Category: science

NASA and its international collaborators have finalised the crew for Axiom Space’s fourth private astronaut mission, set to launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft no earlier than spring 2025. The mission, departing from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, will see four astronauts spending up to 14 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The crew includes former NASA astronaut and Axiom Space’s director of human spaceflight Peggy Whitson as commander, ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla as pilot, and mission specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from the European Space Agency (ESA) and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.

Private Astronaut Missions Expand Space Access

According to NASA’s International Space Station Program Manager Dana Weigel, private astronaut missions are contributing to advancements in low Earth orbit operations. Weigel said that these missions are helping pave the way for commercial space activities while increasing accessibility to microgravity research. This mission will mark the first time an ISRO astronaut will board the ISS as part of a joint effort between NASA and the Indian space agency. It will also be the first ISS stay for astronauts from Poland and Hungary.

Axiom Space’s Growing Role in Private Spaceflight

As reported, Axiom Space has been steadily expanding its private spaceflight program since its inaugural mission in April 2022. Each mission has varied in duration, with the most recent, Axiom Mission 3, remaining docked at the ISS for 18 days in January 2024. Whitson, who also commanded Axiom Mission 2 in May 2023, highlighted the significance of international partnerships in commercial spaceflight, stating that each mission brings new opportunities for participating nations.

Future of Low Earth Orbit Operations

NASA’s long-term objective involves fostering a sustainable commercial space economy, allowing the agency to focus resources on deep space exploration. The ISS continues to serve as a key testing ground for space research and technology, supporting both government-led and private-sector initiatives.

A new research study has examined the mathematical principles governing creativity and innovation, shedding light on how novel ideas emerge. By analysing data across different domains, researchers have identified patterns that could refine the understanding of how individuals and societies generate new concepts. The study investigates two types of novelty—discovering an entirely new element and forming unique combinations of existing elements. The findings could be crucial in fields such as science, literature, and technology, where innovation plays a vital role in advancement.

Mathematical Framework for Creativity

According to the study published in Nature Communications, researchers introduced a framework to model how new ideas emerge. Led by Professor Vito Latora from Queen Mary University of London, the team focused on higher-order novelties—combinations of familiar elements that create something new. Speaking to Phys.org, Prof. Latora stated that the study is part of a broader effort to understand the mechanisms underlying creativity, aiming to identify factors that contribute to the success of ideas, products, and technologies.

A mathematical model called Edge-Reinforced Random Walk with Triggering (ERRWT) was developed to simulate how people discover and combine elements. Unlike traditional random walks, which assume equal probability for each step, ERRWT strengthens frequently used connections and triggers new links when novel combinations occur. This process mirrors real-world discovery, where repeated exposure to certain elements increases the likelihood of making new associations.

Analysing Patterns Across Domains

The research team applied the ERRWT model to three distinct datasets—music listening habits from Last.fm, literary texts from Project Gutenberg, and scientific publications from Semantic Scholar. The findings revealed that while individuals might have similar rates of discovering new elements, the sequences in which they arrange them differ significantly.

For music listeners, certain users developed unique listening patterns despite discovering the same number of new songs. In literature, writers frequently created new word pairings rather than introducing entirely new words. Scientific papers, particularly titles, demonstrated a higher tendency for novel word combinations compared to narrative texts.

Predicting Innovation with Heaps’ Law

The study also highlighted that the process of novelty creation follows Heaps’ law, a power-law relationship describing how new elements and combinations emerge over time. By applying this principle, researchers could predict different rates of innovation across disciplines. The results indicated that while some fields prioritise the discovery of individual elements, others focus on recombining existing ones in unique ways.

Implications for Future Research

The findings suggest that understanding how creative processes unfold could help refine strategies for fostering innovation. Prof. Latora noted that studying novelty creation is essential for identifying factors that contribute to the rise and decline of trends, products, and ideas. Future research aims to expand the model by incorporating a social component, which could provide insights into how external influences shape creative developments.

Pale white streaks have been observed weaving through the northern lights, presenting a new atmospheric puzzle. These eerie glows have been captured alongside traditional red and green auroras, but experts suggest they are not auroras themselves. Instead, they may share similarities with the purplish phenomenon known as Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement (STEVE). Scientists remain uncertain about what causes these white lights to form in specific regions. The discovery has prompted further investigation into the underlying mechanisms of these unexplained emissions.

White Glows Identified in TREx Mission Data

According to research published in Nature Communications, the white streaks were first identified by scientists at the University of Calgary using the Transition Region Explorer (TREx) mission. TREx, a network of low-light cameras monitoring Earth’s near-space environment, captured full-colour images that revealed these unexpected formations. Unlike other auroral imagers, which focus on specific wavelengths of red and green light, TREx detected broad-spectrum emissions.

Emma Spanswick, a space physicist at the University of Calgary, recalled, while talking to Science News, noticing an unusual grey-white patch in 2023 while reviewing auroral images. A thorough search of past TREx data uncovered 30 instances of these white-laced auroras in Saskatchewan from 2019 to 2023. Some of the formations extended for hundreds of kilometres, appearing either alongside existing auroras or in regions where colourful displays had faded.

Possible Links to STEVE and Atmospheric Heating

Spectral analysis confirmed that these white lights result from continuum emissions, where light is emitted across multiple wavelengths. This distinguishes them from traditional auroras, which arise when charged particles excite atmospheric atoms, producing specific colours. The emission pattern closely resembles that of STEVE, a fast-moving plasma band that creates purplish streaks in the sky.

Speaking to Science News, Claire Gasque, a space physicist at the University of California, Berkeley, noted that while the patchy nature of these white lights differs from the structured arc of STEVE, they may share similar origins. Researchers are now focused on identifying the forces responsible for heating atmospheric particles to create these glows. The precise cause of the phenomenon remains unknown, leaving scientists with more questions about the complexities of auroral activity.

Astronauts returning from extended space missions are reported to experience significant changes in eye health, linked to prolonged exposure to microgravity. Researchers have identified that the altered blood flow and pressure conditions in space can lead to vision problems. These changes are primarily associated with a condition termed spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS), affecting around 70 percent of astronauts during six- to twelve-month stays on the International Space Station (ISS). This raises potential challenges for longer missions, such as a journey to Mars.

Study Identifies Key Ocular Changes

According to a study published in the IEEE Open Journal of Engineering in Medicine and Biology, three critical ocular parameters were analysed: ocular rigidity, intraocular pressure, and ocular pulse amplitude. Measurements were conducted on data from 13 astronauts, whose missions spanned 157 to 186 days. The researchers observed a 33 percent reduction in ocular rigidity, an 11 percent decrease in intraocular pressure, and a 25 percent decline in ocular pulse amplitude. These findings indicate biomechanical changes in the eye, accompanied by symptoms such as reduced eye size, optic nerve swelling, and retinal folds.

Potential Long-Term Effects

Dr Santiago Costantino, an ophthalmologist at Université de Montréal, highlighted to phys.org that microgravity alters blood flow and venous circulation in the eye, potentially leading to structural changes in the sclera and choroid. The observed changes could persist, raising concerns about the impact on missions exceeding one year. While most astronauts studied returned to normal vision after their missions, corrective lenses were sometimes necessary during recovery.

Mars Missions Pose New Risks

Experts remain cautious about the unknown implications of prolonged exposure to microgravity during extended missions like those to Mars. The research team emphasised that additional studies and preventive strategies are essential to address these risks. The findings serve as early indicators to identify astronauts at risk, paving the way for more targeted solutions to ensure the safety of space exploration’s next frontier.

India’s journey toward human space exploration marked a critical step with the dispatch of the Crew Module for the first uncrewed mission under the Gaganyaan project. The module, integrated with a liquid propulsion system at the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) in Bengaluru, has been sent to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. This development, achieved on 21 January 2025, is part of India’s efforts to attain human spaceflight capabilities.

Liquid Propulsion System Details

As reported by the Economic Times, according to ISRO, the Crew Module Propulsion System (CMPS) incorporates a bi-propellant Reaction Control System (RCS). This system is essential for precise three-axis control—pitch, yaw, and roll—during the descent and re-entry phases. Control operations will commence after the separation of the service module and continue until the parachute-based deceleration system is deployed. The propulsion system includes 12 thrusters, each delivering 100 Newtons of thrust, along with high-pressure gas bottles, a propellant feed mechanism, and associated fluid control components.

Assembly and Integration

The module’s development also involved the integration of the Crew Module Uprighting System (CMUS), designed by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). The module will now undergo further assembly processes, including avionics installation, electrical harnessing, and a series of checks at VSSC before its dispatch to the U R Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru. The final phase will focus on integrating the Crew Module with the Orbital Module.

ISRO has emphasised that the uncrewed G1 mission is a preparatory step for sending humans to space, enabling the validation of systems and technologies critical to the Gaganyaan project. With this milestone, India edges closer to joining the league of nations with human spaceflight capabilities.

China’s Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), referred to as the “artificial sun,” has achieved a new milestone in nuclear fusion research. The reactor maintained a continuous loop of plasma for 1,066 seconds, surpassing its previous record of 403 seconds. This breakthrough, reported on January 20, 2025, represents a significant step towards realising nuclear fusion as a near-limitless clean energy source. The achievement highlights advancements in sustaining plasma, a high-energy state of matter crucial for fusion reactions.

EAST’s Latest Milestone

As reported by Live Science, according to Chinese state media, EAST operates as a magnetic confinement reactor designed to sustain plasma for extended periods. The recent success was made possible by upgrades to the reactor, including an enhanced heating system with double the power. Song Yuntao, Director of the Institute of Plasma Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, described the experiment as critical for future fusion power plants. Speaking to Chinese media, he emphasised the need for stable plasma operation over thousands of seconds to achieve continuous power generation.

Understanding Fusion Reactors

Nuclear fusion mimics the sun by fusing light atoms under intense heat and pressure to form heavier ones, releasing energy in the process. Unlike the sun, where immense pressure aids the reaction, Earth-based reactors rely on extremely high temperatures. Despite the promise of abundant and clean energy, fusion reactors currently consume more energy than they produce.

Global Efforts in Fusion Technology

China is a participant in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) program, a multinational initiative aimed at advancing fusion research. ITER, located in France, is expected to begin operations in 2039 and will test sustained fusion. Data from EAST’s experiments will support ITER and other global projects.

The milestone achieved by EAST marks progress in fusion technology, though decades of research remain before its application in power generation becomes feasible.