Thanks to advancements in technology and the ingenuity of researchers, great discoveries were made. On top of that, glass ceilings were broken as more and more women became front and center in our quest to understand the universe.

                                                    Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Below is a compilation of the groundbreaking discoveries that brought the far-reaches of space closer than ever.

10. The Parker probe to the sun

There have been numerous missions to the moon, but what about the sun? NASA launched the Parker Probe to the sun in 2018, and it provided the public with surprising images of the sun's corona – the outer halo that is only properly seen during an eclipse. The probe measured intense magnetic fields, harsh solar winds, and revealed that the sun actually emits materials and gases into space. Parker became the first artificial object to ever be in such proximity to our sun and is scheduled to reach the closest-ever distance in 2024.

9. Voyager probes

Although the Voyager 2 Probe was sent into space in 1977, it was the first object to venture beyond our Solar System, and reach interstellar space in 2012. Voyager 2 is the only probe to have flown past both ice giants Uranus and Neptune. It measured magnetic fields, provided photographs, and chartered everything from Jupiter's storm patterns to Saturn's rings, along with the moons of Uranus and Neptune. So far, it's been traveling through space for over 40 years and is currently floating somewhere past the Solar System, some 11 billion miles away from us right now.

8. New Horizons Pluto

The New Horizons spacecraft was sent into space in 2006, but reached Pluto in 2015, photographing fine-detailed pictures of Pluto, and its moons, Charon, Nix and providing two blurrier shots of its moons, Hydra, Styx, and Kerberos. The probe even revealed that icy volcanoes and sharp mountain peaks exist on the icy dwarf planet's surface!

7. The Martian rovers: Curiosity and Opportunity

Both rovers landed on the red planet, the former in 2006, but the latter reached it only in 2016. Not only did the probes grace the worldwide public with depictions of the highly contrasted deserts and mountains, they also collected samples of red dust and other geological rock features for future analysis. Curiosity – a truck-sized rover – even has its own Instagram page, where it updates people of its travels.

6. Exoplanets

While once, many thought that planets solely existed within our Solar System, as research expanded, the discovery of exoplanets was made possible. Soon, the presence of such planets provided proof that perhaps life may exist outside of the Kuiper Belt. However, the possibility of extraterrestrial life was not exclusive to the far-reaches of space. In fact, within our Solar System, scientists have postulated that perhaps life may already exist in several locations, from Saturn's moon, Titan to Jupiter moon, Io, on Mars, and even on the icy bodies of Neptune and Pluto.

5. China and India's lunar missions

While Israel made headlines this past year with its launch of Beresheet into space in February 2019, other countries have made similar headlines this decade in their attempts to carry out lunar landings. Most notably was India's Chandrayyaan mission, which the Indian teams eventually lost contact with prior to its landing, and China's mission in 2018 to the far side of the moon.

4. Katie Bouman – the first image of a black hole

A young female scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Katie Bouman smashed headlines this year by writing algorithms that helped create the first computer-generated image of a black hole. Earlier last year, as well, researchers at Tel Aviv University were the first to calculate, discover, and spot a supermassive black hole, located hundreds of thousands of light-years away from our small blue planet.

3. All-female spacewalk

NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Christina Koch conducted the first all-female spacewalk aboard the International Space Station in September 2019. Not only did the duo fix a battery charging unit aboard the station, they spent some six hours floating above our Earth – taking pictures, and even receiving a phone call from US President Donald Trump.

2. NASA Astronaut Jessica Meir

The first female astronaut of Israeli and Mizrahi descent was sent into space this year. Jessica Meir, who recently posted an image of herself wearing Hanukkah-themed socks aboard the International Space Station, made history in September. Meir is a biologist by trade, and pursued numerous research studies the world over. She is the fourth Jewish female astronaut to ever fly in space, and is due to return sometime around April 2020.

1. Beresheet

Israel's first lunar mission blasted off into space this past February in an attempt to make Israel the fourth nation to land upon the lunar surface. Unfortunately, there was a technical malfunction that led to its crash upon the moon, but it still left a large crater in its midst. Either way, the Israeli blue-and-white flag made it to the moon, and that is an accomplishment in and of itself.

Who knows what the 2020s have in store for us humans in this potentially endless universe?

Landing humans on Mars? Clearer images of black holes? The discovery of new habitable planets?

And after that?

Only time will tell.

The post The past decade's top 10 moments in space exploration appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

                                            Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Below is our countdown for the top five Israeli innovations of the decade:

5. Electric-powered airplane

Eviation, an Israeli startup introduced its first electric airplane, capable of flying short distances of up to 650 miles (1,050 kilometers) at around 270 mph (440 kmp). The craft, named Alice, is not only cheaper to produce, it also produces zero emissions, as it relies mainly on electricity and uses very little fuel. As the world grows greener and numerous attempts are made to reduce the human carbon footprint on the planet, this innovation is a creative endeavor by far.

Alice can transport up to nine passengers, including two pilots. It is equipped with revolving seats and even portable chargers for mobile phones. Unveiled at the Paris Air Show this past June, Alice is capable of embarking on shorter flights, such as from Israel to Cyprus or from Paris to Toulouse. Eviation expects its main customers to be American aviation companies, which can service short-haul lines within the continental US like the New York-Boston route.

4. Clean drinking water

In order to provide clean water for underdeveloped communities, Israeli startup WaterGen unveiled its GEN-M, a medium-scale atmospheric generator (AWG) that makes water out of air. The device can produce over 200 gallons (800 gallons) of clean drinking water per day. GEN-M creates water by cooling air at its natural dew point, and then filtering it, and purifying it with carbon. By using ultraviolet rays, any remaining bacteria is subsequently eliminated, making it suitable for consumption.

While the product was first presented in 2010, it has been put into service in far-reaching countries like Puerto Rico during the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in 2017, in a small village near Cúcuta, Colombia, and in various other disaster zones.

3. Mobileye, an AI device that helps drivers navigate roads safely

The company launched this invention in 2011, with the aim of assisting drivers to navigate roads and highways with more caution. The Mobileye device contains a small digital camera equipped with algorithms that are capable of predicting traffic accidents, thereby aiding drivers to travel more safely. The system can alert a driver when he or she attempts to switch lanes, by warning of a collision or sensing the presence of pedestrians in the street. The life-saving artificial intelligence device has already been installed by several known carmakers, including Volvo, BMW, GM, and others. After its worldwide success, Mobileye was later bought by Intel in 2017.

2. The first artificial pancreas – A potential cure for diabetes?

In a possible future cure for diabetes, researchers at Betalin Therapeutics have engineered the first artificial pancreas. It can be inserted underneath the skin, without anesthesia and "reprograms" the natural pancreas to function correctly, by teaching it how to properly administer insulin. The pancreas, which is located in the abdomen, is a vital organ crucial to the digestive process. In diabetic patients, it doesn't produce enough insulin, causing the amount of sugars to increase in the bloodstream, and leading to symptoms such as nausea and shortness of breath.

Betalin's ground-breaking bio-artificial pancreas was engineered using pig lung tissue and cells secreted by insulin. It can identify a patient's blood sugar level and accurately dispense the required amount of insulin as needed, rendering all future injections, drugs or blood glucose measures obsolete.

"We are mimicking what actually happens in the body," Dr. Nikolai Kunicher, CEO of Betalin Therapeutics previously told Israel Hayom.

1. The first Israeli spacecraft to the Moon, Beresheet

In February of this year, Israel Aerospace Industries and SpaceIL did the impossible – after years of a combination of hard work, Israeli ingenuity, and budgeted-funding – the first Israeli spacecraft, Beresheet blasted off to the Moon. Beresheet – in the beginning – as it was aptly named, was sent into space, and orbited the Earth for two months relying mainly on solar powered energy in order to save fuel costs, before it crash-landed on the lunar surface in April.

Although communication was ultimately lost with the craft, it made history as both the cheapest and lightest probe ever built. Beresheet generated a combined cost of $100,000, and was funded by SpaceIL President Morris Kahn, Dr. Miriam and Sheldon Adelson, Canadian businessman Sylvan Adams, the Science and Technology Ministry, the Israel Space Agency, Israel Aerospace Industries, and numerous other private donors.

Although the Jewish state has only been in existence for 71 years, it is on a direct trajectory to technological innovation-success, from new developments in medicine to future space exploration projects.

So, who knows what the next decade may hold?

The Adelson family owns the company that is the primary ‎shareholder in Israel Hayom.‎

The post Top 5 Israeli innovations of the past decade appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The pancreas – located in the abdomen – is a vital organ crucial to the digestive process and doesn't produce enough insulin in diabetic patients, causing the amount of sugars to increase in the bloodstream, leading to symptoms such as nausea and shortness of breath.

Betalin's new artificial pancreas will not only help monitor sugar levels in the body but will also detect the amount of insulin that each patient needs and release it into the patient's bloodstream.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Betalin Therapeutics was founded in 2015 and has two famous Nobel laureates on its board, Professor Arieh Warshel and Professor Sidney Altman.

Altman relayed to Israel Hayom his own personal difficulties coping with the disease and his hope that this new device could be utilized to help patients.

"I have Type 2 diabetes and right now, I take two injections per day of insulin and this new product will eliminate that. [People] won't have to take injections anymore, and I presume that the lifetime of the product will be several months. … I won't have to take two injections a day, I'll just have an implant and that will be good for several months."

The implant will need to be replaced every several months, but so far has not been tested in humans. In mice, it has lasted 90 days.

The entire procedure of implanting the artificial pancreas takes less than an hour, with the assistance of local anesthesia. Betalin's ground-breaking bio-artificial pancreas was engineered using pig lung tissue as well as cells secreted by insulin. It can identify a patient's blood sugar level and accurately dispense the required amount of insulin. This renders all future injections, drugs or blood glucose measures obsolete and "teaches" the natural pancreas how to release insulin properly.

Dr. Avi Treves, vice president of R&D told Israel Hayom: "The technology is based on creating a micro-artificial pancreas – so instead of the damaged pancreas, we implant an artificial pancreas under the skin that [will function] just like pancreatic organs."

"The pancreas is unique in that it functions as a complete autonomous organ, not as single cells, and can therefore be located anywhere in the body. The innovative biological organ is that the pancreas attaches to a supportive tissue and can monitor blood glucose levels and secrete insulin as needed," Professor Eduardo Mitrani, from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said.

Dr. Nikolai Kunicher, CEO of Betalin praised the project, saying, "There are huge advantages. … No hospitalization is needed and it can be administered under the skin, without anesthesia in outpatient clinics. We are mimicking what actually happens in the body."

The company hopes to begin clinical trials soon.

The post Israeli researchers make groundbreaking discovery in curing diabetes appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The first flyby took place overnight between Friday and Saturday, when a bright dot that astronomers confirmed was the ISS streaked across the Jerusalem night sky. It was photographed over the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

As astronauts conduct routine work on the space station, it orbits over the Earth and can be viewed from different locations around the world.

Space aficionados can expect to see the ISS over central Israel, especially Tel Aviv, from Sept. 15 through Sept. 24. The Cygnus, a cargo spacecraft used to transport supplies and materials to the ISS, can be viewed in the skies as well through that period.

The post International Space Station makes rare visit to Holy Land's skies appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

During a special weeklong celebration, scientists, experts, and two astronauts spoke at the Wings Over the Rockies Museum in Denver, Colorado this past week. The museum is home to numerous airplanes and fighter jets, which have been decommissioned or retired from the US Air Force as well as a new space shuttle, Dream Chaser slated for launch in spring 2020.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Astronauts Joe Engle and former Senator Harrison Schmitt spoke with Israel Hayom and shared their experiences in deep space.

Schmitt, a Republican who represented New Mexico in the US Senate from 1977 to 1983, was the last of 12 astronauts to have set foot on the moon.

"I was the last astronaut to have stepped foot on the moon," he said. "It was the end of an era."

His most memorable moment during his service at NASA was flying on the Apollo 17 mission that landed in 1972 on the lunar surface. While there, Schmitt and his team collected various geological data – over 240 pounds of lunar rocks – to study and from which to gather further research.

"It's the gift that keeps on giving," Schmitt said, adding that while back in the 1960s, technology was not as sophisticated as it is today, current computer advancements lead scientists to glean even more data from the rocks gathered nearly five decades ago.

Schmitt was part of a unique program in NASA that trained scientists to become astronauts. Originally trained as a geologist, having worked in Norway, Schmitt partnered with scientists at Flagstaff, Arizona to map the surface of the moon in preparation for the first human landing.

After earning his pilot's wings from the US Air Force and passing numerous tests, he was deployed in space in 1972 and conducted various geological experiments on the lunar surface.

Schmitt later served as a US senator and followed his political career with one as a geology professor. When asked what he thought of Israel's first spacecraft to the moon, Beresheet, he said, "I think it was a great success! It got to the moon. And I think Israel is fantastic for embarking on such a mission."

He then detailed the long trial and error period that NASA underwent to achieve its first successful launch and landing, noting not only the numerous scientists and engineers who poured their hearts and souls to the task at hand but also the administrators, project managers, and seamstresses who sew the astronauts' space suits. The latter crew comprised mainly of women, who were often unmentioned as being a major force behind the lunar mission.

Many do not realize the intense efforts that go into such a project on all fronts, Schmitt said, adding that he commends the Jewish state on this great project. "One must remember – it is the young people who help these missions become a reality" – their endless labor and toil put astronauts or even spacecraft into the far reaches of the universe.

Astronaut Joe Engle took part in flight test missions that were conducted even before an actual space shuttle was built.

Engle grew up in Kansas and pursued a degree in engineering, later serving in the US Air Force as well.

Prior to the first space shuttle, numerous fighter planes were developed and tested by fearless pilots, who risked their lives for the singular mission of putting Americans in space. Several of these planes were able to reach startling velocities and flew above the Earth's atmosphere without the protection that space shuttles have today.

Engle was most famous for flying the X-15 plane, which flew up to 4,520 miles per hour.

Although the technology was not as advanced in the 1950s as it is today, Engle explained that the engineers used giant automated computers and algorithm-generating machines to test and try to improve the plane's speed.

That in itself was quite remarkable, he said.

Lastly, Engle told Israel Hayom that "being up there in the X-15 – it was a crazy plane – was one of the most memorable moments of my life. It was hard, dangerous, and risky but it was the most fun I've had in my life."

The post Last NASA astronaut to land on moon commends Israel's Beresheet appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Apollo 11 was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida four days prior. Now, the world marks the 50th anniversary of this historic mission.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

The real question is how and why the space race began. Jet Propulsion Laboratory historian Eric Conway suggests that it was part of the Cold War competition between socialist and capitalist ideologies, with the US and the Soviet Union over which was technologically superior.

One example was NASA's role in the development of useful space technologies like weather satellites, which were intended to improve weather forecasting and its data "was available to all mankind," and was intended as an argument in favor of a more open society, indirectly criticizing the USSR.

Part of the difficulty in getting these missions off the ground is the fact that they relied strictly on the crew, although there were earlier robotic missions that helped scientists ensure that the lunar surface was solid enough to sustain a landing.

The scientists also provided limited geological and topographical data of the moon's composition, says Conway.

"Nothing like this had ever been done before," he said, explaining that no one had any expertise on the matter whatsoever, and that "everything had to be invented."

Recent movies such as First Man and Hidden Figures also delve into what working for NASA was like for women, particularly in the 1950s and 1960s.

Many women were hired in the fields of engineering, math, and computers. The first female scientist hired by NASA was Pearl Young in 1922, and the first female jet propulsion chemist was Lois Taylor, who was hired in 1946.

Although women were allowed to work in technical fields as well, during those days even the "exceptionally qualified couldn't reach the highest ranks," Conway says.

Today though, times have changed. Katie Bouman, who now teaches at Caltech, was the first to generate an image of a black hole, by using a computer-generated algorithm that she wrote.

The Trump administration has already announced plans to send more astronauts to the moon in the coming years, Conway said. Vice President Mike Pence has also called for the establishment of a Space League – a special part of the US Air Force devoted to futuristic battles in space.

New NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine has been tasked with speeding up the return to the moon by 2024, said Cheryl Warner, a spokeswoman for NASA.

"We plan to use the moon as a proving ground for missions farther into the Solar System, including Mars … many of the systems we develop [for] the moon, we hope to repeat for Mars."

Conway and others at JPL and NASA hope that today people understand that the lunar mission was only possible due to the extensive investment of time, effort and resources that went into the 1969 mission, as well as its predecessors."

"It seems to me that we forget all that. We desperately want to believe that [reaching] space is easy, and it just isn't," he said.

The Universe is enormous and constantly expanding, but so is human curiosity. Perhaps the final frontier lies outside of what we already know exists.

The post 50 years after lunar landing, man aims for next giant leap in space appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.