Ad ASTRA Community Science Workshop Announcements - NASA Science

• NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman addressed public criticism and "outrage" following the selection of an all-male crew for the Artemis III test mission. • The controversy stems from the lack of female representation in the crew lineup for the mission intended to return humans to the lunar surface.

• SETI experts have updated their official guidance on how to share news regarding the potential discovery of intelligent extraterrestrial life. • The new framework emphasizes the need for transparency and rigorous verification to prevent premature or false announcements that could mislead the public.

• UC San Diego engineers are researching the ability to grow plants under simulated space conditions to produce essential pharmaceuticals during long-term missions. • The initiative addresses a critical safety gap, as medications degrade faster in space; studies show over half of the International Space Station's drug supply expires within three years.

• Five astronauts aboard the International Space Station were ordered to take shelter and prepare for evacuation for approximately two hours on Friday due to a worsening air leak. • The emergency was triggered by a crack located on the Russian segment of the orbital laboratory, which Russian crews attempted to repair.

• Journalist Graham Readfearn criticizes News Corp for misrepresenting new climate science data to suggest that global warming risks are decreasing. • While the "worst-case" high-emissions scenario has been revised downward, the "best-case" low-emissions scenario is now considered implausible.

• Researchers have developed a new 2-in-1 propulsion system that feeds a single "monopropellant" fuel into both electrical and chemical thrusters. • By combining two types of propulsion into one package, the system aims to significantly reduce overall spacecraft mass and mechanical complexity.

• The White House has introduced a new proposal that could allow the government to deny research funding to scientists based on their political opinions. • Critics argue the guidance replaces objective expertise with political appointees, potentially gutting the U.S. scientific ecosystem and decoupling the nation from global research collaborations.

• University of Cambridge researchers conducted a systematic review of over 3,000 scientific papers focused on climate change mitigation. • The analysis revealed that policy recommendations are often an "afterthought," frequently being non-existent, ignoring uncertainty, or presenting "wish lists" unrelated to the actual study findings.

• Jupiter and Venus will appear in a dazzling conjunction on June 9, glowing just a few degrees apart in the western sunset sky. • Observers can also spot Mercury lurking nearby, positioned close to the horizon during the event.

• ScienceAlert explored the gap between sensational headlines and the actual consensus among scientists regarding the discovery of alien life. • The discussion was prompted by NASA Administrator Sean Duffy's claim that a sample from the "Cheyava Falls" rock on Mars is the closest evidence of life found to date.

• California Senate bill SB 895 has passed, proposing a $12 billion bond to establish a science and health research foundation supporting state universities. • The funds will be distributed via a competitive peer-review process targeting priority areas such as public health, pandemic preparedness, wildfire resilience, and climate studies.