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  1. 2 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Lazurite’s ArthroFree Wireless Camera System incorporated aerospace-grade lithium-ion batteries after developers consulted with NASA engineers. Credit: Lazurite Holdings LLC After Eugene Malinskiy saw a physician assistant trip over arthroscopic camera cords during a medical procedure, he and his brother, Ilya, set out to develop a wireless arthroscopic camera. Early in the development process, the Malinskiys got a boost from engineers at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, who advised on technical specifications through the center’s Adopt-a-City program. This agency program enabled Glenn engineers to consult with them pro bono via a Space Act Agreement with the city of Cleveland. The team also consulted with NASA engineers on their plan to use the ultra-wideband protocol – radio technology enabling encrypted transfer of a high-definition signal – and their planned processors and chips used in the device’s central processing unit. Ilya Malinskiy said the company gave investors the space agency engineers’ feedback. “Being able to say we had very skilled NASA engineers take a look at our device and say we should keep going was very, very useful.” It turned out that the first wireless arthroscopic camera wasn’t entirely unlike CubeSats – tiny satellites that often orbit Earth in clusters. “We had a lot of the same issues,” Ilya Malinskiy said. “We both have very small devices that need reliable power without adding a lot of weight.” Ultimately, the NASA engineers connected the Lazurite team with several high-fidelity aerospace lithium-ion battery vendors. In 2022, Lazurite’s ArthroFree Wireless Camera System became the first FDA-cleared wireless camera system for minimally invasive surgery. Since then, the device has assisted in countless surgeries, and the company has raised tens of millions of dollars. Read More Share Details Last Updated Mar 26, 2024 Related TermsTechnology Transfer & SpinoffsGeneralGlenn Research CenterSpinoffsTechnology Transfer Explore More 3 min read Partnerships that Prepare for Success: The Research Institution Perspective on the M-STTR Initiative Article 1 day ago 2 min read Find Your Place In Space Week Article 4 days ago 6 min read Station Science 101: Cardiovascular Research on Station Article 5 days ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Glenn Research Center Technology Transfer & Spinoffs Technology View the full article
  2. 2024 Total Solar Eclipse News Conference
  3. 4 min read New NASA Software Simulates Science Missions for Observing Terrestrial Freshwater A map describing freshwater accumulation (blue) and loss (red), using data from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites. A new Observational System Simulation Experiment (OSSE) will help researchers design science missions dedicated to monitoring terrestrial freshwater storage. Image Credit: NASA Image Credit: NASA From radar instruments smaller than a shoebox to radiometers the size of a milk carton, there are more tools available to scientists today for observing complex Earth systems than ever before. But this abundance of available sensors creates its own unique challenge: how can researchers organize these diverse instruments in the most efficient way for field campaigns and science missions? To help researchers maximize the value of science missions, Bart Forman, an Associate Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Maryland, and a team of researchers from the Stevens Institute of Technology and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, prototyped an Observational System Simulation Experiment (OSSE) for designing science missions dedicated to monitoring terrestrial freshwater storage. “You have different sensor types. You have radars, you have radiometers, you have lidars – each is measuring different components of the electromagnetic spectrum,” said Bart Forman, an Associate Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Maryland. “Different observations have different strengths.” Terrestrial freshwater storage describes the integrated sum of freshwater spread across Earth’s snow, soil moisture, vegetation canopy, surface water impoundments, and groundwater. It’s a dynamic system, one that defies traditional, static systems of scientific observation. Forman’s project builds on prior technology advancements he achieved during an earlier Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) project, in which he developed an observation system simulation experiment for mapping terrestrial snow. It also relies heavily on innovations pioneered by NASA’s Land Information System (LIS) and NASA’s Trade-space Analysis Tool for Designing Constellations (TAT-C), two modeling tools that began as ESTO investments and quickly became staples within the Earth science community. Forman’s tool incorporates these modeling programs into a new system that provides researchers with a customizable platform for planning dynamic observation missions that include a diverse collection of spaceborne data sets. In addition, Forman’s tool also includes a “dollars-to-science” cost estimate tool that allows researchers to assess the financial risks associated with a proposed mission. Together, all of these features provide scientists with the ability to link observations, data assimilation, uncertainty estimation, and physical models within a single, integrated framework. “We were taking a land surface model and trying to merge it with different space-based measurements of snow, soil moisture, and groundwater to see if there was an optimal combination to give us the most bang for our scientific buck,” explained Forman. While Forman’s tool isn’t the first information system dedicated to science mission design, it does include a number of novel features. In particular, its ability to integrate observations from spaceborne passive optical radiometers, passive microwave radiometers, and radar sources marks a significant technology advancement. Forman explained that while these indirect observations of freshwater include valuable information for quantifying freshwater, they also each contain their own unique error characteristics that must be carefully integrated with a land surface model in order to provide estimates of geophysical variables that scientists care most about. Forman’s software also combines LIS and TAT-C within a single software framework, extending the capabilities of both systems to create superior descriptions of global terrestrial hydrology. Indeed, Forman stressed the importance of having a large, diverse team that features experts from across the Earth science and modeling communities. “It’s nice to be part of a big team because these are big problems, and I don’t know the answers myself. I need to find a lot of people that know a lot more than I do and get them to sort of jump in and roll their sleeves up and help us. And they did,” said Forman. Having created an observation system simulation experiment capable of incorporating dynamic, space-based observations into mission planning models, Forman and his team hope that future researchers will build on their work to create an even better mission modeling program. For example, while Forman and his team focused on generating mission plans for existing sensors, an expanded version of their software could help researchers determine how they might use future sensors to gather new data. “With the kinds of things that TAT-C can do, we can create hypothetical sensors. What if we double the swath width? If it could see twice as much space, does that give us more information? Simultaneously, we can ask questions about the impact of different error characteristics for each of these hypothetical sensors and explore the corresponding tradeoff.” said Forman. PROJECT LEAD Barton Forman, University of Maryland, Baltimore County SPONSORING ORGANIZATION NASA’s Advanced Information Systems Technology (AIST) program, a part of NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO), funded this project Share Details Last Updated Mar 25, 2024 Related Terms Earth Science Earth Science Technology Office GRACE (Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment) Science-enabling Technology Technology Highlights Explore More 5 min read NASA to Launch Sounding Rockets into Moon’s Shadow During Solar Eclipse Article 18 hours ago 10 min read Zero-Boil-Off Tank Experiments to Enable Long-Duration Space Exploration Do we have enough fuel to get to our destination? This is probably one of… Article 2 weeks ago 2 min read Students Become FjordPhyto Volunteers and Discover that Antarctica Is Much Colder Than Texas Article 3 weeks ago View the full article
  4. March 25, 2024 Former NASA Johnson Space Center Director George W. S. Abbey RELEASE J24-008 NASA Remembers Former NASA Johnson Director George W. S. Abbey George W. S. Abbey, former director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, died Sunday, March 24, in Houston after an illness. The Seattle native was 91. “A true visionary, Mr. Abbey demonstrated transformational leadership as Johnson’s seventh center director. During his tenure, the space shuttle flew more than 25 successful missions; the joint U.S. and Russian Shuttle-Mir Program was completed, providing important information for long-duration spaceflight,” said Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA Johnson. “He was instrumental in the Johnson team’s involvement in developing and launching the first elements of the International Space Station, which marked the beginning of a new era in space exploration. On behalf of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, we send our condolences to Mr. Abbey’s loved ones during this difficult time.” Abbey had a long and storied career in human spaceflight that began with NASA in 1964 and continued beyond his retirement from the agency. As the director of flight operations, he oversaw selection of NASA’s first space shuttle astronauts, mission operations, and the new shuttle program’s approach and landing tests. From 1987 to 1993, Abbey supported NASA Headquarters in Washington, serving in key roles in human spaceflight, and on the National Space Council. He returned to Johnson in 1994, first as deputy director, then director, leading the development and launch of the space station. Abbey retired from the agency in 2003. In December 2021, NASA named the Saturn V rocket display park outside Johnson’s main gate for Abbey. Abbey instituted the Longhorn Project, a vital STEM program that provides students with hands-on agricultural experiences and academic scholarships. He leaves behind a legacy of excellence and lasting impact as he will continue to inspire over 1.2 million visitors who visit the George W.S. Abbey Rocket Park annually. “Abbey’s dedication to human spaceflight remained steadfast. As the NASA family mourns his passing, we are grateful for his leadership and the legacy he leaves behind,” Wyche said. Abbey is survived by his five children, his eight grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. Learn more about Abbey’s career in support of NASA at: https://www.nasa.gov/people/george-w-s-abbey/ -end- Kelly Humphries / Nilufar Ramji Kelly.o.humphries@nasa.gov / niliufar.ramji@nasa.gov 281-483-5111 View the full article
  5. 5 min read NASA to Launch Sounding Rockets into Moon’s Shadow During Solar Eclipse NASA will launch three sounding rockets during the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, to study how Earth’s upper atmosphere is affected when sunlight momentarily dims over a portion of the planet. The Atmospheric Perturbations around Eclipse Path (APEP) sounding rockets will launch from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia to study the disturbances in the ionosphere created when the Moon eclipses the Sun. The sounding rockets had been previously launched and successfully recovered from White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico, during the October 2023 annular solar eclipse. They have been refurbished with new instrumentation and will be relaunched in April 2024. The mission is led by Aroh Barjatya, a professor of engineering physics at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida, where he directs the Space and Atmospheric Instrumentation Lab. This photo shows the three APEP sounding rockets and the support team after successful assembly. The team lead, Aroh Barjatya, is at the top center, standing next to the guardrails on the second floor. NASA/Berit Bland The sounding rockets will launch at three different times: 45 minutes before, during, and 45 minutes after the peak local eclipse. These intervals are important to collect data on how the Sun’s sudden disappearance affects the ionosphere, creating disturbances that have the potential to interfere with our communications. This conceptual animation is an example of what observers might expect to see during a total solar eclipse, like the one happening over the United States on April 8, 2024. NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio. The ionosphere is a region of Earth’s atmosphere that is between 55 to 310 miles (90 to 500 kilometers) above the ground. “It’s an electrified region that reflects and refracts radio signals, and also impacts satellite communications as the signals pass through,” said Barjatya. “Understanding the ionosphere and developing models to help us predict disturbances is crucial to making sure our increasingly communication-dependent world operates smoothly.” The ionosphere forms the boundary between Earth’s lower atmosphere – where we live and breathe – and the vacuum of space. It is made up of a sea of particles that become ionized, or electrically charged, from the Sun’s energy, or solar radiation. When night falls, the ionosphere thins out as previously ionized particles relax and recombine back into neutral particles. However, Earth’s terrestrial weather and space weather can impact these particles, making it a dynamic region and difficult to know what the ionosphere will be like at a given time. An animation depicts changes in the ionosphere over a 24-hour period. The red and yellow swaths represent high-density ionized particles during the day. The purple dots represent neutral, relaxed particles at night. NASA/Krystofer Kim It’s often difficult to study short-term changes in the ionosphere during an eclipse with satellites because they may not be at the right place or time to cross the eclipse path. Since the exact date and times of the total solar eclipse are known, NASA can launch targeted sounding rockets to study the effects of the eclipse at the right time and at all altitudes of the ionosphere. As the eclipse shadow races through the atmosphere, it creates a rapid, localized sunset that triggers large-scale atmospheric waves and small-scale disturbances, or perturbations. These perturbations affect different radio communication frequencies. Gathering the data on these perturbations will help scientists validate and improve current models that help predict potential disturbances to our communications, especially high frequency communication. The animation depicts the waves created by ionized particles during the 2017 total solar eclipse. MIT Haystack Observatory/Shun-rong Zhang. Zhang, S.-R., Erickson, P. J., Goncharenko, L. P., Coster, A. J., Rideout, W. & Vierinen, J. (2017). Ionospheric Bow Waves and Perturbations Induced by the 21 August 2017 Solar Eclipse. Geophysical Research Letters, 44(24), 12,067-12,073. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL076054. The APEP rockets are expected to reach a maximum altitude of 260 miles (420 kilometers). Each rocket will measure charged and neutral particle density and surrounding electric and magnetic fields. “Each rocket will eject four secondary instruments the size of a two-liter soda bottle that also measure the same data points, so it’s similar to results from fifteen rockets, while only launching three,” explained Barjatya. Three secondary instruments on each rocket were built by Embry-Riddle, and the fourth one was built at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. In addition to the rockets, several teams across the U.S. will also be taking measurements of the ionosphere by various means. A team of students from Embry-Riddle will deploy a series of high-altitude balloons. Co-investigators from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Haystack Observatory in Massachusetts, and the Air Force Research Laboratory in New Mexico, will operate a variety of ground-based radars taking measurements. Using this data, a team of scientists from Embry-Riddle and Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory are refining existing models. Together, these various investigations will help provide the puzzle pieces needed to see the bigger picture of ionospheric dynamics. A sounding rocket is able to carry science instruments between 30 and 300 miles above Earth’s surface. These altitudes are typically too high for science balloons and too low for satellites to access safely, making sounding rockets the only platforms that can carry out direct measurements in these regions. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center When the APEP sounding rockets launched during the 2023 annular solar eclipse, scientists saw a sharp reduction in the density of charged particles as the annular eclipse shadow passed over the atmosphere. “We saw the perturbations capable of affecting radio communications in the second and third rockets, but not during the first rocket that was before peak local eclipse” said Barjatya. “We are super excited to relaunch them during the total eclipse, to see if the perturbations start at the same altitude and if their magnitude and scale remain the same.” The next total solar eclipse over the contiguous U.S. is not until 2044, so these experiments are a rare opportunity for scientists to collect crucial data. The APEP launches will be live streamed via NASA’s Wallops’ official YouTube page and featured in NASA’s official broadcast of the total solar eclipse. The public can also watch the launches in person from 1-4 p.m. at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center. By Desiree Apodaca NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Share Details Last Updated Mar 25, 2024 Related Terms 2024 Solar Eclipse Eclipses Goddard Space Flight Center Heliophysics Heliophysics Division Heliophysics Research Program Ionosphere Science & Research Science Mission Directorate Skywatching Solar Eclipses Sounding Rockets Program Wallops Flight Facility Explore More 3 min read Hubble Sees New Star Proclaiming Presence with Cosmic Lightshow Article 6 hours ago 3 min read International Space Station welcomes biological and physical science experiments Article 3 days ago 2 min read Hubble Spots the Spider Galaxy Article 3 days ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics 2024 Total Eclipse Safety 2024 Total Solar Eclipse Broadcast Eclipse 2024 Science View the full article
  6. 3 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA’s OSIRIS-REx team was selected as the winner of the National Space Club and Foundation’s 2024 Dr. Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy for their tremendous work on the first U.S. mission to bring an asteroid sample to Earth. The winning team received the award at the 67th Annual Robert H. Goddard Memorial Dinner at the Washington Hilton Hotel on March 22, 2024. The sample return capsule from NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission is seen shortly after touching down in the desert, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, at the Department of Defense’s Utah Test and Training Range. The sample was collected from the asteroid Bennu in October 2020 by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. NASA/Keegan Barber The OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security – Regolith Explorer) team includes NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland; Lockheed Martin in Littleton, Colorado; University of Arizona, Tucson and KinetX in Tempe, Arizona. The trophy is National Space Club’s highest honor and presented annually to the individual or group who has made a substantial contribution to U.S. leadership in astronautics or rocketry. “The OSIRIS-REx team’s successful delivery of the asteroid Bennu sample to Earth will enable important scientific discoveries for generations to come,” said Lori Glaze, director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “I’m so pleased to see the mission team recognized with the Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy for their accomplishments.” Making U.S. History Following its launch in 2016, the OSIRIS-REx mission made U.S. space history when it became the first U.S. spacecraft to touch an asteroid and capture a sample on Oct. 20, 2020, and again when it successfully returned with the sample to Earth on Sept. 24, 2023. The sample, which is the largest asteroid sample ever delivered to Earth, is from the ancient asteroid Bennu and will give researchers worldwide a glimpse into the earliest days of our solar system, offering insights into planet formation and the origin of organics that led to life on Earth. Data collected by the spacecraft combined with future analysis of the Bennu sample will also aid our understanding of asteroids that can impact Earth. The OSIRIS-REx mission conducted unprecedented centimeter-scale mapping of Bennu, surpassing precision levels achieved for any other planetary body and setting three Guinness World Records for: smallest object orbited by a spacecraft, closest orbit of an asteroid and highest resolution satellite map of any planetary body. “The OSIRIS-REx mission rewrote U.S. space exploration history,” said Joe Vealencis, president, NSCF. “The data the spacecraft collected, plus all that we have yet to uncover from the sample it brought back, means scientists and engineers will be reaping the benefits of this mission for years to come.” The Mission Continues Following its successful sample return, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft was renamed OSIRIS-APEX and will now enter an extended mission to visit and study near-Earth asteroid Apophis in 2029. OSIRIS-REx’s success was made possible by the unique contributions of over 1,000 individuals from government and mission partners like the science lead at the University of Arizona, the project team at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, the curation team at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, spacecraft design, operations, and recovery by Lockheed Martin, guidance and navigation at KinetX, and the launch provider at United Launch Alliance. OSIRIS-REx is the third mission in NASA’s New Frontiers Program, managed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Find more information about NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission at: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/osiris-rex Rob Gutro / Rani Gran NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Karen Fox / Charles Blue Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1257 / 202-802-5345 Share Details Last Updated Mar 25, 2024 EditorJamie AdkinsContactRob Gutrorobert.j.gutro@nasa.gov Related TermsGoddard Space Flight CenterOSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer) View the full article
  7. 5 Min Read Antarctic Sea Ice Near Historic Lows; Arctic Ice Continues Decline On Feb. 20, 2024, Antarctic sea ice officially reached its minimum extent for the year. This cycle of growth and melting occurs every year, with the ice reaching its smallest size during the Southern Hemisphere's summer. Credits: NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio/Trent L. Schindler Sea ice at both the top and bottom of the planet continued its decline in 2024. In the waters around Antarctica, ice coverage shrank to near-historic lows for the third year in a row. The recurring loss hints at a long-term shift in conditions in the Southern Ocean, likely resulting from global climate change, according to scientists at NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Meanwhile, the 46-year trend of shrinking and thinning ice in the Arctic Ocean shows no sign of reversing. “Sea ice acts like a buffer between the ocean and the atmosphere,” said ice scientist Linette Boisvert of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “Sea ice prevents much of the exchange of heat and moisture from the relatively warm ocean to the atmosphere above it.” Less ice coverage allows the ocean to warm the atmosphere over the poles, leading to more ice melting in a vicious cycle of rising temperatures. Historically, the area of sea ice surrounding the Antarctic continent has fluctuated dramatically from year to year while averages over decades have been relatively stable. In recent years, though, sea ice cover around Antarctica has plummeted. On Feb. 20, 2024, Antarctic sea ice officially reached its minimum extent for the year. This cycle of growth and melting occurs every year, with the ice reaching its smallest size during the Southern Hemisphere’s summer. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, this marks the second-lowest sea ice extent recorded by satellites, reflecting a trend of declining coverage over time. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Scientific Visualization Studio Download this video in HD formats from https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14538. “In 2016, we saw what some people are calling a regime shift,” said sea ice scientist Walt Meier of the National Snow and Ice Data Center at the University of Colorado, Boulder. “The Antarctic sea ice coverage dropped and has largely remained lower than normal. Over the past seven years, we’ve had three record lows.” This year, Antarctic sea ice reached its lowest annual extent on Feb. 20 with a total of 768,000 square miles (1.99 million square kilometers). That’s 30% below the 1981 to 2010 end-of-summer average. The difference in ice cover spans an area about the size of Texas. Sea ice extent is defined as the total area of the ocean in which the ice cover fraction is at least 15%. This year’s minimum is tied with February 2022 for the second lowest ice coverage around the Antarctic and close to the 2023 all-time low of 691,000 square miles (1.79 million square kilometers). With the latest ice retreat, this year marks the lowest three-year average for ice coverage observed around the Antarctic continent across more than four decades. The changes were observed in data collected with microwave sensors aboard the Nimbus-7 satellite, jointly operated by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), along with satellites in the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program. NASA’s Earth Observatory: Antarctic Sea Ice at Near-Historic Lows Meanwhile, at the other end of the planet, the maximum winter ice coverage in the Arctic Ocean is consistent with an ongoing 46-year decline. Satellite images reveal that the total area of the Arctic Ocean covered in sea ice reached 6 million square miles (15.65 million square kilometers) on March 14. That’s 247,000 square miles (640,000 square kilometers) less ice than the average between 1981 and 2010. Overall, the maximum winter ice coverage in the Arctic has shrunk by an area equivalent to the size of Alaska since 1979. This year’s Arctic ice maximum is the 14th lowest on record. Complex weather patterns make it difficult to predict what will happen in any given year. The Arctic Ocean sea ice reached its annual maximum on March 14, continuing the long-term decline in ice at the poles.Chart by Lauren Dauphin/NASA Earth Observatory, using data from the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Shrinking ice makes Earth more susceptible to solar heating. “The sea ice and the snow on top of it are very reflective,” Boisvert said. “In the summer, if we have more sea ice, it reflects the Sun’s radiation and helps keep the planet cooler.” On the other hand, the exposed ocean is darker and readily absorbs solar radiation, capturing and retaining that energy and ultimately contributing to warming in the planet’s oceans and atmosphere. Sea ice around the poles is more susceptible to the weather than it was a dozen years ago. Ice thickness measurements collected with laser altimeters aboard NASA’s ICESat-2 satellite show that less ice has managed to stick around through the warmer months. This means new ice must form from scratch each year, rather than building on old ice to make thicker layers. Thinner ice, in turn, is more prone to melting than multi-year accumulations. “The thought is that in a couple of decades, we’re going to have these essentially ice-free summers,” Boisvert said, with ice coverage reduced below 400,000 square miles (1 million square kilometers) and most of the Arctic Ocean exposed to the Sun’s warming glare. It’s too soon to know whether recent sea ice lows at the South Pole point to a long-term change rather than a statistical fluctuation, but Meier believes long term declines are inevitable. “It’s only a matter of time,” he said. “After six, seven, eight years, it’s starting to look like maybe it’s happening. It’s just a question of whether there’s enough data to say for sure.” Reference: NSIDC Sea Ice Index Daily and Monthly Image Viewer By James Riordon NASA’s Earth Science News Team Media contact: Elizabeth Vlock NASA Headquarters Share Details Last Updated Mar 25, 2024 EditorGoddard Digital TeamLocationGoddard Space Flight Center Related TermsEarthClimate ChangeGoddard Space Flight CenterIce & GlaciersSea Ice Explore More 5 min read Arctic Sea Ice 6th Lowest on Record; Antarctic Sees Record Low Growth Arctic sea ice likely reached its annual minimum extent on September 19, 2023, making it… Article 6 months ago 3 min read NASA Finds 2022 Arctic Winter Sea Ice 10th-Lowest on Record Article 2 years ago 5 min read Meet NASA’s Twin Spacecraft Headed to the Ends of the Earth Article 1 month ago View the full article
  8. 5 min read Early Adopters of NASA’s PACE Data to Study Air Quality, Ocean Health From the atmosphere down to the surface of the ocean, data from NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) satellite benefits ecosystems, human health, and underrepresented communities. Years before the launch in February 2024, mission leaders from NASA teamed with dozens of applied scientists and environmental professionals to prepare for the many practical uses that could be informed by PACE data. PACE’s Early Adopter program integrates science data into business, environmental management, and decision-making activities to benefit society. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) spacecraft stands vertical at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Feb. 5, 2024. PACE is NASA’s newest Earth-observing satellite that will help increase our understanding of Earth’s oceans, atmosphere, and climate by delivering hyperspectral observations of microscopic marine organisms called phytoplankton as well new data on clouds and aerosols. SpaceX The researchers specialize in a wide range of topics including water resources, fisheries and aquaculture, air quality and health, climate, and agriculture. These early adopters of the science provide a bridge between the PACE team and local communities and decision-makers who need accessible products for public use. Such work can help connect the new frontier of PACE’s hyperspectral and multi-angular polarimetric data to real-world problems – and find new ways to address challenges. Helping Coastal Communities Keep Fisheries Safe In coastal communities, knowing the quality of the water is essential for ecosystem health, safe and sustainable seafood, and recreation – not to mention human livelihoods that depend on fisheries. Phytoplankton are microscopic organisms that live in watery environments. When conditions are right, phytoplankton undergo explosive population growth, creating blooms visible from space. Such a bloom occurred in the North Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Newfoundland in early August 2010. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this natural-color image on Aug. 9, 2010. The paisley pattern of peacock blue owes its color to phytoplankton. Credit: NASA/Goddard/Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS Land Rapid Response Team Marina Marrari, executive director of the Costa Rican Fishing Federation in San José is one of PACE’s early adopters. Marrari and her colleagues developed a mobile app that will pull in data from PACE’s Ocean Color Instrument to help inform the public about harmful algal blooms. Known as pezCA, the app distributes near real-time data about ocean temperature, chlorophyll concentration, and currents as measured by other NASA satellites. Once PACE data is available, the app will be updated to include a product on specific types of harmful algal blooms that can have toxic effects on people and animals. Bringing Air Quality Alerts to the Midwest Information on air quality and airborne particles (aerosols) is typically available for dense urban areas like Los Angeles, Atlanta, and New York. Marcela Loría-Salazar, assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, plans to use data from PACE’s polarimeters and OCI to study air quality in locations in the middle of the United States, where there tend to be fewer ground-based monitors. Urban pollution emissions, desert dust, and smoke from wildfires can travel from distant places – across continents or even oceans. (Think of the wildfire smoke that can blow from Alaska and Canada into the central U.S.) PACE gathers global data on this dust and smoke in Earth’s atmosphere every one to two days, and that data is open access – meaning it is available for anyone to find and download free from the Internet. Smoke from Canadian wildfires drifts slowly south over the United States’ Midwest. The drifting smoke can be seen in this Terra satellite image taken in December 2017 over Lake Michigan, as well as parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Ohio. NASA MODIS Rapid Response Team / Jeff Schmaltz Loría-Salazar and her team can use this information to track aerosols, studying how they change as they move over land, change altitude, and interact with other atmospheric particles. Her goal is to better understand how these aerosols affect human health when they’re inhaled. Her team works with the Oklahoma state government to develop solutions to improve air quality decision-making. She also works with tribal nations to help inform air quality decisions in their communities. For example, setting prescribed fires is a traditional activity to preserve ecosystems, but the fires do put smoke into the air. By using satellite data, tribal managers can make better-informed decisions about the potential risk of acute smoke exposure on a given day. Tracking Health of Marine Mammal Ecosystems Phytoplankton are the center of the marine food web. These microscopic organisms are food for bigger animals like zooplankton, fish, and shellfish – and ultimately whales and dolphins. While PACE can’t directly detect fish or mammals below the surface of the ocean, it can view communities of phytoplankton, which can inform scientists about the ocean ecosystem in which fish and mammals live. Liz Ferguson on the coast of the oceans where she studies marine mammals. Courtesy of Liz Ferguson By examining phytoplankton, scientists can gain valuable insights into changes occurring within marine habitats, as these microorganisms often serve as early indicators of regional ecosystem health. Liz Ferguson, CEO and marine ecologist for Ocean Science Analytics, studies marine mammals off the Pacific Coast of North America. Monitoring plankton communities enhances scientists’ ability to perceive the intricate dynamics within marine ecosystems. By closely monitoring shifts in environmental variables and the behavior of indicator species such as marine mammals, Ferguson can study the impact of climate change on the California current’s ecosystems. Doubling Up Satellite Data Some species of phytoplankton produce toxins that can be dangerous for humans, pets, and livestock. When these phytoplankton multiply to large numbers, it’s called a harmful algal bloom. Richard Stumpf and Michelle Tomlinson, oceanographers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), use satellite data to study these blooms and help inform communities about their risks. They have been using data from the Ocean and Land Color Instrument on the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-3 satellite, which captures Earth data by measuring certain wavelengths of light. PACE’s Ocean Color Instrument sensor does the same, but as a hyperspectral instrument, it can detect more than 200 wavelengths – more than five times the number observed by Sentinel-3 and other current instruments. Richard Stumpf examines water from plankton net tows in Lake Erie taken in early summer 2023. A net tow concentrates plankton from the water making it easier to identify what is present, particularly when a bloom is developing. The middle jar is the unfiltered lake water, the top one is from an area that has mostly zooplankton (microscopic animals), and the bottom (greenish) one has cyanobacteria. Courtesy of Richard Stumpf PACE data can help Stumpf and Tomlinson continue their research on how the color of harmful algal blooms change over time and space. Choosing specific wavelengths of data from PACE can also help verify the data from Sentinel-3 and extend the long-term data record. The hyperspectral capabilities of PACE can allow scientists and environmental managers to not only spot emerging blooms, but also identify the specific communities of phytoplankton that make up the bloom. Detecting these details helps scientists better inform local water managers about the location, timing, and type of harmful algal blooms, which can help mitigate risks to the public. About the Author Erica McNamee Share Details Last Updated Mar 25, 2024 Editor Erica McNamee Contact Erica McNamee erica.s.mcnamee@nasa.gov Related Terms Earth Oceans Explore More 4 min read NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement Mission: 10 years, 10 stories Article 3 weeks ago 5 min read OpenET Study Helps Water Managers and Farmers Put NASA Data to Work Article 2 months ago 4 min read Google’s ‘A Passage of Water’ Brings NASA’s Water Data to Life As part of the long-standing partnership, NASA worked with Google Arts & Culture to create… Article 4 months ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article
  9. ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. Sun This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image shows LEDA 42160, a galaxy about 52 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo. The dwarf galaxy is one of many forcing its way through the comparatively dense gas in the massive Virgo cluster of galaxies. The pressure exerted by this intergalactic gas, known as ram pressure, has dramatic effects on star formation in LEDA 42160. The gas and dust that permeates space exerts pressure on a galaxy as it moves. This resistance, called ram pressure, can strip a galaxy of its star-forming gas and dust, reducing or even stopping the creation of new stars. However, ram pressure can also compress gas in the galaxy, which can boost star formation. The Hubble data used to create this image of LEDA 42160 is part of a project that studied dwarf galaxies undergoing ram pressure stripping that are part of large galaxy clusters, like the Virgo cluster. Studies show that ram pressure stripping can initially cause new stars to form in larger galaxies. The researchers wanted to see if the same holds true for smaller galaxies, like LEDA 42160. The bright patches on LEDA 42160’s lower-right flank may be star-forming regions spurred on by ram pressure stripping. Hubble’s observations of LEDA 42160 will help astronomers determine the processes that created the features we see in this small galaxy. Media Contact: Claire Andreoli NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD claire.andreoli@nasa.gov View the full article
  10. Science in Space: March 2024 Optical fibers are used on Earth and in space for applications in medicine, defense, cybersecurity, and telecommunications. Parabolic research showed that optical fibers produced in microgravity can be higher quality than those made in normal gravity, and the International Space Station provides a potential platform for commercial production of these fibers. The Production of Flawless Space Fiber (Flawless Space Fibers-1) investigation is using the space station to demonstrate new manufacturing technology developed by Flawless Photonics to improve the quality and length of optical fiber produced in space. NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara conducting Flawless Space Fibers operations in the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG).NASA Preliminary results have been promising. From mid-February to mid-March, the investigation manufactured a total of more than seven miles (11.9 km) of optical fiber. Eight of the runs (called draws) produced more than 2,200 feet (700 meters) of fiber, demonstrating that the results are repeatable. The investigation also drew more than 3,700 feet (1141 meters) in one day, surpassing the prior record of 82 feet (25 meters) for the longest fiber manufactured in space. Seven of the draws exceeded 2,296 feet (700 meters), demonstrating for the first time that commercial lengths of fiber can be produced in space. The space-drawn fibers are set to return to Earth soon for analysis of their quality. These fibers are made using ZBLAN, a glass alloy made of zirconium, barium, lanthanum, sodium, and aluminum fluorides, each with different densities and crystallization temperatures. Its unique properties allow light to travel through a fiber over a broader range, providing more than ten times the capacity of traditional silica-based fibers and transmitting considerably more data over the same length of fiber. If fibers can be made long enough and of high enough quality, the increased efficiency of ZBLAN could translate into significant energy savings by reducing the need to boost the signal on long-distance transmissions. However, when ZBLAN is drawn into fibers on the ground, crystals form that scatter signals and make the fiber brittle. Because crystals grow more slowly in microgravity, the approach is to cool drawn fibers before crystals have a chance to form. Microgravity also counters effects of sedimentation, convection, and buoyancy that limit the length and quality of fibers drawn on Earth. Manufacturers use drop towers to manufacture ZBLAN on Earth, but in-space manufacturing provides much more time to draw longer and eventually better fibers. Scanning electron microscope images of ZBLAN fibers pulled in microgravity (bottom) and on Earth (top) show the crystallization that occurs in ground-based processing.NASA The Flawless Space Fibers investigation is sponsored by the ISS National Laboratory and involves support from the Luxembourg Space Agency, University of Adelaide in Australia, and NASA’s InSpace Production Applications (InSPA). InSPA advances sustainable, scalable, and profitable in-space manufacturing in low Earth orbit, working with the ISS National Lab to provide companies with access to the space station for demonstrating production of advanced materials and products for terrestrial applications. Flawless Space Fibers has achieved three of four goals for ZBLAN set by InSPA, including achieving 20 meters on a single run, repeating that amount on a separate draw, and scaling up to runs of commercial length. The analysis of fibers after return to ground is needed to determine whether the investigation meets InSPA’s fourth goal, producing fiber of ten times greater quality than on Earth. Results may help reduce gravity-induced defects in optical glass products developed on Earth and advance in-space manufacturing models. The investigation also opens the door to creating other valuable specialty fibers in space. JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Norishige Kanai with the Made in Space fiber optics hardware.NASA NASA conducted early work processing ZBLAN in microgravity through Marshall Space Flight Center in the 1990s and early 2000s. Development of ZBLAN manufacturing on the space station began in 2014. Other investigations that examined manufacturing ZBLAN optic fibers in microgravity include Optical Fiber Production in Microgravity (Made In Space Fiber Optics), which conducted the first privately funded ZBLAN fiber draw, Fiber Optic Production, and Fiber Optic Production-2 (FOP-2), which first demonstrated repeated production of 20-meter lengths of fiber in microgravity. Another investigation, Fiber Optics Manufacturing in Space (Space Fibers), developed by FOMS Inc, first demonstrated a fully operational space facility for fiber manufacturing.1 These efforts support commercial development of space and low Earth orbit and offer opportunities for development of next-generation technologies in space for applications on Earth. John Love, ISS Research Planning Integration Scientist Expedition 70 Search this database of scientific experiments to learn more about those mentioned above. Citations: 1 Starodubov D, McCormick K, Dellosa M, Erdelyi E, Volfson L. Facility for orbital material processing. Sensors and Systems for Space Applications XI, Orlando, Florida. 2018 May 2; 10641106410T. DOI: 10.1117/12.2305830. Keep Exploring Discover More Topics Latest News from Space Station Research ISS National Laboratory In Space Production Applications Space Station Research and Technology View the full article
  11. 3 Min Read Partnerships that Prepare for Success: The Research Institution Perspective on the M-STTR Initiative Dr. Darayas Patel (left), professor of mathematics and computer science at Oakwood University, and four Oakwood University students record data related to their NASA STTR research. Credits: Oakwood University Editor’s Notes (March 2024): Oakwood University and its small business partner—SSS Optical Technologies, LLC—were awarded a STTR Phase II in November 2023 to continue their work. Also in 2023, M-STTR awards became part of what is now MPLAN. In 2022, Oakwood University, a Historically Black College based in Huntsville, Alabama, became a first-time research institution participant in NASA’s Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program. Partnering with SSS Optical Technologies, LLC (SSSOT) of Huntsville, Alabama, the team received a 2022 Phase I award to develop UV protective coating for photovoltaic solar cells in space. The PANDA (Polymer Anti-damage Nanocomposite Down-converting Armor) technology could be used to protect solar cells, which convert sunlight into energy but can suffer damage from UV rays. Prior to this STTR award, Oakwood University and SSSOT prepared for the solicitation by participating in a pilot NASA opportunity. In 2021, NASA launched the M-STTR initiative for Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) to propose for Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) research planning grants. The program is a partnership between NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) and NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement’s Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP). The 2021 solicitation resulted in 11 selected proposals to receive M-STTR planning grants—six from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and five from Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). Oakwood University was among the selected research institution teams; with its grant, the university developed a partnership with SSSOT. Dr. Darayas Patel, professor of mathematics and computer science at Oakwood University, shared the university perspective on how the M-STTR program helped the team form a partnership and prepare for the 2022 STTR solicitation. Dr. Patel is supporting the Phase I STTR contract, which is the university’s first time working with the SBIR/STTR program. Prior to the NASA STTR award, Oakwood University has received grants from other government agencies, including the Department of Defense and the National Science Foundation. Oakwood University also has past involvement in NASA’s MUREP program, which helps engage, fund, and connect underserved university communities. Learning about opportunities from the MUREP network, the Oakwood University team proposed to the pilot M-STTR program, working together with SSSOT on photovoltaic solar cell technology. “M-STTR helped us solidify the collaboration with SSSOT by focusing our team on specific, tangible goals.” Dr. Darayas Patel Professor at Oakwood University Oakwood University and SSSOT formed a partnership based on Dr. Patel’s existing relationship with SSSOT’s founder Dr. Sergey Sarkisov, who was on Dr. Patel’s Ph.D. committee at Alabama A&M University. According to Dr. Patel, the M-STTR grant allowed the team to generate preliminary data about the solar cell technology that would later be proposed for the 2022 STTR award. In addition to providing supplementary data for the STTR solicitation, Dr. Patel said, “M-STTR helped us solidify the collaboration with SSSOT by focusing our team on specific, tangible goals.” The result was a more unified team with a defined action plan for approaching the STTR proposal. When asked what advice he had for other research institutions interested in participating in the NASA SBIR/STTR program, Dr. Patel shared, “Keep your eyes wide open and try to reach out to nearby small businesses interested in transferring your technology to the market. And remember: it should line up with what NASA is looking for.” From working with NASA on these initiatives, Dr. Patel says he has broadened his network within the NASA community, which helps him stay informed of future opportunities. View the full article
  12. “Don’t be afraid to go after the things that you’re dreaming about that aren’t necessarily possible right now. We do things all the time now that were impossible 10 years ago! Figure out how to make the impossible possible, if it’s what you want to do. “One of my cornerstone pinnacles [is], ‘Show up to work [and] life with integrity and intent.’ So, accomplish your goals with integrity, intent, and a mission. Stick to that and have the confidence to do that, and be OK with messing up and failing, and have fun with those things. “And if you are not doing something that you love, and you’re not having fun, then think about what those things are and go towards that.” — Meghan Everett, International Space Station Program Deputy Chief Scientist, NASA’s Johnson Space Center Image Credit: NASA / Josh Valcarcel Interviewer: NASA / Michelle Zajac Check out some of our other Faces of NASA. View the full article
  13. 3 min read Hubble Sees New Star Proclaiming Presence with Cosmic Lightshow This new image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope features the FS Tau star system. NASA, ESA, and K. Stapelfeldt (NASA JPL); Image Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America) Jets emerge from the cocoon of a newly forming star to blast across space, slicing through the gas and dust of a shining nebula in this new image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. FS Tau is a multi-star system made up of FS Tau A, the bright star-like object near the middle of the image, and FS Tau B (Haro 6-5B), the bright object to the far right obscured by a dark, vertical lane of dust. The young objects are surrounded by gently illuminated gas and dust of this stellar nursery. The system is only about 2.8 million years old, very young for a star system. Our Sun, by contrast, is about 4.6 billion years old. FS Tau B is a newly forming star, or protostar, surrounded by a protoplanetary disk, a pancake-shaped collection of dust and gas leftover from the formation of the star that will eventually coalesce into planets. The thick dust lane, seen nearly edge-on, separates what are thought to be the illuminated surfaces of the flared disk. FS Tau B is likely in the process of becoming a T Tauri star, a type of young variable star that hasn’t begun nuclear fusion yet but is beginning to evolve into a hydrogen-fueled star similar to our Sun. Protostars shine with the heat energy released as the gas clouds from which they are forming collapse, and from the accretion of material from nearby gas and dust. Variable stars are a class of star whose brightness changes noticeably over time. FS Tau A is itself a T Tauri binary system, consisting of two stars orbiting each other. Protostars are known to eject fast-moving, column-like streams of energized material called jets, and FS Tau B provides a striking example of this phenomenon. The protostar is the source of an unusual asymmetric, double-sided jet, visible here in blue. Its asymmetrical structure may result from the difference in the rates at which mass is being expelled from the object. FS Tau B is also classified as a Herbig-Haro object. Herbig–Haro objects form when jets of ionized gas ejected by a young star collide with nearby clouds of gas and dust at high speeds, creating bright patches of nebulosity. FS Tau is part of the Taurus-Auriga region, a collection of dark molecular clouds that are home to numerous newly forming and young stars, roughly 450 light-years away in the constellations of Taurus and Auriga. Hubble has previously observed this region, whose star-forming activity makes it a compelling target for astronomers. Hubble took these observations as part of an investigation of edge-on dust disks around young stellar objects. Download this image Media Contact: Claire Andreoli NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD claire.andreoli@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Mar 25, 2024 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Location Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms Goddard Space Flight Center Hubble Space Telescope Missions Nebulae Protostars Stars The Universe Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Hubble Space Telescope Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe. Galaxies Stories Stars Stories NASA Astrophysics View the full article
  14. This article is from the 2023 Technical Update. The NESC Flight Mechanics Technical Discipline Team (TDT) provides support to all NASA Mission Directorates and throughout all mission phases. Highlights from this past year include three critical program support assessments, new discipline-advancing capabilities in simulation tools, and a preview of future efforts by the TDT to capture knowledge and expertise to pass on to the next generation. Independent modeling and simulation (M&S) enables new insights into critical subsystem designs and offers opportunities for analyses to reduce risk acceptance for programs. Several ongoing assessments have contributed to improved flight certification processes and risk reduction. The Flight Mechanics TDT sponsored improvements to simulation tools that enabled new solutions to complex problems, and recent NESC Academy recordings captured the latest advancements in the discipline. Notional risk scoring reduction through independent M&S Modeling of crew seat acceleration during entry, decent and landing. The TDT supported the Commercial Crew Program by independently modeling and simulating commercial providers’ trajectory designs and on-board deorbit, entry, descent, and landing software. This past year, the team assessed the return of additional crew on commercial capsules for contingency scenarios and used independent simulation analyses to confirm this capability poses no significant changes in splashdown conditions, thus ensuring additional options for returning crew safely if the primary return vehicle is disabled. Additionally, the NESC is providing key assessments for manual control using a “paper pilot” based on actual pilot responses. This study enabled manual control as a viable survival scenario if the flight computer fails during deorbit, entry, descent, and landing phases of flight. These efforts contributed to an independent verification and validation of commercial providers’ designs that supported certification of commercial flights to and from the ISS. Standing up a new independent M&S effort in support of the Mars Ascent Vehicle, a critical element delivering Martian soil and atmosphere samples for eventual return to Earth, provides value and increases confidence in the design of this key element for the Mars Sample Return Campaign. The Flight Mechanics team is contributing unique methodologies for studying the challenging dynamics of this two-stage solid motor design where the second stage is unguided and spin-stabilized. Frame of Mars ascent vehicle second stage separation dynamics from an M&S animation Independent M&S of key staging and separation events for the SLS has resulted in affirmation of the SLS trajectory and guidance, navigation and control design. Flight Mechanics TDT members contributed analyses to evaluate the heliocentric disposal of the Interim Cyrogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS). Monte Carlo modeling of the Artemis 1 This past year, the TDT also completed an assessment that explored the interoperability between common mission analysis tools and enabled trajectory sharing between tools to solve more complex mission design problems (page 31). An NESC Technical Bulletin (page 47) and Innovative Technique (page 65) have been published on this topic. NESC Academy recordings on trajectory optimization tools and frameworks, electric aircraft sizing methodologies, system optimization, and aerodynamic decelerator systems were important knowledge capture and transfer initiatives. These recordings are available to help train and educate engineers on the tools and processes NESC teams will use for future independent M&S efforts. View the full article
  15. A Commercial Mission Carries Science to the Space Station on This Week @NASA – March 22, 2024
  16. NASA, Health and Human Services Highlight Cancer Moonshot Progress
  17. The Soyuz rocket launches to the International Space Station with Expedition 71 NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, and Belarus spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya, onboard, Saturday, March 23, 2024, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.NASA/Bill Ingalls Three crew members including NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson successfully launched at 8:36 a.m. EDT Saturday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station. Dyson, along with her crewmates Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy and spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus, will dock to the space station’s Prichal module about 11:09 a.m. on Monday, March 25, on the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft. Docking coverage will begin at 10:15 a.m. on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website. NASA also will air coverage, starting at 1:15 p.m., of the crew welcome ceremony on NASA+ once they are aboard the orbital outpost. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media. When the hatches between the station and the Soyuz open about 1:40 p.m., the new crew members will join NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara, Matthew Dominick, Mike Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, and Alexander Grebenkin, already living and working aboard the space station. Novitskiy and Vasilevskaya will be aboard the station for 12 days, before providing the ride home for O’Hara on Saturday, April 6, aboard Soyuz MS-24 for a parachute-assisted landing on steppe of Kazakhstan. Dyson will spend six months aboard the station as an Expedition 70 and 71 flight engineer, returning to Earth in September with Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub of Roscosmos, who will complete a year-long mission on the laboratory. This will be the third spaceflight for Dyson, the fourth for Novitskiy, and the first for Vasilevskaya. Learn more about space station activities at: https://www.nasa.gov/station -end- Joshua Finch Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov Sandra Jones Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov View the full article
  18. NASA Astronaut Tracy Dyson Launch to the Space Station
  19. 1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Jun Cui Iowa State University ESI23 Cui Quadchart.pdf Elastocaloric materials heat up when exposed to a mechanical force and cool down, removing the same amount of heat from their environment, when the force is removed. Professor Cui will use the recently established DFT/machine learning guided metals development methodology to unravel the complex relationships between compositions, crystal structures, phase transformation, and fatigue behavior of the elastocaloric materials. He will develop novel, new elastocaloric materials and use them as the basis of a high-performance refrigeration system for NASA exploration applications. Back to ESI 2023 View the full article
  20. 1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Manuel Quevedo-Lopez University Of Texas, Dallas ESI23 Quevedo-Lopez Quadchart.pdf Current SNSPD’s use a thin, superconducting film to detect photons. These films are highly reflective and must be made very thin, on the order of a few nanometers, in order to allow light to interact with their entire thickness. This leads to numerous drawbacks including lower sensitivity and higher signal noise. Professor Lopez will work to develop a new generation of transparent superconducting films for SNSPD applications to overcome these performance limitations. Back to ESI 2023 View the full article
  21. 1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Davide Guzzetti Auburn University ECF 2023 Quadchart Guzzetti.pdf Professor Guzzetti will study and design small metamaterial particles which can be predictably moved by forces that exist on orbit like the Earth’s magnetic field or heat flux. These Programmable Metamaterial Particle Ensembles (PMPEs) could be deployed as dust clouds and used to deorbit small (<1cm), orbital debris. Back to ECF 2023 Full List View the full article
  22. NASA continued a key RS-25 engine test series for future Artemis flights of the agency’s powerful SLS (Space Launch System) rocket March 22 with a hot fire on the Fred Haise Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.NASA/Danny Nowlin Full-duration RS-25 engine hot fireNASA/Danny Nowlin Full-duration RS-25 engine hot fireNASA/Danny Nowlin NASA continued a key RS-25 engine test series for future Artemis flights of the agency’s powerful SLS (Space Launch System) rocket March 22 with a hot fire on the Fred Haise Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. It marked the 10th hot fire in a 12-test series to certify production of new RS-25 engines by lead contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3 Harris Technologies company. The NASA Stennis test team fired the certification engine for 500 seconds, or the same amount of time engines must fire to help launch the SLS rocket to space with astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft. Operators powered the engine up to a level of 113%, which is beyond the 111% power level new RS-25 engines use to provide additional thrust. Testing up to the 113% power level provides a margin of operational safety. Newly produced engines will power NASA’s SLS rocket on Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond, beginning with Artemis V. For Artemis missions I-IV, NASA and Aerojet Rocketdyne modified 16 former space shuttle engines for use on the SLS rocket. Four RS-25 engines fire simultaneously to help launch each SLS rocket, producing up to 2 million pounds of combined thrust. Through Artemis, NASA will establish the foundation for long-term scientific exploration at the Moon, land the first woman, first person of color, and first international partner astronaut on the lunar surface, and prepare for human expeditions to Mars for the benefit of all. RS-25 tests at NASA Stennis are conducted by a diverse team of operators from NASA, Aerojet Rocketdyne, and Syncom Space Services, prime contractor for site facilities and operations. View the full article
  23. March 22, 2024 NASA logo NASA Johnson Space Center to Host Visit by Texas Governor Greg Abbott NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston will host a Tuesday, March 26, visit by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who will make a major announcement on the future of the space industry in Texas. Media are invited to document the governor’s tour of NASA’s Mission Control Center when he speaks with native Texan and NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara aboard the International Space Station. Abbott will be joined by NASA Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, Texas Representative Greg Bonnen and other state and space industry leaders. U.S. media wishing to attend in person must respond to NASA’s Johnson Space Center by 5 p.m. CDT Monday, March 25, by calling the Johnson Newsroom at 281-483-5111 or e-mailing jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov. Media must arrive at Johnson’s main gate no later than 9:30 a.m. March 26 to pick up credentials and receive instructions. NASA will provide live coverage of the Mission Control tour and call to the space station beginning at 10:15 a.m. on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media. The space industry announcement is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. in NASA’s Space Vehicle Mockup Facility. Discover more about NASA Johnson, the hub of human spaceflight, at: https://www.nasa.gov/johnson/about-johnson/ -end- Kelly Humphries Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 kelly.humphries@nasa.gov View the full article
  24. 3 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Denise RyanNASA Graphics In honor of Women’s History Month, we recently sat down with Denise Ryan, flight management specialist and member of the Women’s Networking Group (WNG) at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, to learn more about her role and working at NASA. What do you do at NASA and how do you help support Armstrong’s mission? I am a Flight Management Specialist and work in the Flight Operations Office where we schedule various ground and flight operations for Armstrong Flight Research Center. I manage the scheduling activities for our diverse fleet of aircraft ranging from a simplistic TG-14 motor-glider to a complex airborne science platform such as the DC-8. Why did you choose to work at NASA and how long have you worked here? I chose to work here at Armstrong because I needed a change – prior to getting a job here I was a Trust Operation Manager for a trust company and teleworking fulltime after moving to the area. Since I prefer in-person interaction, when I was offered a job as an Acquisition Specialist, I took it. From there another opportunity opened in the Flight Operations Directorate, where I was hired as a Flight Operations Scheduler. I’ve worked here at Armstrong for 13 years; 11 years as a contractor and 2 years as a Civil Servant. What has been your proudest accomplishment or highlight of your career? The highlight of my career is the NASA Honor Award for Exceptional Public Service that I received in 2020 for “Exceptional service as Flight Operations Scheduler”. Do you have any advice for others like yourself who may be contemplating a career at NASA? Go for it! I’ve enjoyed my time working at NASA and would always encourage people to apply for opportunities here when they’re available. What is the most exciting aspect of your job? In Flight Ops, the most exciting thing about my job, besides the people I get to interact with every day, is that we are part of all the flight missions that take place at Armstrong. From ground test to first flights and even last, we are involved in many different aspects. I have a unique job that allows us to not necessarily be tied to one mission or one project, but almost all of them, and that’s exciting. What did you want to be when you were growing up? Did you think you would ever work for NASA? I honestly didn’t have a solid plan – I remember telling people that my goal was to be happy and would find out what would bring me that happiness as I went through life. That eventually got me to NASA and I would say I’m pretty happy, so that’s a win. What’s the strangest tradition in your family? Or a unique family tradition? We have a tradition that if it’s your birthday, after we sing, we smear frosting on your face. The other traditional that isn’t strange, but I think is valuable is that we sit together for dinner as a family. If you could master a skill without any work, what would it be? I think mastering a musical instrument would be my choice – specifically the Cello. I can play basic chords on a Ukulele and Guitar, but I’m far from being a master, more like a beginner. Read More About Women at Armstrong Share Details Last Updated Mar 22, 2024 EditorDede DiniusContactAmber YarbroughLocationArmstrong Flight Research Center Related TermsArmstrong Flight Research CenterFeatured CareersLife at NASANASA Centers & FacilitiesPeople of NASAWhat We DoWomen at NASAWomen's History Month Explore More 3 min read NASA Innovation on Display at AAS Goddard Space Science Symposium Article 3 hours ago 2 min read Hubble Spots the Spider Galaxy This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows the gauzy-looking celestial body UGC 5829,… Article 6 hours ago 5 min read NASA’s Tiny BurstCube Mission Launches to Study Cosmic Blasts NASA’s BurstCube, a shoebox-sized satellite designed to study the universe’s most powerful explosions, is on… Article 19 hours ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center People of NASA Women’s History Month Armstrong People View the full article
  25. The National Space Council invites you to join us for Find Your Place in Space Week. From April 6-13, 2024 museums, science centers, companies, schools, and organizations will engage with communities across the nation to highlight all that space is, has to offer, and the benefits of space for Earth. We know that too many people are unaware of the importance of space to their everyday lives, to Earth, or know that their expertise and talents are needed in the industry. Through this effort, we want people from all communities and backgrounds to experience space and find their place in space! Visit the Find Your Place in Space Week website, which includes: A map and list of planned events. Our goal is for there to be events in every state and Puerto Rico. A social media toolkit and graphics that are helpful for amplifying the importance of space online throughout the week (and beyond). A page with an activity toolkit and online resources from across the federal departments and agencies. Please consider hosting an event in your community. If you do, share the information with us to be added to the list of events. You can also use the list to join an event near you. Hope to see you there! View the full article
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