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31 Min Read The Marshall Star for March 27, 2024 Marshall Hosts 37th Small Business Alliance Meeting By Celine Smith NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center hosted its 37th Small Business Alliance meeting March 21 at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center’s Davidson Center for Space Exploration. The event brought together hundreds of attendees from 39 states and 21 countries to network and learn about opportunities to do business with NASA. “Today is about bringing the NASA marketplace directly to small businesses so they cannot only learn about how to get involved at NASA, but specifically in Huntsville and at Marshall,” said David Brock, small business specialist in Marshall’s Office of Procurement. David Brock, small business specialist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, talks to attendees at the 37th Small Business Alliance meeting March 21. NASA/Charles Beason The mayors of Huntsville, Madison, and Decatur gave a series of welcome remarks and thanked small businesses for their positive impact on their communities and the local economy. Lisa Bates, deputy director of Marshall’s Engineering Directorate, emphasized the importance of small businesses to Marshall. “We have had so many tremendous accomplishments and so much of that is due to partnerships with small businesses,” Bates said. “We’ve done this together as a team.” Kathy Rice, center, an information technology specialist at Marshall, talks with an attendee about the center’s small business capabilities. NASA/Charles Beason Bates said that small businesses make up more than half of NASA’s suppliers and 32 of the 45 SLS (Space Launch System) suppliers in Alabama. “I truly believe that teamwork and partnership is at the heart of every great achievement, and I look forward to being successful and exceptional with each of you,” said Bates. Smith, a Media Fusion employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications. › Back to Top Take 5 with Mitzi Adams By Wayne Smith Mitzi Adams watched several astronauts walk on the Moon when she was a teenager during NASA’s Apollo missions. That’s when Adams realized she wanted to be a NASA scientist. She also envisioned having an office on the lunar surface by 2000. Today, Adams is a NASA scientist at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center. She is the assistant manager of the Heliophysics and Planetary Science branch of the Science and Technology Office. And while she doesn’t have an office on the Moon, she does see a path for future scientists and explorers to reach that destination. Mitzi Adams is a NASA scientist at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center. She is the assistant manager of the Heliophysics and Planetary Science branch of the Science and Technology Office, where she is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the branch.NASA/Emmett Givens “We are on the cusp of landing another human on the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years,” said Adams, who has worked at NASA for 35 years. “This time, however, there is a desire for a sustained presence, as well as a renewed interest in scientific research and discovery. If I were a high school student today, I feel that there would be a high probability that at least one of my offices would be located on the Moon in the not-too-distant future. There are many possibilities for this generation of students to be heavily involved in human space exploration. This is truly exciting.” Heliophysics encompasses the study of the Sun and its effects on Earth, the solar system, and space itself. With the focus on the upcoming total solar eclipse April 8, Adams said participating and organizing NASA outreach events for the 2017 eclipse is one of the proudest moments of her career. “We partnered with the city of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, Austin Peay State University, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, and The INSPIRE Project to involve high school students and the public in observations and science experiments surrounding the 2017 solar eclipse,” said Adams, who is from Atlanta, Georgia. “We presented science topics to the students and allowed them to choose their observation site, based on their interests. In the intervening years since the eclipse, those INSPIRE Project students have been extremely successful, both in academics and in the business world. One of those students graduated from the Air Force Academy in 2022. That student is currently in flight school and expects to earn her wings in the next couple of months. We like to think that we were a positive influence on her and that the eclipse inspired her to obtain a STEM degree.” Question: What excites you most about the future of human space exploration, or your NASA work, and your team’s role it? Adams: For the safety of astronauts who will remain on the surface of a world devoid of a protective atmosphere, as well as when traveling between the Earth and the Moon (or Mars), it is imperative that we understand better the Sun and space weather. To date, through a fleet of spacecraft studying the Sun, we have made great strides in nowcasting solar events, such as flares and coronal-mass ejections. In addition, through a sounding-rocket program, our scientists have contributed to basic knowledge of solar physics and are beginning to unravel the puzzle surrounding magnetic-reconnection events in the solar atmosphere that may be causing flares and coronal-mass ejections. Question: Who or what drives/motivates you? Adams: Many things. As a teenager, I was inspired by Edgar Mitchell, lunar-module pilot on Apollo 14, whom I met and pestered throughout his life. He never discouraged me from my goals and always encouraged. I have always been a science fiction fan. I think my first science fiction book as a third-grade student was “Have Space Suit – Will Travel,” by Robert Heinlein. So, it was only natural that I became a Star Trek fan. From Star Trek, I was inspired by Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Uhura, and Leonard Nimoy, who played Mr. Spock, a science officer. When I speak to students, I ask what they think is the most important attribute of a scientist. The answer I seek from them is curiosity – puzzles and mysteries drive and motivate me. Observing the Sun, I have seen eruptions and phenomena that I want to understand, which drives me to access those data and do the analysis! Question: Who or what inspired you to pursue an education/career that led you to NASA and Marshall? Adams: I’ve always wanted to be a scientist and I could have studied geology or astronomy. Since becoming an astronaut also was a goal, I decided that astronomy would be the best path. Specifically, as I was about to obtain my undergraduate degree from Georgia State University, I thought I needed internship experience. Since one of my caving friends, Joe Dabbs, worked at Marshall, I asked if he knew anyone who might need a summer student. Joe put me in touch with Ron Moore with NASA and Gordon Emslie of the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), who hired me for the summer. They apparently were pleased with my work because they suggested I apply to UAH for graduate school and to the graduate co-op program. I was accepted by both and earned a master’s degree in physics from UAH, after which I was hired by Marshall as a research scientist in solar physics. Question: What advice do you have for employees early in their NASA career or those in new leadership roles? Adams: Networking is important. Engage with colleagues at meetings and seek out collaborations. Read research papers and contact those scientists who are included in the references list. Don’t be intimidated by scientists who have a lot of experience. If a problem/question in your research world is appealing, find ways you can contribute to finding solutions and ask the first or second author scientist if you can help. Question: What do you enjoy doing with your time while away from work? Adams: Believe it or not, I enjoy reading Latin in small doses and have read two of the Harry Potter books in Latin, with help from two friends. I also enjoy hiking on trails, playing with my 3-year-old white Shepherd named Albus, which means white in Latin, and reading and watching science fiction. Smith, a Media Fusion employee and the Marshall Star editor, supports the Marshall Office of Communications. › Back to Top Steven Wofford Named Manager of SLS Stages Office at Marshall Steven J. (Steve) Wofford has been named to the Senior Executive Service position of manager of the SLS (Space Launch System) Stages Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. In his new role, he will lead activities and operations associated with the core stage, associated main propulsion systems, and integration of the vehicle avionics system. Wofford also will be responsible for support equipment and facilities used in the design, development, test, and transfer of SLS core stages. He previously was appointed as manager of the Block 1B/Exploration Upper Stage Development Office at Marshall in 2020. Steven J. (Steve) Wofford has been named to the Senior Executive Service position of manager of the SLS (Space Launch System) Stages Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.NASA From 2014 to 2020, Wofford was manager of the SLS Program’s Liquid Engines Office at Marshall. From 2012 to 2014, he was deputy director of Marshall’s Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate, where he was responsible for overseeing safe execution of all center programs, projects, and institutional services. He was business manager for the Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate from 2011 to 2012. From 2009 to 2011, Wofford was deputy manager of the Space Shuttle Main Engine Project Office at Marshall, helping to see the shuttle program to its successful conclusion in 2011. He was Shuttle Propulsion chief safety officer for the Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate from 2006 to 2009, formulating and communicating flight safety guidance and serving as Marshall’s safety technical authority on a wide gamut of propulsion technical issues. In 2005 and 2006, he led engine component design and development for engine technologies supporting the Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles, next-generation rocket development programs that helped inform work resulting in the design, delivery, and manufacture of SLS engine systems. Wofford began his NASA career in 2000 as a subsystem manager in Marshall’s Space Shuttle Main Engine Project Office. Before that, he supported the agency for more than 13 years as a contractor engineer, conducting assessment engineering and project integration engineering duties in support of the space shuttle main engine. A Huntsville native, Wofford earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1986 from the University of Alabama, and a master’s degree in aerospace engineering in 1991 from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. His numerous career honors include a NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal in 2009 for his leadership in defining, implementing, and executing safety and mission assurance technical authority for the Space Shuttle Program. He also received a NASA Silver Snoopy Award in 1998, presented to team members who have made significant contributions to the human spaceflight program; and a Spaceflight Awareness Award in 1992 for his contributions as a contractor to the space shuttle main engine. In 2018, he was named a distinguished fellow of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa’s College of Engineering. Wofford and his wife, Marisa, reside in Huntsville and have two sons. › Back to Top Marshall’s Women of Excellence Host Author for Women’s History Month Event The Women of Excellence employee resource group at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center hosted an event March 18 in association with Women’s History Month. Shehnaz Soni, center, a NASA senior systems engineer, author, and speaker, smiles with Women of Excellence members following her March 18 presentation to the employee resource group at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. The event was a part of Women’s History Month in March. From left are Kristina Honeycutt, Leah Varner, Denise Smithers, Soni, LaBreesha Batey, Aquita Wherry, and Anastasia Byler.NASA/Danielle Burleson The event, titled “Self-Ignite into Destiny: A Pivot from Stressful Environments,” was part of NASA’s agencywide table-talk series. Shehnaz Soni, a NASA senior systems engineer, author, and speaker, discussed her story, methodologies to reduce stress, and the importance of self-care in a unique way, reiterating that “We Are the Quantum Being.” Women of Excellence, or WE, is co-chaired by LaBreesha Batey and Denise Smithers. The group’s aim is to help Marshall women reach their full potential and have access to equal opportunities at NASA. Team members can visit Inside Marshall to learn more about WE and other employee resource groups. › Back to Top Mission Success is in Our Hands: Amit Patel By Wayne Smith Mission Success is in Our Hands is a safety initiative collaboration between NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and Jacobs. As part of the initiative, eight Marshall team members are featured in testimonial banners placed around the center. This is the fifth in a Marshall Star series profiling team members featured in the testimonial banners. The Mission Success team also awards the Golden Eagle Award on a quarterly basis to Marshall and contractor personnel who are nominated by their peers or management. Candidates for this award have made significant, identifiable contributions that exceed normal job expectations to advance flight safety and mission assurance. Nominations are open now to team members online at Inside Marshall. Amit Patel is a Jacobs Space Exploration Group solid rocket motor design engineer supporting NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.NASA/Charles Beason Amit Patel is a Jacobs Space Exploration Group solid rocket motor design engineer supporting Marshall, where he has produced multiple iterations for solid rocket motors on NASA’s Mars Ascent Vehicle and performed motor internal ballistics analysis on Space Launch System boosters and other programs. His key responsibilities include designing solid rocket motor grains, ensuring launch vehicles can meet mission requirements through ballistics performance analysis, manufacturing process flow, and testing. Patel has worked at Marshall for three years. He previously was a research engineer at the University of Alabama in Huntsville’s Propulsion Research Center, where he worked on design and hot-fire testing of solid, liquid, and hybrids motors and developed a testbed for electric propulsion thrusters for small satellites. A North Alabama native, Patel earned his doctorate in aerospace systems engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, along with a Master of Business Administration. Question: How does your work support the safety and success of NASA and Marshall missions? Patel: My work directly contributes to the success of NASA and Marshall missions by ensuring that solid rocket motors are designed to meet the stringent performance and reliability requirements necessary for achieving target orbital insertions. Through careful motor optimization, requirements management, and post-test data analysis I can help maximize the probability of mission success. Question: What does the Mission Success is in Our Hands initiative mean to you? Patel: Overall, the Mission Success is in Our Hands initiative reminds us that whatever role we play, we all are an integral part in the technical excellence and unwavering dedication to safety in the pursuit of NASA’s mission objectives. It serves as a reminder that the success of every mission is contingent upon the collective efforts and commitment of every individual involved, from engineers and scientists to administrators and support staff. Question: How can we work together better to achieve mission success? Patel: By prioritizing relationship-building within the team, we can harness the collective talents, creativity, and resilience of individuals to overcome engineering obstacles and contribute to the success of complex missions. We can build this synergy through enhanced communication, mutual respect and trust in one another, a shared understanding of goals and vision, and effective problem-solving when faced with challenges. Question: Do you have anything else you’d like to share? Patel: The work we do in the aerospace industry has far-reaching implications that extend beyond the confines of Earth’s atmosphere. By pushing the boundaries of exploration, innovation, and collaboration, we strive to leave a lasting legacy of progress and discovery that will benefit future generations and inspire them to reach even greater heights. Smith, a Media Fusion employee and the Marshall Star editor, supports the Marshall Office of Communications. › Back to Top Panelists Highlight Centennial Challenges at South by Southwest Conference South by Southwest chose to feature a panel discussion on NASA’s Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program at this year’s conference and festival in Austin, Texas, on March 10. Panelists from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, the agency’s Johnson Space Center, and ICON Technology Inc. gave a presentation titled, “How NASA Supports Startups and Individuals to Collaborate on its Mission.” The panel touched on several notable success stories from Centennial Challenges, the Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation, and NASA Tournament Lab, including ICON’s journey from competing in NASA’s 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge to securing multiple contracts and partnerships. From left, panelists Steve Rader from NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Angela Herblet from the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Andrew Rothgaber from ICON Technology, and Savannah Bullard from Marshall discuss NASA’s Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program at the South by Southwest Conference on March 10 in Austin, Texas.NASA/Bailey Light Centennial Challenges are part of the Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program within NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate and are managed at Marshall. Centennial Challenges were initiated in 2005 to directly engage the public in the process of advanced technology development. The program offers incentive prizes to generate revolutionary solutions to problems of interest to NASA and the nation. The program seeks innovations from diverse and non-traditional sources. Competitors are not supported by government funding and awards are only made to successful teams when the challenges are met. The annual South by Southwest Conference celebrates the convergence of technology, film and television, music, education, and culture. › Back to Top Shuttle, Family Inspire NASA’s Cryogenic Technology Manager By Daniel Boyette Jeremy Kenny squinted his eyes as he looked toward the brilliant light. Then came the deafening sound waves that vibrated his body. This was the moment he’d dreamed about since childhood. It was Nov. 16, 2009, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, and Kenny and his wife were watching space shuttle Atlantis embark on a mission to the International Space Station. Kenny, who was less than two years into his NASA career, had the opportunity to see the liftoff from Launch Pad 39A as part of receiving the Space Flight Awareness Award for supporting the Space Shuttle Program’s solid rocket booster flight program. Jeremy Kenny, manager of NASA’s Cryogenic Fluid Management Portfolio Project, holds a model spacecraft for the proposed large cryogenic demonstration mission. The mission aims to demonstrate liquid hydrogen management, including near-zero propellant boil off and highly efficient propellant transfer, needed to achieve long-duration transit to/from Mars and spacecraft loitering during on-surface campaigns.Credit: NASA/Danielle Burleson “That was the first launch I ever witnessed in person,” said Kenny, whose inspiration for working at NASA came from watching televised shuttle launches as a youth. “It was amazing and made me appreciate how such a powerful system could be designed and flown so successfully.” With the final shuttle mission two years later, NASA set its sights on designing and building its future Artemis rocket: SLS (Space Launch System). Kenny was selected to lead the SLS Modal Acoustic Test program, which helped engineers understand how loud the rocket would be during liftoff. He later joined another key Artemis effort, the human landing system program, as a technical manager, overseeing the development of lander systems that will transport astronauts to the Moon’s surface. “Artemis is an inspiring campaign for future human spaceflight exploration,” Kenny said. “I worked with SLS, Orion, and Exploration Ground Systems, and it was very fulfilling to see all the pieces come together for the successful Artemis I launch.” In January, Kenny was named manager of NASA’s Cryogenic Fluid Management (CFM) Portfolio project, where he oversees a cross-agency team based at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and Glenn Research Center. The CFM portfolio includes innovative technologies to store, transfer, and measure ultra-cold fluids – such as liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen, and liquid methane. These cryogens are the most common propellants in space exploration, making CFM integral to NASA’s future exploration and science efforts. “We must mature CFM technologies to support future flight mission architectures,” said Kenny. “The strong partnership between Marshall and Glenn in CFM maturation continues to produce excellent results, enabling in-space cryogenic systems vital to NASA’s Moon to Mars vision.” Kenny’s choice of profession comes as little surprise, given his family background. He had a grandfather and an uncle who worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the family’s hometown of Vicksburg, Mississippi. From them, Kenny learned how math and physics could be implemented in real-world applications. He earned three degrees in mechanical engineering: a bachelor’s from Mississippi State University in Starkville, a master’s from Georgia Tech in Atlanta, and a doctorate from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. “My grandfather showed me various engineering software programs he worked on to simulate ground terrains for military transportation systems,” Kenny said. “My uncle worked on engineering developments for various military systems; he was a key influence for me to pursue graduate degrees in mechanical engineering.” When Kenny’s not working to evolve technology for NASA’s future deep space exploration missions, he’s spending time with his wife and their two daughters, who are involved in choir and dance. “Watching them practice and perform inspires me,” Kenny said with a smile. “My biggest challenge is balancing my professional work, which I love, and spending time with my family, who I love. With work comes many exciting opportunities, and solving hard problems is fun. But that excitement should not detract from keeping your personal relationships healthy. One day, I’ll retire and spend all my free time with family.” The CFM Portfolio Project’s work is under NASA’s Technology Demonstration Missions Program, part of NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, which oversees a broad portfolio of technology development and demonstration projects across NASA centers and American industry partners. Read more about Cryogenic Fluid Management. Boyette, a Media Fusion employee, supports the Cryogenic Fluid Management Portfolio Project and Marshall’s Office of Strategic Analysis & Communications. › Back to Top NASA Continues Artemis Moon Rocket Engine Tests NASA continued a key RS-25 engine test series for future Artemis flights of the agency’s powerful SLS (Space Launch System) rocket March 22 and March 27 with hot fires on the Fred Haise Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. NASA continued a key RS-25 engine test series for future Artemis flights of the agency’s powerful SLS (Space Launch System) rocket March 22 with a hot fire on the Fred Haise Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center.NASA/Danny Nowlin The tests marked the 10th and 11th hot fire in a 12-test series to certify production of new RS-25 engines by lead contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3 Harris Technologies company. On March 22, the Stennis test team fired the certification engine for 500 seconds, or the same amount of time engines must fire to help launch the SLS rocket to space with astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft. Operators powered the engine up to a level of 113%, which is beyond the 111% power level new RS-25 engines use to provide additional thrust. Testing up to the 113% power level provides a margin of operational safety. Newly produced engines will power NASA’s SLS rocket on Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond, beginning with Artemis V. For Artemis missions I-IV, NASA and Aerojet Rocketdyne modified 16 former space shuttle engines for use on the SLS rocket. Four RS-25 engines fire simultaneously to help launch each SLS rocket, producing up to 2 million pounds of combined thrust. The Stennis test team fired the certification engine March 22 for 500 seconds, or the same amount of time engines must fire to help launch the SLS rocket to space with astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft.NASA/Danny Nowlin NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center manages the SLS Program. Through Artemis, NASA will establish the foundation for long-term scientific exploration at the Moon, land the first woman, first person of color, and first international partner astronaut on the lunar surface, and prepare for human expeditions to Mars for the benefit of all. RS-25 tests at NASA Stennis are conducted by a diverse team of operators from NASA, Aerojet Rocketdyne, and Syncom Space Services, prime contractor for site facilities and operations. › Back to Top Payload Adapter Testing: A Key Step for Artemis IV Rocket’s Success A test article of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s payload adapter is ready for evaluation, marking a critical milestone on the journey to the hardware’s debut on NASA’s Artemis IV mission. Comprised of two metal rings and eight composite panels, the cone-shaped payload adapter will be part of the SLS Block 1B configuration and housed inside the universal stage adapter atop the rocket’s more powerful in-space stage, called the exploration upper stage. The payload adapter is an evolution from the Orion stage adapter used in the Block 1 configuration of the first three Artemis missions that sits at the topmost portion of the rocket and helps connect the rocket and spacecraft. Key adapters for the first crewed Artemis missions are manufactured at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. The cone-shaped payload adapter, left, will debut on the Block 1B configuration of the SLS rocket beginning with Artemis IV, while the Orion stage adapters, right, will be used for Artemis II and Artemis III.NASA/Sam Lott “Like the Orion stage adapter and the launch vehicle stage adapter used for the first three SLS flights, the payload adapter for the evolved SLS Block 1B configuration is fully manufactured and tested at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center,” said Casey Wolfe, assistant branch chief for the advanced manufacturing branch at Marshall. “Marshall’s automated fiber placement and large-scale integration facilities provide our teams the ability to build composite hardware elements for multiple Artemis missions in parallel, allowing for cost and schedule savings.” At about 8.5 feet tall, the payload adapter’s eight composite sandwich panels, which measure about 12 feet each in length, contain a metallic honeycomb-style structure at their thickest point but taper to a single carbon fiber layer at each end. The panels are pieced together using a high-precision process called determinant assembly, in which each component is designed to fit securely in a specific place, like puzzle pieces. Teams at Marshall manufactured, prepared, and moved the payload adapter test article. The payload adapter will undergo testing in the same test stand that once housed the SLS liquid oxygen tank structure test article.NASA After manufacturing, the payload adapter will also be structurally tested at Marshall, which manages the SLS Program. The first structural test series begins this spring. Test teams will use the engineering development unit – an exact replica of the flight version of the hardware – to check the structure’s strength and durability by twisting, shaking, and applying extreme pressure. While every Block 1B configuration of the SLS rocket will use a payload adapter, each will be customized to fit the mission’s needs. The determinant assembly method and digital tooling ensure a more efficient and uniform manufacturing process, regardless of the mission profile, to ensure hardware remains on schedule. Data from this test series will further inform design and manufacturing processes as teams begin manufacturing the qualification and flight hardware for Artemis IV. NASA is working to land the first woman, first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the Moon under Artemis. SLS is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration, along with the Orion spacecraft and Gateway in orbit around the Moon and commercial human landing systems, next-generational spacesuits, and rovers on the lunar surface. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single launch. › Back to Top Chandra Identifies an Underachieving Black Hole A new image shows a quasar, a rapidly growing supermassive black hole, which is not achieving what astronomers would expect from it, as reported in a press release. Data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory (blue) and radio data from the NSF’s Karl G. Jansky’s Very Large Array (red) reveal some of the evidence for this quasar’s disappointing impact on its host galaxy. Known as H1821+643, this quasar is about 3.4 billion light-years from Earth. Quasars are a rare and extreme class of supermassive black holes that are furiously pulling material inwards, producing intense radiation and sometimes powerful jets. H1821+643 is the closest quasar to Earth in a cluster of galaxies. This composite image shows a quasar, a rare and extreme class of supermassive black hole. Known as H1821+643, this quasar is about 3.4 billion light-years from Earth.X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ. of Nottingham/H. Russell et al.; Radio: NSF/NRAO/VLA; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. Wolk Quasars are different than other supermassive black holes in the centers of galaxy clusters in that they are pulling in more material at a higher rate. Astronomers have found that non-quasar black holes growing at moderate rates influence their surroundings by preventing the intergalactic hot gas from cooling down too much. This regulates the growth of stars around the black hole. The influence of quasars, however, is not as well known. This new study of H1821+643 that quasars – despite being so active – may be less important in driving the fate of their host galaxy and cluster than some scientists might expect. To reach this conclusion the team used Chandra to study the hot gas that H1821+643 and its host galaxy are shrouded in. The bright X-rays from the quasar, however, made it difficult to study the weaker X-rays from the hot gas. The researchers carefully removed the X-ray glare to reveal what the black hole’s influence is, which is reflected in the new composite image showing X-rays from hot gas in the cluster surrounding the quasar. This allowed them to see that the quasar is actually having little effect on its surroundings. Using Chandra, the team found that the density of gas near the black hole in the center of the galaxy is much higher, and the gas temperatures much lower, than in regions farther away. Scientists expect the hot gas to behave like this when there is little or no energy input (which would typically come from outbursts from a black hole) to prevent the hot gas from cooling down and flowing towards the center of the cluster. A paper describing these results has been accepted into the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society and is available online. The authors are Helen Russell (University of Nottingham, UK), Paul Nulsen (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian), Andy Fabian (University of Cambridge, UK), Thomas Braben (University of Nottingham), Niel Brandt (Penn State University), Lucy Clews (University of Nottingham), Michael McDonald (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Christopher Reynolds (University of Maryland), Jeremy Saunders (Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Research), and Sylvain Veilleux (University of Maryland). NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center controls science from Cambridge Massachusetts and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts. › Back to Top OSIRIS-REx Mission Awarded Robert Goddard Memorial Trophy NASA’s OSIRIS-REx team was selected as the winner of the National Space Club and Foundation’s 2024 Dr. Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy for their tremendous work on the first U.S. mission to bring an asteroid sample to Earth. The winning team received the award at the 67th Annual Robert H. Goddard Memorial Dinner at the Washington Hilton Hotel on March 22. The OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security – Regolith Explorer) team includes NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Maryland; Lockheed Martin in Littleton, Colorado; University of Arizona, Tucson and KinetX in Tempe, Arizona. The sample return capsule from NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission is seen shortly after touching down in the desert Sept. 24, 2023, at the Department of Defense’s Utah Test and Training Range. The sample was collected from the asteroid Bennu in October 2020 by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft.NASA/Keegan Barber The trophy is National Space Club’s highest honor and presented annually to the individual or group who has made a substantial contribution to U.S. leadership in astronautics or rocketry. “The OSIRIS-REx team’s successful delivery of the asteroid Bennu sample to Earth will enable important scientific discoveries for generations to come,” said Lori Glaze, director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters. “I’m so pleased to see the mission team recognized with the Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy for their accomplishments.” Following its launch in 2016, the OSIRIS-REx mission made U.S. space history when it became the first U.S. spacecraft to touch an asteroid and capture a sample on Oct. 20, 2020, and again when it successfully returned with the sample to Earth on Sept. 24, 2023. The sample, which is the largest asteroid sample ever delivered to Earth, is from the ancient asteroid Bennu and will give researchers worldwide a glimpse into the earliest days of our solar system, offering insights into planet formation and the origin of organics that led to life on Earth. Data collected by the spacecraft combined with future analysis of the Bennu sample will also aid our understanding of asteroids that can impact Earth. The OSIRIS-REx mission conducted unprecedented centimeter-scale mapping of Bennu, surpassing precision levels achieved for any other planetary body and setting three Guinness World Records for: smallest object orbited by a spacecraft, closest orbit of an asteroid and highest resolution satellite map of any planetary body. “The OSIRIS-REx mission rewrote U.S. space exploration history,” said Joe Vealencis, president, NSCF. “The data the spacecraft collected, plus all that we have yet to uncover from the sample it brought back, means scientists and engineers will be reaping the benefits of this mission for years to come.” Following its successful sample return, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft was renamed OSIRIS-APEX and will now enter an extended mission to visit and study near-Earth asteroid Apophis in 2029. OSIRIS-REx’s success was made possible by the unique contributions of over 1,000 individuals from government and mission partners like the science lead at the University of Arizona, the project team at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, the curation team at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, spacecraft design, operations, and recovery by Lockheed Martin, guidance and navigation at KinetX, and the launch provider at United Launch Alliance. OSIRIS-REx is the third mission in NASA’s New Frontiers Program, managed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. Read more about NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission. › Back to Top Key Test Drive of Orion on NASA’s Artemis II to Aid Future Missions Astronauts will test drive NASA’s Orion spacecraft for the first time during the agency’s Artemis II test flight next year. While many of the spacecraft’s maneuvers like big propulsive burns are automated, a key test called the proximity operations demonstration will evaluate the manual handling qualities of Orion. During the approximately 70-minute demonstration set to begin about three hours into the mission, the crew will command Orion through a series of moves using the detached upper stage of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket as a mark. The in-space propulsion stage, called the interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS), includes an approximately two-foot target that will be used to evaluate how Orion flies with astronauts at the controls. “There are always differences between a ground simulation and what an actual spacecraft will fly like in space,” said Brian Anderson, Orion rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking manager within the Orion Program at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. “The demonstration is a flight test objective that helps us reduce risk for future missions that involve rendezvous and docking with other spacecraft.” After NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen are safely in space, the Moon rocket’s upper stage will fire twice to put Orion on a high Earth orbit trajectory. Then, the spacecraft will automatically separate from the rocket stage, firing several separation bolts before springs push Orion a safe distance away. As the spacecraft and its crew move away, Orion will perform an automated backflip to turn around and face the stage. At approximately 300 feet away, Orion will stop its relative motion. The crew will take control and use the translational and rotational hand controllers and display system to make very small movements to ensure Orion is responding as expected. Next, the crew will very slowly pilot Orion to within approximately 30 feet of the stage. A two-foot auxiliary target mounted inside the top of the stage, similar to the docking target used by spacecraft visiting the International Space Station, will guide their aim. “The crew will view the target by using a docking camera mounted inside the docking hatch window on the top of the crew module to see how well aligned they are with the docking target mounted to the ICPS,” Anderson said. “It’s a good stand in for what crews will see when they dock with Starship on Artemis III and to the Gateway on future missions.” About 30 feet from the stage, Orion will stop and the crew will checkout the spacecraft’s fine handling qualities to evaluate how it performs in close proximity to another spacecraft. Small maneuvers performed very close to the ICPS will be done using the reaction control system thrusters on Orion’s European Service Module. Orion will then back away and allow the stage to turn to protect its thermal properties. The crew will follow the stage, initiate a second round of manual maneuvers using another target mounted on the side of the stage, approach within approximately 30 feet, perform another fine handling quality check out, then back away. At the end of the demonstration, Orion will perform an automated departure burn to move away from the ICPS before the stage then fires to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere over a remote location in the Pacific Ocean. During Orion’s departure burn, engineers will use the spacecraft’s docking camera to gather precise positioning measurements, which will help inform navigation during rendezvous activities on future missions in the lunar environment, where there is no GPS system. Because the Artemis II Orion is not docking with another spacecraft, it is not equipped with a docking module containing lights and therefore is reliant on the ICPS to be lit enough by the Sun to allow the crew to see the targets. “As with many of our tests, it’s possible the proximity operations demonstration won’t go exactly as expected,” said Anderson. “Even if we don’t accomplish every part of the demonstration, we’ll continue on with the test flight as planned to accomplish our primary objectives, including evaluating Orion’s systems with crew aboard in the deep space environment and keeping the crew safe during the mission.” The approximately 10-day Artemis II flight will test NASA’s foundational human deep space exploration capabilities, the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft, for the first time with astronauts and will pave the way for lunar surface missions, including landing the first woman, first person of color, and first international partner astronaut on the Moon. › Back to Top View the full article

3 min read Eclipse Citizen Science for Educators “Citizen” here refers to citizens of Planet Earth. These projects are open to everyone, regardless of country of birth or legal citizenship status. If you are not already familiar with NASA’s citizen science opportunities or specific projects related to the April 8 solar eclipse, we encourage you to read Contribute to NASA Research on Eclipse Day – and Every Day. Jeffrey Bouwman at work in his classroom. Mr. Bouwman has long used citizen science projects in his classroom. Learn more about Mr. Bouwman in his NASA citizen scientist profile. Jeffrey Bouwman Citizen science projects – research projects that need lots of people and are designed for participation by anyone – are a great way for formal and informal students and enthusiasts to learn science by doing it. There are a number of these participatory projects addressing a wide variety of research questions. These projects have a range of difficulty, training requirements, time requirements, and equipment – in short, there really is a project for everyone! Finding Your First Project Choosing a project that’s right for your students or informal learners begins with choosing a project that works for you. Use the tables here to identify some projects that have the appropriate timing, challenge level, and equipment (or lack thereof!) that are right for you and your learners. If you have never contributed to a participatory or citizen science project, it’s a great idea to start with a simple project that doesn’t require a lot of equipment. Here are a few suggestions for getting started: Review the project descriptions to help choose the best one for you. Whittle your choice down to 1 or 2 projects. If you need a day-of-eclipse project, pick a second one that you can do anytime as a practice project for yourself. Do the project yourself. If you want to do a day-of eclipse project that is not yet available, pick another project to practice with. It will give you a sense of how these opportunities are structured and what it might feel like for your learners to participate. Read the project website, complete the preparation or training materials, and do the task enough to get a feel for what’s involved, what’s tricky, and what’s fun or satisfying about it. You don’t need to master the project or solve all problems that might arise. Do it until you have a sense for what participation feels like and what learning opportunities the project or task includes. When you introduce the project to your learners, emphasize that this is a real chance to do scientific research alongside other interested people around the world and with the professional team leading the project. Don’t hesitate to remind them that this is a NASA project working with NASA scientists! Are you an informal educator? Incorporate a citizen science project into an existing program with a small and/or familiar audience, or recruit a small group of volunteers or docents to try it with you. Set clear expectations (“we’ll be learning this together!”) and go for it. You will learn more about how to lead others through a project by trying it than any other way. Adjust your approach as you learn. Are you a formal educator? Start small by asking for volunteers to try the project out with you after school or during a study hall. Or pick a class and just go for it. You will learn the most about how to use and facilitate citizen science projects in your classroom by simply doing one. Adjust your approach as you and your students learn. And thank you for participating! By Sarah Kirn Citizen Science Strategist, NASA, at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute Share Details Last Updated Mar 27, 2024 Related Terms 2024 Solar Eclipse Citizen Science Eclipses Skywatching Solar Eclipses Explore More 4 min read Contribute to NASA Research on Eclipse Day – and Every Day Article 12 mins ago 4 min read ESA, NASA Solar Observatory Discovers Its 5,000th Comet Article 5 hours ago 5 min read NASA to Launch Sounding Rockets into Moon’s Shadow During Solar Eclipse Article 2 days ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

4 min read Contribute to NASA Research on Eclipse Day – and Every Day NASA is celebrating the Sun during the Heliophysics Big Year, which extends through the end of 2024. You can get involved to help us learn more about our star and its influence on our planet. With exciting experiments happening during the total solar eclipse that will cross North America on April 8, to widespread investigations going on throughout the year, keep reading to find a project that’s right for you. The dark band that runs from Mexico into Texas and all the way to Maine and Maritime Canada shows the path of totality for the April 8, 2024, eclipse. This is the area where people on Earth can witness a total eclipse of the Sun. Outside of this path, observers may see a partial eclipse, with the amount of the Sun being blocked by the Moon decreasing with distance from the path. NASA/Scientific Visualization Studio/Michala Garrison; Eclipse Calculations By Ernie Wright, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center What Is Citizen Science (Also Called Participatory Science)? NASA defines citizen science as “a form of open collaboration in which individuals or organizations participate in the scientific process in various ways” from collecting and analyzing data to making discoveries and solving problems. ”Citizen” here refers to citizens of planet Earth, and these projects are open to everyone, regardless of country of birth or legal citizenship status. NASA sponsors citizen science projects across all five areas of research that it pursues: Earth science, planetary science, astrophysics, biological and physical sciences, and heliophysics. And yes, there are a few projects that are focused on the April 8 solar eclipse! What You Can Do Depending which project you join, you might: Observe and record in pictures or words natural phenomena like clouds, animal noises, or a solar eclipse. Learn how to recognize or classify patterns in data or pictures of a comet or solar jet. Learn how to build and use scientific equipment like radio telescopes or ham radios. Your contribution may be a large or small piece of the picture, but what you do as part of a NASA citizen science project is essential to answering the research question or need that the project addresses. And while you’re contributing to science, you might also develop new skills and make friends. You can read about some project participants – and what motivates them – in these profiles. The Projects NASA citizen science projects related to the April 8, 2024, eclipse and solar science are presented in four groups below. You can see all NASA citizen science projects on this website. Use the tables below to find the project for you! A few notes: “Minimum time required” refers to how much time it would take you to get up to speed from the start. “Where” refers to where you need to be in order to participate. Are you an educator looking for ways to involve your formal or informal students in eclipse-related science? Check out this companion blog post for some tips for educators. Eclipse Projects That Need You on April 8! Quick-Start Projects That Require No Special Equipment Prerequisite knowledge Preparation/ Training Required equipment Challenge level Minimum time required Where Eclipse Soundscapes (Observer role) none online, minutes printable form easy minutes outside, in or near the path of totality GLOBE Observer: Eclipse Protocol none in app, minutes smartphone, air temperature thermometer easy minutes outside, in or near the path of totality SunSketcher none in app, minutes smartphone (download app in advance) easy minutes outside, in path of totality More Demanding Projects That Require Special Equipment Prerequisite knowledge Preparation/ Training Required equipment Challenge level Minimum time required Where Eclipse Soundscapes (Data Collector role) none online, minutes AudioMoth with micro-SD cards easy hours outside, in or near the path of totality Eclipse Megamovie 2024 how to use DSLR camera online, minutes DSLR camera and tracking mount moderate hours outside, in path of totality HamSCI familiarity with ham radios online, self-directed, hours web-connected device and/or ham radio moderate days inside Radio JOVE none online, self-directed, days to weeks web-connected device and/or radio telescope moderate weeks outside and/or online Citizen Continental-America Telescope Eclipse (CATE) 2024 none in person, days telescope, computer, cameras – provided to selected teams high (application period closed) days outside, in path of totality Dynamic Eclipse Broadcast (DEB) Initiative none online, hours telescope – provided to selected teams high (application period closed) days outside, in and off the path of totality Heliophysics Projects That You Can Do Anytime Quick-Start Projects, No Special Equipment Required Prerequisite knowledge Preparation/ Training Required equipment Challenge level Minimum time required Where HARP – Heliophysics Audified: Resonance in Plasmas none online, minutes web-connected device easy minutes online Solar Jet Hunter none online, minutes web-connected device easy minutes online More Demanding Projects That Require Special Equipment Prerequisite knowledge Preparation/ Training Required equipment Challenge level Minimum time required Where Aurorasaurus none online, minutes web-connected device, camera optional moderate hours outside, high latitudes Dynamic Eclipse Broadcast (DEB) Initiative none online, hours telescope – provided to selected teams moderate hours outside HamSCI familiarity with ham radios online, self-directed, hours web-connected device and/or ham radio moderate weeks indoors Radio JOVE familiarity with radio telescopes online, self-directed, hours web-connected device and/or radio telescope moderate weeks outside and/or online Spritacular none online, minutes web-connected device and/or camera moderate minutes outside and/or online Sungrazer Project none online, hours web-connected device high hours online Advanced Participation Many NASA citizen science projects start out with a straightforward, structured task, but that doesn’t have to be where your contributions end. Some projects offer webinars or host regular video conference calls where enthusiastic volunteers can learn about and participate in the work that comes after data collection or classification. Hundreds of volunteers have become involved in deep ways. Over 450 volunteers have even been recognized for their contributions by being named as co-authors of scientific papers, which are the formal way in which scientists announce new discoveries and ideas. By Sarah Kirn Citizen Science Strategist, NASA, at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute Share Details Last Updated Mar 27, 2024 Related Terms 2024 Solar Eclipse Citizen Science Eclipses Skywatching Solar Eclipses Explore More 3 min read Eclipse Citizen Science for Educators Article 12 mins ago 4 min read ESA, NASA Solar Observatory Discovers Its 5,000th Comet Article 5 hours ago 5 min read NASA to Launch Sounding Rockets into Moon’s Shadow During Solar Eclipse Article 2 days ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

¿Quieres ser astronauta, pero no sabes por dónde empezar? ¡Estas son algunas maneras en las que puedes comenzar tu viaje! Incluso si no aeun no reúnes los requisitos para ser astronauta, mediante la Oficina de Participación STEM (ciencia, tecnología, ingeniería y matemáticas) de la NASA, u OSTEM, hay formas de participar en las misiones de la NASA. Echa un vistazo a las 10 mejores maneras de ser astronauta: 1. Solicita una pasantía en la NASA. Convertirse en pasante es la manera perfecta de comenzar con la NASA. ¡Varios astronautas comenzaron como pasantes! La astronauta recién estrenada Jessica Watkins fue seleccionada como pasante de la NASA mientras era estudiante de pregrado y posgrado. “Esas experiencias fueron realmente las que me ayudaron a formarme como científica y exploradora”, dijo Watkins, atribuyéndolo a las experiencias prácticas de las que tuvo la oportunidad de ser parte durante sus pasantías. ¿Te interesa participar? Puedes encontrar más información en: intern.nasa.gov 2. Participa en los desafíos estudiantiles de Artemis. ¿Sabías que los Desafíos estudiantiles de Artemis (en inglés) contribuyen directamente a la misión de la NASA? El Reto estudiantil para lanzamientos suborbitales, el Desafío del rover de exploración humana, la Tecnología de interfaz del usuario de trajes espaciales para estudiantes (SUITS, por sus siglas en inglés), los Lunabotics, los Equipos de diseño experimental de flotación neutra microgravedad (Micro-G NExT, por sus siglas en inglés), El Reto de sistemas de lanzamiento para las Naciones Originarias y el Reto estudiantil Big Idea (Gran Idea) varían según la misión y el nivel académico (desde la escuela intermedia a la universidad) y abarcan muchos elementos del programa Artemis. Los desafíos estudiantiles de Artemis te permiten ser creativo, tomar lo que has aprendido en el aula y aplicarlo a los desafíos existentes para la exploración espacial. 3. Suscríbete a NASA EXPRESS. ¡Mantente informado sobre lo que sucede dentro de la NASA! NASA EXPRESS es un boletín semanal (en inglés) que ofrece novedades y oportunidades de la NASA y de la comunidad de Participación en STEM. NASA EXPRESS es un gran recurso para que los estudiantes exploren diversas oportunidades en STEM más allá de las paredes del aula. ¡Suscríbete hoy! Y si prefieres recibir tus noticias de la NASA en español, suscríbete a nuestro boletín Novedades de la NASA. 4. Asiste al ASTRO CAMP® o al Campamento Espacial. ¿Eres un joven explorador? Mejora tus destrezas en el ASTRO CAMP® en el Centro Espacial Stennis de la NASA. La astronauta de la NASA Kate Rubins viajó a la Estación Espacial Internacional en 2016, pero antes de eso asistió al Campamento Espacial cuando cursaba séptimo grado, después de ahorrar el dinero que le pagaban por hacer tareas domésticas para poder asistir. Rubins soñaba con convertirse en astronauta cuando era niña y dejó el campamento sabiendo que tenía que tomar tantos cursos de matemáticas y ciencias como pudiera para hacer realidad su sueño. 5. ¡Aprende lo que realmente se necesita para convertirte en astronauta! Existen muchos mitos y conceptos erróneos sobre lo que se necesita para ser astronauta. Infórmate sobre los hechos y los requisitos, y prepárate para una experiencia fuera de este mundo, literalmente. 6. Una gran variedad de carreras profesionales pueden llevarte al espacio: ¡Encuentra una que te guste! ¡Mantén una mentalidad abierta! No tienes que ser ingeniero o seguir un camino específico para ser astronauta. Los astronautas de la NASA provienen de todos los ámbitos de la vida: maestros, médicos, biólogos, geólogos, militares… ¡y más! La cohorte de astronautas más reciente refleja este nivel de diversidad. Por encima de todo, asegúrate de que amas lo que haces. 7. Mantente activo. La aptitud física es una gran parte del entrenamiento de los astronautas y de la vida diaria en el espacio. A bordo de la Estación Espacial Internacional, los astronautas se ejercitan dos horas al día para mantener sus huesos fuertes en el entorno de microgravedad. Mantén un estilo de vida saludable y un régimen de ejercicios, ¡o prueba un nuevo deporte! Encuentra más información (en inglés) sobre cómo los astronautas se mantienen en forma aquí. 8. Participa en ferias de ciencias e ingeniería. Tómate el tiempo para mostrar tu arduo trabajo e ingenio fuera del aula. Las ferias de ciencias e ingeniería son una excelente manera no solo de mostrar tu trabajo, sino también de inspirarte en las personas que te rodean. 9. Postúlate a escuelas de posgrado y de capacitación profesional, o a un programa de entrenamiento para pilotos. Planifica tu futuro. Si quieres ser astronauta, es imprescindible obtener un título académico avanzado. Los astronautas deben completar una maestría en un campo de STEM, trabajar para obtener un doctorado o tener un doctorado en medicina o una licenciatura en medicina osteopráctica. Postúlate para una escuela de posgrado y da un paso adelante en tu educación, preparándote para la vida en el espacio. Otra forma de calificar es mediante la realización de un programa como piloto de pruebas en una institución acreditada. 10. Inscríbete en clases y clubes de STEM. ¿No estás todavía a nivel universitario o de posgrado? Nunca es demasiado pronto para involucrarte en áreas de STEM y dar los primeros pasos hacia una carrera fuera de este mundo. Elige clases de ciencias, matemáticas y programación que se alineen con tus objetivos y únete a clubes y actividades relacionadas con STEM fuera del aula. Si tu escuela o comunidad no ofrece un club para lo que te interesa, ¡crea uno! Mientras la NASA continúa avanzando con el programa Artemis y el reclutamiento de astronautas, tú, la futura fuerza laboral de STEM que podría algún día llevarnos a mundos distantes, eres una parte importante de eso. A través de la variedad de recursos de OSTEM, puedes unirte a nosotros en este viaje mientras avanzamos hacia la Luna… y más allá. Para obtener más novedades sobre la participación en STEM de la NASA, síguenos en las cuentas (en inglés) @NASASTEM en Twitter y NASA STEM for Students en Facebook. Explore More 4 min read Optical Fiber Production Article 2 days ago 3 min read Payload Adapter Testing: A Key Step for Artemis IV Rocket’s Success Article 6 days ago 4 min read Key Test Drive of Orion on NASA’s Artemis II to Aid Future Missions Article 1 week ago View the full article

NASA astronaut and backup Soyuz MS-25 Flight Engineer Don Pettit poses for a crew portrait at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.NASA During his fourth mission to the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Don Pettit will serve as a flight engineer and member of the Expedition 71/72 crew. After blasting off to space, Pettit will conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations to help prepare crew for future space missions. Pettit will launch on the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft in September 2024, accompanied by Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner. The trio will spend approximately six months aboard the orbital laboratory. NASA selected Pettit as an astronaut in 1996. A veteran of three spaceflights, he made integral advancements in technology and demonstrations for human exploration. He served as a science officer for Expedition 6 in 2003, operated the robotic arm for STS-126 space shuttle Endeavour in 2008, and served as a flight engineer for Expedition 30/31 in 2012. Pettit has logged 370 days in space and conducted two spacewalks totaling 13 hours and 17 minutes. The Expedition 6 crew launched on STS-113 space shuttle Endeavour expecting to return on STS-114 space shuttle Discovery after a two and a half month mission. Following the space shuttle Columbia accident that grounded the shuttle fleet, the crew returned on the Soyuz TMA-1 spacecraft after five and a half months, landing in Kazakhstan. On his next 16-day mission, STS-126, Pettit helped expand the living quarters of the space station and installed a regenerative life support system to reclaim potable water from urine. During Expedition 30/31, Pettit also captured the first commercial cargo spacecraft, the SpaceX Dragon, using the robotic arm. A native from Silverton, Oregon, Pettit holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Oregon State University, Corvallis, and a doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Arizona, Tucson. Prior to his career with NASA, Pettit worked as a staff scientist at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. For more than two decades, humans have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs that are not possible on Earth. The station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit. As commercial companies focus on providing human space transportation services and destinations as part of a robust low Earth orbit economy, NASA is able to focus more of its resources on deep space missions to the Moon and Mars. Get breaking news, images and features from the space station on the station blog, Instagram, Facebook, and X. Learn more about International Space Station research and operations at: https://www.nasa.gov/station -end- Julian Coltre / Claire O’Shea Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 julian.n.coltre@nasa.gov / claire.a.o’shea@nasa.gov Courtney Beasley Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 courtney.m.beasley@nasa.gov View the full article

5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Europa Clipper is seen in the 25-Foot Space Simulator at JPL in February, before the start of thermal vacuum testing. A battery of tests ensures that the NASA spacecraft can withstand the extreme hot, cold, and airless environment of space. NASA/JPL-Caltech A gantlet of tests prepared the spacecraft for its challenging trip to the Jupiter system, where it will explore the icy moon Europa and its subsurface ocean. In less than six months, NASA is set to launch Europa Clipper on a 1.6-billion-mile (2.6-billion-kilometer) voyage to Jupiter’s ocean moon Europa. From the wild vibrations of the rocket ride to the intense heat and cold of space to the punishing radiation of Jupiter, it will be a journey of extremes. The spacecraft was recently put through a series of hard-core tests at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California to ensure it’s up to the challenge. Called environmental testing, the battery of trials simulates the environment that the spacecraft will face, subjecting it to shaking, chilling, airlessness, electromagnetic fields, and more. NASA’s Europa Clipper is seen being lifted into the Space Simulator at JPL in February. Thermal vacuum testing, which lasted 16 days, ensures that the spacecraft will withstand the harsh conditions of space. NASA/JPL-Caltech NASA’s Europa Clipper is visible in the clean room of High Bay 1 within JPL’s Spacecraft Assembly Facility in January. The tent around the spacecraft was erected to support electromagnetic testing, which was part of a regimen of environmental tests. NASA/JPL-Caltech “These were the last big tests to find any flaws,” said JPL’s Jordan Evans, the mission’s project manager. “Our engineers executed a well-designed and challenging set of tests that put the system through its paces. What we found is that the spacecraft can handle the environments that it will see during and after launch. The system performed very well and operates as expected.” The Gantlet The most recent environmental test for Europa Clipper was also one of the most elaborate, requiring 16 days to complete. The spacecraft is the largest NASA has ever built for a planetary mission and one of the largest ever to squeeze into JPL’s historic 85-foot-tall, 25-foot-wide (26-meter-by-8-meter) thermal vacuum chamber (TVAC). Known as the 25-foot Space Simulator, the chamber creates a near-perfect vacuum inside to mimic the airless environment of space. At the same time, engineers subjected the hardware to the high temperatures it will experience on the side of Europa Clipper that faces the Sun while the spacecraft is close to Earth. Beams from powerful lamps at the base of the Space Simulator bounced off a massive mirror at its top to mimic the heat the spacecraft will endure. To simulate the journey away from the Sun, the lamps were dimmed and liquid nitrogen filled tubes in the chamber walls to chill them to temperatures replicating space. The team then gauged whether the spacecraft could warm itself, monitoring it with about 500 temperature sensors, each of which had been attached by hand. Watch as engineers and technicians move NASA’s Europa Clipper into the thermal vacuum chamber at JPL in February 2024. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech TVAC marked the culmination of environmental testing, which included a regimen of tests to ensure the electrical and magnetic components that make up the spacecraft don’t interfere with one another. The orbiter also underwent vibration, shock, and acoustics testing. During vibration testing, the spacecraft was shaken repeatedly – up and down and side to side – the same way it will be jostled aboard the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket during liftoff. Shock testing involved pyrotechnics to mimic the explosive jolt the spacecraft will get when it separates from the rocket to fly its mission. Finally, acoustic testing ensured that Europa Clipper can withstand the noise of launch, when the rumbling of the rocket is so loud it can damage the spacecraft if it’s not sturdy enough. “There still is work to be done, but we’re on track for an on-time launch,” Evans said. “And the fact that this testing was so successful is a huge positive and helps us rest more easily.” Looking to Launch Later this spring, the spacecraft will be shipped to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. There, teams of engineers and technicians will carry out final preparations with eyes on the clock. Europa Clipper’s launch period opens Oct. 10. After liftoff, the spacecraft will zip toward Mars, and in late February 2025, it will be close enough to use the Red Planet’s gravitational force for added momentum. From there, the solar-powered spacecraft will swing back toward Earth to get another slingshot boost – from our own planet’s gravitational field – in December 2026. Then it’s on to the outer solar system, where Europa Clipper is set to arrive at Jupiter in 2030. The spacecraft will orbit the gas giant while it flies by Europa 49 times, dipping as close as 16 miles (25 kilometers) from the moon’s surface to gather data with its powerful suite of science instruments. The information gathered will tell scientists more about the moon’s watery interior. More About the Mission Europa Clipper’s main science goal is to determine whether there are places below the surface of Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa, that could support life. The mission’s three main science objectives are to determine the thickness of the moon’s icy shell and its surface interactions with the ocean below, to investigate its composition, and to characterize its geology. The mission’s detailed exploration of Europa will help scientists better understand the astrobiological potential for habitable worlds beyond our planet. Managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California, JPL leads the development of the Europa Clipper mission in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. APL designed the main spacecraft body in collaboration with JPL and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The Planetary Missions Program Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, executes program management of the Europa Clipper mission. Find more information about Europa here: europa.nasa.gov News Media Contacts Gretchen McCartney Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 818-393-6215 gretchen.p.mccartney@jpl.nasa.gov Karen Fox / Charles Blue NASA Headquarters, Washington 301-286-6284 / 202-802-5345 karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / charles.e.blue@nasa.gov 2024-032 Share Details Last Updated Mar 27, 2024 Related TermsEuropa ClipperEuropaJet Propulsion LaboratoryJupiterThe Solar System Explore More 5 min read ESA, NASA Solar Observatory Discovers Its 5,000th Comet On March 25, 2024, a citizen scientist in the Czech Republic spotted a comet in… Article 2 hours ago 3 min read NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Mission Awarded Collier Trophy Article 21 hours ago 6 min read NASA to Launch Sounding Rockets into Moon’s Shadow During Solar Eclipse NASA will launch three sounding rockets during the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024,… Article 2 days ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

NASA/JPL-Caltech This image from March 8, 2024, shows waveforms of the word “water” in 103 languages etched onto a triangular metal plate. The plate will be attached to the Europa Clipper spacecraft, set to fly to one of Jupiter’s moons, Europa, after it launches in October 2024. The waveforms radiate out from a symbol representing the American Sign Language sign for “water.” The other side of the plate is engraved with U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón’s handwritten poem “In Praise of Mystery: A Poem for Europa” and will be affixed with a silicon microchip stenciled with more than 2.6 million names submitted by the public through NASA’s Message in a Bottle campaign. Read more about this plate and its connection to Voyager’s Golden Record. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech View the full article

4 min read NASA Data Shows How Drought Changes Wildfire Recovery in the West California’s 2017 Thomas Fire (shown) was included in a new analysis of more than 1,500 wildland fires teasing out how drought and fire combine to affect western U.S. lands.USDA Forest Service/ Stuart Palley A new study using NASA satellite data reveals how drought affects the recovery of western ecosystems from fire, a result that could provide meaningful information for conservation efforts. The West has been witnessing a trend of increasing number and intensity of wildland fires. Historically a natural part of the region’s ecology, fires have been exacerbated by climate change—including more frequent and intense droughts—and past efforts to suppress fires, which can lead to the accumulation of combustible material like fallen branches and leaves. But quantifying how fire and drought jointly affect ecosystems has proven difficult. In the new study, researchers analyzed over 1,500 fires from 2014 to 2020 across the West, and also gathered data on drought conditions dating back to 1984. They found that droughts make it harder for grasslands and shrublands, such as those in Nevada and Utah, to recover after fires—even the less severe blazes. Forests, if not burned too badly, rebound better than grasslands and shrublands because some forest roots can tap into water deeper in the ground. The team reported its findings in the February 2024 issue of Nature Ecology & Environment. “Many of the West’s grasslands experience low-severity fires,” said Shahryar Ahmed, lead author of the study and a research scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “This study shows that even those blazes can trigger a slow recovery in these ecosystems if accompanied by a preceding drought.” If ecosystems don’t have enough time to bounce back before another drought or fire, that could lead to permanent changes in the types of plants growing there. That, in turn, can increase the risk of soil erosion and landslides, and alter the usual patterns of water running off into streams and lakes. “Once a fire is contained, that’s when the remediation efforts happen,” said Everett Hinkley, the national remote sensing program manager for the U.S. Forest Service, who wasn’t involved in the new research. “Understanding how a particular ecosystem and land cover type is going to respond after the fire informs what actions you need to take to restore the landscape.” Without such restoration, changes in land cover can cascade to potentially affect agriculture, tourism, and other community livelihoods. To track the recovery of the different ecosystems, the researchers examined changes in evapotranspiration (ET)—the transfer of water to the atmosphere through evaporation from soil and open water and transpiration from plants—before and after the fires. Monitoring evapotranspiration helped the team identify whether different ecosystems, such as forests and grasslands, completely recovered after a fire, or if the recovery was delayed or disrupted. That evapotranspiration data came from OpenET, a tool that calculates evapotranspiration at the scale of a quarter-acre across the western United States. It does so using models that harness publicly available data from the Landsat program, a partnership between NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey, along with other NASA and NOAA satellites. “This study highlights the dominant control of drought on altering resilience of vegetation to fires in the West,” said Erin Urquhart, the water resources program manager at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “With ongoing climate change, it is imperative that land managers, policymakers, and communities work together, informed by such research, to adapt to these changes, mitigating risks and ensuring the sustainable use of water and other natural resources.” The research also showed that forests, grasslands, and shrublands all struggle to recover from droughts that occur close in time with high-severity fires, which are becoming more common in the West. That can lead to potentially lasting changes not only in the plant communities but also in local and regional water dynamics. Severe fires damage plants to such an extent that evapotranspiration is greatly reduced in the following years, the researchers found. So instead of evaporating into the atmosphere, more water sinks into the ground as recharge or becomes runoff. Using a subset of nearly 800 fires from 2016 to 2018, the researchers calculated that across all the ecoregions in the study, an average of about 528 billion gallons (two cubic kilometers) of water was diverted as runoff or recharge during the first year after a fire. That’s equivalent to North Dakota’s annual water demand, or one quarter of Shasta Lake, California’s largest humanmade lake. When more water becomes runoff, it means less could be available for ecosystem recovery or agriculture. As Earth’s climate continues to warm, understanding these shifts is crucial for developing strategies to manage water resources more effectively and ensure water security for future generations. By: Emily DeMarco, NASA Earth Science Division Share Details Last Updated Mar 27, 2024 EditorEmily DeMarcoContactEmily DeMarcoemily.p.demarco@nasa.gov Related TermsEarthNatural Disasters Explore More 5 min read Early Adopters of NASA’s PACE Data to Study Air Quality, Ocean Health Article 2 days ago 4 min read NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement Mission: 10 years, 10 stories Article 4 weeks ago 5 min read OpenET Study Helps Water Managers and Farmers Put NASA Data to Work Article 2 months ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

4 min read ESA, NASA Solar Observatory Discovers Its 5,000th Comet On March 25, 2024, a citizen scientist in the Czech Republic spotted a comet in an image from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft, which has now been confirmed to be the 5,000th comet discovered using SOHO data. SOHO has achieved this milestone over 28 years in space, even though it was never designed to be a comet hunter. The 5,000th comet discovered with the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft is noted by a small white box in the upper left portion of this image. A zoomed-in inset shows the comet as a faint dot between the white vertical lines. The image was taken on March 25, 2024, by SOHO’s Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO), which uses a disk to block the bright Sun and reveal faint features around it. NASA/ESA/SOHO The comet is a small body made of ice and rock that takes only a few years to orbit the Sun. It belongs to the “Marsden group” of comets. This group is thought to be related to comet 96P/Machholz (which SOHO observes when Machholz passes near the Sun every 5.3 years) and is named for the late scientist Brian Marsden who first recognized the group using SOHO observations. Only about 75 of the 5,000 comets discovered with SOHO belong to the Marsden group. A joint mission of ESA (European Space Agency) and NASA, SOHO launched in December 1995 to study the Sun and the dynamics in its outer atmosphere, called the corona. A science instrument on SOHO, called the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO), uses an artificial disk to block the blinding light of the Sun so scientists can study the corona and environment immediately around the Sun. This also allows SOHO to do something many other spacecraft cannot – see comets flying close to the Sun, known as “sungrazing” comets or “sungrazers.” Many of these comets only brighten when they’re too close to the Sun for other observatories to see and would otherwise go undetected, lost in the bright glare of our star. While scientists expected SOHO to serendipitously find some comets during its mission, the spacecraft’s ability to spot them has made it the most prolific comet-finder in history – discovering more than half of the comets known today. In fact, soon after SOHO launched, people around the world began spotting so many comets in its images that mission scientists needed a way to keep track of them all. In the early 2000s, they launched the NASA-funded Sungrazer Project that allows anyone to report comets they find in SOHO images. This animation shows the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory’s 5,000th comet (circled) moving across the field relative to background stars. The images in this sequence were taken with the spacecraft’s Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) instrument. NASA/ESA/SOHO SOHO’s 5,000th comet was found by Hanjie Tan, a Sungrazer Project participant who is originally from Guangzhou, China, and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in astronomy in Prague, Czech Republic. Tan has been participating in the Sungrazer Project since he was 13 years old and is one of the project’s youngest comet discoverers. “Since 2009, I’ve discovered over 200 comets,” Tan said. “I got into the Sungrazer Project because I love looking for comets. It’s really exciting to be the first to see comets get bright near the Sun after they’ve been traveling through space for thousands of years.” Most of the 5,000 comets discovered using SOHO have been found with the help of an international cadre of volunteer comet hunters – many with no formal scientific training – participating in the Sungrazer Project. “Prior to the launch of the SOHO mission and the Sungrazer Project, there were only a couple dozen sungrazing comets on record – that’s all we knew existed,” said Karl Battams, a space scientist at the U.S. Naval Research Lab in Washington, D.C., and the principal investigator for the Sungrazer Project. “The fact that we’ve finally reached this milestone – 5,000 comets – is just unbelievable to me.” SOHO’s 5,000th comet was discovered with the help of volunteers participating in the NASA-funded Sungrazer Project. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center The vast number of comets discovered using SOHO has allowed scientists to learn more about sungrazing comets and groups of comets that orbit the Sun. Comets discovered by the Sungrazer Project have also helped scientists learn more about the Sun, by watching the comets plunge through our star’s atmosphere like small solar probes. “The statistics of 5,000 comets, and looking at their orbits and trajectories through space, is a super unique dataset – it’s really valuable science,” Battams said. “It’s a testament to the countless hours the project participants have put into this. We absolutely would never had reached this milestone if it wasn’t for what the project volunteers have done.” The Sungrazer Project is one of many opportunities that anyone can get involved with to help make discoveries with NASA during the Heliophysics Big Year, which extends through the end of 2024. Learn more about SOHO, the Sungrazer Project, and other NASA science projects you can participate in: NASA SOHO mission website ESA SOHO website The Sungrazer Project Why ESA and NASA’s SOHO Spacecraft Spots So Many Comets 4,000th Comet Discovered by ESA & NASA Solar Observatory NASA Citizen Science by Vanessa Thomas NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Share Details Last Updated Mar 27, 2024 Related Terms Citizen Science Comets Heliophysics Skywatching SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) The Solar System The Sun Explore More 5 min read NASA to Launch Sounding Rockets into Moon’s Shadow During Solar Eclipse Article 2 days ago 5 min read Sketch the Shape of the Sun for Science During the Solar Eclipse Article 1 week ago 2 min read NASA Volunteers Find Fifteen Rare “Active Asteroids” Article 2 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

1 min read IXPE Operations Update On March 23, NASA’s IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) stopped transmitting valid telemetry data. The only previous interruption of IXPE science observations was due to a similar issue in June of 2023. On March 26, using procedures developed following that previous interruption, the team initiated a spacecraft avionics reset to address the issue, which put IXPE into a planned safe mode. The team has confirmed that IXPE is once again transmitting valid telemetry data and is now working to resume science operations, in as rapid and safe a manner as possible. The spacecraft is in good health. Launched in 2021, IXPE is a space observatory built to discover the secrets of some of the most extreme cosmic objects – the remnants of supernova explosions, neutron stars, powerful particle streams ejected by feeding black holes, and more. The observatory is NASA’s first mission to study the polarization of X-rays from many different types of celestial objects. Follow the IXPE blog for further updates. Share Details Last Updated Mar 26, 2024 Related Terms General IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) Explore More 1 min read Near-Earth Asteroids as of February 2024 Article 6 months ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

Artist’s concept of an Artemis astronaut deploying an instrument on the lunar surface.Credits: NASA NASA has chosen the first science instruments designed for astronauts to deploy on the surface of the Moon during Artemis III. Once installed near the lunar South Pole, the three instruments will collect valuable scientific data about the lunar environment, the lunar interior, and how to sustain a long-duration human presence on the Moon, which will help prepare NASA to send astronauts to Mars. “Artemis marks a bold new era of exploration, where human presence amplifies scientific discovery. With these innovative instruments stationed on the Moon’s surface, we’re embarking on a transformative journey that will kick-start the ability to conduct human-machine teaming – an entirely new way of doing science,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy. “These three deployed instruments were chosen to begin scientific investigations that will address key Moon to Mars science objectives.” The instruments will address three Artemis science objectives: understanding planetary processes, understanding the character and origin of lunar polar volatiles, and investigating and mitigating exploration risks. They were specifically chosen because of their unique installation requirements that necessitate deployment by humans during moonwalks. All three payloads were selected for further development to fly on Artemis III that’s targeted to launch in 2026, however, final manifesting decisions about the mission will be determined at a later date. Members of these payload teams will become members of NASA’s Artemis III science team. The Lunar Environment Monitoring Station (LEMS) is a compact, autonomous seismometer suite designed to carry out continuous, long-term monitoring of the seismic environment, namely ground motion from moonquakes, in the lunar south polar region. The instrument will characterize the regional structure of the Moon’s crust and mantle, which will add valuable information to lunar formation and evolution models. LEMS previously received four years of NASA’s Development and Advancement of Lunar Instrumentation funding for engineering development and risk reduction. It is intended to operate on the lunar surface from three months up to two years and may become a key station in a future global lunar geophysical network. LEMS is led by Dr. Mehdi Benna, from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Lunar Effects on Agricultural Flora (LEAF) will investigate the lunar surface environment’s effects on space crops. LEAF will be the first experiment to observe plant photosynthesis, growth, and systemic stress responses in space-radiation and partial gravity. Plant growth and development data, along with environmental parameters measured by LEAF, will help scientists understand the use of plants grown on the Moon for both human nutrition and life support on the Moon and beyond. LEAF is led by Christine Escobar of Space Lab Technologies, LLC, in Boulder, Colorado. The Lunar Dielectric Analyzer (LDA) will measure the regolith’s ability to propagate an electric field, which is a key parameter in the search for lunar volatiles, especially ice. It will gather essential information about the structure of the Moon’s subsurface, monitor dielectric changes caused by the changing angle of the Sun as the Moon rotates, and look for possible frost formation or ice deposits. LDA, an internationally contributed payload, is led by Dr. Hideaki Miyamoto of the University of Tokyo and supported by JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency). “These three scientific instruments will be our first opportunity since Apollo to leverage the unique capabilities of human explorers to conduct transformative lunar science,” said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration in NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. “These payloads mark our first steps toward implementing the recommendations for the high-priority science outlined in the Artemis III Science Definition Team report.” Artemis III, the first mission to return astronauts to the surface of the Moon in more than 50 years, will explore the south polar region of the Moon, within 6 degrees of latitude from the South Pole. Several proposed landing regions for the mission are located among some of the oldest parts of the Moon. Together with the permanently shadowed regions, they provide the opportunity to learn about the history of the Moon through previously unstudied lunar materials. With the Artemis campaign, NASA will land the first woman, first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the Moon, and establish long-term exploration for scientific discovery and preparation for human missions to Mars for the benefit of all. For more information on Artemis science, visit: https://science.nasa.gov/lunar-science -end- Karen Fox / Erin Morton Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1257 / 202-805-9393 karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / erin.morton@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Mar 26, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsArtemisArtemis 3Earth's MoonScience & ResearchTechnology View the full article

NASA/JPL-Caltech Two full-scale development model rovers, part of NASA’s Cooperative Autonomous Distributed Robotic Exploration (CADRE) technology demonstration, drive in the Mars Yard at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California in this image from August 2023. The project is designed to show that a group of robotic spacecraft can work together as a team to accomplish tasks and record data autonomously – without explicit commands from mission controllers on Earth. A series of Mars Yard tests with the development models confirmed CADRE hardware and software can work together to accomplish key goals for the project. The rovers drove together in formation and adjusted their plans as a group when faced with unexpected obstacles. CADRE is slated to arrive at the Reiner Gamma region of the Moon through NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. The network of robots will spend the daylight hours of a single lunar day – about 14 Earth days – conducting experiments that will test their capabilities. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech View the full article

NASA and the OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security – Regolith Explorer) mission team have won the National Aeronautic Association’s (NAA) Robert J. Collier Trophy. NAA awards the trophy annually for what it determines is “the greatest achievement in aerospace and astronautics in America.” The OSIRIS-REx team will be celebrated at an award dinner on June 13, 2024, in Washington, D.C. The NAA bestowed the Robert J. Collier Trophy on the team behind NASA’s OSIRIS-REx, acknowledging the mission’s place in aerospace history by being the first U.S. mission to collect a sample from an asteroid and deliver it to Earth for study. A top-down view of the OSIRIS-REx Touch-and-Go-Sample-Acquisition-Mechanism (TAGSAM) head with the lid removed, revealing the remainder of the asteroid sample inside. Erika Blumenfeld, creative lead for the Advanced Imaging and Visualization of Astromaterials (AIVA) and Joe Aebersold, project management lead, captured this picture using manual high-resolution precision photography and a semi-automated focus stacking procedure. The result is an image that can be zoomed in on to show extreme detail of the sample. The remaining sample material includes dust and rocks up to about .4 in (one cm) in size.NASA/Erika Blumenfeld & Joseph Aebersold “Congratulations to the OSIRIS-REx team on this well-deserved honor,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “By successfully designing, building, and carrying out the first U.S. mission to collect an asteroid sample, NASA proved once again that we do big things. Things that inspire the world. We look forward to the incredible science to come that will tell us more about our solar system and help protect humanity here on Earth.” Established more than a century ago, the award has marked major achievements in the timeline of flight, including Orville Wright in 1913 for developing the automatic stabilizer; Air Force test pilot Chuck Yeager for his sound-barrier-breaking 1947 flight of the X-1 rocket plane; the crews of NASA’s Apollo 8, 11, and 15 for their missions to the Moon in the late 1960s and early ’70s; and NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter. The OSIRIS-REx team includes NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland; Lockheed Martin in Littleton, Colorado; University of Arizona, Tucson; and KinetX in Tempe, Arizona. The sample from the ancient asteroid Bennu that OSIRIS-REx delivered to Earth in September 2023 will give researchers worldwide a glimpse into the earliest days of our solar system, offering insights into planet formation and the origin of organics essential for life on Earth. Data collected by the spacecraft combined with future analysis of the Bennu sample will also aid our understanding of asteroids that could impact Earth. The Collier Trophy adds to the recent Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy received by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx team in March 2024. Following its successful sample return, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft was renamed OSIRIS-APEX and will now enter an extended mission to visit and study near-Earth asteroid Apophis in 2029. NASA Goddard provides overall mission management, systems engineering, and the safety and mission assurance for OSIRIS-REx. Dante Lauretta of the University of Arizona, Tucson, is the principal investigator. The university leads the science team and the mission’s science observation planning and data processing. Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado, built the spacecraft and provides flight operations. Goddard and KinetX Aerospace are responsible for navigating the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. Processing and curation for OSIRIS-REx’s Bennu sample takes place at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. International partnerships on this mission include the OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter instrument from CSA (the Canadian Space Agency) and asteroid sample science collaboration with JAXA’s (the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Hayabusa2 mission. OSIRIS-REx is the third mission in NASA’s New Frontiers Program, managed by the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Find more information about NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission at: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/osiris-rex Rob Gutro NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Robert.j.gutro@nasa.gov Karen Fox / Charles Blue Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1257 / 202-802-5345 Share Details Last Updated Mar 26, 2024 Related TermsOSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer)AsteroidsGoddard Space Flight CenterJohnson Space Center View the full article

3 Min Read Order Up: High School Students Compete to Launch Their Food into Space with NASA HUNCH Culinary Competition High School students in chef jackets line long black tables at NASA's Langley Research Center preparing savory breakfast dishes fit for astronauts onboard the International Space Station. Credits: NASA/Angelique Herring On Monday, Feb. 26, visitors to the Integrated Engineering Services Building at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, were greeted by the mouthwatering smell of roasted garlic, sautéed peppers and onions, fragrant herbs, and the unexpected discovery that the building’s main hallway had been turned into a pop-up kitchen for local high school students. These students were participants in NASA HUNCH Culinary. NASA HUNCH (High School Students United with NASA to Create Hardware) is a Project Based Learning program where high school students participate in the design and fabrication of real world valued products for NASA. HUNCH has six areas of focus that students may choose to participate in: Precision Machining, Softgoods, Design and Prototype, Food Science, Communications, and Software. High School students chop vegetables as they prepare their savory entry for NASA’s HUNCH Culinary Challenge.NASA/Angelique Herring The HUNCH Astronaut Culinary Program provides students the opportunity to create dishes for astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Students must create tasty recipes following a specific food processing procedure and meeting certain nutritional requirements. These dishes must meet the standards of the NASA Johnson Space Center Food Lab in Houston, Texas. Through this program, students gain culinary experience as well as experience with research and presenting their work in a professional environment. Students spend weeks perfecting their recipes so that on competition day, they can recreate their dishes in person at various NASA centers across the country. This year, HUNCH Culinary student teams were tasked with the challenge of creating a savory breakfast dish that included a vegetable. The recipes had to fall between 150 and 350 calories, contain less than 12 grams of fat and 250 milligrams of sodium, have at least one gram of fiber, and “must process well for spaceflight and for use in microgravity” among several other requirements. An eager hand reaches for a small serving of eggs scrambled with vegetables and topped with seeds as a larger skillet of the savory breakfast dish sits to the left.NASA/Angelique Herring Several students described challenges around creating a recipe under these guidelines. Nyland Clay, a student at Landstown High School in Virginia Beach, explained his team’s problem solving around the minimal sodium guideline. “We were able to work around that by using different types of flavors in order to substitute for the extra sodium,” he said. “One of the ways we did this was with poblano peppers. When seared over a grill, they make a nice smoky flavor that doesn’t add any sodium whatsoever.” Nyland’s team additionally chose to use ground turkey in their sweet potato hash recipe instead of ground beef to avoid unnecessary fat. Travis Walker, culinary instructor at Phoebus High School in Hampton and former executive catering chef manager for the NASA Langley Exchange, spoke highly of his students as his reason for teaching. “The most rewarding part is just watching the growth of the kids,” he said. “From the day you get them and they can’t boil water, to the time they get here and they’re in these competitions and excelling — that’s the most rewarding part.” The student groups with the highest scores will be invited to Johnson Space Center in Houston for a final competition where their dishes will be judged by Johnson Food Lab personnel, industry professionals, the ISS program office, and astronauts. The criteria are quality, taste, and the students’ work on the research paper and presentation video. The winning entree will be processed by the Johnson Space Center Food Lab and sent up to the station for the astronauts to enjoy. Share Details Last Updated Mar 26, 2024 Related TermsLangley Research Center Explore More 3 min read University Teams Selected as Finalists to Envision New Aviation Responses to Natural Disasters Article 34 mins ago 5 min read NASA Helps Emerging Space Companies ‘Take the Heat’ Article 3 weeks ago 4 min read Langley Celebrates Black History Month: Clayton Turner Article 4 weeks ago View the full article

3 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) The Gateways to Blue Skies Competition is sponsored by NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate and is managed by the National Institute of Aerospace.Image Credit: NASA Eight teams participating in the 2024 Gateways to Blue Skies: Advancing Aviation for Natural Disasters Competition have been selected to present their design concepts to a panel of industry experts at the 2024 Blue Skies Forum, May 30 and 31, 2024 at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California. Sponsored by NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD), this year’s Blue Skies Competition asked teams of university students to research and conceptualize aviation-related systems that will aid in natural disaster management, and to submit a five to seven-page proposal and a video summarizing their concept. “We are thrilled with the diversity of ideas from all the finalists and can see their passion for making a real impact in natural disaster response through new and improved aviation systems,” said Steven Holz, NASA Aeronautics University Innovation Assistant Project Manager and Blue Skies judge and co-chair. “We look forward to seeing their final papers, infographics, and hearing their final presentations at the forum.” The 2024 Gateways to Blue Skies: Advancing Aviation for Natural Disasters finalist projects represent diverse natural disaster response types, including earthquakes, avalanches, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, floods, and wildfires: Boston University Deployable Unmanned Aerial System to Detect and Map Volcanic Ash Clouds Advisor: James Geiger Boston University Rapid Evaluation, Coordination, Observation, Verification & Environmental Reporting (RECOVER) Advisor: Dr. Anthony Linn Bowie State University Enhancing Earthquake Disaster Relief with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Advisor: Dr. Haydar Teymourlouei California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Aero-Quake Emergency Response Network Advisor: Mark Gonda Cerritos College F.I.R.E. (Fire Intervention Retardant Expeller) Advisor: Janet McLarty-Schroeder Columbia University AVATARS: Aerial Vehicles for Avalanche Terrain Assessment and Reporting Systems Faculty Advisor: Dr. Mike Massimino North Carolina State University Reconnaissance and Emergency Aircraft for Critical Hurricane Relief (REACHR) Advisor: Dr. Felix Ewere University of Texas, Austin Data Integrated UAV for Wildfire Management Advisor: Dr. Christian Claudel As climate change increasingly influences the frequency and severity of natural disasters on a global scale, opportunities to contribute at the intersection of technological advancement, aviation, and natural disasters grow in both number and importance. NASA Aeronautics is dedicated to expanding its efforts to assist commercial, industry, and government partners in advancing aviation-related systems that could help prepare for natural disasters, lessen their impacts, and speed up recovery efforts. The eight finalist teams each receive $8,000 stipends to facilitate full participation in the Gateways to Blue Skies Forum, which will be held in May in Mountain View and will be livestreamed globally. Winning team members earn a chance to intern at one of NASA’s Aeronautics centers in the 2024-25 academic year. The 2024 Gateways to Blue Skies competition is sponsored by NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate’s (ARMD’s) University Innovation Project (UI) and is managed by the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA). For more on the Gateways to Blues Skies: Advancing Aviation for Natural Disasters competition, visit https://blueskies.nianet.org. Share Details Last Updated Mar 26, 2024 Related TermsLangley Research CenterAeronautics Explore More 3 min read NASA Armstrong Updates 1960s Concept to Study Giant Planets Article 2 weeks ago 5 min read NASA Helps Emerging Space Companies ‘Take the Heat’ Article 3 weeks ago 8 min read ARMD Solicitations Article 4 weeks ago View the full article

2 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Lazurite’s ArthroFree Wireless Camera System incorporated aerospace-grade lithium-ion batteries after developers consulted with NASA engineers. Credit: Lazurite Holdings LLC After Eugene Malinskiy saw a physician assistant trip over arthroscopic camera cords during a medical procedure, he and his brother, Ilya, set out to develop a wireless arthroscopic camera. Early in the development process, the Malinskiys got a boost from engineers at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, who advised on technical specifications through the center’s Adopt-a-City program. This agency program enabled Glenn engineers to consult with them pro bono via a Space Act Agreement with the city of Cleveland. The team also consulted with NASA engineers on their plan to use the ultra-wideband protocol – radio technology enabling encrypted transfer of a high-definition signal – and their planned processors and chips used in the device’s central processing unit. Ilya Malinskiy said the company gave investors the space agency engineers’ feedback. “Being able to say we had very skilled NASA engineers take a look at our device and say we should keep going was very, very useful.” It turned out that the first wireless arthroscopic camera wasn’t entirely unlike CubeSats – tiny satellites that often orbit Earth in clusters. “We had a lot of the same issues,” Ilya Malinskiy said. “We both have very small devices that need reliable power without adding a lot of weight.” Ultimately, the NASA engineers connected the Lazurite team with several high-fidelity aerospace lithium-ion battery vendors. In 2022, Lazurite’s ArthroFree Wireless Camera System became the first FDA-cleared wireless camera system for minimally invasive surgery. Since then, the device has assisted in countless surgeries, and the company has raised tens of millions of dollars. Read More Share Details Last Updated Mar 26, 2024 Related TermsTechnology Transfer & SpinoffsGeneralGlenn Research CenterSpinoffsTechnology Transfer Explore More 3 min read Partnerships that Prepare for Success: The Research Institution Perspective on the M-STTR Initiative Article 1 day ago 2 min read Find Your Place In Space Week Article 4 days ago 6 min read Station Science 101: Cardiovascular Research on Station Article 5 days ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Glenn Research Center Technology Transfer & Spinoffs Technology View the full article

2024 Total Solar Eclipse News Conference

4 min read New NASA Software Simulates Science Missions for Observing Terrestrial Freshwater A map describing freshwater accumulation (blue) and loss (red), using data from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites. A new Observational System Simulation Experiment (OSSE) will help researchers design science missions dedicated to monitoring terrestrial freshwater storage. Image Credit: NASA Image Credit: NASA From radar instruments smaller than a shoebox to radiometers the size of a milk carton, there are more tools available to scientists today for observing complex Earth systems than ever before. But this abundance of available sensors creates its own unique challenge: how can researchers organize these diverse instruments in the most efficient way for field campaigns and science missions? To help researchers maximize the value of science missions, Bart Forman, an Associate Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Maryland, and a team of researchers from the Stevens Institute of Technology and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, prototyped an Observational System Simulation Experiment (OSSE) for designing science missions dedicated to monitoring terrestrial freshwater storage. “You have different sensor types. You have radars, you have radiometers, you have lidars – each is measuring different components of the electromagnetic spectrum,” said Bart Forman, an Associate Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Maryland. “Different observations have different strengths.” Terrestrial freshwater storage describes the integrated sum of freshwater spread across Earth’s snow, soil moisture, vegetation canopy, surface water impoundments, and groundwater. It’s a dynamic system, one that defies traditional, static systems of scientific observation. Forman’s project builds on prior technology advancements he achieved during an earlier Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) project, in which he developed an observation system simulation experiment for mapping terrestrial snow. It also relies heavily on innovations pioneered by NASA’s Land Information System (LIS) and NASA’s Trade-space Analysis Tool for Designing Constellations (TAT-C), two modeling tools that began as ESTO investments and quickly became staples within the Earth science community. Forman’s tool incorporates these modeling programs into a new system that provides researchers with a customizable platform for planning dynamic observation missions that include a diverse collection of spaceborne data sets. In addition, Forman’s tool also includes a “dollars-to-science” cost estimate tool that allows researchers to assess the financial risks associated with a proposed mission. Together, all of these features provide scientists with the ability to link observations, data assimilation, uncertainty estimation, and physical models within a single, integrated framework. “We were taking a land surface model and trying to merge it with different space-based measurements of snow, soil moisture, and groundwater to see if there was an optimal combination to give us the most bang for our scientific buck,” explained Forman. While Forman’s tool isn’t the first information system dedicated to science mission design, it does include a number of novel features. In particular, its ability to integrate observations from spaceborne passive optical radiometers, passive microwave radiometers, and radar sources marks a significant technology advancement. Forman explained that while these indirect observations of freshwater include valuable information for quantifying freshwater, they also each contain their own unique error characteristics that must be carefully integrated with a land surface model in order to provide estimates of geophysical variables that scientists care most about. Forman’s software also combines LIS and TAT-C within a single software framework, extending the capabilities of both systems to create superior descriptions of global terrestrial hydrology. Indeed, Forman stressed the importance of having a large, diverse team that features experts from across the Earth science and modeling communities. “It’s nice to be part of a big team because these are big problems, and I don’t know the answers myself. I need to find a lot of people that know a lot more than I do and get them to sort of jump in and roll their sleeves up and help us. And they did,” said Forman. Having created an observation system simulation experiment capable of incorporating dynamic, space-based observations into mission planning models, Forman and his team hope that future researchers will build on their work to create an even better mission modeling program. For example, while Forman and his team focused on generating mission plans for existing sensors, an expanded version of their software could help researchers determine how they might use future sensors to gather new data. “With the kinds of things that TAT-C can do, we can create hypothetical sensors. What if we double the swath width? If it could see twice as much space, does that give us more information? Simultaneously, we can ask questions about the impact of different error characteristics for each of these hypothetical sensors and explore the corresponding tradeoff.” said Forman. PROJECT LEAD Barton Forman, University of Maryland, Baltimore County SPONSORING ORGANIZATION NASA’s Advanced Information Systems Technology (AIST) program, a part of NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO), funded this project Share Details Last Updated Mar 25, 2024 Related Terms Earth Science Earth Science Technology Office GRACE (Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment) Science-enabling Technology Technology Highlights Explore More 5 min read NASA to Launch Sounding Rockets into Moon’s Shadow During Solar Eclipse Article 18 hours ago 10 min read Zero-Boil-Off Tank Experiments to Enable Long-Duration Space Exploration Do we have enough fuel to get to our destination? This is probably one of… Article 2 weeks ago 2 min read Students Become FjordPhyto Volunteers and Discover that Antarctica Is Much Colder Than Texas Article 3 weeks ago View the full article

March 25, 2024 Former NASA Johnson Space Center Director George W. S. Abbey RELEASE J24-008 NASA Remembers Former NASA Johnson Director George W. S. Abbey George W. S. Abbey, former director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, died Sunday, March 24, in Houston after an illness. The Seattle native was 91. “A true visionary, Mr. Abbey demonstrated transformational leadership as Johnson’s seventh center director. During his tenure, the space shuttle flew more than 25 successful missions; the joint U.S. and Russian Shuttle-Mir Program was completed, providing important information for long-duration spaceflight,” said Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA Johnson. “He was instrumental in the Johnson team’s involvement in developing and launching the first elements of the International Space Station, which marked the beginning of a new era in space exploration. On behalf of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, we send our condolences to Mr. Abbey’s loved ones during this difficult time.” Abbey had a long and storied career in human spaceflight that began with NASA in 1964 and continued beyond his retirement from the agency. As the director of flight operations, he oversaw selection of NASA’s first space shuttle astronauts, mission operations, and the new shuttle program’s approach and landing tests. From 1987 to 1993, Abbey supported NASA Headquarters in Washington, serving in key roles in human spaceflight, and on the National Space Council. He returned to Johnson in 1994, first as deputy director, then director, leading the development and launch of the space station. Abbey retired from the agency in 2003. In December 2021, NASA named the Saturn V rocket display park outside Johnson’s main gate for Abbey. Abbey instituted the Longhorn Project, a vital STEM program that provides students with hands-on agricultural experiences and academic scholarships. He leaves behind a legacy of excellence and lasting impact as he will continue to inspire over 1.2 million visitors who visit the George W.S. Abbey Rocket Park annually. “Abbey’s dedication to human spaceflight remained steadfast. As the NASA family mourns his passing, we are grateful for his leadership and the legacy he leaves behind,” Wyche said. Abbey is survived by his five children, his eight grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. Learn more about Abbey’s career in support of NASA at: https://www.nasa.gov/people/george-w-s-abbey/ -end- Kelly Humphries / Nilufar Ramji Kelly.o.humphries@nasa.gov / niliufar.ramji@nasa.gov 281-483-5111 View the full article

5 min read NASA to Launch Sounding Rockets into Moon’s Shadow During Solar Eclipse NASA will launch three sounding rockets during the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, to study how Earth’s upper atmosphere is affected when sunlight momentarily dims over a portion of the planet. The Atmospheric Perturbations around Eclipse Path (APEP) sounding rockets will launch from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia to study the disturbances in the ionosphere created when the Moon eclipses the Sun. The sounding rockets had been previously launched and successfully recovered from White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico, during the October 2023 annular solar eclipse. They have been refurbished with new instrumentation and will be relaunched in April 2024. The mission is led by Aroh Barjatya, a professor of engineering physics at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida, where he directs the Space and Atmospheric Instrumentation Lab. This photo shows the three APEP sounding rockets and the support team after successful assembly. The team lead, Aroh Barjatya, is at the top center, standing next to the guardrails on the second floor. NASA/Berit Bland The sounding rockets will launch at three different times: 45 minutes before, during, and 45 minutes after the peak local eclipse. These intervals are important to collect data on how the Sun’s sudden disappearance affects the ionosphere, creating disturbances that have the potential to interfere with our communications. This conceptual animation is an example of what observers might expect to see during a total solar eclipse, like the one happening over the United States on April 8, 2024. NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio. The ionosphere is a region of Earth’s atmosphere that is between 55 to 310 miles (90 to 500 kilometers) above the ground. “It’s an electrified region that reflects and refracts radio signals, and also impacts satellite communications as the signals pass through,” said Barjatya. “Understanding the ionosphere and developing models to help us predict disturbances is crucial to making sure our increasingly communication-dependent world operates smoothly.” The ionosphere forms the boundary between Earth’s lower atmosphere – where we live and breathe – and the vacuum of space. It is made up of a sea of particles that become ionized, or electrically charged, from the Sun’s energy, or solar radiation. When night falls, the ionosphere thins out as previously ionized particles relax and recombine back into neutral particles. However, Earth’s terrestrial weather and space weather can impact these particles, making it a dynamic region and difficult to know what the ionosphere will be like at a given time. An animation depicts changes in the ionosphere over a 24-hour period. The red and yellow swaths represent high-density ionized particles during the day. The purple dots represent neutral, relaxed particles at night. NASA/Krystofer Kim It’s often difficult to study short-term changes in the ionosphere during an eclipse with satellites because they may not be at the right place or time to cross the eclipse path. Since the exact date and times of the total solar eclipse are known, NASA can launch targeted sounding rockets to study the effects of the eclipse at the right time and at all altitudes of the ionosphere. As the eclipse shadow races through the atmosphere, it creates a rapid, localized sunset that triggers large-scale atmospheric waves and small-scale disturbances, or perturbations. These perturbations affect different radio communication frequencies. Gathering the data on these perturbations will help scientists validate and improve current models that help predict potential disturbances to our communications, especially high frequency communication. The animation depicts the waves created by ionized particles during the 2017 total solar eclipse. MIT Haystack Observatory/Shun-rong Zhang. Zhang, S.-R., Erickson, P. J., Goncharenko, L. P., Coster, A. J., Rideout, W. & Vierinen, J. (2017). Ionospheric Bow Waves and Perturbations Induced by the 21 August 2017 Solar Eclipse. Geophysical Research Letters, 44(24), 12,067-12,073. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL076054. The APEP rockets are expected to reach a maximum altitude of 260 miles (420 kilometers). Each rocket will measure charged and neutral particle density and surrounding electric and magnetic fields. “Each rocket will eject four secondary instruments the size of a two-liter soda bottle that also measure the same data points, so it’s similar to results from fifteen rockets, while only launching three,” explained Barjatya. Three secondary instruments on each rocket were built by Embry-Riddle, and the fourth one was built at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. In addition to the rockets, several teams across the U.S. will also be taking measurements of the ionosphere by various means. A team of students from Embry-Riddle will deploy a series of high-altitude balloons. Co-investigators from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Haystack Observatory in Massachusetts, and the Air Force Research Laboratory in New Mexico, will operate a variety of ground-based radars taking measurements. Using this data, a team of scientists from Embry-Riddle and Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory are refining existing models. Together, these various investigations will help provide the puzzle pieces needed to see the bigger picture of ionospheric dynamics. A sounding rocket is able to carry science instruments between 30 and 300 miles above Earth’s surface. These altitudes are typically too high for science balloons and too low for satellites to access safely, making sounding rockets the only platforms that can carry out direct measurements in these regions. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center When the APEP sounding rockets launched during the 2023 annular solar eclipse, scientists saw a sharp reduction in the density of charged particles as the annular eclipse shadow passed over the atmosphere. “We saw the perturbations capable of affecting radio communications in the second and third rockets, but not during the first rocket that was before peak local eclipse” said Barjatya. “We are super excited to relaunch them during the total eclipse, to see if the perturbations start at the same altitude and if their magnitude and scale remain the same.” The next total solar eclipse over the contiguous U.S. is not until 2044, so these experiments are a rare opportunity for scientists to collect crucial data. The APEP launches will be live streamed via NASA’s Wallops’ official YouTube page and featured in NASA’s official broadcast of the total solar eclipse. The public can also watch the launches in person from 1-4 p.m. at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center. By Desiree Apodaca NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Share Details Last Updated Mar 25, 2024 Related Terms 2024 Solar Eclipse Eclipses Goddard Space Flight Center Heliophysics Heliophysics Division Heliophysics Research Program Ionosphere Science & Research Science Mission Directorate Skywatching Solar Eclipses Sounding Rockets Program Wallops Flight Facility Explore More 3 min read Hubble Sees New Star Proclaiming Presence with Cosmic Lightshow Article 6 hours ago 3 min read International Space Station welcomes biological and physical science experiments Article 3 days ago 2 min read Hubble Spots the Spider Galaxy Article 3 days ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics 2024 Total Eclipse Safety 2024 Total Solar Eclipse Broadcast Eclipse 2024 Science View the full article

3 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA’s OSIRIS-REx team was selected as the winner of the National Space Club and Foundation’s 2024 Dr. Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy for their tremendous work on the first U.S. mission to bring an asteroid sample to Earth. The winning team received the award at the 67th Annual Robert H. Goddard Memorial Dinner at the Washington Hilton Hotel on March 22, 2024. The sample return capsule from NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission is seen shortly after touching down in the desert, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, at the Department of Defense’s Utah Test and Training Range. The sample was collected from the asteroid Bennu in October 2020 by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. NASA/Keegan Barber The OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security – Regolith Explorer) team includes NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland; Lockheed Martin in Littleton, Colorado; University of Arizona, Tucson and KinetX in Tempe, Arizona. The trophy is National Space Club’s highest honor and presented annually to the individual or group who has made a substantial contribution to U.S. leadership in astronautics or rocketry. “The OSIRIS-REx team’s successful delivery of the asteroid Bennu sample to Earth will enable important scientific discoveries for generations to come,” said Lori Glaze, director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “I’m so pleased to see the mission team recognized with the Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy for their accomplishments.” Making U.S. History Following its launch in 2016, the OSIRIS-REx mission made U.S. space history when it became the first U.S. spacecraft to touch an asteroid and capture a sample on Oct. 20, 2020, and again when it successfully returned with the sample to Earth on Sept. 24, 2023. The sample, which is the largest asteroid sample ever delivered to Earth, is from the ancient asteroid Bennu and will give researchers worldwide a glimpse into the earliest days of our solar system, offering insights into planet formation and the origin of organics that led to life on Earth. Data collected by the spacecraft combined with future analysis of the Bennu sample will also aid our understanding of asteroids that can impact Earth. The OSIRIS-REx mission conducted unprecedented centimeter-scale mapping of Bennu, surpassing precision levels achieved for any other planetary body and setting three Guinness World Records for: smallest object orbited by a spacecraft, closest orbit of an asteroid and highest resolution satellite map of any planetary body. “The OSIRIS-REx mission rewrote U.S. space exploration history,” said Joe Vealencis, president, NSCF. “The data the spacecraft collected, plus all that we have yet to uncover from the sample it brought back, means scientists and engineers will be reaping the benefits of this mission for years to come.” The Mission Continues Following its successful sample return, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft was renamed OSIRIS-APEX and will now enter an extended mission to visit and study near-Earth asteroid Apophis in 2029. OSIRIS-REx’s success was made possible by the unique contributions of over 1,000 individuals from government and mission partners like the science lead at the University of Arizona, the project team at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, the curation team at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, spacecraft design, operations, and recovery by Lockheed Martin, guidance and navigation at KinetX, and the launch provider at United Launch Alliance. OSIRIS-REx is the third mission in NASA’s New Frontiers Program, managed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Find more information about NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission at: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/osiris-rex Rob Gutro / Rani Gran NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Karen Fox / Charles Blue Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1257 / 202-802-5345 Share Details Last Updated Mar 25, 2024 EditorJamie AdkinsContactRob Gutrorobert.j.gutro@nasa.gov Related TermsGoddard Space Flight CenterOSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer) View the full article

5 Min Read Antarctic Sea Ice Near Historic Lows; Arctic Ice Continues Decline On Feb. 20, 2024, Antarctic sea ice officially reached its minimum extent for the year. This cycle of growth and melting occurs every year, with the ice reaching its smallest size during the Southern Hemisphere's summer. Credits: NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio/Trent L. Schindler Sea ice at both the top and bottom of the planet continued its decline in 2024. In the waters around Antarctica, ice coverage shrank to near-historic lows for the third year in a row. The recurring loss hints at a long-term shift in conditions in the Southern Ocean, likely resulting from global climate change, according to scientists at NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Meanwhile, the 46-year trend of shrinking and thinning ice in the Arctic Ocean shows no sign of reversing. “Sea ice acts like a buffer between the ocean and the atmosphere,” said ice scientist Linette Boisvert of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “Sea ice prevents much of the exchange of heat and moisture from the relatively warm ocean to the atmosphere above it.” Less ice coverage allows the ocean to warm the atmosphere over the poles, leading to more ice melting in a vicious cycle of rising temperatures. Historically, the area of sea ice surrounding the Antarctic continent has fluctuated dramatically from year to year while averages over decades have been relatively stable. In recent years, though, sea ice cover around Antarctica has plummeted. On Feb. 20, 2024, Antarctic sea ice officially reached its minimum extent for the year. This cycle of growth and melting occurs every year, with the ice reaching its smallest size during the Southern Hemisphere’s summer. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, this marks the second-lowest sea ice extent recorded by satellites, reflecting a trend of declining coverage over time. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Scientific Visualization Studio Download this video in HD formats from https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14538. “In 2016, we saw what some people are calling a regime shift,” said sea ice scientist Walt Meier of the National Snow and Ice Data Center at the University of Colorado, Boulder. “The Antarctic sea ice coverage dropped and has largely remained lower than normal. Over the past seven years, we’ve had three record lows.” This year, Antarctic sea ice reached its lowest annual extent on Feb. 20 with a total of 768,000 square miles (1.99 million square kilometers). That’s 30% below the 1981 to 2010 end-of-summer average. The difference in ice cover spans an area about the size of Texas. Sea ice extent is defined as the total area of the ocean in which the ice cover fraction is at least 15%. This year’s minimum is tied with February 2022 for the second lowest ice coverage around the Antarctic and close to the 2023 all-time low of 691,000 square miles (1.79 million square kilometers). With the latest ice retreat, this year marks the lowest three-year average for ice coverage observed around the Antarctic continent across more than four decades. The changes were observed in data collected with microwave sensors aboard the Nimbus-7 satellite, jointly operated by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), along with satellites in the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program. NASA’s Earth Observatory: Antarctic Sea Ice at Near-Historic Lows Meanwhile, at the other end of the planet, the maximum winter ice coverage in the Arctic Ocean is consistent with an ongoing 46-year decline. Satellite images reveal that the total area of the Arctic Ocean covered in sea ice reached 6 million square miles (15.65 million square kilometers) on March 14. That’s 247,000 square miles (640,000 square kilometers) less ice than the average between 1981 and 2010. Overall, the maximum winter ice coverage in the Arctic has shrunk by an area equivalent to the size of Alaska since 1979. This year’s Arctic ice maximum is the 14th lowest on record. Complex weather patterns make it difficult to predict what will happen in any given year. The Arctic Ocean sea ice reached its annual maximum on March 14, continuing the long-term decline in ice at the poles.Chart by Lauren Dauphin/NASA Earth Observatory, using data from the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Shrinking ice makes Earth more susceptible to solar heating. “The sea ice and the snow on top of it are very reflective,” Boisvert said. “In the summer, if we have more sea ice, it reflects the Sun’s radiation and helps keep the planet cooler.” On the other hand, the exposed ocean is darker and readily absorbs solar radiation, capturing and retaining that energy and ultimately contributing to warming in the planet’s oceans and atmosphere. Sea ice around the poles is more susceptible to the weather than it was a dozen years ago. Ice thickness measurements collected with laser altimeters aboard NASA’s ICESat-2 satellite show that less ice has managed to stick around through the warmer months. This means new ice must form from scratch each year, rather than building on old ice to make thicker layers. Thinner ice, in turn, is more prone to melting than multi-year accumulations. “The thought is that in a couple of decades, we’re going to have these essentially ice-free summers,” Boisvert said, with ice coverage reduced below 400,000 square miles (1 million square kilometers) and most of the Arctic Ocean exposed to the Sun’s warming glare. It’s too soon to know whether recent sea ice lows at the South Pole point to a long-term change rather than a statistical fluctuation, but Meier believes long term declines are inevitable. “It’s only a matter of time,” he said. “After six, seven, eight years, it’s starting to look like maybe it’s happening. It’s just a question of whether there’s enough data to say for sure.” Reference: NSIDC Sea Ice Index Daily and Monthly Image Viewer By James Riordon NASA’s Earth Science News Team Media contact: Elizabeth Vlock NASA Headquarters Share Details Last Updated Mar 25, 2024 EditorGoddard Digital TeamLocationGoddard Space Flight Center Related TermsEarthClimate ChangeGoddard Space Flight CenterIce & GlaciersSea Ice Explore More 5 min read Arctic Sea Ice 6th Lowest on Record; Antarctic Sees Record Low Growth Arctic sea ice likely reached its annual minimum extent on September 19, 2023, making it… Article 6 months ago 3 min read NASA Finds 2022 Arctic Winter Sea Ice 10th-Lowest on Record Article 2 years ago 5 min read Meet NASA’s Twin Spacecraft Headed to the Ends of the Earth Article 1 month ago View the full article

5 min read Early Adopters of NASA’s PACE Data to Study Air Quality, Ocean Health From the atmosphere down to the surface of the ocean, data from NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) satellite benefits ecosystems, human health, and underrepresented communities. Years before the launch in February 2024, mission leaders from NASA teamed with dozens of applied scientists and environmental professionals to prepare for the many practical uses that could be informed by PACE data. PACE’s Early Adopter program integrates science data into business, environmental management, and decision-making activities to benefit society. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) spacecraft stands vertical at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Feb. 5, 2024. PACE is NASA’s newest Earth-observing satellite that will help increase our understanding of Earth’s oceans, atmosphere, and climate by delivering hyperspectral observations of microscopic marine organisms called phytoplankton as well new data on clouds and aerosols. SpaceX The researchers specialize in a wide range of topics including water resources, fisheries and aquaculture, air quality and health, climate, and agriculture. These early adopters of the science provide a bridge between the PACE team and local communities and decision-makers who need accessible products for public use. Such work can help connect the new frontier of PACE’s hyperspectral and multi-angular polarimetric data to real-world problems – and find new ways to address challenges. Helping Coastal Communities Keep Fisheries Safe In coastal communities, knowing the quality of the water is essential for ecosystem health, safe and sustainable seafood, and recreation – not to mention human livelihoods that depend on fisheries. Phytoplankton are microscopic organisms that live in watery environments. When conditions are right, phytoplankton undergo explosive population growth, creating blooms visible from space. Such a bloom occurred in the North Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Newfoundland in early August 2010. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this natural-color image on Aug. 9, 2010. The paisley pattern of peacock blue owes its color to phytoplankton. Credit: NASA/Goddard/Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS Land Rapid Response Team Marina Marrari, executive director of the Costa Rican Fishing Federation in San José is one of PACE’s early adopters. Marrari and her colleagues developed a mobile app that will pull in data from PACE’s Ocean Color Instrument to help inform the public about harmful algal blooms. Known as pezCA, the app distributes near real-time data about ocean temperature, chlorophyll concentration, and currents as measured by other NASA satellites. Once PACE data is available, the app will be updated to include a product on specific types of harmful algal blooms that can have toxic effects on people and animals. Bringing Air Quality Alerts to the Midwest Information on air quality and airborne particles (aerosols) is typically available for dense urban areas like Los Angeles, Atlanta, and New York. Marcela Loría-Salazar, assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, plans to use data from PACE’s polarimeters and OCI to study air quality in locations in the middle of the United States, where there tend to be fewer ground-based monitors. Urban pollution emissions, desert dust, and smoke from wildfires can travel from distant places – across continents or even oceans. (Think of the wildfire smoke that can blow from Alaska and Canada into the central U.S.) PACE gathers global data on this dust and smoke in Earth’s atmosphere every one to two days, and that data is open access – meaning it is available for anyone to find and download free from the Internet. Smoke from Canadian wildfires drifts slowly south over the United States’ Midwest. The drifting smoke can be seen in this Terra satellite image taken in December 2017 over Lake Michigan, as well as parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Ohio. NASA MODIS Rapid Response Team / Jeff Schmaltz Loría-Salazar and her team can use this information to track aerosols, studying how they change as they move over land, change altitude, and interact with other atmospheric particles. Her goal is to better understand how these aerosols affect human health when they’re inhaled. Her team works with the Oklahoma state government to develop solutions to improve air quality decision-making. She also works with tribal nations to help inform air quality decisions in their communities. For example, setting prescribed fires is a traditional activity to preserve ecosystems, but the fires do put smoke into the air. By using satellite data, tribal managers can make better-informed decisions about the potential risk of acute smoke exposure on a given day. Tracking Health of Marine Mammal Ecosystems Phytoplankton are the center of the marine food web. These microscopic organisms are food for bigger animals like zooplankton, fish, and shellfish – and ultimately whales and dolphins. While PACE can’t directly detect fish or mammals below the surface of the ocean, it can view communities of phytoplankton, which can inform scientists about the ocean ecosystem in which fish and mammals live. Liz Ferguson on the coast of the oceans where she studies marine mammals. Courtesy of Liz Ferguson By examining phytoplankton, scientists can gain valuable insights into changes occurring within marine habitats, as these microorganisms often serve as early indicators of regional ecosystem health. Liz Ferguson, CEO and marine ecologist for Ocean Science Analytics, studies marine mammals off the Pacific Coast of North America. Monitoring plankton communities enhances scientists’ ability to perceive the intricate dynamics within marine ecosystems. By closely monitoring shifts in environmental variables and the behavior of indicator species such as marine mammals, Ferguson can study the impact of climate change on the California current’s ecosystems. Doubling Up Satellite Data Some species of phytoplankton produce toxins that can be dangerous for humans, pets, and livestock. When these phytoplankton multiply to large numbers, it’s called a harmful algal bloom. Richard Stumpf and Michelle Tomlinson, oceanographers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), use satellite data to study these blooms and help inform communities about their risks. They have been using data from the Ocean and Land Color Instrument on the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-3 satellite, which captures Earth data by measuring certain wavelengths of light. PACE’s Ocean Color Instrument sensor does the same, but as a hyperspectral instrument, it can detect more than 200 wavelengths – more than five times the number observed by Sentinel-3 and other current instruments. Richard Stumpf examines water from plankton net tows in Lake Erie taken in early summer 2023. A net tow concentrates plankton from the water making it easier to identify what is present, particularly when a bloom is developing. The middle jar is the unfiltered lake water, the top one is from an area that has mostly zooplankton (microscopic animals), and the bottom (greenish) one has cyanobacteria. Courtesy of Richard Stumpf PACE data can help Stumpf and Tomlinson continue their research on how the color of harmful algal blooms change over time and space. Choosing specific wavelengths of data from PACE can also help verify the data from Sentinel-3 and extend the long-term data record. The hyperspectral capabilities of PACE can allow scientists and environmental managers to not only spot emerging blooms, but also identify the specific communities of phytoplankton that make up the bloom. Detecting these details helps scientists better inform local water managers about the location, timing, and type of harmful algal blooms, which can help mitigate risks to the public. About the Author Erica McNamee Share Details Last Updated Mar 25, 2024 Editor Erica McNamee Contact Erica McNamee erica.s.mcnamee@nasa.gov Related Terms Earth Oceans Explore More 4 min read NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement Mission: 10 years, 10 stories Article 3 weeks ago 5 min read OpenET Study Helps Water Managers and Farmers Put NASA Data to Work Article 2 months ago 4 min read Google’s ‘A Passage of Water’ Brings NASA’s Water Data to Life As part of the long-standing partnership, NASA worked with Google Arts & Culture to create… Article 4 months ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. Sun This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image shows LEDA 42160, a galaxy about 52 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo. The dwarf galaxy is one of many forcing its way through the comparatively dense gas in the massive Virgo cluster of galaxies. The pressure exerted by this intergalactic gas, known as ram pressure, has dramatic effects on star formation in LEDA 42160. The gas and dust that permeates space exerts pressure on a galaxy as it moves. This resistance, called ram pressure, can strip a galaxy of its star-forming gas and dust, reducing or even stopping the creation of new stars. However, ram pressure can also compress gas in the galaxy, which can boost star formation. The Hubble data used to create this image of LEDA 42160 is part of a project that studied dwarf galaxies undergoing ram pressure stripping that are part of large galaxy clusters, like the Virgo cluster. Studies show that ram pressure stripping can initially cause new stars to form in larger galaxies. The researchers wanted to see if the same holds true for smaller galaxies, like LEDA 42160. The bright patches on LEDA 42160’s lower-right flank may be star-forming regions spurred on by ram pressure stripping. Hubble’s observations of LEDA 42160 will help astronomers determine the processes that created the features we see in this small galaxy. Media Contact: Claire Andreoli NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD claire.andreoli@nasa.gov View the full article

Science in Space: March 2024 Optical fibers are used on Earth and in space for applications in medicine, defense, cybersecurity, and telecommunications. Parabolic research showed that optical fibers produced in microgravity can be higher quality than those made in normal gravity, and the International Space Station provides a potential platform for commercial production of these fibers. The Production of Flawless Space Fiber (Flawless Space Fibers-1) investigation is using the space station to demonstrate new manufacturing technology developed by Flawless Photonics to improve the quality and length of optical fiber produced in space. NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara conducting Flawless Space Fibers operations in the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG).NASA Preliminary results have been promising. From mid-February to mid-March, the investigation manufactured a total of more than seven miles (11.9 km) of optical fiber. Eight of the runs (called draws) produced more than 2,200 feet (700 meters) of fiber, demonstrating that the results are repeatable. The investigation also drew more than 3,700 feet (1141 meters) in one day, surpassing the prior record of 82 feet (25 meters) for the longest fiber manufactured in space. Seven of the draws exceeded 2,296 feet (700 meters), demonstrating for the first time that commercial lengths of fiber can be produced in space. The space-drawn fibers are set to return to Earth soon for analysis of their quality. These fibers are made using ZBLAN, a glass alloy made of zirconium, barium, lanthanum, sodium, and aluminum fluorides, each with different densities and crystallization temperatures. Its unique properties allow light to travel through a fiber over a broader range, providing more than ten times the capacity of traditional silica-based fibers and transmitting considerably more data over the same length of fiber. If fibers can be made long enough and of high enough quality, the increased efficiency of ZBLAN could translate into significant energy savings by reducing the need to boost the signal on long-distance transmissions. However, when ZBLAN is drawn into fibers on the ground, crystals form that scatter signals and make the fiber brittle. Because crystals grow more slowly in microgravity, the approach is to cool drawn fibers before crystals have a chance to form. Microgravity also counters effects of sedimentation, convection, and buoyancy that limit the length and quality of fibers drawn on Earth. Manufacturers use drop towers to manufacture ZBLAN on Earth, but in-space manufacturing provides much more time to draw longer and eventually better fibers. Scanning electron microscope images of ZBLAN fibers pulled in microgravity (bottom) and on Earth (top) show the crystallization that occurs in ground-based processing.NASA The Flawless Space Fibers investigation is sponsored by the ISS National Laboratory and involves support from the Luxembourg Space Agency, University of Adelaide in Australia, and NASA’s InSpace Production Applications (InSPA). InSPA advances sustainable, scalable, and profitable in-space manufacturing in low Earth orbit, working with the ISS National Lab to provide companies with access to the space station for demonstrating production of advanced materials and products for terrestrial applications. Flawless Space Fibers has achieved three of four goals for ZBLAN set by InSPA, including achieving 20 meters on a single run, repeating that amount on a separate draw, and scaling up to runs of commercial length. The analysis of fibers after return to ground is needed to determine whether the investigation meets InSPA’s fourth goal, producing fiber of ten times greater quality than on Earth. Results may help reduce gravity-induced defects in optical glass products developed on Earth and advance in-space manufacturing models. The investigation also opens the door to creating other valuable specialty fibers in space. JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Norishige Kanai with the Made in Space fiber optics hardware.NASA NASA conducted early work processing ZBLAN in microgravity through Marshall Space Flight Center in the 1990s and early 2000s. Development of ZBLAN manufacturing on the space station began in 2014. Other investigations that examined manufacturing ZBLAN optic fibers in microgravity include Optical Fiber Production in Microgravity (Made In Space Fiber Optics), which conducted the first privately funded ZBLAN fiber draw, Fiber Optic Production, and Fiber Optic Production-2 (FOP-2), which first demonstrated repeated production of 20-meter lengths of fiber in microgravity. Another investigation, Fiber Optics Manufacturing in Space (Space Fibers), developed by FOMS Inc, first demonstrated a fully operational space facility for fiber manufacturing.1 These efforts support commercial development of space and low Earth orbit and offer opportunities for development of next-generation technologies in space for applications on Earth. John Love, ISS Research Planning Integration Scientist Expedition 70 Search this database of scientific experiments to learn more about those mentioned above. Citations: 1 Starodubov D, McCormick K, Dellosa M, Erdelyi E, Volfson L. Facility for orbital material processing. Sensors and Systems for Space Applications XI, Orlando, Florida. 2018 May 2; 10641106410T. DOI: 10.1117/12.2305830. Keep Exploring Discover More Topics Latest News from Space Station Research ISS National Laboratory In Space Production Applications Space Station Research and Technology View the full article