NASA

3 Min Read Partnerships that Prepare for Success: The Research Institution Perspective on the M-STTR Initiative Dr. Darayas Patel (left), professor of mathematics and computer science at Oakwood University, and four Oakwood University students record data related to their NASA STTR research. Credits: Oakwood University Editor’s Notes (March 2024): Oakwood University and its small business partner—SSS Optical Technologies, LLC—were awarded a STTR Phase II in November 2023 to continue their work. Also in 2023, M-STTR awards became part of what is now MPLAN. In 2022, Oakwood University, a Historically Black College based in Huntsville, Alabama, became a first-time research institution participant in NASA’s Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program. Partnering with SSS Optical Technologies, LLC (SSSOT) of Huntsville, Alabama, the team received a 2022 Phase I award to develop UV protective coating for photovoltaic solar cells in space. The PANDA (Polymer Anti-damage Nanocomposite Down-converting Armor) technology could be used to protect solar cells, which convert sunlight into energy but can suffer damage from UV rays. Prior to this STTR award, Oakwood University and SSSOT prepared for the solicitation by participating in a pilot NASA opportunity. In 2021, NASA launched the M-STTR initiative for Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) to propose for Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) research planning grants. The program is a partnership between NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) and NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement’s Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP). The 2021 solicitation resulted in 11 selected proposals to receive M-STTR planning grants—six from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and five from Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). Oakwood University was among the selected research institution teams; with its grant, the university developed a partnership with SSSOT. Dr. Darayas Patel, professor of mathematics and computer science at Oakwood University, shared the university perspective on how the M-STTR program helped the team form a partnership and prepare for the 2022 STTR solicitation. Dr. Patel is supporting the Phase I STTR contract, which is the university’s first time working with the SBIR/STTR program. Prior to the NASA STTR award, Oakwood University has received grants from other government agencies, including the Department of Defense and the National Science Foundation. Oakwood University also has past involvement in NASA’s MUREP program, which helps engage, fund, and connect underserved university communities. Learning about opportunities from the MUREP network, the Oakwood University team proposed to the pilot M-STTR program, working together with SSSOT on photovoltaic solar cell technology. “M-STTR helped us solidify the collaboration with SSSOT by focusing our team on specific, tangible goals.” Dr. Darayas Patel Professor at Oakwood University Oakwood University and SSSOT formed a partnership based on Dr. Patel’s existing relationship with SSSOT’s founder Dr. Sergey Sarkisov, who was on Dr. Patel’s Ph.D. committee at Alabama A&M University. According to Dr. Patel, the M-STTR grant allowed the team to generate preliminary data about the solar cell technology that would later be proposed for the 2022 STTR award. In addition to providing supplementary data for the STTR solicitation, Dr. Patel said, “M-STTR helped us solidify the collaboration with SSSOT by focusing our team on specific, tangible goals.” The result was a more unified team with a defined action plan for approaching the STTR proposal. When asked what advice he had for other research institutions interested in participating in the NASA SBIR/STTR program, Dr. Patel shared, “Keep your eyes wide open and try to reach out to nearby small businesses interested in transferring your technology to the market. And remember: it should line up with what NASA is looking for.” From working with NASA on these initiatives, Dr. Patel says he has broadened his network within the NASA community, which helps him stay informed of future opportunities. View the full article

“Don’t be afraid to go after the things that you’re dreaming about that aren’t necessarily possible right now. We do things all the time now that were impossible 10 years ago! Figure out how to make the impossible possible, if it’s what you want to do. “One of my cornerstone pinnacles [is], ‘Show up to work [and] life with integrity and intent.’ So, accomplish your goals with integrity, intent, and a mission. Stick to that and have the confidence to do that, and be OK with messing up and failing, and have fun with those things. “And if you are not doing something that you love, and you’re not having fun, then think about what those things are and go towards that.” — Meghan Everett, International Space Station Program Deputy Chief Scientist, NASA’s Johnson Space Center Image Credit: NASA / Josh Valcarcel Interviewer: NASA / Michelle Zajac Check out some of our other Faces of NASA. View the full article

3 min read Hubble Sees New Star Proclaiming Presence with Cosmic Lightshow This new image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope features the FS Tau star system. NASA, ESA, and K. Stapelfeldt (NASA JPL); Image Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America) Jets emerge from the cocoon of a newly forming star to blast across space, slicing through the gas and dust of a shining nebula in this new image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. FS Tau is a multi-star system made up of FS Tau A, the bright star-like object near the middle of the image, and FS Tau B (Haro 6-5B), the bright object to the far right obscured by a dark, vertical lane of dust. The young objects are surrounded by gently illuminated gas and dust of this stellar nursery. The system is only about 2.8 million years old, very young for a star system. Our Sun, by contrast, is about 4.6 billion years old. FS Tau B is a newly forming star, or protostar, surrounded by a protoplanetary disk, a pancake-shaped collection of dust and gas leftover from the formation of the star that will eventually coalesce into planets. The thick dust lane, seen nearly edge-on, separates what are thought to be the illuminated surfaces of the flared disk. FS Tau B is likely in the process of becoming a T Tauri star, a type of young variable star that hasn’t begun nuclear fusion yet but is beginning to evolve into a hydrogen-fueled star similar to our Sun. Protostars shine with the heat energy released as the gas clouds from which they are forming collapse, and from the accretion of material from nearby gas and dust. Variable stars are a class of star whose brightness changes noticeably over time. FS Tau A is itself a T Tauri binary system, consisting of two stars orbiting each other. Protostars are known to eject fast-moving, column-like streams of energized material called jets, and FS Tau B provides a striking example of this phenomenon. The protostar is the source of an unusual asymmetric, double-sided jet, visible here in blue. Its asymmetrical structure may result from the difference in the rates at which mass is being expelled from the object. FS Tau B is also classified as a Herbig-Haro object. Herbig–Haro objects form when jets of ionized gas ejected by a young star collide with nearby clouds of gas and dust at high speeds, creating bright patches of nebulosity. FS Tau is part of the Taurus-Auriga region, a collection of dark molecular clouds that are home to numerous newly forming and young stars, roughly 450 light-years away in the constellations of Taurus and Auriga. Hubble has previously observed this region, whose star-forming activity makes it a compelling target for astronomers. Hubble took these observations as part of an investigation of edge-on dust disks around young stellar objects. Download this image Media Contact: Claire Andreoli NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD claire.andreoli@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Mar 25, 2024 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Location Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms Goddard Space Flight Center Hubble Space Telescope Missions Nebulae Protostars Stars The Universe Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Hubble Space Telescope Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe. Galaxies Stories Stars Stories NASA Astrophysics View the full article

This article is from the 2023 Technical Update. The NESC Flight Mechanics Technical Discipline Team (TDT) provides support to all NASA Mission Directorates and throughout all mission phases. Highlights from this past year include three critical program support assessments, new discipline-advancing capabilities in simulation tools, and a preview of future efforts by the TDT to capture knowledge and expertise to pass on to the next generation. Independent modeling and simulation (M&S) enables new insights into critical subsystem designs and offers opportunities for analyses to reduce risk acceptance for programs. Several ongoing assessments have contributed to improved flight certification processes and risk reduction. The Flight Mechanics TDT sponsored improvements to simulation tools that enabled new solutions to complex problems, and recent NESC Academy recordings captured the latest advancements in the discipline. Notional risk scoring reduction through independent M&S Modeling of crew seat acceleration during entry, decent and landing. The TDT supported the Commercial Crew Program by independently modeling and simulating commercial providers’ trajectory designs and on-board deorbit, entry, descent, and landing software. This past year, the team assessed the return of additional crew on commercial capsules for contingency scenarios and used independent simulation analyses to confirm this capability poses no significant changes in splashdown conditions, thus ensuring additional options for returning crew safely if the primary return vehicle is disabled. Additionally, the NESC is providing key assessments for manual control using a “paper pilot” based on actual pilot responses. This study enabled manual control as a viable survival scenario if the flight computer fails during deorbit, entry, descent, and landing phases of flight. These efforts contributed to an independent verification and validation of commercial providers’ designs that supported certification of commercial flights to and from the ISS. Standing up a new independent M&S effort in support of the Mars Ascent Vehicle, a critical element delivering Martian soil and atmosphere samples for eventual return to Earth, provides value and increases confidence in the design of this key element for the Mars Sample Return Campaign. The Flight Mechanics team is contributing unique methodologies for studying the challenging dynamics of this two-stage solid motor design where the second stage is unguided and spin-stabilized. Frame of Mars ascent vehicle second stage separation dynamics from an M&S animation Independent M&S of key staging and separation events for the SLS has resulted in affirmation of the SLS trajectory and guidance, navigation and control design. Flight Mechanics TDT members contributed analyses to evaluate the heliocentric disposal of the Interim Cyrogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS). Monte Carlo modeling of the Artemis 1 This past year, the TDT also completed an assessment that explored the interoperability between common mission analysis tools and enabled trajectory sharing between tools to solve more complex mission design problems (page 31). An NESC Technical Bulletin (page 47) and Innovative Technique (page 65) have been published on this topic. NESC Academy recordings on trajectory optimization tools and frameworks, electric aircraft sizing methodologies, system optimization, and aerodynamic decelerator systems were important knowledge capture and transfer initiatives. These recordings are available to help train and educate engineers on the tools and processes NESC teams will use for future independent M&S efforts. View the full article

A Commercial Mission Carries Science to the Space Station on This Week @NASA – March 22, 2024

NASA, Health and Human Services Highlight Cancer Moonshot Progress

The Soyuz rocket launches to the International Space Station with Expedition 71 NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, and Belarus spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya, onboard, Saturday, March 23, 2024, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.NASA/Bill Ingalls Three crew members including NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson successfully launched at 8:36 a.m. EDT Saturday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station. Dyson, along with her crewmates Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy and spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus, will dock to the space station’s Prichal module about 11:09 a.m. on Monday, March 25, on the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft. Docking coverage will begin at 10:15 a.m. on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website. NASA also will air coverage, starting at 1:15 p.m., of the crew welcome ceremony on NASA+ once they are aboard the orbital outpost. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media. When the hatches between the station and the Soyuz open about 1:40 p.m., the new crew members will join NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara, Matthew Dominick, Mike Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, and Alexander Grebenkin, already living and working aboard the space station. Novitskiy and Vasilevskaya will be aboard the station for 12 days, before providing the ride home for O’Hara on Saturday, April 6, aboard Soyuz MS-24 for a parachute-assisted landing on steppe of Kazakhstan. Dyson will spend six months aboard the station as an Expedition 70 and 71 flight engineer, returning to Earth in September with Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub of Roscosmos, who will complete a year-long mission on the laboratory. This will be the third spaceflight for Dyson, the fourth for Novitskiy, and the first for Vasilevskaya. Learn more about space station activities at: https://www.nasa.gov/station -end- Joshua Finch Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov Sandra Jones Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov View the full article

NASA Astronaut Tracy Dyson Launch to the Space Station

1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Jun Cui Iowa State University ESI23 Cui Quadchart.pdf Elastocaloric materials heat up when exposed to a mechanical force and cool down, removing the same amount of heat from their environment, when the force is removed. Professor Cui will use the recently established DFT/machine learning guided metals development methodology to unravel the complex relationships between compositions, crystal structures, phase transformation, and fatigue behavior of the elastocaloric materials. He will develop novel, new elastocaloric materials and use them as the basis of a high-performance refrigeration system for NASA exploration applications. Back to ESI 2023 View the full article

1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Manuel Quevedo-Lopez University Of Texas, Dallas ESI23 Quevedo-Lopez Quadchart.pdf Current SNSPD’s use a thin, superconducting film to detect photons. These films are highly reflective and must be made very thin, on the order of a few nanometers, in order to allow light to interact with their entire thickness. This leads to numerous drawbacks including lower sensitivity and higher signal noise. Professor Lopez will work to develop a new generation of transparent superconducting films for SNSPD applications to overcome these performance limitations. Back to ESI 2023 View the full article

1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Davide Guzzetti Auburn University ECF 2023 Quadchart Guzzetti.pdf Professor Guzzetti will study and design small metamaterial particles which can be predictably moved by forces that exist on orbit like the Earth’s magnetic field or heat flux. These Programmable Metamaterial Particle Ensembles (PMPEs) could be deployed as dust clouds and used to deorbit small (<1cm), orbital debris. Back to ECF 2023 Full List View the full article

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 near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.NASA/Danny Nowlin Full-duration RS-25 engine hot fireNASA/Danny Nowlin Full-duration RS-25 engine hot fireNASA/Danny Nowlin 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 near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. It marked the 10th 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. The NASA 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. 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. View the full article

March 22, 2024 NASA logo NASA Johnson Space Center to Host Visit by Texas Governor Greg Abbott NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston will host a Tuesday, March 26, visit by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who will make a major announcement on the future of the space industry in Texas. Media are invited to document the governor’s tour of NASA’s Mission Control Center when he speaks with native Texan and NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara aboard the International Space Station. Abbott will be joined by NASA Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, Texas Representative Greg Bonnen and other state and space industry leaders. U.S. media wishing to attend in person must respond to NASA’s Johnson Space Center by 5 p.m. CDT Monday, March 25, by calling the Johnson Newsroom at 281-483-5111 or e-mailing jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov. Media must arrive at Johnson’s main gate no later than 9:30 a.m. March 26 to pick up credentials and receive instructions. NASA will provide live coverage of the Mission Control tour and call to the space station beginning at 10:15 a.m. on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media. The space industry announcement is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. in NASA’s Space Vehicle Mockup Facility. Discover more about NASA Johnson, the hub of human spaceflight, at: https://www.nasa.gov/johnson/about-johnson/ -end- Kelly Humphries Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 kelly.humphries@nasa.gov View the full article

3 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Denise RyanNASA Graphics In honor of Women’s History Month, we recently sat down with Denise Ryan, flight management specialist and member of the Women’s Networking Group (WNG) at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, to learn more about her role and working at NASA. What do you do at NASA and how do you help support Armstrong’s mission? I am a Flight Management Specialist and work in the Flight Operations Office where we schedule various ground and flight operations for Armstrong Flight Research Center. I manage the scheduling activities for our diverse fleet of aircraft ranging from a simplistic TG-14 motor-glider to a complex airborne science platform such as the DC-8. Why did you choose to work at NASA and how long have you worked here? I chose to work here at Armstrong because I needed a change – prior to getting a job here I was a Trust Operation Manager for a trust company and teleworking fulltime after moving to the area. Since I prefer in-person interaction, when I was offered a job as an Acquisition Specialist, I took it. From there another opportunity opened in the Flight Operations Directorate, where I was hired as a Flight Operations Scheduler. I’ve worked here at Armstrong for 13 years; 11 years as a contractor and 2 years as a Civil Servant. What has been your proudest accomplishment or highlight of your career? The highlight of my career is the NASA Honor Award for Exceptional Public Service that I received in 2020 for “Exceptional service as Flight Operations Scheduler”. Do you have any advice for others like yourself who may be contemplating a career at NASA? Go for it! I’ve enjoyed my time working at NASA and would always encourage people to apply for opportunities here when they’re available. What is the most exciting aspect of your job? In Flight Ops, the most exciting thing about my job, besides the people I get to interact with every day, is that we are part of all the flight missions that take place at Armstrong. From ground test to first flights and even last, we are involved in many different aspects. I have a unique job that allows us to not necessarily be tied to one mission or one project, but almost all of them, and that’s exciting. What did you want to be when you were growing up? Did you think you would ever work for NASA? I honestly didn’t have a solid plan – I remember telling people that my goal was to be happy and would find out what would bring me that happiness as I went through life. That eventually got me to NASA and I would say I’m pretty happy, so that’s a win. What’s the strangest tradition in your family? Or a unique family tradition? We have a tradition that if it’s your birthday, after we sing, we smear frosting on your face. The other traditional that isn’t strange, but I think is valuable is that we sit together for dinner as a family. If you could master a skill without any work, what would it be? I think mastering a musical instrument would be my choice – specifically the Cello. I can play basic chords on a Ukulele and Guitar, but I’m far from being a master, more like a beginner. Read More About Women at Armstrong Share Details Last Updated Mar 22, 2024 EditorDede DiniusContactAmber YarbroughLocationArmstrong Flight Research Center Related TermsArmstrong Flight Research CenterFeatured CareersLife at NASANASA Centers & FacilitiesPeople of NASAWhat We DoWomen at NASAWomen's History Month Explore More 3 min read NASA Innovation on Display at AAS Goddard Space Science Symposium Article 3 hours ago 2 min read Hubble Spots the Spider Galaxy This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows the gauzy-looking celestial body UGC 5829,… Article 6 hours ago 5 min read NASA’s Tiny BurstCube Mission Launches to Study Cosmic Blasts NASA’s BurstCube, a shoebox-sized satellite designed to study the universe’s most powerful explosions, is on… Article 19 hours ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center People of NASA Women’s History Month Armstrong People View the full article

The National Space Council invites you to join us for Find Your Place in Space Week. From April 6-13, 2024 museums, science centers, companies, schools, and organizations will engage with communities across the nation to highlight all that space is, has to offer, and the benefits of space for Earth. We know that too many people are unaware of the importance of space to their everyday lives, to Earth, or know that their expertise and talents are needed in the industry. Through this effort, we want people from all communities and backgrounds to experience space and find their place in space! Visit the Find Your Place in Space Week website, which includes: A map and list of planned events. Our goal is for there to be events in every state and Puerto Rico. A social media toolkit and graphics that are helpful for amplifying the importance of space online throughout the week (and beyond). A page with an activity toolkit and online resources from across the federal departments and agencies. Please consider hosting an event in your community. If you do, share the information with us to be added to the list of events. You can also use the list to join an event near you. Hope to see you there! View the full article

A person watches the annular solar eclipse of October 14, 2023, in Kerrville, Texas.Credits: NASA Millions of people across North America will experience a rare celestial sight on Monday, April 8: a total solar eclipse. NASA will host a media briefing with other government agencies at 10 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, March 26, at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The briefing will air live on NASA+, NASA Television, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media. Over the course of about an hour, viewers in 15 states across the United States will experience up to four and half minutes of darkness when the Moon moves fully in front of the Sun, revealing the Sun’s faint outer atmosphere: the corona. Outside of the path of totality, people in the contiguous United States will have the opportunity to see a partial eclipse, when the Moon covers only a portion of the Sun. Learn how to safely view this celestial event on NASA’s eclipse website. NASA is joining with scientific and transportation agencies to engage the public, share safety information, and conduct science during the upcoming total solar eclipse. Representatives from these agencies will brief media about plans for the solar eclipse. Briefing participants include: NASA Administrator Bill Nelson NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free Kelly Korreck, eclipse program manager, NASA Headquarters Shailen Bhatt, administrator, Federal Highway Administration Elsayed Talaat, director, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Space Weather Observations Media interested in attending in person must RSVP by 5 p.m., Monday, March 25, to Tiernan Doyle at tiernan.doyle@nasa.gov. All media interested in participating by phone must request details no later than two hours before the start of the event. NASA’s media accreditation policy is online. On April 8, NASA will host live coverage of the eclipse on NASA+, the agency’s website, and the NASA app beginning at 1 p.m. NASA will also stream the broadcast live on its Facebook, X, YouTube, and Twitch social media accounts, as well as have a telescope-only feed of eclipse views on the NASA TV media channel and YouTube. To learn more about the total solar eclipse, visit: go.nasa.gov/Eclipse2024 -end- Karen Fox Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 karen.c.fox@nasa.gov Sarah Frazier Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 202-853-7191 sarah.frazier@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Mar 22, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsSolar Eclipses2024 Solar EclipseEclipsesNASA Headquarters View the full article

From the search for habitable worlds beyond our solar system to Earth science missions closer to home, NASA shared its goals for the next decades of exploration at this year’s Goddard Space Science Symposium, held March 20-22, 2024, at the University of Maryland in College Park. “We wanted to help bring focus to this long-term vision by gathering people from all areas of the industry to discuss the plan, the associated opportunities and challenges, and how we will all work together to succeed,” said Jim Way, executive director at the American Astronautical Society (AAS), which co-hosted the symposium with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. NASA Goddard and AAS collaborated to develop this year’s theme, “Space 2040: Pathways to the Future.” About 340 in-person attendees participated in panels featuring NASA scientists, researchers, and experts, as well as government and industry partners. Goddard Center Director Makenzie Lystrup kicked off the symposium by emphasizing the role partnerships have to play in science and space exploration. “The world is changing, and the space industry in particular; we’ve got to adapt to that,” Lystrup said. “Goddard needs to adapt to that, NASA needs to adapt, and I think that that can be scary. But also, this is the time when innovation can really come out. And so, I think that the sharing of ideas, and the willingness to try new things, is more important now than it ever has been.” Makenzie Lystrup, center director at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., gives opening remarks at the 61st Goddard Space Science Symposium sponsored by the American Astronautical Society on March 20, 2024, at the University of Maryland in College Park.NASA/Tabatha Luskey During the symposium, Goddard employees, students, and members of the industry and government workforce listened to discussions on space weather, climate science, interplanetary missions, and more. Nicola Fox, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, gave the opening keynote address on March 20. Fox spoke about NASA’s current and future missions, highlighting the intersections between NASA sciences. “I love to think about the interconnections in the science that we do,” Fox said. “Everybody knows that all the really interesting stuff – it’s not even just science – interesting stuff happens on the boundaries.” NASA Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate Nicola Fox speaks about NASA’s operating and future science fleet during her keynote address at the symposium on March 20.NASA/Tabatha Luskey The symposium concluded with early science results from NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission, which returned a sample from the asteroid Bennu in September 2023. Mission scientists brought a small piece of the sample for attendees to view. “That smudge you see is a pristine sample of the early solar system that we took 200 million miles away, and they’re finding some little preliminary results already,” said Michelle Thaller, co-chair of the 2024 planning committee and assistant director for science communication at Goddard. This year marked the 61st symposium, making it the longest running event hosted by AAS. Formerly known as the Robert H. Goddard Memorial Symposium, the event demonstrates the longstanding relationship between Goddard and AAS. By Julia Tilton NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Share Details Last Updated Mar 22, 2024 EditorRob GarnerContactRob Garnerrob.garner@nasa.govLocationGoddard Space Flight Center Related TermsGoddard Space Flight Center View the full article

2 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Media are invited to apply for accreditation to attend a pre-launch media day to learn about a sounding rocket mission set to launch from Virginia’s Eastern Shore during the 2024 solar eclipse. The April 2 media day event includes opportunities to hear from subject matter experts, tour the facility, and interview members of the research team. Media day activities will take place on Tuesday, April 2, from 9 a.m.- noon at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia. A sounding rocket launches from White Sands, New Mexico, during the Oct. 14, 2024, annular solar eclipse for the APEP mission.U.S. Army/Judy Hawkins The application deadline for media who are U.S. citizens is Friday, March 29, at 2 p.m. EDT. All media must send their accreditation request to the Wallops Office of Communications. Media must arrive at Wallops no later than 9 a.m. on Tuesday, April 2, to complete the badging process prior to the media day tour and interviews. This NASA mission, known as Atmospheric Perturbations around Eclipse Path (APEP), is led by Dr. Aroh Barjatya, a professor of engineering physics at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. Three sounding rockets will be launched during the solar eclipse on April 8 to study how the sudden drop in sunlight affects our upper atmosphere. Media Contact Amy Barra NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia Share Details Last Updated Mar 20, 2024 EditorJamie AdkinsContactAmy Barraamy.l.barra@nasa.govLocationWallops Flight Facility Related TermsWallops Flight Facility2024 Solar Eclipse View the full article

3 min read International Space Station welcomes biological and physical science experiments NASA is sending several biological and physical sciences experiments and equipment aboard SpaceX’s 30th commercial resupply services mission. Studying biological and physical phenomena under extreme conditions allows researchers to advance the fundamental scientific knowledge required to go farther and stay longer in space, while also benefitting life on Earth. Not only can these experiments provide pioneering scientific discovery – they enable sustainable deep space exploration and support transformative engineering. The commercial resupply launch took place Thursday, March 21, at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Understanding Antibiotic Resistance in Space The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria poses a significant threat to human health, both on Earth and in space. Common, harmless bacteria like Enterococcus faecalis (EF) and Enterococcus faecium, can be found on the International Space Station just as they are on Earth — and yet, they exhibit resistance to antibiotics and are hardier than their counterparts down on the ground. This raises concerns about potential more harmful bacteria causing infections for astronauts, especially during long-duration missions, as standard antibiotic treatments might prove ineffective. To address this issue, Genomic Enumeration of Antibiotic Resistance in Space will survey the space station for antibiotic-resistant microbes. By analyzing the genetic makeup of these bacteria, scientists hope to understand how they adapt to the unique environment of space. This knowledge will be instrumental in developing protective measures for astronauts’ health on future long-duration missions. Additionally, it could contribute to a broader understanding of antibiotic resistance, benefiting healthcare practices on Earth. Principal Investigator: Dr. Christopher Carr, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA Cold Atom Lab Science Module – 1 A temporary replacement module for the Cold Atom Lab will be aboard SpaceX-30. The module will enable NASA to continue pioneering quantum experiments aboard the International Space Station while researchers troubleshoot upgraded equipment delivered to station in August 2023 that they were unable to bring online. The Cold Atom Laboratory quad locker sitting in a fixture that will allow the hardware to be packaged for shipment to the launch facility. Levitation of High Temperature Metals Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) partner-lead investigation The objective of the Electrostatic Levitation Furnace-1 reflight is to investigate the effects of the interfacial phenomena between molten steel and slag (oxide) melts during processing from the viewpoint of the thermophysical properties. During steel making processes, such as continuous casting, the impurity in the cast steel is influenced by the interplay between the molten steel and molten slags. Understanding the interfacial phenomena could help produce higher purity steels. Success could increase the space station’s commercial utilization and improve oxide melt manufacturing and application on Earth. Flow Boiling Condensation Module Power Filter Module (support hardware) During the initial checkouts following launch of the Condensation Module Power Filter hardware on NG-19 in August 2023, an anomaly was observed in the test section thermocouple readings. The team investigated the issue and recommended replacement of the power filter module to fix the anomalous thermocouple readings. The PFM filters out undesirable electromagnetic emissions noise for the payload electronics. Top view of the FBCE-CM-HT hardware. This investigation gathers data to characterize the function of condensation surfaces and to validate flow velocity models. Results could identify optimal flow rates at various gravitational levels to safely dissipate heat, supporting design of systems for use in space and on Earth. Image courtesy of NASA Glenn Research Center. NASA Glenn Research Center About NASA’s Biological and Physical Sciences NASA’s Biological and Physical Sciences Division pioneers’ scientific discovery and enables exploration by using space environments to conduct investigations not possible on Earth. Studying biological and physical phenomena under extreme conditions allows researchers to advance the fundamental scientific knowledge required to go farther and stay longer in space, while also benefitting life on Earth. Share Details Last Updated Mar 22, 2024 Related Terms Biological & Physical Sciences International Space Station (ISS) ISS Research Science & Research View the full article

2 min read Hubble Spots the Spider Galaxy This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows the irregular galaxy UGC 5829. ESA/Hubble & NASA, R. Tully, M. Messa This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows the gauzy-looking celestial body UGC 5829, an irregular galaxy that lies about 30 million light-years away. Despite the lack of observations of this relatively faint galaxy, UGC 5829 has a distinct and descriptive name: the Spider Galaxy. Perhaps its distorted galactic arms with their glowing, star-forming tips hint at the clawed legs of an arachnid. The data in this image come from two Hubble observing programs. The first used Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys to look at relatively nearby galaxies in an effort to build color versus brightness diagrams of the stars in these galaxies. Each observation only took one Hubble orbit (about 95 minutes) but provided a valuable archival record of the types of stars in different galaxies and therefore different environments. The second program used Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 to look at star clusters in dwarf galaxies. Their observations leveraged Hubble’s ultraviolet capabilities along with its ability to see fine details to better understand the environment where stars form in dwarf galaxies. The star-forming regions of UGC 5829 are readily visible in this image as bright-pink nebulae or clouds. Text credit: European Space Agency (ESA) Download this image Media Contact: Claire Andreoli NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD claire.andreoli@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Mar 22, 2024 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Related Terms Astrophysics Galaxies Goddard Space Flight Center Hubble Space Telescope Irregular Galaxies Missions The Universe Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Hubble Space Telescope Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe. Galaxies Stories Stars Stories NASA Astrophysics View the full article

On March 24, 1979, space shuttle Columbia arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) for the very first time. Following Presidential direction to build the space shuttle in 1972, Congress quickly approved and funded the program later that year. Construction of the first orbital vehicle, later named Columbia, began in 1975. Four years later, Columbia completed its first transcontinental flight, arriving at KSC to begin preparations for its first mission. The first shuttle flight in April 1981 ushered in an era of reusable space transportation. Left: NASA Administrator James C. Fletcher, left, presents a model of the space shuttle to President Richard M. Nixon in January 1972. Right: Apollo 16 astronauts John W. Young, left, and Charles M. Duke on the Moon in April 1972. On Jan. 5, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon directed NASA to build the space shuttle, formally called the Space Transportation System (STS), stating that “it would revolutionize transportation into near space.” NASA Administrator James C. Fletcher hailed the President’s decision as “an historic step in the nation’s space program,” adding that it would change what humans can accomplish in space. Apollo 16 astronauts John W. Young and Charles M. Duke learned of the space shuttle’s approval while exploring the Moon in April 1972. Mission Control informed them that Congress had authorized the development of the space shuttle. Young and Duke both enthusiastically responded to the positive news with “Beautiful! Wonderful! Beautiful!” Young added with some foresight, “The country needs that shuttle mighty bad. You’ll see.” He had no way of knowing that nine years later, he would command the first ship of the space shuttle fleet, Columbia, on its maiden voyage. Left: Columbia’s crew compartment during assembly in 1976. Middle: Columbia’s aft fuselage and wings during assembly in November 1977. Right: Columbia just prior to rollout from Rockwell’s plant in Palmdale in March 1979. Once Congress authorized the funds, on July 26, 1972, NASA awarded the contract to the North American Rockwell Corporation of Downey, California, to begin construction of the first orbital vehicle. Officially known as Orbital Vehicle-102 (OV-102), in January 1979 NASA named it Columbia after Captain Robert Gary’s sloop that explored the Pacific Northwest in the 1790s and took the honor as the first American ship to circumnavigate the globe, as well as after the Apollo 11 Command Module. Construction of Columbia’s first components at Rockwell’s Palmdale, California, plant began on March 25, 1975. Left: Workers roll Columbia out from its hangar at Rockwell’s Palmdale, California, plant. Middle: Workers transport Columbia from Rockwell’s Palmdale facility to NASA’s Dryden, now Armstrong, Flight Research Center. Right: Columbia atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft takes off from Dryden to begin the cross-country ferry flight. Nearly four years later, on March 8, 1979, Columbia rolled out of the Palmdale facility to begin its multi-day transcontinental journey to KSC. For the first step of the journey, workers towed Columbia from Palmdale overland to NASA’s Dryden, now Armstrong, Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) 36 miles away. Two days later, workers there hoisted Columbia onto the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), a Boeing 747 aircraft modified to transport space shuttle orbiters. During a test flight, thousands of the orbiter’s thermal protection system tiles fell off. Workers returned Columbia to a hangar where over 100 men and women worked for nine days reapplying the tiles. Weather then delayed Columbia’s departure until March 20, when the SCA/shuttle duo flew from Dryden to Biggs AFB in El Paso, Texas. Left: Space shuttle Columbia atop its Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) touches down at Kelly Air Force Base (AFB) in San Antonio for an overnight stop. Middle: Head on view of Columbia atop the SCA. Right: Tina Aguilar, age nine, an aspiring young reporter, interviews astronaut Donald K. “Deke” Slayton in front of Columbia and the SCA at Kelly AFB. Weather delayed Columbia’s departure for the planned refueling stop at Kelly AFB in San Antonio, until the next day. About 200,000 people went to view the shuttle during its overnight layover in San Antonio prior to its departure on March 23. Left: The past meets the future, as space shuttle Columbia atop its Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) flies over the Saturn V display at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Middle: Columbia atop the SCA touches down at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF), with the Vehicle Assembly Building visible in the background. Right: At the SLF, NASA Administrator Robert A. Frosch addresses the crowd assembled to welcome Columbia to KSC, as other dignitaries listen. After another overnight stop at Eglin AFB in Florida, Columbia atop the SCA touched down at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) on March 24, a crowd of about 3,000 cheering its arrival. Dignitaries in attendance at a brief welcoming ceremony at the SLF included NASA Administrator Robert A. Frosch, KSC Director Lee R. Scherer, SCA pilots Joseph S. Algranti and Fitzhugh L. Fulton, program manager for Shuttle Flight Test Operations NASA astronaut Donald K. “Deke” Slayton, and astronauts John W. Young and Robert L. Crippen, designated as the commander and pilot for STS-1, the first space shuttle mission. Also in attendance, U.S. Congressman C. William “Bill” Nelson whose district included KSC and now serves as NASA’s 14th administrator, and Florida Lieutenant Governor J. Wayne Mixson. Left: Columbia in the Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Middle: Workers hoist Columbia in KSC’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) for mating with its external tank and solid rocket boosters. Right: Columbia rolls out of the VAB on its way to Launch Pad 39A. The next day, after removing Columbia from the back of the SCA, workers towed it into the Orbiter Processing Facility, where the orbiter spent the next 19 months preparing for its first flight. Rollover to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) for mating with its External Tank and the two Solid Rocket Boosters took place Nov. 24, 1980. After a series of integrated tests, the shuttle stack rolled out of the VAB and made the 3.5-mile trip to Launch Pad 39A on Dec. 29, 1980. Young and Crippen flew Columbia’s historic first mission, STS-1, in April 1981, ushering in an era of reusable space transportation. Share Details Last Updated Mar 21, 2024 Related TermsNASA HistorySpace Shuttle Explore More 21 min read 55 Years Ago: Four Months Until the Moon Landing Article 1 day ago 11 min read 20 Years Ago: First Image of Earth from Mars and Other Postcards of Home Article 2 weeks ago 4 min read More Planets than Stars: Kepler’s Legacy Article 2 weeks ago View the full article

4 min read NASA’s Tiny BurstCube Mission Launches to Study Cosmic Blasts BurstCube, shown in this artist’s concept, will orbit Earth as it hunts for short gamma-ray bursts. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab NASA’s BurstCube, a shoebox-sized satellite designed to study the universe’s most powerful explosions, is on its way to the International Space Station. The spacecraft travels aboard SpaceX’s 30th Commercial Resupply Services mission, which lifted off at 4:55 p.m. EDT on Thursday, March 21, from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. After arriving at the station, BurstCube will be unpacked and later released into orbit, where it will detect, locate, and study short gamma-ray bursts – brief flashes of high-energy light. “BurstCube may be small, but in addition to investigating these extreme events, it’s testing new technology and providing important experience for early career astronomers and aerospace engineers,” said Jeremy Perkins, BurstCube’s principal investigator at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The BurstCube satellite sits in its flight configuration in this photo taken in the Goddard CubeSat Lab in 2023. NASA/Sophia Roberts Download high-resolution images and videos of BurstCube. Short gamma-ray bursts usually occur after the collisions of neutron stars, the superdense remnants of massive stars that exploded in supernovae. The neutron stars can also emit gravitational waves, ripples in the fabric of space-time, as they spiral together. Astronomers are interested in studying gamma-ray bursts using both light and gravitational waves because each can teach them about different aspects of the event. This approach is part of a new way of understanding the cosmos called multimessenger astronomy. The collisions that create short gamma-ray bursts also produce heavy elements like gold and iodine, an essential ingredient for life as we know it. Currently, the only joint observation of gravitational waves and light from the same event – called GW170817 – was in 2017. It was a watershed moment in multimessenger astronomy, and the scientific community has been hoping and preparing for additional concurrent discoveries since. “BurstCube’s detectors are angled to allow us to detect and localize events over a wide area of the sky,” said Israel Martinez, research scientist and BurstCube team member at the University of Maryland, College Park and Goddard. “Our current gamma-ray missions can only see about 70% of the sky at any moment because Earth blocks their view. Increasing our coverage with satellites like BurstCube improves the odds we’ll catch more bursts coincident with gravitational wave detections.” BurstCube’s main instrument detects gamma rays with energies ranging from 50,000 to 1 million electron volts. (For comparison, visible light ranges between 2 and 3 electron volts.) When a gamma ray enters one of BurstCube’s four detectors, it encounters a cesium iodide layer called a scintillator, which converts it into visible light. The light then enters another layer, an array of 116 silicon photomultipliers, that converts it into a pulse of electrons, which is what BurstCube measures. For each gamma ray, the team sees one pulse in the instrument readout that provides the precise arrival time and energy. The angled detectors inform the team of the general direction of the event. BurstCube belongs to a class of spacecraft called CubeSats. These small satellites come in a range of standard sizes based on a cube measuring 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) across. CubeSats provide cost-effective access to space to facilitate groundbreaking science, test new technologies, and help educate the next generation of scientists and engineers in mission development, construction, and testing. Engineers attach BurstCube to the platform of a thermal vacuum chamber at Goddard ahead of testing. NASA/Sophia Roberts “We were able to order many of BurstCube’s parts, like solar panels and other off-the-shelf components, which are becoming standardized for CubeSats,” said Julie Cox, a BurstCube mechanical engineer at Goddard. “That allowed us to focus on the mission’s novel aspects, like the made-in-house components and the instrument, which will demonstrate how a new generation of miniaturized gamma-ray detectors work in space.” BurstCube is led by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. It’s funded by the Science Mission Directorate’s Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters. The BurstCube collaboration includes: the University of Alabama in Huntsville; the University of Maryland, College Park; the University of the Virgin Islands; the Universities Space Research Association in Washington; the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington; and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville. By Jeanette Kazmierczak NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Media Contact: Claire Andreoli (301) 286-1940 claire.andreoli@nasa.gov NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Share Details Last Updated Mar 21, 2024 Related Terms Astrophysics BurstCube CubeSats Gamma Rays Gamma-Ray Bursts Gravitational Waves International Space Station (ISS) Neutron Stars Sensing the Universe & Multimessenger Astronomy The Universe Explore More 4 min read NASA’s Hubble Finds that Aging Brown Dwarfs Grow Lonely Article 8 hours ago 2 min read Hubble Views a Galaxy Under Pressure Article 6 days ago 3 min read Hubble Tracks Jupiter’s Stormy Weather Article 1 week ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

NASA’s SpaceX 30th commercial resupply mission launched at 4:55 p.m. EDT, Thursday, March 21 , from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.Credit: NASA/Madison Tuttle Following a successful launch of NASA’s SpaceX 30th commercial resupply mission, new scientific experiments and technology demonstrations for the agency are on the way to the International Space Station, including studies of technologies to measure sea ice and plant growth in space. SpaceX’s Dragon resupply spacecraft, carrying more than 6,000 pounds of cargo to the orbiting laboratory, launched on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket at 4:55 p.m. EDT Thursday, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The cargo spacecraft is scheduled to autonomously dock at the space station on Saturday, March 23, at approximately 7:30 a.m. and remain at the orbital outpost for about a month. Live coverage of the arrival will begin at 5:30 a.m. on NASA+, NASA Television, and on the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms. The Dragon will deliver a new set of sensors for Astrobee robots to support automated 3D sensing, mapping, and situational awareness functions. These systems could support future Gateway and lunar surface missions by providing automated maintenance and surface scanning using rovers. Additionally, the spacecraft will deliver BurstCube, a small satellite that is designed to study gamma-ray bursts that occur when two neutron stars collide. This satellite could widen our coverage of the gamma-ray sky, improving our chances of studying bursts both with light and gravitational waves, or ripples in space-time, detected by ground-based observatories. Finally, the spacecraft also will deliver sampling hardware for Genomic Enumeration of Antibiotic Resistance in Space (GEARS), an initiative that will test different locations of the space station for antibiotic-resistant microbes. In-flight gene sequencing could show how these bacteria adapt to the space environment, providing knowledge that informs measures to protect astronauts on future long-duration missions. These are just a few of the hundreds of investigations conducted aboard the orbiting laboratory in the areas of biology and biotechnology, physical sciences, and Earth and space science. Advances from this scientific research will help keep astronauts healthy during long-duration space travel and demonstrate technologies for future human and robotic exploration beyond low Earth orbit to the Moon through NASA’s Artemis campaign, in advance of the first crewed mission to Mars. Get breaking news, images and features from the space station on Instagram, Facebook, and X. Learn more about NASA commercial resupply services missions at: https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/commercial-resupply/ -end- Josh Finch / Julian Coltre / Claire O’Shea Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / julian.n.coltre@nasa.gov / claire.a.o’shea@nasa.gov Stephanie Plucinsky / Steven Siceloff Kennedy Space Center, Florida 321-876-2468 stephanie.n.plucinsky@nasa.gov / steven.p.siceloff@nasa.gov Sandra Jones Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Mar 21, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsISS ResearchCommercial ResupplyInternational Space Station (ISS)SpaceX Commercial Resupply View the full article

Key adapters for the first crewed Artemis missions are manufactured at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. 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 A test version 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. “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 in Huntsville, Alabama,” 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.” Teams at Marshall manufactured, prepared, and move the payload adapter test article. The payload adapter will undergo testing in the same test stand that once housed the SLS liquid oxygen tank structural test article.NASA Teams at Marshall manufactured, prepared, and move the payload adapter test article. The payload adapter will undergo testing in the same test stand that once housed the SLS liquid oxygen tank structural test article.NASA Teams at Marshall manufactured, prepared, and move the payload adapter test article. The payload adapter will undergo testing in the same test stand that once housed the SLS liquid oxygen tank structural test article.NASA Teams at Marshall manufactured, prepared, and move the payload adapter test article. The payload adapter will undergo testing in the same test stand that once housed the SLS liquid oxygen tank structural test article. NASA 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. 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. News Media Contact Corinne Beckinger Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. 256.544.0034 corinne.m.beckinger@nasa.gov View the full article

6 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Everyday physical activities keep the cardiovascular system healthy. The human cardiovascular system, which includes the heart and blood vessels, has evolved to operate in Earth’s gravity. When astronauts travel to space, their bodies begin to adjust to the microgravity of their spacecraft. Blood and other bodily fluids previously pulled downward by gravity now move toward the head, so the cardiovascular system doesn’t have to work as hard to maintain blood flow to the brain. This adaptation to weightlessness can result in reduced blood volume and reduced function of the heart and blood vessels. When astronauts return to Earth, gravity once again pulls their body fluids downward. The cardiovascular system is now challenged to regulate blood pressure, causing some astronauts to feel weak, dizzy, or faint when they stand immediately upon arrival on Earth. These symptoms can last for a few days until they get used to spending time back in Earth’s gravity. What we learn while aboard the space station has important applications on Earth. Many of the changes seen in space resemble those caused by aging on Earth. As we age, particularly if we don’t remain physically active, the efficiency of the heart and blood vessels to maintain blood pressure while standing may decrease and some people may develop heart disease. Because spending time in space affects the heart and circulatory system, research on the space station looks at these effects in both the short and long term. Research aims to develop and test countermeasures to cardiovascular adaptations to spaceflight to benefit both astronauts and people on the ground. Below are some examples of studies performed on the station involving cardiovascular research. NASA astronaut Jessica Meir conducts EHT-2 in the Life Sciences Glovebox aboard the space station.NASA Monitor Fluids Shifting Using 3D ultrasound technology, Vascular Echo, an investigation from CSA (Canadian Space Agency), examined changes in blood vessels and the hearts of crew members in space and followed their recovery upon return to Earth. 3D images of blood vessels using ultrasounds show more detail than 2D images, just like how a model car is a better representation than a flat picture of that car. Astronauts used a motorized ultrasound probe to scan crucial body parts. Meanwhile on the ground, scientists could adjust the angle of the ultrasound beam emitted by the probe to collect the best image possible. Using this technology allowed crews to collect high-quality scans even though they’re not necessarily expert sonographers.1 An investigation called Fluid Shifts demonstrated how much fluid—including water and blood—moves from the lower body to the upper body in space. The study also evaluated the impact these shifts have on the structure and function of the eyes and brain. Results showed that several measurements of body fluids shifting towards the upper body were elevated during spaceflight but were reduced to preflight levels when using methods to reverse these fluid shifts.2 Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut David Saint-Jacques performs an ultrasound for Vascular Echo which study the effects of weightlessness on astronauts’ blood vessels and hearts.Canadian Space Agency/NASA Culturing Stem Cells An investigation completed in 2018, Cardiac Myocytes examined how stem cells differentiate into specialized heart cells (cardiac myocytes). The experiment evaluated cell maturation in microgravity and tested the ability of the cells to repair damaged heart tissues. This study advances the development of possible regenerative therapies for both astronauts and patients on Earth. Subsequent experiments took advantage of microgravity’s effects on cell behavior and growth to create tools for further research, model disease, and test potential treatments for heart damage. MVP Cell-03 examined whether microgravity increased production of heart cells from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). Pluripotent cells have started to differentiate, making them more specialized than stem cells, but they retain the ability to develop into multiple types of cells. Any observed increase in production of heart cells could make it possible to use cultured cells to help treat spaceflight-induced cardiac abnormalities and create personalized therapies to replenish heart cells damaged or lost due to disease on Earth. Project EAGLE, a related experiment, grows 3D cultures of heart cells in microgravity and could provide a heart tissue model that mimics heart disease and assesses potential drug therapies. Beating cardiac spheres produced from cells cultured on the space station for the MVP Cell-03 investigation. Emory University School of Medicine Tiny Organ-like Devices Many studies aboard the space station use tissue chips, small devices that mimic functions of human organs. These tools include 3D cultures of specific cell types, tissues engineered to reproduce specific cellular characteristics, as well as 3D structures made from many different cell types in a particular organ such as the heart. These stand-ins for actual hearts enable new types of research and drug testing. Engineered Heart Tissues (EHT) used 3D tissues derived from hiPSCs to study cardiac function in microgravity. A magnet-based sensor underneath the culture chamber allowed real-time, non-destructive analysis of the functional performance and maturation of the tissues in space. Engineered Heart Tissues-2 builds on its predecessor using 3D cultures of cardiac muscle tissue to test therapies that may prevent these changes. Cardinal Heart, a study using engineered heart tissues to understand effects of change in gravitational force on cardiovascular cells, confirmed that microgravity exposure causes significant changes in heart cell function and gene expression that could lead to damage.3 Cardinal Heart 2.0 took this research to the next level. It used a beating heart organoid containing different kinds of stem-cell-derived cardiac cells to test whether certain drugs can reduce or prevent microgravity-induced changes. Using tissue chips to test new drugs could help reduce the need for the animal studies required before clinical trials in humans, potentially shortening the time between the discovery of a drug candidate and its clinical use. This biocell contains beating cardiac spheroids derived from iPSCs.Stanford Cardiovascular Institute. Andrea Lloyd International Space Station Research Communications Team Johnson Space Center Resources for Additional Learning Search this database of scientific experiments to learn more about those mentioned above. Citations Patterson C, Greaves DK, Robertson AD, Hughson RL, Arbeille P. Motorized 3D ultrasound and jugular vein dimension measurement on the International Space Station. Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance. 2023 June 1; 94(6): 466-469. DOI: 10.3357/AMHP.6219.2023.PMID: 37194183 Arbeille P, Zuj KA, Macias BR, Ebert DJ, Laurie SS, Sargsyan AE, Martin DS, Lee SM, Dulchavsky SA, Stenger MB, Hargens AR. Lower body negative pressure reduces jugular and portal vein volumes, and counteracts the cerebral vein velocity elevation during long-duration spaceflight. Journal of Applied Physiology. 2021 September; 131(3): 1080-1087. DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00231.2021.PMID: 34323592. Wnorowski, A., Sharma, A., Chen, H., Wu, H., Shao, N.-Y., Sayed, N., Liu, C., Countryman, S., Stodieck, L. S., Rubins, K. H., Wu, S. M., Lee, P. H. U., & Wu, J. C. (2019). Effects of spaceflight on human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte structure and function. Stem Cell Reports, 13(6), 960–969. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stemcr.2019.10.006 Keep Exploring Discover More Topics Station Science 101: Human Research Latest News from Space Station Research Station Benefits for Humanity Human Research Program View the full article