Space
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'Water Bears' Able To Survive Exposure To Vacuum Of Space
Sep. 9, 2008 — Of all environments, space must be the most hostile: It is freezing cold, close to absolute zero, there is a vacuum, so no oxygen, and the amount of lethal radiation from stars is very high. This is why humans need to be carefully protected when they enter this environment. New research by Ingemar Jönsson and colleagues published in the September 9 issue of Current Biology, a Cell Press journal, shows that some animals —the so-called tardigrades or 'water-bears'— are able to do away with space suits and can survive exposure to open-space vacuum, cold and radiation.
Large solar flares generate geomagnetic storm
Mar. 8, 2012 — A pair of unusually large solar flares early yesterday (March 7, 2012) generated a Coronal Mass Ejection that will reach Earth around mid-day today. It will likely cause at least a strong geomagnetic storm that could affect satellites in space and trigger auroral displays. The effects at ground level are expected to be limited, but there is a good chance for some excellent auroral displays in the north.
Artist's concept of asteroid mining. Asteroid mining refers to the possibility of exploiting raw materials from asteroids and other minor planets , including near-Earth objects . [ 1 ] Minerals and volatiles could be mined from an asteroid or spent comet then taken back to Earth or used in space for space-construction materials. Materials that could be mined or extracted include iron, nickel, titanium for construction, water and oxygen to sustain the lives of prospector-astronauts on site, as well as hydrogen and oxygen for use as rocket fuel. In space exploration , using resources gathered whilst on a journey is referred to as in-situ resource utilization . [ edit ] Purpose
Asteroid mining
Xeno/Astrobiology