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3 min read NASA ASTRO CAMP® Sets New Record While Providing STEM Opportunities Another year equals another record as NASA’s ASTRO CAMP® initiative reached across the nation and beyond to help a broad spectrum of students learn about NASA and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). A NASA ASTRO CAMP® participant engages with a NASA STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) activity at the Arizona Science Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Arizona Science Center The NASA ASTRO CAMP® Community Partners (ACCP) program surpassed previous milestone marks during fiscal year 2023 by partnering with 331 community sites, including 31 outside the United States, to inspire youth, families, and educators. Participants included students from various population segments, focusing on students from underrepresented groups, accessibility for differently-abled students, and reaching under-resourced urban and rural settings. “We honor the schools and organizations that have created programs to inspire and encourage young people who may be interested in a future career in STEM,” said Kelly Martin-Rivers, principal investigator for NASA’s ACCP. “Many STEM programs are not recognized for their success, dedication, and mentorship for underrepresented students. ACCP partner sites provide a minimum of 30 hours of NASA STEM activities, and we are proud to honor these programs for bringing quality STEM programs and open access to students everywhere.” In addition to reaching communities across the country during the most-recent fiscal year, the NASA ACCP program partnered with international sites in Qatar, Ecuador, Mexico, India, Ukraine, and Spain. Overall, more than 115,000 students took part in the program, a more than 300% increase from the 35,000-plus who participated the previous year. A NASA ASTRO CAMP® participant shows his handmade satellite at the Arizona Science Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Arizona Science Center A NASA ASTRO CAMP® participant looks at a model of NASA’s powerful SLS (Space Launch System) rocket at an event in Sugarland, Texas. STEM Pioneers An additional 74,454 students took part in special STEM activities, also an increase from the previous year’s total of almost 44,000. ACCP trained 1,160 facilitators during the fiscal year as well. As part of the NASA Science Mission Directorate Science Activation program, ACCP continues making strides to bridge disparities and break barriers in STEM. A breakdown of participants from the most-recent year includes 30,828 African American students, 24,285 Hispanic students, 6,928 Asian students, and 1,300 Native American students. Half (51%) of all participants were elementary students, with the remainder split among middle school (28%) and high school (21%) students. A bit more than half (53%) of participants were male. ACCP activities offer real-world opportunities for students to enhance scientific understanding and contribute to NASA science missions, while also inspiring lifelong learning. The ACCP theme was “2023 NASA Science…Discovering Our Future Together!” The program featured materials and activities related to NASA science missions, astrophysics, heliophysics, Earth science, and planetary science. The unique methodology teaches students to work collaboratively to complete missions and provides trained community educators to implement the themed NASA modules, developed by the ACCP team, seated at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. ASTRO CAMP began at NASA Stennis as a single one-week camp in the 1990s. Since then, it has developed into several adaptable models for schools, museums, universities, libraries, and youth service organizations, enabling a worldwide expansion. For more information about becoming a NASA ASTRO CAMP Collaborative Community Partner, contact: Kelly Martin-Rivers at kelly.e.martin-rivers@nasa.gov or 228-688-1500; or Maria Lott at maria.l.lott@nasa.gov or 228-688-1776. For more on the ASTRO CAMP Collaborative Community Partner Program, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/stennis/stem-engagement-at-stennis/nasa-accp/. Share Details Last Updated Nov 03, 2023 Editor Contact Location Stennis Space Center Related Terms Stennis Space Center Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Stennis Space Center NASA STEM Opportunities and Activities For Students About STEM Engagement at NASA Learning Resources View the full article

2 min read Hubble Tangos with a Dancer in Dorado This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image features the spiral galaxy NGC 1566. ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Calzetti and the LEGUS team, R. Chandar This vibrant Hubble Space Telescope image features the spiral galaxy NGC 1566, sometimes informally referred to as the ‘Spanish Dancer Galaxy’. Like the subject of another recent image, NGC 1566 is a weakly-barred or intermediate spiral galaxy. This means that it does not have a clearly present or a clearly absent bar-shaped structure at its center. The galaxy owes its nickname to the vivid and dramatic swirling lines of its spiral arms, which could evoke the shapes and colors of a dancer’s moving form. NGC 1566 lies around 60 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Dorado and is a member of the Dorado galaxy group. A galaxy group is a collection of gravitationally bound galaxies. They differ from galaxy clusters in size and mass: galaxy clusters may hold hundreds of galaxies, while galaxy groups might only hold several tens of galaxies. However, groups are the most common collection of galaxies in the universe, holding more than 50% of all galaxies. Although there is currently no precise number delineation between the definition of a galaxy group and a galaxy cluster, some astronomers have suggested that collections with less than 80 trillion Suns should be classified as galaxy groups. The Dorado group membership has fluctuated over the past few decades, as various scientific papers changed its list of constituent galaxies. This is one example of why it is so challenging for astronomers to pin down members of galaxy groups like the Dorado group. One way to better understand this problem is by imagining a photograph of an adult human and a large oak tree. We know the approximate size of the person and the tree, so if we see a photo where the person appears roughly the same size as the tree, then we would assume that, in reality, the person was much closer to the camera than the tree. When astronomers try to figure out which galaxies are members of a galaxy group, they do not necessarily know the size of the individual galaxies. Instead, they have to work out whether the galaxies really are relatively close together in space, or whether some of them are actually much closer or much further away. This process is easier with more sophisticated observation techniques, but it still can present a challenge. Text credit: European Space Agency Media Contact: Claire Andreoli NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD claire.andreoli@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Nov 03, 2023 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Related Terms Astrophysics Division Galaxies Goddard Space Flight Center Hubble Space Telescope Missions Science Mission Directorate Spiral Galaxies The Universe Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Stars Stories Galaxies Stories Exoplanets Our Solar System View the full article

NASA Explorers: New Series Coming Soon to NASA+

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The following is a statement from NASA Administrator Bill Nelson on the passing of former NASA astronaut Rear Adm. (ret.) Thomas K. (TK) Mattingly II. “We lost one of our country’s heroes on Oct. 31. NASA astronaut TK Mattingly was key to the success of our Apollo Program, and his shining personality will ensure he is remembered throughout history. “Beginning his career with the U.S. Navy, TK received his wings in 1960 and flew various aircraft across multiple assignments. Once he joined the Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot School as a student, NASA chose him to be part of the astronaut class in 1966. Before flying in space, he aided the Apollo Program working as the astronaut support crew and took leadership in the development of the Apollo spacesuit and backpack. “His unparalleled skill as a pilot aided us when he took on the role of command module pilot for Apollo 16 and spacecraft commander for space shuttle missions STS-4 and STS 51-C. The commitment to innovation and resilience toward opposition made TK an excellent figure to embody our mission and our nation’s admiration. “Perhaps his most dramatic role at NASA was after exposure to rubella just before the launch of Apollo 13. He stayed behind and provided key real-time decisions to successfully bring home the wounded spacecraft and the crew of Apollo 13 – NASA astronauts James Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise. “TK’s contributions have allowed for advancements in our learning beyond that of space. He described his experience in orbit by saying, ‘I had this very palpable fear that if I saw too much, I couldn’t remember. It was just so impressive.’ He viewed the universe’s vastness as an unending forum of possibilities. As a leader in exploratory missions, TK will be remembered for braving the unknown for the sake of our country’s future.” For more information about Mattingly’s NASA career, and his agency biography, visit: https://go.nasa.gov/46X0zAY -end- Jackie McGuinness / Cheryl Warner Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 jackie.mcguinness@nasa.gov / cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov Courtney Beasley Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 courtney.m.beasley@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Nov 02, 2023 Location NASA Headquarters Related Terms AstronautsFormer AstronautsNASA History View the full article

6 Min Read Science in Space: Robotic Helpers NASA astronaut Steve Swanson and ESA astronaut Alex Gerst set up SPHERES satellites. Credits: NASA Crew time is a valuable resource on the International Space Station and its value only increases for future space missions. One way to make the most of crew time is using robotic technology either to assist crew members with various tasks and or to completely automate others. A current investigation on the space station, JEM Internal Ball Camera 2, is part of ongoing efforts to develop this technology. The free floating remote-controlled panoramic camera launched to the space station in 2018 and this investigation from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) demonstrates using the camera to autonomously capture video and photos of research activities. Currently, crew members are assigned time to take video and photos of scientific activities, which are important tools for researchers. Successful demonstration of the autonomous capture technology ultimately could free up that crew time. The investigation also serves as a test platform for other tasks robots might perform. NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson works with the JEM Internal Ball Camera.NASA Three free-flying robots on the space station, known as Astrobees, support multiple demonstrations of technology for various types of robotic assistance on space exploration missions and on Earth. Results from these investigations are contributing to improvements in robotic technology and its potential. The SoundSee Mission demonstrates using sound to monitor equipment on a spacecraft, with a sensor mounted on an Astrobee. The sensor detects anomalies in the sounds made by life support systems, exercise equipment, and other infrastructure. Sound anomalies can indicate potential malfunctions. Preliminary results from this investigation highlighted the difference between simulations and in-space experiments and noted that small changes in a simulated environment can approximate differences in expected and observed values in the target environment1. The investigation also helps characterize sound sources in the constantly changing acoustic landscape of the space station, which can inform future use of this technology. Designing robots to traverse the surface of the Moon or Mars presents specific challenges. The landscape may be rough and uneven, requiring a robot to make time-consuming detours, and thick regolith or dust can bog down a robot and burn up a lot of fuel. One possible solution is for robots to hop over such landscapes. The Astrobatics investigation uses the Astrobees to demonstrate propulsion via a hopping or self-toss maneuver using arm-like manipulators. This approach could expand the capabilities of robotic vehicles for tasks such as assisting crews on intra- or extravehicular activities, servicing equipment, removing orbital debris, conducting on-orbit assembly, and exploring. Results show that self-toss maneuvers have a greater range of motion and provide a greater displacement from a start position2. One of the Astrobee robots performs a self-toss or hopping maneuver for the Astrobatics investigation. NASA The Gecko-Inspired Adhesive Grasping investigation tested an adhesive for robotic grasping and manipulation using a special gripper on an Astrobee. Geckos are a type of lizard that can grasp a smooth surface without needing features such as nicks and knobs to hold on to. Adhesive grippers inspired by these reptiles, already proven to work in space, could allow robots to rapidly attach to and detach from surfaces, even on objects that are moving or spinning. Researchers report that the adhesives functioned as anticipated and suggested some considerations for their future use, including launching redundant adhesive tiles and ensuring complete adhesive contact in microgravity3. In addition, on robots used for intravehicular activities or spacewalks, the gecko grippers should be able to absorb kinetic energy and accommodate misalignment. The grippers also need sensors to determine when all the tiles are in contact with the surface so tension can be applied at the right moment. ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti monitors a pair of Astrobees performing autonomous maneuvers.NASA Space debris includes satellites that could be repaired or taken out of orbit. Many of these objects are tumbling, which makes rendezvous and docking with them a challenge. The ROAM investigation used Astrobees to demonstrate a technology to observe how a target tumbles and to use this information to plan ways to safely reach them. Simulation results validated the accuracy of the method prior to the experiment4. A previous robotic technology, SPHERES, used bowling-ball sized spherical satellites to test formation flying and algorithms for control of multiple spacecraft as well as to host physical and material science investigations. One of those investigations tested autonomous rendezvous and docking maneuvers. The technology was able to handle increasingly complex scenarios that added static and moving obstacles5. Expedition 60 Flight Engineer Andrew Morgan of NASA monitors a pair of free-floating satellites known as SPHERES.NASA The design of an earlier robot tested on the space station, Robonaut, resembled a human. It had a torso, arms with human-like hands, a head, and legs with end effectors that allowed it to move around inside the space station. While on the station, Robonaut flipped switches, removed dust covers, and cleaned handrails6. The ISAAC investigation combined Robonaut and the Astrobees to demonstrate a technology to track the health of exploration vehicles, transfer and unpack cargo, and respond to issues such as leaks and fires. A second phase of testing aboard the station focuses on managing multiple robots as they transport cargo between an uncrewed space station and visiting cargo craft. In the third and final phase of testing, the team will create more difficult fault scenarios for the robots and develop robust techniques to respond to anomalies. These and other robotics investigations contribute to the success of future missions, where robots could help crew members with a variety of tasks, freeing up their time and reducing the risks of working outside spacecraft and habitats. Robotic assistants have important applications in harsh and dangerous environments on Earth as well. Search this database of scientific experiments to learn more about those mentioned above. Citations: 1 Bondi L, Chuang G, Ick C, Dave A, Shelton C, Coltin B, Smith T, Das S. Acoustic imaging aboard the International Space Station (ISS): Challenges and preliminary results. ICASSP 2022 – 2022 IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing, Singapore, Singapore. 2022 May; 5108-5112. (https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9746256) 2 Kwok Choon ST, Romano M, Hudson J. Orbital hopping maneuvers with Astrobee on-board the International Space Station. Acta Astronautica. 2023 June; 20762-76 (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0094576523000991?via%3Dihub) 3 Chen TG, Cauligi A, Suresh SA, Pavone M, Cutkosky MR. Testing gecko-inspired adhesives with Astrobee aboard the International Space Station: Readying the technology for space. IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine. 2022 May 27; 2-11 (https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9783137) 4 Oestreich CE, Espinoza AT, Todd J, Albee KE, Linares R. On-orbit inspection of an unknown, tumbling target using NASA’s Astrobee robotic free-flyers. IEEE/CVF Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR) Workshops, 2021, Virtual Event. 2021 June 19-25; 2039–2047 (https://www.nasa.gov/mission/station/research-explorer/investigation/?#id=8324) 5 Chamitoff GE, Saenz-Otero A, Katz JG, Ulrich S, Morrell BJ, Gibbens PW. Real-time maneuver optimization of space-based robots in a dynamic environment: Theory and on-orbit experiments. Acta Astronautica. 2018 January 1; 142170-183 (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0094576516300431?via%3Dihub) 6 Diftler MA, Ahlstrom TD, Ambrose RO, Radford NA, Joyce CA, De La Pena N, Parsons AH, Noblitt AL. Robonaut 2 – Initial Activities On-Board the ISS. 2012 IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, MT. 2012 pp.1-12. (https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6187268) Facebook logo @ISS @ISS_Research@ISS Instagram logo @ISS Linkedin logo @company/NASA Keep Exploring Discover More Topics Latest News from Space Station Research ISS National Laboratory Robotics International Space Station View the full article

4 min read NASA Completes Key Step in Aviation Safety Research NASA’s transformational vision for the skies above our communities includes enabling safer and more efficient air travel. Part of this goal involves using advanced new technology to prevent safety risks long before they have a chance to arise.MTSI / NASA NASA’s aeronautical innovators have completed a significant step in their pursuit of safer, more efficient aviation technologies that spot hazards before they occur. Through its System-Wide Safety project, NASA and its partners in government, industry, and academia are exploring new technologies and techniques to improve current aviation safety and potentially enable widespread use of new types of aircraft such as drones or air taxis. The project recently completed Technical Challenge 1 (TC-1), Terminal Area Risk Management, the first step towards achieving what is known as an In-Time Aviation Safety Management System. This new type of aviation safety technology can effectively address potential hazards expected with the rise in demand for the number and types of aircraft flying in the National Airspace System. As aviation operations continue to grow in scale and diversity, and with new modes of flight expected to rise in the near future, keeping the skies safe becomes increasingly complex and drives the need to transform the way order is maintained above our communities. “What we’ve accomplished with TC-1 is really just beginning to scratch the surface of what’s possible,” said Kyle Ellis, NASA’s project manager for System-Wide Safety. “Developing these systems enables a new economy for aviation uses that will benefit us all in the future.” Planning Ahead In a busy aviation environment, an In-Time Aviation Safety Management System can efficiently identify and predict safety issues a human would be hard tasked to keep up with. In today’s airspace safety system, let’s say an air traffic manager is looking at their screen and guiding 10 airplanes towards their destinations. This person would use a combination of established safety rules and pattern recognition to make sure those aircraft remain a safe distance apart. If this person saw a hazard that posed a safety risk, they would work with the pilots aboard the aircraft and resolve the issue. Now, let’s think about the airspace of tomorrow. Instead of 10 airplanes total, 10 air taxis, 10 ultra-efficient airliners, and 10 commercial supersonic jets might be sharing the same confined airspace. Preventing and addressing hazards would become a more complex issue nearly impossible for a person to identify in time to prevent an accident. An In-Time Aviation Safety Management System is designed to identify these events much more rapidly than human operators, then quickly deliver actionable safety procedures to prevent the dangerous situation long before it develops. Furthermore, preventing these situations from ever arising in the first place increases the efficiency of the airspace overall, since not as much time and effort would be spent by managers keeping things running smoothly. Laying the Foundation TC-1 contributed several important pieces of technology working towards the development of such a system. These contributions improve aviation safety not just for tomorrow – but also for today. For example, part of the research included using new machine learning algorithms to analyze data gathered from major airlines, which use existing aviation safety management systems, to discover potential safety risks that had previously been undefined – overall making things safer. Researchers also gathered information on exact ways human safety managers, pilots, air traffic controllers, and others interact with safety procedures. The team identified useful, efficient practices, as well as those that could potentially lead to safety risks. Their work contributes substantially to improving training and safety operations. Additionally, researchers studied human performance and fatigue, partnering with pilots to study how various factors such as flight scheduling, certain short-haul routes, and even the COVID-19 pandemic affect operations. Other results include prototype safety tools and surveys on human performance. With this more comprehensive understanding of the safety landscape, NASA and its partners can more effectively continue ushering in new safety technologies. “We focused on gathering data on current-day operations, but always have an eye for the near future,” said Nikunj Oza, subproject manager for TC-1. “We can use the lessons learned about current aviation safety to best inform new systems.” Facebook logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es Instagram logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es Linkedin logo @NASA Explore More 4 min read NASA, Partners Explore Sustainable Fuel’s Effects on Aircraft Contrails Article 3 days ago 4 min read NASA C-130 Makes First-Ever Flight to Antarctica for GUSTO Balloon Mission Article 3 days ago 4 min read NASA Technologies Receive Multiple Nods in TIME Inventions of 2023 Article 6 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans In Space Solar System Exploration Solar System Overview Our solar system has one star, eight planets, five officially recognized dwarf planets, at least 290 moons,… Explore NASA’s History Share Details Last Updated Nov 02, 2023 Editor Lillian Gipson Contact Jim Bankejim.banke@nasa.gov Related Terms AeronauticsAeronautics Research Mission DirectorateAir Traffic SolutionsAirspace Operations and Safety ProgramDrones & YouSystem-Wide Safety View the full article

3 min read NASA’s Lucy Spacecraft Discovers 2nd Asteroid During Dinkinesh Flyby On Nov. 1, NASA’s Lucy spacecraft flew by not just its first asteroid, but its first two. The first images returned by Lucy reveal that the small main belt asteroid Dinkinesh is actually a binary pair. This image shows the “moonrise” of the satellite as it emerges from behind asteroid Dinkinesh as seen by the Lucy Long-Range Reconnaissance Imager (L’LORRI), one of the most detailed images returned by NASA’s Lucy spacecraft during its flyby of the asteroid binary. This image was taken at 12:55 p.m. EDT (1655 UTC) Nov. 1, 2023, within a minute of closest approach, from a range of approximately 270 miles (430 km). From this perspective, the satellite is behind the primary asteroid. The image has been sharpened and processed to enhance contrast.NASA/Goddard/SwRI/Johns Hopkins APL/NOAO “Dinkinesh really did live up to its name; this is marvelous,” said Hal Levison, referring to the meaning of Dinkinesh in the Amharic language, “marvelous.” Levison is principal investigator for Lucy from the Boulder, Colorado, branch of the San-Antonio-based Southwest Research Institute. “When Lucy was originally selected for flight, we planned to fly by seven asteroids. With the addition of Dinkinesh, two Trojan moons, and now this satellite, we’ve turned it up to 11.” In the weeks prior to the spacecraft’s encounter with Dinkinesh, the Lucy team had wondered if Dinkinesh might be a binary system, given how Lucy’s instruments were seeing the asteroid’s brightness changing with time. The first images from the encounter removed all doubt. Dinkinesh is a close binary. From a preliminary analysis of the first available images, the team estimates that the larger body is approximately 0.5 miles (790 m) at its widest, while the smaller is about 0.15 miles (220 m) in size. This encounter primarily served as an in-flight test of the spacecraft, specifically focusing on testing the system that allows Lucy to autonomously track an asteroid as it flies past at 10,000 mph, referred to as the terminal tracking system. A series of images of the binary asteroid pair, Dinkinesh, as seen by the terminal tracking camera (T2CAM) on NASA’s Lucy spacecraft during its closest approach on Nov. 1, 2023. The images were taken 13 seconds apart. The apparent motion of the two asteroids is due to the motion of the spacecraft as it flew past at 10,000 mph (4.5 km/s). These images have been sharpened and processed to enhance contrast.NASA/Goddard/SwRI/ASU “This is an awesome series of images. They indicate that the terminal tracking system worked as intended, even when the universe presented us with a more difficult target than we expected,” said Tom Kennedy, guidance and navigation engineer at Lockheed Martin in Littleton, Colorado. “It’s one thing to simulate, test, and practice. It’s another thing entirely to see it actually happen.” While this encounter was carried out as an engineering test, the team’s scientists are excitedly poring over the data to glean insights into the nature of small asteroids. “We knew this was going to be the smallest main belt asteroid ever seen up close,” said Keith Noll, Lucy project scientist from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “The fact that it is two makes it even more exciting. In some ways these asteroids look similar to the near-Earth asteroid binary Didymos and Dimorphos that DART saw, but there are some really interesting differences that we will be investigating.” It will take up to a week for the team to downlink the remainder of the encounter data from the spacecraft. The team will use this data to evaluate the spacecraft’s behavior during the encounter and to prepare for the next close-up look at an asteroid, the main belt asteroid Donaldjohanson, in 2025. Lucy will then be well-prepared to encounter the mission’s main targets, the Jupiter Trojan asteroids, starting in 2027. By Katherine Kretke Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio Media contact: Nancy N. Jones NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Share Details Last Updated Nov 02, 2023 Editor Jamie Adkins Contact Related Terms AsteroidsGoddard Space Flight CenterLucyThe Solar System Explore More 3 min read NASA Goddard’s ‘Spiky’ Antenna Chamber: Signaling Success for 50 Years Rows upon rows of cobalt-blue spires in Goddard’s antenna chamber evoke a soundproof room from… Article 1 hour ago 3 min read Hubble Provides Unique Ultraviolet View of Jupiter This newly released image from the NASA Hubble Space Telescope shows the planet Jupiter in… Article 3 hours ago 9 min read Rita Owens: Keeper of NASA’s Digital Knowledge Data Systems Engineer Rita Owens supports NASA’s Digital Transformation as part of the NASA Data… Article 23 hours ago View the full article

3 min read NASA Goddard’s ‘Spiky’ Antenna Chamber: Signaling Success for 50 Years The ElectroMagnetic Anechoic Chamber, GEMAC for short, at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, has been a critical proving ground for antenna technology for more than half-a-century.NASA On any given day, NASA’s networks may communicate with over 100 space missions. Whether the mission keeps the lines of communication open with orbiting astronauts or peers deep into the cosmos, those dozens of satellites all have one thing in common: each needs an antenna. Without one, NASA missions and their discoveries simply would not be possible. To ensure those antennas are up to the challenges of spaceflight, for most that means rigorous testing on the ground in a simulated space environment. The Goddard ElectroMagnetic Anechoic Chamber (GEMAC) at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, has been an integral antenna proving ground for more than 50 years. ‘Sound Booth’ for Space Signals Rows upon rows of cobalt-blue spires in Goddard’s antenna chamber evoke a soundproof room or isolation booth from a recording studio. In some ways the chamber is similar, but instead of dampening sound waves, this facility blocks out radio signals and eliminates radio wave reflections inside the chamber – “anechoic” means no echoes. Much like laying down tracks on a hit album, errant ambient noise picked up by the microphone can ruin an otherwise perfect take. The same is true with radio waves when engineers want to test a spacecraft antenna. The radio environment on Earth is “noisy”: AM and FM broadcasts, television signals, cell phones, even microwave ovens, all produce radio frequencies – RF. To simulate the relatively tranquil RF environment of space, engineers need a way to isolate antennas from all these other Earth-based radio waves when they run their tests. Engineers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, have finished testing the high-gain antenna for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The antenna, shown here in Goddard’s ElectroMagnetic Anechoic Chamber in January 2023, will provide the primary communication link between the Roman spacecraft and the ground.NASA / Chris Gunn That’s the job of those tightly packed columns of spikes lining the floors and walls. These polyurethane foam cones are microwave absorbers. They block outside interference and noise, and within the chamber’s “quiet zone” as engineers call it, they provide a reflection-free environment like the antenna will experience in space. Antennas Put to the Test With this radio-proof environment, engineers at Goddard can accurately measure how efficiently antennas broadcast and receive signals. If an antenna’s signal were to go in unexpected or undesired directions during flight, it could mean the loss of mission data, or even the entire spacecraft itself if a critical command were missed. Trying to do antenna design and testing work without a chamber like this “would be like taking a calculator away from an accountant,” said Goddard engineer Ken Hersey. As NASA’s missions (and their antennas) have increased in sophistication over time, Goddard engineers have upgraded the anechoic chamber to follow suit. Hersey was a lead designer on the most recent major overhaul, which in 1997 expanded the range of antenna frequencies that could be accommodated in tests. The chamber can even help calibrate scientific instruments, like radars and microwave radiation sensors. The Earth Coverage Antenna for NASA’s PACE – the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem missionRadio frequency testing of the PACE Earth Coverage Antenna in the ElectroMagnetic Anechoic Chamber at Goddard Space Flight Center.NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center / Denny Henry Most recently, the anechoic chamber certified both the Roman Space Telescope high-gain antenna and the Earth coverage antenna for PACE – the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem mission. Launching by May 2027, Roman will have a field of view at least 100 times greater than Hubble’s and help settle essential questions about dark matter and dark energy. PACE launches in January 2024 on a mission to study Earth’s air quality, ocean health, and climate change. Once these missions take flight, their groundbreaking observations will become the latest in an ongoing legacy of discoveries made possible with help from a battery of polyurethane cones and Goddard’s anechoic antenna chamber. By Lauren Saloio NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Media Contact: Rob Garner NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Facebook logo @NASAGoddard @NASAGoddard Instagram logo @NASAGoddard Share Details Last Updated Nov 02, 2023 Editor Rob Garner Contact Rob Garnerrob.garner@nasa.gov Location NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms Goddard Space Flight CenterSpace Communications TechnologyTechnology Explore More 5 min read NASA’s First Two-way End-to-End Laser Communications Relay System Article 1 week ago 5 min read PACE Off: NASA Goddard Acoustics Chamber and U.S. Marine Band Turn Up the Volume NASA's upcoming PACE Earth science mission recently passed its acoustic test – a blast of… Article 4 months ago 4 min read NASA Tech Breathes Life Into Potentially Game-Changing Antenna Design Article 1 week ago View the full article

September’s full Moon, the Harvest Moon, is photographed from the International Space Station, perfectly placed in between exterior station hardware. NASA leadership, including Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, will participate in a workshop on space mobility and in-space servicing on Tuesday, Nov. 7, at the University of Maryland in College Park. Beginning at 8:30 a.m. EST, the Consortium for Space Mobility and ISAM Capabilities (COSMIC) workshop runs through Wednesday, Nov. 8. NASA announced the consortium in April, aiming to create a nationwide aerospace community alliance that provides global leadership in space mobility and in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) for use in Earth orbit, lunar orbit, deep space, and on planetary surfaces. Following welcome remarks from Prasun Desai, acting associate administrator, Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, Melroy will provide a keynote on NASA’s support for ISAM. Other leaders from The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the U.S. Department of Defense, the defense and aerospace industry, and academia, also will participate. The conference features panel discussions and breakout workshops for COSMIC’s three caucuses ­– U.S. government, industry, and academia ­– and the Consortium’s five focus areas. Media interested in attending the opening day, either in person or virtually, should RSVP by 12 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 6, to Parker Wishik at 708-391-7806 or parker.wishik@aero.org. NASA and COSMIC experts will be available for interview opportunities upon request. Other COSMIC plenary sessions will be recorded and later published to the COSMIC YouTube channel. NASA funds COSMIC, creating a nationwide alliance around the capability areas, and it will support the ISAM National Strategy and National ISAM Implementation Plan, released in 2022, which define a national approach to build on existing investments and emerging capabilities to realize future opportunities enabled by ISAM. The Consortium aims to accelerate ISAM’s universal adoption and support its utilization as a routine part of space architectures and mission lifecycles. The Aerospace Corporation leads COSMIC as the management entity contracted by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate to ensure coordination among members, caucuses, and focus areas and to execute COSMIC initiative-focused events. For information on the COSMIC kickoff meeting, including the full agenda, visit: https://cosmicspace.org/2023/08/cosmics-kickoff-meeting -end- Jimi Russell Headquarters, Washington 216-704-2412 james.j.russell@nasa.gov Parker Wishik COSMIC 708-391-7806 parker.wishik@aero.org View the full article

NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, T. Temim (Princeton University) The James Webb Space Telescope captures new details of the Crab Nebula, 6,500 light-years away, in this image released on Oct. 30, 2023. The Crab Nebula, the well-studied. While these remains of an exploded star have been well-studied by multiple observatories, including the Hubble Space Telescope, Webb’s infrared sensitivity and resolution offer new clues into the makeup and origins of this scene. Thanks to Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), scientists were able to determine the composition of the material ejected from the explosion. The supernova remnant is comprised of several different components, including doubly ionized sulfur (represented in red-orange), ionized iron (blue), dust (yellow-white and green), and synchrotron emission (white). In this image, colors were assigned to different filters from Webb’s NIRCam and MIRI: blue (F162M), light blue (F480M), cyan (F560W), green (F1130W), orange (F1800W), and red (F2100W). Take a video tour of this image. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, T. Temim (Princeton University) View the full article

Artist’s concept showing two of the seven planets discovered orbiting a Sun-like star. The system, called Kepler-385, was identified using data from NASA’s Kepler mission.NASA/Daniel Rutter A system of seven sweltering planets has been revealed by continued study of data from NASA’s retired Kepler space telescope: Each one is bathed in more radiant heat from their host star per area than any planet in our solar system. Also unlike any of our immediate neighbors, all seven planets in this system, named Kepler-385, are larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune. It is one of only a few planetary systems known to contain more than six verified planets or planet candidates. The Kepler-385 system is among the highlights of a new Kepler catalog that contains almost 4,400 planet candidates, including more than 700 multi-planet systems. “We’ve assembled the most accurate list of Kepler planet candidates and their properties to date,” said Jack Lissauer, a research scientist at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley and lead author on the paper presenting the new catalog. “NASA’s Kepler mission has discovered the majority of known exoplanets, and this new catalog will enable astronomers to learn more about their characteristics.” At the center of the Kepler-385 system is a Sun-like star about 10% larger and 5% hotter than the Sun. The two inner planets, both slightly larger than Earth, are probably rocky and may have thin atmospheres. The other five planets are larger – each with a radius about twice the size of Earth’s – and expected to be enshrouded in thick atmospheres. Artist’s concept of Kepler-385, the seven-planet system revealed in a new catalog of planet candidates discovered by NASA’s Kepler space telescope.NASA/Daniel Rutter The ability to describe the properties of the Kepler-385 system in such detail is testament to the quality of this latest catalog of exoplanets. While the Kepler mission’s final catalogs focused on producing lists optimized to measure how common planets are around other stars, this study focuses on producing a comprehensive list that provides accurate information about each of the systems, making discoveries like Kepler-385 possible. The new catalog uses improved measurements of stellar properties and calculates more accurately the path of each transiting planet across its host star. This combination illustrates that when a star hosts several transiting planets, they typically have more circular orbits than when a star hosts only one or two. Kepler’s primary observations ceased in 2013 and were followed by the telescope’s extended mission, called K2, which continued until 2018. The data Kepler collected continues to reveal new discoveries about our galaxy. After the mission already showed us there are more planets than stars, this new study paints a more detailed picture of what each of those planets and their home systems look like, giving us a better view of the many worlds beyond our solar system. The research article, “Updated Catalog of Kepler Planet Candidates: Focus on Accuracy and Orbital Periods” is forthcoming in The Journal of Planetary Science. Learn more: Listen to a sonification of the orbit data of the seven planets in the Kepler-385 system: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BCiOTJjcQQ For news media: Members of the news media interested in covering this topic should reach out to the NASA Ames newsroom. View the full article

4 min read Una nueva aplicación de la NASA ayuda a avistar la estación espacial NASA Read this release in English here. La NASA está haciendo más fácil para el público avistar Estación Espacial Internacional, el hogar de la humanidad en el espacio, mientras esta sobrevuela la Tierra, así como ampliando el acceso a noticias y recursos sobre este laboratorio en microgravedad con una nueva aplicación para teléfonos móviles, o celulares, llamada Spot the Station (Avista la estación). La aplicación para celulares ya está disponible para descargar en iOS y Android. La aplicación se basa en el sitio web Spot the Station de la agencia y proporciona información y capacidades adicionales para mejorar la experiencia del público en el avistamiento de la estación espacial. Una interfaz de realidad aumentada facilita a los usuarios ubicar la estación y ofrece opciones para capturar y compartir imágenes y vídeos de sus avistamientos en tiempo real. Con el poder de la realidad aumentada, la brújula incorporada en la aplicación le mostrará al espectador dónde se encuentra la estación espacial, incluso si se está al otro lado del planeta. Los usuarios también pueden registrarse para recibir notificaciones de las próximas oportunidades de avistamiento en sus teléfonos móviles en función de su ubicación exacta. “Incluso después de 23 años de presencia humana continua a bordo de la Estación Espacial Internacional, es increíblemente emocionante ver la estación cuando miras hacia arriba en el momento justo”, dijo Robyn Gatens, directora de la Estación Espacial Internacional en la sede de la NASA en Washington. “Este laboratorio orbital, que continúa proporcionando tantos beneficios únicos y tangibles para la humanidad, realmente no está tan lejos de nuestro alcance”. La estación espacial es visible porque refleja la luz del Sol, que es la misma razón por la que podemos ver la Luna. Pero a diferencia de la Luna, la estación espacial no es lo suficientemente brillante como para poder observarla durante el día. Solo es posible verla cuando amanece o anochece en la localidad del espectador. Por lo tanto, la oportunidad de avistamiento varía de una vez al mes a varias a la semana, ya que es necesario que haya oscuridad en la localidad del espectador, y la estación espacial tiene que pasar por encima de su cabeza. Con la aplicación Spot the Station para móviles, los usuarios sabrán cuándo la estación está sobrevolando su área y cómo localizarla. La aplicación fue desarrollada por el Programa de la Estación Espacial Internacional en la Dirección de Misiones de Operaciones Espaciales de la NASA y el Centro de Excelencia para la Innovación Colaborativa, el cual es parte del programa de Premios, Desafíos y Crowdsourcing de la Dirección de Misiones de Tecnología Espacial de la agencia. El código de la aplicación está abierto para que cualquiera pueda acceder a ella, modificarla y utilizarla en sus propios proyectos, así como ofrecer comentarios opcionales para los programadores. La NASA continuará actualizando y mejorando la aplicación para móviles de forma continua a medida que reciba los comentarios de los usuarios. El lanzamiento de esta aplicación también se produce justo antes del 25.o aniversario del inicio de operaciones de la Estación Espacial Internacional, el cual marca la unión de los módulos Zarya y Unity, los primeros elementos de lo que hoy es un enorme complejo orbital, el 6 de diciembre de 1998. La estación espacial permite el avance del conocimiento científico en las ciencias de la Tierra, del espacio, físicas y biológicas para el beneficio de los habitantes de nuestro planeta natal. Además, la estación espacial sirve como el laboratorio líder mundial para las investigaciones de vanguardia y el desarrollo de la tecnología que respalda la exploración humana y robótica de destinos más allá de la órbita baja de la Tierra, incluyendo la Luna y Marte. Aprende más sobre la estación espacial, sus investigaciones y su tripulación en el sitio web (en inglés): https://www.nasa.gov/station -end- News Media Contacts: Julian Coltre / María José Viñas Sede, Washington 202-358-1100 / 240-458-0248 julian.n.coltre@nasa.gov / maria-jose.vinasgarcia@nasa.gov Leah Cheshier / Kenna Pell Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 leah.d.cheshier@nasa.gov / kenna.m.pell@nasa.gov Read More Share Details Last Updated Nov 02, 2023 Location NASA Headquarters Related Terms International Space Station (ISS)NASA en españolSpot the International Space Station Explore More 4 min read Progress Continues Toward NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test to Station Article 6 days ago 3 min read NASA Updates Commercial Crew Planning Manifest Article 6 days ago 4 min read Aviones de movilidad aérea avanzada: un viaje suave en el futuro Article 7 days ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

3 min read Look Up: New NASA App Helps Stargazers Spot Space Station An augmented reality interface makes it easier for users to locate the station and provides options for capturing and sharing pictures and videos of their sightings in real-time. The app’s built-in compass will show you where the space station is – even if you’re on the other side of the globe.NASA NASA is making it easier for the public to spot the International Space Station, humanity’s home in space, as it passes over Earth and expanding access to news and resources about the microgravity laboratory with a new Spot the Station mobile app. The mobile app is available to download now on iOS and Android. The app builds on the agency’s Spot the Station website by providing additional capabilities and information to enhance the station sighting experience for the public. An augmented reality interface makes it easier for users to locate the station and provides options for capturing and sharing pictures and videos of their sightings in real-time. With the power of augmented reality, the app’s built-in compass will show you where the space station is – even if you’re on the other side of the globe. Users also can sign up for mobile notifications of upcoming viewing opportunities based on their exact location. “Even after 23 years of continuous human presence aboard the International Space Station, it’s incredibly exciting to see the station when you look up at just the right moment,” said Robyn Gatens, International Space Station director at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The orbiting laboratory that continues to provide so many unique, tangible benefits for humanity really isn’t that far out of reach.” The space station is visible because it reflects the light of the Sun – the same reason we can see the Moon. Unlike the Moon, the space station isn’t bright enough to see during the day. It can only be seen when it is dawn or dusk at your location. As such, it can range from one sighting opportunity a month to several a week, since it has to be both dark where you are, and the space station has to happen to be going overhead. With the Spot the Station mobile app, users will know when the station is overhead and how to locate it. The application was developed by the International Space Station Program in NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate and the Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation, part of the Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program in the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. The app’s code is open source for anyone to access, modify, and use in their own projects and to provide optional feedback to the developers. NASA will continue to update and improve the mobile application on a rolling basis as it receives feedback from users. Timing of this app’s release also comes just ahead of the 25th anniversary of International Space Station operations, which marks the joining of the Zarya and Unity modules on Dec. 6, 1998 – the first elements of what today is an enormous orbital complex. The space station advances scientific knowledge in Earth, space, physical, and biological sciences for the benefits of people living on our home planet. In addition, the station serves as the world’s leading laboratory for cutting-edge research and technology development that supports human and robotic exploration of destinations beyond low Earth orbit, including the Moon and Mars. Learn more about the space station, its research, and crew, at: https://www.nasa.gov/station -end- News Media Contacts: Julian Coltre Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 julian.n.coltre@nasa.gov Leah Cheshier / Kenna Pell Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 leah.d.cheshier@nasa.gov / kenna.m.pell@nasa.gov Read More Share Details Last Updated Nov 02, 2023 Editor Claire A. O'Shea Location NASA Headquarters Related Terms International Space Station (ISS)Spot the International Space Station Explore More 4 min read Progress Continues Toward NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test to Station Article 6 days ago 3 min read NASA Updates Commercial Crew Planning Manifest Article 6 days ago 5 min read AWE Launching to Space Station to Study Atmospheric Waves via Airglow NASA’s Atmospheric Waves Experiment, or AWE, mission is scheduled to launch to the International Space… Article 1 week ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

2 min read Hubble Provides Unique Ultraviolet View of Jupiter NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope reveals an ultraviolet view of Jupiter. NASA, ESA, and M. Wong (University of California – Berkeley); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America) This newly released image from the NASA Hubble Space Telescope shows the planet Jupiter in a color composite of ultraviolet wavelengths. Released in honor of Jupiter reaching opposition, which occurs when the planet and the Sun are in opposite sides of the sky, this view of the gas giant planet includes the iconic, massive storm called the “Great Red Spot.” Though the storm appears red to the human eye, in this ultraviolet image it appears darker because high altitude haze particles absorb light at these wavelengths. The reddish, wavy polar hazes are absorbing slightly less of this light due to differences in either particle size, composition, or altitude. The data used to create this ultraviolet image is part of a Hubble proposal that looked at Jupiter’s stealthy superstorm system. The researchers plan to map deep water clouds using the Hubble data to define 3D cloud structures in Jupiter’s atmosphere. Hubble has a long history of observing the outer planets. From the Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 impacts to studying Jupiter’s storms, Hubble’s decades-long career and unique vantage point provide astronomers with valuable data to chart the evolution of this dynamic planet. Hubble’s ultraviolet-observing capabilities allow astronomers to study the short, high-energy wavelengths of light beyond what the human eye can see. Ultraviolet light reveals fascinating cosmic phenomena, including light from the hottest and youngest stars embedded in local galaxies; the composition, densities, and temperatures of the material between stars; and the evolution of galaxies. This is a false-color image because the human eye cannot detect ultraviolet light. Therefore, colors in the visible light spectrum were assigned to the images, each taken with a different ultraviolet filter. In this case, the assigned colors for each filter are: Blue: F225W, Green: F275W, and Red: F343N. Media Contact: Claire Andreoli NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD claire.andreoli@nasa.gov Learn More Hubble Science: Studying the Outer Planets and Moons Hubble Shows Winds in Jupiter’s Great Red Spot Are Speeding Up Hubble Monitors Changing Weather and Seasons at Jupiter and Uranus Telescopes and Spacecraft Join Forces to Probe Deep into Jupiter’s Atmosphere Hubble’s Grand Tour of the Outer Solar System Share Details Last Updated Nov 02, 2023 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Related Terms Astrophysics Division Goddard Space Flight Center Hubble Space Telescope Jupiter Missions Planets Science Mission Directorate The Solar System Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Stars Stories Galaxies Stories Exoplanets Our Solar System View the full article

Watch SpaceX's 29th Cargo Launch to the International Space Station (Official NASA Broadcast)

2 min read True Blue: High-Power Propulsion for Gateway Credit: NASA/Jef Janis. The blue hue of the Advanced Electric Propulsion System (AEPS) is seen inside a vacuum chamber at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland during recent thruster qualification testing. This 12-kilowatt Hall thruster is the most powerful electric propulsion thruster in production, and it will be critical to future science and exploration missions at the Moon and beyond. The blue plume is a steady stream of ionized xenon gas ejected to produce low, highly efficient thrust. These electric propulsion systems accelerate spacecraft to extremely high speeds over time using only a fraction of the fuel chemical propulsion systems require, making electric propulsion an excellent choice for deep-space exploration and science missions. Three AEPS thrusters will be mounted on the Power and Propulsion Element, a foundational component of Gateway. The small lunar space station is critical to the agency’s Artemis missions that will help prepare for human missions to Mars. The Power and Propulsion Element will provide Gateway with power, high-rate communications, and allow it to maintain its unique orbit around the Moon. The AEPS thruster recently returned to NASA Glenn to continue qualification testing to certify the thrusters for flight. The Solar Electric Propulsion project is led at NASA Glenn and managed by NASA’s Technology Demonstration Missions program under the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, which oversees a portfolio of technology demonstration projects across NASA centers and American industry partners. Jimi Russell NASA’s Glenn Research Center Explore More 4 min read NASA, JAXA Benefit from Collaborative Fellowship Experience Article 6 days ago 4 min read Aviones de movilidad aérea avanzada: un viaje suave en el futuro Article 7 days ago 4 min read Submit Your 2024 Event Proposal to NASA Glenn Article 7 days ago View the full article

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, left, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, Harm van de Wetering, director of the Netherlands Space Office, Ambassador of the Netherlands to the United States Birgitta Tazelaar, and Chiragh Parikh, executive secretary of the National Space Council, pose for a picture after the signing of the Artemis Accords, Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023, at the Dutch Ambassador’s Residence in Washington. Netherlands is the 31st country to sign the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s Artemis program. Photo Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky During a ceremony at the Dutch Ambassador’s Residence in Washington on Wednesday, the Netherlands became the 31st country to sign the Artemis Accords. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson participated in the signing ceremony for the agency, and Netherlands Space Office (NSO) director Harm van de Wetering signed on behalf of the Netherlands. NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy and the following also were in attendance: Chirag Parikh, executive secretary of the U.S. National Space Council Birgitta Tazelaar, ambassador of the Netherlands to the United States “NASA welcomes the Netherlands as the newest and 31st member of the Artemis Accords family,” said Nelson. “It takes global leadership and cooperation to ensure the peaceful, transparent exploration of space for the Artemis Generation and beyond. As one of America’s oldest allies, NASA is proud to expand our partnership with the Netherlands and build a future defined by limitless opportunity and discovery.” The Artemis Accords establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations, including those participating in NASA’s Artemis program. “NASA and the Netherlands have been strong partners in space from the early days of spaceflight. Pushing boundaries by technology brings new responsibilities. By signing the Artemis Accords, we underline the values we share in space, and we acknowledge we have a common responsibility,” said van de Wetering. NASA, in coordination with the U.S. Department of State, established the Artemis Accords in 2020 together with seven other original signatories. Iceland became the 30th country to sign the Artemis Accords in October. The Artemis Accords reinforce and implement key obligations in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. They also strengthen the commitment by the United States and signatory nations to the Registration Convention, the Rescue and Return Agreement, as well as best practices and norms of responsible behavior NASA and its partners have supported, including the public release of scientific data. Signatories are also discussing implementation of key Accords principles, including how best to avoid unintended interference on the lunar surface. More countries are expected to sign the Artemis Accords in the months and years ahead, as NASA continues to work with its international partners to establish a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space. Working with both new and existing partners adds new energy and capabilities to ensure the entire world can benefit from our journey of exploration and discovery. Learn more about the Artemis Accords at: https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords -end- Share Details Last Updated Nov 01, 2023 Location NASA Headquarters Related Terms Artemis View the full article

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19 Min Read The Marshall Star for November 1, 2023 NASA, AAS Talk Present, Future of Space Exploration During 3-Day Symposium By Jessica Barnett Hundreds of students, scientists, and other stakeholders recently gathered for a three-day symposium featuring some of the leading minds in space exploration and packed with updates and discussions about an array of space topics. Hundreds of students, scientists, and other stakeholders listen in person and online as NASA leaders discuss the Artemis missions during the 2023 von Braun Space Exploration Symposium held Oct. 25–27 at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.NASA/Charles Beason The 2023 von Braun Space Exploration Symposium was held Oct. 25–27 at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and featured 10 panel discussions with additional keynote and luncheon speakers, networking opportunities, and award presentations. This year’s theme was “Advancing Space: From LEO to Lunar and Beyond.” NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center partnered with the American Astronautical Society to organize the event, along with the National Space Club of Huntsville and UAH. Marshall Acting Center Director Joseph Pelfrey, who helped kick off the symposium and moderated one of its panels, called it a true success. “I want to thank everyone from Marshall, AAS, UAH, and the NSC for all their hard work planning the event,” Pelfrey said. “I enjoyed networking with our private, academic and government partners.” Jason Turpin, senior technical leader of propulsion at Marshall, far right, discusses advances in propulsion during the 2023 von Braun Space Exploration Symposium. Joining him onstage, from left, are Eric Paulson, who manages the Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine program at the Air Force Research Laboratory, and Tabitha Dodson, who manages the DRACO (Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations) program for DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency).NASA/Charles Beason Attendees could listen to the symposium live in person at UAH’s Charger Union Theater or online via Zoom. The event lineup included more than 60 speakers who shared their insights on recent space exploration achievements, future objectives, career opportunities, and more. “It was especially motivating to see all the engaged students who represent the Artemis Generation,” Pelfrey said. “I feel confident they will continue building on the strong foundation of space exploration we have laid out for them, leading the way for generations to come.” NASA and AAS will team up for another three-day event early next year. Learn more about the 61st annual Goddard Space Sciences Symposium, currently planned for March 20–22, 2024, in College Park, Maryland. Barnett, a Media Fusion employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications. Marshall Exhibits Inspire Thousands of Youths at STEAMfest By Celine Smith NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and the Huntsville Science Festival collaborated to bring thousands to the 3rd Annual STEAMfest (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics Festival), an event created to engage students of all ages in the world of science, technology, and art. The event was hosted in downtown Huntsville at the Von Braun Center’s East Hall on Oct. 28. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center team members representing Technology Demonstration Missions and SERVIR engage visitors to the NASA booth during the 3rd Annual Huntsville STEAMfest event Oct. 28 in downtown Huntsville.NASA/Chris Blair Marshall played a key role in the event by providing information and exhibits about STEAM in the space industry. Organizations such as Technology Demonstration Missions, SERVIR, the Human Landing System, SLS (Space Launch System), and the Science & Technology Forum participated in the event to inform people about their functions and importance at NASA. Before anyone entered the East Hall, they encountered an RS-25 engine placed in the parking lot. NASA was the first booth upon entry, housing informational brochures about rockets the Chandra Observatory, the Artemis missions, and more. The NASA booth featured free stickers and interactive booklets for kids teaching how to draw the SLS, as well as inflatables for photo opportunities. “From the very beginning NASA has been an incredible partner,” said Joe Iacuzzo, founder and director of the Huntsville Science Festival, which is associated with the SFA (Science Festival Alliance). “Without NASA’s participation and incredible generosity this event would be nowhere near what it is today,” STEAMfest is a national event started by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s SFA (Science Festival Alliance) with the goal to provide a free event for children to learn and be inspired to pursue an education and career in the world of science. “The first STEAMfest in Huntsville took place online in 2020, garnering 4,500 virtual attendees,” Iacuzzo said. “Last year, we had 7,300 people attend, and this year we’re anticipating the same amount if not more.” To inform and invite the public, STEAMfest interacts with about 35,000 people in Huntsville through schools, companies, and non-profits also striving toward the goal of encouraging young people to pursue STEAM. Their mission is to encourage underserved students who have not thought of pursuing a technological degree and career. Nearly 4,000 visitors enjoyed learning about NASA missions during the 3rd annual Huntsville STEAMfest event Oct. 28 in downtown Huntsville.NASA/Chris Blair STEAMfest featured three science stage entertainers, who demonstrated exciting science experiments such as using an artificial lightning generating device to pop hydrogen-filled balloons creating fireballs in mid-air. An art installation inspired by science and technology was there for viewing. Two professors from UAH (University of Alabama in Huntsville) performed and discussed the music made with synthesizers they built and Dr. Scott Persons, a dinosaur paleontologist, brought fossils for viewing and learning. Several secondary schools and institutions of higher learning provided details about their STEAM-based opportunities and programs. Other federal agencies and industry members also shared information about STEAM careers. “If STEAM doesn’t reach the kids, then kids won’t reach for STEAM,” said Gayla Suddarth, who serves as a Huntsville Science Festival member and director for Tennessee Valley’s chapter of Women in Defense. Smith, a Media Fusion employee, supports Marshall’s Office of Communications. IXPE Untangles Theories Surrounding Historic Supernova Remnant By Rick Smith NASA’s IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) telescope has captured the first polarized X-ray imagery of the supernova remnant SN 1006, expanding scientists’ understanding of the relationship between magnetic fields and the flow of high-energy particles from exploding stars. “Magnetic fields are extremely difficult to measure, but IXPE provides an efficient way for us to probe them,” said Dr. Ping Zhou, an astrophysicist at Nanjing University in Jiangsu, China, and lead author of a new paper on the findings, published Oct. 27 in The Astrophysical Journal. “Now we can see that SN 1006’s magnetic fields are turbulent, but also present an organized direction.” This new image of supernova remnant SN 1006 combines data from NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer and NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. The red, green, and blue elements reflect low, medium, and high energy X-rays, respectively, as detected by Chandra. The IXPE data, which measure the polarization of the X-ray light, is show in purple in the upper left corner, with the addition of lines representing the outward movement of the remnant’s magnetic field. X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO (Chandra); NASA/MSFC/Nanjing Univ./P. Zhou et al. (IXPE); IR: NASA/JPL/CalTech/Spitzer; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J.Schmidt Situated some 6,500 light-years from Earth in the Lupus constellation, SN 1006 is all that remains after a titanic explosion, which occurred either when two white dwarfs merged or when a white dwarf pulled too much mass from a companion star. Initially spotted in spring of 1006 CE by observers across China, Japan, Europe, and the Middle East, its light was visible to the naked eye for at least three years. Modern astronomers still consider it the brightest stellar event in recorded history. Since modern observation began, researchers have identified the remnant’s strange double structure, markedly different from other, rounded supernova remnants. It also has bright “limbs” or edges identifiable in the X-ray and gamma-ray bands. “Close-proximity, X-ray-bright supernova remnants such as SN 1006 are ideally suited to IXPE measurements, given IXPE’s combination of X-ray polarization sensitivity with the capability to resolve the emission regions spatially,” said Douglas Swartz, a Universities Space Research Association researcher at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. “This integrated capability is essential to localizing cosmic-ray acceleration sites.” Previous X-ray observations of SN 1006 offered the first evidence that supernova remnants can radically accelerate electrons, and helped identify rapidly expanding nebulae around exploded stars as a birthplace for highly energetic cosmic rays, which can travel at nearly the speed of the light. Scientists surmised that SN 1006’s unique structure is tied to the orientation of its magnetic field. They theorized that supernova blast waves in its northeast and southwest sectors move in the direction aligned with the magnetic field, and more efficiently accelerate high-energy particles. IXPE’s new findings helped validate and clarify those theories, said paper coauthor Dr. Yi-Jung Yang, a high-energy astrophysicist at the University of Hong Kong. “The polarization properties obtained from our spectral-polarimetric analysis align remarkably well with outcomes from other methods and X-ray observatories,” Yang said. For the first time, we can map the magnetic field structures of supernova remnants at higher energies with enhanced detail and accuracy – enabling us to better understand the processes driving the acceleration of these particles. Dr. Yi-Jung Yang High-energy astrophysicist at the University of Hong Kong Researchers say the results demonstrate a connection between the magnetic fields and the remnant’s high-energy particle outflow. The magnetic fields in SN 1006’s shell are somewhat disorganized, per IXPE’s findings, yet still have a preferred orientation. As the shock wave from the original explosion passes through the surrounding gas, the magnetic fields become aligned with the shock wave’s motion. Charged particles are trapped by the magnetic fields around the original point of the blast, where they quickly receive bursts of acceleration. These speeding high-energy particles, in turn, transfer energy to keep the magnetic fields strong and turbulent. IXPE has observed three supernova remnants – Cassiopeia A, Tycho, and now SN 1006 – since launching in December 2021. Its findings have helped scientists develop a more comprehensive understanding of the origin and processes of the magnetic fields surrounding these phenomena. IXPE is a collaboration between NASA and the Italian Space Agency with partners and science collaborators in 12 countries. IXPE is led by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Spacecraft operations are jointly managed by Ball Aerospace in Broomfield, Colorado, and the University of Colorado’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics in Boulder. Smith, a Manufacturing Technical Solutions employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications. NASA X-ray Telescopes Reveal the ‘Bones’ of a Ghostly Cosmic Hand Rotating neutron stars with strong magnetic fields, or pulsars, serve as laboratories for extreme physics, offering high-energy conditions that cannot be replicated on Earth. Young pulsars can create jets of matter and antimatter moving away from the poles of the pulsar, along with an intense wind, forming a “pulsar wind nebula”. In 2001, NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory first observed the pulsar PSR B1509-58 and revealed that its pulsar wind nebula (referred to as MSH 15-52) resembles a human hand. Now Chandra’s data of MSH 15-52 have been combined with data from NASA’s newest X-ray telescope, the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) to unveil the magnetic field “bones” of this remarkable structure.Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Stanford Univ./R. Romani et al. (Chandra); NASA/MSFC (IXPE); Infared: NASA/JPL-Caltech/DECaPS; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Schmidt) In 2001, NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory first observed the pulsar PSR B1509-58 and revealed that its pulsar wind nebula (referred to as MSH 15-52) resembles a human hand. The pulsar is located at the base of the “palm” of the nebula. Now Chandra’s data of MSH 15-52 have been combined with data from NASA’s newest X-ray telescope, IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) to unveil the magnetic field “bones” of this remarkable structure, as reported in this press release. IXPE stared at MSH 15-52 for 17 days, the longest it has looked at any single object since it launched in December 2021. In a new composite image, Chandra data are seen in orange (low-energy X-rays), green, and blue (higher-energy X-rays), while the diffuse purple represents the IXPE observations. The pulsar is in the bright region at the base of the palm and the fingers are reaching toward low energy X-ray clouds in the surrounding remains of the supernova that formed the pulsar. The image also includes infrared data from the second data release of the Dark Energy Camera Plane Survey (DECaPS2) in red and blue. By combining data from Chandra and IXPE, astronomers are learning more about how a pulsar is injecting particles into space and shaping its environment. The X-ray data are shown along with infrared data from the Dark Energy Camera in Chile. Young pulsars can create jets of matter and antimatter moving away from the poles of the pulsar, along with an intense wind, forming a “pulsar wind nebula”. This one, known as MSH 15-52, has a shape resembling a human hand and provides insight into how these objects are formed.Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Stanford Univ./R. Romani et al. (Chandra); NASA/MSFC (IXPE); Infared: NASA/JPL-Caltech/DECaPS; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Schmidt The IXPE data provides the first map of the magnetic field in the ‘hand’. It reveals information about the electric field orientation of X-rays determined by the magnetic field of the X-ray source. This is called “X-ray polarization”. An additional X-ray image shows the magnetic field map in MSH 15-52. In this image, short straight lines represent IXPE polarization measurements, mapping the direction of the local magnetic field. Orange “bars” mark the most precise measurements, followed by cyan and blue bars with less precise measurements. The complex field lines follow the `wrist’, ‘palm’ and ‘fingers’ of the hand, and probably help define the extended finger-like structures. The amount of polarization — indicated by bar length — is remarkably high, reaching the maximum level expected from theoretical work. To achieve that strength, the magnetic field must be very straight and uniform, meaning there is little turbulence in those regions of the pulsar wind nebula. One particularly interesting feature of MSH 15-52 is a bright X-ray jet directed from the pulsar to the “wrist” at the bottom of the image. The new IXPE data reveal that the polarization at the start of the jet is low, likely because this is a turbulent region with complex, tangled magnetic fields associated with the generation of high-energy particles. By the end of the jet the magnetic field lines appear to straighten and become much more uniform, causing the polarization to become much larger. A paper describing these results by Roger Romani of Stanford University and collaborators was published in The Astrophysical Journal on Oct. 23 and is available at https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.16067 IXPE is a collaboration between NASA and the Italian Space Agency with partners and science collaborators in 12 countries. IXPE is led by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Ball Aerospace, headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado, manages spacecraft operations together with the University of Colorado’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics in Boulder. Marshall manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center controls science operations from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts. Read more from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. How NASA Is Protecting Europa Clipper from Space Radiation When NASA’s Europa Clipper begins orbiting Jupiter to investigate whether its ice-encased moon, Europa, has conditions suitable for life, the spacecraft will pass repeatedly through one of the most punishing radiation environments in our solar system. Hardening the spacecraft against potential damage from that radiation is no easy task. But on Oct. 7, the mission put the final piece of the spacecraft’s “armor” in place when it sealed the vault, a container specially designed to shield Europa Clipper’s sophisticated electronics. The probe is being put together, piece by piece, in the Spacecraft Assembly Facility at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory ahead of its launch in October 2024. This illustration depicts NASA’s Europa Clipper as it flies by Jupiter’s moon Europa. The mission is targeting an October 2024 launch.NASA/JPL-Caltech “Closing the vault is a major milestone,” said Kendra Short, Europa Clipper’s deputy flight system manager at JPL. “It means we’ve got everything in there that we have to have in there. We’re ready to button it up.” Just under a half-inch thick, the aluminum vault houses the electronics for the spacecraft’s suite of science instruments. The alternative of shielding each set of electronic parts individually would add cost and weight to the spacecraft. “The vault is designed to reduce the radiation environment to acceptable levels for most of the electronics,” said JPL’s Insoo Jun, the co-chair of the Europa Clipper Radiation Focus Group and an expert on space radiation. Jupiter’s gigantic magnetic field is 20,000 times as strong as Earth’s and spins rapidly in time with the planet’s 10-hour rotation period. This field captures and accelerates charged particles from Jupiter’s space environment to create powerful radiation belts. The radiation is a constant, physical presence – a kind of space weather – bombarding everything in its sphere of influence with damaging particles. “Jupiter has the most intense radiation environment other than the Sun in the solar system,” Jun said. “The radiation environment is affecting every aspect of the mission.” That’s why when the spacecraft arrives at Jupiter in 2030, Europa Clipper won’t simply park in orbit around Europa. Instead, like some previous spacecraft that studied the Jovian system, it will make a wide-ranging orbit of Jupiter itself to move away from the planet and its harsh radiation as much as possible. During those looping orbits of the planet, the spacecraft will fly past Europa nearly 50 times to gather scientific data. The radiation is so intense that scientists believe it modifies the surface of Europa, causing visible color changes, said Tom Nordheim, a planetary scientist at JPL who specializes in icy outer moons – Europa as well as Saturn’s Enceladus. “Radiation on the surface of Europa is a major geologic modification process,” Nordheim said. “When you look at Europa – you know, the reddish-brown color – scientists have shown that this is consistent with radiation processing.” So even as engineers work to keep radiation out of Europa Clipper, scientists like Nordheim and Jun hope to use the space probe to study it. “With a dedicated radiation monitoring unit, and using opportunistic radiation data from its instruments, Europa Clipper will help reveal the unique and challenging radiation environment at Jupiter,” Jun said. Nordheim zeroes in on Europa’s “chaos terrain,” areas where blocks of surface material appear to have broken apart, rotated, and moved into new positions, in many cases preserving preexisting linear fracture patterns. Deep beneath the moon’s icy surface is a vast liquid-water ocean, scientists believe, that could offer a habitable environment for life. Some areas of Europa’s surface show evidence of material transport from the subsurface to the surface. “We need to understand the context of how radiation modified that material,” Nordheim said. “It can alter the chemical makeup of the material.” Because Europa’s ocean is locked inside an envelope of ice, any possible life forms would not be able to rely directly on the Sun for energy, as plants do on Earth. Instead, they’d need an alternative energy source, such as heat or chemical energy. Radiation raining down on Europa’s surface could help provide such a source by creating oxidants, such as oxygen or hydrogen peroxide, as the radiation interacts with the surface ice layer. Over time, these oxidants could be transported from the surface to the interior ocean. “The surface could be a window into the subsurface,” Nordheim said. A better understanding of such processes could provide a key to unlock more of the Jupiter system’s secrets, he added: “Radiation is one of the things that makes Europa so interesting. It’s part of the story.” Europa Clipper’s main science goal is to determine whether there are places below Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa, that could support life. The mission’s three main science objectives are to determine the thickness of the moon’s icy shell and its surface interactions with the ocean below, to investigate its composition, and to characterize its geology. The mission’s detailed exploration of Europa will help scientists better understand the astrobiological potential for habitable worlds beyond our planet. Managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California, NASA’s JPL leads the development of the Europa Clipper mission in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. APL designed the main spacecraft body in collaboration with JPL and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. The Planetary Missions Program Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center executes program management of the Europa Clipper mission. Salts and Organics Observed on Ganymede’s Surface by NASA’s Juno NASA’s Juno mission has observed mineral salts and organic compounds on the surface of Jupiter’s moon Ganymede. Data for this discovery was collected by the JIRAM (Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper) spectrometer aboard the spacecraft during a close flyby of the icy moon. The findings, which could help scientists better understand the origin of Ganymede and the composition of its deep ocean, were published on Oct. 30 in the journal Nature Astronomy. This enhanced image of the Jovian moon Ganymede was obtained by the JunoCam imager aboard NASA’s Juno spacecraft during the mission’s June 7, 2021, flyby of the icy moon. Data from that pass has been used to detect the presence of salts and organics on Ganymede. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kalleheikki Kannisto (CC BY) This look at the complex surface of Jupiter’s moon Ganymede came from NASA’s Juno mission during a close pass in June 2021. At closest approach, the spacecraft came within just 650 miles (1,046 kilometers) of Ganymede’s surface.Image data: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS Image processing by Thomas Thomopoulos (CC BY) Larger than the planet Mercury, Ganymede is the biggest of Jupiter’s moons and has long been of great interest to scientists due to the vast internal ocean of water hidden beneath its icy crust. Previous spectroscopic observations by NASA’s Galileo spacecraft and Hubble Space Telescope as well as the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope hinted at the presence of salts and organics, but the spatial resolution of those observations was too low to make a determination. On June 7, 2021, Juno flew over Ganymede at a minimum altitude of 650 miles. Shortly after the time of closest approach, the JIRAM instrument acquired infrared images and infrared spectra (essentially the chemical fingerprints of materials, based on how they reflect light) of the moon’s surface. Built by the Italian Space Agency, Agenzia Spaziale Italiana, JIRAM was designed to capture the infrared light (invisible to the naked eye) that emerges from deep inside Jupiter, probing the weather layer down to 30 to 45 miles below the gas giant’s cloud tops. But the instrument has also been used to offer insights into the terrain of moons Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto (known collectively as the Galilean moons for their discoverer, Galileo). The JIRAM data of Ganymede obtained during the flyby achieved an unprecedented spatial resolution for infrared spectroscopy – better than 0.62 miles per pixel. With it, Juno scientists were able to detect and analyze the unique spectral features of non-water-ice materials, including hydrated sodium chloride, ammonium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, and possibly aliphatic aldehydes. “The presence of ammoniated salts suggests that Ganymede may have accumulated materials cold enough to condense ammonia during its formation,” said Federico Tosi, a Juno co-investigator from Italy’s National Institute for Astrophysics in Rome and lead author of the paper. “The carbonate salts could be remnants of carbon dioxide-rich ices.” Previous modeling of Ganymede’s magnetic field determined the moon’s equatorial region, up to a latitude of about 40 degrees, is shielded from the energetic electron and heavy ion bombardment created by Jupiter’s hellish magnetic field. The presence of such particle fluxes is well known to negatively impact salts and organics. During the June 2021 flyby, JIRAM covered a narrow range of latitudes (10 degrees north to 30 degrees north) and a broader range of longitudes (minus 35 degrees east to 40 degrees east) in the Jupiter-facing hemisphere. “We found the greatest abundance of salts and organics in the dark and bright terrains at latitudes protected by the magnetic field,” said Scott Bolton, Juno’s principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. “This suggests we are seeing the remnants of a deep ocean brine that reached the surface of this frozen world.” Ganymede is not the only Jovian world Juno has flown by. The moon Europa, thought to harbor an ocean under its icy crust, also came under Juno’s gaze, first in October 2021 and then in September 2022. Now Io is receiving the flyby treatment. The next close approach to that volcano-festooned world is scheduled for Dec. 30, when the spacecraft will come within 932 miles of Io’s surface. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, a division of Caltech, manages the Juno mission for the principal investigator, Scott Bolton, of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. Juno is part of NASA’s New Frontiers Program, which is managed at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. The Italian Space Agency funded the Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper. Lockheed Martin Space in Denver built and operates the spacecraft. View the full article

9 min read Rita Owens: Keeper of NASA’s Digital Knowledge Data systems engineer Rita Owens helps Goddard curate, secure, and organize its wealth of scientific data. “It makes everyone’s job easier and more efficient and aligns with NASA’s goals – discovering and expanding knowledge for the benefit of humanity,” she said.Courtesy of Rita Owens Name: Rita Owens Formal Job Classification: Data Systems Engineer Organization: Data Steward, Data Stewardship and Governance Information, Data, & Analytics Services (IDAS) Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) (Detailed to IDAS/OCIO from GSFC Code 565, Engineering and Technology Directorate) What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Goddard? As a data systems engineer, I support Data Governance and Stewardship under Data and Analytics Services with evaluation of data cataloging solutions and manage implementation of data governance, stewardship policies and data catalog. I enjoy working and gaining experience with other professionals in various information technology specialties at other NASA centers. What is your educational background? My favorite subjects in high school were math, science, and art. While in high school, I went to a summer camp at the Rochester Institute of Technology to learn about STEM careers. I chose engineering because women were in high demand in this male-dominated field for diversity, and it also offered plenty of job opportunities. I majored in undeclared engineering during my freshman year at RIT. I met with an advisor at RIT to discuss my major of study and he suggested electrical engineering because of the technical advances, the increasing importance of electronics, and the amount of math involved. He gave a good example of a mechanical typewriter becoming an electronic typewriter. I graduated from RIT with a BS degree in electrical engineering in 1993. Also, I got a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Johns Hopkins University in 1998 while working for NASA. Why did you come to Goddard? In 1991, while a student at RIT, I participated in a summer internship program at Goddard that was sponsored by Gallaudet University. I thought it was an exciting opportunity to work for NASA near my home in Maryland. I developed and implemented several programs for an image compression project at the Flight Data Systems Branch. The next fall and then the following summer, I participated in a co-op program and assisted with the power supply designs for spacecraft in the Space Power Applications Branch at Goddard. I was offered a permanent position at that branch early before I graduated in 1993. I was excited and accepted that offer immediately. How does your detail to OCIO help with NASA’s digital transformation? Digital transformation helps NASA’s people by improving data quality, accessibility, and security. We are transforming how NASA operates by using our own digital capabilities to be smarter about storing and managing knowledge. NASA has learned a lot and built a valuable collection of information, so curating, securing, and organizing that information is an important and satisfying responsibility. It makes everyone’s job easier and more efficient and aligns with NASA’s goals – discovering and expanding knowledge for the benefit of humanity. Since last year, I have been gaining experience and developing skills in IT and software areas such as data systems, visualization tools, and web development. After working over 30 years at Goddard, what are some of your most memorable moments? In my earlier career, I designed and developed power supplies for electrical power systems on a variety of spacecraft that have flown in space. Specifically, I worked with the power and switching distribution units for spacecraft instruments such as the Suzaku mission’s X-ray Spectrometer, Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS), and the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe. I also have done digital designs and technical documentation for many spacecraft missions such as space shuttle Hitchhiker payloads, the James Webb Space Telescope, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, ICESat-2, and others. Building hardware to help scientists reach their goals and seeing successful launches of our spacecraft into orbit and the solar system made me feel very proud. What is some of the most important advice your mentors have given you? A former director of the Applied Engineering and Technology Directorate encouraged us to leave our comfort zones and learn new things to broaden our horizons and increase our skill base. He did not want us to get stuck in a rut and encouraged us to work outside our branch. I started in the Power Systems branch and then worked in several other branches doing digital electronics designs and many other projects including research and development. I am now in software development and IT. I worked in a lot of different areas that expanded my skills, showed me how things are done in different areas, and gave me a broader view. As a mentor, what advice do you give? I would advise students to get work experience in different areas of their major study to find what they feel is the best fit. A co-op would be a good way to go because they can work while in college which helps them select the right field. RIT required us to do co-ops as part of our undergraduate program in engineering. So, my work experience in several different engineering fields in both the private industry and government as co-ops helped lead me to the right career field. Take advantage of internships and co-ops. Data systems engineer Rita Owens is deaf, and she advocates for fellow employees with disabilities. “Managers need to listen, communicate well, and be open-minded with a positive attitude toward those of us with disabilities or health conditions,” she said.Courtesy of Rita Owens Are you involved with any of Goddard’s Employee Resources Groups (ERGs)? Over 10 years ago, I was the chair of the Equal Accessibility Advisory Committee (EAAC). Advisory committees are now called employee resources groups. When I was a chair of the People with Disabilities Advisory Committee, it was quite small. I proposed to change the name of the committee to equal accessibility for a more positive image as we need to focus on accessibility instead of disabilities. It did help grow our popularity at Goddard. I also proposed expanding our EAAC community for more diversity to include those with non-disability health conditions such as diabetes and bipolar depression. As a result, many more employees joined our committee, including several managers. I also arranged many events to raise disability awareness, such as the employees with disabilities panel and etiquette workshops. I am currently the co-chair of the Equal Accessibility ERG. I would like to see all employees continue to have equal accessibility in the workplace. So, I encourage Goddard to help break down all the barriers for everyone to become more productive at work, to support NASA’s goals more effectively. I also attempt to raise awareness of employees with disabilities and health conditions and their accommodations while helping educate the Goddard community through events such as American Sign Language (ASL) Brown Bag sessions and Disability & Health Awareness presentations and workshops such as Suicide Awareness, Deaf Awareness and Etiquette, Recruiting People with Disabilities Workshop, etc. We hope to educate everyone at Goddard about how to interact effectively with and be inclusive of people with disabilities. I recently gave a presentation to our center director about some of our accomplishments and our plans for the coming year. I mentioned some of the challenges that employees with disabilities face including barriers at the workplace. I also serve as part of the Goddard Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Implementation Team. The team is assisting in the development of the DEIA Implementation Plan that aligns with the NASA DEIA Strategic Plan. Also, I support Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) as a recruiter for candidates with disabilities and attend job fairs as part of the disability recruitment efforts at NASA Headquarters. Also, I serve as an area vice president of the Goddard Engineers, Scientists, and Technicians Association (GESTA) under the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) Local 29. In that role, I advocate for STEM professionals and assist in improving our workplace. What are some of the personal challenges you have faced? When I started at Goddard, another deaf engineer and I brought up the need for expanded American Sign Language interpreting services for our heavily technical work. The center director at the time decided to allow me and other deaf engineers to develop our statement of work and choose the best interpreting service, since we knew exactly what we needed. We now have a much more robust interpreting services contract. That made a huge difference to our careers. What advice would you give to a manager of someone with disabilities? Managers need to listen, communicate well, and be open-minded with a positive attitude toward those of us with disabilities or health conditions. Also, I encourage managers to take training in reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities for inclusion as well as provide plenty of work opportunities to everyone equally for their career growth. Managers should ask employees with disabilities to find out what accommodations they need and give them equal opportunities for growth in their careers. They should give the employees plenty of work opportunities to advance their careers, too. What do you do for fun? I used to love making oil paintings of landscapes and florals. I go to paint nights sometimes with friends and family. I also enjoy traveling with my family and learning new things with them in other countries. It is fun exposing my three children to different cultures. Also, I love doing outdoor adventures such as hiking and cycling. Also, someday I would love to go to a launch and watch it live as I have never been to one! Is there anyone you would like to thank? I would like to thank my mom, who was my role model. She balanced a family with a career as a physician. I was so amazed at all her successes, and she was also my best friend. She encouraged me to be independent as a career professional and cherish family values. What is your “six-word memoir”? A six-word memoir describes something in just six words. Independent. Determined. Persistent. Creative. Inquisitive. Mom. Conversations With Goddard is a collection of Q&A profiles highlighting the breadth and depth of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s talented and diverse workforce. The Conversations have been published twice a month on average since May 2011. Read past editions on Goddard’s “Our People” webpage. By Elizabeth M. Jarrell NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Share Details Last Updated Nov 01, 2023 Editor Jessica Evans Contact Rob Garnerrob.garner@nasa.gov Location Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms Goddard Space Flight CenterPeople of Goddard Explore More 6 min read Lynn Bassford Prioritizes Learning as a Hubble Mission Manager Lynn Bassford levels decades of experience and a desire for self-growth as she helps lead… Article 2 weeks ago 9 min read Javier Ocasio-Pérez Brings Teams and Missions Together Javier Ocasio-Pérez uses ingenuity and teamwork to lead integration and testing (I&T) for the Capture,… Article 1 month ago 6 min read Shaigh Sisk: Keeping the Wheels Turning in Projects and Pottery Project support specialist Shaigh Sisk helps keep things running in Goddard's Exploration and Space Communications… Article 4 weeks ago View the full article

2 min read New Patterns in Mars’s Clouds Revealed by Volunteers Volunteers found that clouds in Mars’s atmosphere cluster at certain latitudes and altitudes. White patches in this pair of plots shows where Cloudspotting participants spotted the most clouds (or “arch peaks” in the project lingo). Red labels highlight a few interesting regions: 1) where high-altitude Carbon Dioxide-ice clouds form; 2) water-ice clouds that show a different pattern between day and night; and 3) clouds that form in a cold region over the poles. Credit: Adapted from Slipski et al. (in press), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2023.115777. The first journal article about clouds identified by participants of the Cloudspotting on Mars project has been accepted for publication and is now available online! The article, “The Cloudspotting on Mars citizen science project: Seasonal and spatial cloud distributions observed by the Mars Climate Sounder” will appear in a special issue of Icarus titled “MRO: 16 Years at Mars”. MRO is the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, the Mars Climate Sounder is an instrument on MRO. The paper shows several cloud maps, illustrating times and regions where many clouds were identified. The maps reveal several key cloud populations identified in data from the volunteers. The cloud populations include high-altitude CO2-ice clouds, clouds that form near the poles, and dusty-season water-ice clouds. The structure of the clouds follows the pattern of “thermal tides” in the atmosphere, which are global-scale oscillations in temperature. Where temperatures are lower than average, clouds are more common. The paper also explains the motivation for the project and describes its setup on Zooniverse. It digs into the details of how cloud identifications made by participants were turned into a cloud catalog using machine learning. “Thank you to all the Cloudspotting on Mars participants for driving this research forward!” said project PI Dr. Marek Slipski, a research scientist at NASA’s Jet propulsion Laboratory. There’s plenty more to study in this dataset and there are more images online to analyze: the second Mars Year of data is only about 50% done. The data from the second Mars year will help reveal how changing dust conditions affect cloud formation. If you’d like to join the search for clouds in the Martian atmosphere, head to https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/marek-slipski/cloudspotting-on-mars. NASA’s Citizen Science Program: Learn about NASA citizen science projects Facebook logo @DoNASAScience @DoNASAScience Share Details Last Updated Nov 01, 2023 Related Terms Citizen Science Planetary Science View the full article

8 min read Six Rules for Surviving in a Government Organization An interview of Dr. Paul Hertz, a senior leader in the Science Mission Directorate By: Anna Ladd McElhannon, Summer 2022 Intern, Office of the Chief Scientist Dr. Paul Hertz is a leader of NASA and had served as the Astrophysics Division Director since 2012 until 2022. Throughout his career, he remained a well‐respected and admired leader who accomplished things that an undergraduate physics student like me could only dream of. We met for the first time on a summer day full of sudden, fierce storms. On the way to a quiet meeting place (a video conference meeting, of course), the previously blue sky started pouring rain. I was surprised my laptop still worked when I finally came indoors. Paul, though, was sitting in his home office with a grin on his face, perfectly content to ignore my soaking shirt and dripping hair. Considering what I had been told, his easygoing kindness and immediate friendliness was no surprise. We started by bonding over our shared love for all things astrophysics. His passion began during the Apollo missions. “I remember John Glenn’s flight, and I must have been in second grade. From that point on, I was following everything that happened.” He would watch all the astronauts on TV, and he kept a scrapbook of any newspaper clippings he could find on the space program. “I remember when Armstrong walked and, my parents used to let me stay home from school whenever the astronauts were walking on the Moon.” His passion for space did not end there. With undergraduate degrees in math and physics from MIT, he proceeded to earn his Ph.D. in astronomy from Harvard. Like most students going into the sciences, he assumed he would become a professor at a university. He realized, though, that professorship wasn’t the life for him. “I made a choice early on when I had young kids and a family, that I was going to have balance, and I wasn’t going to be a world‐famous scientist.” As a NASA intern interviewing the Paul Hertz, one of my newfound idols, I found this comment amusing. But the sentiment still stood. “I made the choice not to be a professor but to stay as a government scientist.” Somehow, though, he was able to become a famous scientist with a prestigious job and still feel satisfied with his personal life. Naturally, I asked him for advice on how to obtain this sort of balance without letting either side of one’s life fall onto the backburner. He jumped at the opportunity to teach me these life lessons with a list of six rules he titled: How to Survive in a Government Organization. 6. Train your successor When he first told me this rule, I applied it to my life. At my university, there is a Society of Physics Students. Every few years or so, we have incredible leadership that wins awards and involves students all over campus. Then the next election rolls around, and all the hard work dissipates. Paul says, “There’s all your institutional knowledge walking out the door every year.” “Train your successor” immediately propelled me into planning mode: how can we incorporate a system at my school where the previous leaders sufficiently train their successors every year? Paul was happy about this application, but it wasn’t what he originally intended by the rule. “What I was thinking is that when people who are highly successful at their job start talking about getting another job, their boss says, ‘Sorry, you can’t go. I need you too badly.’” As someone who has never worked in a similar system, I was appalled. Fortunately, this has not yet happened to him. “I have been very successful in every job. I’ve had people around me say, ‘What are we going to do without you?… Nobody can replace you.’ I hate hearing that nobody can replace you because it’s patently untrue.” Sometimes it turns out that the answer to your research is uninteresting. You realize, oh my‐ there was no ‘there’ there. 5. Delegate “A lot of us competent people think that we can do it better than anybody else. And so we want to hold on to it and do it ourselves because we know it’ll be done best… I used to do everything myself, and I was bad at teaming. You’ll kill yourself that way.” As the Director of Astrophysics at NASA, I assumed he would have to be the best of the best. Regardless, as he said before, there is always someone who could replace him. While this sounds a little sad, it can come as a relief to someone trying to find peace in their work life. “People like that want to do the part of their job that they could easily hand off. They are overworked and overwhelmed because they want to do it all themselves. They think they can probably do it better— but that’s not the point.” As Paul says, the point is to do your job efficiently and not perfectly. 4. Don’t Make Work “A lot of times you get choices.” He began, “We could do it this way or that way, and this way is a lot more work.” Most bosses strive for perfection, but Paul understands how to balance perfection with importance. Asking, “How do I do it perfectly?” can cause problems and lead to employees feeling overworked. [They say] ‘I’m just drowning.’ [I say] ‘You only have three assignments. You’re making too much work, you’re not delegating, and it’s taking twice as long. Don’t do it this way.’ Paul believes that if you can make your project better by a small amount, but it takes twice the time, the extra mile just isn’t worth it. “If it increased my chance of surviving surgery, then I would take that extra 10%.” If you’re level of perfection is plateauing over time, as it inevitably will, just accept it. “If you insist on perfection… that’s making work.” 3. Don’t break it “Don’t break it” was one of the first rules he came up with. It simply means “don’t make it worse.” It goes hand in hand with “Don’t make work.” Sometimes people can be perfectionists to the point where it impacts their personal life, and sometimes it can impact their professional career as well. That is the secret to finding balance. “People feel overwhelmed because they’re not practicing these rules… You keep them in mind and then you use them to help prioritize. You must have a feel for what’s the most important thing and then for what’s the most important thing to do very, very well.” 2. Don’t Take It Personally “You should accept 90% of your projects are going to work.” He asserts, “You should not expect it to always go right. And you should keep it in context when failure happens.” That raises the question: what context? It is difficult to imagine someone as successful as Paul to go through failure. But he has had his fair share of rough times in his own research. “Sometimes it turns out that the answer to your research is uninteresting. You realize, oh my ‐there was no ‘there’ there.” Even when projects are cancelled, or someone else publishes their results before you can, your time isn’t waisted. There is a certain magic that comes with conducting scientific research, and it makes even failed projects worth the time and effort. “To me, the excitement is the hunt. It’s doing the research. It’s collecting the data and analyzing it. It’s looking for the signal that no one has ever seen before.” …if something goes wrong, I’m going to hear about it. I want to hear about it from them—I want to hear their view on it and I want us to solve it together. 1. Don’t Surprise the Boss “Somebody probably told me this rule when I showed up at NASA. You can Google it and find out that it was a rule back in the Roman Empire—or something like that.” When asked how long he has considered himself a leader, he began at high school. “Every club that I joined, I ended up being president… I ended up being added to the yearbook. When I went to college, I was president of clubs. When I was a researcher, I put together collaborations to do research… I wasn’t a supervisor or boss, but I was a leader; that’s been true at all stops along my career.” As for the importance of the number one rule, Paul says it’s important to be transparent so that issues can be solved quickly and efficiently. “I don’t want my team to sugarcoat things. I want them to tell me. If something goes wrong, I’m going to hear about it from someone. But, I want to hear about it from them—I want to hear their view on it, and I want us to solve it together.” Explore More 5 min read NASA Rocket to See Sizzling Edge of Star-Forming Supernova Article 5 days ago 4 min read AWE Launching to Space Station to Study Atmospheric Waves via Airglow Article 7 days ago 2 min read Hubble Captures a Galaxy Face-On Article 2 weeks ago View the full article

NASA / Jasmin Moghbeli While aboard the International Space Station on Oct. 26, NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli captured the city lights of the northeastern United States and major urban areas including Long Island, New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Washington, D.C. At the time of this photograph, the orbital lab was 262 miles above Maine. In 24 hours, the space station makes 16 orbits of Earth, traveling through 16 sunrises and sunsets. To find out where the ISS is and when you can see it in your area, check out the Spot the Station site. Image Credit: NASA/Jasmin Moghbeli View the full article

Tundra wetlands are shown in late spring at the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. Scientists are studying how fire and ice drive methane emissions in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, within which the refuge is located.U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Methane ‘hot spots’ in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta are more likely to be found where recent wildfires burned into the tundra, altering carbon emissions from the land. In Alaska’s largest river delta, tundra that has been scorched by wildfire is emitting more methane than the rest of the landscape long after the flames died, scientists have found. The potent greenhouse gas can originate from decomposing carbon stored in permafrost for thousands of years. Its release could accelerate climate warming and lead to more frequent wildfires in the tundra, where blazes have been historically rare. The new study was conducted by a team of scientists working as part of NASA’s Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE), a large-scale study of environmental change in Alaska and Western Canada. Researchers found that methane hot spots were roughly 29% more likely to occur in tundra that had been scorched by wildfire in the past 50 years compared to unburned areas. The correlation nearly tripled in areas where a fire burned to the edge of a lake, stream, or other standing-water body. The highest ratio of hot spots occurred in recently burned wetlands. The researchers first observed the methane hot spots using NASA’s next-generation Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS-NG) in 2017. Mounted on the belly of a research plane, the instrument has an optical sensor that records the interaction of sunlight with molecules near the land surface and in the air, and it has been used to measure and monitor hazards ranging from oil spills to crop disease. Methane bubbles pop on the surface of an Alaskan lake being studied by scientists with NASA’s Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment. A potent greenhouse gas, methane is released in bubble seeps when microbes consume carbon released from thawing permafrost.NASA/Kate Ramsayer Roughly 2 million hot spots – defined as areas showing an excess of 3,000 parts per million of methane between the aircraft and the ground – were detected across some 11,583 square miles (30,000 square kilometers) of the Arctic landscape. Regionally, the number of hot spot detections in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta were anomalously high in 2018 surveys, but scientists didn’t know what was driving their formation. Ice and Fire To help fill this gap, Elizabeth Yoseph, an intern at the time with the ABoVE campaign, focused on a methane-active region located in a wet and peaty area of the massive delta. Yoseph and the team used the AVIRIS-NG data to pinpoint hot spots across more than 687 square miles (1,780 square kilometers), then overlaid their findings on historical wildfire maps. “What we uncovered is a very clear and strong relationship between fire history and the distribution of methane hot spots,” said Yoseph, lead author of the new study. The connection arises from what happens when fire burns into the carbon-rich frozen soil, or permafrost, that underlies the tundra. Permafrost sequesters carbon from the atmosphere and can store it for tens of thousands of years. But when it thaws and breaks down in wet areas, flourishing microbes feed on and convert that old carbon to methane gas. The saturated soils around lakes and wetlands are especially rich stocks of carbon because they contain large amounts of dead vegetation and animal matter. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Methane emission hot spots were observed from the air using NASA’s AVIRIS-NG instrument across broad regions of the North American Arctic as part of the agency’s Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment. Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio “When fire burns into permafrost, there are catastrophic changes to the land surface that are different from a fire burning here in California, for example,” said Clayton Elder, co-author and scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which developed AVIRIS-NG. “It’s changing something that was frozen to thawed, and that has a cascading impact on that ecosystem long after the fire.” Rare but Increasing Risk Because of the cool marshes, low shrubs, and grasses, tundra wildfires are relatively rare compared to those in other environments, such as evergreen-filled forests. However, by some projections the fire risk in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta could quadruple by the end of the century due to warming conditions and increased lightning storms – the leading cause of tundra fires. Two of the largest tundra fires on record in Alaska occurred in 2022, burning more than 380 square miles (100,000 hectares) of primarily tundra landscapes. More research is needed to understand how a future of increasing blazes at high latitudes could impact the global climate. Arctic permafrost holds an estimated 1,700 billion metric tons of carbon – roughly 51 times the amount of carbon the world released as fossil fuel emissions in 2019. All that stored carbon also means that the carbon intensity of fire emissions from burning tundra is extremely high, said co-author Elizabeth Hoy, a fire researcher at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “Tundra fires occur in areas that are remote and difficult to get to, and often can be understudied,” she noted. “Using satellites and airborne remote sensing is a really powerful way to better understand these phenomena.” The scientists hope to continue exploring methane hot spots occurring throughout Alaska. Ground-based investigation is needed to better understand the links between fire, ice, and greenhouse gas emissions at the doorstep of the Arctic. The study was published in the journal Environmental Research Letters. News Media Contacts Jane J. Lee / Andrew Wang Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 818-354-0307 / 626-379-6874 jane.j.lee@jpl.nasa.gov / andrew.wang@jpl.nasa.gov Written by Sally Younger 2023-159 Share Details Last Updated Nov 01, 2023 Related Terms Carbon CycleClimate ChangeEarthJet Propulsion LaboratoryNatural DisastersWildfires Explore More 4 min read 2023 Ozone Hole Ranks 16th Largest, NASA and NOAA Researchers Find Article 2 hours ago 3 min read JPL Engineers Put Their Skills to the Test With Halloween Pumpkins Article 16 hours ago 4 min read NASA, Partners Explore Sustainable Fuel’s Effects on Aircraft Contrails Article 2 days ago View the full article

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon capsule soars upward after lifting off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 14, 2022, on the company’s 25th Commercial Resupply Services mission for the agency to the International Space Station. Liftoff was at 8:44 p.m. EDT. Dragon will deliver more than 5,800 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, to the space station. The spacecraft is expected to spend about a month attached to the orbiting outpost before it returns to Earth with research and return cargo, splashing down off the coast of Florida. NASA/Kim Shiflett NASA and SpaceX are targeting 9:16 p.m. EST Tuesday, Nov. 7, to launch the company’s 29th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Live launch coverage will air on NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and on the agency’s website, with prelaunch events starting Monday, Nov. 6. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms. SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft will deliver new science investigations, food, supplies, and equipment to the international crew, including NASA’s AWE (Atmospheric Waves Experiment), which studies atmospheric gravity waves to understand the flow of energy through Earth’s upper atmosphere and space. The spacecraft also will deliver NASA’s ILLUMA-T (Integrated Laser Communications Relay Demonstration Low-Earth-Orbit User Modem and Amplifier Terminal), which aims to test high data rate laser communications from the space station to Earth via the agency’s LCRD (Laser Communications Relay Demonstration). Together, ILLUMA-T and LCRD will complete NASA’s first two-way, end-to-end laser communications relay system. Arrival to the station is planned for shortly before 12 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 9. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will dock autonomously to the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module. The spacecraft is expected to spend about a month attached to the orbital outpost before it returns to Earth with research and return cargo, splashing down off the coast of Florida. The deadline has passed for media accreditation for in-person coverage of this launch. The agency’s media accreditation policy is available online. More information about media accreditation is available by emailing: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov. Full coverage of this mission is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on operations) Follow the International Space Station blog for updates. Monday, Nov. 6 7:30 p.m. – Prelaunch media teleconference (no earlier than one hour after completion of the Launch Readiness Review) with the following participants: Dana Weigel, deputy program manager, International Space Station Program Meghan Everett, deputy chief scientist, International Space Station Program Research Office Sarah Walker, director, Dragon mission management, SpaceX Melody Lovin, launch weather officer, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s 45th Weather Squadron Media may ask questions during the media teleconference by phone only. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than 5 p.m. EST Monday, Nov. 6, at: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov Tuesday, Nov. 7 8:45 p.m. – NASA TV launch commentary begins 9:16 p.m. – Launch Thursday, Nov. 9 10:15 a.m. – NASA TV coverage begins for Dragon docking to the space station Coverage is subject to change based on real-time operational activities. Follow the International Space Station blog for updates. NASA Television launch coverage Live coverage of the launch on NASA Television will begin at 8:45 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 7. For downlink information, schedules, and links to streaming video, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/nasatv Audio only of the news conferences and launch coverage will be carried on the NASA “V” circuits, which may be accessed by dialing 321-867-1220, -1240, or -7135. On launch day, the full mission broadcast can be heard on -1220 and -1240, while the countdown net only can be heard on -7135 beginning approximately one hour before the mission broadcast begins. On launch day, live coverage of the launch without NASA Television commentary will be carried on the NASA Television media channel. NASA website launch coverage Launch day coverage of the mission will be available on the NASA website. Coverage will include live streaming and blog updates beginning no earlier than 8:45 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 7, as the countdown milestones occur. On-demand streaming video and photos of the launch will be available shortly after liftoff. For questions about countdown coverage, contact the NASA Kennedy newsroom at 321-867-2468. Follow countdown coverage on our launch blog for updates. Attend launch virtually Members of the public can register to attend this launch virtually. Registrants will receive mission updates and activities by email. NASA’s virtual guest program for this mission also includes curated launch resources, notifications about related opportunities, and a virtual guest passport stamp following a successful launch. Watch, engage on social media Let people know you’re following the mission on X, Facebook, and Instagram by using the hashtags #Dragon and #CRS29. You can also stay connected by following and tagging these accounts: X: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @NASASocial, @Space_Station, ISS_Research, @ISS National Lab Facebook: NASA, NASAKennedy, ISS, ISS National Lab Instagram: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @ISS, @ISSNationalLab Para obtener información sobre cobertura en español en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si desea solicitar entrevistas en español, comuníquese con Antonia Jaramillo o Messod Bendayan a: antonia.jaramillobotero@nasa.gov o messod.c.bendayan@nasa.gov. Learn more about NASA’s SpaceX commercial resupply services missions at: https://www.nasa.gov/spacex -end- Julian Coltre / Joshua Finch Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 julian.n.coltre@nasa.gov / joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov Stephanie Plucinsky / Steven Siceloff Kennedy Space Center, Florida 321-876-2468 stephanie.n.plucinsky@nasa.gov / steven.p.siceloff@nasa.gov Sandra Jones Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Nov 01, 2023 Location NASA Headquarters Related Terms Commercial ResupplyHumans in SpaceInternational Space Station (ISS)Space Operations Mission Directorate View the full article