

NASA selected five institutions to receive $100,000 each – $500,000, total – to complete their projects. These institutions and their proposed projects are:

• University of Delaware, Newark

Impact of Temperature Cycles and Outgassing on the Fiber-packaged Silicon Photonic Transceivers

• University of North Dakota, Grand Forks

Effect of Microgravity and Higher Radiation on Healing and Metastasis Potential of Omentum – ISS Flight Opportunity

• Nevada System of Higher Education

A Compact, Non-invasive, and Efficient Vision Screening System for Long-term Spaceflight Missions

• University of Kentucky, Lexington

KRUPS: ISS Flight for Telemetry and Recovery

• Oklahoma State University, Stillwater

Effect of Synergistic Space Effects on Properties of Novel Polymer Composite Materials

The awards are made possible through NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement and funded by MUREP, which provides resources and activities to support underserved students from K-12 through higher education, and EPSCoR, which partners with government, academia, and industry to improve research infrastructure in select U.S. jurisdictions.

Both MUREP awards were made through the annual Engagement Opportunities in NASA STEM FY 2023 solicitation. The EPSCoR ISS Flight Opportunity Award is also an annual solicitation. All the awards listed above have a three-year period of performance.

Experts from NASA and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) will hold a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EDT Wednesday, July 26, to discuss the latest developments in the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) program. Audio of the teleconference will stream live on NASA’s website.

The media teleconference follows DARPA’s announcement that design and fabrication of the DRACO nuclear-powered rocket will begin under a new agreement between DARPA and Lockheed Martin. BWX Technologies also will play a role in the program by creating the nuclear fission reactor that will power the rocket engine.

Nuclear propulsion is a key capability on NASA’s roadmap to send astronauts to Mars. A nuclear-powered rocket would enable faster trips to the Red Planet, making missions less complex and safer for crew. This type of engine requires significantly less propellant than chemical rockets, so missions would be able to carry additional scientific equipment.

Participants in the teleconference include:

• Dr. Anthony Calomino, space nuclear technologies portfolio manager, NASA
• Dr. Tabitha Dodson, DRACO program manager, DARPA
• Kirk Shireman, vice president, Lockheed Martin Lunar Exploration Campaigns
• Joe Miller, president, BWXT Advanced Technologies

NASA has selected 11 U.S. companies to develop technologies that could support long-term exploration on the Moon and in space for the benefit of all. The technologies range from lunar surface power systems to tools for in-space 3D printing, which will expand industry capabilities for a sustained human presence on the Moon through Artemis, as well as other NASA, government, and commercial missions.

“Partnering with the commercial space industry lets us at NASA harness the strength of American innovation and ingenuity,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “The technologies that NASA is investing in today have the potential to be the foundation of future exploration.”

The projects, chosen under the agency’s sixth Tipping Point opportunity, will be funded jointly by NASA and the industry partners. The total expected NASA contribution to the partnerships is $150 million. Each company will contribute a minimum percentage – at least 10-25%, based on company size – of the total project cost. NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) will issue milestone-based funded Space Act Agreements lasting for up to four years.

The selected technologies support infrastructure and capabilities in space and at the Moon. Six of the selected companies are small businesses. The awarded companies, their projects, and the approximate value of NASA’s contribution are:

Astrobotic Technology of Pittsburgh, $34.6 million – LunaGrid-Lite: Demonstration of Tethered, Scalable Lunar Power Transmission
Big Metal Additive of Denver, $5.4 million – Improving Cost and Availability of Space Habitat Structures with Additive Manufacturing
Blue Origin of Kent, Washington, $34.7 million – In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU)-Based Power on the Moon
Freedom Photonics of Santa Barbara, California, $1.6 million – Highly Efficient Watt-Class Direct Diode Lidar for Remote Sensing
Lockheed Martin of Littleton, Colorado, $9.1 million – Joining Demonstrations In-Space
Redwire of Jacksonville, Florida, $12.9 million – Infrastructure Manufacturing with Lunar Regolith – Mason
Protoinnovations of Pittsburgh, $6.2 million – The Mobility Coordinator: An Onboard COTS (Commercial-Off-the-Shelf) Software Architecture for Sustainable, Safe, Efficient, and Effective Lunar Surface Mobility Operations
Psionic of Hampton, Virginia, $3.2 million – Validating No-Light Lunar Landing Technology that Reduces Risk, SWaP (Size, Weight, and Power), and Cost
United Launch Alliance of Centennial, Colorado, $25 million – ULA Vulcan Engine Reuse Scale Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator Technology Demonstration
Varda Space Industries of El Segundo, California, $1.9 million – Conformal Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator Tech Transfer and Commercial Production
Zeno Power Systems of Washington, $15 million – A Universal Americium-241 Radioisotope Power Supply for Artemis
“Our partnerships with industry could be a cornerstone of humanity’s return to the Moon under Artemis,” said Dr. Prasun Desai, acting associate administrator for STMD at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “By creating new opportunities for streamlined awards, we hope to push crucial technologies over the finish line so they can be used in future missions. These innovative partnerships will help advance capabilities that will enable sustainable exploration on the Moon.”

Five of the technologies will help humanity explore the Moon. For astronauts to spend extended periods of time on the lunar surface, they will need habitats, power, transportation, and other infrastructure. Two of the selected projects will use the Moon’s own surface material to create such infrastructure – a practice called in-situ resource utilization, or ISRU. Redwire will develop technologies that would allow use of lunar regolith to build infrastructure like roads, foundations for habitats, and landing pads.

Blue Origin’s technology could also make use of local resources by extracting elements from lunar regolith to produce solar cells and wire that could then be used to power work on the Moon.

Astrobotic’s selected proposal will advance technology to distribute power on the Moon’s surface, planned to be tested on a future lunar mission. The company’s CubeRover would unreel more than half a mile (one kilometer) of high-voltage power line that could be used to transfer power from a production system to a habitat or work area on the Moon.

The remaining six projects will help create new capabilities in other areas of space exploration and Earth observation. Freedom Photonics will develop a novel laser source that could enable a more efficient lidar system – a technology similar to radar that uses light instead of radio waves to make measurements. This system could better detect methane in Earth’s atmosphere and improve scientists’ understanding of climate change.

United Launch Alliance will continue development of inflatable heat shield technology, building on the success of LOFTID (Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator). ULA will further develop the technology for possible use to return large rocket components from low Earth orbit for reuse. Such technology could also be used to land heavier payloads – such as the infrastructure required for crewed missions – on destinations like Mars.

Kaas Plateau, nestled in the Western Ghats is about 140 km from Pune, was included in the UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 2012. Known as Kaas Pathar in Marathi, its name is derived from the Kaasa tree, botanically known as Elaeocarpus glandulosus (rudraksha family).

Designated as a biodiversity hotspot, the Kaas Plateau comes to life with various seasonal flowers forming a floral carpet over the entire lateritic crust during August and September. Control measures have been implemented by the forest authorities to handle the pressure of nature lovers visiting the Kaas Plateau.

Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology along with the National Centre for Earth Sciences, Thiruvananthapuram studied the sediments of a seasonal lake to understand and decipher the past climate of the Kaas Plateau. Sediment profile dating back to 8000 years which was analysed (by available carbon dates-AMS) to decode the climatic signatures, indicated that the seasonal lake favoured freshwater accumulation almost for 8000 years before the present (BP) and probably dried sometimes after 2000 years BP.

The observations from the study revealed that the seasonal lake is probably a product of an erosional localized shallow depression on a pediment (rock debris) developed over the crust. As noted by UNESCO, the present “Flower Wonder” is located on a lake that dates back to the Early-Mid-Holocene period, which means it is an ancient lake that has been preserved over a long time. The signatures of diatoms, mites, thecamoebians, and sediment characteristics provided better resolutions regarding the hydrological processes and modification of the seasonal lake.

During the early to mid-Holocene, at around 8664 years ago, pollen, as well as diatom data, indicated a change in the climate from freshwater to drier conditions with low rainfall. Surprisingly, there was a significant rise in the number of diatoms in between. This suggests a major shift in the Indian summer Monsoon activity during that time, possibly resulting in intermittent humid periods amidst the dry spells.

The observations of the scientists showed a decrease in rainfall and a weakened southwest Monsoon during the late Holocene (around 2827 years BP). However, during the recent past (around last 1000 years), pollen, as well as the presence of a high number of planktonic and pollution-tolerant diatom taxa indicated lake eutrophication, possibly due to human impact and cattle/livestock farming in the catchment.

The study by Thacker, Mital; Limaye, Ruta B; D, Padmalal; Rajaguru, SN; Kumaran, KPN; Punekar, SA; B Karthick strongly suggests that southwest Monsoon intensified during the Early Holocene, approximately 8000 years ago, and the northeast monsoon relatively weakened around 2000 years ago. It is very likely that the ‘Flower Wonder’ might have existed for a longer duration, up to March-April, during the early–mid-Holocene (8000–5000 years), when the monsoon rainfall (more than 100 rainy days) was undoubtedly better than today.

Figure 1 Diatom assemblage recovered from the sediments of Kaas Lake

Figure 2 Palynological and Non-Pollen Palynomorph recovered from the sediments of Kaas Lake

The findings published in ‘Quaternary Science Advances’, emphasize the need for conservation measures to protect the site’s invaluable natural and cultural heritage.

The scientists Dr. Karthick Balasubramanian (karthickbala@aripune.org, 020-25325053), Scientist, Biodiversity and Palaeobiology Group, and Dr. PK Dhakephalkar, Director, ARI, Pune, (director@aripune.org, 020-25325002) can be contacted for further details.

Link to Publication:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.qsa.2023.100087

The asteroid Bennu, the target of the OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security – Regolith Explorer) mission, is a carbonaceous asteroid whose regolith may record the earliest history of our solar system. The Bennu sample may contain the molecular precursors to the origin of life and Earth’s oceans, and its study also will help scientists understand planet formation.

The media day will include opportunities to speak with subject matter experts and capture still and moving imagery at the curation lab. Full interviews with subject matter experts will be available after the lab tour concludes.

U.S. and international media interested in participating must request accreditation no later than 5 p.m. CDT Friday, July 7, by contacting the NASA Johnson newsroom at: 281-483-5111 or jsccommu@nasa.gov. Media accreditation is limited due to space.

Johnson houses the world’s largest collection of astromaterials from the solar system under one roof, including samples from asteroids, comets, Mars, the Moon, Sun, and dust from other stars. Scientists use world-class laboratories to perform research on planetary materials and the space environment to investigate the origin and evolution of our solar system and beyond.

The two-day AI for Good Global Summit organised by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), together with 40 partner UN agencies, will demonstrate how new technologies can support the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in areas such as combatting the climate crisis and bolstering humanitarian response.

Leading the contingent, Monash Data Futures Institute (MDFI) Director Professor Joanna Batstone said the University’s experts will be helping to highlight AI’s role in advancing health, climate, gender, inclusive prosperity, sustainable infrastructure, and other global development priorities.

“As the only Australian organisation and the only university presence at the summit we are keen to be an active part of the conversation to leverage AI research for global good,” Professor Batstone said.

“Generative AI is changing the way we live and it’s important for us to acknowledge and adjust accordingly but there is an enormous amount of study being undertaken to use AI for the benefit of humanity.

“Our ongoing research is employing data science in a myriad of ways including AI being used to estimate the global bushfire smoke and its health burden, understanding the impact of robots in public spaces, analysing big data to manage and provide solutions for ecosystem conservation.

“When understood and applied conscientiously, data science and AI has the potential to improve each and every aspect of the human experience,” Professor Batstone added.

The contingent of leading multidisciplinary researchers includes MDFI Research Director Associate Professor Andrea Collevecchio, Professor of AI, Technology and the Law at the Faculty of Law Chris Marsden, design research expert Associate Professor Shanti Sumartojo, and human-centred computing expert Professor Jesper Kjeldskov from the Faculty of Information Technology.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Rebekah Brown welcomed opportunity for Monash experts to contribute to the global conversation on AI for Good

“We are continuously committed to working with policymakers, institutions and industry collaborators in Australia and across the globe in alignment with the UN’s sustainable development goals,” Professor Brown said.

“At Monash, research to encourage thriving communities, support geopolitical security and address climate change is ingrained in our ethos, and we are currently witnessing an age where AI is becoming intrinsically linked to each of these areas.”

MDFI Director Professor Joanna Batstone is currently in Geneva and is available for interviews upon request.

To learn more about Monash University’s contingent at the AI for Good summit and for MDFI’s flagship research projects, please visit:

https://www.monash.edu/data-futures-institute/news/ai-for-good-global-summit