NASA

NASA/Don Pettit Astronaut Don Pettit captured this image of Melbourne, Australia from the International Space Station on Oct. 9, 2024, as it orbited 271 miles above the city. Astronauts aboard the space station take photos using handheld digital cameras, usually through windows in the station’s cupola, for Crew Earth Observations. Crew members have produced hundreds of thousands of images of the Moon and Earth’s land, oceans, and atmosphere. Image credit: NASA/Don Pettit­ View the full article

Radioisotope Power Systems RPS Home About About RPS About the Program About Plutonium-238 Safety and Reliability For Mission Planners Contact Systems Overview Power Systems Thermal Systems Dynamic Radioisotope Power Missions Overview Timeline News Resources STEM Overview Power to Explore Contest Kid-Friendly Videos FAQ 5 Min Read After 60 Years, Nuclear Power for Spaceflight is Still Tried and True Workers install one of three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) on the Cassini spacecraft. More › Credits: NASA Editor’s Note: Originally published on June 21, 2021. Six decades after the launch of the first nuclear-powered space mission, Transit IV-A, NASA is embarking on a bold future of human exploration and scientific discovery. This future builds on a proud history of safely launching and operating nuclear-powered missions in space. “Nuclear power has opened the solar system to exploration, allowing us to observe and understand dark, distant planetary bodies that would otherwise be unreachable. And we’re just getting started,” said Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. “Future nuclear power and propulsion systems will help revolutionize our understanding of the solar system and beyond and play a crucial role in enabling long-term human missions to the Moon and Mars.” To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Space nuclear power to explore the deepest, dustiest, darkest, and most distant regions of our solar system and beyond. NASA From Humble Beginnings: Nuclear Power Spawns an Age of Scientific Discovery On June 29, 1961, the John’s Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory launched the Transit IV-A Spacecraft. It was a U.S. Navy navigational satellite with a SNAP-3B radioisotope powered generator producing 2.7 watts of electrical power — about enough to light an LED bulb. Transit IV-A broke an APL mission-duration record and confirmed the Earth’s equator is elliptical. It also set the stage for ground-breaking missions that have extended humanity’s reach across the solar system. Since 1961, NASA has flown more than 25 missions carrying a nuclear power system through a successful partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE), which provides the power systems and plutonium-238 fuel. “The department and our national laboratory partners are honored to play a role in powering NASA’s space exploration activities,” said Tracey Bishop, deputy assistant secretary in DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy. “Radioisotope Power Systems are a natural extension of our core mission to create technological solutions that meet the complex energy needs of space research, exploration, and innovation.” There are only two practical ways to provide long-term electrical power in space: the light of the sun or heat from a nuclear source. We couldn’t do the mission without it. No other technology exists to power a mission this far away from the Sun, even today. Alan Stern Principal Investigator, NASA’s New Horizons Mission to Pluto and Beyond “As missions move farther away from the Sun to dark, dusty, and harsh environments, like Jupiter, Pluto, and Titan, they become impossible or extremely limited without nuclear power,” said Leonard Dudzinski, chief technologist for NASA’s Planetary Science Division and program executive for Radioisotope Power. That’s where Radioisotope Power Systems, or RPS, come in. They are a category of power systems that convert heat generated by the decay of plutonium-238 fuel into electricity. “These systems are reliable and efficient,” said June Zakrajsek, manager for NASA’s Radioisotope Power Systems Program office at Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. “They operate continuously over long-duration space missions regardless of sunlight, temperature, charged particle radiation, or surface conditions like thick clouds or dust. They’ve allowed us to explore from the Sun to Pluto and beyond.” RPS powered the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Package. They’ve sustained Voyager 1 and 2 since 1977, and they kept Cassini-Huygens’ instruments warm as it explored frigid Saturn and its moon Titan. Today, a Multi-Mission Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) powers the Perseverance rover, which is captivating the nation as it searches for signs of ancient life on Mars, and a single RTG is sustaining New Horizons as it ventures on its way out of the solar system 15 years after its launch. “The RTG was and still is crucial to New Horizons,” said Alan Stern, New Horizons principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute. “We couldn’t do the mission without it. No other technology exists to power a mission this far away from the Sun, even today.” New Horizons carries seven scientific instruments and a radioisotope thermoelectric generator. The spacecraft weighs 1,060 pounds. NASA/JHUAPL Great Things to Come: Science and Human Exploration Dragonfly, which is set to launch in 2028, is the next mission with plans to use an MMRTG. Part of NASA’s New Frontiers program, Dragonfly is an octocopter designed to explore and collect samples on Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, an ocean world with a dense, hazy atmosphere. “RPS is really an enabling technology,” said APL’s Zibi Turtle, principal investigator for the upcoming Dragonfly mission. “Early missions like Voyager, Galileo, and Cassini that relied on RPS have completely changed our understanding and given us a geography of the distant solar system…Cassini gave us our first close-up look at the surface of Titan.” According to Turtle, the MMRTG serves two purposes on Dragonfly: power output to charge the lander’s battery and waste heat to keep its instruments and electronics warm. “Flight is a very high-power activity. We’ll use a battery for flight and science activities and recharge the battery using the MMRTG,” said Turtle. “The waste heat from the power system is a key aspect of our thermal design. The surface of Titan is very cold, but we can keep the interior of the lander warm and cozy using the heat from the MMRTG.” As the scientific community continues to benefit from RPS, NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate is investing in new technology using reactors and low-enriched uranium fuel to enable a robust human presence on the Moon and eventually human missions to Mars. Astronauts will need plentiful and continuous power to survive the long lunar nights and explore the dark craters on the Moon’s South Pole. A fission surface power system could provide enough juice to power robust operations. NASA is leading an effort, working with the DOE and industry to design a fission power system for a future lunar demonstration that will pave the way for base camps on the Moon and Mars. NASA has also thought about viable ways to reduce the time it takes to travel to Mars, including nuclear propulsion systems. As NASA advances its bold vision of exploration and scientific discovery in space, it benefits from 60 years of the safe use of nuclear power during spaceflight. Sixty years of enlightenment that all started with a little satellite called Transit IV-A. News Media Contact Jan Wittry NASA’s Glenn Research Center View the full article

3 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Shauntina Lilly, a NASA Glenn public affairs officer, smiles as she speaks to students about NASA’s available internships and educational resources during the STEM Goes Red for Girls event at Great Lakes Science Center, home of the NASA Glenn Visitor Center, on October 21.Credit: NASA/Debbie Welch NASA is making event plans for the 2025 calendar year, and we want to pencil you in! We are looking for the Midwest’s biggest and best community events with the broadest audiences to share NASA’s content and raise awareness of the agency’s most exciting aeronautics and space missions. NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland is leading the agency’s efforts to inspire the Midwest through engagement. Learn How to Submit a Proposal Interested organizations can submit an event proposal to Glenn now through Nov. 18, 2024. Those selected will receive notification via email by Dec. 31, 2024. Through this collaboration, selected organizations will gain access to NASA exhibits and artifacts, hands-on demonstrations, STEM and internship opportunities for students and educators, NASA’s innovative technology, and experts that align to the topics and themes of their events. Eligibility Requirements NASA is seeking: Organizations with direct community connections and an established event that reaches diverse audiences. Events scheduled to occur between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2025. Events that are mutually beneficial – where a NASA presence will enhance the event experience and raise awareness of NASA’s contributions to the advancement of aeronautics and space exploration. Selected organizations must agree to the following: Attend virtual planning meetings through an online business communication platform. Work with NASA Glenn’s Office of Communications when coordinating marketing, media communications, and logistics as described in the event proposal. Adhere to NASA Media Usage Guidelines for NASA media and logos. Provide final attendance data within two weeks of the conclusion of the event including the following: Number of attendees Estimated percentage of attendees from underrepresented audiences Submitting a Proposal All proposals are to be submitted through the online proposal form. Proposals must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Nov. 18, 2024. Only proposals submitted online will be accepted. Proposal Review Process Proposals will be evaluated and scored, and selections will be made using the following criteria: Estimated audience size. Percentage of audience from underserved and/or underrepresented communities as defined below. For purposes of this solicitation, underserved and/or underrepresented communities include Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality. (Source: NASA’s Mission Equity). Alignment of the program’s goals and objectives to those of this opportunity. Plans to maximize audience participation through marketing and media communications. Evidence of historical attendance at this or similar events hosted by the proposing organization. Proposing organizations will be notified of their selection status by Dec. 31, 2024. Point of Contact If you have questions about this opportunity or the online proposal form, contact NASA Glenn’s Office of Communications: GRC-Public-Engagement@mail.nasa.gov. Timeline Solicitation posted: Oct. 23, 2024 Proposal form URL: https://osirris.grc.nasa.gov/request/request.cfm Proposal submission deadline: Nov. 18, 2024 Notification of event selection: Dec. 13, 2024 Background NASA’s Glenn Research Center designs, develops, and tests innovative technology to revolutionize air travel, advance space exploration, and improve life on Earth. As one of 10 NASA centers, and the only one in the Midwest, Glenn is a vital contributor to the region’s economy and culture. Many NASA missions have Glenn contributions, and every U.S. aircraft has NASA Glenn technology on board, making flight cleaner, safer, and quieter. View the full article

Learn Home Europa Trek: NASA Offers a New… Europa Clipper Overview Learning Resources Science Activation Teams SME Map Opportunities More Science Activation Stories Citizen Science 3 min read Europa Trek: NASA Offers a New Guided Tour of Jupiter’s Ocean Moon NASA’s Europa Clipper mission is on its way to explore a moon of Jupiter that researchers believe may be one of the best places in the Solar System to search for life beyond Earth. While the spacecraft makes its more-than-five year journey to Europa, scientists, students, teachers, and the public can tour and explore the landforms of Europa with newly-released enhancements to NASA’s Europa Trek web portal. One of the largest of Jupiter’s nearly 100 recognized moons, Europa is covered with a global ice cap. But beneath that crust of ice, researchers have found an ocean of liquid water, estimated to have about twice the volume of all of Earth’s oceans combined. This vast amount of liquid water is of particular interest to astrobiologists, scientists studying the origin, evolution, and distribution of life in the Universe. Though Europa’s ocean remains hidden beneath its global crust of ice, we can get important clues about its nature by studying the remarkable landforms of Europa’s icy surface. To accompany the launch of Europa Clipper, NASA’s Solar System Treks Project released exciting new enhancements to its online Europa Trek portal on September 30, 2024. The new additions to Europa Trek allow users to interactively fly over and explore high-resolution imagery of Europa’s surface from the Voyager, Galileo, and Juno missions. Users can also take a new guided tour of Europa’s amazing landforms, with commentary developed by a collaboration between NASA’s Astrobiology Science Communication Guild and NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute. The tour and its commentary introduce virtual explorers to the geology and possible biological significance of the diverse features of Europa’s surface. “This is really fun. It’s cool how you can zoom into the high resolution data. I’ll spread the word about using this!” – Bob Pappalardo, Europa Clipper Project Scientist The new tour and capabilities of Europa Trek were featured at the Europa Clipper public launch program at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center on October 6,2024, in advance of the October 14 launch of the mission. As part of the public program conducted by NASA’s Planetary Mission Program Office, the Europa Trek exhibit allowed hundreds of visitors to try their hands at flying over Europa and visualizing its exotic terrain. NASA’s Solar System Treks is an infrastructure project within NASA’s Science Activation Team. Their online portals are used for mission planning, planetary science research, and Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics (STEM) education. NASA’s Astrobiology Science Communication Guild is an international, community-based network of astrobiologists who engage in science communication with diverse audiences and learners. Watch for future collaborations between Solar System Treks and the Astrobiology Science Communication Guild at more locations across the Solar System! Learn more about how Science Activation connects NASA science experts, real content, and experiences with community leaders to do science in ways that activate minds and promote deeper understanding of our world and beyond: https://science.nasa.gov/learn A stop along the guided tour of Europa landforms Share Details Last Updated Oct 23, 2024 Editor NASA Science Editorial Team Related Terms Europa Europa Clipper Opportunities For Educators to Get Involved Opportunities For Students to Get Involved Planetary Science Science Activation Explore More 5 min read Old Data Yields New Secrets as NASA’s DAVINCI Preps for Venus Trip How NASA’s DAVINCI mission to Venus uses old data to reveal new secrets. Article 6 days ago 6 min read NASA’s Hubble, New Horizons Team Up for a Simultaneous Look at Uranus Article 2 weeks ago 4 min read NASA’s Hubble Watches Jupiter’s Great Red Spot Behave Like a Stress Ball Article 2 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA James Webb Space Telescope Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the… Perseverance Rover This rover and its aerial sidekick were assigned to study the geology of Mars and seek signs of ancient microbial… Parker Solar Probe On a mission to “touch the Sun,” NASA’s Parker Solar Probe became the first spacecraft to fly through the corona… Juno NASA’s Juno spacecraft entered orbit around Jupiter in 2016, the first explorer to peer below the planet’s dense clouds to… View the full article

A test image of Earth taken by NASA’s Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator-4’s onboard camera. The camera will capture images of the Lightweight Integrated Solar Array and anTenna upon deployment.NASA NASA recently evaluated initial flight data and imagery from Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator-4 (PTD-4), confirming proper checkout of the spacecraft’s systems including its on-board electronics as well as the payload’s support systems such as the small onboard camera. Shown above is a test image of Earth taken by the payload camera, shortly after PTD-4 reached orbit. This camera will continue photographing the technology demonstration during the mission. Payload operations are now underway for the primary objective of the PTD-4 mission – the demonstration of a new power and communications technology for future spacecraft. The payload, a deployable solar array with an integrated antenna called the Lightweight Integrated Solar Array and anTenna, or LISA-T, has initiated deployment of its central boom structure. The boom supports four solar power and communication arrays, also called petals. Releasing the central boom pushes the still-stowed petals nearly three feet (one meter) away from the spacecraft bus. The mission team currently is working through an initial challenge to get LISA-T’s central boom to fully extend before unfolding the petals and beginning its power generation and communication operations. Small spacecraft on deep space missions require more electrical power than what is currently offered by existing technology. The four-petal solar array of LISA-T is a thin-film solar array that offers lower mass, lower stowed volume, and three times more power per mass and volume allocation than current solar arrays. The in-orbit technology demonstration includes deployment, operation, and environmental survivability of the thin-film solar array. “The LISA-T experiment is an opportunity for NASA and the small spacecraft community to advance the packaging, deployment, and operation of thin-film, fully flexible solar and antenna arrays in space. The thin-film arrays will vastly improve power generation and communication capabilities throughout many different mission applications,” said Dr. John Carr, deputy center chief technologist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “These capabilities are critical for achieving higher value science alongside the exploration of deep space with small spacecraft.” The Pathfinder Technology Demonstration series of missions leverages a commercial platform which serves to test innovative technologies to increase the capability of small spacecraft. Deploying LISA-T’s thin solar array in the harsh environment of space presents inherent challenges such as deploying large highly flexible non-metallic structures with high area to mass ratios. Performing experiments such as LISA-T on a smaller, lower-cost spacecraft allows NASA the opportunity to take manageable risk with high probability of great return. The LISA-T experiment aims to enable future deep space missions with the ability to acquire and communicate data through improved power generation and communication capabilities on the same integrated array. The PTD-4 small spacecraft is hosting the in-orbit technology demonstration called LISA-T. The PTD-4 spacecraft deployed into low Earth orbit from SpaceX’s Transporter-11 rocket which launched from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Aug. 16. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama designed and built the LISA-T technology as well as LISA-T’s supporting avionics system. NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology program, based at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley and led by the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, funds and manages the PTD-4 mission as well as the overall Pathfinder Technology Demonstration mission series. Terran Orbital Corporation of Irvine, California, developed and built the PTD-4 spacecraft bus, named Triumph. Learn more about NASA’s LISA-T technology: NASA teams are testing a key technology demonstration known as LISA-T, short for the Lightweight Integrated Solar Array and anTenna. It’s a super compact, stowable, thin-film solar array that when fully deployed in space, offers both a power generation and communication capability for small spacecraft. LISA-T’s orbital flight test is part of the Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator series of missions. To travel farther into deep space, small spacecraft require more electrical power than what is currently available through existing technology. LISA-T aims to answer that demand and would offer small spacecraft access to power without compromising mass or volume. Watch this video to learn more about the spacecraft, its deployment, and the possibilities from John Carr, deputy center chief technologist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. View the full article

4 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) The Skydweller Aero solar-powered, autonomous aircraft flies above the Thad Cochran Test Stand (B-1/B-2) at NASA’s Stennis Space Center during a September 2024 test operation. Skydweller Aero has an ongoing airspace agreement with NASA Stennis to conduct test flights of its aircraft in the area.Skydweller Aero NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, has entered into an agreement with Skydweller Aero Inc. for the company to operate its solar-powered autonomous aircraft in the site’s restricted airspace, a key step towards achieving a strategic center goal. The Reimbursable Space Act agreement marks the first between NASA Stennis and a commercial company to utilize the south Mississippi center’s unique capabilities to support testing and operation of uncrewed systems. “There are few locations like NASA Stennis that offer a secure location, restricted airspace and the infrastructure to support testing and operation of various uncrewed systems,” said NASA Stennis Director John Bailey. “Range operations is a critical area of focus as we adapt to the changing aerospace and technology landscape to grow into the future.” NASA Stennis and Skydweller Aero finalized the agreement in late August, paving the way for the company to begin area test flights of its autonomous, uncrewed solar-powered aircraft, which features a wingspan greater than a 747 jetliner and is designed for long-duration flights. The company announced Oct. 1 it had completed an initial test flight campaign of the aircraft, including two test excursions totaling 16 and 22.5 hours. NASA Stennis and Skydweller Aero began talks in the summer of 2023 when the company expressed interest in utilizing NASA Stennis airspace for its all-carbon fiber aircraft. The NASA Stennis area fits the company’s needs well since it provides ready access from Stennis International Airport to the Gulf of Mexico area. NASA Stennis airspace also provides a level of privacy for aircraft testing and operation. “Access to the restricted airspace above NASA Stennis has been tremendously helpful to our uncrewed, autonomous flight operations,” said Barry Matsumori, president and chief operating officer of Skydweller Aero. “The opportunity to use the controlled environment above Stennis helps accelerate our efforts, allowing us to transition the aircraft in and out of civil airspace, while demonstrating its reliability and unblemished safety record to the FAA.” Companies must be conducting public aircraft operations to use any restricted airspace. In this instance, Skydweller Aero is flying its aircraft in association with the U.S. Department of Defense, allowing for the Reimbursable Space Act agreement with NASA Stennis. The agreement provides the company Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authorization for future test flights in designated areas of the NASA Stennis buffer zone. It also represents a key step in the center’s effort to grow its range operations presence. “This really opens the door for others to come here,” said Jason Peterson, NASA Stennis range officer. “There are requirements that must be met, but for those who meet them, NASA Stennis is an ideal location for test and flight operations.” The FAA established restricted airspace at NASA Stennis in 1966 and approved its expansion in 2016. The expansion was necessary to conduct propulsion testing safely, accommodate U.S. Department of Defense missions, and support unmanned aerial systems activities. Restricted airspace at NASA Stennis allows qualifying organizations to conduct various uncrewed flight activities. NASA Stennis personnel provide scheduling and range operation support, including reviews and evaluations to ensure safe flight operations. Processes are in place to ensure communication between aircraft operators, FAA air traffic controllers, and range safety personnel. Peterson said he hopes the agreement with Skydweller Aero will clear the way for future collaborations as NASA Stennis continues to expand its customer-based operations. For instance, although Skydweller Aero is not located onsite, NASA Stennis is able to support ground operations for a variety of unmanned aircraft system takeoffs and landings. Beyond that, the center also hopes to expand its operational capabilities to include marine and ground activities. In addition to a large geographic footprint, the center features a secure 7.5-mile waterway canal system for testing unmanned underwater or surface vehicles. For information about range operations at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, visit: Range and Airspace Operations – NASA Share Details Last Updated Oct 23, 2024 EditorNASA Stennis CommunicationsContactC. Lacy Thompsoncalvin.l.thompson@nasa.gov / (228) 688-3333LocationStennis Space Center Related TermsStennis Space Center Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Stennis Range and Airspace Operations Propulsion Test Engineering NASA Stennis Front Door Doing Business with NASA Stennis View the full article

NASA researchers developed a Quiet Space Fan to reduce the noise inside crewed spacecraft, sharing the results with industry for potential use on future commercial space stations. Controlling noise inside spacecraft helps humans talk to each other, hear alarms clearer, get restful sleep, and minimizes the risk of hearing loss. It is best to control the noise at the source, and in spacecraft the noise often comes from cabin ventilation and equipment cooling fans. Since the earliest days of human spaceflight, there has been noise from the Environmental Control and Life Support System ventilation. NASA is working to design highly efficient and quiet fans by building on technology initially developed at the agency’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland and sharing it with companies that are developing new spacecraft and space stations. The Quiet Space Fan prototype, initially developed at Glenn, to reduce noise inside spacecraft.Credits: NASA “As NASA continues to support the design and development of multiple commercial space stations, we have intentional and focused efforts to share technical expertise, technologies, and data with industry,” said Angela Hart, manager of NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “The Quiet Space Fan research is one more example of how we are actively working with private companies to foster the development of future destinations.” The initial fan prototype was designed at Glenn in 2009 using tools developed for aircraft turbofan engines. The fan design size, flow rate – how much air the fan moves – and pressure rise – the increase in pressure across the fan – were designed similarly to the original Orion cabin fan design point (150 cubic feet per minute, 3.64 inches of water column). Acoustic measurements showed that the new design was approximately 10 decibels quieter than a similar-sized commercial off-the-shelf fan. To take the research a step further, a larger fan was recently designed with almost twice the flow rate and pressure rise capability (250 cubic feet per minute, 7 inches of water column) compared to the initial prototype. For example, the original fan could provide enough airflow for a large car or van, and the larger fan could provide enough airflow for a house. NASA’s quiet fan design aims to maintain high performance standards while significantly reducing everyday noise levels and can potentially be used on the International Space Station and future commercial destinations. The Quiet Space Fan helps to control noise that often comes from cabin ventilation and equipment cooling fans, and the research is being shared with industry. Credits: NASA “This work will lead to significant benefits including volume and mass savings from noise controls that are no longer as large or needed at all, reduced system pressure loss from mufflers and silencers that don’t need to be as restrictive, reduced power draw because of the reduced system pressure loss and the highly efficient fan design, and satisfying spaceflight vehicle acoustic requirements to provide a safe and habitable acoustic environment for astronauts,” said Chris Allen, Acoustics Office manager at NASA Johnson. Developing quieter fans is one of many efforts NASA is making to improve human spaceflight and make space exploration more innovative and comfortable for future missions to low Earth orbit. Helping private companies provide reliable and safe services at a lower cost will allow the agency to focus on Artemis missions to the Moon while continuing to use low Earth orbit as a training and proving ground for deep space missions. Learn more about NASA’s commercial space strategy at: https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/commercial-space View the full article

1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA has selected All Native Synergies Company of Winnebego, Nebraska, to provide custodial and refuse collection services at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The Custodial and Refuse Collection Services III contract is a firm-fixed-price contract with an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity provision. Its maximum potential value is approximately $33.5 million. The performance period begins Wednesday, Oct. 23, and will extend four and a half years, with a one-year base period, four one-year options, and a six-month extension. This critical service contract provides custodial and refuse collection services for all Marshall facilities. Work under the contract includes floor maintenance, including elevators; trash removal; cleaning drinking fountains and restrooms; sweeping, mopping, and cleaning building entrances and stairways. For information about NASA and other agency programs, visit: www.nasa.gov Abbey Donaldson Headquarters, Washington 202-913-2184 abbey.a.donaldson@nasa.gov Molly Porter Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. 256-424-5158 molly.a.porter@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Oct 22, 2024 EditorBeth RidgewayContactAbbey A. Donaldsonabbey.a.donaldson@nasa.govMolly Portermolly.a.porter@nasa.govLocationMarshall Space Flight Center Related TermsMarshall Space Flight Center Explore More 5 min read NASA’s IXPE Helps Researchers Determine Shape of Black Hole Corona Article 5 days ago 24 min read The Marshall Star for October 16, 2024 Article 6 days ago 8 min read Revealing the Hidden Universe with Full-shell X-ray Optics at NASA MSFC The study of X-ray emission from astronomical objects reveals secrets about the Universe at the… Article 1 week ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

NASA, ESA, R. Kirshner (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation), and M. Mutchler and R. Avila (STScI) This image, released on Feb. 24, 2017, shows Supernova 1987a (center) surrounded by dramatic red clouds of gas and dust within the Large Magellanic Cloud. This supernova, first discovered on Feb. 23, 1987, blazed with the power of 100 million Suns. Since that first sighting, SN 1987A has continued to fascinate astronomers with its spectacular light show. Located in the nearby Large Magellanic Cloud, it was the nearest supernova explosion observed in hundreds of years and the best opportunity yet for astronomers to study the phases before, during, and after the death of a star. Image credit: NASA, ESA, R. Kirshner (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation), and M. Mutchler and R. Avila (STScI) View the full article

1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) This September 2024 aerial photograph shows the coastal launch range at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Wallops is the agency’s only owned-and-operated launch range.Courtesy Patrick J. Hendrickson; used with permission NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia is scheduled to support the launch of a suborbital sounding rocket for the U.S. Department of Defense during a launch window that runs 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. EDT each day from Wednesday, Oct. 23 to Friday, Oct. 25. No real-time launch status updates will be available. The launch will not be livestreamed nor will launch status updates be provided during the countdown. The Wallops Visitor Center will be closed to the public. The rocket launch is expected to be visible from the Chesapeake Bay region. Share Details Last Updated Oct 22, 2024 LocationWallops Flight Facility Related TermsWallops Flight Facility Explore More 4 min read Double Header: NASA Sounding Rockets to Launch Student Experiments NASA's Wallops Flight Facility is scheduled to launch two sounding rockets carrying student developed experiments… Article 1 year ago 2 min read NASA Wallops Supports Second Rocket Lab Electron Launch NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility supported the successful launch of a Rocket Lab Electron rocket at… Article 2 years ago 5 min read NASA to Launch Sounding Rockets into Moon’s Shadow During Solar Eclipse UPDATE: The three rockets comprising the APEP mission launched on Monday, April 8, 2024, at 2:40pm,… Article 7 months ago View the full article

Flight Engineer Joe Acaba holds a children’s book that he is reading from as part of the Story Time From Space program. Astronauts read aloud from a STEM-related children’s book while being videotaped and demonstrate simple science concepts and experiments aboard the International Space Station. Stories open up new worlds and spark curiosity in readers of all ages – and NASA is using the power of storytelling to encourage the Artemis Generation to explore STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Through the below list of reading resources – books, comics, and graphic novels written and illustrated by NASA experts, and video read-alongs by astronauts – students will find themselves exploring the Moon, piloting a cutting-edge aircraft, searching for life among the stars, and more. Come along with NASA on a journey of discovery! Story Time With NASA Astronauts (Grades Pre-K to 4) Take your reading adventure out of this world! In this video playlist, astronauts read storybooks aloud from aboard the International Space Station and other locations around NASA. Kids Club Picture Show (Grades Pre-K to 4) View cool pictures from NASA missions and more! This curated collection of fascinating photos introduces young explorers to a variety of topics across NASA. Each photo includes a short description with the option to hear it read aloud. Astro-Not-Yet Storybooks (Grades K-4) These storybooks follow along as an ambitious classroom of students learn about the International Space Station, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, and important STEM concepts such as microgravity and sound waves. The books are available in English and Spanish. The Adventures of Kennedy and Duke Storybook (Grades K-4) This book follows the experiences of Kennedy, a fictional young girl who discovers an amateur radio during a visit to her grandfather’s farm. While learning to use the radio, she communicates with Duke, an astronaut living and working aboard the International Space Station. Also available in Spanish. You Are Going, illustrated by former NASA intern Shane Tolentino, shares a glimpse into future Artemis missions. You Are Going (Grades K-4 and 5-8) Through “You Are Going,” readers get a glimpse into NASA’s Artemis campaign. Learn about NASA’s powerful megarocket, the SLS (Space Launch System), as well as the Orion spacecraft, the Gateway, and other important elements that will help make these pioneering flights possible. Also available in Spanish and French. Hooray For SLS (Grades K-4) NASA is working to send humans back to the Moon to live, learn, and explore through the Artemis campaign – and as members of the Artemis Generation, today’s students are invited to be part of the story. “Hooray for SLS!” is the first in a series of children’s books introducing young explorers ages 3 to 8 to the SLS rocket and other components of the Artemis missions. The Adventures of Commander Moonikin Campos and Friends Comics (Grades K-4 and 5-8) Although no astronauts flew around the Moon on the Artemis I mission, the mission included a crew of manikins – Commander Moonikin Campos and two identical manikin torsos – outfitted with sensors to capture data during the flight. This webcomic explains what the manikins experienced on the Artemis I mission around the Moon. Also available in Spanish. During World War II the United States Army Air Corps created the first fighter squadron in its history made up of Black military pilots. They became known as the Tuskegee Airmen. Their success in war overseas, and challenges faced at home, helped light the path toward equal rights for all. Aeronautics Leveled Readers (Grades K-4, 5-8, and 9-12) The history of American aviation comes to life through these stories written at elementary, middle school, and high school levels. Students will read about important figures in aviation such as Amelia Earhart and the Tuskegee Airmen, as well as mini biographies of NASA employees Danielle Koch, Maria Cabellero, and Red Jensen. Ruby Flottum reads the first issue of NASA’s “First Woman” graphic novel, entitled “Dream to Reality,” on Monday, July 25, 2022 at AirVenture at Oshkosh. First Woman Graphic Novels (Grades 5-8, 9-12, and Higher Education) This graphic novel series takes readers into the world of fictional astronaut Callie Rodriguez, the first woman to explore the Moon. Build on the story’s lessons with the accompanying hands-on activities and videos designed for use in K-12 informal education settings. Also available in Spanish. Astrobiology Graphic Novels (Grades 5-12) Produced within NASA’s Astrobiology Program, “Astrobiology” is a graphic novel series that explores the many facets of astrobiology: the study of the origin, evolution, and distribution of life in the universe. Some novels are also available in Japanese, Korean, or Spanish editions. Explore Further There’s more to explore! Check out NASA’s STEM Search for additional resources for each grade level, including hands-on activities, games, educator guides, and more. Visit NASA’s Learning Resources for the latest news and resources from the agency’s Office of STEM Engagement. Keep Exploring Discover More STEM Topics From NASA Outside the Classroom For Educators For Kids and Students NASA EXPRESS Newsletter Sign-up View the full article

Casey Wolfe is developing and producing the next generation payload adapter for NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) super-heavy lift rocket. The adapter is made with some of the world’s most advanced composite manufacturing techniques.NASA/Sam Lott While precision, perseverance, and engineering are necessary skills in building a Moon rocket, Casey Wolfe knows that one of the most important aspects for the job is teamwork. “Engineering is vital, but to get this type of work done, you need to take care of the human element,” said Wolfe, the assistant branch chief of the advanced manufacturing branch in the Materials and Processes Laboratory at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Together with her team, Wolfe is developing and producing the next generation payload adapter for NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) super-heavy lift rocket. The adapter is made with some of the world’s most advanced composite manufacturing techniques. Wolfe’s work integrates the technical day-to-day operations and personnel management of the composites manufacturing team and additive manufacturing team, balancing production of SLS hardware with the creation of new engines using the latest manufacturing technologies. “A lot of my day to day is in managing our two teams, making connections, building relationships, and making sure people feel supported,” Wolfe explains. “I conduct individual tag ups with each team member so we can be proactive about anticipating and addressing problems.” Wolfe grew up in Huntsville, a place known as the “Rocket City,” but it wasn’t until she visited a job fair while studying at Auburn University for a polymer and fiber engineering degree that she began to consider a career at NASA Marshall. Wolfe applied for and was selected to be a NASA intern through the Pathways Program, working in the non-metallic materials branch of the Materials and Processes Laboratory. Wolfe supported a coating system for electrostatic discharge on the first uncrewed test flight of the Orion spacecraft. Launching December 5, 2014, Orion traveled to an altitude of 3,600 miles, orbited Earth twice, and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean. It was during her internship that Wolfe realized how inspirational it felt to be treated like a vital part of a team: “The SLS program gave everyone permission to sign the hardware, even me – even though I was just an intern,” says Wolfe. “It was impactful to me, knowing that something I had worked on had my name on it and went to space.” Since being hired by NASA, Wolfe’s work has supported development of the Orion stage adapter diaphragms for Artemis II and Artemis III, and the payload adapters for Artemis IV and beyond. The first three Artemis flights use the SLS Block 1 rocket variant, which can send more than 27 metric tons (59,500 pounds) to the Moon in a single launch. Beginning with Artemis IV, the SLS Block 1B variant will use the new, more powerful exploration upper stage to enable more ambitious missions to deep space, with the cone-shaped payload adapter situated atop the rocket’s exploration upper stage. The new variant will be capable of launching more than 38 metric tons (84,000 pounds) to the Moon in a single launch. “While the engineering development unit of the payload adapter is undergoing large-scale testing, our team is working on the production of the qualification article, which will also be tested,” Wolfe says. “Flight components should be starting fabrication in the next six months.” When Wolfe isn’t working, she enjoys hiking, gardening, and hanging out with her dogs and large family. Recently, she signed another piece of SLS hardware headed to space: the Orion stage adapter for the second Artemis mission. With as many responsibilities as Wolfe juggles, it’s easy to lose sight of her work’s impact. “I work in the lab around the hardware all the time, and in many ways, it can become very rote,” she says. But Wolfe won’t forget what she saw one evening when she worked late: “Everybody was gone, and as I walked past the launch vehicle stage adapter, there were two security guards taking pictures of each other in front of it. It was one of those things that made me step back and reflect on what my team accomplishes every day: making history happen.” NASA is working to land the first woman, first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the Moon under Artemis. SLS is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration, along with the Orion spacecraft, supporting ground systems, advanced spacesuits and rovers, the Gateway in orbit around the Moon, and commercial human landing systems. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single launch. View the full article

A mentor of research scientist Meloë Kacenelenbogen once shared a sentiment from French author André Gide: “You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” Kacenelenbogen pushes beyond her comfort zone to explore the unknown. Name: Meloë S. Kacenelenbogen Formal Job Classification: Research scientist Organization: Climate and Radiation Laboratory, Science Directorate (Code 613) Dr. Meloë S. Kacenelenbogen is a research scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. She studies the impact of aerosols on air quality and the Earth’s climate.Photo courtesy of Meloë Kacenelenbogen What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Goddard? I study the impact of aerosols — suspended particles from, for example, wildfire smoke, desert dust, urban pollution, and volcanic eruptions — on air quality and the Earth’s climate. I use space, air, and ground-based observations, as well as models. Why did you become a scientist? What is your educational background? I never made a deliberate choice to become a scientist. I started with very little confidence as a child and then built up my confidence by achieving things I thought I could not do. I chose the hardest fields to work on along the way. Science looked hard and so did fluid mechanics, remote sensing, and atmospheric physics. I have failed many times, but I always learn something and move on. I do get scared and maybe even paralyzed for a day or two, but I never let fear or failure immobilize me for long. I was born in Maryland, but my family moved to France when I was young, so I am fluent in French. I have a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mechanical engineering, and physical methods in remote sensing from the Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris VI, Jussieu). In 2008, I got a Ph.D. in atmospheric physics for applying satellite remote sensing to air quality at the Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille (USTL), France. What are some of your career highlights? After my Ph.D., I worked for the Atmospheric Lidar Group at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), on spaceborne and ground-based lidars. In 2009, I got a NASA Post-doctoral Program (NPP) fellowship at the agency’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, where I worked for 13 years on space-based, aircraft-based, and ground-based atmospheric aerosol vertical distribution and aerosol typing. In 2022, I came to work at the Climate and Radiation Lab at Goddard. What is most interesting about aerosols? Aerosols are very topical because they have a huge impact on the air we breathe and our Earth’s climate. The smaller the aerosol, the deeper it can get into our lungs. Among other sources, aerosols can come from cars, factories, or wildfires. We all know that wildfires are becoming bigger and more frequent. They are expected to happen even more frequently in the future due to climate change. Both when I was living in California and here in Maryland, I have experienced first-hand choking from the wildfire smoke. I will always remember how apocalyptic it felt back in the summer of 2020 in California when wildfire smoke was paired with COVID confinement, and the sky turned Mars-like orange. Please tell us about your involvement with the Atmosphere Observing System (AOS)? I am incredibly lucky to be able to contribute to the next generation of NASA’s satellites. I am working on AOS, which will observe aerosols, clouds, convention, and precipitation in the Earth’s atmosphere. I am part of the team that is helping design several instruments and algorithms. My role is to connect this spaceborne observing system to all our other space, ground, and air-based measurements at the time of launch. We are making a mesh of observations to address the science questions, run the algorithms, and validate the spaceborne measurements. I am constantly pushed to expand my horizon and my own knowledge. Why do you enjoy always challenging yourself intellectually? I started that way. I had no confidence, so I felt that the only way I could build my confidence was to try doing things that scared me. I may sometimes be a little scared, but I am never bored. What did you learn from your mentors? A few years ago, a mentor shared a quote from André Gide with me that encapsulates what we are talking about: “You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” In other words, it is OK, maybe preferable, to be out of my comfort zone to explore the unknown as scary as it may be. Along the way, it has been extremely important for me to deliberately choose mentors. To me, a good mentor has earned the respect of all who have worked with them, is uplifting, reassuring, and gives me the invaluable guidance and support that I need. I deliberately try to surround myself with the right people. I have been very, very fortunate to find incredible people to encourage me. As a mentor, what do you advise? I tell them to deliberately choose their mentors. I also tell them that it is OK to be uncomfortable. Being uncomfortable is the nature of our field. To do great things, we often need to be uncomfortable. Why do you enjoy working on a team? I love working on teams, I love to feed off the positive energy of a team whether I lead it or am part of it. In my field, teamwork with a positive energy is incredibly satisfying. Everybody feeds off everybody’s energy, we go further, are stronger, and achieve more. This may not happen often, but when it does it makes it all worth it. What are the happiest moments in your career? I am always happiest when the team publishes a paper and all our efforts, are encapsulated in that one well-wrapped and satisfying peer-reviewed paper that is then accessible to everyone online. Every paper we publish feels, to me, the same as a Ph.D. in terms of the work, pain, energy, and then, finally, satisfaction involved. What do you hope to achieve in your career? I want to have been a major contributor to the mission by the time the AOS satellites launch. What do you do for fun? I do mixed martial arts. I love the ocean, diving, and sailing. I also love going to art galleries, especially to see impressionist paintings to reconnect with my Parisian past. Meloë Kacenelenbogen once shared a sentiment from French author André Gide: “You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.”Photo courtesy of Meloë Kacenelenbogen Who is your favorite author? I love Zweig, Kafka, Dostoyevsky, Saint-Exupéry, and Kessel. The latter two wrote a lot about aviators in the early 1900s back in the days when it was new and very dangerous. Those pilots, like Mermoz, were my heroes growing up. Who would you like to thank? I would like to thank my family for being my rock. What are your guiding principles? To paraphrase Dostoevsky, everyone is responsible to all men for all men and for everything. I have a strong sense of purpose, pride, justice, and honor. This is how I try to live my life for better or for worse. By Elizabeth M. Jarrell NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. 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. Explore More 6 min read Christine Knudson Uses Earthly Experience to Study Martian Geology Geologist Christine Knudson works with the Curiosity rover to explore Mars — from about 250… Article 6 days ago 9 min read Systems Engineer Noosha Haghani Prepped PACE for Space Article 2 weeks ago 6 min read Astrophysicist Gioia Rau Explores Cosmic ‘Time Machines’ Article 3 weeks ago Share Details Last Updated Oct 22, 2024 EditorMadison OlsonContactRob Garnerrob.garner@nasa.govLocationGoddard Space Flight Center Related TermsPeople of GoddardGoddard Space Flight CenterPeople of NASA View the full article

Curiosity Navigation Curiosity Home Mission Overview Where is Curiosity? Mission Updates Science Overview Instruments Highlights Exploration Goals News and Features Multimedia Curiosity Raw Images Images Videos Audio More Resources Mars Missions Mars Sample Return Mars Perseverance Rover Mars Curiosity Rover MAVEN Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Odyssey More Mars Missions The Solar System The Sun Mercury Venus Earth The Moon Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto & Dwarf Planets Asteroids, Comets & Meteors The Kuiper Belt The Oort Cloud 3 min read Sols 4338-4340: Decisions, Decisions This image was taken by Mast Camera (Mastcam) aboard NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity on sol 4338 — Martian day 4,338 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission — Oct. 19, 2024, at 08:29:23 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Earth planning date: Friday, Oct. 18, 2024 On sol 4338, we have a science block planned as well as some arm activities. Our science activities include a ChemCam observation of “Donkey Lake.” This is a bedrock target with exposed laminations. In geology, lamination is a sequence of small-scale, embedded fine layers of sedimentary rock. Next, we will do an RMI mosaic as well as Mastcam imaging on “Fascination Turret” to document the boulder configuration for study of both debris flow and rock deposition processes. We’ll also do a Navcam dust devil survey to study the Martian atmosphere, before moving into our arm backbones. We’ll perform a DRT and APXS on several bedrock targets with exposed layering. An exciting sol for geology! Sol 4339 presented some interesting decisions for our planning team to make. We started out with a science block. This included a ChemCam LIBS analysis on a soil target with interesting color differences. We also performed an RMI mosaic and Mastcam imaging of “Whitebark Pass” to study possible surface erosion. After this science block, we planned to do a long traverse, which is where planning got a bit tricky. The drive was a bit complicated to plan. The terrain had lots of rocks which ultimately prevented us from planning a guarded drive (i.e., a drive using auto navigation), which would have extended the drive length. There are occlusion considerations — we always want to end the drive in a good orientation for a communications link. When evaluating our end of drive, there are potential configurations where the line of sight for communications would be blocked, either due to terrain or due to objects on the rover deck. Here, because of the many and large size of rocks in our terrain, we were not confident that auto-navigation would not fault and position us in a bad orientation for our next communications window. With this risk, we decided to take a shorter drive with a sure unoccluded end-of-drive orientation. As planned, our drive will reach about 27 meters (almost 89 feet), whereas a guarded drive if the terrain was better might have yielded around 50 meters (about 164 feet). After the drive, we’ll take some imaging and do a Mastcam survey to observe soils along the traverse path. On sol 4340, we planned for two science blocks. The first included a ChemCam AEGIS activity — this will allow the rover to examine its surroundings and pick out some interesting targets for analysis. We will also perform a Navcam dust devil movie to capture any interesting dust activities in the atmosphere. Next, we’ll move into our second science block, which is focused on environmental science. We’ll first take Mastcam tau observations, which will allow us to study and measure the optical depth of the atmosphere, which is often used as a proxy to understand the dust in the atmosphere. We’ll also do some early morning remote science, including Navcam cloud movies at zenith and at suprahorizon. Written by Remington Free, Operations Systems Engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Image Download Share Details Last Updated Oct 22, 2024 Related Terms Blogs Explore More 2 min read Sols 4336-4337: Where the Streets Have No Name Article 4 days ago 2 min read Just Keep Roving Throughout the past week, Perseverance has continued marching up the Jezero crater rim. This steep… Article 5 days ago 3 min read Sols 4334-4335: Planning with Popsicles — A Clipper Celebration! Article 6 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, and the seventh largest. It’s the only planet we know of inhabited… All Mars Resources Explore this collection of Mars images, videos, resources, PDFs, and toolkits. Discover valuable content designed to inform, educate, and inspire,… Rover Basics Each robotic explorer sent to the Red Planet has its own unique capabilities driven by science. Many attributes of a… Mars Exploration: Science Goals The key to understanding the past, present or future potential for life on Mars can be found in NASA’s four… View the full article

2 min read NASA Reveals Prototype Telescope for Gravitational Wave Observatory NASA has revealed the first look at a full-scale prototype for six telescopes that will enable, in the next decade, the space-based detection of gravitational waves — ripples in space-time caused by merging black holes and other cosmic sources. On May 20, the full-scale Engineering Development Unit Telescope for the LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) mission, still in its shipping frame, was moved within a clean room at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. NASA/Dennis Henry The LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) mission is led by ESA (European Space Agency) in partnership with NASA to detect gravitational waves by using lasers to measure precise distances — down to picometers, or trillionths of a meter — between a trio of spacecraft distributed in a vast configuration larger than the Sun. Each side of the triangular array will measure nearly 1.6 million miles, or 2.5 million kilometers. “Twin telescopes aboard each spacecraft will both transmit and receive infrared laser beams to track their companions, and NASA is supplying all six of them to the LISA mission,” said Ryan DeRosa, a researcher at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “The prototype, called the Engineering Development Unit Telescope, will guide us as we work toward building the flight hardware.” The prototype LISA telescope undergoes post-delivery inspection in a darkened NASA Goddard clean room on May 20. The entire telescope is made from an amber-colored glass-ceramic that resists changes in shape over a wide temperature range, and the mirror’s surface is coated in gold. NASA/Dennis Henry The Engineering Development Unit Telescope, which was manufactured and assembled by L3Harris Technologies in Rochester, New York, arrived at Goddard in May. The primary mirror is coated in gold to better reflect the infrared lasers and to reduce heat loss from a surface exposed to cold space since the telescope will operate best when close to room temperature. The prototype is made entirely from an amber-colored glass-ceramic called Zerodur, manufactured by Schott in Mainz, Germany. The material is widely used for telescope mirrors and other applications requiring high precision because its shape changes very little over a wide range of temperatures. The LISA mission is slated to launch in the mid-2030s. Download additional images from NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio By Francis Reddy NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Media Contact: Claire Andreoli 301-286-1940 claire.andreoli@nasa.gov NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Share Details Last Updated Oct 22, 2024 Related Terms Astrophysics Black Holes Galaxies, Stars, & Black Holes Goddard Space Flight Center Gravitational Waves LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) The Universe Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

Teams from NASA and ESA (European Space Agency), including NASA astronaut Stan Love (far right) and ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano (far left) help conduct human factors testing inside a mockup for the Gateway lunar space station. Thales Alenia Space Teams at NASA, ESA (European Space Agency), and Thales Alenia Space, including astronauts Stan Love and Luca Parmitano, came together in Turin, Italy, this summer for a test run of Gateway, humanity’s first space station to orbit the Moon. The group conducted what is known as human factors testing inside a mockup of Lunar I-Hab, one of four Gateway modules where astronauts will live, conduct science, and prepare for missions to the Moon’s South Pole region. The testing is an important step on the path to launch by helping refine the design of spacecraft for comfort and safety. Lunar I-Hab is provided by ESA and Thales Alenia Space and is slated to launch on Artemis IV. During that mission, four astronauts will launch inside the Orion spacecraft atop an upgraded version of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and deliver Lunar I-Hab to Gateway in orbit around the Moon. ESA, CSA (Canadian Space Agency), JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and the Mohammad Bin Rashid Space Centre of the United Arab Emirates are providing major hardware for Gateway, including science experiments, the modules where astronauts will live and work, robotics, and life support systems. International teams of astronauts will explore the scientific mysteries of deep space with Gateway as part of the Artemis campaign to return to the Moon for scientific discovery and chart a path for the first human missions to Mars and beyond. A mockup of ESA’s Lunar I-Hab module, one of four elements of the Gateway space station where astronauts will live, conduct science, and prepare for missions to the lunar South Pole Region.Thales Alenia Space An artist’s rendering of ESA’s Lunar I-Hab module in orbit around the Moon, one of four elements of the Gateway space station where astronauts will live, conduct science, and prepare for missions to the lunar South Pole Region.NASA/Alberto Bertolin, Bradley Reynolds Learn More About Gateway Share Details Last Updated Oct 22, 2024 EditorBriana R. ZamoraContactDylan Connelldylan.b.connell@nasa.govLocationJohnson Space Center Related TermsGateway Space StationArtemisArtemis 4Earth's MoonExploration Systems Development Mission DirectorateGateway ProgramHumans in SpaceJohnson Space Center Explore More 1 min read Gateway Stands Tall for Stress Test The Gateway space station’s Habitation and Logistics Outpost has successfully completed static load testing in… Article 3 weeks ago 6 min read NASA’s Artemis IV: Building First Lunar Space Station Article 7 months ago 2 min read Gateway: Energizing Exploration Discover the cutting-edge technology powering Gateway, humanity's first lunar space station. Article 2 months ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Space Launch System (SLS) Orion Spacecraft Gateway Human Landing System View the full article

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Center (ARC) on behalf of the Space Technology Mission Directorate’s (STMD) Small Spacecraft Technology (SST) Program and is hereby soliciting information from potential sources for inputs on industry, academia, or government adopted battery passivation techniques. As part of a continual process improvement effort and potential requirement revisions, the NASA Small Spacecraft community, Office of Safety and Mission Assurance, and Orbital Debris Program Office are seeking inputs from industry on battery passivation techniques that are used by industry to satisfy the Orbital Debris Mitigation Standard Practices (ODMSP) requirements 2-2. Limiting the risk to other space systems from accidental explosions and associated orbital debris after completion of mission operations: All on-board sources of stored energy of a spacecraft or upper stage should be depleted or safed when they are no longer required for mission operations or post mission disposal. Depletion should occur as soon as such an operation does not pose an unacceptable risk to the payload. Propellant depletion burns and compressed gas releases should be designed to minimize the probability of subsequent accidental collision and to minimize the impact of a subsequent accidental explosion. Background NASA has well-established procedures for passivating power sources on large, highly redundant spacecraft to mitigate debris generation at end-of-life. However, the rise of capable small spacecraft utilizing single-string and Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) components presents challenges. Directly applying passivation strategies designed for redundant systems to these less complex spacecraft can introduce risks and may not be cost-effective for these missions. Recognizing that the commercial sector has emerged as a leader in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) small satellite operations, NASA seeks to engage with industry, academia, and government spacecraft operators to gain insights into current battery passivation techniques. Understanding industry-adopted practices, their underlying rationale, and performance data will inform NASA’s ongoing efforts to develop safe and sustainable end-of-life procedures for future missions. NASA invites government, academic, or industry stakeholders, including small satellite operators, manufacturers, and component suppliers, to share information on battery passivation strategies employed in their spacecraft. Click here for more information. View the full article

NASA logo Chile will sign the Artemis Accords during a ceremony at 3 p.m. EDT on Friday, Oct. 25, at NASA’s Headquarters in Washington. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson will host Aisén Etcheverry, Chile’s minister of science, technology, knowledge and innovation, and Juan Gabriel Valdés, ambassador of Chile to the United States, along with other officials from Chile and the U.S. Department of State. This event is in-person only. U.S. media and U.S. citizens representing international media organizations interested in attending must RSVP no later than 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 24, to hq-media@mail.nasa.gov. NASA’s media accreditation policy is online. The signing ceremony will take place at the agency’s Glennan Assembly Room inside NASA Headquarters located at 300 E St. SW Washington. NASA, in coordination with the U.S. Department of State and seven other initial signatory nations, established the Artemis Accords in 2020. With many countries and private companies conducting missions and operations around the Moon, the Artemis Accords provide a common set of principles to enhance the governance of the civil exploration and use of outer space. The Artemis Accords reinforce the commitment by signatory nations to the Outer Space Treaty, the Registration Convention, the Rescue and Return Agreement, as well as best practices and norms of responsible behavior for civil space exploration and use. Learn more about the Artemis Accords at: https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords -end- Meira Bernstein / Elizabeth Shaw Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 meira.b.bernstein@nasa.gov / elizabeth.a.shaw@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Oct 21, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsOffice of International and Interagency Relations (OIIR)artemis accords View the full article

NASA/Jamie Peer In this image from Oct. 3, 2024, NASA’s mobile launcher 1 makes its way back to the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, after undergoing upgrades and tests in preparation for the agency’s Artemis II mission. Artemis II is the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence at the Moon for science and exploration through Artemis. Artemis II will send four astronauts around the Moon, testing NASA’s foundational human deep space exploration capabilities, the SLS rocket, and Orion spacecraft. Image credit: NASA/Jamie Peer View the full article

Microgravity had no immediate effect on a person’s ability to perceive the height of an object, indicating that astronauts can safely perform tasks that rely on accurate and precise height judgments soon after arrival in space. We use the height and width of objects around us to complete tasks such as reaching for objects and deciding whether we can fit through an opening. VECTION, an investigation from the Canadian Space Agency, examined the effect of microgravity on an astronaut’s visual perception and how that ability may adapt during flight or upon return to Earth. Researchers conclude there is no need for countermeasures but suggest that space travelers be made aware of late-emerging and potentially long-lasting changes in the ability to perceive object height. Canadian Space Agency astronaut David Saint-Jacques conducts a session for the VECTION experiment. NASA/Anne McClain Analysis of the genomes of five new species of bacteria found on the International Space Station identified specific adaptations to space, including the development of increased antibiotic resistance and a greater potential for causing diseases. The genes that facilitate these adaptations could serve as potential targets for drugs, helping to protect crew health on future missions. Microbial Tracking-2 monitored viruses, bacteria, and fungi on the space station to catalog and characterize any with the potential to cause disease. Understanding the mechanisms behind adaptations to space could advance development of ways to protect crew member health as well as spacecraft and equipment on future missions. Microbial adaptations also have potential applications in biotechnology, such as engineering more resilient organisms for use in space and extraterrestrial environments. A Microbial Tracking-2 sample collector on the International Space Station. NASA/Jack Fischer When NASA’s Airborne Lightning Observatory for Fly’s Eye and the space station’s ASIM instrument briefly passed over the same geographic area, the airborne instrument detected terrestrial gamma‐ray flashes (TGFs) that were not detected by ASIM. TGFs are short bursts of gamma‐rays produced by lightning in thunderclouds. This result suggests that a significant number of TGFs are too weak to be observed from space and that the percentage of lightning associated with these phenomena may be higher than previously thought. ASIM, an investigation from the European Space Agency, studies high-altitude lightning in thunderstorms and the role it plays in Earth’s atmosphere and climate. Results could help scientists develop better atmospheric models to guide weather and climate prediction and response. The airborne instrument took measurements at an altitude of about 12 miles and ASIM at approximately 260 miles above Earth’s surface. A view of ASIM mounted on the outside of the space station. NASAView the full article

At any given time, crew members are conducting dozens of scientific investigations and technology demonstrations on the International Space Station. If you’re curious about this work, the Space Station Research Xplorer (SSRX) mobile application provides information on these experiments, special facilities on the station, research benefits, and published results. The app includes summaries of each investigation along with photos, videos, interactive media, and additional reference links. Screenshot from the Space Station Research Xplorer (SSRX) mobile app Other sections include: Facilities – brief descriptions of research facilities browsable by research category, with images and information on sponsoring agency and organization, research manager, results publications, and media links when available. Benefits – information on how the research benefits space exploration and people on Earth, with sections offering more in-depth understanding of the types of benefits, access to the latest ISS Benefits for Humanity publication, and relevant videos and audio podcasts. Results – listings of peer-reviewed scientific publications in which papers related to station research appeared in a given fiscal year and summaries of recent and especially compelling findings that advance science, technology, and education, as well as promote the commercialization of space and benefit humankind. This section also provides access to the latest Annual Highlights of Results publication. LabTour – exploration of the interior of the station’s Columbus, Kibo, and Destiny modules, including tapping on any of the research racks to learn more information and an experiment description when available. Media – a variety of imagery, videos, fact sheets, and social media posts on space station research. Links – related space station research and technology demonstration opportunities, mobile apps, web landing pages, podcasts, social media, images, videos, educational resources, and more. The SSRX app is updated each month and available for iPhone, iPad, and Android platforms. The app is even available to the astronauts currently in space. Download the Space Station Research Xplorer (SSRX) mobile app from: Apple Google Play NASA also offers apps that provide interactive experiences with two major areas of space station research: plant growth and human health. Screenshot from the NASA Science Investigations: Plant Growth app On the NASA Science Investigations: Plant Growth app, your task as the newest member of the crew is to familiarize yourself with the interior of the station, which is the size of a five-bedroom house and contains a wide variety of equipment and tools. Once you are ready, help with a plant growth experiment, conducting tasks such as watering, trimming, and analyzing plant growth. Future missions need the ability to grow plants in space to provide fresh food for crew members and to contribute to life support systems, and the space station has hosted multiple experiments working toward this goal. Researchers have grown lettuces, Chinese cabbage, mustard greens, kale, tomatoes, radishes, and chile peppers on orbit. Now it’s your turn! Download the NASA Science Investigations: Plant Growth mobile app from: App Store Google Play Screenshot from the NASA Science Investigations: Humans in Space app Your job on the NASA Science Investigations: Humans in Space app is to follow instructions provided and make sure the H-II Transfer Vehicle is successfully berthed to the station. This uncrewed spacecraft from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) is one of several that make regular visits from Earth, bringing supplies, scientific experiments, and treats for the crew such as fresh fruit. You perform this task while experiencing the effects of microgravity, including adjusting to being nearly weightless, the lack of references such as up or down, and tools that float away. Download the NASA Science Investigations: Humans in Space mobile app from: App Store Google Play Keep Exploring Discover More Topics Opportunities and Information for Researchers Latest News from Space Station Research Station Benefits for Humanity Biological & Physical Science Stories View the full article

On Oct. 18, 1989, space shuttle Atlantis took off on its fifth flight, STS-34, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Its five-person crew of Commander Donald E. Williams, Pilot Michael J. McCulley, and Mission Specialists Shannon W. Lucid, Franklin R. Chang-Díaz, and Ellen S. Baker flew a five-day mission that deployed the Galileo spacecraft, managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, to study Jupiter. The astronauts deployed Galileo and its upper stage on their first day in space, sending the spacecraft on its six-year journey to the giant outer planet. Following its arrival at Jupiter in December 1995, Galileo deployed its atmospheric probe while the main spacecraft entered orbit around the planet, studying it in great detail for eight years. Left: The STS-34 crew of Mission Specialists Shannon W. Lucid, sitting left, Franklin R. Chang-Díaz, and Ellen S. Baker; Commander Donald E. Williams, standing left, and Pilot Michael J. McCulley. Middle: The STS-34 crew patch. Right: The Galileo spacecraft in Atlantis’ payload bay in preparation for STS-34. In November 1988, NASA announced Williams, McCulley, Lucid, Chang-Díaz, and Baker as the STS-34 crew for the flight planned for October 1989. Williams and Lucid, both from the Class of 1978, had each flown once before, on STS-51D in April 1985 and STS-51G in June 1985, respectively. Chang-Díaz, selected in 1980, had flown once before on STS-61C in January 1986, while for McCulley and Baker, both selected in 1984, STS-34 represented their first spaceflight. During their five-day mission, the astronauts planned to deploy Galileo and its Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) on the first flight day. Following the Galileo deployment, the astronauts planned to conduct experiments in the middeck and the payload bay. Left: Voyager 2 image of Jupiter. Middle: Galileo as it appeared in 1983. Right: Illustration of Galileo’s trajectory from Earth to Jupiter. Following the successful Pioneer and Voyager flyby missions, NASA’s next step to study Jupiter in depth involved an ambitious orbiter and atmospheric entry probe. NASA first proposed the Jupiter Orbiter Probe mission in 1975, and Congress approved it in 1977 for a planned 1982 launch on the space shuttle. In 1978, NASA renamed the spacecraft Galileo after the 17th century Italian astronomer who turned his new telescope toward Jupiter and discovered its four largest moons. Delays in the shuttle program and changes in the upper stage to send Galileo from low Earth orbit on to Jupiter resulted in the slip of its launch to May 1986, when on Atlantis’ STS-61G mission, a Centaur upper stage would send the spacecraft toward Jupiter. The January 1986 Challenger accident not only halted shuttle flights for 31 months but also canceled the Centaur as an upper stage for the orbiter. Remanifested onto the less powerful IUS, Galileo would require gravity assist maneuvers at Venus and twice at Earth to reach its destination, extending the transit time to six years. Galileo’s launch window extended from Oct. 12 to Nov. 21, 1989, dictated by planetary alignments required for the gravity assists. During the transit, Galileo had the opportunity to pass by two main belt asteroids, providing the first closeup study of this class of objects. Upon arrival at Jupiter, Galileo would release its probe to return data as it descended through Jupiter’s atmosphere while the main spacecraft would enter an elliptical orbit around the planet, from which it would conduct in depth studies for a minimum of 22 months. Left: The Galileo atmospheric probe during preflight processing. Middle: The Galileo orbiter during preflight processing. Right: Space shuttle Atlantis arrives at Launch Pad 39B. The Galileo atmospheric probe arrived at KSC on April 17 and the main spacecraft on May 16, following which workers joined the two together for preflight testing. Meanwhile, Atlantis returned to KSC on May 15, following the STS-30 mission that deployed the Magellan spacecraft to Venus. The next day workers towed it into the Orbiter Processing Facility to prepare it for STS-34. In KSC’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), workers began stacking the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB) on June 15, completing the activity on July 22, and then adding the External Tank (ET) on July 30. Atlantis rolled over to the VAB on Aug. 22 for mating with the ET and SRBs. Galileo, now mated to its IUS, transferred to Launch Pad 39B on Aug. 25, awaiting Atlantis’ arrival four days later. The next day, workers placed Galileo into Atlantis’ payload bay and began preparations for the Oct. 12 launch. The Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test took place on Sept. 14-15, with the astronauts participating in the final few hours as on launch day. A faulty computer aboard the IUS threatened to delay the mission, but workers replaced it without impacting the planned launch date. The five-member astronaut crew arrived at KSC Oct. 9 for final preparations for the flight and teams began the countdown for launch. A main engine controller problem halted the countdown at T minus 19 hours. The work required to replace it pushed the launch date back to Oct. 17. On that day, the weather at the pad supported a launch, but clouds and rain at the Shuttle Landing Facility several miles away, and later rain at a Transatlantic (TAL) abort site, violated launch constraints, so managers called a 24-hour scrub. The next day, the weather cooperated at all sites, and other than a brief hold to reconfigure Atlantis’ computers from one TAL site to another, the countdown proceeded smoothly. Left: STS-34 astronauts pose following their Sept. 6 preflight press conference. Middle: Liftoff of Atlantis on the STS-34 mission. Right: Controllers in the Firing Room watch Atlantis take to the skies. Atlantis lifted off Launch Pad 39B at 12:53 p.m. EDT on Oct. 18. As soon as the shuttle cleared the launch tower, control shifted to the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where Ascent Flight Director Ronald D. Dittemore and his team of controllers, including astronaut Frank L. Culbertson serving as the capsule communicator, or capcom, monitored all aspects of the launch. Following main engine cutoff, Atlantis and its crew had achieved orbit. Forty minutes later, a firing of the two Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) engines circularized the orbit at 185 miles. The astronauts removed their bulky Launch and Entry Suits (LES) and prepared Atlantis for orbital operations, including opening the payload bay doors. Left: Galileo and its Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) in Atlantis’ payload bay, just before deployment. Middle: Galileo and its IUS moments after deployment. Right: Galileo departs from the shuttle. Preparations for Galileo’s deployment began shortly thereafter. In Mission Control, Flight Director J. Milton Heflin and his team, including capcom Michael A. Baker, took over to assist the crew with deployment operations. The astronauts activated Galileo and the IUS, and ground teams began checking out their systems, with the first TV from the mission showing the spacecraft and its upper stage in the payload bay. Lucid raised Galileo’s tilt table first to 29 degrees, McCulley oriented Atlantis to the deployment attitude, then Lucid raised the tilt table to the deploy position of 58 degrees. With all systems operating normally, Mission Control gave the go for deploy. Six hours and 20 minutes into the mission, Lucid deployed the Jupiter-bound spacecraft and its upper stage, weighing a combined 38,483 pounds. “Galileo is on its way to another world,” Williams called down. The combination glided over the shuttle’s crew compartment. Williams and McCulley fired the two OMS engines to move Atlantis a safe distance away from the IUS burn that took place one hour after deployment, sending Galileo on its circuitous journey through the inner solar system before finally heading to Jupiter. The primary task of the mission accomplished, the astronauts prepared for their first night’s sleep in space. STS-34 crew Earth observation photographs. Left: The Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex. Middle left: Jamaica. Middle right: Greece. Right: The greater Tokyo area with Mt. Fuji at upper left. For the next three days, the STS-34 astronauts focused their attention on the middeck and payload bay experiments, as well as taking photographs of the Earth. Located in the payload bay, the Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet experiment, managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, measured ozone in the Earth’s atmosphere and compared the results with data obtained by weather satellites at the same locations. The comparisons served to calibrate the weather satellite instruments. Baker conducted the Growth Hormone Concentrations and Distributions in Plants experiment, that investigated the effect of the hormone Auxin in corn shoot tissue. Three days into the mission, she placed plant canisters into a freezer to arrest plant growth and for postflight analysis. Chang-Díaz and Lucid had prime responsibility for the Polymer Morphology experiment, developed by the 3M Company. They used a laptop to control experiment parameters as the hardware melted different samples to see the effects of weightlessness. Baker conducted several medical investigations, including studying blood vessels in the retina, changes in leg volume due to fluid shifts, and carotid blood flow. Left: The Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet experiment in Atlantis’ payload bay. Middle: Ellen S. Baker, right, performs a carotid blood flow experiment on Franklin R. Chang-Díaz. Right: Chang-Díaz describes the Polymer Mixing experiment. Left: The STS-34 crew poses on Atlantis’ fight deck. Middle: Atlantis touches down at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Right: The STS-34 astronauts pose in front of Atlantis. On Oct. 23, the astronauts awakened for their final day in space. Because of high winds expected at the primary landing site at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB), managers moved the landing up by two revolutions. In preparation for reentry, the astronauts donned their orange LESs and closed the payload bay doors. Williams and McCulley oriented Atlantis into the deorbit attitude, with the OMS engines facing in the direction of travel. Over the Indian Ocean, they fired the two engines for 2 minutes 48 seconds to bring the spacecraft out of orbit. They reoriented the orbiter to fly with its heat shield exposed to the direction of flight as it encountered Earth’s atmosphere at 419,000 feet. The buildup of ionized gases caused by the heat of reentry prevented communications for about 15 minutes but provided the astronauts a great light show. The entry profile differed slightly from the planned one because Atlantis needed to make up 500 miles of cross range since it returned two orbits early. After completing the Heading Alignment Circle turn, Williams aligned Atlantis with the runway, and McCulley lowered the landing gear. Atlantis touched down and rolled to a stop, ending a 4-day 23-hour 39-minute flight, having completed 79 orbits of the Earth. Following postlanding inspections, workers placed Atlantis atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing-747, and the combination left Edwards on Oct. 28. Following refueling stops at Biggs Army Airfield in Texas and Columbus AFB in Mississippi, Atlantis and the SCA arrived back at KSC on Oct. 29. Workers began to prepare it for its next flight, STS-36 in February 1990. Left: An illustration of Galileo in orbit around Jupiter. Right: Galileo’s major mission events, including encounters with Jupiter’s moons during its eight-year orbital study. One hour after deployment from Atlantis, the IUS ignited to send Galileo on its six-year journey to Jupiter, with the spacecraft flying free of the rocket stage 47 minutes later. The spacecraft’s circuitous path took it first to Venus on Feb. 10, 1990, back to Earth on Dec. 8, 1990, and again on Dec. 8, 1992, each time picking up velocity from the gravity assist to send it on to the giant planet. Along the way, Galileo also passed by and imaged the main belt asteroids Gaspra and Ida and observed the crash of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 onto Jupiter. On Dec. 7, 1995, the probe plummeted through Jupiter’s dense atmosphere, returning data along the way, until it succumbed to extreme pressures and temperatures. Meanwhile, Galileo entered orbit around Jupiter and far exceeded its 22-month primary mission, finally plunging into the giant planet on Sept. 21, 2003, 14 years after leaving Earth. During its 35 orbits around Jupiter, it studied not only the planet but made close observations of many of its moons, especially its four largest ones, Ganymede, Callisto, Europa, and Io. Left: Galileo image of could formations on Jupiter. Right: Closeup image of terrain on Europa. Of particular interest to many scientists, Galileo made 11 close encounters with icy Europa, coming as close as 125 miles, revealing incredible details about its surface. Based on Galileo data, scientists now believe a vast ocean lies beneath Europa’s icy crust, and heating from inside the moon may produce conditions favorable for supporting life. NASA’s Europa Clipper, launched on Oct. 14, 2024, hopes to expand on Galileo’s observations when it reaches Jupiter in April 2030. Enjoy the crew narrated video of the STS-34 mission. Read Williams‘ recollections of the STS-34 mission in his oral history with the JSC History Office. Explore More 12 min read Five Years Ago: First All Woman Spacewalk Article 3 days ago 6 min read Cassini Mission: 5 Things to Know About NASA Lewis’ Last Launch Article 6 days ago 24 min read NASA Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month 2024 Article 1 week ago View the full article

7 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Jhony Zavaleta, ASIA-AQ Project Manager, welcomes DC-8 Navigator Walter Klein and the rest of the aircraft crew to U-Tapao, Thailand for its initial arrival to the country during the ASIA-AQ campaign. Erin Czech (back, blue shirt) and Jaden Ta (front, black pants) served as part of the Thailand ESPO site management team, while Zavaleta and Sam Kim (far right) worked as the ESPO advance team to prepare each new site for the mission’s arrival. NASA Ames/Rafael Luis Méndez Peña ESPO solves problems before you know you have them. If you are missing a canister of liquid nitrogen, got locked out of your rental car, or need clearance for a South Korean military base, you want ESPO in your corner. What is ESPO? While the Earth Science Project Office (ESPO) does many things, one of the team’s primary responsibilities is providing project management for many of the largest and most complex airborne campaigns across NASA’s Earth Science Division. Some of these missions are domestic, such as the Sub-Mesoscale Ocean Dynamics Experiment (S-MODE). S-MODE deployed three separate field campaigns from 2021-2023, using planes, drones, marine robotics, and research vessels to study ocean eddies and sub-surface dynamics. NASA Ames Research Center, located in Northern California, served as S-MODE’s control center and the base for two of the three deployed aircraft. Erin Czech (far left) stands with Jacob Soboroff and the Today Show crew, members of the NASA Ames Public Affairs Office, researchers from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and the NASA Langley G-III air crew during S-MODE’s 2023 deployment. Courtesy of Jacob Soboroff ESPO also provides project management for many international missions, such as the Airborne and Satellite Investigation of Asian Air Quality (ASIA-AQ), which deployed in January, 2024 out of South Korea, Thailand, and the Philippines. The campaign used satellites, aircraft, and ground-based sensors to study air quality across Asia, as part of a global effort to better understand the factors that contribute to air quality. Despite the critical nature of ESPO’s work, they’ll be the first to tell you that their goal is to remain behind the scenes. “Our mission statement is essentially to let the scientists concentrate on science,” said Erin Czech, Assistant Branch Chief of ESPO. “Our team’s job is to stay in the background. We don’t really advertise all the things we do, the pieces we put together, the crises we solve, because we don’t want folks to have to be in the weeds with us. We’ll take care of it.” Making the invisible, visible: What does this look like in practice? Before a deployment: Project management for major airborne campaigns begins long before a deployment. The team begins by helping establish a mission framework, such as getting a budget in place, settling grants and funding with partner universities and agencies, and performing site visits. “We are not scientists,” Czech said, “it’s the job of the Principal Investigator to mission plan. Our job is to evaluate risk, set up contingency plans, and help make sure all the different groups are talking to each other. We work with world-class scientists, who are going to come up with an awesome plan; we just want to do whatever we need to in order to support them.” We work with world-class scientists, who are going to come up with an awesome plan; we just want to do whatever we need to in order to support them. Erin Czech ESPO Assistant Branch Chief As the deployment date draws closer, the team nails down logistics: deciding how and where to ship equipment, reserving hotel blocks for researchers, acquiring diplomatic clearances, running planning meetings between agencies, and so much more. This process is particularly complicated for multi-site, international missions like ASIA-AQ, which required multiple visits to each country before the actual deployment. “We looked at many locations in each country on the first scouting trip, to help figure out deployment sites,” said Jhony Zavaleta, Deputy Director for ESPO and Project Manager for ASIA-AQ. “The second scouting trip was to evaluate modifications promised during the first trip, such as upgrades to infrastructure, and to figure out hotels, transit options, specific facilities for mission operations, that sort of thing.” According to Zavaleta, another purpose of these advance trips was to put pieces in place with partner organizations – such as civilian aviation authorities, foreign science ministries, or military operations – so that when NASA officially requested diplomatic clearance to run the airborne campaigns, the groundwork had already been laid. Then it’s go time. During the deployment: As the deployment gets underway, ESPO keeps the flurry of activity running as smoothly as possible. “During a deployment, you’re working all day every day,” said Czech, who is also the Project Manager for S-MODE. “But really that’s the whole mission team. When you’re on a NASA project, the whole team is incredibly dedicated and working like crazy, because everybody’s on the same page to make the most out of this investment, and take advantage of any kind of science opportunity that presents itself day to day.” For Zavaleta, day-to-day operations meant escorting personnel onto military bases, tracking down liquid nitrogen, coordinating media days with local news outlets, setting up satellite communications, arranging transportation between sites, and preparing the next location. “I was on the ESPO advance team, which would set up one location, overlap with the ESPO site management team for about a week, then head to the next,” Zavaleta recalled. “Our teams would leapfrog; we were always managing site logistics, but also always preparing and setting up for the next spot.” (From left) Stevie Phothisane, Vidal Salazar, and Daisy Gonzalez, the ESPO site management team for the Philippines during ASIA-AQ, sit at Clark International Airport coordinating daily operations support while the aircraft was in flight.NASA Ames/Rafael Luis Méndez Peña Beyond the day-to-day operations, ESPO also steps in when major issues arise. According to Czech, they can usually expect one or two big wrenches to come up for any major mission. For S-MODE, the first wrench came in the form of a global pandemic. “The original deployment was set for April, 2020,” Czech said. “Everything was shutting down, and we had just set everything up: ship, aircraft, everything. In fact, we set everything up two more times before we ultimately got to do our first deployment, in October of 2021.” The second major wrench happened when four months before the actual launch, the research vessel the mission was planned around backed out. From there, Czech said it was a mad scramble to find a suitable replacement vessel that was already on the West Coast, and to build out the on-board infrastructure to meet the mission requirements. The R/V (Research Vessel) Oceanus sits docked in Newport, Oregon during S-MODE ship mobilization. The Oceanus was one of three research vessels that deployed throughout the mission. NASA Ames/Sommer Nicholas “The key is just to always be on the lookout for issues, keep agile, and don’t get too frustrated if things don’t go your way,” Czech said. “It is what it is. Some major issue comes up on every big mission: you’ve just got to figure out how to deal with it, then move on.” After the deployment: After a field deployment is finished, there are still years of work to do – for the scientists and for ESPO. The final S-MODE field deployment concluded in Spring of 2023. While the science team has been processing data and analyzing results, ESPO’s role has been to organize annual science team meetings, track publications tied to the mission, and help compile a final report to be presented in Washington DC when the mission officially wraps in May of 2025. Researchers Kayli Matsuyoshi, Luke Colosi and Luc Lenain in the Air-Sea Interaction Laboratory at SIO discussing the latest S-MODE findings. Courtesy of Nick Pizzo For ASIA-AQ, whose deployment wrapped up in March of 2024, ESPO’s first task was getting all equipment and personnel back to their respective home bases. Next up, Zavaleta and his team are coordinating a science team meeting in Malaysia in January of 2025, and supporting the scientists as they put together a preliminary research report for later that spring. Knowledge and Expertise While logistical skills and communication brokering are important pieces of ESPO’s role, knowledge may be the group’s most important asset. “In many ways, our value to NASA lies in the fact that we’ve been doing this a long time,” Czech said. “Our first mission was in 1987, and we’ve run over 60 campaigns since then; we have a lot of institutional knowledge that gets passed down, and a lot of experience between our team members. That expertise is a large part of our value to the agency.” To access the data from S-MODE, visit the Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center (PO.DAAC) About the AuthorMilan LoiaconoScience Communication SpecialistMilan Loiacono is a science communication specialist for the Earth Science Division at NASA Ames Research Center. Share Details Last Updated Oct 18, 2024 Related TermsGeneralEarth ScienceEarth Science Division Explore More 5 min read What is Air Quality? Article 13 hours ago 4 min read Scientist Profile: Jacquelyn Shuman Blazes New Trails in Fire Science Article 1 day ago 4 min read Navigating Space and Sound: Jesse Bazley Supports Station Integration and Colleagues With Disabilities Article 2 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

NASA/Eric Bordelon Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) passes over NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans in this Oct. 13, 2024, image. This comet comes from the Oort Cloud, far beyond Pluto and the most distant edges of the Kuiper Belt. Though Comet C/2023 A3 will be visible through early November, the best time to observe is between now and Oct. 24. Image credit: NASA/Eric Bordelon View the full article

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