International

Learn about seven important NASA discoveries

Photo: NASA

October 15 |

As part of the commemoration of the discovery of the exoplanet Kepler 452-b, by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States (U.S.), this Sunday is worth knowing seven important discoveries of this U.S. agency in recent years.

The cosmic body identified by the Kepler telescope, to which it owes its name, was confirmed by NASA on July 23, 2015.

Kepler-452b is an exoplanet, a planet revolving around a star other than the Sun, which in this case is a G2-type yellow dwarf, which is known as Kepler-452.

The agency responsible for the civil space program, as well as for aeronautical and aerospace research, since its foundation in 1958 has developed space exploration and science projects, which have led to relevant discoveries in several aspects.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

1) The study of twins
In April 2019 NASA published the controversial results of an investigation known as the Twins Study.

A set of ten teams of researchers from the United States (U.S.) set out to observe the changes that might occur to a human being when exposed to the risk of traveling into space for a year.

The scientists compared a wide range of samples and measurements from identical twin brothers, retired astronauts Scott Kelly and Mark Kelly. Scott was sent into space, while Mark remained on Earth.

One of the results revealed the lengthening of the space-bound twin’s telomeres, special features at the ends of each strand of DNA that generally shorten with age, which demonstrated how a human body can adapt to a variety of changes generated by the environment of outer space flight.

2) Observing the Earth from space
There are a wide variety of scientific studies based on images that NASA crew members take using Crew Earth Observations (CEO).

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

NASA’s orbiting space station carries its crew and cameras over different points on Earth at different times and the station revisits the sites at varying intervals, allowing images of many areas to be collected at different times of the day and night.

In this way experts discovered that artificial lighting at night affects the behavior of urban wildlife, according to a study of light levels in the city of Chicago that was based on images taken by astronauts from the International Space Station (ISS).

3) A revealing microscope
A miniaturized fluorescence microscope made it possible to observe changes in living cells in microgravity.

This microscope enables real-time analysis of cell behavior during long-duration spaceflight. Its rapid imaging capability allows monitoring of cellular and molecular reactions that can happen more rapidly in altered gravity environments.

The implementation of real-time analysis methods on the station furthers the understanding of how cells in the human body react and adapt to the space environment.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

4) The universe in better resolution
NASA’s Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (Nicer) facilitates measurements with excellent precision of neutron stars, objects containing ultra-dense matter at the threshold of black hole collapse.

In early 2018 JAXA’s All-Sky X-ray Imaging Monitor (MAXI) captured a new transient X-ray source in the sky designated MAXI J1820 + 070.

Nicer began monitoring the source and discovered that it was a binary black hole system with a mass much larger than that of the Sun. In addition, recorded measurements have revealed how the inner edge of a black hole’s accretion disk (and the corona above it) vary in size and shape as a black hole consumes material from a companion star.

5) Spaceflight decreases crew performance on Earth.
Astronauts’ bodies adapt to microgravity while in space. When crew members return to Earth, they show significant decreases in manual dexterity, multitasking, motion perception, and the ability to operate a vehicle.

NASA researchers confirmed that the post-flight performance decline was related to spaceflight factors and not to other factors such as lack of practice or sleep.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

6) Cement in space
Another discovery confirmed by NASA suggests the possibility of building places to live on the Moon or Mars.

It is a research called Microgravity Investigation of Cement Solidification (MICS), which reveals that samples processed in space show considerable changes in the microstructure of cement compared to those processed on Earth, such as increased porosity, or the presence of more open spaces.

Showing that cement can harden in space is of great importance for future lunar constructions.

7) Keep it clean
New materials are needed to slow the growth and spread of bacteria resistant to antibiotics and silver coatings, according to research called Biorisk-KM-Metally, conducted by the Russian space agency (Roscosmos) and confirmed by NASA.

The researchers conducted tests on an antimicrobial coating called AGXX® and compared it with silver and stainless steel coatings. For the study, crew members placed 12 plates on the space station’s toilet door, with one plate coated in each tested material to be collected at six, 12 and 19 months.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

In all time lapses, the experts found that the AGXX® coating had significantly fewer bacteria than surfaces coated with silver and stainless steel. These data are useful for the development of ideal technologies to reduce the risk of biological damage to space hardware and equipment.

International

Winter Storm Fern Leaves 30 Dead and Over One Million Without Power Across the U.S.

The massive winter storm Fern, bringing polar temperatures, battered large portions of the United States for a third consecutive day on Monday, leaving at least 30 people dead, more than one million households without electricity, and thousands of flights grounded.

In the Great Lakes region, residents awoke to extreme cold, with temperatures dropping below -20°C. Forecasts indicate that conditions are expected to worsen in the coming days as an Arctic air mass moves south, particularly across the northern Great Plains and other central regions, where wind chills could plunge to -45°C, temperatures capable of causing frostbite within minutes.

Across the country, heavy snowfall exceeding 30 centimeters in roughly 20 states triggered widespread power outages. According to PowerOutage.com, nearly 800,000 customers remained without electricity on Monday morning, most of them in the southern United States.

In Tennessee, where ice brought down power lines, approximately 250,000 customers were still without power. Outages also affected more than 150,000 customers in Mississippi and over 100,000 in Louisiana, as utility crews struggled to restore service amid dangerous conditions.

International

Spain approves plan to regularize up to 500,000 migrants in Historic Shift

In November 2024, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced a reform of the country’s immigration regulations aimed at regularizing 300,000 migrants per year over a three-year period, in an effort to counter population aging in a country where births have fallen by 25.6% since 2014, according to official data.

Going against the trend in much of Europe, Spain’s left-wing government has now approved an exceptional migrant regularization plan that could benefit up to 500,000 people, most of them from Latin America.

The measure will allow the regularization of around “half a million people” who have been living in Spain for at least five months, arrived before December 31, 2025, and have no criminal record, Migration Minister Elma Saiz explained on public television.

The plan, approved on Tuesday by the Council of Ministers, establishes that applications will be processed between April and June 30, enabling beneficiaries to work in any sector and anywhere in the country, Saiz said.

“Today is a historic day for our country. We are strengthening a migration model based on human rights, integration, and one that is compatible with economic growth and social cohesion,” the minister later stated at a press conference.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

The socialist government of Pedro Sánchez stands out within the European Union for its migration policy, contrasting with the tightening of immigration measures across much of the bloc amid pressure from far-right movements.

Central America

Honduras swears in conservative president Asfura after disputed election

Conservative politician Nasry Asfura assumed the presidency of Honduras on Tuesday with an agenda closely aligned with the United States, a shift that could strain the country’s relationship with China as he seeks to confront the economic and security challenges facing the poorest and most violent nation in Central America.

Asfura’s rise to power, backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, marks the end of four years of left-wing rule and secures Trump another regional ally amid the advance of conservative governments in Chile, Bolivia, Peru, and Argentina.

The 67-year-old former mayor and construction businessman was sworn in during an austere ceremony at the National Congress, following a tightly contested election marred by opposition allegations of fraud and Trump’s threat to cut U.S. aid if his preferred candidate did not prevail.

Grateful for Washington’s support, Asfura—who is of Palestinian descent—traveled to the United States to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, before visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“We need to strengthen relations with our most important trading partner,” Asfura said after being declared the winner of the November 30 election by a narrow margin, following a tense vote count that lasted just over three weeks.