Universe Today Podcast

[Space Bites] Rolls-Royce Space Reactor, Close Call in Orbit, James Webb's Back

Feb 4, 2023
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INSIGHT

Webb Recovered Quickly After Cosmic Ray Hit

  • A cosmic ray flipped bits in JWST's instrument software and caused a short outage.
  • Engineers rebooted NIRISS and resumed operations on January 31st, restoring normal function.
INSIGHT

Micro Nuclear Reactor Planned For Moon

  • Rolls-Royce is developing a miniaturized nuclear reactor for lunar power and potential propulsion.
  • The design aims to span from watts to megawatts and could be operational by late 2020s.
INSIGHT

Near‑Miss At 1000 Kilometers Risked Long‑Lived Debris

  • Two defunct objects (an SL‑8 rocket body and Cosmos 2361) passed within six meters at ~1000 km altitude.
  • A collision there would create long‑lasting debris, posing decades‑long hazards to space operations.
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