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  1. iss070e003846 (Oct. 14, 2023) — The north coast of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur on the Pacific Ocean is pictured from the International Space Station as it orbited 258 miles above.NASAView the full article
  2. iss070e003785 (Oct. 14, 2023) — The Moon passes in front of the sun casting its shadow, or umbra, and darkening a portion of the Earth’s surface during the annular solar eclipse. The International Space Station was soaring 260 miles above the U.S.-Canadian border as this picture was taken pointing southward toward Texas.NASAView the full article
  3. iss070e003409 (Oct. 14, 2023) — The Moon passes in front of the sun during the annular solar eclipse in this photograph taken by Expedition 70 Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli aboard the International Space Station.NASAView the full article
  4. 1 min read Double Asteroid Redirection Test Post-Impact Image Gallery After 10 months flying in space, NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) – the world’s first planetary defense technology demonstration – successfully impacted its asteroid target on Monday, September 26 at 7:14 p.m. EDT. as the world’s first attempt to move an asteroid in space. Over the coming weeks, ground based observatories around the world will characterize the ejecta produced by DART’s impact and precisely measure Dimorphos’ orbital change to determine how effectively DART deflected the asteroid. Below you will find a gallery that will continue to be updated as new images are taken of the Didymos asteroid system. DART’s target asteroid is not a threat to Earth but is the perfect testing ground to see if this method of asteroid deflection – known as the kinetic impactor technique – would be a viable way to protect our planet if an asteroid on a collision course with Earth were discovered in the future. This movie uses images from the LUKE camera on ASI’s LICIACube, captured just after the impact of NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirect Test, or DART, spacecraft with the asteroid Dimorphos on Sept. 26, 2022. The video begins with LICIACube around 500 miles away from the asteroid, passes by, and then continues to around 200 miles away. The video clearly shows the ejection of material streaming off of Dimorphos due to the impact.ASI/NASAView the full article
  5. 2 min read Celebrate International Observe the Moon Night at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center The public is invited to celebrate International Observe the Moon Night on Saturday, Oct. 21, from 6 to 9 p.m. EDT rain or shine at NASA Goddard’s Visitor Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. International Observe the Moon Night occurs annually in September or October, when the Moon is around first quarter – a great phase for evening observing. NASA/Vi Nguyen International Observe the Moon Night is a time to come together with fellow Moon enthusiasts and curious people around the world. The public is invited to learn about lunar science and exploration, take part in celestial observations, and honor cultural and personal connections to the Moon. During the Goddard event, attendees will be able to participate in a variety of interactive hands-on activities, including making your own eclipse art, exploring rocks from Earth and space, recreating the Moon’s phases with cookies, designing your own lunar lander, and much more! We’ll also have a photo booth, Moon-themed presentations, and lunar and astronomical observing with telescopes. International Observe the Moon Night occurs annually in September or October, when the Moon is around first quarter – a great phase for evening observing. A first-quarter Moon offers excellent viewing opportunities along the terminator (the line between night and day), where shadows enhance the Moon’s cratered landscape. International Observe the Moon Night is sponsored by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission and the Solar System Exploration Division of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, with support from many partners. LRO is managed by Goddard for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. No registration is needed. To participate in International Observe the Moon Night from wherever you may be, check out our official NASA TV broadcast at 7- 8 p.m. EDT here: https://moon.nasa.gov/observe-the-moon-night/participate/live-streams/ For directions to the Goddard Visitor Center, go to: https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/visitor/directions/index.html To learn more about the program, visit: https://moon.nasa.gov/observe-the-moon-night/ For more information about LRO, visit: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/lro Nancy Neal Jones NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Nancy.N.Jones@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Oct 16, 2023 Editor Jamie Adkins Contact Location Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms Earth's MoonGoddard Space Flight Center View the full article
  6. Aerial view of NASA’s Ames Research Center, NASA Research Park, and Moffett Field in California’s Silicon ValleyNASA NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley today hosted an announcement by the University of California Berkeley and San Francisco-based developer SKS Partners of a proposed new campus and innovation hub for research and advancements in astronautics, aeronautics, quantum computing, climate studies, social sciences, and more. The new campus, called Berkeley Space Center, aims to offer lab, office, and educational spaces along with student and faculty housing, a conference center, and retail space on 36 acres within the NASA Research Park (NRP) at Ames. Berkeley Space Center follows on a NASA-UC Berkeley partnership created to explore potential mutually beneficial learning opportunities, including accelerating local and national capabilities for transporting cargo and passengers using emerging automation and electric propulsion technologies; examining how biomanufacturing can enable deep space exploration; and leveraging NASA’s high-performance computing assets. The new campus aims to bring together researchers from the private sector, academia, and the government to tackle the complex scientific, technological, and societal issues facing our world. “The diverse portfolios of NASA Ames and Berkeley open potential future collaborations in a variety of areas including interplanetary exploration, air transportation capabilities, the search for life beyond our planet, and environmental studies for the benefit of all,” said Eugene Tu, Ames center director. NASA Research Park is a world-class research and development hub for government, academia, non-profits, and industry, located at Ames in Moffett Field, California. Ames has a long history of partnering with diverse entities – from space technology start-ups to the Federal Aviation Administration – to combine strengths to tackle great challenges. Through the Berkeley Space Center, UC Berkeley joins Carnegie Mellon as the second major university to choose NASA Research Park for a new campus. “The Berkeley Space Center will bring together leading experts in academia, government, and industry to enable new collaboration in aerospace, bioengineering, advanced air mobility, and other areas of research,” said U.S. Rep. Anna G. Eshoo. “Bravo to NASA Ames and UC Berkeley on this watershed moment in the transformation of Moffett Field into an innovation hub and a model for bringing together the brightest minds in academia and government.” The United States Geological Survey serves as another model partnership at Ames, with development of a new campus collocating at NASA Research Park to support joint research in lunar prospecting, earthquake simulations, ecology, remote sensing work, and more. Learn more about Ames’ world-class research and development in aeronautics, science, and exploration technology at: https://www.nasa.gov/ames For news media: Members of the news media interested in covering this topic should reach out to the Ames newsroom. View the full article
  7. NASA / Aubrey Gemignani NASA’s Psyche spacecraft launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This image captures the beginning of the spacecraft’s journey to a metal-rich asteroid of the same name. The body of the Psyche spacecraft is about the size of a small van, and it’s powered by solar electric propulsion. It has a magnetometer, a gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer, and a multispectral imager to study asteroid Psyche’s composition. The spacecraft will start sending images to Earth as soon as it spots the asteroid. See more photos from the launch. Image Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani View the full article
  8. The third TechLeap Prize challenges applicants to make it easier to integrate diverse technology payloads onto various commercial suborbital vehicles, orbital flight platforms, and planetary landers. Pictured here is Arizona State University’s CubeSounder payload integration at the World View facility for an October 2021 high-altitude balloon flight supported by NASA’s Flight Opportunities program. Arizona State University NASA is calling on innovators to help solve some of the challenges in rapidly testing technology payloads across a wide range of commercial flight vehicles and test environments. As NASA explores the unknown in air and space, the agency is making increased use of commercial suborbital vehicles, spacecraft, and lunar landers to help advance new capabilities. However, the process to ensure payloads can properly interface with a host vehicle is currently complex, time-consuming, and can vary greatly from vehicle to vehicle, as well as between suborbital flights, orbital flights, and beyond. To change the pace of space by moving technologies into flight testing and between different flight environments as quickly as possible, NASA’s Flight Opportunities program is asking businesses, academic institutions, entrepreneurs, and other innovators to develop a flight-ready universal payload interface for its third NASA TechLeap Prize. The NASA TechLeap Prize’s Universal Payload Interface Challenge invites applicants to propose an optimized “system of systems” to enable easy integration of diverse technology payloads onto various commercial suborbital vehicles, orbital platforms, and planetary landers. The proposed universal payload interfaces should seamlessly adapt a wide range of small space payloads – be they technologies, laboratory instruments, or scientific experiments – for flight testing. The third TechLeap Prize challenges applicants to make it easier to integrate diverse technology payloads onto various commercial suborbital vehicles, orbital flight platforms, and planetary landers. Pictured here is a Starling CubeSat. A maximum of three winners will receive up to $650,000 each to build their system plus the opportunity to flight test it at no cost. The focus is on achieving a simplified and streamlined payload integration process that has the potential to accelerate future flight-testing timelines. The challenge with payload integration is the variety of vehicles used for flight testing, such as the commercial suborbital rocket-powered vehicles and landers, high-altitude balloons, and aircraft flying parabolic profiles that Flight Opportunities uses. The program also works in close cooperation with the Small Spacecraft Technology programto offer access to platforms hosting payloads in orbit. “The TechLeap Prize is a great way to engage the greater community to find a solution for payload integration that will reduce the time to flight test and ultimately accelerate the development of technologies that are critical for addressing key gaps for NASA and the nation,” said Danielle McCulloch, program manager for NASA’s Flight Opportunities program, which is managed at Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. “This has the potential to be a huge step forward for advancing space exploration and expanding the space economy.” Reducing the cost and complexity of payload integration will support future missions. Facilitating the operations and safety of disparately designed and developed payloads and ensuring that they function across a variety of vehicles is critical. Through this challenge, NASA aims to find affordable and easy-to-use solutions that enable the rapid transition of payloads from the bench to integration for testing on a wide range of commercial flight vehicles. Apply to the Universal Payload Interface Challenge Registration deadline: February 1, 2024, at 5pm ET Application deadline: February 22, 2024, at 5pm ET To register, apply, review the technical details, and read the rules, visit the TechLeap Prize website. The third TechLeap Prize challenges applicants to make it easier to integrate diverse technology payloads onto various commercial suborbital vehicles, orbital flight platforms, and planetary landers. Pictured here is a Cal Poly Pomona team integrating their technology onto a high-altitude balloon in May 2023 for a flight test supported by NASA’s Flight Opportunities program. About the NASA TechLeap Prize The NASA TechLeap Prize, funded by NASA’s Flight Opportunities program, was initiated to rapidly identify and develop technologies of significant interest to the agency through a series of challenges. This is the third challenge conducted as part of the NASA TechLeap Prize. Past challenges include Autonomous Observation Challenge No. 1 and Nighttime Precision Landing Challenge No. 1. Flight Opportunities, part of NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) helps space technologies reach maturity more quickly by testing them on suborbital flights as well as on hosted orbital platforms, which are available in cooperation with STMD’s Small Spacecraft Technology program. These flight tests can provide critical data and insight into how a technology is expected to perform in its intended space environment, as well as help reduce risk prior to much more costly missions. The NASA Tournament Lab, part of the Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program within STMD, manages the TechLeap Prize, which is administered by Carrot. Share Details Last Updated Oct 16, 2023 Editor Ryan M. Henderson Contact Location Armstrong Flight Research Center Related Terms Armstrong Flight Research CenterFlight Opportunities ProgramPrizes, Challenges & CrowdsourcingSpace Technology Mission Directorate Explore More 3 min read NASA Targets 2024 for First Flight of X-59 Experimental Aircraft Article 4 days ago 1 min read Who Let the Gas Out?: NASA Tank Venting in Microgravity Challenge Article 4 days ago 6 min read 5 Things to Know About NASA’s Deep Space Optical Communications Article 6 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center Space Technology Mission Directorate STMD Flight Opportunities NASA Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing View the full article
  9. On Oct. 16, 1983, NASA’s newest space shuttle, Discovery, made its public debut during a rollout ceremony at its manufacturing plant in Palmdale, California. Under construction for three years, Discovery joined NASA’s other two space-worthy orbiters, Columbia and Challenger, and atmospheric test vehicle Enterprise. The rollout ceremony, attended by NASA and other officials, also featured the astronauts assigned to Discovery’s first mission, STS-41D, then planned for launch in June 1984. By the time NASA retired Discovery in 2011, it had flown 39 missions, more than any other orbiter, in a career spanning 26 years and flying every type of mission envisioned for the space shuttle. The Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum has Discovery on display at its Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. Space shuttle Discovery under construction at Rockwell International’s Palmdale, California, plant in August 1982, left, September 1982, and April 1983. On Jan. 25, 1979, NASA announced the names of the first four space-worthy orbiters – Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, and Atlantis. Like the other vehicles, NASA named Discovery after historical vessels of exploration – Captain James Cook’s HMS Discovery used during his third and final voyage (1776-1779) and Henry Hudson’s Discovery used during his 1610-1611 search for the Northwest Passage. On Jan. 29, NASA signed the contract with Rockwell International of Downey, California, to build and deliver Discovery. Construction began in June 1980 and finished in February 1983. The newest orbiter included several upgrades from the two earlier vehicles, and through more extensive use of blankets instead of tiles in the thermal protection system, weighed 6,870 pounds less than Columbia. After completion of systems testing, workers prepared Discovery for its first public appearance. Left: Overhead view of space shuttle Discovery during the rollout ceremony at Rockwell International’s Palmdale, California, plant. Middle: The astronauts assigned to Discovery’s first mission, STS-41D, speak to the assembled crowd. Right: Five of the six STS-41D crew members, Richard M. “Mike” Mullane, kneeling left, Steven A. Hawley, Henry W. “Hank” Hartsfield, standing left, Judith A. Resnik, and Michael L. Coats, pose with Discovery as a backdrop. The rollout ceremony for Discovery took place on Oct. 16, 1983, at Rockwell International’s Palmdale facility, attended by hundreds of employees and visitors. In addition to NASA and other dignitaries, five of the six the astronauts assigned to Discovery’s first mission also participated, thanking the assembled employees for their hard work in building their spacecraft. They included STS-41D Commander Henry W. “Hank” Hartsfield, Pilot Michael L. Coats, and Mission Specialists Richard M. “Mike” Mullane, Steven A. Hawley, and Judith A. Resnik. Payload Specialist Charles D. Walker could not attend. Workers tow Discovery the 36 miles from Palmdale to NASA’s Dryden, now Armstrong, Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert. Left: Space shuttle Discovery atop its Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) flies over Vandenberg Air Force Base. Middle: Workers at Vandenberg use Discovery and its SCA to test the Orbiter Lifting Fixture. Right: Discovery atop the SCA arrives at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Following the ceremony, workers trucked Discovery 36 miles overland to NASA’s Dryden, now Armstrong, Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) in California’s Mojave Desert, the trip taking about 10 hours. In the Mate-Demate Device (MMD), workers placed Discovery atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), a modified Boeing 747, to begin the ferry flight. The first leg of the journey started on Nov. 6 with a stop at Vandenberg AFB on the California coast, where workers used Discovery and the SCA to test the Orbiter Lifting Fixture, a scaled down version of the MDD planned for use exclusively at Vandenberg. At the time, NASA and the Department of Defense planned to fly space shuttles, with Discovery as the designated orbiter, from Vandenberg’s Space Launch Complex-6 on military polar orbital missions, beginning with STS-62A in 1986. The agencies mothballed those plans following the Challenger accident. From Vandenberg, on Nov. 8 the SCA carried Discovery to Carswell AFB near Ft. Worth for an overnight refueling stop, before continuing to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 9. The following day, workers towed Discovery to the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) for initial receiving inspections. After a move to the nearby Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on Dec. 9 for temporary storage, workers returned Discovery to the OPF on Jan. 10, 1984, to begin processing it for its first flight. Left: In the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida workers prepare to lift Discovery for mating with its External Tank and twin Solid Rocket Boosters. Middle: The completed stack is ready for its rollout to Launch Pad 39A. Right: Space shuttle Discovery begins its rollout from the VAB to Launch Pad 39A. Left: The Flight Readiness Firing of Discovery’s three main engines. Middle left: With Discovery as a back drop, STS-41D astronauts Michael L. Coats, left, Charles D. Walker, Steven A. Hawley, Judith A. Resnik, Richard M. “Mike” Mullane, and Henry W. “Hank” Hartsfield pose for photographers following the countdown demonstration test. Middle right: The launch abort. Right: Discovery finally takes to the skies! Four months later, on May 12, workers towed Discovery from the OPF to the VAB and mated it to an External Tank and twin Solid Rocket Boosters. The entire stack rolled out to Launch Pad 39A on May 19 in preparation for the planned June 25 launch of the STS-41D mission. As with any new orbiter, on June 2 NASA conducted a 20-second Flight Readiness Firing of Discovery’s three main engines. On June 14, the six-person crew participated in a countdown demonstration test. They boarded Discovery on June 25 for a launch attempt that aborted at the T minus nine-minute mark due to a failure of Discovery’s back-up General Purpose Computer. Technicians replaced the failed unit with one from Challenger for another launch attempt the next day. This time Discovery’s onboard computer aborted the launch four seconds before liftoff but after two of the three main engines had already ignited, resulting in some anxious moments in the crew compartment. To ease the tension, Hawley is reported to have said something along the lines of, “Gee, I thought we’d be a little higher when the engines shut off.” To make matters worse, a hydrogen fire at the base of the launch pad activated the fire suppression system, forcing the crew to evacuate the spacecraft under a deluge of water. The problem with the center engine required a replacement that engineers completed at the pad between July 3 and 5. But the delay caused NASA managers to shuffle payloads and launch schedules, and that required Discovery’s return to the VAB on July 14. Workers destacked the orbiter to return it to the OPF for the payload changes. That completed, and after restacking in the VAB, Discovery returned to Launch Pad 39A on Aug. 9 for a launch attempt 20 days later. A hardware problem resulted in a one-day delay, and finally on Aug. 30 Discovery lifted off on its first mission to space. Space shuttle Discovery in the Smithsonian Institution’s Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia. Image credit: courtesy National Air and Space Museum. In the course of its 39 missions spanning more than 26 years, Discovery flew virtually every type of mission envisioned for the space shuttle, including government and commercial satellite deployments and retrievals, launching and servicing scientific observatories such as the Hubble Space Telescope, resupplying the Russian Mir space station, and assembling and maintaining the International Space Station. Discovery also flew the return to flight missions after both the Challenger and Columbia accidents. Discovery flew its final mission, STS-133, in February 2011. The following year, the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum placed space shuttle Discovery on display at its Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. Explore More 21 min read 65 Years Ago: First Factory Rollout of the X-15 Hypersonic Rocket Plane Article 3 days ago 23 min read NASA Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month 2023 Article 5 days ago 6 min read 65 Years Ago: NASA Begins Operations Article 2 weeks ago View the full article
  10. NASA

    PROPULSION TEST AREA

    From the Apollo rocket engine testing of the 1960s to the spacecraft propulsion systems of today, our site has developed unique facilities to meet the testing needs for testing rocket propulsion systems. Offering numerous ambient and altitude simulation test stands, we can test propulsion systems as well as single engines in multiple configurations and conditions. View the full article
  11. 1 min read Dr. Guy Bluford Reflects on 40th Anniversary of Historic Shuttle Flight Dr. Guy Bluford talks about his historic flight at Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland. Credit: NASA/Sara Lowthian-Hanna In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the space shuttle Challenger’s STS-8 mission, former astronaut Dr. Guion “Guy” Bluford, the first African American to fly in space, discussed his historic flight at Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland on Aug. 28. NASA Chief Historian Brian Odom moderated a panel discussion about Bluford’s experience and how his career has helped open doors for other astronauts, including those that will fly on NASA’s Artemis missions. Panelists included Bluford and award-winning film directors Lisa Cortés and Diego Hurtado de Mendoza. NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana, who flew with Bluford on STS-53, gave introductory remarks. A free screening of the National Geographic documentary “The Space Race” followed the panel discussion. Interviews with Bluford for the documentary were filmed at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in the Zero Gravity Research Facility. Explore More 3 min read Glenn in the Community Article 7 mins ago 2 min read Glenn “Stars” Showcase Research and Technology Article 12 mins ago 1 min read October Retirements Article 16 mins ago View the full article
  12. 3 Min Read Glenn in the Community AirVenture guests enjoyed a variety of hands-on, informational activities within the NASA pavilion. Credits: NASA/Christopher Hartenstine NASA Visits Ohio State Fair An estimated one million people attended the Ohio State Fair in Columbus this year. NASA’s Glenn Research Center flanked the fairgrounds with a presence that proved you can never have enough space. Subject matter experts such as Michael Belair, who works on the Orion spacecraft’s European Service Module, staffed an information booth inside the Rocket and Space Zone to talk about Artemis I and build excitement for future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Anchoring the other end was the Journey to Tomorrow exhibit trailer, where visitors found a moon rock, videos highlighting innovations in aeronautics, and hands-on activities demonstrating how gravity differs across the solar system. Michael Belair staffs an information booth inside the Rocket and Space Zone to talk about Artemis. Credit: NASA/Heather Brown Glenn Connects at Air Shows AirVenture guests enjoy a variety of hands-on, informational activities within the NASA pavilion. Credit: NASA/Christopher Hartenstine NASA’s Glenn Research Center connected with thousands of aviation enthusiasts this summer during EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and the Cleveland National Air Show. NASA’s AirVenture presence in July included a pavilion of exhibits, numerous speakers at forums, and a program featuring senior leaders discussing X-plane development and traffic management for drones. Mark Frances from Glenn’s Graphics and Visualization Lab, helps Cleveland Air Show visitors experience interactive technology. Credit: NASA/Heather Brown Over the Labor Day weekend, Glenn led the NASA presence at the Cleveland show at Burke Lakefront Airport. Staff demonstrated data visualizations and interactive technology. Subject matter experts explained Glenn’s aeronautics research and work on advanced air mobility and sustainable aviation. Government Staffers Learn More About Glenn NASA’s Glenn Research Center held its annual Ohio Elected Officials Staffer’s Day on Aug. 30, which included visits to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky and Lewis Field in Cleveland. The day – featuring facility tours, technology briefings, and a ribbon- cutting ceremony for a new mission-focused facility – centered on educating staffers on the importance of NASA Glenn to Ohio and the nation. Participants included 31 staffers from 11 House of Representatives offices, Senator Sherrod Brown’s and Senator J.D. Vance’s offices, Governor Mike DeWine’s office, and Brook Park Mayor Edward Orcutt’s office.  While on tour at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility, staffers look down into the In-Space Propulsion (ISP) Facility’s huge vacuum chamber. ISP is the world’s only high-altitude test facility capable of full-scale rocket engine and launch vehicle system- level tests.  Credit: NASA/Sara Lowthian-Hanna Glenn Hosts Public Aviation Day NASA’s Glenn Research Center showcased the agency’s efforts to revolutionize air travel during NASA Aviation Day at the I-X Center in Cleveland on Sept. 13. This free event featured a variety of aviation projects underway at Glenn and other NASA centers, including the Quesst mission with the X-59, electrified aircraft propulsion and other sustainable aviation technologies, and new ways to move people and cargo using advanced aircraft systems. Experts shared how the center is partnering with industry to accomplish the aviation community’s climate change agenda to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. NASA’s Greg Gatlin, left, explains the concept behind the extra-long, thin wings on an aircraft model to attendees of NASA Aviation Day. The concept will be part of the X-66A, the first X-plane specifically focused on helping the United States achieve the goal of net-zero aviation greenhouse gas emissions.Credit: NASA/Sara Lowthian-HannaView the full article
  13. 2 min read Glenn “Stars” Showcase Research and Technology Presenters highlight Glenn’s technology and missions during the annual Evening With the Stars event.Credit: NASA/Jef Janis NASA’s Glenn Research Center’s “An Evening With the Stars,” held Aug. 29 at Windows on the River near Cleveland’s historic waterfront, showcased research and technology innovations that addressed this year’s theme, “NASA Glenn Now – NASA Glenn Forever.”    The event, which attracted sponsors and guests from more than 50 companies, universities, and organizations, featured opening remarks by NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana, NASA Glenn Center Director Dr. Jimmy Kenyon, and Ohio Aerospace Institute President John Sankovic. Glenn Center Director Dr. Jimmy Kenyon introduces the speakers. Credit: NASA/Jef Janis Kenyon then introduced the presenters – NASA’s stars of the evening – and their topics.  Carlos Flores, chief of the Strategic Planning Branch for Facilities and Infrastructure, shared details on Glenn’s Facilities Master Plan. This plan ensures the center possesses the facilities and capabilities to meet future mission requirements while maintaining the agency’s critical infrastructure.   Carlos Flores details Glenn’s Facilities Master Plan.Credit: NASA/Sara Lowthian-Hanna Dr.  Rickey Shyne, director of Research and Engineering, highlighted some of Glenn’s current and future technologies. Shyne leads and manages all research and development competencies in propulsion, communications, power, and materials and structures for extreme environments in support of NASA’s aeronautics and space missions.   Dr. Rickey Shyne highlights some of Glenn’s current and future technologies.Credit: NASA/Jef Janis Three early – career employees shared their personal journeys to NASA and how they’re contributing to the agency’s current and future missions. Dr. Jamesa Stokes explained how she’s using materials science and engineering to protect human life and flight vehicles on Earth and in space.   Dr. Jamesa Stokes explains how materials science and engineering can protect human life and flight vehicles. Credit: NASA/Jef Janis Gretchen Morales-Valles highlighted the history of Glenn’s Icing Research Tunnel and how its research will pave the way for the future of flight.   Gretchen Morales-Valles highlights the history of Glenn’s Icing Research Tunnel. Credit: NASA/Jef Janis Darcy DeAngelis outlined how – through system safety – NASA controls and mitigates risks to ensure astronauts return home safely.  Darcy DeAngelis outlines how NASA controls and mitigates risks for astronauts. Credit: NASA/Jef Janis In closing, Kenyon affirmed NASA’s readiness in returning to the Moon with Artemis, our commitment to changing the way we fly here on Earth, and how Ohio is making our exciting missions possible. Explore More 1 min read Dr. Guy Bluford Reflects on 40th Anniversary of Historic Shuttle Flight Article 4 mins ago 3 min read Glenn in the Community Article 7 mins ago 1 min read October Retirements Article 16 mins ago View the full article
  14. Webb Detects Tiny Quartz Crystals in the Clouds of a Hot Gas Giant Researchers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have detected evidence for quartz nanocrystals in the high-altitude clouds of WASP-17 b, a hot Jupiter exoplanet 1,300 light-years from Earth. The detection, which was uniquely possible with MIRI (Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument), marks the first time that silica (SiO2) particles have been spotted in an exoplanet atmosphere. This artist concept shows what the exoplanet WASP-17 b could look like. Graphics: NASA, ESA, CSA, and R. Crawfor, d (STScI)Science: Nikole Lewis (Cornell University), David Grant (University of Bristol), Hannah Wakeford (University of Bristol) Crawford (STScI) “We were thrilled!” said David Grant, a researcher at the University of Bristol in the UK and first author on a paper being published today in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. “We knew from Hubble observations that there must be aerosols—tiny particles making up clouds or haze—in WASP-17 b’s atmosphere, but we didn’t expect them to be made of quartz.” Silicates (minerals rich in silicon and oxygen) make up the bulk of Earth and the Moon as well as other rocky objects in our solar system, and are extremely common across the galaxy. But the silicate grains previously detected in the atmospheres of exoplanets and brown dwarfs appear to be made of magnesium-rich silicates like olivine and pyroxene, not quartz alone – which is pure SiO2. The result from this team, which also includes researchers from NASA’s Ames Research Center and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, puts a new spin on our understanding of how exoplanet clouds form and evolve. “We fully expected to see magnesium silicates,” said co-author Hannah Wakeford, also from the University of Bristol. “But what we’re seeing instead are likely the building blocks of those, the tiny ‘seed’ particles needed to form the larger silicate grains we detect in cooler exoplanets and brown dwarfs.” Detecting Subtle Variations With a volume more than seven times that of Jupiter and a mass less than one-half Jupiter, WASP-17 b is one of the largest and puffiest known exoplanets. This, along with its short orbital period of just 3.7 Earth-days, makes the planet ideal for transmission spectroscopy : a technique that involves measuring the filtering and scattering effects of a planet’s atmosphere on starlight. Webb observed the WASP-17 system for nearly 10 hours, collecting more than 1,275 brightness measurements of 5- to 12-micron mid-infrared light as the planet crossed its star. By subtracting the brightness of individual wavelengths of light that reached the telescope when the planet was in front of the star from those of the star on its own, the team was able to calculate the amount of each wavelength blocked by the planet’s atmosphere. What emerged was an unexpected “bump” at 8.6 microns, a feature that would not be expected if the clouds were made of magnesium silicates or other possible high temperature aerosols like aluminum oxide, but which makes perfect sense if they are made of quartz. A transmission spectrum of the hot gas giant exoplanet WASP-17 b captured by Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) on March 12-13, 2023, reveals the first evidence for quartz (crystalline silica, SiO2) in the clouds of an exoplanet. The spectrum was made by measuring the change in brightness of 28 wavelength-bands of mid-infrared light as the planet transited the star. Webb observed the WASP-17 system using MIRI’s low-resolution spectrograph for nearly 10 hours, collecting more than 1,275 measurements before, during, and after the transit. For each wavelength, the amount of light blocked by the planet’s atmosphere (white circles) was calculated by subtracting the amount that made it through the atmosphere from the amount originally emitted by the star. The solid purple line is a best-fit model to the Webb (MIRI), Hubble, and Spitzer data. (The Hubble and Spitzer data cover wavelengths from 0.34 to 4.5 microns and are not shown on the graph.) The spectrum shows a clear feature around 8.6 microns, which astronomers think is caused by silica particles absorbing some of the starlight passing through the atmosphere. The dashed yellow line shows what that part of the transmission spectrum would look like if the clouds in WASP-17 b’s atmosphere did not contain SiO2. This marks the first time that SiO2 has been identified in an exoplanet, and the first time any specific cloud species has been identified in a transiting exoplanet. Graphics: NASA, ESA, CSA, and R. Crawfor, d (STScI)Science: Nikole Lewis (Cornell University), David Grant (University of Bristol), Hannah Wakeford (University of Bristol) Crawford (STScI) Download full resolution images for this article from the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) Crystals, Clouds, and Winds While these crystals are probably similar in shape to the pointy hexagonal prisms found in geodes and gem shops on Earth, each one is only about 10 nanometers across—one-millionth of one centimeter. “Hubble data actually played a key role in constraining the size of these particles,” explained co-author Nikole Lewis of Cornell University, who leads the Webb Guaranteed Time Observation (GTO) program designed to help build a three-dimensional view of a hot Jupiter atmosphere. “We know there is silica from Webb’s MIRI data alone, but we needed the visible and near-infrared observations from Hubble for context, to figure out how large the crystals are.” Unlike mineral particles found in clouds on Earth, the quartz crystals detected in the clouds of WASP-17 b are not swept up from a rocky surface. Instead, they originate in the atmosphere itself. “WASP-17 b is extremely hot—around 1,500 degrees Celsius (2,700°F)—and the pressure where they form high in the atmosphere is only about one-thousandth of what we experience on Earth’s surface,” explained Grant. “In these conditions, solid crystals can form directly from gas, without going through a liquid phase first.” Understanding what the clouds are made of is crucial for understanding the planet as a whole. Hot Jupiters like WASP-17 b are made primarily of hydrogen and helium, with small amounts of other gases like water vapor (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2). “If we only consider the oxygen that is in these gases, and neglect to include all of the oxygen locked up in minerals like quartz (SiO2), we will significantly underestimate the total abundance,” explained Wakeford. “These beautiful silica crystals tell us about the inventory of different materials and how they all come together to shape the environment of this planet.” Exactly how much quartz there is, and how pervasive the clouds are, is hard to determine. “The clouds are likely present along the day/night transition (the terminator), which is the region that our observations probe,” said Grant. Given that the planet is tidally locked with a very hot day side and cooler night side, it is likely that the clouds circulate around the planet, but vaporize when they reach the hotter day side. “The winds could be moving these tiny glassy particles around at thousands of miles per hour.” WASP-17 b is one of three planets targeted by the JWST-Telescope Scientist Team’s Deep Reconnaissance of Exoplanet Atmospheres using Multi-instrument Spectroscopy (DREAMS) investigations, which are designed to gather a comprehensive set of observations of one representative from each key class of exoplanets: a hot Jupiter, a warm Neptune, and a temperate rocky planet. The MIRI observations of hot Jupiter WASP-17 b were made as part of GTO program 1353. The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency. Media Contacts: Laura Betz NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. laura.e.betz@nasa.gov Christine Pulliam Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md. cpulliam@stsci.edu View the full article
  15. NASA

    October Retirements

    1 min read October Retirements Mark Hyatt Flight System Assurance Office, retired Sept. 30, 2023, with 38 years of NASA service. Credit: NASA Mark David KanKam Office of STEM Engagement, retired Sept. 22, 2023, with 33 years of NASA service. Credit: NASA Explore More 1 min read Dr. Guy Bluford Reflects on 40th Anniversary of Historic Shuttle Flight Article 4 mins ago 3 min read Glenn in the Community Article 7 mins ago 2 min read Glenn “Stars” Showcase Research and Technology Article 12 mins ago View the full article
  16. NASA

    COPV Standards

    Our COPV team evaluates new emerging technologies for custom applications.Credits: NASA WSTF Through collaboration with other government agencies, U.S. national consensus organizations, and international governments, our engineers have developed nondestructive evaluation (NDE) standards for composites through ASTM International. Along with being lead supporters of NDE standards development through the NASA NDE Development Program, our team has pioneered many pressure vessel testing methods accepted by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) as standard practice and we continue to work closely with AIAA to maintain several standards of COPV design, testing, and certification. In addition to our facilities’ contribution to standards development, our engineers have extensive experience with applicable NASA and ISO standards that apply to COPVs. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Space Systems—Metallic Pressure Vessels, Pressurized Structures, and Pressure Components (ANSI/AIAA S-080A-2018) This standard lays the foundational requirements for design, analysis, fabrication, and operation of various pressurized components. Additionally, the standard outlines requirements for maintaining several types of pressure vessels and pressurized structures and components (AIAA 2018)…Learn more Space Systems—Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels (ANSI/AIAA S-081B-2018) This standard covers foundational requirements for composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) fabricated with metal liners and carbon fiber/polymer overwrap. The standard includes requirements for COPV design, analysis, fabrication, test, inspection, operation, and maintenance (AIAA 2018)…Learn more Space Systems—Non-Metallic Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels (In-Development) ASTM International Standard Practice for Shearography of Polymer Matrix Composites, Sandwich Core Materials and Filament-Wound Pressure Vessels in Aerospace Applications (ASTM E2581) This ASTM standard (E2581) provides practices for shearography, which is used to measure strain, shearing, Poisson, bending, and torsional strains. Shearography proves useful during process design and optimization, and process control. Additionally, it can be used after manufacture and in-service inspections (ASTM 2019)…Learn more. Acoustic Emissions Standard Standard Practice for Examination of Gas-Filled Filament-Wound Composite Pressure Vessels Using Acoustic Emission (ASTM E2191) With safety in mind, guidelines have been composed by Compressed Gas Association (CGA) and others to focus on inspections for natural gas vehicle (NGV) fuel containers. Acoustic Emission (AE) testing of Gas-Filled Filament-Wound Composite Pressure Vessels is an alternative method to the three-year visual examination which requires removal of the container from the vehicle (ASTM 2016)… Learn more. Standard Practice for Acoustic Emission Examination of Plate-like and Flat Panel Composite Structures Used in Aerospace Applications (ASTM E2661) Acoustic Emission (AE) examination of plate-like and flat panel composite structures proves useful in detecting micro-damage generation, new or existing flaws, and accumulation. Furthermore, AE examination assists in locating damage such as matrix cracking, fiber splitting, fiber breakage, fiber pull-out, debonding, and delamination (ASTM 2020)… Learn more. Standard Practice for Acousto-Ultrasonic Assessment of Filament-Wound Pressure Vessels (ASTM E1736) The Acousto-Ultrasonic (AU) method should be carefully considered for vessels that show no major defects and weaknesses. It is key to use other methods like immersion pulse-echo ultrasonics (Practice E1001) and AE (Practice E1067) to determine the existence of major flaws before starting with AU (ASTM 2015)… Learn more. Eddy Current Standard Standard Guide for Eddy Current Testing of Electrically Conducting Materials Using Conformable Sensor Arrays (ASTM E2884) Using eddy current techniques are a nondestructive way to find and identify discontinuities in magnetic or nonmagnetic electrically conducting materials. Planar and non-planar material examination is possible with conformable eddy current sensor arrays, but requires appropriate fixtures like a sturdy support frame and foam to hold the sensor array close to the surface of the material being examined (ASTM 2017)… Learn more. Strand Testing Standard Standard Terminology for Composite Materials (ASTM D3878) The standard defines general composite terminology appearing in other standards about composites, containing high‑modulus fibers (greater than 20 GPa (3 × 10 6 psi)) (ASTM 2020a)… Learn more. Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties of Glass Fiber Strands, Yarns, and Rovings Used in Reinforced Plastics (ASTM D2343) This test method not only aids in providing research and developmental data, but also provides value for determining tensile properties while providing a means for identifying and delineating materials for control and specification. The intended use of this method is to test resin-compatible sized glass fiber materials designed especially for use with plastics in general (ASTM 2017)…learn more. NASA Standards Structural Design and Test Factors of Safety for Space Flight Hardware (NASA-STD-5001) This NASA Technical Standard establishes factors for structural design and test and service life factors used for spaceflight hardware development and verification. These factors help to ensure safe and quality structural designs and aid to reduce project costs and schedules by improving shared flight project design. These standards are considered minimum acceptable values (NASA 2014)…Learn more (NASA and contractor personnel only). ISO Standards Space Systems — Fracture and Damage Control (ISO 21347) A fracture control policy is being implemented on space systems to prevent premature structural failure as a result of crack or crack-like flaws for civil and military space vehicles, launch systems, and ground support equipment. Most procurement organizations consider fracture control a requisite safety-related requirement regarding human space flight systems. NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) require fracture control for all payloads using the NASA Space Shuttle and all instruments and equipment used on the International Space Station (ISS) (ISO 2005)…Learn more. Last Updated: Jan 13, 2021 Editor: Judy Corbett National Aeronautics and Space Administration View the full article
  17. NASA

    Laser Activity Board

    Next Generation Science Standards Waves and their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer (MS-PS4) Grades 5-8. Students strengthen their understanding of the electromagnetic spectrum, specifically lasers and their applications, through a series of math, writing, and graphing challenges. This series of activities can be completed together or in parts. Download Laser Activity Board Oct 15, 2023 PDF (2.90 MB) View the full article
  18. NASA

    Money Mass-ematics

    Common Core State Standards Ratios & Proportional Relations and Data Grades 7-8. Students review their knowledge of mathematics and unit conversion by occupying the role of a NASA resource analyst. Download Money Mass-ematics Oct 15, 2023 PDF (642.50 KB) Answer Key Oct 15, 2023 PDF (407.91 KB) View the full article
  19. NASA

    Lazer Maze

    Next Generation Science Standards Waves and their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer (MS-PS4) Grades 5-8. Students strengthen their understanding of the electromagnetic spectrum, specifically lasers and their applications, through a series of math, writing, and graphing challenges. This series of activities can be completed together or in parts. Download Lazer Maze Activity Oct 15, 2023 PDF (2.67 MB) View the full article
  20. NASA

    Failure Analysis

    Failure analysis determines what, why and how things went wrong when a component, system, or structure fails and is a valuable tool in the development of new products and the improvement of existing ones. Our multi-disciplined team has the expertise and in-house capabilities to determine the root cause of failures on a wide range of materials including paints and coatings, adhesives and sealants, composites, rubbers, plastics, elastomers, and metals. We routinely apply our expert knowledge of oxygen systems, composite pressure systems, propellants and aerospace fluids, and propulsion systems to root cause analysis and offer expert recommendations for improvements and corrective action. WSTF StaffView the full article
  21. To assure items function as designed, piece parts are verified to manufacturer’s tolerance.Credits: NASA WSTF Holding the National Board Inspection Code (NBIC) Certificate of Authorization and “VR” Symbol Stamp for the repair of pressure relief valves, our Valve Repair Facility ensures pressure relief valves are operating within the manufacturer’s specifications and to the customer’s expectations. Using gaseous nitrogen, we are capable of verifying flow capabilities of pressure relief valves up to 1000 scfm, and pressures up to 2800 psig. We also ensures replacement parts operate per the original manufacturer’s specifications and maintain traceability for parts and testing on code and non-code applications. Assembly and testing of the components is performed in a ISO Class 5 (Federal Standard Class 100) clean room making us the only known clean flow test facility for relief valves in North America. All inspection measurement and test equipment used to support our Valve Repair Facility is calibrated in-house and is traceable to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) or other internationally agreeable intrinsic standards. Last Updated: Aug 6, 2017 Editor: Judy Corbett View the full article
  22. Repair, Refurbishment, and Modification WSTF Staff Components can be refurbished as a cost effective alternative to the cost of new equipment. Credits: NASA WSTF Our engineers refurbish, repair, and redesign fluid components such as check valves, relief valves, solenoid valves, and manual valves ensuring relief valves and other components are operating within manufacturer’s specifications and comply with the requirements of American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/NB 23, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Code, Section VIII, Div. 1, and the National Board Inspection Code (NBIC). Facilities and Certifications Component Services is an approved “VR” certified facility holding the National Board Inspection Code (NBIC) Certificate of Authorization and “VR” Symbol Stamp for the repair of pressure relief valves. Our team is also certified to manufacture flight hardware by NASA and the International Space Station (ISS) Program. Repair and Refurbishment Repair and refurbishment is a cost effective alternative to replacement and our highly skilled team disassembles, inspects, and precision cleans each item received. We ensure the parts being used for repair and replacement are from the original manufacturer, or from a vendor approved by the National Board verifying replacement parts meet original manufacturer specifications. Spares and replacements can be manufactured by our in-house NASA certified Machining and Fabrication workforce to replace parts that are no longer commercially available. Modification Equipment can be modified to work safely in your pressure system or in specific media such as oxidizer, oxygen service, fuels, and propellants. Guided by the knowledge gained from 40 years or research and testing by our Oxygen System and Propellants and Aerospace Fluids engineers, our team can modify equipment with recommended parts to operated safely and avoid costly mistakes created by using the wrong components. Last Updated: Aug 6, 2017 Editor: Judy Corbett View the full article
  23. Heliophysics Big Year (Official NASA Trailer)
  24. We take an active role in limiting our impacts on the environment and being responsible for the environmental quality of our community. Management support and grassroots efforts have helped to educate employees about environmental concerns, encourage our site’s involvement in sustainability activities, and embrace and implement employee ideas. This support has led to a facility-wide culture of environmental awareness and sustainability that reaches across our site. Waste minimization projects, innovative technologies, sustainable acquisition, recycling activities, and other “green” initiatives have become routine site procedures. View the full article
  25. NASA

    Propulsion Systems

    Since the first rocket engine test in 1964, our facility has performed development and certification testing of space propulsion systems for manned and unmanned spacecraft. Along with our half century of propulsion system testing and analysis, our ISO 9001 certified processes provide rigorous but flexible testing ensuring quality data for our customer. Our site also houses on-site propulsion related expertise in composite pressure systems, oxygen systems, and propellants and aerospace fluids for further testing support. In addition to this expertise, we work closely with our Environmental Management and Safety and Mission Assurance teams to provide all environmental permitting, and ensure the safety of our personnel, environment, and site. View the full article
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