NASA has awarded SpaceX an $843 million contract to develop a U.S. Deorbit Vehicle to guide the aging International Space Station (ISS) back through Earth's atmosphere for a safe and controlled reentry into the Pacific Ocean by 2030.

The ISS, a symbol of international cooperation in space, has been continuously occupied for over 23 years and is a flying laboratory around the size of a football field. Currently, only the ISS and China's Tiangong Space Station are operating in low Earth orbit.

NASA plans to use the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle, developed by SpaceX, to guide the ISS to a safe location for controlled descent in about six years, ensuring it avoids populated areas when crashing the 430,000 kg station.

NASA will take ownership and operate the deorbit spacecraft developed by SpaceX for the crucial mission of deorbiting the ISS.

Parts of the ISS may survive reentry, and NASA plans to send them toward Point Nemo in the Pacific Ocean, away from land.

A family in Florida sued NASA for $80,000 in damages after a piece of space junk, believed to be discarded batteries from the ISS, crashed into their house in Naples, tearing through two storeys on March 8. NASA confirmed the object was part of discarded cargo expected to burn up upon re-entry and has been given six months to respond to the lawsuit.

The U.S., Japan, Canada, and nations contributing to the ESA have committed to operating the ISS through 2030, with Russia's commitment until at least 2028. NASA finds defects and failing parts in the aging ISS, with maintenance costs already at $4 billion per year, and does not plan to reuse or preserve the entire station.

NASA plans to build a permanent base on the moon for long-duration missions. It is also supporting the development of commercial space stations to maintain a U.S. presence in low Earth orbit, with four U.S. companies intending to launch their own space labs, and the European Space Agency and others to help build Starlab.

Sources: Axios, Mashable, The Sun, Business Today, India Today, iTech Post, Digital Trends.

This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.

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Israeli astronaut Eytan Stibbe will take an ancient coin dating to the Bar Kochba revolt with him to outer space, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced Thursday.

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"As part of the Rakia Mission to the International Space Station," Stibbe said, "I will be taking with me a bag filled with items that have a special meaning to me. It was clear to me that one of these items will be a symbol of Jewish history."

The Bar Kochba revolt was an uprising of Jews in Judea against the Roman Empire from 132 to 136 AD, led by Simon Bar Kochba. "Year two of the liberty of Israel" is imprinted into the coin, in defiance of Roman sovereignty.

With its depiction of a palm tree and vine leaves, Stibbe said the 1,900-year-old coin represented his connection to the Land of Israel, his love of country, and Israelis' desire for independence, following a visit to the IAA's Dead Sea scrolls laboratory in Jerusalem.

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"The palm tree particularly touched me," he noted, "as it is the symbol of the Agricultural Research Organization at Volcani Center, where my father spent his life conducting research on the country's soil."

Eli Eskosido, director of the IAA, said the rebels "could not have imagined in their wildest dreams that after many centuries, this item would make its way to outer space with a Jewish astronaut who lives in an independent Jewish state."

Stibbe is slated to take off for the International Space Station in late 2021 for a mission of just over a week. He is scheduled to spend 200 hours in space where he will perform a number of experiments using Israeli technology and scientific developments.

This article was first published by i24NEWS.

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The Israeli startup scene just can't get enough of deep space and the research opportunities it offers. Last October, Israel Hayom reported that Rehovot based slaughter-free meat startup Aleph Farms was collaborating with technology companies and space agencies to integrate its innovations into existing space programs and ultimately cultivate its meat in space-based BioFarms.

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Now two more startups are looking to space to develop their technology.

On Wednesday, StoreDot, which develops extra-fast charging battery technology for electric vehicles, announced that in conjunction with the Israel Electric Corporation, it had been approved by NASA to conduct the first space-based research and development program into new battery materials.

As part of the Israel Space Agency and The Ramon Foundation's pioneering RAKIA mission to the International Space Station in February 2022, StoreDot's XFC technology will undergo two weeks of rigorous testing in zero gravity conditions.

In a specially-devised experiment, coin cells of StoreDot's silicon-dominant anode XFC battery will undergo hundreds of charge and discharge cycles, with the results collected by means of a computer contained within the enclosed unit. Once the experiment, which was designed in collaboration with and funded by the IEC, is returned to earth, StoreDot's team of scientists will undertake extensive analysis of the data, as well as examine the battery itself to note any physical or chemical changes that have taken place during the experiment.

StoreDot will use the experiment to gain new insights into the chemical reactions that cause silicon to expand during the fast-charging process. This will be achieved by using zero gravity conditions to identify irregularities in the silicon surface of the anode. Importantly, the findings from the research will be incorporated into the first engineering samples of StoreDot's silicon-dominant anode XFC battery for EVs, which will be available for testing by the end of 2022.

StoreDot CEO Dr. Doron Myersdorf said, "We are incredibly proud to join forces with the IEC, The Ramon Foundation and the Israel Space Agency on this historic mission. StoreDot remains steadfast on pushing the boundaries of battery materials research and development and this project marks the next exciting stage in that journey.

"This will be the first time XFC has been tested in the zero gravity conditions of space and we believe the results could be absolutely game-changing. Not only in terms of advancing XFC technology, but also, potentially, by opening up entirely new avenues in materials research that will have implications that extend far beyond the battery industry," Myersdorf added.

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From batteries to brainwaves: Health tech startup Myndlift announced Wednesday that it also had been selected to participate in the RAKIA mission to the International Space Station.

Myndlift utilizes neurofeedback, a non-invasive methodology that measures brainwave activity and trains the brain using visual and auditory cues. This form of therapy has consistently been shown to improve brain health in high-performers. An extensive review of EEG-neurofeedback studies for optimizing performance in healthy individuals found evidence linking neurofeedback success and gains in sustained attention, executive functioning, working memory, and more.

Sustained attention and multitasking are critical for astronauts, whose work requires them to monitor and respond to multiple events simultaneously over an extended period, raising the specter of performance decline due to information overload and associated anxiety. Myndlift, which utilizes the Muse headset together with an additional electrode, has passed a rigorous review process and been selected for the opportunity to be utilized by Israeli astronaut Eytan Stibbe, who is scheduled to be part of the mission.

Myndlift believes that its solution might help Stibbe function at his best. If the technology proves feasible and effective, it might be useful to astronauts on longer, expeditionary missions to farther locations, such as Mars.

Aziz Kaddan, CEO of Myndlift, explained, "We believe that neurofeedback is an under-utilized tool due, in most part, to its expense and the cumbersome equipment. By creating a remote-first neurofeedback tool and platform, we have enabled people worldwide to use this training methodology from their homes, and now from space."

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Taking to Twitter, Meir posted a picture of her feet covered in blue and neon-colored Hanukkah-themed socks that had a menorah and Star of David emblazoned on them. Below her, the big vast universe was in clear view.

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"Happy Hanukkah to all those who celebrate it on Earth! #HappyHanukkah," Meir's post said.

Happy Hanukkah to all those who celebrate it on Earth! #HappyHanukkah pic.twitter.com/FKC2M5iXni

— Jessica Meir (@Astro_Jessica) December 23, 2019

In October, Meir famously took part in the all-woman spacewalk and has spent her time at the International Space Station ever since. 

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Meir joined the crew of the International Space Station in September, and in October became part of the first-ever female spacewalking team.

Meir, who is the fourth Jewish woman and 15^th Jewish astronaut overall to be part of a space mission, brought an Israeli flag to the space station as one of her allowed personal items.

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Meir's late father, born in Iraq, immigrated with his family to pre-state Israel as a young child and later fought in Israel's War of Independence in 1948, according to JTA. He became a doctor and took a job in Sweden, where he met Meir's mother; together, they moved to Maine when Meir's father was offered a job there.

"My father's globe-spanning journey as a surgeon from the Middle East, to Europe, and eventually to the US was an inspiration to many in my immediate and extended family. #TheJourney," tweeted Meir on Friday.

My father's globe spanning journey as a surgeon from the Middle East, to Europe, and eventually to the U.S. was an inspiration to many in my immediate and extended family. #TheJourney pic.twitter.com/wBN1Iz7O5O

— Jessica Meir (@Astro_Jessica) November 1, 2019

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin responded to the photos in a tweet, saying, "Dear Jessica, that you for taking us with you on your space voyage. We are proud of you and send warm regards from Israel."

Meir is expected to stay on the ISS until the spring of 2020.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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Meir may not be officially a citizen in Israel, but she is considered by many to be a representative of the Jewish state and the first Israeli woman to go beyond earth.

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In 2003, Israeli Air Force officer Ilan Ramon became the first Israeli to reach space when he joined the crew of the Columbia Space Shuttle. That mission ended with tragedy as the spacecraft disintegrated on its re-entry and all crewmembers perished.

Just before the launch, she asked to take with her a painting of a phoenix created by Ramon's late wife, Rona, who worked tirelessly to advance space education and keep the memory of her husband alive through a special foundation, until her passing several months ago.

"The painting I am taking with me represents the heritage Rona worked to promote and the inspiration she provided as an educator through The Ramon Foundation," Meir said on Tuesday.

Smoke blasted off from the rockets' exhaust as the spacecraft fired off into the atmosphere.

On a live stream, Meir appeared calm onboard the capsule. The first fourth stages of the launch were successful as the capsule detached from its rockets, which fell safely back to Earth.

The Soyuz craft then entered the Earth's orbit on its way to the International Space Station. Onboard with Meir, were two other male astronauts, Hazaa Al Mansoori from the United Arab Emirates and Oleg Skripochka from Russia.

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