How does the space station never run out of oxygen? - Alvaro Romero-Calvo and Theo St Francis
The International Space Station generates breathable oxygen through electrolysis, splitting purified water into oxygen and hydrogen to support crews requiring approximately 0.8 kilograms of oxygen daily. Current systems rely on mechanical pumps and separators to remove gas bubbles in microgravity, creating maintenance-heavy components that pose failure risks during long-duration missions. Researchers are developing the Magneto-Hydrodynamic Oxygen Generation Assembly (MOGA), a device using Lorentz force to separate gases without moving parts, potentially reducing maintenance needs for future Mars expeditions. This transition from pressurized tanks to closed-loop water recycling systems has enabled continuous habitation for over 25 years while addressing the logistical impossibility of shipping thousands of kilograms of oxygen to orbit.
Little Red Dots - Sixty Symbols
A recent study provides the first direct mass measurement of a black hole existing only 700 million years after the Big Bang, resolving a four-year mystery surrounding 'Little Red Dots' observed by the James Webb Space Telescope. These compact, hyper-luminous objects, which appear as single pixels in early JWST imagery, challenge existing models because they lack expected X-ray emissions despite exhibiting broad hydrogen emission lines indicative of rapid gas rotation. The breakthrough involved a gravitationally lensed object named QSO1, which was magnified by the Pandora's Cluster to allow scientists to track gas velocity across the galaxy and confirm the presence of a supermassive black hole rather than a dead galaxy or exotic star cluster.