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‘Marsquakes’ are a thing and they can tell us a lot about the red planet

NASA's InSight lander discovered that the red planet is seismically active. Credit: NASA

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NASA’s InSight lander has spent the last year listening to the deep rumble of the red planet’s interior. And its first batch of data is in. The stationary lander found out that Mars’ magnetic field is constantly changing, but that’s not all. InSight also delivered the first direct evidence of marsquakes.

Here on Earth, geologists use seismometers to listen to the planet’s inner stirrings. InSight is the first robotic explorer to carry a seismometer to another planet. And it’s shown that Mars is not the dead, lifeless world it appears to be — the red planet is actually geologically active.

“This is the first mission focused on taking direct geophysical measurements of any planet besides Earth, and it’s given us our first real understanding of Mars’ interior structure and geological processes,” geologist Nicholas Schmerr of the University of Maryland said in a news release.

“These data are helping us understand how the planet works, its rate of seismicity, how active it is and where it’s active.”

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InSight’s seismometer, an ultra-sensitive instrument provided by the French space agency, will shed some light on the red planet’s inner workings over the course of its mission. Officially dubbed the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure, the SEIS instrument detected its first Martian rumblings last April.

Ever since, scientists were eager to get their hands on the full spectrum of data, to better understand just how active our celestial neighbor might be.

These first Martian murmurs were so faint, they’d probably go unnoticed by anyone on the surface. Roughly equivalent to about a 2 or 2.5 quake here on Earth, to InSight’s science team, these were incredibly exciting and just the beginning of a new era of Mars science.

Illustration depicting what we think the Martian interior looks like. Credit: Takashi Yoshizaki

Seismic waves can tell us a lot about a planetary body. They act like an ultrasound, allowing us to “peer” below the surface and determine the planet’s composition.

Here on Earth, seismic waves are caused by the movement of tectonic plates gliding over the planet’s mantle. When the plates jockey for position, stress builds up until it reaches a critical point, and that’s when an earthquake is triggered. But not every planetary body has these types of plates. The moon, for instance, has seismic activity that’s caused by a different method.

After a planetary body is formed, it has a primordial heat source that over time cools off. In the case of a rocky body, like the moon, that lacks any sort of tectonic plate movement, the seismic activity is caused by internal cooling. As the satellite cools, it ever so slightly shrinks, sending minute seismic waves propagating through its interior. The Apollo program recorded examples of this and InSight has now shown that Mars has similar activity.

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A view of Cerberus Fossae on Mars. Credit: ESA/DLR

Seismic data was collected over the course of 235 Martian days. 174 marsquakes were recorded during that time; 150 of those were shown to be similar to the Apollo program’s findings on the moon. Three of the other 24 produced wave patterns similar to quakes experienced here on Earth as a result of tectonic plate movement.

But as far as we know, Mars does not have tectonic plates. The science team was able to pinpoint the origin of three of the quakes: a fractured piece of land called Cerberus Fossae. Here the ground is cracked and fractured suggesting it was once tectonically or volcanically active. (Sometime within the last 10 million years, something pulled the ground apart here.)

Scientists are hoping that as more data comes in, they will be able to piece together what is causing Mars to tremble, and learn more about the red planet’s interior in the process.

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SpaceX set to launch Axiom’s mission for diabetes research on the ISS

Axiom’s Ax-4 will test CGMs & insulin stability in microgravity—potentially reshaping diabetes care for Earth & future astronauts.

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(Credit: SpaceX)

Axiom Space’s Ax-4 mission is set to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Ax-4 will advance diabetes research in microgravity, marking a milestone for astronaut health.

Axiom Space’s fourth crewed mission is scheduled to launch with SpaceX on May 29 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Ax-4 mission will carry a diverse crew and a record-breaking scientific payload to the International Space Station (ISS).

The Ax-4 crew is led by Axiom’s Peggy Whitson and includes Shubhanshu Shukla from India, Sławosz Uznański from the European Space Agency, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. The mission represents firsts for India, Hungary, and Poland, with Uznański being Poland’s first astronaut in over 40 years.

Ax-4 will conduct nearly 60 science investigations from 31 countries during its two-week ISS stay. A key focus is the “Suite Ride” initiative, a collaboration with Burjeel Holdings to study diabetes management in microgravity.

“The effort marks a significant milestone in the long-term goal of supporting future astronauts with insulin-dependent diabetes (IDDM), a condition historically deemed disqualifying for spaceflight,” Axiom noted. The mission will test Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) and insulin stability to assess their performance in space.

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Axiom explained that testing the behavior of CGMs and insulin delivery technologies in microgravity and observing circadian rhythm disruption could help diabetes experts understand how CGMs and insulin pens can improve diabetes monitoring and care in remote or underserved areas on Earth. The research could benefit diabetes management in isolated regions like oil rigs or rural areas.

The mission’s findings on insulin exposure and CGM performance could pave the way for astronauts with diabetes to safely participate in spaceflight. As Axiom and SpaceX push boundaries, Ax-4’s diabetes research underscores the potential for space-based innovations to transform healthcare on Earth and beyond.

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EU considers SES to augment Starlink services

The EU considers funding SES to support Starlink. With MEO satellites already serving NATO, SES could be key in Europe’s space autonomy push.

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(Credit: SES)

European satellite company SES is negotiating with the European Union (EU) and other governments to complement SpaceX’s Starlink, as Europe seeks home-grown space-based communication solutions. The talks aim to bolster regional resilience amid growing concerns over reliance on foreign providers.

In March, the European Commission contacted SES and France’s Eutelsat to assess their potential role if American-based Starlink access for Ukraine was disrupted. The European Commission proposed funding EU-based satellite operators to support Kyiv. Ukraine is considering alternatives to Starlink over concerns about Elon Musk’s reliability.

Arthur De Liedekerke of Rasmussen Global warned, “Elon Musk is, in fact, the guardian of Ukraine’s connectivity on the battlefield. And that’s a strategic vulnerability.” However, SpaceX’s Starlink constellation is leagues ahead of any competition in the EU.

“Now the discussions are much more strategic in nature. They’re much more mid-term, long-term. And what we’re seeing is all of the European governments are serious about increasing their defense spending. There are alternatives, not to completely replace Starlink, that’s not possible, but to augment and complement Starlink,” SES CEO Adel Al-Saleh told Reuters.

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SES operates about 70 satellites, including over 20 medium Earth orbit (MEO) units at 8,000 km. The company provides high-speed internet for government, military, and underserved areas. It plans to expand its MEO fleet to 100, enhancing secure communications for NATO and the Pentagon.

“The most significant demand (for us) is European nations investing in space, much more than what they did before,” Al-Saleh said.

Competition from Starlink, Amazon’s Kuiper, and China’s SpaceSail, with their extensive low-Earth orbit constellations, underscores Europe’s push for independence.

“It is not right to say they just want to avoid Starlink or the Chinese. They want to avoid being dependent on one or two providers. They want to have flexibility,” Al-Saleh noted.

SES’s discussions reflect Europe’s strategic shift toward diversified satellite networks, balancing reliance on Starlink with regional capabilities. As governments ramp up defense spending, SES aims to play a pivotal role in complementing global providers, ensuring robust connectivity for military and civilian needs across the continent.

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Amazon launches Kuiper satellites; Can it rival Starlink?

With 27 satellites in orbit, Amazon kicks off its $10B plan to deliver global broadband. Can Bezos’ Kuiper take on Musk’s Starlink?

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(Credit: Amazon)

Amazon’s Project Kuiper launched its first 27 satellites on Monday, marking the start of a $10 billion effort that could compete with SpaceX’s Starlink with a global broadband internet network.

Amazon’s Kuiper satellites launched aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Project Kuiper’s recent launch is the initial step toward deploying Amazon’s 3,236 satellites for low-Earth orbit connectivity. Amazon’s satellite launch was initially set for April 9 but was delayed due to bad weather.  

Now that the Kuiper satellites have been launched, Amazon is expected to publicly confirm contact with the satellites from its mission operations center in Redmond, Washington. The company aims to start offering Kuiper services to customers later this year. Project Kuiper was unveiled in 2019 and targets consumers, businesses, and governments who need reliable internet service, similar to Starlink.

Amazon has a deadline from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to deploy 1,618 satellites by mid-2026. Analysts suggest the company may require an extension to its Kuiper satellite deployment deadline due to the project’s year-long delay from its planned 2024 start.

United Launch Alliance could conduct up to five more Kuiper missions this year, according to ULA CEO Tory Bruno. Amazon noted in a 2020 FCC filing that Kuiper services could begin with 578 satellites, initially covering northern and southern regions.

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Kuiper’s launch pits Amazon against SpaceX’s Starlink and telecom giants like AT&T and T-Mobile, with a focus on underserved rural areas.

“There’s an insatiable demand for the internet,” Amazon Executive Chairman Jeff Bezos told Reuters in January. “There’s room for lots of winners there. I predict Starlink will continue to be successful, and I predict Kuiper will be successful as well.”

Global interest in satellite alternatives is rising. Ukraine is exploring Starlink alternatives with the European Union (EU), driven by concerns over Elon Musk. Germany’s military, Bundeswehr, also plans its own constellation to ensure independent communications. However, like Amazon’s Kuiper Project, EU options lag behind Starlink.

Amazon’s consumer expertise and cloud computing infrastructure give Kuiper a competitive edge despite Starlink’s market lead. As Kuiper ramps up launches, its success could reshape broadband access while challenging SpaceX’s dominance in the satellite internet race.

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