NASA

Deputy Observatory Manager – Goddard Space Flight Center Growing up in Malaysia and Singapore, Hsiao Smith — now the deputy observatory manager for NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope — never imagined she’d have a career at NASA. But when she moved near NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, things quickly fell into place. A high school counselor noticed her aptitude for math and science and encouraged her to apply for a junior fellowship program at Goddard. “I never could have imagined that a summer internship would change my life and lead to such a fulfilling career at NASA!” Hsiao says. “Prior to that, I had no idea what an engineer did. Now, I’ve spent over 35 years involved in engineering at Goddard.” Hsiao Smith serves as the deputy observatory manager for NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The observatory is currently taking shape in the largest clean room at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., seen behind Hsiao in this photo.NASA/Sydney Rohde Hsiao participated in a program that allowed her to come back to Goddard during summers and spring and winter breaks, so she continued working while going to college. She began her internship working on flight dynamics. Fueled by a desire to work more hands-on with flight hardware, Hsiao transferred to the power branch and started designing high-voltage power supplies for science instruments that would be launched into space. Hsiao earned a bachelor degree in electrical engineering from the University of Maryland and then started working at Goddard full time. She continued her studies, later receiving a master’s degree in engineering management. “Having hands-on experience on flight hardware gave me a better understanding of how to apply what I learned in the classroom to real life,” Hsiao says. “That experience was invaluable, and it gave me the opportunity to discover what I enjoy doing — designing and building flight hardware. And it was incredible to go from college straight into a job working as an engineer at NASA!” Hsiao soon moved on to designing power systems for spacecraft, starting with XTE, the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer. It was the first time she had worked on a project all the way from the design concept to launch. Building on that experience, Hsiao spent the next 13 years working on the Hubble Space Telescope — first as the power systems manager, then the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph instrument manager, and finally the Hubble Servicing Mission 4 instrument systems manager. In the latter role, Hsiao delivered two new instruments to Hubble and worked with astronauts to conduct repairs on two Hubble instruments in space. “Working on Hubble opened the door to so many different opportunities,” Hsiao says. “I had the honor of working not only with the dedicated and talented engineers and scientists here at Goddard, but also world-class experts from other NASA centers, universities, contractors throughout the U.S., and international partners. And I had incredible opportunities few others will ever have, like working with astronauts and going on the shuttle before it launched from the Kennedy Space Center!” Hsiao Smith stands in the largest clean room at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. in front of the in-progress Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. NASA/Sydney Rohde Following her time with Hubble, she worked on the Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration project as a project manager. Hsiao worked with MIT/Lincoln Lab to develop and test NASA’s first optical communication technology that used a laser. Then Hsiao became the deputy program manager for JPSS (the Joint Polar Satellite Systems) where she designed the architecture and developed the cost and schedule for future JPSS missions. She then spent some time as the technical deputy division manager for the Satellite Servicing Projects Division, continuing the legacy of the Hubble servicing missions and advancing the state of the art in robotic servicing. This work demonstrated how robots could be used to refuel spacecraft and service their instruments. Now, she serves as a deputy observatory manager for NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Hsiao has worked with Goddard’s engineering team to build the Roman spacecraft bus, which consists of avionics, attitude control, communication and propulsion systems, and other subsystems such as the solar arrays, deployable aperture cover, and the outer barrel assembly. She is currently preparing to test Roman’s newly combined spacecraft and payload. “It’s a privilege to manage and coordinate Roman hardware from the subsystem level to ensure that once they all work individually, they all function together as an observatory,” Hsiao says. Though she’s served in many roles at NASA, problem-solving has been a constant thread running through Hsiao’s career. “It’s exciting to come to work every day not knowing what’s in store for me,” she says. “It’s about coming in and resolving issues, making sure the team has the resources they need to get their jobs done.” Hsiao urges young engineers to take on new opportunities, keep pursuing their dream job, and seek out advice from mentors and people in career fields you’re interested in. “I’m working in my dream job, and it all goes back to my great mentors and bosses who were willing to give me opportunities beyond my expectations and to guide me toward my interests,” she says. “All the experiences I’ve had throughout this very fulfilling career stemmed from filling out an application as a high school senior. You never know where an opportunity will lead!” By Ashley Balzer NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center View the full article

2 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) 2 Min Read More Than 400 Lives Saved with NASA’s Search and Rescue Tech in 2024 NASA Artemis II crew members are assisted by U.S. Navy personnel as they exit a mockup of the Orion spacecraft in the Pacific Ocean during Underway Recovery Test 11 (URT-11) on Feb. 25, 2024. Credits: NASA/Kenny Allen NASA’s Search and Rescue technologies enabled hundreds of lives saved in 2024.NASA/Dave Ryan Did you know that the same search and rescue technologies developed by NASA for astronaut missions to space help locate and rescue people across the United States and around the world? NASA’s collaboration with the international satellite-aided search and rescue effort known as Cospas-Sarsat has enabled the development of multiple emergency location beacons for explorers on land, sea, and air. Of the 407 lives saved in 2024 through search and rescue efforts in the United States, NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) reports that 52 rescues were the result of activated personal locator beacons, 314 from emergency position-indicating radio beacons, and 41 from emergency locator transmitters. Since 1982, more than 50,000 lives have been saved across the world. Using GPS satellites, these beacons transmit their location to the Cospas-Sarsat network once activated. The beacons then provide the activation coordinates to the network, allowing first responders to rescue lost or distressed explorers. NASA Artemis II crew members are assisted by U.S. Navy personnel as they exit a mockup of the Orion spacecraft in the Pacific Ocean during Underway Recovery Test 11 (URT-11) on Feb. 25, 2024, while his crewmates look on. URT-11 is the eleventh in a series of Artemis recovery tests, and the first time NASA and its partners put their Artemis II recovery procedures to the test with the astronauts.NASA/Kenny Allen The Search and Rescue Office, part of NASA’s SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) Program, has assisted in search and rescue services since its formation in 1979 Now, the office is building on their long legacy of Earth-based beacon development to support crewed missions to space. The beacons also are used for emergency location, if needed, as part of NASA’s crew launches to and from the International Space Station, and will support NASA’s Artemis campaign crew recovery preparations during future missions returning from deep space. Systems being tested, like the ANGEL (Advanced Next-Generation Emergency Locator) beacon, are benefitting life on Earth and missions to the Moon and Mars. Most recently, NASA partnered with the Department of Defense to practice Artemis II recovery procedures – including ANGEL beacon activation – during URT-11 (Underway Recovery Test 11). Miniaturized Advanced Next-Generation Emergency Locator (ANGEL) beacons will be attached to the astronauts’ life preserver units. When astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hanse splash back down to Earth — or in the unlikely event of a launch abort scenario — these beacons will allow them to be found if they need to egress from the Orion capsule.NASA The SCaN program at NASA Headquarters in Washington provides strategic oversight to the Search and Rescue office. NOAA manages the U.S. network region for Cospas-Sarsat, which relies on flight and ground technologies originally developed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. U.S. region rescue efforts are led by the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Air Force, and many other local rescue authorities. About the AuthorKendall MurphyTechnical WriterKendall Murphy is a technical writer for the Space Communications and Navigation program office. She specializes in internal and external engagement, educating readers about space communications and navigation technology. Share Details Last Updated Feb 06, 2025 EditorGoddard Digital TeamContactKatherine Schauerkatherine.s.schauer@nasa.govLocationNASA Goddard Space Flight Center Related TermsGoddard Space Flight CenterArtemisCommunicating and Navigating with MissionsSpace Communications & Navigation ProgramSpace Communications Technology Explore More 4 min read NASA Search and Rescue Team Prepares for Safe Return of Artemis II Crew When Artemis II NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Hammock Koch, and Canadian Space… Article 2 years ago 3 min read NASA Search and Rescue Technology Saves Explorers, Enables Exploration Article 1 year ago 4 min read NASA Tests Beacon for Safe Recovery of Astronauts on Artemis Missions Article 3 years ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System 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 Mosaics More Resources Mars Missions Mars Sample Return Mars Perseverance Rover Mars Curiosity Rover MAVEN Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Odyssey More Mars Missions 2 min read Sols 4443-4444: Four Fours for February NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image from about 25 centimeters (about 10 inches) away from the polygonally-fractured bedrock target named “Coldwater Canyon.” Curiosity captured the image using its Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), located on the turret at the end of the rover’s robotic arm, on Feb. 2, 2025 — sol 4441, or Martian day 4,441 of the Mars Science Laboratory Mission — at 08:40:11 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Earth planning date: Monday, Feb. 3, 2025 Another successful weekend plan left us about 23 meters (about 75 feet) farther down our Mount Sharp Ascent Route (MSAR), with all our science data downlinked to Earth and the planet clocks aligned once more. We only have until 18:26 Pacific time to get this Monday’s plan uplinked (due to the Soliday over the weekend), and two full days of science to plan! Our first sol science block starts at 12:06 local Gale Crater time, including a ChemCam long-distance RMI mosaic and a five-shot laser on bedrock. After ChemCam is done, Mastcam is planning 42 images, including ChemCam’s LIBS spots, some meteorite fragments, sand troughs between bedrock blocks, and interesting vein structures in our surrounding terrain. Navcam is planning to finish out that science block with a large dust devil survey. After our remote science wraps up, we’ve committed the hours between about 15:00 and 22:45 to our full contact science suite. Luckily, SRAP passed yet again and we took the opportunity to plan two targets — “San Rafael Hills” as our DRT target and “Allison Mine” as a potential meteorite target. After a nice, long sleep our rover will wake up at 09:53 local Gale time and start another round of remote science to start the sol. This time ChemCam will shoot their laser at the potential meteorite and contact target Allison Mine, with Mastcam following up to document the spots. After one last 20-minute sweep of Texoli butte through Mastcam, it’s time to pack up and head back down the MSAR. Hopefully our drive goes well again and we’ll find ourselves about 36 meters (about 118 feet) away on Wednesday! Written by Natalie Moore, Mission Operations Specialist at Malin Space Science Systems Share Details Last Updated Feb 06, 2025 Related Terms Blogs Explore More 3 min read Persevering Through Science Article 2 days ago 3 min read Sols 4441-4442: Winter is Coming Article 2 days ago 2 min read Sols 4439-4440: A Lunar New Year on Mars 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

(Jan. 13, 2025) Astronaut Nick Hague swaps samples of materials to observe how they burn in weightlessness.Credit: NASA Students from the Thomas Edison EnergySmart Charter School in Somerset, New Jersey, will have the chance to connect with NASA astronaut Nick Hague as he answers prerecorded science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) related questions from aboard the International Space Station. Watch the 20-minute space-to-Earth call at 11:10 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Feb. 11, on NASA+ and learn how to watch NASA content on various platforms, including social media. Media interested in covering the event must RSVP by 5 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 6, to Jeanette Allison at: oyildiz@energysmartschool.org or 732-412-7643. For more than 24 years, astronauts have continuously lived and worked aboard the space station, testing technologies, performing science, and developing skills needed to explore farther from Earth. Astronauts aboard the orbiting laboratory communicate with NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston 24 hours a day through SCaN’s (Space Communications and Navigation) Near Space Network. Important research and technology investigations taking place aboard the space station benefit people on Earth and lay the groundwork for other agency missions. As part of NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars; inspiring Artemis Generation explorers and ensuring the United States continues to lead in space exploration and discovery. See videos and lesson plans highlighting space station research at: https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation -end- Abbey Donaldson Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 Abbey.a.donaldson@nasa.gov Sandra Jones Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Feb 05, 2025 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsInternational Space Station (ISS)Humans in SpaceIn-flight Education DownlinksISS ResearchSTEM Engagement at NASA View the full article

NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley invites media to learn more about Distributed Spacecraft Autonomy (DSA), a technology that allows individual spacecraft to make independent decisions while collaborating with each other to achieve common goals – without human input. The DSA team achieved multiple firsts during tests of such swarm technology as part of the agency’s project. DSA develops software tools critical for future autonomous, distributed, and intelligent spacecraft that will need to interact with each other to achieve complex mission objectives. Testing onboard the agency’s Starling mission resulted in accomplishments including the first fully distributed autonomous operation of multiple spacecraft, the first use of space-to-space communications to autonomously share status information between multiple spacecraft, and more. DSA’s accomplishments mark a significant milestone in advancing autonomous systems that will make new types of science and exploration possible. Caleb Adams, DSA project manager, is available for interview on Wednesday, Feb. 5 and Thursday, Feb. 6. To request an interview, media can contact the Ames Office of Communications by email at arc-dl-newsroom@nasa.gov or by phone at 650-604-4789.  Learn more about NASA Ames’ world-class research and development in aeronautics, science, and exploration technology at: https://www.nasa.gov/ames -end- Tiffany Blake Ames Research Center, Silicon Valley  650-604-4789 tiffany.n.blake@nasa.gov To receive local NASA Ames news, email local-reporters-request@lists.arc.nasa.gov with “subscribe” in the subject line. To unsubscribe, email the same address with “unsubscribe” in the subject line.  View the full article

2 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project concluded wind tunnel testing in the fall of 2024. Tests on a Boeing-built X-66 model were completed at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley in its 11-Foot Transonic Unitary Plan Facility. The model underwent tests representing expected flight conditions to obtain engineering information to influence design of the wing and provide data for flight simulators.NASA/Brandon Torres Navarrete NASA’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator (SFD) project recently concluded wind tunnel tests of its X-66 semi-span model in partnership with Boeing. The model, designed to represent half the aircraft, allows the research team to generate high-quality data about the aerodynamic forces that would affect the actual X-66. Test results will help researchers identify areas where they can refine the X-66 design – potentially reducing drag, enhancing fuel efficiency, or adjusting the vehicle shape for better flying qualities. Tests on the Boeing-built X-66 semi-span model were completed at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley in its 11-Foot Transonic Unitary Plan Facility. The model underwent tests representing expected flight conditions so the team could obtain engineering information to influence the design of the aircraft’s wing and provide data for flight simulators. NASA’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project concluded wind tunnel testing in the fall of 2024. Tests on a Boeing-built X-66 model were completed at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley in its 11-Foot Transonic Unitary Plan Facility. Pressure points, which are drilled holes with data sensors attached, are installed along the edge of the wing and allow engineers to understand the characteristics of airflow and will influence the final design of the wing.NASA/Brandon Torres Navarrete Semi-span tests take advantage of symmetry. The forces and behaviors on a model of half an aircraft mirror those on the other half. By using a larger half of the model, engineers increase the number of surface pressure measurements. Various sensors were placed on the wing to measure forces and movements to calculate lift, drag, stability, and other important characteristics. The semi-span tests follow earlier wind tunnel work at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, using a smaller model of the entire aircraft. Engineers will study the data from all of the X-66 wind tunnel tests to determine any design changes that should be made before fabrication begins on the wing that will be used on the X-66 itself. The SFD project is NASA’s effort to develop more efficient aircraft configurations as the nation moves toward aviation that’s more economically, societally, and environmentally sustainable. The project seeks to provide information to inform the next generation of single-aisle airliners, the most common aircraft in commercial aviation fleets around the world. Boeing and NASA are partnering to develop the X-66 experimental demonstrator aircraft. Share Details Last Updated Feb 05, 2025 EditorDede DiniusContactSarah Mannsarah.mann@nasa.govLocationArmstrong Flight Research Center Related TermsArmstrong Flight Research CenterAeronauticsAmes Research CenterGreen Aviation TechLangley Research CenterSustainable Aviation Explore More 5 min read NASA Demonstrates Software ‘Brains’ Shared Across Satellite Swarms Article 1 day ago 2 min read NASA Awards Contract for Airborne Science Flight Services Support Article 2 days ago 3 min read NASA Radar Imagery Reveals Details About Los Angeles-Area Landslides Article 5 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center Aeronautics Green Aviation Tech Aircraft Flown at Armstrong View the full article

NASA This Feb. 5, 1971, photo gives an excellent view of the Apollo 14 lunar module on the Moon’s surface after landing. At left, we can see that the astronauts – Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell – deployed the U.S. flag before taking this photo of the lunar module. Shepard and Mitchell touched down in the Fra Mauro highlands region and conducted two moonwalks lasting more than nine hours in total. They set up an experiment package and collected 93 pounds of rock and soil samples to return to waiting scientists on Earth. In the meantime, astronaut Stuart Roosa, who remained in orbit aboard the command module, conducted observations and photography of the lunar surface from orbit. After their 33-hour lunar surface stay, Shepard and Mitchell rejoined Roosa in orbit, and left lunar orbit for the three-day return trip to Earth. Image credit: NASA View the full article

NASA astronaut Don Pettit aboard the International Space Station. (Credit: NASA) For the first time, NASA is hosting a live Twitch event from about 250 miles off the Earth aboard the International Space Station, bringing new audiences closer to space than ever before. Viewers will have the opportunity to hear from NASA astronauts live and ask questions about life in orbit. The event will begin at 11:45 a.m. EST on Wednesday, Feb. 12, livestreamed on the agency’s official Twitch channel: https://www.twitch.tv/nasa “This Twitch event from space is the first of many,” said Brittany Brown, director, Office of Communications Digital and Technology Division, at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “We spoke with digital creators at TwitchCon about their desire for streams designed with their communities in mind, and we listened. In addition to our spacewalks, launches, and landings, we’ll host more Twitch-exclusive streams like this one. Twitch is one of the many digital platforms we use to reach new audiences and get them excited about all things space.” Although NASA has streamed events to Twitch previously, this conversation will be the first NASA event from the International Space Station developed specifically for the agency’s Twitch platform. During the event, viewers will hear from NASA astronaut Don Pettit, who is currently aboard the orbiting laboratory, and NASA astronaut Matt Dominick, who recently returned to Earth after the agency’s Crew-8 mission. The NASA astronauts will discuss daily life aboard the space station and the research conducted in microgravity. Additionally, the event will highlight ways for Twitch users to engage with NASA, including citizen science projects and science, technology, engineering, and math programs designed to inspire the Artemis Generation. NASA is committed to exploring new digital platforms to engage with new audiences. Last year, the agency introduced its own streaming platform, NASA+, and redesigned nasa.gov and science.nasa.gov websites, creating a new homebase for agency news, Artemis information, and more. To keep up with the latest news from NASA and learn more about the agency, visit: https://www.nasa.gov -end- Abbey Donaldson Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 Abbey.a.donaldson@nasa.gov View the full article

5 Min Read Planetary Alignments and Planet Parades A sky chart showing Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus in a “planet parade.” Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech On most nights, weather permitting, you can spot at least one bright planet in the night sky. While two or three planets are commonly visible in the hours around sunset, occasionally four or five bright planets can be seen simultaneously with the naked eye. These events, often called “planet parades” or “planetary alignments,” can generate significant public interest. Though not exceedingly rare, they’re worth observing since they don’t happen every year. Why Planets Appear Along a Line in The Sky “Planet parade” isn’t a technical term in astronomy, and “planetary alignment” can refer to several different phenomena. As the planets of our solar system orbit the Sun, they occasionally line up in space in events called oppositions and conjunctions. A planetary alignment can also refer to apparent lineups in our sky with other planets, the Moon, or bright stars. The planets of our solar system always appear along a line on the sky. This line, referred to as the ecliptic, represents the plane in which the planets orbit, seen from our position within the plane itself. NASA/Preston Dyches When it comes to this second type of planetary alignment, it’s important to understand that planets always appear along a line or arc across the sky. This occurs because the planets orbit our Sun in a relatively flat, disc-shaped plane. From Earth, we’re looking into that solar system plane from within. We see the racetrack of the planets from the perspective of one of the racers ourselves. When viewed edge-on, this disc appears as a line, which we call the ecliptic or ecliptic plane. So, while planet alignment itself isn’t unusual, what makes these events special is the opportunity to observe multiple planets simultaneously with the naked eye. Will the Planets Actually be Visible? Before preparing to observe a planet parade, we have to consider how high the planets will appear above the horizon. For most observers to see a planet with the naked eye, it needs to be at least a few degrees above the horizon, and10 degrees or higher is best. This is crucial because Earth’s atmosphere near the ground dims celestial objects as they rise or set. Even bright planets become difficult or impossible to spot when they’re too low, as their light gets scattered and absorbed on its path to your eye. Buildings, trees, and other obstructions often block the view near the horizon as well. This visibility challenge is particularly notable after sunset or before sunrise, where the sky is still glowing. If a planet appears very low within the sunset glow, it is very difficult to observe. The Planets You Can See, and Those You Can’t Five planets are visible without optical aid: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Ancient civilizations recognized these worlds as bright lights that wandered across the starscape, while the background stars remained fixed in place. In fact, the word “planet” comes to us from the Greek word for “wanderer.” The solar system includes two additional major planets, Uranus and Neptune, plus numerous dwarf planets like Pluto and Ceres. Uranus and Neptune orbit in the dim, cold depths of the outer solar system. Neptune absolutely requires a telescope to observe. While Uranus is technically bright enough to detect with good eyesight, it’s quite faint and requires dark skies and precise knowledge of its location among similarly faint stars, so a telescope is recommended. As we’ll discuss in the next section, planet parades necessarily must be observed in twilight before dawn or after sunset, and this is not a good time to try observing extremely faint objects like Uranus and Neptune. Thus, claims about rare six- or seven-planet alignments which include Uranus and Neptune should be viewed with the understanding that these two distant planets will not be visible to the unaided eye. What Makes Multi-Planet Lineups Special Lineups of four or five planet naked-eye planets with optimal visibility typically occur every few years. Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are frequently seen in the night sky, but the addition of Venus and Mercury make four- and five-planet lineups particularly noteworthy. Both orbit closer to the Sun than Earth, with smaller, faster orbits than the other planets. Venus is visible for only a couple of months at a time when it reaches its greatest separation from the Sun (called elongation), appearing just after sunset or before sunrise. Mercury, completing its orbit in just 88 days, is visible for only a couple of weeks (or even a few days) at a time just after sunset or just before sunrise. Planet parades aren’t single-day events, as the planets move too slowly for that. Generally, multi-planet viewing opportunities last for weeks to a month or more. Even five-planet events last for several days as Mercury briefly emerges from and returns to the Sun’s glare. In summary, while they aren’t once-in-a-lifetime events, planetary parades afford an uncommon opportunity to look up and appreciate our place in our solar system, with diverse worlds arrayed across the sky before our very eyes. Other Planet Lineups Other recent and near-future multi-planet viewing opportunities: January 2016 – Four planets visible at once before sunrise Late April to Late August 2022 – Four planets visible at once before sunrise Mid-June to Early July 2022 – Five planets visible at once before sunrise January to mid-February 2025 – Four planets visible at once after sunset Late August 2025 – Four planets visible at once before sunrise Late October 2028 – Five planets visible at once before sunrise Late February 2034 – Five planets visible at once after sunset (Venus and Mercury challenging to observe) About the January/February 2025 Planet Parade The current four-planet lineup concludes by mid-February, as Saturn sinks increasingly lower in the sky each night after sunset. By mid-to-late February, Saturn appears less than 10 degrees above the horizon as sunset fades, making it difficult to observe for most people. While Mercury briefly joins Saturn in the post-sunset glow at the end of February, both planets will be too low and faint for most observers to spot. Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Skywatching Planets Solar System Exploration Moons View the full article

3 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Launch of Blue Origin’s New Shepard suborbital rocket system on Feb. 4, 2025. During the flight test, the capsule at the top detached from the booster and spun at approximately 11 rpm to simulate lunar gravity for the NASA-supported payloads inside.Blue Origin The old saying — “Practice makes perfect!” — applies to the Moon too. On Tuesday, NASA gave 17 technologies, instruments, and experiments the chance to practice being on the Moon… without actually going there. Instead, it was a flight test aboard a vehicle adapted to simulate lunar gravity for approximately two minutes. The test began on February 4, 2025, with the 10:00 a.m. CST launch of Blue Origin’s New Shepard reusable suborbital rocket system in West Texas. With support from NASA’s Flight Opportunities program, the company, headquartered in Kent, Washington, enhanced the flight capabilities of its New Shepard capsule to replicate the Moon’s gravity — which is about one-sixth of Earth’s — during suborbital flight. “Commercial companies are critical to helping NASA prepare for missions to the Moon and beyond,” said Danielle McCulloch, program executive of the agency’s Flight Opportunities program. “The more similar a test environment is to a mission’s operating environment, the better. So, we provided substantial support to this flight test to expand the available vehicle capabilities, helping ensure technologies are ready for lunar exploration.” NASA’s Flight Opportunities program not only secured “seats” for the technologies aboard this flight — for 16 payloads inside the capsule plus one mounted externally — but also contributed to New Shepard’s upgrades to provide the environment needed to advance their readiness for the Moon and other space exploration missions. “An extended period of simulated lunar gravity is an important test regime for NASA,” said Greg Peters, program manager for Flight Opportunities. “It’s crucial to reducing risk for innovations that might one day go to the lunar surface.” One example is the LUCI (Lunar-g Combustion Investigation) payload, which seeks to understand material flammability on the Moon compared to Earth. This is an important component of astronaut safety in habitats on the Moon and could inform the design of potential combustion devices there. With support from the Moon to Mars Program Office within the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, researchers at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, together with Voyager Technologies, designed LUCI to measure flame propagation directly during the Blue Origin flight. The rest of the NASA-supported payloads on this Blue Origin flight included seven from NASA’s Game Changing Development program that seek to mitigate the impact of lunar dust and to perform construction and excavation on the lunar surface. Three other NASA payloads tested instruments to detect subsurface water on the Moon as well as to study flow physics and phase changes in lunar gravity. Rounding out the manifest were payloads from Draper, Honeybee Robotics, Purdue University, and the University of California in Santa Barbara. Flight Opportunities is part of the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate and is managed at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center. By Nancy Pekar, NASA’s Flight Opportunities program Keep Exploring Discover More … Space Technology Mission Directorate Armstrong Flight Research Center Flight Opportunities Game Changing Development Share Details Last Updated Feb 04, 2025 EditorLoura HallContactNancy J. Pekarnancy.j.pekar@nasa.gov Related TermsAmes Research CenterArmstrong Flight Research CenterArtemisFlight Opportunities ProgramGame Changing Development ProgramSpace Technology Mission Directorate View the full article

NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI This image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, released on Feb. 4, 2025, shows the gargantuan galaxy LEDA 1313424, aptly nicknamed the Bullseye. A far smaller blue dwarf galaxy went through the Bullseye’s center, leaving nine star-filled rings. Astronomers using Hubble identified eight visible rings, more than previously detected by any telescope in any galaxy, and confirmed a ninth using data from the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii. Previous observations of other galaxies show a maximum of two or three rings. Hubble and Keck’s follow-up observations also helped the researchers prove which galaxy plunged through the center of the Bullseye — a blue dwarf galaxy to its center-left. This relatively tiny interloper traveled like a dart through the core of the Bullseye about 50 million years ago, leaving rings in its wake like ripples in a pond. A thin trail of gas now links the pair, though they are currently separated by 130,000 light-years. Read more about this “serendipitous discovery.” Image credit: NASA, ESA, Imad Pasha (Yale), Pieter van Dokkum (Yale) View the full article

5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Jeremy Frank, left, and Caleb Adams, right, discuss software developed by NASA’s Distributed Spacecraft Autonomy project. The software runs on spacecraft computers, currently housed on a test rack at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, and depicts a spacecraft swarm virtually flying in lunar orbit to provide autonomous position navigation and timing services at the Moon. NASA/Brandon Torres Navarrete Talk amongst yourselves, get on the same page, and work together to get the job done! This “pep talk” roughly describes how new NASA technology works within satellite swarms. This technology, called Distributed Spacecraft Autonomy (DSA), allows individual spacecraft to make independent decisions while collaborating with each other to achieve common goals – all without human input. NASA researchers have achieved multiple firsts in tests of such swarm technology as part of the agency’s DSA project. Managed at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, the DSA project develops software tools critical for future autonomous, distributed, and intelligent swarms that will need to interact with each other to achieve complex mission objectives. “The Distributed Spacecraft Autonomy technology is very unique,” said Caleb Adams, DSA project manager at NASA Ames. “The software provides the satellite swarm with the science objective and the ‘smarts’ to get it done.” What Are Distributed Space Missions? Distributed space missions rely on interactions between multiple spacecraft to achieve mission goals. Such missions can deliver better data to researchers and ensure continuous availability of critical spacecraft systems. Typically, spacecraft in swarms are individually commanded and controlled by mission operators on the ground. As the number of spacecraft and the complexity of their tasks increase to meet new constellation mission designs, “hands-on” management of individual spacecraft becomes unfeasible. Distributing autonomy across a group of interacting spacecraft allows for all spacecraft in a swarm to make decisions and is resistant to individual spacecraft failures. The DSA team advanced swarm technology through two main efforts: the development of software for small spacecraft that was demonstrated in space during NASA’s Starling mission, which involved four CubeSat satellites operating as a swarm to test autonomous collaboration and operation with minimal human operation, and a scalability study of a simulated spacecraft swarm in a virtual lunar orbit. Experimenting With DSA in Low Earth Orbit The team gave Starling a challenging job: a fast-paced study of Earth’s ionosphere – where Earth’s atmosphere meets space – to show the swarm’s ability to collaborate and optimize science observations. The swarm decided what science to do on their own with no pre-programmed science observations from ground operators. “We did not tell the spacecraft how to do their science,” said Adams. “The DSA team figured out what science Starling did only after the experiment was completed. That has never been done before and it’s very exciting!” The accomplishments of DSA onboard Starling include the first fully distributed autonomous operation of multiple spacecraft, the first use of space-to-space communications to autonomously share status information between multiple spacecraft, the first demonstration of fully distributed reactive operations onboard multiple spacecraft, the first use of a general-purpose automated reasoning system onboard a spacecraft, and the first use of fully distributed automated planning onboard multiple spacecraft. During the demonstration, which took place between August 2023 and May 2024, Starling’s swarm of spacecraft received GPS signals that pass through the ionosphere and reveal interesting – often fleeting – features for the swarm to focus on. Because the spacecraft constantly change position relative to each other, the GPS satellites, and the ionospheric environment, they needed to exchange information rapidly to stay on task. Each Starling satellite analyzed and acted on its best results individually. When new information reached each spacecraft, new observation and action plans were analyzed, continuously enabling the swarm to adapt quickly to changing situations. “Reaching the project goal of demonstrating the first fully autonomous distributed space mission was made possible by the DSA team’s development of distributed autonomy software that allowed the spacecraft to work together seamlessly,” Adams continued. Caleb Adams, Distributed Spacecraft Autonomy project manager, monitors testing alongside the test racks containing 100 spacecraft computers at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. The DSA project develops and demonstrates software to enhance multi-spacecraft mission adaptability, efficiently allocate tasks between spacecraft using ad-hoc networking, and enable human-swarm commanding of distributed space missions. NASA/Brandon Torres Navarrete Scaling Up Swarms in Virtual Lunar Orbit The DSA ground-based scalability study was a simulation that placed virtual small spacecraft and rack-mounted small spacecraft flight computers in virtual lunar orbit. This simulation was designed to test the swarm’s ability to provide position, navigation, and timing services at the Moon. Similar to what the GPS system does on Earth, this technology could equip missions to the Moon with affordable navigation capabilities, and could one day help pinpoint the location of objects or astronauts on the lunar surface. The DSA lunar Position, Navigation, and Timing study demonstrated scalability of the swarm in a simulated environment. Over a two-year period, the team ran close to one hundred tests of more complex coordination between multiple spacecraft computers in both low- and high-altitude lunar orbit and showed that a swarm of up to 60 spacecraft is feasible. The team is further developing DSA’s capabilities to allow mission operators to interact with even larger swarms – hundreds of spacecraft – as a single entity. Distributed Spacecraft Autonomy’s accomplishments mark a significant milestone in advancing autonomous distributed space systems that will make new types of science and exploration possible. NASA Ames leads the Distributed Spacecraft Autonomy and Starling projects. NASA’s Game Changing Development program within the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate provides funding for the DSA experiment. NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology program within the Space Technology Mission Directorate funds and manages the Starling mission and the DSA project. Share Details Last Updated Feb 04, 2025 Related TermsAmes Research CenterCubeSatsGame Changing Development ProgramSmall Spacecraft Technology ProgramSpace Technology Mission Directorate Explore More 2 min read NASA Awards Contract for Airborne Science Flight Services Support Article 23 hours ago 4 min read NASA Flight Tests Wildland Fire Tech Ahead of Demo Article 4 days ago 4 min read NASA Space Tech’s Favorite Place to Travel in 2025: The Moon! Article 2 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Ames Research Center Space Technology Mission Directorate STMD Small Spacecraft Technology Starling View the full article

4 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) This version of a mosaic captured by the star tracker cameras aboard NASA’s Europa Clipper on Dec. 4, 2024, features the names of stars within view of the cameras. NASA/JPL-Caltech This mosaic of a star field was made from three images captured Dec. 4, 2024, by star tracker cameras aboard NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft. Showing part of the constel-lation Corvus, it’s the first imagery of space the orbiter has captured since its launch on Oct. 14, 2024.NASA/JPL-Caltech The spacecraft’s star trackers help engineers orient the orbiter throughout its long journey to Jupiter’s icy moon Europa. Three months after its launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the agency’s Europa Clipper has another 1.6 billion miles (2.6 billion kilometers) to go before it reaches Jupiter’s orbit in 2030 to take close-up images of the icy moon Europa with science cameras. Meanwhile, a set of cameras serving a different purpose is snapping photos in the space between Earth and Jupiter. Called star trackers, the two imagers look for stars and use them like a compass to help mission controllers know the exact orientation of the spacecraft — information critical for pointing telecommunications antennas toward Earth and sending data back and forth smoothly. In early December, the pair of star trackers (formally known as the stellar reference units) captured and transmitted Europa Clipper’s first imagery of space. The picture, composed of three shots, shows tiny pinpricks of light from stars 150 to 300 light-years away. The starfield represents only about 0.1% of the full sky around the spacecraft, but by mapping the stars in just that small slice of sky, the orbiter is able to determine where it is pointed and orient itself correctly. The starfield includes the four brightest stars — Gienah, Algorab, Kraz, and Alchiba — of the constellation Corvus, which is Latin for “crow,” a bird in Greek mythology that was associated with Apollo. Engineers on NASA’s Europa Clipper mission work with the spacecraft’s star trackers in a clean room at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 2022. Used for orienting the spacecraft, the star trackers are seen here with red covers to protect their lenses.NASA/JPL-Caltech Hardware Checkout Besides being interesting to stargazers, the photos signal the successful checkout of the star trackers. The spacecraft checkout phase has been going on since Europa Clipper launched on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket on Oct. 14, 2024. “The star trackers are engineering hardware and are always taking images, which are processed on board,” said Joanie Noonan of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, who leads the mission’s guidance, navigation and control operations. “We usually don’t downlink photos from the trackers, but we did in this case because it’s a really good way to make sure the hardware — including the cameras and their lenses — made it safely through launch.” Pointing the spacecraft correctly is not about navigation, which is a separate operation. But orientation using the star trackers is critical for telecommunications as well as for the science operations of the mission. Engineers need to know where the science instruments are pointed. That includes the sophisticated Europa Imaging System (EIS), which will collect images that will help scientists map and examine the moon’s mysterious fractures, ridges, and valleys. For at least the next three years, EIS has its protective covers closed. Europa Clipper carries nine science instruments, plus the telecommunications equipment that will be used for a gravity science investigation. During the mission’s 49 flybys of Europa, the suite will gather data that will tell scientists if the icy moon and its internal ocean have the conditions to harbor life. The spacecraft already is 53 million miles (85 million kilometers) from Earth, zipping along at 17 miles per second (27 kilometers per second) relative to the Sun, and soon will fly by Mars. On March 1, engineers will steer the craft in a loop around the Red Planet, using its gravity to gain speed. More About Europa Clipper Europa Clipper’s three main science objectives are to determine the thickness of the moon’s icy shell and its interactions with the ocean below, to investigate its composition, and to characterize its geology. The mission’s detailed exploration of Europa will help scientists better understand the astrobiological potential for habitable worlds beyond our planet. Managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California, JPL leads the development of the Europa Clipper mission in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. APL designed the main spacecraft body in collaboration with JPL and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. The Planetary Missions Program Office at Marshall executes program management of the Europa Clipper mission. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy, managed the launch service for the Europa Clipper spacecraft. Find more information about Europa Clipper here: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/europa-clipper/ View an interactive 3D model of NASA’s Europa Clipper News Media Contacts Gretchen McCartney Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 818-287-4115 gretchen.p.mccartney@jpl.nasa.gov Karen Fox / Molly Wasser NASA Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov 2025-014 Share Details Last Updated Feb 04, 2025 Related TermsEuropa ClipperEuropa Explore More 7 min read NASA Kennedy Top 24 Stories of 2024 Article 2 months ago 5 min read NASA’s Europa Clipper: Millions of Miles Down, Instruments Deploying Article 2 months ago 5 min read NASA Ocean World Explorers Have to Swim Before They Can Fly Article 3 months ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

An interesting fact about Johnson Space Center’s Anika Isaac, MS, LPC, LMFT, LCDC, CEAP, NCC, is that there are more letters following her name than there are in it. A licensed professional counselor, marriage and family therapist, and chemical dependency counselor with several other certifications, Isaac has been a fixture of Johnson’s Employee Assistance Program for the last 13 years. She provides confidential counseling and assessment, crisis response, referrals to community providers, and debriefing and support to Johnson’s workforce. Additionally, Isaac leads assertiveness skills training for employees, provides management consults, and presents on various mental health topics by request. She also coordinates the center’s Autism Support Group, which convenes monthly to offer networking, resource sharing, and support for caregivers of those with autism. Official portrait of Anika Isaac.NASA Isaac’s invaluable counsel earned her a Silver Snoopy Award in 2022. Presented by Johnson Director Vanessa Wyche and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir, the award recognized Isaac’s exceptional efforts to support NASA’s ability to execute the tasks necessary for safe human spaceflight. “I taught, modeled, and empowered thousands to address critical issues and topics in the workplace, directly impacting mission success and safety,” she said. Anika Isaac (center) receives a Silver Snoopy Award from Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche (left) and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir. NASA Isaac has also proudly participated in transparent, authentic conversations about personal and socially significant questions raised by the Johnson community, by leading panel discussions during center events and more. “Having those brave and bold conversations are necessary to foster a compassionate workplace culture that we emphasize through the Johnson Expected Behaviors,” she said. Isaac said her work experiences prior to joining NASA not only affected her personally but also shaped her professionally. “The most troublesome challenges have been dealing with colleagues whom I saw be divisive in their comments and manipulative in their actions,” she said. “I overcame those challenges with faith, time, and talking to mentors and my trusted support system for perspective and guidance.” Isaac’s career has also taught her to trust herself and give herself some grace. “In each moment I have everything I need to be successful and keep learning when I fall short of my expectations,” she said. She has come to appreciate the value of her unique experience and skillset, as well. “In an agency with so many experts in so many disciplines, in my respective discipline my expertise is as necessary and essential to the success of NASA’s mission,” she said. “I have also learned to stay persistent with my goals, since there are enough people to help me achieve them along the way.” Johnson’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) received a Group Achievement Award for the team’s support of the Johnson community following Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and the Santa Fe High School shooting in 2018. From left: Vanessa Wyche, Anika Isaac, EAP Executive Director Jackie Reese, EAP Counselor Daisy Wei, and Mark Geyer, who was Johnson’s director at the time.NASA Isaac looks forward to a future of space exploration that combines the best of the commercial sector, international partnerships, and NASA’s strengths with incredible advances in artificial intelligence and other technologies to ensure crew safety while propelling humanity further into the cosmos. She also celebrates the different backgrounds and cultures of today’s astronaut corps. “We are seeing a level of diversity in the faces of space explorers that has never existed before in the history of the space program,” she said. Isaac encourages the Artemis Generation to learn and incorporate key aspects of NASA and space exploration history into their work while building their own culture and valuing their unique perspectives. “Trust yourself! Have you not usually recovered from setbacks? Those that came before you made similar mistakes,” she said. “Pay attention and learn from them. And build those crucial, reciprocal mentor and social relationships to enhance your ongoing personal and work journey.” View the full article

3 min read NASA’s Cloud-based Confluence Software Helps Hydrologists Study Rivers on a Global Scale The Paraná River in northern Argentina. Confluence, which is open-source and free to use, allows researchers to estimate river discharge and suspended sediment levels in Earth’s rivers at a global scale. NASA/ISS Rivers and streams wrap around Earth in complex networks millions of miles long, driving trade, nurturing ecosystems, and stocking critical reserves of freshwater. But the hydrologists who dedicate their professional lives to studying this immense web of waterways do so with a relatively limited set of tools. Around the world, a patchwork of just 3,000 or so river gauge stations supply regular, reliable data, making it difficult for hydrologists to detect global trends. “The best way to study a river,” said Colin Gleason, Armstrong Professional Development Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, “is to get your feet wet and visit it yourself. The second best way to study a river is to use a river gauge.” Now, thanks to Gleason and a team of more than 30 researchers, there’s another option: ‘Confluence,’ an analytic collaborative framework that leverages data from NASA’s Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission and the Harmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 archive (HLS) to estimate river discharge and suspended sediment levels in every river on Earth wider than 50 meters. NASA’s Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center (PO.DAAC) hosts the software, making it open-source and free for users around the world. By incorporating both altimetry data from SWOT which informs discharge estimates, and optical data from HLS, which informs estimates of suspended sediment data, Confluence marks the first time hydrologists can create timely models of river size and water quality at a global scale. Compared to existing workflows for estimating suspended sediment using HLS data, Confluence is faster by a factor of 30. I can’t do global satellite hydrology without this system. Or, I could, but it would be extremely time consuming and expensive. Colin Gleason Nikki Tebaldi, a Cloud Adoption Engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Co-Investigator for Confluence, was the lead developer on this project. She said that while the individual components of Confluence have been around for decades, bringing them together within a single, cloud-based processing pipeline was a significant challenge. “I’m really proud that we’ve pieced together all of these different algorithms, got them into the cloud, and we have them all executing commands and working,” said Tebaldi. Suresh Vannan, former manager of PO.DAAC and a Co-Investigator for Confluence, said this new ability to produce timely, global estimates of river discharge and quality will have a huge impact on hydrological models assessing everything from the health of river ecosystems to snowmelt. “There are a bunch of science applications that river discharge can be used for, because it’s pretty much taking a snapshot of what the river looks like, how it behaves. Producing that snapshot on a global scale is a game changer,” said Vannan. While the Confluence team is still working with PO.DAAC to complete their software package, users can currently access the Confluence source code here. For tutorials, manuals, and other user guides, visit the PO.DAAC webpage here. All of these improvements to the original Confluence algorithms developed for SWOT were made possible by NASA’s Advanced Intelligent Systems Technology (AIST) program, a part of the agency’s Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO), in collaboration with SWOT and PO.DAAC. To learn more about opportunities to develop next-generation technologies for studying Earth from outer space, visit ESTO’s solicitation page here. Project Lead: Colin Gleason / University of Massachusetts, Amherst Sponsoring Organization: Advanced Intelligent Systems Technology program, within NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office Share Details Last Updated Feb 04, 2025 Related Terms Science-enabling Technology Earth Science Oceanography SWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography) Explore More 15 min read Summary of the 53rd U.S.–Japan ASTER Science Team Meeting Article 2 weeks ago 23 min read Summary of the 2024 Quadrennial Ozone Symposium Article 2 weeks ago 2 min read An Introduction to NASA Citizen Science for Service Members, Veterans and their Families Article 2 weeks ago View the full article

Explore Hubble Hubble Home Overview About Hubble The History of Hubble Hubble Timeline Why Have a Telescope in Space? Hubble by the Numbers At the Museum FAQs Impact & Benefits Hubble’s Impact & Benefits Science Impacts Cultural Impact Technology Benefits Impact on Human Spaceflight Astro Community Impacts Science Hubble Science Science Themes Science Highlights Science Behind Discoveries Hubble’s Partners in Science Universe Uncovered Explore the Night Sky Observatory Hubble Observatory Hubble Design Mission Operations Missions to Hubble Hubble vs Webb Team Hubble Team Career Aspirations Hubble Astronauts News Hubble News Hubble News Archive Social Media Media Resources Multimedia Multimedia Images Videos Sonifications Podcasts e-Books Online Activities Lithographs Fact Sheets Posters Hubble on the NASA App Glossary More 35th Anniversary Online Activities 5 Min Read Straight Shot: Hubble Investigates Galaxy with Nine Rings LEDA 1313424, aptly nicknamed the Bullseye, is two and a half times the size of our Milky Way and has nine rings — six more than any other known galaxy. Credits: NASA, ESA, Imad Pasha (Yale), Pieter van Dokkum (Yale) NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has captured a cosmic bullseye! The gargantuan galaxy LEDA 1313424 is rippling with nine star-filled rings after an “arrow” — a far smaller blue dwarf galaxy — shot through its heart. Astronomers using Hubble identified eight visible rings, more than previously detected by any telescope in any galaxy, and confirmed a ninth using data from the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii. Previous observations of other galaxies show a maximum of two or three rings. “This was a serendipitous discovery,” said Imad Pasha, the lead researcher and a doctoral student at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. “I was looking at a ground-based imaging survey and when I saw a galaxy with several clear rings, I was immediately drawn to it. I had to stop to investigate it.” The team later nicknamed the galaxy the “Bullseye.” LEDA 1313424, aptly nicknamed the Bullseye, is two and a half times the size of our Milky Way and has nine rings — six more than any other known galaxy. High-resolution imagery from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope confirmed eight rings, and data from the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii confirmed a ninth. Hubble and Keck also confirmed which galaxy dove through the Bullseye, creating these rings: the blue dwarf galaxy that sits to its immediate center-left. NASA, ESA, Imad Pasha (Yale), Pieter van Dokkum (Yale) Download this image (5.60 MB) Hubble and Keck’s follow-up observations also helped the researchers prove which galaxy plunged through the center of the Bullseye — a blue dwarf galaxy to its center-left. This relatively tiny interloper traveled like a dart through the core of the Bullseye about 50 million years ago, leaving rings in its wake like ripples in a pond. A thin trail of gas now links the pair, though they are currently separated by 130,000 light-years. “We’re catching the Bullseye at a very special moment in time,” said Pieter G. van Dokkum, a co-author of the new study and a professor at Yale. “There’s a very narrow window after the impact when a galaxy like this would have so many rings.” Galaxies collide or barely miss one another quite frequently on cosmic timescales, but it is extremely rare for one galaxy to dive through the center of another. The blue dwarf galaxy’s straight trajectory through the Bullseye later caused material to move both inward and outward in waves, setting off new regions of star formation. How big is the Bullseye? Our Milky Way galaxy is about 100,000 light-years in diameter, and the Bullseye is almost two-and-a-half times larger, at 250,000 light-years across. This illustration compares the size of our own Milky Way galaxy to gargantuan galaxy LEDA 1313424, nicknamed the Bullseye. The Milky Way is about 100,000 light-years in diameter, and the Bullseye is almost two-and-a-half times larger, at 250,000 light-years across. NASA, ESA, Ralf Crawford (STScI) Download this Artist Concept (1 MB) The researchers used Hubble’s crisp vision to carefully to pinpoint the location of most of its rings, since many are piled up at the center. “This would have been impossible without Hubble,” Pasha said. They used Keck to confirm one more ring. The team suspects a 10th ring also existed, but has faded and is no longer detectable. They estimate it might lie three times farther out than the widest ring in Hubble’s image. A One-to-One Match with Predictions Pasha also found a stunning connection between the Bullseye and a long-established theory: The galaxy’s rings appear to have moved outward almost exactly as predicted by models. “That theory was developed for the day that someone saw so many rings,” van Dokkum said. “It is immensely gratifying to confirm this long-standing prediction with the Bullseye galaxy.” If viewed from above, it would be more obvious that the galaxy’s rings aren’t evenly spaced like those on a dart board. Hubble’s image shows the galaxy from a slight angle. “If we were to look down at the galaxy directly, the rings would look circular, with rings bunched up at the center and gradually becoming more spaced out the farther out they are,” Pasha explained. To visualize how these rings may have formed, think about dropping a pebble into a pond. The first ring ripples out, becoming the widest over time, while others continue to form after it. The researchers suspect that the first two rings in the Bullseye formed quickly and spread out in wider circles. The formation of additional rings may have been slightly staggered, since the blue dwarf galaxy’s flythrough affected the first rings more significantly. This illustration shows the massive galaxy nicknamed the Bullseye face-on. Dotted circles indicate where each of its rings are, which formed like ripples in a pond after a blue dwarf galaxy (not shown) shot through its core about 50 million years ago. NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope helped researchers carefully pinpoint the location of most of its rings, many of which are piled up at the center. Data from the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii helped the team confirm another ring. NASA, ESA, Ralf Crawford (STScI) Download this Artist Concept (600 KB) Individual stars’ orbits were largely undisturbed, though groups of stars did “pile up” to form distinguishable rings over millions of years. The gas, however, was carried outward, and mixed with dust to form new stars, further brightening the Bullseye’s rings. There’s a lot more research to be done to figure out which stars existed before and after the blue dwarf’s “fly through.” Astronomers will now also be able to improve models showing how the galaxy may continue to evolve over billions of years, including the disappearance of additional rings. Although this discovery was a chance finding, astronomers can look forward to finding more galaxies like this one soon. “Once NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope begins science operations, interesting objects will pop out much more easily,” van Dokkum explained. “We will learn how rare these spectacular events really are.” The team’s paper was published on the February 4, 2025 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. The Hubble Space Telescope has been operating for over three decades and continues to make ground-breaking discoveries that shape our fundamental understanding of the universe. Hubble is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope and mission operations. Lockheed Martin Space, based in Denver, also supports mission operations at Goddard. The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, conducts Hubble science operations for NASA. Explore More Hubble Science Highlights: Galaxy Details and Mergers Hubble’s Galaxies Hubble Focus: Galaxies Through Space and Time (e-book) Facebook logo @NASAHubble @NASAHubble Instagram logo @NASAHubble Media Contact: Claire Andreoli (claire.andreoli@nasa.gov) NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD Claire Blome and Ray Villard Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD Share Details Last Updated Feb 04, 2025 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Location NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms Hubble Space Telescope Astrophysics Astrophysics Division Galaxies Goddard Space Flight Center The Universe Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Hubble Hubble Space Telescope Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe. Reshaping Our Cosmic View: Hubble Science Highlights Hubble’s 35th Anniversary Hubble’s Night Sky Challenge-February View the full article

Explore This Section Mars Home Science Overview Objectives Instruments Highlights Exploration Goals News and Features Multimedia Perseverance 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 Perseverance Home Mission Overview Rover Components Mars Rock Samples Where is Perseverance? Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Mission Updates 3 min read Persevering Through Science NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image of its 26th collected rock sample, “Silver Mountain,” using its onboard Sample Caching System Camera (CacheCam), located inside the rover underbelly. It looks down into the top of a sample tube to take close-up pictures of the sampled material and the tube as it’s prepared for sealing and storage. This image was acquired on Jan. 28, 2025 — sol 1401, or Martian day 1,401 of the Mars 2020 mission — at the local mean solar time of 18:49:01. NASA/JPL-Caltech The Mars 2020 Perseverance rover continues to live up to its name, pushing forward in search of ancient Martian secrets. Following a brief period of system verification and remote testing, our operations team is back at full strength, and Perseverance has been hard at work uncovering new geological insights. We began our latest campaign at “Mill Brook,” a site surrounded by dusty, fine-grained paver stones. Here, we conducted an abrasion experiment at “Steve’s Trail,” allowing our remote sensing instruments to capture a before-and-after analysis of the rock surface. SuperCam (SCAM) used its LIBS and VISIR systems to investigate “Bad Weather Pond,” while Mastcam-Z (ZCAM) imaged the entire workspace. These observations provide invaluable data on the composition, texture, and potential alteration of these rocks. After wrapping up at Mill Brook — including a ZCAM multispectral scan of “Berry Hill” — Perseverance took a 140-meter drive (about 459 feet) to “Blue Hill” at “Shallow Bay,” a site of immense scientific interest. The rocks here are rich in low-calcium pyroxene (LCP), making them one of the most intriguing sample targets of the mission so far. The significance of Blue Hill extends beyond just this one location. The pyroxene-rich nature of the site suggests a potential link to a much larger rock unit visible in orbital HiRISE images. Given that this may be the only exposure of these materials within our planned traverse, our science team prioritized sampling this Noachian-aged outcrop, a rare window into Mars’ deep past. And now, we are thrilled to announce: Perseverance has successfully cored and sealed a 2.9-centimeter (1.1-inch) rock sample from Blue Hill, officially named “Silver Mountain.” This marks our first Noachian-aged outcrop sample, an important milestone in our mission to uncover the geological history of Jezero Crater. Since Shallow Bay-Shoal Brook is the only location along our planned route where this regional low-calcium pyroxene unit was identified from orbit, this sample is a one-of-a-kind treasure for future Mars Sample Return analyses. As we enter the Year of the Snake, it seems fitting that serpentine-bearing rocks have slithered into our focus! While Blue Hill remains a top priority, the tactical team has been highly responsive to the science team’s overwhelming interest in the nearby serpentine-bearing outcrops. These rocks, which may reveal critical clues about past water activity and potential habitability, are now part of our exploration strategy. Between our Noachian-aged pyroxene sample and the newfound focus on serpentine-bearing rocks, our journey through Jezero Crater has never been more exciting. Each step — each scan, each drive, each core sample — brings us closer to understanding Mars’ complex past. As Perseverance continues to, well, persevere, and as we embrace the Year of the Snake, we can’t help but marvel at the poetic alignment of science and tradition. Here’s to a year of wisdom, resilience, and groundbreaking discoveries — both on Earth and 225 million kilometers (140 million miles) away! Stay tuned as we unravel the next chapter in Mars exploration! Written by Nicolas Randazzo, Postdoctoral Scientist at University of Alberta Share Details Last Updated Feb 04, 2025 Related Terms Blogs Explore More 3 min read Sols 4441-4442: Winter is Coming Article 2 hours ago 2 min read Sols 4439-4440: A Lunar New Year on Mars Article 4 days ago 4 min read Sols 4437-4438: Coordinating our Dance Moves 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

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 Mosaics More Resources Mars Missions Mars Sample Return Mars Perseverance Rover Mars Curiosity Rover MAVEN Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Odyssey More Mars Missions 3 min read Sols 4441-4442: Winter is Coming NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image of its workspace, which includes some polygonal fracture features just to the left of the top center of the image, using its Left Navigation Camera on sol 4439, or Martian day 4,439 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission, on Jan. 31, 2025, at 05:43:05 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech Earth planning date: Friday, Jan. 31, 2025 Here in Earth’s northern hemisphere, the days are slowly getting longer, bringing with them the promise of an end to winter. While we are anticipating the return of warmer temperatures, just over 100 million kilometers (more than 62 million miles) away, Curiosity is starting to feel the bite of the colder season. One of the quirks of Mars’ orbital configuration is that aphelion (when Mars is farthest from the Sun) occurs about a month and a half before the southern winter solstice. This means that winters in the southern hemisphere (where Curiosity is located) are both longer and colder than those in the northern hemisphere. Consequently, we need to spend more of our power on keeping the rover warm, limiting the time that can be spent doing science. Today’s plan was fairly constrained by the available power, so our various instrument and science teams had to carefully coordinate their requests to ensure that we stay within the power limits that have been budgeted out over the next several plans. Our team is never one to back down from a challenge, so this plan squeezes as much science as possible out of every watt-hour of power we were given. Our drive from Wednesday’s plan completed successfully (quite an accomplishment in the current terrain!). One of our wheels ended up perched a few centimetres up on a rock, so we aren’t able to use APXS or DRT today, but we were still able to unstow the arm to take some MAHLI images. This plan kicks off with a pair of ChemCam and Mastcam coordinated activities. The first of these two focuses on some interesting polygonal fractures that we ended up parked in front of (see the image above). ChemCam will use its LIBS laser on these fractures before they are imaged by Mastcam. ChemCam will then use its RMI camera to take a mosaic of some features on the crater floor way off in the distance, which Mastcam will also image. Mastcam then goes it alone, with images of “Vivian Creek” (some sedimentary layers in today’s contact science target), “Dawn Mine” (a potential meteorite), and a trough off of the rover’s right side. The Environmental Science (ENV) team will continue their monitoring of the environment with a Mastcam tau to measure dust in the atmosphere as well as Navcam cloud and dust devil movies. After a short nap, the arm is unstopped to take a number of MAHLI images of “Coldwater Canyon,” over a range of distances between 5 and 25 centimeters away (about 2-10 inches). The second sol of this plan is largely consumed by ENV activities, including another tau and a Navcam line-of-sight observation to monitor dust. A big chunk of this sol’s plan is taken up by ChemCam passive observations (not using the LIBS laser) of the atmosphere. This “passive sky” observation allows us to measure atmospheric aerosol properties and the amount of oxygen and water in the air. Of course, ENV couldn’t have all the fun, so this sol also contains a typical ChemCam LIBS observation of “Big Dalton” with a Mastcam image afterward. After stowing the arm, we will drive off from our current location. Right before handing off to Monday’s plan, we wrap up with our typical early-morning ENV weekend science time, which includes more tau and line-of-sight dust observations and several Navcam cloud movies. RAD, REMS, and DAN also continue their monitoring of the environment throughout this plan. Written by Conor Hayes, Graduate Student at York University Share Details Last Updated Feb 04, 2025 Related Terms Blogs Explore More 2 min read Sols 4439-4440: A Lunar New Year on Mars Article 4 days ago 4 min read Sols 4437-4438: Coordinating our Dance Moves Article 6 days ago 2 min read Sols 4434-4436: Last Call for Clouds Article 1 week 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

9 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Sector Combustor Studies (CE-5B-1) Combustion studies are conducted in this two-test position facility specifically in support of the NOx-reduction research for the High Speed Research program and the Advanced Subsonic Technology program. CE-5B-1 is large enough to test sector arrangements of injector elements to include interactions of the elements and single larger elements. The facility receives filtered combustion air from the 450-psig system. The air is heated in a 1,100°F non-vitiated heater at flows up to 20 lb/s, which can be valved to either test stand. The airflow passes through the test section, is water spray quenched, and is then discharged to the altitude exhaust system or the atmospheric exhaust system. The facility preheater consists of a heat exchanger fired by four J-47 burner cans using natural gas for a fuel and the 40-psig combustion air. The research hardware uses ASTM Jet-A, JP-5, or JP-8 as a fuel. CE-5B-1 Special Features In addition to inlet and exit rakes and standard instrumentation, water-cooled gas sampling rakes are in the downstream section. Particulate measurements are taken at the exit of the combustion section. Optical accessibility of the combustor section allows never-before-possible nonintrusive laser-based diagnostics of the reacting and non-reacting flowfield. These include such techniques as planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) imaging, Planar Mie scattering, Phase/Doppler particle analysis (PDPA), focused Schlieren imaging, and light sheet photography. Both rigs share the gas analysis, particulate analysis, and diagnostics equipment. CE-5B Facility Capabilities (typical of both rigs) ParameterOperating ValueInlet Air Supply Pressure450 psigInlet Air Temperature100°F, preheated to 350-1,350°FInlet Airflow Stand 1 Stand 2 20 lb/s (available) 0.5 to 12.0 pps 0.5 to 5.0 ppsExhaustAtm or 20-26 in. HgRig Pressure Without Windows Stand 1 Stand 2275 psig 400 psigRig Pressure With Windows Stand 1 Stand 2250 psig 275 psigRig Fuel (JP-8) Flow7 gpm @ 400-900 psig (three legs per stand)Window Cooling GN2 (4 legs)0.125 to 0.5 pps (each leg) Cooling Water150 gpm @ 460 psig 250 gpm @ 395 psig 50 gpm @ 350 psig 15 gpm @ 55 psig CE-5B-1 System Instrumentation SystemNumber and TypeESP96 Ports of + 500 PSID Barometric RefEscort240 Channels 154 Available to the CustomerThermocouples156 Type K 24 Type B 12 Type W 524 Type RGas AnalyzersHC – 1,000 ppm 1% & 5% CO – 2,000 ppm 5% CO2 – 5%, 10%, 20% O2 – 25% NO – 100 ppm, 1,000 ppm 1% NOx –LaserPLIF, Raman Flame Tube Combustor Studies (CE-5B-2) CE-5B-2 is one of the two test stands in the CE-5B facility. It can be configured to study lean-premixed-prevaporized (LPP) and lean-direct-injection (LDI) concepts for developing a low-NOx combustor for high-speed research and advanced subsonic applications. The non-windowed combustion flame tube can use a 3-inch square cross section or a 3-inch-diameter round section and has six ports available for gas sampling probes. The windowed combustion flame tube takes advantage of the flat walls on a 3-inch square cross section to install optical windows for non-intrusive measurements. Tests are conducted with combustion air inlet pressure ranging from 10 to 15 atmospheres with preheater and exhaust conditions described for CE-5B-1. CE-5B-2 Special Features The same laser-based non-intrusive diagnostics of reacting and non-reacting flowfields described for test position CE-5B-1 are available to this test section. A typical data acquisition system is used for both test positions in CE-5B. In addition, most of the optical diagnostic instruments have their own data acquisition systems. CE-5B Facility Capabilities (typical of both rigs) ParameterOperating ValueInlet Air Supply Pressure450 psigInlet Air Temperature100°F, preheated to 350-1,350°FInlet Airflow Stand 1 Stand 2 20 lb/s (available) 0.5 to 12.0 pps 0.5 to 5.0 ppsExhaustAtm or 20-26 in. HgRig Pressure Without Windows Stand 1 Stand 2275 psig 400 psigRig Pressure With Windows Stand 1 Stand 2250 psig 275 psigRig Fuel (JP-8) Flow7 gpm @ 400-900 psig (three legs per stand)Window Cooling GN2 (4 legs)0.125 to 0.5 pps (each leg) Cooling Water150 gpm @ 460 psig 250 gpm @ 395 psig 50 gpm @ 350 psig 15 gpm @ 55 psig CE-5B-2 System Instrumentation SystemNumber and TypeESP96 Ports of + 500 PSID Barometric RefEscort240 Channels 154 Available to the CustomerThermocouples148 Type K 24 Type B 48 Type RGas AnalyzersHC – 1,000 ppm 1% & 5% CO – 2,000 ppm 5% CO2 – 5%, 10%, 20% O2 – 25% NO – 100 ppm, 1,000 ppm 1% NOx –LaserPLIF, Raman Combustion and Dynamics Facility (CE-13C) Test Cell CE-13 Combustion and Dynamics Facility (CDF) is used to investigate ways to reduce NOx and particulate emissions from air-breathing aircraft engines. This low-pressure (1-5 atm) facility is used to study fuel-air injection schemes and how they affect fluid mixing, emissions, dynamics, and flame stability. Jet-A fuel is the primary fuel, but candidate alternate jet fuels and their effects are also studied. Standard measurements consist of major species and dynamic pressures. Some optical measurements available are high-speed video, standard and time-resolved 2D PIV, planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF), and chemiluminescence imaging. CE-13C test stand. CE-13C Special Features Research hardware is designed to flow vertically downwards. Preheated air is fed to the inlet air stream conditioner and then to the fuel injector. Fuel at room temperature is fed separately to the injector. The mixed hot air and fuel mixture moves to the combustor where combustion can be observed via customized windows. The products of combustion flow through an emission sampling ring and choke nozzle/straight outlet pipe. The fuel system consists of a 25-gallon fuel tank, a pump, and a GN2 purge. A separate laser room operates various class 3B and 4 lasers (UV, Vis, NIR) to characterize fuel injection, combustor flow, and measure combustion species. CE-13C Facility Capabilities ParameterOperating ValueInlet Air PressureAmbient to 75-psiaInlet Air TemperatureAmbient to 1,000°FInlet Airflow0.0 – 1.0 ppsJet Fuel SupplyCKT 1 6.9-140 pph @ 1,000-psig CKT 2 1 – 13.1 pph @ 1,000-psig ExhaustAtmosphericPeripheral H2O Cooling54-gpm @ 100-pisgQuench Cooling11-gpm @ 500-psig Combustion species window viewport. CE-13C System Instrumentation SystemNumber and TypeLabview64 voltage/current channels 32 temperature channels 10 voltage/current channels available to the customer 30 temperature channels available to customerOptical and LaserPLIF, Raman, PIV, droplet sizing, chemiluminescence, temperature, time-resolved imagingGas AnalyzersCO – 1,000 ppm, 5,000 ppm CO2 – 5%, 15% O2 – 25% NO – 100 ppm, 1,000 ppm NOx – 100 ppm, 1,000 ppm HC –  100 ppm, 1,000 ppm High-Pressure Gaseous Burner (SE-5) The SE-5 High-Pressure Combustion Diagnostics (HPCD) laboratory is a gas- and liquid-fueled high-pressure flame tube facility with single-element fuel injection burners and emission sampling ports for advanced diagnostics development and national standard calibrations. The facility provides large-aperture optical access to the primary reaction zone (flame holding) through four UV-grade fused silica optical windows (44-mm-thick by 85-mm clear apertures located around the periphery) enabling non-intrusive optical diagnostics such as laser Raman spectroscopy or high-speed imaging to measure chemical species and temperature. The HPCD rig can operate at sustained pressures up to 30 atm (or 60 atm with limited flow rate) with a variety of gaseous fuels, liquid jet fuels, and oxidizers, including hydrogen, methane, oxygen-argon, and pure oxygen. The innovative microtube array burner or micro-radial-entry counter-swirl (MRX) burner is mounted inside the air-cooled high-temperature liner casing within the rig. The burner was designed to provide a uniform combustion product zone downstream of the flame for calibrating the laser diagnostic system. The facility is also used for bench-mark tests of emission gas and particulate matters (PM) sampling. The data from the HPCD rig enables the validation of numerical codes such as powered by advanced CFD that simulate gas turbine combustors. All aspects of the facility operation, including startup, shutdown, and automatic safety shutdowns, are controlled and monitored via an icon-based touch-screen software system and a most-updated programmable logic controller (PLC) in conjunction with a precision DEWETRON data acquisition system. The HPCD rig can also provide a pressure vessel for prototype thermal or combustion hardware of a customer’s choice. SE-5 Special Features The facility is unique because it is the only continuous-flow, hydrogen-capable 60-atm rig in the world with optical access. It will provide researchers with new insights into flame conditions that simulate the environment inside the ultra-high pressure-ratio combustion chambers of tomorrow’s advanced aircraft engines. SE-5 Facility Capabilities ParameterOperating ValueCooling Capacity4,000,000 BTU/hrEquivalence Ratio Variance0.2 (fuel very lean) – 4 (fuel rich)Fuel Flow RateLimited by cooling capacity, e.g., 2 GPH of n-heptaneOperating Pressure30 atm nominal, 60 atm maxCooling Airflow0.25 lbm/s maxQuenching Airflow0.20 lbm/s max SE-5 System Instrumentation and Diagnostics SystemNumber and TypePressure Transducers and ThermocouplesCustomDEWETRON DAQCustomEmission Gas Sampling (Exhaust)NO, NOx, SOx, O2, CO, CO2Particulates Sampling (Exhaust)Mass (TSI), counter (TSI), In-line sensor (GRC in-house)Laser Raman Spectroscopy (In Flame)CustomIn-situ Soot DetectionExtinction measurements Particulate Aerosol Laboratory (SE-11) The Particulate Aerosol Laboratory (PAL) studies aerosols at simulated upper atmospheric conditions with altitudes up to 55,000 feet at -135°F. Altitude chamber environment and burner settings are individually controlled, creating a multitude of test parameters and a dynamic testing environment. The PAL facility is designed around a small-scale jet exhaust nozzle and altitude chamber and takes full advantage of its reduced size for screening of various alternative fuels, additives, and other combustion concepts. This makes PAL the ideal facility for validating the advancement of such research to the next phase. Combustion fuel operation capabilities include alternative fuel additive mixing in real-time mode with switching between a baseline fuel and an alternative fuel while maintaining a continuous combustion flame. Heated bypass air is available with optional external burner and associated piping heating up to 1,000°F. Additionally, PAL is enhancing its cloud simulation capability with real-time atmospheric water vapor content readings and on-demand direct liquid injector vaporizers for high purity 100% fluid vaporization. The SE-11 altitude chamber with the burner and alternate fuel HLPC pumps. SE-11 Special Features Particulate emission sample extraction taking at burner rear section. Chamber equipped with windows and fused silica lenses providing optical access for non-intrusive optical diagnostic Mie scattering and color video imaging. Particulate size and number density measurements are accomplished with absorption measurements and forward, back, and side scattering. Video capability of both burner flame and altitude chamber contrails. Optical measurement plane location relative to the chamber nozzle exit is adjustable. SE-11 Facility Capabilities ParameterOperating ValueBurner Fuel Flow Rate.2 – 9.9 ml/min various liquid fuelsBurner Air-Filtered and dried -Downstream heated or non-heated bypass air available to ≤1,000°FBurner EGT≤1,000° FParticle Sizing Range2.5-1,000 nmParticle Size Distribution Concentration Range10-107 particles/cm³Aerosol Particle Size Range.75-10 nmGas Composition AnalyzerCO – CO₂ – O₂Optic Light Source300W Xenon LampOptic Video-32-bit Color -16-bit Monochrome, -Frame rate: 15fpsOptic DetectorsSelection of Various Spectrometers and Photodiodes Using Our Facilities NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland provides ground test facilities to industry, government, and academia. If you are considering testing in one of our facilities or would like further information about a specific facility or capability, please let us know. Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

NASA has awarded Dynamic Aviation Group Inc. of Bridgewater, Virginia, the Commercial Aviation Services contract to support the agency’s Airborne Science Program. The program provides aircraft and technology to further science and advance the use of Earth observing satellite data, making NASA data about our home planet and innovations accessible to all. This is an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity firm-fixed-price contract with a maximum potential value of $13.5 million. The period of performance began Friday, Jan. 31, and continues through Jan. 30, 2030. Under this contract, the company will provide ground and flight crews and services using modified commercial aircraft, including a Beechcraft King Air B200 and Beechcraft King Air A90. Work will include mechanical and electrical engineering services for instrument integration and de-integration, flight planning and real-time tracking, project execution, as well as technical feasibility assessments and cost estimation. Aircraft modifications may include instrumented nosecones, viewing ports, inlets, computing systems, and satellite communications capabilities. This work is essential for NASA to conduct airborne science missions, develop and validate earth system models, and support satellite payload calibration. NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley will administer the agency-wide contract on behalf of the Airborne Science Program in the Earth Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. To learn more about NASA and agency programs, visit: https://www.nasa.gov -end- Rachel Hoover Ames Research Center, Silicon Valley, Calif. 650-604-4789 rachel.hoover@nasa.gov View the full article

NASA’s VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) sits outside a testing chamber after completing its thermal vacuum testing in the fall of 2024. Credit: NASA/JSC David DeHoyos To advance plans of securing a public/private partnership and land and operate NASA’s VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) mission on the Moon in collaboration with industry the agency announced Monday it is seeking U.S. proposals. As part of the agency’s Artemis campaign, instruments on VIPER will demonstrate U.S. industry’s ability to search for ice on the lunar surface and collect science data. The Announcement for Partnership Proposal contains proposal instructions and evaluation criteria for a new Lunar Volatiles Science Partnership. Responses are due Thursday, Feb. 20. After evaluating submissions, any selections by the agency will require respondents to submit a second, more detailed, proposal. NASA is expected to make a decision on the VIPER mission this summer. “Moving forward with a VIPER partnership offers NASA a unique opportunity to engage with the private sector,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Such a partnership provides the opportunity for NASA to collect VIPER science that could tell us more about water on the Moon, while advancing commercial lunar landing capabilities and resource prospecting possibilities.” This new announcement comes after NASA issued a Request for Information on Aug. 9, 2024, to seek interest from American companies and institutions in conducting a mission using the agency’s VIPER Moon rover after the program was canceled in July 2024. Any partnership would work under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement. This type of partnership allows both NASA and an industry partner to contribute services, technology, and hardware to the collaboration. As part of an agreement, NASA would contribute the existing VIPER rover as-is. Potential partners would need to arrange for the integration and successful landing of the rover on the Moon, conduct a science/exploration campaign, and disseminate VIPER-generated science data. The partner may not disassemble the rover and use its instruments or parts separately from the VIPER mission. NASA’s selection approach will favor proposals that enable data from the mission’s science instruments to be shared openly with anyone who wishes to use it. “Being selected for the VIPER partnership would benefit any company interested in advancing their lunar landing and surface operations capabilities,” said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration in the Science Mission Directorate. “This solicitation seeks proposals that clearly describe what is needed to successfully land and operate the rover, and invites industry to propose their own complementary science goals and approaches. NASA is looking forward to partnering with U.S. industry to meet the challenges of performing volatiles science in the lunar environment.” The Moon is a cornerstone for solar system science and exoplanet studies. In addition to helping inform where ice exists on the Moon for potential future astronauts, understanding our nearest neighbor helps us understand how it has evolved and what processes shaped its surface. To learn more about NASA’s lunar science, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/moon -end- Karen Fox Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 karen.fox@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Feb 03, 2025 Related TermsMissionsVIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) View the full article

Seeds survive space A close-up view of the Materials International Space Station Experiment hardware housing materials for exposure to space.NASA Researchers found that plant seeds exposed to space germinated at the same rate as those kept on the ground. This finding shows that plant seeds can remain viable during long-term space travel and plants could be used for food and other uses on future missions. Materials International Space Station Experiment-14 exposed a variety of materials to space, including 11 types of plant seeds. The work also evaluated the performance of a new sample containment canister as a method of exposing biological samples to space while protecting their vigor. Examining mechanisms of immune issues in space NASA astronaut Josh Cassada stows samples from blood collection activities inside an International Space Station science freezer.NASA Using genetic analyses, researchers identified molecular mechanisms that cause changes in mitochondrial and immune system function seen during spaceflight. The findings provide insight into how the human body adapts in space and could guide countermeasures for protecting immune function on future missions. International Space Station Medical Monitoring collects a variety of health data from crew members before, after, and at regular intervals during spaceflight. Evaluations fall into broad categories of medical, occupational, physical fitness, nutrition, and psychological or behavioral and include blood tests. Mitochondria are cell organelles that produce energy. Reducing vision changes in space JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Norishige Kanai installs the Mouse Habitat Unit on the space station.JAXA/Norishige Kanai Microgravity can cause changes in eye structure and function. Researchers found that artificial gravity may reduce these changes and could serve as a countermeasure to protect the vision of crew members on future missions. Previous studies provide evidence that artificial gravity may protect against or mitigate negative effects of microgravity. An investigation from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) in collaboration with NASA’s Human Research and Space Biology Programs, Mouse Habitat Unit-8 looked at the long-term effects of spaceflight on gene expression patterns in mammals. More research is needed to identify the effects of other spaceflight stressors and determine what level and duration of gravitational force is needed to prevent or reduce damage to the retina or optic nerve. View the full article

NASA/Frank Michaux NASA’s iconic “worm” insignia stands out in this photo taken on Jan. 24, 2025, as engineers and technicians prepared to lift the left center center booster segment for the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. The boosters will help support the remaining rocket components and the Orion spacecraft during final assembly of the Artemis II Moon rocket and provide more than 75 percent of the total SLS thrust during liftoff from Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Get more Artemis II news. Image credit: NASA/Frank Michaux View the full article

3 Min Read How Does the Sun Behave? (Grades K-4) This article is for students grades K-4. The Sun is a star. It is the biggest object in our solar system. The Sun is about 93 million miles away from Earth and about 4.5 billion years old. The Sun affects Earth’s weather, seasons, climate, and more. Let’s learn about how the Sun behaves. Why is the Sun warm and bright? The Sun is a giant ball made of hydrogen and helium gases. Deep in the center of the Sun, hydrogen atoms are pressed together. This forms helium. When this happens, energy is released. That energy is the heat and light we feel and see all the way here on Earth. Hydrogen atoms are pressed together to form helium. This releases energy in the form of heat and light. Does the Sun ever change? Sometimes, the Sun is very active. It gives off a lot of energy. Other times, it is quieter. It gives off less energy. This pattern is called the solar cycle. One solar cycle lasts about 11 years. Scientists call the time when the Sun is active “solar maximum.” During this time, we see darker, cooler spots on the Sun’s surface. These are called sunspots. When the Sun is less active, scientists call that “solar minimum.” Scientists call the time when the Sun is active “solar maximum.” When the Sun is less active, scientists call that “solar minimum.” Does the Sun have a north pole? Yes! Just like Earth, the Sun has north and south magnetic poles. But every 11 years, the Sun’s poles flip. North becomes south and south becomes north. Every 11 years, the Sun’s poles flip. North becomes south and south becomes north. What is space weather? Space weather includes things like solar wind, solar storms, and solar flares. When the Sun is active, these things can have an impact on Earth and in space. Let’s learn more about space weather and how it affects our planet. What is solar wind? The solar wind is a constant wave of particles flowing out into space from the Sun’s surface. It travels deep into space. When the solar wind reaches Earth, its particles interact with Earth’s magnetic field. This causes colorful streams of moving light at Earth’s north and south poles. These are called auroras or the northern and southern lights. When the solar wind from the Sun reaches Earth, its particles interact with Earth’s magnetic field. This causes colorful streams of moving light at Earth’s north and south poles. What are solar storms and solar flares? The Sun’s magnetic fields are always moving. They twist and stretch. Sometimes they snap and reconnect. When this happens, it releases a burst of energy. This can cause a solar storm. Solar storms can include solar flares. A solar flare is a blast of light and energy from the Sun’s surface. They usually erupt near sunspots. Solar flares happen more often during solar maximum and less often during solar minimum. A solar flare is a blast of light and energy from the Sun’s surface. How does space weather affect Earth? Earth is protected from most space weather. Our atmosphere and magnetic field act like a shield. But strong solar storms can still cause problems. Areas might lose electricity. Radios might not work. Satellites can be damaged. NASA keeps an eye on space weather. If strong storms are predicted, teams work to protect spacecraft and astronauts in space. How are we learning more about the Sun? A space probe is a robot that explores space. They often visit other planets, moons, or asteroids and comets that also orbit the Sun. NASA’s Parker Solar Probe launched to the Sun in 2018. The Parker Solar Probe is on a special mission. It flies very close to the Sun to collect information. This will help scientists learn new things about the Sun and how it affects life on Earth. Visit these websites to read more about the Sun: https://science.nasa.gov/sun/facts/ https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/menu/sun/ https://www.nasa.gov/stem-content/our-very-own-star-the-sun/ Read NASA Knows: How Does the Sun Behave? (Grades 5-8). Explore More for Students Grades K-4 View the full article

The NASA Ames Science Directorate recognizes the outstanding contributions of (pictured left to right) Michael Flynn, Ross Beyer, and Matt Johnson. Their commitment to the NASA mission represents the entrepreneurial spirit, technical expertise, and collaborative disposition needed to explore this world and beyond Space Biosciences Star: Michael Flynn Michael Flynn, a senior scientist and engineer in the Space Biosciences Branch, has over 35 years of groundbreaking contributions to life support systems and space technologies, including over 120 peer-reviewed publications and multiple prestigious awards. He is being recognized for his leadership in advancing water recycling technologies and his dedication to fostering innovation and mentorship within his team. Space Science and Astrobiology Star: Ross Beyer Ross Beyer is a planetary scientist in the Planetary Systems Branch for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute, with scientific expertise in geomorphology, surface processes, and remote sensing of the solid bodies in our Solar System. He is recognized for exemplifying leadership and teamwork through his latest selected 5-year proposal to support the Ames Stereo Pipeline, implementing open science processes, and serving as a Co-Investigator on several flight missions. Earth Science Star: Matthew Johnson Matthew Johnson is a research scientist in the Biospheric Science Branch (code SGE). Matt is recognized for his exemplary productivity in publishing in high-impact journals and success at leading and co-developing competitive proposals, while serving as a mentor and leader. Matt recently expanded his leadership skills by assuming the position of Assistant Branch Chief of SGE and as an invited lead co-author of the December 2024 PANGEA white paper, which could lead to a new NASA HQ Terrestrial Ecology campaign. View the full article