Sunday Space Reads
Because we all need a little space on Sunday.
A group of students from the University of Southern California's Rocket Propulsion Lab recently broke a suborbital altitude record with a 13-foot rocket that reached hypersonic speeds. Sure makes that vinegar-baking soda volcano trajectory you were so proud of as a kid feel far less impressive, doesn’t it?
Once considered the evasive “great white whale” of the search for habitable systems, a red dwarf known as the Barnard Star finally has a confirmed planet. And we have a precise spectrograph called ESPRESSO to thank. Maybe that’s what Sabrina Carpenter was singing about all this time?
Astronomers love to tell us that everything we thought we knew about the universe is a lie. Jumping in to save our spiraling sanities is the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), which claims that observations from 6 million galaxies support Einstein’s 1915 theory of general relativity.
This edition of Sunday Space Reads is brought to you by the Space Resources program at the Colorado School of Mines.
A surprise windstorm can be the difference between a good hair day and a tragic hair event. As it turns out, it can also make the difference in our understanding of a planet’s magnetosphere. New research suggests that Voyager 2’s documentation of Uranus in 1986 was thwarted by solar wind, and hence might not accurately depict the planet’s true environment.
A set of declassified 1970s spy satellite images were recently put to new use by a team of archeologists. Buried within them: the site of a 7th century battle in Iraq, and a pivotal moment in Islamic history.
In honor of the first wooden satellite in space, we thought we’d include a piece on Sashimono, a Japanese woodworking technique that involves precise, adhesive-free wood joining. The LignoSat team assembled its magnolia wood panels using this reliable craftsmanship.
Sunday Space Jam:
This edition of Sunday Space Reads is also supported by the Open Lunar Foundation. Open Lunar's work sets precedents, creates pathways, and builds projects that enable a peaceful, cooperative lunar presence. Learn more about Open Lunar's work by joining their upcoming events.
