Here are today’s most important updates from the realm of Science and Space.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is set to launch its highly anticipated Space Docking Experiment (SpaDEX) mission on December 30, 2024. The Polar Satellite Launch vehicle (PSLV-C60) will lift-off at 21:58 IST from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota. The SpaDEX mission will deploy two satellites, each weighing approximately 220 kg, known as the Chaser and the Target. These satellites will be launched into a low-Earth orbit at an altitude of 470 km. The primary objective is to test the rendezvous and docking capabilities essential for future space endeavors, including the Indian Space Station and lunar missions.
NEWS 🚨: NASA says Parker Solar Probe will make its closest-ever flyby to the Sun's surface on #Christmas Eve at 3.8 million miles
— Latest in space (@latestinspace) December 23, 2024
"No human-made object has ever passed this close to a star" 🤯 pic.twitter.com/fIwmbjmJu9
(Credit - X/@latestinspace)
Nasa's Parker Solar Probe is gearing up for a historic flyby of the Sun on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2024, when it will pass within approximately 6.1 million kilometers of the Sun's surface. This marks the closest any human-made object has ever come to a star. However, the mission operators at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Maryland reported that they had last established contact with the probe on December 21. Following the flyby, Parker is expected to transmit a beacon signal on December 27 to confirm its health and operational status after enduring the extreme environment of its closest approach.
NASA astronaut Sunita Williams is set to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Day aboard the International Space Station (ISS) with her fellow crew members, bringing a festive spirit to the cosmos. The crew of seven astronauts and cosmonauts will take time to relax during the holidays, opening gifts, sharing special meals prepared from supplies delivered by a recent SpaceX Dragon cargo mission, and connecting with family and friends via video calls. NASA shared a cheerful image of Williams and fellow astronaut Don Pettit wearing Santa hats inside the ISS's Columbus laboratory module, capturing the holiday spirit in space. This year’s celebration marks a continuation of a long-standing tradition among astronauts who have celebrated holidays in orbit since Apollo 8 in 1968.
A new study co-led by a physician-scientist at the University of Arizona’s Sarver Heart Center has unveiled that a subset of patients with artificial hearts can regenerate heart muscle tissue. Remarkably, the findings revealed that patients with artificial hearts regenerated muscle cells at over six times the rate of healthy hearts. Heart failure currently has no cure, with treatment options primarily limited to medications that slow its progression or advanced interventions like heart transplants and left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), which help pump blood. The study suggests that artificial hearts may provide a form of “bed rest” for cardiac muscles, allowing them to heal similarly to how skeletal muscles recover after injury.