Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, the much-anticipated rival to SpaceX‘s Falcon Heavy, has taken a major step forward with a successful second-stage hot-fire test. This crucial test was conducted to validate key interactions between the rocket’s subsystems, its two BE-3U engines, and the ground control systems. The test, which lasted 15 seconds, represents a major advancement for New Glenn as it heads towards its first orbital launch in November 2024.

Validating the Second Stage Systems

The recent test focused on the New Glenn rocket’s second stage, ensuring its subsystems work cohesively under real-world conditions. The BE-3U engines, designed for high-energy missions, performed exceptionally well, demonstrating the thrust vector control system and the tank pressurization system to steer and fuel the rocket during its flight. The test also allowed Blue Origin’s launch operations team to rehearse critical launch procedures, ensuring the team was prepared for the November mission. This launch will take place at Cape Canaveral, Florida, from Launch Complex 36.

Looking Ahead: New Glenn’s First Mission

After several delays, Blue Origin has confirmed that New Glenn’s first mission (NG-1) will transport the Blue Ring orbital platform, designed by Blue Origin, into space. This mission marks a significant milestone for the company, which has thus far focused mainly on suborbital tourism with its New Shepard rocket.

A Rival to SpaceX

While Blue Origin has been slower to market, New Glenn is seen as a potential game changer in the commercial space industry. With a height of over 320 feet and its powerful BE-3U and BE-4 engines, New Glenn is built for ambitious missions, ranging from low Earth orbit to geosynchronous orbit.

New research is shedding light on the brain‘s role in depression, particularly through the discovery of an enlarged salience network in people suffering from the condition. This brain network, located primarily in the frontal cortex and striatum, is responsible for processing rewards and focusing attention on significant stimuli. The findings open promising avenues for early detection and personalised treatments for depression. The study claims that the brain network responsible for guiding attention was twice as large in those individuals who later developed symptoms of depression.

What is the Salience Network?

The salience network helps the brain determine which stimuli are most important and worthy of attention. It processes rewards and manages our focus on both external and internal factors. In people with depression, researchers have discovered that this network is significantly larger, potentially explaining the cognitive and attentional issues often associated with the disorder.

The Significance of This Enlargement

Studies have shown that the salience network in individuals with depression can be almost twice the size of that in healthy controls. Interestingly, this expansion does not fluctuate with changes in mood, suggesting that it is a stable trait rather than a symptom-based occurrence. This has led researchers to believe that an enlarged salience network could serve as an indicator of depression risk, even before the condition develops.

Implications for Early Detection and Treatment

This discovery could lead to innovative ways to identify individuals at risk for depression. Since the salience network can be detected early, even in children who are yet to develop depressive symptoms, this could transform preventative care. Furthermore, interventions targeting this specific network, such as neuromodulation techniques or personalised therapies, could become a future treatment path.

A Step Towards Precision Medicine in Mental Health

The research is still in its early stages, but experts believe that understanding the mechanisms driving salience network expansion could pave the way for new pharmaceutical and therapeutic interventions. By focusing on how this network contributes to depression, scientists hope to tailor treatments more effectively, improving patient outcomes.

On September 17, 2024, a fascinating asteroid named 2024 ON zipped past Earth, offering scientists a rare view of a snowman-shaped space rock. While the object was classified as a potentially hazardous asteroid due to its proximity to our planet, it posed no immediate threat and passed safely at a distance of 620,000 miles.

Radar images captured by NASA‘s Goldstone Solar System Radar in California revealed the asteroid’s unique structure. The asteroid, approximately 1,150 feet (350 meters) long, consists of two distinct lobes, with one lobe being about 50% larger than the other. This unusual shape, resembling a snowman, is known as a “contact binary” — a phenomenon that occurs when two smaller asteroids merge due to gravitational forces.

A High-Speed Journey

Asteroid 2024 ON travelled at a staggering speed of 19,842 mph (31,933 kph) as it passed Earth, about 26 times the speed of sound. Despite its size and speed, the asteroid posed no risk to our planet, passing over 2.5 times the distance between Earth and the moon.

Although classified as potentially hazardous, recent measurements have allowed scientists to predict the asteroid’s future trajectory with high accuracy. As a result, 2024 ON is not expected to pose any danger to Earth for many decades, offering reassurance despite its hazardous label.

The Prevalence of Contact Binary Asteroids

Asteroids like 2024 ON, known as contact binaries, make up an estimated 14% of near-Earth asteroids larger than 660 feet (200 meters). One of the most well-known contact binaries is Selam, a small moonlet orbiting the asteroid Dinkinesh. Such asteroids provide valuable insights into the formation and evolution of celestial bodies within our solar system.

As space agencies continue to observe near-Earth objects, radar and other tracking technologies allow for better predictions and understandings of their behaviour. In fact, 2024 has seen more than 60 asteroids pass between Earth and the moon, thanks to increased observational efforts using AI-powered algorithms.

While asteroid 2024 ON’s recent visit sparked interest due to its snowman-like appearance, it serves as a reminder of the importance of ongoing asteroid tracking. Fortunately, with no immediate threat, we can appreciate the cosmic beauty and scientific insights it offers without worry for Earth’s safety.