Sunday Space Reads
Because we all need a little space when we've got the Sunday Scaries.
Let’s talk hypothetically. If extraterrestrials are – hypothetically – jetting around the universe on their Unusual Air Planes (that’s what UAP stands for, right?), then – hypothetically – they’d need to be using warp drives to travel such far distances. New research suggests that the failing warp drive could create a gravitational wave detectable with our planet’s technology, meaning that we might have a new way to search for signs of extraterrestrial life. Hypothetically.
Of course, if mysterious space ripples don’t get us anywhere with aliens, we can always look for signs of exoplanet terraforming. With a telescope as powerful as the JWST, scientists believe we could spot greenhouse gasses in exoplanet atmospheres, which could sign of intentional terraforming of “an otherwise-uninhabitable planet.”
And speaking of terraforming, a new Chinese study looked into terraforming Mars with a desert moss. When exposed to extreme conditions like frigid temperatures, drought, and radiation, the moss – known as Syntrichia caninervis – reacted by "drying without dying.” Coincidentally, this was also my goal while spending the weekend in Joshua Tree.
If you read this week’s newsletter, you know that here on Earth, it’s been raining
cats and dogssatellites. While many of these spacecraft are intended to help us combat climate change, those same satellites – or at least, their inevitable fiery reentry into Earth’s atmosphere – could actually be contributing to it.Has the rise in falling space junk stopped SpaceX from launching more Starlink into orbit? Of course not. But the company did start a hotline for the next time you run into a hunk of metal on the sidewalk.
If you can’t wait for NASA’s dark energy-hunting Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope – set to launch in 2027 – check out this interview with Bente Eegholm, optics lead on the pioneer technology.
Sunday Space Jam:
This edition of Sunday Space Reads is brought to you by the Space Resources program at the Colorado School of Mines.
