ISS MEDICAL EVACUATION COMPLETE: They're back. Four astronauts who had been serving as Crew 11 on the ISS returned to Earth this morning, safely spashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego. They came home more than a month early because one of the astronauts has an undisclosed medical problem. If you photographed their return, please submit your photos here.
AIRPLANES 'LOST' DURING A GEOMAGNETIC STORM: A new study published in Space Weather suggests that flying during an extreme geomagnetic storm may not be a great idea. During the superstorm of May 10-13, 2024, disturbances in Earth’s ionosphere disrupted GPS tracking systems for airplanes flying over Europe. Some planes briefly appeared hundreds of kilometers from their true locations.
Researchers Erik Schmölter and Jens Berdermann of the German Aerospace Center analyzed more than 700 million ADS-B messages from 18,000 aircraft. ADS-B messages are short radio broadcasts sent by aircraft about once per second, reporting their GPS-derived positions. Air traffic controllers and nearby aircraft use them for real-time tracking. The superstorm caused significant position errors for days.
The problem was especially acute on May 11th when the sun hit Earth with an X5.8-class solar flare. Intense solar X-ray and radio emission caused direct interference with GPS signals on the sunlit side of Earth. As many as 53% of satellite-receiver links failed at latitudes south of ~50° N.
In the map, right, red dots mark the location of 169 aircraft during the X-flare. ADS-B messages reported that these aircraft abruptly "jumped" off course during the flare. In fact, they were still flying normally
Fortunately, there were no mishaps. Aviation safety is built on layers, and ADS-B is only one of them. Conventional radar surveillance remained available around airports, and pilots retained full control of their aircraft. In most cases, they could simply look out the window and see exactly where they were. Stronger and longer storms could cause more problems, though.
Confused? So were the GPS receivers. Read the original study here.
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VALENTINE'S CRYSTAL BEAR CRUSH: Valentine’s Day is coming. Do you have a truly far-out gift? Consider the Crystal Bear Crush. On Jan. 2nd, it flew to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray research balloon:
You can have it for $129.95. The two bears, plus heart and flower, are made of genuine high-quality K9 crystal, which shines beautifully in high-altitude sunlight. You'll also receive a unique keepsake card showing the bears at the top of Earth's atmosphere. Inside, the card tells the story of the flight and certifies that the item has been to the edge of space.
Earth to Sky Valentine's gifts have flown above 99.7% of Earth's atmosphere, experiencing space-like blasts of cosmic rays, extreme cold, and a wild ride parachuting back to Earth after the balloon explodes. Even Amazon doesn't carry items this far out. And, best of all, all sales support student science projects and STEM education.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
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