NASA

Los miembros de la tripulación del Artemis II (de izquierda a derecha) Jeremy Hansen, astronauta de la CSA (Agencia Espacial Canadiense), y Christina Koch, Victor Glover y Reid Wiseman, astronautas de la NASA, parten del cuartel de tripulación de astronautas en el edificio de operaciones y control Neil Armstrong hacia los vehículos de transporte de la tripulación de Artemis antes de desplazarse a la plataforma de lanzamiento 39B como parte de una prueba integrada de los sistemas de tierra en el Centro Espacial Kennedy en Florida el miércoles 20 de septiembre, para poner a prueba la cronología de la tripulación para el día del lanzamiento.NASA La NASA anunció el martes cambios en las próximas misiones Artemis, que sentarán las bases para la exploración científica a largo plazo de la Luna, el aterrizaje de la primera mujer y la primera persona no blanca en la superficie lunar, y la preparación de expediciones con seres humanos a Marte en beneficio de todos. Para llevar a cabo estas misiones de forma segura, los dirigentes de la agencia han ajustado los calendarios de Artemis II y Artemis III para que los equipos técnicos puedan superar los retos asociados a los primeros desarrollos, operaciones e integración. El objetivo de la NASA es ahora septiembre de 2025 para Artemis II, la primera misión Artemis tripulada alrededor de la Luna, y septiembre de 2026 para Artemis III, la cual se prevé que aterrice con los primeros astronautas cerca del Polo Sur lunar. Artemis IV, la primera misión a la estación espacial lunar Gateway, sigue prevista para 2028. “Estamos regresando a la Luna como nunca antes lo habíamos hecho, y la seguridad de nuestros astronautas es la máxima prioridad de la NASA mientras nos preparamos para futuras misiones Artemis”, dijo el administrador de la NASA, Bill Nelson. “Hemos aprendido mucho desde Artemis I, y el éxito de estas primeras misiones depende de nuestras asociaciones comerciales e internacionales para ampliar nuestro alcance y comprensión del lugar de la humanidad en nuestro sistema solar. Artemis representa lo que podemos lograr como nación y como coalición mundial. Cuando nos proponemos lograr lo difícil, juntos podemos conseguir lo grandioso”. Garantizar la seguridad de la tripulación es el principal motivo de los cambios en el calendario de Artemis II. Como primera prueba de vuelo Artemis con tripulación a bordo de la nave espacial Orion, la misión pondrá a prueba sistemas críticos de control medioambiental y de soporte vital necesarios para sustentar a los astronautas. Las pruebas de la NASA para calificar los componentes para mantener a la tripulación segura y garantizar el éxito de la misión han revelado problemas que requieren tiempo adicional para ser resueltos. Los equipos técnicos están solucionando un asunto relacionado con la batería y abordando retos con un componente del circuito responsable de la ventilación del aire y el control de la temperatura. Se espera que la investigación de la NASA sobre la pérdida inesperada de trozos de capa de carbón del escudo térmico de la nave espacial durante Artemis I concluya esta primavera boreal. Los equipos técnicos han adoptado un enfoque metódico para entender el problema, que incluye un amplio muestreo del escudo térmico, pruebas y revisión de los datos de los sensores y las imágenes. El nuevo calendario para Artemis III se alinea con el calendario actualizado para Artemis II, garantiza que la agencia pueda incorporar las lecciones aprendidas de Artemis II en la próxima misión y reconoce los retos de desarrollo que han experimentado los socios industriales de la NASA. Dado que cada misión Artemis tripulada aumenta la complejidad y añade pruebas de vuelo para nuevos sistemas, el calendario ajustado proporcionará a los proveedores que desarrollan nuevas capacidades (SpaceX para el sistema de aterrizaje humano y Axiom Space para los trajes espaciales de nueva generación) tiempo adicional para las pruebas y cualquier refinamiento antes de la misión. “Estamos dejando que el hardware nos dé información para que la seguridad de la tripulación guíe nuestra toma de decisiones. Utilizaremos la prueba de vuelo de Artemis II, y cada uno de los vuelos siguientes, para reducir el riesgo de futuras misiones a la Luna”, declaró Catherine Koerner, administradora asociada de la Dirección de Misiones de Desarrollo de Sistemas de Exploración de la sede central de la NASA en Washington. “Estamos resolviendo los retos asociados con las capacidades y operaciones nuevas, y estamos más cerca que nunca de establecer una exploración sostenida del vecino más cercano de la Tierra mediante Artemis”. Además de las actualizaciones del calendario para Artemis II y III, la NASA está reexaminando el calendario para el lanzamiento de los primeros elementos integrados de Gateway, previsto anteriormente para octubre de 2025, con el fin de proporcionar tiempo de desarrollo adicional y alinear mejor ese lanzamiento con la misión Artemis IV en 2028. La NASA también ha comunicado que ha pedido a los dos proveedores del sistema de aterrizaje para seres humanos de Artemis (SpaceX y Blue Origin) que, como parte de sus contratos actuales, empiecen a aplicar los conocimientos adquiridos en el desarrollo de sus sistemas a futuras variaciones para poder transportar grandes cargamentos en misiones posteriores. “Artemis es una campaña de exploración a largo plazo para llevar a cabo actividades científicas en la Luna con astronautas y preparar futuras misiones tripuladas a Marte. Eso significa que debemos hacerlo bien a medida que desarrollamos y lanzamos nuestros sistemas fundamentales para que podamos llevar a cabo estas misiones con seguridad”, dijo Amit Kshatriya, administrador adjunto de Desarrollo de Sistemas de Exploración, y gerente de la Oficina del Programa de la Luna a Marte de la NASA en la sede de la agencia. “La seguridad de la tripulación es y seguirá siendo nuestra prioridad número uno”. Los dirigentes de la NASA hicieron hincapié en la importancia de que todos los socios cumplan los plazos para que la agencia pueda maximizar los objetivos de vuelo con el hardware disponible en cada misión. La NASA evalúa periódicamente el progreso y los plazos como parte de la planificación programática integrada para garantizar que la agencia y sus socios puedan cumplir con éxito sus objetivos de exploración de la Luna a Marte. Mediante Artemis, la NASA explorará la Luna más que nunca, aprenderá a vivir y trabajar lejos de nuestro hogar y se preparará para la futura exploración con seres humanos del planeta rojo. El cohete Sistema de Lanzamiento Espacial de la NASA, los sistemas terrestres de exploración y la nave Orion, junto con el sistema de aterrizaje para humanos, los trajes espaciales de nueva generación, la estación espacial lunar Gateway y los futuros vehículos exploradores son la base de la NASA para la exploración del espacio profundo. Para más información sobre Artemis (en inglés), visita: https://www.nasa.gov/artemis -fin- Kathryn Hambleton / Rachel Kraft Sede, Washington 202-358-1100 / 202-365-7575 kathryn.hambleton@nasa.gov / rachel.h.kraft@nasa.go Share Details Last Updated Jan 09, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsArtemisArtemis 1Artemis 2Artemis 3Artemis 4Human Landing System ProgramMissionsSpace Launch System (SLS) View the full article

5 Min Read NASA’s X-59 Rollout Embodies Aeronautical Tradition Artist concept of the X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft. The centerpiece of NASA's Quesst mission, the agency and Lockheed Martin will formally unveil the aircraft to the public on Friday, Jan. 12. Credits: NASA Lee esta historia en español aquí. NASA’s X-59 aircraft is heading out of the hangar – preparing to embark on the first phase of its mission to fly faster than the speed of sound without generating a loud sonic boom. Leadership from NASA and prime contractor Lockheed Martin will officially unveil the fully completed and freshly painted X-59 to the world during a rollout ceremony Friday, Jan. 12 at 4 p.m., EST. NASA TV will broadcast the event live from Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California, where the aircraft was assembled. “This is the big reveal,” said Catherine Bahm, manager of NASA’s Low Boom Flight Demonstrator project, who is overseeing the development and build of the X-59. “The rollout is a huge milestone toward achieving the overarching goal of the Quesst mission to quiet the sonic boom.” Quesst is NASA’s mission through which the X-59 will demonstrate its quiet supersonic capabilities. NASA will fly the aircraft over selected U.S. communities and then survey what people on the ground hear when it flies overhead. The agency will share data on these reactions to the quieter sonic “thumps” with regulators, who could then consider rules that currently ban commercial supersonic flight over land because of noise concerns. Watch this two-minute video to experience a visual overview of NASA’s Quesst mission featuring the X-59 experimental aircraft. Tradition of Rollout So, what is an aircraft rollout? And why is it significant to NASA, industry stakeholders, and the team of aeronautical innovators who built the X-59? Conceiving, designing, building, and testing a new airplane takes years of meticulous, highly detailed work. Every new design helps innovate a new way to fly – especially in the case of X-planes, whose very mission is to continue pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Unveiling the X-59 to the world represents not just the aircraft’s technical achievements, but also the future of flight, and the spirit of aeronautics research itself. For the team, some of whom have worked on the aircraft since the first component was created, the reveal of the X-59 will be a very special moment. CATHERINE BAHM NASA Project Manager In the past, aircraft and spacecraft built for and used by NASA have had rollout ceremonies ranging in scope and meaning. In 1959, for example, the first X-15 rocket-powered aircraft rolled out to great fanfare to an audience including project leadership, the aircraft’s pilots, and then-Vice President Richard Nixon. The aircraft represented the future of winged spaceflight and hypersonic flight. It went on to carry American pilots into space onboard a winged vehicle for the first time, as well as set the record for the fastest speed a human has travelled on an airplane, which still stands to this day. Crowds gather on Oct. 15, 1958, to admire the first X-15 rocket plane after its rollout from the North American Aviation plant in Los Angeles. One of NASA’s most historic aircraft, it flew 199 missions between 1959 and 1968 during a program that included NASA, the U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Navy. Another famous NASA rollout is that of space shuttle Enterprise in 1976 with the cast of Star Trek: The Original Series, and the show’s creator, Gene Roddenberry, in attendance. The Enterprise, so named for the fictional starship of the 1960s television series, proved the shuttle orbiter could descend and land like an airplane following reentry from space. The vehicle paved the way for the Space Shuttle Program to proceed with spaceflight. NASA officials and representatives from the TV show Star Trek, including creator Gene Roddenberry, were on hand for Enterprise’s rollout from its Rockwell factory in Palmdale, California, on Sept. 17, 1976.NASA Culmination of Efforts In the case of the X-59, the rollout ceremony provides a glimpse of a potential new era of high-speed commercial flight over land – a quiet one. Fifty years ago, the United States prohibited commercial supersonic flight over land because of concerns about the noise generated by sonic booms. Today, however, Quesst’s technology could reduce this noise dramatically. The mission aims to gather data from the X-59 that could help regulators adjust the ban, basing revised rules on noise levels instead of speed. “The idea of lifting the ban on supersonic flight over land is really exciting,” Bahm said. “And that’s the future the X-59 could enable.” The rollout also represents something closer to the ground – the achievement of the hardworking, dedicated team who took the aircraft from imagination to reality. For them, the rollout celebrates the weeks, months, and years spent developing and building the X-59. Watch this 57-second time-lapse video of the X-59’s assembly as it happened between May of 2019 and June of 2021 inside Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works factory in Palmdale, California. “For the team, some of whom have worked on the aircraft since the first component was created, the reveal of the X-59 will be a very special moment.” Bahm said. “The innovative design of the X-59 leverages decades of work for NASA. We are sharing this achievement with all those who made this possible.” With assembly complete, NASA’s mission to quiet the boom reaches a new chapter. Though there’s still a ways to go, the potential future for commercial supersonic travel is closer than it was before. The Quesst mission team will now continue ground testing before first flight later this year. “Rollout is a major accomplishment, but it also means the next milestone is first flight, and then supersonic flights after that,” Bahm said. “Our eyes are on the mission.” A memorable rollout ceremony in aviation history took place on Sept. 30, 1968, when the first Boeing 747 made its public debut at the company’s Everett assembly plant near Seattle. To commemorate the event, flight attendants representing each of the 26 airlines who had purchased a 747 attended the ceremony.Boeing About the AuthorJohn GouldAeronautics Research Misson Directorate Read More Facebook logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es Instagram logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es Linkedin logo @NASA Explore More 4 min read NASA Armstrong Builds Model Wing to Help Advance Unique Design Article 1 day ago 2 min read NASA Invites You to X-59 Rollout Watch Party Article 6 days ago 3 min read NASA Flies Drones Autonomously for Air Taxi Research Researchers at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia recently flew multiple drones beyond visual… Article 3 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Aeronautics STEM Science Missions NASA History Aircraft Flown at Armstrong Share Details Last Updated Jan 09, 2024 EditorJim BankeContactMatt Kamletmatthew.r.kamlet@nasa.govSasha Ellissasha.c.ellis@nasa.govKristen Hatfieldkristen.m.hatfield@nasa.govLocationArmstrong Flight Research Center Related TermsAeronauticsAeronautics Research Mission DirectorateCommercial Supersonic TechnologyLow Boom Flight DemonstratorQuesst (X-59)Quesst: The VehicleSupersonic Flight View the full article

6 Min Read La presentación del X-59 de la NASA personifica la tradición aeronáutica Concepto artístico del silencioso avión supersónico X-59. La pieza central de la misión Questt de la NASA, la agencia y Lockheed Martin presentarán oficialmente al mundo el totalmente terminado y recientemente pintado avion X-59, durante una ceremonia que tendrá lugar el viernes 12 de enero a las 4 de la tarde, hora del Este. Credits: NASA Lee esta historia en inglés aquí. El avión X-59 de la NASA está saliendo del hangar–preparándose para embarcarse en la primera fase de su misión de volar más rápido que la velocidad del sonido sin generar un fuerte estampido sónico. Los directivos de la NASA y el contratista principal Lockheed Martin, presentarán oficialmente al mundo el totalmente terminado y recientemente pintado avion X-59, durante una ceremonia que tendrá lugar el viernes 12 de enero a las 4 de la tarde, hora del Este. Este evento será transmitido en directo por NASA TV desde las instalaciones Skunk Works de Lockheed Martin en Palmdale, California, donde este avión fue ensamblado. “Esta es la gran revelación”, declaró Catherine Bahm, directora del proyecto Low Boom Flight Demonstrator de la NASA, que supervisa el desarrollo y la construcción del X-59. “La presentación es un gran logro hacia el objetivo general de la misión Quesst de reducir el estampido sónico”. Quesst es la misión de la NASA a través de la cual el X-59 demostrará sus capacidades supersónicas silenciosas. La NASA volará la aeronave sobre comunidades estadounidenses seleccionadas y después estudiará lo que la gente sobre tierra firme escucha. La agencia compartirá la información de estas reacciones a los “golpes” sónicos más silenciosos con los organismos reguladores, que podrían considerar las normas que actualmente prohíben los vuelos supersónicos comerciales sobre tierra firme por motivos de ruido. Tradición de la presentación ¿Qué es la presentación de una aeronave? ¿Y por qué es importante para la NASA, el sector industrial y el equipo de innovadores en la aeronáutica que construyeron el X-59? Concebir, diseñar, construír y probar una nueva aeronave conlleva años de trabajo detallado y meticuloso. Cada diseño nuevo contribuye a innovar una nueva forma de volar– especialmente en el caso de los X-Planes, que tienen la misión de continuar sobrepasando los límites de lo posible. La presentación del X-59 al mundo no solamente representa los logros técnicos del avión, sino también el futuro del vuelo y el espíritu de la investigación en la aeronáutica. Para el equipo, algunos de los cuales han trabajado en el avión desde que se creó el primer componente, la presentación del X-59 será un momento muy especial. CATHERINE BAHM NASA Project Manager En el pasado, las aeronaves y naves espaciales construidas y utilizadas por la NASA han tenido ceremonias de presentación de diverso alcance y significado. Por ejemplo, en 1959, el X-15, que fue el primer avión propulsado por cohete, despegó ante una audiencia que incluía a los líderes del proyecto, los pilotos de la aeronave y al Vice presidente Richard Nixon. El avión representaba el futuro de los vuelos espaciales hipersónicos y con alas. Llevó por primera vez a pilotos estadounidenses al espacio a bordo de un vehículo con alas y estableció el récord de velocidad más rápida alcanzada por un humano en un avión, récord que sigue vigente hoy en día. Multitudes se reúnen el 15 de octubre de 1958 para admirar el primer avión cohete X-15 después de su lanzamiento desde la planta de North American Aviation en Los Ángeles. Uno de los aviones más históricos de la NASA, voló 199 misiones entre 1959 y 1968 durante un programa que incluía a la NASA, la Fuerza Aérea de los EE. UU. y la Marina de los EE. UU. Otra presentación famosa de la NASA fue el del transbordador espacial Enterprise en 1976, con la presencia del reparto de Star Trek: la serie original y del creador de la serie, Gene Roddenberry. El Enterprise, llamado así por la nave ficticia de la serie de televisión de los años 60, demostró que el transbordador orbital podía descender y aterrizar como un avión tras su reentrada del espacio. El vehículo marcó el camino para que el Programa del Transbordador Espacial continuara con los vuelos espaciales. Funcionarios de la NASA y representantes del programa de televisión Star Trek, incluido el creador Gene Roddenberry, estuvieron presentes en el lanzamiento de Enterprise desde su fábrica de Rockwell en Palmdale, California, el 17 de septiembre de 1976.NASA Culminación de los esfuerzos En el caso del X-59, la ceremonia de presentación permite vislumbrar una posible nueva era de vuelos comerciales de alta velocidad y silenciosos sobre tierra. Hace cincuenta años, Estados Unidos prohibió los vuelos supersónicos comerciales sobre tierra debido a la preocupación por el ruido generado por los estampidos sónicos. Sin embargo hoy en día la tecnología de Quesst podría reducir drásticamente este ruido. El objetivo de la misión es recopilar datos del X-59 que podrían ayudar a los reguladores a ajustar la prohibición, considerando los niveles de ruido en lugar de la velocidad. “La idea de levantar la prohibición de los vuelos supersónicos sobre tierra firme es realmente emocionante”, comenta Bahm. “Y ése es el futuro que podría habilitar el X-59”. Mire este lapso de tiempo del ensamblaje del X-59 tal como ocurrió entre mayo de 2019 y junio de 2021 dentro de la fábrica Skunk Works de Lockheed Martin en Palmdale, California. El lanzamiento también representa algo más cercano al suelo–el logro del equipo trabajador y dedicado que llevó el avión de la imaginación a la realidad. Para ellos, el lanzamiento celebra las semanas, meses y años dedicados al desarrollo y construcción del X-59. “Para el equipo, algunos de los cuales han trabajado en el avión desde que se creó el primer componente, la presentación del X-59 será un momento muy especial.”comentó Bahm. “El diseño innovador del X-59 aprovecha décadas de trabajo para la NASA. Compartimos este logro con todos los que lo han hecho posible”. Una vez completado el ensamblaje, la misión de la NASA de silenciar el estampido sónico alcanzará un nuevo capítulo. Aunque todavía queda camino por recorrer, el futuro potencial de los viajes supersónicos comerciales está más cerca que antes. El equipo de la misión Quesst continuará ahora las pruebas en tierra firme antes del primer vuelo a finales de este año. “El lanzamiento es un gran logro, pero también significa que el siguiente logro es el primer vuelo, y después los vuelos supersónicos”, comentó Bahm. “Nuestros ojos están puestos en la misión”. El 30 de septiembre de 1968 tuvo lugar una ceremonia de lanzamiento memorable en la historia de la aviación, cuando el primer Boeing 747 hizo su debut público en la planta de ensamblaje de la compañía en Everett, cerca de Seattle. Para conmemorar el evento, asistieron a la ceremonia azafatas en representación de cada una de las 26 aerolíneas que habían comprado un avión 747.Boeing Artículo Traducido por: Elena Aguirre y Monica Uribe About the AuthorJohn GouldAeronautics Research Misson Directorate Read More Share Details Last Updated Jan 09, 2024 EditorLillian GipsonContactKristen Hatfieldkristen.m.hatfield@nasa.govMatt Kamletmatthew.r.kamlet@nasa.govSasha Ellissasha.c.ellis@nasa.govJim Bankejim.banke@nasa.gov Related TermsNASA en españolAeronáutica Explore More 2 min read Las leyendas de los pilotos de pruebas de la NASA se reúnen Article 4 days ago 3 min read La NASA anticipa el primer vuelo del avión experimental X-59 para 2024 Article 6 days ago 4 min read La movilidad aérea avanzada hace que los viajes sean más accesibles Article 3 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Aeronautics STEM Science Missions NASA History Aircraft Flown at Armstrong View the full article

Artemis: Onward to the Moon

X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScl; IR: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScl/Milisavljevic et al., NASA/JPL/CalTech; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Schmidt and K. Arcand For the first time, astronomers have combined data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and James Webb Space Telescope to study the well-known supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (Cas A). This work has helped explain an unusual structure in the debris from the destroyed star called the “Green Monster,” because of its resemblance to the wall in the left field of Fenway Park. By combining the Webb data with X-rays from Chandra, researchers have concluded that the Green Monster was created by a blast wave from the exploded star slamming into material surrounding it. Detailed analysis found that filaments in the outer part of Cas A, from the blast wave, closely matched the X-ray properties of the Green Monster, including less iron and silicon than in the supernova debris. This interpretation is apparent from the color Chandra image, which shows that the colors inside the Green Monster’s outline best match with the colors of the blast wave rather than the debris with iron and silicon. Learn more about the Green Monster. View the full article

Artemis II crew members (from left) CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, and NASA astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Reid Wiseman walk out of Astronaut Crew Quarters inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building to the Artemis crew transportation vehicles prior to traveling to Launch Pad 39B as part of an integrated ground systems test at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Sept. 20, to test the crew timeline for launch day.NASA NASA announced Tuesday updates to its Artemis campaign that will establish the foundation for long-term scientific exploration at the Moon, land the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface, and prepare for human expeditions to Mars for the benefit of all. To safely carry out these missions, agency leaders are adjusting the schedules for Artemis II and Artemis III to allow teams to work through challenges associated with first-time developments, operations, and integration. NASA will now target September 2025 for Artemis II, the first crewed Artemis mission around the Moon, and September 2026 for Artemis III, which is planned to land the first astronauts near the lunar South Pole. Artemis IV, the first mission to the Gateway lunar space station, remains on track for 2028. “We are returning to the Moon in a way we never have before, and the safety of our astronauts is NASA’s top priority as we prepare for future Artemis missions,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “We’ve learned a lot since Artemis I, and the success of these early missions rely on our commercial and international partnerships to further our reach and understanding of humanity’s place in our solar system. Artemis represents what we can accomplish as a nation – and as a global coalition. When we set our sights on what is hard, together, we can achieve what is great.” Ensuring crew safety is the primary driver for the Artemis II schedule changes. As the first Artemis flight test with crew aboard the Orion spacecraft, the mission will test critical environmental control and life support systems required to support astronauts. NASA’s testing to qualify components to keep the crew safe and ensure mission success has uncovered issues that require additional time to resolve. Teams are troubleshooting a battery issue and addressing challenges with a circuitry component responsible for air ventilation and temperature control. NASA’s investigation into unexpected loss of char layer pieces from the spacecraft’s heat shield during Artemis I is expected to conclude this spring. Teams have taken a methodical approach to understand the issue, including extensive sampling of the heat shield, testing, and review of data from sensors and imagery. The new timeline for Artemis III aligns with the updated schedule for Artemis II, ensures the agency can incorporate lessons learned from Artemis II into the next mission, and acknowledges development challenges experienced by NASA’s industry partners. As each crewed Artemis mission increases complexity and adds flight tests for new systems, the adjusted schedule will give the providers developing new capabilities – SpaceX for the human landing system and Axiom Space for the next-generation spacesuits – additional time for testing and any refinements ahead of the mission. “We are letting the hardware talk to us so that crew safety drives our decision-making. We will use the Artemis II flight test, and each flight that follows, to reduce risk for future Moon missions,” said Catherine Koerner, associate administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “We are resolving challenges associated with first-time capabilities and operations, and we are closer than ever to establishing sustained exploration of Earth’s nearest neighbor under Artemis.” In addition to the schedule updates for Artemis II and III, NASA is reviewing the schedule for launching the first integrated elements of Gateway, previously planned for October 2025, to provide additional development time and better align that launch with the Artemis IV mission in 2028. NASA also shared that it has asked both Artemis human landing system providers – SpaceX and Blue Origin – to begin applying knowledge gained in developing their systems as part of their existing contracts toward future variations to potentially deliver large cargo on later missions. “Artemis is a long-term exploration campaign to conduct science at the Moon with astronauts and prepare for future human missions to Mars. That means we must get it right as we develop and fly our foundational systems so that we can safely carry out these missions,” said Amit Kshatriya, deputy associate administrator of Exploration Systems Development, and manager of NASA’s Moon to Mars Program Office at headquarters. “Crew safety is and will remain our number one priority.” NASA leaders emphasized the importance of all partners delivering on time so the agency can maximize the flight objectives with available hardware on a given mission. NASA regularly assesses progress and timelines and as a part of integrated programmatic planning to ensure the agency and its partners can successfully accomplish its Moon to Mars exploration goals. With Artemis, NASA will explore more of the Moon than ever before, learn how to live and work away from home, and prepare for future human exploration of the Red Planet. NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, exploration ground systems, and Orion spacecraft, along with the human landing system, next-generation spacesuits, Gateway lunar space station, and future rovers are NASA’s foundation for deep space exploration. For more information about Artemis, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/artemis -end- Kathryn Hambleton / Rachel Kraft Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 / 202-365-7575 kathryn.hambleton@nasa.gov / rachel.h.kraft@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 09, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsArtemisArtemis 2Missions View the full article

6 Min Read NASA’s Webb Finds Signs of Possible Aurorae on Isolated Brown Dwarf Artist's concept portrays the brown dwarf W1935. Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, and L. Hustak (STScI) Infrared emission from methane suggests atmospheric heating by auroral processes. Astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have found a brown dwarf (an object more massive than Jupiter but smaller than a star) with infrared emission from methane, likely due to energy in its upper atmosphere. This is an unexpected discovery because the brown dwarf, W1935, is cold and lacks a host star; therefore, there is no obvious source for the upper atmosphere energy. The team speculates that the methane emission may be due to processes generating aurorae. These findings are being presented at the 243rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society in New Orleans. To help explain the mystery of the infrared emission from methane, the team turned to our solar system. Methane in emission is a common feature in gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn. The upper-atmosphere heating that powers this emission is linked to aurorae. Image: Artist Concept Brown Dwarf W1935 This artist concept portrays the brown dwarf W1935, which is located 47 light-years from Earth. Astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope found infrared emission from methane coming from W1935. This is an unexpected discovery because the brown dwarf is cold and lacks a host star; therefore, there is no obvious source of energy to heat its upper atmosphere and make the methane glow. The team speculates that the methane emission may be due to processes generating aurorae, shown here in red.NASA, ESA, CSA, and L. Hustak (STScI) On Earth, aurorae are created when energetic particles blown into space from the Sun are captured by Earth’s magnetic field. They cascade down into our atmosphere along magnetic field lines near Earth’s poles, colliding with gas molecules and creating eerie, dancing curtains of light. Jupiter and Saturn have similar auroral processes that involve interacting with the solar wind, but they also get auroral contributions from nearby active moons like Io (for Jupiter) and Enceladus (for Saturn). For isolated brown dwarfs like W1935, the absence of a stellar wind to contribute to the auroral process and explain the extra energy in the upper atmosphere required for the methane emission is a mystery. The team surmises that either unaccounted internal processes like the atmospheric phenomena of Jupiter and Saturn, or external interactions with either interstellar plasma or a nearby active moon, may help account for the emission. A Detective Story The aurorae’s discovery played out like a detective story. A team led by Jackie Faherty, an astronomer at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, was awarded time with the Webb telescope to investigate 12 cold brown dwarfs. Among those were W1935 – an object that was discovered by citizen scientist Dan Caselden, who worked with the Backyard Worlds zooniverse project – and W2220, an object that was discovered using NASA’s Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer. Webb revealed in exquisite detail that W1935 and W2220 appeared to be near clones of each other in composition. They also shared similar brightness, temperatures, and spectral features of water, ammonia, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. The striking exception was that W1935 showed emission from methane, as opposed to the anticipated absorption feature that was observed toward W2220. This was seen at a distinct infrared wavelength to which Webb is uniquely sensitive. “We expected to see methane because methane is all over these brown dwarfs. But instead of absorbing light, we saw just the opposite: The methane was glowing. My first thought was, what the heck? Why is methane emission coming out of this object?” said Faherty. The team used computer models to infer what might be behind the emission. The modeling work showed that W2220 had an expected distribution of energy throughout the atmosphere, getting cooler with increasing altitude. W1935, on the other hand, had a surprising result. The best model favored a temperature inversion, where the atmosphere got warmer with increasing altitude. “This temperature inversion is really puzzling,” said Ben Burningham, a co-author from the University of Hertfordshire in England and lead modeler on the work. “We have seen this kind of phenomenon in planets with a nearby star that can heat the stratosphere, but seeing it in an object with no obvious external heat source is wild.” Image: Spectra W1935 vs W2220 Astronomers used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to study 12 cold brown dwarfs. Two of them – W1935 and W2220 – appeared to be near twins of each other in composition, brightness, and temperature. However, W1935 showed emission from methane, as opposed to the anticipated absorption feature that was observed toward W2220. The team speculates that the methane emission may be due to processes generating aurorae.NASA, ESA, CSA, and L. Hustak (STScI) Clues from our Solar System For clues, the team looked in our own backyard, to the planets of our solar system. The gas giant planets can serve as proxies for what is seen going on more than 40 light-years away in the atmosphere of W1935. The team realized that temperature inversions are prominent in planets like Jupiter and Saturn. There is still ongoing work to understand the causes of their stratospheric heating, but leading theories for the solar system involve external heating by aurorae and internal energy transport from deeper in the atmosphere (with the former a leading explanation). Brown Dwarf Aurora Candidates in Context This is not the first time an aurora has been used to explain a brown dwarf observation. Astronomers have detected radio emission coming from several warmer brown dwarfs and invoked aurorae as the most likely explanation. Searches were conducted with ground-based telescopes like the Keck Observatory for infrared signatures from these radio-emitting brown dwarfs to further characterize the phenomenon, but were inconclusive. W1935 is the first auroral candidate outside the solar system with the signature of methane emission. It’s also the coldest auroral candidate outside our solar system, with an effective temperature of about 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius), about 600 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than Jupiter. In our solar system the solar wind is a primary contributor to auroral processes, with active moons like Io and Enceladus playing a role for planets like Jupiter and Saturn, respectively. W1935 lacks a companion star entirely, so a stellar wind cannot contribute to the phenomenon. It is yet to be seen whether an active moon might play a role in the methane emission on W1935. “With W1935, we now have a spectacular extension of a solar system phenomenon without any stellar irradiation to help in the explanation.” Faherty noted. “With Webb, we can really ‘open the hood’ on the chemistry and unpack how similar or different the auroral process may be beyond our solar system,” she added. The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency. Want to help discover a new world? Want to help discover a new world? Join the Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 citizen science project and search the realm beyond Neptune for new brown dwarfs and planets. Or try NASA’s new Burst Chaser citizen science project, which launched Jan. 9. Downloads Download full resolution images for this article from the Space Telescope Science Institute. Right click the images in this article to open a larger version in a new tab/window. Media Contacts Laura Betz – laura.e.betz@nasa.gov, Rob Gutro– rob.gutro@nasa.gov NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, , Greenbelt, Md. Christine Pulliam – cpulliam@stsci.edu Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md. Related Information Brown Dwarfs More Webb News – https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/latestnews/ More Webb Images – https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/multimedia/images/ Webb Mission Page – https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/ Related For Kids What is the Webb Telescope? SpacePlace for Kids En Español Ciencia de la NASA NASA en español Space Place para niños Keep Exploring Related Topics James Webb Space Telescope Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the… Stars Overview Stars are giant balls of hot gas – mostly hydrogen, with some helium and small amounts of other elements.… Planets Our solar system has eight planets, and five dwarf planets – all located in an outer spiral arm of the… Our Solar System Overview Our planetary system is located in an outer spiral arm of the Milky Way galaxy. We call it the… Share Details Last Updated Jan 09, 2024 Related TermsJames Webb Space Telescope (JWST)AurorasBrown DwarfsGoddard Space Flight CenterHeliophysicsScience & ResearchStarsThe Universe View the full article

2 min read Be a Burst Chaser and Witness the Most Powerful Explosions in the Universe! The Burst Chaser Project was launched today at the American Astronomical Society meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana. Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/Zooniverse Yes, the universe IS talking to you! Gamma-ray bursts, massive explosions visible from everywhere in the observable universe, are telling us something about how stars end their lives and how massive black holes form. Now astronomers are asking you join the Burst Chaser project to read the signals from these bursts and decode what the universe is saying. NASA’s Neil Gehrels SWIFT observatory regularly detects pulses of gamma rays, a very energetic form of light, coming from billions of light years away. At Burst Chaser, you’ll examine plots that show how much gamma ray energy arrived at this space telescope as a function of time and classify their shapes—the pulse shapes. Gamma-ray bursts are known to be mostly connected to supernovae or the mergers of neutron stars and black holes, but exactly how these events produce pulses with such a variety of characteristics remains a mystery. “We need your help to classify these pulses for more clues of what they really are!” said Professor Amy Lien from the University of Tampa, the project’s Principal Investigator. Besides professional astronomers like Lien, the project’s science team includes three undergraduate students from the University of Tampa: Katherine Kurilov, Carter Murawski, and Sebastian Reisch. Several NASA volunteers also helped design the project: Sovan Acharya, Eduardo Antonini, Sumit Banerjee, Marco Zaccaria Di Fraia, Jonathan Holden, Vikrant Kurmude, Hugo Durantini Luca, Orleo Marinaro, John Yablonsky, and U.S. military veteran, Danny Roylance, interviewed here. The project platform is hosted by Zooniverse, a NASA Partner. You can join this amazing collaboration, too. Go to https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/amylien/burst-chaser to help produce the first pulse structure catalog and unveil the mysterious origins of gamma-ray bursts! Facebook logo @DoNASAScience @DoNASAScience Share Details Last Updated Jan 08, 2024 Related Terms Astrophysics Citizen Science View the full article

ESA/Hubble & NASA, J. Dalcanton, Dark Energy Survey/DOE/FNAL/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA; Acknowledgment: L. Shatz This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope features a richness of spiral galaxies: the large, prominent spiral galaxy on the right side of the image is NGC 1356; the two apparently smaller spiral galaxies flanking it are LEDA 467699 (above it) and LEDA 95415 (very close at its left) respectively; and finally, IC 1947 sits along the left side of the image. This image is a really interesting example of how challenging it can be to tell whether two galaxies are actually close together, or just seem to be from our perspective here on Earth. A quick glance at this image would likely lead you to think that NGC 1356, LEDA 467699, and LEDA 95415 were all close companions, while IC 1947 was more remote. However, we have to remember that two-dimensional images such as this one only give an indication of angular separation: that is, how objects are spread across the sphere of the night sky. What they cannot represent is the distance objects are from Earth. For instance, while NGC 1356 and LEDA 95415 appear to be so close that they must surely be interacting, the former is about 550 million light-years from Earth and the latter is roughly 840 million light-years away, so there is nearly a whopping 300 million light-year separation between them. That also means that LEDA 95415 is likely nowhere near as much smaller than NGC 1356 as it appears to be. On the other hand, while NGC 1356 and IC 1947 seem to be separated by a relative gulf in this image, IC 1947 is only about 500 million light-years from Earth. The angular distance apparent between them in this image only works out to less than 400,000 light-years, so they are actually much closer neighbors in three-dimensional space than NGC 1356 and LEDA 95415! 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

This map depicts global temperature anomalies for meteorological summer in 2023 (June, July, and August). It shows how much warmer or cooler different regions of Earth were compared to the baseline average from 1951 to 1980. Climate researchers from NASA and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) will release their annual assessments of global temperatures and discuss the major climate trends of 2023 during a media briefing at 11 a.m. EST Friday, Jan. 12. NASA will stream audio of the briefing on the agency’s YouTube. Participants will include: Kate Calvin, chief scientist and senior climate advisor, NASA Headquarters Gavin Schmidt, director, NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies Sarah Kapnick, chief scientist, NOAA Russ Vose, chief, analysis and synthesis branch, NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information Members of the media can access the briefing using the online registration. NASA and NOAA are two keepers of the world’s temperature data and independently produce a record of Earth’s surface temperatures and changes based on historical observations over oceans and land. For more information about NASA’s Earth science programs, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/earth -end- Karen Fox / Katherine Rohloff Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / katherine.a.rohloff@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 08, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsEarthClimate Change View the full article

4 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Experimental Fabrication Shop technicians created parts for the assembly of a Transonic Truss-Braced Wing model. Based at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, the technicians also assembled sections, and did a final fit-check to ensure the wing model was ready for testing. Credits: NASA/Quincy Eggert German Escobar works on a model aircraft wing structure that has two long sides and bars in between, which resembles a mini ladder. He sands the rough edges, uses four vices to secure it, and uses a milling machine he programmed to make precision holes. Escobar is one of the Experimental Fabrication Shop technicians at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center, Edwards California. The team made 29 different types of parts, more than 50 in total, to assemble a 10-foot unique wing model that will help calibrate fiber optic instrumentation and contribute data for a future wing model to show how the design improves fuel efficiency. The experimental wing model has many features of the X-66 Transonic Truss-Braced Wing. The X-66 wing is braced on an aircraft using diagonal struts that also add lift and could result in significantly improved aerodynamics. German Escobar works on milling the strut frame assembly for a 10-foot model of the Transonic Truss-Braced Wing at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The aircraft concept involves a wing braced on an aircraft using diagonal struts that also add lift and could result in significantly improved aerodynamics.NASA/Steve Freeman NASA Armstrong’s many capabilities enabled a start-to-finish design, fabrication, and soon testing of the 10-foot model wing. The Flight Loads Laboratory provided specifications for the model, including some of its own calculations from a 6-foot efficient wing test build at the center in Dec. 21, 2022. NASA’s Advanced Air Transportation Technology project funded the model wings. In addition, NASA Armstrong and NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, are working on a proposal for 15-foot wing called the Structural Wing Experiment Evaluating Truss-Bracing. That wing would include ground vibration testing that would give a clearer picture of how it would react to different kinds of vibration in flight. Andrew Holguin, a design engineer, created 3D representations of the parts and how to assemble them. Holguin divided the model wing work into subassemblies to make it easier to focus on a single set of tasks. With the design fully approved and the task orders written, Escobar began his work. Jose Vasquez programed a machine to cut, rotate and turn a block of steel to form a jury strut adaptor for a 10-foot model of the Transonic Truss-Braced Wing at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center, in Edwards, California. The aircraft concept involves a wing braced on an aircraft using diagonal struts that also add lift and could result in significantly improved aerodynamics.NASA/Steve Freeman The ability to work items simultaneously is an advantage. Jose Vasquez, an engineering technician, used software to instruct a five-axis milling machine how to cut, rotate and transform a block of steel into an adapter. Water shoots at the cutting mechanism to keep everything from getting too hot. Once the part was finished, Vasquez removed it from the machine cleaned it and used a pair of calipers, and a fine measurement tool called a micrometer, to check ensure the adaptor meets the wing model’s precise needs. If a calibration tool does not exist to check a specialized component, technicians can make one. Elsewhere in the lab, sheet metal technician Matt Sanchez used a press brake to make bends in an aluminum sheet to form a rectangle called a wing rib. In another step he added hardware to the rib and later installed it in the model wing. Matthew Sanchez attaches the strut and the wing to ensure they fit together as intended for a 10-foot model of the Transonic Truss-Braced Wing at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The aircraft concept involves a wing braced on an aircraft using diagonal struts that also add lift and could result in significantly improved aerodynamics.NASA/Genaro Vavuris As the assembly was nearly complete, an outer wing cover was required. Sanchez set up the drawings, placed a sheet of aluminum into the water jet table and started it. Under the water the saw moved quickly to cut the strut covering down, around, and up the other side, and stopping with the complete cut. Sanchez took the piece from the table and dried it. To wrap up this part of the work, he did a successful check of all the components called a fit check. With the wing model complete, the Flight Loads Laboratory staff continues to complete design and preparations to build a fixture for the wing tests. The fixture will join the experimental wing model, test instrumentation, and enable tests that can contribute to the next aviation innovation. Here is a gallery of the building of the parts and the wing. Share Details Last Updated Jan 08, 2024 EditorDede DiniusContactJay Levinejay.levine-1@nasa.govLocationArmstrong Flight Research Center Related TermsArmstrong Flight Research CenterAdvanced Air Transport TechnologyAeronauticsAeronautics Research Mission DirectorateSustainable Flight Demonstrator Explore More 2 min read NASA Invites You to X-59 Rollout Watch Party Article 5 days ago 3 min read NASA Flies Drones Autonomously for Air Taxi Research Researchers at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia recently flew multiple drones beyond visual… Article 3 weeks ago 3 min read NASA, Joby Pave the Way for Air Taxis in Busy Airports Article 3 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center Aeronautics Sustainable Flight Demonstrator Project Armstrong Capabilities & Facilities View the full article

X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI; IR: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI/Milisavljevic et al., NASA/JPL/CalTech; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Schmidt and K. Arcand X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI; IR: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI/Milisavljevic et al., NASA/JPL/CalTech; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Schmidt and K. Arcand For the first time astronomers have combined data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and James Webb Space Telescope to study the well-known supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (Cas A). As described in our latest press release, this work has helped explain an unusual structure in the debris from the destroyed star called the “Green Monster”, first discovered in Webb data in April 2023. The research has also uncovered new details about the explosion that created Cas A about 340 years ago, from Earth’s perspective. A new composite image contains X-rays from Chandra (blue), infrared data from Webb (red, green, blue), and optical data from Hubble (red and white). The outer parts of the image also include infrared data from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope (red, green and blue). The outline of the Green Monster can be seen by mousing over the image. The Chandra data reveals hot gas, mostly from supernova debris from the destroyed star, including elements like silicon and iron. In the outer parts of Cas A the expanding blast wave is striking surrounding gas that was ejected by the star before the explosion. The X-rays are produced by energetic electrons spiraling around magnetic field lines in the blast wave. These electrons light up as thin arcs in the outer regions of Cas A, and in parts of the interior. Webb highlights infrared emission from dust that is warmed up because it is embedded in the hot gas seen by Chandra, and from much cooler supernova debris. The Hubble data shows stars in the field. A separate graphic shows a color Chandra image, where red shows iron and magnesium at low X-ray energies, green shows silicon at intermediate X-ray energies and blue shows the highest energy X-rays, from electrons spiraling around magnetic field lines. An outline of the Green Monster, plus the locations of the blast wave, and of debris rich in silicon and iron are labeled. Chandra Image of Cassiopeia A, LabeledCredit: NASA/CXC/SAO Detailed analysis by the researchers found that filaments in the outer part of Cas A, from the blast wave, closely matched the X-ray properties of the Green Monster, including less iron and silicon than in the supernova debris. This interpretation is apparent from the color Chandra image, which shows that the colors inside the Green Monster’s outline best match with the colors of the blast wave rather than the debris with iron and silicon. The authors conclude that the Green Monster was created by a blast wave from the exploded star slamming into material surrounding it, supporting earlier suggestions from the Webb data alone. The debris from the explosion is seen by Chandra because it is heated to tens of millions of degrees by shock waves, akin to sonic booms from a supersonic plane. Webb can see some material that has not been affected by shock waves, what can be called “pristine” debris. To learn more about the supernova explosion, the team compared the Webb view of the pristine debris with X-ray maps of radioactive elements that were created in the supernova. They used NASA’s Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) data to map radioactive titanium — still visible today — and Chandra to map where radioactive nickel was by measuring the locations of iron. Radioactive nickel decays to form iron. An additional image shows the iron-rich debris (tracing where radioactive nickel was located) in green, the radioactive titanium in blue and the pristine debris seen in orange and yellow. Iron/Titanium/Pristine Debris Cassiopeia A, LabeledCredit: NASA/CXC/SAO Some filaments of pristine debris near the center of Cas A, seen with Webb, are connected to the iron seen with Chandra farther out. Radioactive titanium is seen where pristine debris is relatively weak. These comparisons suggest that radioactive material seen in X-rays has helped shape the pristine debris near the center of the remnant seen with Webb, forming cavities. The fine structures in the pristine debris were most likely formed when the star’s inner layers were violently mixed with hot, radioactive matter produced during collapse of the star’s core under gravity. These results were presented by Dan Milisavljevic from Purdue University at the 243rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society in New Orleans. They are described in more detail in two papers submitted to Astrophysical Journal Letters, one led by Milisavljevic focused on the Webb results (preprint here) and the other led by Jacco Vink of the University of Amsterdam focused on the Chandra results (preprint here). The co-authors of Vink’s paper are Manan Agarwal (University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands), Patrick Slane (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian – CfA), Ilse De Looze (Ghent University, Belgium), Dan Milisavljevic, Daniel Patnaude (CfA), Paul Plucinsky (CfA), and Tea Temin (Princeton University). Related papers by other members of the research team are also in preparation. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center controls science operations from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts. The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency. A Small Explorer mission led by Caltech and managed by JPL for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington, NuSTAR was developed in partnership with the Danish Technical University and the Italian Space Agency (ASI). The spacecraft was built by Orbital Sciences Corp. in Dulles, Virginia. NuSTAR’s mission operations center is at the University of California, Berkeley, and the official data archive is at NASA’s High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. ASI provides the mission’s ground station and a mirror data archive. Caltech manages JPL for NASA. Read more from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. For more Chandra images, multimedia and related materials, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/mission/chandra-x-ray-observatory/ Visual Description: This image of Cassiopeia A resembles a disk of electric light with red clouds, glowing white streaks, red and orange flames, and an area near the center of the remnant resembling a somewhat circular region of green lightning. X-rays from Chandra are blue and reveal hot gas, mostly from supernova debris from the destroyed star, and include elements like silicon and iron. X-rays are also present as thin arcs in the outer regions of the remnant. Infrared data from Webb is red, green, and blue. Webb highlights infrared emission from dust that is warmed up because it is embedded in the hot gas seen by Chandra, and from much cooler supernova debris. Hubble data shows a multitude of stars that permeate the field of view. News Media Contact Megan Watzke Chandra X-ray Center Cambridge, Mass. 617-496-7998 Jonathan Deal Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, Ala. 256-544-0034 View the full article

As part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander launched on United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Vulcan rocket at 2:18 a.m. EST from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Carrying NASA scientific instruments as part of its Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander launched on United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Vulcan rocket at 2:18 a.m. EST from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Peregrine has about a 46-day journey to reach the lunar surface. Once on the Moon, NASA instruments will study the lunar exosphere, thermal properties of the lunar regolith, hydrogen abundances in the soil at the landing site, and conduct radiation environment monitoring. The five NASA science and research payloads aboard the lander will help the agency better understand planetary processes and evolution, search for evidence of water and other resources, and support long-term, sustainable human exploration. “The first CLPS launch has sent payloads on their way to the Moon – a giant leap for humanity as we prepare to return to the lunar surface for the first time in over half a century,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “These high-risk missions will not only conduct new science at the Moon, but they are supporting a growing commercial space economy while showing the strength of American technology and innovation. We have so much science to learn through CLPS missions that will help us better understand the evolution of our solar system and shape the future of human exploration for the Artemis Generation.” For this CLPS flight, NASA research includes: Laser Retroreflector Array: A collection of approximately half-inch (1.25 cm.) retro-reflectors – a mirror used for measuring distance – mounted to the lander. This mirror reflects laser light from other orbiting and landing spacecrafts to precisely determine the lander’s position. Neutron Spectrometer System: This system will search for indicators of water near the lunar surface by detecting the presence of hydrogen-bearing materials at the landing site as well as determining bulk properties of the regolith there. Linear Energy Transfer Spectrometer: This radiation sensor will collect information about the lunar radiation environment and any solar events that might occur during the mission. The instrument relies on flight-proven hardware that flew in space on the Orion spacecraft’s inaugural uncrewed flight in 2014. Near InfraRed Volatiles Spectrometer System: This system will measure surface hydration and volatiles. It will also detect certain minerals using spectroscopy while mapping surface temperature and changes at the landing site. Peregrine Ion-Trap Mass Spectrometer: This instrument will study the thin layer of gases on the Moon’s surface, called the lunar exosphere, and any gases present after descent and landing and throughout the lunar day to understand the release and movement of volatiles. It was previously developed for ESA’s (European Space Agency) Rosetta mission. Peregrine is scheduled to land on the Moon on Friday, Feb. 23, and will spend approximately 10 days gathering valuable scientific data studying Earth’s nearest neighbor and helping pave the way for the first woman and first person of color to explore the Moon under Artemis. Learn more about NASA’s CLPS initiative at: https://www.nasa.gov/clps -end- Karen Fox / Alise Fisher Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 / 202-358-2546 karen.fox@nasa.gov / 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 08, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsCommercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS)ArtemisMissions View the full article

NASA and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) have entered into an agreement for MBRSC to provide the Crew and Science Airlock module for the Gateway Space Station. As part of the agreement, NASA will fly a United Arab Emirates astronaut to Gateway on a future Artemis mission. Pictured is an artist’s concept of Gateway (left) and an artist’s concept of a government reference airlock (right).NASA NASA and the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced Sunday plans for the space centre to provide an airlock for Gateway, humanity’s first space station that will orbit the Moon. The lunar space station will support NASA’s missions for long-term exploration of the Moon under Artemis for the benefit of all. “As chair of the National Space Council, I have made it a priority to enhance international cooperation in space. Today’s announcement and partnership between the United States and United Arab Emirates advances this important work. By combining our resources, scientific capacity, and technical skill, the U.S. and UAE will further our collective vision for space and ensure it presents extraordinary opportunities for everyone here on Earth,” said Vice President Kamala Harris. Under a new implementing arrangement expanding their human spaceflight collaboration with NASA through Gateway, MBRSC will provide Gateway’s Crew and Science Airlock module, as well as a UAE astronaut to fly to the lunar space station on a future Artemis mission. “The United States and the United Arab Emirates are marking a historic moment in our nations’ collaboration in space, and the future of human space exploration,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “We are in a new era of exploration through Artemis – strengthened by the peaceful and international exploration of space. The UAE’s provision of the airlock to Gateway will allow astronauts to conduct groundbreaking science in deep space and prepare to one day send humanity to Mars.” In addition to operating the airlock, MBRSC also will provide engineering support for the life of the lunar space station. The airlock will allow crew and science research transfers to and from the habitable environment of Gateway’s pressurized crew modules to the vacuum of space. These transfers will support broader science in the deep space environment, as well as Gateway maintenance. Gateway will support sustained exploration and research in deep space, provide a home for astronauts to live and work, including a staging point for lunar surface missions, and an opportunity to conduct spacewalks while orbiting the Moon. NASA’s Artemis program is the most diverse and broad coalition of nations in human exploration in deep space. In collaboration with the CSA (Canadian Space Agency), ESA (European Space Agency), JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and now the MBRSC, NASA will return humans to the lunar surface for scientific discovery and chart a path for the first human missions to Mars. This latest cooperation on Gateway builds on NASA’s and UAE’s previous human spaceflight collaboration. In 2019, Hazzaa Almansoori became the first Emirati to fly to space during a short mission to the International Space Station, in which he collaborated with NASA to perform experiments and educational outreach. A second Emirati astronaut, Sultan Al Neyadi, launched to the space station in 2023 on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission, where he participated in the floating laboratory’s scientific research that advances human knowledge and improves life on Earth. The UAE currently has two additional astronaut candidates in training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA has also worked with UAE on Mars research and human research and analog studies to support mutual exploration priorities. In 2020, the United States and UAE were among the original signers of the Artemis Accords, which are a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s 21st century lunar exploration program. Through Artemis, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color 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. https://www.nasa.gov/artemis -end- Vanessa Lloyd / Kathryn Hambleton Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 vanessa.c.lloyd@nasa.gov / kathryn.hambleton@nasa.gov Dylan Connell Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 dylan.b.connell@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 07, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsArtemisGateway ProgramGateway Space StationMissions View the full article

The First Artemis Robotic Launch to the Moon on This Week @NASA – January 5, 2024

An illustration of a suited Artemis astronaut looking out of a Moon lander hatch across the lunar surface, the Lunar Terrain Vehicle and other surface elements. NASA will hold a media teleconference at 1:30 p.m. EST Tuesday, Jan. 9, to provide an update on the agency’s lunar exploration plans for the benefit of all under Artemis. Audio of the briefing will stream live on NASA’s website. In addition to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, agency participants will include: NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free Catherine Koerner, associate administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate Amit Kshatriya, deputy associate administrator, Moon to Mars Program, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate Industry partner representatives also will be available to answer questions during the call. To participate by telephone, media must RSVP no later than two hours prior to the start of the event to: kathryn.hambleton@nasa.gov. A copy of NASA’s media accreditation policy is online. In the time since NASA’s successful flight test of the Artemis I mission, the agency has continued to learn from that flight and prepare for Artemis II, the first crewed mission around the Moon under Artemis. NASA has made significant progress toward Artemis III, which is planned to land the first astronauts near the lunar South Pole; Artemis IV, which is planned to be the first mission to incorporate the Gateway lunar space station; and future Artemis missions. The agency is closer than ever to once again exploring Earth’s nearest neighbor with astronauts for the benefit of humanity. Through Artemis, the agency will establish a long-term presence at the Moon for scientific exploration with our commercial and international partners, learn how to live and work away from home, and prepare for future human exploration of the Red Planet. The SLS (Space Launch System), exploration ground systems, and NASA’s Orion spacecraft, along with the human landing system, next-generation spacesuits, the lunar space station, Gateway, and future rovers are NASA’s foundation for deep space exploration. For more information about Artemis, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/artemis -end- Faith McKie / Kathryn Hambleton Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 faith.d.mckie@nasa.gov / kathryn.hambleton@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 05, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsMissionsArtemisHuman Landing System ProgramHumans in SpaceMarshall Space Flight CenterMichoud Assembly FacilitySpace Launch System (SLS) View the full article

This image of Sinus Viscositatis, a large flat region that was once a giant lava flow near the Gruithuisen Domes, shows where Astrobotic’s Peregrine One lander will touch down. The image is a mosaic taken by the WAC (Wide Angle Camera) one of three cameras on the LROC (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera), which was launched into lunar orbit in 2009. Credit: NASA/GSFC/ Arizona State University NASA will kick off 2024 by sending five payloads to the Moon aboard Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander, Astrobotic Peregrine Mission One. The inaugural launch under the agency’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative will blast off Monday, Jan. 8, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket. The suite of NASA payloads aboard Peregrine One will aim to locate water molecules on the Moon, measure radiation and gases around the lander, and evaluate the lunar exosphere (the thin layer of gases on the Moon’s surface). These measurements will improve our understanding of how solar radiation interacts with the lunar surface. The payloads will also provide data to NASA’s Lunar-VISE (Lunar Vulkan Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer) instrument suite, slated to land on the Gruithuisen Domes in 2026. “We are so excited to see this vision become a reality. CLPS is an innovative way of leveraging American companies to send important science and technology payloads to the Moon,” said Nicola Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The Moon is a rich destination for scientific discovery. Studying and sampling the lunar environment will help NASA unravel some of the greatest mysteries of our solar system for the benefit of all.” The Peregrine lander is targeted to land Feb. 23 at Sinus Viscositatis, a lunar feature outside of the hardened lava Gruithuisen Domes on the near side of the Moon. Similar natural structures on Earth require large volumes of water to form, leading scientists to believe that this landing site may contain evidence of water on the Moon. The five NASA payloads aboard Astrobotic’s Peregrine One lander include the following: The LETS (Linear Energy Transfer Spectrometer) payload is a radiation monitor derived from heritage hardware flown on Orion Exploration Flight Test-1 in 2014. LETS will collect data on the lunar radiation environment and demonstrate the capabilities of the radiation monitors themselves on the lunar surface. LETS units also were flown as BioSentinel payloads aboard Artemis I and aboard the International Space Station. LETS uses the same core technology as the Hybrid Electronic Radiation Assessor system, the primary radiation monitor on Artemis missions. Payload principal investigator: Dr. Edward Semones, NASA’s Johnson Space Center. NIRVSS (Near-Infrared Volatile Spectrometer System) will reveal the composition and surface temperature and fine-scale structure of the lunar soil at the landing site. NIRVSS features an imager, spectrometer, and thermal sensor to study the lunar soil and detect which types of minerals and volatiles are present. Payload principal investigator: Dr. Anthony Colaprete, NASA’s Ames Research Center The NSS (Neutron Spectrometer System) is an instrument capable of indirectly detecting potential water present in the lunar soil at the landing site, as a result of the water in the exhaust deposited by the lander’s engines. After landing, the system will measure any changes in the characteristics of the lunar soil over the course of a lunar day. Payload principal investigator: Dr. Richard Elphic, NASA Ames PITMS (Peregrine Ion-Trap Mass Spectrometer) will investigate the makeup of compounds in the thin lunar atmosphere after descent and landing, and throughout the lunar day, to understand the release and movement of volatiles such as water, gases, and other chemical compounds. PITMS is a partnership between NASA, The Open University in Milton Keynes, England, and ESA (European Space Agency). Payload principal investigator: Dr. Barbara Cohen, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center LRA (Laser Retroreflector Array) is a collection of eight retroreflectors that enable precise measurements of the distance between the orbiting or landing spacecraft and the lander. LRA is a passive optical instrument and will function as a permanent location marker on the Moon for decades to come. Payload principal investigator: Dr. Xiaoli Sun, NASA Goddard Astrobotic is one of 14 vendors eligible to carry NASA payloads to the Moon through the CLPS initiative, which began in 2018 and is designed to establish a commercial marketplace for science, exploration, and technology development investigations on the Moon’s surface and in lunar orbit. Through CLPS, NASA aims to gain new insights into the lunar environment and expand the lunar economy to support future crewed missions under the Artemis program. Learn more about NASA’s CLPS initiative at: https://www.nasa.gov/commercial-lunar-payload-services/ Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander will deliver five NASA payloads to the Moon following its Jan. 8 launch on a United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket.Credit: Astrobotic Return to CLPS Homepage Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services Artemis Commercial Space Humans In Space View the full article

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 members, (from left) Alexander Grebenkin from Roscosmos; Michael Barratt, Matthew Dominick, and Jeanette Epps, all NASA astronauts, are pictured training inside the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft in Hawthorne, California.SpaceX Digital content creators are invited to register to attend the launch of the eighth SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket that will carry crew to the International Space Station for a science expedition mission. This mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The targeted launch date for the agency’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission is no earlier than mid-February from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch will carry NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, commander; Michael Barratt, pilot; and mission specialist Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut mission specialist Alexander Grebenkin, to the International Space Station to conduct a wide range of operational and research activities. If your passion is to communicate and engage the world online, then this is the event for you! Seize the opportunity to see and share the #Crew8 mission launch. A maximum of 50 social media users will be selected to attend this three-day event and will be given access similar to news media. NASA Social participants will have the opportunity to: View a crewed launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft. Tour NASA facilities at Kennedy Space Center. Meet and interact with Crew-8 subject matter experts. Meet fellow space enthusiasts who are active on social media. NASA Social registration for the Crew-8 launch opens on Friday, Jan. 5, and the deadline to apply is at 3 p.m. EST Tuesday, Jan. 9. All social applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis. APPLY NOW Do I need to have a social media account to register? Yes. This event is designed for people who: Actively use multiple social networking platforms and tools to disseminate information to a unique audience. Regularly produce new content that features multimedia elements. Have the potential to reach a large number of people using digital platforms, or reach a unique audience, separate and distinctive from traditional news media and/or NASA audiences. Must have an established history of posting content on social media platforms. Have previous postings that are highly visible, respected, and widely recognized. Users on all social networks are encouraged to use the hashtag #NASASocial and #Crew8. Updates and information about the event will be shared on X via @NASASocial and @NASAKennedy, and via posts to Facebook and Instagram. How do I register? Registration for this event opens Friday, Jan. 5, and closes at 3 p.m. EST on Tuesday, Jan. 9. Registration is for one person only (you) and is non-transferable. Each individual wishing to attend must register separately. Each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Can I register if I am not a U.S. citizen? Because of the security deadlines, registration is limited to U.S. citizens. If you have a valid permanent resident card, you will be processed as a U.S. citizen. When will I know if I am selected? After registrations have been received and processed, an email with confirmation information and additional instructions will be sent to those selected. We expect to send the acceptance notifications on Jan. 17. What are NASA Social credentials? All social applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Those chosen must prove through the registration process they meet specific engagement criteria. If you do not make the registration list for this NASA Social, you still can attend the launch offsite and participate in the conversation online. Find out about ways to experience a launch here. What are the registration requirements? Registration indicates your intent to travel to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and attend the three-day event in person. You are responsible for your own expenses for travel, accommodations, food, and other amenities. Some events and participants scheduled to appear at the event are subject to change without notice. NASA is not responsible for loss or damage incurred as a result of attending. NASA, moreover, is not responsible for loss or damage incurred if the event is cancelled with limited or no notice. Please plan accordingly. Kennedy is a government facility. Those who are selected will need to complete an additional registration step to receive clearance to enter the secure areas. IMPORTANT: To be admitted, you will need to provide two forms of unexpired government-issued identification; one must be a photo ID and match the name provided on the registration. Those without proper identification cannot be admitted. For a complete list of acceptable forms of ID, please visit: NASA Credentialing Identification Requirements. All registrants must be at least 18 years old. What if the launch date changes? Many different factors can cause a scheduled launch date to change multiple times. If the launch date changes, NASA may adjust the date of the NASA Social accordingly to coincide with the new target launch date. NASA will notify registrants of any changes by email. If the launch is postponed, attendees will be invited to attend a later launch date. NASA cannot accommodate attendees for delays beyond 72 hours. NASA Social attendees are responsible for any additional costs they incur related to any launch delay. We strongly encourage participants to make travel arrangements that are refundable and/or flexible. What if I cannot come to the Kennedy Space Center? If you cannot come to the Kennedy Space Center and attend in person, you should not register for the NASA Social. You can follow the conversation online using #NASASocial. You can watch the launch on NASA Television or www.nasa.gov/live. NASA will provide regular launch and mission updates on @NASA, @NASAKennedy, and @Commercial_Crew. If you cannot make this NASA Social, don’t worry; NASA is planning many other Socials in the near future at various locations! Check back here for updates. View the full article

Technicians inside NASA’s Kennedy Space Centers Multi-Payload Processing Facility (MPPF) in Florida use a crane to load the Artemis I spacecraft – now called an environmental test article – into the crew module transportation fixture in preparation for its departure to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio.NASA/Kim Shiflett From Florida to the Moon and back, NASA’s Orion spacecraft is still making moves. The crew module that flew more than 1.4 million miles during the agency’s historic Artemis I mission is getting ready for its next destination – NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio. Technicians inside NASA’s Multi-Payload Processing Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, use a crane to lift the Artemis I spacecraft – now called an environmental test article – into the crew module transportation fixture in preparation for its departure. Engineers will use it in qualification tests to better understand how Orion would perform in the event of a launch or inflight abort. After splashing down in the Pacific Ocean, the Orion spacecraft for the Artemis I mission returned to Kennedy in December 2022. Components scheduled for reuse on Artemis II were removed and the crew module was reconfigured to serve as a test article. With crew module function tests now complete, the test article has been prepared for transport with the installation of the aft, mid bay back shell, and the side hatch in final closure. View the full article

4 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA has modified agreements for two funded commercial space station partners that are on track to develop low Earth orbit destinations for NASA and other customers as the International Space Station retires in 2030. The changes add new technical milestones and reallocate existing funding to allow the agency to accelerate efforts as part of NASA’s goal to foster a commercial low Earth orbit economy. “These new milestones will be of immense value to NASA and the partners, and will help ensure we have a smooth transition from the International Space Station to commercial destinations,” says Phil McAlister, director of commercial space at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The milestones target key technology and risk reduction areas of our partners’ designs. The milestones also include additional hardware testing which is critically important to any spaceflight development effort. In addition, each new milestone will be an opportunity for NASA to gain further insight into our partners’ progress and technical designs.” The changes are a result of a previously announced joining of Northrop Grumman and Starlab partners originally working under separate Space Act Agreements. NASA has transferred funding freed up from the withdrawal of Northrop Grumman from its agreement with NASA, as well as other program funding, to add new milestones to the existing agreements with Blue Origin and Starlab. Blue Origin of Seattle is receiving an additional $42 million for its Orbital Reef station, bringing the total award to $172 million. The new milestones include several additional subsystem design reviews and technology maturation activities. They also include key tests and demonstrations in the environmental control and life support system, such as water filtration and atmospheric monitoring. Voyager Space’s Exploration Segment, which includes Nanoracks, will receive an additional $57.5 million for its Starlab station, bringing the total award to $217.5 million. The new milestones include the addition of development milestones for the Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft, upgrading from berthing to docking to better serve Starlab and commercial markets. The new milestones also include additional Starlab development milestones focused on operations, assembly, integration, and testing as well as a rendezvous and proximity operations demonstration. Blue Origin and Voyager Space/Nanoracks have Space Act Agreements with NASA, while NASA’s other funded commercial station partner, Axiom Space, holds a firm-fixed price, contract with the agency. NASA is in the process of negotiating additional content to Axiom Space’s contract. Details are still being finalized and more information will be released by the agency as those negotiations are completed. “We continue to see an immense amount of dedication from our partners,” said Angela Hart, manager of Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “The agency is committed to continuing to work with industry with the goal having one or more stations in orbit to ensure competition, lower costs, and meet the demand of NASA and other customers.” NASA is supporting the design and development of multiple commercial space stations with the three funded partners listed above, as well as several other partners with unfunded agreements through NASA’s Collaborations for Commercial Space Capabilities-2 project. The current design and development phase will be followed by the procurement of services from one or more companies, where NASA aims to be one of many customers for low Earth orbit destinations.. The agency recently issued a request for information for industry to provide input on the agency’s requirements for end-to-end low Earth orbit space station services. NASA’s commercial strategy for low Earth orbit will provide the government with reliable and safe services at a lower cost and enable the agency to focus on Artemis missions to the Moon in preparation for Mars, while also continuing to use low Earth orbit as a training and proving ground for those deep space missions. For more information about NASA’s commercial low Earth orbit strategy, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/low-earth-orbit-economy/ – end – Joshua Finch Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov Rebecca Turkington Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 rebecca.turkington@nasa.gov Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Low Earth Orbit Economy Commercial Space Humans In Space Space Station Research and Technology View the full article

April 11,2023 You probably know from reading these that we like to start with your early years, where you were born, something about your family, if you have siblings, your parents and what they did, and mixed in with that, how early was it in your life that you developed an interest in what you’ve pursued academically and now in your career? Let’s see. I was born in Chicago, Illinois, but I grew up in Wisconsin. I left Chicago at, I think, six months old. My parents: my dad is a radiologist and the reason we were in Chicago was for his residency. My mom has a degree in English literature and teaching. I have two siblings, an older sister and a younger brother, so I’m smack in the middle. And you know, I can’t even remember when I first started getting interested in science, and in particular in astronomy and planetary science. It’s just something I was always really interested in. I have this vague memory of like third grade and having to do a report on a planet and instead of doing just one, I did all of them! (laughs) So that was probably a hint to my parents, that it was something that captured my imagination. I was just really lucky that I had parents who were excited to encourage me to pursue science and not a more practical career path. They just let me explore all the things I was interested in. You’re reminding me of one of our earlier interviews, where the young researcher said she was interested in meteorology, especially clouds. She remembers going on Sunday drives out in the Midwest and she would sit in the car looking up at the clouds and she got very interested in them. And then at some point she realized, oh my goodness, there are clouds on other planets! Isn’t that interesting? So she went down that path and became a scientist, researching planetary atmospheres. It’s interesting what triggers an interest, which is why parents expose children to all kinds of things, music, art, nature, and science. You never know what’s going to click with them. That is something my dad, with sort of a science mind, still talks to me about, like, “How do you apply radiology imaging to imaging done outside of our planet?” And my mom is very much into the arts. She took me to all the plays and had me play violin and participate in forensics and community theater, all of that. So I had a nice balance of different things. You did and you’re very fortunate. As you grew up and got into school, there was a basic curriculum early on, but then there were times when you had to make some choices in terms of majors, courses of study, and so forth. Could you talk a little bit about that? Sure. I had sort of a winding path, I think, to my major and ultimately to my PhD. I knew I was interested in science, but I didn’t know really where I was interested. So in undergraduate I was deciding between a neuroscience degree or a physics and astronomy degree. I toyed with linguistics because I’ve always loved languages and I thought, hey, that’s the “sciency” side of language. Ultimately, I got my undergraduate degree in astronomy and microbiology. I think I realized that I really was interested in planetary habitability, but I didn’t know what particular side of that, whether I was more interested in the broad, galactic point of view or the really narrow extremophile point of view. So I had these two scales of science that I was looking at. And it really took until grad school to kind of narrow in on what part I was most interested in. But it gave me some cool opportunities in undergrad to do a lot of different research. I was working in a leaf cutter ant lab and also doing extra galactic astronomy research, so I got to toy around a bit and see what was most interesting. Science is a very broad category and it gives you, especially in space science, lots of options everywhere you go. And then at some point you wound up at the University of Colorado, Boulder, for your PhD? Yes. OK. And then you found your way to NASA Ames. Can you tell us how that happened? Was it just the posting of a postdoctoral opportunity or did you have a connection from someone here? I had a connection. I was lucky enough to participate in some panels as a graduate student, and at conferences I started communicating and talking with Bob Haberle and Melinda Kahre here at Ames. And as I approached the end of my PhD, I started talking to them about opportunities and they pointed me to the NPP program. So I applied to work with Bob Haberle to kind of extend the Mars Climate Modeling Center’s work looking at exoplanets, Mars-like exoplanets. Sounds like a perfect fit. Yeah, it’s been fun to take what I learned about Mars, and this is again, kind of an extrapolation from smaller scale. We had really fine, really detailed experiments to look at present day Mars because we knew a lot about it. And I got to kind of broaden it, to say “Well, what if we were in this completely different environment? How can we apply what we learn from what’s happening on Mars today to a different environment, a different solar system, a different planetary type?” Right. So maybe this is a good time to have you talk a little bit about the work that you do, including why it’s important enough that NASA is willing to ask the American taxpayer to subsidize it. Why would they be willing to support the kind of work that you do? I think that’s a really good question and it’s something I think about because as an employee of NASA, through the Bay Area Environmental Research program, it’s my obligation as a scientist to contribute to the American people. And I want our research to be valuable to them and have, if not direct applications to their day-to-day life, still something that brings a greater sense of how our universe works and a greater sense of wonder about the world we live in. I work on both Mars, present day Mars and Paleo Mars, and exoplanets. I think those two have very different applications. When we think about exoplanets, it’s really about learning more about how our universe works and where we fit in to the broader universe. So those fundamental questions: Are we alone? What does it mean to have life develop? What are the fundamental requirements for life to develop? That’s really what I’m looking at with these exoplanets to see what kind of environments might we expect, how do we identify those environments and could they be habitable? For present day Mars, it’s a little bit closer to home in the sense that it’s our next door neighbor, but it also has a little bit more direct application. it’s interesting just to know how a planet works, but also a lot of the work we do with our climate models is to support mission development and mission work. So EDL (Entry, Descent, Landing) can rely on some of our results. I recently did a really fun project looking at the feasibility of wind energy for human missions to Mars to see if that could be something that would aid in energy stability. I listened to your Abscicon talk about that, and it was fascinating to me. I hadn’t realized that there might be a way to augment energy availability on a planet so that exploration could be better developed and supported, with more opportunities to go to more places. And that’s very interesting because, as we’ve seen the movies, there’s wind on Mars! (laughs) Exactly. There’s wind, but it’s very easy to dismiss it since the atmosphere is so thin and the winds aren’t that strong. But the technology that we develop on Earth has gotten better and better. There’s opportunity to apply what we’ve learned on Earth to other planets. So would the general value be considered in support of NASA’s strategic mission for exploration? Or is it more specific than that? Does it tie into the search for life? Yeah, I think that’s fair to say. I mean, one of the goals of the current administration is to explore the potential for habitability and life and a lot of my exoplanet work fits directly into that goal and helps prioritize future mission development in order to evaluate that potential? But then one of my favorite things about astronomy is still just the sense of wonder you can get from recognizing how much there is in the universe and how different things can be and how almost anything you can think of is out there. In some respects I feel like my research can contribute to that excitement for all ages, especially for kids coming into STEM or interested in it in the future. Has there been, in your so far relatively short career, some unusual or interesting finding, such as the wind idea, that’s cool? Anything like that that you want to talk about? Yeah, for sure. There’s been a couple, actually. My PhD is in atmospheric and oceanic sciences, so I was in a group that was very focused on Earth science and on really small scale evaluations of the Earth’s climate. And one of the most valuable experiences I got out of that was learning how to bridge the gap between Earth science and planetary science and take the things we learn from Earth and think about how they could be applicable to a different planetary environment. And two of my papers are directly related to that. The wind energy came from, the inspiration for that arose from a colleague’s presentation on wind evaluation for earth using a global climate model. And my paper on cloud formation seeded on micrometeoritic dust was inspired by polar noctilucent clouds on Earth. It’s a type of cloud that we see today in the northern hemisphere summer pole that form on these, just basically on the debris of meteors burning up in the atmosphere. And we thought, “Hey, Mars is going through that same sort of cloud of interplanetary debris, and maybe that could be responsible for some of the clouds that we’ve observed but are really difficult to replicate in models”. I’d like to ask what a typical day is like for you. We’ve had to qualify that because of the pandemic that’s ongoing but It looks like you’re back in the office now? Yeah, I’m in the office today. Have you able to do your work pretty much remotely without much problem? Do you have to be here to work in a lab or something like that. I’m lucky that as a climate modeler, most of my work is computer work, so I just have to remotely log into the NASA supercomputer and that gives me the opportunity to work pretty easily from most locations. But it has been nice to get back into the office and be able to have conversations with colleagues that really spark inspiration and ideas and excitement. That’s something that a number of researchers have mentioned that they miss more than anything. There’s a lot of convenience associated with working from home, especially if you have a commute or childcare obligations, something like that. Yes. But you do miss the interactions, the collaborations, and the fellowship of your science colleagues. It’s astounding to me that there are some new hires in the last few years who have never been on the Ames campus yet. That’s both amazing and sad. Moving on, what do you enjoy most and least about your work? Oh, that’s a hard one. I think what I enjoy most is related to what we were just saying, the sense of excitement and exploration when you’re really brainstorming new ideas with colleagues and seeing what everybody else is doing. I love going to scientific conferences and seeing all of the amazing work that people have been up to and having an opportunity to have these off the cuff conversations about how their work can relate to my work and vice versa. I think as in any job there’s always the mundanity of everyday tasks that can be tiring. As a global climate modeler, I have to deal with debugging code and that can be terrible. I imagine it can. Many a month in my graduate studies was spent trying to figure out what the hell was going on in this giant code. You learn a lot. That’s probably a low point, but is followed by the high point when you finally figure it out. I can certainly relate to that, however you’re one of the few who hasn’t mentioned the bureaucratic paperwork that you have to do all the time and that’s probably. . . I think I try not to think about it! (laughs). . . . probably because it goes without saying. But it’s obvious from your enthusiasm and just your whole demeanor that you’re happy with where you’ve landed, career wise. You’re excited about the things you’re doing and everything. But have you ever thought about, if you weren’t a research scientist for NASA, what your dream job might have been? I have thought about that actually. I said I had a lot of indecision early in my career about what I wanted to do, I think if I wasn’t in planetary science, I would be in linguistics because I love languages and that’s one of the things I still miss because I would take all the language classes I could. So I always imagined I could have worked as a translator for the UN or something. That’s interesting, and perhaps comes from your mom’s side of the family. Yes! And then of course, I have a friend and we always said one day we would open a tea shop in a college town. So we’ll see if that ever comes to pass! (laughs) I always thought that foreign languages were intimidating and then I wound up having to learn one and I realized that it’s only a matter of memorization. You just memorize more words for things. You already have huge vocabulary built up over the years from a little child, and if you just learn more words for things, it doesn’t seem as daunting, at least to me. What I’ve always liked about languages is that they make you think in slightly different ways because of the organization of the grammar and how you communicate. It’s different enough that it changes your perspective and in some sense I think coding is like that. It’s a very logical foreign language. Yes, coding is analogous to a language. it is a language. How many languages have you picked up over the years? Well, a couple. I mean, I’m only really good at maybe one or two besides English. I can speak reasonable French, I can get by. And if I practiced, my Spanish isn’t too bad. I’ve taken courses in Russian and Italian. I took a class in a language called Nahuatl, which is the Aztec language. And I took old English, which was very hard. I think that was the hardest one I’ve done. And I’ve toyed with trying to learn Swedish, that’s sort of on my bucket list of ones to learn. Have you taken any of the root languages, the fundamental languages like Latin or anything of that type? You know, I haven’t. The closest was old English. But I haven’t gotten around to Latin. I took Latin in high school and I’m not sure why, but I’m glad I did because it exemplifies the things you’ve talked about, the value of better understanding your own language. Yep. How other languages relate to each other and how words get to mean certain things. Latin is always very interesting. From that you can see how words come together and the syntactical history of the word, and that’s great. But when I was first learning, I just wanted to talk to people, and there’s not much of an opportunity for that with Latin. I’m tempted to interject a thought about the biblical story of the Tower of Babel because if there was going to be a way to interrupt what the people were trying to do, it would be hard to beat causing language confusion so they couldn’t understand each other, couldn’t communicate any more. It was a very effective means of disrupting their work. Yeah. So you’re on your way. Obviously you’re in the middle of a very successful and productive career. What advice would you give to a young up and coming PhD student, for example, or someone who would like to have a career like you are having now? One thing is to follow your passions. Find the thing that you’re interested in and, don’t let somebody tell you it’s not practical or that you should be doing something differently. And also, and this is, I think, more important, is allow something to be difficult. Just because something is hard doesn’t mean you can’t do it. I always say I was naturally better at linguistics than astronomy. Physics is hard for me. It took a lot of work for me to really dig into it and understand it. I remember looking at people around me and they just seemed to get it immediately. I thought, maybe I’m not cut out for this field. Maybe I don’t have the innate talent to do it, but I think struggling and really thinking through something, can give you an interesting perspective on it, and a really strong base to build your science on. So the struggle is important and it’s OK. That’s quite profound, actually. I remember talking with a guidance counselor who had been asked by someone who wanted to pursue a medical degree but was intimidated by the fact that it would take all those extra years, postgraduate years and then an internship, 5 or 6 years before they can actually become a practicing physician. The counselor’s question back to that person was: “Yes, but that time is still going to pass. You’re still going to be somewhere at that point. You’re not sacrificing those years. You’re just choosing your destination”. Yeah. And that just told me: “Don’t look at it as something that takes too long because you’re going to live those years anyway. It’s just a matter of where are you will be at the end of those years. I like that perspective. I’ll remember that when I’m struggling through the work now! (laughs) Would you like to share anything about your personal life, your family, kids, pets, trips, hobbies, things you like to do? I have been married six years now and we have a 1-1/2 year old, which has been new and exciting. He’s a handful and a lot of fun. And we have a great and very energetic Husky mix and she keeps our pet life interesting. For sure! Yeah. So that’s our little family. Talents? Are you musical? What do you like to do? I’ve played violin for, I don’t want to betray my age, something like 30 years now. (laughs) So that is something I still enjoy. And as a family, we like going hiking. I like that, too. Back in 2020 I took up ice skating because you know, why not? I always wanted to learn how to figure skate, so my husband got me lessons for Christmas and when I have free time, I try to do that still. That’s wonderful. Our daughter was interested in ice skating for a while, and that was back when there were ice skating rinks in the area. There was one in Sunnyvale and one in Palo Alto, I think it was called Winter Lodge, and it is still there on Middlefield Road. There’s one still down in San Jose, so I try to go to that one. It’s like the Sharks training facility, I think. There used to be one in the bottom level of Vallco shopping center in Cupertino, but it went away. The whole shopping center went away! I’m not very good at all, but it’s amazing the joy you get out of something like figuring out how to skate backwards. (laughs) Well, the one thing it’ll make you do is appreciate when you watch Olympic level figure skaters and the things that they do on the ice. When I go around my ankles are tilted inward. I can’t even stand up straight on them! (laughs) Exactly! So any other sports that you might have done along the way or were interested in? Yeah, I did a bunch of rock climbing as an undergraduate but haven’t had much opportunity to do it out here. I’ve skied my whole life. But since my son was born my free time has been severely limited. You can be forgiven for that! But a picture was posted on one of your websites of you climbing some rocks that looked like steps. That was Iceland. Oh yes, you did say it was Iceland. That was fascinating. And then you were laying in the crook of a kind of an arch and I was trying to guess what the drop off was on the side that I couldn’t see, because I don’t care for heights too much. Where was that? That was Arches National Park out in Utah and the other side, I think, was more perilous than I probably would do today, but for some reason I like really high heights. I find it very relaxing in a terrifying way! (laughs) Yeah, it’s terrifying, I would agree with that. So maybe we’ve sort of covered the basics, but once we talk about your work and your life, we like to ask “what do you do for fun?” It’s changed a lot since having kids, but in a good way. I think having a kid makes you slow down and appreciate things that you wouldn’t have recognized or paid attention to otherwise. Now I get a lot of joy out of looking at the rocks on the sidewalk and at the plants that are growing, the squirrel running down the street. Things that I would usually overlook, but to be honest, that’s a lot of my life right now. Very slow walks led by an 18 month old! That’s a great perspective because yes, when you walk with a child, all of a sudden you realize they’ve stopped and notice what has caught their attention. it’s usually a bug, or a little rock, or something that that we totally missed. And those things can be just as fascinating as the planet Mars. I don’t think the he enjoys it when I try to explain Mars geology to him at his age. (laughs) But the time will come. One of the things we ask about is what accomplishment are you the most proud of that’s not related to your NASA work? Oh, that’s a hard one! I am proud, and this is maybe a cop out easy answer, but I’m proud of just our family and being able to prioritize or balance the work, being focused on science but also having this family that I love so much, being able to participate with them. And then I think I’ve had to be resilient a lot in my career. I’ve had ups and downs and challenges and have needed to keep focused. It’s kind of like what I said before: that just because something is hard doesn’t mean that it’s not worth your time. If you’re not immediately successful it can be really disappointing but it’s not the end of the world. You can keep pushing through and keep working and can get somewhere, if not external success, then inside. And I think that has been something I’ve really learned, particularly as somebody who was a perfectionist growing up. Learning that failures are part of life and challenges are worthwhile. Since you play the violin are you particularly drawn to classical music, or are there other musical genres that are of equal or greater interest? I love all of it. I’ve listened to a lot of classical. Beethoven is my favorite, even though he’s a lot of people’s favorite. I lived in Paris for six months and I would go to the Louvre statue garden and just listen to an entire Beethoven Symphony. It was just my favorite thing to do. But I also really like bluegrass music. I like folk and acoustic. My husband is really into hard rock, so I’ve been learning how to appreciate that. We have a very musical household. You have a well-rounded family musically, that’s for sure. And how about your reading interest? What book might we find on your night stand or in your office library? That’s a great question. I read a lot of fiction and recently I’ve been getting into the genre that people call “cozy mysteries”. I’ve been reading Maisie Dobbs, which is sort of low stakes detective mysteries, not too scary, but just enough to give you a bit of a mystery to follow through on and explore. That’s exploration in its own way, isn’t it? Who or what has inspired you, or does inspire you, as you move through life? I’ve been lucky that there’s a lot of people in my life who are inspirational. Just colleagues, you know, seeing the path and the career that they’ve taken and the work that they do every day and the way that they approach scientific thought, I was always very inspired by how Bob Haberle could think through problems and how he could speak to the problems that he was working through so eloquently. I’ve always been inspired by both of my parents and their approach to the world and now to their approach to parenting, as I try to learn my way through that. I’ve also been very fortunate that I found a partner who has a unique perspective on the world that’s different than mine, so I can learn from him and be inspired by how he approaches the world and its challenges. It’s not hard to find people to look to and say, “Wow, I need to learn something from them because they’re doing something right.” You’re right and the fact is, at least the way I look at it, everybody is my superior in some way that I can learn from. I think that’s a really great perspective to have. I mentioned earlier that we’d like to include images in the post that we finally put together for you and those may certainly include ones related to your work. They can also include, family things, anything that you’ve talked about: your interests, maybe you playing a violin or taking a walk with your son, anything that tends to illustrate the things you’ve talked about but is there a particularly favorite image that you would want to include? I see a couple of pictures behind you on the wall of your office. Yeah. So you can see off to the corner, there’s this series of like, travel posters, basically for different planets in our solar system. Are those little children in front of a planet? Is that what I’m seeing? Yeah, that’s HAT-P-11 b (a Neptune like gas giant planet), so it’s a hot Neptune. If you traveled there it would be quite bright and hot. (laughs) The first ultra-hot Neptune LTT 9779b is one of nature’s improbable planets – The Archaeology (archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com) So the meaning of the poster is exploration? It’s meant to be exploration. It’s meant to be, I guess sometime in our, in our maybe distant future where you might have a travel agent suggesting that you go on a voyage across the solar system and hit all the major planets. I have three in my house, I have a Mars, a solar system tour, and then one for Kepler 16. I’ve always really liked them. And then from a more or less artistic side, I guess I always really like the Mars Express images from the ESA mission because I just think they’re amazing. Every time I see them, I’m like, how are these real photos? They’re so amazing. Well, feel free to include any of those that are meaningful to you because knowing what you’re interested in and your perspective on things helps us better understand you and that is the point. So include those as well as any others that you’d like. I always think the more pictures the better. They draw attention and help us understanding you better. This mosaic, which features the spectacular Kasei Valles, is made up of 67 images taken with the High-Resolution Stereo Camera on ESA’s Mars Express. ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum) And also if there is a favorite quote that you’d like to have included you can share it now or you could add it later when you edit the transcript. No, I can think of two off the top and they relate to two different kinds of perspectives on life. One is kind of related to the challenges we’ve talked about and I don’t even know who said it. it’s that “There are only two possible outcomes for any endeavor: success or learning”. Oh, I like that. Yeah, and that was very comforting to me for a lot of my graduate work and even now. What a great perspective, because at the very end you’re expecting the word “failure”, but you’re not getting that. You’re getting another positive, two positives. And I like that. And the other one is from a very interesting documentary about Antarctica by Werner Herzog, He showed that at McMurdo Station there is a wooden fence, and carved into it by someone is the quote: “I Sink into Bliss”. And I don’t know, it resonated with me as a reminder to sort of be “in the moment”, recognize the joys of the present moment, and really appreciate the good things going on around you. That’s a great thought! Mark, did you want to say something? Yes, regarding your comment on the your toddler noticing things like bugs. Does it expand your view on sciences when your kids ask you questions about the bugs and the rocks they find? Theo’s not quite verbal yet, but I can see that in the future. As you look at what’s going on in the world it can make you see these small details and start questioning your perspective or how you looked at it prior and you start seeing things. Like when we were on a hike and he was digging in the sand and the top layer was wet, and the bottom layer was dry, and I started thinking about Mars regolith, and the RSL’s and how that could contribute to dust lifting. So, you know, it’s always on. I’m sure I’ll annoy my kids in the future, like “Please stop, Mom! (laughs) At least I like to think so. Well, he is going to be as fortunate growing up with you and your husband as you have been with your parents. A child’s curiosity and imagination are delightful to behold. Is there anything that you wish we had asked that we didn’t? No, I think you really covered the broad range of it. I guess since this is a public facing website too, I would just encourage anybody who is interested, that this is a possibility. Just because it’s not your typical career path doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go for it, if you’re interested in it. See where it lands you and pursue it. I like to see especially kids, you know, growing up in middle school and high school and I think they don’t always recognize that this is an option. It’s something you can do in your career and so realize that there are a lot of options out there. Thank you for taking the time to sit for this brief interview. I think it will be a great addition to our series. OK. That’s awesome. Thank you for reaching out to me. ************************************* (Interview conducted by Fred Van Wert and Mark Vorobets) Credits: https://victoriahartwick.wixsite.com/research Michael C. Wong (photocredit) automaticblogging.com (photocredit) https://www.cnet.com/pictures/mars-express-10-years-of-capturing-the-red-planet-in-full-color-pict View the full article

NASA/Bill Ingalls Expedition 70 NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara has her Russian Sokol Suit pressure checked ahead of launching to the International Space Station on Sept. 15, 2023. O’Hara, currently on the station, is scheduled to spend six months there. She and her fellow Expedition 70 crew members are studying an array of microgravity phenomena to benefit humans living on and off the Earth, as well as exploring heart health, cancer treatments, space manufacturing techniques, and more during their long-duration stay in Earth orbit. The NASA Headquarters photographers chose this photo as one of the best images from 2023. See the rest on Flickr. Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls View the full article

(Nov. 3, 2023) NASA astronauts and Expedition 70 Flight Engineers Loral O’Hara, left, and Jasmin Moghbeli, right, work on a spacesuit aboard the International Space Station’s Quest airlock. NASA Students from North Carolina and Virginia will have separate opportunities next week to each hear from a NASA astronaut living and working aboard the International Space Station. The two Earth-to-space calls will air live Tuesday, Jan. 9, on NASA+, NASA Television, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media. Follow events online at: https://www.nasa.gov/nasatv. At 9:20 a.m. EST, NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli will answer prerecorded questions from students at Thales Academy in Raleigh, North Carolina. In preparation for the education downlink, students will participate in an annual Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Day that will include presentations about the space station by Marc Fusco, one of NASA’s solar system ambassadors. Students also will participate in hands-on activities, including making space related art, building bottle rockets, and launching a model rocket. Media interested in covering the North Carolina event RSVP no later than 5 p.m. Monday, Jan. 8., should contact Janice Holton at: janice.holton@thalesacademy.org or 919-882-2320. At 1:05 p.m., NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara will answer prerecorded questions from students across the state of Virginia through an event hosted by the Virginia Space Grant Consortium. These students studied life aboard the space station and participated in a Plant the Moon Challenge where they worked to grow plants in lunar regolith simulant for the Artemis mission. Media interested in covering the Virginia event must RSVP no later than 4 p.m. on Jan. 8., to Kristyn Damadeo at: kdamadeo@odu.edu or 202-465-5190. 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 in space 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 Artemis, 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 05, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsJohnson Space CenterHumans in SpaceIn-flight Education DownlinksJasmin MoghbeliLearning ResourcesLoral O'HaraNASA Headquarters View the full article

2 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 members, (from left) Alexander Grebenkin from Roscosmos; Michael Barratt, Matthew Dominick, and Jeanette Epps, all NASA astronauts, are pictured training inside the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft in Hawthorne, California.SpaceX Media accreditation now is open for the launch of NASA’s eighth rotational mission of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft Endeavour that will carry astronauts to the International Space Station for a science expedition. This mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission is targeted for no earlier than mid-February from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch will carry NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, commander; Michael Barratt, pilot; and Jeanette Epps, mission specialist; along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, mission specialist. This is the first spaceflight for Dominick, Epps, and Grebenkin, and the third spaceflight for Barratt. Following a short handover period, astronauts from NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission are scheduled for return to Earth aboard their SpaceX Dragon Endurance spacecraft. Media accreditation deadlines for the Crew-8 launch are as follows: U.S. media and U.S. citizens representing international media organizations must apply by 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday, Feb. 2. International media without U.S. citizenship must apply by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 19. All accreditation requests must be submitted online at: https://media.ksc.nasa.gov NASA’s media accreditation policy is online. For questions about accreditation or special logistical requests, please email: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov. Requests for space for satellite trucks, tents, or electrical connections are due by Monday, Feb. 12. For other questions, please contact NASA Kennedy’s newsroom: at 321-867-2468. Para obtener información sobre cobertura en español en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si desea solicitar entrevistas en español, comuníquese con Antonia Jaramillo: 321-501-8425, o Messod Bendayan: 256-930-1371. For launch coverage and more information about the mission, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew -end- News Media Contacts: Joshua Finch Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov Steve Siceloff / Danielle Sempsrott Kennedy Space Center, Fla. 321-867-2468 steven.p.siceloff@nasa.gov / danielle.c.sempsrott@nasa.gov Leah Cheshier Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 leah.d.cheshier@nasa.gov Read More Share Details Last Updated Jan 05, 2024 EditorClaire A. O'SheaLocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsCommercial SpaceCommercial CrewHumans in SpaceInternational Space Station (ISS) Explore More 5 min read NASA’s 2023 Space Station Achievements Article 1 day ago 10 min read Las mejores imágenes de las investigaciones en la estación del 2023 Article 1 week ago 6 min read Studying Combustion and Fire Safety Article 1 week ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

5 min read NASA Features New Discoveries at American Astronomical Society Meeting A cluster of young stars – about one to two million years old – located about 20,000 light years from Earth. X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO/Sejong Univ./Hur et al; Optical: NASA/STScI Experts will discuss new research from NASA missions at the 243rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS), on topics ranging from planets outside our solar system to fleeting, high-energy explosions in the universe. The meeting will take place Jan. 7-11 at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. In press conferences, scientific sessions, and town halls, scientists and agency leaders will present the latest developments in astrophysics. Press conferences – highlighting results enabled by NASA missions such as the James Webb Space Telescope (also called “Webb” or “JWST”), Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-ray Observatory, and Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope – will stream live to the public on the AAS Press Office YouTube channel. In addition to press conferences, NASA highlights for registered attendees include: NASA Town Hall: Monday, Jan. 8, 12:45 p.m. CST James Webb Space Telescope Town Hall: Wednesday, Jan. 10, 6 p.m. CST Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Town Hall: Thursday, Jan. 11, 12:45 p.m. CST Throughout the week, expert talks at the NASA Exhibit Booth will discuss science from current NASA missions including Webb, Hubble, IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer), NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer), TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite), and Chandra ahead of its 25th anniversary; NASA’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and SPHEREx observatory; the Habitable Worlds Observatory, a concept for a future NASA flagship space telescope; the agency’s scientific Balloon Program; the 2024 total solar eclipse; and open science at NASA, among other topics. Members of the media can request interviews with NASA experts on any of these topics by contacting Alise Fisher at alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov. The full list of NASA meeting highlights is as follows. All times are Central. Monday, Jan. 8 10:15 a.m. CST: AAS News Conference Room 229 News from NASA’s Chandra, Webb, and retired SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) mission will be featured: “Polarized Dust Ring in the Milky Way’s Center” “NASA Telescopes Show Famous Exploded Star in Its Best Light” 12:45 p.m. CST: NASA Town Hall Great Hall A Mark Clampin, director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters, will share an update on NASA’s astrophysics programs. 2:15 p.m. CST: AAS News Conference Room 229 News from NASA’s Hubble, SOFIA, and Fermi will be highlighted: “Asymmetric Gamma-Ray Emission from the Quiet Sun” “The Wondrous 3D World of Protostellar Shocks in NGC 2071” Tuesday, Jan. 9 10:15 a.m. CST: AAS News Conference Room 229 A NASA-funded citizen science program and news from NASA’s Webb mission will be highlighted: “Using Citizen Science to Identify New Ultracool Benchmark Systems” “JWST Indicates Auroral Signature in an Extremely Cold Brown Dwarf” 2:15 p.m. CST: AAS News Conference Room 229 News from NASA’s Webb and Hubble space telescopes will be highlighted: “Revealing Dual Quasars and Their Host Galaxy With JWST and ALMA” “Breaking Cosmic Scales: JWST’s Discovery of Unexpectedly Massive Black Holes” “Revealing the Environment of the Most Distant Fast Radio Burst with the Hubble Space Telescope” Wednesday, Jan. 10 10:15 a.m. CST: AAS News Conference Room 229 News from NASA’s Fermi satellite will be highlighted: “A 12.4-Day Periodicity in a Close Binary System After a Supernova.” 12:45 p.m. CST: Splinter Session – “Habitable Worlds Observatory: Current Status and Opportunities for Engagement“ Room R08/R09 Agency experts will provide a status update as NASA’s Great Observatory Maturation Program lays the groundwork for the Habitable Worlds Observatory concept, including the recent formation of planning teams and other opportunities for community participation. 1 p.m. CST: Splinter Session – “Astrophysics and Open Science“ Room 237 NASA experts will discuss the agency’s role in supporting an inclusive culture of open science, and to empower researchers, early career scientists, and underrepresented communities with the knowledge and tools necessary to embrace open science practices. 2:15 p.m. CST: AAS News Conference Room 229 News from NASA’s Webb and TESS missions will be highlighted: “Weakened Magnetic Braking in the Exoplanet Host Star 51 Pegasi” “JWST’s New View of Beta Pictoris Suggests Recent Episodic Dust Production from an Eccentric, Inclined Secondary Debris Disk” “An Earth-Sized Addition to a 400-Myr Planetary System in the Ursa Major Moving Group” 6 p.m. CST: James Webb Space Telescope Town Hall Room 215 Experts will provide a status update on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Now in its second year of science observations, Webb has continued to pull back the curtain on some of the farthest galaxies, stars, and black holes ever observed; solved a longstanding mystery about the early universe; found methane and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of a planet outside our solar system; and offered new views and insights into planets and small objects in our own cosmic backyard. Thursday, Jan. 11 10:15 a.m. CST: AAS News Conference Room 229 News from NASA’s Chandra and Fermi missions, as well as XMM-Newton, an ESA (European Space Agency) mission with NASA contributions, will be highlighted: “Evidence of a Relic Active Galactic Nucleus Eruption” “Evidence for Large-Scale Anisotropy in the Gamma-ray Sky” “Astronomers Find Spark of Star Birth Across Billions of Years” 12:45 p.m. CST: Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Town Hall Room 207 Mission experts will provide a status update on the development of the Roman Space Telescope, NASA’s next flagship observatory, which is currently in development and planned to launch by May 2027. The Roman team recently finished assembling the spacecraft’s giant camera, and Roman’s fully assembled Coronagraph Instrument passed its first big optics test. 2:15 p.m. CST: AAS News Conference Room 229 News from NASA’s Webb will be highlighted: “A Potentially Isolated Quiescent Dwarf Galaxy.” For more information on the meeting, including press registration and the complete meeting schedule, visit: https://aas.org/meetings/aas243 Media Contacts Alise Fisher / Liz Landau Headquarters, Washington 202-358-2546 / 202-358-0845 alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov / elizabeth.r.landau@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 05, 2024 Related Terms Astrophysics Division Chandra X-Ray Observatory Exoplanets Hubble Space Telescope James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) The Universe Explore More 4 min read NASA/JAXA XRISM Mission Reveals Its First Look at X-ray Cosmos Article 2 hours ago 2 min read Hubble Views a Vast Galactic Neighborhood Article 4 hours ago 4 min read NASA’s Hubble Observes Exoplanet Atmosphere Changing Over 3 Years Article 1 day ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article