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By NASA
5 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
Candeska Cikana Community College uses selective laser sintering, a type of 3D-printing in which heat and pressure form specific structures using layers of powdered material. Shown here, a student works to remove excess material, in this case a powdered form of nylon with carbon fibers, to reveal a prototype of the “Mapi Hapa,” or “sky shoe.” Candeska Cikana Community College Human exploration on the lunar surface is no small feat. It requires technologists and innovators from all walks of life to tackle many challenges, including feet.
From designing astronaut boots, addressing hazardous Moon dust, and researching new ways to land on Mars, NASA is funding valuable research through M-STAR (Minority University Research and Education Project’s (MUREP) Space Technology Artemis Research). The M-STAR program provides opportunities for students and faculty at Minority Serving Institutions to participate in space technology development through capacity building and research grants. With more than $11.5 million awarded since 2020, M-STAR aims to ensure NASA isn’t leaving any potential solution behind.
Best Foot Forward
Nicholas Bitner from Candeska Cikana Community College, left, and Jesse Rhoades from the University of North Dakota (UND), right, are pictured in UND’s BiPed lab, where their students test and capture motion data for the Mapi Hapa. Walter Criswell, UND Today Supportive boots are required for astronauts who will perform long duration Artemis missions on the Moon. With astronaut foot health in mind, students and faculty of North Dakota’s Candeska Cikana Community College in Fort Totten and the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks are designing a solution for extravehicular activity Moon boots. The project, called Mapi Hapa, proposes a 3D printed device that helps astronauts achieve the range of motion that takes place in the ankle when you draw your toe back towards the shin.
Candeska Cikana Community College is a tribal college that serves the Spirit Lake Nation, including the Dakota, Lakota, Sisseton, Wahpeton, and Yanktonai peoples.
Nicholas Bitner, an instructor at Candeska Cikana and graduate student at the University of North Dakota, notes the unique skills that tribal students possess. “Their perspective, which is unlike that of any other student body, thrives on building with their hands and taking time to make decisions.”
Bitner also attributes many opportunities and successes of their program to M-STAR and its partnership which exemplifies the dire importance of consistent funding.
“Given the relationships, we have been able to expand our capabilities and our lab, but it has also given us funding. We were able to hire all our students in the engineering department as lab technicians. So, they get paid to do the research that they are a part of, and not only do they have that psychological ownership, but they also have a good paying job that looks nice on their resumes.”
In addition to addressing astronaut foot health, M-STAR funding is helping develop solutions to combat lunar regolith, or Moon dust, which can damage landers, spacesuits, and human lungs, if inhaled.
Lunar Dust Development
With M-STAR, New Mexico State University in Las Cruces developed affordable, reliable lunar regolith simulants to help test lunar surface technologies. The team also designed testing facilities that mimic environmental conditions on the Moon.
New Mexico State has already started sharing their simulants, including with a fellow M-STAR awardee. An M-STAR project selected in 2023 from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne uses the simulants to help test their experience in smart agriculture to test applications for crop production on the Moon.
University of Maryland, Eastern Shore explores the possibility of growing crops in lunar regolith by mixing varying proportions of lunar regolith simulant, horse manure, and potting soil. The lunar regolith simulant was provided by fellow M-STAR awardee at New Mexico State University in in Las Cruces.Stephanie Yeldell/NASA Douglas Cortez, associate professor in civil engineering at New Mexico State, believes different perspectives are essential to maximizing solutions.
“There are hundreds of people working at Minority Serving Institutions that are used to looking at the world in a completely different way,” said Cortez. “When they start looking at the same problem and parameters, they come up with very different solutions.”
As we look to sustainable presence on the Moon, NASA also has its sights set on Mars and M-STAR is helping develop technologies to inform crewed Martian exploration.
Stick the Landing
San Diego State University in California was awarded funding for research on Mars entry, descent, and landing technologies. The team aims to achieve optimal trajectory by developing onboard algorithms that guide vehicles to descent autonomously.
The M-STAR research opportunities have been invaluable to students like Chris Davami and his teammates working to develop improved methods to land on Mars.
Christopher Davami, who supported San Diego State University’s 2021 M-STAR project, is pictured here at NASA’s Langley Research Center, where he was selected for internships supporting research in aeroelasticity, atmospheric flight, and entry systems research.NASA “I would definitely not have been able to have these opportunities with NASA if it weren’t for M-STAR,” said Davami. “M-STAR helped pay for my education, which helped me save a lot in student loans. I probably wouldn’t be going to graduate school right now if I did not have this opportunity. This program enabled me to keep pursuing my research and continue doing what I love.”
Following his contributions to the M-STAR-funded project, Davami was awarded a NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunity in 2023 on his work in autonomous end-to-end trajectory planning and guidance constrained entry and precision power decent.
Through efforts like M-STAR, NASA aims to seed the future workforce and prepare colleges and universities to win other NASA research opportunities. When it comes to the advancement of space technology, people of different backgrounds and skillsets are needed to achieve what was once known as impossible. Not only can the diversification of ideas spark fundamental innovations in space, but it can also help students apply these technological advancements to solving problems here on Earth.
To learn more about M-STAR visit:
https://go.nasa.gov/442k76s
by: Gabrielle Thaw, NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate
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By NASA
Students participating in NASA’s Minority University Research AND Education Project (MUREP) Innovation and Tech Transfer Idea Competition on-site experience. Credit: Josh Valcarcel NASA is awarding $7.2 million to six minority-serving institutions to grow initiatives in engineering-related disciplines and fields for learners who have historically been underrepresented and underserved in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields.
“NASA is excited to award funding to six minority-serving institutions, paving the way for greater diversity in engineering and STEM,” said Shahra Lambert, NASA senior advisor for engagement and equity, NASA’s Headquarters in Washington. “NASA is committed to fostering diversity and providing essential academic resources to empower the next generation of innovators.”
NASA’s Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP), in partnership with the National Science Foundation’s Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (INCLUDES) network, provides support to increase diversity in engineering. It offers academic resources to college students, aiming to have a long-term impact on the engineering field.
“With these awards, we are continuing to create pathways that increase access and opportunities in STEM for underrepresented and underserved groups,” said Keya Briscoe, MUREP manager. “NASA continues to invest in initiatives that are critical in driving innovation, fostering inclusion, and providing access to the STEM ecosystem for everyone.”
The awardees and their project titles are as follows:
Alabama A&M University Pathways to NASA: Empowering Underrepresented STEM Talent through Strategic Partnerships and Innovative Learning
Morgan State University – Baltimore Developing NASA Pathways to Broadening Participation in Space Exploration Technology
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Strengthening Opportunities in Aerospace Research and Education
University of Central Florida Hy-POWERED: Hydrogen-POWered Engineering Research and Education for Diversity
University of Colorado, Denver Seed, Support, and Cultivate: Innovative Strategies for Underrepresented Minorities in STEM Education
University of Houston Partnership for Inclusivity in Engineering Education and Research for Space
NASA administers the grants through its Office of STEM Engagement. These investments enhance the research, academic and technology capabilities of minority-serving institutions through multiyear cooperative agreements, while advancing NASA’s vision for a diverse and inclusive workforce.
To learn more about NASA STEM Engagement Funding Opportunities, visit:
https://go.nasa.gov/3AZedZ8
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Abbey Donaldson
Headquarters, Washington
202-269-1600
Abbey.a.donaldson@nasa.gov
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By NASA
4 min read
NASA Awards 15 Grants to Support Open-Source Science
One of the 15 winning proposals for NASA High Priority Open-Source Science (HPOSS) funding will help simulate galaxies. Pictured here is barred spiral galaxy NGC 1300, as imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope. NASA, ESA, and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
Acknowledgment: P. Knezek (WIYN) NASA awarded $1.4 million to 15 teams developing new technologies that advance and streamline the open sharing of scientific information.
High Priority Open-Source Science (HPOSS) awards fund projects that aim to increase the accessibility, inclusivity, or reproducibility of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) research. Projects include open-source tools, software, frameworks, data formats, or libraries that will have a significant impact to the SMD science community. HPOSS awards are for one year and approximately $100,000.
The HPOSS solicitation is one of several cross-divisional funding opportunities funded by NASA’s Office of the Chief Science Data Officer (OCSDO) with a focus on advancing open science practices. These solicitations are unique among NASA’s annual omnibus solicitation for basic and applied research, Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Science (ROSES), providing cross-divisional support for new work with strong potential to advance the adoption of open science practices across SMD.
“We are excited to be able to fund these opportunities to enable modern research through NASA’s support of open science,” said Chelle Gentemann, program officer for HPOSS and open science program scientist for OCSDO at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. on an Intergovernmental Personnel Act assignment from the International Computer Science Institute. “Open science is crucial in improving the transparency, security, and reproducibility of scientific research.”
The HPOSS solicitation for ROSES-2024 is currently available as F.14 on NSPIRES. Under ROSES-2024, HPOSS has expanded to include the development of capacity-building materials, like curricula, tutorials, and other training materials, reflecting the program’s commitment to fostering open science practices.
The HPOSS solicitation has no fixed due date. Proposers are encouraged to submit their proposals via NSPIRES at any time. Proposals are evaluated by peer review panels and selections are made throughout the year.
“The proposals selected thus far illustrate the breadth of this solicitation, ranging from projects that will increase the accessibility of data relevant to specific research communities to open-source tools that will be relevant across multiple SMD divisions,” said Gentemann.
The selected awardees for the ROSES-22 and ROSES-23 calls are:
Roses-2022 Awardees
Erin Buchanan, Harrisburg University of Science & Technology, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
STAPLE: Science Tracking Across the Project Lifespan
James Colliander / Code For Science And Society, INC., Portland, Oregon
Ephemeral Interactive Computing for NASA Communities
Gretchen Daily, Stanford University, Stanford, California
Metadata Tools for More Transparent, Reproducible, and Accessible Geospatial Analysis
Douglas Moore, 39 Alpha Research, Tempe, Arizona
Dorothy: Making Scientific Data Transparent, Accessible, and Reproducible
Matthew Turk, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois
Synergistic Software Tooling for Geophysical and Astrophysical Analysis: Linking yt and Xarray
Richard Townsend, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
Catalyzing an Open-Source Ecosystem for the GYRE Stellar Oscillation Code
Andrew Jiranek, Sciencecast Inc., Towson, Maryland
Advancing Equitable Scientific Publishing through Open-Science Digital Innovations
Jami Montgomery, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia
Web-based Planetary Topography Toolkit
Roses-2023 Awardees
Russell Turner, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
Creation of an Open Access 3-Dimensional Image and Data Library for Rat Bones from Space Shuttle Experiments
Hans-Peter Marshall / Boise State University, Boise, Idaho
The SnowEx DB Open-Source Project — Standardized Data Access to Maximize Mission Data Use and Accelerate Research
Leila DeFloriani / University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
An Open-Source Library for Processing Forest Point Clouds Based on Topological Data Analysis
Michael Phillips / University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
Spectral Cube Analysis Tool: A Python Graphical User Interface for Analyzing Spectral Image Data
Julie Barnum / University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado
A Heliophysics Software Search Interface Portal
Benjamin Keller / University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee
Portable and Reproducible Initial Conditions for Galaxy Simulations
Ryan Curtin / NumFocus, Austin, Texas
Enhance Usability and Discoverability of mlpack for Low-Resource Spaceflight Machine Learning
Summaries of previously selected proposals can be found under the “Selections” section on the HPOSS NSPIRES pages for ROSES-2022 and ROSES-2023.
To learn more about the HPOSS program element, a recording of a recent informational webinar is available, along with the presentation slides.
To learn more about NASA open science funding opportunities, visit: science.nasa.gov/open-science/nasa-open-science-funding-opportunities/
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By NASA
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NASA Awards Grants for Lunar Instrumentation
NASA has awarded five scientists and engineers Development and Advancement of Lunar Instrumentation (DALI) grants to support the development of instruments for potential use in future lunar missions, including the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services and Artemis campaign.
The awardees were recognized during NASA’s Technology Development Plan plenary session at the 55th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC) March 13, in The Woodlands, Texas.
“Supporting innovation and research in science and technology is a central part of NASA’s overall mission,” said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration in NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. “These tools must demonstrate new technologies that significantly improve instrument measurement capabilities for addressing high-priority lunar science questions.”
The goal of DALI is to develop and demonstrate instruments that show promise for use in future NASA flight opportunities. In addition, the instruments are intended to be ready for flight hardware build after the three-year project duration. Each of the selected scientists is granted approximately $1 million per year to develop their instrument.
The grantees are based at institutions across the country:
DALI grantees: Stuart George, Jason Kriesel, David Stillman, Jeffrey Gillis-Davis, Hao Cao DALI grantees: Stuart George, Jason Kriesel, David Stillman, Jeffrey Gillis-Davis, Hao Cao
Stuart George, NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston
In this project, Dr. George will develop the Compact Electron Proton Spectrometer (CEPS), a miniaturized space weather and radiation measurement instrument. CEPS will provide long-term, science-quality space environment monitoring specifically targeted at real time forecasting of solar energetic particle events on the lunar surface, as well as radiation monitoring data for crew health and protection. A particular focus of the CEPS instrument is saturation-free measurement of the largest and most extreme solar particle events and high quality discrimination of proton and electron signals.
Jason Kriesel, Opto- Knowledge Systems, Inc (OKSI) in Torrance, California
Jason Kriesel, of OKSI, is teaming with Honeybee Robotics and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, to produce a prototype instrument to measure lunar water and other volatiles on the Moon. The instrument will be designed to help answer important specific questions related to the origin, history, and future of water on the Moon, as well as help better understand planetary processes in general. The project will push forward a novel measurement approach using a hollow fiber optic gas cell, called a capillary absorption spectrometer (CAS). The CAS will be paired with a sample handling system optimized for analysis on the Moon. The resulting Lunar CAS (LuCAS) prototype will prove the technology on Earth, paving the way for its use on the Moon.
David Stillman, Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in Boulder, Colorado
The focus of Dr. Stillman’s project is the Synthetic Pulse Artemis Radar for Crustal Imaging (SPARCI; pronounced “sparky”), a novel ground penetrating radar (GPR). SPARCI uses two stationary transmitting antennas and a mobile receiver. This geometry was pioneered by the Apollo 17 Surface Electrical Properties (SEP) experiment. As a robotic or crewed rover traverses away from the transmitter, images of subsurface interfaces or discontinuities are built up. SPARCI uses a much wider bandwidth than the SEP, enabling both deeper and higher-resolution imaging, and its coded signals provide higher signal-to-noise. SPARCI will determine the thickness and density of the regolith (~10 meters), the structure of the upper megaregolith (100s m to kms), and the depth to the lower megaregolith (several km). SPARCI is therefore designed to advance our understanding of impact processes and crustal stratigraphy at the Artemis landing site(s), and eventually elsewhere on the Moon or other planets.
Jeffrey Gillis-Davis, Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri
Dr. Gillis-Davis will lead the effort to develop an instrument to measure the chemistry of lunar materials using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). Compositional information acquired by LIBS will help identify major lunar rock types as well as determine major element ice compositions, which relate to volatile sources. Knowledge about the chemical composition of these materials is of fundamental importance in lunar science. For instance, determining the proportions of different lunar rock types at exploration sites satisfies key goals of NASA and the lunar community. Further, measurements by this instrument are essential for figuring out how much water or other resources are present in a particular location on the Moon and could provide a necessary step toward better understanding water delivery to the Earth-Moon system. This LIBS system would incorporate cutting-edge technologies while reducing size, weight, and power relative to other LIBS systems.
Hao Cao, University of California, Los Angeles
In this project, Dr. Cao and team will be developing a miniaturized, low-power, ultra-stable fluxgate magnetometer system for prolonged, uninterrupted operation on the lunar surface. The system incorporates a low-power, magnetically-clean thermal solution to achieve a temperature stability of 0.2 degrees Celsius at two distinct set-point temperatures, one for the lunar day and the other for the lunar night, to minimize fluxgate sensor offset drifts. This instrument will facilitate high-precision monitoring of the lunar magnetic fields across different timescales, enabling survey of the lunar surface magnetic environment and low-frequency electromagnetic sounding of the lunar deep interior. These measurements will provide invaluable insights into the bulk water content of the lunar mantle, characteristics of the partial melt layer above the lunar core, and the physical properties of the iron core of the Moon; thus, placing critical constraints on the formation and evolution of the Earth-Moon system.
The deadline for NASA’s DALI24 Step-1 submissions is April 12, 2024.
DALI is part of NASA’s Lunar Discovery and Exploration Program (LDEP), which is managed by Science Mission Directorate’s Exploration Science Strategy and Integration Office (ESSIO). ESSIO ensures science is infused into all aspects of lunar exploration and leads lunar science integration within the Science Mission Directorate, with other NASA mission directorates, other government agencies, international partners, and commercial communities.
For more information about NASA’s Exploration Science Strategy Integration Office (ESSIO), visit:
https://science.nasa.gov/lunar-science/
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NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft is dramatically lit for a “glamour shot,” captured before its Jan. 12, 2024, rollout at Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works facility in Palmdale where the airplane was constructed.Credit: Lockheed Martin / Michael Jackson NASA has issued new grants to five universities to help develop education plans for the community overflight phase of the agency’s Quesst mission, which aims to demonstrate the possibility of supersonic flight without the typical loud sonic booms.
The new grants, from NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement, will provide each university team with $40,000 to develop science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) engagement strategic implementation plans for those Quesst community overflights. The awards will focus on plans for engaging with students and educators in the communities that NASA will eventually select for overflights. This will help ensure communities are accurately informed about this phase of Quesst and what involvement in the mission will look like for their community.
“The Quesst mission is unique at NASA, with community input playing a major part in its success,” said Eric Miller, deputy mission integration manager for Quesst. “These new awards will allow NASA to learn from other STEM professionals, informing us as we develop a framework to effectively engage with students and educators.”
The selected institutions and their projects, are:
Carthage College, Kenosha, Wisconsin – STEM Quesst, Wisconsin Space Grant Cornell University, Ithaca, New York –Quesst Community Overflight STEM Engagement New York Space Grant Consortium Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia – Engaging the National NASA Space Grant Network in Support of the Quesst Community Overflight STEM Engagement University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, San Juan, Puerto Rico – Space Grant Quesst Community Overflight STEM Engagement: Sounds of Our World University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California – California Space Grant Planning Support for the Quesst Community Overflight STEM Engagement The deliverables from the awards will help inform a student engagement approach that can be implemented in any community, state, and region that may be selected. NASA has yet to select communities for the overflights.
Through Quesst, NASA is developing its X-59 experimental aircraft, which will fly faster than the speed of sound while producing only a quiet sonic “thump.” After the X-59 completes a series of flight tests, NASA will fly it over a number of communities across the country, gathering data about what people below hear.
For more information about Quesst, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/quesst/
-end-
Gerelle Dodson
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-4637
gerelle.q.dodson@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Feb 27, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
Quesst (X-59) Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate For Kids and Students Learning Resources NASA Headquarters Quesst: The Mission Quesst: The Science Quesst: The Team STEM Engagement at NASA View the full article
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