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1st-ever X-rays in space offer hope for possible patients headed to the moon

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A miniature X-ray machine is set to transform astronauts' health prospects following a successful test in orbit. As a bonus, as well as checking for broken bones on the moon, the technology could also be distributed to small towns and villages in rural areas to provide enhanced medical care far from major hospitals. For much of the Space Age, astronauts have only had access to ultrasound machines as tools to diagnose injuries. Unlike ultrasound, which requires a medium through which sound waves can pass, X-rays can be used in a vacuum. The problem with X-ray machines is that traditionally they have been big and bulky, they use a lot of power, they have difficulty imaging something that isn't perfectly stationary (resulting in blurred images), and they tend to get damaged when jostled about during launch and atmospheric re-entry. Yet, as human spaceflight and voyages beyond Earth -orbit co...
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New dark matter theory could solve multiple cosmic mysteries at once

Dark matter may be far more complicated than scientists once believed. A new study suggests it could consist of at least two different kinds of particles that slowly separate over time, with heavier particles sinking toward the centers of galaxies and lighter ones drifting outward. This simple idea could explain several puzzling cosmic observations that have frustrated astronomers for years, from unusually diffuse dwarf galaxies to surprisingly dense dark matter clumps that bend light through gravitational lensing. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2q8WnGQ
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Russia's launching a NASA astronaut and 2 cosmonauts to the International Space Station on July 14: Watch it live

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Three people will launch toward the International Space Station on Tuesday (July 14), and you can watch the action live. NASA's Anil Menon and cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina are scheduled to lift off atop a Russian Soyuz rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Tuesday at 10:47 a.m. EDT (1347 GMT; 7:47 p.m. local time in Baikonur). You can watch it live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA, or directly via the space agency's YouTube channel . Coverage will begin at 9:45 a.m. EDT (1245 GMT). NASA astronaut Anil Menon (left) and Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina, Soyuz MS-29 prime crew members, pose for a portrait at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia. (Image credit: GCTC) The trio, flying in Russia's Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft, will catch up to the International Space Station (ISS) after just two orbits, docking with the outpost at about 1:...
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Reflect Orbital just got permission to launch its 1st space mirror to orbit. Tens of thousands more could follow

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The first of perhaps tens of thousands of sunlight-directing space mirrors just got cleared for liftoff. California-based startup Reflect Orbital just got a license from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to launch and operate its first demonstration satellite , a spacecraft that will unfurl a reflective surface that measures about 60 feet (18 meters) on a side. That satellite, called Eärendil-1 is targeted to fly later this year. And it could be the first of many: Reflect Orbital aims to operate 50,000 or more such mirror-craft in low Earth orbit by 2035, beaming reflected sunlight down to a variety of customers on the surface. "We're grateful to the FCC for recognizing the importance of testing novel technologies in space," Ben Nowack, Reflect Orbital's co-founder and CEO, said in an emailed statement on Friday (July 10). "This license is the first step t...
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Future moon landings could wipe out clues to how life began on Earth

A new study suggests spacecraft exhaust could quickly contaminate the moon's most scientifically valuable regions, potentially masking ancient clues about how life began on Earth. Researchers say future lunar missions should consider new ways to reduce and monitor this pollution before it becomes widespread. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/kr2e0O4
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Why gold never tarnishes has finally been explained

Gold may have a secret self-defense system that helps it resist tarnishing. Researchers discovered that atoms on gold surfaces reorganize themselves into patterns that block oxygen from reacting with the metal, suppressing oxidation by up to a trillion-fold. Beyond explaining why gold jewelry stays bright for generations, the finding could help scientists create more powerful gold-based catalysts for manufacturing and clean energy. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/ImLO026
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Common blood pressure drug could make cancer therapy far more powerful

Researchers found that the common blood pressure drug telmisartan can significantly improve the performance of the cancer drug olaparib, potentially expanding its benefits beyond patients with BRCA-related tumors. The combination is already being tested in human clinical trials after showing strong immune-boosting and anticancer effects in preclinical studies. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/gIeirvU
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