The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has officially commenced its 10-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), aiming to create an ultrahigh-definition time-lapse record of the universe. Simultaneously, researchers have developed "diving suits" for cyborg cockroaches to aid in search and rescue, while NASA has awarded nearly $600 million in contracts for 2028 lunar surface deliveries.
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory Begins Decade-Long Survey
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, located in Chile, began its 10-year survey of the universe on June 30. Equipped with a 3,200-megapixel digital camera—the largest in the world—the facility is tasked with capturing a new image of the southern sky approximately every 40 seconds.
Over the next ten years, the LSST project will revisit every point in the sky roughly 800 times. Brian Stone of the National Science Foundation described the project as "filming the greatest cosmic movie ever made." The observatory is expected to generate approximately ten terabytes of data daily. According to Darío Gil, Under Secretary for Science at the US Department of Energy, the mission seeks to analyze dark energy and dark matter to better understand the fundamental laws governing the universe.
Cyborg Cockroaches Equipped for Underwater Search and Rescue
Researchers from Nanyang Technological University Singapore and Waseda University have developed a specialized "diving suit" that allows cyborg cockroaches to navigate underwater environments for up to 3 hours. The findings were published this week in the journal Nature Communications.
The suit consists of a flexible shell, an oxygen-generation tank, and silicone tubes attached to the insects’ spiracles, which are their natural breathing openings. These cyborg insects, which are Madagascar hissing cockroaches fitted with electronic controllers, are intended for use in search and rescue operations. The research team noted that such insects can access confined spaces that are currently inaccessible to humans, animals, and larger robots. According to the study, the electronic equipment can be removed from the insects after deployment without causing them harm.
NASA Expands Lunar Delivery Contracts for 2028
NASA has awarded contracts totaling nearly $600 million to Astrobotic, Firefly Aerospace, and Intuitive Machines to support lunar exploration missions scheduled for late 2028. These missions are to deliver science payloads for the Moon Base.
The upcoming missions will deliver three primary science payloads:
- SCALPSS (Stereo Camera for Lunar Plume Surface Studies): Designed to collect landing data.
- LRA (Laser Retroreflector Array): Used for precision in determining the location of spacecraft in lunar orbit or landing on the surface.
- LETS (Linear Energy Transfer Spectrometer): Measures the energy of incoming space radiation.
Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration, Science Mission Directorate, at NASA Headquarters, stated that flying these instruments on multiple landers creates a network of environmental data and location markers on the Moon. Astrobotic is slated for two of the missions, while Firefly Aerospace and Intuitive Machines will each manage one. These deliveries will utilize updated lander designs based on insights gained from previous missions under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.
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