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IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society – Earth Science Informatics Workshop and Hackathon on Remote Sensing Data Systems Held at SRM University, Chennai
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By NASA
JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) researchers examined the structures of four titanium-based compounds solidified in levitators in microgravity and on the ground and found that the internal microstructures were generally similar. These results could support development of new materials for use in space manufacturing.
To produce glass or metal alloys on Earth, raw materials are placed into a container and heated. But reactions between the container and the materials can cause imperfections. The JAXA Electrostatic Levitation Furnace can levitate, melt, and solidify materials without a container. The facility enables measurement of the thermophysical properties of high temperature melts and could accelerate development of innovative materials such as heat resistant ceramics for use in the aerospace and energy industries.
JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide works with the Electrostatic Levitation Furnace.European Space Agency/Thomas Pesquet Satellite 3D imaging of a Peruvian tropical forest demonstrated that measuring leaf traits with remote sensing may provide more accurate predictions of biomass production than structure data such as tree height. Carbon stored or sequestered in forests can help offset emissions that cause climate change, and improved estimates of tropical forest biomass could allow researchers to better evaluate these ecosystems and their offset contributions.
Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) provides high-resolution global observations of Earth’s forests and topography. These observations provide information on carbon and water cycling processes, biodiversity, and habitat, including quantifying carbon stored in vegetation and the potential for future carbon storage. The researchers suggest that estimates of tropical forest biomass could be further improved with data from new satellite missions and by integrating GEDI with dynamic vegetation models that include trait data.
Learn more from this video and this article.
The refrigerator-sized Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation instrument on the exterior of the International Space Station. NASA/Nick Hague Research indicates that refractive eye surgery is safe, effective, and suitable for astronauts. The study documented stable vision in two astronauts who, a few years prior to flight, underwent photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK), respectively. These visual correction procedures can reduce the logistical complications of wearing glasses or contact lenses in space.
International Space Station Medical Monitoring collects health data from crew members before, during, and after spaceflight. The medical evaluation requirements, including vision assessment, apply to all crew members and are part of efforts by all international partners to maintain crew health, ensure mission success, and enable crew members to return to normal life on Earth after their missions.
NASA astronauts Terry Virts (bottom) and Scott Kelly (top) perform eye exams as part of ongoing studies into crew vision health. NASA JAXA researchers report that accurately assessing the velocity of airflow in front of a spreading flame makes it possible to predict the flammability of thin, flat materials in microgravity. These results mean it could be possible to use ground tests to predict the flammability of solid materials and thus ensure fire safety in spacecraft and space habitations.
The JAXA Fundamental Research on International Standard of Fire Safety in Space – Base for Safety of Future Manned Missions (FLARE) investigation tested the flammability of various solid materials in different configurations, including filter paper. Microgravity significantly affects combustion phenomena such as the spread of flame over solid materials; while flames cannot spread over solid materials under low-speed oxygen flow in Earth’s gravity, they can in microgravity due to the lack of buoyancy. Testing of the flammability of materials for spacecraft previously has not considered the effect of gravity, and results from this investigation could address this issue, significantly improving fire safety on future exploration missions.
JAXA astronaut Satoshi Furukawa sets up hardware for the Fundamental Research on International Standard of Fire Safety in Space – Base for Safety of Future Manned Missions investigation. NASA/Jasmin MoghbeliView the full article
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By NASA
4 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
As students head back to school, teachers have a new tool that brings NASA satellite data down to their earthly classrooms.
The My NASA Data homepage categorizes content by areas of study called spheres and also Earth as a system. NASA/mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov For over 50 years of observing Earth, NASA’s satellites have collected petabytes of global science data (that’s millions and millions of gigabytes) – with terabytes more coming in by the day. Since 2004, the My NASA Data website has been developing ways for students and teachers of grades 3-12 to understand, and visualize NASA data, and to help incorporate those measurements into practical science lessons.
“We have three different types of lesson plans, some of which are student-facing and some are teacher-facing,” said Angie Rizzi, My NASA Data task lead, based at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. “Teachers can download complete lesson plans or display a wide variety of Earth data. There are also lessons written for students to interact with directly.”
An image from My NASA Data’s Earth System Data Explorer visualization tool showing the monthly leaf index around the world as measured by NASA satellites in August 2020. Data parameters for this visualization were set to biosphere under the sphere dropdown and vegetation as a category. NASA/mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov A key component of the My NASA Data site is the newly updated Earth System Data Explorer visualization tool, which allows users to access and download NASA Earth data. Educators can explore the data then create custom data tables, graphs, and plots to help students visualize the data. Students can create and investigate comparisons between land surface temperatures, cloud cover, extreme heat, and a wide range of other characteristics for a specific location or region around the globe.
An image from My NASA Data’s visualization tool showing various searchable categories under the atmosphere dataset selection. NASA/mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov “The Earth System Data Explorer tool has a collection of science datasets organized by different spheres of the Earth system,” explained Desiray Wilson, My NASA Data scientific programmer. The program highlights six areas of study: atmosphere, biosphere, cryosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and Earth as a system. “The data goes as far back as the 1980s, and we are getting more daily datasets. It’s really good for looking at historical trends, regional trends, and patterns.”
My NASA Data had over one million site visits last year, with some of the most popular searches focusing on temperatures, precipitation, water vapor, and air quality.
My NASA Data program leaders and instructors collaborating with educators from the North Carolina Space Grant at NASA’S Langley Research Center June 26, 2024. Teachers were at NASA Langley as part of the North Carolina Space Education Ambassadors (NCSEA) program and were given demonstrations of the My NASA Data website. NASA/David C. Bowman Natalie Macke has been teaching for 20 years and is a science teacher at Pascack Hills High School in Montvale, New Jersey. Teachers like Macke help shape the lessons on the site through internships with the My NASA Data team. Teachers’ suggestions were also incorporated to enhance the visualization tool by adding new features that now allow users to swipe between visual layers of data and make side-by-side comparisons. Users can also now click on a location to display latitude and longitude and variable data streamlining the previous site which required manual input of latitude and longitude.
“The new visualization tool is very much a point-and-click layout like our students are used to in terms of just quickly selecting data they want to see,” said Macke. “Instantaneously, a map of the Earth comes up, or just the outline, and they can get the satellite view. So if they’re looking for a specific city, they can find the city on the map and quickly grab a dataset or multiple datasets and overlay it on the map to make visual comparisons.”
Map of the East Coast of the United States from the My NASA Data visualization tool from August 2023 before adding layers of atmospheric satellite data. The image below shows the same map layered with atmospheric measurements.NASA/mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov The East Coast of the United States shown with monthly daytime surface (skin) temperatures from August 2023 overlayed from Earth-observing satellite data using the My NASA Data Earth System Data Explorer visualization tool. The image above shows the same region without the data layer added.NASA/mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov/ Even more valuable than creating visualizations for one specific lesson, elaborated Macke, is the opportunity My NASA Data provides for students to understand the importance of interpreting, verifying, and using datasets in their daily lives. This skill, she said, is invaluable, because it helps spread data literacy enabling users to look at data with a discriminating eye and learn to discern between assumptions and valid conclusions.
“Students can relate the data map to literally what’s happening outside their window, showing them how NASA Earth system satellite data relates to real life,” said Macke. “Creating a data literate public – meaning they understand the context and framework of the data they are working with and realizing the connection between the data and the real world – hopefully will intrigue them to continue to explore and learn about the Earth and start asking questions. That’s what got me into science when I was a little kid.”
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Charles G. Hatfield
Earth Science Public Affairs Officer, NASA Langley Research Center
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The My NASA Data homepage categorizes content by areas of study called spheres and also Earth as a system. View the full article
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By USH
In the remote wilderness of the Shoria Mountains in southern Siberia, a long-hidden secret has remained untouched for millennia. Far from the reach of modern civilization, a discovery was made that would challenge our understanding of ancient human history.
In 2013, a team of 19 researchers, led by Georgy Sidorov, embarked on an expedition to explore this mysterious region. Their destination was Gora Shoria, a mountain towering 3,600 feet above sea level in a remote part of Russia. Intrigued by reports of strange megalithic structures, the team ventured into this secluded terrain.
What they found was extraordinary: an immense super-megalith dating back roughly 100,000 years that defied conventional history. These massive stone blocks, later known as the Gornaya Shoria Megaliths, appeared to be made of granite, featuring flat surfaces and precise right angles. The most astounding detail was the weight of the stones, exceeding 3,000 tons—making them the largest megaliths ever discovered.
The arrangement of these granite blocks suggested a deliberate design, far beyond what could be explained by natural formations. The blocks were carefully stacked, reaching a height of approximately 140 feet. This raised profound questions: how were such massive stones carved, transported, and assembled in this remote and rugged landscape?
Some researchers have speculated about the existence of a pre-flood civilization, a sophisticated society wiped out by a cataclysmic event.
Also a deep, narrow vertical shaft was uncovered. The shaft, lined with parallel stone slabs, appeared to be human-made.
The walls of the shaft were straight and polished, descending 40 meters (around 130 feet) before opening into a vast underground hall, 36 meters (around 118 feet) high. These walls were constructed from large megalithic blocks, perfectly fitted with minimal gaps. Some of the stones resembled columns, reinforcing the idea of deliberate design. The full explored length of the shaft spanned over 100 meters (approximately 350 feet).
The precision and scale of this structure left no doubt that it was an artificial creation of immense proportions. The polished walls and massive blocks bore a striking resemblance to the shafts within the Great Pyramid of Khufu in Egypt, suggesting a level of architectural sophistication that defies conventional explanations.
Speculation abounds regarding the shaft’s original purpose. Some believe it served an advanced technological function or was part of a larger, undiscovered structure. The exploration team took over an hour to reach the bottom of the shaft, which required significant climbing expertise and endurance. It is believed that additional chambers and channels, still unexplored, may lie even deeper underground.
How could these gigantic 200-ton stone blocks have been assembled with such accuracy, deep underground? What kind of technology was used to construct the shaft and underground chamber?
Some researchers have speculated that it may have been part of an ancient factory, a seismological research device, or even an energy generator. Others believe it was the underground portion of a long-lost pyramid that once stood on the surface of the mountain.
Despite differing theories, we may wonder what ancient forces or lost civilizations left their mark on this remote corner of the world?
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By European Space Agency
Image: This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image captures algal bloom swirls in the north Adriatic Sea, along the coast of Italy. View the full article
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By NASA
The four-person crew of the Polaris Dawn mission pictured wearing their SpaceX extravehicular activity suits.Credit: SpaceX NASA researchers will soon benefit from a suite of experiments flying aboard a new fully-commercial human spaceflight mission, strengthening future agency science as we venture to the Moon, Mars and beyond.
The experiments are flying as part of the Polaris Dawn mission which launched aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket earlier today.
The four-person Polaris Dawn crew of Jared Isaacman, Scott “Kidd” Poteet, Sarah Gillis, and Anna Menon will conduct science during the mission including essential health and human performance research for NASA’s Human Research Program. The research will help NASA scientists better understand how exposure to space conditions affects the human body. The crew will test new medical approaches and technology on telemedicine capabilities, gather data on space motion sickness, and better characterize flight-associated injury risks.
“Each mission, whether the crew is comprised of commercial or NASA astronauts, provides a key opportunity to expand our knowledge about how spaceflight affects human health,” said Jancy McPhee, associate chief scientist for human research at NASA. “Information gathered from Polaris Dawn will give us critical insights to help NASA plan for deeper space travel to the Moon and Mars.”
The crew will test drive, a commercial device that can collect and integrate measurements of health, including blood pressure, heart rate, respiration rate, and temperature. The technology also provides ultrasound imaging and larynx and throat-focused video camera capabilities, and includes an experimental telemedicine feature that could help diagnose crew members in near-real time.
To test this technology during the mission, crew members will compare vital sign collection from the device with data gathered from standard periodic health status exams. The technology’s telemedicine feature, which relies on SpaceX’s Starlink communications system to connect with doctors and specialists on Earth, will also be tested during a simulation. During the test, the device will attempt to offer an appropriate diagnosis based on crew inputs and available documentation.
“Crew members will need to be more self-reliant during lengthy missions, and we hope that telemedicine can provide crews with assistance,” said McPhee.
Another research project aims to better understand and prevent the motion sickness symptoms that many astronauts experience in space. Participating crew members will describe their motion sickness symptoms, what interventions they tried to alleviate their symptoms, and whether any approaches helped.
A separate NASA-based research project will survey crew members after their mission to see whether they experienced any injuries or discomfort during re-entry to Earth.
“Our team will take the crew’s survey data and combine it with information gathered from sensors on the spacecraft. This will allow us to link crews’ reported experiences and health outcomes with the spacecraft’s dynamics and landing loads,” said Preston Greenhalgh, an injury biomechanist at NASA who is leading this work.
Crew members also will participate in a variety of other health studies on behalf of the NASA-funded TRISH (Translational Research Institute for Health), a consortium with various academic institutions. As part of that work, the Polaris Dawn mission will set a new baseline for collecting standard health data on commercial spaceflights, creating a complement to the datasets routinely collected from NASA astronauts and missions.
Polaris Dawn crew members participating in these TRISH studies will provide data about how spaceflight affects mental and physical health through a rigorous set of medical tests and scans completed before, after, and during the mission. The work will include assessments of behavior, sleep, bone density, eye health, cognitive function, and other factors, as well as analysis of blood, urine, and respiration.
“We’re so grateful to the crew members who volunteer to be part of NASA’s work. The insights that we gain from each study may trigger breakthroughs that will help ensure future mission success,” said McPhee.
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NASA’s Human Research Program pursues the best methods and technologies to support safe, productive human space travel. Through science conducted in laboratories, ground-based analogs, commercial missions, and the International Space Station, the program scrutinizes how spaceflight affects human bodies and behaviors. Such research continues to drive NASA’s mission to innovate ways that keep astronauts healthy and mission-ready as space exploration expands to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
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