NASA

Manil Maskey (ST1) co-authored a position paper entitled “Data-centric Machine Learning Research — Past, Present and Future.” The pre-print of the paper is available at https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.13028. This work represents a joint effort by experts in artificial intelligence from industry, government, and academic sectors, dedicated to emphasizing and enhancing the importance of data in machine learning. View the full article

ESA/Hubble & NASA, A. Sarajedini This densely populated group of stars is the globular cluster NGC 1841, which is part of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a satellite galaxy of our Milky Way galaxy that lies about 162,000 light-years away. Satellite galaxies are bound by gravity in orbits around a more massive host galaxy. We typically think of the Andromeda Galaxy as our galaxy’s nearest galactic companion, but it is more accurate to say that Andromeda is the nearest galaxy that is not in orbit around the Milky Way galaxy. In fact, dozens of satellite galaxies orbit our galaxy and they are far closer than Andromeda. The largest and brightest of these is the LMC, which is easily visible to the unaided eye from the southern hemisphere under dark sky conditions away from light pollution. The LMC is home to many globular clusters. These celestial bodies fall somewhere between open clusters – which are much less dense and tightly bound – and small, compact galaxies. Increasingly sophisticated observations reveal the stellar populations and characteristics of globular clusters are varied and complex, and we have yet to fully understand how these tightly packed groups of stars form. However, there are certain consistencies across all globular clusters: they are very stable and hold their shape for a long time, which means they are generally very old and contain large numbers of very old stars. Globular clusters are akin to celestial ‘fossils.’ Just as fossils provide insight into the early development of life on Earth, globular clusters such as NGC 1841 can provide insights into very early star formation in galaxies. Text credit: European Space Agency (ESA) Media Contact: Claire Andreoli NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD claire.andreoli@nasa.gov View the full article

An extra-tropical cyclone seen in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Japan on March 10, 2014, by NASA’s GPM Microwave Imager.Credit: NASA 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 responses, the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission has had a busy decade in orbit. As the GPM mission team at NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) commemorates its Feb. 27, 2014 launch, here are 10 highlights from the one of the world’s most advanced precipitation satellites. First Images Available from NASA-JAXA Global Rain and Snowfall Satellite Less than a month after launch, NASA and JAXA released the first images captured by the GPM Core Observatory. It measured precipitation falling inside a March 10, 2014, cyclone over the northwest Pacific Ocean, approximately 1,000 miles east of Japan. Read the Full Article NASA Releases First Global Rainfall and Snowfall Map from New Mission Combining data from a constellation of satellites that together observe every part of the world roughly every three hours, the GPM team mapped how rain and snow storms move around the planet. As scientists have worked to understand all the elements of Earth’s climate and weather systems – and how they could change in the future – GPM has provided comprehensive and consistent measurements of precipitation. Read the Full Article GPM Satellite Sees First Atlantic Hurricane The GPM Core Observatory flew over Hurricane Arthur five times between July 1 to 5, 2014 – the first time a precipitation-measuring satellite was able to follow a hurricane through its full life cycle with high-resolution measurements. In the July 3 image, Arthur was just off the coast of South Carolina. GPM data showed that the hurricane was asymmetrical, with spiral arms (rain bands) on the eastern side of the storm but not on the western side. Read the Full Article NASA Working with Partners to Provide Response to Harvey In 2017, NASA used assets and expertise from across the agency to help respond to Hurricane Harvey in southern Texas. The agency’s GPM mission team produced rainfall accumulation graphics and unique views of the structure of Harvey during various phases of development and landfall. Read the Full Article Predicting Floods Predicting floods is notoriously tricky, as the events depend on a complex mixture of rainfall, soil moisture, the recent history of precipitation, and much more. Snowmelt and storm surges can also contribute to unexpected flooding. With funding from NASA, researchers developed a tool that maps flood conditions across the globe. Read the Full Article NASA, Pacific Disaster Center Increase Landslide Hazard Awareness A NASA-based team built a new tool to examine the risk of landslides. They developed a machine learning model that combines data on ground slope, soil moisture, snow, geological conditions, distance to faults, and the latest near real-time precipitation data from NASA’s IMERG product (part of the GPM mission). The model has been trained on a database of historical landslides and the conditions surrounding them, allowing it to recognize patterns that indicate a landslide is likely. Read the Full Article NASA Measures Raindrop Sizes From Space to Understand Storms For the first time, scientists collected three-dimensional snapshots from space of raindrops and snowflakes around the world. With this detailed global dataset, scientists started to improve rainfall estimates from satellite data and in numerical weather forecast models. This is particularly helpful for understanding and preparing for extreme weather events. This is a conceptual image showing how the size and distribution of raindrops varies within a storm. Blues and greens represent small raindrops that are 0.5-3mm in size. Yellows, oranges, and reds represent larger raindrops that are 4-6mm in size. A storm with a higher ratio of yellows, oranges, and reds will contain more water than a storm with a higher ratio of blues and greens.Credit: NASA Goddard Read the Full Article NASA Maps El Niño’s Shift on U.S. Precipitation The GPM team amassed and analyzed data to show the various changes in precipitation across the United States due to the natural weather phenomenon known as El Niño. Read the Full Article Using Satellites to Predict Malaria Outbreaks University researchers turned to data from NASA’s fleet of Earth-observing satellites to track environmental events that typically precede a malaria outbreak. With NASA funding and a partnership with the Peruvian government, they worked to develop a system to help forecast potential malaria outbreaks down to the neighborhood level and months in advance. This gave authorities a tool to help prevent outbreaks from happening. Read the Full Article Two Decades of Rain, Snowfall from NASA’s Precipitation Missions NASA’s Precipitation Measurement Missions (PMM) – including GPM and the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission ­– have together collected rain and snowfall from space for more than 20 years. Since 2019, scientists have been able to access PMM’s multi-satellite record as one dataset. Read the Full Article View the full article

1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Following an in-depth, independent project review, NASA has decided to discontinue the On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing 1 (OSAM-1) project due to continued technical, cost, and schedule challenges, and a broader community evolution away from refueling unprepared spacecraft, which has led to a lack of a committed partner. Following Congressional notification processes, project management plans to complete an orderly shutdown, including the disposition of sensitive hardware, pursuing potential partnerships or alternative hardware uses, and licensing of applicable technological developments. NASA leadership also is reviewing how to mitigate the impact of the cancellation on the workforce at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Media Contact: Jimi Russell NASA Headquarters View the full article

5 min read Night-Shining Cloud Mission Ends; Yields High Science Results for NASA NASA’s Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) mission, seen in this visualization, contributed to NASA’s understanding of the region that borders between Earth’s atmosphere and space. NASA After 16 years studying Earth’s highest clouds for the benefit of humanity – polar mesospheric clouds – from its orbit some 350 miles above the ground, NASA’s Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere, or AIM, mission has come to an end. Initially slated for a two-year mission, AIM was extended numerous times due to its high science return. While AIM has faced hurdles over the years – from software hiccups to hardware issues – an incredibly dedicated team kept the spacecraft running for much longer than anyone could have anticipated. On March 13, 2023, the spacecraft’s battery failed following several years of declining performance. Multiple attempts to maintain power to the spacecraft were made, but no further data could be collected, so the mission has now ended. “AIM was dedicated to studying the atmospheric region that borders between our atmosphere and space,” said AIM mission scientist Diego Janches, of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “AIM’s help understanding this region has been of critical importance to providing insights on how the lower atmosphere affects space weather.” Known as night-shining or noctilucent clouds, they are seen at twilight in the summer months, typically at high latitudes near the North and South Poles. Before the mission, scientists knew these types of clouds varied with latitude, season, and solar activity, but didn’t know why. This mission was launched to understand the variations and study why the clouds form and their links to climate change by measuring the thermal, chemical, and other properties of the environment in which the clouds form. Noctilucent clouds appeared in the sky above Edmonton, Alberta, in Canada on July 2, 2011. NASA/Dave Hughes “NASA’s AIM has been an incredibly successful mission,” said Scott Bailey, AIM principal investigator and professor at Virginia Tech. “It has answered core questions that have helped us understand how noctilucent clouds and atmospheric gravity waves vary over time and location.” Over the years, AIM made many big discoveries. Data from the mission has thus far led to nearly 400 peer-reviewed publications. This includes findings on how these clouds can be created by meteor smoke and water vapor from rocket exhaust, how events near Earth’s surface can trigger changes in the clouds, and how ice high in the atmosphere can cause mysterious radar echoes, which are created in certain regions of the atmosphere during the summer. As the mission progressed, scientists realized AIM’s data could also be used to study undulations in the air called atmospheric gravity waves. These waves transfer momentum and energy as they travel through the atmosphere. They link weather events at Earth’s surface with atmospheric disturbances that occur far away from the initial event, including in the uppermost part of the atmosphere where they can disrupt GPS signals. “We’ve had many difficulties, but we’ve still gotten an incredible amount of data from AIM because of our really excellent, heroic, and hardworking team that comes through every time,” Bailey said. AIM’s first hurdles started only months after launch in 2007, when the telecommunication receiver started to malfunction intermittently. With a clever use of radio signals, the team was able to reprogram the spacecraft to communicate in Morse code, which allowed it to maintain communications even after the receiver stopped working. While communication with the spacecraft became thousands of times slower than planned, AIM was still able to make its measurements and send home 99% of the data it collected. Shortly thereafter, the spacecraft again encountered a mission-threatening issue. The spacecraft repeatedly sent itself into safe mode, which effectively shut down the spacecraft and required a time-consuming series of tasks to reboot. But again, the engineers were able to upload new software to the spacecraft to circumvent the issue and keep AIM functional. The new software patch has prevented over a thousand such incidents on the spacecraft since. In 2019, AIM’s battery started to decline, but through great effort and ingenuity, the mission operations team maintained the battery power, enabling the spacecraft to continue returning data. In early 2023, the battery experienced a significant drop-off in performance which meant the spacecraft could not regularly receive commands or collect data. Unfortunately, this hardware issue was not one that could be repaired remotely, and the satellite finally ceased collecting data in March 2023. “We’re saddened to see AIM reach the end of its lifetime, but it’s been amazing how long it has lasted,” Bailey said. “It’s given us more data and insight into noctilucent clouds and atmospheric gravity waves than we could ever have hoped for.” Though the spacecraft has seen its last night-shining clouds, scientists will continue to study AIM’s data for years to come. As for the spacecraft itself, it will slowly lose orbital height and burn up upon atmosphere re-entry in 2026. “There are still gigabytes upon gigabytes of AIM data to study,” said Cora Randall, AIM deputy principal investigator and senior research scientist at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics in Boulder, Colorado. “And as our models and computational capabilities continue to improve, people will make many more discoveries using the AIM datasets.” For more information about the mission, visit: https://go.nasa.gov/3TgIDwD By Mara Johnson-Groh NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Share Details Last Updated Mar 01, 2024 Related Terms AIM (Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere) Goddard Space Flight Center Heliophysics Heliophysics Division Mesosphere Science & Research The Sun Explore More 2 min read Hubble Uncovers a Celestial Fossil Article 4 hours ago 5 min read The CUTE Mission: Innovative Design Enables Observations of Extreme Exoplanets from a Small Package Article 3 days ago 1 min read Hubble Views an Active Star-Forming Galaxy Article 1 week ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

2 min read Hubble Uncovers a Celestial Fossil This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features a densely populated group of stars, the globular cluster NGC 1841. ESA/Hubble & NASA, A. Sarajedini This densely populated group of stars is the globular cluster NGC 1841, which is part of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a satellite galaxy of our Milky Way galaxy that lies about 162,000 light-years away. Satellite galaxies are bound by gravity in orbits around a more massive host galaxy. We typically think of the Andromeda Galaxy as our galaxy’s nearest galactic companion, but it is more accurate to say that Andromeda is the nearest galaxy that is not in orbit around the Milky Way galaxy. In fact, dozens of satellite galaxies orbit our galaxy and they are far closer than Andromeda. The largest and brightest of these is the LMC, which is easily visible to the unaided eye from the southern hemisphere under dark sky conditions away from light pollution. The LMC is home to many globular clusters. These celestial bodies fall somewhere between open clusters – which are much less dense and tightly bound – and small, compact galaxies. Increasingly sophisticated observations reveal the stellar populations and characteristics of globular clusters are varied and complex, and we have yet to fully understand how these tightly packed groups of stars form. However, there are certain consistencies across all globular clusters: they are very stable and hold their shape for a long time, which means they are generally very old and contain large numbers of very old stars. Globular clusters are akin to celestial ‘fossils.’ Just as fossils provide insight into the early development of life on Earth, globular clusters such as NGC 1841 can provide insights into very early star formation in galaxies. Text credit: European Space Agency (ESA) Download this image Media Contact: Claire Andreoli NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD claire.andreoli@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Feb 29, 2024 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Location Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms Astrophysics Astrophysics Division Goddard Space Flight Center Hubble Space Telescope Missions Star Clusters Stars Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Hubble Space Telescope Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe. Galaxies Stories Stars Stories NASA Astrophysics View the full article

2 min read March’s Night Sky Notes: Constant Companions: Circumpolar Constellations, Part II by Kat Troche of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific As the seasons shift from Winter to Spring, heralding in the promise of warmer weather here in the northern hemisphere, our circumpolar constellations remain the same. Depending on your latitude, you will be able to see up to nine circumpolar constellations. This month, we’ll focus on: Lynx, Camelopardalis, and Perseus. The objects within these constellations can all be spotted with a pair of binoculars or a small to medium-sized telescope, depending on your Bortle scale – the darkness of your night skies. In the appearance of left to right: constellations Perseus, Camelopardalis, and Lynx in the night sky. Also featured: Cassiopeia as a guide constellation, and various stars. Credit: Stellarium Web Double Stars: The area that comprises the constellation Lynx is famous for its multiple star systems, all of which can be separated with a telescope under dark skies. Some of the notable stars in Lynx are the following: 12 Lyncis – a triple star that can be resolved with a medium-sized telescope. 10 Ursae Majoris – a double star that was once a part of Ursa Major. 38 Lyncis – a double star that is described as blue-white and lilac. Kemble’s Cascade: This asterism located in Camelopardalis, has over 20 stars, ranging in visible magnitude (brightness) and temperature. The stars give the appearance of flowing in a straight line leading to the Jolly Roger Cluster (NGC 1502). On the opposite side of this constellation, you find the asterism Kemble’s Kite. All three objects can be spotted with a pair of binoculars or a telescope and require moderate dark skies. A ground-based image from the Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) in the upper left shows Caldwell 14, the Double Cluster in Perseus, with an outline of the region imaged by Hubble’s Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2). Ground-based image: Digitized Sky Survey (DSS); Hubble image: NASA, ESA, and S. Casertano (Space Telescope Science Institute); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America) Double Cluster: The constellation Perseus contains the beautiful Double Cluster, two open star clusters (NGC 869 and 884) approximately 7,500 light-years from Earth. This object can be spotted with a small telescope or binoculars and is photographed by amateur and professional photographers alike. It can even be seen with the naked eye in very dark skies. Also in Perseus lies Algol, the Demon Star. Algol is a triple-star system that contains an eclipsing binary, meaning two of its three stars constantly orbit each other. Because of this orbit, you can watch the brightness dim every two days, 20 hours, 49 minutes – for 10-hour periods at a time. For a visual representation of this, revisit NASA’s What’s Up: November 2019. From constellations you can see all year to a once in a lifetime event! Up next, find out how you can partner with NASA volunteers for the April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse with our upcoming mid-month article on the Night Sky Network page through NASA’s website! View the full article

Astrogram banner Into the Belly of the Rover: VIPER’s Final Science Instrument Installed by Rachel Hoover TRIDENT, designed and developed by engineers at Honeybee Robotics in Altadena, California, is the fourth and final science instrument to be installed into VIPER. NASA engineers have already successfully integrated VIPER’s three other science instruments into the rover. These include: the MSOLO (Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations), NIRVSS (Near-Infrared Volatiles Spectrometer System), and NSS (Neutron Spectrometer System). A team of engineers prepares to integrate TRIDENT – short for The Regolith Ice Drill for Exploring New Terrain – into the belly of NASA’s first robotic Moon rover, VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover). A team of engineers prepares to integrate TRIDENT – short for The Regolith Ice Drill for Exploring New Terrain – into the belly of NASA’s first robotic Moon rover, VIPER – short for the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover.Credit: NASA/Bill Stafford Shortly after TRIDENT was integrated in the clean room at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, the team also successfully tested its ability to power on, release the locks that hold the drill in place during launch, extend to its full depth of more than three feet (one meter), perform percussive drilling, and return to its stowed position inside the rover. TRIDENT will dig up soil from below the lunar surface using a rotary percussive drill – meaning it both spins to cut into the ground and hammers to fragment hard material for more energy-efficient drilling. In addition to being able to measure the strength and compactedness of the lunar soil, the drill also carries a temperature sensor to take readings below the surface. VIPER will launch to the Moon aboard Astrobotic’s Griffin lunar lander on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative. It will reach its destination at Mons Mouton near the Moon’s South Pole. Scientists will work with these four instruments to better understand the origin of water and other resources on the Moon, which could support human exploration as part of NASA’s Artemis campaign. NASA Unveils the X-59 Supersonic Aircraft On January 12, in Palmdale, California, the NASA unveiled the X-59, a quiet supersonic aircraft, to the world. The aircraft is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission, the agency, and Lockheed Martin. Quesst is NASA’s mission to demonstrate how the X-49 can fly supersonic without generating loud sonic booms and then survey what people hear when it flies overhead. Reaction to the quieter sonic “thumps” will be shared with regulators who will then consider writing new sound-based rules to lift the ban on the faster-than-sound flight over land. . NASA Quesst’s Mission’s X-59 Supersonic Aircraft. Members of the Quesst mission team are located at all four NASA field centers, all of which have traditionally been associated with the agency’s historic aeronautical research. The team at Ames has spent many hours working on computational fluid dynamics simulations, wind tunnel testing, systems engineer, and test component manufacturing, helping to shape not just the ingenuity of the aircraft, but the Quesst mission entirely. To learn more about the X-59’s impact on the future of aviation and the tradition of rollout ceremonies at NASA, click here Nahum Alem Receives Modern Day Technology Leader Award Nahum Alem received a 2024 Modern-Day Technology Leader Award at the 2024 BEYA STEM DTX Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. This is one of the industry’s most important honors in science, technology, enginering, and math (STEM). Alem was recognized at the Technology Recognition Luncheon featuring Modern-Day Technology Leaders and Science Spectrum Trailblazers on Feb. 16. This year’s theme was, “People, Process, Technology.” Nahum Alem with the Black Engineer of the Year Modern Day Technology Leaders Award during the BEYA STEM DTX Conference in Baltimore, Maryland on Feb. 16. The BEYA STEM DTX Conference recognition program is more critical than ever before. One landmark study projects the number of jobs in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in the United States is set to increase in the coming years. According to the National Science Foundation, underrepresented minorities—Hispanic, Black, and American Indian or Alaska Native individuals—made up a higher share of the skilled technical workforce (32%) in 2021 than of workers who were employed in STEM occupations with at least a bachelor’s degree (16%). The conference highlights the importance of not only celebrating the achievements of STEM leaders and professionals but shifting the narrative towards an action-driven strategy to increase the number of minorities with STEM educations and careers. Nahum Alem award announcement on the digital sign in front of NASA Ames as one drives into the gate. According to Tyrone D. Taborn, chairman of the BEYA STEM DTX Conference, “Nahum was selected because he is among an extraordinary group of forward-thinking STEM experts. This year the candidates were the strongest and represented the most diverse collection of executive professionals we have had the pleasure of evaluating. From machine learning to medical breakthroughs, this year’s BEYA STEM awardees stand out as superior authorities in their respective fields.” For nearly four decades, awards presented at the BEYA STEM Conference have honored excellence in STEM and underscored the serious under-representation of minorities in STEM and at senior levels in all disciplines. For 38 years, employers committed to inclusion have chosen the BEYA STEM Conference to exchange best practices and strategies on how to attract and keep diverse talent in scientific and technical fields. The 2024 BEYA STEM DTX Conference hosted multiple award presentation events throughout the conference, where Nahum was recognized in addition to all 2024 award recipients for their significant accomplishments in STEM. Over the three-day event, the conference provided forums on the retention of diverse talent in STEM, continuous improvement, and networking. The BEYA STEM Awards is a prestigious recognition platform that celebrates the accomplishments of engineers in the STEM fields. For nearly four decades, BEYA has empowered, mentored, and inspired countless individuals, solidifying its position as a beacon of excellence and innovation. https://www.beya.org Cast of Broadway’s ‘The Wiz’ “Ease on Down the Road” Visits NASA Ames Members of the cast and crew of “The Wiz” pose inside the National Full-Scale Aerodynamic Complex 40 by 80 foot wind tunnel at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley.Credit: NASA Ames/Brandon Torres Members of the cast and crew of Broadway production “The Wiz,” currently on tour at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Theatre, visited NASA Ames on Jan. 29 to learn more about the center’s work in air and space. The group met with center leadership and members of Ames employee advisory groups and toured the Vertical Motion Simulator (VMS), the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex (NFAC), and observed progress on the Automated Reconfigurable Mission Adaptive Digital Assembly Systems (ARMADAS) robots, which use pre-fabricated modular blocks to build structures autonomously, before following the yellow brick road back “home” to Oz. NASA Leader Casey Swails Learns About Wildfire Work at NASA Ames by Abby Tabor NASA Deputy Associate Administrator Casey Swails views a demonstration on screen in the Airspace Operations Laboratory at NASA Ames. Researchers presented the diverse, long-running efforts in aeronautics at Ames that have helped lay the foundation for agency work related to wildfire response. NASA Deputy Associate Administrator Casey Swails These include a project to help integrate drones into the airspace with Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, their application to disaster response with the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, and how those informed NASA’s newest effort to make wildfire response more targeted and adaptable, the Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations project. Michael Falkowski, program manager for the Applied Sciences Wildland Fire program at NASA Headquarters presented wildfire efforts happening under NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, such as the FireSense project, led out of Ames. The importance of collaborations within NASA and with partner agencies was also highlighted. Wildfires are complex phenomena and tackling their challenges will require the work of many, for the benefit of all. NASA Astronomer Sees Power in Community, Works to Build More by Abby Tabor Science is often portrayed as a solitary affair, where discoveries are made by lone geniuses toiling in isolation. But Dr. Natasha Batalha, an astronomer at NASA Ames says solving problems with the people around her is one of the best parts of her job. Dr. Natasha Batalha, an astronomer at NASA Ames says collaborating with her teams is one of the best parts of her job. “Oh, man, working with people is all I do!” said Batalha, whose current research involves using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to study exoplanets, planets outside our solar system that orbit other stars. Batalha’s work explores hot, Jupiter-like exoplanets; smaller, rocky exoplanets more similar to Earth; and brown dwarfs, mysterious objects smaller than a star but huge compared to the biggest planets. A single question has driven her since she was a kid: “Does life exist beyond Earth?” It’s a lofty question, bigger than any one scientist. And that’s the point. “I love being part of a larger community,” she said, “We’re working together to try to solve this question that people have been asking for centuries.” However, the particular joy of belonging wasn’t always present in Batalha’s life. When she was 10, her family moved from Brazil to the U.S., where she was met with culture shock, pressure to assimilate, and a language barrier. She thinks the latter is partly why she gravitated toward the universal language of math. Eventually, her interests and strengths took shape around astronomy. When she chose to study physics in college, followed by a dual PhD in astronomy and astrobiology, her parents – who are also scientists – helped fill in for the community she was otherwise lacking. “In high school, I watched female students drop out of my physics classes,” Batalha said. “The honors physics track in college was devoid of women and people of color. I didn’t feel I had a community in my college classes.” Her mother, Natalie Batalha, is an astronomer who served as project scientist for NASA’s Kepler space telescope– the mission that taught us there are more planets than stars. Natasha’s father is a LatinX physicist. Both her parents had already faced similar challenges in their careers, and having their example to look at of people who had successfully overcome those barriers helped her push on. “I identify as female and LatinX, which are both underrepresented groups in STEM,” she said, “but I also have a ton of privilege because my parents are in the field. That gave me a dual perspective on how powerful community is.” Dr. Natasha Batalha has been hooked on the search for life beyond Earth since elementary school. UC Santa Cruz, UC Regents Since then, empowering her own science community has been a focus of Batalha’s work. She builds open-source tools, like computer programs for interpreting data, that are available to all. They help scientists use Webb’s exoplanet data to study what climates they may have, the behavior of clouds in their atmospheres, and the chemistry at work there. “I saw how limiting closed toolsets could be for the community, when only an ‘inner circle’ had access to them,” Batalha said. “So, I wanted to create new tools that would put everyone on the same footing.” Batalha herself recently used Webb to explore the skies of exoplanet WASP-39 b, a hot gas giant orbiting a star 700 light-years away. She is part of the team that found carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide there, marking the first time either was detected in an exoplanet atmosphere. Now, she is turning to the difficult-to-discern characteristics of smaller, cooler planets. Batalha says she’s exactly where her 6th-grade self imagined she would be. In elementary school, she read a biography of NASA astronaut Sally Ride and was hooked by an idea it contained: that in 20 years the kids reading those words could be the ones pioneering the search for life on Mars. Today’s youth belong to the Artemis Generation, who will explore farther than people have ever gone before. The Artemis program will send the first woman and first person of color to the lunar surface. Missions over time will build a presence at the Moon to unlock a new era of science and prepare for human missions to Mars and beyond. Along the way, scientists will continue to search for signs of life beyond Earth, an endeavor building on the work of many generations and relying on those in the future to carry on the search. “That’s something really rewarding about my work at NASA,” she said. “These questions have been asked throughout human history and, by joining the effort to answer them, you’re taking the baton for a while, before passing it on to someone else.” Ames Employees Gather for Day of Remembrance Ceremony by Abby Tabor On Thursday, Jan. 25, Ames employees gathered for the center’s in-person Day of Remembrance Ceremony in front of N200. Also in attendance were former Center Director Scott Hubbard, and former Deputy Center Director Bill Berry. Every year, we take this important opportunity to honor the memories of those who bravely gave their lives in the pursuit of exploration and discovery and to celebrate their contribution to NASA’s missions. This is a solemn moment to reflect and learn from our history and consider our strong culture of safety as we pursue bold advances in our work here at Ames. NASA Ames employees gather at the flagpole in front of N200 to honor the lives lost in human spaceflight and the 17 fallen crew members from Apollo I, the space shuttles Challenger and Columbia.Credit: NASA Ames/Don Richey We honor those lost in test flights, missions, and research throughout our history: the Apollo 1 crew – Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Edward White, and Roger Chaffee – who lost their lives at the start of NASA’s pursuit of landing humans on the moon, on January 27, 1967. We remember the determination of the Challenger crew, who tragically perished 73 seconds into their flight on January 28, 1986 – Michael J. Smith, Dick Scobee, Ronald McNair, Elison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, Judith Resnick, and Christa McAuliffe, the first “teacher in space” who leaves a legacy of STEM education that continues today. We remember the bravery and inspiration of the crew of Columbia – Rick Husband, William McCool, Michael Anderson, Ilan Ramon, David Brown, Laurel Clark, and Ames’ own Kalpana Chawla, friend and coworker of many here, who we lost during a failed shuttle reentry on February 1, 2003. We also honor the others who gave their lives pursuing the missions of N-A-C-A and NASA research in aerospace and space exploration, whose commitment and courage leave a lasting legacy across our agency and nation. During the ceremony, Scott Hubbard, who served on the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB), spoke about how the accident changed him and what he learned. When sharing a key takeaway from the CAIB report, Hubbard said, “NASA must be a learning agency, and we can’t shy away from our failures or tragedies. We can’t assign them to history so we must learn from them so that [accidents] never occur.” As we work to return humans to the moon, and onto Mars, we must reflect on the importance and value of the work we do here at Ames to help ensure the health and safety of those who risk their lives for exploration and the pursuit of knowledge. One example, after the successful return of the Orion capsule from the Artemis 1 test flight a little over a year ago, we discovered that we needed to learn more about the heat shield and its performance during Earth entry from the Moon. Our aero-thermal-dynamics, thermal protection systems, and other experts, along with our arc jet testing team have worked tirelessly to prepare for the first crewed flight of Artemis 2 coming up in 2025. Many in our current workforce were not working at the agency when we experienced these unfortunate losses. But we continue to carry the memory of our fallen colleagues and the lessons we’ve learned through our work today. When we look back on the tragedies of the past, we have an opportunity to apply lessons we’ve learned and continue to enforce a safety culture that encourages every voice to be heard and keeps everyone safe. Safety is one of NASA’s core values and there’s a reason why it’s listed as NASA’s first core value. We are committed to sustaining a culture that encourages speaking out and sharing concerns. On or off duty, we have a responsibility to keep safety at the center of our work and daily lives – owning and learning from our mistakes and being open to speaking up about concerns with others – to protect our employees, our community, and ourselves. Thank you to all those who were able to join us in this moment of reflection. Please take time to look back on NASA’s history, remember our fallen, and consider your health and safety. We cannot do the work that we do without you and your well-being is important us. Know that we have resources available to support you through things that happen at work and beyond. Our community is strong, and let’s continue to care for one another. Thank you to those who helped to put our ceremony together, including Lynda Haines, our communications team, and our protective services professionals who keep us safe and secure each and every day. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Leader Visits Ames to Discuss Space Science and Spaceflight by Abby Tabor Left to right: Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) Management and Integration Department Mr. Nobuhiro Takahashi, Center Director Dr. Eugene Tu, and Vice President and Director General (ISAS) Dr. Hitoshi Kuninaka in the N200 Committee Room following an overview of the history and accomplishments of Ames Research Center.Credit: NASA Ames/Don Richey Daniel Andrews, project manager for NASA’s Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) (left), stands next to a full-scale model of the rover alongside visitors from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA): Dr. Hitoshi Kuninaka, Vice President of JAXA and Director General of JAXA’s Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS); Nobuhiro Takahashi of the ISAS Management and Integration Department; and Shintaro Chofuku, a JAXA engineer on detail to NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley (right), during a visit to Ames on Feb. 1, 2024. Left to Right: Project Manager of the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) Dan Andrews, Vice President and Director General, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Dr. Hitoshi Kuninaka, ISAS Management and Integration Department Nobuhiro Takahashi, and Shintaro Chofuku with the VIPER model in the lobby of N232.Credit: NASA Ames/Don Richey Following briefings about both agencies’ space science and spaceflight missions, Kuninaka toured several Ames facilities supporting NASA and JAXA’s exploration of the solar system. The heat shield for JAXA’s Hayabusa2 mission, which delivered a sample of an asteroid to Earth in 2020, was tested in the center’s arc jet facility, and a portion of that sample is now being studied by Ames researchers. An upcoming JAXA mission to study the two moons of Mars, called Martian Moons eXploration (MMX), was also tested in the arc jet. Present and future exploration of the Moon was a focus of the day, including a stop at Ames’ Lunar Imaging Lab following the VIPER briefing. Representatives from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) visited Ames on Feb. 1. Here they are seen with the Black Swift S2 UAS in the lobby of N232. Left to right: Vice President and Director General Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) and JAXA Dr. Hitoshi Kuninaka; Associate Director for Science and Strategy of the Science Directorate at NASA Ames Ryan Spackman; and ISAS Management and Integration Department Nobuhiro Takahashi.Credit: NASA Ames/Don Richey VIPER will be delivered to Mons Mouton near the Moon’s South Pole in late 2024 to map water and other potential resources and explore the characteristics of the lunar environment where NASA plans to send future astronauts as part of the Artemis campaign. Last month, JAXA’s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) arrived on the lunar surface, after reaching its targeted landing site with great accuracy. The mission aimed to demonstrate accurate lunar landing techniques by a small explorer, to help accelerate study of the Moon and planets using lighter exploration systems. Japan is a significant partner for NASA and for Ames, specifically,” said Center Director Eugene Tu. “From testing with our teams the X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft design to JAXA’s contributions to Artemis and Gateway, where astronauts on future lunar missions will stay, our work together runs broad and deep. We look forward to many more fruitful collaborations.” Faces of NASA Rodney Martin – Deputy Discovery & Systems Health Technical Area Lead at Ames “[In] everyone’s life, they have a pivotal moment when they ask the question, ‘What am I really doing? What am I here for?’ … I’m reminded of a credo that I came up [with] through the evolution of my engagement of a whole bunch of recreational pursuits [including being a marathoner, ultrarunner, and Ironman triathlete] … as well as my professional pursuits. It’s threefold, and here’s what it is: “[First,] I’m here because I want to be able to challenge myself, to see how much I can squeeze out of me – whatever that is, whatever ‘me’ is. [For example,] I applied to the astronaut candidate program twice, but I failed to make it to the second round. I figured I’d give a go at throwing my hat in the ring! Like with [an earlier career experience of failing out of] the Navy Nuclear Power Training Program, failure in one domain just means that you have to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and find a new direction – often pursuing stretch goals that are outside of your comfort zone. Dr. Rodney Martin, Deputy Discovery and Systems Health Technical Area Lead, NASA’s Ames Research CenterCredit: NASA Ames/Brandon Torres “[Second,] I want to serve others. I want to find a way to be of use to others, whether it’s in a structured manner or unstructured manner, whether it’s volunteering or just being a civil servant. I really focus on this service aspect; I did become a supervisor about three years ago, and I really take that role seriously. I really have a service-based leadership philosophy. … That’s why I think [mentoring student interns] represented such a [career] highlight for me, because I felt like I was serving their needs. I was helping to really educate them and [provide] knowledge that I want to … transfer to them, to really inspire that next generation of folks. “… And the third – which I think NASA fits beautifully – is, ‘How do I build the future? How do I help build the future?’ “So again, it’s challenge, service, and building the future. If I don’t do anything else in my entire life except for those three things, I’m at least getting something right. I might be getting everything else entirely wrong, but I can at least work toward those three things.” Math, Mentorship, Motherhood: Behind the Scenes with NASA Engineers by Arezu Sarvestani Engineering is a huge field with endless applications. From aerospace to ergonomics, engineers play an important role in designing, building, and testing technologies all around us. We asked three engineers at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley to share their experiences, from early challenges they faced in their careers to the day-to-day of being a working engineer. Give us a look behind the curtain – what is it like being an engineer at NASA? In her early days at NASA, Diana Acosta visited her aeronautics research and development team during her maternity leave and her daughter got her first introduction to flight simulation technology. Diana Acosta: I remember working on my first simulations. We were developing new aircraft with higher efficiency that could operate in new places, such as shorter runways. My team was putting together control techniques and introducing new algorithms to help pilots fly these new aircraft in a safer way. We were creating models and testing, then changing things and testing again. We had a simulator that worked on my laptop, and we had a lab with a pilot seat and controls. Every week, I made it my goal to finish my modeling or controls work and put that into the lab environment so that I could fly the aircraft. Every Friday afternoon, I would fly the aircraft in simulation and try out the changes I’d made to see if we were going in a good direction. We’d later integrate that into the Vertical Motion Simulator at Ames (which was used to train all the original space shuttle pilots) so that we could do a full motion test with a collection of pilots to get feedback. When simulation time came around, it was during my maternity leave and my team had to take the project to simulation without me. It’s hard to get out of the house with a newborn, but sometimes I’d come by with my daughter and bring brownies to the team. I have two daughters now, and they’ve both been in simulators since a young age. Diana Acosta is Chief of the Aerospace Simulation and Development Branch at NASA’s Ames Research Center. She has worked at NASA for 17 years. What’s a challenge you’ve overcome to become an engineer? Savvy Verma (standing) reviews simulation activity with Gus Guerra in the Terminal Tactical Separation Assured Flight Environment at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley.Credit: NASA Ames/Dominic Hart Savvy Verma: One of the biggest challenges when I started working was that I was sometimes the only woman in a group of men, and I was also much younger. It was sometimes a challenge to get my voice through, or to be heard. I had mentors who taught me to speak up and say things the way I saw them, and that’s what helped me. A good mentor will back you up and support you when you’re in big meetings or giving presentations. They’ll stand up and corroborate you when you’re right, and that goes a long way toward establishing your credibility. It also helped build my confidence, it made me feel like I was on the right track and not out of line. I had both male and female mentors. The female mentor I had always encouraged me to speak my mind. She said the integrity of the experimental result is more important than trying to change things because someone doesn’t like it or doesn’t want to express it a certain way. I have a lot more women coworkers now, things have changed a lot. In my group there are four women and three men. Savvy Verma is an aerospace engineer at NASA’s Ames Research Center. She has worked at NASA for 22 years. Can you become an engineer if you struggle with math in school? Dorcas Kaweesa Dorcas Kaweesa: When I introduce myself as an engineer, people always say, “You must be good at math,” and I say, “Oh, I work at it.” When you want to become an engineer, you must remain adaptable, hardworking, and always willing to learn something new. We’re constantly learning, critically thinking, and problem solving. Most of the time we apply mathematical concepts to the engineering problems we’re solving and not every problem is the same. If you struggle with math, my advice is to maintain the passion for learning, especially learning from your mistakes. It comes down to practicing and challenging yourself to think beyond the immediate struggle. There are so many types of math problems and if you’re not good at one, maybe you’re good at another. Maybe it’s just a hiccup. Also, seek help when you need it, there are instructors and peers out there willing to support you. Personally, I sought help from my instructors, peers, and mentors, in the math and engineering classes that I found challenging. I also practiced a great deal to improve my problem solving and critical thinking skills. In my current role, I am constantly learning new things based on the task at hand. Learning never ends! If you’re struggling with a math concept, don’t give up. Keep trying, keep accepting the challenge, and keep practicing, you’ll steadily make progress. Dorcas Kaweesa is mechanical engineer and structures analyst at NASA’s Ames Research Center. She has worked at NASA for more than two years. SMA Spotlight: Mission Support Creates Career Satisfaction for Zarchi Each month, the NASA Safety Center profiles a member of the Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA) community, providing insight into their background and highlighting the ways they contribute to the NASA mission. The SMA workforce is made up of a diverse group of professionals who operate across a range of disciplines to assure the safety of NASA personnel and enhance the success of the agency’s portfolio of programs and projects. In January, Kerry Zarchi, division chief, System Safety and Mission Assurance at NASA Ames earned the SMA spotlight recognition. Zarchi has worked in her SMA role for nearly three years but has been a member of the NASA family for 18 years. Prior to her SMA duties, Zarchi was a computational analyst and supervisor working on heat shields in Ames’ Entry Systems and Technology division. Zarchi’s supervisory and engineering background has served her well in her SMA role at Ames, which she describes as a “jack-of-all-trades” facility. Kerry Zarchi, division chief, System Safety and Mission Assurance at NASA Ames earned the SMA spotlight recognition in January. “I am never bored! Because Ames is small, we kind of do it all,” she said. “We have a lot of ‘do-no-harm’ missions, as well as high-risk missions, and we have a lot of critical facilities here.” Zarchi’s group supports a varied roster of Ames projects, including Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER), Arc Jet Modernization, HelioSwarm, the creation of a procurement Quality Assurance capability, and facilities like wind tunnels and the Vertical Motion Simulator. In addition to her supervisory duties, Zarchi is enjoying the long-term work of building new leadership roles within her division to give her staff more opportunities. “I want to see them go in the different directions they choose,” she said. “Enabling them in their careers is my proudest achievement.” Throughout her career in multiple roles and levels of responsibility, Zarchi said the best learning experiences she’s had are failures. “Any time there’s some kind of adversity or challenge, it requires reflection and homework,” she said. She advises early career employees to embrace those hard situations and not be afraid to ask questions to expand their skills and knowledge. “The best way to get understanding is by asking questions and speaking up,” she said. “A vital ability that we all need to have, regardless of our role, is the ability to communicate.” Zarchi believes the SMA community will continue to see funding challenges as well as requirements tailoring support. “Reliance on funding from projects is a challenge,” she said. “A lot of thought needs to go into making sure we are maintaining our independence, even though we are charging to projects. There’s also a lot of work to be done codifying the tailoring of SMA support to high-risk projects.” Throughout these challenges, Zarchi encourages her SMA colleagues to understand just how important their roles are to the NASA community. “I want SMA to know that they’re crucial to NASA’s mission, even if they don’t hear it often or get that feeling,” she said. “It’s vital that this community stays healthy and supportive of each other. I love how everyone I encounter in SMA is so supportive. I admire that and want to embody that as well.” Zarchi said that the opportunity to have a direct impact on NASA missions is what made her SMA role most appealing. “What we do is really important, and I appreciate the gravity of the role,” she said. “We touch nearly everything. I want to help spread the word on the importance of SMA and why people should care about it.” Robot Team Builds High-Performance Digital Structure for NASA by Gianine Figliozzi Greater than the sum of its parts: NASA tests the capability of a system that includes simple robots, structural building blocks, and smart algorithms to build functional, high-performance large-scale structures, ultimately enabling autonomous deep-space infrastructure. Research engineer Christine Gregg inspects a Mobile Metamaterial Internal Co-Integrator (MMIC-I) builder robot. These simple robots are part of a hardware and software system NASA researchers are developing to autonomously build and maintain high-performance large space structures comprised of building blocks. MMIC-I works by climbing though the interior space of building blocks and bolting them to the rest of the structure during a build or unbolting during disassembly.Credit: NASA Ames/Dominic Hart If they build it, we will go – for the long-term. Future long-duration and deep-space exploration missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond will require a way to build large-scale infrastructure, such as solar power stations, communications towers, and habitats for crew. To sustain a long-term presence in deep space, NASA needs the capability to construct and maintain these systems in place, rather than sending large pre-assembled hardware from Earth. NASA’s Automated Reconfigurable Mission Adaptive Digital Assembly Systems (ARMADAS) team is developing a hardware and software system to meet that need. The system uses different types of inchworm-like robots that can assemble, repair, and reconfigure structural materials for a variety of large-scale hardware systems in space. The robots can do their jobs in orbit, on the lunar surface, or on other planets – even before humans arrive. Researchers at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley recently performed a laboratory demonstration of the ARMADAS technology and analyzed the system’s performance. During the tests, three robots worked autonomously as a team to build a meters-scale shelter structure – roughly the size of a shed – using hundreds of building blocks. The team published their results today in Science Robotics. Research engineer Taiwo Olatunde, left, and intern Megan Ochalek, right, observe as robots move and assemble composite building blocks into a structure. The robots worked on their own to complete the structure in a little over 100 hours of operations. To facilitate the team’s watchful monitoring of the robots’ performance, the demonstration was split over several weeks of regular working hours.Credit: NASA Ames/Dominic Hart “The ground assembly experiment demonstrated crucial parts of the system: the scalability and reliability of the robots, and the performance of structures they build. This type of test is key for maturing the technology for space applications,” said Christine Gregg, ARMADAS chief engineer at NASA Ames. The high strength, stiffness, and low mass of the structural product is comparable to today’s highest-performance structures, like long bridges, aircraft wings, and space structures – such as the International Space Station’s trusses. Such performance is a giant leap for the field of robotically reconfigurable structures. A Scaling Omnidirectional Lattice Locomoting Explorer (SOLL-E) builder robot carries a soccer ball-sized building block called a voxel – short for volumetric pixel – during a demonstration of NASA’s Automated Reconfigurable Mission Adaptive Digital Assembly Systems (ARMADAS) technology at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley. The voxels are made of strong and lightweight composite materials formed into a shape called a cuboctahedron.Credit: NASA Ames/Dominic Hart A Reliable System Relies on Building Blocks Building blocks are also key to the robotic system autonomy and reliability. “Generally, it’s very hard to develop robust autonomous robots that can operate in unstructured environments, like a typical construction site. We turn that problem on its head by making very simple and reliable robots that operate in an extremely structured lattice environment,” said Gregg. For the demonstration, the ARMADAS team provided plans for the structure, but they didn’t micromanage the robots’ work. Software algorithms did the job of planning the robots’ tasks. The system practiced the build sequence in simulation before the actual run started. While in operation, two robots – stepping inchworm style – walked on the exterior of the structure, moving one soccer ball-sized voxel at a time. One robot fetched the voxels from a supply station and passed them to the second robot that, in turn, placed each voxel on its target location. A third robot followed these placements, climbing though the interior space of the voxels and bolting each new voxel to the rest of the structure. Screenshot from a time-lapse showing robots working autonomously as a team, to assemble a meters-scale shelter structure using hundreds of building blocks during a technology demonstration at NASA’s Ames.Credit: NASA “Because the robots align each small step to the structure in what is essentially a 3D grid, simple algorithms with low computation and sensing requirements can achieve high-level autonomy goals. The system builds and error-corrects on its own with no machine vision or external means of measurement,” said Gregg. Future work will expand the library of voxel types that the robots work with, to include solar panels, electrical connections, shielding, and more. Each new module type will dramatically expand the possible applications because the robots can mix and match them to meet specific needs and locations. The ARMADAS team is also working on new robot capabilities, such as inspection tools, to ensure that autonomously constructed facilities are safe and sound before astronauts arrive. ARMADAS’ technology approach increases what we can do with equipment sent for most deep space exploration missions, and how long we can use them. When a mission completes, robots can disassemble space structures, repurpose the building blocks, and construct designs of the future. This artist’s concept shows the autonomous assembly of critical infrastructure needed for a long-duration human presence on the Moon. Here robots are using modular building blocks to construct structures (left, center) that can protect crew, science facilities, or equipment from space radiation and micrometeoroids. Robots are building a large antenna atop a tower (right) as part of a lunar communications network.NASA In Memoriam … Senior Research Scientist Dr. Andrzej Pohorille Dies It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of our friend and colleague Dr. Andrzej (Andrew) Pohorille, on January 6, 2024. Andrew was a member of the Exobiology Branch at Ames for more than 27 years. Dr. Andrzej (Andrew) Pohorille Andrew received his Ph.D. in theoretical physics (with specialty in biophysics) from the University of Warsaw. He did his postdoctoral work with Professor Bernard Pullman at the Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique in Paris. In 1992, he became a professor of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of California San Francisco, and in 1996 he joined the staff at NASA Ames, where he directed the NASA Center for Computational Astrobiology. In 2000, he received a NASA Group Award for Astrobiology, and in 2002 he was awarded the NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal. In 2005, he was named Distinguished Lecturer at the Centre for Mathematical Modeling and the National Centre for Space Research in the U.K., and the H. Julian Allen Award at Ames in 2010. Most recently, in December 2023, Andrew was awarded the NASA Exceptional Service Medal for “distinguished service and sustained contributions to NASA’s establishment of Astrobiology as a vibrant, rigorous, and accessible scientific discipline.” Andrew’s main interests were focused on modeling the origins of life, computer simulations of biomolecular systems, modeling genetic and metabolic networks, and statistical mechanics of condensed phases. He also worked on the development of novel computational methods for parallel and distributed computing. Andrew had worked on developing concepts and designing instruments for microbiology experiments on small satellites and in the lunar environment, and on new ways to organize scientific information. In recent years, Andrew has served as a co-lead on two large projects: Evolutionary processes that drove the emergence and early distribution of life (EPDEL) and Center for Life Detection Research and Service (CLD/RS). In the latter, his main accomplishment was to lead the design, deployment, and upgrades of the Life Detection Knowledge Base. Andrew coauthored more than 120 peer-reviewed publications. The nomination for Andrew’s Exceptional Service Medal included the statement, “Through his wide-ranging technical contributions, tireless community organizing, and one-on-one mentorship of many, he exemplifies the meaning of “exceptional service”. Andrew will be truly missed by all of us. Statistical Summary of Activities of the Protective Service Division’s Security/Law Enforcement and Fire Protection Services Units for Period Ending December 2023 Oct-Dec2023SecurityChart Oct-Dec2023FireChartView the full article

NASA NASA and the American Center for Manufacturing and Innovation (ACMI) signed an agreement Thursday, Feb. 29 to lease underutilized land in a 240-acre Exploration Park at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. ACMI will enable the development of facilities to enable commercial and defense space manufacturing. The agreement is the second such public/private lease agreement to allow industry and academia to use NASA Johnson land to create facilities for a collaborative development environment that increases commercial access and enhances the United States’ commercial competitiveness in the space and aerospace industries. NASA signed a similar lease with the Texas A&M University System earlier this month. Calling it the Space Systems Campus, ACMI plans to incorporate an applied research facility partnered with multiple stakeholders across academia, state and local government, the Department of Defense and regional economic development organizations. “For more than 60 years, NASA Johnson has been the hub of human space exploration,” said NASA Johnson Director Vanessa Wyche. “This Space Systems Campus will be a significant component within our objectives for a robust and durable space economy that will benefit not only the nation’s efforts to explore the Moon, Mars and the asteroids, but all of humanity as the benefits of space exploration research roll home to Earth.” As the home of Mission Control Center for the agency’s human space missions, astronaut training, robotics, human health and space medicine, NASA Johnson leads the way for the human exploration. Leveraging this unique role and location, Exploration Park will play a key role in helping the human spaceflight community attain U.S. goals for the commercialization and development of a robust space economy by creating an infrastructure that fosters a multi-use environment where academic researchers, aerospace companies and entrepreneurs can collaborate with NASA. Exploration Park will create an infrastructure that allows for a multi-use space hardware development environment, where academic researchers, aerospace companies and entrepreneurs can collaborate on space exploration’s greatest challenges. “ACMI Properties will develop this Campus to serve the needs of our future tenants, aerospace industry, the Department of Defense and other significant stakeholders that comprise our ecosystem approach,” said Simon Shewmaker, head of development for ACMI Properties. “Our aim is to support human spaceflight missions for the next 40 years and beyond.” NASA issued an announcement for proposals for use of the undeveloped and underutilized land near Saturn Lane on June 9, 2023, and has just completed negotiations with ACMI to formalize the lease agreement. The parcel is outside of Johnson’s controlled access area and adjacent to its main campus. NASA will lease the land for 20 years with two 20-year extention options, for a potential of up to 60 years. In the coming years, NASA and its academic, commercial, and international partners will see the completion of the International Space Station Program, the commercial development of low Earth orbit, and the first human Artemis campaign missions establishing sustainable human presence on the Moon in preparation for human missions to Mars. Johnson already is leading the commercialization of space with the commercial cargo and crew programs and private astronaut missions to the space station. The center also is supporting the development of commercial space stations in low Earth orbit, and lunar-capable commercial spacesuits and lunar landers that will be provided as services to both NASA and the private sector to accelerate human access to space. Through the development of Exploration Park, the center will broaden the scope of the human spaceflight community that is tackling the many difficult challenges ahead. -end- Kelly Humphries Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 kelly.o.humphries@nasa.gov View the full article

4 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Clayton P. Turner serves as the Director of NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. His career at NASA Langley has spanned 33 years. Clayton P. Turner serves as the Director of NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. His career at NASA Langley has spanned 33 years. His experiences prior to his career with NASA include three years of military service. He graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y. with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering.   Who or what inspired you to choose your career and why?   A snowstorm in western New York inspired me to go back to college. An interest in engineering inspired me to pursue an engineering degree. The work of others behind the scenes brought me to NASA. When I graduated from high school, I went to college to study what all my friends were studying. I didn’t have the proper motivation, so that didn’t go well. I went into the service and was in the military for three years. I worked as a recording engineer for about ten years. I worked repairing pinball machines and video games. It was in the last career piece where I was in a blizzard, outside on the back of a pickup truck when I decided to go back to college, significantly more motivated! I think my story highlights the story of many people: there’s not a storybook path to get to NASA. Everybody’s path will be their own path.  What do you find most rewarding about working with NASA?   I find it rewarding that we get to reach for new heights to reveal the unknown for the benefit of humankind. We get to change the lives of people in a positive way. We get to impact the country. I have a saying on my board that reads, “We have the privilege to serve our country and the power to unite it.” That’s what’s exciting about being at NASA for me.  What do you enjoy doing outside of work?    I enjoy traveling. The thing I’ve enjoyed the most over the last two years was going to visit my grandson, who is my first grandchild. What advice would you give to someone who might be interested in pursuing a career at NASA?   Once you find your passion and the thing that excites you, you need to come and talk with us at NASA! Yes, we need scientists and engineers, but we need accountants, lawyers, and communications specialists. We have a great need right now for technicians. There is a wide range of fields where you can come and do exactly what I described: reach for new heights to reveal the unknown for the benefit of humankind.   How does your background and heritage contribute to your perspective and approach in your role at NASA?   I think what was poured into me as I was growing up and was in the people who surrounded me was a desire and energy to serve and the insistence on making life better for others. That has been a big influence in me. I tend to be a bit of an introvert but because of my culture and because of my background I recognize it’s not actually about me, it’s about what you’re going to do for someone else. The 2024 theme for Black History Month is “African Americans and the Arts,” spanning the many impacts that Black Americans have had on visual arts, music, cultural movements and more. How have the arts played a role in your life?    The arts have pulled me out of my shell a bit and allowed me to try new things, experience new things, and listen to new things. If you listen to my playlist on my phone, you’d be surprised at what’s on there, but there are songs that come from a wide range of cultures that just light up my heart and make me think deeply. Being exposed to those things has made a big difference in my life. Facebook logo @NASALaRC @NASA_Langley Instagram logo @NASA_Langley Linkedin logo @NASA-Langley-Research-Center Explore More 8 min read Langley Celebrates Black History Month: Matthew Hayes Article 2 days ago 6 min read Langley Celebrates Black History Month: Brittny McGraw Article 2 days ago 5 min read Langley Celebrates Black History Month: Brandon Sells Article 2 days ago Share Details Last Updated Feb 29, 2024 Related TermsLangley Research CenterBlack History MonthDiversity at NASAPeople of NASA View the full article

3 Min Read Student Teams to Help Fill the Inflatable Void with Latest Student Challenge This year will be a “BIG” year for several college and university teams as they research, design, and demonstrate novel inflatable systems configured for future lunar operations through a NASA-sponsored engineering competition. NASA’s Breakthrough, Innovative and Game-Changing (BIG) Idea Challenge asked student innovators to propose novel inflatable component and system concepts that could benefit future Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond. The Inflatable Systems for Lunar Operations theme allowed teams to submit various technology concepts such as soft robotics, deployable infrastructure components, emergency shelters or other devices for extended extravehicular activities, pressurized tunnels and airlocks, and debris shields and dust protection systems. Inflatable systems could greatly reduce the mass and stowed volume of science and exploration payloads, critical for lowering costs to deep-space destinations. Award values vary between ~$100,000 and $150,000 and are based on each team’s prototype and budget. The 2024 BIG Idea Challenge awardees are: Arizona State UniversityTempe, ArizonaAegis – Inflatable Lunar Landing Pad SystemAdvisors: Tyler Smith, Dr. James Bell, James Rice, Josh ChangBrigham Young University Provo, UtahUntethered and Modular Inflatable Robots for Lunar OperationsAdvisors: Dr. Nathan Usevitch, Dr. Marc KillpackCalifornia Institute of Technology, with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Cislune and VJ TechnologiesPasadena, CaliforniaPILLARS: Plume-deployed Inflatable for Launch and Landing Abrasive Regolith ShieldingAdvisors: Dr. Soon-Jo Chung, Kalind CarpenterNorthwestern University, with National Aerospace CorporationEvanston, Illinois METALS: Metallic Expandable Technology for Artemis Lunar StructuresAdvisors: Dr. Ian McCue, Dr. Ryan TrubyUniversity of Maryland College Park, MarylandAuxiliary Inflatable Wheels for Lunar RoverAdvisor: Dr. David AkinUniversity of MichiganAnn Arbor, MichiganCargo-BEEP (Cargo Balancing Expandable Exploration Platform)Advisor: Dr. John Shaw Once funded, finalist teams continue designing, building, and testing their concepts, which could lead to NASA innovations that augment technology currently in development. Work performed by the teams culminates in a final technical paper, prototype demonstration, and potential opportunity to present in front of a diverse panel of NASA and industry experts. As a program affiliated with NASA’s Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative (LSII), the BIG Idea Challenge incubates new ideas from the future workforce. Through the challenge, student teams aid LSII’s mission to advance transformative capabilities for lunar surface exploration across NASA’s Space Technology portfolio. We truly love engaging with the academic community and incorporating the students’ novel ideas into our approaches to technology development. We need cutting-edge and groundbreaking technologies for successful space exploration missions, so it’s important that we continue to push the envelope and ignite innovation. I can’t think of a better way to do that than collaborating with bright, creative minds who will comprise our future workforce. Niki Werkheiser Director of Technology Maturation at NASA Since its inception in 2016, the challenge has invited students to think critically and creatively about several defined aerospace topics, including extreme terrain robotics, lunar metal production, Mars greenhouse development, and more. Each year, the theme is tied directly to a current aerospace challenge NASA is working on. Through the BIG Idea Challenge, we enhance the university experience by providing students and faculty with more opportunities to engage in meaningful NASA projects. This not only enables a multitude of networking opportunities for the students but also gives them a real sense of accomplishment and lets them know that their ideas are important. Through the BIG Idea Challenge, we enhance the university experience by providing students and faculty with more opportunities to engage in meaningful NASA projects. This not only enables a multitude of networking opportunities for the students but also gives them a real sense of accomplishment and lets them know that their ideas are important. Tomas Gonzalez-Torres NASA’s Space Grant project manager The BIG Idea Challenge is one of several Artemis student challenges sponsored through NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate’s Game Changing Development (GCD) program and the agency’s Office of STEM Engagement Space Grant Project. It is managed by a partnership between the National Institute of Aerospace and The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. BIG Idea supports GCD’s efforts to rapidly mature innovative and high-impact capabilities and technologies for possible infusion in future NASA missions, while creating a rewarding student and faculty experience. The 16-month intensive project-based program supports innovations initiated and furthered by the student teams that can possibly be adopted by NASA, and it works to endeavor ambitious new missions beyond Earth. Learn more about this year’s BIG Idea Challenge AMA Advanced Concepts Lab Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate Game Changing Development NASA’s Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative Get Involved View the full article

NASA's 2024 Astronaut Graduation (Official NASA Trailer)

1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA/Genaro Vavuris NASA Artemis II astronaut Victor Glover met with Edwards Air Force Base school-age children at a joint NASA and Air Force Black Employee Resource Group event at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Feb. 15. Share Details Last Updated Feb 29, 2024 EditorDede DiniusContactTeresa Whitingteresa.whiting@nasa.gov Related TermsArmstrong Flight Research CenterArtemisAstronautsJohnson Space CenterVictor J. Glover Explore More 4 min read NASA Signs Agreement with Nikon to Develop Lunar Artemis Camera Article 4 hours ago 4 min read Splashdown 101: Joint Team to Recover Crew, Orion After Moon Missions Article 23 hours ago 5 min read Groundbreaking Results from Space Station Science in 2023 Article 2 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center Artemis NASA Astronaut: Victor J. Glover Former Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong View the full article

Following a launch on Feb. 15, Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus lander touched down in the Moon’s south polar region on Feb. 22 and has since transmitted valuable scientific data back to Earth. Odysseus took six NASA payloads along for the ride and their data will prepare us for future human exploration of the Moon under Artemis. This landing marked the United States’ first lunar landing since Apollo 17, as well as the first landing as part of our Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, which aims to expand the lunar economy to support future crewed Artemis missions. Read the latest updates about Intuitive Machines’ first mission to the Moon. View the full article

NASA Remembers Astronaut Richard Truly

4 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) 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. 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 in Huntsville, Alabama, 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. 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 (JETT) Field Test 3 in Arizona. NASA / Bill Stafford 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 crewmembers 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 crewmembers 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. For more information about Artemis, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/artemis -end- Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Humans In Space Artemis Gateway Space Station Commercial Space View the full article

Science in Space February 2024 Instruments on the exterior of the International Space Station provide data on astrophysical phenomena that are helping scientists better understand our universe and its origins. Crew members install and maintain these instruments robotically and scientific teams operate them remotely. One of the instruments, the Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER), measures X-rays emitted by neutron stars and other cosmic objects to help answer questions about matter and gravity. Neutron stars, the densest measurable objects in the universe, are the remains of massive stars that exploded into supernovae. Some are called pulsars because they spin, sweeping bright X-ray beams across the sky like lighthouse beacons. NICER is located on the space station because the X-rays emitted by neutron stars do not penetrate Earth’s atmosphere. A view of NICER on the exterior of the International Space Station.NASA In May 2023, NICER developed a “light leak,” with unwanted sunlight entering the instrument. As a result, the team limits daytime observations to objects far from the Sun’s position in the sky and lowers NICER’s sensitivity during the orbital day. Nighttime observations are not affected. Even with these limitations, NICER’s recent observations continue to generate results and papers, many published in top-tier journals. Neutron Star Cores Scientists suspect that neutron stars grow denser toward their cores, but the form of matter in their centers remains unknown. NICER’s precise measurements of the size and mass of these stars are providing more insight. In 2021, two teams used different approaches to model the size of PSR J0740+6620, the heaviest known pulsar at 2.1 times the Sun’s mass, and produced measurements that are essentially in agreement.1,2 This star is almost 50% more massive than a previous pulsar measured by NICER, J0030+0451, but is essentially the same diameter.3,4 Scientists are investigating how this finding might change popular models of neutron star core composition. X-ray Binaries NICER has advanced understanding of X-ray binaries, systems where superdense objects such as neutron stars are paired with normal stars. X-ray binaries produce gravitational waves, invisible ripples in space-time also produced by exploding stars and merging black holes. Data from gravitational wave signals are being used to map the galaxy’s binaries. Joint observations by NICER and NASA’s Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) revealed specific properties of an X-Ray binary, 4U 0614+091, that increase understanding of these phenomena.5 A joint NICER and NuSTAR observation of an ultra-compact X-ray binary (UCXB), 4U 1543-624, is helping scientists fine tune models of gravitational waves from these sources.6 The behavior of UCXBs suggests that the superdense object of the pair takes material from its companion star. Analysis of NICER observations of the gamma-ray binary LS 5039 found its X-ray emissions vary, perhaps because of winds from its companion.7 Gamma-ray binaries include a normal and a collapsed star. This observation helps astronomers study the nature of these stars and some of the most extreme conditions in the universe. Pulsar Outbursts Similar behaviors in outbursts from the pulsar PSR J1846-0258 monitored by NICER in 2020 and 2006 suggest there is a continuum of neutron star types.8 At one end of the continuum are rotation-powered pulsars (RPPs), which shine from energy generated by a slowing rotation, and at the other, magnetars, which have magnetic fields up to a thousand times stronger than typical neutron stars. Astrophysicists also compared NICER data on X-ray outbursts in 2021 and 2006 from RS Ophiuchi.9 This system is a recurrent nova, a binary system with a white dwarf that is taking material from its companion star. This collected material eventually undergoes a thermonuclear explosion, blasting out a mushroom cloud. Scientists used NICER data to probe the chemical content of the cloud and the white dwarf’s hot surface. Animation of a spinning pulsar.NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab More Astrophysics Tools CALET, an instrument developed by JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), measures the electron spectrum of cosmic rays to search for signatures of dark matter. Data from CALET validated a method for measuring changes in the solar magnetic field, which affects weather and radio communications on Earth.10 JAXA’s Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image (MAXI) investigation scans 95% of the sky for X-ray sources with each orbit of the space station. MAXI has observed hundreds of outbursts, including five between 2016 and 2020 from the X-ray binary Aquila X-1.11 Observing such systems reveals the dynamics of the high-energy processes fueled by the transfer of matter between stars. MAXI also observed, for the first time, a massive black hole swallowing a star in the center of a galaxy 3.9 billion light years away.12 Multiple instruments attached to the Kibo module of the International Space Station. MAXI is barely visible behind the end of the robot arm.NASA When MAXI detects an object that brightens suddenly, the Orbiting High-energy Monitor Alert Network (OHMAN) alerts NICER so it can observe the object. By directly connecting the two instruments, OHMAN cut the response time from hours or days to minutes and could enable new discoveries about the physics behind some of the most powerful events in the universe. View of the AMS-02 on the exterior of the International Space Station.NASA Crew members traveling to the Moon or Mars need protection from cosmic rays, high energy particles from distant stars. The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02) detects cosmic ray particles and determines their charge. Among the many papers using AMS-02 data is one reporting distinct differences in duration and strength of daily electron and proton flows in cosmic rays.13 These data help scientists better understand cosmic rays and could help protect astronauts on future missions. John Love, ISS Research Planning Integration Scientist Expedition 70 Search this database of scientific experiments to learn more about those mentioned above. Citations: 1 Miller MC, Lamb FK, Dittmann AJ, Bogdanov S, Arzoumanian Z, Gendreau KC, et al. The Radius of PSR J0740+6620 from NICER and XMM-Newton Data. The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 2021 September; 918(2). DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/ac089b. 2 Riley TE, Watts AL, Ray PS, Bogdanov S, Guillot S, et al. A NICER View of the Massive Pulsar PSR J0740+6620 Informed by Radio Timing and XMM-Newton Spectroscopy. The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 2021 September. 918(2). DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/ac0a81 3 Miller MC, Lamb FK, Pittman AJ, Bogdanov S, Arzoumanian Z, et al. PSR J0030+0451 Mass and Radius from NICER Data and Implications for the Properties of Neutron Star Matter. The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 2019 December. 887(1). DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/ab50c5. 4 Riley TE, Watts AL, Bogdanov S, Ray PS, Ludlam RM, et al. A NICER View of PSR J0030+0451: Millisecond Pulsar Parameter Estimation. The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 2019 December. 887(1). DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/ab481c. 5 Moutard DL, Ludlam RM, Garcia JA, Altamirano D, Buisson DJ, et al. Simultaneous NICER and NuSTAR observations of the ultracompact X-ray binary 4U 0614+091. The Astrophysical Journal. 2023 November; 957(1): 27. DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/acf4f3. 6 Ludlam RM, Jaodand AD, Garcia JA, Degenaar N, Tomsick JA, et al. Simultaneous NICER and NuSTAR observations of the ultracompact X-Ray binary 4U 1543–624. The Astrophysical Journal. 2021 April; 911(2): 123. DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/abedb0. 7 Yoneda H, Bosch-Ramon V, Enoto T, Khangulyan D, Ray PS, et al. Unveiling properties of the nonthermal X-ray production in the gamma-ray binary LS 5039 using the long-term pattern of its fast X-ray variability. The Astrophysical Journal. 2023 May; 948(2): 77. DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/acc175. 8 Hu C, Kuiper LM, Harding AK, Younes GA, Blumer H, et al. A NICER view on the 2020 magnetar-like outburst of PSR J1846−0258. The Astrophysical Journal. 2023 August; 952(2): 120. DOI 10.3847/1538-4357/acd850. 9 Orio M, Gendreau KC, Giese M, Luna GJ, Magdolen J, et al. The RS Oph outburst of 2021 monitored in X-Rays with NICER. The Astrophysical Journal. 2023 September; 955(1): 37. DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ace9bd. 10 Adriani O, Akaike Y, Asano K, Asaoka Y, Berti E, et al, CALET Collaboration. Charge-sign dependent cosmic-ray modulation observed with the Calorimetric Electron Telescope on the International Space Station. Physical Review Letters. 2023 May 25; 130(21): 211001. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.211001. 11 Niwano M, Murata KL, Ito N, Yatsu Y, Kawai N. Optical and X-ray variations during five outbursts of Aql X-1 in 3.6 yr from 2016. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 2023 November 1; 525(3): 4358-4366. DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stad2561. 12 Burrows DN, Kennea JA, Ghisellini G, Mangano V, Zhang BB, et al. Relativistic jet activity from the tidal disruption of a star by a massive black hole. Nature. 2011 August 25; 476421-424. DOI: 10.1038/nature10374. 13 Aguilar-Benitez M, Ambrosi G, Anderson H, Arruda MF, Attig N, et a;. Temporal structures in positron spectra and charge-sign effects in galactic cosmic rays. Physical Review Letters. 2023 October 13; 131(15): 151002. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.151002. Keep Exploring Discover More Topics Latest News from Space Station Research Station Science 101: Earth and Space Science Astrophysics Programs The Astrophysics Division has three focused programs (Physics of the Cosmos, Cosmic Origins and Exoplanet Exploration) which provide an intellectual… Space Station Research Results View the full article

Former NASA Administrator and astronaut, Richard Truly.NASA The following is a statement from NASA Administrator Bill Nelson on former NASA Administrator and astronaut Richard Truly, who passed away Feb. 27, 2024, at his home in Genesee, Colorado, at the age of 86. “NASA is the place it is today because of people of character, vision, and a spirit of service – people like the great man we lost Feb. 27, former NASA administrator, associate administrator, and astronaut Richard Truly. “In his decades of service – to the Navy, to NASA, to his country – Richard lifted ever higher humanity’s quest to know the unknown and to achieve the impossible dream. “Across his 30 years in the Navy, Richard served as a test pilot and naval aviator, making more than 300 aircraft carrier landings. Richard rose from the role of ensign to vice admiral. “As an astronaut, Richard was part of the crew for the Approach and Landing Tests of the space shuttle Enterprise. He piloted space shuttle Columbia during STS-2, the first piloted spacecraft reflown in space, and commanded space shuttle Challenger during STS-8 – the first night launch and landing of its era. “As associate administrator, after the Challenger crisis, Richard brought NASA to its first liftoff and return to flight. He led the Space Shuttle Program to once again take to the skies and reach for the stars. He understood no matter what difficulties we endure, there is only one direction for humanity and NASA: forward. “As NASA administrator, it also was under Richard’s leadership and judgment that Voyager 1turned Earthward and took a final picture of our beautiful planet as it floated 3.7 billion miles away. It was the picture that became known as the “Pale Blue Dot.” This is to say that as administrator, Richard’s vision was bold and broad. Humanity is all the better for that vision. “Woven through these accolades, tests, and triumphs was Richard’s poise as a leader and vision as a pioneer. “Richard had the makings of someone who understood that we choose to do great things not because they are easy, but because they are hard. He was a personal friend and a mentor to so many of us. I share my deep condolences with Richard’s wife, Cody, and their three children. I invite all those who care for humanity’s quest to reach ever higher to join me in saying farewell to a great public servant.” For more information about Truly’s NASA career, and his agency biography, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/people/richard-h-truly/ -end- Faith McKie / Cheryl Warner Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 faith.d.mckie@nasa.gov / cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Feb 29, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsNASA HeadquartersAstronautsFormer AstronautsHumans in SpaceRichard H. Truly View the full article

33 Min Read The Marshall Star for February 28, 2024 NASA Tech Contributes to Soft Moon Landing For the first time in more than 50 years, new NASA science instruments and technology demonstrations are operating on the Moon following the first successful delivery of the agency’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative. Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander, called Odysseus, completed a seven-day journey to lunar orbit and executed procedures to softly land near Malapert A in the South Pole region of the Moon at 5:24 p.m. on Feb. 22. The mission marks the first commercial uncrewed landing on the Moon. On Feb. 22, Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus lunar lander captures a wide field of view image of Schomberger crater on the Moon approximately 125 miles uprange from the intended landing site, at approximately 6 miles altitude.Credit: Intuitive Machines NASA and Intuitive Machines co-hosted an afternoon news conference Feb. 28 from the agency’s Johnson Space Center. NASA+, NASA Television, and the agency’s website will provide updates. Carrying six NASA science research and technology demonstrations, among other customer payloads, all NASA science instruments completed transit checkouts en route to the Moon. A NASA precision landing technology demonstration also provided critical last-minute assistance to ensure a soft landing. As part of NASA’s Artemis campaign, the lunar delivery is in the region where NASA will send astronauts to search for water and other lunar resources later this decade. “For the first time in more than half a century, America returned to the Moon. Congratulations to Intuitive Machines for placing the lunar lander Odysseus carrying NASA scientific instruments to a place no person or machine has gone before, the lunar South Pole,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “This feat from Intuitive Machines, SpaceX, and NASA demonstrates the promise of American leadership in space and the power of commercial partnerships under NASA’s CLPS initiative. Further, this success opens the door for new voyages under Artemis to send astronauts to the Moon, then onward to Mars.” During the journey to the Moon, NASA instruments measured the quantity of cryogenic engine fuel as it has been used, and while descending toward the lunar surface, teams collected data on plume-surface interactions and tested precision landing technologies. New lunar science, technology NASA’s Navigation Doppler Lidar for Precise Velocity and Range Sensing (NDL) guidance system for descent and landing ultimately played a key role in aiding the successful landing. A few hours ahead of landing, Intuitive Machines encountered a sensor issue with their navigation system and leaned on NASA’s guidance system for an assist to precisely land. NASA’s instrument operates on the same principles of radar and uses pulses from a laser emitted through three optical telescopes. It measures speed, direction, and altitude with high precision during descent and touchdown. Experts from NASA and Intuitive Machines hosted a news conference Feb. 23 at NASA’s Johnson Space Center to discuss the soft landing of the company’s Nova-C lander, called Odysseus. Participants in the briefing included, from left, Steve Altemus, chief executive officer and co-founder, Intuitive Machines; Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for Exploration, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters; Tim Crain, chief technology officer and co-founder, Intuitive Machines; and Prasun Desai, deputy associate administrator, Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters.Credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz NASA instruments focused on investigating lunar surface interactions and radio astronomy. The Odysseus lander also carries a retroreflector array that will contribute to a network of location markers on the Moon for communication and navigation for future autonomous navigation technologies. Additional NASA hardware aboard the lander includes: Lunar Node 1 Navigation Demonstrator: A small, CubeSat-sized experiment that will demonstrate autonomous navigation that could be used by future landers, surface infrastructure, and astronauts, digitally confirming their positions on the Moon relative to other spacecraft, ground stations, or rovers on the move. LN-1 was developed, built, and tested at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Laser Retroreflector Array: A collection of eight retroreflectors that enable precision laser ranging, which is a measurement of the distance between the orbiting or landing spacecraft to the reflector on the lander. The array is a passive optical instrument and will function as a permanent location marker on the Moon for decades to come. Radio Frequency Mass Gauge: A technology demonstration that measures the amount of propellant in spacecraft tanks in a low-gravity space environment. Using sensor technology, the gauge will measure the amount of cryogenic propellant in Nova-C’s fuel and oxidizer tanks, providing data that could help predict fuel usage on future missions. Radio-wave Observations at the Lunar Surface of the Photoelectron Sheath: The instrument will observe the Moon’s surface environment in radio frequencies, to determine how natural and human-generated activity near the surface interacts with and could interfere with science conducted there. Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies: A suite of four tiny cameras to capture imagery showing how the Moon’s surface changes from interactions with the spacecraft’s engine plume during and after descent. NASA is committed to supporting its U.S. commercial vendors as they navigate the challenges of sending science and technology to the surface of the Moon. “In daring to confront one of humanity’s greatest challenges, Intuitive Machines created an entire lunar program that has ventured farther than any American mission to land on the Moon in over 50 years,” said Steve Altemus, CEO of Intuitive Machines. “This humbling moment reminds us that pursuing the extraordinary requires both boldness and resilience.” › Back to Top Take 5 with Manil Maskey By Wayne Smith As a NASA senior research scientist, Manil Maskey supports the development of artificial intelligence technologies. What isn’t artificial is his drive to make a difference. From a young age, Maskey has been fascinated with applied mathematics and solving problems. This led him to pursue fields where these skills could be applied, such as working at NASA. But while getting his undergraduate degree in math from Fairmont State University in West Virginia, Maskey was rejected for a NASA internship. Manil Maskey, senior research scientist, project manager for NASA’s IMPACT project at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center, and a detailee at NASA Headquarters, talks Feb. 21 during the AI Symposium at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville. NASA/Jonathan Deal “That lesson has been invaluable throughout my career,” said Maskey, the senior research scientist and project manager for the IMPACT (Interagency Implementation and Advanced Concepts Team) project in the Earth Science branch at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. “That moment was a powerful motivator.” After working in industry and academia, he sought a new challenge with NASA. Maskey said the agency’s commitment to pushing the frontiers of science and technology resonated with his own aspirations. “I was fortunate to have a supportive mentor at NASA who had been encouraging me since my time as an academic researcher,” he said. “My mentor showed me the value of our expertise and work that aligned with NASA’s mission. I saw it as an excellent opportunity for me to utilize my mathematical and problem-solving skills to support those missions.” In addition to his role at Marshall, Maskey is also on a detail to NASA Headquarters, where he is the data science and innovation lead in the Chief Science Data Office within the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. “An element of my position is to encourage and support the development of collaborative AI projects,” Maskey said. “This involves bridging various divisions and teams across the Science Mission Directorate to fully leverage AI’s potential.” He said his work is a combination of personal growth, impact, and the joy of sharing knowledge. “What really motivates me is the desire for knowledge and the continuously evolving landscape of data science,” Maskey said. “Collaborating with other scientists, sharing knowledge, and working together on projects amplify my passion for continuous learning. I’m motivated by the potential to harness new tools and technologies to push the boundaries of what we can achieve in scientific research. This includes leveraging artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other cutting-edge technologies to solve problems more efficiently and effectively.” Question: What are some of your primary responsibilities? Maskey: At Marshall, I lead the development and deployment of cutting-edge data systems that facilitate interactive visualization, processing, and scalable analysis, enhancing our ability to understand and interpret science data for actionable insights. My work involves leading research and development efforts in data science tailored to the unique demands of the scientific community. This encompasses staying at the forefront of data science innovations and employing novel methodologies to address science challenges. At NASA Headquarters, in addition to fostering collaborative AI projects, I am tasked with developing a comprehensive data science strategy for the SMD, aiming to integrate data science into our science missions. My other role is education and training of the SMD community in data science practices and methodologies, ensuring our teams are equipped with the knowledge and tools necessary for advancing our mission. Question: What excites you most about your work within the Science Mission Directorate? Maskey: The work we are doing at NASA, particularly within my team, excites me on multiple fronts. At the core of the opportunity is NASA’s Open Science Initiative. Our team is developing open science solutions that are inclusive, widely adopted, and enhancing the user experience to achieve scientific goals. One of the most important aspects of my role is the ability to work across domains and science divisions. This cross-disciplinary approach is crucial for the future of science, where the integration of knowledge from different fields can lead to groundbreaking discoveries and advancements. It allows us to leverage the diverse expertise and perspectives within NASA, fostering innovation that no single team could achieve alone. Manil Maskey stands next to a banner during White House Demo Day last November. NASA/Courtesy of Manil Maskey Maximizing the investments NASA has made in science missions is also a key part of my work. This means not only ensuring the success of these missions but also extending their impact through the application of data science, well beyond the life of the missions. Finally, the prospect of helping to upscale the science community with the latest tools and technologies is incredibly motivating. It’s about empowering scientists with the capabilities they need to push the boundaries of what’s possible. Question: What has been the proudest moment of your career and why? Maskey: Choosing a single moment is difficult. Broadly speaking, these achievements fall into two primary categories: the success of my team and our impactful contributions at the convergence of data science innovations and scientific knowledge extraction. Above all, the growth and success of individuals within our team represents some of the proudest moments in my career. Seeing many team members, some who began as students in my project, evolve into successful professionals within NASA and in the industry brings me the greatest satisfaction. Their growth is not merely a reflection of their hard work but also highlights the supportive and development-focused culture we’ve fostered. Each success story is a reminder of the powerful role mentorship and leadership play in shaping futures. My role in pioneering data science initiatives, particularly in AI and machine learning within the Earth Science branch at Marshall, represents a significant career highlight. The inception and growth of these activities into a core component of our expertise and project portfolio mark a significant shift from our traditional role. The recognition of our work, both within NASA and by external communities, is a testament to the collective effort, innovation, and forward thinking. It symbolizes a shift in how we approach scientific inquiry, underscoring the critical role of data science in advancing our understanding of the Earth and beyond. Question: What advice do you have for employees early in their NASA career or those in new leadership roles? Maskey: Embarking on a career at NASA or stepping into a leadership role within this organization opens many potentials and opportunities for growth. My path to NASA was not straightforward. Early rejection from an internship taught me the invaluable lesson that setbacks are not roadblocks but steppingstones. Each challenge you face is an opportunity to learn, grow, and prove yourself. Embrace these challenges with a growth mindset. The desire for continuous improvement is crucial. Remain curious, and seek to learn from every experience. This passion for learning will not only fuel your personal growth but also enhance your contributions to your team and the broader NASA mission. Collaboration is at the heart of NASA’s many achievements. Whether you’re just starting or stepping into a leadership role, actively seek to build inclusive, interdisciplinary teams where diverse perspectives are valued. Encourage open dialogue, share knowledge, and create an environment where everyone feels empowered to contribute their best. Finally, remember the why behind your work. The projects and missions you contribute to at NASA have the potential to make significant impacts on our understanding of our planet, the universe, and beyond. Let this purpose drive you and guide your leadership. Question: What do you enjoy doing with your time while away from work? Maskey: Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family. I have a teenage son, who shares my passion for math and sports. Unlike me, he’s a talented soccer player and involved in competitive play. Supporting him in his soccer activities means we travel frequently, which turns into exciting adventures for our entire family, allowing us to discover new places. I also enjoy volunteering whenever possible. Whether it’s related to education, sports, or any other area where I can contribute, volunteering offers a sense of purpose outside of work. Smith, a Media Fusion employee and the Marshall Star editor, supports the Marshall Office of Communications. › Back to Top Black History Month Profile: Joseph Gaines on Endurance By Celine Smith Joseph Gaines joined the U.S. Army Reserve while he was a student at the University of Memphis in Tennessee. But there was one hitch – as a reservist he was stationed in Mobile, Alabama, more than 350 miles away from the school. So, each Sunday after Gaines finished his drills at 4 p.m., he made the six-plus hour commute from Mobile to Memphis to attend his 8 a.m. class the following Monday. Joseph Gaines is the manager of the Safety and Quality Assurance department at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.NASA/Danielle Burleson “It was rough,” Gaines said, briefly laughing at the memory. “Of course, that was a lot of sacrifice.” Gaines joined the Army Reserve to financially support his education. Gaines’ dedication to his education reflects the effort and work ethic still present with him after 34 years with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. It’s also a reflection of the values his mother instilled in him. “She’s my biggest influence,” Gaines said. “She was a single parent taking care of two boys, while attending night school and working a full-time job.” Along with his mother, Gaines said his high school math teacher, Melton McMullan, had an immense influence on him. McMullan constantly told Gaines he had what it took to become an engineer after noticing his strength in the subject. While Gaines majored in electrical engineering at the University of Memphis, he could not have imagined a career with NASA. “I was so enamored with NASA, but I didn’t even think I had the opportunity to work there,” Gaines said. His stance changed in one day. “I was a junior sitting in my power systems class,” Gaines said. “A senior walked in wearing a suit, so I asked him where he came from. He told me an interview and I asked with who. He said NASA and then told me where the interviewer was.” Gaines left during the middle of class and headed for his dorm room. He changed clothes, grabbed his resume, found the interviewer, and got an interview. Two weeks later, he was juggling a NASA co-op role while also in the Army Reserve, all while completing his degree. Thirty-four years later, Gaines is the manager of Marshall’s Safety and Quality Assurance Department. He ensures the continuous improvement of safety by overseeing industrial safety and pressure systems, along with quality assurance for the center and its contracted industrial activities. “I really enjoy making sure that Marshall has quality flight hardware and a safe work environment while doing so,” Gaines said. His journey at Marshall began with Frank Nola, an esteemed engineer who taught him everything about circuits while he was in control systems during his co-op. “It was fascinating,” Gaines said. “I developed a lot of skills and confidence working with senior level engineers in my early career.” After graduating in 1989, Gaines began as a technical engineer at Marshall. He developed control software for the Dynamic Solar Simulator, the RATT (Remote Automated Target Transporter), and a graphical user interface for an Advanced Video Guidance Sensor. He also designed control electronics for the RATT and Dynamic Solar Simulator. “Early in my career, I worked in the Flight Robotics Lab,” Gaines said. “I absolutely loved that job! So much so, I saw myself retiring doing that type of work. Later on, I decided to develop my career in other skillsets. I found leadership roles just as rewarding and challenging as well.” In 2008, Gaines became the deputy avionics and software lead for the Ares V heavy lift rocket. In 2011, he served as the avionics and software lead engineer for the SLS (Space Launch System) in support of the Spacecraft and Payload Integration Office. Gaines was the department lead engineer for the ECLSS (Environmental Control Life Support System) in 2012. He later became the senior integration lead for SLS secondary payloads safety in 2015. Gaines served as the Quality Assurance (QA) branch chief in 2017. He was in communication with QA civil and contract engineers, ensuring all spaceflight hardware met quality requirements. In 2018, before becoming manager of the Safety and Quality Assurance department, he was the technical assistant there. He managed Marshall’s workmanship standards and electrostatic programs while being a representative for NASA’s Safety Culture Working Group. Gaines lives in Harvest, Alabama, and has three adult children. His brother, Darryl Gaines, is the acting deputy for the Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program at NASA’s Johnson Space Flight Center. Joseph Gaines was selected as the 121st U.S. Army Reserve Soldier of the Year in 1992. “I think having a good work ethic, developing more than one skill, along with being a good communicator and detail oriented is needed to be successful,” he said. “Also learning from others as you branch out is very helpful.” Second in a two-part series in the Marshall Star highlighting team members during Black History Month. Smith, a Media Fusion employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications. › Back to Top Combatting Organizational Silence Focus of Mission Success Forum; Tag Taglilatelo Receives Golden Eagle Award By Wayne Smith Bob Conway, deputy director of the NASA Safety Center, discussed organizational silence and how it relates to safety and mission success during a Shared Experiences Forum at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center on Feb. 22. The theme of the forum was “The Impact of Breaking the Silence.” Conway discussed factors that can contribute to organizational silence, like failing to call attention to problems that can potentially result in mission failures. The hybrid event was part of the Mission Success is in Our Hands safety initiative and held in Activities Building 4316. Bob Conway, deputy director of the NASA Safety Center, discusses organizational silence during a Shared Experiences Forum at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center on Feb. 22. The hybrid event was part of the Mission Success is in Our Hands safety initiative and held in Activities Building 4316. Credit: NASADanielle Burleson Conway described organizational silence as a collective phenomenon of saying or doing little in response to perceived problems. He said organizations may verbalize openness but send conflicting signals to employees to keep quiet. Conway pointed to the space shuttle Challenger accident as an example of organizational silence. “Are we allowing our folks to talk,” Conway said. “Are we hearing what they have to say, and are we putting it all in context?” Conway said an organization’s culture has an impact on safety. He referenced the NASA Safety Reporting System as an internal method for anonymously reporting safety concerns. Bob Conway talks during his presentation as Marshall team members look on in Activities Building 4316.NASA/Danielle Burleson “An organizational excellence DNA is learning lessons from the past, applying it forward, and most importantly, speaking up when we have that,” Conway said. “The constant pursuit of excellence is what we always need to be doing. When you achieve excellence, safety and a lot of other things become effortless byproducts of it.” Mission Success is in Our Hands is a safety initiative collaboration between Marshall and Jacobs Engineering. The goal is to help team members make meaningful connections between their jobs and the safety and success of NASA missions. As part of the forum, Mission Success is in Our Hands presented its 39th Golden Eagle Award to Tag Taglilatelo of Jacobs Space Exploration Group. The award recognizes individuals who have contributed to flight safety and mission assurance above and beyond their normal work requirements. Tag Taglilatelo, center, of Jacobs Space Exploration Group, displays the Golden Eagle Award that was presented to him during the Mission Success is in Our Hands forum. He is joined by Bill Hill, left, director of Safety and Mission Assurance at Marshall, and Jeff Haars, Jacobs vice president and program manager for Jacobs Space Exploration Group. NASA/Danielle Burleson Bill Hill, director of Safety and Mission Assurance at Marshall, said Taglilatelo noticed an incorrect valve configuration that could have caused a hydrazine leak during an SLS (Space Launch System) booster test. As a result of his observation, the configuration was modified, leading to a safe test. Management or peers can nominate any team member for the Golden Eagle Award. Honorees are typically recognized at quarterly Shared Experiences forums. Smith, a Media Fusion employee and the Marshall Star editor, supports the Marshall Office of Communications. › Back to Top Listen to the Universe: New NASA Sonifications and Documentary Three new sonifications of images from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes have been released in conjunction with a new documentary about the project that makes its debut on the NASA+ streaming platform. Sonification is the process of translating data into sounds. In the case of Chandra and other telescopes, scientific data are collected from space as digital signals that are commonly turned into visual imagery. The sonification project takes these data through another step of mapping the information into sound. The new sonifications feature different objects observed by NASA telescopes. The first is MSH 11-52, a supernova remnant blowing a spectacular cloud of energized particles resembling the shape of a human hand, seen in data from Chandra, NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer, or IXPE, and ground-based optical data. M74 is a spiral galaxy like our Milky Way and this sonification combines data taken with NASA’s James Webb and Hubble Space Telescopes as well as X-rays from Chandra. The third object in this new sonification trio is nicknamed the Jellyfish Nebula, also known as IC 443. These data include X-rays from Chandra and the now-retired German ROSAT mission as well as radio data from NSF’s Very Large Array and optical data from the Digitized Sky Survey. The new documentary, “Listen to the Universe,” now available on NASA+ explores how these sonifications are created and profiles the team that makes them possible. Started in 2020, the NASA sonification project built off of other Chandra projects aimed at reaching blind and visually-impaired audiences. It has since shown to be meaningful to that community but also impacts much wider audiences, finding listeners through traditional and social media around the world. “We are so excited to partner with NASA+, along with her collaborators at SYSTEMS Sounds, to help tell the story about NASA’s sonification project,” said Kimberly Arcand, Chandra’s Visualization and Emerging Technology Scientist, who leads the sonification efforts. “It’s wonderful to see how this project has grown and reached so many people.” NASA+ is the agency’s new streaming platform, delivering video and other content about NASA to the public whenever and wherever they want to access it. The on-demand streaming service is available to download on most major platforms via the NASA App on iOS and Android mobile and tablet devices, as well as streaming media players Roku and Apple TV. “Sonifications add a new dimension to stunning space imagery, and make those images accessible to the blind and low-vision community for the first time,” said Liz Landau, who leads multimedia efforts for NASA’s Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters and oversaw production of the “Listen to the Universe” documentary. “I was honored to help tell the story of how Dr. Arcand and the System Sounds team make these unique sonic experiences and the broad impact those sonifications have had.” More information about the NASA sonification project through Chandra, which is made in partnership with NASA’s Universe of Learning, can be found here. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center controls science operations from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts. NASA’s Universe of Learning materials are based upon work supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award number NNX16AC65A to the Space Telescope Science Institute, working in partnership with Caltech/IPAC, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. › Back to Top NASA Sets Coverage for Agency’s SpaceX Crew-8 Launch, Docking NASA will provide coverage of the upcoming prelaunch and launch activities for the agency’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission with astronauts to the International Space Station. The launch is targeted for 11:04 p.m. CST, Feb. 29, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The targeted docking time is about 6 a.m. on March 2. From left, Roscosmos Cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin and NASA Astronauts Michael Barratt, Matthew Dominick, and Jeanette Epps pose for a photo during their Crew Equipment Interface Test at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.SpaceX Crew arrival will be available on Kennedy’s streaming channels including YouTube and X. Coverage of launch, the postlaunch news conference, and docking will be available on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website. NASA also will host an audio-only post-Flight Readiness Review news teleconference. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media. The Crew-8 launch will carry NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin. As part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program, the mission marks the eighth crew rotation mission and the ninth human spaceflight mission for NASA to the space station supported by a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft since 2020. Endeavour is the name of this Dragon spacecraft. A flag for Crew-8 was raised Feb. 28 at the HOSC (Huntsville Operation Support Center) at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. The HOSC is a multi-mission facility that provides engineering and mission operations support for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, Space Launch System rocket, Artemis lunar science missions, and science conducted on the space station. A Marshall team that is part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program will be supporting Crew-8 launch operations from inside the HOSC. The Payload Operations Integration Center within HOSC operates, plans, and coordinates the science experiments onboard the space station 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. › Back to Top Former Student Launch Competitor Turns Experience into NASA Engineering Career By Jessica Barnett Sometimes, all it takes is a few years and the right people to completely change a person’s career trajectory. One such example is Meredith Patterson, an aerospace engineer at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, who went from knowing little to nothing about rockets to being part of the team that is working to put humans back on the Moon. She credits her success in large part to NASA’s Student Launch, which not only helped her uncover her passion for aerospace engineering but gave her the knowledge and experience she needed to get where she is today. Meredith Patterson, front row, center right, poses with her teammates in the High-Powered Rocketry Club at North Carolina State University on the day they launched the rocket they built for NASA’s Student Launch in 2023. The experience and knowledge Patterson gained from her years participating in the annual competition helped pave the way for a career at NASA after graduation.High-Powered Rocketry Club at North Carolina State The annual Student Launch competition invites student teams from across the U.S. to spend nine months designing, building, and testing a high-powered rocket carrying a scientific or engineering payload. The hands-on, research-based engineering activity culminates each year in a final launch in Huntsville. This year’s challenge conclusion is set for April 10-14, with the final launch date set for April 13 at Bragg Farms in Toney, Alabama. While Student Launch is open to students as young as sixth grade, Patterson was in her junior year of high school when she learned about the competition during a tour of North Carolina State University. “When I walked into the rocketry lab there, I knew then, however many years it was going to take, I wanted to be the person who was able to run that and help put together everything for us to be successful in Student Launch,” Patterson said. Patterson, then-freshman at North Carolina State University, assembles the competition vehicle used by the school’s high-powered rocketry club in this photo from the NASA’s Student Launch in 2019. Patterson was a member of the club and a regular participant in Student Launch for five years before graduating and turning her experience into a full-time career as an aerospace engineer at NASA.High-Powered Rocketry Club at North Carolina State She attended North Carolina State for five years, participating in each year’s Student Launch competition and leading the team to a fourth-place win during her final year. She received her Level I and Level II certifications from Tripoli Rocketry Association through Student Launch, and she was able to connect with mentors from Tripoli and the National Rocketry Association that helped her get the hands-on experience and technical know-how she believes are key to success in the aerospace industry. “My leadership skills grew, my system engineering skills grew, and my technical writing skills grew,” Patterson said. “Having mentors through the competition allowed me to ask questions and learn on the technical side of things, too. I think I use more information from Student Launch day to day than from almost any of my classes in college.” She said attending an engineering camp at 16 years old first unlocked her interest in spaceflight and rocketry, but it was through Student Launch that she got to really dive in and deepen her passion. Patterson, a former competitor in NASA’s Student Launch challenge, now works as an aerospace engineer at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.NASA / Danielle Burleson “It’s crazy to think that less than 10 years ago, I had never even built a rocket, and now I can build Level II-sized rockets on my own and I’m actively working on the biggest solid rocket boosters in the world,” Patterson said. “Just in the past year, I’ve gone from the L-class motor that we used for Student Launch to casting 11-inch motors to now actively watching the casting of the SLS (Space Launch System) boosters.” Student Launch is part of NASA’s Artemis Student Challenges. Seventy teams representing 24 states and Puerto Rico were selected to compete in the 2024 Student Launch Challenge. Marshall hosts the Student Launch challenge with management support provided by NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement – Southeast Region. Funding is provided, in part, by NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate and NASA’s Next Gen STEM project. Barnett, a Media Fusion employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications. › Back to Top NASA’s Planetary Protection Team Conducts Vital Research for Deep Space Missions By Celine Smith As NASA continues its exploration of the solar system, including future crewed missions to Mars, experts in the agency’s Office of Planetary Protection are developing advanced tactics to prevent NASA expeditions from introducing biological contaminants to other worlds. At NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, the Planetary Protection team is contributing to this work – pursuing new detection, cleaning, and decontamination methods that will protect alien biospheres, safeguard future planetary science missions, and prevent potentially hazardous microbes from being returned to Earth. The Planetary Protection team is a part of the Space Environmental Effects team in Marshall’s Materials and Processes Laboratory. Chelsi Cassilly, lead of Marshall Space Flight Center’s Planetary Protection Laboratory, researches microbes and their behaviors to preserve the environment of other planetary bodies after future missions.NASA/Charles Beason Planetary Protection microbiologist Chelsi Cassilly said much of Planetary Protection focuses on “bioburden,” which is typically considered the number of bacterial endospores (commonly referred to as “spores”) found on and in materials. Such materials can range from paints and coatings on robotic landers to solid propellants in solid rocket motors. NASA currently requires robotic missions to Mars meet strict bioburden limits and is assessing how to apply similar policies to future, crewed missions to the Red Planet. “It’s impossible to eliminate microbes completely,” Cassily said. “But it’s our job to minimize bioburden, keeping the probability of contamination sufficiently low to protect the extraterrestrial environments we explore.” Currently, Marshall’s Planetary Protection research supports NASA’s Mars Ascent Vehicle, a key component of the planned Mars Sample Return campaign, and risk-reduction efforts for the Human Landing System program. Critically, Planetary Protection prevents the introduction of microbes from Earth onto planetary bodies where they might proliferate and interfere with scientific study of past or current life there. If Earth’s microbes were to contaminate samples collected on Mars or Europa, the scientific findings would be an inaccurate depiction of these environments, potentially precluding the ability to determine if life ever existed there. Preserving the scientific integrity of these missions is of the utmost importance to Cassilly and her team. Contamination mitigation tactics used in the past also may not work with modern hardware and materials. For the Viking missions to Mars, NASA employed a total spacecraft HMR (heat microbial reduction) process, a prolonged exposure to high temperatures to kill off or minimize microbes. As spacecrafts advance, NASA is more discerning, using HMR for components and/or subassemblies instead of the entire spacecraft. : This mold from the genus Cladosporium was collected from the surface of a cleanroom table at Marshall. This and other microbes within cleanrooms pose the biggest threat to spacecraft cleanliness and meeting Planetary Protection requirements.Jacobs Engineering/Chelsi Cassilly According to Cassilly, HMR may not always be an ideal solution because, extended time at high temperatures required to kill microbes can degrade the integrity of certain materials, potentially impacting mission success. While this is not a problem for all materials, there is still a need to expand NASA’s repertoire of acceptable microbial reduction techniques to include ones that may be more efficient and sustainable. To contribute to NASA’s Planetary Protection efforts, Cassilly undertook a project – funded by a Jacobs Innovation Grant – to build a microbial library that could better inform and guide mitigation research. That meant visiting cleanrooms at Marshall to collect prevalent microbes, extracting DNA, amplifying specific genes, and submitting them for commercial sequencing. They identified 95% of the microbes within their library which is continually growing as more microbes are collected and identified. The Planetary Protection team is interested in taking this work a step further by exposing their microbial library to space-like stressors – including ultraviolet light, ionizing radiation, temperature extremes, desiccation, and vacuum – to determine survivability. “The research we’re doing probes at the possibility of using space itself to our advantage,” Cassilly said. Cassilly and Marshall materials engineers also supported a study at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, to determine whether certain manufacturing processes effectively reduce bioburden. Funded by a NASA Research Opportunity in Space and Earth Sciences grant, the project assessed the antimicrobial activity of various additives and components used in solid rocket motor production. The team is currently revising a manuscript which should appear publicly in the coming months. This Bacillus isolate with striking morphology was collected from a sample of insulation commonly used in solid rocket motors. Cassilly studies these and other material-associated microbes to evaluate what could hitch a ride on spacecraft.Jacobs Engineering/Chelsi Cassilly Cassilly also supported research by Marshall’s Solid Propulsion and Pyrotechnic Devices Branch to assess estimates of microbial contamination associated with a variety of commonly used nonmetallic spacecraft materials. The results showed that nearly all the materials analyzed carry a lower microbial load than previously estimated – possibly decreasing the risk associated with sending these materials to sensitive locations. Such findings benefit researchers across NASA who are also pursuing novel bioburden reduction tactics, Cassilly said, improving agencywide standards for identifying, measuring, and studying advanced planetary protection techniques. “Collaboration unifies our efforts and makes it so much more possible to uncover new solutions than if we were all working individually,” she said. NASA’s Office of Planetary Protection is part of the agency’s Office of Safety and Mission Assurance at NASA Headquarters. The Office of Planetary Protection oversees bioburden reduction research and development of advanced strategies for contamination mitigation at Marshall; NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory; NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center; and NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Smith, a Media Fusion employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications. › Back to Top I Am Artemis: Josh Whitehead Launching a rocket to the Moon takes perseverance and diligence. Josh Whitehead – a world-class engineer, race-winning long-distance runner, and father – knows that it also takes a good attitude. “Positive energies are vital, particularly when working through challenges,” Whitehead said. “Challenges are opportunities to learn and grow. There’s always more than one way; always more than one solution.” NASA’s Josh Whitehead has a passion for systems engineering. He now helps lead the team developing the rocket that will fly the first crew to deep space since the Saturn V. The campaign name of Artemis, the Greek goddess of the Moon, also has special meaning for Whitehead. “I have a twin sister, and Artemis is the twin sister of Apollo. I’m like, hey, I’m a twin! How cool is that?”NASA/Sam Lott Whitehead’s job as the associate manager for the Stages Office of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket supports design, development, certification, and operation of the 212-foot-tall SLS core stage. The massive core stage with two propellant tanks that collectively hold more than 733,000 gallons of super-cold propellant is one of the largest cryogenic propulsion rocket stages. Whitehead joined the SLS Program, based at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, early on during the COVID-19 pandemic. Complicating matters further, in June 2020, Whitehead was injured in a hit-and-run cycling accident so devastating that it separated his right shoulder and broke his back in three places. Amid his necessary rehabilitation and surgeries, Whitehead learned to type left-handed and one-handed. Through it all, he was working to further the agency’s Artemis campaign and preparing for the first launch of the SLS rocket for Artemis I. Now back to running and having participated in a local charity race every year since 2007, the avid runner and engineer will tell you that, like a recovery, the road to launch is not a sprint. It’s a cadenced effort as teams across the country worked toward a common goal. During his rehabilitation and path to run again, Whitehead and his team finished assembling the first SLS core stage and the successful eight-part Green Run test campaign of the entire stage at NASA’s Stennis Space Center prior to the Nov. 16, 2022, Artemis I launch. Whitehead and his team are now manufacturing and processing core stages for multiple Artemis missions, including Artemis II in 2025, the first crewed flight under Artemis that will test the life-supporting systems in the Orion spacecraft ahead of future lunar missions. Whitehead holds multiple advanced degrees in engineering from Auburn University and the University of Alabama in Huntsville. He got his start in the aerospace industry conducting subscale motor manufacturing tests for NASA’s Space Shuttle Program. From systems engineering supporting NASA’s Constellation Program and verifying and validating the solid rocket booster element in the SLS Program’s early days, to qualification activities and safety and mission assurance for the Artemis I flight, Whitehead has a passion for cross-discipline work. “Being able to work systems engineering activities and multiple elements is all complementary,” he said. “But the common thread is it’s about the people, the process, and the product.” SLS is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration, along with the Orion spacecraft, advanced spacesuits and rovers, the Gateway in orbit around the Moon, and commercial human landing systems. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single launch. › Back to Top NASA Conducts 7th in Series of RS-25 Engine Tests at Stennis NASA conducted an RS-25 hot fire Feb. 23, moving one step closer to production of new engines that will help power the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket on future Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond. The latest test at NASA’s Stennis Space Center began the second half of a 12-test RS-25 certification series on the Fred Haise Test Stand, following installation of a second production nozzle on the engine. The remaining hot fires are part of the second, and final, test series collecting data to certify an updated engine production process, using innovative manufacturing techniques, for lead engines contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company. NASA conducted an RS-25 hot fire Feb. 23 test at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, beginning the second half of a 12-test RS-25 certification series on the Fred Haise Test Stand. As NASA aims to establish a long-term presence on the Moon for scientific discovery and exploration, and prepare for future missions to Mars, new engines will incorporate dozens of improvements to make production more efficient and affordable while maintaining high performance and reliability. Four RS-25 engines, along with a pair of solid rocket boosters, will launch NASA’s powerful SLS rocket, producing more than 8.8 million pounds of thrust at liftoff for Artemis missions. During the seventh test of the 12-test series, operators planned to fire the certification engine for 550 seconds and up to a 113% power level. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center manages the SLS Program. › Back to Top View the full article

NEPA Public Notice 2023-11-06 Draft Environmental Assessment – Lease for 50 Acre Business Park. Click here to view PDF View the full article

This composite image shows the progression of a total solar eclipse over Madras, Oregon on Monday, Aug. 21, 2017. A total solar eclipse swept across a narrow portion of the contiguous United States from Lincoln Beach, Oregon to Charleston, South Carolina. A partial solar eclipse was visible across the entire North American continent along with parts of South America, Africa, and Europe.NASA/Aubrey Gemignani On Monday, April 8, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, giving people in 15 states the opportunity to see the Moon completely block the Sun, revealing our star’s relatively faint corona. “This year’s total solar eclipse will be at least partially visible to all in the contiguous United States, making it the most accessible eclipse this nation has experienced in this generation,” said Nicola Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “There is space for everyone to join NASA in experiencing this beautiful amalgamation of our Earth, Sun and Moon in an alignment that will not only lead to new scientific discoveries, but an incredible shared moment of inspiration and awe.” The total solar eclipse will be visible along a narrow band stretching from Texas to Maine in the United States. Outside of this path, people in all 48 contiguous U.S. states will have the opportunity to see a partial eclipse, when the Moon covers only part of the Sun. Learn how to safely view this celestial event on NASA’s eclipse website. NASA is joining with organizations, local governments, universities, science centers, and more for in-person events to engage the public and share the excitement of the solar eclipse. Information about these and additional events is available on NASA’s eclipse website. To request a remote or in-person eclipse interview with NASA, please contact agency-eclipsemedia@mail.nasa.gov. Location details and information for public and media attendance for select events is below: Waco, Texas: STEAMclipse festival on April 6 For the public: The festival is open to the public, with no registration required. For media: Contact Taryn Courville (taryn.courville@esc12.net) for access information. Events on April 8: Kerrville, Texas: Kerrville Eclipse Festival at Louise Hays Park For the public: Space in the event cannot be reserved and you will not need a ticket to enter. Limited off-site parking will be available to reserve ahead of the eclipse. Details are available online. For media: Request access online by Thursday, March 28. Stonewall, Texas: Eclipse viewing at LBJ National Historical Park For the public: The event is free and open to the public. No registration is required, but attendance is limited to the first 1,000 cars on April 8. More information is available online. For the media: Contact Cynthia Dorminey (cynthia_dorminey@nps.gov) for access information. Austin, Texas: Eclipse viewing at the Austin Central Library For the public: 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. on April 8, with free public talks, children’s activities, and a solar telescope. For media: Contact Ian O’Neill (ian.j.oneill@jpl.nasa.gov) for access information. Waco, Texas: Eclipse Over Texas: Live From Waco! For the public: Tickets required. For the media: Media can request access online. Dallas: Eclipse viewing at the Dallas Arboretum For the public: Admission tickets are sold out. More information is available online. For the media: Contact Terry Lendecker (tlendecker@dallasarboretum.org) for access information; space is limited. Sun, Moon, and You at the Dallas Cotton Bowl For the public: Free tickets required, check back online for more details. For media: Contact John Leslie (john.leslie@noaa.gov) for access information. Russellville, Ark.: Eclipse events in multiple locations For the public: Many events are free with no registration required; some events require tickets with details available online. For media: Contact Christie Graham (cgraham@discoverrussellville.org) for access information. Carbondale, Ill.: Southern Illinois Crossroads Eclipse Festival For the public: Tickets are required; information is available online. For media: Contact Tim Crosby (crosby@siu.edu) for access information. Indianapolis: Eclipse viewing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway For the public: Tickets are required for guests over 18; information is available online. For media: Contact mediacreds@brickyard.com for credentials by Wednesday, March 27. Cleveland: Total Eclipse Fest at the Great Lakes Science Center For the public: Event is free and open to the public with no registration required; information is available online. For media: Contact Joe Yachanin (yachaninj@glsc.org), marketing and communications director, Great Lakes Science Center, for access information. Erie, Pa.: Eclipse viewing at Mercyhurst University For the public: Event is free and open to the public with no registration required; information is available online. For media: Contact Christine Temple (cvb1@visiterie.com) for access information. Niagara Falls, N.Y.: Eclipse events in multiple locations For the public: Many events are free and open to the public, and registration may be required based on space constraints. Information is available online. For media: Contact Angela Berti (Angela.Berti@parks.ny.gov) for Niagara Falls State Park access information and Sarah Harvey (sharvey@niagarafallsusa.com) for access information on other events. Houlton, Maine: Eclipse events in multiple locations For the public: Eclipse viewing in downtown Houlton on April 8 is free and open to the public. For media: Contact Darcy Elburn (darcy.e.elburn@nasa.gov) for access information. Washington: Solar Eclipse Festival on the National Mall For the public: Event is free and open to the public with no registration required; information is available online. For media: Contact Amy Stamm (StammA@si.edu) for access information. NASA will host live coverage of the eclipse on NASA+, the agency’s website, and the NASA app from 1 to4 p.m. EDT on April 8. NASA also will stream the broadcast live on its Facebook, X, YouTube, and Twitch social media accounts, as well as a telescope-only feed of eclipse views on the NASA TV media channel and YouTube. To learn more about the total solar eclipse, visit: go.nasa.gov/Eclipse2024 -end- Karen Fox Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 karen.c.fox@nasa.gov Sarah Frazier Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 202-853-7191 sarah.frazier@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Feb 28, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsNASA HeadquartersGoddard Space Flight CenterScience Mission Directorate View the full article

The Science of NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 Mission

NASA’s Artemis II crew members are assisted by U.S. Navy personnel as they exit a mockup of the Orion spacecraft onto an inflatable “front porch” while NASA’s Exploration Ground System’s Landing and Recovery team and partners from the Department of Defense aboard the USS San Diego practice recovery procedures using the Crew Module Test Article, during Underway Recovery Test 11 (URT-11) off the coast of San Diego, California on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024. NASA/Jamie Peer When Artemis II NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen return to Earth after a nearly 10-day mission around the Moon, a joint NASA and Department of Defense team led by NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program will be ready to retrieve them from the Orion spacecraft and ferry them onto a naval ship in the Pacific Ocean. As Orion enters Earth’s atmosphere, the capsule will keep the crew safe as it slows from nearly 25,000 mph to about 300 mph, when its system of 11 parachutes will deploy in a precise sequence to help slow the capsule and crew to a relatively gentle 20 mph for splashdown about 60 miles off the coast of California, weather permitting. Prior to splashdown, a team from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, called Sasquatch, will map where elements jettisoned from Orion such as the forward bay cover, drogue parachutes, and mortars, will land in the Ocean so the boats and helicopters supporting recovery stay clear of those areas. NASA Artemis II crew members are assisted by U.S. Navy personnel as they exit a mockup of the Orion spacecraft in the Pacific Ocean during Underway Recovery Test 11 (URT-11) on Feb. 25, 2024, while his crewmates look on. URT-11 is the eleventh in a series of Artemis recovery tests, and the first time NASA and its partners put their Artemis II recovery procedures to the test with the astronauts.NASA/Kenny Allen Once it is safe to approach the capsule, helicopters, and a team of Navy divers in small boats, along with NASA’s open water lead, will begin making their way to the capsule. The Navy divers then will assess the environment surrounding the capsule to make sure there are no hazards present. Teams will stabilize Orion before the crew exits the capsule in the open water by installing an inflatable collar. To safely retrieve the astronauts, the divers also will install an inflatable raft, called the front porch, under Orion’s side hatch to aid in astronaut retrieval from the capsule. “Our highly choreographed recovery operations will help ensure the final phase of NASA’s first crewed mission to the Moon in more than 50 years ends as a success,” said Lili Villareal, NASA’s landing and recovery director. When all four crew members are out of the capsule, the front porch is repositioned about 100 yards from Orion to allow the astronauts to be individually lifted into a helicopter and returned to the ship. Two helicopters will be deployed to retrieve the crew. The helicopters will each retrieve two crewmembers and deliver them to the deck of the naval ship. Once on the ship, the astronauts will be transported to a medical bay for a post-mission evaluation before flying on a helicopter from the ship back to shore and then to Johnson. Teams expect to recover the crew and deliver them to the medical bay within two hours of splashdown. If the crew returns to Earth at night, teams expect the recovery activities to take a bit longer but still must meet a requirement to have the crew in the medical bay within two hours. With the crew safely out of the capsule, teams will work on towing Orion into the well deck of the ship, using procedures similar to those used during Artemis I. Navy divers will secure a system of lines to the capsule via several connection points on a collar to help tow Orion inside the ship. NASA’s Artemis II crew members (front to back) NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen descend the well deck of the USS San Diego as NASA’s Exploration Ground System’s Landing and Recovery team and partners from the Department of Defense aboard the ship practice recovery procedures using the Crew Module Test Article, during Underway Recovery Test 11 (URT-11) off the coast of San Diego, California on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024. When Orion is close to the vessel, an additional line attached to a pneumatic winch will be affixed to the capsule by the divers. These ropes all work together to ensure the capsule is stable as it is slowly pulled inside the ship. A team of sailors and NASA recovery personnel inside the ship will begin manually pulling some of the lines to help align Orion with the stand it will be placed on once back on the ship. As the sailors are pulling on the lines, NASA technicians will operate a main winch line attached to the capsule to help bring Orion inside making for a safe and precise recovery. After Orion is on a stand, the well deck will be drained of water and the ship will begin making its way back to Naval Base San Diego. Under NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency will establish the foundation for long-term scientific exploration at the Moon, 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. View the full article

Members of the media attend a postlaunch news conference on Nov. 16, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, after launch of Artemis I at 1:47 a.m. EST from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39B. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida is asking members of the news media to nominate former colleagues they deem worthy of honoring as a space program Chronicler. The NASA Kennedy’s Chroniclers program recognizes broadcasters, journalists, authors, contractor public relations representatives, and agency public affairs officers who excelled at sharing news from the Florida spaceport about U.S. space exploration with the American public and the world. Past honorees, whose names are displayed on The Chroniclers wall in the NASA Kennedy News Center, include Walter Cronkite of CBS News, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, John Noble Wilford of the New York Times, and Reuters’ Mary Bubb, the first female reporter of the space program. Nominees must have covered the U.S. space program primarily from the Kennedy Space Center for ten years or more and must no longer be working full-time in the field. Each nomination must include a brief paragraph with rationale for its submission. Email nominations to Serena Whitfield, Kennedy’s Office of Communication, at serena.g.whitfield@nasa.gov, using “Chroniclers Nomination” in the subject line. Deadline for submission is Sunday, March 10, 2024. Awardees will be selected on or about March 14, 2024, by a committee of working broadcasters, journalists, public relations professionals, and present and former representatives of NASA Kennedy’s Office of Communication. Selections will be announced on or about March 18, 2024. Brass plates engraved with each awardee’s name will be added to The Chroniclers wall in the Kennedy Space Center News Center during a ceremony at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 6, 2024. For a current list of KSC Chroniclers, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/the-chroniclers/ View the full article

5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) After months aboard the International Space Station, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 is returning to Earth. NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov each completed their first spaceflight. JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen each completed their second spaceflight. During their time on the station, Crew-7 conducted science experiments and technology demonstrations to benefit people on Earth and prepare humans for future space missions. Here’s a look at some scientific milestones accomplished during their mission: Download full-resolution versions of all photos in this article. The Human Body in Space ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen processes blood samples for the Immunity Assay investigation, which monitors the impact of spaceflight on immune function. Prior to the experiment, scientists could only test the immune function before and after flight. Taking samples while on station provides scientists a clearer assessment of changes to the immune system during spaceflight. NASA Since physiological changes in microgravity can resemble how the human body ages on Earth, scientists can use the space station for age-related studies. NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli collects cell samples inside the Life Science Glovebox for Space AGE, a study to understand how microgravity-induced age-like changes affect liver regeneration. Results could boost our understanding of aging and its effects on disease mechanisms. NASA JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa exercises with ARED Kinematics, a device that mimics forces generated when lifting free weights on Earth. The experiment assesses the current exercise programs on station to understand the most effective countermeasures to maintain muscle and bone strength. NASA Safe Water ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen works on ESA’s Aquamembrane-3 technology demonstration, which tests a special membrane to eliminate contaminants from wastewater. The membrane incorporates proteins called aquaporins, found in biological cells, and may be able to filter water using less energy. An aquaporin membrane-based system could improve water reclamation and reduce materials needed for future deep space missions. NASA NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli prepares a water sample for DNA sequencing using the EHS BioMole Facility, a technology demonstration used to monitor microbes in water samples aboard a spacecraft. Future exploration missions will need to analyze water to ensure it is safe for crews to drink while far from Earth. NASA Growing Food on Station Tomato seedlings sprout in the space station’s Advanced Plant Habitat. At the beginning of Crew-7’s mission, Plant Habitat-03 wrapped up a months-long experiment that tests whether epigenetics are passed to subsequent generations. Epigenetic changes involve the addition of extra information to DNA, which regulates how genes turn on or off but does not change the sequence of the DNA itself. Crew-7 also grew tomatoes for Plant Habitat-06, which investigates how the plant immune functions adapt to spaceflight and how spaceflight affects plant production. NASA BioNutrients completed five years of demonstrating technology to produce nutrients on demand aboard the space station. Since vitamins can degrade over time, the investigation used engineered microbes to test generating fresh nutrient supply for future long-duration missions. NASA Outside the Station JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa retrieves MISSE-17 hardware after the experiment spent six months outside the station. MISSE experiments expose materials and organisms to the space environment to analyze performance and durability. Crew-7 installed MISSE-18, which houses several materials including printed quantum dots arrays used to make a miniaturized and ultra-compact spectrometer. NASA CubeSats deployed from the space station are a lower-cost alternative to traditional satellites. Crew-7 deployed two CubeSats from Japanese schools, including BEAK CubeSat, which tests novel technologies for future nano-sized planetary probes and Clark sat-1, which transmits voice and imagery data to ground control stations on Earth. NASA Picture Perfect Using handheld digital cameras, astronauts capture images of the Earth below. This imagery is used by researchers across disciplines from glaciology to ecology. A Crew-7 member captured this image of the Aladaghlar Mountains in northwest Iran, where the convergent boundary of the Arabia and Eurasia tectonic plates created folds in the landscape over millions of years. NASA These bright red streaks above a thundercloud on Earth are a rare phenomenon known as red sprites. Red sprites happen above the clouds and are not easily studied from Earth. This image was captured on the space station with a high-speed camera for the Thor-Davis experiment. Imagery collected from the station is instrumental in studying the effects of thunderstorms and electrical activity on Earth’s climate and atmosphere. ESA Biology on Station Recent spaceflight experiments found individual animal cells can sense the effects of gravity. Cell Gravisensing investigation from JAXA (Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency) seeks to understand how cells can do this. JAXA astronaut Satoshi Furukawa uses a microscope to examine cells during spaceflight and document cell responses to microgravity. Understanding the mechanisms of cell gravity sensing could contribute to new drug development. NASA NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli works in the BioFabrication Facility (BFF), which bioprints organ-like tissues in microgravity. During the Crew-7 mission, BFF-Cardiac tested bioprinting and processing cardiac tissue samples. This experiment could help to advance technology to support the development of biological patches to replace damaged tissues and potentially entire muscles. NASA Special Delivery Two commercial spacecraft visited during Crew-7’s time in space bringing critical science, hardware, and supplies to the station: SpaceX Dragon in November 2023 and Northop Grumman’s Cygnus in February 2024. NASA NASA Andrea Lloyd International Space Station Program Research Office Johnson Space Center Search this database of scientific experiments to learn more about those mentioned above. Facebook logo @ISS @ISS_Research@Space_Station Instagram logo @ISS Linkedin logo @NASA Keep Exploring Discover More Topics Latest News from Space Station Research Commercial Crew Program Station Science 101 Space Station Research and Technology View the full article