NASA

Wallops Electrical Engineer Named NASA Goddard’s 2022 ‘Innovator of Year’

February 10 by NASA

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Electrical engineer Scott Hesh works on a sub-payload canister at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility near Chincoteague, Virginia. The cannister will be part of a science experiment and a demonstration of his Swarm Communications technology.Credits: NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility/Berit Bland Scott Hesh, an electrical engineer at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, was announced Nov. 2 as the FY22 IRAD Innovator of the Year, an award presented by the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “An electrical engineer with an insatiable curiosity, Scott Hesh and his team have worked hand-in-glove with science investigators since 201…

Last reply by NASA, February 10

Elizabeth Tammi Gives Hubble a Voice

February 10 by NASA

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“I’m hopeful anyone, regardless of their scientific background, could read a Hubble post and understand the gist of it and be interested in it,” said Elizabeth Tammi, social media lead for the Hubble Space Telescope. “I also read our stories with the eye of the potential audience member: What are they going to care about? What is going to bring them into this story? What is going to make them want to read more?”Credits: Courtesy of Elizabeth Tammi Name: Elizabeth Tammi Title: Hubble Space Telescope Social Media Lead Formal Job Classification: Communications Specialist Organization: Hubble Space Telescope Operations (Code 441) What do you do and what is most inter…

Last reply by NASA, February 10

NASA Researcher’s AI ‘Eye’ Could Help Robotic Data-Gathering

February 10 by NASA

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An image of a coastal marshland combines aerial and satellite views in a technique similar to hyperspectral imaging. Combining data from multiple sources gives scientists information that can support environmental management.John Moisan When it comes to making real-time decisions about unfamiliar data – say, choosing a path to hike up a mountain you’ve never scaled before – existing artificial intelligence and machine learning tech doesn’t come close to measuring up to human skill. That’s why NASA scientist John Moisan is developing an AI “eye.” Oceanographer John MoisanNASA Moisan, an oceanographer at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility near Chincoteague, Virginia, sai…

Last reply by NASA, February 10

Mark SubbaRao Brings Data to Life Through Art

February 10 by NASA

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“Data visualization has recently exploded as a communication tool,” said Mark SubbaRao, information technology specialist and lead for NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio. “As data becomes bigger and more complex, visualization becomes an even more important tool for understanding that data.”Rachel Connolly / Courtesy of Mark SubbaRao Name: Mark SubbaRao Title: Lead, Scientific Visualization Studio (SVS) Formal Job Classification: Information Technology Specialist Organization: SVS, Science Mission Directorate (Code 606.4) What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Goddard? How do you help support Goddard’s mission? I hav…

Last reply by NASA, February 10

John Moisan Studies the Ocean Through the ‘Eyes’ of AI

February 10 by NASA

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“I do evolutionary programming,” said NASA Goddard oceanographer Dr. John Moisan. “I see a lot of possibility in using evolutionary programming to solve many large problems we are trying to solve. How did life start and evolve? Can these processes be used to evolve intelligence or sentience?”Courtesy of John Moisan Name: John Moisan Formal Job Classification: Research oceanographer Organization: Ocean Ecology Laboratory, Hydrosphere, Biosphere, Geophysics (HBG), Earth Science Directorate (Code 616) – duty station at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s Eastern Shore What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Goddard? How do y…

Last reply by NASA, February 10

Trena Ferrell Inspires Through Science and Education

February 10 by NASA

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“This event made me realize that NASA really is a family. Everyone works together for a positive outcome; a shared, common interest,” said Dr. Trena Ferrell, NASA’s Earth Science Division’s Education and Publish Outreach Lead. “World-class scientist and engineers willingly give their time to tell the world about their expertise. They are good with people of all ages and are always particularly kind with kids, our next generation of explorers.”NASA / Bill Ingalls Name: Trena Ferrell Title: Education and Public Outreach Lead for the Earth Science Division Formal Job Classification: Environmental Scientist Organization: Earth Science Division, Earth Science Dir…

Last reply by NASA, February 10

Phathom Donald Brings Space Closer as a Hubble Mission Engineer

February 10 by NASA

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“I’m always proud every time I see a new picture taken by Hubble,u0022 said Phathom Donald, a satellite systems engineer for the Hubble Space Telescope. u0022It feels like an accomplishment and an honor even to be part of a mission that brings those images to people on Earth.”u003cstrongu003eu003cemu003eCredits: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center / Rob Andreoliu003c/emu003eu003c/strongu003e Name: Phathom Donald Title: Mission Engineer Formal Job Classification: Satellite Systems Engineer Organization: Astrophysics Project Division, Hubble Space Telescope Operations Project, Code 441 What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Godd…

Last reply by NASA, February 10

NASA Scientists & Historian Named AAAS 2022 Fellows

February 10 by NASA

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Four individuals with NASA affiliations have been named 2022 fellows by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in recognition of their scientifically and socially distinguished achievements in the scientific enterprise. Election as a Fellow by the AAAS Council honors members whose efforts on behalf of the advancement of science or its applications in service to society have distinguished them among their peers and colleagues. The 2022 Fellows class includes 508 scientists, engineers, and innovators spanning 24 scientific disciplines. Rita Sambruna from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, was recognized in the AAAS Sec…

Last reply by NASA, February 10

Peyman Abbaszadeh: Hydrology and Hope for the Future

February 10 by NASA

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Dr. Peyman Abbaszadeh poses outside Princeton University, where he is a postdoctoral research associate in the department of civil and environmental engineering. Peyman’s research area is computational hydrology and satellite data assimilation.u003cstrongu003eu003cemu003eCredits: Atieh Alipour / Courtesy of Peyman Abbaszadehu003c/emu003eu003c/strongu003e Editor’s Note: A revised version of this story was posted on February 17, 2023, to include the interviewee’s updated description of his work responsibilities and goals. Name: Dr. Peyman Abbaszadeh Title: Science Collaborator Organization: Hydrological Sciences Laboratory, Sciences and Exploration Directorate…

Last reply by NASA, February 10

NASA Engineers Honored by National Academy of Engineering

February 10 by NASA

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The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) has elected three new members with NASA affiliations. Two employees and one retiree from three different NASA centers around the country were awarded the honor on Feb. 7. Election to the NAE is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. Individuals in the newly elected class will be formally inducted during the NAE’s annual meeting Oct. 1. Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to “engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature” and to ‘the pioneering of new and developing fields o…

Last reply by NASA, February 10

NASA Scientist Jonathan Gardner Named AAS 2023 Fellow

February 10 by NASA

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Jonathan Gardner of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, was selected as a 2023 Fellow of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) for extraordinary achievement and service. He is being recognized for exceptional community service and scientific leadership of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope science teams, leading to Webb’s flight hardware exceeding all of its requirements. Dr. Jonathan Gardner is the Deputy Senior Project Scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.Credits: Courtesy of Jonathan Gardner Gardner is the deputy senior project scientist for the Webb telescope in Goddard…

Last reply by NASA, February 10

Jeremy Schnittman: Looking Into the Mystery of Black Holes

February 10 by NASA

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u0022The really interesting thing to me is how time theoretically acts strangely around black holes. According to Albert Einstein’s theory of gravity, black holes change the flow of time,u0022 said Jeremy Schnittman, Goddard research astrophysicist. u0022So much of how we experience the world is based on time, time marching steadily forward. Anything that changes that is a fascinating take on reality.u0022u003cstrongu003eu003cemu003eCredits: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center / Rebecca Rothu003c/emu003eu003c/strongu003e Name: Jeremy Schnittman Formal Job Classification: Research astrophysicist Organization: Gravitational Astrophysics Laboratory, Astrophysics Div…

Last reply by NASA, February 10

Shari Miller: Keeping the Mission and the Environment In Balance

February 10 by NASA

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u0022From a natural resources perspective, I often say that Wallops has all the aspects of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (which shares its home with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge) in Florida but in a compressed area,u0022 said Shari Miller, NEPA manager and natural resources manager at Wallops Flight Facility. u0022We protect all these species while launching rockets and unmanned aerial systems (UASs) or drones above them.u0022NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility / Jamie Adkins Name: Shari Miller Title: Wallops Flight Facility National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Manager and Wallops Natural Resources Manager Formal Job Classification: Environmental Eng…

Last reply by NASA, February 10

NASA-Led Study Pinpoints Areas Sinking, Rising Along California Coast

February 10 by NASA

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5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Cliffs slope into the ocean in San Simeon, California. All along the state’s dynamic coastline, land is inching down and up due to natural and human-caused factors. A bet-ter understanding of this motion can help communities prepare for rising seas.NASA/JPL-Caltech The elevation changes may seem small — amounting to fractions of inches per year — but they can increase or decrease local flood risk, wave exposure, and saltwater intrusion. Tracking and predicting sea level rise involves more than measuring the height of our oceans: Land along coastlines also inches up and down in elevation…

Last reply by NASA, February 10

NASA Scientists Spot Candidate for Speediest Exoplanet System

February 10 by NASA

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This artist’s concept visualizes a super-Neptune world orbiting a low-mass star near the center of our Milky Way galaxy. Scientists recently discovered such a system that may break the current record for fastest exoplanet system, traveling at least 1.2 million miles per hour, or 540 kilometers per second.NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (Caltech-IPAC) Astronomers may have discovered a scrawny star bolting through the middle of our galaxy with a planet in tow. If confirmed, the pair sets a new record for the fastest-moving exoplanet system, nearly double our solar system’s speed through the Milky Way. The planetary system is thought to move at least 1.2 million miles per hou…

Last reply by NASA, February 10

Newly Minted Ph.D. Studies Phytoplankton with NASA’s FjordPhyto Project

February 10 by NASA

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2 min read Newly Minted Ph.D. Studies Phytoplankton with NASA’s FjordPhyto Project Adventurous travellers aboard the Viking Octantis ship, sampling phytoplankton from Danco Island in the Errera Channel for the FjordPhyto project. Allison Cusick FjordPhyto is a collective effort where travelers on tour expedition vessels in Antarctica help scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Universidad Nacional de La Plata study phytoplankton. Now project leader Dr. Allison Cusick has a Ph.D.! . Dr. Cusick studies how melting glaciers influence phytoplankton in the coastal regions. She wrote her doctoral dissertation based on the data collected by FjordPhyto …

Last reply by NASA, February 10

Euclid Discovers Einstein Ring in Our Cosmic Backyard

February 10 by NASA

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The ring of light surrounding the center of the galaxy NGC 6505, captured by ESA’s Euclid telescope, is an example of an Einstein ring. NGC 6505 is acting as a gravitational lens, bending light from a galaxy far behind it. ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, image processing by J.-C. Cuillandre, G. Anselmi, T. Li; CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO or ESA Standard Licence Euclid, an ESA (European Space Agency) mission with NASA contributions, has made a surprising discovery in our cosmic backyard: a phenomenon called an Einstein ring. An Einstein ring is light from a distant galaxy bending to form a ring that appears aligned with a foreground object. The name honors Albert Einstein, w…

Last reply by NASA, February 10

February’s Night Sky Notes: How Can You Help Curb Light Pollution?

February 7 by NASA

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5 min read February’s Night Sky Notes: How Can You Help Curb Light Pollution? Light pollution has long troubled astronomers, who generally shy away from deep sky observing under full Moon skies. The natural light from a bright Moon floods the sky and hides views of the Milky Way, dim galaxies and nebula, and shooting stars. In recent years, human-made light pollution has dramatically surpassed the interference of even a bright full Moon, and its effects are now noticeable to a great many people outside of the astronomical community. Harsh, bright white LED streetlights, while often more efficient and long-lasting, often create unexpected problems for communities repla…