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By Space Force
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced seven initiatives to improve the quality of life for service members and their families.
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By NASA
For some people, working for NASA is a lifelong dream. For others, it is an interesting and perhaps unexpected opportunity that comes up at just the right time and place.
Everything from family ties and influential teachers to witnessing human spaceflight history and enjoying sci-fi entertainment has helped bring people of all backgrounds together at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Several of them recently shared their inspiration to join the NASA team.
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“As a kid, I always had my head up looking at the stars. I loved astronomy and seeing videos of humans walking on the Moon fascinated me! I wanted to be the first female to walk on the Moon. When Star Wars came out, I wanted to build my own R2-D2 that could explore the galaxies. I was curious how things worked (so I could build a robot) and a cousin told me about engineering. That was the name for what I wanted to do! So, I went to the High School for Engineering Professions in Houston. The guidance counselor there told me about an opportunity to apply for a summer internship with NASA as a junior. I got in and I’ve worked with NASA as much as I could since I was 16 years old – internships and full-time positions. I may not get the chance to be an astronaut and walk on the Moon, but I know I will play a role in helping achieve that dream for another female and a person of color!”
– Alicia Baker, engineering project manager for Portable Life Support System test support, JSC Engineering, Technology, and Science (JETS) Contract
Alicia Baker in a spacesuit test chamber at Johnson Space Center.NASA/David DeHoyos “My dad was an aerospace engineer with Lockheed Martin. I went to take your kid to work day and got to stand in front of a booster engine. I’ve wanted to work in the space industry ever since. I almost didn’t enter the field after getting my aerospace degree, but I was fortunate to take an Intro to Human Spaceflight class during my last quarter of college. Without that class and the professor (who had worked at Johnson) I wouldn’t be here today. I’m so glad my path led me here. Johnson is such a great place to be, and I can look back and tell little Margaret that we did it!”
– Margaret Kennedy, aerospace systems engineer, Engineering Directorate Crew and Thermal Systems Division
Margaret Kennedy and her dad visited Space Center Houston when she started her job at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in October 2019.Image courtesy of Margaret Kennedy “In first grade, my teacher organized a ‘Space Week’ in which we learned about outer space. Her sons – who were studying engineering in college – came and launched model rockets for us. I knew from that point on that I wanted to work at NASA when I grew up.”
– Krista Farrell, International Space Station attitude determination and control officer and motion control systems instructor; Boeing Starliner guidance, navigation, and control instructor
Krista Farrell (center) stands with members of the Expedition 71 crew. From left: NASA astronauts Jeannette Epps, Matt Dominick, and Mike Barratt; Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin; and NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson. NASA/Josh Valcarcel “I didn’t think I would ever work for NASA. But multiple professors in college encouraged me to challenge myself and do some space research. I realized that it was something that I was very passionate about. Thanks to my research work for the Europa Clipper as an undergraduate student, I got my first internship at NASA and subsequently an offer to join the Pathways Program. Now I am part of a small group of engineers that solve entry, descent, and landing problems for multiple missions on Earth, the Moon, and Mars.”
– Sergio Sandoval, guidance engineer, Engineering Directorate Flight Mechanics and Trajectory Design Branch
Sergio Sandoval helps staff a NASA table during a Johnson Space Center community engagement event.Image courtesy of Sergio Sandoval
“Dad would take me to the viewing room of the original Mission Operations Control Room (MOCR) during the Apollo era. He was one of the people supporting MOCR in the Staff Support Room. I have worked at Johnson for 27 years [as a contractor] for Lockheed Martin, Hamilton Sundstrand, and Jacobs Technology.”
– David Fanelli, software engineer, Energy Systems Test Area
“In early 1969, when I was a boy, my uncle visited the Johnson Space Center and brought back astronaut and mission photos of the recently completed Apollo 8 lunar orbiting mission. Those photos, coupled with a Saturn V rocket model I assembled, and the Time Life records and books about the Apollo space program my parents purchased for me, sparked my imagination. I knew I wanted to work for NASA one day. It wasn’t until many years later that that dream became a reality, when I joined NASA’s co-op program for college students during my second attempt to become an aeronautical engineer. After I graduated college, I began working full time as a civil servant engineer at Johnson.”
– David Fletcher, NASA lead, Gateway-Ready Avionics Integration Lab
David Fletcher (center) with his daughters Jessica (left) and Erica (right). Image courtesy of David Fletcher
“I remember watching Star Trek and Star Wars as a kid with my dad. I found some of his college notes in a box one day and thought the small, neat print on graph paper pads was really pretty. He went to the University of Texas at Austin to study astrophysics and engineering, but he never got to finish. Fast forward to 2022 and I find myself in Houston for an unknown amount of time, so I decided to go out and make some friends. I met a woman at a Geeky Game Night, and I learned that she was a food scientist at NASA! After talking some more, she told me to send her my resume. Later that week I received a call to set up an interview. I’m still in awe of how that one chance connection led me to my childhood dream of working at NASA.”
– Kristin Dillon, document/IT specialist, Space Food Systems Laboratory
“I grew up in a small agricultural village in India. My first introduction to spaceflight was reading Russian cosmonauts’ translated accounts of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project as a young girl. I am still not sure whether my father picked that book for me on a whim or with a grand dream for his daughter, but it certainly had me hooked. However, I found my true calling to make human spaceflight safer and more efficient after witnessing the Columbia mishap. India, at the time, did not have a human spaceflight program. Thus started a 20-year-long grand adventure of seeking opportunities, pursuing them, immigrating to the United States, and finding my path to NASA, which culminated in a Pathways internship at Johnson.”
– Poonampreet Kaur Josan, three-time Pathways intern, currently supporting the Human Health and Performance Directorate Habitability and Human Factors Branch
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By NASA
Mars: Perseverance (Mars 2020) Perseverance Home Mission Overview Rover Components Mars Rock Samples Where is Perseverance? Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Mission Updates Science Overview Objectives Instruments Highlights Exploration Goals News and Features Multimedia Perseverance Raw Images Images Videos Audio More Resources Mars Missions Mars Sample Return Mars Perseverance Rover Mars Curiosity Rover MAVEN Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Odyssey More Mars Missions The Solar System The Sun Mercury Venus Earth The Moon Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto & Dwarf Planets Asteroids, Comets & Meteors The Kuiper Belt The Oort Cloud 3 min read
Perseverance Kicks off the Crater Rim Campaign!
Mastcam-Z mosaic made of 59 individual Mastcam-Z images showing the area Perseverance will climb in the coming weeks on its way to Dox Castle, the rover’s first stop on the crater rim. NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS Perseverance is officially headed into a new phase of scientific investigation on the Jezero Crater rim!
For the last 2 months, the Perseverance rover has been exploring the Neretva Vallis region of Jezero Crater, where rocks with interesting popcorn-like textures and “leopard spot” patterns have fascinated us all. Now, the rover has begun its long ascent up the crater rim, and is officially kicking off a new phase of exploration for the mission.
Strategic (longer-term) planning is particularly important for the Mars 2020 mission given the crucial role Perseverance plays in collecting samples for Mars Sample Return, and the Mars 2020 team undertakes this planning in the form of campaigns. Perseverance has now completed four such campaigns— the Crater Floor, Delta Front, Upper Fan and Margin Unit campaigns respectively— making the Crater Rim Campaign next in line. Given its broad scope and the wide diversity of rocks we expect to encounter and sample along the way, it may be the most ambitious campaign the team has attempted so far.
The team also has less information from orbiter data to go on compared to previous campaigns, because this area of the crater rim does not have the high-resolution, hyperspectral imaging of CRISM that helped inform much of our geological unit distinctions inside the crater. This means that Mastcam-Z multispectral and SuperCam long-distance imaging will be particularly useful for understanding broadscale mineralogical distinctions between rocks as we traverse the crater rim. Such imaging has already proved extremely useful in the Neretva Vallis area, where at Alsap Butte we observed rocks that appeared similar to each other in initial imaging, but actually display an Andy-Warhol-esque array of color in multispectral products, indicative of varied mineral signatures.
Our next stop is Dox Castle where Perseverance will investigate the contact between the Margin Unit and the Crater rim, as well as rubbly material that may be our first encounter with deposits generated during the impact that created Jezero crater itself. Later in the campaign, we will investigate other light-toned outcrops that may or may not be similar to those encountered at Bright Angel, as well as rocks thought to be part of the regionally extensive olivine-carbonate-bearing unit, and whose relationship to both Séítah and the Margin Unit remains an interesting story to unravel. Throughout this next phase of exploration, comparing and contrasting the rocks we see on the rim to both each other and those previously explored in the mission will be an important part of our scientific investigations.
The whole Mars 2020 science team is incredibly excited to be embarking on the next phase of Perseverance’s adventure, and we expect these results, and the samples we collect along the way, to inform our understanding of not just Jezero itself, but the planet Mars as a whole. We can’t wait to share what we find!
Written by Eleni Ravanis, PhD Candidate and Graduate Research Assistant at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
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Last Updated Aug 27, 2024 Related Terms
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By NASA
5 Min Read Webb Finds Early Galaxies Weren’t Too Big for Their Britches After All
This image shows a small portion of the field observed by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) for the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) survey. The full image appears below. Credits:
NASA, ESA, CSA, S. Finkelstein (University of Texas) It got called the crisis in cosmology. But now astronomers can explain some surprising recent discoveries.
When astronomers got their first glimpses of galaxies in the early universe from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, they were expecting to find galactic pipsqueaks, but instead they found what appeared to be a bevy of Olympic bodybuilders. Some galaxies appeared to have grown so massive, so quickly, that simulations couldn’t account for them. Some researchers suggested this meant that something might be wrong with the theory that explains what the universe is made of and how it has evolved since the big bang, known as the standard model of cosmology.
According to a new study in the Astrophysical Journal led by University of Texas at Austin graduate student Katherine Chworowsky, some of those early galaxies are in fact much less massive than they first appeared. Black holes in some of these galaxies make them appear much brighter and bigger than they really are.
“We are still seeing more galaxies than predicted, although none of them are so massive that they ‘break’ the universe,” Chworowsky said.
The evidence was provided by Webb’s Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) Survey, led by Steven Finkelstein, a professor of astronomy at UT Austin and study co-author.
Image A : CEERS Deep Field (NIRCam)
This image shows a small portion of the field observed by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) for the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) survey. It is filled with galaxies. Some galaxies appear to have grown so massive, so quickly, that simulations couldn’t account for them. However, a new study finds that some of those early galaxies are in fact much less massive than they first appeared. Black holes in some of those galaxies make them appear much brighter and bigger than they really are. NASA, ESA, CSA, S. Finkelstein (University of Texas)
View 8k pixel full resolution version of the image
Black Holes Add to Brightness
According to this latest study, the galaxies that appeared overly massive likely host black holes rapidly consuming gas. Friction in the fast-moving gas emits heat and light, making these galaxies much brighter than they would be if that light emanated just from stars. This extra light can make it appear that the galaxies contain many more stars, and hence are more massive, than we would otherwise estimate. When scientists remove these galaxies, dubbed “little red dots” (based on their red color and small size), from the analysis, the remaining early galaxies are not too massive to fit within predictions of the standard model.
“So, the bottom line is there is no crisis in terms of the standard model of cosmology,” Finkelstein said. “Any time you have a theory that has stood the test of time for so long, you have to have overwhelming evidence to really throw it out. And that’s simply not the case.”
Efficient Star Factories
Although they’ve settled the main dilemma, a less thorny problem remains: There are still roughly twice as many massive galaxies in Webb’s data of the early universe than expected from the standard model. One possible reason might be that stars formed more quickly in the early universe than they do today.
“Maybe in the early universe, galaxies were better at turning gas into stars,” Chworowsky said.
Star formation happens when hot gas cools enough to succumb to gravity and condense into one or more stars. But as the gas contracts, it heats up, generating outward pressure. In our region of the universe, the balance of these opposing forces tends to make the star formation process very slow. But perhaps, according to some theories, because the early universe was denser than today, it was harder to blow gas out during star formation, allowing the process to go faster.
More Evidence of Black Holes
Concurrently, astronomers have been analyzing the spectra of “little red dots” discovered with Webb, with researchers in both the CEERS team and others finding evidence of fast-moving hydrogen gas, a signature of black hole accretion disks. This supports the idea that at least some of the light coming from these compact, red objects comes from gas swirling around black holes, rather than stars – reinforcing Chworowsky and their team’s conclusion that they are probably not as massive as astronomers initially thought. However, further observations of these intriguing objects are incoming, and should help solve the puzzle about how much light comes from stars versus gas around black holes.
Often in science, when you answer one question, that leads to new questions. While Chworowsky and their colleagues have shown that the standard model of cosmology likely isn’t broken, their work points to the need for new ideas in star formation.
“And so there is still that sense of intrigue,” Chworowsky said. “Not everything is fully understood. That’s what makes doing this kind of science fun, because it’d be a terribly boring field if one paper figured everything out, or there were no more questions to answer.”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 CSA (Canadian Space Agency).
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View/Download all image products at all resolutions for this article from the Space Telescope Science Institute.
View/Download the research results from the Astrophysical Journal .
Media Contacts
Laura Betz – laura.e.betz@nasa.gov, Rob Gutro – rob.gutro@nasa.gov
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
Marc Airhart – mairhart@austin.utexas.edu
University of Texas at Austin
Christine Pulliam – cpulliam@stsci.edu
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.
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Last Updated Aug 26, 2024 Editor Stephen Sabia Contact Laura Betz laura.e.betz@nasa.gov Related Terms
Astrophysics Galaxies Galaxies, Stars, & Black Holes Galaxies, Stars, & Black Holes Research Goddard Space Flight Center James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Science & Research The Universe View the full article
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By NASA
Name: Xiaoyi Li
Title: Instrument Systems Engineer (ISE) of Venus Atmospheric Structure Investigation (VASI) for the Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging (DAVINCI) and Deputy ISE of Comprehensive Auroral Precipitation Experiment (CAPE) instrument for the Geospace Dynamics Constellation (GDC) mission
Formal Job Classification: Instrument Systems Engineer
Organization: Instrument/Payload Systems Engineering Branch, Engineering Directorate (Code 592)
Xiaoyi Li is an instrument systems engineer at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. “My role involves not only managing technical tasks but also blending a variety of technical skills and personalities,” she said. “Understanding of the technical connections between different components is essential to ensure the integrated systems meet requirements. In addition, helping to cultivate collaboration and synthesize diverse expertise is vital. I find the process of learning about and achieving integration of different personalities within the team particularly rewarding.”Photo Courtesy Xiaoyi Li What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Goddard?
I have two roles. As the instrument systems engineer of VASI, I lead the technical team to develop a sensor suite for this component of NASA’s upcoming DAVINCI mission to Venus. I am also the deputy instrument systems engineer of CAPE where I assist the lead for developing the CAPE instrument for the Geospace Dynamics Constellation mission. The most intriguing aspect of my job is to collaborate with two talented and diverse technical teams, learn from team members, and come up with solutions to resolve technical challenges within budget and schedule.
What is your educational background?
I received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Tongji University in Shanghai, China. I furthered my education at the University of New South Wales, Australia, where I earned a master’s in mechanical engineering. After I moved to the U.S., I received a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Central Florida in Orlando. My doctorate was funded by a NASA grant to design, build and test a spaceflight cryocooler.
Why did you become a mechanical engineer?
I grew up in an engineering family. My mother was a chemical engineer. My father was an architect and structural engineer. I grew up watching them build large factories. While I would like to think I would have become an engineer without their influence, growing up with such incredible role models gave me access to, and an understanding of engineering disciplines that I never really considered any other profession.
What brought you to Goddard?
Upon completing my Ph.D. in 2005, I started out as a mission analyst for launch service programs at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In 2009, I began working as a thermal engineer for NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. In 2010, I came across a position that brought me back to my Ph.D. days and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. I joined the Cryogenics and Fluids Branch at Goddard.
What did you do at Goddard before your current position?
I contributed to multiple engineering and science studies, proposals, and projects as a cryogenics engineer. Notably, I served as the principal investigator for two IRAD studies. One of the studies was submitted to the Patent Office and later was granted a new patent. Additionally, I was a co-inventor for another patent. Prior to joining my current group, I held the position of instrument cryogenics lead for the Roman Space Telescope. I served as the associate branch head in my current organization before devoting full time as an instrument systems engineer.
What are your main responsibilities as the instrument systems engineer for CAPE and VASI?
As the deputy instrument systems engineer for CAPE, my main responsibility is to assist the lead to coordinate multiple technical teams. The main focus is to work with the mechanical, electrical, thermal, structural, and other engineers to build electron/ion analyzers. For the VASI instrument, which has a smaller team, I take a more direct role in organizing and coordinating the technical work. This position allows me to engage in hands-on engineering tasks, which is extremely gratifying being able to get “my hands dirty.”
My role involves not only managing technical tasks but also blending a variety of technical skills and personalities. Understanding of the technical connections between different components is essential to ensure the integrated systems meet requirements. In addition, helping to cultivate collaboration and synthesize diverse expertise is vital. I find the process of learning about and achieving integration of different personalities within the team particularly rewarding.
How do you coordinate between all the different systems and personalities?
My experience includes over eight years in leadership roles, supported by extensive training and a robust technical background. This includes a one-year detail assignment in Goddard’s Science Mission Directorate. In this role, I facilitate collaboration within the engineering team, as well as between the engineers and the scientists to ensure that the instrument meets scientific objectives while adhering to well established engineering best practices and principles. Additionally, I empower our subject matter experts to pursue their innovative ideas while guiding them toward a unified direction through a shared vision. Although individual approaches may vary, we are all committed to the collective goal of a successful mission.
Who were your mentors and what did they advise?
I am grateful for the guidance of two mentors who have been instrumental in my development. Mr. Dave Everett, a systems engineer by trade and the current head of our branch, has been my technical mentor. He taught me, among many other things, the importance of understanding the overall system. Ms. Maria So, my leadership mentor, is a former senior executive service (SES) member at Goddard. As a fellow Chinese woman and engineer, her influence has been profound. She has guided me and acted as a sounding board for some very exciting but challenging decisions these past years. She also taught me the importance of seeing the bigger picture and the critical organizational leadership role to systems engineering, which has shaped my approach to leadership.
In turn, I apply these teachings and ideas when I informally mentor the younger engineers on my team. I encourage them to tackle problems independently by providing the necessary background knowledge and allowing them the autonomy to make decisions. I guide them when needed, but I believe in balance and the importance of learning through one’s own mistakes.
Li with her leadership mentor, Maria So, at a Goddard “Taste of Asia” event celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. “Her influence has been profound,” Li said. “She has guided me and acted as a sounding board for some very exciting but challenging decisions these past years. She also taught me the importance of seeing the bigger picture and the critical organizational leadership role to systems engineering, which has shaped my approach to leadership.”Photo courtesy Xiaoyi Li What is your involvement with the Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Employee Resource Group (AANHPI)?
I have been actively involved with the group, and I recently served as co-chair for three years. Our group is dedicated to advocating for the wellness of the Asian American community within Goddard. Our group also addresses any concerns from the community members by reporting directly to Goddard senior management. In addition, we foster a sense of community and support among members through community events including our annual “Taste of Asia and the Pacific Islands” lunch event at Goddard.
What do you do for fun?
I enjoy cooking a variety of cuisines, including Chinese and Thai (which I learned in Australia), as well as classic American dishes. My favorite culinary challenge is a rib roast using suis vide method, which involves 18 hours of slow cooking before finishing it in the oven! Additionally, I enjoy playing video games with my family and friends, which is a great way to relax and connect.
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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Last Updated Aug 14, 2024 EditorRob GarnerContactRob Garnerrob.garner@nasa.govLocationGoddard Space Flight Center Related Terms
People of Goddard DAVINCI (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging) Geospace Dynamics Constellation (GDC) People of NASA View the full article
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