Members Can Post Anonymously On This Site
-
Similar Topics
-
By NASA
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
The Compact Fire Infrared Radiance Spectral tracker, or C-FIRST, is managed an operated by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and supported by NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office. Combining state-of-the-art imaging technology with a compact design, C-FIRST enables scientists to gather data about fires and their impacts on ecosystems with greater accuracy and speed than other instruments. C-FIRST was developed as a spaceborne instrument, and flew onboard NASA’s B200 aircraft in January 2025 to conduct an airborne test.NASA/JPL-Caltech The January wildfires in California devastated local habitats and communities. In an effort to better understand wildfire behavior, NASA scientists and engineers tried to learn from the events by testing new technology.
The new instrument, the Compact Fire Infrared Radiance Spectral Tracker (c-FIRST), was tested when NASA’s B200 King Air aircraft flew over the wildfires in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena, California. Based at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, the aircraft used the c-FIRST instrument to observe the impacts of the fires in near real-time. Due to its small size and ability to efficiently simulate a satellite-based mission, the B200 King Air is uniquely suited for testing c-FIRST.
Managed and operated by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, c-FIRST gathers thermal infrared images in high-resolution and other data about the terrain to study the impacts of wildfires on ecology. In a single observation, c-FIRST can capture the full temperature range across a wide area of wildland fires – as well as the cool, unburned background – potentially increasing both the quantity and quality of science data produced.
“Currently, no instrument is able to cover the entire range of attributes for fires present in the Earth system,” said Sarath Gunapala, principal investigator for c-FIRST at NASA JPL. “This leads to gaps in our understanding of how many fires occur, and of crucial characteristics like size and temperature.”
For decades, the quality of infrared images has struggled to convey the nuances of high-temperature surfaces above 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit (550 degrees Celsius). Blurry resolution and light saturation of infrared images has inhibited scientists’ understanding of an extremely hot terrain, and thereby also inhibited wildfire research. Historically, images of extremely hot targets often lacked the detail scientists need to understand the range of a fire’s impacts on an ecosystem.
NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, flew the B200 King Air in support of the Signals of Opportunity Synthetic Aperture Radar (SoOpSAR) campaign on Feb. 27, 2023.NASA/Steve Freeman To address this, NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office supported JPL’s development of the c-FIRST instrument, combining state-of-the-art imaging technology with a compact and efficient design. When c-FIRST was airborne, scientists could detect smoldering fires more accurately and quickly, while also gathering important information on active fires in near real-time.
“These smoldering fires can flame up if the wind picks up again,” said Gunapala. “Therefore, the c-FIRST data set could provide very important information for firefighting agencies to fight fires more effectively.”
For instance, c-FIRST data can help scientists estimate the likelihood of a fire spreading in a certain landscape, allowing officials to more effectively monitor smoldering fires and track how fires evolve. Furthermore, c-FIRST can collect detailed data that can enable scientists to understand how an ecosystem may recover from fire events.
“The requirements of the c-FIRST instrument meet the flight profile of the King Air,” said KC Sujan, operations engineer for the B200 King Air. “The c-FIRST team wanted a quick integration, the flight speed in the range 130 and 140 knots on a level flight, communication and navigation systems, and the instruments power requirement that are perfectly fit for King Air’s capability.”
By first testing the instrument onboard the B200 King Air, the c-FIRST team can evaluate its readiness for future satellite missions investigating wildfires. On a changing planet where wildfires are increasingly common, instruments like c-FIRST could provide data that can aid firefighting agencies to fight fires more effectively, and to understand the ecosystemic impacts of extreme weather events.
Share
Details
Last Updated Feb 28, 2025 EditorDede DiniusContactErica HeimLocationArmstrong Flight Research Center Related Terms
Earth Science Airborne Science Armstrong Flight Research Center B200 Earth Science Technology Office Earth's Atmosphere General Jet Propulsion Laboratory Explore More
1 min read Commodity Classic Hyperwall Schedule
NASA Science at Commodity Classic Hyperwall Schedule, March 2-4, 2025 Join NASA in the Exhibit…
Article 1 day ago 5 min read Fourth Launch of NASA Instruments Planned for Near Moon’s South Pole
Article 2 days ago 3 min read NASA Names Stephen Koerner as Acting Director of Johnson Space Center
Article 3 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA
Armstrong Flight Research Center
Earth Science Projects Division
Aircraft Flown at Armstrong
Science in the Air
View the full article
-
By European Space Agency
Week in images: 24-28 February 2025
Discover our week through the lens
View the full article
-
By NASA
Creating a golden streak in the night sky, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lunar lander (IM-2) and NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer soars upward after liftoff from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7:16 p.m. EST, Wednesday, Feb. 26. The IM-2 launch, which is part of NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative, is carrying NASA technology and science demonstrations, and other commercial payloads to Mons Mouton, a lunar plateau to advance our understanding of the Moon and planetary processes, while paving the way for future crewed missions. (Credit: NASA) The next set of NASA science and technology demonstrations is on its way to the lunar surface, where they will gather data about Earth’s nearest neighbor and help pave the way for American astronauts to explore the Moon and beyond, for the benefit of all.
Carrying NASA instruments as part of the agency’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign, Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 mission launched at 7:16 p.m. EST, Feb. 26, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Intuitive Machines’ lunar lander is scheduled to touch down on Thursday, March 6, in Mons Mouton, a plateau in the Moon’s South Pole.
“With each CLPS mission, the United States is leading the way in expanding our reach and refining our capabilities, turning what was once dreams into reality,” said NASA acting Administrator Janet Petro. “These science and technology demonstrations are more than payloads – they represent the foundation for future explorers who will live and work on the Moon. By partnering with American industry, we are driving innovation, strengthening our leadership in space, and preparing for sending humans farther into the solar system, including Mars.”
Intuitive Machines’ NOVA-C lunar lander captures a selfie with Earth in the background shortly after separation. Credit: Intuitive Machines Once on the Moon, the NASA CLPS investigations will aim to measure the potential presence of volatiles or gases from lunar soil – one of the first on-site demonstrations of resource use on the Moon. In addition, a passive Laser Retroreflector Array on the top deck of the lander will bounce laser light back at any future orbiting or incoming spacecraft to give them a permanent reference point on the lunar surface. Other technology instruments on this delivery will demonstrate a robust surface communications system and deploy a propulsive drone designed to hop across the lunar surface.
NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer spacecraft, which launched as a rideshare with the IM-2 mission, also began its journey to lunar orbit, where it will map the distribution of the different forms of water on the Moon. Lunar Trailblazer will discover where the Moon’s water is, what form it is in, and how it changes over time. Observations gathered during its two-year prime mission will contribute to the understanding of water cycles on airless bodies throughout the solar system while also supporting future human and robotic missions to the Moon by identifying where water is located.
NASA’s Artemis campaign includes conducting more science to better understand planetary processes and evolution, to search for evidence of water and other resources, and support long-term, sustainable human exploration.
The NASA science and technology instruments that launched aboard the IM-2 mission are:
Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment-1 (PRIME-1): This experiment will explore the Moon’s subsurface and analyze where lunar resources may reside. The experiment’s two key instruments will demonstrate the ability to extract and analyze lunar soil to detect volatile chemical compounds that turn into gas. The two instruments will work in tandem: The Regolith and Ice Drill for Exploring New Terrains will drill into the Moon’s surface to collect samples, while the Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations will analyze these samples to determine the gas composition released across the sampling depth. The PRIME-1 technology will provide valuable data to better understand the Moon’s surface and how to work with and on it. Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA): This collection of eight retroreflectors will enable precision laser ranging, which is a measurement of the distance between the orbiting or landing spacecraft to the reflector on the lander. The LRA is a passive optical instrument and will function as a permanent location marker on the Moon for decades to come. Micro Nova Hopper: Funded by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate Tipping Point initiative, Intuitive Machines’ Micro Nova hopper, Grace, is designed to enable high-resolution surveying of the lunar surface under its flight path. This autonomous propulsive drone aims to deploy to the surface and hop into a nearby crater to survey the lunar surface and send science data back to the lander. It’s designed to hop in and out of a permanently shadowed region, providing a first look into undiscovered regions that may provide critical information to sustain a human presence on the Moon. Nokia Lunar Surface Communications System (LSCS): Also developed with funding from NASA’s Tipping Point initiative, Nokia’s LSCS 4G/LTE communications system will demonstrate cellular communications between the Intuitive Machines lander, a Lunar Outpost rover, and the Micro Nova hopper. Engineered to transmit high-definition video, command-and-control messages, and sensor and telemetry data, the LSCS aims to demonstrate an ultra-compact advanced communication solution for future infrastructure on the Moon and beyond. Learn more about NASA’s CLPS initiative at:
https://www.nasa.gov/clps
-end-
Karen Fox / Jasmine Hopkins
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600 / 321-432-4624
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / jasmine.s.hopkins@nasa.gov
Natalia Riusech / Nilufar Ramji
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
nataila.s.riusech@nasa.gov / nilufar.ramji@nasa.gov
Antonia Jaramillo
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
321-501-8425
antonia.jaramillobotero@nasa.gov
Share
Details
Last Updated Feb 27, 2025 LocationJohnson Space Center Related Terms
Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) Artemis Missions View the full article
-
By NASA
5 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
Sunlight gleams off NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer as the dishwasher-size spacecraft orbits the Moon in this artist’s concept. The mission will discover where the Moon’s water is, what form it is in, and how it changes over time, producing the best-yet maps of water on the lunar surface.Lockheed Martin Space The small satellite mission will map the Moon to help scientists better understand where its water is, what form it’s in, how much is there, and how it changes over time.
Launching no earlier than Wednesday, Feb. 26, NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer will help resolve an enduring mystery: Where is the Moon’s water? After sharing a ride on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 launch — part of NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative — the small satellite will take several months to arrive in lunar orbit.
Here are six things to know about the mission.
1. Lunar Trailblazer will produce high-resolution maps of water on the lunar surface.
One of the biggest lunar discoveries in recent decades is that the Moon’s surface has quantities of water, but little about its nature is known. To investigate, Lunar Trailblazer will decipher where the water is, what form it is in, how much is there, and how it changes over time. The small satellite will produce the best-yet maps of water on the lunar surface. Observations gathered during the two-year prime mission will also contribute to the understanding of water cycles on airless bodies throughout the solar system.
2. The small satellite will use two state-of-the-art science instruments.
Key to achieving these goals are the spacecraft’s two science instruments: the High-resolution Volatiles and Minerals Moon Mapper (HVM3) infrared spectrometer and the Lunar Thermal Mapper (LTM) infrared multispectral imager. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California provided the HVM3 instrument, while LTM was built by the University of Oxford and funded by the UK Space Agency.
HVM3 will detect and map the spectral fingerprints, or wavelengths of reflected sunlight, of minerals and the different forms of water on the lunar surface. The LTM instrument will map the minerals and thermal properties of the same landscape. Together they will create a picture of the abundance, location, and form of water while also tracking how its distribution changes over time and temperature.
Fueled and attached to an adaptor used for secondary payloads, NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer is seen at SpaceX’s payload processing facility within NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in early February 2025. The small satellite is riding along on Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 launch.SpaceX 3. Lunar Trailblazer will take a long and winding road to the Moon.
Weighing only 440 pounds (200 kilograms) and measuring 11.5 feet (3.5 meters) wide with its solar panels fully deployed, Lunar Trailblazer is about the size of a dishwasher and relies on a relatively small propulsion system. To make the spacecraft’s four-to-seven-month trip to the Moon (depending on the launch date) as efficient as possible, the mission’s design and navigation team has planned a looping trajectory that will use the gravity of the Sun, Earth, and Moon to guide Lunar Trailblazer to its final science orbit — a technique called low-energy transfer.
4. The spacecraft will peer into the darkest parts of the Moon’s South Pole.
Lunar Trailblazer’s science orbit positions it to peer into the craters at the Moon’s South Pole using the HVM3 instrument. What makes these craters so intriguing is that they harbor cold traps that may not have seen direct sunlight for billions of years, which means they’re a potential hideout for frozen water. The HVM3 spectrometer is designed to use faint reflected light from the walls of craters to see the floor of even permanently shadowed regions. If Lunar Trailblazer finds significant quantities of ice at the base of the craters, those locations could be pinpointed as a resource for future lunar explorers.
5. Lunar Trailblazer is a high-risk, low-cost mission.
Lunar Trailblazer was a 2019 selection of NASA’s SIMPLEx (Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration), which provides opportunities for low-cost science spacecraft to ride-share with selected primary missions. To maintain a lower overall cost, SIMPLEx missions have a higher risk posture and lighter requirements for oversight and management. This higher risk acceptance allows NASA to enable science missions that could not otherwise be done.
6. Future missions will benefit from Lunar Trailblazer’s data.
Mapping the Moon’s water supports future human and robotic lunar missions. With knowledge from Lunar Trailblazer of where water is located, astronauts could process lunar ice to create water for human use, breathable oxygen, or fuel. And they could conduct science by sampling the ice for later study to determine the water’s origins.
More About Lunar Trailblazer
Lunar Trailblazer is led by Principal Investigator Bethany Ehlmann of Caltech in Pasadena, California. Caltech also leads the mission’s science investigation, and Caltech’s IPAC leads mission operations, which includes planning, scheduling, and sequencing of all spacecraft activities. NASA JPL manages Lunar Trailblazer and provides system engineering, mission assurance, the HVM3 instrument, and mission design and navigation. JPL is managed by Caltech for NASA. Lockheed Martin Space provided the spacecraft, integrated the flight system, and supports operations under contract with Caltech. The University of Oxford developed and provided the LTM instrument, funded by the UK Space Agency. Lunar Trailblazer, part of NASA’s Lunar Discovery Exploration Program, is managed by NASA’s Planetary Mission Program Office at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington.
News Media Contact
Karen Fox / Molly Wasser
NASA Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov
Ian J. O’Neill
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-354-2649
ian.j.oneill@jpl.nasa.gov
Isabel Swafford
Caltech IPAC
626-216-4257
iswafford@ipac.caltech.edu
2025-027
Share
Details
Last Updated Feb 26, 2025 Related Terms
Lunar Trailblazer Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) Earth's Moon Lunar Science Explore More
1 min read Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 Mission
Article 1 day ago 2 min read NASA Prepares Gateway Lunar Space Station for Journey to Moon
Assembly is underway for Gateway's Power and Propulsion Element, the module that will power the…
Article 1 day ago 4 min read Five Facts About NASA’s Moon Bound Technology
Article 2 days ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics
Missions
Humans in Space
Climate Change
Solar System
View the full article
-
By NASA
Explore This Section Earth Home Earth Observer Home Editor’s Corner Feature Articles Meeting Summaries News Science in the News Calendars In Memoriam More Archives 8 min read
AGU 2024: NASA Science on Display in the Nation’s Capital
Introduction
The American Geophysical Union (AGU) returned to the nation’s capital in 2024, hosting its annual meeting at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC from December 9–14, 2024. NASA Science upheld its long-standing tradition as an AGU partner and exhibitor, leveraging the meeting as an opportunity to share NASA’s cutting-edge research, data, and technology with the largest collection of Earth and planetary science professionals in the world. Many of the estimated 25,000 students, scientists, and industry personnel who attended the conference visited the NASA Science exhibit, interacting with NASA subject matter experts as detailed in the essay that follows – see Photo 1. Visitors also watched live Hyperwall presentations and collected NASA Science outreach materials, such as the 2025 NASA Science Planning Guide.
Photo 1. Paulo Younse [NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Robotics Systems Group—Engineer,] poses with a model of the sample tube he designed for the caching architecture that was used on NASA’s Mars Sample Return mission. Photo credit: NASA Highlights from the NASA Science Exhibit
NASA Hyperwall Stories
The NASA Hyperwall has been a focal point of the agency’s outreach efforts for over two decades, serving as both a powerful storytelling platform and the primary vehicle through which the public engages with the award-winning visualizations published by NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio (SVS) – see Photo 2. Forty-nine NASA mission scientists and program representatives shared NASA science with the public from the Hyperwall stage during AGU24. NASA leadership shared mission news and outlined upcoming research across all five of the NASA Science divisions: Earth science, planetary science, heliophysics, astrophysics, and biological and physical sciences – see Photos 3–8. A catalog of NASA project scientists and mission representatives, who provided colorful overviews of everything from NASA’s Mars Sample Return to the Parker Solar Probe’s historic flyby of the Sun, delivered additional presentations.
Photo 2. Mark Subbarao [NASA GSFC—Director of NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio] highlighted key visualizations produced by NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio during 2024 and presented them as a countdown of the top 10 visualizations of the year. Photo credit: NASA The complete AGU24 Hyperwall schedule is available at this link. Readers can view YouTube videos of the presentations via links over the individual names in the photo captions below.
Photo 3. Nicola Fox [NASA HQ—Associate Administrator of Science Mission Directorate] kicked off the week’s Hyperwall storytelling series by sharing 12 images selected for the 2025 NASA Science Planning Guide. Each image underscores the beauty of the natural world and the inherent value of scientific endeavors undertaken not only at NASA but by citizens around the globe. Photo credit: NASA Photo 4. Karen St. Germain [NASA HQ—Director of the Earth Science Division] provided audience members with an overview of NASA’s Earth Science Division – including the latest science from the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, and Ecosystems (PACE) mission. Photo credit: NASA Photo 5. Jack Kaye [NASA HQ—Director of the Airborne Science Program] highlighted key airborne science missions that flew in 2024 and demonstrated the broad list of airborne satellites and instruments and how their applications enable the advancement of Earth science research around the globe. Photo credit: NASA Photo 6. Joseph Westlake [NASA HQ—Director of the Heliophysics Division] delivered a talk in front of the NASA Hyperwall that captured the groundbreaking research that NASA has planned for the culmination of the Heliophysics Big Year, including mission news related to the Parker Solar Probe, Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP), and Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites (TRACERS). Photo credit: NASA Photo 7. Mark Clampin [NASA HQ—Director of the Astrophysics Division] gave AGU attendees a glimpse of NASA missions that will help researchers around the globe observe distant worlds and answer profound questions about the physics of the universe beyond our solar system. His presentation centered around the impact of the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Telescope and Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). Photo credit: NASA Photo 8. Lisa Carnell [NASA HQ—Director of the Biological Sciences Division], who sits at the helm of NASA’s newest scientific division, gave an overview of the current and future NASA research that is enhancing our understanding of how humans can live and work in space. Photo credit: NASA During AGU, NASA also celebrated the winners of the 2024 AGU Michael Freilich Student Visualization Competition, an annual competition honoring former NASA Earth Science Division director Michael Freilich that inspires students to develop creative strategies for effectively communicating complex scientific problems – see Photo 9. See the summary of “Symposium on Earth Science and Applications from Space…” [The Earth Observer, Mar–Apr 2020, Volume 32 Issue 3, 4–18] to learn more about Freilich’s career at NASA and impact on Earth science. A list of the award’s past recipients, dating back to the 2016, is published on AGU’s website.
Photo 9a. In partnership with AGU, student winners of the 2024 AGU Michael Freilich Student Visualization Competition received prizes and presented their work at the NASA hyperwall stage. Steve Platnick [NASA GSFC—Research Scientist for Earth Science Division ] [left with back to camera] congratulates Caitlin Haedrich [NC State University—Ph.D. candidate, contest winner (CW)]. Photo credit: NASA Photo 9b. Standing on the NASA Hyperwall stage [left to right] are Erik Hankin [AGU—Assistant Director of Career and Student Programs], Barry Lefer [NASA HQ—Program Manager for the Tropospheric Composition Program (TCP)], Mya Thomas [University of Missouri-Kansas City—Undergraduate Student. CW], Mariliee Karinshak [Washington University in St. Louis—Undergraduate Student, CW], Swati Singh [Auburn University—PhD Candidate, CW], Crisel Suarez [Vanderbilt University—PhD Candidate, CW], and Steve Graham [GSFC/Global Science & Technology Inc.—NASA Science Support Office Task Leader]. Photo credit: NASA Photo 9c. Patrick Kerwin [University of Arizona—Graduate Student, CW] delivers his award-winning talk titled Earth Observation for Disaster Response: Highlighting Applied Products. Photo credit: NASA
Face-to-face With NASA Experts
AGU opened its exhibit hall to the public at 10:00 AM on December 9. Thousands of eager attendees poured into the space to engage with exhibit staff, representing a variety of universities, research institutions, and private organizations from around the world.
Photo 10. AGU attendees explore the NASA Science exhibit space shortly after the exhibit hall opened on December 9. Photo credit: NASA Photo 11a. AGU meeting participants anticipate the distribution of the NASA Science Planning Guide each year, which features artwork from Science Mission Directorate (SMD) art director Jenny Mottar and a collection of science images curated by SMD leadership. Photo credit: NASA Photo 11b. AGU meeting participants anticipate the distribution of the NASA Science Planning Guide each year, which features artwork from Science Mission Directorate (SMD) art director Jenny Mottar and a collection of science images curated by SMD leadership. Photo credit: NASA
NASA Science welcomed AGU attendees, who gathered within the perimeter of the exhibit shortly after opening – see Photo 10 – where NASA staff distributed the 2025 NASA Science Planning Guide – see Photo 11.
Attendees filtered through the NASA Science booth by the thousands, where more than 130 outreach specialists and subject matter experts from across the agency were available to share mission-specific science and interface directly with members of the public – see Photos 12–15.
Photo 12. The NASA Science booth included a collection of exhibit tables, where mission scientists and outreach specialists shared information and materials specific to various NASA missions and programs. Photo credit: NASA Photo 13. Outreach specialists from NASA’s Dragonfly mission, which plans to send a robotic aircraft to the surface of Saturn’s moon Titan, speak with attendees in front of a to-scale model of the aircraft. Photo credit: NASA Photo 14. Staff from NASA’s astrobiology program share a collection of graphic novels produced by graphic artist Aaron Gronstal, highlighting the research that the program conducts to answer important questions about the origin, evolution, and distribution of life in the universe. Photo credit: NASA Photo 15. Exhibit staff and AGU attendees interact with three-dimensional (3D) models of NASA spacecraft and technology in augmented reality. Photo credit: NASA AGU attendees met with project scientists and experts at a new exhibit, called “Ask Me Anything.” The discussions spanned a variety of NASA missions, including Mars Sample Return, James Webb Space Telescope, and Parker Solar Probe, with specialists from these and other missions who spoke during the sessions – see Photo 16. An installation of NASA’s Earth Information Center also made an appearance at AGU24, providing attendees with additional opportunities to speak with Earth scientists and learn more about NASA research – see Photo 17.
Photo 16. NASA Heliophysicists discuss solar science with AGU attendees at the “Ask Me About Heliophysics” table. Photo credit: NASA Photo 17. At the Earth Information Center, attendees spoke with NASA staff about the various ways that NASA keeps tabs on the health of Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, and landmasses from space. Photo credit: NASA 2024 SMD Strategic Content and Integration Meeting
As they have done for many years now, staff and leadership from NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Engagement Branch convened in Washington, DC on December 8 (the day before the Fall AGU meeting began) to discuss agency communications and outreach priorities. This annual meeting provided personnel from each of SMD’s scientific divisions a valuable opportunity to highlight productive strategies and initiatives from the previous calendar year and chart a path for the year ahead. During the single-day event, team leaders shared information related to NASA’s web-modernization efforts, digital outreach strategies, and exhibit presence. Approximately 150 in-person and 50 online NASA staff joined the hybrid meeting.
After a welcome from Steve Graham [GSFC/GST—NASA Science Support Office Task Leader], who covered meeting logistics, the participants heard from NASA Headquarters’ SMD Engagement and Communication representatives throughout the day.
Amy Kaminski [Engagement Branch Chief], who recently replaced Kristen Erickson in this role, used this opportunity to more formally introduce herself to those who might not know her and share her visions for engagement. Karen Fox [Senior Science Communications Official] discussed the evolution of communication for SMD missions over the past decade – moving from siloed communications a decade ago that very much focused on “my mission,” to a much more cooperation between missions and focus on thematic communications. Following up on Kaminski’s remarks that gave an overall vision for engagement, and Fox’s remarks about how having a vision will help streamline our messaging, Alex Lockwood [Strategic Messaging and Engagement Lead] delved into the nuts and bolts of strategic planning, with focus on the use of work packages and memorandums of understanding for promoting upcoming missions.
After the leadership set the tone for the meeting, Emily Furfaro [NASA Science Digital Manager] gave a rapid tour of many of NASA’s digital assets intended to give participants an idea of the vast resources available for use. Diana Logreira [NASA Science Public Web Manager] then laid out some principles to be followed in developing unified vision for the NASA Science public web experience.
In the afternoon, there were individual breakout sessions for the Earth Science, Planetary Science, and Heliophysics divisions. These sub-meetings were led by Ellen Gray, Erin Mahoney, and Deb Hernandez, Engagement Leads for Earth Science, Heliophysics, and Planetary Sciences respectively. These breakout sessions afforded participants with an opportunity to focus on ideas and goals specific to their own divisions for 2025. In the Earth Science breakout session, participants heard from other several other speakers who discussed the beats, or content focus areas, that had been chosen for Earth Science Communications in 2024 – including oceans and Earth Action (formerly known as Applied Sciences) – and those that have been identified for 2025: technology, land science, and continued focus on Earth Action.
Photo 18a. NASA Science Mission Directorate staff gathers in Washington, DC ahead of AGU for the annual meeting, where in-person attendees hear from leadership and work collaboratively to refine communications strategies for 2025. Photo credit: NASA Photo 18b. Joseph Westlake [NASA HQ—Heliophysics Division Director] discusses division-specific goals with Heliophysics communication leads during the division’s “breakout session.” Photo credit: NASA Photo 18c. Science Mission Directorate leadership fields questions from SMD staff during the end-of-meeting panel discussion. Photo credit: NASA
After participants reconvened from the breakouts, Nicola Fox [Associate Administrator, Science Mission Directorate] gave a mid-afternoon presentation in which she presented her perspective on integrated NASA science, which led into a one-hour “Ask Us” panel with Division Directors to conclude the meeting. Participants included: Mark Clampin [Astrophysics], Lisa Carnell [Biological], Julie Robinson [Earth Science, Deputy], Joe Westlake [Heliophysics], John Gagosian [Joint Agency Satellite], Charles Webb [Planetary Science, Acting].
Based on this meeting, and other communications guidance from NASA HQ, a few general SMD/Earth Science content and engagement priorities for 2025 have emerged. They include:
continuing to develop stories and products related to the three primary beats for 2025: technology, land, and Earth action; emphasizing the value of SMD science as a whole or system of connected divisions, promoting cross-divisional science; increasing the use of social media as a vehicle to share NASA missions and programs with diverse audiences; focusing on critical – and high-profile – ongoing missions [e.g., Parker Solar Probe, Europa Clipper, Plankton Aerosols, Cloud and ocean Ecosystem (PACE)] and upcoming launches [ARTEMIS and NASA–Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR)]; fostering collaborations and partnerships with agencies and institutions, e.g. instillation of the Earth Information Center at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History; and improving the visitor and guest experience at NASA centers, including Kennedy Space Center launches. Conclusion
The NASA exhibit is an important component of the agency’s presence at AGU, and NASA leverages its large cohort of scientists who participate in the exchange of information and ideas outside of the exhibit hall – in plenary meetings, workshops, poster sessions, panels, and informal discussions. AGU sessions and events that featured NASA resources, scientists, and program directors included the Living with a Star Town Hall, NASA’s Early Career Research Program, NASA’s Sea Level Change Team: Turning Research into Action, and many more. Click here for the complete list of NASA-related events at AGU24.
As the final event in a busy calendar of annual scientific conferences, AGU is often an opportunity for NASA scientists to publish findings from the previous year and set goals for the year ahead. Just as they did in 2024, the agency’s robust portfolio of missions and programs will continue to set new records, such as NASA’s Parker Solar Probe pass of the Sun, and conduct fundamental research in the fields of Earth and space science.
The 2025 AGU annual meeting will be held at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, in New Orleans, LA, from December 15–19, 2025. See you there.
Nathan Marder
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Global Science & Technology Inc.
nathan.marder@nasa.gov
Share
Details
Last Updated Feb 25, 2025 Related Terms
Earth Science View the full article
-
-
Check out these Videos
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.