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The Marshall Star for August 14, 2024

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The Marshall Star for August 14, 2024

Mike Sarafin, Artemis mission manager and mission management team chair, discusses Artemis I challenges during the Shared Experiences Forum at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center on Aug. 8. The event was part of the Mission Success is in Our Hands safety initiative and held in Activities Building 4316.

Marshall Director Joseph Pelfrey Addresses Space and Missile Defense Symposium

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NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Director Joseph Pelfrey gives a keynote address during the 2024 Space and Missile Defense Symposium on Aug. 8 at the Von Braun Center in downtown Huntsville. Pelfrey shared updates on programs and projects that Marshall is leading for the agency, and highlighted strategic partnerships that have used Marshall’s deep technical expertise. More than 7,000 people attended this year’s symposium, including leaders and stakeholders from across the aerospace industry and Department of Defense. “Many of our partners are in this room, and I want to reiterate the importance of our current collaborations – as well as those that are to come,” Pelfrey said. “Marshall is committed to building relationships and sharing resources to further the aerospace industry and aid national security.” (NASA)

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NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center hosted Gen. Stephen Whiting, Commander, U.S. Space Command, and his team Aug. 7. The USSPACECOM team was in Huntsville for the 2024 Space and Missile Defense Symposium. Marshall Director Joseph Pelfrey, center right, talks with Gen. Whiting, left, while on a tour of Marshall’s Additive Manufacturing Lab. The group also toured the Payload Operations Integration Center and heard presentations from Marshall team members on data science/management and space nuclear propulsion. (NASA/Charles Beason)

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Artemis I Lessons Learned Focus of Mission Success Forum; Charlie Adams Receives Golden Eagle Award

By Wayne Smith

Mike Sarafin, Artemis mission manager and mission management team chair, reflected on Artemis I challenges during the Shared Experiences Forum at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center on Aug. 8.

The event was part of the Mission Success is in Our Hands safety initiative and held in Activities Building 4316.

Mike Sarafin, Artemis mission manager and mission management team chair, discusses Artemis I challenges during the Shared Experiences Forum at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center on Aug. 8. The event was part of the Mission Success is in Our Hands safety initiative and held in Activities Building 4316.
Mike Sarafin, Artemis mission manager and mission management team chair, discusses Artemis I challenges during the Shared Experiences Forum at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center on Aug. 8. The event was part of the Mission Success is in Our Hands safety initiative and held in Activities Building 4316.
NASA/Charles Beason

Sarafin discussed lessons learned from Artemis I, highlighting the importance of communicating quickly and effectively with team members and using risk informed decision-making tools. After some initial delays that included lightning strikes, the Artemis I mission began with a successful liftoff of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket Nov. 16, 2022, from Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Over the course of 25.5 days, NASA tested the Orion spacecraft in the harsh environment of deep space before flying astronauts on Artemis II.

Sarafin said it was his first time in the “hot seat,” and stressed the importance for anyone leading a mission management team to prepare for it by talking with those who have been in the same role, naming the individuals who supported him as team chair.

“You have got to find somebody who has walked a mile in those shoes, who understands the dynamics, who understands the cultural aspects of it,” Sarafin said. “They were fantastic team members, fantastic partners to work with, and I am proud to be a part of that team. These guys walked alongside me and kept me out of trouble.”

As Artemis mission manager for the Moon to Mars Program Office at NASA Headquarters, Sarafin provides oversight and responsibility for critical decisions across all flight phases (launch, in-space, and recovery), with support from team members and advisers with technical expertise in various areas. Prior to flight, he acts as a senior technical leader integrating mission requirements, planning, operations, and flight readiness leading to mission execution.

Sarafin said lessons learned from the mission management team for Artemis I included training both a prime and alternate for each position. He also pointed out the importance of training for logistics, and daily effective communications for all team members.

Bill Hill, left, director of Safety and Mission Assurance at Marshall, presents Sarafin with a certificate of appreciation following the Shared Experiences Forum. At right is Jeff Haars, Jacobs vice president and program manager for Jacobs Space Exploration Group.
Bill Hill, left, director of Safety and Mission Assurance at Marshall, presents Sarafin with a certificate of appreciation following the Shared Experiences Forum. At right is Jeff Haars, Jacobs vice president and program manager for Jacobs Space Exploration Group.
NASA/Charles Beason

“In summary, have the right team, do your party planning, (and) set clear expectations,” Sarafin said. “Take care of yourself and your team, and use good tools to make decisions.”

Mission Success is in Our Hands is a safety initiative collaboration between NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and Jacobs Engineering. The initiative’s goal is to help team members make meaningful connections between their jobs and the safety and success of NASA and Marshall missions.

Charlie Adams Presented with Golden Eagle Award

As part of the forum, Mission Success is in Our Hands presented the 40th Golden Eagle Award to Charlie Adams of the Jacobs Space Exploration Group. Adams was the mission manager for NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID).

Charlie Adams, center, of Jacobs Space Exploration Group, displays the Golden Eagle Award presented to him during the Shared Experiences Forum. He is joined by Haars, left, and Hill, right.
Charlie Adams, center, of Jacobs Space Exploration Group, displays the Golden Eagle Award presented to him during the Shared Experiences Forum. He is joined by Haars, left, and Hill, right.
NASA/Charles Beason

Bill Hill, director of Safety and Mission Assurance at Marshall, said Adams was recognized for leading the project throughout LOFTID’s life cycle, which culminated with a successful flight in 2022. Hill said LOFTID’s success as a heat shield will benefit NASA’s future missions.

The Golden Eagle Award promotes awareness and appreciation for flight safety, as demonstrated through the connections between employees’ everyday work, the success of NASA and Marshall’s missions, and the safety of NASA astronauts. Management or peers can nominate any team member for the award. Honorees are typically recognized at Shared Experiences forums.

The next Shared Experiences Forum is scheduled for Sept. 5, featuring Dave Dykhoff, former vice president and general manager of the Jacobs Missile Defense Group and the North American Aerospace Defense (NORAD) Operations Group. The forum will be held in Building 4203, Conference Room 1201 for Marshall team members, and available to the public via Teams.

Smith, a Media Fusion employee and the Marshall Star editor, supports the Marshall Office of Communications.

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Marshall Team Members Participate in Space Night with Rocket City Trash Pandas

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center participated in Space Night at the Rocket City Trash Pandas game Aug. 10. Several team members represented the center, talking with fans about Marshall’s cutting-edge technologies and missions. The event featured special giveaways, astronaut food samples, and photo opportunities.

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center participated in Space Night at the Rocket City Trash Pandas game Aug. 10. Several team members represented the center, talking with fans about Marshall’s cutting-edge technologies and missions. The event featured special giveaways, astronaut food samples, and photo opportunities. (NASA/Corinne Beckinger)

Dave Greeson, center, an aerospace engineer with the Space Nuclear Propulsion Office at Marshall, talks with fans during Space Night with the Rocket City Trash Pandas.

Dave Greeson, center, an aerospace engineer with the Space Nuclear Propulsion Office at Marshall, talks with fans during Space Night with the Rocket City Trash Pandas. (NASA/Daniel Boyette)

Daniel Boyette, communications specialist for the Space Nuclear Propulsion Office at Marshall, sets up for Space Night.

Daniel Boyette, communications specialist for the Space Nuclear Propulsion Office at Marshall, sets up for Space Night. (NASA/Corinne Beckinger)

Dustin McMullen, lead ground systems engineer for the Human Landing System Program at Marshall, displays some astronaut food samples at Space Night.

Dustin McMullen, lead ground systems engineer for the Human Landing System Program at Marshall, displays some astronaut food samples at Space Night. (NASA/Corinne Beckinger)

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I Am Artemis: Julia Khodabandeh

Unlike most of her friends in the 80s who covered their walls with posters of bands, Julia Khodabandeh plastered hers with posters of rockets and fighter jets.

Khodabandeh’s interest in aerospace and aeronautics developed at a young age. Her parents were avid fans of the Apollo Program and were heavily invested in her education. Khodabandeh’s father always encouraged her to tackle math and science problems without fear. She recalls him telling her that “you can take any problem and break it into smaller pieces.” It’s a philosophy she still uses in solving problems today.

A blonde woman stands in front of a rocket booster in a grey jacket.
Julia Khodabandeh once adorned her walls with rockets, fighter jets, and Air Force pilots. Now, she is the solid rocket motor lead for NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System).
NASA/Sam Lott

“When I was growing up, my dad would make practice tests the night before my exams,” she said. “It helped me feel more prepared. The confidence I developed for math and science and my passion for aeronautics and aerospace, led me to a NASA career.”

The better part of her 24-year career with NASA has been dedicated to solid rocket boosters at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Over the past 10 years, she helped develop the twin solid rocket boosters for the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, which are the largest and most powerful solid propellant boosters ever flown. They stand at 177 feet tall, and individually generate a maximum thrust of 3.6 million pounds. Together, the twin boosters provide more than 75% of the total thrust to launch SLS for NASA’s Artemis campaign to the Moon.

Khodabandeh graduated from the University of Alabama in Huntsville with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in computational fluid dynamics. Early in her career, her work focused on Space Station microgravity material processing furnaces and the Space Shuttle Return-to-Flight Program.  She went on to support the Ares rocket solid rocket booster team as part of the Constellation Program preceding SLS. Her work on the Ares booster helped guide her to her current position on SLS.

Khodabandeh is the motor and pyrotechnic team lead for the SLS Booster Element Office. She supports design, development, certification, production, and operation of the solid rocket motors, booster separation motors, and pyrotechnics for the twin boosters on SLS. Most days, she manages schedules and helps resolve issues with the help of her team.

“The flight hardware and test hardware are all tremendous accomplishments for the team, and behind these accomplishments are hours, weeks, and months of working together to resolve issues and deliver results,” Khodabandeh said. “It’s the people that make us successful, and teamwork is my favorite part of what we do. Someone once said, ‘You have to build a successful team before you can build successful hardware.’ I couldn’t agree more!”

In her spare time, Khodabandeh volunteers at a local rescue mission, where she provides aid to women struggling with substance abuse. She also mentors students in the Huntsville community, where she hopes to pass on the confidence her dad instilled in her, inspiring them to one day be a part of NASA and the Artemis Generation.

As the girl who grew up with posters of rockets on her walls, Khodabandeh says she is incredibly excited to be one of the many who are responsible for sending astronauts around the Moon on Artemis II.

“The incredible success of Artemis I is something that I will never forget,” she said. “We have demonstrated what we’re capable of, and I can’t wait to see what we accomplish going forward on the Artemis Program.”

NASA is working to land the first woman, first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the Moon under Artemis. SLS is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration, along with the Orion spacecraft, supporting ground systems, advanced spacesuits and rovers, the Gateway in orbit around the Moon, and commercial human landing systems. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single launch.

Read other I am Artemis features.

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‘Legacy of the Invisible’ Event to Celebrate Marshall’s Contributions to Astrophysics

The public is invited to join NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center for a special celebration of art and astronomy in downtown Huntsville on Aug. 16 from 6 to 8 p.m. The event will include a dedication of Huntsville’s newest art installation, “No Straight Lines,” by local artist Float. 

Legacy of the Invisible event graphic.

The celebratory event, “Legacy of the Invisible,” will take place at the corner of Clinton Avenue and Washington Street, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the Chandra X-ray Observatory launch on July 23, 1999. Attendees will have a chance to meet and hear from NASA experts, as well as meet Float, the artist behind “No Straight Lines,” which aims to honor Huntsville’s rich scientific legacy in astrophysics and highlight the groundbreaking discoveries made possible by Huntsville scientists and engineers.

Enjoy live music, art vendors, food, and more.

Learn more about Chandra’s 25th Anniversary.

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A ‘FURST’ of its Kind: Sounding Rocket Mission to Study Sun as a Star

Editor’s Note: NASA and partners scrubbed the first launch attempt of the FURST Sounding Rocket Mission on Aug. 11 due to issues with the cooling systems. This story will be updated as soon as the next launch attempt is determined.

By Jessica Barnett 

From Earth, one might be tempted to view the Sun as a unique celestial object like no other, as it’s the star our home planet orbits and the one our planet relies on most for heat and light. But if you took a step back and compared the Sun to the other stars NASA has studied over the years, how would it compare? Would it still be so unique?

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The Full-sun Ultraviolet Rocket SpecTrograph (FURST) undergoes testing at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico in preparation for launch. The instrument was designed and built at Montana State University. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center provided the camera, supplied avionics, and designed and built its calibration system.
Montana State University

The Full-sun Ultraviolet Rocket SpecTrograph (FURST) aims to answer those questions. when it launches aboard a Black Brant IX sounding rocket at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

“When we talk about ‘Sun as a star’, we’re treating it like any other star in the night sky as opposed to the unique object we rely on for human life. It’s so exciting to study the Sun from that vantage point,” said Adam Kobelski, institutional principal investigator for FURST and a research astrophysicist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.

FURST will obtain the first high-resolution spectra of the “Sun as a star” in vacuum ultraviolet (VUV), a light wavelength that is absorbed in Earth’s atmosphere meaning it can only be observed from space. Astronomers have studied other stars in the vacuum ultraviolet with orbiting telescopes, however these instruments are too sensitive to be pointed to the Sun. The recent advancements in high-resolution VUV spectroscopy now allow for the same observations of our own star, the Sun.

“These are wavelengths that Hubble Space Telescope is really great at observing, so there is a decent amount of Hubble observations of stars in ultraviolet wavelengths, but we don’t have comparable observations of our star in this wavelength range,” said Kobelski. Marshall was the lead field center for the design, development, and construction of the Hubble Space Telescope.

Because Hubble is too sensitive to point at Earth’s Sun, new instruments were needed to get a spectrum of the entire Sun that is of a similar quality to Hubble’s observations of other stars. Marshall built the camera, supplied avionics, and designed and built a new calibration system for the FURST mission. Montana State University (MSU), which leads the FURST mission in partnership with Marshall, built the optical system, which includes seven optics that will feed into the camera that will essentially create seven exposures, covering the entire ultraviolet wavelength range.

Charles Kankelborg, a heliophysics professor at MSU and principal investigator for FURST, described the mission as a very close collaboration with wide-ranging implications.

Four men stand under a large NASA meatball logo that is painted on a wall.
Montana State University alumnus Jake Davis, left, Professor Charles Kankelborg, and doctoral students Catharine “Cappy” Bunn and Suman Panda, pose at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
Montana State University

“Our mission will obtain the first far ultraviolent spectrum of the Sun as a star,” Kankelborg said. “This is a key piece of information that has been missing for decades. With it, we will place the Sun in context with other stars.”

Kobelski echoed the sentiment.

“How well do the observations and what we know about our Sun compare to our observations or what we know of other stars?” Kobelski said. “You’d expect that we know all this information about the Sun – it’s right there – but it turns out, we actually don’t. If we can get these same observations or same wavelengths as we’ve observed from these other sources, we can start to connect the dots and connect our Sun to other stars.”

FURST will be the third launch led by Marshall for NASA’s Sounding Rocket Program within five months, making 2024 an active year for the program. Like the Hi-C Flare mission that launched in April, the sounding rocket will launch and open during flight to allow FURST to observe the Sun for approximately five minutes before closing and falling back to Earth’s surface. Marshall team members will be able to calibrate the instruments during launch and flight, as well as retrieve data during flight and soon after landing.

Kobelski and Kankelborg each said they’re grateful for the opportunity to fill the gaps in our knowledge of Earth’s Sun.

The FURST mission is led by Marshall in partnership with Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana, with additional support from the NASA’s Sounding Rockets Office and the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research’s High Altitude Observatory. Launch support is provided at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico by NASA’s Johnson Space Center. NASA’s Sounding Rocket Program is managed by the agency’s Heliophysics Division.

Barnett, a Media Fusion employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications.

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NASA Challenge Seeks ‘Cooler’ Solutions for Deep Space Exploration

NASA’s Human Lander Challenge, or HuLC, is now open and accepting submissions for its second year. As NASA aims to return astronauts to the Moon through its Artemis campaign in preparation for future missions to Mars, the agency is seeking ideas from college and university students for evolved supercold, or cryogenic, propellant applications for human landing systems.

Human Lander Challenge (HuLC) banner.

As part of the 2025 HuLC competition, teams will aim to develop innovative solutions and technology developments for in-space cryogenic liquid storage and transfer systems as part of future long-duration missions beyond low Earth orbit.

“The HuLC competition represents a unique opportunity for Artemis Generation engineers and scientists to contribute to groundbreaking advancements in space technology,” said Esther Lee, an aerospace engineer leading the navigation sensors technology assessment capability team at NASA’s Langley Research Center. “NASA’s Human Lander Challenge is more than just a competition – it is a collaborative effort to bridge the gap between academic innovation and practical space technology. By involving students in the early stages of technology development, NASA aims to foster a new generation of aerospace professionals and innovators.”

Through Artemis, NASA is working to send the first woman, first person of color, and first international partner astronaut to the Moon to establish long-term lunar exploration and science opportunities. Artemis astronauts will descend to the lunar surface in a commercial Human Landing System. The Human Landing System Program is managed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.

Cryogenic, or super-chilled, propellants like liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen are integral to NASA’s future exploration and science efforts. The temperatures must stay extremely cold to maintain a liquid state. Current state-of-the-art systems can only keep these substances stable for a matter of hours, which makes long-term storage particularly problematic. For NASA’s HLS mission architecture, extending storage duration from hours to several months will help ensure mission success.

“NASA’s cryogenics work for HLS focuses on several key development areas, many of which we are asking proposing teams to address,” said Juan Valenzuela, a HuLC technical advisor and aerospace engineer specializing in cryogenic fuel management at Marshall. “By focusing research in these key areas, we can explore new avenues to mature advanced cryogenic fluid technologies and discover new approaches to understand and mitigate potential problems.”

Interested teams from U.S.-based colleges and universities should submit a non-binding Notice of Intent (NOI) by Oct. 6, and submit a proposal package by March 3, 2025. Based on proposal package evaluations, up to 12 finalist teams will be selected to receive a $9,250 stipend to further develop and present their concepts to a panel of NASA and industry judges at the 2025 HuLC Forum in Huntsville, near Marshall, in June 2025. The top three placing teams will share a prize purse of $18,000.

Teams’ potential solutions should focus on one of the following categories: On-Orbit Cryogenic Propellant Transfer, Microgravity Mass Tracking of Cryogenics, Large Surface Area Radiative Insulation, Advanced Structural Supports for Heat Reduction, Automated Cryo-Couplers for Propellant Transfer, or Low Leakage Cryogenic Components.

NASA’s Human Lander Challenge is sponsored by the Human Landing System Program within the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate and managed by the National Institute of Aerospace.

Learn more about NASA’s 2025 Human Lander Challenge, including how to participate.

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Webb Sees Gassy Baby Stars

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured a phenomenon for the very first time. The bright red streaks at top left of this June 20 image are aligned protostar outflows – jets of gas from newborn stars that all slant in the same direction.

A rectangular image with black vertical rectangles at the bottle left and top right to indicate missing data. A young star-forming region is filled with wispy orange, red, and blue layers of gas and dust. The upper left corner of the image is filled with mostly orange dust, and within that orange dust, there are several small red plumes of gas that extend from the top left to the bottom right, at the same angle. The center of the image is filled with mostly blue gas. At the center, there is one particularly bright star, that has an hourglass shadow above and below it. To the right of that is what looks a vertical eye-shaped crevice with a bright star at the center. The gas to the right of the crevice is a darker orange. Small points of light are sprinkled across the field, brightest sources in the field have extensive eight-pointed diffraction spikes that are characteristic of the Webb Telescope.
In this image of the Serpens Nebula from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers found a grouping of aligned protostellar outflows within one small region (the top left corner). Serpens is a reflection nebula, which means it’s a cloud of gas and dust that does not create its own light, but instead shines by reflecting the light from stars close to or within the nebula.
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Klaus Pontoppidan (NASA-JPL), Joel Green (STScI)

This image supports astronomers’ assumption that as clouds collapse to form stars, the stars will tend to spin in the same direction. Previously, the objects appeared as blobs or were invisible in optical wavelengths. Webb’s sensitive infrared vision was able to pierce through the thick dust, resolving the stars and their outflows.

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). Several NASA centers contributed to the project, including NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.

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      Onken leads a team that communicates with astronauts about the scientific experiments they’re performing on the space station and ensures their safety from the ground.
      As a payload operations director at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Jacob Onken leads flight controllers in the International Space Station Payload Operations and Integration Team, following in his father’s footsteps. Onken and his father, Jay Onken, are the first family members to both serve in the role at Marshall. (NASA) “My role requires teamwork, trust, and communication,” he said. “I ask myself, ‘How can we work together effectively to get the job done?’”
      While he holds the same position his father held, the space station has evolved, becoming a convergence of science, technology, and innovation. “Jay Onken was a POD when the International Space Station was just beginning,” said former POD Carrie Olsen, now manager of NASA’s Next Gen STEM K-12 education project and a family friend to the Onkens. “The challenge the space station faced back then was its newness,” Olsen explained. “We were still figuring out how to best work with Johnson Space Center, scientists around the world, international partners, and the space station program.”
      Though Marshall had a rich operations history working programs like Apollo, Space Shuttle, Skylab, and Chandra, the space station was truly unlike anything that had come before.
      “Jay’s leadership qualities and integrity helped to build trust across the organization and the agency. This allowed Marshall’s operations team to excel and be recognized as the premier space station science operations center across the globe,” said his former colleague Sam Digesu, currently technical manager of the Payload and Mission Operations Division. “Jacob is on the that same path.”
      Jacob Onken says one of his career goals is to support payload operations on the lunar surface for the Artemis missions. “My dad was around when it started, and hopefully, I’m around to see it through.”
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      NASA Hosts Observe the Moon Night at U.S. Space & Rocket Center
      The Science Wizard, David Hagerman, right center, entertains the crowd with one of his shows Sept. 14 during Observe the Moon Night at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville. The free public event was part of International Observe the Moon Night, a worldwide celebration encouraging observation, appreciation, and understanding of the Moon and its connection to NASA exploration and discovery. NASA’s Planetary Missions Program Office hosted the event at the rocket center. The Planetary Missions Program Office is located at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. (NASA/Lane Figueroa)
      Audience members react during one of Hagerman’s demonstrations at Observe the Moon Night. (NASA/Lane Figueroa)
      Attendees visit a NASA display during the Observe the Moon Night event. (NASA/Daniel Horton)
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      ‘Legacy of the Invisible’ Event to Celebrate Marshall’s Contributions to Astrophysics
      The public is invited to join NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center for a special celebration of art and astronomy in downtown Huntsville on Sept. 20 from 6 to 8 p.m. The event will include a dedication of Huntsville’s newest art installation, “No Straight Lines,” by local artist Float. 
      The celebratory event, “Legacy of the Invisible,” will take place at the corner of Clinton Avenue and Washington Street, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. Attendees will have a chance to meet and hear from NASA experts, as well as meet Float, the artist behind “No Straight Lines,” which aims to honor Huntsville’s rich scientific legacy in astrophysics and highlight the groundbreaking discoveries made possible by Huntsville scientists and engineers.
      Enjoy live music, art vendors, food, and more.
      Learn more about Chandra’s 25th Anniversary.
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      SLS Program Manager John Honeycutt Delivers Keynote at National Space Club Breakfast
      John Honeycutt, front center, manager of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) Program at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center, delivers the keynote address at the National Space Club Breakfast on Sept. 17 in Huntsville. Honeycutt provided a detailed presentation to the audience with insight into the operations, accomplishments, and future goals for the SLS Program. The SLS rocket is a powerful, advanced launch vehicle for a new era of human exploration beyond Earth’s orbit. “All elements of the SLS Block I for the first crewed lunar mission of the 21st century are either complete and ready for stacking or are nearing completion,” Honeycutt said. “For more than 60 years, this town – this community – has led the effort to explore space. We aren’t done. SLS and Artemis are the next chapter in that legacy. Led and enabled by folks in this room, at Marshall, and here in North Alabama, we will launch missions to the Moon that will re-write history books, lead to scientific discoveries, and pave the way to Mars.” (NASA/Serena Whitfield)
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      NASA’s Lunar Challenge Participants to Showcase Innovations During Awards
      NASA‘s Watts on the Moon Challenge, designed to advance the nation’s lunar exploration goals under the Artemis campaign by challenging United States innovators to develop breakthrough power transmission and energy storage technologies that could enable long-duration Moon missions, concludes Sept. 20 at the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland, Ohio.
      The Sun rises above the Flight Research Building at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.Credit: NASA “For astronauts to maintain a sustained presence on the Moon during Artemis missions, they will need continuous, reliable power,” said Kim Krome-Sieja, acting program manager, Centennial Challenges at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. “NASA has done extensive work on power generation technologies. Now, we’re looking to advance these technologies for long-distance power transmission and energy storage solutions that can withstand the extreme cold of the lunar environment.”
      The technologies developed through the Watts on the Moon Challenge were the first power transmission and energy storage prototypes to be tested by NASA in an environment that simulates the extreme cold and weak atmospheric pressure of the lunar surface, representing a first step to readying the technologies for future deployment on the Moon. Successful technologies from this challenge aim to inspire, for example, new approaches for helping batteries withstand cold temperatures and improving grid resiliency in remote locations on Earth that face harsh weather conditions.
      During the final round of competition, finalist teams refined their hardware and delivered a full system prototype for testing in simulated lunar conditions at NASA’s Glenn Research Center. The test simulated a challenging power system scenario where there are six hours of solar daylight, 18 hours of darkness, and the user is three kilometers from the power source.
      “Watts on the Moon was a fantastic competition to judge because of its unique mission scenario,” said Amy Kaminski, program executive, Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing, Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. “Each team’s hardware was put to the test against difficult criteria and had to perform well within a lunar environment in our state-of-the-art thermal vacuum chambers at NASA Glenn.”
      Each finalist team was scored based on Total Effective System Mass (TESM), which determines how the system works in relation to its mass. At the awards ceremony, NASA will award $1 million to the top team who achieves the lowest TESM score, meaning that during testing, that team’s system produced the most efficient output-to-mass ratio. The team with the second lowest mass will receive $500,000. The awards ceremony stream live on NASA Glenn’s YouTube channel and NASA Prize’s Facebook page.
      The Watts on the Moon Challenge is a NASA Centennial Challenge led by NASA Glenn. NASA Marshall manages Centennial Challenges, which are part of the agency’s Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program in the Space Technology Mission Directorate. NASA has contracted HeroX to support the administration of this challenge.
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      Technicians Work to Prepare Europa Clipper for Propellant Loading
      NASA’s Europa Clipper mission moves closer to launch as technicians worked Sept. 11 inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility to prepare the spacecraft for upcoming propellant loading at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center. 
      Technicians work to complete operations before propellant load occurs ahead of launch for NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Sept. 11.NASA/Kim Shiflett The spacecraft will explore Jupiter’s icy moon Europa, which is considered one of the most promising habitable environments in the solar system. The mission will research whether Europa’s subsurface ocean could hold the conditions necessary for life. Europa could have all the “ingredients” for life as we know it: water, organics, and chemical energy.
      Europa Clipper’s launch period opens Oct. 10. It will lift off on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A. The spacecraft then will embark on a journey of nearly six years and 1.8 billion miles before reaching Jupiter’s orbit in 2030.
      The spacecraft is designed to study Europa’s icy shell, underlying ocean, and potential plumes of water vapor using a gravity science experiment alongside a suite of nine instruments including cameras, spectrometers, a magnetometer, and ice-penetrating radar. The data Europa Clipper collects could improve our understanding of the potential for life elsewhere in the solar system.
      Managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory leads the development of the Europa Clipper mission in partnership with APL for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. APL designed the main spacecraft body in collaboration with JPL and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. The Planetary Missions Program Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center executes program management of the Europa Clipper mission.
      Learn more about the mission here.
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      Marshall to Present 2024 Small Business Awards Sept. 19
      NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center will host its annual Small Business Industry and Advocate Awards ceremony Sept. 19. The awards recognize small businesses and small business champions from government and industry for their outstanding achievements in fiscal year 2024.
      The ceremony will take place during the 38th meeting of Marshall’s Small Business Alliance, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CDT at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center’s Davidson Center for Space Exploration in Huntsville. The event will also highlight new opportunities for small businesses to take part in NASA’s procurement processes. Afterward, attendees will have the open opportunity to network with NASA officials, prime contractors, and other members of Marshall’s small business community. Exhibitors will provide valuable information to support their business.
      NASA speakers include:
      Dwight Deneal, assistant administrator, Office of Small Business Programs, NASA Headquarters Joseph Pelfrey, center director, NASA Marshall John Cannaday, director, Office of Procurement, NASA Marshall Davey Jones, strategy lead, NASA Marshall David Brock, small business specialist, Office of Small Business Programs, NASA Marshall For 17 years, the Marshall Small Business Alliance has aided small businesses in pursuit of NASA procurement and subcontracting opportunities. Its primary focus is to inform, educate, and advocate on behalf of the small business community. At each half day meeting, businesses will gain valuable insight to guide them in their marketing endeavors.
      Learn more about Marshall’s small business initiatives.
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      Printed Engines Propel Next Industrial Revolution
      In the fall of 2023, NASA hot fire tested an aluminum 3D printed rocket engine nozzle. Aluminum is not typically used for 3D printing because the process causes it to crack, and its low melting point makes it a challenging material for rocket engines. Yet the test was a success.
      Printing aluminum engine parts could save significant time, money, and weight for future spacecraft. Elementum 3D Inc., a partner on the project, is now making those benefits available to the commercial space industry and beyond.
      A rocket engine nozzle 3D printed from Elementum 3D’s A6061 RAM2 aluminum alloy undergoes hot fire testing at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.Credit: NASA The hot fire test was the culmination of a relationship between NASA and Elementum that began shortly after the company was founded in 2014 to make more materials available for 3D printing. Based in Erie, Colorado, the company infuses metal alloys with particles of other materials to alter their properties and make them amenable to additive manufacturing. This became the basis of Elementum’s Reactive Additive Manufacturing (RAM) process.
      NASA adopted the technology, qualifying the RAM version of a common aluminum alloy for 3D printing. The agency then awarded funding to Elementum 3D and another company to print the experimental Broadsword rocket engine, demonstrating the concept’s viability.
      Meanwhile, a team at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center was working to adapt an emerging technology to print larger engines. In 2021, Marshall awarded an Announcement of Collaborative Opportunity to Elementum 3D to modify an aluminum alloy for printing in what became the Reactive Additive Manufacturing for the Fourth Industrial Revolution project.
      The project also made a commonly used aluminum alloy available for large-scale 3D printing. It is already used in large satellite components and could be implemented into microchip manufacturing equipment, Formula 1 race car parts, and more. The alloy modified for the Broadsword engine is already turning up in brake rotors and lighting fixtures. These various applications exemplify the possibilities that come from NASA’s collaboration and investment in industry. 

      Read more here.
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      Hubble Finds More Black Holes than Expected in Early Universe
      With the help of NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, an international team of researchers led by scientists in the Department of Astronomy at Stockholm University has found more black holes in the early universe than has previously been reported. The new result can help scientists understand how supermassive black holes were created.
      This is a new image of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field. The first deep imaging of the field was done with Hubble in 2004. The same survey field was observed again by Hubble several years later, and was then reimaged in 2023. By comparing Hubble Wide Field Camera 3 near-infrared exposures taken in 2009, 2012, and 2023, astronomers found evidence for flickering supermassive black holes in the hearts of early galaxies. The survey found more black holes than predicted. NASA, ESA, Matthew Hayes (Stockholm University); Acknowledgment: Steven V.W. Beckwith (UC Berkeley), Garth Illingworth (UC Santa Cruz), Richard Ellis (UCL); Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI) Currently, scientists do not have a complete picture of how the first black holes formed not long after the big bang. It is known that supermassive black holes, that can weigh more than a billion suns, exist at the center of several galaxies less than a billion years after the big bang.
      “Many of these objects seem to be more massive than we originally thought they could be at such early times – either they formed very massive or they grew extremely quickly,” said Alice Young, a PhD student from Stockholm University and co-author of the study  published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
      Black holes play an important role in the lifecycle of all galaxies, but there are major uncertainties in our understanding of how galaxies evolve. In order to gain a complete picture of the link between galaxy and black hole evolution, the researchers used Hubble to survey how many black holes exist among a population of faint galaxies when the universe was just a few percent of its current age.
      Initial observations of the survey region were re-photographed by Hubble after several years. This allowed the team to measure variations in the brightness of galaxies. These variations are a telltale sign of black holes. The team identified more black holes than previously found by other methods.
      The new observational results suggest that some black holes likely formed by the collapse of massive, pristine stars during the first billion years of cosmic time. These types of stars can only exist at very early times in the universe, because later-generation stars are polluted by the remnants of stars that have already lived and died. Other alternatives for black hole formation include collapsing gas clouds, mergers of stars in massive clusters, and “primordial” black holes that formed (by physically speculative mechanisms) in the first few seconds after the big bang. With this new information about black hole formation, more accurate models of galaxy formation can be constructed.
      “The formation mechanism of early black holes is an important part of the puzzle of galaxy evolution,” said Matthew Hayes from the Department of Astronomy at Stockholm University and lead author of the study. “Together with models for how black holes grow, galaxy evolution calculations can now be placed on a more physically motivated footing, with an accurate scheme for how black holes came into existence from collapsing massive stars.”
      Astronomers are also making observations with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to search for galactic black holes that formed soon after the big bang, to understand how massive they were and where they were located.
      The Hubble Space Telescope has been operating for over three decades and continues to make ground-breaking discoveries that shape our fundamental understanding of the universe. Hubble is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center manages the telescope and mission operations. Lockheed Martin Space, based in Denver, Colorado, also supports mission operations at Goddard. The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, conducts Hubble science operations for NASA.
      NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center was the lead field center for the design, development, and construction of the space telescope.
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      View the full article
    • NASA
      NASA Marshall to Present 2024 Small Business Awards Sept. 19
      By NASA
      2 min read
      Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
      Credit: NASA NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, invites media to its annual Small Business Industry and Advocate Awards ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 19. The awards recognize small businesses and small business champions from government and industry for their outstanding achievements in fiscal year 2024.
      The ceremony will take place during the 38th meeting of Marshall’s Small Business Alliance, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CDT at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center’s Davidson Center for Space Exploration. The event will also highlight new opportunities for small businesses to take part in NASA’s procurement processes. Afterward, attendees will have the open opportunity to network with NASA officials, prime contractors, and other members of Marshall’s small business community. Exhibitors will provide valuable information to support their business.
      NASA speakers include:
      Dwight Deneal, assistant administrator, Office of Small Business Programs, NASA Headquarters Joseph Pelfrey, center director, NASA Marshall John Cannaday, director, Office of Procurement, NASA Marshall Davey Jones, strategy lead, NASA Marshall David Brock, small business specialist, Office of Small Business Programs, NASA Marshall Media interested in covering the event should contact Molly Porter at molly.a.porter@nasa.gov or 256-424-5158 by 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 18.
      About the Marshall Small Business Alliance
      For 17 years, the Marshall Small Business Alliance has aided small businesses in pursuit of NASA procurement and subcontracting opportunities. Its primary focus is to inform, educate, and advocate on behalf of the small business community. At each half day meeting, businesses will gain valuable insight to guide them in their marketing endeavors.
      To learn more about Marshall’s small business initiatives, visit:
      https://doingbusiness.msfc.nasa.gov
      Molly Porter
      Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
      256-424-5158
      molly.a.porter@nasa.gov
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      Last Updated Sep 17, 2024 LocationMarshall Space Flight Center Related Terms
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      Remarks by CSO Gen. Chance Saltzman at the 2024 Air & Space Forces Association's Air, Space and Cyber Conference
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      As Delivered by Chief of Space Operations U.S. Space Force Gen. Chance Saltzman on September 17, 2024
      View the full article
    • NASA
      Station Science Top News: September 13, 2024
      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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