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Siempre asfixia.
________
That damn routine...
Always suffocating.
________
"I believe I can see the future, because I repeat the same routine" - Everyday is exactly the same
Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana is preparing for the arrival of Ariane 6, ESA’s new heavy-lift rocket. This involves the final preparations of the new Ariane 6 launch complex and all the systems necessary for a launch.
With the mobile gantry fully retracted – as for a launch, two articulated cryogenic arms attached to the upper part of the Ariane 6 mast on the launch pad, mimicked the moment of liftoff.
These tests repeated earlier tests performed in Fos-sur-Mer, France.
The ‘cryo-arms’ are part of the fluidic connection system which connects to Ariane 6 in the final countdown to launch. They support the upper umbilicals which supply cryogenic top-up fuel, maintain the correct pressurisation of the tanks, cool the engines before ignition and generally keep the upper stage in an optimal condition right up to the point of liftoff. The same umbilicals allow the fuel to be drained safely if a launch is aborted.
Each arm is 13 m long and weighs 20 tonnes. One arm supplies liquid hydrogen at -250°C, the other supplies liquid oxygen at -180°C. When Ariane 6 lifts off, these arms will disconnect from the rocket and then pivot away quickly in just 2.6 seconds to avoid interfering with the rocket's ascent.
This manoeuvre requires great precision in order, almost simultaneously, to disconnect the arms, protect the supply hoses from gas ejections from the boosters and allow the launch vehicle to pass while avoiding any contact with it.
A 50-tonne counterweight inside the mast – as heavy as a humpback whale – speeds up the retraction of the arms. A smart damping system allows the arms to brake before the end of their swing backwards in order to preserve the mechanical links with the mast.
Keeping the fluidic supplies connected with the rocket until the moment of liftoff guarantees the best availability and simplification of the interface with the launch vehicle.
The disconnection of the cryo-arms from Ariane 6 is much faster than it is from Ariane 5 which is six seconds before liftoff. This means the sequence for Ariane 6 can be triggered at the latest possible moment in the countdown reducing the chance of unnecessary disconnects on an aborted launch.
Credits: ESA/CNES/Arianespace/Optique Vidéo du CSG - P Piron
Busy day today: moved HTV to a new docking port. We are getting ready for space shuttle STS-133
Giornata piena oggi: mosso HTV su un nuovo boccaporto. Ci stiamo preparando a ricevere STS-133
Credit: ESA/NASA
(239A9815)
This is a version of the ESA logo like no other: seen through a microscope it measures just over 17 thousandths of a millimetre across, about half the diameter of the average human skin cell.
The logo was carved out of a piece of nickel-based space-grade alloy Inconel using Xenon atoms shot from a plasma ion beam.
While the logo measures 17.43 micrometres (thousandths of a millimetre) in length it is just 700 nanometres (millionths of a millimetre) deep. Click here for an angled view.
“The logo was blasted out of a polished Inconel surface,” explains ESA Young Graduate Trainee Felix Schmidt, serving in ESA’s Materials and Electrical Components Laboratory.
“We created it as practice, in preparation for a project on modelling micromechanical testing. Achieving accurate cuts on a given material is tricky, with many parameters needing to be optimised to get the correct size and depth of the geometry, but this logo shows the kind of accuracy we can reach.”
To get an idea of its actual size, see the logo beside a human hair in this microscopic view – created using stacks of visible light microscope images to achieve the depth of field to get both objects in focus at once.
Felix adds: “Next the plan is to cut out a pillar of metal, then crush it using a nano-indenter, having meanwhile created a high-fidelity ‘digital twin’ of the pillar to accurately model how it behaves as force is exerted on it.”
ESA is already active at creating ‘digital twins’ of space systems at higher scales, explains engineer Michael Mallon, working on digital spacecraft design and verification, “but our aim here is to demonstrate a predictive capability right down to the meso-scale, the next level up from atoms.”
Credits: ESA-F. Schmidt
This drone took to the sky over Finland to assess the suitability of one particular terrestrial technology for space: the radar systems found in many of today’s cars, responsible for automated cruise control and other safe driving functions.
ESA worked with the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland to test the suitability of automotive 77 GHz ‘frequency-modulated continuous-wave’ (FMCW) radar for entry, descent and landing on a planetary surface and for in-orbit rendezvous scenarios.
“These kinds of radars are commonplace in automotive vehicles today; the first one using the E-band millimetre-wave frequencies was introduced by Mercedes Benz before the turn of the century,” explains ESA microwave engineer Vaclav Valenta, overseeing the project.
“Most current space-based altimeters and ranging radar systems operate in the pulsed mode - emitting a pulse and then measuring the time it takes for reflected pulse to be received. By contrast, FMCW radars emit a continuous signal that is chirped, that is, swept rapidly in frequency – so the reflected signals can be continuously compared with the transmitted one without any interruption and processed according to build up a coherent picture of multiple targets. This brings several advantages over pulsed radar systems.”
The principle is not new, FMCW radar at lower frequencies acquired space heritage long time ago – already the Apollo landing and rendezvous radar relied on the FMCW principle, likewise, the Huygens probe that landed on the surface of the Saturn’s moon Titan back in 2005 employed FMCW radar. However, those radars operated at much lower frequencies than the FMCW system deployed in this project.
Vaclav adds: “It’s a very simple, straightforward implementation. That is why it is so interesting for us – we know it is cutting edge technology and we can at the same time benefit from economies of scale because millions of these radar chipsets are being produced, to a high level of reliability.”
The test campaign in Torbacka, Finland, assessed the performance of a drone-mounted lander radar using automotive radar chipsets. They were tasked with mimicking the planned descent of ESA’s ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover.
“We’re also interested in the use of FMCW radar for orbital rendezvous, but focused on entry, descent and landing because this is especially challenging due to the relatively low output power of these chips, at the level of few milliwatts,” comments Henrik Forstén of VTT.
“Therefore, if you want to have a first signal acquisition at an altitude of 6 km – which was the requirement from ExoMars – then we had to boost the signal gain, which is why we added horn antennas to the drone’s radar payload. For practical reasons drone tests were carried out at up to 500 m, though the functionality was verified up to 6 km overall.”
Vaclav explains: “In the end we demonstrated we can achieve the necessary range, velocity, and measurement rates for a radar that is extremely cost-effective, compact and low power. We would like to perform de-risking activities, for instance to confirm the various chipsets can endure space radiation, then the next step would really be to fly a demonstrator mission in space.”
The project was supported through ESA’s Technology Development Element, investigating promising new technologies for space.
Credits: VTT
This view was generated from the digital terrain model and the nadir and colour channels of the High Resolution Stereo Camera on ESA’s Mars Express. It shows a bird’s-eye view of a region inside Trouvelot Crater, and features the worn-away crater wall in the background; the dark, volcanic deposits covering the crater floor; and a light-toned mound seen sitting within these deposits.
The dark material has been shaped by wind into rippling dunes known as ‘barchan’ dunes, visible as the smaller, darker marks sweeping from bottom-left to middle-right. These dunes are characteristically crescent-shaped, and created when winds blow in one direction.
The light-toned mound can be seen to the front-middle of the frame; this feature is around 20 km long and covered in ridges and grooves. It’s thought that this mound formed in the presence of water, but the exact processes involved remain a matter of debate.
[Image description: A tilted, close-up view of a rugged Martian landscape. The surface shows steep, shadowed ridges running diagonally across the scene, with soft reddish light illuminating their tops. Below the ridges, the terrain becomes darker and smoother, marked by small round craters and patches of rough, textured ground. A pale, sandy, fan‑shaped deposit sits near the lower right, contrasting with the darker surroundings. The overall impression is of a dry, eroded, and richly textured surface shaped by ancient geological forces.]
Credits: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin; CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
Researchers used the NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph) Integral Field Unit on the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope to map chemical contents of the Beta Pictoris system. As a result, they discovered a third planet, Beta Pictoris d, orbiting the young star.
Instead of identifying the planet as a bright point of light, as seen in the reconstructed image, researchers searched the spectroscopic data for the molecular signatures expected from a giant planet atmosphere, allowing the object to stand out from the surrounding debris disc.
The extracted NIRSpec and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) spectra of Beta Pictoris d display a distinctive series of carbon monoxide (CO) absorption lines. This molecular “fingerprint” identified the object as a giant planet, while measurements of the Doppler shift of the spectral lines provided the planet’s radial velocity, confirming it is gravitationally bound to the Beta Pictoris system.
[Image description: The image at the left shows two exoplanets of the Beta Pictoris system. At the centre, there is a white star symbol, which represents light blocked from the host star. Immediately to the left of the star symbol, there is a bright orange-whitesh smudge, labeled b. To the right of the star symbol is a blurry orange smudge labeled d. There is a white circle around this smudge with lines drawn to the spectrum at the right. The x-axis is labeled “Wavelength of Light” and extends from 4.2 to 5.2 microns. The y-axis is labeled “Brightness.” An up arrow is labeled “brighter,” a down arrow “dimmer.” There are two jagged horizontal lines across the graph. One is white, the other is maroon (the former labeled “Webb data”, the latter labeled “Best fit model” in the bottom left corner). A blue vertical column spanning from about 4.3 microns to 5 microns is labeled Carbon Monoxide, CO.]
Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, L. Hustak (STScI). Science: A. Gibbs (UC San Diego), J. B. Ruffio (UC San Diego), A. Bidot (STScI). Image Processing: A. Pagan (STScI); CC BY 4.0
Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
The High Resolution Stereo Camera on board ESA’s Mars Express snapped a view of a curious cloud formation that appears regularly in the vicinity of the Arsia Mons volcano.
This water ice cloud, which arises as the volcano slope interacts with the air flow, can be seen as the long white feature extending to the lower right of the volcano. The cloud, which measures 915 km in this view, also casts a shadow on the surface. This image was taken on 21 September 2018 from an altitude of about 6930 km. North is up.
More information: Mars Express keeps an eye on curious cloud via www.esa.int/vmccloud
At the invitation of ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson attended the ESA Council at ESA’s establishment ESTEC in the Netherlands on 15 June 2022.
ESA is currently working with NASA on many areas, from science such as the James Webb Space Telescope to exploration such as Mars Sample Return, Artemis and the International Space Station, to Earth observation.
At the ESA Council, a framework agreement between ESA and NASA for a strategic partnership in Earth System Science was signed, as well as a memorandum of understanding between ESA and NASA on the Lunar Pathfinder mission.
Credits: ESA-S.Corvaja
Progress continues on the East Side Access project as of February 12, 2013.
This photo shows work on the caverns underneath Grand Central Terminal that will house a future concourse for arriving and departing Long Island Rail Road trains.
Eight tunnels will allow trains to reach four platforms in two adjacent caverns.
Photo: Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin.
Technology image of the week:
A decade ago, as Europe’s Columbus laboratory module was attached to the International Space Station for microgravity research, ESA’s Large Diameter Centrifuge began offering lengthy experiments in hypergravity.
The principle is simple: the 8 m-diameter four-arm centrifuge is set spinning at up to 67 revs per minute, creating up to 20 times normal Earth gravity for weeks or even months at a time.
As part of ESA’s Life and Physical Sciences Instrumentation Laboratory at the Agency’s technical centre in the Netherlands, the centrifuge’s development was supported by the Dutch government and its use is encouraged by the European Low Gravity Research Association.
For the last decade it has been a place of pilgrimage for researchers, including student experimenters on regular Spin Your Thesis campaigns.
Tomorrow sees a celebration of the centrifuge’s first decade, giving its team the opportunity to hear from their users about desired upgrades and new research ideas.
Credit: ESA – J. van Loon
The 73rd International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2022), taking place from 18 to 22 September at the Paris Convention Centre in Paris, France. A week of lively interactions awaits the world space community, this year under the theme 'Space for @ll'. The congress will open its doors to the general public on 21 September.
Credits: ESA - P. Sebirot
Progress continues on the East Side Access project as of February 12, 2013.
This photo shows work on the caverns underneath Grand Central Terminal that will house a future concourse for arriving and departing Long Island Rail Road trains.
Photo: Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin.
Tus manos de vida, tus manos creadoras, de alimentos, abrigos y arte a tu estilo, protección de hierro, mimos de seda, tus remiendos certeros de no solo tela, el final tierno de la extensión de tus abrazos, tus manos amables, tus manos de madre.... gracias
This is J0624-6948, a supernova remnant observed by XMM-Newton.
Read more about this discovery here!
[Image description: This image shows dark purple and bright yellow spots against a pitch-black background, that appear like neon lights outside a window in a city at night. In the centre of the image, the spots cluster to loosely form a ring, which is mostly purple.]
Credits: Eckhard Slawik, ESA/XMM-Newton/M. Sasaki et al (2025)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
F. Zangrandi
Progress continues on the East Side Access project as of February 12, 2013.
This photo shows work on the caverns underneath Grand Central Terminal that will house a future concourse for arriving and departing Long Island Rail Road trains.
Photo: Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin.
Ataraxia
No es una triste mirada, es una visión tranquila, una
exquisita mezcla entre moral y calma, percibiendo el olor de
las piedras para aferrarse a la vida salvajemente,
sintiose viva desde aquél noviembre en que se fue de su
madre con su vestido de agua y su música infinita,
una delicada afinidad armónica, gradual, equitativa,
un excitante equilibrio,
un anormal atisbo de veracidad le ha regalado, quizá,
la fragilidad en los pasillos vacíos de su soledad acompañada,
la mañana no la adormece, la realza en su cordura,
su sabor por las buenas templanzas conocen del sexo del
arco iris y solo en su medida palabra vive la
excelencia del sentir,
me dicta mi silencio que no sería de ella que aprendiera la
destrucción del amor de algodón en algún montañoso
minuto si se entregara mi espíritu por escuchar la voz
de su trompeta,
sin desconocer su sensualidad y sin traicionar su armadura
me habrá enseñado a seguir una gozosa marcha entre
las tormentas del invierno, cuando el diablo ingenuo
nacía en mí y fallecía,
en alguna primavera anterior habrán quedado sus fascinantes
recuerdos cultivando fortalezas y cosechando las
sonrisas de azúcar,
acaso un eterno sol dorado le acariciara la piel para
zozobrar en su espalda llameante y recordarle
su incurable romanticismo en el espejo de su alma,
desnuda esponja que ama y succiona el devenir de la
vida tan solo con su genuina bandera,
insuflando el amor a voluntad con su ataviada
manera en el sendero acuático sin restringir el vagido
del beso,
desconozco la vehemencia de la lágrima y el escozor
de sus noches tristes mientras se desliza la magia y sus
pasos retumban silenciosos,
quizá la espuma de su mar interior le haga ver del amor
que existen días consecuentes en que es mejor perderlo para
poder encontrarlo y así tal vez halle en esa bendita
esquina quien le diga desde lo íntimo y con su sincera verdad...
jamás dejaría de vivir(te)... pero jamás dejaría de morir(me).
Jorge Rosso
Un deleite musical...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1O-y6fv9FLc
Gracias por su visita a todos y cada uno... aprecio mucho cada gesto!!...
Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana is carrying out combined tests to prepare for the arrival of Ariane 6, Europe’s next generation heavy-lift launch vehicle.
The first Ariane 6 fairing has already arrived at the Spaceport from Europe. It is 20 m high and 5.4 m in diameter and is being integrated with a mockup payload to test equipment and procedures inside the assembly building.
Ruag Space in Emmen, Switzerland manufactures each entire large half-shell in one piece from carbon-fibre composite which is ‘cured’ in an industrial oven. This reduces cost and speeds up production. Fewer parts allow horizontal as well as vertical assembly of the closed fairing and the launch vehicle, which is particularly important for Ariane 6.
A blue metal scaffold on the right of the picture, called the ‘strongback’, encases the fairing. There is one for each half-shell to hold each steady and to maintain the shape of the fairing while it is being raised vertical, and during assembly.
The mockup payload stands on its payload adaptor – the black cone. This is the interface between the bottom of the payload and the rocket. The adapter cone is fixed to a permanent dock on the ground.
Before this combined test, the French space agency, CNES, updated the existing Ariane 5 assembly building with a new integration dock, composed of a large white frame, with two mobile platforms adjustable to any level and accessible by fixed stairs and platforms.
This assembly building has two halls: one for integration of the fairing on the Ariane 5 rocket, and an encapsulation hall where the payload is stowed in the fairing. This encapsulation hall is a spacious clean room for Ariane 6.
A new door 26 m high has been installed at the entrance of the building to make room for the integrated fairing, payload and adapter to move on its trailer to the Ariane 6 launch zone.
This activity is one of many extensive ‘combined tests’ which are being carried out in a team effort at the Spaceport by ESA, CNES, ArianeGroup, Avio and other industry partners. These tests will prove the systems and procedures that will prepare Europe's new Ariane 6 launch vehicle for flight.
Credits: ESA/CNES/Arianespace/Optique video du CSG - S.Martin
ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti is helped aboard a helicopter on the SpaceX recovery ship Megan to fly to Jacksonville, Florida with NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Robert Hines and Jessica Watkins, after the four landed in their SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Jacksonville, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. Lindgren, Hines, Watkins, and Cristoforetti are returning after 170 days in space as part of Expeditions 67 and 68 aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Progress continues on the East Side Access project as of February 12, 2013.
This photo shows work on tunnels leading into caverns underneath Grand Central Terminal that will house a future concourse for arriving and departing Long Island Rail Road trains.
Photo: Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin.