Monthly Space News Recap - November 2024
Top 5 of the month's most interesting space updates
ISRO sets up mission to simulate life on moon
ISRO has set up its first-ever analog space mission in Ladakh (Northern India) recently. Analog space missions are designed to simulate the extreme environments of regions in space. The mission has been set up to train Indian astronauts for India’s planned mission to send humans to the moon by 2040.
Japan launches world’s 1st wooden satellite
Japan successfully launched the world’s first wooden satellite, LignoSat, into low Earth orbit last month. Weighing just 900 grams (other satellites weigh over 700kg) and made from magnolia wood without screws or glue, it aims to test wood's durability in space. Unlike traditional satellites, wooden satellites burn up completely upon re-entry, reducing space debris. LignoSat will orbit for six months before burning up.
Scientists capture first-ever closeup of star outside our galaxy
Scientists at the European Southern Observatory captured the first close-up of a star outside the Milky Way. They achieved this by combining images from multiple telescopes owned by the ESO to overcome distance and resolution limits. The star they observed also seemed to be bulging, indicating that it was just on the verge of exploding into a supernova at the end of its life.
SpaceX fails to recreate its ‘rocket catch’
SpaceX recently conducted another Starship test flight, following its historic midair catch by the launch tower in October. This time, an error with the catch tower forced the rocket to redirect and splash down in the sea. Despite this, key milestones were achieved in the test. The rocket's second stage demonstrated in space propulsion, unlike last time when it just splashed down to earth after separation. The rocket successfully performed a nose-down dive to test reentry control, and the protective shield was removed for additional testing.
Japan’s Epsilon rocket engine explodes during test
Recently, during a test of one of the engines for Japan’s upcoming Epsilon rocket, the engine exploded 49 seconds into the test. This is the second time the engine has exploded during a test. It is important to note that this was not a flight test, just an individual engine test to be used in the rocket’s second stage.
