skywritg.com – Today’s Pulse & News Briefings

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope confirmed Earendel, the most distant star, shining just one billion years after the Big Bang. Gravitational lensing magnified this massive B-type star, offering unprecedented insights into the early universe's star and galaxy formation. Webb's observations also revealed a possible companion star and detailed structures within Earendel's host galaxy.

NASA's IMAP mission, launched on September 24, 2025, aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9, will study the Sun's magnetic influence. Exploring the heliosphere, it aims to map charged particles and solar wind, crucial for understanding space weather. This mission will analyze how the Sun affects satellites, astronaut safety, and conditions for life on Earth.

The James Webb Space Telescope has captured stunning new images of Sagittarius B2, a highly active star-forming region near the Milky Way's center. Utilizing NIRCam and MIRI, Webb's observations reveal hidden young stars within dense clouds and glowing cosmic dust, providing unprecedented insights into star birth in extreme environments. These findings aim to explain Sagittarius B2's exceptional star formation productivity.

NASA launched three spacecraft on September 24, 2025, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 to study space weather. The IMAP, CGO, and SWFO-L1 missions will monitor solar activity, interstellar particles, and Earth's atmosphere. These missions aim to protect astronauts, satellites, and infrastructure by providing critical data and early warnings for solar storms.

A NASA-backed study reveals that signals from Earth's spacecraft communications could be detectable by alien civilizations. Radio transmissions, intended for Mars rovers and orbiters, spill over into space, potentially reaching extraterrestrial observers. Planetary alignments, like Earth and Mars, increase detection chances by creating straight signal paths.

Get ready for a celestial event. A partial solar eclipse is set for September 21, 2025. Sadly, India will miss this one. The eclipse will be visible in the Southern Hemisphere. Eastern Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctica will have the best views. India will have to wait until August 2, 2027, for its next solar eclipse.

SpaceX, under Elon Musk's leadership, is developing a new watership named 'You'll Thank Me Later' to transport Starship rockets from Starbase, Texas, to Cape Canaveral, Florida. This vessel will support SpaceX's goal of 25 Starship launches per year from Florida, improving efficiency and reducing logistical challenges. The watership's name reflects SpaceX's tradition of science-fiction-inspired naming conventions.

Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, India's first on the ISS, experienced 'white nights' during the Axiom-4 mission, where the sun never fully set. This phenomenon, caused by the station's beta angle, challenged the crew's sense of time and routine. Besides the awe, persistent sunlight posed operational hurdles, affecting cooling and solar array stress.

In July 2025, NASA's Guardian system detected a tsunami triggered by a massive earthquake near Kamchatka. Utilizing atmospheric disturbances and GNSS signals, Guardian issued alerts up to 30 minutes before landfall. This experimental technology enhances traditional warning systems, offering near-real-time, global monitoring and marking a significant advancement in disaster preparedness.

NASA's Perseverance rover has detected compelling evidence of potential past life on Mars within Jezero Crater. The rover's analysis of a mudstone core revealed minerals and textures indicative of microbial activity, including vivianite and greigite. While not definitive proof, these findings represent a significant step in the search for life beyond Earth, pending further analysis of returned samples.

India's first astronaut, Shubhanshu Shukla, shared insights on the challenges of eating and drinking in space, emphasizing the need for slow, deliberate movements due to microgravity. He highlighted the use of special packaging and techniques to manage food and liquids, while also clarifying that digestion functions normally in space through peristalsis.

SpaceX launched Northrop Grumman's upgraded Cygnus XL on a Falcon 9, delivering over 5 tons of supplies to the ISS, including spare parts, research material, and holiday treats. The lengthened Cygnus XL, designed for increased cargo capacity, is set to be captured by the station's robotic arm on Wednesday.

NASA's Artemis II mission offers a unique opportunity for global participation by sending names on its first crewed lunar flyby in over 50 years. Scheduled for launch no later than April 2026, the mission will carry four astronauts and a memory card containing millions of submitted names.

John Burford, an 85-year-old former NASA scientist, has been imprisoned for two years for defrauding over 100 investors of $1.2 million. He misused his credibility to attract investors to his unregulated scheme, Financial Trading Strategies. Burford diverted funds for personal use, including purchasing a house, leading to his conviction for fraud and Financial Services and Markets Act offences.

NASA's Perseverance rover has potentially discovered the strongest evidence yet of ancient life on Mars. The Cheyava Falls rock sample, collected from Jezero Crater, exhibits unusual leopard spot markings and contains organic compounds. Scientists believe these features could represent biosignatures resulting from microbial activity billions of years ago, though further research is needed to confirm this groundbreaking possibility.

A NASA-funded study reveals that space travel may accelerate aging by impacting blood-forming stem cells. Analysis of stem cells from International Space Station missions showed reduced regenerative capacity, DNA damage, and accelerated aging. These findings highlight potential risks to astronauts' long-term health, including compromised immunity and tissue repair, emphasizing the need for protective strategies.

Sunita Williams, globally recognized for her space missions, initially aspired to be a veterinarian. Inspired by her brother's Naval Academy experience and the movie 'Top Gun,' she joined the US Navy and became a helicopter pilot. Later, NASA selected her as an astronaut.

NASA will reveal new findings from the Perseverance rover on September 10, 2025. The focus is on the 'Sapphire Canyon' rock sample from Jezero Crater. Scientists are intrigued by chemical patterns and organic molecules. These could indicate ancient biological processes. The discovery strengthens the case for past microbial life on Mars.

NASA's acting administrator, Sean Duffy, likened the burgeoning space economy to the early days of the iPhone, suggesting its transformative potential is still unfolding. Speaking on NASA's podcast, Duffy highlighted that investments in lunar missions and private space ventures could reshape society unpredictably.

A recent NASA study reveals a concerning trend in US coastal cities: land subsidence. Urban areas like San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego are sinking faster than sea levels are rising, exacerbating flood risks. Human activities, including groundwater extraction and urban development, contribute significantly to this problem.