China has launched a new Moon relay satellite. Missions on the far side of the Moon can’t communicate with Earth without a relay satellite. Queqiao-2 launched this week to provide that relay solution for China’s lunar exploration program. The mission’s goals include supporting the upcoming Chang’e-6 lunar farside sample return mission, scheduled to launch in 2024. Pictured: China’s Chang’e-5 spacecraft captured this view of Earth over the far side of the Moon on Oct. 28, 2014. Image credit: CAST.
The DART impact changed asteroid Dimorphos’ shape and orbit. Follow-up observations of the asteroid have found evidence that when the DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) mission intentionally smashed into Dimorphos in 2022, it did more than just change its orbit around its parent asteroid, Didymos. Dimorphos appears also to have changed shape, from a relatively symmetrical object to a “triaxial ellipsoid” — something more like an oblong watermelon. Pictured: Dimorphos prior to impact, imaged by DART. Image credit: NASA / Johns Hopkins APL.
Urban micrometeorite hunters are searching rooftops for cosmic dust. Thousands of tons of micrometeorites fall to Earth each year, mostly tiny particles between 50 micrometers to two millimeters in diameter. These fall everywhere, but are more easily found in places that are large, inaccessible, and largely untouched. Antarctica is a good place for micrometeorite hunters, but so are cathedral roofs.
If you dream of being an astronaut, prepare for space headaches. A new study from Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands has found that astronauts with no prior history of headaches may experience migraines and tension headaches while spending longer periods (over 10 days) in space. These headaches are likely caused by the vestibular system, which affects balance and posture, trying to adapt to signals it is receiving from the body that conflict with the signals it expects.