NASA

NASA/Chris Swanson A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company’s Dragon spacecraft lifts off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024. Axiom Space’s Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) is the third all-private astronaut mission to the space station, sending crew members Commander Michael López-Alegría, Pilot Walter Villadei of Italy, Mission Specialist Alper Gezeravcı of Turkey, and ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Marcus Wandt of Sweden into orbit. The Ax-3 crew will spend about two weeks conducting microgravity research, educational outreach, and commercial activities aboard the space station. Watch our Axiom Mission 3 launch coverage on NASA+. Image Credit: NASA/Chris Swanson View the full article

NASA/Michael DeMocker Whether he’s advising student robotic competitions or managing production of a powerful, new Moon rocket stage, Erick Holsonback meets technical challenges with enthusiasm. Holsonback, a Jacobs Technology employee, is subsystem manager for production and launch operations of the exploration upper stage (EUS) for NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. SLS is NASA’s super heavy lift rocket that will launch the agency’s Artemis campaign to the Moon. The exploration upper stage is one of two upgrades to the SLS rocket as it evolves to the Block 1B variant for missions beginning with Artemis IV. Along with the rocket’s new universal stage adapter, the SLS rocket in its Block 1B configuration will be able to send 40% more payload to the Moon in a single launch. Holsonback’s job stretches from setting up production for the future upper stage at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, where it’s built, to preparing it for launch from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. “It’s exciting to be part of a capability that will send more crew and cargo to the Moon in a single launch than any other current rocket,” Holsonback said. “That’s going to make operations in the challenging space environment a lot simpler.” Growing up in North Georgia, Holsonback remembers wanting to be an astronaut and turning street cars into hot rods. He figured he’d wind up in the auto industry, until Pratt & Whitney offered him a job working on space shuttle main engine turbomachinery straight out of college in 1997. He briefly left the space business but jumped at a chance to get back in with the SLS Program in 2016 at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “I wanted to come back and do rockets,” he recalled. “It gets in your blood. You’re part of something bigger that just yourself. Through Artemis, we are truly impacting the space program at its foundational level of how we are getting back to the Moon and to Mars.” Holsonback’s enthusiasm for space challenges doesn’t end at the office door. In his free time, Holsonback has mentored and coached his two daughters’ technology challenge competitions. While the challenge is foremost a robotics contest, Holsonback is proud of the lessons in problem solving, technology, and project management he’s helped impart to the team along the way – which he likens to his NASA job. You could say Erick Holsonback is working on the future personally as well as professionally, but it’s hard to beat working on a Moon rocket. “I’ve had some great opportunities with NASA, but my current role is pretty amazing – getting to be part of building and launching,” he reflected. “I get to play a little part in the overall foundation work that is going to be part of the history of our country for years to come.” NASA is working to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon under Artemis. 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. View the full article

2 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) DC-8 lifts off from Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, Calif.NASA/Carla Thomas What: NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center’s DC-8 aircraft will fly over Central Valley and surroundings areas as part of an air quality field study. Residents in the areas below will see and hear the aircraft as it flies to achieve these measurements. Where: Central Valley, CA and surrounding areas When: Tuesday, January 23, 2024 at mid-morning to early afternoon Additional details: All flyovers are conducted at a safe altitude without harm to public, wildlife, or infrastructure. Jet aircraft are loud and those with sensitivity to loud noises should be aware of the flyover window. To follow along real-time with the DC-8’s flight path, visit: https://airbornescience.nasa.gov/tracker/#!/status/list Learn more: The DC-8 aircraft NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center -end- For more information contact: Erica Heim NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center, Edwards, California 650-499-9053 erica.heim@nasa.gov Elena Aguirre NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center, Edwards, California 661-233-3966 elena.aguirre@nasa.gov Megan Person NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center, Edwards, California 661-276-2094 megan.person@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 23, 2024 EditorDede DiniusContactErica HeimLocationArmstrong Flight Research Center Related TermsArmstrong Flight Research CenterAirborne ScienceDC-8Science Mission Directorate Explore More 2 min read Hubble Glimpses a Bright Galaxy Group This new NASA Hubble Space Telescope image shows a group of interacting galaxies known as… Article 6 hours ago 4 min read New U.S. Postal Service Stamps Feature Iconic NASA Webb Images The U.S. Postal Service has issued two new Priority Mail stamps celebrating NASA’s James Webb… Article 22 hours ago 2 min read Hubble Observes an Askew Galaxy Coaxing Star Formation from its Partner Arp 300 consists of two interacting galaxies, UGC 05028 (the smaller face-on spiral galaxy) and… Article 1 day ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center Armstrong Science Projects Explore Earth Science From its origins, NASA has studied our planet in novel ways, using a fleet of satellites and ambitious airborne and ground-based… Earth Your home. Our Mission. And the one planet that NASA studies more than any other. View the full article

3 Min Read NASA Glenn Established in Cleveland in 1941 A model of the new campus shows that it contained nine primary buildings—Administration, Flight Research, Engine Research, Technical Services, Fuels and Lubrication, Engine Propeller Research, Research Equipment, and the Altitude Wind and Icing Research tunnels. Credits: NASA On January 23, 1941, local authorities, military representatives, and agency officials assembled in Cleveland to initiate construction of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) new research laboratory. NACA Director of Research George Lewis stated, “I feel confident today in saying that this new aircraft engine research laboratory will be the mecca for all the world’s aircraft engine engineers and research workers.” Today, the laboratory, now known as NASA’s John H. Glenn Research Center, is one of 10 centers and a leading economic contributor to the Cleveland area. Exactly one year before the groundbreaking, the NACA formally proposed the creation of a new research lab dedicated to aero propulsion. During the interim, the committee evaluated locations for the facility across the Midwest before selecting Cleveland, Ohio in November 1940. The Cleveland Chamber of Commerce scheduled a full day of activities for that cold January Thursday in 1941. In the morning, the cadre of officials toured the Alcoa and the Cleveland Pneumatic Tool Company plants. The former was a key supplier of aluminum aircraft parts and the latter produced landing gears for the Douglas XB–19—then, the nation’s largest bomber. Afterwards the group joined 240 local businessmen in the Hotel Cleveland’s Red Room for a luncheon hosted by Cleveland’s newly elected mayor Edward Blythin and Chamber of Commerce President Frederick Crawford. The George Worthington Hardware Company presented the NACA with a chrome-plated pick and shovel to be used for the groundbreaking. NACA officials described the site selection activities, while Crawford reminded area businesses to maintain their pledges of support to the NACA. Lewis told the attendees, “The future of aviation as regards to speed, efficiency, and safety, will, in a very large measure, depend on the results which come from this laboratory.” With the war in Europe on the front pages, Edward Warner of Civil Aviation Authority added ominously, “What we are doing here today may mean the difference between America’s survival and subjugation. The difference between winning a war and losing it may be the difference between a 1,000- and 2,000-horsepower motor, or the difference between the ability to fly at 20,000 feet or 30,000 feet.” In the afternoon the group traveled out to the construction site adjacent to Cleveland Municipal Airport. Shortly after 3 p.m., Lewis struck the ground with the chrome pick to loosen the soil, which Major General George Brett, acting chief of the Army Air Corps, then scooped up. The moment was immortalized by a local newspaper photographer. That evening, Crawford held a dinner for the dignitaries at the Union Club. Construction of the NACA laboratory began in the ensuing days. Research commenced in May 1942. NACA and city officials broke ground at the future site of the NASA Glenn Research Center. From left to right: William Hopkins (former city manager), John Berry (airport manager), Ray Sharp (AERL), Frederick Crawford (Chamber of Commerce), George Brett (Air Corps), [behind] S. Paul Johnston (NACA), Edward Warner (Civil Aeronautics Board), Sydney Kraus (Bureau of Aeronautics), Edward Blythin (Cleveland mayor) and George Lewis (director of NACA research).NASA Robert S. Arrighi NASA’s Glenn Research Center View the full article

3 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) An artist’s illustration of the IXPE spacecraft in orbit, studying high-energy phenomena light-years from EarthNASA NASA’s IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) team has been awarded a top prize in high-energy astronomy. The High Energy Astrophysics Division of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) has awarded the 2024 Bruno Rossi Prize to retired NASA astrophysicist Martin Weisskopf, Italian Space Agency principal investigator Paolo Soffitta, and their team for development of IXPE, “whose novel measurements advance our understanding of particle acceleration and emission from astrophysical shocks, black holes and neutron stars,” according to the AAS announcement. “IXPE is a realization of decades of work and belief in the importance of X-ray polarization measurements for X-ray astronomy,” said Weisskopf of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, who served as the principal investigator of IXPE during its development, prior to retiring from the agency in 2022. “I am honored and excited to share this prize with Paolo Soffitta and the entire IXPE team.” NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer mission, led by retired NASA astrophysicist Martin Weisskopf, left, and Italian Space Agency principal investigator Paolo Soffitta, has received the 2024 Rossi Prize in high-energy astronomy, awarded annually by the American Astronomical Society. “IXPE is the demonstration of how an idea pursued for more than 30 years has been transformed into a successful mission, thanks to the collaboration between the United States and Italy,” Soffitta said. “It’s incredible to receive this prize along with Martin Weisskopf and on behalf of so many people whose expertise and enthusiasm have made this breakthrough in astrophysics possible.” Launched on Dec. 9, 2021, and developed by NASA, the Italian Space Agency, and partners in a dozen countries around the globe, IXPE orbits Earth some 340 miles up to observe X-ray emissions from powerful cosmic phenomena hundreds or thousands of light-years from Earth. In 2023 alone, its subjects of study included blazars such as Markarian 501 and Markarian 421, supernova remnants including Tycho and SN 1006, and the supermassive black hole at the center of our own galaxy. IXPE also supports study of unanticipated cosmic events – such as the brightest pulse of high-energy radiation ever recorded, which swept through Earth’s solar system in late 2022. IXPE’s success led NASA to formally extend the mission for an additional 20 months, through at least September 2025. “We at NASA are incredibly proud of Dr. Weisskopf and the IXPE team around the world,” said Acting Marshall Center Director Joseph Pelfrey. “IXPE allows us to look at the universe through a vantage point never seen before. It’s particularly gratifying to continue Marshall’s long association with the Rossi Prize, which identifies singular breakthroughs and unprecedented innovation in high-energy astrophysics – a field in which our researchers excel.” Weisskopf, together with Harvard astrophysicist Harvey Tananbaum, previously received the Rossi Prize in 2004 for their work to develop and fly NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, which continues to study high-energy X-ray phenomena across the cosmos. NASA Marshall researchers Gerald Fishman and Colleen Wilson-Hodge also were awarded the Rossi Prize in 1994 and 2018, respectively. Fishman was honored for his contributions to the Compton Gamma-ray Observatory’s BATSE (Burst and Transient Source Experiment) mission. Wilson-Hodge received the honor for her work with the Fermi GBM (Gamma-ray Burst Monitor) in August 2017, detecting gravitational and light waves from the spectacular smashup of two neutron stars in a distant galaxy. The Rossi Prize is awarded annually for a significant recent contribution to high-energy astrophysics. The honor includes an engraved certificate and a $1,500 award. Learn more about NASA’s high-energy astrophysics research: https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics Elizabeth Landau NASA Headquarters elizabeth.r.landau@nasa.gov 202-358-0845 Jonathan Deal Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. 256-544-0034 jonathan.e.deal@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 23, 2024 EditorBeth RidgewayLocationMarshall Space Flight Center Related TermsIXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer)General Explore More 5 min read IXPE Unlocks Mysteries of Historic Tycho Supernova Article 11 months ago 5 min read NASA’s IXPE Marks Two Years of Groundbreaking X-ray Astronomy Article 2 months ago 4 min read NASA’s IXPE Helps Researchers Maximize ‘Microquasar’ Findings Article 7 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

NASA Safety Town Hall for Day of Remembrance 2024

2 min read Hubble Glimpses a Bright Galaxy Group This new NASA Hubble Space Telescope image shows a tangled group of interacting galaxies called LEDA 60847. NASA/ESA/A. Barth (University of California – Irvine)/M. Koss (Eureka Scientific Inc.)/A. Robinson (Rochester Institute of Technology)/Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America) This new NASA Hubble Space Telescope image shows a group of interacting galaxies known as LEDA 60847. LEDA 60847 is classified as an active galactic nuclei, or AGN. An AGN has a supermassive black hole in the galaxy’s central region that is accreting material. The AGN emits radiation across the entire electromagnetic spectrum and shines extremely brightly. By studying powerful AGNs that are relatively nearby, astronomers can better understand how supermassive black holes grow and affect galaxies. Galaxy mergers are relatively common occurrences. Most larger galaxies are the result of smaller galaxies merging. The Milky Way itself contains traces of other galaxies, indicating it is the product of past mergers. Astronomers believe somewhere between 5% and 25% of all galaxies are currently merging. This image of LEDA 60847 combines ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared data from Hubble. The ability to see across all those wavelengths is one of the things that makes Hubble unique. Different types of light across the electromagnetic spectrum tell astronomers different things about our universe. Ultraviolet light traces the glow of stellar nurseries and is used to identify the hottest stars. Visible light shows us moderate-temperature stars and material, and also how the view would appear to our own eyes. Last but not least, near-infrared light can penetrate cold dust, allowing us to study warm gas and dust, and relatively cool stars. LEARN MORE: Hubble’s Cosmic Collisions Hubble Science: Galaxy Details and Mergers Hubble Science: Tracing the Growth of Galaxies Download this image Media Contact: Claire Andreoli NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD claire.andreoli@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 23, 2024 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Location Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms Active Galaxies Astrophysics Division Galaxies Goddard Space Flight Center Hubble Space Telescope Missions The Universe Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Hubble Space Telescope Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe. Galaxies Stories Stars Stories James Webb Space Telescope Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the… View the full article

The Nova-C lunar lander is seen in the high bay of Intuitive Machines Headquarters in Houston, before it shipped to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for integration with a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for launch, as part of NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign. Credits: Intuitive Machines As part of NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign, media accreditation is open for Intuitive Machines’ first robotic flight to the Moon’s surface. The robotic deliveries will transport agency science and technology demonstrations to the Moon for the benefit of all. The Intuitive Machines Nova-C lander carrying NASA science and commercial payloads will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Liftoff is targeted for a multi-day launch window, which opens no earlier than mid-February, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Among the NASA items on its lander, the Intuitive Machines mission will carry instruments focusing on plume-surface interactions, space weather/lunar surface interactions, radio astronomy, precision landing technologies, and a communication and navigation node for future autonomous navigation technologies. A successful landing will help support the CLPS model for commercial payload deliveries to the lunar surface. As the anchor customer of CLPS, NASA is investing in lower-cost methods of Moon deliveries and aims to be one of many customers. Media prelaunch and launch activities will take place at NASA Kennedy. Media who are U.S. citizens interested in attending in person must apply for credentials no later than 12 p.m. EST on Monday, Jan. 29, by emailing media@spacex.com. In May 2019, NASA awarded a task order for the delivery to Intuitive Machines. Through Artemis, commercial robotic deliveries will perform science experiments, test technologies, and demonstrate capabilities to help NASA explore the Moon in advance of Artemis Generation astronaut missions to the lunar surface, in preparation for future missions to Mars. NASA is working with several U.S. companies to deliver science and technology to the lunar surface through the agency’s CLPS initiative. This pool of companies may bid on delivery task orders. A task order award includes payload integration and operations, as well as launching from Earth and landing on the surface of the Moon. NASA’s CLPS contracts are indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts with a cumulative maximum contract value of $2.6 billion through 2028. For more information about the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, see: https://www.nasa.gov/clps -end- Alise Fisher Headquarters, Washington 202-358-2546 alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov Nilufar Ramji Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 nilufar.ramji@nasa.gov Antonia Jaramillo Kennedy Space Center, Florida 321-501-8425 antonia.jaramillobotero@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 22, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsCommercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS)ArtemisJohnson Space CenterKennedy Space CenterMissionsNASA Headquarters View the full article

3 min read New U.S. Postal Service Stamps Feature Iconic NASA Webb Images The U.S. Postal Service issued a Priority Mail stamp Jan. 22, 2024, featuring an image of the Pillars of Creation from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Greg Breeding, an art director for the U.S. Postal Service, designed the stamp with an image provided by NASA, ESA, CSA, and the Space Telescope Science Institute. U.S. Postal Service The U.S. Postal Service has issued two new Priority Mail stamps celebrating NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, the largest, most powerful, and most complex telescope ever put in space. The stamps, issued Jan. 22, feature images of the cosmos captured by Webb since it began its science mission in 2022. Webb is a mission led by NASA in partnership with ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency). “NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is the perfect intersection of science, engineering, and art as it reveals the greatest secrets of our cosmos through the beautiful images it captures,” said Nicola Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “With these stamps, people across the country can have their own snapshot of Webb’s captivating images – and the incredible science they represent – at their fingertips, and know that they, too, are part of this ground-breaking new era in astronomy.” The U.S. Postal Service issued a Priority Mail Express stamp Jan. 22, 2024, highlighting an image of the Carina Nebula from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Greg Breeding, an art director for the U.S. Postal Service, designed the stamp with an image provided by NASA, ESA, CSA, and the Space Telescope Science Institute. US Postal Service The first of the new stamps, a Priority Mail Express stamp, features Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) image of the “Cosmic Cliffs” in the Carina Nebula, located roughly 7,600 light-years away. The image shows emerging stellar nurseries and individual stars that were previously hidden from sight. This scene was one of the first full-color images revealed from Webb in July 2022, demonstrating the telescope’s ability to peer through cosmic dust and shed new light on how stars form. The other stamp, a Priority Mail stamp, features an image of the Pillars of Creation captured by Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument). Webb’s look at this familiar landscape, which was first made famous by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, shows pillars flush with gas and dust, enshrouding stars that are slowly forming over many millennia. The Pillars of Creation is set within the vast Eagle Nebula, which lies 6,500 light-years away. These new stamps join a Forever stamp issued by the U.S. Postal Service in 2022, featuring an artist’s digital illustration of Webb against a background of stars. The U.S. Postal Service stamps honor Webb’s achievements as it continues its mission to explore the unknown in our universe and study every phase in cosmic history. Webb has already pulled back the curtain on some of the farthest galaxies, stars, and black holes ever observed; solved a longstanding mystery about the early universe; given us a more detailed look at the atmospheres of planets outside our solar system than ever before; and offered new views and insights into our own cosmic backyard. To learn more about Webb, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/webb The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier infrared space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency). NASA Headquarters oversees the mission for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages Webb for the agency and oversees work on the mission performed by the Space Telescope Science Institute, Northrop Grumman, and other mission partners. In addition to Goddard, several NASA centers contributed to the project, including the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston; Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California; Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama; Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley; and others. Share Details Last Updated Jan 22, 2024 Related Terms Astrophysics Division James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Star-forming Nebulae The Universe Explore More 2 min read Hubble Observes an Askew Galaxy Coaxing Star Formation from its Partner Article 7 hours ago 2 min read Hubble Views a Galactic Supernova Site Article 3 days ago 2 min read Hubble Captures a Monster Merger Article 1 week ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

NASA/James Blair In this image from May 22, 2023, a NASA intern uses an augmented reality headset to test out heads-up display technology being developed for future Artemis missions. This technology was created as part of the NASA Spacesuit User Interface Technologies for Students, or SUITS, design challenge in which college students from across the country help design user interface solutions for future spaceflight needs. Today marks the beginning of NASA’s Spring 2024 internship season; across the country, hundreds of interns are joining the Artemis Generation and contributing to the agency’s mission of exploring the universe for the benefit of all. The deadline for Summer 2024 internship applications is Feb. 2. Learn more and apply at intern.nasa.gov. Image Credit: NASA/James Blair View the full article

2 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) The team from University High School in Irvine, California, proved victorious in the 2024 Los Angeles regional Ocean Sciences Bowl tournament at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. From left: senior Julianne Wu, team captain and senior Maia Kopylova, sophomore Angelina Yan, sophomore Matthew Feng, senior Claudia Kahana, and team coach Ruby-Ann Lopez.NASA/JPL-Caltech The annual competition aims to help students expand their ocean-related knowledge outside the classroom and to become environmental stewards. University High School of Irvine, California, emerged victorious on Jan. 20 at the Los Angeles regional Ocean Sciences Bowl tournament, which NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has hosted annually since 2000. Eight schools from Los Angeles and Orange counties competed, with Santa Monica High School taking second place and and Torrance High placing third. “For me,” said University High senior Claudia Kahanka, “it’s less about winning and more about interacting with people who are my own age and who are interested in the same things as me. It’s wonderful.” The student teams spend months studying and preparing for the fast-paced academic competition, with contestants tapping “Jeopardy!”-style buzzers before answering challenging questions on science and policy regarding Earth’s oceans. “We have practices every week – two-hour practices,” said team captain Maia Kopylova, a senior at University High. “Each individual studies a specific topic. And then we come together on Discord or in person and practice.” Teams of four to five students have just 5 seconds to answer multiple-choice “buzzer questions,” worth 4 points each, in one of eight categories: biology, chemistry, geography, geology, marine policy, physical oceanography, social sciences, and technology. If a student answers a question correctly, they receive a bonus question worth 6 points and have 20 seconds to consult with their teammates before the team captain must provide an answer. They also face a handful of “team challenge questions” in which they can work together for a longer period to come up with an answer. The JPL event – called the Los Angeles Surf Bowl – was the first of nearly 20 regional Ocean Sciences Bowl competitions across the country. The tournaments are coordinated by the Center for Ocean Leadership, which is a program of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, an organization focused in part on Earth science-related education. The event at JPL is staffed by volunteers from the lab and University of Southern California, several of whom are competition alumni. Melissa Pamer Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif 626-314-4928 melissa.pamer@randal-k-jacksonjpl-nasa-gov 2024-004 Share Details Last Updated Jan 22, 2024 Related TermsSTEM Engagement at NASAJet Propulsion Laboratory Explore More 5 min read 20 Years After Landing: How NASA’s Twin Rovers Changed Mars Science Article 5 days ago 5 min read NASA Study: More Greenland Ice Lost Than Previously Estimated Article 5 days ago 6 min read This US-Indian Satellite Will Monitor Earth’s Changing Frozen Regions Article 2 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Members of the AERL design team pose outside the Structures Laboratory at Langley in 1941. Many would later transfer to Cleveland later that year.NASA “[On December 15, 1941] a few shivering, startled Southerners from Langley, the vanguard of those in the Power Plants Division transferring to Cleveland, arrived in the biggest snowstorm in years,” recalled former receptionist Mary Louise Gosney. This vanguard was the first large group of NACA employees to relocate from the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory to the new Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory (AERL). As construction of the AERL proceeded over the next two years, larger factions followed suit. Langley employees not only designed and constructed the AERL but formed the core of the Laboratory’s leadership and research staff for three decades. For the newcomers, the mid-December snowstorm was a dramatic change from Virginia, where temperatures had reached 60 degrees Fahrenheit just days before. The challenge of acclimation to the northern climate, however, paled in comparison to the tumult resulting from Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and the Philippines just eight days before. The United States was now involved in World War II on two fronts, and there was a new urgency to get the NACA’s new engine research laboratory operational. The military was relying on the AERL to resolve a host of propulsion issues for its aircraft. Nearly a year beforehand, in January 1941, Langley construction engineer Charles Herrmann had relocated to Cleveland with Helen Ford, an administrative assistant from NACA Headquarters. From a 19th-century farmhouse on the barren AERL site, they managed the construction contracting and inspections. Meanwhile, in a room above Langley’s Structural Research Laboratory, a team of civil engineers designed the AERL’s test facilities and other structures. In August 1941, the NACA decided to transfer the Chief of Langley’s Construction Division, Edward Raymond Sharp, to Cleveland to expedite the work. Temporary offices constructed inside the hangar to house the architectural and drafting personnel as well the machines shops.NASA/GRC The Langley arrivals of December 1941, which included inspectors, engineers, draftsmen, mechanics, and administrative staff, were stationed in temporary offices inside the aircraft hangar—the only completed building. Sharp negotiated a key contract with a new construction company in the ensuing weeks that provided a breakthrough in the work. The first test facility was operational in May 1942. One after another, the other buildings and facilities were completed during the following year, and the former Langley staff left the hangar for their permanent offices. In the fall of 1942, units of the Langley engine research staff began transferring to Cleveland. What had been modest-size sections in Langley’s Power Plants Division were expanded to full divisions in Cleveland. These divisions, led by experienced Langley engineers, included Addison Rothrock’s Fuels and Lubrication Division, Benjamin Pinkel’s Thermodynamics Division, Ernest Whitney’s Engine Installation Division, Charles Moore’s Engine Research Division, Oscar Schey’s Supercharger Division, and Joseph Vensel’s Flight Research Division. Ray Sharp in his in December 1946. He began his NACA career at Langley in 1922 and transferred to the Cleveland lab in August 1941.NASA In a somewhat surprising move, the NACA assigned construction manager Ray Sharp the responsibility for running the laboratory on a permanent basis. At Langley and Ames, technically skilled engineers performed that task. Sharp, who had a law degree but no formal scientific or engineering background, was assisted by Executive Engineers Carlton Kemper and Addison Rothrock. Sharp managed the day-to-day activities, while Rothrock and Kemper supervised the research. In 1949, Abe Silverstein, who had helped design and operate Langley’s Full Scale Wind Tunnel, became Chief of Research. Although the AERL was continually hiring new researchers in the 1940s and 1950s, the ex-Langley personnel provided the laboratory’s backbone. With the arrival of the newcomers, more and more of the Langley veterans moved into the management ranks. Nearly all of the division chiefs and upper-management positions during the NACA era were occupied by former Langley people. The relatively small size of the AERL staff and the fact that many of them were new to northeast Ohio resulted in a close community. Everyone knew nearly everyone else, families were started, and lifelong friendships formed. Sharp and his wife Vera were parental figures who looked after the employees and participated in the staff dances, sporting events, and other social activities. Members of the Old Timers Club, all former Langley employees, meet for their annual luncheon in March 1948. Back row, left to right: Harold Gerrish, Achilles Gellales, Clarence Decker, Carlton Kemper, Hampton Foster, William Dewey. Front row, left to right: Emery Gilbert, Charles Moore, Dale McConnaha, Addison Rothrock, Oscar Schey, Arthur Tesman.NASA The transition from the NACA to NASA in 1958 brought a number of changes to the organization, including the transfer of Silverstein and a number of other key Lewis employees to Headquarters and Langley’s Space Task Group. There was also a shift from the NACA’s mostly in-house research to NASA’s management of external development contracts. The new space agency also dramatically increased the size of its staff in the early 1960s. Silverstein, who replaced Sharp as Director in 1961, knew the importance of camaraderie and successfully encouraged the older NACA veterans to interact socially with the new recruits. As NASA’s budgets decreased in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the era of Langley’s influence on Lewis came to a close. To reduce its payroll, NASA began to offer employees incentives to retire. The Langley expatriates—many of whom had over 30 years of service—ebbed away during the final years of the Apollo program. The Center struggled for nearly a decade to redefine itself and its culture. Langley’s legacy is still visible at the Center today in its inductees into the Glenn Hall of Fame, a historic district containing the original facilities, and the campus’s lack of sidewalk plots or tree lawns. The Southerners had not anticipated the need to plow snow when designing the laboratory. Robert S. Arrighi NASA Glenn Research Center This article originally appeared in NASA History News & Notes, Volume 33, Number 4, Fourth Quarter 2016. Explore More 2 min read How NASA Glenn Landed in Cleveland Article 3 years ago 2 min read NASA Glenn History Includes Contributions of Women in Aerospace Research Article 2 years ago 2 min read An Elite Team of Pilots Led Flight Research at NACA’s Cleveland Lab Article 3 years ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA NASA Glenn History Glenn History Articles and Features The History of NASA Langley Research Center The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) View the full article

2 min read Hubble Observes an Askew Galaxy Coaxing Star Formation from its Partner This new NASA Hubble Space Telescope image features two interacting spiral galaxies collectively called Arp 300. NASA, ESA, J. Dalcanton (University of Washington), and R. Windhorst (Arizona State University); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America) Arp 300 consists of two interacting galaxies, UGC 05028 (the smaller face-on spiral galaxy) and UGC 05029 (the larger face-on spiral). Likely due to its gravitational dance with its larger partner, UGC 05028 has an asymmetric, irregular structure, which is not as visible from ground-based telescopes but is quite distinct in these images from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. The bright knot visible to the southeast of the center of UGC 05028 may be the remnant of another small galaxy that is in the process of merging with that galaxy. If this is the case, that remnant will eventually merge with the bar of stars visible in Hubble images of UGC 05028, forming a central bulge similar to that of Arp 300’s larger companion galaxy, UGC 05029. UGC 05029 has a pronounced spiral structure and multiple hot, blue giant stars visible on the side facing UGC 05028. This enhanced star formation is likely due to the interaction between the two galaxies. Another edge-on spiral galaxy is visible in this image below UGC 05029 but is too faint to be resolved into star-forming regions, while the five objects strung out above it are probably a group of distant background galaxies. Hubble looked at this galaxy pair to study the relationship between the overall physical characteristics of galaxies and their star formation. LEARN MORE: Hubble Science: Galaxy Details and Mergers Hubble Science: Tracing the Growth of Galaxies Media Contact: Claire Andreoli NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD claire.andreoli@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 22, 2024 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Location Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms Astrophysics Division Galaxies Goddard Space Flight Center Hubble Space Telescope Missions Spiral Galaxies The Universe Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Hubble Space Telescope Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe. Galaxies Stories Stars Stories James Webb Space Telescope Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the… View the full article

The Latest Private Astronaut Mission to the Space Station on This Week @NASA – January 19, 2024

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson lays a wreath at the Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial during NASA’s Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. Wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani) In honor of the members of the NASA family who lost their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery for the benefit all, the agency will host its annual Day of Remembrance Thursday, Jan. 25. Traditionally held on the fourth Thursday in January each year, NASA Day of Remembrance will commemorate the crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, and Associate Administrator Jim Free also will host a town hall at the agency’s headquarters in Washington at 1 p.m. EST on Tuesday, Jan. 23. In a dialogue with employees, the leaders will highlight how NASA safety is the cornerstone to achieving mission success. The town hall will air live on the NASA+ streaming service. Coverage also will air live on NASA Television and the agency’s website. Learn how to  stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms, including social media. On Jan. 25, Nelson will lead an observance with Melroy and Free at 1 p.m. EST at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, which will begin with a traditional wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, followed by observances for the Apollo 1, Challenger, and Columbia crews. “Our annual Day of Remembrance honors the sacrifice of the NASA family who lost their lives in the pursuit of discovery,” said Nelson. “While it is a solemn day, we are forever thankful that our fallen heroes shared their spirt of exploration with NASA, our country, and the world. Today, and every day, we embrace NASA’s core value of safety as we expand our reach in the cosmos for the benefit of all humanity.” The administrator will send an agencywide message to employees. Additional agency centers also will hold observances for NASA Day of Remembrance: Johnson Space Center, Houston NASA Johnson will hold a commemoration at the Astronaut Memorial Grove at 10 a.m. CST. The ceremony will include remarks by Johnson Director Vanessa Wyche. This event will feature a moment of silence, NASA T-38 flyover, taps performed by the Texas A&M Squadron 17, and a tree dedication for former NASA astronaut Karol Bobko. Kennedy Space Center, Florida NASA Kennedy, in partnership with The Astronauts Memorial Foundation, will host a Day of Remembrance ceremony at the Space Mirror Memorial at Kennedy’s Visitor Complex at 10 a.m. EST. Kathie Fulgham, Astronaut Memorial Foundation chairman and daughter of former NASA astronaut Dick Scobee, will serve as the master of ceremonies. Scobee served as the commander of the space shuttle Challenger. Kennedy’s Associate Director in Management, Burt Summerfield, will provide remarks during the ceremony, which will livestream on Kennedy’s Facebook, X, and YouTube pages. Ames Research Center, California NASA Ames will hold a remembrance ceremony at 1 p.m. PST that includes remarks from Center Director Dr. Eugene Tu, a moment of silence, and bell ringing commemoration. Glenn Research Center, Cleveland NASA Glenn will observe Day of Remembrance with remarks at 1 p.m. EST from Center Director Dr. Jimmy Kenyon followed by wreath placement, moment of silence, and taps at Lewis Field​. Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia NASA Langley will hold a remembrance ceremony with Center Director Clayton Turner and Acting Deputy Director Lisa Ziehmann followed by placing flags at the Langley Workers Memorial. Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama NASA Marshall will hold a candle-lighting ceremony and wreath placement at 9 a.m. CST. The ceremony will include remarks from Associate Director Larry Leopard, Bill Hill, director of Marshall’s Office of Safety and Mission Assurance, and an astronaut. Stennis Space Flight Center, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi NASA Stennis and the NASA Shared Services Center (NSSC) will hold a wreath-laying ceremony at 9 a.m. CST with remarks from Stennis’ Associate Director Rodney McKellip and NSSC’s Acting Executive Director Ken Newton. The agency also is paying tribute to its fallen astronauts with special online content, updated on NASA’s Day of Remembrance, at:   https://www.nasa.gov -end- Faith McKie / Cheryl Warner Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 faith.d.mckie@nasa.gov / cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov   Share Details Last Updated Jan 19, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsNASA HeadquartersBill Nelson View the full article

Cameras aboard Peregrine capture the American flag and the NASA insignia on one of the lander’s tanks to signify America’s return to the Moon. Credits: Astrobotic The first flight of NASA’s commercial lunar delivery service carrying agency science and technology, as well as other customer payloads intended for the Moon, has come to an end. After 10 days and 13 hours in space, Astrobotic’s Peregrine Mission One made a controlled re-entry on Earth over open water in the South Pacific at approximately 4:04 p.m. EST on Jan. 18. Astrobotic was the first commercial vendor to launch a mission to the Moon as part of NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative, which aims to advance capabilities for science, exploration or commercial development of the Moon under the agency’s Artemis campaign. There are seven additional CLPS deliveries awarded to multiple American companies, with more awards expected this year and for years to come. The next CLPS commercial flight is targeted for no earlier than February. Following a successful launch and separation from the rocket on Jan. 8, the spacecraft experienced a propulsion issue preventing Peregrine from softly landing on the Moon. After analysis and recommendations from NASA and the space community, Astrobotic determined the best option for minimizing risk and ensuring responsible disposal of the spacecraft would be to maintain Peregrine’s trajectory toward Earth, where it burned up upon re-entry. (L-R) Hailey Moosebrugger, payload manager, Astrobotic, works with project scientists Maria Banks and Paul Niles, CLPS in Astrobotic’s control center. Credits: Astrobotic “Space exploration is a daring task, and the science and spaceflight data collected from Astrobotic’s lunar lander is better preparing NASA for future CLPS deliveries and crewed missions under Artemis,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “The future of exploration is strengthened by collaboration. Together with our commercial partners, NASA is supporting a growing commercial space economy that will help take humanity back to the Moon, and beyond.” Four out five NASA payloads on Peregrine successfully powered on and collected data while in flight: Linear Energy Transfer Spectrometer (LETS) Near-Infrared Volatile Spectrometer System (NIRVSS) Neutron Spectrometer System (NSS) Peregrine Ion-Trap Mass Spectrometer (PITMS) As NASA’s LRA (Laser Retroreflector Array) instrument is a passive experiment, and operations could only take place on the lunar surface. NASA science teams are currently working to interpret the results. Preliminary data suggests the instruments have measured natural radiation and chemical compounds in the area around the lander. “Astrobotic’s Peregrine mission provided an invaluable opportunity to test our science and instruments in space, optimizing our process for collecting data and providing a benchmark for future missions,” said Nicola Fox, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The data collected in flight sets the stage for understanding how some of our instruments may behave in the harsh environment of space when some of the duplicates fly on future CLPS flights.” 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. For more information about CLPS, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/clps -end- Faith McKie / Karen Fox Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 faith.d.mckie@nasa.gov / karen.c.fox@nasa.gov Nilufar Ramji Johnson Space Flight Center, Houston 281-383-5111 nilufar.ramji@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 19, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsMissionsArtemisCommercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS)Johnson Space CenterNASA Headquarters View the full article

“[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. “[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.” — Dr. Rodney Martin, Deputy Discovery and Systems Health Technical Area Lead, NASA’s Ames Research Center Image Credit: NASA / Brandon Torres Interviewer: NASA / Michelle Zajac Check out some of our other Faces of NASA. View the full article

Advanced Curation Systematic Imaging Documentation for OSIRIS-REX Sample Return Mission Physical ExaminationPhoto: NASA/Erika Blumenfeld & Joseph Aebersold The astromaterials curation team at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston has completed the disassembly of the OSIRIS-REx sampler head to reveal the remainder of the asteroid Bennu sample inside. On Jan. 10, they successfully removed two stubborn fasteners that had prevented the final steps of opening the Touch-and-Go-Sample-Acquisition-Mechanism (TAGSAM) head. Erika Blumenfeld, creative lead for the Advanced Imaging and Visualization of Astromaterials (AIVA) and Joe Aebersold, AIVA project lead, captured this photograph of the open TAGSAM head including the asteroid material inside using manual high-resolution precision photography and a semi-automated focus stacking procedure. The result is an image that shows extreme detail of the sample. Next, the curation team will remove the round metal collar and prepare the glovebox to transfer the remaining sample from the TAGSAM head into pie-wedge sample trays. These trays will be photographed before the sample is weighed, packaged, and stored at Johnson, home to the most extensive collection of astromaterials in the world. The remaining sample material includes dust and rocks up to about 0.4 inch (one cm) in size. The final mass of the sample will be determined in the coming weeks. The curation team members had already collected 2.48 ounces (70.3 grams) of asteroid material from the sample hardware before the lid was removed, surpassing the agency’s goal of bringing at least 2.12 ounces (60 grams) to Earth. The curation team will release a catalog of all the Bennu samples later this year, which will allow scientists and institutions around the world to submit requests for research or display. Download high-resolution images here: https://images.nasa.gov/details/jsc2024e006057 View the full article

3 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Alongside experts from academia and industry, leaders from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, will be on hand at the Feb. 25–29 PowerSource Global Summit conference in Orlando. Dr. Christyl Johnson, Goddard’s deputy center director for technology and research investments, will deliver the conference’s keynote address on Feb. 26, sharing insights on space exploration developments as they relate to the 2024 summit’s theme: “Women in STEAM Powering the Metaverse.” “STEAM” adds “arts” to the “STEM” science, technology, engineering, and math acronym. Dr. Christyl Johnson, deputy center director for technology and research investments at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, will provide keynote remarks at the PowerSource Global summit in Orlando at the end of February 2024.NASA “As NASA embarks toward a sustained human presence on the Moon and onward to Mars, it’s critical that we underpin our efforts with a diverse and inclusive community,” Johnson said. “I look forward to sharing NASA’s latest efforts at the conference and to bringing back ideas and perspectives that will help ensure our exploration reflects humanity’s values and aspirations.” Johnson has been a deputy center director at Goddard since 2010. In her current position, she manages the center’s research and development portfolio and formulates the center’s future science mission and technology goals. In addition to Johnson’s keynote, NASA Chief Information Officer Jeff Seaton will attend and present on a panel, “Cybersecurity in a Hackable World,” at 7:30 a.m. EST on Feb. 27. Other Goddard speakers at the conference include Chief Digital Engineer Aaron Comis; research scientist Dr. Bethany Theiling; Dr. Evana Gizzi, an AI research lead at the center; and systems engineer Matthew Vaerewyck. The four will present an interactive panel, “From Vision to Reality,” that showcases Goddard’s digital engineering design capabilities. The panel will be 10:30 a.m. EST on Feb. 26. Dr. Omar Hatamleh, Goddard’s chief adviser for AI and innovation, will participate in a panel discussion, “Medical Technology’s Transformative Impact,” at 11:45 a.m. EST on Feb. 27. The private sector-led PowerSource Global Summit developed out of a 2016 collaboration that Johnson spearheaded to boost female representation in STEM fields. “Continuing dialogue allows us to move the needle forward to ensure a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible workforce where barriers in STEAM careers cease to exist, particularly for women,” Johnson said. “That’s why it’s important for Goddard to participate in summits like PowerSource that convene STEAM professionals to share best practices and learn from one another. We need to engage the next generation, the Artemis Generation, to build a diverse future workforce for exploration.” In the conference’s current form, it allows diverse experts across disciplines to exchange ideas about technology’s influences on society, according to its website. The February conference takes place at World Center Marriott in Orlando. Goddard is NASA’s premiere space flight complex. The center is home to the nation’s largest organization of scientists, engineers and technologists who build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study Earth, the Sun, our solar system and the universe. Facebook logo @NASAGoddard @NASAGoddard Instagram logo @NASAGoddard Share Details Last Updated Jan 18, 2024 EditorRob GarnerContactRob Garnerrob.garner@nasa.govLocationGoddard Space Flight Center Related TermsGoddard Space Flight Center View the full article

NASA astronaut and Expedition 70 Flight Engineer Loral O’Hara scrubs spacesuit cooling loops in preparation for a round of spacewalks. NASA Students, staff, and researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and two local public schools in Boston will have an opportunity next week to hear from NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara aboard the International Space Station. The Earth-to-space call will air live at 9:55 a.m. EST Tuesday, Jan. 23, on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media. O’Hara will answer prerecorded questions from students at Boston’s Harvard-Kent Elementary and Warren-Prescott School in partnership with Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and researchers involved in NASA’s Complement of Integrated Protocols for Human Exploration Research (CIPHER). The investigation studies neurobehavioral and physiological adaptations to spaceflight aboard the station. Graduate and undergraduate students will facilitate engaging hands-on STEM activities with the participating K-12 students on the day of the event. Media interested in covering the event must RSVP no later than 5 p.m. Monday, Jan. 22, to Brandon Chase at bchase7@mgh.harvard.edu or 617-726-6422. For more than 23 years, astronauts have continuously lived and worked aboard the space station, testing technologies, performing science, and developing the skills needed to explore farther from Earth. Astronauts living aboard the orbiting laboratory communicate with NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston 24 hours a day through the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Near Space Network. Important research and technology investigations taking place aboard the International Space Station benefits people on Earth and lays the groundwork for future exploration. As part of the Artemis campaign, NASA will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars. Inspiring the next generation of explorers – the Artemis Generation – ensures America will continue to lead in space exploration and discovery. See videos and lesson plans highlighting research on the space station at: https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation -end- Katherine Brown Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1288 katherine.m.brown@nasa.gov Sandra Jones Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 19, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsSTEM Engagement at NASAInternational Space Station (ISS) View the full article

The new year of 1969 dawned with optimism that NASA would meet President John F. Kennedy’s goal of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth. The previous year saw four Apollo missions, two uncrewed and two carrying three astronauts each, test different components of the lunar landing architecture, culminating with Apollo 8’s December flight around the Moon. Challenges remaining for the new year included testing the Lunar Module (LM) with a crew, first in Earth orbit, and then in lunar orbit, a flight that served as a dress rehearsal for the Moon landing that could take place on the following mission. With flights occurring every two months, engineers at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida processed three spacecraft and launch vehicles in parallel. Recovering from the fire Left: The Apollo 1 crew of Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom, left, Edward H. White, and Roger B. Chaffee. Middle left: Liftoff of the first Saturn V on the Apollo 4 mission. Middle right: The Lunar Module for the Apollo 5 mission. Right: Recovery of the Apollo 6 Command Module. The years 1967 and 1968 proved turbulent for the world. For NASA, the focus remained on recovering from the tragic Apollo 1 fire in time to meet President Kennedy’s fast approaching end of the decade deadline. The fire resulted in a thorough redesign of the Command Module (CM) to reduce flammability risks and to include an easy to open hatch. Engineers also removed flammable materials from the Lunar Module (LM). In November 1967, the first flight of the Saturn V carried Apollo 4 on a nine-hour uncrewed mission to test the CM’s heat shield. Apollo 5 in January 1968 completed an uncrewed test of the LM so successful that NASA decided to cancel a second test. Although fraught with problems, the April 1968 flight of Apollo 6 tested the CM heat shield once again. Managers believed that engineers could solve the problems encountered during this mission and declared that the next Saturn V would carry a crew. Apollo 7 and 8 Left: Apollo 7 astronauts Walter M. Schirra, left, Donn F. Eisele, and R. Walter Cunningham on the recovery ship USS Essex following their 11-day mission. Right: The famous Earthrise photograph from Apollo 8. By October 1968, thorough ground testing of the Apollo spacecraft enabled the first crewed mission since the fire. Apollo 7 astronauts Walter M. Schirra, Donn F. Eisele, and R. Walter Cunningham successfully completed the 11-day test flight, achieving all mission objectives. In August, with LM development running behind schedule, senior NASA managers began discussions of sending Apollo 8 on a circumlunar flight, pending the outcome of Apollo 7. With that hurdle successfully cleared, astronauts Frank Borman, James A. Lovell, and William A. Anders orbited the Moon 10 times during Christmas 1968, taking a giant leap toward achieving the Moon landing. Left: At the White House, Apollo 8 astronauts Frank Borman, James A. Lovell, and William A. Anders present a copy of the Earthrise photograph to President Lyndon B. Johnson. Middle: Accompanied by Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey, Borman, Lovell, and Anders take a motorcade from the White House to the Capitol. Right: Borman, left, Lovell, and Anders address a joint meeting of Congress. With their space missions completed, the Apollo 7 and 8 crews remained busy with events celebrating their successes. On Jan. 3, 1969, TIME magazine named Apollo 8 astronauts Borman, Lovell, and Anders their Men of the Year for 1968. Kicking off a whirlwind of events, on Jan. 9, outgoing President Lyndon B. Johnson welcomed them to the White House, where he presented them with NASA Distinguished Service Medals. They in turn presented him with a copy of the famous Earthrise photograph. Accompanied by Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey, Borman, Lovell, and Anders rode in a motorcade down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol where the astronauts addressed a joint meeting of Congress. From there, they proceeded to the State Department for a press conference, their day ending with a dinner in their honor at the Smithsonian Institution. Left: Apollo 8 astronauts James A. Lovell, left, Frank Borman, and William A. Anders wave to the crowds assembled along their parade route in New York City. Middle: Borman, Lovell, and Anders address a crowd at Newark airport. Right: In Miami’s Orange Bowl Lovell, left, Borman, and Anders lead the fans in the Pledge of Allegiance at Super Bowl III. On Jan. 10, New York City held a tickertape parade for Borman, Lovell, and Anders. Mayor John V. Lindsay presented them with Medals of the City of New York, after which they attended a luncheon at Lincoln Center, a reception at the United Nations, and dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. The next day, in 15-degree weather, they spoke to a crowd of about 1,500 people at Newark Airport before boarding a plane for much warmer Miami, where on Jan. 12 they attended Super Bowl III, and led the Orange Bowl crowd in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Left: In Houston, Apollo 8 astronauts William A. Anders, left, Frank Borman, and James A. Lovell present an Earthrise photograph and flags of Texas to Governor John B. Connally, far right, and Mayor Louie Welch, hidden behind the photograph. Middle: Borman and his family in the parade through downtown Houston, with Lovell and Anders and their families following behind. Right: Lovell, Borman, and Anders wave to the crowds in the parade in Chicago. A crowd estimated at about 250,000 welcomed Borman, Lovell, and Anders home to Houston on Jan. 13. In a ceremony outside the Albert Thomas Convention Center, Mayor Louie Welch presented them with bronze medals for heroism, and the astronauts presented Welch and Texas Governor John B. Connally with plaques bearing Texas flags they had flown to the Moon as well as a framed copy of the Earthrise photograph. The astronauts took part in the largest parade in the city’s history. The next day, the city of Chicago welcomed Borman, Lovell, and Anders. An estimated 1.5 million people cheered them on their parade route to a reception where they received honors from city council. Left: The Apollo 7 Command Module and a Lunar Module mockup on a float in President Richard M. Nixon’s inauguration parade; Apollo 7 astronauts Walter M. Schirra, R. Walter Cunningham, and Donn F. Eisele preceded the float in an open-air limousine. Image credit: courtesy Richard Nixon Library. Right: Apollo 8 astronauts Frank Borman, left, James A. Lovell, and William A. Anders with President Nixon at the White House. On Jan. 20, Apollo 7 astronauts Schirra, Eisele, and Cunningham rode in President Richard M. Nixon’s inauguration parade in Washington, D.C. Their spacecraft and a LM mockup rode on a float behind them. Ten days later, the new President invited Apollo 8 astronauts Borman, Lovell, and Anders to the White House where he announced that Borman and his family would embark on an 18-day goodwill tour of eight European nations, starting on Feb. 2. Apollo 9 The LM remained the one component of the lunar landing architecture not yet tested by astronauts in space. That task fell to James A. McDivitt, David R. Scott, and Russell L. Schweickart, the crew of Apollo 9. They and their backups Charles “Pete” Conrad, Richard F. Gordon, and Alan L. Bean spent many hours in the LM simulators and training for the spacewalk component of the mission. Left: In preparation for the Apollo 9 spacewalk, astronaut Russell L. Schweickart tests the Portable Life Support System backpack in an altitude chamber at the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC), now NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Middle: Schweickart trains for his spacewalk in MSC’s Water Immersion Facility. Right: Apollo 9 backup astronauts Richard F. Gordon, left, and Alan L. Bean train for the spacewalk in the KC-135 zero-gravity aircraft. Apollo 9’s 10-day mission would take place in the relative safety of low Earth orbit. After docking with the LM, the crew’s first major task involved the first spacewalk of the Apollo program and the only in-space test of the new A7L spacesuit before the Moon landing. McDivitt and Schweickart planned to enter the LM, leaving Scott in the CM. Schweickart and Scott would each perform a spacewalk from their respective spacecraft. Scott would only stand in the open CM hatch while Schweickart would exit via the LM’s front hatch onto its porch, translate over to the CM using handrails, retrieve materials samples mounted on the spacecraft’s exterior and return back to the LM, spending two hours outside. This spacewalk tested the ability of crews to transfer through open space, in case a malfunction with the tunnel or hatches between the two spacecraft prevented an internal transfer. The day after the spacewalk, McDivitt and Schweickart planned to undock the LM, leaving Scott in the CM, fly it up to 100 miles away, testing its descent and ascent stages before returning to Scott in the CM who would perform the rendezvous and docking. At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, three views of the Apollo 9 rollout from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A. The first of the three vehicles in processing flow at KSC, Apollo 9 rolled out from High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to Launch Pad 39A on Jan. 3, just 13 days after Apollo 8 launched from the same facility, causing relatively minor damage. Stages of the Apollo 9 Saturn V had arrived at KSC during the spring and summer of 1968, the LM arrived in June and the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in October. Workers completed stacking of the Saturn V in October, adding the Apollo spacecraft in early December. On Jan. 8, NASA announced Feb. 28, 1969, as the planned launch date for Apollo 9. Left: Apollo 9 astronauts James A. McDivitt, front, David R. Scott, and Russell L. Schweickart depart crew quarters for the ride to Launch Pad 39A for emergency escape training. Middle: Scott, left, Schweickart, and McDivitt in the White Room during the pad emergency escape drill. Right: Scott, left, McDivitt, and Schweickart pose with their mission patch following a press conference at Grumman Aircraft and Engineering Corporation in Bethpage, New York. Workers at the pad immediately began to prepare the vehicle for flight, including software integration tests with the Mission Control Center at the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC), now NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. On Jan. 15, the prime and backup crews conducted emergency egress training from their spacecraft at Launch Pad 39A. Launch controllers at KSC successfully completed the Flight Readiness Test, the final major overall test of the vehicle’s systems, between Jan. 19 and 22. During a Jan. 25 press conference at the Grumman Aircraft and Engineering Corporation in Bethpage, New York, manufacturer of the LM, the Apollo 9 astronauts provided reporters with an overview of their mission. Apollo 10 Assuming Apollo 9 met its objectives and the LM proved space worthy in Earth orbit, in May Apollo 10 would repeat many of those tests in lunar orbit, including flying to within nine miles of the Moon’s surface. Left: Apollo 10 backup astronauts L. Gordon Cooper, front, and Edgar D. Mitchell arrive in the vacuum chamber in the Manned Spacecraft Operations Building (MSOB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a Lunar Module (LM) altitude test. Middle: Engineers in the MSOB conduct a docking test between the LM and the Command Module (CM) docking test. Right: Engineers prepare the CM for an altitude test. In November 1968, just six months before the planned launch date, NASA officially named the Apollo 10 crew. The prime crew consisted of Thomas P. Stafford, John W. Young, and Eugene A. Cernan. All had flown Gemini missions and had recently served as the Apollo 7 backup crew. L. Gordon Cooper, Donn F. Eisele, and Edgar D. Mitchell served as their backups. Left: In High Bay 2 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, the three stages of the Apollo 10 Saturn V await the arrival of the spacecraft. Middle left: In KSC’s Manned Spacecraft Operations Building (MSOB), workers remove the Lunar Module (LM) from an altitude chamber. Middle right: Workers in the MSOB lower the LM onto the base of the Spacecraft LM Adapter (SLA). Right: After installing the main engine bell, workers lift the Command and Service Module for mating with the SLA. In the VAB’s High Bay 2, workers had completed stacking the Apollo 10 Saturn V’s three stages by the final days of 1968, while their colleagues prepared to roll Apollo 9’s rocket to the pad a few days later. In the nearby Manned Spacecraft Operations Building (MSOB), prime and backup crews completed altitude tests of the LM in December and workers conducted a docking test between the LM and the CM. On Jan. 16, Stafford, Young, and Cernan completed their altitude test of the CM, followed by Cooper, Eisele, and Mitchell the next day. Workers removed the spacecraft from the altitude chamber in preparation for its rollover to the VAB in early February for stacking onto the rocket. Apollo 11 Assuming Apollo 9 and 10 accomplished their objectives, Apollo 11 would attempt the first Moon landing in July. Should Apollo 11 not succeed, NASA would try again with Apollo 12 in September and even Apollo 13 in November or December. Spacecraft and rocket manufacturers continued building components to meet that aggressive schedule. Apollo 11 crew of Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin, left, Neil A. Armstrong, and Michael Collins. On Jan. 9, a mere six months before the planned launch date, NASA formally announced the Apollo 11 crew, the second all-veteran three-person crew after Apollo 10 – and the last all-veteran crew until STS-26 in 1988. The next day, NASA introduced the Apollo 11 crew during a press conference at MSC. The prime crew consisted of Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin. Each astronaut had flown one Gemini mission. Armstrong and Aldrin had served on the backup crew for Apollo 8 while Collins was initially a member of the prime Apollo 8 crew until a bone spur in his neck requiring surgery sidelined him. He fully recovered from the operation, and NASA included him in the Apollo 11 crew. The Apollo 11 backup crew consisted of James A. Lovell, William A. Anders, and Fred W. Haise. Lovell and Anders had just completed the Apollo 8 lunar orbit mission with Haise a backup crew member on that flight. When Anders announced that he would retire from NASA in August 1969 to join the National Space Council, Thomas K. “Ken” Mattingly began training in parallel with Anders in case the mission slipped past that date. Left: The Lunar Module for Apollo 11 arrives at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Middle: The Apollo 11 Command Module, left, and Service Module, in KSC’s Manned Spacecraft Operations Building shortly after their arrival. Right: The S-IVB third stage for Apollo 11’s Saturn V rocket arrives at KSC. Hardware began to arrive at KSC for Apollo 11. With the Apollo 10 CSM still undergoing testing in the MSOB, the Apollo 11 LM’s ascent and descent stages arrived Jan. 8 and 12, respectively, followed by the CM and SM on Jan. 23. Workers in the MSOB prepared the spacecraft for vacuum chamber testing. The Saturn V’s S-IVB third stage arrived on Jan. 19. Workers trucked it to the VAB where it awaited the arrival of the first two stages, scheduled for February. Lunar Receiving Laboratory Left: Schematic of the Lunar Receiving Laboratory (LRL) showing its major functional areas. Right: A mockup Command Module in the spacecraft storage area, part of the Crew Reception Area, in the LRL. With the Moon landing possibly just six months away, NASA continued to prepare key facilities designed to receive astronauts returning from the Moon. The 83,000-square-foot Lunar Receiving Laboratory (LRL), residing in MSC’s Building 37, was specially designed and built to isolate the astronauts, their spacecraft, and lunar samples to prevent back-contamination of the Earth by any possible lunar micro-organisms, and to maintain the lunar samples in as pristine a condition as possible. The building was completed in 1967, and over the next year, workers outfitted its laboratories and other facilities. A 10-day simulation in the facility in November 1968 found some deficiencies that NASA addressed promptly. On Jan. 23, 1969, workers brought a mockup Apollo CM into the LRL’s spacecraft storage area for fit checks. Left: Workers at the Norfolk Naval Air Station in Virginia hoist the Mobile Quarantine facility (MQF) onto the USS Guadalcanal. Middle: The flexible tunnel set up between the MQF and a mockup Command Module. Right: Workers in Norfolk load the MQF onto a C-141 cargo plane for the return flight to Ellington Air Force Base in Houston. An integral component of the back-contamination prevention process was the Mobile Quarantine Facility (MQF). Following lunar landing missions, the MQF housed astronauts and support personnel from their arrival onboard the prime recovery ship shortly after splashdown through transport to the LRL. Under contract to NASA, Melpar, Inc., of Falls Church, Virginia, converted four 35-foot Airstream trailers into MQFs, delivering the first unit in March 1968 and the last three in the spring of 1969. The first unit was used extensively for testing, with lessons learned incorporated into the later models. On Jan. 21, 1969, workers loaded the MQF aboard a U.S. Air Force C-141 cargo plane at Ellington Air Force Base near MSC to transport it to the Norfolk Naval Air Station in Virginia. Six recovery specialists from MSC spent 10 days inside the MQF, first aboard the helicopter landing-platform USS Guadalcanal (LPH-7), including attaching a flexible tunnel to a boilerplate Apollo CM, and then aboard the destroyer USS Fox (DLG-33). The overall exercise, successfully completed on Feb. 3, tested all MQF systems aboard ships and aircraft to simulate recovery operations after a lunar landing mission. To be continued … With special thanks to Ed Hengeveld for imagery expertise. News from around the world in January 1969: Jan. 7 – Congress doubles the President’s salary from $100,000 to $200,000 a year. Jan. 9 – First test flight of the Franco-British Concorde supersonic jetliner in Bristol, U.K. Jan. 12 – In Super Bowl III, played in Miami’s Orange Bowl, the New York Jets beat the Baltimore Colts 16 to 7. Jan. 16 – The Soviet Union conducts the first docking between two crewed spacecraft and the first crew transfer by spacewalking cosmonauts during the Soyuz 4 and 5 missions. Jan. 20 – Richard M. Nixon inaugurated as the 37th U.S. President. Jan. 30 – The Beatles perform their last live gig, a 42-minute concert on the rooftop of Apple Corps Headquarters in London. Explore More 8 min read 50 Years Ago: Skylab 4 Astronauts Begin Record-Breaking Third Month in Space Article 1 week ago 6 min read 10 Years Ago: The First Operational Cygnus Cargo Mission to the Space Station Article 1 week ago 5 min read NASA’s Deep Space Network Turns 60 and Prepares for the Future Article 4 weeks ago View the full article

2 min read Hubble Views a Galactic Supernova Site This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image is of the small galaxy known as UGC 5189A. ESA/Hubble & NASA, A. Filippenko This image features a relatively small galaxy known as UGC 5189A, which is located about 150 million light-years away in the constellation Leo. This galaxy was observed by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope to study a supernova explosion in 2010 known as SN 2010jl. This particular supernova is notable because it was an exceptionally luminous supernova event. In fact, over a period of three years, SN 2010jl released at least 2.5 billion times more visible energy than our Sun emitted over the same timeframe across all wavelengths. Even after supernovae fade to non-observable levels, it is still interesting to study the environments where they occurred. Such studies can provide astronomers with valuable information: supernovae can take place for a variety of reasons and understanding the environments in which they occur helps improve our understanding of the conditions that triggered them. Follow-up studies after supernovae also improve our understanding of the immediate aftermath of such events: from their potent effects on the gas and dust around them, to the stellar remnants they leave behind. Hubble has observed UGC 5189A many times since 2010. This image is from data collected in three of the latest Hubble studies of UGC 5189A. These studies also examined several other relatively nearby galaxies that recently hosted supernovae – ‘relatively nearby’, in this context, means roughly 100 million light-years away. Text credit: European Space Agency Media Contact: Claire Andreoli NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD claire.andreoli@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 18, 2024 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Location Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms Astrophysics Astrophysics Division Galaxies Goddard Space Flight Center Hubble Space Telescope Missions Supernovae The Universe Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Hubble Space Telescope Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe. Galaxies Stories Stars Stories James Webb Space Telescope Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the… View the full article

Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3), the third all private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, lifts off at 4:49 p.m. EST on Thursday, Jan. 18, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.NASA As part of NASA’s efforts to enable more access to space, four private astronauts are in orbit following the successful launch of the third all private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. Axiom Space astronauts lifted off at 4:49 p.m. EST on Thursday from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket propelled the company’s Dragon spacecraft carrying Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) crew members Commander Michael López-Alegría, Pilot Walter Villadei, and Mission Specialists Marcus Wandt and Alper Gezeravci into orbit. The crew will spend about two weeks conducting microgravity research, educational outreach, and commercial activities aboard the space station. “Congratulations to Axiom and SpaceX on a successful launch! Together with our commercial partners, NASA is supporting a growing commercial space economy and the future of space technology,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “During their time aboard the International Space Station, the Ax-3 astronauts will carry out more than 30 scientific experiments that will help advance research in low-Earth orbit. As the first all-European commercial astronaut mission to the space station, the Ax-3 crew is proof that the possibility of space unites us all.” Beginning at 2:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 20, NASA will provide coverage of the SpaceX Dragon’s docking, hatch opening, and welcoming remarks on the NASA+ streaming service. Coverage also will air live on NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms, including social media. The Dragon spacecraft will dock autonomously to the forward port of the station’s Harmony module as early as 4:19 a.m. Saturday. Hatches between Dragon and the station are expected to open after 6 a.m., allowing the Axiom crew to enter the complex for a welcoming ceremony and start their stay aboard the orbiting laboratory. Once aboard the station, Expedition 70 crew members, including NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Furukawa Satoshi, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Konstantin Borisov, Oleg Kononenko, and Nikolai Chub, will welcome the Ax-3 crew. The Ax-3 astronauts are expected to depart the space station Saturday, Feb. 3, pending weather, for a return to Earth and splashdown at a landing site off the coast of Florida. NASA’s efforts, including private astronaut missions, are opening access to low Earth orbit for private industry allowing the agency to become one of many customers in a thriving commercial economy in space. As NASA enables commercial space, the agency also is readying for Artemis missions to the Moon in preparation for Mars. For more information about NASA’s commercial low Earth orbit economy development, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/commercial-space/ -end- Julian Coltre Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 julian.n.coltre@nasa.gov Rebecca Turkington Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 rebecca.turkington@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 18, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsHumans in SpaceCommercial CrewCommercial SpaceInternational Space Station (ISS)ISS Research View the full article

This Hubble Picture of the Week features Arp 122, a peculiar galaxy that in fact comprises two galaxies — NGC 6040, the tilted, warped spiral galaxy and LEDA 59642, the round, face-on spiral — that are in the midst of a collision. This dramatic cosmic encounter is located at the very safe distance of roughly 570 million light-years from Earth.ESA/Hubble & NASA, J. Dalcanton, Dark Energy Survey/DOE/FNAL/DECam/CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA Acknowledgement: L. Shatz This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features Arp 122, a peculiar galaxy that in fact comprises two galaxies – NGC 6040, the tilted, warped spiral galaxy and LEDA 59642, the round, face-on spiral – that are in the midst of a collision. This dramatic cosmic encounter is located at the very safe distance of roughly 570 million light-years from Earth. Peeking in at the lower-left corner is the elliptical galaxy NGC 6041, a central member of the galaxy cluster that Arp 122 resides in, but otherwise not participating in this monster merger. Galactic collisions and mergers are monumentally energetic and dramatic events, but they take place on a very slow timescale. For example, the Milky Way is on track to collide with its nearest galactic neighbor, the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), but these two galaxies have a good four billion years to go before they actually meet. The process of colliding and merging will not be a quick one either: it might take hundreds of millions of years to unfold. These collisions take so long because of the truly massive distances involved. Galaxies are composed of stars and their solar systems, dust, gas, and invisible dark matter. In galactic collisions, therefore, these constituent components may experience enormous changes in the gravitational forces acting on them. In time, this completely changes the structure of the two (or more) colliding galaxies, and sometimes ultimately results in a single, merged galaxy. That may well be what results from the collision pictured in this image. Galaxies that result from mergers are thought to have a regular or elliptical structure, as the merging process disrupts more complex structures (such as those observed in spiral galaxies). It would be fascinating to know what Arp 122 will look like once this collision is complete… but that will not happen for a long, long time. Text credit: European Space Agency Media Contact: Claire Andreoli NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD claire.andreoli@nasa.gov View the full article

1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA Glenn Research Center’s Spectrum Manager Wayne White, center, supports the U.S. Delegation at the 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference.Credit: International Telecommunications Union Reliable space communication and navigation systems are critical to every NASA mission. From the Voyager mission exploring beyond our solar system to astronauts aboard the International Space Station, space communications provide the crucial connection to our home planet. Without proper management of radio spectrum allocation and use, NASA’s ability to communicate with spacecraft and operate science instruments could be substantially limited. Doreen Bogdan-Martin, secretary general of the International Telecommunications Union, shares closing remarks with delegates during the 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference signing and closing ceremony. Credit: International Telecommunications Union In December, members of NASA Glenn Research Center’s Space Communications and Spectrum Management Office provided critical support during the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Glenn’s team helped the United States delegation track 12 international issues of interest at this year’s conference. International treaty negotiations are conducted every three to four years, and the next WRC is planned for 2027. Already looking ahead to WRC-27, Glenn’s continuous support of this conference plays a critical role in ensuring secure and consistent communications for NASA’s missions and the agency’s global partners. Explore More 1 min read Employees Spread Joy With Toys for Tots Drive Article 14 mins ago 1 min read Two NASA Glenn Senior Leaders Retire Article 15 mins ago 7 min read Monitoring Microorganisms Article 3 hours ago View the full article