China and Russia have partnered to construct an automated nuclear power station on the Moon, slated for completion by 2035. This station will be a key component of the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), a project involving multiple nations. The ILRS, planned for the lunar south pole, will facilitate long-term robotic operations and eventually support human missions. This collaboration comes as NASA considers scaling back its own lunar ambitions.
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NASA engineers successfully reactivated Voyager 1’s primary roll thrusters, deemed inoperable since 2004, to address a critical fuel line clog in the backup system. This maneuver, completed in March, involved restoring power to the thrusters’ heaters, allowing the spacecraft to automatically correct its orientation when it drifted from its guide star. The reactivation prevents the loss of communication with Voyager 1, the most distant human-made object, which is currently over 15.6 billion miles from Earth. This successful reactivation represents a significant engineering achievement, extending the lifespan of the nearly 50-year-old spacecraft.
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John Q. Hosedrinker