Brandon Fletcher
This week marked the launch of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time, an ambitious project to observe the universe that has been in development for over twenty years. This initiative aims to enhance our understanding of our solar system and unravel cosmic mysteries, including dark energy, dark matter, and the universe’s expansion. Continue reading to discover more about this significant event, as well as other intriguing science news from this week.
Vera C. Rubin Observatory Begins Its Groundbreaking Survey
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, located in Chile and home to the world’s largest digital camera at 3,200 megapixels, has officially commenced its decade-long survey of the cosmos. Starting on June 30, it will capture images approximately every 40 seconds, systematically observing the entire southern sky a few times each week. A press release announcing the launch emphasized that these observations will “create an ultrawide, ultrahigh-definition time-lapse record of the universe.”
“Today, we embark on filming the greatest cosmic movie ever created,” stated Brian Stone from the National Science Foundation during the announcement. Last summer, the observatory successfully captured its initial images during a test phase, showcasing millions of galaxies and stars, along with thousands of previously undiscovered asteroids. Throughout its ten-year survey, known as the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), the observatory will revisit each point in the sky approximately 800 times, enabling detailed documentation of changes and cosmic events. Rubin will capture around a thousand images each night, generating approximately ten terabytes of data daily.
“This mission will redefine the fields of modern cosmology and astrophysics,” remarked Darío Gil, Under Secretary for Science at the US Department of Energy. He further explained, “By aiming to understand the elusive concepts of dark energy and dark matter, we are not merely observing celestial bodies; we are striving to comprehend the fundamental laws that govern our existence.”
Innovative Diving Suits Enable Cyborg Cockroaches to Swim
In this week’s edition of Research That Makes My Skin Crawl, scientists from Nanyang Technological University Singapore and Waseda University unveiled a groundbreaking tiny diving suit that enables cyborg cockroaches to swim underwater for extended periods. If you’re questioning why we need cyborg cockroaches that can swim, you’re not alone.
The research team believes that these cyborg insects could play a crucial role in search and rescue operations, capable of navigating areas inaccessible to humans, animals, or larger robotic systems. Recently, cyborg roaches were deployed for the first time in the field to assist with rescue efforts following a devastating earthquake in Myanmar this past spring.
NTU Singapore/Waseda University
Typically, a flooded environment would pose significant challenges for these cyborg roaches, which are Madagascar hissing cockroaches outfitted with electronic controls. The versatile diving suit features an oxygen-generation tank, a flexible shell, and four silicone tubes connected to the roaches’ spiracles, the openings they use for respiration. According to the team, these tubes can be removed without causing harm to the roach. A study published this week in Nature Communications reported that the cyborg roaches were able to swim underwater for up to three hours during testing with this innovative setup.
NASA Selects Companies for Lunar Base Deliveries in 2028
Earlier this year, NASA revamped its lunar exploration strategy, announcing a pause in the development of the Lunar Gateway space station to focus on constructing a $20 billion Moon Base. The initial three missions to deliver payloads to the lunar surface for this Moon Base are set to occur before the end of 2026. This week, NASA outlined four additional missions planned for late 2028. The agency has awarded contracts totaling nearly $600 million to Astrobotic, Firefly Aerospace, and Intuitive Machines for the delivery of scientific payloads to the Moon Base.
Astrobotic will undertake two lunar missions, while each of the other companies will make one delivery. All missions will utilize upgraded versions of their respective lander designs, incorporating lessons learned from past missions under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. The payloads for each delivery include a Stereo Camera for Lunar Plume Surface Studies (SCALPSS) to gather landing data, a Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA) for precise location tracking of spacecraft during lunar landings, and a Linear Energy Transfer Spectrometer (LETS) to measure incoming space radiation energy. While this may seem repetitive, that is indeed the goal.
NASA/Astrobotic/Intuitive Machines/Firefly
“By deploying identical scientific instruments on multiple landers, we will gain better insights into potential landing hazards and develop a comprehensive network of environmental data and location markers on the Moon,” explained Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration at NASA Headquarters. “This approach is similar to establishing weather stations in different locations on Earth. These three payloads have been flight-proven, and their data is essential for supporting safe human exploration of the lunar surface.”
Daniel Mercer
Ethan Carter
