Mysterious green flash on Jupiter caught on camera 🟢
Plus NASA's latest breakthrough in turning pee into drinking water 💧
NASA’s 365-day Mars isolation test has begun
To help prepare astronauts for the challenges of a long-duration Mars mission, NASA is conducting one of its first Mars long-term simulation isolation tests, known as Mission 1.
This unique experiment aims to simulate the physical and psychological conditions that astronauts would experience during an extended stay on the red planet, allowing researchers to gather vital data and insights for future manned missions to Mars.
“The crew will also participate in various activities, including crop growth, simulated spacewalks, habitat maintenance, and science experiments,” says NASA.
The experiment started Sunday, June 25, at around 7 p.m. ET. And will continue for an entire year.
The next time that Kelly Haston, Ross Brockwell, Nathan Jones, and Anca Selariu will see sunlight, we’ll be almost halfway through 2024…
Here are some images from inside the Mission 1 habitat at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston:
That green flash seen on Jupiter was…lightning?
Just a week or so ago, NASA’s Juno spacecraft beamed back a mysterious glow coming from one of Jupiter's intense storms. It wasn’t long before experts came out to put the alien theories at rest.
According to NASA, that green glow was a bolt of lightning. But, why is it green?
Lightning bolts on Earth originate from water clouds. In contrast, lightning on Jupiter is believed to originate in clouds composed of an ammonia-water solution and is typically observed more frequently near the poles. It’s this unique compound that makes lightning green on Jupiter.
NASA can now turn 98% of pee into drinking water
Rest assured, Astronauts will be a bit less thirsty now that NASA has found a way to recycle 98% of pee and sweat into clean drinking water onboard the International Space Station.
It’s a bigger deal than you may think!
The Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS), which is responsible for providing clean water, is primarily made of two hardware components. The Water Processor Assembly (WPA) that uses which utilizes dehumidifiers to capture moisture in the air. And the Urine Processor Assembly (UPA), which separates the recoverable water in pee from the “urine brine.“
The significant advancement will be crucial for upcoming missions (i.e. to Mars and the Moon), providing the crew with an additional lifeline on long-duration trips in the vastness of space.
Before, the total water recovery rate was between 93% and 94%.
Upcoming astronomy events
🌕 July 3rd - Buck Moon: July’s Full Moon is known as the Buck Moon, signifying the new antlers that emerge on deer buck’s foreheads around this time.
🌎 July 6th - Earth’s Aphelion: On this day, the Earth will reach the point in its orbit farthest from the Sun. Earth is farthest from the Sun when it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
🌚 July 17th - New Moon: This is the best time to look at the night sky—without a bright Moon around to outshine the stars.