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NASA/Joel Kowsky “Where I grew up [on my family farm] 100% shaped who I am. In fact, my son and I were talking about high schools and how big his is. His high school population is double the population of the town I grew up in. I had 20 kids in my graduating class, and three of them were foreign exchange students. He asked me, ‘Do you wish you would have gone to a bigger school like us?’ And I said, ‘Actually, no, I don’t.’ I loved where I grew up. I absolutely cherish what it instilled in me, and that’s something I carry with me all the time. “The earliest lesson was that you are part of something much bigger than yourself. Everybody has an important role in what they’re doing, no matter how small. I remember when we were bringing in the corn. Right now, everybody buys it, but I didn’t buy corn until maybe college because it was a whole family thing. We went and picked the corn. The little kids would shuck it, pulling off all the silk. The grown-ups would shave it off the cob and then push it off to the side, and then the older kids would bag it up into plastic bags. And then everybody went home. It was always about a team. You can be the youngest person or the lowest-ranking person, but you always bring something important to that table. “Everywhere I’ve been since I got commissioned [as an Air Force officer], my very first office in 1997, I hang an aerial picture of our farm on my wall because it’s [a reminder to] remember where you came from, remember home, and don’t get too big for your britches. No matter what, I could be part of something huge, and I look at that picture and say, ‘I have always been part of something much bigger than myself.’ All the little, tiny moments in life that build upon themselves trace back to that family farm for me.” – Alana Johnson, Senior Communications Specialist, NASA Headquarters Image Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky Interviewer: NASA/Tahira Allen Check out some of our other Faces of NASA. View the full article

On March 8, 2004, the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit took the first image of Earth from the surface of another planet. The Earth appearing as nothing more than a bright star provided a new perspective on our home planet, a perspective reshaped over the past eight decades as cameras aboard rockets and spacecraft traveled farther and farther away. From sounding rockets in the 1940s and Earth orbiting satellites in the early 1960s to spacecraft and people traveling to the Moon in the late 1960s and early 1970s and since then to spacecraft exploring all reaches of our solar system, the images of Earth they sent back expanded our horizons while showing an ever-smaller pale blue dot in the vastness of space. Left: The Mars Exploration Rover Spirit photographed Earth before sunrise in 2004. Right: The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover photographed the Earth-Moon system in 2014. Shortly after landing in Mars’ Gusev Crater on Jan. 4, 2004, Spirit began sending to Earth remarkable photos of its surroundings. On March 8, it turned its camera skyward in an attempt to photograph the Martian moon Deimos partially eclipsing the Sun as it transited across its disc. Shortly before sunrise, Spirit’s camera managed to capture Earth as a bright star, appearing much as Venus does to terrestrial observers. This marked the first photograph of Earth from another planetary surface. Nearly a decade passed before another rover, the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity, took another photograph of Earth from its location in Mars’ Gale Crater. The image taken on Jan. 31, 2014, from 99 million miles away, also captured the Moon. These images, and others taken of Earth from ever-more distant vantage points over the past eight decades, provided a new perspective of our home planet’s place in our solar system. Enjoy the following postcards of Earth over the decades. Left: The first image of Earth taken from space in 1946 by a suborbital rocket, from an altitude of 65 miles. Image credit: courtesy White Sands Missile Range/Applied Physics Laboratory. Middle: The first photograph of Earth taken from orbit, by the Explorer 6 satellite. Right: The first television image of Earth, transmitted by the TIROS-1 weather satellite in 1960. On Oct. 24, 1946, more than 10 years before the launch of the first artificial satellite Sputnik, scientists at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico placed a camera on top of a captured German V-2 ballistic missile. As the rocket flew to an altitude of about 65 miles – just above the generally recognized border of outer space – the 35-mm motion picture camera snapped a frame every one and a half seconds. Minutes later, the missile came crashing back down and slammed into the ground at more than 340 miles per hour, but the film survived and gave us our first glimpse of Earth from space. On Aug. 14, 1959, the Explorer 6 satellite took the first photograph of Earth from orbit about 17,000 miles high, but the image lacked detail. On April 1, 1960, from an orbital altitude of about 450 miles, the TIROS-1 weather satellite returned the first of its 23,000 television images of the Earth, most of them of sufficient quality for the satellite’s main purpose, weather forecasting. Left: The first full-disk photograph of Earth, taken by the Soviet Molniya 1-3 communications satellite in 1966. Middle: The first image of Earth taken from geostationary orbit, by the Advanced Technology Satellite-1 (ATS-1) satellite in 1966. Right: The first color image of the full Earth from the DODGE (Department of Defense Gravity Experiment) satellite in 1967. The Soviet Molniya 1-3 communications satellite took the first photograph showing the Earth as a full disk on May 30, 1966, although the image quality was somewhat poor. On Dec. 11, 1966, the ATS-1 advanced technology satellite beamed back the first photograph of Earth from geostationary orbit 22,300 miles above Ecuador. The Department of Defense Gravity Experiment (DODGE) satellite returned the first color image of the full Earth in August 1967. Left: The original photo, top, of Earth taken from lunar orbit by the Lunar Orbiter 1 spacecraft in 1966, and a 2008 digitized version by the Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery Project (LOIRP). Image credit: courtesy LOIRP. Right: The first color image of Earth taken from the surface of the Moon by Surveyor 3 in 1967. The primary purpose of early robotic spacecraft to the Moon was to prepare for the crewed Apollo missions that followed, including extensive photography of the lunar terrain from orbit and from the surface. The first of five Lunar Orbiter spacecraft designed to map the Moon’s surface from orbit took the first photograph of Earth from lunar distances on Aug. 23, 1966. A digital reconstruction of the original frame in 2008 as part of the Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery Project removed the scan lines and other imperfections. The Surveyor 3 robotic lander, later visited by the Apollo 12 astronauts, took the first photograph of Earth from the lunar surface on April 30, 1967. Left: The famous Earthrise photograph taken during the Apollo 8 crew’s first orbit around the Moon in 1968. Middle left: The first photograph of Earth taken by an astronaut standing on the lunar surface, taken during the Apollo 11 Moon landing in 1969. Middle right: The famous Blue Marble image taken by Apollo 17 astronauts on their way to the Moon in 1972. Right: Earth and Moon photographed during the Artemis I uncrewed mission in 2022. The Apollo missions of the late 1960s and early 1970s returned thousands of stunning and memorable images of humanity’s first exploration of another world. Among them are photographs of the Earth taken by the astronauts that show how small and fragile our planet can appear against the blackness and vastness of space. Arguably, the most famous is the Earthrise photos taken during Apollo 8, the first crewed mission to orbit the Moon in December 1968. The image of the smooth blue ball of Earth appearing suspended over the battered gray lunar terrain provided inspiration for the ecology movement of the time. In July 1969, the first human lunar landing mission, Apollo 11, returned many iconic photographs of Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin on the surface, and also included the first image of the Earth taken by an astronaut on the Moon. In December 1972, astronauts on the final Apollo lunar landing mission, Apollo 17, took the famous Blue Marble image of the Earth from 72,000 miles away on their way to the Moon. More recently, in November 2012, the uncrewed Artemis I mission imaged the Moon and Earth together, from a distance of 268,563 miles from Earth. Left: A composite of two separate images of the Earth and Moon, taken by Mariner 10 in 1973 as it headed toward encounters with Venus and Mercury. Middle: The first image of the Earth-Moon system in a single photographic frame taken by Voyager 1 in 1977 as it departed on its journey to explore Jupiter, Saturn, and beyond. Right: The first image of Earth taken by a planetary spacecraft, Galileo, as it made a return encounter with its home planet for a gravity assist in 1990. As planetary spacecraft carried increasingly sophisticated instruments in the 1970s, some turned their cameras toward the Earth as they departed on their long voyages of exploration. In November 1973, a few days after Mariner 10 launched on its mission to explore Venus and Mercury, it snapped separate photographs of the Earth and the Moon, that technicians combined into a composite photo. On Sept. 18, 1977, at a distance of 7.25 million miles, the Jupiter-bound Voyager 1 snapped the first photograph of the Earth-Moon system in a single frame, providing an impression of the view from a spacecraft approaching our home planet. The Galileo spacecraft did exactly that – on Dec. 8, 1990, more than two years after its launch, it passed within 600 miles of Earth, using the planet for a gravity assist to reach Jupiter. During the fly-by, Galileo used its sophisticated instruments and cameras to study Earth as an unexplored planet and detected chemical signatures in atmospheric trace elements associated with life-form activity. Voyager 1’s family portrait of six planets, when the spacecraft was 3.7 billion miles from Earth in 1990. Pale Blue Dot Revisited, NASA’s 2020 remastered version of the Voyager 1 image of Earth. On Feb. 14, 1990, more than 12 years after it began its journey from Earth and shortly before controller permanently turned off its cameras to conserve power, Voyager 1 spun around and pointed them back into the solar system. In a mosaic of 60 images, it captured a “family portrait” of six of the solar system’s planets, including a pale blue dot called Earth more than 3.7 billion miles away. In February 2020, to commemorate the photograph’s 30th anniversary, NASA released a remastered version of the image of Earth as Pale Blue Dot Revisited. MESSENGER’s family portrait of the planets, taken from approximately the orbit of Mercury in 2010. Twenty years later, and from a very different part of the solar system, came another family portrait of the planets. From near the orbit of Mercury, the MESSENGER spacecraft took 34 images on Nov. 3 and 16, 2010, that engineers stitched together. The composite shows six planets, Venus, Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, and Saturn, and even several planetary satellites including the Moon and Jupiter’s four Galilean moons Callisto, Ganymede, Europa, and Io. Left: Earth and Moon photographed by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft in orbit around Mars in 2003. Middle: Earth and Moon photographed by the European Space Agency’s Mars Express spacecraft in orbit around Mars in 2003. Right: Earth and Moon photographed by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in orbit around Mars in 2007. Even before Spirit returned the first photo of Earth from the surface of Mars, spacecraft in orbit around the Red Planet took amazing photos of the Earth-Moon system with their telescopic high-resolution cameras. Mars Global Surveyor took the first photograph of the Earth-Moon system from Mars orbit in May 2003, the two planets 86 million miles apart. Given the Moon’s position in its orbit around Earth, the two bodies appeared close together. Two months later, in July 2003, the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Mars Express spacecraft photographed them appearing much further apart, given the Moon’s orbital position. In October 2007, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter used its HiRISE camera to take a more detailed shot of the Earth-Moon system. Because Earth orbits closer to the Sun than Mars, it goes through phases, much as Mercury and Venus do as viewed from Earth. The Earth-Moon system as seen from the Cassini spacecraft in orbit around Saturn in 2013. On July 19, 2013, the Cassini spacecraft in orbit around Saturn took a series of images from a distance of about 750,000 miles as the planet eclipsed the Sun. In the event dubbed The Day the Earth Smiled, people on Earth received notification in advance that Cassini would be taking their picture from 900 million miles away, and were encouraged to smile at its camera. In addition to the Earth and Moon, Cassini captured Venus, Mars, and seven of Saturn’s satellites in the photograph. Left: The MESSENGER spacecraft in orbit around Mercury took this photograph of Earth and Moon in 2013. Right: The Parker Solar Probe photographed Earth through the solar corona from well inside the orbit of Mercury in 2023. On the same day that Cassini imaged Earth and other planets from Saturn, the MESSENGER spacecraft in orbit around Mercury, during a search for possible moons orbiting the small planet, took a photograph of the Earth-Moon system from 61 million miles away. The Parker Solar Probe, during its 16th close pass of the Sun in June 2023, took a series of photographs through the Sun’s corona, imaging several planets including Earth in the process. Engineers stitched the images together to create an amazing video of the solar corona and a coronal mass ejection. The view is from well inside Mercury’s orbit. The European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter took this mini-family portrait in November 2020. The ESA Solar Orbiter spacecraft’s primary objectives focus on studying the Sun from close distances. These orbits enable it to photograph several planets at once. On Nov. 18, 2020, Solar Orbiter imaged Venus, Earth, and Mars in one frame. We hope you enjoyed this review of how photographs of Earth over the past 80 years have changed our perspectives of our home planet, and also of our own place in the universe. Future human space explorers, whatever their destinations, will always look back and try to find their home planet in whatever sky it may shine, and hopefully share their experiences with us through photographs we can only dream about today. Explore More 4 min read More Planets than Stars: Kepler’s Legacy Article 2 days ago 4 min read 65 Years Ago: Pioneer 4 Reaches for the Moon Article 3 days ago 22 min read Women’s History Month: Celebrating Women Astronauts 2024 Article 6 days ago View the full article

3 min read Discovery Alert: a Long Year for a ‘Cold Saturn’ Illustration of the possible appearance of TOI-4600 c, a “cold Saturn.” NASA/JPL-Caltech The Discovery Two giant planets comparable to our own system’s Saturn orbit a star not unlike our Sun some 700 light-years away. The outer planet has the longest year – 483 days – of any found so far by NASA’s TESS (the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite). It’s also among the coldest. Key Facts The two planets, TOI-4600 b and c, could prove important to astronomers who investigate how large, gaseous planets form and evolve. And they begin to fill a gap in knowledge between gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn in our solar system, and “hot Jupiters” (as well as “warm Jupiters”) elsewhere in our galaxy. Details The decades-long hunt for exoplanets – planets around other stars – has so far yielded more than 5,500 that are confirmed to be scattered across the Milky Way, which likely contains hundreds of billions. But the prevailing detection method turns up relatively few “long period” planets, those with years lasting 50 days or more. This method, seeking “shadows,” much more easily reveals planets orbiting their stars closely, with far shorter years. The search for shadows, called the transit method, captures the tiny dip in starlight as an orbiting planet crosses the face of its star. Spaceborne telescopes like TESS that rely on this method are responsible for the vast majority of exoplanet detections. But the longer a planet’s orbit, the harder it is for TESS to catch it transiting its star. Still, in a study published in September 2023, an international team of scientists using TESS data determined that TOI-4600 b and c have long-period orbits: 83 days for planet b, 483 for planet c (a year that’s a bit longer than Earth’s). These orbits might not sound very impressive compared to the gas giants in our solar system. For Jupiter, one trip around the Sun takes 12 years; a “year” on Saturn equals more than 29 years on Earth. But because fewer long-period exoplanets transiting their stars have been detected, TOI-4600 b and c could prove to be a gold mine of data. While space telescopes have been able to measure some atmospheric components of hot and warm Jupiters, TOI-4600 b and c offer the rarer prospect of revealing atmospheric ingredients of “temperate” gas giants – those without scorching atmospheres. Fun Facts “Temperate” is, of course, a relative term. If you’re looking for vacation spots, it’s best to leave these two planets off the list. TOI-4600 b, a bit smaller than Saturn at nearly seven times the width of Earth, has an estimated atmospheric temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 Celsius). Planet c, about the size of Saturn at more than nine times the width of Earth, has an estimated temperature of minus 116 Fahrenheit (minus 82 Celsius). That’s among the coldest exoplanets TESS has discovered so far. The Discoverers An international team led by astronomer Ismael Mireles of the University of New Mexico published their paper on the two planets, “TOI-4600 b and c: Two Long-period Giant Planets Orbiting an Early K Dwarf,” in “The Astrophysical Journal Letters” in September 2023. Discovery Alert: A ‘Super-Earth’ in the Habitable Zone Share Details Last Updated Mar 07, 2024 Related Terms Exoplanet Discoveries Exoplanets Gas Giant Exoplanets Goddard Institute for Space Studies TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Exoplanets Planet Hunters TESS Universe Our Solar System View the full article

2 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) In celebration of the mathematical constant pi, JPL is releasing the annual NASA Pi Day Challenge: a set of illustrated math problems involving real-world science and engineering aspects of agency missions.NASA/JPL-Caltech Celebrate one of the world’s most famous numbers with a set of math problems involving real space missions, courtesy of the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. March 14 marks the annual celebration of the mathematical constant pi, aka the Greek letter π. Its infinite number of digits is usually rounded to 3.14, hence the date of Pi Day. For some people, the occasion marks an annual excuse to eat pizza or pie (or both), but to truly honor this wondrously useful number, a serving of mathematics is in order, too. NASA is here to help. Continuing a decade-long tradition, the Education Office at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has cooked up a set of illustrated math problems involving real-life NASA science and engineering. With the NASA Pi Day Challenge, students can use the mathematical constant to: determine where the DSOC (Deep Space Optical Communications) technology demonstration aboard NASA’s Psyche spacecraft should aim a laser message containing a cat video so that it can reach Earth (and set a NASA record in the process) figure out the change in asteroid Dimorphos’ orbit after NASA intentionally crashed its DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) spacecraft into its surface measure how much data will be captured by the NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite each time it orbits our planet, monitoring Earth’s land and ice surfaces in unprecedented detail calculate the distance a small rover must drive to map a portion of the lunar surface as part of NASA’s CADRE (Cooperative Autonomous Distributed Robotic Exploration) technology demonstration that’s headed to the Moon Answers to all four challenge questions will be available on March 15. The NASA Pi Day Challenge is accompanied by other pi-related resources for educators, K-12 students, and parents, including lessons and teachable moments, downloadable posters, and illustrated web/mobile backgrounds. More than 40 puzzlers from previous challenges are also available. More about the NASA Pi Day Challenge: https://go.nasa.gov/piday News Media Contact Melissa Pamer Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 626-314-4928 melissa.pamer@jpl.nasa.gov 2024-023 Share Details Last Updated Mar 07, 2024 Related TermsSTEM Engagement at NASAFor Kids and Students Explore More 5 min read 10 Ways Students Can Prepare to #BeAnAstronaut Article 2 days ago 5 min read Math, Mentorship, Motherhood: Behind the Scenes with NASA Engineers Article 2 weeks ago 2 min read University High School Wins Regional Science Bowl at NASA’s JPL Article 1 month ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

A capsule containing the first products manufactured in space by Varda Space Industries and protected by a heat shield made at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley lands at the Utah Test and Training Range on Feb. 21, 2024.Varda Space Industries/John Kraus Things are heating up in the atmosphere, and NASA is helping space start-ups stay cool. NASA has decades of expertise in creating technology that protects spacecraft from the intense heat generated when entering an atmosphere. As emerging companies develop innovative ways to do business in space, they know where to turn – and the agency is responding by offering its know-how and the advanced materials invented here to help enable new uses for space with big benefits for humanity. Since 1951, when Harvey Allen, an engineer at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, showed a blunt-shaped capsule helps deflect the heat of atmospheric entry, Ames has led the agency in designing, developing, and testing thermal protection systems (TPS). These heat shields protect re-entering spacecraft and their cargo, such as pieces of a 4.5-billion-year-old asteroid or astronauts who will travel in the Orion crew capsule. “In the past, the government was the only entity that needed heat shields,” said David Hash, chief of the Entry Systems and Technology Division at Ames, “That’s changing dramatically today. Companies that see new opportunities for commercial activities in space now have a business case to launch spacecraft and bring them back to Earth. NASA is uniquely positioned to show them how to do it.” NASA works to encourage commercial growth. With an increasing number of start-ups who have smart ideas but limited funding and spaceflight experience, NASA experts at Ames and Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, are doing their part to help. And success is already in the air – or passing safely through it. In the past, the government was the only entity that needed heat shields. That’s changing dramatically today. David Hash Chief, Entry Systems and Technology Division, NASA's Ames Research Center On Feb. 21, Varda Space Industries of El Segundo, California, in partnership with Rocket Lab USA of Long Beach, California, returned to Earth the first product processed on its autonomous, free-flying, in-space manufacturing platform. The product is a pharmaceutical that may gain unique properties by forming in the near-absence of gravity. Ames made the spacecraft’s heat shield material, and Langley assisted Varda in developing their re-entry capsule through aeroscience expertise, systems design and analysis, and trade studies support. Through a partnership agreement, Ames produced the thermal protection material, called C-PICA (Conformal Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator), intended to bring down products from Varda’s factory in orbit for its first four missions. The material was originally developed at Ames, and February’s re-entry marked the first time a NASA-manufactured C-PICA heat shield ever returned from space. “We performed extensive testing on the ground, in our arc jet facilities, where we can simulate the high temperatures of entry,” said Mairead Stackpoole, chief of the Thermal Protection Materials Branch at Ames, “but there’s nothing like a real spaceflight to test our systems. The Ames TPS team will soon take samples from the heat shield to analyze its performance in detail.” NASA’s partnership with Varda will continue through a Tipping Point award from the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD). Managed by STMD’s Flight Opportunities program, this award will leverage technology transfer from Ames of the C-PICA production process, helping the small business establish its heat shield production and fully enter the space market, as well as a flight test to evaluate the material’s performance. A joint effort between NASA, the Air Force Research Laboratory, and Varda will also provide more flight tests of C-PICA, helping to fully mature this technology relevant for future Mars missions and more. NASA’s thermal protection experts can work with any space company on tackling the complex challenges of re-entry. Current collaborations include two companies targeting flights in the coming year. A heat shield made by NASA is visible on the blunt, upward-facing side of a space capsule after its landing in the Utah desert. Varda Space Industries returned to Earth the first product processed on its in-space manufacturing platform on Feb. 21, 2024.Varda Space Industries/John Kraus The first flight of Inversion Space of Torrance, California, will take place in 2024 with the goal of using space to transport cargo. Inversion’s vehicle will re-enter the atmosphere using a C-PICA heat shield and a backshell, which protects the “downstream” end of the vehicle, made of another material developed at Ames: silicone-infused refractory ceramic ablator (SIRCA). Later, NASA will support the first private mission to Venus with Rocket Lab. The spacecraft will use NASA’s Heatshield for Extreme Entry Environment Technology, developed at Ames, and a SIRCA backshell. These and other projects NASA is enabling are born of 21st-century innovation, yet Hash sees similarities with the formation of commercial airlines in the 1920s and 30s. As the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum explains, when Congress passed the Air Mail Act in 1925, it allowed the U.S. Postal Service to transport mail using commercial air carriers. Because companies could not rely on paying passengers in the early years to survive, this government participation encouraged and enabled the development of commercial aviation. NASA’s predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, had the important role of advancing technologies to enable this new market. “We need to do the same thing they did for the airways, only for the spaceways,” said Hash. “That’s our job, now. It’s the perfect role for government, and it will increase economic prosperity for our country.” For news media: Members of the news media interested in covering this topic should reach out to the NASA Ames newsroom. Share Details Last Updated Mar 07, 2024 Related TermsGeneralAmes Research CenterCommercial SpaceCommercial Space ProgramsFlight Opportunities ProgramLangley Research CenterNASA Centers & FacilitiesNASA DirectoratesSpace Technology Mission DirectorateThe Future of Commercial Space View the full article

NASA/Russell L. Schweickart Astronaut David R. Scott, command module pilot for the Apollo 9 Earth-orbital mission, stands in the command module’s open hatch during his stand-up spacewalk on March 6, 1969. Astronaut Russell L. Schweickart, lunar module pilot, took this photograph of Scott while also performing a spacewalk. He was positioned on the porch of the lunar module (LM), while astronaut James A. McDivitt, was inside the LM. Apollo 9 was the first crewed flight of the command/service module along with the lunar module. The mission’s three-person crew tested several aspects critical to landing on the Moon including the lunar module’s engines, backpack life support systems, navigation systems, and docking maneuvers. Apollo 9 set the stage for the next step — Apollo 10 — a test mission that occurred about 70 miles above the Moon’s surface. See more photos from Apollo 9. Image Credit: NASA/Russell L. Schweickart View the full article

5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Part of NASA’s CADRE technology demonstration, three small rovers that will explore the Moon together show off their ability to drive as a team autonomously – without explicit commands from engineers – during a test in a clean room at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in December 2023. NASA/JPL-Caltech Members of the CADRE assembly, test, launch, and operations team pose with completed hardware in a clean room at JPL in late January. Behind the three rovers are the situational awareness camera assembly, one of the deployers that will lower the rovers onto the lunar surface, and the base station.NASA/JPL-Caltech Construction and testing are complete on the CADRE rovers, which will map the lunar surface together as a tech demo to show the promise of multirobot missions. A trio of small rovers that will explore the Moon in sync with one another are rolling toward launch. Engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California recently finished assembling the robots, then subjected them to a punishing series of tests to ensure they’ll survive their jarring rocket ride into space and their travels in the unforgiving lunar environment. Part of a technology demonstration called CADRE (Cooperative Autonomous Distributed Robotic Exploration), each solar-powered rover is about the size of a carry-on suitcase. The rovers and associated hardware will be installed on a lander headed for the Moon’s Reiner Gamma region. They’ll spend the daylight hours of a lunar day – the equivalent of about 14 days on Earth – conducting experiments by autonomously exploring, mapping, and using ground-penetrating radar that will peer below the Moon’s surface. The goal is to show that a group of robotic spacecraft can work together to accomplish tasks and record data as a team without explicit commands from mission controllers on Earth. If the project succeeds, future missions could include teams of robots spreading out to take simultaneous, distributed scientific measurements, potentially in support of astronauts. Engineers have put in long hours test-driving rovers and working out bugs to finish the hardware, get it through testing, and prepare it for integration with the lander. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Clamped to a shaker table, one of NASA’s CADRE rovers gets shaken vigorously during a test in November 2023. This vibration test is designed to show that the rover can withstand the jarring rocket ride on its journey to the Moon aboard a lunar lander. “We have been in overdrive getting this tech demo ready for its lunar adventure,” said Subha Comandur, CADRE project manager at JPL. “It’s been months of nearly round-the-clock testing and sometimes re-testing, but the team’s hard work is paying off. Now we know these rovers are ready to show what a team of little space robots can accomplish together.” Shake and Bake While the list of tests is extensive, the most brutal involve extreme environmental conditions to ensure the rovers can withstand the rigors of the road ahead. That includes being locked in a thermal vacuum chamber that simulates the airless conditions of space and its extreme hot and cold temperatures. The hardware also gets clamped to a special “shaker table” that vibrates intensely to make sure it will endure the journey out of Earth’s atmosphere. A CADRE rover is prepared for electromagnetic interference and compatibility testing in a special chamber at JPL in November 2023. Such testing confirms that the operation of the electronic subsystems do not interfere with each other nor with those on the lander.NASA/JPL-Caltech “This is what we submit our rovers to: ‘shake’ to simulate the rocket launch itself and ‘bake’ to simulate the extreme temperatures of space. It’s very nerve-wracking to witness in person,” said JPL’s Guy Zohar, the project’s flight system manager. “We’re using many carefully selected commercial parts on our project. We expect them to work, but we’re always a little worried when we go into testing. Happily, each test has ultimately been successful.” Engineers also performed environmental testing on three hardware elements mounted on the lander: a base station that the rovers will communicate with via mesh network radios, a camera that will provide a view of the rovers’ activities, and the deployer systems that will lower the rovers to the lunar surface via a fiber tether fed slowly out from a motorized spool. Putting Code to the Test, Too Meanwhile, engineers working on CADRE’s cooperative autonomy software have spent many days in JPL’s rocky, sandy Mars Yard with full-scale versions of the rovers called development models. With flight software and autonomy capabilities aboard, these test rovers showed they can accomplish key goals for the project. They drove together in formation. Faced with unexpected obstacles, they adjusted their plans as a group by sharing updated maps and replanning coordinated paths. And when one rover’s battery charge was low, the whole team paused so they could later continue together. Two full-scale development model rovers are tested in JPL’s Mars Yard in August 2023 as part of NASA’s CADRE tech demo. These tests confirmed the project’s hardware and software can work together to accomplish key goals.NASA/JPL-Caltech The project conducted several drives at night under large flood lamps so the rovers could experience extreme shadows and lighting that approximate what they’ll encounter during the lunar daytime. After that, the team performed similar drive tests with flight models (the rovers that will go to the Moon) in a JPL clean room. When the spotless floor there proved a bit slippery – a texture different from the lunar surface – the robots got out of formation. But they stopped, adjusted, and proceeded on their planned path. “Dealing with curveballs – that’s important for the autonomy. The key is the robots respond to things going off plan, then they replan and are still successful,” said JPL’s Jean-Pierre de la Croix, CADRE principal investigator and autonomy lead. “We’re going to a unique environment on the Moon, and there will, of course, be some unknowns. We’ve done our best to prepare for those by testing software and hardware together in various situations.” Next, the hardware will ship to Intuitive Machines for installation on a Nova-C lander that will launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. More About the Project A division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, JPL manages the CADRE technology demonstration project for the Game Changing Development program within NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate in Washington. CADRE is a payload under NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative, which is managed by the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. The agency’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland and its Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California, both supported the project. Motiv Space Systems designed and built key hardware elements at the company’s Pasadena facility. Clemson University in South Carolina contributed research in support of the project. For more about CADRE, go to: https://go.nasa.gov/cadre Learn how the CADRE rovers will work as a team Watch an animation of CADRE exploring the Moon See a video of CADRE’s deployer system being tested News Media Contact Melissa Pamer Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 626-314-4928 melissa.pamer@jpl.nasa.gov 2024-022 Share Details Last Updated Mar 07, 2024 Related TermsTechnologyCommercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS)Earth's MoonGame Changing Development ProgramRoboticsSpace Technology Mission Directorate Explore More 2 min read The NASA Space Technology Art Challenge: Imagine Tomorrow Article 2 days ago 2 min read Tech Today: Semiconductor Research Leads to Revolution in Dental Care Article 2 days ago 3 min read NASA to Demonstrate Miniature CubeSat Swarm Technology Article 3 days ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

2 Min Read Students Become FjordPhyto Volunteers and Discover that Antarctica Is Much Colder Than Texas Texas A&M sent 31 students to the Antarctic this year—and they did some vital NASA science while they were there. Meteorology students, oceanography students and education psychology students worked with Dr. Chrissy Wiederwohl to collect data for NASA’s FjordPhyto project. The data reveal how meltwater from glaciers affects phytoplankton, the base of the Antarctic food chain. “We were actually collecting samples for them to look at these phytoplankton communities and how they are changing over time,” said Dr. Wiederwohl, an oceanographer at Texas A&M University. “Phytoplankton are these tiny microscopic plants in the ocean that photosynthesize and produce about half of our oxygen worldwide. So every other breath we take is actually oxygen coming from the ocean.” Korina Zhang and Adam Neuville collecting data for NASA’s FjordPhyto project. They are students with Texas A&M’s American Universities International Program in Antarctica. Credit: Dr Chrissy Wiederwhol, Texas A&M FjordPhyto has also recently involved students from Penn State University and Virginia Tech. The students spent sixty days in a research vessel through the American Universities International Program (AUIP) limited study abroad program. The effort was coordinated with the FjordPhyto team at Scripps Institution of Oceaongraphy and Isidro Bosch of State University of New York in Geneseo, New York. Going to Antarctica? You can join the FjordPhyto project, too. Share Details Last Updated Mar 07, 2024 Related Terms Citizen Science Earth Science Explore More 5 min read Night-Shining Cloud Mission Ends; Yields High Science Results for NASA Article 6 days ago 1 min read Become a SunSketcher, and Help Measure the Shape of the Sun! Article 2 weeks ago 2 min read Northern Maine Educators Prepare for Totality! Article 3 weeks ago View the full article

2 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Artist’s concept of the X-66 aircraft that Boeing will produce through NASA’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project. As NASA and Boeing enter the early stages of producing the X-66, the first X-plane specifically focused on helping the United States achieve net-zero aviation emissions by 2050, the team is already picturing what the aircraft will look like soaring above the clouds. A new rendering of the X-66 from Boeing demonstrates the aircraft’s signature extra-long, thin wings stabilized by diagonal struts, known as the Transonic Truss-Braced Wing concept. When combined with other advancements in propulsion systems, materials, and systems architecture, this configuration could result in up to 30% less fuel consumption and reduced emissions when compared with today’s best-in-class aircraft. Under the Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project, Boeing will work with NASA to build, test, and fly the full-scale X-66 demonstrator aircraft. The project seeks to inform a new generation of more sustainable single-aisle aircraft – the workhorse of passenger airlines around the world. Boeing transported the MD-90 aircraft that will be turned into the X-66 to its Palmdale, California facility last year, and has removed its engines as the modifications started. The X-66 is a key part of NASA’s Sustainable Flight National Partnership, through which the agency seeks to protect the environment, grow the U.S. economy, and provide new innovations for the traveling public. Facebook logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es Instagram logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es Linkedin logo @NASA Explore More 6 min read ARMD Solicitations Article 6 days ago 13 min read 2024 Dream with Us Design Challenge Article 1 week ago 4 min read NASA Instruments Will Listen for Supersonic X-59’s Quiet ‘Thump’ Article 2 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans In Space Solar System Exploration Solar System Overview The solar system has one star, eight planets, five dwarf planets, at least 290 moons, more than… Explore NASA’s History Share Details Last Updated Mar 06, 2024 EditorLillian GipsonContactJim Bankejim.banke@nasa.gov Related TermsAeronauticsAeronautics Research Mission DirectorateArmstrong Flight Research CenterGreen Aviation TechIntegrated Aviation Systems ProgramSustainable Flight Demonstrator View the full article

   2 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Wearing safety glasses is vital in protecting your eyes during the total solar eclipse. Credit: NASA/John Aylward NASA’s Glenn Research Center is encouraging the public to prepare to safely view this awe-inspiring event. YOU can help us build excitement and raise awareness about eclipse safety by taking photos of people – including yourself! – wearing eclipse glasses. The goal is to show how you will be protecting your eyes during the total solar eclipse on April 8, and sharing the message on your social media channels. Be sure to tag @NASAGlenn and use the hashtag #ShowUsYourSpecs to spread the word. Below are some key messages you can share with your posts about this amazing experience:  Cleveland is in the path of totality for the upcoming total solar eclipse. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and NASA’s Glenn Research Center is encouraging the public to prepare to safely view this awe-inspiring event.  Safety is the number one priority when viewing a solar eclipse. It is not safe to look directly at the Sun without specialized eye protection for solar viewing or a safe handheld solar viewer. NASA is distributing free eclipse glasses at public events leading up to the eclipse. Where to get free NASA Glasses: https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/glenn/engage-with-nasa-glenn/.   Cleveland is one of the largest major cities in its path, making it a spectacular location to view this celestial event, which Ohio won’t see again until 2099. The sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun.     The public is invited to join NASA’s Glenn Research Center and Great Lakes Science Center April 6-8 for the Total Eclipse Festival 2024, a three-day celebration at North Coast Harbor. NASA TV will broadcast live from the free, family-friendly event featuring hands-on activities, photo opportunities, and NASA experts from across the country who will be in Cleveland to talk about Sun science and other NASA innovations.  Explore More 4 min read 2023 Associate Administrator (AA) Awards Honorees Article 20 hours ago 2 min read 2023 Technology and Innovation Honoree (Group) Article 20 hours ago 1 min read 2023 Technology and Innovation (Honorable Mention Group) Article 20 hours ago View the full article

Full-duration RS-25 Engine Hot FireNASA/Danny Nowlin Full-duration RS-25 Engine Hot FireNASA/Danny Nowlin Full-duration RS-25 Engine Hot FireNASA/Danny Nowlin Full-duration RS-25 Engine Hot FireNASA/Danny Nowlin NASA conducted a full-duration RS-25 engine hot fire March 6, continuing a final round of certification testing for production of new engines to help power the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket on future Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond. The full-duration test on the Fred Haise Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, marked the ninth in a scheduled 12-test series. Engineers are collecting test data to certify an updated engine production process, using innovative manufacturing techniques, for lead engines contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company. During the March 6 test, Operators fired the certification engine for 10 minutes (600 seconds), longer than the amount of time needed to help launch the SLS rocket and send astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft into orbit. The test team also fired the engine at power levels between 80% and 113% to test performance in multiple scenarios. Four RS-25 engines, along with a pair of solid rocket boosters, launch NASA’s powerful SLS rocket, producing more than 8.8 million pounds of thrust at liftoff for Artemis missions. 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

26 Min Read The Marshall Star for March 6, 2024 Marshall Supports NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 Launch By Jessica Barnett Team members at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center celebrated another successful launch as astronauts on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission began the journey to the International Space Station in the late hours of March 3. Marshall’s support team is part of the agency’s CCP (Commercial Crew Program) team, which partners with private companies, such as SpaceX, to develop commercial crew space transportation capabilities to and from the space station. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company’s Dragon spacecraft launches NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission to the International Space Station, with NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin aboard. Crew-8 is the eighth crew rotation mission with SpaceX to the station, and the ninth flight of Dragon with crew members as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. NASA/Bill Stafford Long before liftoff, the Marshall team was hard at work to ensure the launch vehicle was ready for spaceflight. For Mark Armstrong, a testing verification analyst for CCP at Marshall, that meant carefully reviewing any changes made to SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket after the Crew-7 mission in August 2023, and making sure those changes are consistent with flight requirements ahead of Crew-8’s launch. “My work is generally done before launch date, so for the day of launch, I get to sit back and enjoy watching Crew-8 ride to the International Space Station,” Armstrong said. “Then, I’m looking ahead to the next mission.” Others, like David Gwaltney, remain on the clock for day-of launch operations. Gwaltney serves as a technical assistant for CCP’s Launch Vehicle Systems Office at Marshall, working with other teams to make sure the launch vehicle is certified for flight. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 crew members walk out of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building on March 3 at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center. From left to right, NASA astronaut Michael Barratt, Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, and NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps make their way to waiting vehicles for the trip to Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A. They later launched from the complex to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft atop the Falcon 9 rocket. NASA/Kim Shiflett On the day of launch, Gwaltney joins team members in the HOSC (Huntsville Operations Support Center), a multi-mission facility that provides engineering and mission operations support for the space station, CCP, and more. Crew-7 launched early in the morning, but “this time around, I showed up to the HOSC around dinnertime,” Gwaltney said. “Mostly, I monitored the launch system to make sure everything’s working properly, the vehicle is healthy during flight, and the crew makes it to orbit safely.” Crew-8 reached orbit after a successful launch from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, eventually docking on the space station at 1:28 a.m. CST March 5. It’s the agency’s ninth crewed mission with SpaceX to the space station, launching five years and one day after NASA’s first uncrewed orbital flight, Demo-1, with SpaceX. The four Crew-8 members, front row, join the Expedition 70 crew for welcome remarks shortly after docking and entering the space station March 5. NASA TV “We even had a shooting star during ascent! This launch was tremendous,” said Maggie Freeman, program analyst supporting the Launch Vehicle Systems Office within the Commercial Crew Program at Marshall. “Crew-8 now marks 50 people who we have successfully flown into space on Crew Dragon in just five short years. I’m immensely proud of our team and looking forward to many more milestones.” “We are all contributors to making history and forging the future of space travel and exploration,” said Deborah Crane, launch vehicle chief engineer for the Commercial Crew Program at Marshall. “Increasing our knowledge of our planet, solar system, and universe is always inspirational and exciting. I am so proud to be part of the Commercial Crew Program and to work with such a talented and dedicated team.” Crew-8 will conduct new scientific research to prepare for human exploration beyond Low Earth orbit, including a study of brain organoids to understand neurodegenerative disorders, shifts in body fluids during spaceflight, and the effects of UV radiation and microgravity on plant growth. In all, more than 200 science experiments and technology demonstrations will take place during their mission. Barnett, a Media Fusion employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications. › Back to Top Huntsville Operations Support Center Raises Flag for Crew-8 Mission By Celine Smith Team members at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center gathered to unfurl a flag for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission on Feb. 28, just days before Crew-8 launched to the International Space Station on March 3. The flag raising has been a tradition for missions supported at Marshall’s HOSC (Huntsville Operations Support Center), as well as a tradition within the CCP (Commercial Crew Program) to celebrate the successful conclusion of NASA’s Agency Flight Readiness Review prior to launch. The Crew-8 mission event was the first flag raising to be held as a joint effort between the PMOD (Payload and Mission Operations Division) and CCP team. Marshall team members from both organizations were in attendance. From left, Nicole Pelfrey, manager of Payload and Mission Operations Division; Rick Oelkers, ground systems operations team lead; Eric Earhart, rotordynamics lead; and Dave Gwaltney, technical assistant for the Commercial Crew Program’s Launch Vehicle Systems Office special systems, stand on the staircase as Oelkers and Earhart prepare to unveil the Crew-8 mission flag. NASA/Alex Russell The HOSC is a multi-purpose facility that provides engineering and mission operations support for the space station, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, and Artemis missions as well as science and technology demonstration missions. The Marshall team that supports the agency’s CCP partnered with the HOSC during the SpaceX Demo-2 crewed test flight in 2020. Since then, the team has continued to utilize the HOSC for simulations, static fires, and launch operations, including the Crew-8 mission. The Payload Operations Integration Center within the HOSC operates, plans, and coordinates the science experiments onboard the space station 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Two engineers were selected to unveil and raise the Crew-8 mission flag for their exemplary work. Eric Earhart, the rotordynamics lead, was selected by the CCP team for his in-depth analysis of numerous turbopump data sets from past commercial missions in preparation for the Crew-8 mission. Through his role, Earhart identified trends and potential risks within critical turbopump dynamic performances, which led to a better understanding of their behavior. Earhart’s thorough research of turbopump performances allowed launch vehicle management and the propulsion team to have an accurate risk assessment before the mission, according to Dave Gwaltney, technical assistant for CCP’s Launch Vehicle Systems Office. “We are so grateful for Earhart’s tremendous contributions to the Crew-8 mission,” Gwaltney said. From left, Pelfrey, Oelkers, Earhart, and Gwaltney smile together after hanging the Crew-8 mission flag.NASA/Alex Russell Rick Oelkers, the data operations training lead and HOSC resource specialist, was chosen from the PMOD to assist in the flag ceremony. Oelkers was acknowledged as a key interface for coordinating the usage of the HOSC for CCP and ensuring the Operations Support Team is prepared for each mission. Oelkers also has been integral to the division’s efforts to operate more efficiently and in the training of ground systems flight control personnel in preparation for the Crew-8 mission. In his training role, Oelkers creates new programs to better educate HOSC ground controllers. “Oelkers is the glue that holds the HOSC ground operations team together and he’s an invaluable member of the Payload Mission Operations Division,” said Nicole Pelfrey, PMOD manager. “We’re excited to be supporting the mission and celebrating the launch together while recognizing our team members,” Gwaltney said. Watch a highlight from the flag event here. Smith, a Media Fusion employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications. › Back to Top BEAM Celebrates Black History Month with ‘The Color of Space’ Screening By Celine Smith As part of the observance of Black History Month, the Black Employees and Allies of Marshall (BEAM) employee resource group invited NASA Marshall Space Flight Center team members to watch “The Color of Space.” The film is a NASA documentary where active and retired African American astronauts – including Jeanette Epps, Stephanie Wilson, and Leland Melvin – share their stories and answer questions from Vanessa Wyche, director of the agency’s Johnson Space Center. The Marshall screening was Feb. 27 in Activities Building 4316. Attendees at BEAM’s Black History Month observance event Feb. 27 watch the NASA documentary “The Color of Space.” On screen is former NASA astronaut Bernard A. Harris Jr., who flew during the Space Shuttle Program. He has logged 438 hours in space. NASA/Charles Beason “We hope to foster a deeper understanding of the diverse narratives within the Black community that are sometimes overlooked and misunderstood,” said Nick Benjamin, president of BEAM, and a payload operations director at Marshall. “Our aim is not only to commemorate the past but also to inspire ongoing conversations, awareness, and actions that promote equity, inclusivity, and positive change.” Larry Leopard, Marshall’s associate director, technical, attended the event. He gave a speech about the importance of instilling diversity and equality within Marshall and at NASA. BEAM’s goal for Black History Month was to showcase and honor the historical contributions, feats, and overall legacy of Black people at NASA and in the country. BEAM’s theme for the month was “African Americans and the Arts.” Laila Willis, a 12-year-old violinist from Maitland Conservatory, performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by John and James Johnson before the screening. She was followed by Whitney Davis, a data management coordinator in the Payload Operations Integration Center. Davis performed an original spoken word poem titled, “We Are Black History.” To end the event, Kim Jones, a systems engineer for SLS (Space Launch System), performed “Trouble of the World” by Mahalia Jackson. Violinist Laila Willis, 12, performs “Lift Every Voice and Sing” during the Black History Month observance event. NASA/Charles Beason BEAM is an employee resource group created by NASA’s ODEO (Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity) to connect African American team members at Marshall. BEAM’s mission is to cultivate and encourage a culture of diversity, while providing resources to team members to help develop their careers. Benjamin was asked by the ODEO to become president of the BEAM group at Marshall in 2019. “Coming from a small town in South Alabama and being one generation removed from sharecroppers, it makes me proud to be a part of such a great history and to also be a part of what NASA will mean for generations to come,” Benjamin said. “I carry the responsibility to make a lasting impression not only at NASA but also on the world.” The group decided on the name BEAM to encompass their cause. “We want to be the ‘beam’ of light to help someone find their way,” Benjamin said. Under Benjamin’s leadership, community outreach has become the group’s main focus. Outside of work, BEAM members spend their personal time organizing events to not only engage Black engineers at Marshall, but also positively influence the next generation to pursue an education and career in STEM and the aerospace industry. Kim Jones, a systems engineer at Marshall, plays “Trouble of the World” during the Black History Month observance.NASA/Charles Beason “By promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, BEAM aims to address challenges, drive cultural awareness, and collaboratively work toward a more inclusive workplace where all voices are not only heard, but also valued,” Benjamin said. BEAM has widened their reach by connecting with other Black employee resource groups in Huntsville to increase visibility of job opportunities for African Americans, create a larger network among Black people, and organize community outreach events. BEAM organized the documentary showing with Jacobs Engineering’s African American employee resource group Harambee, and Amazon’s Black Employee Network. The organization is also a safe space for Black team members to discuss adversities and issues. Benjamin said being able to freely speak allows for opportunities to address to inequality, which aligns with NASA’s Equity Mission to eliminate barriers within agency programs that underserved and underrepresented communities may face. “BEAM realizes an inclusive, supportive, and dynamic workplace should value diversity because it promotes the well-being and development of all employees,” Benjamin said. “BEAM aims to provide an environment where we can learn from each other and lift each other as we climb higher.” Smith, a Media Fusion employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications. › Back to Top NASA Collects First Surface Science in Decades via Commercial Moon Mission For the first time in more than 50 years, NASA was able to collect data from new science instruments and technology demonstrations on the Moon. The data comes from the first successful landing of a delivery through NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign. The six instruments ceased science and technology operations seven days after landing in the lunar South Pole region aboard Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus, meeting pre-launch projected mission operations. Known as IM-1, this was the first U.S. soft landing on the Moon in decades, touching down Feb. 22 and proving commercial vendors can deliver instruments designed to expand the scientific and technical knowledge on the Moon. Odysseus’ landing captured a leg, as it performed its primary task, absorbing first contact with the lunar surface. With the lander’s liquid methane and liquid oxygen engine still throttling, it provided stability.Credit: Intuitive Machines Aboard the lunar lander, NASA science instruments measured the radio noise generated by the Earth and Sun. Technology instruments aided Intuitive Machines in navigating to the Moon and gathered distance and speed (velocity) of the lander as it touched down on the lunar surface. “This mission includes many firsts. This is the first time in over 50 years that an American organization has landed instruments on the surface of the Moon,” said Joel Kearns, deputy association administrator for exploration of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. “This mission also provides evidence of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services model, that NASA can purchase the service of sending instruments to the Moon and receiving their data back. Congratulations to the entire Intuitive Machines team and our NASA scientists and engineers for this next leap to advance exploration and our understanding of Earth’s nearest neighbor.” Odysseus captured an image Feb. 27 using its narrow-field-of-view camera.Credit: Intuitive Machines During transit from Earth to the Moon, all powered NASA instruments received data and completed transit checkouts. During descent, the Radio Frequency Mass Gauge and Navigation Doppler Lidar collected data during the lander’s powered descent and landing. After landing, NASA payload data was acquired consistent with the communications and other constraints resulting from the lander orientation. During surface operations, the Radio-wave Observations at the Lunar Surface of the Photoelectron Sheath and Lunar Node-1 were powered on, performed surface operations, and have received data. Lunar Node-1 was developed, built, and tested at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. The Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies experiment was powered on and captured images during transit and several days after landing but was not successfully commanded to capture images of the lander rocket plume interaction with the lunar surface during landing. The Laser Retroreflector Array is passive, and initial estimates suggest it is accessible for laser ranging from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter’s Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter to create a permanent location marker on the Moon. “The bottom line is every NASA instrument has met some level of their objectives, and we are very excited about that,” said Sue Lederer, project scientist for CLPS. “We all worked together, and it’s the people who really made a difference and made sure we overcame challenges to this incredible success – and that is where we are at today, with successes for all of our instruments.” NASA and Intuitive Machines co-hosted a news conference Feb. 28 to provide a status update on the six NASA instruments that collected data on the IM-1 mission. Mission challenges and successes were discussed during the briefing, including more than 500 megabytes of science, technology, and spacecraft data downloaded and ready for analysis by NASA and Intuitive Machines. The first images from this historical mission are now available and showcase the orientation of the lander along with a view of the South Pole region on the Moon. Odysseus is gently leaning into the lunar surface, preserving the ability to return scientific data. After successful transmission of images to Earth, Intuitive Machines continues to gain additional insight into Odysseus’ position on the lunar surface. All data gathered from this mission will aid Intuitive Machines in their next two CLPS contracts that NASA has previously awarded. › Back to Top NASA, SpaceX Test Starship Lunar Lander Docking System As part of NASA’s Artemis campaign that will establish the foundation for long-term scientific exploration at the Moon, crew will need to move between different spacecraft to carry out lunar landings. NASA and SpaceX recently performed qualification testing for the docking system that will help make that possible. For the Artemis III mission, astronauts will ride the Orion spacecraft from Earth to lunar orbit, and then once the two spacecraft are docked, move to the lander, the Starship HLS (Human Landing System) that will bring them to the surface. After surface activities are complete, Starship will return the astronauts to Orion waiting in lunar orbit. During later missions, astronauts will transfer from Orion to Starship via the Gateway lunar space station. Based on SpaceX’s flight-proven Dragon 2 docking system used on missions to the International Space Station, the Starship docking system can be configured to connect the lander to Orion or Gateway. SpaceX and NASA recently performed full-scale qualification testing of the docking system that will connect SpaceX’s Starship Human Landing System with Orion and later Gateway in lunar orbit during future crewed Artemis missions. Based on the flight-proven Dragon 2 active docking system, the Starship HLS docking system will be able to act as an active or passive system during docking.SpaceX The docking system tests for Starship HLS were conducted at NASA’s Johnson Space Center over 10 days using a system that simulates contact dynamics between two spacecraft in orbit. The testing included more than 200 docking scenarios, with various approach angles and speeds. These real-world results using full-scale hardware will validate computer models of the Moon lander’s docking system. This dynamic testing demonstrated that the Starship system could perform a “soft capture” while in the active docking role. When two spacecraft dock, one vehicle assumes an active “chaser” role while the other is in a passive “target” role. To perform a soft capture, the soft capture system (SCS) of the active docking system is extended while the passive system on the other spacecraft remains retracted. Latches and other mechanisms on the active docking system SCS attach to the passive system, allowing the two spacecraft to dock. Since being selected as the lander to return humans to the surface of the Moon for the first time since Apollo, SpaceX has completed more than 30 human landing system specific milestones by defining and testing hardware needed for power generation, communications, guidance and navigation, propulsion, life support, and space environments protection. Under NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency will land the first woman, first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the lunar surface, and prepare for human expeditions to Mars for the benefit of all. Commercial human landing systems are critical to deep space exploration, along with the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, Orion spacecraft, advanced spacesuits and rovers, exploration ground systems, and the Gateway space station. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center manages the SLS and human landing system programs. › Back to Top Agency Opens Astronaut Applications as Newest Class Graduates NASA welcomed its newest class of next generation Artemis astronauts in a March 5 ceremony at the agency’s Johnson Space Center. The 10 astronaut graduates now are eligible for flight assignments. The agency also announced the opening for the next round of NASA astronaut applications. “Congratulations to the newest class of NASA astronauts! We are excited to have a new and diverse set of explorers ready to expand humanity’s reach,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “Astronauts are pioneers who will help us embark on this new era of exploration, and we need more adventurers ready to join the ranks to explore the cosmos, including future missions to the Moon, on to Mars, and beyond.” NASA newest class of astronauts, selected in 2021, graduate during a ceremony March 5 at the at the agency’s Johnson Space Center.NASA Selected for training in 2021, the astronaut graduates were chosen from a pool of more than 12,000 applicants and successfully completed more than two years of required basic training, including spacewalking, robotics, space station systems, and more. The graduates may be assigned to missions destined for the International Space Station, future commercial space stations, and Artemis campaign missions to the Moon in preparation for Mars. “Congratulations to NASA and the astronaut graduates,” said U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Kiran Ahuja. “By partnering with OPM, NASA employed an automated and streamlined hiring process to screen applicants for these prestigious roles. OPM is thrilled to continue supporting NASA experts to design and implement their hiring methods.” “It’s an incredible time to be an astronaut with a variety of spacecraft to fly and more destinations to explore,” said Chief Astronaut Joe Acaba. “I’m honored to welcome these astronauts, congratulate them on their hard work, and look forward to growing our ranks as we help expand humanity’s reach into the solar system.” The graduating NASA astronauts are Nichole Ayers of Colorado Springs, Colorado; Marcos Berríos of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico; Chris Birch of Gilbert, Arizona; Deniz Bunham of Wasilla, Alaska; Luke Delaney of Debary, Florida; Andre Douglas of Chesapeake, Virginia; Jack Hathaway of South Windsor, Connecticut; Anil Menon of Minneapolis; Chris Williams of Potomac, Maryland, and Jessica Wittner of Clovis, California. Continuing the long tradition of international partnership, two UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronauts, Nora AlMatrooshi and Mohammad AlMulla of the Mohammad Bin Rashid Space Centre, trained alongside their NASA counterparts for the past two years, as well as participated in the graduation ceremony. This is one part of the partnership between NASA the UAE, including cooperation on the International Space Station, NASA’s Artemis missions through the Gateway lunar space station, and other activities on Earth and in space that are supporting groundbreaking science and research. To apply to become a NASA astronaut, applicants should go here. › Back to Top NASA Signs Agreement with Nikon to Develop Lunar Artemis Camera When NASA sends astronauts to the South Pole region of the Moon for the first time with its Artemis campaign, they will capture photos with a handheld camera to help advance scientific research and discovery for the benefit of all. NASA and Nikon Inc. recently signed a Space Act Agreement that outlines how they will work together to develop a handheld camera that can operate in the harsh lunar environment for use beginning with Artemis III. Photographing the lunar South Pole region requires a modern camera with specialized capabilities to manage the extreme lighting conditions and temperatures unique to the area. The agreement enables NASA to have a space-rated camera ready for use on the lunar surface without needing to develop one from scratch. NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Drew Feustel practice using an early design of the Handheld Universal Lunar Camera during the Joint Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Test Team Field Test 3 in Arizona.NASA/Bill Stafford Prior to the agreement, NASA performed initial testing on a standard Nikon Z 9 camera to determine the specifications a camera would need to operate on the lunar surface. With the agreement in place, teams at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, along with Nikon, have started working to implement the necessary adjustments and develop the HULC (Handheld Universal Lunar Camera), the agency’s next-generation camera astronauts will use on the Moon. The resulting design consists of a modified Nikon Z 9 camera and Nikkor lenses, NASA’s thermal blanket, which will protect the camera from dust and extreme temperatures, and a custom grip with modified buttons developed by NASA engineers for easier handling by suited crew members wearing thick gloves during a moonwalk. In addition, the camera will incorporate the latest imagery technology and will have modified electrical components to minimize issues caused by radiation, ensuring the camera operates as intended on the Moon. The camera will be the first mirrorless handheld camera used on the Moon, designed for capturing imagery in low-light environments. Prior to Artemis missions, the camera will be used at the International Space Station to demonstrate its capabilities. For over 50 years, NASA has used a variety of cameras in space, including the cameras crew members currently use at the International Space Station to take photos of science experiments, day-to-day operations, and during spacewalks while they orbit about 250 miles above Earth. NASA astronaut Jessica Wittner uses an early design of the Artemis lunar camera to take photos during planetary geological field training in Lanzarote, Spain.European Space Agency/A. Romero During the Apollo program, crewmembers took over 18,000 photos using modified large-format, handheld cameras. However, those cameras didn’t have viewfinders, so astronauts were trained to aim the camera from chest-level where it attached to the front of the spacesuit. In addition, Apollo crewmembers had to use separate cameras for photos and video. The new lunar camera will have a viewfinder and video capabilities to capture both still imagery and video on a single device. To ensure camera performance on the lunar surface, NASA has begun thermal, vacuum, and radiation testing on the lunar camera to see how it behaves in a space-like environment. Suited NASA crewmembers have used the camera to capture imagery of geology tasks during simulated moonwalks in Arizona, and an international crew of astronauts from NASA, ESA (European Space Agency), and JAXA (Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency) used it during geology training in Lanzarote, Spain. NASA crewmembers will use the camera during the Joint Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Test Team Field Test #5, an upcoming analog mission in Arizona where teams will conduct simulated moonwalks in the desert to practice lunar operations. Through NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency will land the first woman, the first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the surface of the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone to send the first astronauts to Mars. › Back to Top Agency Awards Contracts for Flight, Payload Integration Services NASA has selected 15 companies to provide flight and payload integration services to advance technologies and procedures for operating in space, including testing in high-altitude, reduced gravity, or other relevant environments. Examples of payloads include NASA science instruments or technology demonstrations. The indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity base contract awards are firm-fixed-price with a total combined value of $45 million and a performance period of five years. The flights and other services covered by these contracts are for use by NASA and other government agencies. The types of platforms that will be used for testing include suborbital rockets, high-altitude balloons, orbital spacecraft and satellites, and, in some instances, suborbital rockets that can accommodate carry people. The following companies have been awarded contracts to provide services through demonstrated commercial capabilities: Aerostar International, Inc., of Sioux Falls, South Dakota Angstrom Designs Inc., of Santa Barbara, California Astrobotic Technology Inc., of Pittsburgh Astro Digital US Inc., of Santa Clara, California Blue Origin Texas, LLC of Van Horn, Texas Galactic Enterprises, LLC of Las Cruces, New Mexico Loft Orbital Federal, LLC of Golden, Colorado Momentus Space LLC of San Jose, California Near Space Corp., of Tillamook, Oregon Rocket Lab USA Inc., of Long Beach, California Space Exploration Technologies Corp., of Hawthorne, California Spire Global Subsidiary, Inc., of Vienna, Virginia Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, Inc., of Irvine, California Varda Space Industries, Inc., of El Segundo, California World View Enterprises Inc., of Tucson, Arizona The contracts are in support of NASA’s Flight Opportunities and Small Spacecraft Technology programs, both part of the NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate at the agency’s headquarters. These programs support technology development and missions to change the pace of space exploration, discovery, and space commerce. For information about the flight platforms available through NASA’s Flight Opportunities program, visit here. › Back to Top OSIRIS-APEX Journey Highlighted on ‘This Week at NASA’ Preliminary telemetry indicates that NASA’s OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft, formerly known as OSIRIS-REx, recently completed an operation that brought it 25 million miles closer to the Sun than it was designed to function. The mission is featured in “This Week @ NASA,” a weekly video program broadcast on NASA-TV and posted online. The close pass of the Sun, or perihelion was the first of seven OSIRIS-APEX will make on its journey to study asteroid Apophis, which is expected to have a rare close encounter with Earth in April 2029. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center provides overall mission management, systems engineering, and the safety and mission assurance for OSIRIS-APEX. OSIRIS-APEX is the third mission in NASA’s New Frontiers Program, managed by the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. View this and previous episodes at “This Week @NASA” on NASA’s YouTube page. › Back to Top Juno Mission Measures Oxygen Production at Europa Scientists with NASA’s Juno mission to Jupiter have calculated the rate of oxygen being produced at the Jovian moon Europa to be substantially less than most previous studies. Published on March 4 in Nature Astronomy, the findings were derived by measuring hydrogen outgassing from the icy moon’s surface using data collected by the spacecraft’s JADE (Jovian Auroral Distributions Experiment) instrument. The paper’s authors estimate the amount of oxygen produced to be around 26 pounds every second. Previous estimates range from a few pounds to over 2,000 pounds per second. Scientists believe that some of the oxygen produced in this manner could work its way into the moon’s subsurface ocean as a possible source of metabolic energy. This view of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa was captured by the JunoCam imager aboard NASA’s Juno spacecraft during the mission’s close flyby on Sept. 29, 2022.Image data: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS. Image processing: Kevin M. Gill CC BY 3.0 With an equatorial diameter of 1,940 miles, Europa is the fourth largest of Jupiter’s 95 known moons and the smallest of the four Galilean satellites. Scientists believe a vast internal ocean of salty water lurks beneath its icy crust, and they are curious about the potential for life-supporting conditions to exist below the surface. It is not just the water that has astrobiologists’ attention: The Jovian moon’s location plays an important role in biological possibilities as well. Europa’s orbit places it right in the middle of the gas giant’s radiation belts. Charged, or ionized, particles from Jupiter bombard the icy surface, splitting water molecules in two to generate oxygen that might find its way into the moon’s ocean. “Europa is like an ice ball slowly losing its water in a flowing stream. Except, in this case, the stream is a fluid of ionized particles swept around Jupiter by its extraordinary magnetic field,” said JADE scientist Jamey Szalay from Princeton University in New Jersey. “When these ionized particles impact Europa, they break up the water-ice molecule by molecule on the surface to produce hydrogen and oxygen. In a way, the entire ice shell is being continuously eroded by waves of charged particles washing up upon it.” As Juno flew within 220 miles of Europa on Sept. 29, 2022, JADE identified and measured hydrogen and oxygen ions that had been created by the bombarding charged particles and then “picked up” by Jupiter’s magnetic field as it swept past the moon. “Back when NASA’S Galileo mission flew by Europa, it opened our eyes to the complex and dynamic interaction Europa has with its environment. Juno brought a new capability to directly measure the composition of charged particles shed from Europa’s atmosphere, and we couldn’t wait to further peek behind the curtain of this exciting water world,” said Szalay. “But what we didn’t realize is that Juno’s observations would give us such a tight constraint on the amount of oxygen produced in Europa’s icy surface.” This illustration shows charged particles from Jupiter impacting Europa’s surface, splitting frozen water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen molecules. Scientists believe some of these newly created oxygen gases could migrate toward the moon’s subsurface ocean, as depicted in the inset image.NASA/JPL-Caltech/SWRI/PU Juno carries 11 state-of-the-art science instruments designed to study the Jovian system, including nine charged-particle and electromagnetic-wave sensors for studying Jupiter’s magnetosphere. “Our ability to fly close to the Galilean satellites during our extended mission allowed us to start tackling a breadth of science, including some unique opportunities to contribute to the investigation of Europa’s habitability,” said Scott Bolton, Juno’s principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. “And we’re not done yet. More moon flybys and the first exploration of Jupiter’s close ring and polar atmosphere are yet to come.” Oxygen production is one of many facets that NASA’s Europa Clipper mission will investigate when it arrives at Jupiter in 2030. The mission has a sophisticated payload of nine science instruments to determine if Europa has conditions that could be suitable for life. Now Bolton and the rest of the Juno mission team are setting their sights on another Jovian world, the volcano-festooned moon Io. On April 9, the spacecraft will come within about 10,250 miles of its surface. The data Juno gathers will add to findings from past Io flybys, including two extremely close approaches of about 932 miles on Dec. 30, 2023, and Feb. 3, 2024. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech, manages the Juno mission for the principal investigator, Scott Bolton, of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. Juno is part of NASA’s New Frontiers Program, which is managed at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. The Italian Space Agency funded the Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper. Lockheed Martin Space in Denver built and operates the spacecraft. › Back to Top View the full article

NASA's Europa Clipper SXSW 2024 Opening Session

Pascagoula (Mississippi) High School students stand in front of the Thad Cochran Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center on Feb. 22 during a Next Gen STEM Explore Stennis event focused on computer science and how it impacts propulsion test work onsite.NASA/Danny Nowlin Hancock County (Mississippi) Career Technical Center students stand in front of the Thad Cochran Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center on Feb. 22 during a Next Gen STEM Explore Stennis event focused on computer science and how it impacts propulsion test work onsite.NASA/Danny Nowlin Springfield (Louisiana) High School students stand in front of the Thad Cochran Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center on Feb. 22 during a Next Gen STEM Explore Stennis event focused on computer science and how it impacts propulsion test work onsite.NASA/Danny Nowlin Next Gen STEM Project Manager Dr. Carrie Olsen welcomes students to NASA’s Stennis Space Center on Feb. 22 during a Next Gen STEM Explore Stennis event focused on computer science. Students from three area schools participated in person for the immersive event, coordinated through NASA Connects in partnership with the Next Gen STEM project through NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement.NASA/Danny Nowlin A Springfield (Louisiana) High School student listens to employees from NASA’s Stennis Space Center talk about opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) on Feb. 22 during a Next Gen STEM Explore Stennis event held onsite.NASA/Danny Nowlin NASA Stennis Chief Information Security Officer Bonita Oliver (left) talks to students about her role in cybersecurity with NASA during a Next Gen STEM Explore Stennis event on Feb. 22 at NASA’s Stennis Space Center.NASA/Danny Nowlin NASA controls engineer Dewayne Lavigne (right) shares how computer science is a versatile field of study that can lead to future opportunities for students during a Next Gen STEM Explore Stennis event on Feb. 22 at NASA’s Stennis Space Center.NASA/Danny Nowlin NASA Stennis Autonomous Systems Laboratory technical project manager Travis Martin speaks about his work on the first-ever in-space mission for NASA’s Stennis Space Center during a Next Gen STEM Explore Stennis event on Feb. 22.NASA/Danny Nowlin Students from three Louisiana and Mississippi schools listen to panel presentations during a Next Gen STEM Explore Stennis event at NASA’s Stennis Space Center on Feb. 22. Students from other areas also were able to join the event, hosted by NASA’s Stennis Space Center and coordinated through NASA Connects in partnership with the Next Gen STEM project through NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement.NASA/Danny Nowlin NASA Stennis mechanical engineer Armando Delgado (left) speaks with students about how computer science is field of study that can provide a way to contribute to NASA’s future during a Next Gen STEM Explore Stennis event on Feb. 22 at NASA’s Stennis Space Center.NASA/Danny Nowlin By Bo Black at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, with assistance from students at Pascagoula (Mississippi) High School, Hancock County (Mississippi) Career Technical Center, and Springfield (Louisiana) High School The questions kept coming, exceeding the allotted time, as students at NASA’s Next Gen STEM event in late February explored the importance of computer science for future agency missions. Students, both in-person and joining in online, interacted with a panel of employees from NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, during the agency event about opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). “We know from our own experience and research that stories are powerful,” NEXT GEN STEM Project Manager Dr. Carrie Olsen said in welcoming students to the event. “It is a big part of our project to connect students to our NASA people because then you can hear their stories. Stories do way more than reading something because you are connecting to another human being, and you may see a bit of yourself in them, and it might spark something.” Students in classrooms today are part of the Artemis Generation that will contribute to future Artemis missions and every area of NASA work for the benefit of all. As the agency establishes the foundation for long-term scientific exploration at the Moon and prepares for journeys to Mars, it will take all types of roles in STEM, and other fields, to meet needs of the future. During the February event, NASA Stennis employees working in the fields of engineering, autonomous systems, and cybersecurity sparked the curiosity of students joining in person from Louisiana and Mississippi, as well as those online. “Computer science is very versatile,” NASA controls engineer Dewayne Lavigne said. “You can go anywhere with a computer science degree, and you are going to be able to find work and have it take you to places you did not know you could go. I never saw myself working at NASA, and here I am.” Lavigne works with a programmable logic controller in the NASA Stennis test complex. The powerful computer performs its routine functions about 4,000 times a second during propulsion test activities, he said. During a question-and-answer period following panel presentations, Springfield (Louisiana) High School student Seth Spiers learned from NASA Stennis mechanical engineer Armando Delgado that a typical day can include in-office work with computer software and hands-on field work in support of propulsion testing, which relies on computerized systems to perform complex tasks. Pascagoula (Mississippi) High School student Josh Davis received feedback from the panel about technical advancements needed for future space exploration. “A lot of projects are focused on what technologies we need to mature or develop to get astronauts from the Moon to Mars – systems health management, monitoring the health of the different components of the rocket, the propulsion, where the fire comes out, the habitat, anything in between,” said Travis Martin, technical project manager of the NASA Stennis Autonomous Systems Laboratory. “We definitely need to automate those things so the astronauts can carry on the business of conducting science.” Everyone can find their place in space and NASA, Stennis Chief Information Security Officer Bonita Oliver said, noting that it ultimately depends on what a student wants to do and what a student likes to do. For Oliver, math and science interested her, so she pursued computer engineering. She began at NASA as an application developer manager and now oversees cybersecurity at NASA Stennis. Students asked a range of questions, from the impact of artificial intelligence to the best path to a NASA career to what motivates panelists in their day-to-day work. Panelists urged students to take advantage of opportunities to participate in NASA activities and programs. In a group discussion following the event, students from Springfield High School, Hancock County (Mississippi) Career Technical Center, and Pascagoula High School agreed “the future is computer science,” calling it a foundational piece to spaceflight moving forward. The immersive event, coordinated through NASA Connects in partnership with the Next Gen STEM project through NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement, plays a critical role in helping to build a diverse future workforce by engaging students in authentic learning experiences with NASA’s people, content, and facilities. View the full article

4 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) LEGEND: ARMD NASA CENTERS ARC = Ames Research Center AFRC = Armstrong Flight Research Center GRC = Glenn Research Center HQ = Headquarters LaRC = Langley Research Center Technology and Innovation Honoree (Group) ecoDemonstrator Emissions Flight and Ground Test Team The ecoDemonstrator Emissions Flight and Ground Test team demonstrated remarkable performance and innovative technical achievement by making the first in-flight measurements of aircraft emissions and contrails formed by Boeing’s ecoDemonstrator 737-10 aircraft burning 100-percent sustainable aviation fuel. The data and results obtained as part of the team’s efforts are of high value to NASA, the international aeronautics research community, climate scientists, and industry. Team Lead: Richard Moore, LaRC View Group Honorees Honorable Mention (Group) Unmanned Aerial Systems Pilot (UASP) Kit Development Team The UASP Kit Development team has positioned NASA for a successful partnership in pursuit of technology-enhanced operations through its development of a prototype pilot kit to address specific air traffic awareness needs to supporting wildland firefighting. This kit represents a significant step towards enabling and achieving potentially game-changing drone operations in wildland fire management. Team Lead: Lynne Martin/Joey Mercer, ARC View Honorable Mention Group Honorees Leadership and Management Excellence Honoree William Chan, ARC William Chan’s effective leadership of the Air Traffic Management – eXploration project and mentoring excellence have enabled his team’s numerous achievements in delivering the first Advanced Air Mobility airspace services, creating the digital airspace platform for sustainable operations, initiating new research for more adaptive and intelligent airspace of the future, and more. His good leadership is also demonstrated through his calmness, inclusiveness, and a drive to achieve goals while maintaining camaraderie. Program and Mission Support Honoree Julie Blackett, GRC Julie Blackett, in her role supporting the Advanced Air Mobility Mission Integration Office, has made excellent contributions to the success of the mission. Her dedication, enthusiasm, and expertise have been exemplary, particularly during the past fiscal year as the Advanced Air Mobility project transitioned between programs. Honoree (Group) Remote Pilot Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Training Team The Remote Pilot BVLOS Training team was essential to the successful, and more importantly, safe, accomplishment of BVLOS operations in the Langley Air Force Base Class D airspace. The nine-month effort resulted in the creation of a training program with several unique capabilities to properly train NASA drone pilots for BVLOS flight operations, which will continue to benefit BVLOS research for years to come. Team Leads: Jacob Revesz, LaRC View Group Honorees High Potentials Honoree Paul von Hardenberg, GRC Paul von Hardenberg has made substantial progress in icing research for Advanced Air Mobility and developed a level of proficiency that allowed him to make significant contributions as an early career employee. Of particular note, his work supporting icing research for the Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology project and has gained important visibility within the greater community. Furthermore, he is highly engaged in outreach activities which shows his passion towards inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers. Strategic Partnerships Honoree Harry Belvin, LaRC Harry Belvin has been the key driver of partnerships for NASA’s Hypersonic Technology project with the Department of Defense and industry. His innovative approach to the partnerships has enabled collaboration on dual use materials research and development to both improve the US’s defense posture and enable commercial access to space. Honoree Jeffrey Robinson, LaRC Jeffrey Robinson’s leadership has impacted the future course of hypersonic vehicle design at NASA and at the national level with international effect. His work developing roadmaps and providing subject matter expertise has laid the plans for the development of hypersonic vehicles in a holistic approach using the assets of government, industry, and academia. Pushing the Envelope Honoree (Group) X-57 Maxwell Team The X-57 project has been foundational to NASA’s efforts to mature key electric aviation technologies. Work conducted as part of the project have both informed and lowered the risk exposure of subsequent NASA investments in electric aviation and propulsion efforts such as the Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration project, Advanced Air Mobility efforts, and other electrified aircraft propulsion projects as part of NASA’s Sustainable Flight National Partnership. The X-57 data collected to date and the many resulting technical reports continue to help industry overcome the many technical and certification barriers to accelerate electrified aviation. Team Leads: Heather Maliska, AFRC View Group Honorees 2023 AA Award Honorees PDF ARMD Associate Administrator Award Facebook logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es Instagram logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es Linkedin logo @NASA Explore More 2 min read 2023 Technology and Innovation Honoree (Group) Article 12 mins ago 1 min read 2023 Technology and Innovation (Honorable Mention Group) Article 13 mins ago 1 min read 2023 Program and Mission Support Honoree (Group) Article 14 mins ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate Aeronautics Drones & You Green Aviation Tech Share Details Last Updated Mar 06, 2024 EditorLillian GipsonContactJim Bankejim.banke@nasa.gov Related TermsGeneral View the full article

2 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) 2023 Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate Associate Administrator Awards Technology and Innovation Honoree ecoDemonstrator Emissions Flight and Ground Test Team * Denotes Team Lead NASA Langley Research Center Bruce Anderson Joseph Atkinson Rosemary Baize John Barrick Rory Barton-Grimley Kristopher Bedka Seth Begay Matthew Brown Melinda Cagle Yonghoon Choi Jim Collins Brian Collister John Cooney Garfield Creary Ewan Crosbie Maurice Cross Harper David Joshua DiGangi Mary DiJoseph Glenn Diskin Dave Duda Trina Dyal David Eckberg Richard Ferrare Francesca Gallo Marisol Garcia John Hair Carolyn Jordan Grant Kirchhoff Joe Lee Denise Lineberry Jay Madigan John Marketon David Lee Meade Sherry Monk Richard Moore* Amin Nehrir Anna Noe John Nowak Ali Omar Mario Rana Claire Robinson Laura Rogers Kevin Sanchez Amy Jo Scarino Taylor Shingler Michael Shook DeBora Smith Bill Smith Jr. Bill Smith Sr Paul Speth Pamela Stacy Lee Thornhill Aboubakar Traore Steven Velotas Jennifer Viudez Elizabeth Wiggins Edward Winstead Teh-Hwa Wong Luke Ziemba NASA Ames Research Center Paul Bui Chang Cecilia Doug Christensen Jonathan Dean-Day Charles Gatebe Richard Kolyer Sofia Persson Rajesh Poudyal Jay Tomlin Rei Ueyama NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center Christopher Acuff Andy Barry Garry Beauregard Joseph (Ryan) Bennett Michael Bereda Matt Berry Kirsten Boogaard Jeff Borton Juan Delafuente Brian Elit Hovhannes Gasparyan Brad Grantham Jonathan Hale Erica Heim Brian Hobbs Terry Hu Kelly Jellison Tyler Keppel Steve Koertge Craig Little Lori Losey Jack Ly Lester Magee Isac Mata Thomas Matthews Gary Moors Jeffrey Nelms Tracy Phelps Joe Piotrowski Matt Pitsch James Ross Nickelle Reid Todd Renfro Wayne Ringelberg Alberto Rodriguez Tim Sandon Mark Scherer Scott Silver Greg Slover James Smith Jasmine Tabla Randy Thompson Michael Thomson Julio Trevino David Van Gilst Erin Waggoner Jared Whitfield Jeff Wilson NASA Glenn Research Center Clifford Brown Ru-Ching Chen Krystal Destrampe Francisco Guzman James Kenyon Jennifer Klettlinger Jeffrey Moder Thomas Ratvasky Jessica Reinert Dawn Sgro Dale VanZante NASA Headquarters Shannon Eichorn Barbara Esker James Heidmann Amy Jankovsky Nateri Madavan Jon Montgomery Bob Pearce Karen Rugg Ed Waggoner Richard Wahls Aerodyne Richard A. Plastow Aerodyne Bruce Daube Christoph Dyroff Edward Fortner Andy Freedman Scott Herndon Rick Miake-Lye Benjamin Nault Tim Onasch Anandi Williams Artium Greg Payne ATS Troy Porter Boeing Kayla Albaugh Elisabeth Alfstad-Hahn Steven Baughcum Terry Beezhold Matt Campbell Todd Citron Matthew Clarkson Michael Drake William Griffin Sheyenne Harris Chad Lloyd Jeffrey McNew Rose Miller Tim Rahmes Abigail Sevier Michael Sinnett Kerry Smith Paul Weatherman DLR Heinfried Aufmhoff Tiziana Bräuer Rebecca Katharina Dischl Andreas Dörnbrack Valerian Hahn Christopher Heckl Elisabeth Horst Stefan Kaufmann Raphael Satoru Märkl Gregor Neumann Anke Roiger Daniel Sauer Monika Scheibe Luca Stremming Christiane Voigt DOE Sandia Julien Manin FAA Nicole Didyk Wells Prem Lobo Anna Oldani GE Aerospace Jerrold Cline George Dalakos Mustafa Dindar Matthew Drodofsky Ryan Jones Nathan Kamps Hejie Li Cassi Miller David Ostdiek Carlos Roberto Peixeiro Dos Santos Filho John Wojno Gary Wollenweber Joseph Zelina Missouri Science & Technology Steven Achterberg William (Dave) Satterfield Phil Whitefield Klaus Woelk MIT Sebastian Eastham Louis Anh Tai Robion NRC Canada Greg Smallwood Princeton Ryan Boyd Yunseo Choi James McSpritt Vladislav Sevostianov Lars Wendt Hongming Yi Mark Zondlo United Airlines Hannah Brady Julien Lamblin Rohini Sengupta University of Wisconsin Doug Adler Lori Borg Daniel DeSlover Ray Garcia Denny Hackel Dan LaPorte Brock LaPorte William Roberts Joe Taylor David Tobin 2023 AA Award Honorees 2023 AA Award Honorees PDF ARMD Associate Administrator Awards Facebook logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es Instagram logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es Linkedin logo @NASA Explore More 4 min read 2023 Associate Administrator (AA) Awards Honorees Article 11 mins ago 1 min read 2023 Technology and Innovation (Honorable Mention Group) Article 13 mins ago 1 min read 2023 Program and Mission Support Honoree (Group) Article 14 mins ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans In Space Solar System Exploration Solar System Overview The solar system has one star, eight planets, five dwarf planets, at least 290 moons, more than… Explore NASA’s History Share Details Last Updated Mar 06, 2024 EditorLillian GipsonContactJim Bankejim.banke@nasa.gov Related TermsGeneral View the full article

1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) 2023 Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate Associate Administrator (AA) Awards Unmanned Aerial Systems Pilot (UASP) Kit Development Team * Denotes Team Lead NASA Ames Research Center Joey Mercer* Lynne Martin* Lauren Roberts Yasmin Arbab NASA Glenn Research Center Charles Sheehe David Fuller ASRC Federal Data Solutions, LLC Charles Walter Charles Whatley Willam McCarty 2023 AA Award Honorees 2023 AA Award Honorees PDF ARMD Associate Administrator Awards Facebook logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es Instagram logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es Linkedin logo @NASA Explore More 4 min read 2023 Associate Administrator (AA) Awards Honorees Article 11 mins ago 2 min read 2023 Technology and Innovation Honoree (Group) Article 12 mins ago 1 min read 2023 Program and Mission Support Honoree (Group) Article 14 mins ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate Aeronautics Explore NASA’s History Supersonic Flight Share Details Last Updated Mar 06, 2024 EditorLillian GipsonContactJim Bankejim.banke@nasa.gov Related TermsGeneral View the full article

1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) 2023 Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate Associate Administrator (AA) Awards Remote Pilot Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Training Team * Denotes Team Lead NASA Ames Research Center Melissa A. Hill Brian K. Hutchinson Bryan J. Petty Bill K. Buck Brent P. Pickering Metis Flight Research Associates, LLC Benjamin P. Jenkins Joshua K. Carbonneau Regina J. Tober RSES Jacob Revesz* 2023 AA Award Honorees 2023 AA Award Winners PDF ARMD Associate Administrator Awards Facebook logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es Instagram logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es Linkedin logo @NASA Explore More 4 min read 2023 Associate Administrator (AA) Awards Honorees Article 11 mins ago 2 min read 2023 Technology and Innovation Honoree (Group) Article 12 mins ago 1 min read 2023 Technology and Innovation (Honorable Mention Group) Article 13 mins ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate Aeronautics Explore NASA’s History Supersonic Flight Share Details Last Updated Mar 06, 2024 EditorLillian GipsonContactJim Bankejim.banke@nasa.gov Related TermsGeneral View the full article

3 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) 2023 Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate Associate Administrator Awards Pushing the Envelope Honoree X-57 Maxwell Team * Denotes Team Lead NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center Bony J. Baca Jeffrey E. Baker Kaleiokalani J. Barela Ethan A. Baumann Paul S. Bean Matthew J. Berry Keerti K. Bhamidipati Andrew D. Blua John K. Bodylski Kirsten M. Boogaard Trong T. Bui Bradley S. Butler Sean C. Clarke Bruce R. Cogan John G. Coggins James R. Cowart Brian P. Curlett Adam F. Curry Angelo De La Rosa Jacob J. Ediger German Escobar Vicelis Karen L. Estes David E. Farmer Russell J. Franz Mei L. Franz Michael A. Frederick Timothy R. Gadbois Eric J. Garza Starr R. Ginn Donald T. Griffith Leo J. Gross Mary A. Grossman Joe G. Hernandez Joel J. Hiddema April M. Jungers Matthew R. Kamlet Ed T. Koshimoto Wesley W. Li Yohan Lin Lyndel L. Lohberger Johanna B. Lucht Heather A. Maliska* John L. Maliska Kassidy M. McLaughlin Shaun C. Mcwherter Daniel C. Melo Sarkis S. Mikaelian Andrea K. Muir Elizabeth L Nail Jason P. Nelson Eric W. Nisbet Deleena M. Noble Chan-gi Pak Kurt V. Papathakis Francisco Pena Richard H. Pokorski Thang T. Quach Almanda Randle Jeffrey R. Ray Patrick D. Ray Matthew E. Redifer James R. Reynolds Thomas K. Rigney Wayne M. Ringelberg Anthony P. Rodgers Michael P. Rodriguez John R. Rudy Rosalio Salazar Claudia Y. Sales Aamod G. Samuel Otto C. Schnarr Keith A. Schweikhard Mark S. Smith Natalie D. Spivey Gregory W. Strombo Daniel W. Sturgeon David J. Tempesta Jacob R. Terry April C. Torres Duc N. Tran Samson S. Truong Rashmi N. Vidyasagar Abbigail G. Waddell Randy L. Wagner Ryan D. Wallace Aric D. Warner Brennan R. Wehr Kyle J. Whitfield Timothy L. Williams Mae Yook Y. Wong Seung Y. Yoo Alex C. Zamora Christina M. Zinger NASA Glenn Research Center Aaron D. Anderson David Avanesian Julie A. Blystone Jeffrey C. Chin Peggy A. Cornell Ryan D. Edwards Bradley D. French Michael J. 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Mendoza Daniel Son SRC Federal System Solutions Sonja T. Belcher Vertex Aerospace LLC Edwin J. Albornoz Andrew G. Olvera Mark Scherer 2023 AA Award Honorees 2023 AA Award Honorees PDF ARMD Associate Administrator Awards Facebook logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es Instagram logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es Linkedin logo @NASA Explore More 4 min read 2023 Associate Administrator (AA) Awards Honorees Article 11 mins ago 2 min read 2023 Technology and Innovation Honoree (Group) Article 12 mins ago 1 min read 2023 Technology and Innovation (Honorable Mention Group) Article 13 mins ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans In Space Solar System Exploration Solar System Overview The solar system has one star, eight planets, five dwarf planets, at least 290 moons, more than… Explore NASA’s History Share Details Last Updated Mar 06, 2024 Related TermsGeneral View the full article

NASA Science Live: Juno Spacecraft Makes Historic Flybys of Jupiter’s Moons

NASA The most recent astronaut candidates wave to the crowd in this image from their March 5, 2024, graduation ceremony at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Nicknamed “The Flies,” this cohort is now eligible for spaceflight assignments to the International Space Station, future orbiting destinations, the Moon, and beyond. Selected for training in 2021, the astronaut graduates were chosen from a pool of more than 12,000 applicants and successfully completed more than two years of required basic training, including spacewalking, robotics, space station systems, and more. The graduating NASA astronauts are Nichole Ayers or Colorado Springs, Colorado; Marcos Berríos of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico; Chris Birch of Gilbert, Arizona; Deniz Bunham of Wasilla, Alaska; Luke Delaney of Debary, Florida; Andre Douglas of Chesapeake, Virginia; Jack Hathaway of South Windsor, Connecticut; Anil Menon of Minneapolis; Chris Williams of Potomac, Maryland, and Jessica Wittner of Clovis, California. UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronauts Mohammad AlMulla and Nora AlMatrooshi trained alongside the NASA astronaut candidates for the past two years and took part in the graduation ceremony. Applications to become a NASA astronaut are now open. Image Credit: NASA View the full article

2 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) The Orion spacecraft from Artemis I – now known as the Orion Environmental Test Article – arrives at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, ahead of eight months of testing. Credit: NASA/Jordan Salkin The Orion spacecraft that traveled around the Moon and back during 2022’s Artemis I mission completed a different round trip when it recently returned to Ohio for testing. Now known as the Orion Environmental Test Article, the spacecraft is undergoing ground testing at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio. This testing is crucial to the safety and success of Artemis II – a 10-day flight test scheduled for 2025, during which four astronauts will demonstrate the spacecraft’s capabilities in the lunar vicinity. The flight will be the first crewed mission under NASA’s Artemis campaign. Engineers and technicians at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, prepare the Orion Environmental Test Article for testing in advance of the Artemis II mission. Credit: NASA/Steven Logan and Jim Zunt Over the next eight months, engineers and technicians from NASA and Lockheed Martin will subject the test article to the extreme conditions Orion may experience during a launch abort scenario. The lengthy test campaign includes simulated lightning strikes and abort-level acoustics reaching levels of more than 160 decibels, louder than a jackhammer. It also includes deployments of the spacecraft’s docking and shielding covers and its crew module uprighting system, five airbags on top of the capsule that inflate upon splashdown. The test campaign serves to ensure Orion is ready to protect the crew if an emergency occurs during launch. This Orion spacecraft completed months of space environmental testing in 2019 and 2020 at Armstrong Test Facility before its 2022 flight test, showing that the path to the Moon goes through Ohio. The test facility is the only place in the world capable of testing full-scale spacecraft in the extreme conditions experienced during launch and flight. Explore More 2 min read Tech Today: Semiconductor Research Leads to Revolution in Dental Care Article 24 hours ago 4 min read NASA Collects First Surface Science in Decades via Commercial Moon Mission Article 5 days ago 4 min read Can Volcanic Super Eruptions Lead to Major Cooling? Study Suggests No New research suggests that sunlight-blocking particles from an extreme eruption would not cool surface temperatures… Article 5 days ago View the full article

4 min read What Are Hubble and Webb Observing Right Now? NASA Tool Has the Answer It’s not hard to find out what NASA’s Hubble and James Webb space telescopes have observed in the past. Barely a week goes by without news of a cosmic discovery made possible using images, spectra, and other data captured by NASA’s prolific astronomical observatories. But what are Hubble and Webb looking at right this minute? A shadowy pillar harboring nascent stars? A pair of colliding galaxies? The atmosphere of a distant planet? Galactic light, stretched and distorted on a 13-billion-year journey across space? NASA’s Space Telescope Live, a web application originally developed in 2016 to deliver real-time updates on Hubble targets, now affords easy access to up-to-date information on current, past, and upcoming observations from both Hubble and Webb. Designed and developed for NASA by the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, this exploratory tool offers the public a straightforward and engaging way to learn more about how astronomical investigations are carried out. With its redesigned user interface and expanded functionality, users can find out not only what planet, star, nebula, galaxy, or region of deep space each telescope is observing at the moment, but also where exactly these targets are in the sky; what scientific instruments are being used to capture the images, spectra, and other data; precisely when and how long the observations are scheduled to occur; the status of the observation; who is leading the research; and most importantly, what the scientists are trying to find out. Information for observations from approved science programs is available via the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes. NASA’s Space Telescope Live offers easy access to this information – not only the current day’s targets, but the entire catalog of past observations as well – with Webb records dating back to its first commissioning targets in January 2022, and Hubble records all the way back to the beginning of its operations in May 1990. The zoomable sky map centered on the target’s location was developed using the Aladin Sky Atlas, with imagery from ground-based telescopes to provide context for the observation. (Because the Hubble and Webb data must go through preliminary processing, and in many cases preliminary analysis, before being released to the public and astronomy community, real-time imagery is not available in this tool for either telescope.) Details such as target name and coordinates, scheduled start and end times, and the research topic, are pulled directly from the observation scheduling and proposal planning databases. Links within the tool direct users to the original research proposal, which serves as a gateway to more technical information. While this latest version of NASA’s Space Telescope Live constitutes a significant transformation from the previous release, the team is already gathering feedback from users and planning additional enhancements to provide opportunities for deeper exploration and understanding. NASA’s Space Telescope Live is designed to work on desktop and mobile devices, and is accessible via NASA’s official Hubble and Webb websites. Additional details about the content, including public-friendly explanations of the information displayed in the tool, can be found in the User Guide. The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency. The Hubble Space Telescope has been operating for over three decades and continues to make ground-breaking discoveries that shape our fundamental understanding of the universe. Hubble is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope. Goddard also conducts mission operations with Lockheed Martin Space in Denver, Colorado. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, conducts Hubble and Webb science operations for NASA. Learn More: Selecting What Webb Observes Next Media Contacts: Claire Andreoli – claire.andreoli@nasa.gov Laura Betz – laura.e.betz@nasa.gov NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD Margaret W. Carruthers, Christine Pulliam Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD Share Details Last Updated Mar 06, 2024 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Location Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms Astrophysics Astrophysics Division Goddard Space Flight Center Hubble Space Telescope James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Missions 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. James Webb Space Telescope Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the… International Observe the Moon Night 2024 Total Eclipse View the full article

4 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) The Kepler mission enabled the discovery of thousands of exoplanets, revealing a deep truth about our place in the cosmos: there are more planets than stars in the Milky Way galaxy. The road to this fundamental change in our understanding of the universe, however, required almost 20 years of persistence before the mission became a reality with its selection in 2001. The Kepler spacecraft at Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. in Boulder, Colorado. The Kepler mission surveyed a region of the Milky Way galaxy, discovering the first Earth-size exoplanets and determining that there are more planets than stars in our galaxy.NASA/JPL-Caltech/Ball Astronomers had assumed, but still had not confirmed, the existence of exoplanets when the mission concept that would become Kepler was first suggested in 1983. It wasn’t until the 1990s that the first confirmations of planets orbiting stars outside of our solar system were made, most of them gas giants orbiting close to their host star, not at all similar to what we know from our own solar system. When Kepler launched in 2009, fewer than 400 exoplanets had been discovered. Today, there are more than 5,500 confirmed exoplanets and over half of them were discovered from Kepler data. Many of these confirmed exoplanets reside in the so-called “habitable zone” of their star, making them prime candidates for future observations to uncover more of the universe’s mysteries, including the potential for life. The Kepler mission was designed to address the questions “How prevalent are other worlds?” and “How unique is our solar system?” Even if Kepler had found the opposite—that exoplanets were rare—Kepler still would have been an historic mission since the question it addressed was so scientifically profound. This image shows the Kepler telescope’s “first light”—a full field of view of an expansive star-rich patch of sky in the constellations Cygnus and Lyra stretching across 100 square degrees. The 42 individual rectangles are due to the charge-coupled devices (CCDs) with a total of 95 megapixels.NASA/J.Jenkins Earlier versions of the mission proposal had been rejected four times beginning in 1992. Back then, the mission was known as the FRequency of Earth-Sized Inner Planets (FRESIP). After its second rejection in 1994, team members David Koch, Jill Tarter, and Carl Sagan, suggested the name change from FRESIP to Kepler. One of the technical changes made to the 1994 proposal before the 1996 submission included changing the orbit from the Lagrange L2 point to a heliocentric orbit. This allowed Kepler to use reaction wheels for pointing the spacecraft, which reduced the thruster fuel consumption and saved on cost. This wasn’t enough to convince NASA. To address concerns about the mission as proposed, two major demonstrations, one each after the 1996 and 1998 rejections, followed. The demonstrations reduced the risk that gave some reviewers pause and provided the Kepler team the opportunity to refine their operations. Kepler team member Jeff Van Cleve in the Precision Photometry Lab at Ames Research Center in February 2007. The apparatus behind him is the Kepler Testbed Facility, a system mock-up that provided a key demonstration of Kepler’s capability.NASA/Ames The first demonstration showed that the continuous, automatic monitoring of thousands of stars was possible. For that demonstration, an instrument called the Vulcan photometer was installed at Lick Observatory in California, which radioed its data to NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley for automated analysis. The second demonstration (following the 1998 rejection) was the construction of the Kepler Testbed Facility. The testbed proved that existing charge-coupled device (CCD) technology no different from a consumer digital camera could achieve the precision necessary to detect Earth-size planets in the midst of the various kinds of noise expected in the whole system, from vibrations to image motion to cosmic ray strikes. The Kepler team at Ames built an intricate simulated sky and Ball Aerospace, the industry partner throughout the many years of proposals and the mission itself, built the numerical simulator for the demonstration. The testbed from the laboratory at Ames is now on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. The 42 CCDs of the Kepler focal plane are approximately one square foot in size. There are four fine guidance modules in the corners of the focal plane that are much smaller CCDs compared to the 42 CCDs used for science. Those smaller CCDs were used to track Kepler’s position and relay that information to its guidance system to keep the spacecraft accurately pointed. NASA/Kepler mission These demonstrations finally put the remaining concerns to rest. In 2001, Kepler was selected more than 17 years after its principal investigator, William Borucki, had written a paper that considered a space-based photometer for detecting Earth-size planets with his colleague Audrey Summers of the Theoretical and Planetary Studies Branch in the Space Science Division at Ames. In the eight years between selection and launch on March 6, 2009, the mission responded to a number of challenges and changes that were largely beyond the team’s control, such as NASA instituting a policy that required either NASA’s Goddard Spaceflight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland or the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California to manage planetary missions, changes in accounting requirements, and increasing launch costs. Those pieces of Kepler’s story are told in detail in the latest book from the NASA History Office, NASA’s Discovery Program: The First Twenty Years of Competitive Planetary Exploration. Download the NASA's Discovery Program E-Book Share Details Last Updated Mar 05, 2024 Related TermsNASA HistoryExoplanetsKepler / K2 Explore More 4 min read 65 Years Ago: Pioneer 4 Reaches for the Moon Article 1 day ago 22 min read Women’s History Month: Celebrating Women Astronauts 2024 Article 4 days ago 4 min read NASA Center Boosted YF-12 Supersonic Engine Research Article 2 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA NASA History Exoplanets Overview Most of the exoplanets discovered so far are in a relatively small region of our galaxy, the Milky Way.… Universe Discover the universe: Learn about the history of the cosmos, what it’s made of, and so much more. Discovery Program View the full article

4 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) This image shows SWOT satellite data for water surface height in part of Mendocino County, Northern California, on Jan. 15, before several atmospheric rivers arrived, and on Feb. 4, after the first storms. Light blue and green indicate the highest water levels relative to mean sea level. (Inland water heights include the underlying ground elevation.)NASA/JPL-Caltech Operated by NASA and the French space agency, the Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission provides a new view of water on land, at the coast, and in the ocean. A series of atmospheric rivers drenched California in February, with record amounts of rainfall and hurricane-force winds sweeping across parts of the state. At one point, weather agencies posted flood watches for nearly the entirety of California’s coast. The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission captured data on some of the flooding near the community of Manchester, roughly 105 miles (169 kilometers) north of San Francisco. The satellite is a collaboration between NASA and the French space agency, CNES (Centre National d’Études Spatiales). The image above shows the area on Jan. 15, before the rain and snow from atmospheric rivers, and then again on Feb. 4, after the first in a series of storms soaked California. Water heights are shown in shades of green and blue, with lighter hues indicating the highest levels relative to mean sea level. (Data for inland areas includes the height of the floodwaters plus the ground elevation beneath it.) Some coastal areas were flooded by both ocean tides and heavy rain, while others were likely flooded only by precipitation. Each pixel in the image represents an area that is 330 feet by 330 feet (100 meters by 100 meters). Since December 2022, SWOT has been measuring the height of nearly all water on Earth’s surface, developing one of the most detailed, comprehensive views yet of the planet’s oceans and freshwater lakes and rivers. Not only can the satellite detect the extent of the water on Earth’s surface, as other satellites can, but SWOT can also provide water level data. Combined with other types of information, SWOT measurements can yield water depth data in features like lakes and rivers. “SWOT gives us information about flooding that we’ve never had before,” said Ben Hamlington, lead researcher for NASA’s sea level change team at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. Satellites can provide pictures showing how much of an area is flooded, but unless instruments are already installed on a river or at the coast, it’s difficult to know how conditions evolve during and after a flood. “Data from the SWOT satellite, combined with other information, is filling in this picture,” said Hamlington. The SWOT science team made the measurements using the Ka-band Radar Interferometer (KaRIn) instrument. With two antennas spread 33 feet (10 meters) apart on a boom, KaRIn produces a pair of data swaths as it circles the globe, bouncing radar pulses off water surfaces to collect surface-height measurements. More About the Mission Launched in December 2022, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in central California, SWOT is now in its operations phase, collecting data that will be used for research and other purposes. SWOT was jointly developed by NASA and CNES, with contributions from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the UK Space Agency. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for the agency by Caltech in Pasadena, California, leads the U.S. component of the project. For the flight system payload, NASA provided the KaRIn instrument, a GPS science receiver, a laser retroreflector, a two-beam microwave radiometer, and NASA instrument operations. CNES provided the Doppler Orbitography and Radioposition Integrated by Satellite (DORIS) system, the dual frequency Poseidon altimeter (developed by Thales Alenia Space), the KaRIn radio-frequency subsystem (together with Thales Alenia Space and with support from the UK Space Agency), the satellite platform, and ground operations. CSA provided the KaRIn high-power transmitter assembly. NASA provided the launch vehicle and the agency’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy Space Center, managed the associated launch services. To learn more about SWOT, visit: https://swot.jpl.nasa.gov/ See SWOT Mission’s Unprecedented View of Global Sea Levels News Media Contacts Jane J. Lee / Andrew Wang Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 818-354-0307 / 626-379-6874 jane.j.lee@jpl.nasa.gov / andrew.wang@jpl.nasa.gov 2024-021 Share Details Last Updated Mar 05, 2024 Related TermsSWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography)EarthExtreme Weather EventsJet Propulsion LaboratoryOceansWater on Earth Explore More 4 min read Can Volcanic Super Eruptions Lead to Major Cooling? Study Suggests No New research suggests that sunlight-blocking particles from an extreme eruption would not cool surface temperatures… Article 4 days ago 5 min read NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement Mission: 10 years, 10 stories From peering into hurricanes to tracking El Niño-related floods and droughts to aiding in disaster… Article 4 days ago 4 min read NASA’s Planetary Radar Images Slowly Spinning Asteroid Article 1 week ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article