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Tag: space

  • Ghana will launch a rocket into space soon – Space Science and Technology Institute

    Ghana will launch a rocket into space soon – Space Science and Technology Institute

    Ghana is on the path to launching a rocket into space, according to an announcement by the Ghana Space Science and Technology Institute.

    However, this ambitious goal will necessitate partnerships with other member states of the International Astronomical Union (IAU).

    This announcement comes on the sidelines of the 2024 IAU General Assembly, which is being held in Cape Town, South Africa.

    This marks a historic moment as it is the first time in the Union’s 105-year history that this prestigious event is being hosted on African soil, symbolizing a major milestone for both the IAU and South Africa.

    The IAU General Assembly is recognized as the world’s largest platform for astronomers, scientists, and researchers to engage in discussions on the latest developments in astronomical research and to strengthen international collaborations.

    The event is expected to draw over 2,000 experts from 82 countries, further establishing Cape Town as a significant hub for scientific innovation and discourse.

    During an interview with JoyNews’ Blessed Sogah at the event, Dr. Naomi Asabre Frimpong, a Research Scientist at the Ghana Space Science and Technology Institute, confirmed Ghana’s plans for space exploration.

    “Ghana does plan to go to space,” she stated. “However, we will need a lot of investment in space technology, space engineering, communication, and research because our current infrastructure does not support space missions as far as the international space station.”

    Addressing concerns regarding the perceived lack of advanced satellite technology in Ghana and other African countries, Dr. Asabre Frimpong emphasized the capabilities of Ghanaian scientists.

    “Ghanaians are really brilliant; we have a lot of potential and are able to achieve a lot with the limited infrastructure we have. With support from the government, the public, and our own research institutions and universities, Ghanaians can contribute significantly to the international scientific community. Therefore, we should not underestimate our scientists. We can achieve more with additional support.”

    South Africa, the host of the 2024 IAU General Assembly, has expressed its eagerness to collaborate with countries like Ghana to enhance their contributions to global astronomy.

    General Manager for Communications at Brand South Africa, Thoko Modise, the official marketing agency of South Africa, shared her enthusiasm for such partnerships.

    “We are thrilled to collaborate with the International Astronomical Union for the 2024 General Assembly,” Modise said.

    “Hosting this prestigious event in Cape Town not only highlights South Africa’s role as a significant player in the global astronomy community but also reflects our commitment to supporting international collaboration and innovation. This assembly underscores our country’s growing prominence in the field and our capability to host world-class events.”

    The 2024 IAU General Assembly presents a vital opportunity for South African scientists to showcase their contributions to astronomy, particularly through their involvement in the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project.

    This massive international initiative aims to build the world’s largest and most sensitive radio telescope, with components situated in South Africa’s Karoo desert and Australia’s Murchison region.

    The SKA project is poised to revolutionize our understanding of the universe with its unmatched sensitivity and scale. Recent achievements include the successful installation of the first phase of dishes and the deployment of advanced technology, setting the stage for groundbreaking discoveries in radio astronomy and deeper exploration of cosmic phenomena.

    The assembly will also feature presentations on topics such as the influence of the James Webb Space Telescope on our comprehension of the universe, cutting-edge techniques for discovering exoplanets, efforts to combat light pollution, and the role of astronomy in global development.

    Notable participants include Dr. Sian Proctor, who made history as the first African American woman to pilot a spacecraft during the all-civilian Inspiration4 mission, and Dr. Brian Schmidt, a Nobel laureate in Physics for his work on the accelerating expansion of the universe.

    Additionally, former NASA astronaut Mae Jemison, the first African American woman in space, will be featured in public events, along with a live radio link between ten Cape Town students and NASA astronaut Sunitha Williams aboard the International Space Station.

  • Meet the first mother and daughter to travel to space together

    Meet the first mother and daughter to travel to space together

    In an upcoming event later this week, an 18-year-old student from Aberdeen University, along with her mother, is set to venture into space after securing a spot on Virgin Galactic’s second commercial flight through a prize draw.

    Anastatia Mayers and her mother, Keisha Schahaff, are poised to make history as the first mother-daughter duo to journey to space.

    This achievement is further underscored by them being the inaugural individuals from the Caribbean to embark on this remarkable voyage.

    Scheduled for takeoff from New Mexico on Thursday, the journey is a unique one for Keisha, who was initially en route to the UK to address her daughter’s visa matters when she entered the competition.

    This unexpected turn of events transpired as she was on a Virgin Atlantic flight from Antigua to London, and an advertisement suddenly appeared, leading to this incredible opportunity.

    “I filled out this sweepstake and then suddenly months later I’m getting correspondences saying that you’re a top 20 finalist, then a top five finalist, to becoming a winner,” she says.

    “Suddenly, who’s walking into my yard? Richard Branson. The whole team just swarmed into my house saying ‘you’re the winner, you’re going to space’.”

    Top of climb
    Image caption,The Galactic 01 flight reached a height of 279,00ft (85km) in June

    Anastatia says it was her decision to travel from the Caribbean to study in Scotland that led to the opportunity to go space.

    “Had I not randomly chosen Aberdeen University and had we not had to take a massive detour to get my visa – we wouldn’t be going to space,” she says.

    “I feel like a lot of things had to happen at very specific moments for us to end up here.”

    The second-year philosophy and physics student says coming to study in Scotland was one of the biggest decisions of her life but it has “led to magnificent things happening”.

    The mission, named Galactic 02 is the second commercial spaceflight conducted by the American space company, and the first with paying customers onboard.

    The advertised price for a ride on the rocket plane has been as high as $450,000 (£350,000).

    The Galactic 01 mission took place in June. It reached an altitude of 279,000ft (85km). It is thought the second mission will attempt the same path.

    ‘Over the moon’

    Anastatia, who will be the second youngest person to go to space, says she hopes she can use the experience to inspire others.

    “That would be very important to me, both in Scotland and Antigua and anywhere else I have any ties,” she says.

    “I do hope that people are watching and supporting.

    “My intention is to just break any barriers that we set for ourselves or that the world sets for us.

    “I want people to know that it doesn’t matter where you come from, who you are – anything – your dream is your dream and you can make that happen, despite what anyone else says.”

    Keisha adds: “For me and my daughter together, it’s more than a dream come true.

    “This is my kid, I love her with all my heart, and to know that we both share the same goal, the same dream, that is super over the moon.”

    The pair will be joined former Team GB Olympian Jon Goodwin from Newcastle. He will become the second person with Parkinson’s to go to space as well as the first Olympian.

  • NASA reveals what a black hole 200 million light-years away sounds like

    Blackholes may still be one of the great mysteries of space, but at least scientists now know what they sound like.

    On Sunday, NASA tweeted a 34-second audio clip featuring the sound of a black hole located 200 million light-years away.

    “The misconception that there is no sound inspace originates because most space is a ~vacuum, providing no way for sound waves to travel,” the agency said in a post on its NASA Exoplanets Twitter page.

    “A galaxy cluster has so much gas that we’ve picked up actual sound,” they wrote. “Here it’s amplified, and mixed with other data, to hear a black hole!”

    The post quickly went viral, garnering more than 429,000 likes and 101,000 retweets on the platform.

    Many on social media shared their differing opinions on the sound featured in the clip, which many described as being eery.

    “I’m not religious, but I’m starting to think that those souls sent to Hell actually end up in a black hole,” wrote one user. “Sound ON to be horrified.”

    Added another: “Everyone keeps talking about how scary this sounds but genuinely to me it just sounds like the song it makes. Everything vibrates and has a hum to it, she’s just singing to us.”

    According to NASA, the black hole is located at the center of the Perseus galaxy, located 240 million light-years from Earth.

    Scientists have known since 2003 that the area is filled with sound after pressure waves sent out by the black hole “caused ripples in the cluster’s hot gas that could be translated into a note,” the agency said in a news release from May.

    But the note was one that the human ear can’t pick up, NASA explained, which is why they used technology to interpret the sound.

    Source: People.com

  • Ghana flag stays in space after return of American astronaut

    An American Astronaut, Christina Hammock Koch has returned home this month after spending 328 days in space and broke multiple records for women in space.

    Christina Koch, in a post on Twitter in December last year reminisced about her experience and time spent in Ghana some 20 years ago and thanks to her, the flag of Ghana was seen from her crew cabin in outer space.

    She studied at the University of Ghana-Legon and became connected to the country ever since.

    “20 years ago, I was studying abroad at the @UnivofGh. Like spaceflight, it was a positive, life-changing, perspective-deepening experience. Seeing the beauty of Ghana from space reminds me of the amazing people I met there and how in exploring the world, we learn about ourselves,” Koch tweeted earlier.

    The post on Twitter received over 1,000 retweets and numerous positive responses.

    Christina Koch’s arrival back to earth. Via; @ajplus

     

    Christina Koch’s tweet last year about her experience and time spent in Ghana

    Christina Koch was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 2013 after she completed her astronaut candidate training in July 2015.

    She then graduated from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Physics and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering.

    In June 2013, Koch was selected as one of eight members of the 21st NASA astronaut class. Her Astronaut Candidate Training included scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in International Space Station systems, spacewalks, robotics, physiological training, T-38 flight training, and water and wilderness survival training.

    She was then assigned to her first space flight, a long-duration mission on the International Space Station, in 2018.

     

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

     

  • Ghanaian flag makes its debut in outer space

    The national flag has made a surprise appearance in outer space when an American Astronaut, Christina Hammock Koch in a post on Twitter reminisced about her experience and time spent in Ghana some 20 years ago.

    According to her post via Twitter on Wednesday, December 12, Koch said; “20 years ago, I was studying abroad at the @UnivofGh. Like spaceflight, it was a positive, life-changing, perspective-deepening experience. Seeing the beauty of Ghana from space reminds me of the amazing people I met there and how in exploring the world, we learn about ourselves.”

    Read: All set for first all-female spacewalk, NASA

    The post on Twitter currently has over 1,000 retweets and numerous responses.

    Christina Hammock Koch was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 2013 after she completed her astronaut candidate training in July 2015.

    She then graduated from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Physics and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering.

    In June 2013, Koch was selected as one of eight members of the 21st NASA astronaut class. Her Astronaut Candidate Training included scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in International Space Station systems, spacewalks, robotics, physiological training, T-38 flight training, and water and wilderness survival training.

    She was then assigned to her first space flight, a long-duration mission on the International Space Station, in 2018.

     

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com