environment
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ISS Astronauts Are Testing a New Surface Coating to Fight Space Germs
For astronauts living aboard the International Space Station (ISS), space germs are bad news. The confined environment, plus a weakened immunity system, and more aggressive bacteria, means that catching a cold in space is way worse than on Earth. In order to help stop the spread of viruses in space, Boeing developed an antimicrobial surface…
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Airbus Launches Device to Keep Dead Satellites from Tumbling in Space
Earth’s orbit can be a chaotic place, with defunct spacecraft darting aimlessly across the dark skies. In order to tackle the growing issue of space debris, Airbus created a new device designed to keep satellites from tumbling around after they’re no longer of use. The device, aptly named Detumbler, launched on Saturday on board a…
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NASA ‘Pauses’ Mars Sample Return to Get a Grip on the Mission
NASA is pulling back from its Mars Sample Return program (MSR) in order to develop a revised way of bringing the Martian rocks back to Earth after its original plan was deemed unrealistic. During a meeting of the Planetary Science Advisory Committee on Monday, NASA officials announced that the space agency is pausing work on…
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Iceland Prepares for ‘Considerable’ Risk of Volcano Eruption
There is a “significant likelihood” that the Icelandic volcano Fagradalsfjall will erupt “in the coming days,” according to the country’s meteorological office. The volcanic activity is primarily occurring in the island’s southwest, northeast of the fishing town of Grindavík. About 900 earthquakes have been detected in the volcano’s southwestern region since midnight local time, according…