NASA

1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) This September 2024 aerial photograph shows the coastal launch range at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Wallops is the agency’s only owned-and-operated launch range.Courtesy Patrick J. Hendrickson; used with permission A suborbital rocket is scheduled to launch from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia during a window extending from Monday, Jan. 13, through Thursday, Jan. 16. This launch supports the Missile Defense Agency, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division’s White Sands Detachment, and other Department of Defense organizations. No real-time launch status updates will be available. The launch will not be livestreamed, and updates will not be provided during the countdown. The rocket launch may be visible from the Chesapeake Bay region. Share Details Last Updated Jan 10, 2025 EditorAmy BarraLocationWallops Flight Facility Related TermsWallops Flight Facility Explore More 6 min read NASA Scientific Balloon Flights to Lift Off From Antarctica Article 1 month ago 1 min read U.S. Navy Fleet Training Launch to be Conducted at NASA Wallops Article 2 months ago 1 min read NASA Wallops to Support October Sounding Rocket Launch Article 3 months ago View the full article

This map of Earth in 2024 shows global surface temperature anomalies, or how much warmer or cooler each region of the planet was compared to the average from 1951 to 1980. Normal temperatures are shown in white, higher-than-normal temperatures in red and orange, and lower-than-normal temperatures in blue. An animated version of this map shows global temperature anomalies changing over time, dating back to 1880. Download this visualization from NASA Goddard’s Scientific Visualization Studio: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5450. Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio Earth’s average surface temperature in 2024 was the warmest on record, according to an analysis led by NASA scientists. Global temperatures in 2024 were 2.30 degrees Fahrenheit (1.28 degrees Celsius) above the agency’s 20th-century baseline (1951-1980), which tops the record set in 2023. The new record comes after 15 consecutive months (June 2023 through August 2024) of monthly temperature records — an unprecedented heat streak. “Once again, the temperature record has been shattered — 2024 was the hottest year since record keeping began in 1880,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “Between record breaking temperatures and wildfires currently threatening our centers and workforce in California, it has never been more important to understand our changing planet.” NASA scientists further estimate Earth in 2024 was about 2.65 degrees Fahrenheit (1.47 degrees Celsius) warmer than the mid-19th century average (1850-1900). For more than half of 2024, average temperatures were more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above the baseline, and the annual average, with mathematical uncertainties, may have exceeded the level for the first time. “The Paris Agreement on climate change sets forth efforts to remain below 1.5 degrees Celsius over the long term. To put that in perspective, temperatures during the warm periods on Earth three million years ago — when sea levels were dozens of feet higher than today — were only around 3 degrees Celsius warmer than pre-industrial levels,” said Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York. “We are halfway to Pliocene-level warmth in just 150 years.” Scientists have concluded the warming trend of recent decades is driven by heat-trapping carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases. In 2022 and 2023, Earth saw record increases in carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels, according to a recent international analysis. The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased from pre-industrial levels in the 18th century of approximately 278 parts per million to about 420 parts per million today. NASA and other federal agencies regularly collect data on greenhouse gas concentrations and emissions. These data are available at the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Center, a multi-agency effort that consolidates information from observations and models, with a goal of providing decision-makers with one location for data and analysis. Exceptional heat trends The temperatures of individual years can be influenced by natural climate fluctuations such as El Niño and La Niña, which alternately warm and cool the tropical Pacific Ocean. The strong El Niño that began in fall 2023 helped nudge global temperatures above previous records. The heat surge that began in 2023 continued to exceed expectations in 2024, Schmidt said, even though El Niño abated. Researchers are working to identify contributing factors, including possible climate impacts of the January 2022 Tonga volcanic eruption and reductions in pollution, which may change cloud cover and how solar energy is reflected back into space. “Not every year is going to break records, but the long-term trend is clear,” Schmidt said. “We’re already seeing the impact in extreme rainfall, heat waves, and increased flood risk, which are going to keep getting worse as long as emissions continue.” Seeing changes locally NASA assembles its temperature record using surface air temperature data collected from tens of thousands of meteorological stations, as well as sea surface temperature data acquired by ship- and buoy-based instruments. This data is analyzed using methods that account for the varied spacing of temperature stations around the globe and for urban heating effects that could skew the calculations. A new assessment published earlier this year by scientists at the Colorado School of Mines, National Science Foundation, the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA), and NASA further increases confidence in the agency’s global and regional temperature data. “When changes happen in the climate, you see it first in the global mean, then you see it at the continental scale and then at the regional scale. Now, we’re seeing it at the local level,” Schmidt said. “The changes occurring in people’s everyday weather experiences have become abundantly clear.” Independent analyses by NOAA, Berkeley Earth, the Hadley Centre (part of the United Kingdom’s weather forecasting Met Office) and Copernicus Climate Services in Europe have also concluded that the global surface temperatures for 2024 were the highest since modern record-keeping began. These scientists use much of the same temperature data in their analyses but use different methodologies and models. Each shows the same ongoing warming trend. NASA’s full dataset of global surface temperatures, as well as details of how NASA scientists conducted the analysis, are publicly available from GISS, a NASA laboratory managed by the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. For more information about NASA’s Earth science programs, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/earth -end- Liz Vlock Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 elizabeth.a.vlock@nasa.gov Peter Jacobs Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. 301-286-0535 peter.jacobs@nasa.gov View the full article

4 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) LMS instrument aboard the Blue Ghost Lander heading to Mare Crisium in mid-January As part of its Artemis campaign, NASA is developing a series of increasingly complex lunar deliveries and missions to ultimately build a sustained human presence at the Moon for decades to come. Through the agency’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative, commercial provider Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander will head to the Moon’s Mare Crisium for a 14-day lunar lander mission, carrying NASA science and technology that will help understand the lunar subsurface in a previously unexplored location. From within the Mare Crisium impact basin, the SwRI-led Lunar Magnetotelluric Sounder (LMS) may provide the first geophysical measurements representative of the bulk of the Moon. Most of the Apollo missions landed in the region of linked maria to the west (left image), whose crust was later shown to be compositionally distinct (right image) as exemplified by the concentration of the element thorium. Mare Crisium provides a smooth landing site on the near side of the Moon outside of this anomalous region. NASA Developed by the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), NASA’s Lunar Magnetotelluric Sounder (LMS) will probe the interior of the Moon to depths of up to 700 miles, two-thirds of the way to the lunar center. The measurements will shed light on the differentiation and thermal history of our Moon, a cornerstone to understanding the evolution of solid worlds. Magnetotellurics uses natural variations in surface electric and magnetic fields to calculate how easily electricity flows in subsurface materials, which can reveal their composition and structure. “For more than 50 years, scientists have used magnetotellurics on Earth for a wide variety of purposes, including to find oil, water, and geothermal and mineral resources, as well as to understand geologic processes such as the growth of continents,” said SwRI’s Dr. Robert Grimm, principal investigator of LMS. “The LMS instrument will be the first extraterrestrial application of magnetotellurics.” Mare Crisium is an ancient, 350-mile-diameter impact basin that subsequently filled with lava, creating a dark spot visible on the Moon from Earth. Early astronomers who dubbed dark spots on the moon “maria,” Latin for seas, mistook them for actual seas. Mare Crisium stands apart from the large, connected areas of dark lava to the west where most of the Apollo missions landed. These vast, linked lava plains are now thought to be compositionally and structurally different from the rest of the Moon. From this separate vantage point, LMS may provide the first geophysical measurements representative of most of the Moon. The Lunar Magnetotelluric Sounder (LMS) will probe the interior of the Moon to depths of up to 700 miles or two-thirds of the lunar radius. The measurements will shed light on the differentiation and thermal history of our Moon, a cornerstone to understanding the evolution of solid worlds. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center The LMS instrument ejects cables with electrodes at 90-degree angles to each other and distances up to 60 feet. The instrument measures voltages across opposite pairs of electrodes, much like the probes of a conventional voltmeter. The magnetometer is deployed via an extendable mast to reduce interference from the lander. The magnetotelluric method reveals a vertical profile of the electrical conductivity, providing insight into the temperature and composition of the penetrated materials in the lunar interior. “The five individual subsystems of LMS, together with connecting cables, weigh about 14 pounds and consume about 11 Watts of power,” Grimm said. “While stowed, each electrode is surrounded by a ‘yarn ball’ of cable, so the assembly is roughly spherical and the size of a softball.” The LMS payload was funded and will be delivered to the lunar surface through NASA’s CLPS initiative. Southwest Research Institute based in San Antonio built the central electronics and leads the science investigation. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, provided the LMS magnetometer to measure the magnetic fields, and Heliospace Corp. provided the electrodes used to measure the electrical fields. Under the CLPS model, NASA is investing in commercial delivery services to the Moon to enable industry growth and support long-term lunar exploration. As a primary customer for CLPS deliveries, NASA aims to be one of many customers on future flights. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the development of seven of the 10 CLPS payloads carried on Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander. Media Contact: Rani Gran NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland Share Details Last Updated Jan 10, 2025 EditorRob GarnerContactRani GranLocationGoddard Space Flight Center Related TermsCommercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS)Earth's MoonGoddard Space Flight Center View the full article

NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 Flight Engineer Butch Wilmore works inside the International Space Station’s Columbus laboratory module to begin installing the European Enhanced Exploration Exercise Device. (Credit: NASA) Students from the Toms River School District in New Jersey will have the chance to connect with NASA astronauts Don Pettit and Butch Wilmore as they answer prerecorded science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) related questions from aboard the International Space Station. Watch the 20-minute space-to-Earth call in collaboration with Science Friday at 10 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Jan. 14, on NASA+ and learn how to watch NASA content on various platforms, including social media. Science Friday is a nonprofit dedicated to sharing science with the public through storytelling, educational programs, and connections with audiences. Middle school students will use their knowledge from the educational downlink to address environmental problems in their communities. Media interested in covering the event must RSVP by 5 p.m., Friday, Jan. 10, to Santiago Florez at: sflorez@sciencefriday.com or 221-840-2244. 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 lays 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 View the full article

Hubble Space Telescope 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 Glossary Posters Hubble on the NASA App More 35th Anniversary 2 min read Hubble Rings In the New Year ESA/Hubble, NASA, and D. Erb This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image reveals a tiny patch of sky in the constellation Hydra. The stars and galaxies depicted here span a mind-bending range of distances. The objects in this image that are nearest to us are stars within our own Milky Way galaxy. You can easily spot these stars by their diffraction spikes, lines that radiate from bright light sources, like nearby stars, as a result of how that light interacts with Hubble’s secondary mirror supports. The bright star that sits just at the edge of the prominent bluish galaxy is only 3,230 light-years away, as measured by ESA’s Gaia space observatory. Behind this star is a galaxy named LEDA 803211. At 622 million light-years distant, this galaxy is close enough that its bright galactic nucleus is clearly visible, as are numerous star clusters scattered around its patchy disk. Many of the more distant galaxies in this frame appear star-like, with no discernible structure, but without the diffraction spikes of a star in our galaxy. Of all the galaxies in this frame, one pair stands out: a smooth golden galaxy encircled by a nearly complete ring in the upper-right corner of the image. This curious configuration is the result of gravitational lensing that warps and magnifies the light of distant objects. Einstein predicted the curving of spacetime by matter in his general theory of relativity, and galaxies seemingly stretched into rings like the one in this image are called Einstein rings. The lensed galaxy, whose image we see as the ring, lies incredibly far away from Earth: we are seeing it as it was when the universe was just 2.5 billion years old. The galaxy acting as the gravitational lens itself is likely much closer. A nearly perfect alignment of the two galaxies is necessary to give us this rare kind of glimpse into galactic life in the early days of the universe. Explore More Science Behind the Discoveries: Gravitational Lenses Hubble Science Highlights: Focusing in on Gravitational Lenses Hubble’s Gravitational Lenses Facebook logo @NASAHubble @NASAHubble Instagram logo @NASAHubble Media Contact: Claire Andreoli (claire.andreoli@nasa.gov) NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD Share Details Last Updated Jan 10, 2025 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Location NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms Astrophysics Astrophysics Division Elliptical Galaxies Galaxies Goddard Space Flight Center Gravitational Lensing Hubble Space Telescope Spiral Galaxies The Universe Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Hubble Space Telescope Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe. Hubble Online Activities Hubble’s Night Sky Challenge Hubble e-Books View the full article

Earth Observer Earth Home Earth Observer Home Editor’s Corner Feature Articles Meeting Summaries News Science in the News Calendars In Memoriam More Archives 32 min read Summary of the 2024 NASA LCLUC Science Team Meeting Introduction The 2024 NASA Land-Cover and Land-Use Change (LCLUC) Science Team Meeting (STM) took place from April 2–4, 2024 at the Marriott Washingtonian Center in Gaithersburg, MD. During the meeting, 75 people attended in-person. Represented among the attendees were LCLUC project investigators and collaborators, NASA Headquarters (HQ) program managers, and university researchers and students – see Photo. LCLUC is an interdisciplinary scientific program within NASA’s Earth Science program that aims to develop the capability for periodic global inventories of land use and land cover from space. The program’s goal is to develop the scientific understanding and models necessary to simulate the processes taking place and to evaluate the consequences of observed and predicted changes. The LCLUC program’s focus is divided into three areas – impacts, monitoring, and synthesis. Each category constitutes about one-third of the program’s content. The LCLUC program is part of the Carbon Cycle and Ecosystems research area, alongside other programs, such as Terrestrial Ecosystems, Ocean Biology and Biogeochemistry, and Biodiversity. Within NASA’s Earth Science Division (ESD), the LCLUC program collaborates with the Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO), the Earth Action Program element on Agriculture, and data initiatives, such as Harmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 (HLS), Observational Products for End-Users from Remote Sensing Analysis (OPERA), and the Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition (CSDA) program. Externally, the program engages the U.S. Global Climate Research Program (USGCRP), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). Internationally, the program collaborates with Global Observations of Forest Cover and Land-use Dynamics (GOFC-GOLD), the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), particularly Group on Earth Observations Global Agricultural Monitoring (GEOGLAM), the Global Land Program (GLP), as well as regional initiatives – e.g., the South and Southeast Asia Regional Initiative (SARI), and space agencies, including the European Space Agency (ESA), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA)–Thailand, Vietnam National Space Center (VNSC), and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Principal Investigators (PIs) who participate in LCLUC are required to provide free and open access to their data and products via their metadata pages, aligning with NASA’s Transform to Open Science (TOPS) initiative. The program organizes at least one international regional workshop and one domestic ST meeting each year to share LCLUC science and foster global collaborations, contributing to regional capacity-building as an added value. Additionally, the program hosts regular webinars led by PIs on topics such as agriculture, urban areas, land-use changes in conflict zones, and natural disaster hotspots (i.e., fires, droughts, and floods). Garik Gutman [NASA HQ—LCLUC Program Manager] presented updates on LCLUC research publications, journal special issues, and upcoming international meetings. The remainder of this article summarizes the highlights of the 2024 LCLUC STM. The content is organized chronologically, with a section devoted to describing each day of the meeting and descriptive headers throughout. The full presentations from this meeting are available on the LCLUC meeting website. Photo. A group picture of meeting participants on the first day of the 2024 LCLUC meeting in Gaithersburg, MD. Photo credit: Hotel staff (Marriott Washingtonian Center, Gaithersburg, MD) DAY ONE The first day featured invited presentations, reports from LCLUC ST members funded through the LCLUC Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2022 selections, and an overview of SARI. The day concluded with poster presentations and lightning talks highlighting recent results from ongoing LCLUC-related research. Update from the LCLUC Program Manager The meeting began with welcoming remarks from Garik Gutman, who provided an update on the program’s latest developments and achievements. He highlighted that the socioeconomic component is an integral part of most LCLUC projects. The program has recently expanded to include multisource land imaging, such as the ESA’s Copernicus Sentinel program, regional initiatives, and capacity-building efforts. He also underscored the importance of U.S. missions relevant to LCLUC, which produce spatially coarse resolution daily data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua and Terra platforms and the NASA–National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP); spatially moderate resolution data every eight days from the NASA–USGS Landsat-8 (L8) and Landsat-9 (L9) satellites; and very high-resolution data from private companies, such as Planet Inc. and Maxar. Gutman also discussed how LCLUC investigators are using data from missions on the International Space Station (ISS), e.g., ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS), Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI), and Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT). He noted the potential of radar observations from the recently launched international Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission – led by NASA and the Centre National d’Études Spatiales [French Space Agency] – and the upcoming NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission (planned for launch in 2025). LCLUC in the Broader Context of NASA Jack Kaye [ESD—Associate Director for Research] gave an update on ESD activities that reflected on NASA’s broad capabilities in Earth Science – emphasizing the agency’s unique role in both developing and utilizing cutting-edge technology. Unlike many other agencies, NASA’s scope spans technology development, research, data provision, and tool creation. Over the past 16 months, NASA has launched several significant missions, including SWOT, Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats (TROPICS), Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO), and Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE). This surge in satellite launches highlights NASA’s role in enhancing global observational capabilities. NASA also supports a diverse array of programs, including airborne campaigns and surface-based measurement networks. Initiatives aim to improve the involvement of minority-serving institutions and incorporate open science practices with a focus on enhancing inclusivity and expanding participation. The agency also emphasizes the importance of peer review and collaboration with international and community-based partners. Kaye highlighted NASA’s commitment to producing high-quality, actionable science while navigating financial and operational challenges. This commitment extends to addressing environmental and societal impacts through programs such as Earth Action and by fostering global collaboration. Sid Ahmed Boukabara [ESD—Senior Program Scientist for Strategy] presented a detailed overview of NASA’s Earth Science to Action Strategy, which aims to increase the impact of Earth science in addressing global challenges. This strategy acknowledges the urgency of global changes, e.g., accelerating environmental shifts, understanding Earth’s interconnected systems, and developing scalable information. NASA’s mission focuses on observing and understanding the Earth system, delivering trusted information, and empowering resilience activities through advanced technologies, partnerships, and innovations. Key principles include amplifying impact through partnerships, engaging a diverse and inclusive workforce, balancing innovation with sustainability, encouraging cutting-edge capabilities, and ensuring robust and resilient processes. The strategy emphasizes collaboration across sectors and international partnerships to leverage Earth observations enhance the value of Earth science for decision-making and policy support. The strategy also highlights the role of land-cover and land-use change activities in supporting objectives and enhancing modeling capabilities. Thomas Wagner [ESD—Associate Director for Earth Action] outlined NASA’s Earth Action initiative (formerly known as the Applications Program), which focuses on user-centered strategies to address global challenges, e.g., climate resilience, health, and ecological conservation. By integrating applied sciences and leveraging satellite data, the initiative aims to enhance Earth observation capabilities and connect scientific research with practical applications to meet societal needs. The strategy includes a virtuous cycle, where user feedback informs the development of future programs and missions, ensuring that research and technology are aligned with real-world needs. Additionally, Earth Action emphasizes public engagement by offering open-source models and data to enhance understanding and support decision making. Through multisector consortia and problem-solving teams, the initiative addresses urgent and broad-impact issues, fostering innovation and collaboration. Updates from LCLUC PIs on 2022 ROSES Proposal Selections Following the programmatic overview presentations, PIs presented updates on research results from LCLUC ROSES 2022 proposal selections. Gillian Galford [University of Vermont] presented on the socioeconomic and environmental dynamics of LCLUC in the Cerrado frontier of Brazil. She presented results from the three main objectives: developing LCLUC detection methods and datasets, characterizing major land-use transitions (LUTs), and understanding the drivers behind these transitions. The research employs remote-sensing and geostatistical methods to track changes, identify “hotspots” of activity, and understand the underlying motivations for land-use changes. The research aims to provide insights that can guide conservation efforts and promote sustainable land use in the region. Gustavo Oliveira [Clark University] presented “Irrigation as Climate-Change Adaptation in the Cerrado Biome of Brazil.” This project aims to develop methods for analyzing LCLUC data and their socioeconomic impacts, examining the expansion of irrigated agriculture and creating models to inform policy on agrarian development and water regulations. Oliveira highlighted areas of significant deforestation and the rapid growth of irrigated agriculture in the study region – positioning Western Bahia as a model for irrigation in Brazil. He explained that the research outputs include software for time series analysis and publications on land change, contributing to the broader understanding of climate adaptation strategies in the region. Grant Connette [Smithsonian Institution] presented “Can Improved Stakeholder Representation Prevent Human-caused Mangrove Loss in the Mesoamerican Reef Ecoregion?” He examined the factors contributing to mangrove loss in the Mesoamerican Reef (MAR) ecoregion. Through a combination of Earth observation data, socioeconomic analysis, and community engagement, Connette described how the study seeks to improve the effectiveness of protected areas and inform best practices for mangrove conservation in the MAR ecoregion. Saurav Kumar [Arizona State University] presented his team’s work, “Exploring the Nexus between LCLUC, Socio-Economic Factors, and Water for a Vulnerable Arid U.S.–Mexico Transboundary Region.” Kumar explained that the project aims to understand how natural and human systems influence LCLUC when constrained by water availability. The data used in this project come from a combination of time series data, theoretical model output, and artificial intelligence techniques. The team also focuses on stakeholder engagement, recognizing the need for comprehensive identification and involvement in addressing complex water resource issues. Kumar explained that the study seeks to predict future LCLUC transitions, assess the theoretical models of different stakeholder groups, and identify policy-relevant leverage points for sustainable water management. Abena Boatemaa Asare-Ansah [University of Maryland, College Park (UMD)] presented on “The Multisensor Mapping of Refugee Agricultural LCLUC Hotspots in Uganda.” She explained that this study focuses on mapping changes in cropland within refugee-hosting regions using satellite data and deep learning models. Asare-Ansah described how the first year involved evaluating existing cropland maps and initiating new classifications. Future work will refine these maps and connect cropland changes to specific refugee households, aiming to better understand the relationship between refugee populations, food aid, and agricultural practices. Elsa Ordway [University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)] discussed her team’s efforts toward “Disentangling Land-Use Change in Central Africa to Understand the Role of Local and Indigenous Communities in Forest Restoration and Conservation.” Ordway reported that the project focuses on mapping land cover and carbon emissions, analyzing the impact of conservation efforts, and exploring potential forest restoration opportunities. She emphasized that this research highlights the critical role of local indigenous communities in forest management and the unintended consequences of conservation projects on land use – see Photo 2. Photo 2. Some residents of a village neighboring the Dja reserve – part of the dense rain forests that form Africa’s Congo Basin. Interviews and surveys among the area’s local and indigenous communities are used to gather information on forest restoration and conservation. Photo credit: Else Ordway (UCLA) Ordway also presented on the PAN-tropical investigation of BioGeochemistry and Ecological Adaptation (PANGEA), which aims to investigate the biogeochemistry and ecological adaptation of tropical forests that are crucial for global climate regulation and biodiversity. She explained that this study emphasizes the rapid changes occurring in tropical regions primarily due to deforestation and climate change. PANGEA seeks to answer key scientific questions about the vulnerability and resilience of these ecosystems, and how this information can inform climate adaptation, mitigation, and biodiversity conservation efforts. The ARID Experiment Andrew Feldman [NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)] presented on the Adaptation and Response in Drylands (ARID) experiment, a field campaign focused on dryland ecosystems. He described how this project aims to understand the fundamental science of drylands, including water availability, land–atmosphere interactions, climate variability, carbon stocks, and land management. The study involves significant international collaboration and stakeholder engagement, with a particular focus on the Western U.S – see Figure 1. While this project is in planning stages, ongoing efforts will be made to engage with the scientific community, gather feedback, and refine its research themes. Figure 1. The Adaptation and Response in Drylands (ARID) experiment focuses on studying the characteristics of dryland ecosystems, e.g., water availability, land–atmosphere interactions, climate variability, carbon stocks, and land management. While the experiment is global in scope, it has a focus on the Western U.S., with numerous site locations across the desert Southwest and some in the Pacific Northwest. Figure credit: Andrew Feldman (NASA/UMD) SARI Update and Related Projects Krishna Vadrevu [NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center] gave a comprehensive update on SARI, a regional initiative under the LCLUC program that addresses the critical needs of the South/Southeast Asia region by integrating remote sensing, natural sciences, engineering, and social sciences. His presentation covered the initiative’s background, various funded research projects, and their outputs. The diverse SARI projects include studies on forest degradation, agricultural transitions, food security, urbanization, and their environmental impacts. SARI has supported 35 research projects, engaging more than 400 scientists and over 200 institutions that result in significant scientific contributions, including nearly 450 publications, 16 special journal issues, and five books with two additional books pending publication. Vadrevu emphasized the importance of sustainable land use policies informed by LCLUC research and provided details on upcoming meetings. He concluded with information on three ongoing projects funded under the SARI synthesis solicitation – one in South Asia and two in Southeast Asia. Summaries of these projects are highlighted below. David Skole [Michigan State University (MSU)] leads the SARI synthesis project that spans South Asian countries, with an emphasis on tree-based systems, particularly Trees Outside Forests (TOF). The primary objective is to synthesize existing research to better understand the patterns, drivers, and impacts of TOF on carbon emissions and removals and their role in supporting rural livelihoods. This research is crucial for informing climate change policy, particularly in the context of nature-based solutions and pathways to achieve net-zero emissions. The project combines empirical data with process-based research and policy models to support the development of sustainable landscapes. By integrating biophysical and socioeconomic data, the project team members aim to provide robust, evidence-based contributions to climate mitigation and adaptation strategies, ultimately guiding regional policy decisions. Son Nghiem [NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory] discussed the interrelated dynamics of LCLUC and demographic changes in Southeast Asia under various developmental pressures and climate change. Nghiem explained that the study explores how these factors interact along the rural-to-urban continuum across regions in Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos), Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and parts of Indonesia. In rapidly urbanizing and agriculturally transitioning areas, physical and human feedback processes are becoming non-stationary, leading to unpredictable impacts that challenge traditional policymaking. The study aims to capture both physical patterns (e.g., land-use) and human (socioeconomic) fabrics, integrating these within a framework to assess whether the statistical properties of the time series measured during this study remain constant or change with time. Peilei Fan [Tufts University] presented the project, “Decoding Land Transitions Across the Urban-Rural Continuums (URC): A Synthesis Study of Patterns, Drivers, and Socio-Environmental Impacts in Southeast Asia.” The project aims to synthesize knowledge through an interdisciplinary approach. It focuses on URCs in 19 cities across eight Southeast Asian countries. It investigates how global urban hierarchies, URC connectivity, and local policies influence land-use change and related ecosystem impacts. By integrating remote-sensing data with climate and ecological models and socioeconomic analysis, the project seeks to advance theoretical understanding of land transitions and provide valuable insights for both scientific research and policymaking. Poster sessions Following the presentations, participants gave lightning talks linked to 17 posters, which highlighted recent results from ongoing LCLUC projects and LCLUC-related research from the Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST) and the Inter-Disciplinary Research in Earth Science (IDS) programs. A reception followed. PDF versions of the posters can be accessed on the meeting website. DAY TWO The second day of the meeting continued with additional presentations from the LCLUC ROSES 2022 projects and updates from international programs. In addition, the attendees listened to presentations from NASA HQ and NASA Centers, describing various initiatives and data products, such as from the Socio-Economic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC). Updates from LCLUC PIs on ROSES 2022 Proposal Selections (cont.) Cascade Tuholske [Montana State University] presented “Modulation of Climate Risks Due to Urban and Agricultural Land Uses in the Arabian Peninsula.” Tuholske explained how this project aims to map LCLUC, assess the effects on extreme humid heat, and characterize the socio-demographics of exposure to heat stress – see Figure 2. Key findings include evidence of a rapid increase in dangerously hot and humid weather – particularly in urban and agricultural areas – and the importance of remote sensing in studying these interactions. Future steps will involve using climate models to predict the effects of LCLUC on heat waves, water stress, and dust storms. Figure 2. The Ghana Climate Hazards Center Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) Phase 6 climate projection dataset map of temperatures exceeding 41 °C (106 °F) [left], future climate projection (SSP) for 2050 [middle], and the difference between the two [right]. Figure credit: From a 2024 paper in the journal Scientific Data Monika Tomaszewska [MSU] provided details on the project, “Institutional Forcings on Agricultural Landscapes in Post-Socialist Europe: Diachronic Hotspot Analysis of Common Agricultural Policy Influences on Agricultural Land Use in Romania 2002–2024.” She explained that the project focuses on how the EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP) programs (e.g., livelihood payments, environmental protections, and rural development projects) have influenced land use changes – see Figure 3. Tomaszewska summarized key findings from the study, which indicates significant changes in crop composition and spatial patterns – with notable decreases in maize and rapeseed areas between 2018 and 2023. She stated that the study aims to understand the diffusion of innovation through CAP enrollments and payments and their impact on agricultural practices in Romania. Figure 3. Dense time series of Harmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 (HLS) data at 30-m (98-ft) resolution revealing winter and summer crops across Southern Romania in 2018 [top] and 2023 [bottom]. Magenta areas indicate forests, green areas represent summer crops (e.g., maize, sunflower, soy), and blue areas show winter crops (e.g., wheat, barley, rapeseed). Yellow areas indicate very low spring Enhanced Vegetative Index-2 due to snow or persistent clouds at higher elevations. Figure credit: Geoff Henebry (MSU) Xiao-Peng Song [UMD] presented “Energy LCLUC Hotspot: Characterizing the Dynamics of Energy Land Use and Assessing Environmental Impacts in the Permian Basin.” He said that the project aims to assess the environmental impacts of energy-related land-cover and land-use change in the region. Song showed the output from the project, which includes high-resolution LCLUC and geohazard maps that enhance understanding of energy-related environmental impacts and contribute to NASA’s LCLUC program. Results from this study are expected to inform decision makers on societal issues related to oil and gas production and its effects on the environment. International Partner Program Updates The International Partners Programs session featured four presentations. Ariane DeBremond [UMD] focused on the Global Land Programme (GLP), which is a comprehensive, global initiative dedicated to understanding and addressing changes in land systems and their implications for sustainability and justice. DeBremond described the program, which coordinates research on land use, land management, and land cover changes,. She emphasized land systems as social-ecological systems and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration to develop solutions for global challenges. The research agenda includes descriptive, normative, and transformative aspects, aimed at characterizing land systems, identifying causes and impacts of changes, and creating pathways for sustainability transformations. GLP also emphasizes the need for new remote-sensing data, improved generalizability, and addressing geographic biases in land system science. Recent program activities include developing a new science plan, identifying emerging themes, and organizing open science meetings. DeBremond ended by announcing that the next GLP meeting is scheduled for November 2024 in Oaxaca, Mexico. David Skole outlined the efforts of the Global Observations of Forest and Land Cover Dynamics (GOFC–GOLD) Land Implementation Team (LC–IT) in advancing methods and tools for global land cover measurements and monitoring. The LC–IT is primarily focused on developing and evaluating space-borne and in-situ observation techniques to support global change research, forest inventories, and international policy. Skole highlighted the importance of regional networks in coordinating the use of Earth Observation (EO) data, facilitating capacity building, and addressing regional concerns through workshops and partnerships. He also discussed the changing role of EO in responding to climate change and sustainability challenges, emphasizing the need for high-integrity carbon finance and the integration of new data and technologies to support nature-based solutions. He concluded with insights into the BeZero Carbon Rating system, which evaluates carbon efficacy across various projects worldwide and highlights the need for reliable ratings to ensure the credibility of carbon markets. David Roy [MSU] detailed the work of the GOFC-GOLD Fire Implementation Team, which focuses on improving the accuracy and utility of satellite-based fire monitoring. The team is working to enhance global fire observation requirements, particularly for small fires and those with low Fire Radiative Power, which are often underrepresented in current datasets. Roy emphasized the need for continuous development and validation of satellite-derived fire products, including a robust quality assurance framework. The team advocates for standardized methods to validate fire data and harmonize information from various satellite missions to create a more comprehensive global fire record. Roy also highlighted the need for new satellite missions with advanced fire detection capabilities and the use of machine learning to improve fire modeling and data accessibility to provide more accurate and actionable data for global change research and fire management. Alexandra Tyukavina [UMD] presented on Land Product Validation (LPV) subgroup of the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) Working Group on Calibration and Validation (WGCV). The LPV is focused on updating land cover validation guidelines, incorporating new literature and data from the past 20 years. Tyukavina emphasized the need for rigorous accuracy assessment in land cover studies, highlighting the need to improve methods and reporting as well as accuracy. She also discussed the outcomes of a NASA-sponsored joint cropland validation workshop co-hosted by CEOS and GEOGLAM, which aimed to set minimum requirements for cropland validation and develop community guidelines. Tyukavina concluded her presentation with a call for reviewers to assist in updating these guidelines. LCLUC Program Crosswalks The Crosswalks, a LCLUC program, featured six presentations. Frederick Policelli [GSFC] presented on the CSDA program, which supports the ESD by acquiring and utilizing commercial, small-satellite data to enhance Earth science research. Launched as a pilot in November 2017, the program became a sustained effort in 2020, transitioning from Blanket Purchase Agreements to Indefinite-Delivery, Indefinite-Quantity contracts for better data management. The CSDA also introduced a tiered End User License Agreement for data usage and focuses on long-term data preservation and broad access. Policelli described how program participants collaborate with U.S. government agencies and international partners, adhering to the 2003 U.S. Commercial Remote Sensing Policy. He discussed recent developments, which include onboarding new commercial data vendors and expanding the program’s capabilities. Jacqueline Le Moigne [ESTO] provided details on NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office’s (ESTO), Advanced Information Systems Technology (AIST) program and its development of Earth System Digital Twins (ESDT). She explained that ESDTs are intended to be dynamic, interactive systems that replicate the Earth’s past and current states, forecast future states, and assess hypothetical scenarios. They should integrate continuous data from diverse sources, utilize advanced computational and visualization capabilities, and rely heavily on machine learning for data fusion, super-resolution, and causal reasoning. Le Moigne added that ESDTs enhance our understanding of Earth systems, their interactions, and applications, particularly in the context of climate change. She highlighted various use cases (e.g., wildfires, ocean carbon processes, the water cycle, and coastal zones) demonstrating the potential of ESDTs to support decision-making and policy planning. Roger Pielke [University of Colorado, Boulder] discussed the critical need to incorporate land-use data into weather forecasts and climate models to improve understanding of and address climate change. He emphasized the distinction between weather and climate, explaining that climate is dynamic and influenced by both natural and human factors. Pielke critiqued the focus of the approach of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions as the primary driver of climate change, arguing that LCLUC should be considered as an equally important climate forcing. He illustrated how changes in land cover, such as in Florida and the Great Plains, can significantly impact local and regional climate, sometimes rivaling the effects of CO2. Pielke called for integrating land-use data into climate models across all scales, suggesting that NASA’s programs could lead in this effort to enhance climate forecasting and policymaking. Brad Doorn [NASA HQ—Program Manager, NASA’s Earth Action Agriculture Program] presented an overview of the program’s status and strategic direction. He emphasized the importance of partnerships, particularly with the USDA, in advancing initiatives like Climate Smart Agriculture. NASA’s role in global food security and supply chain monitoring was highlighted through the activities of NASA’s Harvest and Acres, agriculture and food security consortia, both of which enable collaborative research to codevelop data-driven products and services and enhance predictive models to meet end-user needs. Doorn stressed the need for strong collaborations with the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and other space agencies to accelerate the development of agricultural solutions. He also highlighted the significance of integrating NASA’s capabilities in weather, water, and crop monitoring systems to provide comprehensive tools for stakeholders. Doorn explained that the program aims to bridge gaps between NASA’s observations and practical applications in agriculture, leveraging tools, such as the Global Crop Monitor, and integrating predictive capabilities for improved future planning. Rachel Paseka [NASA HQ] presented on NASA’s open science funding opportunities with a focus on the ROSES F.7 element, which supports widely used open-source software tools, frameworks, and libraries within the NASA science community. She described the program, which offers two types of awards: Foundational Awards for projects that impact multiple divisions and Sustainment Awards for those affecting one or more divisions of the Science Mission Directorate. Foundational Awards are cooperative agreements lasting up to five years. Sustainment Awards can be grants or cooperative agreements lasting up to three years. Paseka also emphasized the importance of open science, highlighting various tools, data challenges, and collaborative efforts, including artificial intelligence (AI) models for tasks (e.g., flood detection and burn scar mapping). She concluded with an introduction of the Science Explorer (SciX) digital library and the Science Discovery Engine, both of which facilitate access to NASA’s open science data and research. Alex de Sherbinin [SocioEconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC), Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University] provided an overview of datasets and research related to climate risk, social vulnerability, and environmental change. de Sherbinin outlined the SocioEconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) mission areas, which include population land-use and emissions, mitigation, vulnerability and adaptation, hazard vulnerability assessment, poverty and food security, and environment and sustainable development. He highlighted key SEDAC datasets (e.g., LCLUC and Urban and Settlements Datasets) and their use in analyses. SEDAC data and services are accessible via tools, such as Global Forest Watch and Google Earth Engine. de Sherbinin also covered recent research citations, the impact of studies on biodiversity and urban changes, and SEDAC’s contributions to open science and training initiatives. He also emphasized the importance of integrating remote sensing data with social and health sciences for comprehensive environmental analysis. DAY THREE The third day of the meeting focused on satellite missions and data product updates and a LCLUC program feedback session on emerging science directions. Landsat Mission Updates Chris Neigh [GSFC—Landsat 9 Project Scientist] provided an overview of the status of the current Landsat missions that are in orbit (L7, L8, and L9]. He reported that all L9 Level-1 requirements have now been met and exceeded. OLI-2, the updated sensor for L9, transmits data at 14 bits compared to the L8 12-bit transmission, allowing for finer data resolution. OLI-2 offers a 25–30% improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio for dark targets, leading to enhanced data quality. The Thermal Infrared Sensor on L9 (TIRS-2) has also been improved over TIRS on L7 and L8, to mitigate stray light issues, enhancing the reliability of thermal data. Additionally, OLI-2 supports better atmospheric corrections through split window techniques using both of its channels. With two operational observatories, L8 and L9, equipped with advanced radiometry, data is provided every eight days, ensuring consistent and precise Earth observation capabilities. The radiometric and geometric performance of L9 is excellent from a Calibration/Validation (Cal/Val) perspective. While all systems are nominal for L8 and L9, Neigh reported that L7 is nearing the end of its operational life. He stated that the Landsat Cal/Val team will continue its work for the duration of the mission as a joint USGS–NASA effort. He also highlighted the need for a global Analysis Ready Data framework and the development of proxy and simulated datasets to support the next generation of Landsat missions. Neigh ended by reporting that opportunities exist for scientists to share their high-profile, Landsat-based research through the program’s communications team. Bruce Cook [GSFC—Landsat Next Project Scientist] provided an update on the Landsat Next mission, an ambitious extension of the Landsat Program under the Sustainable Land Imaging (SLI) program, which will be a joint effort by NASA and the USGS. Cook explained that this mission aims to greatly enhance Earth observation by launching three identical satellites, each equipped with advanced Visible Shortwave Infrared (VSWIR) and Thermal Infrared (TIR) instruments. He described how the Landsat Next constellation will improve the temporal revisit time to six days – a major advancement from the 16-day interval of L8 and L9. In order to achieve this revisit time improvement, each satellite will carry a Landsat Next Instrument Suite (LandIS) that will capture 21 VSWIR and five thermal infrared bands, which will have better spatial resolutions compared to previous Landsat missions. It will have ground sample distances of 10–20 m (33–66 ft) for visible, near infrared, and shortwave infrared bands and 60 m (197 ft) for atmospheric visible SWIR and thermal infrared bands. Cook continued with details on LandIS, stating that Landsat Next will record 26 bands in total – 15 more than the currently active L8 and L9 missions. The LandIS will include refined versions of the 11 Landsat “heritage” bands to ensure continuity, five new bands similar to the ESA’s Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission for improved data integration, and 10 new spectral bands to meet evolving user needs and applications. Additionally, Landsat Next will have a water vapor band for atmospheric correction without needing data from other satellites. LandIS will collect all bands nearly simultaneously, reducing illumination variations between bands and aiding in cloud detection and the generation of multispectral surface reflectance and thermal emission products (e.g., evapotranspiration). Cook said that Landsat Next is in Phase A of its mission life cycle. The current focus is on defining science requirements and converting them into specific hardware and system designs. He said that this phase is crucial for setting up the subsequent phases. Phase B will involve preliminary design and technology completion, and later phases leading to the final design, fabrication, and launch of the satellites. He ended by emphasizing that the introduction of a new reference system and a lower orbit will further enhance the satellites’ ability to capture high-quality data, leading to a significant advancement in Earth observation technology. Harmonized Landsat–Sentinel Project Update Junchang Ju [GSFC] discussed the Harmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 (HLS) project, which aims to integrate data from the L8, L9, Sentinel-2A, and Sentinel-2B satellites for more frequent and detailed Earth observations. Currently the MODIS climate modeling grid data is used for atmospheric correction – see Figure 4. The newer HLS version will use VIIRS-based water vapor and ozone fields instead of MODIS data for atmospheric correction using the land surface reflectance code. Ju explained how HLS adopts the Military Grid Reference System used by Sentinel-2. HLS V2.0 corrects a mistake in view angle normalization of earlier versions (V1.3 and V1.4). Atmospherically corrected data from Hyperion (an instrument on NASA’s Earth Observing–1 extended mission) is used to make bandpass adjustments. A temporally complete global HLS V2.0 dataset has been available since August 2023. He also highlighted the availability and access of HLS data through various platforms – e.g., EarthData and WorldView, in Amazon Web Services and the project’s future plans, such as enhancing vegetation indices, cloud mask improvements, and 10-m (33-ft) improved resolution product. Figure 4. Sentinel-2B image over the Baltimore-Washington area on April 7, 2022 [left]. Example true color images of top of atmospheric reflectance and the corresponding HLS surface reflectance are shown [right]. The atmospheric ancillary data used in the surface reflectance derivation was from the MODIS Climate Modeling Grid (CMG) data before the transition to VIIRS was implemented. Figure Credit: Junchang Ju (GSFC) NISAR Update Gerald Bawden [NASA HQ—NISAR Program Scientist] delivered a presentation about the NISAR mission, which is a collaborative effort between NASA and the ISRO. He explained that NISAR will be a dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite using 24-cm (9-in) L-band and 10-cm (4-in) S-band radar frequencies. This dual-frequency approach will enable high-resolution imaging of Earth’s surface, offering near-global land and ice coverage with a 12-day repeat cycle for interferometry and approximately 6-day coverage using both ascending and descending orbits. The mission’s goals include providing valuable data to understand and manage climate variability, carbon dynamics, and catastrophic events (e.g., earthquakes). Specific applications include monitoring deformation, measuring ice sheet velocities, observing sea-ice deformation, and assessing biomass and crop disturbances. Bawden discussed NISAR’s data products, which will include raw radar data (Level-0) and geocoded single-look complex images and multi-look interferograms (Level-2). He stated that these data products will be crucial for various research and practical applications, including ecological forecasting, wildfire management, resource management, and disaster response. NISAR’s data will be openly accessible to the global scientific community through the Alaska Satellite Facility Data Active Archive Center. Initially planned for early 2024, the NISAR launch has been delayed to 2025. Bawden reported that NISAR will undergo a three-month commissioning phase after launch – before starting science operations. He also emphasized NASA’s commitment to open science, with NISAR’s data processing software and algorithms being made available as open-source tools, accompanied by training resources to facilitate their use. Land Surface Disturbance Alert Classification System Update Matthew Hansen [UMD] focused on the Land Surface Disturbance Alert (DIST-ALERT) classification system, designed for near-real-time global vegetation extent and loss mapping. He described the DIST-ALERT system, which uses HLS data, combining inputs from L8, L9, Sentinel-2A, and -2B to achieve a high-revisit rate of approximately 2–3 days at a 30-m (98-ft) resolution. DIST-ALERT operates with a primary algorithm that tracks vegetation loss through time-series analysis of fractional vegetation cover (FVC) and a secondary algorithm that detects general spectral anomalies. The system integrates drone data from various biomes to build a k-nearest neighbors model that is applied globally to predict FVC at the HLS-pixel scale. Hansen explained that DIST-ALERT monitors disturbances by comparing current vegetation fraction against a seasonal baseline, capturing changes such as forest fires, logging, mining, urban expansion, drought, and land conversion. He concluded by highlighting some case studies, including analysis of forest fires in Quebec, Canada, logging in the Republic of Congo, and gold mining in Ghana. He also said that the team released an improved version (V1) in March 2024, following a provisional release (V0) that was operational from February 2023 to February 2024. State of LCLUC Report Chris Justice [UMD—LCLUC Program Scientist] provided comments on the current state of the LCLUC program, followed by an open discussion to gather feedback. He emphasized the need for PI’s to effectively communicate their work to the broader community and highlighted the recent LCLUC initiative to create policy-oriented briefs based on research results, demonstrating its relevance to the Earth Science to Action Strategy. Justice acknowledged that challenges lie ahead for the LCLUC program – particularly considering the anticipated resource constraints in the coming year. He noted that the program plans to strengthen its position by forming partnerships with other ESD program elements and increasing involvement across NASA Centers. The program is also emphasizing the use of advanced remote sensing technologies, AI, and deep-learning data analytics, to deliver more precise and actionable insights into land dynamics contributing to better decision-making and policy development in land management and environmental conservation. Justice also suggested the need for better integration between different scientific fields (i.e., between LCLUC and climatology, climate mitigation, and adaptation) to enhance interdisciplinary research and collaboration. He cited the current program solicitation (e.g., ROSES 2024 A.2) as an example of this integration and the recent IDS solicitation in ROSES 2022 A.28. Justice reminded participants that the solicitation focuses on collaborating with AIST to develop Land Digital Twins that incorporate available remote sensing data time series as non-static boundary conditions in weather forecast and climate models. Improvements in model forecasts and climate simulations will highlight the importance of accounting for LCLUC in these models – advancing the goals of the IPCC. Conclusion Garik Gutman concluded the meeting by summarizing key points raised about data management strategies, educational outreach efforts, LCLUC research outside the U.S., and current and upcoming projects. He highlighted that the program requires PIs to provide metadata for data products generated under NASA-funded projects, ensuring these resources are freely and openly accessible to the scientific community. Gutman acknowledged the challenges of conducting research and fieldwork in foreign countries due to funding and, at times, security issues, but praised the PIs for their efforts to expand the program globally. He also noted the program’s outreach efforts, which include engaging PIs, collaborators, and interested parties through its website, newsletters, webinars, and policy briefs. LCLUC emphasizes the importance of effectively communicating research results and encourages researchers to share their findings via NASA’s Earth Sciences Research Results Portal to enhance visibility among leadership and communication teams. Gutman ended his presentation by providing details about forthcoming meetings in the Philippines, South Korea, and Turkey, as well as workshops scheduled for 2024, which will involve various stakeholders in the LCLUC community and are vital for fostering collaboration and advancing the program’s goals. He concluded by recognizing the contributions of long-term supporters and collaborators, reaffirming the program’s ongoing commitment to advancing Earth observation and land-use science. Overall, the 2024 LCLUC meeting was highly successful in fostering collaboration among researchers and providing valuable updates on recent developments in LCLUC research. The exchange of ideas, integration of new data products, and discussions on emerging science directions were particularly impactful, contributing to the advancement of the LCLUC program’s goals. Krishna Vadrevu NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center krishna.p.vadrevu@nasa.gov Meghavi Prashnani University of Maryland, College Park meghavi@umd.edu Christopher Justice University of Maryland, College Park cjustice@umd.edu Garik Gutman NASA Headquarters ggutman@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 09, 2025 Related Terms Earth Science View the full article

On Jan. 9, 1990, space shuttle Columbia took off on its ninth flight, STS-32, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Its five-person crew of Commander Daniel Brandenstein, Pilot James Wetherbee, and Mission Specialists Bonnie Dunbar, Marsha Ivins, and David Low flew a then record-breaking 11-day mission to deploy the Syncom IV-F5 communications satellite for the U.S. Navy and retrieve the Long-Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF). Astronauts aboard a shuttle mission in 1984 deployed the LDEF and scientists eagerly awaited the return of their 57 experiments to study the effects of nearly six years exposure to the low Earth orbit environment. The crew also conducted several middeck experiments in biotechnology and materials processing and used an echocardiograph to study changes in their hearts. The STS-32 crew of Mission Specialist Bonnie Dunbar, left, Commander Daniel Brandenstein, Pilot James Wetherbee, and Mission Specialists Marsha Ivins and David Low. The STS-32 crew patch. The Long Duration Exposure Facility during its deployment on the STS-41C mission in 1984. In November 1988, NASA announced Brandenstein, Wetherbee, Dunbar, Ivins, and Low as the STS-32 crew for the flight then planned for November 1989. Brandenstein, from the Class of 1978, had flown twice before, as pilot on STS-8 in August-September 1983 and commander of STS-51G in June 1985. Dunbar, selected in 1980, had flown once before on STS-61A in October-November 1985. For Wetherbee, Ivins, and Low, all selected in 1984, STS-32 marked their first spaceflight. During the second day of their planned 10-day mission, the astronauts would deploy the Syncom IV-F5, also known as Leasat-5, communications satellite for the U.S. Navy. The main focus of the flight involved the retrieval of LDEF, deployed by the STS-41C crew in April 1984. The original plan had LDEF, containing 57 science and technology experiments, retrieved by the STS-51D crew in February 1985. Delays in the shuttle program first pushed the retrieval to STS-61I in September 1986, and then the Challenger accident delayed it to STS-32. The facility ended up staying in orbit nearly six years instead of the originally intended 10 months. The crew rounded out the mission by conducting a series of middeck science and medical experiments. Space shuttle Columbia rolls out to its launch pad on a foggy morning. NASA scientist John Charles, at rear, trains astronauts David Low, left, and Bonnie Dunbar, supine, in the operation of a cardiovascular experiment. The STS-32 crew exits crew quarters for the ride to Launch Pad 39A. Columbia returned to KSC on Aug. 21, 1989, following STS-28’s landing at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) in California, and workers towed it to the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) the next day. They made 26 modifications to the orbiter, including the installation of the Remote Manipulator System (RMS), or robotic arm, and a fifth set of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen tanks to extend the vehicle’s duration in space. Rollover to the nearby Vehicle Assembly Building took place on Nov. 16, where Columbia joined its External Tank and twin Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB) on refurbished Mobile Launch Platform 3, last used in 1975. Rollout took place on Nov. 28 to Launch Pad 39A, newly refurbished since its previous launch in 1986. On Dec. 1, engineers and the astronaut crew completed the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, a dress rehearsal for the planned Dec. 18 launch. Based on that date and the mission’s planned 10-day duration, the STS-32 crew would have spent Christmas in space, only the third American crew and the first space shuttle crew to do so. However, unfinished work on Pad 39A delayed the launch into January 1990. Trajectory specialists had estimated that due to orbital decay, LDEF would reenter the Earth’s atmosphere by March 1990, so a timely launch remained crucial for mission success. The countdown began on Jan. 4 for an expected Jan. 8 launch, with the crew arriving at KSC on Jan. 5. Liftoff of space shuttle Columbia on STS-32. The deployment of the Syncom IV-F5 satellite. Syncom following deployment. Cloudy skies scrubbed the first launch attempt on Jan. 8. Liftoff took place the next day at 7:35 a.m. EST from Launch Pad 39A, with LDEF 1,500 miles ahead of Columbia. The powered ride to space took 8.5 minutes, placing Columbia into a 215-by-38-mile orbit. A burn of the two Orbiter Maneuvering System (OMS) engines 40 minutes later changed the orbit to the desired 222-by-180-mile altitude. The crew opened the shuttle’s payload bay doors and deployed its radiators. The major activities for the first day in space involved the checkout of the RMS and the first rendezvous maneuver in preparation for the LDEF grapple three days later. The astronauts also activated four of the middeck experiments. On the mission’s second day, Low deployed the 15,000-pound Syncom satellite, releasing it in a frisbee motion out of the payload bay. The satellite extended its antenna, stabilized itself, and 40 minutes after deployment, fired its engine for the first burn to send it to its geostationary orbit. The Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) during the rendezvous. STS-32 astronaut Bonnie Dunbar has grappled LDEF with the Remote Manipulator System. Dunbar lowers LDEF into the payload bay. Following the Syncom deploy, the crew turned its attention to the rendezvous with LDEF while also continuing the middeck experiments. On Flight Day 3, they completed three rendezvous burns as they steadily continued their approach to LDEF. Soon after awakening on Flight Day 4, the astronauts spotted LDEF appearing as a bright star. After the first of four rendezvous burns, Columbia’s radar locked onto the satellite. As they continued the approach, with three more burns carried out successfully, Dunbar activated the RMS in preparation for the upcoming grapple. Brandenstein took over manual control of Columbia for the final approach and parked the shuttle close enough to LDEF for Dunbar to reach out with the 50-foot arm and grapple the satellite. Brandenstein reported, “We have LDEF.” For the next four hours, with Wetherbee flying the orbiter and Dunbar operating the arm, Ivins performed a comprehensive photo survey of LDEF, documenting the effects of nearly six years of space exposure on the various experiments. The survey completed, Dunbar slowly and carefully lowered LDEF into the payload bay, and five latches secured it in place for the ride back to Earth. With the two major goals of their mission completed, the astronauts settled down for the remainder of their 10-day mission conducting science experiments. With astronaut David Low acting as an operator, astronaut Bonnie Dunbar serves as a subject for a cardiovascular experiment. Astronaut Marsha Ivins with several cameras testing the effects of spaceflight on different types of film. During the mission, the STS-32 crew conducted several middeck experiments. The Protein Crystal Growth experiment used vapor diffusion to grow 120 crystals of 24 different proteins, for study by scientists following their return to Earth. The Characterization of Neurospora Circadian Rhythm experiment studied whether spaceflight affected the daily cycles of pink bread mold. The Fluid Experiment Apparatus performed materials processing research in the microgravity environment. The astronauts used the American Flight Echocardiograph (AFE) to study changes in their hearts as a result of weightlessness. The crew used the large format IMAX camera to film scenes inside the cabin as well as through the windows, such as the capture of LDEF. Astronaut Daniel Brandenstein holds an inflatable plastic cake given to him by his crew mates in honor of his birthday. The STS-32 crew poses in Columbia’s middeck. On Jan. 17, Brandenstein celebrated his 47th birthday, the fifth American astronaut to do so in space. His crew presented him with an inflatable plastic cake including candles while controllers in Mission Control passed on their birthday wishes as did his wife and teenage daughter. On the same day, NASA announced the selection of its 13th group of astronauts. Among them, engineer Ronald Sega, Dunbar’s husband, as well as the first female shuttle pilot, Eileen Collins, and the first Hispanic woman astronaut, Ellen Ochoa. Columbia touches down at Edwards Air Force Base in California. At the welcome home ceremony at Ellington Field in Houston, director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center Aaron Cohen addresses the crowd as the STS-32 astronauts and their families listen. On Jan. 19, the astronauts awakened for their planned final day in space. However, due to fog at their landing site, Edwards AFB in California, Mission Control first informed them that they would have to spend an extra orbit in space, and finally decided to delay the landing by an entire day. With their experiments already packed, the crew spent a quiet day, looking at the Earth and using up what film still remained. As they slept that night, they passed the record for the longest space shuttle mission, set by STS-9 in 1983. In preparation for reentry, the astronauts donned their orange spacesuits and closed the payload bay doors. A last-minute computer problem delayed reentry by one orbit, then Brandenstein and Wetherbee oriented Columbia into the deorbit attitude, with the OMS engines facing in the direction of travel. Over the Indian Ocean, they fired the two engines for 2 minutes 48 seconds to bring the spacecraft out of orbit. They reoriented the orbiter to fly with its heat shield exposed to the direction of flight as it encountered Earth’s atmosphere at 419,000 feet. The buildup of ionized gases caused by the heat of reentry prevented communications for about 15 minutes but provided the astronauts a great light show. After completing the Heading Alignment Circle turn, Brandenstein aligned Columbia with the runway, and Wetherbee lowered the landing gear. Columbia touched down and rolled to a stop, making the third night landing of the shuttle program and ending a 10-day 21-hour 1-minute flight, the longest shuttle flight up to that time, having completed 172 orbits of the Earth. Other records set by the astronauts on this mission included Brandenstein as the new record holder for most time spent in space by a shuttle crew member – 24 days – and Dunbar accumulating the most time in space by a woman – 18 days – up to that time. Following eight hours of postflight medical testing, the astronauts boarded a jet bound for Houston’s Ellington Field, where they reunited with their families and took part in a welcome home ceremony led by Aaron Cohen, director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Columbia returns to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. Workers lift the Long Duration Exposure Facility from Columbia’s payload bay. Following postlanding inspections, workers placed Columbia, with LDEF still cradled in its payload bay, atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing-747, and the combination left Edwards on Jan. 25. Following a refueling stop at Monthan Davis AFB in Tucson, an overnight stay at Kelly AFB in San Antonio, and another refueling stop at Eglin AFB in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, Columbia and LDEF arrived back at KSC on Jan. 26. The next day, workers towed Columbia to the OPF and on Jan. 30 lifted LDEF out of its payload bay, in preparation for the detailed study of the effects of nearly six years in space on the 57 experiments it carried. Meanwhile, workers began to prepare Columbia for its next flight, STS-35 in December 1990. Enjoy the crew narrate a video of the STS-32 mission. Read Brandenstein‘s and Dunbar‘s recollections of the STS-32 mission in their oral histories with the JSC History Office. For an overview of the LDEF project, enjoy this video. For detailed information on the results of the LDEF experiments, follow this link. View the full article

3 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA/Lori Losey What do the X-15 and the space shuttles have in common? Information from the rocket plane and the spacecraft, as well as many experimental aircraft, were tracked from a pedestal and telemetry dish during key eras in flight history at or near NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. When the NASA facility’s administration Building 4800 was built in the 1950s, the infrastructure was included to anchor the rooftop pedestal and dish as the primary way to gather data from aircraft during flights. It was retired in 2015, but a recent roofing project enabled relocation of the artifact to a new place of honor for its support of many experimental aircraft such as the lifting body aircraft, the reverse swept wing X-29, and the highly maneuverable X-31. “Gathering telemetry data from aircraft on missions is at the core of what we do. Close proximity to the back ramp was one of the big advantages of having the telemetry antenna on the roof in the early days,” said Bob Guere, NASA Armstrong Range Operations chief, referring to the area where aircraft taxi from the hangar to the flightline. “You were able to support ground tests and check airplanes before they taxied without having to use telemetry antennas positioned further away.” A cable is secured on a rooftop pedestal located on Building 4800 at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Oct. 4, 2024. The pedestal, which was prepared for a helicopter lift to remove it from the roof, was used since the 1950s until 2015 to enable different telemetry dishes to collect data from research aircraft.NASA/Carla Thomas The rooftop pedestal was key in the early days of the center and its refurbishment in 2003 restored its value. The transformation also included certification to meet Space Shuttle Program landing requirements. “When a space shuttle deorbited from space it was coming over the top of Edwards,” Guere said. “Telemetry antennas on the hill near NASA Armstrong looked down and with dirt and concrete in the background there were reflections. The rooftop antenna was closer to ground level and looked up as the orbiter was coming in for a landing. It provided an excellent link for shuttle landings.” The pedestal and dish were not removed when it was decommissioned because of the cost. Now, it’s economical to use a helicopter to remove the pedestal from the roof compared to other options as part of a major project focusing primarily on re-roofing Building 4800. The helicopter lift of the pedestal took a month to plan, plus time to obtain airspace operation and landing permits from the Air Force for the removal project, said Bryan Watters, NASA Armstrong roof project manager. A helicopter is positioned to remove a rooftop pedestal from Building 4800 at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Oct. 4, 2024. The pedestal was used since the 1950s to 2015 to house different telemetry dishes to collect data from research aircraft.NASA/Carla Thomas The pedestal and riser measured 16 feet tall above the rooftop and housed an assembly for the 12-foot dish to rotate. The pedestal and dish together weight about 2,500 pounds and were removed separately. Crews checked the eight bolts anchoring the pedestal and dish to infrastructure on the roof prior to the arrival of a helicopter Oct. 3 before the helicopter arrived. The following day, after additional briefings, the helicopter was positioned over Building 4800 and a cable was lowered and attached to the pedestal. Once secured, the helicopter slowly gained altitude and took its passenger to the south side of the building. There it was released from the cable and taken to a nearby warehouse for storage. Roofers demolished the steel platform on which the pedestal was located to prepare the area for new roofing materials. Officials have not determined where the pedestal will be displayed. There are several options to place the pedestal and dish by the famous retired research aircraft on display near the entrance of NASA Armstrong. A pedestal carried by a helicopter is positioned for a gentle placement on the ground. The helicopter removed the pedestal from the rooftop of Building 4800 at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Oct. 4, 2024. The pedestal was used since the 1950s to 2015 to house different telemetry dishes to collect data from research aircraft.NASA/Carla Thomas A rooftop pedestal and telemetry dish gathered information from research aircraft at Building 4800 at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The pedestal was used since the 1950s to 2015 to house different dishes to collect data from research aircraft. On Oct. 4, 2024, a helicopter was used to remove the pedestal from the roof.NASA/Jim Ross Share Details Last Updated Jan 08, 2025 EditorDede DiniusContactJay Levinejay.levine-1@nasa.govLocationArmstrong Flight Research Center Related TermsArmstrong Flight Research Center Explore More 4 min read 2024: NASA Armstrong Prepares for Future Innovative Research Efforts Article 3 weeks ago 3 min read Atmospheric Probe Shows Promise in Test Flight Article 4 weeks ago 3 min read NASA Moves Drone Package Delivery Industry Closer to Reality Article 4 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center Aeronautics Flight Innovation Armstrong Flight Research Center History View the full article

The ARCSTONE observatory is shown in low Earth orbit with the spectrometer viewing the Sun and Moon. The spacecraft rotates in order to view the Moon or the Sun. One of the most challenging tasks in remote sensing from space is achieving required instrument calibration accuracy on-orbit. The Moon is considered to be an excellent exoatmospheric calibration source. However, the current accuracy of the Moon as an absolute reference is limited to 5 – 10%, and this level of accuracy is inadequate to meet the challenging objective of Earth Science observations. ARCSTONE is a mission concept that provides a solution to this challenge. An orbiting spectrometer flying on a small satellite in low Earth orbit will provide lunar spectral reflectance with accuracy sufficient to establish an SI-traceable absolute lunar calibration standard for past, current, and future Earth weather and climate sensors. Learn More. View the full article

Kennedy Space Center Director and charter members of the Florida University Space Research Consortium signed a memorandum of understanding on Jan. 8, 2025. From left: Jennifer Kunz, Associate Director, Technical, Kennedy Space Center; Kelvin Manning, Deputy Director, Kennedy Space Center; Dr. Kent Fuchs, Interim President, University of Florida; Janet Petro, Director, Kennedy Space Center; Jeanette Nuñez, Florida Lieutenant Governor; Dr. Alexander Cartwright, President, University of Central Florida; Dr. Barry Butler, President, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. NASA/Kim Shiflett The future of research and technology at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida is expanding Wednesday, as Kennedy’s center director and charter members in the Florida University Space Research Consortium signed a memorandum of understanding in research and development to assist with missions and contribute to NASA’s Moon to Mars exploration approach. Officials from the consortium – designated in 2024 as the state’s official space research entity – NASA leaders, and guests participated in the signing ceremony held at Kennedy, marking a critical milestone in a partnership to advance research, technology development, education, and communication between the spaceport and the state’s growing space industry. “Through this agreement, NASA will benefit in new and exciting ways from our longtime partnership with the universities that make Florida shine,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “As we move deeper into this golden era of space exploration, a new generation of thinkers and leaders will lead the way – thinkers and leaders like the researchers, faculty, and students of the Artemis Generation, whom we are pleased to work with through the consortium.” The creation of the consortium was the result of more than a year of effort by leaders at Kennedy, the University of Florida, the University of Central Florida, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The agreement highlights the partnership and serves as the official start to partnering activities, with Florida now the only state with a university consortium affiliated with one of NASA’s centers. Present at the event was Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. “It was great to visit the Space Coast Jan. 8 to announce the Florida University Space Research Consortium—our state’s official space research entity. Home to a thriving aerospace industry and world-class higher education institutions, Florida is the ideal place to launch this initiative. We are primed to lead the nation in developing a blueprint for state-space partnerships into the future.” The mission of the consortium is to foster a symbiotic relationship between NASA Kennedy and Florida’s universities to drive innovation in space exploration, research, and technology through academic collaboration, joint projects, and workforce development. “The launch of the Florida University Space Research Consortium is a significant milestone for our state’s aerospace sector, bringing together our world-class education system with cutting edge research and development,” said Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez. “This consortium will undoubtedly further strengthen and deepen Florida’s position as the leader in the global aerospace economy.” The memorandum of understanding marks the dawn of a new era of cooperation between the Florida spaceport and the state’s university system, starting with the three charter universities with plans to expand to other state universities interested in participating. The push to enhance research and technological collaboration with universities has been a priority at NASA for years and has seen success at other NASA centers across the country. While Kennedy becomes the first NASA center affiliated with a university consortium, recently NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley partnered with University of California, Berkeley, on development of the Berkeley Space Center at NASA Research Park, located at Ames. Still in development, the project is envisioned as a 36-acre discovery and innovation hub to include educational spaces, labs, offices, student housing, and a new conference center. More recently, NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston teamed up with Texas A&M University to break ground on a building that will become a testing laboratory for apparatuses in development for NASA’s Moon to Mars plans. In attendance for the groundbreaking was Kennedy Space Center Director Janet Petro, who was one of the signatories on the agreement. NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Director Janet Petro signs a memorandum of understanding between Kennedy Space Center and the Florida University Space Research Consortium on Jan. 8, 2025. NASA/Kim Shiflett “This agreement is a shining example of what it looks like when we link arms and create a space for the whole to be greater than all our parts,” said Petro. “This symbiotic partnership makes way for collaborative research opportunities and increased exposure to advanced technology, significantly enhancing NASA’s research output in fields such as aerospace engineering, materials science, robotics, and environmental science, all of which are necessary for long-term human exploration as we learn to live and work deeper into space than ever before.” For more information about NASA Kennedy, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/kennedy View the full article

Mars: Perseverance (Mars 2020) Perseverance Home Mission Overview Rover Components Mars Rock Samples Where is Perseverance? Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Mission Updates 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 The Solar System The Sun Mercury Venus Earth The Moon Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto & Dwarf Planets Asteroids, Comets & Meteors The Kuiper Belt The Oort Cloud 3 min read A Rover Retrospective: Turning Trials to Triumphs in 2024 A look back at a few Mars 2020 mission highlights of 2024 Perseverance’s past year operating on the surface of Mars was filled with some of the mission’s highest highs, but also some of its greatest challenges. True to its name and its reputation as a mission that overcomes challenges, Perseverance and its team of scientists and engineers turned trials to triumphs in yet another outstanding year for the mission. There’s a lot to celebrate about Perseverance’s past year on Mars, but here are three of my top mission moments this year, in the order in which they happened. 1. SHERLOC’s cover opens NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover captured this image of its SHERLOC instrument (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals), showing the cover mechanism of SHERLOC’s Autofocus and Context Imager camera (ACI) in a nearly open configuration. The rover acquired this image using its Left Mastcam-Z camera — one of a pair of cameras located high on the rover’s mast — on March 3, 2024 (sol 1079, or Martian day 1,079 of the Mars 2020 mission), at the local mean solar time of 12:18:41. NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU In early January the SHERLOC instrument’s cover mechanism stopped responding during a routine attempt to acquire data on a rock outcrop in the Margin unit. After six weeks of team diagnostics, the SHERLOC instrument was declared offline and many of us feared that the instrument had met its end. In early March, the team made significant progress in driving the cover to a more open position. Then, to everyone’s surprise, the SHERLOC cover moved unexpectedly to a nearly completely open position during a movement of the arm on sol 1077. I remember staring in wonder at the image of the cover (taken on sol 1079), feeling real optimism for the first time that SHERLOC could be recovered. The team spent the next few months developing a new plan for operating SHERLOC with its cover open, and the instrument was declared back online at the end of June. 2. A potential biosignature at Cheyava Falls NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover captured this image of “leopard spots” on a rock nicknamed “Cheyava Falls” on July 18, 2024 — sol 1212. or the 1,212th Martian day of the mission. Running the length of the rock are large white calcium sulfate veins. Between those veins are bands of material whose reddish color suggests the presence of hematite, one of the minerals that gives Mars its distinctive rusty hue. Scientists are particularly interested in the millimeter-size, irregularly shaped light patches on the central reddish band (from lower left to upper right of the image) that resemble leopard spots. Perseverance captured the image using a camera called WATSON (Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering), part of the SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals) instrument suite located on the end of Perseverance’s robotic arm. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS No top list would be complete without Perseverance’s discovery in July 2024 of a potential biosignature in the form of sub-millimeter-scale “leopard spots” at an outcrop called Cheyava Falls. These features, which formed during chemical reactions within the rock, have dark rims and light cores and occur together with organic carbon. On Earth, these chemical reactions are often driven by or associated with microbes. Although we can’t say for sure that microbes were involved in the formation of the leopard spots at Cheyava Falls, this question can be answered when Perseverance’s samples are returned to Earth. In the meantime, this rock remains one of the most compelling rocks discovered on Mars. 3. Arrival at Witch Hazel Hill NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image at the top of Witch Hazel Hill, of the South Arm and Minnie Hill outcrops. Perseverance used its Left Navigation Camera (Navcam) — which also aids in driving — located high on the rover’s mast. The rover captured the image on Dec. 16, 2024 (sol 1359, or Martian day 1,359 of the Mars 2020 mission), at the local mean solar time of 13:26:38. NASA/JPL-Caltech Closing out 2024 on a high note, in mid-December Perseverance arrived at the top of a sequence of rock exposed on the western edge of the Jezero crater rim called Witch Hazel Hill. These rocks pre-date the formation of Jezero crater and could be amongst the oldest rocks exposed on the surface of Mars. These rocks have the potential to tell us about a period of solar system history not well-preserved on our own planet Earth, and they may record important clues about the early history and habitability of Mars. Witch Hazel Hill first caught my attention during landing site selection several years ago, when we were debating the merits of landing Perseverance in Jezero versus sites outside the crater. At the time, this area seemed just out of reach for a Jezero-focused mission, so I’m thrilled that the rover is now exploring this site! The Mars 2020 mission had its ups and downs and a fair share of surprises during 2024, but we are looking ahead to 2025 with excitement, as Perseverance continues to explore and sample the Jezero crater rim. Written by Katie Stack Morgan, Mars 2020 Deputy Project Scientist Share Details Last Updated Jan 08, 2025 Related Terms Blogs Explore More 2 min read Sols 4416-4417: New Year, New Clouds Article 17 hours ago 2 min read Sols 4402-4415: Rover Decks and Sequence Calls for the Holidays Article 1 week ago 4 min read Sols 4398-4401: Holidays Ahead, Rocks Under the Wheels Article 3 weeks 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

Credit: NASA NASA has selected Columbus Technologies and Services Inc. of El Segundo, California, to provide electrical and electronic engineering support to the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The Electrical Systems Engineering Services IV is a cost-plus-award-fee indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a maximum estimated value of $1.1 billion. The base period of performance begins on April 9 and runs for five years. Work performed as part of the contract will assist various technical divisions at NASA Goddard with electrical and electronic responsibilities. These divisions include the Electrical Engineering Division, Instrument Systems and Technology Division, Software Engineering Division, and Mission Engineering and Systems Analysis Division. The contractor also will help manage the development of space flight, airborne, and ground system hardware, including design, testing, and fabrication. For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: https://www.nasa.gov -end- Tiernan Doyle Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 tiernan.doyle@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 08, 2025 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsGoddard Space Flight Center View the full article

3 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) The Radiation Tolerant Computer, or RadPC, payload undergoes final checkout at Montana State University in Bozeman, which leads the payload project. RadPC is one of 10 NASA payloads set to fly aboard the next delivery for NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative in 2025. RadPC prototypes previously were tested aboard the International Space Station and Earth-orbiting satellites, but the technology demonstrator will undergo its biggest trial in transit to the Moon – passing through the Earth’s Van Allen radiation belts – and during its roughly two-week mission on the lunar surface. Photo courtesy Firefly Aerospace Onboard computers are critical to space exploration, aiding nearly every spacecraft function from propulsion and navigation systems to life support technology, science data retrieval and analysis, communications, and reentry. But computers in space are susceptible to ionizing solar and cosmic radiation. Just one high-energy particle can trigger a so-called “single event effect,” causing minor data errors that lead to cascading malfunctions, system crashes, and permanent damage. NASA has long sought cost-effective solutions to mitigate radiation effects on computers to ensure mission safety and success. Enter the Radiation Tolerant Computer (RadPC) technology demonstration, one of 10 NASA payloads set to fly aboard the next lunar delivery for the agency’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative. RadPC will be carried to the Moon’s surface by Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost 1 lunar lander. Developed by researchers at Montana State University in Bozeman, RadPC aims to demonstrate computer recovery from faults caused by single event effects of ionizing radiation. The computer is designed to gauge its own real-time state of health by employing redundant processors implemented on off-the-shelf integrated circuits called field programmable gate arrays. These tile-like logic blocks are capable of being easily replaced following a confirmed ionizing particle strike. In the event of a radiation strike, RadPC’s patented recovery procedures can identify the location of the fault and repair the issue in the background. As an added science benefit, RadPC carries three dosimeters to measure varying levels of radiation in the lunar environment with each tuned to different sensitivity levels. These dosimeters will continuously measure the interaction between Earth’s magnetosphere and the solar wind during its journey to the Moon. It will also provide detailed radiation information about Blue Ghost’s lunar landing site at Mare Crisium, which could help to safeguard future Artemis astronauts. “This is RadPC’s first mission out into the wild, so to speak,” said Dennis Harris, who manages the payload for the CLPS initiative at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “The RadPC CLPS payload is an exciting opportunity to verify a radiation-tolerant computer option that could make future Moon to Mars missions safer and more cost-effective.” Under the CLPS model, NASA is investing in commercial delivery services to the Moon to enable industry growth and support long-term lunar exploration. As a primary customer for CLPS deliveries, NASA aims to be one of many customers on future flights. Marshall manages the development of seven of the 10 CLPS payloads carried on Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander. T Learn more about. CLPS and Artemis at: https://www.nasa.gov/clps Alise Fisher Headquarters, Washington 202-358-2546 Alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov Headquarters, Washington 202-358-2546 Alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov Corinne Beckinger Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. 256-544-0034 corinne.m.beckinger@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 08, 2025 EditorBeth RidgewayContactCorinne M. Beckingercorinne.m.beckinger@nasa.govLocationMarshall Space Flight Center Related TermsCommercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS)ArtemisMarshall Space Flight Center Explore More 3 min read Electrodynamic Dust Shield Heading to Moon on Firefly Lander Article 2 hours ago 3 min read NASA Lander to Test Vacuum Cleaner on Moon for Sample Collection Article 5 hours ago 2 min read NASA Names Adam Schlesinger as Commercial Lunar Payload Services Project Manager Article 2 days ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

Supporting the International Space Station is an around-the-clock responsibility for NASA and its international partners. This means there is always a team of flight operations and payload personnel working with the orbiting laboratory’s crew – including overnight, on weekends, and during the holidays. At Johnson Space Center’s Mission Control Center (MCC) in Houston, flight directors organize fun activities to help these teams build camaraderie and celebrate holidays while they work, no matter the hour. “Working in mission control is a very rewarding job, but it also demands a lot from flight controllers and leads to time away from family,” said Fiona Antkowiak, a flight director in the MCC. “We really want to make the holiday shifts in MCC extra special.” Fiona Antkowiak (front right) and her Orbit 3 shift team members show off their holiday cookie creations in the Mission Control Center (MCC) at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Image courtesy of Fiona Antkowiak Antkowiak recalled working Christmas 2018 as a space station flight controller. That year, teams participated in a friendly cookie-decorating competition, with the three different MCC shifts going head-to-head. When flight directors started brainstorming festive ideas for the 2024 holiday season, Antkowiak suggested reviving the contest and asked the Expedition 72 crew if they would be willing to judge the entries. “They agreed, and also told us they would decorate some cookies for us to judge, too!” Astronauts aboard the International Space Station often decorate cookies as part of their holiday celebrations and have become adept at manipulating icing in zero gravity. NASA astronaut Nick Hague shared on social media, “It opened up a whole new dimension, quite literally, with layer upon layer of icing.” The Expedition 72 crew decorates cookies aboard the International Space Station (left), and their finished products. NASA Teams in the MCC in Houston and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center Payload Operations Integration Center in Huntsville, Alabama, were joined by international partners ESA (European Space Agency) and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) from their respective control centers. The decorating began late on Christmas Eve and concluded on Christmas Day, ensuring space station crew members could participate in the fun on their days off. The 36 entries drew inspiration from traditional holiday imagery, human spaceflight, sports teams, and comic books. Each crew member selected their personal favorite cookie, in addition to choosing an overall winner. Payload Operations Director Jaclyn Poteraj created the winning cookie, depicting an astronaut riding on a reindeer made of cargo transfer bags, which are used to transport cargo to and store it aboard the International Space Station. The winning cookie design. Image courtesy of Jaclyn Poteraj “We had a lot of fun figuring out how to mix the colors we wanted for icing, deciding on designs, and ultimately decorating our cookies,” said Antkowiak. “Our team is lucky to have the responsibility of keeping the space station and her crew safe, and I’m glad we can find ways to still celebrate the holidays while at work.” Enjoy more photos from the cookie-decorating competition below. Fiona Antkowiak prepares icing for the cookies at her desk in the MCC The MCC Orbit 3 team’s decorated cookies. The MCC Orbit 1 team shows off their completed cookies. The MCC Orbit 2 team poses for a picture after decorating their cookies. Cookies decorated by the MCC Orbit 2 team. View the full article

Inside of the Electrostatics and Surface Physics Laboratory at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, an electrodynamic dust shield (EDS) is in view on Jan. 18, 2023. The dust shield is one of the payloads that will fly aboard Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lunar lander as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. NASA/Cory Huston Defeating dust may be a small concern for most people on Earth, but for astronauts and spacecraft destined for the Moon or Mars, it is a significant hazard that must be mitigated. That’s why researchers at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida are seeking innovative ways to use the Electrodynamic Dust Shield (EDS) technology. The EDS technology is headed to the Moon as part of the agency’s Artemis campaign. This innovative technology will be demonstrated on the lunar surface, where it will use electrical forces to lift and remove lunar regolith, or dirt, from various surfaces. This dust-mitigating technology is one of 10 payloads aboard the next lunar delivery through NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative, set to launch from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida Wednesday, Jan. 15, with Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Lander. Using transparent electrodes and electric fields, EDS technology can lift and remove dust from a variety of surfaces for space applications ranging from thermal radiators, solar panels, and camera lenses to spacesuits, boots, and helmet visors. Controlling and removing the charged dust will be critical to the success of Moon missions under the agency’s CLPS initiative and Artemis campaign. “For these CLPS and Artemis missions, dust exposure is a concern because the lunar surface is far different than what we’re used to here,” said Dr. Charles Buhler, lead research scientist at the Electrostatics and Surface Physics Laboratory at Kennedy. “Lunar regolith dust can get into gaskets and seals, into hatches, and even into habitats, which can pose a lot of issues for spacecraft and astronauts.” Unlike dust particles on Earth, dust on the Moon’s surface is sharp and abrasive – like tiny shards of glass – because it hasn’t been exposed to weathering and elements like water and oxygen. “Simply brushing lunar regolith across surfaces can make the problem worse because it’s also very electrostatically charged and highly insulating,” Buhler said. Under the CLPS model, NASA is investing in commercial delivery services to the Moon to enable industry growth and support long-term lunar exploration. As a primary customer for CLPS deliveries, NASA aims to be one of many customers on future flights. EDS was funded by the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) Game Changing Development Program (GCD). Learn more about. CLPS and Artemis at https://www.nasa.gov/clps. View the full article

Earth Observer Earth Home Earth Observer Home Editor’s Corner Feature Articles Meeting Summaries News Science in the News Calendars In Memoriam More Archives 3 min read AMS Hyperwall Schedule NASA Science at AMS Hyperwall Schedule, January 13-16, 2025 Join NASA in the Exhibit Hall (Booth #401) for Hyperwall Storytelling by NASA experts. Full Hyperwall Agenda below. MONDAY, JANUARY 13 6:10 – 6:25 PM The Golden Age of Ocean Science: How NASA’s Newest Missions Advance the Study of Oceans in our Earth System Dr. Karen St. Germain 6:25 – 6:40 PM Integration of Vantage Points and Approaches for Earth System Science Dr. Jack Kaye 6:45 – 7:00 PM Helio Big Year Wind-Down and a Look Ahead Dr. Joseph Westlake 7:00 – 7:15 PM Chasing Snowstorms with Airplanes: An Overview of the IMPACTS Field Campaign John Yorks Lynn McMurdie 7:15 – 7:30 PM NASA Earth Action Empowering Health and Air Quality Communities Dr. John Haynes TUESDAY, JANUARY 14 10:00 – 10:15 AM Inclusive Earthdata Applications for Gender-Sensitive Solutions in Climate Mitigation Hannah Townley 10:15 – 10:30 AM Climate Adaptation Science Investigators (CASI): Enhancing Climate Resilience at NASA Cynthia Rosenzweig 10:30 – 10:45 AM From Orbit to Earth: Exploring the LEO Science Digest Jeremy Goldstein 12:00 – 12:15 PM Visualizaiton of the May 10-11 ‘Gannon’ Geospace Storm Michael Wiltberger 12:15 – 12:30 PM Explore Space Weather Through the Community Coordinated Modeling Center and OpenSpace Elana Resnick 12:30 – 12:45 PM Satellite Needs Working Group (SNWG): US Government Agencies’ Source of NASA ESD-wide Earth Observations solutions Natasha Sadoff 12:45 – 1:00 PM Connecting Satellite Data to the One Health Approach Helena Chapman 1:00 – 1:15 PM A Bird’s-Eye View of Pollution in Asian Megacities Laura Judd 1:15 – 1:30 PM Space Weather at Mars Gina DiBraccio Jamie Favors 3:00 – 3:15 PM Open Science: Creating a Culture of Innovation and Collaboration Lauren Perkins 3:15 – 3:30 PM NASA’s Early Career Reseach Program Paving the Way Cynthia Hall Yaítza Luna-Cruz 3:30 – 3:45 PM SciX: Accelerating Discovery of NASA’s Science through Open Science and Domain Integration Anna Kelbert 6:15 – 6:30 PM Using NASA IMERG to Detect Extreme Rainfall Within Data Deserts Owen Kelley George Huffman 6:30 – 6:45 PM Satellite Remote Sensing of Aerosols Around the World Rob Levy 6:45 – 7:00 PM The Sun, Space Weather, and You Jim Spann Erin Lynch 7:00 – 7:15 PM Eyes on the Stars: The Building of a 21st-century Solar Observatory Ame Fox Dr. Elsayed Talaat 7:15 – 7:30 PM NASA ESTO: Launchpad for Novel Earth Science Technologies Michael Seablom WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15 10:00 – 10:15 AM Parker Solar Probe Outreach and the Power of Indigenous Thought Leaders Troy Cline 10:15 – 10:30 AM Forecasting Extreme Weather Events at Local Scales with NASA High-Resolution Models Gary Partyka 10:30 – 10:45 AM North American Land Data Assimilation System: Informing Water and Agricultural Management Applications with NASA Modeling and Remote Sensing Sujay Kumar 12:00 – 12:15 PM Life After Launch: A Snapshot of the First 9 Months of NASA’s PACE Mission Carina Poulin 12:15 – 12:30 PM Space Weather and the May 2024 Geomagnetic Storm Antti Pulkkinen 12:30 – 12:45 PM Geospace Dynamics Constellation: The Space Weather Rosetta Stone Dr. Katherine Garcia Gage 12:45 – 1:00 PM Monitoring Sea Level Change using ICESat-2 and other NASA EO Missions Aimee Neeley 1:00 – 1:15 PM Space Weather Center of Excellence CLEAR: All-CLEAR SEP Forecast Lulu Zhao 1:15 – 1:30 PM Harnessing the Power of NASA Earth Observations for a Resilient Water Future Stephanie Granger 3:00 – 3:15 PM From EARTHDATA to Action: Enabling Earth Science Data to Serve Society Jim O’Sullivan Yaitza Luna-Cruz 3:15 – 3:30 PM GMAO and GEOS Related Talk TBD Christine Bloecker 3:30 – 3:45 PM Live Heliophysics Kahoot! Quiz Bowl Jimmy Acevedo 3:45 – 4:00 PM Parker Solar Probe Nour Rawaf THURSDAY, JANUARY 16 10:00 – 10:15 AM Sounds of Space: Sonification with CDAWeb Alex Young 10:30 – 10:45 AM Developing the Future of Microwave Sounding Data: Benefits and Opportunities Ed Kim Share Details Last Updated Jan 08, 2025 Related Terms Earth Science Uncategorized View the full article

On Jan. 7, 1610, Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei peered through his newly improved 20-power homemade telescope at the planet Jupiter. He noticed three other points of light near the planet, at first believing them to be distant stars. Observing them over several nights, he noted that they appeared to move in the wrong direction with regard to the background stars and they remained in Jupiter’s proximity but changed their positions relative to one another. Four days later, he observed a fourth point of light near the planet with the same unusual behavior. By Jan. 15, Galileo correctly concluded that he had discovered four moons orbiting around Jupiter, providing strong evidence for the Copernican theory that most celestial objects did not revolve around the Earth. Two of Galileo’s telescopes.National Geographic. Painting by Giuseppe Bertini (1858) of Galileo demonstrating his telescope to the Doge of Venice.gabrielevanin.it Page from Galileo’s notebook about his observations of Jupiter’s satellites.University of Michigan Special Collections Library. In March 1610, Galileo published his discoveries of Jupiter’s satellites and other celestial observations in a book titled Siderius Nuncius (The Starry Messenger). As their discoverer, Galileo had naming rights to Jupiter’s satellites. He proposed to name them after his patrons the Medicis and astronomers called them the Medicean Stars through much of the seventeenth century, although in his own notes Galileo referred to them by the Roman numerals I, II, III, and IV, in order of their distance from Jupiter. Astronomers still refer to the four moons as the Galilean satellites in honor of their discoverer. In 1614, the German astronomer Johannes Kepler suggested naming the satellites after mythological figures associated with Jupiter, namely Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, but his idea didn’t catch on for more than 200 years. Scientists didn’t discover any more satellites around Jupiter until 1892 when American astronomer E.E. Barnard found Jupiter’s fifth moon Amalthea, much smaller than the Galilean moons and orbiting closer to the planet than Io. It was the last satellite in the solar system found by visual observation – all subsequent discoveries occurred via photography or digital imaging. As of today, astronomers have identified 95 moons orbiting Jupiter. Image of Jupiter and three of its four Galilean satellites through an amateur telescope, similar to what Galileo might have seen. Hubble Space Telescope image of Jupiter and three of its four Galilean satellites during a rare triple transit. Although each of the Galilean satellites has unique features, such as the volcanoes of Io, the heavily cratered surface of Callisto, and the magnetic field of Ganymede, scientists have focused more attention on Europa due to the tantalizing possibility that it might be hospitable to life. In the 1970s, NASA’s Pioneer 10 and 11 and Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft took ever increasingly detailed images of the large satellites including Europa during their flybys of Jupiter. The photographs revealed Europa to have the smoothest surface of any object in the solar system, indicating a relatively young crust, and also one of the brightest of any satellite indicating a highly reflective surface. These features led scientists to hypothesize that Europa is covered by an icy crust floating on a subsurface salty ocean. They further postulated that tidal heating caused by Jupiter’s gravity reforms the surface ice layer in cycles of melting and freezing. Image of Europa taken by Pioneer 10 during its flyby of Jupiter in 1973. Image of Europa taken by Voyager 1 during its 1979 flyby of Jupiter. Image of Europa taken by Voyager 2 during its 1979 flyby of Jupiter. More detailed observations from NASA’s Galileo spacecraft that orbited Jupiter between 1995 and 2003 and completed 11 close encounters with Europa revealed that long linear features on its surface may indicate tidal or tectonic activity. Reddish-brown material along the fissures and in splotches elsewhere on the surface may contain salts and sulfur compounds transported from below the crust and modified by radiation. Observations from the Hubble Space Telescope and re-analysis of images from Galileo revealed possible plumes emanating from beneath Europa’s crust, lending credence to that hypothesis. While the exact composition of this material is not known, it likely holds clues to whether Europa may be hospitable to life. Global view of Europa from the Galileo spacecraft. More detailed views of varied terrain on Europa from Galileo. Cutaway illustration of Europa’s icy crust, subsurface ocean and possible vents that transport material to the surface. Future robotic explorers of Europa may answer some of the outstanding questions about this unique satellite of Jupiter. NASA’s Europa Clipper set off in October 2024 on a 5.5-year journey to Jupiter. After its arrival in 2030, the spacecraft will enter orbit around the giant planet and conduct 49 flybys of Europa during its four-year mission. Managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, and the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, Europa Clipper will carry nine instruments including imaging systems and a radar to better understand the structure of the icy crust. Data from Europa Clipper will complement information returned by the European Space Agency’s JUICE (Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer) spacecraft. Launched in April 2023, JUICE will first enter orbit around Jupiter in 2031 and then enter orbit around Ganymede in 2034. The spacecraft also plans to conduct studies of Europa complementary with Europa Clipper’s. The two spacecraft should greatly increase our understanding of Europa and perhaps uncover new mysteries. Illustration of the Europa Clipper spacecraft investigating Europa. Illustration of the JUICE spacecraft exploring Europa.European Space Agency. View the full article

3 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Lunar Planet Vac, or LPV, is one of 10 payloads set to be carried to the Moon by the Blue Ghost 1 lunar lander in 2025. LPV is designed to efficiently collect and transfer lunar soil from the surface to other science and analysis instruments on the Moon.Photo courtesy Firefly Aerospace Among all the challenges of voyaging to and successfully landing on other worlds, the effective collection and study of soil and rock samples cannot be underestimated. To quickly and thoroughly collect and analyze samples during next-generation Artemis Moon missions and future journeys to Mars and other planetary bodies, NASA seeks a paradigm shift in techniques that will more cost-effectively obtain samples, conduct in situ testing with or without astronaut oversight, and permit real-time sample data return to researchers on Earth. That’s the planned task of an innovative technology demonstration called Lunar PlanetVac (LPV), one of 10 NASA payloads flying aboard the next lunar delivery for the agency’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative. LPV will be carried to the surface by Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost 1 lunar lander. Developed by Honeybee Robotics, a Blue Origin company of Altadena, California, LPV is a pneumatic, compressed gas-powered sample acquisition and delivery system – essentially, a vacuum cleaner that brings its own gas. It’s designed to efficiently collect and transfer lunar soil from the surface to other science instruments or sample return containers without reliance on gravity. Secured to the Blue Ghost lunar lander, LPV’s sampling head will use pressurized gas to stir up the lunar regolith, or soil, creating a small tornado. If successful, material from the dust cloud it creates then will be funneled into a transfer tube via the payload’s secondary pneumatic jets and collected in a sample container. The entire autonomous operation is expected to take just seconds and maintains planetary protection protocols. Collected regolith – including particles up to 1 cm in size, or roughly 0.4 inches – will be sieved and photographed inside the sample container with the findings transmitted back to Earth in real time. The innovative approach to sample collection and in situ testing could prove to be a game-changer, said Dennis Harris, who manages the LPV payload for the CLPS initiative at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “There’s no digging, no mechanical arm to wear out requiring servicing or replacement – it functions like a vacuum cleaner,” Harris said. “The technology on this CLPS payload could benefit the search for water, helium, and other resources and provide a clearer picture of in situ materials available to NASA and its partners for fabricating lunar habitats and launch pads, expanding scientific knowledge and the practical exploration of the solar system every step of the way.” Under the CLPS model, NASA is investing in commercial delivery services to the Moon to enable industry growth and support long-term lunar exploration. As a primary customer for CLPS deliveries, NASA aims to be one of many customers on future flights. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the development of seven of the 10 CLPS payloads carried on Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander. Learn more about. CLPS and Artemis at: https://www.nasa.gov/clps Alise Fisher Headquarters, Washington 202-358-2546 Alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov Headquarters, Washington 202-358-2546 Alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov Corinne Beckinger Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. 256-544-0034 corinne.m.beckinger@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 08, 2025 EditorBeth RidgewayContactCorinne M. Beckingercorinne.m.beckinger@nasa.govLocationMarshall Space Flight Center Related TermsCommercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS)ArtemisMarshall Space Flight Center Explore More 5 min read NASA’s LEXI Will Provide X-Ray Vision of Earth’s Magnetosphere A NASA X-ray imager is heading to the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis campaign,… Article 5 days ago 3 min read NASA Anticipates Lunar Findings From Next-Generation Retroreflector Article 6 days ago 3 min read NASA Science Payload to Study Sticky Lunar Dust Challenge Article 3 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

4 min read Astronaut Set to Patch NASA’s X-ray Telescope Aboard Space Station NASA astronaut Nick Hague will install patches to the agency’s NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer) X-ray telescope on the International Space Station as part of a spacewalk scheduled for Jan. 16. Hague, along with astronaut Suni Williams, will also complete other tasks during the outing. NICER will be the first NASA observatory repaired on-orbit since the last servicing mission for the Hubble Space Telescope in 2009. Hague and other astronauts, including Don Pettit, who is also currently on the space station, rehearsed the NICER patch procedures in the NBL (Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory), a 6.2-million-gallon indoor pool at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, in 2024. NASA astronaut Nick Hague holds a patch for NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer) at the end of a T-handle tool during a training exercise on May 16, 2024, in the NBL (Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory) at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA/NBL Dive Team Astronaut Nick Hague removes a patch from the caddy using a T-handle tool during a training exercise in the NBL at NASA Johnson on May 16, 2024. The booklet on his wrist has a schematic of the NICER telescope and where the patches will go.NASA/NBL Dive Team “We use the NBL to mimic, as much as possible, the conditions astronauts will experience while preforming a task during a spacewalk,” said Lucas Widner, a flight controller at KBR and NASA Johnson who ran the NICER NBL sessions. “Most projects outside the station focus on maintenance and upgrades to components like solar panels. It’s been exciting for all of us to be part of getting a science mission back to normal operations.” From its perch near the space station’s starboard solar array, NICER studies the X-ray sky, including erupting galaxies, black holes, superdense stellar remnants called neutron stars, and even comets in our solar system. But in May 2023, NICER developed a “light leak.” Sunlight began entering the telescope through several small, damaged areas in the telescope’s thin thermal shields. During the station’s daytime, the light reaches the X-ray detectors, saturating sensors and interfering with NICER’s measurements of cosmic objects. The mission team altered their daytime observing strategy to mitigate the effect. UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi captured this view of NICER from a window in the space station’s Poisk Mini-Research Module 2 in July 2023. Photos like this one helped the NICER team map the damage to the telescope’s thermal shields.NASA/Sultan Alneyadi Some of NICER’s damaged thermal shields (circled) are visible in this photograph.NASA/Sultan Alneyadi The team also developed a plan to cover the largest areas of damage using wedge-shaped patches. Hague will slide the patches into the telescope’s sunshades and lock them into place. “We designed the patches so they could be installed either robotically or by an astronaut,” said Steve Kenyon, NICER’s mechanical engineering lead at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “They’re installed using a tool called a T-handle that the astronauts are already familiar with.” The NBL contains life-size mockups of sections of the space station. Under the supervision of a swarm of scuba divers, a pair of astronauts rehearse exiting and returning through an airlock, traversing the outside of the station, and completing tasks. For the NICER repair, the NBL team created a full-scale model of NICER and its surroundings near the starboard solar array. Hague, Pettit, and other astronauts practiced taking the patches out of their caddy, inserting them into the sunshades, locking them into place, and verifying they were secure. The task took just under an hour each time, which included the time astronauts needed to travel to NICER, set up their tools, survey the telescope for previously undetected damage, complete the repair, and clean up their tools. Practice runs also provided opportunities for the astronauts to troubleshoot how to position themselves so they could reach NICER without touching it too often and for flight controllers to identify safety concerns around the repair. Astronaut Don Pettit simulates taking pictures of the NICER telescope mockup during a training exercise in the NBL at NASA Johnson on May 16, 2024.NASA/NBL Dive Team Astronaut Don Pettit removes a patch from the caddy during a training exercise in the NBL at NASA Johnson on May 16, 2024.NASA/NBL Dive Team Being fully submerged in a pool is not the same as being in space, of course, so some issues that arose were “pool-isms.” For example, astronauts sometimes drifted upward while preparing to install the patches in a way unlikely to happen in space. Members of the NICER team, including Kenyon and the mission’s principal investigator, Keith Gendreau at NASA Goddard, supported the NBL practice runs. They helped answer questions about the physical aspects of the telescope, as well as science questions from the astronauts and flight controllers. NICER is the leading source of science results on the space station. “It was awesome to watch the training sessions and be able to debrief with the astronauts afterward,” Gendreau said. “There isn’t usually a lot of crossover between astrophysics science missions and human spaceflight. NICER will be the first X-ray telescope serviced by astronauts. It’s been an exciting experience, and we’re all looking forward to the spacewalk where it will all come together.” The NICER telescope is an Astrophysics Mission of Opportunity within NASA’s Explorers Program, which provides frequent flight opportunities for world-class scientific investigations from space utilizing innovative, streamlined, and efficient management approaches within the heliophysics and astrophysics science areas. NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate supported the SEXTANT component of the mission, demonstrating pulsar-based spacecraft navigation. Download high-resolution images and videos of NICER at NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio. By Jeanette Kazmierczak NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Media Contact: Claire Andreoli 301-286-1940 claire.andreoli@nasa.gov NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Facebook logo @NASAUniverse @NASAUniverse Instagram logo @NASAUniverse Share Details Last Updated Jan 08, 2025 Related TermsAstrophysicsBlack HolesGoddard Space Flight CenterInternational Space Station (ISS)ISS ResearchJohnson Space CenterNeutron StarsNICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer)PulsarsThe Universe View the full article

Technicians have successfully integrated NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s payload – the telescope, instrument carrier, and two instruments – to the spacecraft that will deliver the observatory to its place in space and enable it to function while there. “With this incredible milestone, Roman remains on track for launch, and we’re a big step closer to unveiling the cosmos as never before,” said Mark Clampin, acting deputy associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “It’s been fantastic to watch the team’s progress throughout the integration phase. I look forward to Roman’s transformative observations.” Technicians recently integrated the payload – telescope, instrument carrier, and two instruments – for NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope in the big clean room at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. NASA/Chris Gunn The newly joined space hardware will now undergo extensive testing. The first test will ensure each major element operates as designed when integrated with the rest of the observatory and establish the hardware’s combined performance. Then environmental tests will subject the payload to the electromagnetic, vibration, and thermal vacuum environments it will experience during launch and on-orbit operations. These tests will ensure the hardware and the launch vehicle will not interfere with each other when operating, verify the communications antennas won’t create electromagnetic interference with other observatory hardware, shake the assembly to make sure it will survive extreme vibration during launch, assess its performance across its expected range of operating temperatures, and make sure the instruments and mirrors are properly optically aligned. Meanwhile, Roman’s deployable aperture cover will be integrated with the outer barrel assembly, and then the solar panels will be added before spring. Then the structure will be joined to the payload and spacecraft this fall. The Roman mission remains on track for completion by fall 2026 and launch no later than May 2027. Virtually tour an interactive version of the telescope By Ashley Balzer NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Media Contact: Claire Andreoli NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. 301-286-1940 Share Details Last Updated Jan 08, 2025 EditorAshley BalzerContactAshley Balzerashley.m.balzer@nasa.govLocationGoddard Space Flight Center Related TermsNancy Grace Roman Space TelescopeGoddard Space Flight CenterThe Universe Explore More 4 min read NASA Successfully Integrates Roman Mission’s Telescope, Instruments Article 4 weeks ago 6 min read How NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Will Illuminate Cosmic Dawn Article 6 months ago 4 min read NASA’s Roman Space Telescope’s ‘Exoskeleton’ Whirls Through Major Test Article 3 months ago N View the full article

City lights streak across Earth and an aurora is visible on the horizon as the International Space Station passes over Lake Michigan.NASA For more than 24 years, NASA has supported a continuous U.S. human presence aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth for the benefit of humanity. The space station is a springboard to NASA’s next great leaps in exploration, including future missions to the Moon under Artemis, and ultimately, human exploration of Mars. Read more about the groundbreaking work conducted in 2024 aboard the station: Robot performs remote simulated surgery On long-duration missions, crew members may need surgical procedures, whether simple stitches or an emergency appendectomy. A small robot successfully performed simulated surgical procedures on the space station in early February 2024 for the Robotic Surgery Tech Demo, using two “hands” to grasp and cut rubber bands simulating tissue. Researchers compare the procedures conducted aboard the station and on Earth to evaluate the effects of microgravity and communication delays between space and ground. NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara holds the Robotic Surgery Tech Demo hardware on the International Space Station.NASA 3D metal print in space On May 30,2024, the ESA (European Space Agency) Metal 3D Printer investigation created a small stainless steel s-curve, the first metal 3D print in space. Crew members on future missions could print metal parts for equipment maintenance, eliminating the need to pack spare parts and tools at launch. This technology also has the potential to improve additive manufacturing on Earth. NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps prints samples for Metal 3D Printer on the International Space Station.NASA Here’s looking at you, Earth The space station orbits roughly 250 miles above and passes over 90 percent of Earth’s population, providing a unique perspective for photographing the planet. Astronauts have taken more than 5.3 million images of Earth to monitor the planet’s changing landscape. The Expedition 71 crew took over 630,000 images, well above the average of roughly 105,000 for a single mission. This year, images included the April solar eclipse and auroras produced as the Sun’s 11-year activity cycle peaks. Others supported response to over 14 disaster events including hurricanes. In addition, 80,000 images were geolocated using machine learning, improving public search capabilities. This astronaut photo from the International Space Station shows Hurricane Milton, a category 4 storm in the Gulf of Mexico, nearing the coast of Florida in October.NASA Miles of flawless fibers From mid-February to mid-March of 2024, the Flawless Space Fibers-1 system produced more than seven miles of optical fiber in space. One draw of more than a half mile of fiber surpassed the prior record of 82 feet for the longest fiber manufactured in space, demonstrating that commercial lengths of fiber can be produced in orbit. Fibers produced in microgravity can be superior to those produced in Earth’s gravity. These fibers are made from ZBLAN, a glass alloy with the potential to provide more than 10 times the transmission capacity of traditional silica-based fibers. NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara conducting Flawless Space Fibers operations in the Microgravity Science Glovebox inside the International Space Station.NASA Tell-tale heart In May 2024, BFF-Cardiac successfully bioprinted a three-dimensional human heart tissue sample using the Redwire BioFabrication Facility. Tissues bioprinted in the microgravity of the space station hold their shape without the use of artificial scaffolds. These bioprinted human heart tissues eventually could be used to create personalized patches for tissue damaged by events such as heart attacks. The tissue sample is undergoing further testing on Earth. At left, NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick works on the BFF-Cardiac investigation aboard the International Space Station. At right, cardiac tissue is 3D bioprinted for the investigation.NASA Station-tested radiation technology flown on Artemis I The Orion spacecraft carried 5,600 passive and 34 active radiation detectors on its Artemis I uncrewed mission around the Moon in November 2022. Some of these devices previously were tested on the space station: HERA (Hybrid Electronic Radiation Assessor), which detects radiation events such as solar flares; the ESA (European Space Agency) Active Dosimeters, a wearable device collecting real-time data on individual radiation doses; and the AstroRad Vest, a garment to protect radiation-sensitive organs and tissues. In 2024, researchers released evaluation of data collected in 2022 by these tools that indicate the Orion spacecraft can protect astronauts on lunar missions from potentially hazardous radiation. The orbiting laboratory remains a valuable platform for testing technology for missions beyond Earth’s orbit. The AstroRad Vest, a radiation protection garment, floats in the International Space Station’s cupola.NASA Record participation in Fifth Robo-Pro Challenge A record 661 teams and 2,788 applicants from thirteen countries, regions, and organizations participated in the fifth Kibo Robo-Pro Challenge, which wrapped its final round in September. This educational program from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) has students solve various problems by programming free-flying Astrobee robots aboard the space station. Participants gain hands-on experience with space robot technology and software programming and interact with others from around the world. An Astrobee robot moves through the space station for the Robo-Pro Challenge.NASA Melissa Gaskill International Space Station Research Communications Team| Johnson Space Center Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Station Benefits for Humanity Space Station Research and Technology International Space Station News Humans In Space 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 The Solar System The Sun Mercury Venus Earth The Moon Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto & Dwarf Planets Asteroids, Comets & Meteors The Kuiper Belt The Oort Cloud 2 min read Sols 4416-4417: New Year, New Clouds NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity captured this image of noctilucent clouds using its Right Navigation Camera on sol 4401 — or Martian day 4,401 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission — on Dec. 23, 2024, at 08:57:15 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech Earth planning date: Monday, Jan. 6, 2025 After our marathon holiday plan, we’re easing back into the new year with a standard two-sol plan. We did arrive today to the news that the drive hadn’t made it as far as we wanted, but luckily the rover planners determined that we were still in a good position to do contact science on two wintry targets — “Snow Creek” and “Winter Creek.” We also packed in lots of remote science with ChemCam using LIBS on “Grapevine” and “Skull Rock,” and we are doing long-distance imaging of the Texoli and Wilkerson buttes, and Gould Mesa. Mastcam will be imaging a number of targets near and far as well including “Red Box”’ “Point Mugu,” “Stone Canyon,” “Pine Cove,” and “Hummingbird Sage,” which will examine various structures in the bedrock. We can’t forget about the atmosphere either — we have a couple dust-devil surveys to look for dust lifting, but the real star of the show (at least for me) is the cloud imaging. While we’re just into 2025 here on Earth, we’re also near the start of a new year on Mars! A Mars year starts at the northern vernal equinox (or the start of autumn in the southern hemisphere, where Curiosity is), and Mars year 38 started on Nov. 12. We’re about a third of the way through autumn on Mars now, and the southern Martian autumn and winter bring one thing — clouds! Near the start of the Martian year we start seeing clouds around sunset. These are noctilucent (meaning “night illuminated”) clouds. Even though the sun has set in Gale Crater, the clouds are high enough in the atmosphere that the sun still shines on them, making them seem to almost glow in the sky. You can see this with clouds on Earth, too, around twilight! Mars year 38 will be our fourth year capturing these twilight clouds, and the Navcam images (one of which you can see above) already show it’s shaping up to be another year of spectacular clouds! Written by Alex Innanen, Atmospheric Scientist at York University Share Details Last Updated Jan 08, 2025 Related Terms Blogs Explore More 2 min read Sols 4402-4415: Rover Decks and Sequence Calls for the Holidays Article 1 week ago 4 min read Sols 4398-4401: Holidays Ahead, Rocks Under the Wheels Article 3 weeks ago 3 min read Perseverance Blasts Past the Top of Jezero Crater Rim Article 3 weeks 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

NASA/Joel Kowsky The New York-based artist team Geraluz, left, and WERC, right, pose in front of their mural “To the Moon, and Back” with their son Amaru, 5. The community mural was created as part of the reimagined NASA Art Program, which aims to inspire and engage the next generation of explorers – the Artemis Generation – in new and unexpected ways, including through art. The NASA Headquarters photo team chose this image as one of their best from 2024. See more of the top 100 from last year on Flickr. Image credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky View the full article

Learn Home NASA eClips Educator Receives… Science Activation Overview Learning Resources Science Activation Teams SME Map Opportunities More Science Activation Stories Citizen Science 2 min read NASA eClips Educator Receives 2024 VAST Science Educator Specialist Award On November 14, 2024, NASA eClips team member, Betsy McAllister, was recognized with the prestigious Virginia Association of Science Teachers (VAST) Science Educator Specialist Award at the 2024 VAST Annual Professional Development Institute. McAllister is an educator with Hampton City Schools in Virginia and Educator-in-Residence (EIR) at the National Institute of Aerospace’s Center for Integrative STEM Education (NIA-CISE). Betsy earned this honor for her significant contributions to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, having educated learners in formal and informal settings for over 30 years, 22 of those in the classroom. She taught 5th and 6th grade science, life and physical science, and gifted resource; she also served as a Science Teacher Specialist and STEM Teacher Specialist prior to her current position as EIR. In her EIR role with NIA, she is a key member of the NASA eClips team and works to bring NASA resources into the K-12 classroom while designing and aligning eClips resources with current curricula and pacing. She has been instrumental in creating strong collaborations between NASA and STEM-related organizations with Hampton City Schools and organizing community engagement experiences, such as their annual STEM Exploration Community Event. In addition to her professional work with students, McAllister brings real-world learning opportunities to the public through volunteer roles as Commissioner with the Hampton Clean City Commission, a Peninsula Master Naturalist, and a Hampton Master Gardener. Congratulations, Betsy! The NASA eClips project provides educators with standards-based videos, activities, and lessons to increase STEM literacy through the lens of NASA. It is supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award number NNX16AB91A and is part of NASA’s Science Activation Portfolio. Learn more about how Science Activation connects NASA science experts, real content, and experiences with community leaders to do science in ways that activate minds and promote deeper understanding of our world and beyond: https://science.nasa.gov/learn Betsy McAllister was presented with the Virginia Association of Science Teacher’s Science Educator Specialist Award at the November 2024 VAST Conference. VAST Share Details Last Updated Jan 07, 2025 Editor NASA Science Editorial Team Related Terms Science Activation Explore More 2 min read NASA Workshops Culturally Inclusive Planetary Engagement with Educators Article 5 days ago 3 min read Astronomy Activation Ambassadors: A New Era Article 1 week ago 3 min read Integrating Relevant Science Investigations into Migrant Children Education Article 2 months ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA James Webb Space Telescope Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the… Perseverance Rover This rover and its aerial sidekick were assigned to study the geology of Mars and seek signs of ancient microbial… Parker Solar Probe On a mission to “touch the Sun,” NASA’s Parker Solar Probe became the first spacecraft to fly through the corona… Juno NASA’s Juno spacecraft entered orbit around Jupiter in 2016, the first explorer to peer below the planet’s dense clouds to… View the full article

Internal view of LignoSat’s structure shows the relationship among wooden panels, aluminum frames, and stainless-steel shafts.Credit: Kyoto University In December 2024, five CubeSats deployed into Earth’s orbit from the International Space Station. Among them was LignoSat, a wooden satellite from JAXA (Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency) that investigates the use of wood in space. Findings could offer a more sustainable alternative to conventional satellites. A previous experiment aboard station exposed three species of wood to the space environment to help researchers determine the best option for LignoSat. The final design used 10 cm long honoki magnolia wood panels assembled with a Japanese wood-joinery method. Researchers will use sensors to evaluate strain on the wood and measure its responses to temperature and radiation in space. Geomagnetic levels will also be monitored to determine whether the geomagnetic field can penetrate the body of the wooden satellite and interfere with its technological capabilities. Investigating uses for wood in space could lead to innovative solutions in the future. A traditional Japanese wooden joining method, the Blind Miter Dovetail Joint, is used for LignoSat to connect two wooden panels without using glue or nails.Credit: Kyoto University Three CubeSats are deployed from space station, including LignoSat. Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Latest News from Space Station Research Space Station Technology Demonstration Space Station Research Results Space Station Research and Technology Resources View the full article