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Johnson Space Center Ignites STEM Passion at Houston’s Japan Festival
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By NASA
2 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
During the 21st Century Community Learning Centers workshop, after-school educators learn to build the “Move It” student activity from NASA’s Build, Launch and Recover Student Activity Guide.Credit: Kristen Marlatt NASA and the U.S. Department of Education are teaming up to engage students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education during after-school hours. The interagency program strives to reach approximately 1,000 middle school students in more than 60 sites across 10 states to join the program, 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC).
Members of NASA Glenn Research Center’s Office of STEM Engagement traveled to Lansing, Michigan, last month to participate in a two-day professional development training with local after-school educators and facilitators. The training focused on integrating real-world STEM challenges into the 21st CCLC programs.
After-school educators engage in a student activity from NASA’s Build, Launch, and Recover Student Activity Guide. In this challenge, students become engineers and NASA crawler operators while working in teams to design and build a rubber band-powered model of NASA’s crawler-transporter that can carry the most mass possible the farthest distance without failure. Credit: Kristen Marlatt “By engaging in NASA learning opportunities, students are challenged to use critical thinking and creativity to solve real-world challenges that scientists and engineers may face,” said Darlene Walker, NASA Glenn’s Office of STEM Engagement director. “Through the 21st CCLC program, NASA and the Department of Education aim to inspire the next generation of explorers and innovators through high-quality educational content that ignites curiosity and fosters a joy of learning for students across the country.”
NASA Glenn education specialists will continue to provide NASA-related content and academic projects for students, in-person staff training, program support, and opportunities for students to engage with NASA scientists and engineers.
For more information on NASA Glenn’s STEM Engagement, visit https://www.nasa.gov/glenn-stem/
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By NASA
Trailer for NASA’s upcoming documentary, “Planetary Defenders,” which will take audiences inside the high-stakes world of asteroid hunting and planetary defense. NASA is bringing the high-stakes world of planetary defense to the Sundance Film Festival, highlighting its upcoming documentary, “Planetary Defenders,” during a panel ahead of its spring 2025 premiere on the agency’s streaming service.
“We’re thrilled that NASA is attending Sundance Film Festival for the first time – a festival renowned for its innovative spirit,” said Brittany Brown, director, NASA Office of Communications Digital and Technology Division, at the agency’s Headquarters in Washington. “Our participation represents a groundbreaking opportunity for NASA to engage with the film industry and share new avenues for collaborative storytelling. By connecting with the creative minds at the festival, we aim to inspire new narratives, explore new avenues for collaborative storytelling, and ignite a renewed sense of wonder in space exploration.”
The NASA+ film explores a compelling question: How would humanity respond if we discovered an asteroid headed for Earth? Far from science fiction, “Planetary Defenders” follows real-life astronomers and other experts as they navigate the challenges of asteroid detection and safeguarding our planet from potential hazards.
“NASA is home to some of the greatest stories ever told, and NASA’s new streaming platform NASA+ is dedicated to sharing these stories to inspire the next generation,” said Rebecca Sirmons, general manager and head of NASA+. “We are honored to host a panel at this year’s Sundance Film Festival discussing our upcoming NASA+ documentary “Planetary Defenders.”
The panel, entitled “You Bet Your Asteroid: NASA Has a Story to Tell,” will start at 1:30 p.m. MST on Sunday, Jan. 26, at the Filmmaker Lodge in the Elks Building, 550 Main St., 2nd Floor, Park City, Utah. The event will include a discussion about the film followed by a Q&A session. Attendees also will have the opportunity to meet NASA experts and some of the planetary defenders themselves.
Panelists include:
Rebecca Sirmons, head of NASA+, NASA Scott Bednar, filmmaker and director, NASA 360/National Institute of Aerospace Jessie Wilde, filmmaker and director, NASA 360/National Institute of Aerospace Dr. Kelly Fast, acting planetary defense officer, NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office David Rankin, senior survey operations specialist, Catalina Sky Survey Dr. Vishnu Reddy, professor of planetary sciences and director of the Space4 Center, University of Arizona Media are encouraged to RSVP in advance and may request one-on-one interviews with NASA experts following the panel by contacting Karen Fox at karen.c.fox@nasa.gov.
Through NASA+, the agency is continuing its decades long tradition of sharing live events, original content, and the latest news while NASA works to improve life on Earth through innovation, exploration, and discovery for the benefit of all. The free, on-demand streaming service is available to download without a subscription on most major platforms via the NASA App on iOS and Android mobile and tablet devices, as well as streaming media players like Roku, Apple TV, and Fire TV.
To keep up with the latest news from NASA’s planetary defense program, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/planetarydefense
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Abbey Donaldson
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
abbey.a.donaldson@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Jan 17, 2025 EditorJessica TaveauLocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
NASA+ Asteroids Planetary Defense Planetary Defense Coordination Office Planetary Science Planetary Science Division Science Mission Directorate Social Media View the full article
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By NASA
NASA has selected Mary Beth Schwartz as director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center Center Operations directorate. Schwartz previously served as the directorate’s deputy director.
“I’m excited to embark on my new role as director for Johnson’s Center Operations directorate,” Schwartz said. “It is an honor to lead an organization that is foundational to the center’s mission success.”
Ms. Schwartz began her NASA career as a NASA intern and has since held a variety of key roles. These include serving as a space shuttle flight controller, chair of the PSRP (Payload Safety Review Panel) for both the International Space Station and Space Shuttle programs, where she led establishment of PSRP franchises with international partners. She also served as the manager of the Safety and Mission Assurance business office, leading efforts in consolidation and budget integration, and as the associate director of Johnson engineering responsible for budget and facility functions.
Throughout her career, Schwartz has been recognized for her contributions to NASA, receiving the NASA Exceptional Service medal, as well as the NASA Honor and Silver Snoopy awards.
“Mary Beth has a unique perspective of Center Operations, not only as a mission and customer-focused organization, but as an organization that is key to employee experience,” said Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center. “I appreciate her vision for the organization, commitment to the mission, and overall genuine respect of the workforce. I am extremely pleased to announce her selection for this position.”
Ms. Schwartz earned her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Houston.
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By NASA
This artist’s illustration represents the results from a new study that examines the effects of X-ray and other high-energy radiation unleashed on potential exoplanets from Wolf 359, a nearby red dwarf star. Researchers used Chandra and XMM-Newton to study the impact of steady X-ray and energetic ultraviolet radiation from Wolf 359 on the atmospheres of planets that might be orbiting the star. They found that only a planet with greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide in its atmosphere and at a relatively large distance away from Wolf 359 would have a chance to support life as we know it.X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO/S.Wolk, et al.; Illustration: NASA/CXC/SAO/M.Weiss; Image processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. Wolk Planets around other stars need to be prepared for extreme weather conditions, according to a new study from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA’s (European Space Agency’s) XMM-Newton that examined the effects of X-rays on potential planets around the most common type of stars.
Astronomers found that only a planet with greenhouse gases in its atmosphere like Earth and at a relatively large distance away from the star they studied would have a chance to support life as we know it around a nearby star.
Wolf 359 is a red dwarf with a mass about a tenth that of the Sun. Red dwarf stars are the most common stars in the universe and live for billions of years, providing ample time for life to develop. At a distance of only 7.8 light-years away, Wolf 359 is also one of the closest stars to the solar system.
“Wolf 359 can help us unlock the secrets around stars and habitability,” said Scott Wolk of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA), who led the study. “It’s so close and it belongs to such an important class of stars – it’s a great combination.”
Because red dwarfs are the most prevalent types of stars, astronomers have looked hard to find exoplanets around them. Astronomers have found some evidence for two planets in orbit around Wolf 359 using optical telescopes, but those conclusions have been challenged by other scientists.
“While we don’t have proof of planets around Wolf 359 yet, it seems very possible that it hosts multiple planets,” Wolk added. “This makes it an excellent test bed to look at what planets would experience around this kind of star.”
Wolk and his colleagues used Chandra and XMM to study the amounts of steady X-rays and extreme ultraviolet (UV) radiation – the most energetic type of UV radiation – that Wolf 359 would unleash on the possible planets around it.
They found that Wolf 359 is producing enough damaging radiation that only a planet with greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide in its atmosphere – and located at a relatively large distance from the star – would likely be able to sustain life.
“Just being far enough away from the star’s harmful radiation wouldn’t be enough to make it habitable,” said co-author Vinay Kashyap, also of CfA. “A planet around Wolf 359 would also need to be blanketed in greenhouse gases like Earth is.”
To study the effects of energetic radiation on the habitability of the planet candidates, the team considered the star’s habitable zone – the region around a star where liquid water could exist on a planet’s surface.
The outer limit of the habitable zone for Wolf 359 is about 15% of the distance between Earth and the Sun, because the red dwarf is much less bright than the Sun. Neither of the planet candidates for this system is located in Wolf 359’s habitable zone, with one too close to the star and the other too far out.
“If the inner planet is there, the X-ray and extreme UV radiation it is subjected to would destroy the atmosphere of this planet in only about a million years,” said co-author Ignazio Pillitteri of CfA and the National Institute for Astrophysics in Palermo, Italy.
The team also considered the effects of radiation on as-yet undetected planets within the habitable zone. They concluded that a planet like the Earth in the middle of the habitable zone should be able to sustain an atmosphere for almost two billion years, while one near the outer edge could last indefinitely, helped by the warming effects of greenhouse gases.
Another big danger for planets orbiting stars like Wolf 359 is from X-ray flares, or occasional bright bursts of X-rays, on top of the steady, everyday output from the star. Combining observations made with Chandra and XMM-Newton resulted in the discovery of 18 X-ray flares from Wolf 359 over 3.5 days.
Extrapolating from these observed flares, the team expects that much more powerful and damaging flares would occur over longer periods of time. The combined effects of the steady X-ray and UV radiation and the flares mean that any planet located in the habitable zone is unlikely to have a significant atmosphere long enough for multicellular life, as we know it on Earth, to form and survive. The exception is the habitable zone’s outer edge if the planet has a significant greenhouse effect.
These results were presented at the 245th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in National Harbor, Maryland, and are being prepared for publication in a journal. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center controls science operations from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts.
Read more from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory.
Learn more about the Chandra X-ray Observatory and its mission here:
https://www.nasa.gov/chandra
https://chandra.si.edu
News Media Contact
Megan Watzke
Chandra X-ray Center
Cambridge, Mass.
617-496-7998
mwatzke@cfa.harvard.edu
Lane Figueroa
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama
256-544-0034
lane.e.figueroa@nasa.gov
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By NASA
If you ask Johnson Space Center employees why they work for NASA, many will tell you it was always their dream. For others, landing a job at NASA was an unexpected stop on their career path. Here is a look at where five Johnson team members worked before NASA and how they are helping to advance the agency’s mission today.
Michelle Wood
How it started: Michelle Wood working as an American Sign Language interpreter (left). How it’s going: Wood as a flight controller in Johnson Space Center’s Mission Control Center in Houston. Images courtesy of Wood Wood worked as an American Sign Language interpreter before joining NASA about seven years ago. Today, she is an Operational Support Officer flight controller and instructor in the Mission Control Center.
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Warnecke Miller
How it started: Miller is shown completing firearms training as a Federal Bureau of Investigation intern in the summer of 1998 (left). How it’s going: Miller emceeing a retirement celebration for a Johnson colleague in April 2024. Images courtesy of Miller Miller has been an attorney in Johnson’s Office of the General Counsel for 12 years. Before that, she served as an administrative law judge for Social Security and adjudicated disability cases.
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Celeste Budwit-Hunter
How it started: Celeste Budwit-Hunter is pictured as a school counselor (left). How it’s going: Budwit-Hunter with NASA astronauts Mike Finke, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore and her Procedures Group editorial team members in Johnson’s Space Vehicle Mockup Facility. Images courtesy of Budwit-Hunter Budwit-Hunter was a technical writer in the oil and gas industry before earning a master’s degree in family therapy. She went on to work for The Council on Alcohol and Drugs (now The Council on Recovery) and then as a private school counselor for students with learning disabilities. She returned to technical writing while starting a private family therapy practice. After several years of treatment and recovery following a cancer diagnosis, Budwit-Hunter applied to become an editor in the Flight Operations Director’s Procedures Group. She is now the group’s lead editor and is training to become a book manager.
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Don Walker
How it started: A photo of a young Don Walker standing in front of an Apollo lunar module mockup on the Johnson campus in the early 1970s (left). How it’s going: Walker’s official NASA portrait. Walker worked as a freelancer in television production before joining the Johnson team 38 years ago. Today, Walker is an engineering technician in the Office of the Chief Information Officer, working master control for the center’s television operations.
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Donna Coyle
How it started: Donna Coyle as a college student in Rome (left). How it’s going: Coyle outside Space Center Houston prior to the Expedition 68 crew debrief and awards ceremony in 2023. Images courtesy of Coyle Coyle earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations before switching gears to work as an expeditor in the oil and gas industry. That role involved working with cross-functional teams to ensure the smooth and timely delivery of equipment and materials to worksites. After visiting locations and seeing how equipment, piping, and steel were made, she was inspired to go back to school to become an engineer. Coyle’s grandfather worked at NASA during the Apollo missions, and she decided to follow in his footsteps. She joined the Johnson team in 2021 as a crew time engineer, analyzing astronaut time as a resource to help with decision-making before and during expeditions to the International Space Station.
Do you want to join the NASA team? Visit our Careers site to explore open opportunities and find your place with us!
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