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JPL Engineers Put Their Skills to the Test With Halloween Pumpkins
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By Space Force
A joint team of AFGSC Airmen and Vandenberg SFB Guardians launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with a single telemetered joint test assembly re-entry vehicle from Vandenberg SFB.
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By NASA
1 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
A still image of a video that shows a plastic rod and cotton-fiberglass fabric being burned during a ground test of the Lunar-g Combustion Investigation (LUCI) experiment.Credit: Voyager Technologies An experiment studying how solid materials catch fire and burn in the Moon’s gravity was launched on Blue Origin’s New Shepard suborbital flight this month.
Developed by NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland together with Voyager Technologies, the Lunar-g Combustion Investigation (LUCI) will help researchers determine if conditions on the Moon – with reduced gravity – might be a more hazardous environment for fire safety.
The video shows a plastic rod and cotton-fiberglass fabric being burned during a ground test of the Lunar-g Combustion Investigation (LUCI) experiment. Scientists will compare the ground test video to the video recorded on the Blue Origin flight.
Credit: Voyager Technologies On this flight, LUCI tested flammability of cotton-fiberglass fabric and plastic rods, and once launched, the payload capsule rotated at a speed to simulate lunar gravity. NASA Glenn researchers will analyze data post-flight.
A plastic rod and cotton-fiberglass fabric that were burned during testing for the Lunar-g Combustion Investigation. New, unburned samples were lit on fire during the flight. Credit: Voyager Technologies LUCI’s findings will help NASA and its partners design safe spacecraft and spacesuits for future Moon and Mars missions.
For more information on LUCI and the mission, visit.
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By NASA
“People are excited and happy about working at Goddard,” said optics engineer Margaret Dominguez. “Most people are willing to put in the extra effort if needed. It makes work stimulating and exciting. Management really cares and the employees feel that too.”Credits: Courtesy of Margaret Dominguez Name: Margaret Dominguez
Formal Job Classification: Optical engineer
Organization: Code 551, Optics Branch, Instrument Systems and Technology Division, Engineering Directorate
What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Goddard? How do you help support Goddard’s mission?
I build space telescopes. I am currently working on building one of the components for the Wide Field Instrument for the Roman Space Telescope. The component is called “Grism.” A grism is a combination of a grating and a prism.
What is unique about your childhood?
I went to high school in Tecamachalco in Puebla, Mexico, which is inland and south of Mexico City. My father raised pigs, chickens, rabbits, and cows. I am the oldest of four girls and two still live on the farm.
Why did you become a physicist?
I was always curious and had a lot of questions and thought that physics helped me answer some of these questions. I was good at math and loved it. When I told my dad I wanted to study physics, he said that I would be able to answer any question in the universe. He thought it was very cool.
What is your educational background? How an internship help you come to Goddard?
I went to the Universidad de las Americas Puebla college in Puebla and got an undergraduate degree in physics. I was very active in extracurricular activities and helped organize a physics conference. We invited Dr. Johnathan Gardner, a Goddard astronomer, who came to speak at the conference. Afterwards I spoke with him and he asked me if I was interested in doing an internship at NASA. I said I had not considered it and would be interested in applying. I applied that same spring of 2008 and got a summer internship in the Optics Branch, where I am still working today.
My branch head at Goddard was a University of Arizona alumnus. He suggested that I apply to the University of Arizona for their excellent optics program. I did, and the university gave me a full fellowship for a master’s and a Ph.D. in optical sciences.
In 2014, I began working full time at Goddard while completing my Ph.D. I graduated in May 2019.
What makes Goddard special?
Goddard has a university campus feel. It’s a place where you can work and also just hang out and socialize. Goddard has many clubs, a gym, cafeterias, and a health clinic.
People are really nice here. They are often excited and happy about working at Goddard. Most people are willing to put in the extra effort if needed. It makes work stimulating and exciting. Management really cares and the employees feel that too.
What are some of the major projects you have worked on?
Early on, I did a little bit of work on Hubble and later on, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Since 2014, I have exclusively been working on Roman. We are building the grism, a slitless spectrograph, which will measure galaxy redshifts to study dark energy.
Presently we are building different grism prototypes. We work with outside vendors to build these prototypes. When we make a prototype, we test it for months. After, we use the results to build an improved prototype. We just finished making the third prototype. We are going to build a flight instrument of which the grism is a component.
What is it like to work in the clean room?
It’s exciting – it likely means I am working on flight hardware. However, because clean rooms must be kept at about 68 degrees Fahrenheit, it can feel chilly in there!
Who are your mentors? What are the most important lessons they have taught you?
Ray Ohl, the head of the Optics Branch, is a mentor to me. He is always encouraging me to get outside my comfort zone. He presents other opportunities to me so that I can grow and listens to my feedback.
Cathy Marx, one of the Roman optical leads, is also a mentor to me. She created a support network for me and is a sounding board for troubleshooting any kind of work-related issues.
What is your role a member of the Hispanic Advisory Committee (HACE)?
I joined HACE in 2010 while I was an intern. It’s a great opportunity to network with other Hispanics and gives us a platform to celebrate specific events like Hispanic Heritage Month. I really enjoy participating in HACE’s events.
What outreach do you do? Why is doing outreach so important to you?
I do educational outreach to teach people about optics. I mainly collaborate with elementary and middle schools.
I think we need more future engineers and scientists. I want to help recruit them. I specifically focus on recruiting minorities and Hispanics. I can make a special connection with women and Hispanics.
Who is your science hero?
It would probably be Marie Curie. She’s the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, and she is the only woman to win two Nobel Prizes and she had to overcome a lot of challenges to achieve that.
What is your “six-word memoir”? A six-word memoir describes something in just six words.
Disciplined. Organized. Diligent. Passionate. Curious. Family-oriented.
Is there something surprising about your hobbies outside of work that people do not generally know?
I am a certified Jazzercise instructor – I normally teach two to three times a week. I can even teach virtually if need be. It is an hour-long exercise class combining strength training and cardio through choreographed dancing. We also use weights and mats.
I also enjoy going for walks with my husband, James Corsetti, who is also an engineer in the Optics Branch.
By Elizabeth M. Jarrell
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
Conversations With Goddard is a collection of Q&A profiles highlighting the breadth and depth of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s talented and diverse workforce. The Conversations have been published twice a month on average since May 2011. Read past editions on Goddard’s “Our People” webpage.
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By NASA
The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) has elected three new members with NASA affiliations. Two employees and one retiree from three different NASA centers around the country were awarded the honor on Feb. 7.
Election to the NAE is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. Individuals in the newly elected class will be formally inducted during the NAE’s annual meeting Oct. 1.
Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to “engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature” and to ‘the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education.”
Christine Mann Darden, director (retired), Strategic Communications Office, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia.u003cstrongu003eu003cemu003eCredits: NASAu003c/emu003eu003c/strongu003e Christine Mann Darden, director (retired), Strategic Communications Office, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia, was awarded for pioneering research in supersonic flight technologies and leadership in advancing aerodynamics design to produce low-boom sonic effects. She is internationally known for her research into supersonic aircraft noise, especially sonic boom reduction, and recognized for her groundbreaking achievement as the first African American woman at NASA Langley to be appointed to the top management rank of Senior Executive Service. She is equally known for her efforts to inspire and educate generations of aerospace scientists and engineers.
Christa D. Peters-Lidard, deputy director, Science and Exploration, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland.u003cstrongu003eu003cemu003eCredits: NASA Office of the Chief Information Officeru003c/emu003eu003c/strongu003e Christa D. Peters-Lidard, director, Science and Exploration, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, was honored for contributions to understanding land-atmosphere interactions, soil moisture monitoring and modeling, and leadership in Earth system modeling. Her research interests include the application of high-performance computing and communications technologies in Earth system modeling, for which her Land Information System team was awarded the 2005 NASA Software of the Year Award.
Vanessa E. Wyche, director, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston.u003cstrongu003eu003cemu003eCredits: NASAu003c/emu003eu003c/strongu003e Vanessa E. Wyche, director, NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Houston, received the honor for leadership of NASA Johnson, enabling a commercial low-Earth orbit space economy and future Moon and Mars missions. She is responsible for a broad range of human spaceflight activities, including development and operation of human spacecraft, NASA astronaut selection and training, and mission control. Wyche oversees commercialization of low-Earth orbit – ensuring commercially provided destinations to continue research there following transition from the International Space Station in 2030. Additionally, she leads Johnson’s role in exploring the Moon and Mars with NASA’s Artemis spacecraft, including surface system capabilities for human and commercial robotic missions, and partners with academia, industry, and international community to establish a sustainable lunar economy.
Rob Gutro
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Robert.j.gutro@nasa.gov
L. Eileen Erickson / Kim Case
National Academy of Engineering
lerickson@nae.edu / KCase@nae.edu
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Last Updated Feb 10, 2025 Related Terms
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By NASA
NASA JPL is readying for, clockwise from lower right, the launches of CADRE (its engineering models are seen here), Lunar Trailblazer, NISAR (seen in an artist’s concept), Sentinel-6B (artist’s concept), and SPHEREx, as well as the Mars gravity assist of Europa Clipper (artist’s concept).NASA/JPL-Caltech/BAE Systems/Lockheed Martin Space Missions will study everything from water on the Moon to the transformation of our universe after the big bang and ongoing changes to Earth’s surface.
With 2024 receding into the distance, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is already deep into a busy 2025. Early in the new year, the Eaton Fire came close to JPL, destroying the homes of more than 200 employees, but work has continued apace to maintain mission operations and keep upcoming missions on track.
Several missions managed by NASA JPL are prepping for launch this year. Most have been years in the making and launches are, of course, only part of the bigger picture. Other milestones are also on the docket for the federal laboratory, which Caltech manages for NASA.
Here’s a glimpse of what lies ahead this year.
Mysterious Universe
Shaped like the bell of a trumpet and as big as a subcompact car, NASA’s SPHEREx space observatory is aiming for the stars. Known formally as the Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer, the mission will create four 3D maps of the entire sky in order to improve humanity’s understanding of the universe — how it expanded after the big bang, where ingredients of life can be found in ice grains, and much more. Target launch date: no earlier than Feb. 27 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
The Moon’s Icy Secrets
NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer aims to help resolve an enduring mystery: Where is the Moon’s water? Scientists have seen signs suggesting it exists even where temperatures soar on the lunar surface, and there’s good reason to believe it can be found as surface ice in permanently shadowed craters, places that have not seen direct sunlight for billions of years. Managed by NASA JPL and led by Caltech, the small satellite will help provide answers, mapping the Moon’s surface water in unprecedented detail to determine the water’s abundance, location, form, and how it changes over time. The small satellite will hitch a ride, slated for late February, on the same launch as the Intuitive Machines-2 delivery to the Moon through NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative.
Earth’s Changing Surface
A collaboration between the United States and India, NISAR is a major addition to the fleet of satellites studying our changing planet. Short for NASA-Indian Space Research Organisation Synthetic Aperture Radar, the mission’s name is a nesting doll of acronyms, and the spacecraft is a nesting doll of capabilities: The first spacecraft to carry both L-band and S-band radars, it will see surface changes related to volcanoes, earthquakes, ice sheet motion, deforestation, and more in unprecedented detail after it launches in a few months’ time.
Sea Level
Targeting a November launch, Sentinel-6B will provide global sea surface height measurements — some of the most accurate data of its kind yet — that will improve climate models and hurricane tracking, as well as our understanding of phenomena like El Niño. A collaboration between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency), the spacecraft will take the baton from its twin, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, which launched in 2020. Together, the satellites are extending for another 10 years a nearly three-decade record of global sea surface height.
Moon Rover Trio
As a technology demonstration, the CADRE (Cooperative Autonomous Distributed Robotic Exploration) project marks another step NASA is taking toward developing robots that, by operating autonomously, can boost the efficiency of future missions. The project team at JPL will soon be packing up and shipping CADRE’s three suitcase-size rovers to Texas in preparation for their journey to the Moon aboard a commercial lander through one of NASA’s future CLPS deliveries. The rovers are designed to work together as a team without direct input from mission controllers back on Earth. And, by taking simultaneous measurements from multiple locations, they are meant to show how multirobot missions could enable new science and support astronauts.
Quantum Technology
Having arrived at the International Space Station in November, SEAQUE (Space Entanglement and Annealing QUantum Experiment) is testing two technologies that, if successful, could enable communication using entangled photons between two quantum systems. The research from this experiment, which gets underway in 2025, could help develop the building blocks for a future global quantum network that would allow equipment such as quantum computers to transfer data securely across large distances.
Gravity Assist to Reach Jupiter
Launched this past October, Europa Clipper will arrive at Jupiter in 2030 to investigate whether an ocean beneath the ice shell of the gas giant’s moon Europa has conditions suitable for life. The spacecraft will travel 1.8 billion miles (2.9 billion kilometers) to reach its destination. Since there are limitations on how much fuel the spacecraft can carry, mission planners are having Europa Clipper fly by Mars on March 1, using the planet’s gravity as a slingshot to add speed to its journey.
For more about NASA missions JPL supports, go to:
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/
Meet SPHEREx, NASA’s newest cosmic mapper How NISAR will track Earth’s changing surface CADRE’s mini-rovers will team up to explore the Moon Instruments deployed, Europa Clipper is Mars-bound News Media Contact
Matthew Segal
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-354-8307
matthew.j.segal@jpl.nasa.gov
2025-008
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Last Updated Jan 23, 2025 Related Terms
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