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Mars may have generated enough internal heat to produce ancient groundwater, China’s lunar sampling mission is returning to Earth, and the sun has erupted its largest in 3 years. Here are some of the top stories from Space.com this week.
This month, China is working on a lunar sample recovery mission.
On Tuesday, December 1, the Chinese Chang’e 5 mission landed on the moon near Mons Rümker, a mountain in the Ocean of Storms region. Chang’e 5 is the first lunar sample return mission to China; the goal is to collect around 2kg of lunar material and bring it to Earth via a Mongolian ground landing in mid-December.
Whole story: China’s Chang’e 5 lands on the moon to collect the first fresh lunar samples in decades
See also: China’s Chang’e 5 probe takes off from the moon with lunar samples
More: Watch China’s Chang’e 5 spacecraft land on the moon in this incredible video
The huge suspended platform of the Arecibo observatory has collapsed.
At around 8 a.m. local time in Puerto Rico on Tuesday, December 1, reports and photos indicated that the 900-ton suspended platform at Arecibo Observatory had collapsed. The news comes at the end of a year in which the radio telescope suffered two major incidents of structural damage, as well as the dismantling of the facility by the National Science Foundation last month.
Whole story: The huge suspended platform of the Arecibo radio telescope has collapsed
See also: Loss of giant Arecibo dish makes humans more vulnerable to space rocks, scientists say
The medium-sized solar flare is the largest observed in 3 years.
On November 29, 2020, the sun triggered its most powerful eruption in over 3 years. The flare may have been stronger than how it appeared from Earth, as the event partially unfolded behind the sun. Scientists measured the solar flare as a medium-sized flare, and this event was followed by a large release of plasma from the sun.
Whole story: The sun sets off its biggest solar flare in more than 3 years
New data from the Gaia mission paints an even clearer picture of the Milky Way.
Scientists working on the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission have decided to release preliminary data now so astronomers can use its data on the Milky Way earlier. The new data was released on Thursday, December 3, and offers detailed information on the motion and distances of 1.8 cosmic objects. The Gaia spacecraft collects data 1 million miles (1.5 million kilometers) from Earth.
Whole story: Astrophysics ‘tsunami’: new data from Gaia reveals the best map of our galaxy to date
The FAA will conduct an environmental review of SpaceX’s facilities.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Nov. 23 that it would conduct an environmental review of SpaceX’s relatively new launch site in South Texas. Under the National Environmental Policy Act, the launch facility will be under review before the private company can make the first flights of its new Starship spacecraft.
Whole story: SpaceX Texas launch site undergoes FAA environmental review for Starship flights
See also: SpaceX’s first crewed Mars mission could launch as early as 2024, says Elon Musk
Scientists detect ancient ‘Kraken fusion’.
Researchers using artificial intelligence have found evidence of an ancient galactic collision that had never been described before. The Milky Way crashed with the Kraken galaxy in the ancient past and this merger may have been the biggest collision of our original galaxy, according to the study published in October 2020. The Milky Way collided with at minus 12 galactic neighbors over the past 12 billion years. .
Whole story: New ‘Kraken fusion’ may have been the biggest collision in Milky Way history
NASA signs moon sample contracts with private companies.
NASA has purchased the rights to future moon samples mined by four private sector entities. The contracts are with Masten Space Systems of Mojave, California; ispace Europe of Luxembourg; Tokyo ispace Japan; and Colorado-based Lunar Outpost. NASA already has a lot of lunar material; between 1969 and 1972, the Apollo missions brought in 842 pounds. (342 kilograms) of moon rocks on Earth.
Whole story: NASA will buy lunar dirt from these 4 companies
Primal black holes are the subject of a new study.
Primal black holes are small versions of their giant cousins, and these mini black holes from the dawn of time were proposed by researchers to explain dark matter. A new study explains where these tiny black holes can come from and how astronomers could detect them. Dark matter is an invisible substance that exerts gravitational pull in space, and black holes can warp space-time due to their incredible density.
Whole story: Swarms of ‘primordial’ black holes could fill our universe
Arianespace launches a satellite in the United Arab Emirates.
On Tuesday, December 1, an Arianespace Soyuz rocket launched the FalconEye 2 satellite for the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Earth observation satellite will meet the needs of the United Arab Emirates armed forces and provide commercial imagery, according to Arianespace. The take-off took place at the Guyanese Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana.
Whole story: Arianespace Soyuz rocket launches UAE’s FalconEye 2 Earth observation satellite into orbit
Researchers are studying the southern highlands of Mars for a possible melting of the ancient ice cap.
A new study suggests that Mars may have generated vital groundwater billions of years ago by generating enough internal heat to melt Martian ice caps. This geothermal heat would have been generated by the radioactive decay of elements such as thorium, potassium and uranium.
Whole story: On Mars, internal heat may have fueled habitable hot spots a long time ago
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