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This article is from the 2024 Technical Update Autonomous flight termination systems (AFTS) are being progressively employed onboard launch vehicles to replace ground personnel and infrastructure needed to terminate flight or destruct the vehicle should an anomaly occur. This automation uses on-board real-time data and encoded logic to determine if the flight should be self-terminated. For uncrewed launch vehicles, FTS systems are required to protect the public and governed by the United States Space Force (USSF). For crewed missions, NASA must augment range AFTS requirements for crew safety and certify each flight according to human rating standards, thus adding unique requirements for reuse of software originally intended for uncrewed missions. This bulletin summarizes new information relating to AFTS to raise awareness of key distinctions, summarize considerations and outline best practices for incorporating AFTS into human-rated systems. Key Distinctions – Crewed v. Uncrewed There are inherent behavioral differences between uncrewed and crewed AFTS related to design philosophy and fault tolerance. Uncrewed AFTS generally favor fault tolerance against failure-to-destruct over failing silent in the presence of faults. This tenet permeates the design, even downto the software unit level. Uncrewed AFTS become zero-fault-to-destruct tolerant to many unrecoverable AFTS errors, whereas general single fault tolerance against vehicle destruct is required for crewed missions. Additionally, unique needs to delay destruction for crew escape, provide abort options and special rules, and assess human-in-the-loop insight, command, and/or override throughout a launch sequence must be considered and introduces additional requirements and integration complexities. AFTS Software Architecture Components and Best-Practice Use Guidelines A detailed study of the sole AFTS currently approved by USSF and utilized/planned for several launch vehicles was conducted to understand its characteristics, and any unique risk and mitigation techniques for effective human-rating reuse. While alternate software systems may be designed in the future, this summary focuses on an architecture employing the Core Autonomous Safety Software (CASS). Considerations herein are intended for extrapolation to future systems. Components of the AFTS software architecture are shown, consisting of the CASS, “Wrapper”, and Mission Data Load (MDL) along with key characteristics and use guidelines. A more comprehensive description of each and recommendations for developmental use is found in Ref. 1. Best Practices Certifying AFTS Software Below are non-exhaustive guidelines to help achieve a human-rating certification for an AFTS. References NASA/TP-20240009981: Best Practices and Considerations for Using Autonomous Flight Termination Software In Crewed Launch Vehicles https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20240009981 “Launch Safety,” 14 C.F.R., § 417 (2024). NPR 8705.2C, Human-Rating Requirements for Space Systems, Jul 2017, nodis3.gsfc.nasa.gov/ NASA Software Engineering Requirements, NPR 7150.2D, Mar 2022, nodis3.gsfc.nasa.gov/ RCC 319-19 Flight Termination Systems Commonality Standard, White Sands, NM, June 2019. “Considerations for Software Fault Prevention and Tolerance”, NESC Technical Bulletin No. 23-06 https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20230013383 “Safety Considerations when Repurposing Commercially Available Flight Termination Systems from Uncrewed to Crewed Launch Vehicles”, NESC Technical Bulletin No. 23-02 https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20230001890 View the full article

This article is from the 2024 Technical Update. The NESC evaluated material compatibility of some common aerospace metals in monomethylhydrazine (MMH) and nitrogen tetroxide (MON-3). Previous work had identified a lack of quantitative compatibility data for nickel alloy 718, 300 series stainless steel, and titanium Ti-6Al-4V in MMH and MON-3 to support the use of zero-failure-tolerant, thin-walled pressure barriers in these propellants. Static (i.e., not flowing) general corrosion and electrochemistry testing was conducted, evaluating varied processing forms and heat treatment of the metals, water content of propellant, and exposure duration. Corrosion-rate data for all tested product forms, fluids, and durations were on the order of 1 x 10–6 inch per year rather than the previously documented “less than 1 x 10–3 inch per year”. The majority of the corrosion products were seen in the first 20 days of exposure, with an overall corrosion rate decreasing with time due to the increased divisor (time). It is therefore recommended that corrosion testing be performed at multiple short-term durations to inform the need for longer-duration testing. Background Nickel alloy 718, 300 series stainless steel, and Ti-6Al-4V are commonly used in storable propulsion systems (i.e., MMH/MON-3), but a concern was raised regarding what quantitative compatibility data were available for proposed zero-failure-tolerant, thin-walled (~0.005 to 0.010 inch thickness) pressure barrier designs. A literature search found that limited and conflicting data were available for commonly used aerospace metals in MMH and MON-3. For example, corrosion behavior was listed qualitatively (e.g., “A” rating), data on materials and fluids tested were imprecise, fluids were identified as contaminated without describing how they were contaminated, no compatibility data were found on relevant geometry specimens (i.e., very thin-walled or convoluted), and limited data were available to quantify differences between tested materials and flight components. When corrosion data were quantified, documented sensitivity was “1 x 10–3 inch per year or less”, which is insufficient for assessing long-duration, thin-walled, flight-weight applications. Discussion General corrosion testing was performed with a static/non-flowing configuration based on NASA-STD-6001, Test 15 [1]. Design of experiments methods were used to develop a test matrix varying material, propellant, propellant water content, and tested duration. Materials tested were nickel alloy 718 (solution annealed sheet, aged sheet, aged/welded sheet, and hydroformed bellows), 300 series stainless steel (low carbon sheet, titanium stabilized sheet, and hydroformed bellows), and Ti 6Al-4V sheet. Samples were tested in sealed test tubes in MMH and MON-3 with water content ranging from as-received (“dry”) up to specification allowable limits [2,3]. Tested durations ranged from 20 to 365 days. Measurements included inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) to identify corrosion products and their concentrations in test fluid, gravimetric (i.e., scale) measurements pre- and post-exposure, and visual inspection. Bimetallic pairs (titanium stabilized 300 series stainless steel: Ti 6Al-4V and nickel alloy 718: Ti 6Al-4V) were tested for up to 65 days in both MMH and MON-3. The test setup incorporated important features of the test standard (e.g., electrode spacing and finish) and adapted the configuration for MMH/MON-3 operation. Measurements included potential difference and current flow between samples. Figure 1 shows images of the general corrosion and bimetallic pair test setups. Test Results For all tested materials and product forms, corrosion rates were on the order of 1 x 10–6 inch per year in MMH or MON-3, three orders of magnitude lower than historically reported. Corrosion products were generated in the first 20 days of exposure, and corrosion rate decreased with time due to the increase in divisor (i.e., time). Corrosion products increased as the water content of the propellants increased but remained in the same order of magnitude between the as-received dry propellant and propellant containing the maximum water content allowed by specification. Figure 2 illustrates test results for corrosion rate, mass loss with duration, and mass loss with water content. It is important to note that water has been demonstrated to contribute to flow decay even when water is within the specification allowable limit, and previous NASA-STD-6001 Test 15 data have demonstrated susceptibility of some nickel alloys to crevice-type corrosion attack [4]. Therefore, these results do not reduce the importance of considering the system impact of water content and evaluating for crevice corrosion behavior. Finally, in the bimetallic pair testing, tested materials did not measurably corrode in MON-3 and MMH within specification-allowable water content, as evidenced by no visual indications of corrosion and very low electrical interaction (i.e., corrosion rates derived to be less than 1 microinch per year from electrical interaction). Recommendations It is recommended that corrosion testing be performed at multiple shortterm durations to inform the need for longer-duration testing. References NASA-STD-6001 Flammability, Odor, Offgassing, and Compatibility Requirements and Test Procedures for Materials In Environments that Support Combustion MIL-PRF-27404 Performance Specification: Propellant, Monomethylhydrazine MIL-PRF-26539 Performance Specification: Propellants, Dinitrogen Tetroxide WSTF Test 15 Report 12-45708 and WSTF Test 15 Report 13-46207 View the full article

5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) The north polar region of Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io was captured by NASA’s Juno during spacecraft’s 57th close pass of the gas giant on Dec. 30, 2023. Data from recent flybys is helping scientists understand Io’s interior. Image data: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS Image processing by Gerald Eichstädt A new study points to why, and how, Io became the most volcanic body in the solar system. Scientists with NASA’s Juno mission to Jupiter have discovered that the volcanoes on Jupiter’s moon Io are each likely powered by their own chamber of roiling hot magma rather than an ocean of magma. The finding solves a 44-year-old mystery about the subsurface origins of the moon’s most demonstrative geologic features. A paper on the source of Io’s volcanism was published on Thursday, Dec. 12, in the journal Nature, and the findings, as well as other Io science results, were discussed during a media briefing in Washington at the American Geophysical Union’s annual meeting, the country’s largest gathering of Earth and space scientists. About the size of Earth’s Moon, Io is known as the most volcanically active body in our solar system. The moon is home to an estimated 400 volcanoes, which blast lava and plumes in seemingly continuous eruptions that contribute to the coating on its surface. This animated tour of Jupiter’s fiery moon Io, based on data collected by NASA’s Juno mission, shows volcanic plumes, a view of lava on the surface, and the moon’s internal structure. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/Koji Kuramura/Gerald Eichstädt Although the moon was discovered by Galileo Galilei on Jan. 8, 1610, volcanic activity there wasn’t discovered until 1979, when imaging scientist Linda Morabito of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California first identified a volcanic plume in an image from the agency’s Voyager 1 spacecraft. “Since Morabito’s discovery, planetary scientists have wondered how the volcanoes were fed from the lava underneath the surface,” said Scott Bolton, Juno principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. “Was there a shallow ocean of white-hot magma fueling the volcanoes, or was their source more localized? We knew data from Juno’s two very close flybys could give us some insights on how this tortured moon actually worked.” The Juno spacecraft made extremely close flybys of Io in December 2023 and February 2024, getting within about 930 miles (1,500 kilometers) of its pizza-faced surface. During the close approaches, Juno communicated with NASA’s Deep Space Network, acquiring high-precision, dual-frequency Doppler data, which was used to measure Io’s gravity by tracking how it affected the spacecraft’s acceleration. What the mission learned about the moon’s gravity from those flybys led to the new paper by revealing more details about the effects of a phenomenon called tidal flexing. This five-frame sequence shows a giant plume erupting from Io’s Tvashtar volcano, extending 200 miles (330 kilometers) above the fiery moon’s surface. It was captured over an eight-minute period by NASA’s New Horizons mission as the spacecraft flew by Jupiter in 2007.NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/SwRI Prince of Jovian Tides Io is extremely close to mammoth Jupiter, and its elliptical orbit whips it around the gas giant once every 42.5 hours. As the distance varies, so does Jupiter’s gravitational pull, which leads to the moon being relentlessly squeezed. The result: an extreme case of tidal flexing — friction from tidal forces that generates internal heat. “This constant flexing creates immense energy, which literally melts portions of Io’s interior,” said Bolton. “If Io has a global magma ocean, we knew the signature of its tidal deformation would be much larger than a more rigid, mostly solid interior. Thus, depending on the results from Juno’s probing of Io’s gravity field, we would be able to tell if a global magma ocean was hiding beneath its surface.” The Juno team compared Doppler data from their two flybys with observations from the agency’s previous missions to the Jovian system and from ground telescopes. They found tidal deformation consistent with Io not having a shallow global magma ocean. “Juno’s discovery that tidal forces do not always create global magma oceans does more than prompt us to rethink what we know about Io’s interior,” said lead author Ryan Park, a Juno co-investigator and supervisor of the Solar System Dynamics Group at JPL. “It has implications for our understanding of other moons, such as Enceladus and Europa, and even exoplanets and super-Earths. Our new findings provide an opportunity to rethink what we know about planetary formation and evolution.” There’s more science on the horizon. The spacecraft made its 66th science flyby over Jupiter’s mysterious cloud tops on Nov. 24. Its next close approach to the gas giant will occur 12:22 a.m. EST, Dec. 27. At the time of perijove, when Juno’s orbit is closest to the planet’s center, the spacecraft will be about 2,175 miles (3,500 kilometers) above Jupiter’s cloud tops and will have logged 645.7 million miles (1.039 billion kilometers) since entering the gas giant’s orbit in 2016. More About Juno JPL, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Juno mission for the principal investigator, Scott Bolton, of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. Juno is part of NASA’s New Frontiers Program, which is managed at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The Italian Space Agency (ASI) funded the Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper. Lockheed Martin Space in Denver built and operates the spacecraft. Various other institutions around the U.S. provided several of the other scientific instruments on Juno. More information about Juno is available at: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/juno News Media Contacts DC Agle Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 818-393-9011 agle@jpl.nasa.gov Karen Fox / Erin Morton NASA Headquarters, Washington 202-385-1287 / 202-805-9393 karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / erin.morton@nasa.gov Deb Schmid Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio 210-522-2254 dschmid@swri.org 2024-173 Share Details Last Updated Dec 12, 2024 Related TermsJunoJet Propulsion Laboratory Explore More 5 min read NASA’s Perseverance Rover Reaches Top of Jezero Crater Rim Article 3 mins ago 5 min read NASA-DOD Study: Saltwater to Widely Taint Coastal Groundwater by 2100 Article 22 hours ago 4 min read NASA Study: Crops, Forests Responding to Changing Rainfall Patterns Earth’s rainy days are changing: They’re becoming less frequent, but more intense. Vegetation is responding. Article 22 hours ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

The telescope and instruments for NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope were recently integrated together on the observatory’s instrument carrier at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Next, the entire system will be joined to the Roman spacecraft. NASA/Chris Gunn NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope team has successfully integrated the mission’s telescope and two instruments onto the instrument carrier, marking the completion of the Roman payload. Now the team at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, will begin joining the payload to the spacecraft. “We’re in the middle of an exciting stage of mission preparation,” said Jody Dawson, a Roman systems engineer at NASA Goddard. “All the components are now here at Goddard, and they’re coming together in quick succession. We expect to integrate the telescope and instruments with the spacecraft before the year is up.” Engineers first integrated the Coronagraph Instrument, a technology demonstration designed to image exoplanets — worlds outside our solar system — by using a complex suite of masks and active mirrors to obscure the glare of the planets’ host stars. Then the team integrated the Optical Telescope Assembly, which includes a 7.9-foot (2.4-meter) primary mirror, nine additional mirrors, and their supporting structures and electronics. The telescope will focus cosmic light and send it to Roman’s instruments, revealing billions of objects strewn throughout space and time. Roman will be the most stable large telescope ever built, at least 10 times more so than NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and 100 times more than the agency’s Hubble Space Telescope. This will allow scientists to make measurements at levels of precision that can answer important questions about dark energy, dark matter, and worlds beyond our solar system. Technicians install the primary instrument for NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, called the Wide Field Instrument (at left), in the biggest clean room at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. This marked the final step to complete the Roman payload, which also includes a Coronagraph instrument and the Optical Telescope Assembly.NASA/Chris Gunn With those components in place, the team then added Roman’s primary instrument. Called the Wide Field Instrument, this 300-megapixel infrared camera will give Roman a deep, panoramic view of the universe. Through the Wide Field Instrument’s surveys, scientists will be able to explore distant exoplanets, stars, galaxies, black holes, dark energy, dark matter, and more. Thanks to this instrument and the observatory’s efficiency, Roman will be able to image large areas of the sky 1,000 times faster than Hubble with the same sharp, sensitive image quality. “It would be quicker to list the astronomy topics Roman won’t be able to address than those it will,” said Julie McEnery, the Roman senior project scientist at NASA Goddard. “We’ve never had a tool like this before. Roman will revolutionize the way we do astronomy.” The telescope and instruments were mounted to Roman’s instrument carrier and precisely aligned in the largest clean room at Goddard, where the observatory is being assembled. Now, the whole assembly is being attached to the Roman spacecraft, which will deliver the observatory to its orbit and enable it to function once there. At the same time, the mission’s deployable aperture cover — a visor that will shield the telescope from unwanted light — is being joined to the outer barrel assembly, which serves as the telescope’s exoskeleton. “We’ve had an incredible year, and we’re looking forward to another one!” said Bear Witherspoon, a Roman systems engineer at NASA Goddard. “While the payload and spacecraft undergo a smattering of testing together, the team will work toward integrating the solar panels onto the outer barrel assembly.” That keeps the observatory on track for completion by fall 2026 and launch no later than May 2027. To virtually tour an interactive version of the telescope, visit: https://roman.gsfc.nasa.gov/interactive The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is managed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, with participation by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Caltech/IPAC in Southern California, the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, and a science team comprising scientists from various research institutions. The primary industrial partners are BAE Systems Inc. in Boulder, Colorado; L3Harris Technologies in Rochester, New York; and Teledyne Scientific & Imaging in Thousand Oaks, California. By Ashley Balzer NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. ​​Media Contact: Claire Andreoli NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center 301-286-1940 Share Details Last Updated Dec 12, 2024 EditorAshley BalzerContactAshley Balzerashley.m.balzer@nasa.govLocationGoddard Space Flight Center Related TermsNancy Grace Roman Space TelescopeDark EnergyDark MatterExoplanetsGalaxiesGalaxies, Stars, & Black HolesGoddard Space Flight CenterHubble Space TelescopeJames Webb Space Telescope (JWST)StarsThe Universe Explore More 6 min read Primary Instrument for Roman Space Telescope Arrives at NASA Goddard Article 4 months ago 6 min read NASA Successfully Integrates Coronagraph for Roman Space Telescope Article 1 month ago 5 min read Telescope for NASA’s Roman Mission Complete, Delivered to Goddard Article 4 weeks ago 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 3 min read Sols 4389-4390: A Wealth of Ripples, Nodules and Veins NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity captured this image showing the patches and aggregations of darker-toned material in its workspace on Dec. 8, 2024. Curiosity acquired this image using its Mast Camera (Mastcam) on sol 4387 — Martian day 4,387 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission — at 17:44:17 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Earth planning date: Monday, Dec. 9, 2024 We are continuing to edge our way around the large “Texoli” butte. Much of the bedrock we have been traversing recently looks pretty similar — paler-colored laminated bedrock — but today’s workspace had some interesting features, as did the “drive direction” image, which focuses on the future drive path. Close to the rover, we had a wealth of fractures and darker-toned patches. The fractures or veins were too far from the rover for contact science, but ChemCam LIBS was able to target one of the more prominent ones at “Garlock Fault.” Luckily for the contact science instruments (APXS and MAHLI), the darker patches were within reach of the arm. Some of the darker patches were flatter and platy in appearance, whilst others had a more amorphous, blobby shape. Both types come with their own challenges. The flatter ones collect dust on their flat surfaces, so ideally they would be brushed with the DRT (Dust Removal Tool) before we analyze them, but they are often too fragile-looking, and we worry that some of the layers might break off or flake off. The amorphous ones have irregular surfaces, which can collect sand and dust and make getting a good placement tricky. However, today we were able to get both APXS and MAHLI on the flattest, most dust-free looking patch at “Cerro Negro.” We will be able to compare the composition of the darker patches and the Garlock Fault vein, and hopefully tease out their relationship. Mastcam will take a small mosaic of Garlock Fault and then a larger mosaic on crosscutting veins at “Wildwood Canyon.” This was previously imaged, but from a different angle, so getting a second image will allow us to calculate the orientations on the fractures. Further afield, the “Forest Falls” mosaic looks at an area of dark, raised vein material. Looking at the drive direction image, the sedimentologists were very excited to see what appear to be ripple features in the rocks ahead of us, which can tell us a lot about the depositional environment. The Mastcam mosaic “Hahamongna” will image the outcrop we are driving towards (about 30 meters from today’s workspace, or 98 feet), to give context for what we see when we get there. Mastcam will take a second smaller mosaic at “Malibu Creek” midway between where we are today and where we hope to be on Wednesday. Looking even further into our future driving path, we will obtain Mastcam and ChemCam RMI images of the top of Mount Sharp and the yardang unit. We have a bit to go before we get there of course, but we will use those images to examine structural relationships and consider the evolution of both — we can test all those theories when we get there! We round out the plan with environmental monitoring, as always …and wait eagerly for the next workspace on Wednesday, when we will get up close to those ripples, with luck! Written by Catherine O’Connell-Cooper, Planetary Geologist at University of New Brunswick Share Details Last Updated Dec 11, 2024 Related Terms Blogs Explore More 2 min read Looking Out for ‘Lookout Hill’ Article 1 day ago 3 min read Sols 4386-4388: Powers of Ten Article 2 days ago 3 min read Sols 4384-4385: Leaving the Bishop Quad Article 5 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, and the seventh largest. It’s the only planet we know of inhabited… All Mars Resources Explore this collection of Mars images, videos, resources, PDFs, and toolkits. Discover valuable content designed to inform, educate, and inspire,… Rover Basics Each robotic explorer sent to the Red Planet has its own unique capabilities driven by science. Many attributes of a… Mars Exploration: Science Goals The key to understanding the past, present or future potential for life on Mars can be found in NASA’s four… View the full article

El administrador de la NASA, Bill Nelson (izquierda), y la secretaria adjunta en funciones de la Oficina de Océanos y Asuntos Medioambientales y Científicos Internacionales del Departamento de Estado de Estados Unidos, Jennifer R. Littlejohn (derecha), observan a la embajadora de la República de Austria en Estados Unidos, Petra Schneebauer, mientras firma los Acuerdos de Artemis, el miércoles 11 de diciembre de 2024, en el edificio Mary W. Jackson de la sede de la NASA en Washington. La República de Austria es el 50.º país en firmar los Acuerdos de Artemis, que establecen un conjunto práctico de principios para guiar la cooperación en la exploración espacial entre las naciones que participan en el programa Artemis de la NASA. Crédito: NASA/Joel Kowsky Read this release in English here. Panamá y Austria firmaron el miércoles los Acuerdos de Artemis en ceremonias que tuvieron lugar en la sede de la NASA en Washington, convirtiéndose así en los países número 49 y 50 en comprometerse a explorar el espacio de forma responsable para toda la humanidad. “La NASA da la bienvenida a Panamá y Austria a la comunidad de los Acuerdos de Artemis y celebra 50 países unidos por principios compartidos para la exploración segura y responsable del espacio”, dijo el administrador de la NASA, Bill Nelson. “Más que nunca, la NASA está haciendo accesible el espacio a más naciones y más personas en beneficio de todos. Juntos, estamos desarrollando una exploración pacífica y a largo plazo del espacio profundo para la Generación Artemis”. En pocos años, el grupo original de ocho países signatarios (que incluye a Estados Unidos) se ha multiplicado, incluyendo 17 nuevos firmantes en 2024. Más que un número, los Acuerdos de Artemis representan una comunidad sólida, procedente de todas las regiones del mundo, unificada por el mismo objetivo: garantizar una exploración espacial civil segura y responsable. A través de los Acuerdos de Artemis, Estados Unidos y otros signatarios han avanzado para garantizar una exploración segura y sostenible del espacio con resultados concretos. Los firmantes se han comprometido a adoptar un método de funcionamiento y una serie de recomendaciones en materia de no interferencia, interoperabilidad, divulgación de datos científicos, directrices de sostenibilidad a largo plazo y un registro para avanzar en la aplicación de los Acuerdos de Artemis. Entre las posibles áreas de enfoque para el próximo año se incluye la de seguir avanzando en la sostenibilidad, incluida la gestión de residuos tanto para la órbita lunar como para la superficie de la Luna. Austria se une a los Acuerdos de Artemis Petra Schneebauer, embajadora de la República de Austria en Estados Unidos, firmó el miércoles en nombre de Austria, el cual se convirtió en el 50.º país signatario de los Acuerdos de Artemis. “Austria se enorgullece de firmar los Acuerdos de Artemis, un paso importante en el fomento de la cooperación internacional para la exploración civil de la Luna y la ampliación de la presencia de la humanidad en el cosmos”, dijo Schneebauer. “Al firmar los acuerdos, reafirmamos nuestro compromiso con el uso pacífico, responsable y cooperativo del espacio exterior, a la vez que enfatizamos nuestro apoyo a asociaciones multilaterales sólidas y al progreso científico. Esta cooperación abrirá nuevas perspectivas para que las empresas, los científicos y las instituciones de investigación austriacas participen en iniciativas espaciales pioneras.”. Jennifer Littlejohn, secretaria adjunta en funciones de la Oficina de Océanos y Asuntos Medioambientales y Científicos Internacionales del Departamento de Estado de EE. UU., también participó en el acto de la firma de Austria. Panamá se une a los Acuerdos de Artemis Más temprano el miércoles, Nelson recibió a Panamá en la sede de la NASA para una ceremonia de firma. José Miguel Alemán Healy, embajador de la República de Panamá en Estados Unidos, firmó los Acuerdos de Artemis en nombre de Panamá. El subsecretario adjunto principal de la Oficina de Océanos y Asuntos Ambientales y Científicos Internacionales del Departamento de Estado de EE. UU., Tony Fernandes, también asistió al acto. El administrador de la NASA, Bill Nelson (izquierda), el embajador de la República de Panamá ante los Estados Unidos de América, José Miguel Alemán Healy (centro), y el subsecretario adjunto principal de la Oficina de Océanos y Asuntos Ambientales y Científicos Internacionales del Departamento de Estado de los Estados Unidos, Tony Fernandes, posan para una foto después de que la República de Panamá firmara los Acuerdos de Artemis, el miércoles 11 de diciembre de 2024, en el edificio Mary W. Jackson de la sede de la NASA en Washington. La República de Panamá es el 49.º país en firmar los Acuerdos de Artemis, que establecen un conjunto práctico de principios para guiar la cooperación en la exploración espacial entre las naciones que participan en el programa Artemis de la NASA. Crédito: NASA/Joel Kowsky “Hoy, Panamá se suma a muchas otras naciones que no solo miran hacia nuestros propios horizontes, sino hacia horizontes más allá de nuestro planeta, explorando, aprendiendo y contribuyendo al conocimiento colectivo de la humanidad”, dijo Alemán. “Este momento representa mucho más que una firma diplomática: es un compromiso audaz con la exploración pacífica, el descubrimiento científico y la colaboración internacional”. En 2020, Estados Unidos, liderado por la NASA y el Departamento de Estado estadounidense, y otras siete naciones signatarias iniciales establecieron los Acuerdos de Artemis, que identifican un conjunto de principios que promueven el uso beneficioso del espacio para la humanidad. Los Acuerdos de Artemis se basan en el Tratado sobre el espacio ultraterrestre y en otros acuerdos, como el Convenio sobre registro, el Acuerdo sobre rescate y retorno, así como en las mejores prácticas y normas de comportamiento responsable que la NASA y sus socios han respaldado, incluida la divulgación pública de datos científicos. Los Acuerdos son un compromiso voluntario para adoptar un comportamiento seguro, transparente y responsable en el espacio, y cualquier nación que quiera comprometerse con esos valores es bienvenida a firmarlos. Más información (en inglés) sobre los Acuerdos de Artemis en: https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords -fin- Meira Bernstein / Elizabeth Shaw / María José Viñas Sede, Washington 202-358-1600 meira.b.bernstein@nasa.gov / elizabeth.a.shaw@nasa.gov / maria-jose.vinasgarcia@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Dec 11, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters View the full article

Michelle Dominguez proudly displays her award at the Women of Color STEM Conference in Detroit, Michigan, October 2024.NASA Dorcas Kaweesa holding her award at the Women of Color STEM Conference in Detroit, Michigan, October 2024. NASA In October 2024, Michelle Dominguez and Dorcas Kaweesa from the Ames Aeromechanics Office were each awarded as a “Technology Rising Star” at the Women of Color STEM Conference in Detroit, Michigan. Rising Star awards are for “young women, with 21 years or less in the workforce, who are helping to shape technology for the future.” Ms. Dominguez is a Mechanical Systems Engineer working on rotorcraft design for vertical-lift vehicles such as air taxis and Mars helicopters. Dr. Kaweesa is a Structural Analysis Engineer and Deputy Manager for planetary rotorcraft initiatives including Mars Exploration Program and Mars Sample Return. More information on this award is at https://intouch.ccgmag.com/mpage/woc-stem-conference-awardees . View the full article

9 Min Read Artemis in Motion Listening Sessions The Earth and Moon appear side by side off in the distance while the Orion crew module is in the foreground. Credits: NASA Through Artemis in Motion Sessions, NASA Seeks Moon Storytelling Ideas To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video As NASA pioneers new technologies and methods for storytelling in space for the benefit of humanity, the agency is hosting Artemis in Motion listening sessions with industry on Thursday, Jan. 23, and Friday, Jan. 24, in Los Angeles. From the live TV images of humanity’s first steps on the Moon in July of 1969 to the July 2024 two-way 4k transmissions between the International Space Station and an airborne platform, NASA and its partners work on the frontiers of the media landscape to share historic achievements in space exploration. As part of its Artemis campaign, NASA will land the next American astronauts and first international astronaut on the Moon, explore more of the Moon than ever before, and more. Through NASA’s listening sessions, invited participants will learn about the agency’s work to tell the Artemis Generation’s lunar exploration story, and discuss new opportunities to highlight the agency’s work. Today’s advances in technology, storytelling, and production make it possible to share the experience of landing, living, and working on the Moon in ways never before possible. NASA wants to hear how participants would share the extraordinary story of sustained human presence and exploration throughout the solar system, which is rooted across three balanced pillars of science, inspiration, and national posture. NASA’s OTPS (Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy), Office of Communications, and the Exploration System Mission Directorate are organizing the sessions in coordination with Science Mission Directorate, and the Space Operations Mission Directorate. Overview With the Artemis campaign, NASA is returning to the Moon to discover the unknown, advance technology, and to learn how to live and work on another world as we prepare for human missions to Mars. Artemis I successfully completed an uncrewed mission in 2022, and in 2026 Artemis II will next send four crew members to fly around the Moon. As early as mid-2027, Artemis III and subsequent missions will once again bring humans back to the surface of the Moon, landing for the first time where no people have been before: the lunar South Pole region. Like the historic Apollo landings 50 years ago, these missions to the surface of the Moon will provide unparalleled opportunities for motion imagery to inspire and ignite the imagination of people around the world. NASA and its commercial partners will have integrated cameras on human landing systems and spacesuits, as well as each astronaut carrying their own handheld camera. But we know the modern age offers many creative ways to share these moments, ways to let each of us “ride along” with the crew. NASA is calling on media producers and distributors, studios, imagery companies, space companies, academia, and other interested parties to share their ideas directly with NASA leadership. Each participant will be asked to make a 30-minute presentation to be delivered in a one-on-one session to the NASA team. Concepts should focus on the Artemis III-V missions (for more on each Artemis missions see NASA’s Moon to Mars Architecture), particularly the time they will spend on the lunar surface. NASA has particular interest in information that informs three key questions: What could supplement NASA’s planned acquisition, communication, distribution, etc. of lunar imagery? (See the FAQ section for an overview of our current plans.) What could be done with the video, photography, and telemetry from the mission(s) to creatively share the return of humans to the Moon in unique and compelling ways? How could NASA collaborate with your organization to help NASA tell the story of Artemis in a unique way? There are no associated activities (e.g., procurement, cooperative agreement, Space Act agreement, etc.) planned at this time. Session Details Beyond the in-person events already planned and depending on demand, NASA may offer additional virtual sessions the week of February 3rd. The agency also is engaging the entertainment community through a private panel presentation at the Motion Picture Academy. If space allows, participants will be invited to attend an information session on the Artemis campaign and its motion imagery opportunities the morning of Jan. 23. We will provide more information on the optional briefing upon RSVP. Organizations interested in booking a listening session should email their request to: hq-dl-artemis-in-motion@mail.nasa.gov with the following information by Monday, Jan. 13: Organization name Participant name(s) – limit to three Point of contact email and phone number Request for in-person or virtual session NASA will set the session schedule and contact organizations directly to confirm all details. No slide decks or digital presentations are permitted during the sessions, although you may bring printed materials. Please do not share confidential or proprietary information during the sessions. We will not record the sessions, however, NASA staff may take notes. For more information on the Artemis in Motion listening sessions, please read our FAQ section below. You may send additional questions or requests for guidance on your presentation to hq-dl-artemis-in-motion@mail.nasa.gov. Please note we may add your questions to the FAQ below if deemed helpful to other participants. Artemis in Motion Listening Sessions FAQ Q: Does NASA have any specific opportunities it is seeking ideas for? A: NASA is looking to explore the art of the possible in ideas that supplement, improve, or expand the use of imagery from the lunar surface, and will accept any information on ideas that forward the story of Artemis and that adheres with NASA’s principles. The following list of potential opportunities are examples of what may interest the listening team. These are examples only and not meant to restrict the scope of presentations. A deployable or separately landed camera system for third-person point-of-view imagery from the lunar surface. A deployable or separately landed camera system for third-person point-of-view imagery from the lunar surface. Non-traditional imagery options including virtual reality, augmented reality, and similar immersive technologies. Collaboration with the NASA+ team to stream a live event to a very large audience. A TV series or production leading up to and around the Artemis missions. An efficient, space-rated encoder to transmit live, high-quality video from the HULC (Handheld Universal Lunar Camera), a ruggedized version of the Nikon Z9. Processing techniques to increase data throughput or recall for ground operations. An approach to increasing the bandwidth available to downlink more or higher quality videos. Q: What sources of imagery does NASA already plan to have on the lunar surface? A: NASA expects to have access to at least three sources of imagery on the lunar surface: External and internal video cameras mounted on the Human Landing System. A video camera mounted on each astronaut suit, providing the perspective of the crew members during EVA. The HULC (a modified Nikon Z 9) that will be carried by each crew member to provide real-time photography. These sources will offer a variety of perspectives, including live video up to UHD resolution. Video will be standard 16:9 format; there are no current plans for stereoscopic video, 360-degree cameras, or spatial video/audio. NASA currently plans to stream live content via its NASA+ platform as an over-the-top service, as well as provide a backhaul feed to the media. It will also archive and release the photography and video, including any imagery returned from the Moon later with the crew. Q: How would additional imagery be routed on the Moon and back to Earth? A: NASA imagery will be routed through the Human Landing System and then downlinked to Earth via the Deep Space Network (DSN). Equipment on the surface of the Moon will transmit imagery to the Human Landing System via Wi-Fi; Artemis III may also include a development test objective for a 4G/LTE connection. We expect limited data bandwidth for any non-critical video links, ranging from single-digit to low double-digit megabits per second. It could be possible for solutions to support increased bandwidth by supporting downlink direct to Earth or through a lunar relay system. Q: What is the weight limit for new systems brought to the Moon? A: While there isn’t a specific weight limit, additional imagery systems ideally are low in mass, size, weight, power, and bandwidth due to the limited capacity for the early Artemis missions. Q: Can an organization propose a production or solution for which they would have exclusive rights? A: NASA has previously entered into content agreements with organizations that involve some level of exclusivity. However, NASA seeks to benefit all humanity and especially desires solutions that can be shared with the widest possible audience. Q: Can an organization propose a production that involves content before and after the mission such as content with crew members? A: Yes. NASA expects the story of a mission to not just include the time on the Moon, but the launch and splashdown; the story of the Artemis campaign to not just include the mission itself but the engineering, the training, the uncrewed test flights, and their impact. Q: Are listening sessions open to organizations outside the United States? A: Yes, participation by international entities is encouraged. International space agencies interested in discussing opportunities are encouraged to reach out directly to hq-dl-artemis-in-motion@mail.nasa.gov. Q: Can NASA help certify or design the hardware for use on the Lunar Surface? A: Any hardware would need to meet the NASA interface and safety requirements to fly. The specifics of those interfaces, as well as the possibility of NASA support in meeting them, would be discussed in any follow-on discussions or solicitations. (As a reminder, NASA is also interested in concepts that do not require providing and flying new hardware.) Q: Must any solution be completely autonomously operated or could it link to a suit or the Human Landing System for data and power and/or be operated by a crew member? A: A solution could provide its own communication system or it could route data transmission to and through the Human Landing System, which could be done via Wi-Fi (Artemis III may also include a development test objective for a 4G/LTE connection). Routing data through or getting power from the suit is likely to not be a feasible option. Crew may be able to set up a camera on the lunar surface, but crew time is too constrained to expect the crew to continue to operate the camera. Human Landing System support for providing power for or exchanging commands with a payload would need to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Q: Will information from the presentations be shared? A: NASA does not intend to share information from the individual sessions outside of the agency. Share Details Last Updated Dec 11, 2024 EditorBill Keeter Related TermsOffice of Technology, Policy and Strategy (OTPS) View the full article

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, left, and U.S. Department of State Acting Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Jennifer R. Littlejohn, right, look on as Ambassador of the Republic of Austria to the United States of America Petra Schneebauer, signs the Artemis Accords, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. The Republic of Austria is the 50th country to sign the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s Artemis program. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky Lee esta nota de prensa en español aquí. Panama and Austria signed the Artemis Accords Wednesday during separate signing ceremonies at NASA Headquarters in Washington, becoming the 49th and 50th nations to commit to the responsible exploration of space for all humanity. “NASA welcomes Panama and Austria to the Artemis Accords community and celebrates 50 countries united by shared principles for the safe and responsible exploration of space,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said. “More than ever before, NASA is opening space to more nations and more people for the benefit of all. Together we are building long-term and peaceful deep space exploration for the Artemis Generation.” In just a few years, the original group of eight country signatories including the United States has multiplied, with 17 countries signings in 2024. More than a number, the Artemis Accords represent a robust community, from every region of the world, unified by the same goal: to ensure safe and responsible civil space exploration. Through the Artemis Accords, the United States and other signatories are progressing toward continued safe and sustainable exploration of space with concrete outcomes. They committed to a method of operation and set of recommendations on non-interference, interoperability, release of scientific data, long-term sustainability guidelines, and registration to advance the implementation of the Artemis Accords. Potential focus areas for the next year include further advancing sustainability, including debris management for both lunar orbit and the surface of the Moon. Austria Joins Artemis Accords Petra Schneebauer, ambassador of the Republic of Austria to the United States, signed the accords on behalf of Austria, becoming the 50th country signatory. “Austria is proud to sign the Artemis Accords, an important step in fostering international cooperation for the civil exploration of the Moon and expanding humanity’s presence in the cosmos,” said Schneebauer. “By signing the Accords, we reaffirm our commitment to the peaceful, responsible, and cooperative use of space while emphasizing our support for strong multilateral partnerships and scientific progress. This cooperation will open new prospects for Austrian businesses, scientists, and research institutions to engage in pioneering space initiatives.” Jennifer Littlejohn, acting assistant secretary, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, U.S. Department of State, also participated in Austria’s signing event. Panama Joins Artemis Accords Earlier Wednesday, Nelson hosted Panama for a signing ceremony. José Miguel Alemán Healy, ambassador of the Republic of Panama to the United States, signed the Artemis Accords on behalf of Panama. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Tony Fernandes for U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs also participated in the event. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, left, Ambassador of the Republic of Panama to the United States of America José Miguel Alemán Healy, center, and U.S. Department of State Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Tony Fernandes, pose for a picture after the Republic of Panama signed the Artemis Accords, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. The Republic of Panama is the 49th country to sign the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s Artemis program. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky “Today, Panama takes its place among many other nations looking not just to our own horizons, but to the horizons beyond our planet – exploring, learning, and contributing to humanity’s collective knowledge,” said Alemán.”This moment represents far more than a diplomatic signature. It is a bold commitment to peaceful exploration, scientific discovery, and international collaboration.” In 2020, the United States, led by NASA with the U.S. Department of State, and seven other initial signatory nations established the Artemis Accords, identifying a set of principles promoting the beneficial use of space for humanity. The Artemis Accords are grounded in the Outer Space Treaty and other agreements including the Registration Convention, the Rescue and Return Agreement, as well as best practices and norms of responsible behavior that NASA and its partners have supported, including the public release of scientific data. The accords are a voluntary commitment to engage in safe, transparent, responsible behavior in space, and any nation that wants to commit to those values is welcome to sign. Learn more about the Artemis Accords at: https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords -end- Meira Bernstein / Elizabeth Shaw Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 meira.b.bernstein@nasa.gov / elizabeth.a.shaw@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Dec 11, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsBill NelsonOffice of International and Interagency Relations (OIIR) View the full article

Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program lift the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) core stage for the Artemis II mission from horizonal to vertical inside the transfer aisle at the Vehicle Assembly building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. The one-of-a kind lifting beam is designed to move the core stage from the transfer aisle to High Bay 2 where it will remain while teams stack the two solid rocket boosters for the SLS core stage. NASA/Adeline Morgan NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) Moon rocket core stage is vertical in High Bay 2 on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The core stage arrived on July 23 to NASA Kennedy, where it remained horizontal inside the facility’s transfer aisle. With the move to High Bay 2, technicians with NASA and Boeing now have 360-degree access to the core stage both internally and externally. The move also frees up more space in the transfer aisle to allow technicians to continue transporting and integrating two solid rocket boosters onto mobile launcher 1 in High Bay 3 for the Artemis II mission. Boeing and their sub-contractor Futuramic refurbished High Bay 2 to increase efficiencies while processing core stages for Artemis II and beyond. During Apollo, technicians stacked the Saturn V rocket in High Bay 2. During the Space Shuttle Program, the high bay was used for external tank checkout and storage and as a contingency storage area for the shuttle. The Artemis II test flight will be NASA’s first mission with crew under the Artemis campaign, sending NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Reid Wiseman, as well as CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back. Image credit: NASA/Adeline Morgan View the full article

3 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA/Steve Parcel The most effective way to prove a new idea is to start small, test, learn, and test again. A team of researchers developing an atmospheric probe at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, are taking that approach. The concept could offer future scientists a potentially better and more economical way to collect data on other planets. The latest iteration of the atmospheric probe flew after release from a quad-rotor remotely piloted aircraft on Oct. 22 above Rogers Dry Lake, a flight area adjacent to NASA Armstrong. The probe benefits from NASA 1960s research on lifting body aircraft, which use the aircraft’s shape for lift instead of wings. Testing demonstrated the shape of the probe works. “I’m ecstatic,” said John Bodylski, atmospheric probe principal investigator at NASA Armstrong. “It was completely stable in flight. We will be looking at releasing it from a higher altitude to keep it flying longer and demonstrate more maneuvers.” An atmospheric probe model attached upside down to a quad rotor remotely piloted aircraft ascends with the Moon visible on Oct. 22, 2024. The quad rotor aircraft released the probe above Rogers Dry Lake, a flight area adjacent NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The probe was designed and built at the center.NASA/Steve Freeman Starting with a Center Innovation Fund award in 2023, Bodylski worked closely with the center’s Dale Reed Subscale Flight Research Laboratory to design and build three atmospheric probe models, each vehicle 28 inches long from nose to tail. One model is a visual to show what the concept looks like, while two additional prototypes improved the technology’s readiness. The road to the successful flight wasn’t smooth, which is expected with any new flight idea. The first flight on Aug. 1 didn’t go as planned. The release mechanism didn’t work as expected and air movement from the quad rotor aircraft was greater than anticipated. It was that failure that inspired the research team to take another look at everything about the vehicle, leading to many improvements, said Justin Hall, NASA Armstrong chief pilot of small, unmanned aircraft systems. Fast forward to Oct. 22, where the redesign of the release mechanism, in addition to an upside-down release and modified flight control surfaces, led to a stable and level flight. “Everything we learned from the first vehicle failing and integrating what we learned into this one seemed to work well,” Hall said. “This is a win for us. We have a good place to go from here and there’s some more changes we can make to improve it.” Justin Link, left, small unmanned aircraft systems pilot; John Bodylski, atmospheric probe principal investigator; and Justin Hall, chief pilot of small unmanned aircraft systems, discuss details of the atmospheric probe flight plan on Oct. 22, 2024. A quad rotor remotely piloted aircraft released the probe above Rogers Dry Lake, a flight area adjacent NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The probe was designed and built at the center.NASA/Steve Freeman Bodylski added, “We are going to focus on getting the aircraft to pull up sooner to give us more flight time to learn more about the prototype. We will go to a higher altitude [this flight started at 560 feet altitude] on the next flight because we are not worried about the aircraft’s stability.” When the team reviewed flight photos and video from the Oct. 22 flight they identified additional areas for improvement. Another atmospheric probe will be built with enhancements and flown. Following another successful flight, the team plans to instrument a future atmospheric probe that will gather data and improve computer models. Data gathering is the main goal for the current flights to give scientists confidence in additional probe shapes for atmospheric missions on other planets. If this concept is eventually chosen for a mission, it would ride on a satellite to its destination. From there, the probe would separate as the parent satellite orbits around a planet, then enter and dive through the atmosphere as it gathers information for clues of how the solar system formed. Justin Hall, chief pilot of small unmanned aircraft systems, prepares the atmospheric probe for flight above Rogers Dry Lake, a flight area adjacent NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. At right, Justin Link, small unmanned aircraft systems pilot, assists. The probe, designed and built at the center, flew after release from a quad rotor remotely piloted aircraft on Oct. 22, 2024.NASA/Steve Freeman Derek Abramson, left, chief engineer for the Dale Reed Subscale Flight Research Laboratory, and Justin Link, small unmanned aircraft system pilot, carry the atmospheric probe model and a quad rotor remotely piloted aircraft to position it for flight on Oct. 24, 2024. John Bodylski, probe principal investigator, right, and videographer Jacob Shaw watch the preparations. Once at altitude, the quad rotor aircraft released the probe above Rogers Dry Lake, a flight area adjacent to NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The probe was designed and built at the center.NASA/Steve Freeman A quad rotor remotely piloted aircraft releases the atmospheric probe model above Rogers Dry Lake, a flight area adjacent NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Oct. 22, 2024. The probe was designed and built at the center.NASA/Carla Thomas Share Details Last Updated Dec 11, 2024 Related TermsArmstrong Flight Research CenterAeronauticsCenter Innovation FundFlight InnovationSpace Technology Mission Directorate Explore More 3 min read NASA Moves Drone Package Delivery Industry Closer to Reality Article 24 hours ago 1 min read NASA TechLeap Prize: Space Technology Payload Challenge Article 1 day ago 1 min read 3D Printable Bioreactor for Deep Space Food Production Article 1 day ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center Armstrong Capabilities & Facilities Armstrong Technologies Armstrong Flight Research Center History View the full article

5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Watersheds on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard will be among the areas most affected by underground saltwater intrusion by the year 2100 due to sea level rise and changes in groundwater supplies, according to a NASA-DOD study. NASA’s Terra satellite captured this image on April 21, 2023. Intrusion of saltwater into coastal groundwater can make water there unusable, damage ecosystems, and corrode infrastructure. Seawater will infiltrate underground freshwater supplies in about three of every four coastal areas around the world by the year 2100, according to a recent study led by researchers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. In addition to making water in some coastal aquifers undrinkable and unusable for irrigation, these changes can harm ecosystems and corrode infrastructure. Called saltwater intrusion, the phenomenon happens below coastlines, where two masses of water naturally hold each other at bay. Rainfall on land replenishes, or recharges, fresh water in coastal aquifers (underground rock and soil that hold water), which tends to flow below ground toward the ocean. Meanwhile, seawater, backed by the pressure of the ocean, tends to push inland. Although there’s some mixing in the transition zone where the two meet, the balance of opposing forces typically keeps the water fresh on one side and salty on the other. Now, two impacts of climate change are tipping the scales in favor of salt water. Spurred by planetary warming, sea level rise is causing coastlines to migrate inland and increasing the force pushing salt water landward. At the same time, slower groundwater recharge — due to less rainfall and warmer weather patterns — is weakening the force moving the underground fresh water in some areas. Worldwide Intrusion Saltwater intrusion will affect groundwater in about three of every four coastal aquifers around the world by the year 2100, a NASA-DOD study estimates. Saltwater can make groundwater in coastal areas undrinkable and useless for irrigation, as well as harm ecosystems and corrode infrastructure.NASA/JPL-Caltech The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters in November, evaluated more than 60,000 coastal watersheds (land area that channels and drains all the rainfall and snowmelt from a region into a common outlet) around the world, mapping how diminished groundwater recharge and sea level rise will each contribute to saltwater intrusion while estimating what their net effect will be. Considering the two factors separately, the study’s authors found that by 2100 rising sea levels alone will tend to drive saltwater inland in 82% of coastal watersheds studied. The transition zone in those places would move a relatively modest distance: no more than 656 feet (200 meters) from current positions. Vulnerable areas include low-lying regions such as Southeast Asia, the coast around the Gulf of Mexico, and much of the United States’ Eastern Seaboard. Meanwhile, slower recharge on its own will tend to cause saltwater intrusion in 45% of the coastal watersheds studied. In these areas, the transition zone would move farther inland than it will from sea level rise — as much as three-quarters of a mile (about 1,200 meters) in some places. The regions to be most affected include the Arabian Peninsula, Western Australia, and Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. In about 42% of coastal watersheds, groundwater recharge will increase, tending to push the transition zone toward the ocean and in some areas overcoming the effect of saltwater intrusion by sea level rise. All told, due to the combined effects of changes in sea level and groundwater recharge, saltwater intrusion will occur by century’s end in 77% of the coastal watersheds evaluated, according to the study. Generally, lower rates of groundwater recharge are going to drive how far saltwater intrudes inland, while sea level rise will determine how widespread it is around the world. “Depending on where you are and which one dominates, your management implications might change,” said Kyra Adams, a groundwater scientist at JPL and the paper’s lead author. For example, if low recharge is the main reason intrusion is happening in one area, officials there might address it by protecting groundwater resources, she said. On the other hand, if the greater concern is that sea level rise will oversaturate an aquifer, officials might divert groundwater. Global Consistency Co-funded by NASA and the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), the study is part of an effort to evaluate how sea level rise will affect the department’s coastal facilities and other infrastructure. It used information on watersheds collected in HydroSHEDS, a database managed by the World Wildlife Fund that uses elevation observations from the NASA Shuttle Radar Topography Mission. To estimate saltwater intrusion distances by 2100, the researchers used a model accounting for groundwater recharge, water table rise, fresh- and saltwater densities, and coastal migration from sea level rise, among other variables. Study coauthor Ben Hamlington, a climate scientist at JPL and a coleader of NASA’s Sea Level Change Team, said that the global picture is analogous to what researchers see with coastal flooding: “As sea levels rise, there’s an increased risk of flooding everywhere. With saltwater intrusion, we’re seeing that sea level rise is raising the baseline risk for changes in groundwater recharge to become a serious factor.” A globally consistent framework that captures localized climate impacts is crucial for countries that don’t have the expertise to generate one on their own, he added. “Those that have the fewest resources are the ones most affected by sea level rise and climate change,” Hamlington said, “so this kind of approach can go a long way.” News Media Contacts Andrew Wang / Jane J. Lee Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 626-379-6874 / 818-354-0307 andrew.wang@jpl.nasa.gov / jane.j.lee@jpl.nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Dec 11, 2024 Related TermsShuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM)EarthEarth Science DivisionJet Propulsion LaboratoryOceans Explore More 5 min read NASA Performs First Aircraft Accident Investigation on Another World Article 3 hours ago 6 min read NASA’s PACE, US-European SWOT Satellites Offer Combined Look at Ocean Article 2 days ago 3 min read Leader of NASA’s VERITAS Mission Honored With AGU’s Whipple Award Article 2 days ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

Earth (ESD) Earth Explore Climate Change Science in Action Multimedia Data For Researchers About Us 4 min read NASA Study: Crops, Forests Responding to Changing Rainfall Patterns Earth’s rainy days are changing and plant life is responding. This visualization shows average precipitation for the entire globe based on more than 20 years of data from 2000 to 2023. Cooler colors indicate areas that receive less rain. Warm colors receive more rain. NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio A new NASA-led study has found that how rain falls in a given year is nearly as important to the world’s vegetation as how much. Reporting Dec. 11 in Nature, the researchers showed that even in years with similar rainfall totals, plants fared differently when that water came in fewer, bigger bursts. In years with less frequent but more concentrated rainfall, plants in drier environments like the U.S. Southwest were more likely to thrive. In humid ecosystems like the Central American rainforest, vegetation tended to fare worse, possibly because it could not tolerate the longer dry spells. Scientists have previously estimated that almost half of the world’s vegetation is driven primarily by how much rain falls in a year. Less well understood is the role of day-to-day variability, said lead author Andrew Feldman, a hydrologist and ecosystem scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Shifting precipitation patterns are producing stronger rainstorms — with longer dry spells in between — compared to a century ago. “You can think of it like this: if you have a house plant, what happens if you give it a full pitcher of water on Sunday versus a third of a pitcher on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday?” said Feldman. Scale that to the size of the U.S. Corn Belt or a rainforest and the answer could have implications for crop yields and ultimately how much carbon dioxide plants remove from the atmosphere. Blooms in Desert The team, including researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and multiple universities, analyzed two decades of field and satellite observations, spanning millions of square miles. Their study area encompassed diverse landscapes from Siberia to the southern tip of Patagonia. Yellow wildflowers and orange poppies carpet the desert following a wet winter for the Antelope Valley in California. NASA/Jim Ross They found that plants across 42% of Earth’s vegetated land surface were sensitive to daily rainfall variability. Of those, a little over half fared better — often showing increased growth — in years with fewer but more intense wet days. These include croplands as well as drier landscapes like grasslands and deserts. In contrast, broadleaf (e.g., oak, maple, and beech) forests and rainforests in lower and middle latitudes tended to fare worse under those conditions. The effect was especially pronounced in Indo-Pacific rainforests, including in the Philippines and Indonesia. Statistically, daily rainfall variability was nearly as important as annual rainfall totals in driving growth worldwide. Red Light, Green Light The new study relied primarily on a suite of NASA missions and datasets, including the Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) algorithm, which provides rain and snowfall rates for most of the planet every 30 minutes using a network of international satellites. To gauge plant response day to day, the researchers calculated how green an area appeared in satellite imagery. “Greenness”, also known asthe Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, is commonly used to estimate vegetation density and health. They also tracked a faint reddish light that plants emit during photosynthesis, when a plant absorbs sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into food, its chlorophyll “leaks” unused photons. This faint light is called solar-induced fluorescence, and it’s a telltale sign of flourishing vegetation. Growing plants emit a form of light detectable by NASA satellites orbiting hundreds of miles above Earth. Parts of North America appear to glimmer in this visualization, depicting an average year. Gray indicates regions with little or no fluorescence; red, pink, and white indicate high fluorescence. NASA Scientific Visualization Studio Not visible bythe naked eye, plant fluorescence can be detected by instruments aboard satellites such as NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2). Launched in 2014, OCO-2 has observed the U.S. Midwest fluorescing strongly during the growing season. Feldman said the findings highlight the vital role that plants play in moving carbon around Earth — a process called the carbon cycle. Vegetation, including crops, forests, and grasslands, forms a vast carbon “sink,” absorbing excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. “A finer understanding of how plants thrive or decline day to day, storm by storm, could help us better understand their role in that critical cycle,” Feldman said. The study also included researchers from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, Stanford University, Columbia University, Indiana University, and the University of Arizona. By Sally Younger NASA’s Earth Science News Team About the Author Sally Younger Share Details Last Updated Dec 11, 2024 Related Terms Climate Change Earth Water on Earth Explore More 3 min read Annual Science Conference to Highlight NASA Research Article 5 days ago 6 min read NASA Flights Map Critical Minerals from Skies Above Western US Technology used to chart other worlds is revealing minerals in the American West that are… Article 6 days ago 4 min read Expanded AI Model with Global Data Enhances Earth Science Applications Article 1 week ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Earth Your home. Our Mission. And the one planet that NASA studies more than any other. Climate Change NASA is a global leader in studying Earth’s changing climate. Earth Science in Action NASA’s unique vantage point helps us inform solutions to enhance decision-making, improve livelihoods, and protect our planet. Explore Earth Science View the full article

NASA Astronauts (from left) Mike Barratt, Matthew Dominick, and Loral O’Hara take photographs of Earth from inside the cupola aboard space station.Credit: NASA That’s a wrap! Astronauts aboard the International Space Station conducted hundreds of science experiments and technology demonstrations during 2024. Crew members participated in research across a variety of scientific disciplines and accomplished milestones demonstrating benefits for future missions and humanity back on Earth. Their work included snapping thousands of images of Earth to understand our planet’s changing landscape, bioprinting cardiac tissues to validate technology for organ manufacturing in space, and studying physical phenomena that could improve drug delivery systems and technology for plant growth in reduced gravity. This new image gallery showcases dozens of awe-inspiring photos and includes details about the research benefits of the state-of-the-art science happening aboard space station. Discover the best science images of 2024 from your orbiting lab. Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA International Space Station Space Station Research and Technology Humans In Space Benefits to Humanity View the full article

3 Min Read They Grow So Fast: Moon Tree Progress Since NASA’s Artemis I Mission In the two years since NASA’s Orion spacecraft returned to Earth with more than 2,000 tree seedlings sourced in a partnership with USDA Forest Service, Artemis I Moon trees have taken root at 236 locations across the contiguous United States. Organizations are cultivating more than just trees, as they nurture community connections, spark curiosity about space, and foster a deeper understanding of NASA’s missions. Universities, federal agencies, museums, and other organizations who were selected to be Moon tree recipients have branched out to provide their community unique engagements with their seedling. Children sitting in a circle around a newly planted Moon tree and learning about NASA’s Artemis I mission. Adria Gillespie “Through class visits to the tree, students have gained a lot of interest in caring for the tree, and their curiosity for the unknown in outer space sparked them to do research of their own to get answers to their inquiries,” said Adria Gillespie, the district science coach at Greenfield Union School District in Greenfield, California. The presence of a Moon tree at schools has blossomed into more student engagements surrounding NASA’s missions. Along with planting their American Sycamore, students from Eagle Pointe Elementary in Plainfield, Illinois, are participating in a Lunar Quest club to learn about NASA and engage in a simulated field trip to the Moon. Eagle Pointe Elementary students also took part in a planting ceremony for their seedling, where they buried a time capsule with the seed, and established a student committee responsible for caring for their Moon tree. At Marshall STEMM Academy in Toledo, Ohio, second grade students were assigned reading activities associated with their Moon tree, fourth graders created Moon tree presentations to show the school, and students engaged with city leaders and school board members to provide a Moon tree dedication. Two individuals planting a Moon tree. Brandon Dillman A seedling sent to The Gathering Garden in Mount Gilead, North Carolina, is cared for by community volunteers. Lessons with local schools and 4-H clubs, as well as the establishment of newsletters and social media to maintain updates, have sprouted from The Gathering Garden’s Loblolly Pine. Sprucing Up the Moon Trees’ Environment In addition to nurturing their Moon tree, many communities have planted other trees alongside their seedling to foster a healthier environment. In Castro Valley, California, a non-profit called ForestR planted oak, fir, and sequoia trees to nestle their seedling among a tree “family.” New homes for additional Moon tree seedlings are being identified each season through Fall 2025. Communities continue to track how the impact of NASA’s science and innovation grows alongside their Moon trees. NASA’s “new generation” Moon trees originally blossomed from NASA’s Apollo 14 mission, where NASA astronaut Stuart Roosa carried tree seeds into lunar orbit. NASA’s Next Generation STEM project partnered with USDA Forest Service to bring Moon trees to selected organizations. As NASA continues to work for the benefit of all, its Moon trees have demonstrated how one tiny seed can sprout positive change for communities, the environment, and education. Learn more about NASA’s STEM engagements: https://stem.nasa.gov Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA NASA STEM Artemis Moon Trees ARTEMIS I Outside the Classroom For Kids and Students View the full article

Webb Webb News Latest News Latest Images Blog (offsite) Awards X (offsite – login reqd) Instagram (offsite – login reqd) Facebook (offsite- login reqd) Youtube (offsite) Overview About Who is James Webb? Fact Sheet Impacts+Benefits FAQ Science Overview and Goals Early Universe Galaxies Over Time Star Lifecycle Other Worlds Observatory Overview Launch Orbit Mirrors Sunshield Instrument: NIRCam Instrument: MIRI Instrument: NIRSpec Instrument: FGS/NIRISS Optical Telescope Element Backplane Spacecraft Bus Instrument Module Multimedia About Webb Images Images Videos What is Webb Observing? 3d Webb in 3d Solar System Podcasts Webb Image Sonifications Team International Team People Of Webb More For the Media For Scientists For Educators For Fun/Learning 6 Min Read Found: First Actively Forming Galaxy as Lightweight as Young Milky Way Hundreds of overlapping objects at various distances are spread across this field. At the very center is a tiny galaxy nicknamed Firefly Sparkle that looks like a long, angled, dotted line. Smaller companions are nearby. Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Chris Willott (National Research Council Canada), Lamiya Mowla (Wellesley College), Kartheik Iyer (Columbia University) For the first time, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has detected and “weighed” a galaxy that not only existed around 600 million years after the big bang, but is also similar to what our Milky Way galaxy’s mass might have been at the same stage of development. Other galaxies Webb has detected at this time period are significantly more massive. Nicknamed the Firefly Sparkle, this galaxy is gleaming with star clusters — 10 in all — each of which researchers examined in great detail. Image A: Firefly Sparkle Galaxy and Companions in Galaxy Cluster MACS J1423 (NIRCam Image) For the first time, astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have identified a galaxy, nicknamed the Firefly Sparkle, that not only is in the process of assembling and forming stars around 600 million years after the big bang, but also weighs about the same as our Milky Way galaxy if we could “wind back the clock” to weigh it as it developed. Two companion galaxies are close by, which may ultimately affect how this galaxy forms and builds mass over billions of years. NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Chris Willott (National Research Council Canada), Lamiya Mowla (Wellesley College), Kartheik Iyer (Columbia University) “I didn’t think it would be possible to resolve a galaxy that existed so early in the universe into so many distinct components, let alone find that its mass is similar to our own galaxy’s when it was in the process of forming,” said Lamiya Mowla, co-lead author of the paper and an assistant professor at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. “There is so much going on inside this tiny galaxy, including so many different phases of star formation.” Webb was able to image the galaxy in crisp detail for two reasons. One is a benefit of the cosmos: A massive foreground galaxy cluster radically enhanced the distant galaxy’s appearance through a natural effect known as gravitational lensing. And when combined with the telescope’s specialization in high-resolution infrared light, Webb delivered unprecedented new data about the galaxy’s contents. Image B: Galaxy Cluster MACS J1423 (NIRCam Image) In this image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, thousands of glimmering galaxies are bound together by their own gravity, making up a massive cluster formally classified as MACS J1423. The largest, bright white oval is a supergiant elliptical galaxy. The galaxy cluster acts like a lens, magnifying and distorting the light of objects that lie well behind it, an effect known as gravitational lensing. NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Chris Willott (National Research Council Canada), Lamiya Mowla (Wellesley College), Kartheik Iyer (Columbia University) “Without the benefit of this gravitational lens, we would not be able to resolve this galaxy,” said Kartheik Iyer, co-lead author and NASA Hubble Fellow at Columbia University in New York. “We knew to expect it based on current physics, but it’s surprising that we actually saw it.” Mowla, who spotted the galaxy in Webb’s image, was drawn to its gleaming star clusters, because objects that sparkle typically indicate they are extremely clumpy and complicated. Since the galaxy looks like a “sparkle” or swarm of lightning bugs on a warm summer night, they named it the Firefly Sparkle galaxy. Reconstructing the Galaxy’s Appearance The research team modeled what the galaxy might have looked like if it weren’t stretched and discovered that it resembled an elongated raindrop. Suspended within it are two star clusters toward the top and eight toward the bottom. “Our reconstruction shows that clumps of actively forming stars are surrounded by diffuse light from other unresolved stars,” said Iyer. “This galaxy is literally in the process of assembling.” Webb’s data shows the Firefly Sparkle galaxy is on the smaller side, falling into the category of a low-mass galaxy. Billions of years will pass before it builds its full heft and a distinct shape. “Most of the other galaxies Webb has shown us aren’t magnified or stretched, and we are not able to see their ‘building blocks’ separately. With Firefly Sparkle, we are witnessing a galaxy being assembled brick by brick,” Mowla said. Stretched Out and Shining, Ready for Close Analysis Since the galaxy is warped into a long arc, the researchers easily picked out 10 distinct star clusters, which are emitting the bulk of the galaxy’s light. They are represented here in shades of pink, purple, and blue. Those colors in Webb’s images and its supporting spectra confirmed that star formation didn’t happen all at once in this galaxy, but was staggered in time. “This galaxy has a diverse population of star clusters, and it is remarkable that we can see them separately at such an early age of the universe,” said Chris Willott from the National Research Council of Canada’s Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre, a co-author and the observation program’s principal investigator. “Each clump of stars is undergoing a different phase of formation or evolution.” The galaxy’s projected shape shows that its stars haven’t settled into a central bulge or a thin, flattened disk, another piece of evidence that the galaxy is still forming. Image C: Illustration of the Firefly Sparkle Galaxy in the Early Universe (Artist’s Concept) This artist concept depicts a reconstruction of what the Firefly Sparkle galaxy looked like about 600 million years after the big bang if it wasn’t stretched and distorted by a natural effect known as gravitational lensing. This illustration is based on images and data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Illustration: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI). Science: Lamiya Mowla (Wellesley College), Guillaume Desprez (Saint Mary’s University) Video: “Firefly Sparkle” Reveals Early Galaxy ‘Glowing’ Companions Researchers can’t predict how this disorganized galaxy will build up and take shape over billions of years, but there are two galaxies that the team confirmed are “hanging out” within a tight perimeter and may influence how it builds mass over billions of years. Firefly Sparkle is only 6,500 light-years away from its first companion, and its second companion is separated by 42,000 light-years. For context, the fully formed Milky Way is about 100,000 light-years across — all three would fit inside it. Not only are its companions very close, the researchers also think that they are orbiting one another. Each time one galaxy passes another, gas condenses and cools, allowing new stars to form in clumps, adding to the galaxies’ masses. “It has long been predicted that galaxies in the early universe form through successive interactions and mergers with other tinier galaxies,” said Yoshihisa Asada, a co-author and doctoral student at Kyoto University in Japan. “We might be witnessing this process in action.” The team’s research relied on data from Webb’s CAnadian NIRISS Unbiased Cluster Survey (CANUCS), which includes near-infrared images from NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and spectra from the microshutter array aboard NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph). The CANUCS data intentionally covered a field that NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope imaged as part of its Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble (CLASH) program. This work has been published on December 11, 2024 in the journal Nature. The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency). Downloads Right click any image to save it or open a larger version in a new tab/window via the browser’s popup menu. View/Download all image products at all resolutions for this article from the Space Telescope Science Institute. View/Download the research results from the journal Nature. Media Contacts Laura Betz – laura.e.betz@nasa.gov NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Claire Blome – cblome@stsci.edu, Christine Pulliam – cpulliam@stsci.edu Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md. Related Information Video: How are Distant Galaxies Magnified Through Gravitational Lensing? Article: Webb Science: Galaxies Through Time Article: Spectroscopy 101 Interactive: Learn how the Webb microshutter array (MSA) works More Webb News More Webb Images Webb Science Themes Webb Mission Page Related For Kids What is a galaxy? What is the Webb Telescope? SpacePlace for Kids En Español ¿Qué es una galaxia? Ciencia de la NASA NASA en español Space Place para niños Keep Exploring Related Topics James Webb Space Telescope Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the… Galaxies Galaxies Stories Universe Share Details Last Updated Dec 10, 2024 Editor Marty McCoy Contact Laura Betz laura.e.betz@nasa.gov Related Terms Astrophysics Galaxies Galaxy clusters Goddard Space Flight Center Gravitational Lensing James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Science & Research The Universe View the full article

At Goddard Space Flight Center, the GSFC Data Science Group has completed the testing for their SatVision Top-of-Atmosphere (TOA) Foundation Model, a geospatial foundation model for coarse-resolution all-sky remote sensing imagery. The team, comprised of Mark Carroll, Caleb Spradlin, Jordan Caraballo-Vega, Jian Li, Jie Gong, and Paul Montesano, has now released their model for wide application in science investigations. Foundation models can transform the landscape of remote sensing (RS) data analysis by enabling the pre-training of large computer-vision models on vast amounts of remote sensing data. These models can be fine-tuned with small amounts of labeled training and applied to various mapping and monitoring applications. Because most existing foundation models are trained solely on cloud-free satellite imagery, they are limited to applications of land surface or require atmospheric corrections. SatVision-TOA is trained on all-sky conditions which enables applications involving atmospheric variables (e.g., cloud or aerosol). SatVision TOA is a 3 billion parameter model trained on 100 million images from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). This is, to our knowledge, the largest foundation model trained solely on satellite remote sensing imagery. By including “all-sky” conditions during pre-training, the team incorporated a range of cloud conditions often excluded in traditional modeling. This enables 3D cloud reconstruction and cloud modeling in support of Earth and climate science, offering significant enhancement for large-scale earth observation workflows. With an adaptable and scalable model design, SatVision-TOA can unify diverse Earth observation datasets and reduce dependency on task-specific models. SatVision-TOA leverages one of the largest public datasets to capture global contexts and robust features. The model could have broad applications for investigating spectrometer data, including MODIS, VIIRS, and GOES-ABI. The team believes this will enable transformative advancements in atmospheric science, cloud structure analysis, and Earth system modeling. The model architecture and model weights are available on GitHub and Hugging Face, respectively. For more information, including a detailed user guide, see the associated white paper: SatVision-TOA: A Geospatial Foundation Model for Coarse-Resolution All-Sky Remote Sensing Imagery. Examples of image reconstruction by SatVision-TOA. Left: MOD021KM v6.1 cropped image chip using MODIS bands [1, 3, 2]. Middle: The same images with randomly applied 8×8 mask patches, masking 60% of the original image. Right: The reconstructed images produced by the model, along with their respective Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM) scores. These examples illustrate the model’s ability to preserve structural detail and reconstruct heterogeneous features, such as cloud textures and land-cover transitions, with high fidelity.NASAView the full article

5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, right, stands near the apex of a sand ripple in an image taken by Perseverance on Feb. 24, 2024, about five weeks after the rotorcraft’s final flight. Part of one of Ingenuity’s rotor blades lies on the surface about 49 feet (15 meters) west of helicopter (at left in image).NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/CNES/CNRS The review takes a close look the final flight of the agency’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, which was the first aircraft to fly on another world. Engineers from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and AeroVironment are completing a detailed assessment of the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter’s final flight on Jan. 18, 2024, which will be published in the next few weeks as a NASA technical report. Designed as a technology demonstration to perform up to five experimental test flights over 30 days, Ingenuity was the first aircraft on another world. It operated for almost three years, performed 72 flights, and flew more than 30 times farther than planned while accumulating over two hours of flight time. The investigation concludes that the inability of Ingenuity’s navigation system to provide accurate data during the flight likely caused a chain of events that ended the mission. The report’s findings are expected to benefit future Mars helicopters, as well as other aircraft destined to operate on other worlds. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter used its black-and-white navigation camera to capture this video on Feb. 11, 2024, showing the shadow of its rotor blades. The imagery confirmed damage had occurred during Flight 72. NASA/JPL-Caltech Final Ascent Flight 72 was planned as a brief vertical hop to assess Ingenuity’s flight systems and photograph the area. Data from the flight shows Ingenuity climbing to 40 feet (12 meters), hovering, and capturing images. It initiated its descent at 19 seconds, and by 32 seconds the helicopter was back on the surface and had halted communications. The following day, the mission reestablished communications, and images that came down six days after the flight revealed Ingenuity had sustained severe damage to its rotor blades. What Happened “When running an accident investigation from 100 million miles away, you don’t have any black boxes or eyewitnesses,” said Ingenuity’s first pilot, Håvard Grip of JPL. “While multiple scenarios are viable with the available data, we have one we believe is most likely: Lack of surface texture gave the navigation system too little information to work with.” The helicopter’s vision navigation system was designed to track visual features on the surface using a downward-looking camera over well-textured (pebbly) but flat terrain. This limited tracking capability was more than sufficient for carrying out Ingenuity’s first five flights, but by Flight 72 the helicopter was in a region of Jezero Crater filled with steep, relatively featureless sand ripples. This short animation depicts a NASA concept for a proposed follow-on to the agency’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter called Mars Chopper, which remains in early conceptual and design stages. In addition to scouting, such a helicopter could carry science instruments to study terrain rovers can’t reach. One of the navigation system’s main requirements was to provide velocity estimates that would enable the helicopter to land within a small envelope of vertical and horizontal velocities. Data sent down during Flight 72 shows that, around 20 seconds after takeoff, the navigation system couldn’t find enough surface features to track. Photographs taken after the flight indicate the navigation errors created high horizontal velocities at touchdown. In the most likely scenario, the hard impact on the sand ripple’s slope caused Ingenuity to pitch and roll. The rapid attitude change resulted in loads on the fast-rotating rotor blades beyond their design limits, snapping all four of them off at their weakest point — about a third of the way from the tip. The damaged blades caused excessive vibration in the rotor system, ripping the remainder of one blade from its root and generating an excessive power demand that resulted in loss of communications. This graphic depicts the most likely scenario for the hard landing of NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter during its 72nd and final flight on Jan. 18, 2024. High horizontal velocities at touchdown resulted in a hard impact on a sand ripple, which caused Ingenuity to pitch and roll, damaging its rotor blades. NASA/JPL-Caltech Down but Not Out Although Flight 72 permanently grounded Ingenuity, the helicopter still beams weather and avionics test data to the Perseverance rover about once a week. The weather information could benefit future explorers of the Red Planet. The avionics data is already proving useful to engineers working on future designs of aircraft and other vehicles for the Red Planet. “Because Ingenuity was designed to be affordable while demanding huge amounts of computer power, we became the first mission to fly commercial off-the-shelf cellphone processors in deep space,” said Teddy Tzanetos, Ingenuity’s project manager. “We’re now approaching four years of continuous operations, suggesting that not everything needs to be bigger, heavier, and radiation-hardened to work in the harsh Martian environment.” Inspired by Ingenuity’s longevity, NASA engineers have been testing smaller, lighter avionics that could be used in vehicle designs for the Mars Sample Return campaign. The data is also helping engineers as they research what a future Mars helicopter could look like — and do. During a Wednesday, Dec. 11, briefing at the American Geophysical Union’s annual meeting in Washington, Tzanetos shared details on the Mars Chopper rotorcraft, a concept that he and other Ingenuity alumni are researching. As designed, Chopper is approximately 20 times heavier than Ingenuity, could fly several pounds of science equipment, and autonomously explore remote Martian locations while traveling up to 2 miles (3 kilometers) in a day. (Ingenuity’s longest flight was 2,310 feet, or 704 meters.) “Ingenuity has given us the confidence and data to envision the future of flight at Mars,” said Tzanetos. More About Ingenuity The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was built by JPL, which also manages the project for NASA Headquarters. It is supported by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley and NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, provided significant flight performance analysis and technical assistance during Ingenuity’s development. AeroVironment, Qualcomm, and SolAero also provided design assistance and major vehicle components. Lockheed Space designed and manufactured the Mars Helicopter Delivery System. At NASA Headquarters, Dave Lavery is the program executive for the Ingenuity Mars helicopter. For more information about Ingenuity: https://mars.nasa.gov/technology/helicopter News Media Contacts DC Agle Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 818-393-9011 agle@jpl.nasa.gov Karen Fox / Molly Wasser NASA Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov 2024-171 Share Details Last Updated Dec 11, 2024 Related TermsIngenuity (Helicopter)AstrobiologyJet Propulsion LaboratoryMarsMars 2020Perseverance (Rover) Explore More 3 min read Leader of NASA’s VERITAS Mission Honored With AGU’s Whipple Award Article 2 days ago 3 min read Students Aim High at NASA JPL ‘Candy Toss’ Competition Article 5 days ago 5 min read NASA JPL Unveils the Dr. Edward Stone Exploration Trail Article 5 days ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

NASA’s podcasts let you experience the thrill of space exploration without ever leaving Earth.Credit: NASA NASA’s audio storytelling reached new frontiers in 2024, with Spotify Wrapped revealing the agency’s podcasts as a favorite among listeners worldwide. In celebration of the milestone, NASA astronaut Nick Hague spoke with Spotify about what space sounded like this year. “Music is one of those things that connects us to the planet,” said Hague, in the video released on Spotify and NASA social accounts. “Music is a vital part of life up here. The soundtrack up here, it’s just going all the time. Everybody’s got their own flavor of music. Every Friday night the crew gets together, we turn on music and we stream things that we like. Whether they’re into pop or hard rock, it’s an international mix. When I think of space walks, I think of classical music, slow, methodical tunes, because that is the way that we conduct spacewalks. Slowly and methodically. Classical music captures the essence of, just floating in space.” With listeners in more than 100 countries, NASA podcasts reached new audiences and inspired people around the world on Spotify this year. Other 2024 highlights included: Ranked as a top choice for thousands of listeners seeking to learn about science and space. Spent a combined 37 weeks in Spotify’s top charts for science podcasts. The top streamed podcast was “NASA’s Curious Universe”, and the top streamed episode was “A Year in Mars Dune Alpha.” “We’re thrilled to have our space-centric content featured in Spotify Wrapped 2024,” said Brittany Brown, director of digital communications, NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Our collaboration with Spotify is a testament to NASA’s commitment to producing innovative and engaging content. We’re excited to see how audiences continue to respond to this unique listening experience only NASA can provide.” The agency’s podcasts cover a wide range of topics, including in-depth conversations with NASA astronauts, stories that take audiences on a tour of the galaxy, and Spanish-language content. “Music, just like space, connects us all,” said Katie Konans, audio program lead, eMITS contract with NASA. “Our partnership with Spotify has allowed NASA to share the wonder and excitement of space with music and podcast lovers globally. This year, we’re thrilled to take this connection to new heights by bringing the Spotify Wrapped 2024 conversation beyond planet Earth.” NASA released its collection of original podcasts on Spotify in 2023, furthering the agency’s mission to engage the Artemis Generation in the science, space exploration, and discovery. In addition to Spotify, users may find NASA podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Soundcloud. Discover all of NASA’s podcasts at: https://www.nasa.gov/podcasts -end- Abbey Donaldson Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 abbey.a.donaldson@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Dec 10, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsPodcastsAstronautsInternational Space Station (ISS)ISS ResearchNASA HeadquartersSocial Media View the full article

NASA/Joel Kowsky On Dec. 4, 2024, NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara, left, and Jasmin Moghbeli spent a moment in part of the Earth Information Center, an immersive experience combining live NASA data sets with innovative data visualization and storytelling at NASA Headquarters in Washington. O’Hara and Moghbeli spent six months in space as part of Expedition 70 aboard the International Space Station. On Nov. 1, 2023, they performed a spacewalk together that lasted 6 hours and 42 minutes. Image credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky 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 2 min read Looking Out for ‘Lookout Hill’ NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover looked backward to capture this image of its tracks over monotonous terrain, using its Rear Right Hazard Avoidance Camera. Pico Turquino, a bedrock mesa on the Jezero crater rim, is just visible in the background. Perseverance acquired this image on Nov. 29, 2024 (Sol 1343, or Martian day 1,343 of the Mars 2020 mission), at the local mean solar time of 11:58:52. NASA/JPL-Caltech At Pico Turquino, a bedrock mesa on the Jezero crater rim, the science and engineering teams planned proximity science on Percy’s 30th abrasion patch, Rio Chiquito. SCAM and ZCAM characterized the rock near the abrasion, while SHERLOC and PIXL instruments were deployed for proximity science. The data from Rio Chiquito will help characterize the Pico Turquino area in addition to helping scientists understand the broader story and complex geologic history of Jezero crater. NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover captured this image of the Rio Chiquito abrasion patch, using its SHERLOC WATSON camera, located on the turret at the end of the rover’s robotic arm. Image acquired on Nov. 20, 2024 (Sol 1334, or Martian day 1,334 of the Mars 2020 mission) at the local mean solar time of 16:18:39. NASA/JPL-Caltech After reaching the 30th abrasion milestone, Percy — along with the rover team back on Earth — took a couple of sols of much-deserved break over the Thanksgiving holiday before getting back to work. Percy has since left Pico Turquino and has started moving to the next geologically significant stop, called Witch Hazel Hill. There is also a planned stop along the way near the highest point of the crater rim that the rover will traverse, a locale aptly named “Lookout Hill” where we will get outstanding views of both the interior of Jezero crater and the surrounding landscape, as if in a lookout tower. The path to get to these stops is mostly covered in regolith (soil) and lacks interesting rock outcrops, so the team’s focus over the next few weeks is on making and monitoring drive progress. As the rover drives, however, it will still have science cameras trained on interesting rock outcrops in the far distant hills to gather additional clues about the rocks that make up the Jezero crater rim. Personally, I can’t wait for our stop at Lookout Hill, the apex of the crater rim, to see some gorgeous views inside and outside of Jezero from one of the highest spots around! Along with analyzing other returned data while Percy progresses toward Witch Hazel Hill, we’ll be anxiously scanning our post-drive images to look out for Lookout Hill coming into view Written by Eleanor Moreland, Ph.D. student collaborator at Rice University Share Details Last Updated Dec 10, 2024 Related Terms Blogs Explore More 3 min read Sols 4386-4388: Powers of Ten Article 11 hours ago 3 min read Sols 4384-4385: Leaving the Bishop Quad Article 4 days ago 3 min read Sols 4382-4383: Team Work, Dream Work Article 1 week ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, and the seventh largest. It’s the only planet we know of inhabited… All Mars Resources Explore this collection of Mars images, videos, resources, PDFs, and toolkits. Discover valuable content designed to inform, educate, and inspire,… Rover Basics Each robotic explorer sent to the Red Planet has its own unique capabilities driven by science. Many attributes of a… Mars Exploration: Science Goals The key to understanding the past, present or future potential for life on Mars can be found in NASA’s four… View the full article

If Digital Transformation were a ship, the vessel for delivering on our missions and ensuring smooth passage into the future, our final Digital Transformer of 2024 would be the captain. Growing up sailing with her father on the Chesapeake Bay, this transformer developed the navigation skills she now uses at NASA “with both clarity and precision, much like a sailor who understands the subtle shifts in the wind,” says Christina Haymes, DT Enterprise Integration Architect. “She knows how to watch the sea to find the invisible breeze,” notes Patrick Murphy, DT Portfolio Manager. “I admire how she operates as a leader both in calm and troubling seas to get us where we want to be.” Vision and leadership are just two of the many reasons why our December Digital Transformer, Jill Marlowe, stands at the helm of our ever-evolving journey. Jill has dedicated over three decades to her career at NASA, starting as an engineer and evolving into her position as the Digital Transformation Officer. Her early sailing experiences led her to pursue ocean and aerospace engineering at Virginia Tech; an innate passion for continual growth led to subsequent master’s degrees in mechanical, civil, and environmental engineering. As Jill moved into leadership positions across NASA’s engineering organizations, divisions, and directorates, she realized that the technology she was instinctively using to transform her work could also help the agency overcome a wider range of challenges. Her keen eye for cross-cutting solutions perfectly positioned her for the dynamic role of Digital Transformation Officer, diving into technical problems with engineers one day and strategizing with senior executives the next. Although she brings a rigorous technical background to the role, Jill most enjoys the creative and collaborative aspects. “It really gives me an opportunity to engage with a lot of earlier career folks who often are bringing some of these digital ideas into our workplace,” she says. “To me, it’s a very generative role, and that’s what I like the best about it.” Jill commits to practicing what she preaches, strategically leveraging tools like Microsoft Teams and other M365 applications to build a culture of digital innovation and influence others to join the movement. Krista Kinnard, DT Culture and Communications Lead, says, “We work in a digital world with new tools that make our lives easier. Jill has really shown how the way we interact with each other matters and can be streamlined to drive our team to success.” Jill’s growth-oriented mindset drives her to stay on the cutting edge of new capabilities—always with the goal of enabling mission outcomes and increasing our capacity for partnership. When times are challenging, people want heroes. I think a lot of what NASA does is bring humanity together. Jill Marlowe Digital Transformation Officer Jill’s fervent belief in the power of collaboration is evident in the way she talks about her technical work, particularly with Digital Engineering (DE). “I am very excited about where we are with digital engineering at NASA and the progress Terry Hill and his team have made [toward] a unified engineering community,” says Jill. Through seed funding and ongoing support, Jill and the DT team grew Digital Engineering at NASA from initial prototype tests to an operationalized program within the Office of the Chief Engineer. In addition to the community’s alignment around a shared vision, Jill is proud of the team’s quantitative achievements in developing systems, tools, and approaches for digitalizing the engineering processes and adopting a common toolchain. “I feel like we’ve been talking about those kinds of ideas my entire career, and we’re this close to having this in the hands of the engineers across NASA so they can work together and with our partners in ways that we haven’t been able to before” For Jill, the measure of DT’s success lies in the ability to enable more complex missions, collaborate more seamlessly with partners, and build more resilient systems that prepare us for the future. Under her leadership, DT facilitated the maturation of NASA Mission Cloud, a digital solution for capturing mission capability requirements and defining technology needs. In FY24, DT launched the new IT Modernization for Transformation (ITMX) fund and curated a $10M portfolio of enterprise solutions in data interoperability, federated search, digital engineering, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and more. By championing Digital Transformation at NASA and demonstrating its value, Jill paved the way for solutions that accelerate discovery and mission delivery. Over her career, Jill forged bonds, championed innovation, and positioned the agency to leverage the ripple effects of her work long after her upcoming retirement in December. Her legacy, however, might be best summarized by the way she made people feel. “It sounds simple, but so many people are listening to respond, whereas Jill is listening to understand,” Krista says. The rest of DT leadership echoes this sentiment. “Jill has a deep knowledge of NASA and has built strong relationships across the agency. Most of all, I value her mentorship and friendship,” says Christina. Patrick puts it simply: “Collaborating with Jill is a joy.” As she reflects on her time at the agency, Jill shares inspiring aspirations for NASA’s future and DT’s ability to carry us on that voyage. “When times are challenging, people want heroes. I think a lot of what NASA does is bring humanity together. When I think about those big expectations on NASA for the future and the technology that’s coming along that can make those dreams come true…it literally gives me chills.” She continues, “I encourage the continued community around Digital Transformation, the continued quest to find shared solutions to common challenges. Because I really do think that’s the way we’re going to get there from here.” View the full article

6 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Knowing whether or not a planet elsewhere in the galaxy could potentially be habitable requires knowing a lot about that planet’s sun. Sarah Peacock relies on computer models to assess stars’ radiation, which can have a major influence on whether or not one of these exoplanets has breathable atmosphere. Name: Sarah Peacock Title: Assistant Research Scientist Formal Job Classification: Astrophysicist Organization: Exoplanets and Stellar Astrophysics Laboratory, Astrophysics Division, Science Directorate (Code 667) Sarah Peacock is a research scientist with the Exoplanets and Stellar Astrophysics Laboratory at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.Courtesy of Sarah Peacock What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Goddard? My overarching research goal is to find habitable planets in other solar systems. To do this, I study the high-energy radiation that specific stars produce to help determine if life can exist on any earthlike planets that orbit them. What is your educational background? In 2013, I received a Bachelor of Arts in astrophysics from the University of Virginia. I received both my master’s and doctorate degrees from the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at the University of Arizona in 2016 and 2019, respectively. What drew you to study the stars? In high school, I took an astronomy class. We had a planetarium in our school and I had a wonderful teacher who inspired me to fall in love with the stars. She also showed us how many of the Harry Potter characters are drawn from the constellations and that spoke to my heart because I am a Harry Potter fan! How did you come to Goddard? I started at Goddard as a NASA post-doctoral fellow in July 2020, but I first saw the center the day before Goddard shut down due to COVID. How does high-energy radiation show you what planets outside our solar system might be habitable? High-energy radiation can cause a planet to lose its atmosphere. If a planet is exposed to too much high-energy radiation, the atmosphere can be blown off, and if there is no atmosphere, then there is nothing for life as we know it to breathe. We cannot directly measure the specific radiation that I study, so we have to model it. The universe has so many stars, and almost all stars host a planet. There are approximately 5,500 confirmed exoplanets so far, with an additional 7,500 unconfirmed exoplanets. I help identify systems that either have too much radiation, so planets in the habitable zone (the region around a star where liquid water could exist on a planet’s surface) are probably lifeless, or systems that have radiation levels that are safer. Ultimately, my research helps narrow down the most likely systems to host planets that should have stable atmospheres. Sarah Peacock research goal is to find habitable planets in other solar systems.Courtesy of Sarah Peacock Where does your data come from? I predominately use data from the Hubble Space Telescope and from the now-retired spacecraft GALEX. My work itself is more theory-focused though: I create a modeled stellar spectrum across all wavelengths and use observations to validate my modeling. What other areas of research are you involved in? I am working with a team analyzing data from the James Webb Space Telescope to see if earthlike planets around M-type stars (a star that is cooler and smaller than the Sun) have atmospheres and, if so, what the composition of those atmospheres is. An exciting result from this work is that we may have detected water in the atmosphere of a rocky planet for the first time ever. However, we cannot yet distinguish with our current observations if that water comes from the planet or from spots on the star (starspots on this host star are cold enough for water to exist in gas form). I am also helping manage a NASA Innovative Advance Concept (NIAC) study led by my mentor, Ken Carpenter, to work on the Artemis Enabled Stellar Imager (AeSI). If selected for further development, this imager would be an ultraviolet/optical interferometer located on the South Pole of the Moon. With this telescope, we would be able to map the surface of stars, image accretion disks, and image the centers of Active Galactic Nuclei. As a relatively new employee to Goddard, what have been your first impressions? Everyone who I have met, especially those in my lab, are incredibly friendly and welcoming. Starting during the pandemic, I was worried about feeling isolated, but instead, I was blown away by how many folks in my lab reached out to set up calls to introduce themselves and suggest opportunities for collaboration. It made me feel welcome. Who is your mentor and what did your mentor advise you? Ken Carpenter is my mentor. He encourages me to pursue my aspirations. He supports letting me chart my own path and being exposed to many different areas of research. I thank Ken for his support and encouragement and for including me on his projects. “Everyone who I have met, especially those in my lab, are incredibly friendly and welcoming.”Courtesy of Sarah Peacock What do you do for fun? I am a new mom, so my usual hobbies are on pause! Right now, fun is taking care of my baby and introducing life experiences to him. As a recently selected member of the Executive Committee for NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG), what are your responsibilities? The NASA ExoPAG is responsible for soliciting and coordinating scientific community input into the development and execution of NASA’s exoplanet exploration program. We solicit opinions and advice from any scientist who studies exoplanets. We are a bridge between NASA’s exoplanet scientists and NASA Headquarters in Washington. What is a fun fact about yourself? I got married the same day I defended my Ph.D. I had my defense in the morning and got married in the afternoon at the courthouse. Who is your favorite author? I love to read; I always have three books going. My favorite author is Louise Penny, who writes mysteries, but I read all genres. Right now, I am reading a biography about Marjorie Merriweather Post. What is your favorite quote? “The most that can be expected from any model is that it can supply a useful approximation to reality: All models are wrong; some models are useful.” —Box and Draper 1987 By Elizabeth M. Jarrell NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Conversations With Goddard is a collection of Q&A profiles highlighting the breadth and depth of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s talented and diverse workforce. The Conversations have been published twice a month on average since May 2011. Read past editions on Goddard’s “Our People” webpage. Share Details Last Updated Dec 10, 2024 Related TermsPeople of GoddardGoddard Space Flight CenterPeople of NASA Explore More 5 min read NASA Scientific Balloon Flights to Lift Off From Antarctica Article 2 hours ago 5 min read Scientists Share Early Results from NASA’s Solar Eclipse Experiments On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse swept across North America, from the western… Article 6 hours ago 17 min read 30 Years Ago: NASA Selects its 15th Group of Astronauts Article 22 hours ago View the full article

NASA/CXC/SAO/D. Bogensberger et al; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. Wolk; Even matter ejected by black holes can run into objects in the dark. Using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers have found an unusual mark from a giant black hole’s powerful jet striking an unidentified object in its path. The discovery was made in a galaxy called Centaurus A (Cen A), located about 12 million light-years from Earth. Astronomers have long studied Cen A because it has a supermassive black hole in its center sending out spectacular jets that stretch out across the entire galaxy. The black hole launches this jet of high-energy particles not from inside the black hole, but from intense gravitational and magnetic fields around it. The image shows low-energy X-rays seen by Chandra represented in pink, medium-energy X-rays in purple, and the highest-energy X-rays in blue. In this latest study, researchers determined that the jet is — at least in certain spots — moving at close to the speed of light. Using the deepest X-ray image ever made of Cen A, they also found a patch of V-shaped emission connected to a bright source of X-rays, something that had not been seen before in this galaxy. Called C4, this source is located close to the path of the jet from the supermassive black hole and is highlighted in the inset. The arms of the “V” are at least about 700 light-years long. For context, the nearest star to Earth is about 4 light-years away. Source C4 in the Centaurus A galaxy.NASA/CXC/SAO/D. Bogensberger et al; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. Wolk; While the researchers have ideas about what is happening, the identity of the object being blasted is a mystery because it is too distant for its details to be seen, even in images from the current most powerful telescopes. The incognito object being rammed may be a massive star, either by itself or with a companion star. The X-rays from C4 could be caused by the collision between the particles in the jet and the gas in a wind blowing away from the star. This collision can generate turbulence, causing a rise in the density of the gas in the jet. This, in turn, ignites the X-ray emission seen with Chandra. The shape of the “V,” however, is not completely understood. The stream of X-rays trailing behind the source in the bottom arm of the “V” is roughly parallel to the jet, matching the picture of turbulence causing enhanced X-ray emission behind an obstacle in the path of the jet. The other arm of the “V” is harder to explain because it has a large angle to the jet, and astronomers are unsure what could explain that. This is not the first time astronomers have seen a black hole jet running into other objects in Cen A. There are several other examples where a jet appears to be striking objects — possibly massive stars or gas clouds. However, C4 stands out from these by having the V-shape in X-rays, while other obstacles in the jet’s path produce elliptical blobs in the X-ray image. Chandra is the only X-ray observatory capable of seeing this feature. Astronomers are trying to determine why C4 has this different post-contact appearance, but it could be related to the type of object that the jet is striking or how directly the jet is striking it. A paper describing these results appears in a recent issue of The Astrophysical Journal. The authors of the study are David Bogensberger (University of Michigan), Jon M. Miller (University of Michigan), Richard Mushotsky (University of Maryland), Niel Brandt (Penn State University), Elias Kammoun (University of Toulouse, France), Abderahmen Zogbhi (University of Maryland), and Ehud Behar (Israel Institute of Technology). NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center controls science operations from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts. Read more from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. Learn more about the Chandra X-ray Observatory and its mission here: https://www.nasa.gov/chandra https://chandra.si.edu Visual Description This release features a series of images focusing on a collision between a jet of matter blasting out of a distant black hole, and a mysterious, incognito object. At the center of the primary image is a bright white dot, encircled by a hazy purple blue ring tinged with neon blue. This is the black hole at the heart of the galaxy called Centaurus A. Shooting out of the black hole is a stream of ejected matter. This stream, or jet, shoots in two opposite directions. It shoots toward us, widening as it reaches our upper left, and away from us, growing thinner and more faint as it recedes toward the lower right. In the primary image, the jet resembles a trail of hot pink smoke. Other pockets of granular, hot pink gas can be found throughout the image. Here, pink represents low energy X-rays observed by Chandra, purple represents medium energy X-rays, and blue represents high energy X-rays. Near our lower right, where the jet is at its thinnest, is a distinct pink “V”, its arms opening toward our lower right. This mark is understood to be the result of the jet striking an unidentified object that lay in its path. A labeled version of the image highlights this region, and names the point of the V-shape, the incognito object, C4. A wide view version of the image is composited with optical data. At the distance of Cen A, the arms of the V-shape appear rather small. In fact, each arm is at least 700 light-years long. The jet itself is 30,000 light-years long. For context, the nearest star to the Sun is about 4 light-years away. News Media Contact Megan Watzke Chandra X-ray Center Cambridge, Mass. 617-496-7998 mwatzke@cfa.harvard.edu Lane Figueroa Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama 256-544-0034 lane.e.figueroa@nasa.gov View the full article

5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) On Dec. 10, 1974, NASA launched Helios 1, the first of two spacecraft to make close observations of the Sun. In one of the largest international efforts at the time, the Federal Republic of Germany, also known as West Germany, provided the spacecraft, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, had overall responsibility for U.S. participation, and NASA’s Lewis, now Glenn, Research Center in Cleveland provided the launch vehicle. Equipped with 10 instruments, Helios 1 made its first close approach to the Sun on March 15, 1975, passing closer and traveling faster than any previous spacecraft. Helios 2, launched in 1976, passed even closer. Both spacecraft far exceeded their 18-month expected lifetime, returning unprecedented data from their unique vantage points. The fully assembled Helios 1 spacecraft prepared for launch.Credit: NASA The West German company Messerchmitt-Bölkow-Blohm built the two Helios probes, the first non-Soviet and non-American spacecraft placed in heliocentric orbit, for the West German space agency DFVLR, today’s DLR. Each 815-pound Helios probe carried 10 U.S. and West German instruments, weighing a total of 158 pounds, to study the Sun and its environment. The instruments included high-energy particle detectors to measure the solar wind, magnetometers to study the Sun’s magnetic field and variations in electric and magnetic waves, and micrometeoroid detectors. Once activated and checked out, operators in the German control center near Munich controlled the spacecraft and collected the raw data. To evenly distribute the solar radiation the spacecraft spun on its axis once every second, and optical mirrors on its surface reflected the majority of the heat. Workers encapsulate a Helios solar probe into its payload fairing. Credit: NASA Launch of Helios 1 took place at 2:11 a.m. EST Dec. 10, 1974, from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force, now Space Force, Station, on a Titan IIIE-Centaur rocket. This marked the first successful flight of this rocket, at the time the most powerful in the world, following the failure of the Centaur upper stage during the rocket’s inaugural launch on Feb. 11, 1974. The successful launch of Helios 1 provided confidence in the Titan IIIE-Centaur, needed to launch the Viking orbiters and landers to Mars in 1976 and the Mariner Jupiter-Saturn, later renamed Voyager, spacecraft in 1977 to begin their journeys through the outer solar system. The Centaur upper stage placed Helios 1 into a solar orbit with a period of 190 days, with its perihelion, or closest point to the Sun, well inside the orbit of Mercury. Engineers activated the spacecraft’s 10 instruments within a few days of launch, with the vehicle declared fully operational on Jan. 16, 1975. On March 15, Helios 1 reached its closest distance to the Sun of 28.9 million miles, closer than any other previous spacecraft – Mariner 10 held the previous record during its three Mercury encounters. Helios 1 also set a spacecraft speed record, traveling at 148,000 miles per hour at perihelion. Parts of the spacecraft reached a temperature of 261 degrees Fahrenheit, but the instruments continued to operate without problems. During its second perihelion on Sept. 21, temperatures reached 270 degrees, affecting the operation of some instruments. Helios 1 continued to operate and return useful data until both its primary and backup receivers failed and its high-gain antenna no longer pointed at Earth. Ground controllers deactivated the spacecraft on Feb. 18, 1985, with the last contact made on Feb. 10, 1986. Helios 1 sits atop its Titan IIIE-Centaur rocket at Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force, now Space Force, Station in Florida.Credit: NASA Helios 2 launched on Jan. 15, 1976, and followed a path similar to its predecessor’s but one that took it even closer to the Sun. On April 17, it approached to within 27 million miles of Sun, traveling at a new record of 150,000 miles per hour. At that distance, the spacecraft experienced 10% more solar heat than its predecessor. Helios 2’s downlink transmitter failed on March 3, 1980, resulting in no further useable data from the spacecraft. Controllers shut it down on Jan. 7, 1981. Scientists correlated data from the Helios instruments with similar data gathered by other spacecraft, such as the Interplanetary Monitoring Platform Explorers 47 and 50 in Earth orbit, the Pioneer solar orbiters, and Pioneer 10 and 11 in the outer solar system. In addition to their solar observations, Helios 1 and 2 studied the dust and ion tails of the comets C/1975V1 West, C/1978H1 Meier, and C/1979Y1 Bradfield. The information from the Helios probes greatly increased our knowledge of the Sun and its environment, and also raised more questions left for later spacecraft from unique vantage points to try to answer. llustration of a Helios probe in flight, with all its booms deployed. Credit: NASA The joint ESA/NASA Ulysses mission studied the Sun from vantage points above its poles. After launch from space shuttle Discovery during STS-41 on Oct. 6, 1990, Ulysses used Jupiter’s gravity to swing it out of the ecliptic plane and fly first over the Sun’s south polar region from June to November 1994, then over the north polar region from June and September 1995. Ulysses continued its unique studies during several more polar passes until June 30, 2009, nearly 19 years after launch and more than four times its expected lifetime. NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, launched on Aug. 12, 2018, has made ever increasingly close passes to the Sun, including flying through its corona, breaking the distance record set by Helios 2. The Parker Solar Probe reached its first perihelion of 15 million miles on Nov. 5, 2018, with its closest approach of just 3.86 million miles of the Sun’s surface, just 4.5 percent of the Sun-Earth distance, planned for Dec. 24, 2024. The ESA Solar Orbiter launched on Feb. 10, 2020, and began science operations in November 2021. Its 10 instruments include cameras that have returned the highest resolution images of the Sun including its polar regions from as close as 26 million miles away. Illustration of the Ulysses spacecraft over the Sun’s pole.Credit: NASA Illustration of the Parker Solar Probe during a close approach to the Sun.Credit: NASA The ESA Solar Orbiter observing the Sun.Credit: NASA About the AuthorJohn J. Uri Share Details Last Updated Dec 10, 2024 Related TermsHelios 1MissionsNASA History Explore More 3 min read NASA Moves Drone Package Delivery Industry Closer to Reality Article 1 hour ago 5 min read NASA Scientific Balloon Flights to Lift Off From Antarctica Article 1 hour ago 6 min read NASA Invites Social Creators for Launch of Two NASA Missions Article 3 hours ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article