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Tag: ESA

  • Hackers Allegedly Steal Access Tokens, Confidential Documents From European Space Agency

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    The European Space Agency (ESA) suffered a security breach of its science servers, with a hacker group claiming they have stolen 200 gigabytes worth of data that includes confidential documents and source code.

    Earlier this week, ESA confirmed the breach following reports on social media. “Our analysis so far indicates that only a very small number of external servers may have been impacted. These servers support unclassified collaborative engineering activities within the scientific community,” the space agency wrote on X.

    Although ESA claims that the recent cybersecurity issue had minimal impact, an alleged hacker is offering to sell 200 gigabytes of data from the agency’s servers on the BreachForums cybercrime website. The compromised data includes source codes, access tokens, hardcoded credentials, Terraform files, and confidential documents, according to screenshots shared on X by French cybersecurity expert Seb Latom.

    Some of the data may be related to ESA’s upcoming space telescope Ariel, or Atmospheric Remote-sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large-survey, which is due to launch in 2029. The data for sale online compromises the security of space projects and risks the reuse of the code for malicious purposes, according to Latom.

    Wanted for cybercrime

    This isn’t the first time ESA’s servers have been compromised. In December 2024, hackers created a fake payment page on the agency’s online shop to gain access to customers’ information. In 2015, a hacker group breached several ESA websites to collect the information of the agency’s staff and hundreds of subscribers.

    The cybersecurity attacks against ESA have all affected platforms hosted outside the agency’s internal network. Still, there have been too many incidents, suggesting the agency’s data security needs improvement.

    ESA’s American counterpart, NASA, has also suffered its fair share of security breaches over the years. The latest one took place in 2018 when hackers gained access to personal information, including social security numbers, belonging to the agency’s staff members.

    ESA says it has initiated a forensic security analysis and put measures in place to secure any potentially affected devices. “All relevant stakeholders have been informed, and we will provide further updates as soon as additional information becomes available,” the space agency added.

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    Passant Rabie

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  • Webb Traces Distant Explosion to Oldest Supernova Ever Observed

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    Earlier this year, a powerful gamma-ray burst traveled through space from a very distant source in the cosmos. The explosion was traced back to the early universe, just millions of years after the Big Bang, but its origin remained unknown. By pointing the Webb telescope toward the ancient mystery, astronomers were able to identify the earliest known aftermath of a star’s tragic death.

    The Webb space telescope observed a supernova that took place when the universe was 730 million years old, setting a new record for the oldest stellar explosion detected to date. With this new observation, Webb beat its own record of a star that exploded 1.8 billion years after the Big Bang.

    The telescope’s recent observations confirmed the source of a highly energetic flash of light known as a gamma-ray burst, verifying data that had been collected by a fleet of telescopes around the world.

    “Only Webb could directly show that this light is from a supernova,” Andrew Levan, an astrophysics professor at Radboud University in the Netherlands and lead author of a paper published in Astronomy and Astrophysics Letters, said in a statement. “This observation also demonstrates that we can use Webb to find individual stars when the Universe was only 5% of its current age.”

    Straight to the source

    On March 14, the SVOM mission (Space-based multi-band astronomical Variable Objects Monitor) was the first to detect a gamma-ray burst from a distant source in the universe. Within a few hours, three other telescopes were used to pinpoint the source’s location in the skies and estimate when it took place during the cosmic timeline.

    “There are only a handful of gamma-ray bursts in the last 50 years that have been detected in the first billion years of the Universe,” Levan said. “This particular event is very rare and very exciting.”

    Gamma-ray bursts typically last a few seconds and may be caused by the collision of two neutron stars or a neutron star and a black hole. This particular one, however, lasted for 10 seconds, suggesting it likely was the result of the explosive death of a massive star.

    Webb’s observations took place on July 1, roughly three months after the gamma-ray burst was first observed. That allowed time for the supernova to increase in brightness, making it easier for the telescope to spot. Supernovae usually brighten rapidly over the course of a few weeks. Since this one took place so early in the universe, however, its light was stretched as the universe expanded over time. As light stretches, it takes more time for the event to unfold.

    Once astronomers honed in on the ancient supernova, they compared it to more recent ones that have taken place closer to us. To their surprise, they were very much alike.

    Stars in the early universe contained fewer heavy elements compared to their modern counterparts; they were also more massive and lived for shorter periods of time. Therefore, the astronomers behind the recent findings expected the oldest known supernova to look a little different. “We went in with open minds,” Nial Tanvir, a professor at the University of Leicester and co-author of the paper, said in a statement. “And lo and behold, Webb showed that this supernova looks exactly like modern supernovae.”

    The team of astronomers behind the study plan on enlisting Webb to observe the afterglow of distant gamma-ray bursts to learn more about galaxies and how they evolved over time. “That glow will help Webb see more and give us a ‘fingerprint’ of the galaxy,” said Levan.

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    Passant Rabie

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  • Something Weird Is Happening to Earth’s Magnetic Field

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    The weak spot in Earth’s magnetic field, a region over the South Atlantic where the field’s strength is significantly reduced compared to its surrounding area, has grown by an area nearly the size of the European continent over the past 11 years.

    Using data from the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Swarm satellites, scientists revealed that the South Atlantic Anomaly has gotten much larger since 2014. In a recent study published in Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, the team of scientists links the development to strange patterns at the boundary between Earth’s liquid layer, which lies above the solid inner core, and its rocky mantle, the layer between the crust and the outer core.

    “The South Atlantic Anomaly is not just a single block,” Chris Finlay, professor of geomagnetism at the Technical University of Denmark and lead author of the study, said in a statement. “There’s something special happening in this region that is causing the field to weaken in a more intense way.”

    That’s the spot

    Earth’s magnetic field is essential to life on our planet. It protects Earth from cosmic radiation and acts as a shield against solar wind, keeping our atmosphere stable and preventing liquid water and other gases from being eroded by the stream of charged particles emitted by the Sun.

    Scientists first identified the South Atlantic Anomaly, better known as the weak spot, in the late 1950s, when the first satellites began measuring Earth’s magnetic field. Early observations revealed that radiation levels were unusually high over one particular area over the South Atlantic, which meant that the magnetic field was weaker there compared to surrounding regions.

    Swarm’s magnetic field measurements reveal changes in the weak spot. Credit: ESA

    Satellites passing over the region experience higher doses of radiation compared to other areas, which makes studying the anomaly a crucial part of maintaining the safety of space missions, according to ESA.

    “Normally we’d expect to see magnetic field lines coming out of the core in the southern hemisphere,” Finlay said. “But beneath the South Atlantic Anomaly we see unexpected areas where the magnetic field, instead of coming out of the core, goes back into the core.”

    The Swarm data revealed that one of these areas is moving westward over Africa, which is contributing to the weakening of the South Atlantic Anomaly in this region. The data also highlights two points in the northern hemisphere where Earth’s magnetic field is particularly strong, one around Canada and the other around Siberia, that have experienced varying results since Swarm began its observations.

    The strong spot around Canada has weakened, shrinking by 0.65% of Earth’s surface area, which is almost the size of India. On the other hand, the Siberian strong region has grown by 0.42% of Earth’s surface area, or about the size of Greenland.

    “When you’re trying to understand Earth’s magnetic field, it’s important to remember that it’s not just a simple dipole, like a bar magnet,” Finlay said. “It’s only by having satellites like Swarm that we can fully map this structure and see it changing.”

    ESA’s Swarm satellite constellation launched in 2013 to study the complexities of the magnetic field. The mission uses three satellites, named Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie, to measure magnetic signals originating from Earth’s core, as well as the planet’s crust, oceans, and parts of its atmosphere.

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    Passant Rabie

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  • Last-Minute Software Patch Saves Jupiter Probe Ahead of Critical Venus Flyby

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    An exceptionally heavy interplanetary probe is on an eight-year journey to Jupiter, using the gravity of Earth and Venus to propel it on its path toward the gas giant. Just weeks before its scheduled flyby of Venus, the European Space Agency’s JUICE mission went silent, threatening its ability to perform the planetary encounter.

    Unable to communicate with the spacecraft, teams of engineers got to work on figuring out the problem under a tight schedule, hoping their efforts would reach JUICE as it cruises millions of miles away.

    JUICE, or JUpiter ICy moons Explorer, is currently on its way to Venus to perform a gravity assist maneuver on August 31, following the resolution of a pesky software glitch that had weakened the spacecraft’s signal. Mission control managed to reestablish communication with the spacecraft just in time to prepare it for its upcoming flyby, pulling off an impressive recovery of the mission as it heads toward its target.

    Waiting not an option

    The team detected the anomaly on July 16 as JUICE was flying above a ground station in Cebreros, Spain. ESA’s deep space antenna was unable to establish contact with the spacecraft, raising concerns that JUICE was in a dreaded survival mode triggered by multiple onboard system failures.

    “Losing contact with a spacecraft is one of the most serious scenarios we can face,” Angela Dietz, JUICE spacecraft operations manager, said in a statement. “With no telemetry, it is much more difficult to diagnose and resolve the root cause of an issue.”

    The spacecraft would automatically reset in 14 days, but the team could not wait that long and risk missing JUICE’s scheduled encounter with Venus. “Waiting was not an option. We had to act fast.” Dietz added. “Waiting two weeks for the reset would have meant delaying important preparations for the Venus flyby.”

    Instead, the team of engineers behind the mission began to blindly send commands toward JUICE’s presumed location in space. That proved to be challenging, as the spacecraft is currently located 124 million miles (200 million kilometers) away on the other side of the Sun. Each rescue signal would take 11 minutes to reach the spacecraft, and the team would then have to wait another 11 minutes to hear back from JUICE.

    The dreaded software timing bug

    Nearly 20 hours later, a command signal finally reached the spacecraft, triggering a response. Thankfully, the team found JUICE in good condition, and no system failures were detected.

    As it turns out, a software timing bug caused JUICE’s signal to become too weak to detect from Earth. JUICE has built-in software that switches its signal amplifier on and off using an internal timer. The timer restarts from zero once every 16 months, but if the software happens to be using the timer at the same moment it restarts, then the signal amplifier remains switched off, silencing JUICE’s calls to Earth.

    The team was able to resolve the issue and is now devising ways to ensure JUICE’s signal is always heard across deep space. “We have identified a number of possible ways to ensure that this does not happen again, and we are now deciding which solution would be the best to implement,” Dietz said.

    JUICE launched on April 14, 2023, carrying a suite of remote sensing, geophysical, and in situ instruments to explore Jupiter and its three ocean-bearing moons—Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa. The 13,227-pound (6,000-kilogram) spacecraft is expected to arrive at the gas giant system in 2031, using a series of gravity assists to pick up speed. This week’s Venus flyby is the second of four planned gravity assist maneuvers.

    JUICE will also use Earth to reach its required transfer velocity through an upcoming flyby in September 2026 and another one planned for January 2029.

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    Passant Rabie

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  • John McFall, the Astronaut Flag Bearer at the Paris Paralympics, Is Ready to Fly

    John McFall, the Astronaut Flag Bearer at the Paris Paralympics, Is Ready to Fly

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    At first we studied how my disabilities and prosthesis might affect my ability to meet the requirements in-flight. At a later stage we went into detail, to the point of figuring out, for example, whether I should compulsorily use my prosthesis in space, since legs are hardly used there.

    In summary, I can say that although I would need the prosthesis at some stages, disabilities like mine fully meet the needs of space travel. I am very happy to say that we have not identified any hiccups capable of precluding a person with disabilities like mine from a long-duration space mission. This has an incredible positive outcome.

    Why is it important that people with disabilities can also operate in space? And what specific disabilities are we talking about?

    I’ll start with the second question. Fly! looked at a specific group of disabilities, those in the lower limbs. From the results I think we can extrapolate different variables in that group that are compatible with long-duration space missions. We need to progress step by step, starting with the basics, and I am sure that starting to study lower limb disabilities was a good choice. I hope we can soon focus on other disabilities, which allows me to answer the first part of the question: Why is it important?

    The ESA recognizes that talented people can boast different histories and backgrounds—meaning gender, sex, ethnicity, physical abilities. Everywhere in the world there are those who could make valuable contributions to human space exploration. Of course, this involves becoming astronauts.

    And the experience and knowledge of people with physical disabilities can bring new and valuable ideas, different ways of thinking, motivation, inspiration. For this to happen, everyone needs to have fair representation among the staff, with appropriate professional positions and roles. This is a goal, and the ESA is working to achieve it.

    In September, the Polaris Dawn mission is expected to take off from Cape Canaveral, and will feature the first spacewalk by nonprofessional astronauts. What do you think?

    They are inspiring and no less important in the landscape of human exploration of the cosmos, because every time these missions become a reality, they help enrich the knowledge we have as a community. Polaris Dawn is doing new science; it’s testing new technologies. That’s why I have great respect for private astronauts and their missions—they make a major contribution to the advancement of our space activities.

    McFall and other ESA astronauts in a weightlessness simulation.

    ESA/A. Conigli

    When are you going into space?

    I would love to travel beyond the atmosphere. I hope to have the opportunity, but what I hope most is that sooner or later someone with physical disabilities will be able to do it, fully integrated into the activities on the International Space Station.

    About the timing, I hope that at the end of this decade it can happen. As for me, if I ever have the opportunity to fly in space, it will not be before 2027. But nothing is confirmed, and I am keeping my fingers crossed at the moment.

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    Emilio Cozzi

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  • 6 Space Missions to Watch in July 2024: Starliner Returns, SpaceX Launches Polaris Dawn

    6 Space Missions to Watch in July 2024: Starliner Returns, SpaceX Launches Polaris Dawn

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    Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft will bring NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore (L) and Suni Williams back from the ISS on July 1. AFP via Getty Images

    Last month, Boeing made history when it successfully launched its Starliner spacecraft into space after three delays, sending a crew of NASA astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). July will kick off with the space crew returning to Earth. But that won’t be the only space event to watch that week. As the return vessel heads for Earth, Firefly Aerospace will be preparing to send a rocket, appropriately named “Noise of Summer,” in the other direction as part of a Nanosatellite mission. 

    Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s SpaceX has multiple launches scheduled. After successfully sending up its Starship megarocket for the 4th time in June, the space exploration company has earmarked July for its next launch. But it isn’t stopping there. SpaceX is also preparing for the launch of Polaris Dawn, which Space.com describes as the company’s “most ambitious crewed mission to date.” In other news, Rocket Lab is gearing up for its next mission, which centers around a new-generation satellite.

    Here are six space missions to watch in July 2024:

    • July 1: Firefly’s “Noise of Summer” (FLTA005) satellite mission: Texas-based Firefly Aerospace will kick off July with the launch of the FLTA005, or “Noise of Summer” mission using a two-stage, expendable Firefly Alpha rocket designed for commercial small satellite launches. The mission, scheduled to blast off at 4 :03 a.m. UTC from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in Santa Barbara, Calif., will mark the small satellite launcher’s fourth test flight. It will carry eight cubesats as part of NASA’s ELaNa 43 (Educational Launch of a Nanosatellite) mission.
    • July 2: Boeing’s Starliner brings astronauts back to Earth. Last month, Boeing’s thrice-delayed Starliner Crewed Flight Test (CFT) launch finally sent astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Suni Williams to the ISS. These NASA crew members are scheduled to return from the ISS on July 2, pending no further technical complications, after helium leakage and thruster problems pushed back the return from June 26.
    • July 2: SpaceX launches Starlink Group 8-9 satellites. SpaceX has a busy month planned with several missions scheduled. On the same day as Starliner’s return mission, SpaceX will launch a batch of Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Florida. This omega-constellation collection is part of the company’s satellite-based internet service. 
    • July 9: ESA’s Ariane 62 maiden flight. The European Space Agency (ESA) is preparing for the first test flight of its newest heavy-lift rocket after multiple delays. Designed by the French firm ArianeGroup, the Ariane 62 has two solid boosters and is intended for both government and commercial missions. The mission is scheduled to launch from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana. Although no specific time has been set, the mission has a three-hour launch window between 2 p.m and 5 p.m local time.
    • TBD: SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn launch. The start of SpaceX’s new series is scheduled for July, although the company hasn’t released a set date yet. The billionaire entrepreneur and pilot Jared Isaacman is funding the first of three missions that will comprise the Polaris Program. The first mission will include an attempt at history’s first “all-civilian spacewalk.” It follows the Inspiration4 launch of 2021, a SpaceX mission that took Isaacman and several other patrons into space.
    • TBD: Rocket Lab’s Capella Acadia 3 Electron mission. Leading small rocket maker Rocket Lab is preparing for the launch of Capella Acadia 3 Electron rocket. This expendable two-stage orbital launch vehicle has an optional third stage. Its payload includes a single Earth-imaging Acadia (SAR) satellite, designed and operated by Capella Space. Though no date has been set, the mission is expected to blast off from the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand into low earth orbit. 

    6 Space Missions to Watch in July 2024: Starliner Returns, SpaceX Launches Polaris Dawn

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    Samuel O'Brient

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  • Billy Carson and Thomas Mikey Scrøder Jensen Have Founded the United Family of Anomaly Hunters (UFAH) to Search for Life on Other Planets

    Billy Carson and Thomas Mikey Scrøder Jensen Have Founded the United Family of Anomaly Hunters (UFAH) to Search for Life on Other Planets

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    Truth Seekers, Billy Carson and Thomas Mikey Scrøder Jensen have combined forces with the top anomaly hunters in the world to form the United Family Of Anomaly Hunters(UFAH). Their mission is to provide enough evidence of past and present life on Earth other celestial bodies inside our own solar system.

    Press Release
    –

    Jun 24, 2016


    Coral Springs, FL, June 24, 2016 (Newswire.com)
    –
    ​​The United Family Of Anomaly Hunters (UFAH) is a non profit organization with active members around the world. Their sole purpose is to help bring disclosure to the world about past and current civilizations on planets and moons in our solar system. Their primary focus is on Mars, only because Mars has the most available raw data to work with, but the UFAH team scour the massive public domain image databases of various space agencies to bring the general public the highest quality anomalous discoveries in our entire solar system.

    Billy Carson is a well known activist and truth seeker in the conscious community. He is also the founder of 4biddenknowledge, which is one of the largest conscious networks online. Mr Carson is also the CEO of First Class Space Agency based in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Billy Carson’s space agency is involved in research and development of alternative propulsion systems and zero point energy devices. Thomas Mikey Scrøder Jensen is one of the worlds top anomaly hunters. Some of his discoveries have been published in the media all over the world. Thomas is also a producer and has produced many documentaries on the discoveries of the UFAH team as well as many other interviews with highly qualified  individuals. His most current work is a 2 hour documentary entitled: “Baltic Sea Anomaly: The Unsolved Mystery.” The documentary features the Ocean X team that discovered the Baltic Sea Anomaly in 2011 along with some of the worlds top researchers in this field.

    Billy Carson calculates that collectively the group has cataloged close to 50,000 anomalies in our solar system. These anomalies are all 100% referenced back to official images from NASA, Cal-tech, European Space Agency(ESA) and the Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO). The team is very strict on what they put out and all anomalies can be researched and vetted by the general population.

    Jim Barnes, Director of Media Relations

    ​Billy Carson calculates that collectively the group has cataloged close to 50,000 anomalies in our solar system. These anomalies are all 100% referenced back to official images from NASA, Caltech, European Space Agency(ESA) and the Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO). The team is very strict on what they put out and all anomalies can be researched and vetted by the general population.

    The group claims to have pioneered two new fields of science. Astro-archeology and Astro-anthropology. Billy Carson feels that these will be actual college courses in the not so distant future.

    Most of the members have dedicated almost all of their free time and resources to the task of bringing disclosure to the world about what they have discovered. Team member, Joe White of Art Alien Magazine was recently featured as a researcher on two episodes of the History Channel’s Ancient Aliens series. Many of the teams findings have been used as research material in actual movies and documentaries. Most recently, Hollywood producer, Jose Escamilla​ used their research in his critically acclaimed documentary entitled “UFO: The Greatest Story Ever Denied III – UFOs from Outer Space”. 

    The organization has even put out a mobile app named UFAH, and it is available on the app store for Apple and on GooglePlay for Android devices. If you want to learn more about the United Family Of Anomaly Hunters(UFAH), you can look up and join their groups on Facebook or visit them online at http://UFAH.Space

    UFAH Facebook groups and their founders:
    ​Mars Discoveries And Solar System Anomalies – Founder Billy Carson
    Mars Moon Space Photo Zoom Club – Founder Thomas Mickey Scroder Jensen
    Space, Technology & Anomalies Research (S.T.A.R.)  – Founder Miša Drezgić
    ​Martian Archaeologist – Founder Brian Hopjins
    Exclusive Mars Images – Founder Rami Bar Ilan​
    WhatsUpInTheSky.com – Will Farrar
    Lunar Anomaly Research Society – Founder Bret Colin Sheppard
    Earth Anomaly Research Society – Founder Karen Christine Patrick​
    Annunaki History – Founder Billy Carson
    Martian Genesis – Founder ​Martine Grainey
    Alien Life Group – Founder Neville Thompson
    ​Mars Anomalies – Founder Chris Moroney
    ​ArtAlien Magazine – Founder Joe White
    ​Mars – A Civilization Lost – James Tracy

    Source: United Family Of Anomaly Hunters

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