Tag: space

  • Artist sells invisible sculpture for more than $18,000

    Artist sells invisible sculpture for more than $18,000

    Italian artist Salvatore Garau recently auctioned an invisible sculpture for $18,300 (Rs 2,831,454).

     As per reports, Garau recently sold an invisible sculpture called “I Am”. There is a catch though. There is no sculpture.

    The person who bought the “work” of art gets a stamped certificate as a receipt of payment.

    Initially, the price was set between $7,312 to $10,968.

    Garau said “I Am,” or in his native Italian, “Io Sono” may not exist physically but that does not mean that it’s nothing. He said the piece exists in the mind of its creator.

    Garau also set rules on how the work is to be exhibited, including being in an area about 5 feet by 5 feet with no obstacles but lighting and climate control are optional.

    This isn’t the only piece of invisible art by Garau. He has also created a “Buddha in contemplation” and another creation called “Aphrodite Piange,” or “Aphrodite cries.”

    “Now it exists and will remain in this space forever,” says the video. “You do not see it but it exists. It is made of air and spirit.”

  • First ‘space hotel’ expected to open in 2027

    Space construction company Orbital Assembly has announced the construction of a ‘space hotel’. The announcement was made in an event ‘First Assembly’ which streamed live on the company’s YouTube channel.

    Image by orbital assembly coorporation

    Speaking to a news publication, Chief Executive Officer of Orbital Assembly John Blincow said that the coronavirus pandemic may ultimately delay the construction start date from its initial 2025 projection. However, he believes it could take just a year or two to assemble Voyager Station, the commercial space station that will house the hotel.

    “It’s going to happen fast when it starts,” Blincow said. “And we believe it’s going to happen a lot, too, even before we finish the first one. We have buyers for other stations because they’re very, very lucrative.”

    He further added, “You’re going to have the top chefs making really, really good food. And when you pay $5 million to go someplace, it’s not going to be burgers and fries.”

    Voyager Station, it is planned to operate with artificial gravity. Orbital Assembly’s goal is “to build a ring-shaped Voyager Space Station (VSS) with a diameter of 650 ft (200 m) and capable of creating moon-levels of artificial gravity.”

    As per details, construction of this space structure will begin in 2025 and it will have the capacity to accommodate 400 people. The Voguer Space station is expected to be operational by 2027.

  • Pakistani space scientist Dr Yarjan wins Young Leaders Award 2020

    Pakistan’s first-ever space scientist, who hails from Buleda, Balochistan, Dr Yarjan Abdul Samad has been awarded the prestigious Young Leaders Award 2020 for his exceptional research work in the field of space science.

    Read more – Pakistani doctor Asifa Akhtar to receive Germany’s highest scientific award

    “Dr Yarjan was in the team of scientists who launched Graphene in extreme environment of Space via the MASER14 Rocket of Europe Space Agency launched from Kiruna based in Sweden. He has developed sustainable methods of creating e-textiles and flexible and stretchable conductors and composites based on three-dimensional (3D) porous architectures of two-dimensional (2D) and layered materials, typically graphene, that scientists and engineers are benchmarking for aerospace composite manufacturing, biosensing, water purification and energy storage,” said the Young Professionals Society (YPS) about the winner.

    “Dr Yarjan is currently working on a research project on loop heat pipes for use in space applications and he was part of European Space Agency zero-gravity flight campaign held in Nov-Dec 2017.”

    Dr Yarjan Abdul Samad is a Senior Research Associate and a Teaching Fellow in the Cambridge Graphene Centre and the Engineering Department of Cambridge University. He is in the Nanomaterials and Spectroscopy Group in the Electrical Engineering Division.

    According to YPS’ official website, the criteria used for the award was: achievements, impact and sustainability.

    Young Professionals society recognises ‘excellence’ and honours outstanding young professionals who have shown, during the early years of their professional careers outstanding achievement

  • NASA shares picture of snow-covered Himalayan ranges from space

    NASA shares picture of snow-covered Himalayan ranges from space

    The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which often shares pictures of the planet as seen from the space, has shared a picture of the snow-covered Himalayan ranges.

    The long exposure shot sees not just the expanse of bright white mountain ranges but also captures the city lights of New Delhi and Lahore to the south and the arid Tibetan plateau, the “Roof of the world,” to the north.

    Among these details is also a faint, orange airglow of atmospheric particles reacting to solar radiation.⁣ The horizon of the Earth adds the element of the beauty of this universe.

    Following months of coronavirus lockdown, people were lucky to see the mighty Himalayan mountains from their cities due to reduced pollution.

    The Himalayas are the highest mountain range in the world and are a sight to behold even on Earth. But the shot NASA shared from space is absolutely breathtaking. The picture has gone viral on social media with over a million likes and comments.

  • Space museum to be set up in Islamabad

    The Scientific Committee of the National Astronomical Observation Commission has decided to set up Pakistan’s first-ever space museum in Islamabad. Earlier, there was PIA Planetarium at Expo Centre in Karachi which used to give a virtual tour of the outer space.

    According to APP, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry chaired the meeting in which the decision was taken to set up Pakistan’s first space museum in Islamabad. The federal minister announced that the first-ever space museum will be established within eight months.

    The meeting also decided to set up five astronomical observatories in Pakistan. It was unanimously decided that astronomical observatories would be set up in Islamabad and Gwadar at the initial phase.

    In a tweet, Fawad said that provincial governments have also been asked to established space museums in provincial capitals.

    “From looking at the moon to beyond the stars, you will be able to explore the universe in future”, he said.

    The Ministry of Science and Technology has been making great strides in development. Earlier, this week they also delivered a batch of locally-manufactured ventilators to the National Disaster Management Authority to fight COVID-19.