EPISODE #002: ARTEMIS-2 — HUMANITY'S FIRST STEPS INTO DEEP SPACE AND THE FIRST BIOMEDICAL EXPERIMENT BEYOND EARTH IN 50 YEARS

🚀 Mission Context

The Artemis-2 mission, scheduled for September 2025, will be historic for several reasons:

• First crewed flight around the Moon since 1972 (after Apollo 17).
• First manned test of the SLS rocket + Orion capsule combination.
• Crew of four astronauts — including the first Canadian and the first woman to fly to the Moon.
• Duration: ~10 days, with about 6 days in deep space, including a lunar flyby at a distance of up to 8,889 km behind its far side.

But beyond engineering tasks — testing life support systems, navigation, communications — the main "scientific payload" will be the astronauts themselves.

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🧪 Biomedical Experiments: What Will Be Studied?

Unlike the ISS, where conditions are microgravity + Earth's magnetosphere protection, Artemis-2 will take humans into deep space, where:

• Gravity changes (from 1g at launch → 0g in flight → brief overloads during maneuvers).
• Radiation levels are 100–300 times higher than on Earth, and 2–3 times higher than on the ISS.
• Psychological pressure — isolation, remoteness from Earth, no possibility of rapid evacuation.
• Circadian rhythms — disrupted due to the absence of the usual "day/night" cycle.

NASA will focus on three key aspects:

1. 🧬 Impact of Space Radiation on the Body

• Dosimeters installed inside spacesuits and the capsule.
• Analysis of biomarkers in blood and urine before, during, and after the flight — for DNA damage, oxidative stress, inflammatory reactions.
• Special attention to cognitive functions: daily tests on memory, attention, reaction speed.

Goal: Understand the risks for future Mars missions, where radiation exposure is even higher.

2. 😴 Sleep and Circadian Rhythms in Deep Space

• Astronauts will wear actigraphs — devices that track sleep-wake cycles.
• The Orion cabin features adjustable LED lighting, simulating Earth's cycle (blue light in the morning → warm in the evening).
• Diaries of subjective well-being and fatigue are kept.

Problem: In space, without natural light and gravity, the brain loses "anchors" for biorhythms. This leads to insomnia, decreased concentration — critical for mission safety.

3. 😰 Psychological Stress and Group Dynamics

• The crew undergoes daily psychological surveys.
• Cameras and microphones (with crew consent) are used to analyze communication, voice tone, non-verbal signals.
• Testing mental health support tools: VR relaxation, family communication, "smart" interfaces to reduce cognitive load.

Note: The Artemis-2 mission is a rehearsal for Artemis-3 (Moon landing) and beyond — for Mars. It is crucial to understand how people behave in isolation, 400,000 km from Earth, without the "safety net" of the ISS.

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🌍 Why Is This Important?

Since 1972, no human has ventured beyond Earth's magnetosphere. All data on the effects of deep space on humans is theoretical or obtained from animals/ground simulators.

Artemis-2 is the first live human experiment in real interplanetary space conditions.

This data will:

• Help design radiation protection systems for future lunar bases and Martian ships.
• Allow optimization of sleep and rest regimes for long-duration missions.
• Provide the key to maintaining mental health in isolation — critical for expeditions to Mars (2–3 years!).

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👨‍🚀 The Crew — Not Just Pilots, but "Living Laboratories"

The astronauts:

Reid Wiseman

Commander, USA

Victor Glover

Pilot, USA — first African American on a lunar mission

Christina Koch

Mission Specialist, USA — first woman in lunar orbit

Jeremy Hansen

Mission Specialist, Canada — first Canadian beyond the ISS

They are not just "flying around the Moon." They are the first volunteers of a new era in space medicine.

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🔬 Connection to the ISS — But With a New Level of Complexity

Yes, the effects of microgravity have been studied on the ISS for decades: muscle atrophy, bone mass loss, changes in the cardiovascular system. But in deep space, two new factors are added:

1. Galactic cosmic ray (GCR) radiation — high-energy particles that penetrate even through the spacecraft's hull and damage cells.
2. Lack of "psychological proximity" to Earth — from the ISS, you can see your home continent. From lunar orbit, Earth is a small ball. This is a powerful psychological trigger.

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📆 What's Next?

Data from Artemis-2 will be immediately integrated into preparations for:

• Artemis-3 (2026–2027) — landing near the Moon's south pole.
• Lunar Gateway station — a permanent "point" in deep space.
• Mars missions — planned for the 2030s.

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🌌 Conclusion: Humans as Explorers — and as Subjects of Study

Artemis-2 is not just a "flight around the Moon." It is humanity's return to deep space — and the first step toward understanding how to survive there long-term.

The astronauts on this mission are heroes not only of engineering, but of science. They risk not only their lives, but their health — so that future generations can live and work beyond Earth.

They are not just flying to the Moon.

They are flying beyond the known — and bringing science with them to light the way for all of us.

P.S. In 50 years, schoolchildren will study "Artemis-2" as the mission that began the era of humanity's permanent presence in deep space — and the first steps of space medicine beyond Earth.

Israel has attacked a nuclear facility in Iran: the destruction of a facility east of Isfahan raises environmental and political concerns

A nuclear facility east of the city of Isfah after an Israeli strike

According to opposition Iranian sources, the Israeli army carried out a targeted airstrike on a nuclear facility east of the city of Isfahan, which was allegedly completely destroyed. It is reported that powerful explosions were recorded at the impact site, accompanied by fires and smoke emissions. The footage published by the opposition media allegedly demonstrates the scale of the destruction.

Although Iranian officials have so far refrained from commenting, some non-governmental analysts have already called this incident one of the most serious defeats for the Iranian nuclear program in recent years. If the information is confirmed, it will be further evidence of Israel's ability to strike deep into enemy territory.

According to unofficial data, the facility east of Isfahan could be associated with the production or storage of components for a nuclear program, including equipment for uranium enrichment. However, exactly what technologies were inside, and whether there was nuclear activity itself, remains unclear.

Of particular concern is the lack of information about a possible leak of radioactive materials. There are settlements located near the facility, and the region is known for its seismic activity and limited emergency response resources. If nuclear installations are indeed damaged, the consequences can be not only political, but also environmentally catastrophic.

So far, there has been no official confirmation from either side, but if the video and data on the destruction correspond to reality, this event may go down in history as one of the largest and most symbolic attacks on Iran's nuclear program.

Chinese portable Device can disable American Stealth Radar

 A Chinese civilian portable device could disable an American stealth radar, the study says.

The Chinese experiment used modified commercial detection equipment to track American radar emissions with a low probability of interception.

Researchers at one of China's leading institutes of defense electronics claim they can track modern American stealth radars to within a centimeter using modified commercial detection equipment. This development can change the dynamics of electronic warfare.

The study was conducted by the 38th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, a developer of advanced radar systems for the Chinese military, according to a peer-reviewed article published in the Chinese journal Computer Measurement & Control on April 21.

Drone Blastr: A new acoustic wave anti-drone system

 

Fractal Antenna Systems has developed a Drone Blastr system using ARM (Acoustic Resonance Mitigation) technology — directional sound, ultrasonic and infrasound waves, frequency-adjustable. These waves induce resonance in the drone's parts, causing micro-disruptions, overheating, or failures in electronics and sensors. The frequencies are selected based on the characteristics of the target, allowing you to fine-tune the impact to a specific drone design.

ARM shows the greatest efficiency when exposed to propellers and inertial measurement units (imus), where vibrations disrupt the operation of gyroscopes and accelerometers. Drone Blastr operates from a distance, without the need to physically hit a target or use ammunition. The system can be integrated into ground installations or placed on interceptor drones for flexible and efficient use in various conditions.